1981

1981

A trip down memory lane brings me back to the magic of freshman winter at Butterfield and those perfectly engineered slides from second-story windows. That was enough snow for Julian Bull and Cas Stimson, now in California. Julian is in his 13th year as headmaster of a large private Los Angeles school and Cas is the past president of

Old Spanish Days, which puts on a major Santa Barbara festival every year. Bill Barker reports that he and his wife are thoroughly enjoying retirement, empty-nesting and good restaurants in Chicago. Jim Doscher lives in the Boston area when not traveling, works for a semiconductor manufacturer focused on finding solutions for boosting healthcare systems and tries to get out into the great outdoors whenever possible. Jane Giffin has spent her career working for an electrical utility company in Pittsford, Vermont. Jane writes that, along with many of us, she was saddened to learn of the passing of John Rassias, who influenced her greatly. Finally, Alan Ritterband practices real estate law in Philadelphia. His youngest is off to Hanover soon as part of the class of2020. How is that even possible?!

Laura Barbuto DeAngelo recently switched careers after obtaining her master’s in social work. She now works as a mental health specialist while continuing to train parents of children with autism in Connecticut. Mary Favret, Laura’s bestie from Hinman and my travel companion in Europe during foreign study program days, recently moved to Baltimore, where she and her husband are English professors at Johns Hopkins.

Susan Spencer has survived three changes in corporate ownership during the past two years and is still employed as a staff reporter at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Like so many of us she is facing the challenges of long-distance caregiving for an elderly parent.

And from Bob Dale: “I look forward every year to a fall gathering of Theta Delt alums for a weekend of cards, lies and laughs. The event has its own game (‘Fizzbin’), is 35-plus years running and moves around the country. Regular ’81 attendees include Tom Nee, Bill Proom, Scott Markman, Steve Horwitz, Len Jardine, AI Siegel, Lawrence Serrano, Jim Randolph, Jim Degenhardt and Terry Bonus.” Bob is self-employed as a real estate developer and homebuilder, splitting his time between Philadelphia and the Jersey shore. He’d welcome any classmates passing his way.

I caught up with Terry Bonus last March while cheering on Bob Gaudet and his boys at the ECAC Hockey Championship in Lake Placid, New York. Terry lives in Hanover and provides services remotely to Bob Dale’s business.

Finally, I’m happy to report that after 20 years in Ottawa I’ve found a classmate here! John Watson is an anesthesiologist and faculty member at the University of Ottawa. He’s in touch with Jack Krusche (of Freshman Book deer fame), an environmental engineer in Alberta.

We hope to see many of you at the ’81-’82 Homecoming reunion, which is the last weekend in October.

And please send news.

Veronica Wessels, 224 Buena Vista Road, Rockcliffe, ONK1MOV7, Canada; (613) 748-6248; vcwessels@r0gers.c07n; Emil Miskovsky, 77 Bates St., Suite 202, Lewisto7i, ME 04240; (802) 345-9861; emilmiskovsky@gmail.com