1960

Our classmate the Rev. Russ Ingersoll of Hendersonville, North Carolina, who has endeared himself to us by joining in presenting the splendid memorial services at our reunions, was determined that a memorial for his young granddaughter Morgan Dunnigan would not be required at this early point in her life.

So, Russ' son, Russ, a computer expert, organized a Web site we can all find easily at www.zebray.com to support Morgan and the December operation to remove a tumor on her spinal cord, which spared her life. The Web site raised $130,000 and has drawn, at this writing, more than 4,000 encouraging messages to Morgan.

The effort goes on. Morgan became paralyzed just before the surgery and could not breathe on her own. But in months of post-operative treatment at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Morgan has begun to move her limbs, including some assisted walking.

The home page on the Web site says of the 7-year-old: "It appears that the tumor will not be a further threat to her life. However, she has a tremendous challenge before her." Russ e-mailed me, "Of course, we don't know if she will come back all the way. But it is looking hopeful."

Those interested should look at the Web site. It is not too late to help this gallant young girl and her family.

Others in the class, through the continued practice of medicine, are fighting to keep us as healthy as possible. I talked today to Joan Grey, wife for the last 44 years of Dr. Neil Grey of West Hartford, Connecticut, who was flying home from Las Vegas, where he had been invited to speak on his specialty, diabetes life care.

Neil, who has no wish to retire, believes that carefully watching one's blood sugar will keep diabetics feeling better and he has been on quite a crusade about it, his wife said.

Retiring or not retiring is quite a subject these days in our class. I heard from Peter Klaren, who also is determined to keep working, in his case teaching history at George Washington University. More than 40 years ago, in graduate work at UCLA, Peter was sitting in the back row of a class when a "wonderful Peruvian girl" happened to sit down next to him. One thing led to another, and Peter and his wife and soulmate, Sara, were able to live in Peru, where Peter wrote a book on Peruvian history.

Some are not really retired, but have gone into something else. Carl Backus of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a trial lawyer, but now he is spending quite a bit of time helping one of his sons, Sepp, rehabilitating houses. That has not prevented him from indulging his taste for opera recently in Vienna and Prague.

Paul Cantor remains heavily preoccupied with the theater, as is his wife, Helaine, and daughter Carolyn '93, who recently directed a play in San Diego. Paul, like our classmates Al Giick and Jon Cohen, has been spending a lot of time considering plans to reorganize the Hood Museum and Hopkins Center.

5522 Nagle Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91401;(818) 994-9231, kennethireich@yahooxom