1976

1976

The spirit of ’76 is alive and kicking. Our class, which first defied easy definition and laws of gravity on the Moosilauke square dance floor 46 falls ago, is still tough to pin down and rein in. That makes tracking your news a challenge, but I’m on it! Here’s the scoop from those I stalked and nagged this month. College prof emeritus Bert Ifill and wife Gisele are enjoying more time to make music. Bert is writing poetry for a commissioned piece for the choral group Gisele conducts. This summer they will travel to England to attend music festivals and explore the North Sea coastal roots of Benjamin Britten. In addition, Bert’s close harmony group recently placed in the finals of a regional competition. He is still busy accepting tributes on behalf of his beloved sister, journalist Gwen Ifill, and calls David Shribman’s reunion tribute last year “perhaps the most meaningful.” Jim Naylor reports downsizing his house and private equity business in Ohio, freeing up time for travel including heli-skiing with his youngest son last winter in British Columbia, which he describes as “hours of enjoyment punctuated by moments of sheer terror!” When I reached him, he and wife Dale were taking in the highlights of Highway 1, including Hearst Castle and golf in Carmel, California. Gretchen Kent Kerr, retired from an extensive career with the U.S. Army, has settled with husband Pat in Arizona as well as at their remote vacation home in Hillsboro, New Mexico. She has jumped into the role of gardener and fire department volunteer in Hillsboro, canning their organically grown fruits and berries and serving as emergency support planner for the fire department. She recently floated the idea of hosting a mini-reunion in this scenic, mountain community that is home to artists, writers, and retirees seeking starry nights, bright friends, and a minimum of technology. Accommodations would include private casitas. She suggests “wine and beer tastings, lots of Hatch chili and great barbecue, music, mountain hikes, and walking tours.” You had me at private casitas! I caught Shoun Kerbaugh between business flights. He’s been in the aluminum and steel industry since graduating from Thayer School, but hopes to retire as soon as his youngest heads to college in a couple of years. Lucky for Julie Miner and me, Shoun is the most devoted grandfather of five we know, single-handedly raising the Amazon rank of our kids’ books every time the grandkids celebrate a birthday or holiday. Shoun reported a fabulous dinner hosted by the Shribmans at Pittsburgh’s renowned Jozsa Corner restaurant when celebrities Tom and Judy Csatari came to town. Any dinner in Judy’s honor is well-deserved. We thank her for her amazingly newsy newsletters and her demonstrated devotion to our class as she continues on the executive committee but takes a break from newsletter deadlines. Thank you, Judy! Thank you, Andy Shaw, for your faithful service on the Alumni Council, and welcome Tom Reinhart, our new council rep!

We mourn the loss of Scott Steele, loved by all of us who had the privilege of knowing him through drama department productions and his distinguished theater career. His selflessness and miraculous sense of delight live in our hearts.

—Sara Hoagland Hunter, 72 Mount Vernon St., Unit 4B, Boston, MA 02108; sarahunter76@gmail.com