1950

The class lost a loyal supporter, a devoted wife, and a good friend to many of us when Ruth Leavitt died in February. Ruthie's long battle with cancer is over, and her gallant fight against it will be long remembered and admired. She was an inspiration to all of us, as we know she was to Joel and their daughters.

Had a nice long note from Tom Rowe. He is enjoying the life of a "happy grandfather," with numbers five and six about to arrive. Red, who lives outside of Chicago, rents a house on Martha's Vineyard for two weeks each summer and gets all his family together. He says he is slowing down and being bought out of his insurance business, which packages voluntary benefits for employees and has offices in Chicago and Orange County, Calif.

Our grandkids were talking about their upcoming visit to New York City. The firstgrader announced, "We're going to go to the Eiffel Tower." "No, no," her fourth-grade cousin corrected. "You mean the Statue of Liberty." "Yeah. But, we're also going to climb the Vampire State Building."

Scratching-each-other's-back department: My colleague sifty Joe, of newsletter fame, sent me a Green Card. Among other items, he said, "GREAT column in the recent DAM. I like the idea of naming names. This might get some of the Rip Van Winkles off their colective asses and back into the fold. We'll see. Like you, I'd like to see some new names in our columns. I hear too many guys say the same thing: 'How come you always mention the same names?' Answer: 'When did you last write, bunky?"' Wonder if he's talking about you.

Ken Edelson writes the column for the Tuck School alumni magazine, and a recent issue had some interesting comments and news from classmates. Bill and Judy Cross weathered their first winter in their new home in Orford, N.H. Bill was surprised at the number of non-Dartmouth people retiring to the Upper Valley. He asked one why, and the response was, "Hell, you wouldn't want to retire to New Haven, would you?"

Another writer in Ken's column was KenClark, who reported in from Memphis, which he says has been good to him and his family. Still practicing tax and corporate law, he says, "There seems to be little reason to retire while I am on so good a roll and still fit enough to pursue the elusive par, hanker for the fresh powder runs, and ogle a well-turned ankle."

Spring will be in full bloom by the time you read this, so ENJOY. (I promised my editor I wouldn't write any more two-month-old weather reports, but I don't think that counts.)

2 Central Green, Winchester, MA 01890