Class of 1965 Class Notes November-December 2013

Class of 1965 Class Notes November-December 2013

There is a lot to cover, so I’ll forgo my usual weather (it’s beautiful) commentary and get right to the business of class news. I received the following via email: “The Philadelphia office of Fisher & Phillips LLP announced that senior counsel J. Freedley Hunsicker has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2014.” Freedley also celebrated his 70th in August, which I missed because Donna and I were in California attending the wedding of Jim and Susan Acquistapace’s daughter Anna. Also attending were Chip and Mandy Reames, Perrin and Peggy Quarles, Steve Rockmore, Steve and Betsy Clark, Bob and Mary Rounsavall, Marshall Bell and Milena Canonero, and Josh Jensen. I did receive a video of Freedley attempting a flip off the diving board on his birthday weekend. Not pretty. The Yale Daily News reported: “In the spring, aspiring Yale journalists will have the opportunity to learn from one of the most famous names in the field, Bob Woodward ’65. Woodward will teach the spring section of “Journalism,” an intensive seminar that the English Department offers each spring and fall. Woodward said he hopes to teach his students about the intensive and immersive reporting method he developed throughout his prolific journalistic career.” Bob is also leading our effort for the 50th Reunion Class Book with John Schenck and Ralph Protsik. Ralph also filed the following two paragraph note: “On a sparkling Nantucket weekend in early September, the Whiffs of ’65 raised voices and glasses in celebration of the marriage of Liza Cross, daughter of Whiff Dennis Cross, to Pat Miller, son of Rick Miller of the ’68 Whiffs. Hard to know what was most amazing—that 12 of 13 living Whiffs showed up; that most agreed to stay in what my wife Susan called “the frat house” on Hussey Street; or that we didn’t embarrass ourselves singing at the wedding. Wives, partners, and lovers ranged from hardened veteran Betsy Hawkins (wife of Dave, 46 years of marriage and counting) to a mystery woman named Paula whom Dan Bergfeld shanghaied at the beach on Thursday and smooth-talked into tagging along with him to the ceremony on Saturday. Those in between—Marsha Kline Pruett, Karen Lefebvre, Susan Wolin, Fred Wise, Sigita Pinney, Connie Hart, Lynn Sherman, and the infinitely gracious Anne Cross—did well to leave us alone to our folly. The whole experience was testimony to the group’s affection for Dennis, and to the lengths we will all go for a free meal. It was a feast from start to finish.” “On a more somber note, the following Monday several classmates joined friends and family at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York to honor Herb Allison. Among those attending the memorial service were Bruce Alexander, Dodd Fisher, Peter Gross, Jon Grouf, Fred Kneip, John Pinney, John Ringwald, Dave Roscoe, Gil Ott, Marne Obernauer, Ron Wilmore, Stan Trotman, and Joel Papernik.  In last month’s Class Notes, Pinney described Herb as “greatly admired for his integrity and humility as well as his many accomplishments in business and government.” For those of us fortunate to have known Herb, going back to Yale days, it’s the former we will remember first–his loyalty to friends; dedication to family; humor; kindness; grace; that ability to look you in the eye and have you know that, at that moment, you were the most important person in his life. Many people Herb touched learned that good was not good enough. More importantly, they learned that nice guys can finish first. Herb was a mensch, and we will miss him.” Kent Reinker wrote: “After two previous careers, first as a US Army officer (Colonel) and orthopedic surgeon, and then as an academic Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon (Chief Surgeon at the Shriners Hospital for Children, Honolulu, for 12 years and then Professor at the University of Texas, San Antonio for another 10,) I have now embarked on a third career as a novelist. I just published my first novel, A Tale of Two Planets, writing under the nom de plume Alain Gunn. It’s now available on Amazon, and its sequel, Red Exodus, will be available next month. Both are sort of Michael Crichton style science fiction. I have four others written, and will release these during the next two years. So I’m finally using what I learned in the four years I spent on the Yale Daily News. I had a delightful lunch in San Francisco with my JE room-mate, Bob Gex, in March and can report that he is doing very well. I hadn’t seen him in quite a long time. More’s the shame. Old friends should not be neglected.” Mel Shaftel alerted me that Bruce Alexander will be among the honorees at the 2013 Yale Athletics Blue Leadership Ball on November 22; well-deserved for Bruce’s career as an oarsman and his service to Yale. Ted O’Leary sent the following happy news: “This past November, I married the former Mary Ellen Ayre who I dated all senior year at Yale and for a while after that.  We eventually went our separate ways and both married other people.  I lost my first wife to cancer almost 20 years ago.  Mary also married and has three grown daughters, and divorced.  We reconnected over a year ago and are now married.” Jeff Miller reported that Peter Siegfried died on July 23. The New York Times carried a tribute from his employer of 37 years, Central National-Gottesman Inc., where he had been general counsel. As is often the case, news of the death of a classmate reaches me via the AYA and when possible, I add details from firsthand knowledge or from other classmates, but the information is sometimes quite limited. I received notes about Roger Goettche and John Quinn from Herb Hennessy (former coaching assistant) and Bob Dodds, and will post them in the next notes. Please feel free to send personal reflections to augment the limited information I’m able to report. Karl Schonborn’s memoir, Cleft Heart: Chasing Normal, about overcoming a serious speech impediment and heart problems to become one of today’s leading experts on violence and conflict will be published by Wayman Publishing in October, 2013. Jon Ingham sent a photo of his new house under construction in Key West. There was no accompanying invitation to visit Jon, but I’m sure he’ll welcome visitors when it’s completed. 50th Reunion update: By the time you read this column, you will have received a kickoff letter for the Reunion. Please be in touch with the committee members listed on the letter to offer your thoughts and suggestions on how we can make it a great event. To those who supplied their email addresses, thank you. To those who still haven’t, please do.