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These pages contain all class notes from the Yale Alumni Magazine from 1957
on. The notes appear unchanged from their original publication save for the
correction of misspellings and other small errors. The few gaps in coverage
that exist result from the absence of Class of 1957 notes in a few issues of the
magazine over the years. Also, in keeping with changes in the magazine itself,
the frequency of publication occasionally changes.
Notes:
January/February 2013
Notes: March/April 2013
Notes: May/June 2013
Notes: July/August 2013
Notes: September/October 2013
Notes: November/December 2013
Notes: November/December 2013
While there's much railing against what's called "Washington" in today's banal shorthand,
it's a place where many people fetch up. Recently, John and Laura Crosby
came to town from Minneapolis. But they were far outdistanced in the mileage sweepstakes
by the appearance of John Spender, in from Sydney, Australia. John C has spent his
career in non-profit development for schools and colleges, in history teaching, and in the
federal Jobs Corps. John S was Australian ambassador to France, Morocco, and Portugal, as
well as a member of his country's assembly and supreme court. Both look more or less like
the lads of yore; both retain their lively ways. It's heartening that we can have
friendships, most of them formed at you know where, at such distances over so many
decades.
The New York Times carried two summer items about Larry Kramer. The first
was news that he and architect David Webster, whom some recall from our 50th reunion, were
married on July 24, 2013 while Larry was recovering from an operation. Equally worthy of
huzzas is the award to Larry of a 2013 PEN Literary Award. He was cited as Master
American Dramatist for his Normal Heart, which proved, read the citation, that
theater could "change the world, save lives and move audiences to action." Bravo, Master
Dramatist!
The class has suffered high losses since my last column, to wit:
In Memoriam: W. Andrew Carothers, Jr. died from the complications of
Parkinson's disease on July 17, 2013 in Centerville, MA. After law school, Andy became a
staff member of Congress's Joint Economic Committee, then legislative counsel in the
office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Subsequently, he worked with Senator Adlai E.
Stevenson on the Senate Banking Committee. A natively gifted musician, Andy played the
piano by ear and had the gift of transposing pieces from one key to the other on the spot.
His roommate Al Clovis writes that "Andy treasured his years at Yale--feeling that
they greatly widened his horizons and fundamentally changed his life." Andy's other
roommate John Copelin reports that until the end "Andy retained his ear-splitting
smile, his clever humor, his fluent French phrase-making, and his skill playing cabaret
piano." Andy is survived by his wife Ginger and her daughters Michele, Christine, and
Valerie Theberge. Gifts in Andy's memory may be made to his church, St.
Andrew's-by-the-Sea, Hyannis Port, MA or to a favorite charity.
In Memoriam: David T. Mininberg died on July 22, 2013, in New York City
after a long illness. Dave was a distinguished practitioner of pediatric urology and
long-time professor at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical College. His
friends knew him, as Tom Perkins writes, as a man of "humor, kindness to all, and
generosity to Yale and other institutions." Upon retiring from active medical practice,
Dave gained an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from NYU, then became a volunteer in the
Department of Egyptian Art at the Met. Using his two specialties, he helped the Met gain
new knowledge of the diseases and accidents to which ancient Egyptians had been prone by
studying the museum's mummies. His researches yielded new knowledge offered to the public
in a 2005-2006 Met exhibit on the art of medicine in ancient Egypt. Dave was probably the
only classmate besides Henry Geldzahler to be able to claim an exhibit at the Met.
Devoted to the Music in Schools project, Dave helped arrange Emanuel Ax's honorary
chairmanship of the project's early ventures and his concert for 1957 and participants in
the project's first bi-annual symposium at our 50th reunion. In addition to his wife
Anne, Dave is survived by their sons Gustav and Julien, a brother, and grandchildren.
In Memoriam: Richard S. Hall died on July 23, 2013 in Palm Coast, FL. At
Yale, Dick was a varsity basketball player and manager of the winning '56-'57 team. After
service in the US Navy, he joined AT&T, where he spent his career, the last part in human
resources, for which, as anyone who knew this sunny man would conclude, he was perfectly
fitted. After the breakup of AT&T, Dick spent much of his time in civic and public
activities and continued his singing. (He'd been a boy soprano at the age of 8.) His
roommate Pat Wilde writes that "Dick was 'Mr. Social' of our TD group and the
classic good guy that everyone liked." He is survived by his wife Lynn, their four sons,
and others.
In Memoriam: Francis H. Beam, Jr. died on August 20, 2013 from the
complications of Parkinson's disease in Vero Beach, FL. Buzz, as he was known to friends,
followed his undergraduate years with study at Harvard Business School and then went to
work in 1959 for Ernst and Ernst. At the age of 31, he was made partner, the youngest
one, of that firm. When he retired in 1988, he was vice chairman and regional managing
partner. Known for his charitable and civic commitments, Buzz was also an avid fly
fisherman, sailor, and duck hunter. In 2006, the St. Luke's Foundation, of which he'd
been a trustee, created the Francis H. Beam Fellowship in his honor. His Cleveland
playpen playmate Karl van Horn recalls him as "straight on, competitive, intense
and sharp as a tack with a Huckleberry Finn openness to the big world out there." His
roommate and long-time friend and traveling companion Pat Carey writes that Buzz
was "a man of vision and courage, a true gentleman, family man, wonderful person, and
caring friend." Buzz is survived by his wife Virginia and their children Jennifer
Carroll, Francis III, and Judd. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Michael J.
Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Grand Central Station PO Box 4777, New York NY
10163-4777 or to the Memorial Fund of Fairmount Presbyterian Church, 2757 Fairmount
Boulevard, Cleveland Heights OH 44118.
—JMB
Notes: September/October 2013
I open this column with a request--a plea, really, and not the first of its kind--that all
surviving spouses and companions of our classmates who read these words, who wish to be
put on the class email list, but who aren't yet on it let me know via email at my email
address above. The class tries to be as inclusive as possible, but we need your help to
make it so. And if any classmates know of widows or companions who may not be on the list,
I urge them to help get those class relations onto our rolls.
The 2014 annual class dinner will take place on Thursday, May 8th next, at the Yale
Club in New York. With this early advisory, no excuses for non-attendance will be
accepted. Plans are also afoot to schedule another theater weekend in Manhattan following
the class dinner. Stay tuned for more news.
I gather from informal reports that the 4th biennial symposium of the class's Music in
Schools project went off swimmingly. Anne Midgette '86, music critic of the Washington
Post, addressed symposium participants. A full report of the event can be found at
music.yale.edu/news.
After long silence, I've heard from my childhood chum Larry Newman. He and wife
Mary, having recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, pull every-six-month
switcheroos between their Ohio and Maine homes. Larry continues to sing with the alumni of
the Yale Russian Chorus, founded in the ancient year of 1953. Said Chorus alumni, who
include 57ers John Francis and Barry Rubin, will hold their 60th anniversary
concert in Woolsey Hall on November 10th.
Read Charlton and Dave Christenson visited together last April in
Charlotte Court House, VA, where Read lives with his wife Ann. They found time, between
conversations about Yale hockey, to visit the Appomattox battlefield. They'd hoped that
Towny Ludington would join them, but he was traveling in Germany at the time.
After retiring in 2008 from an 18-year stint as associate rector of St. John's
Episcopal Church in Stamford CT, Bart Gage became a part-time assisting priest at
Stamford's nearby St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. In 2012, the presiding priest departed,
leaving Bart in charge. "Since then," Bart writes, "I've tried to build leadership in the
parish, celebrate Mass every day, and oversee a three million dollar renovation program. I
love every minute of it, and the congregants put up with my sense of humor and skewered
take on things. I tell them that I'm a 'High Church Methodist,' break into song, and then
give unction and prayers for healing to people from South Africa, Nigeria, Jamaica, Costa
Rica, Korea, China, Germany, Slovakia, and the Ukraine." In fact, as Bart writes, this
original Anglo-Catholic "High Church" parish now has 21 different countries of origin
among its parishioners. "I've slowed down a bit," Bart says, "cancer in remission, but my
wife, Faye, and I have never been happier. Two married sons, two lovely daughters-in-law,
and one granddaughter. What's not to like?"
I'm always reluctant to foreground gatherings of which I'm a part. But why keep
classmates out of the news because of my hesitation to put myself into it? So I report on
two late spring gatherings which I attended. The first, an almost-annual get-together of
St. Anthony Hall classmates in Guilford, CT, saw the following in attendance and fine
health: Court Haight, John Harrison, Gus Kellogg, Ray Lamontagne, Ernie Pepples, Hal
Russell, Dick Voight, and Nort Wright. While assembled, we spoke by phone with
Otis Graham (in CA) and Jack Skillman (in ME), who were unable to attend. At
a Deerfield 60th reunion, I was happily in the company of George Atkeson, Larry Bodkin,
Steve Flagg, and Phil Weymouth, who also seem in solid health and high spirits.
In Memoriam: John G Kittredge died at his home in Arundel, ME, on June 11, 2013.
Since John was not originally listed with the Class of 1957 and no doubt joined it later,
I have little information about him. He received BA and MA architecture degrees from Yale
and then practiced architecture in Cincinnati until 1975 while teaching the subject at
both Ohio University and Miami University of Ohio. He then moved to Maine, where he became
a general contractor out of Biddeford while continuing to design both residential and
commercial buildings. He was also deeply involved in community activities until his death.
John is survived by his wife Cornelia, their children Marie, Fletcher, John, and David,
many grandchildren, and a sister. Memorial contributions in his memory may be made to the
United Way of York County, PO Box 727, Kennebunkport, ME 04043 or to Sustainable Harvest,
PO Box 1447, Ellsworth, ME 04605.
—JMB
Notes: July/August 2013
Spring-like early May proved the ideal time for the class's annual Manhattan council
meeting and dinner. Business transacted, we gathered with our wives on May 2d for
friendship, talk, laughter, food, and drink, as well as for Ray Lamontagne's lively
after-dinner talk about his active life. The next two days, under Steve Hopkin's
organizing leadership, some 57ers joined together for a theater weekend in the city. Steve
credits "the guiding hand of this highly successful mini-reunion to Yale's renowned Murray
Biggs," who led the group through two plays: Brecht's The Caucasian Chalk Circle
("his masterpiece," says Biggs) and the sometime slapstick comedy, Vanya and Sonia and
Masha and Spike by Yale graduate Christopher Durang (Biggs: "America's best
contemporary comedic playwright"). He also analyzed each play before its performance and
led a discussion afterwards. 20 classmates and spouses attended, Steve and Doris
Colgate coming farthest--from Florida.
Our class holography expert, Sonny Jeong, has sent me a photo of his
cheer-leader self doing a flip in the air over Handsome Dan during our college years. He
dismays me, however, in reporting that he only does such flips now into a pool. Peter
Wolf's "memoir of loss and renewal," My New Orleans, Gone Away, has recently
been published. (More about it on the class website.) After a January London lunch with
Karl Van Horn, Elliott Bunce, in the spirit of the class music project, is working
to create an "el Sistema"-like music program in local schools with the Alexandria VA
.Symphony Orchestra.
Through Tom Perkins comes word that Frank Melhorn recently judged essays
for Yale's annual Manuscript and Archives Awards that go to two seniors for their capstone
essays. Frank has helped fund the prizes. Will Reimann, retired senior preceptor in
visual studies at Harvard, has sent me photos of a recent sculpture. It's good--and for
sale. A review of Shelby Tucker's latest book, Client Service, along with
photos of the oh-so-young man, one of them a-camel, appeared in the March 2013 issue of
Memphis: The City Magazine. Jack Hughes remains active in the Yale Club of
Southern Arizona and chooses speakers for its monthly lunches. He also helps out in Pima
Community College's Upward Bound Program and continues as adjunct professor of surgery at
the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD.
In Memoriam: Donald E. Backe died on April 13, 2013 after an extended
battle with infection. Until 1987, Don was a private-school teacher and school head. To
that work as to everything else, he brought a contagious optimism. In 1987, he suffered a
grievous auto accident that left him a paraplegic. Had he been wanting in internal
strength, he might not have pulled through. But as he wisely said to me, "Even when we're
100% healthy, we can do only a fraction of what the world holds out to us. I may have lost
the chance to do some things, but I've not lost the chance to do the rest." Living up to
those inspirational convictions, Don re-gathered his forces, married Lyn Hallett, the love
of the last part of his life, and, fortified by Lyn's critically important support, turned
his lifelong love of sailing into something that physically and developmentally disabled
people could do. The result, in 1991, was CRAB--Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating--the
Annapolis non-profit he founded and led until the last years of his life. CRAB raised
funds to design daysailers for short outings on the water, then boats specially rigged for
two people, one of whom could be severely impaired. In recognition of his extraordinary
labors on behalf of disabled people who wish to sail, shortly before Don died U.S. Sailing
awarded him, by now a national figure, with its 2012 Old Pulteney Maritime Heroes Award.
In addition to Lyn, Don is survived by Lisa Backe, Nina B. Coffin, Vanessa B. delaCruz,
Garth Backe, and Lissa H. Staven. Gifts in Don's memory should go to the Sacajawea
Charitable Foundation for the "Fund in honor of Donald Eric Backe," 148 Linden Street
(Suite 204), Wellesley MA 02482-7904. Income from the Fund will go to a "Donald E. Backe
Memorial Scholarship" for a disabled person at Yale and/or to CRAB.
In Memoriam: Conrad W. Fisher died on April 24, 2013 in Palm Beach, FL,
after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. A native of Worcester, MA, where he spent most
of his life, after Yale Connie received his law degree from Boston University, then
established his own law firm in Worcester and practiced until very shortly before his
death. Noted as "a lawyer's lawyer" and a "fierce protector of defendants' rights," he was
also a masterful presence before a jury. One of his locally celebrated achievements was
his recovery of three major art works that had been stolen from the Worcester Art Museum.
Connie is survived by his wife Edith, also a Worcester native, whom Connie married fresh
out of college, as well as by their two children, Elizabeth and Charles, a sister,
brother, and grandchildren. Their son Jonathan predeceased him. Donations in Connie's
memory may be made to the Donald Kaufman MD Charitable Trust, Massachusetts General
Hospital Department of Oncology, or to You Inc., 81 Plantation Street, Worcester MA 01604.
—JMB
Notes: May/June 2013
I have it on high authority, Rod Correll's and others, that the winter weekend in
New Haven, organized again principally by Gus Kellogg, went splendidly. Its
highlight? A tour of the newly re-opened, vastly expanded, and wholly re-reconfigured
Yale Art Gallery led by its director Jock Reynolds. Next up, but after you've received
this issue: the annual class dinner in New York on May 2nd, plus a theater-centered
mini-reunion the next day. A report will follow.
In Manhattan in January, I lunched with Toby Briggs and Reed Rubin and
found both youthful, sunny, and engaged. Both, also, remain at their respective
treadmills, Reed in finance, Toby in publishing. When I inquired as to when they might
lay aside their responsibilities, I got only looks of puzzlement. Even those, like Ben
Moore, who claim to be retired, seem anything but. Ben, no longer practicing
architecture, nevertheless takes care of two houses on Martha's Vineyard and a row house
in Boston, is active in congregational church affairs, and serves on the Vineyard's
historic district commission and the board of the island's preservation trust.
Another way to handle retirement is through creative accounting of time. Elected
commissioner of his Gulf Stream FL town, Bob Ganger resigned from several boards
and civic association responsibilities. "A gain of twenty hours per month in 'free'
time," figures Bob. Can I be a non-believer? And then there's Kim Cheney's
approach: he's still practicing law in Montpelier VT, serving on the city's planning
commission, and "issuing outraged statements to the news people on television." Kim
served as Vermont's Republican attorney general in the 1970s but failed of re-election by
12 votes after Ford pardoned Nixon. Then, like Senator Jim Jeffords, whom he succeeded as
AG, Kim turned Democrat.
After many years, we've heard from John Hearst, now professor emeritus of
chemistry at Berkeley. After Yale, John received his PhD in chemistry from Cal Tech (his
thesis signed by Linus Pauling and Richard Feynman), then went to Berkeley, where he spent
his entire career as an internationally known expert in DNA research. One of his doctoral
students was Thomas Cech, 1989 winner of the Nobel Prize (with Yale's Sydney Altman).
John's career is fully outlined in an article in Catalyst (fall-winter 2012-13). It
pictures John and Jean, his wife of 54 years, at our junior prom.
In Memoriam: John R. Quarles, Jr. died on October 29. 2012, in Gainesville, VA,
from the complications of Alzheimer's disease. Johnny, who was always modest, humorous,
gentle, prudent, and wise, became a giant of environmental law and a widely admired figure
in the environmental community. After Harvard Law School, he joined the Interior
Department as assistant to the Under Secretary of the Interior for Environmental Planning.
In that position, he helped formulate President Nixon's first environmental message to
Congress while assisting in creating the EPA, both in 1970, then directing its enforcement
program. When William Ruckelshaus, EPA's first administrator, moved to the FBI during the
Watergate furor, John moved into the EPA's number two position and served as deputy
administrator for four years, including two stints as acting administrator. It was during
John's EPA years that many of the basic environmental protection statutes, including the
Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, were written and adopted. John then joined the law firm
of Morgan Lewis, where he was central to building its environmental law practice
especially in the law of electric and nuclear power. Tom Perkins writes of
Johnny's "complete integrity, decency, and courtesy." Tom Chittenden notes that
"he developed a strong Christian faith in his 40s and supported various evangelical
Christian churches and enterprises, including Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting
Company, on whose board he sat for many years." In addition to his wife Barbara, John is
survived by their children Benjamin, John, Laura, and Nancy and ten grandchildren.
Contributions in his memory may be made to Orphan's Promise, 977 Centerville Turnpike,
Virginia Beach, VA 23463.
In Memoriam: We lost Edward M. Reusch on November 9, 2011 in Exeter, NH.
Neither the class nor university has much information about Ed. I infer from scanty facts
that he entered Yale with us but left at some time prior to 1957 before securing his
undergraduate degree from Georgetown in 1959. His career was spent in consulting and real
estate. Ed is survived by his wife Julie and many children and grandchildren.
In Memoriam: Clay S. Briggs, Jr. died on March 29, 2012. Clay entered
Yale with the class of 1955 and, after two years in the US Army, rejoined Yale with our
class. He spent his career in business, mostly in advertising. Although he provided no
news to the class for its reunion books, we do know that he loved jazz and spent his last
years in Chicago.
In Memoriam: G. Gordon Bellis died unexpectedly on January 24, 2013 in
San Francisco. Born in Shanghai, Gordon was on the last boat to escape that city after
the 1937 Japanese invasion. After Yale, he spent some years in the Marine Corps, rising
to the rank of Captain. From 1967 on, he and his family lived in San Francisco, where
Gordon spent his career in finance, mostly, Tony Marshall reports, with Sutro
brokers. Those who knew Gordon experienced him for the bon vivant that he was--witty,
gregarious, candid. Dick Massey characterizes him as "eloquent, in a droll way, in
expressing his take on the state of America's affairs." He loved fine wine, friends,
books, music, and, as Pat Jones points out, games of chance like bridge and, yes,
dominos. To these pleasures he added skiing, sailing, and hunting. His memberships
mirrored his delights. He was active in the San Francisco Wine & Food Society, the First
Growth Group, and--one might have guessed it--the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin.
Paul Eisele recalls Gordon telling him that he bought Bordeaux "by the carload." He
was also a member of the Pacific-Union Club, the Burlingame Club, and the Bohemian Club,
where he died. Gordon's wife Cathy predeceased him. He is survived by his confidant and
close friend of many years, Josephine Malti, as well as by his children: Gordon,
Catherine, and Alexandra and six grandchildren.
—JMB
Notes: March/April 2013
Author! Author! sounds the call, and 57ers respond--with e-books no less. John
Leinenweber, following on other scholarly/devotional works, has translated into
conversational English a collection of Saint Augustine's homilies on the Gospel according
to John. Its title: In the Beginning Was the Word. Not to be outdone by Brother
John, Malcolm Mitchell, with editorial assistance from Gerry Jonas, has
e-written Up from Gold, which explains how the modern American economy works. Both
books are available from Amazon.com.
Dennis McWhan doubles as author and waterman. After building two Chesapeake
light craft kayaks, he's written the popular science (non-e-)book Sand and Silicon.
It relates how scientific discoveries are built on little grains of sand. Emeritus
professor Tom Rohner was last spring the recipient of the 2012 Lifetime Achievement
Award from the American Urological Association for his work in urologic education. Mike
Kohler writes that, after the 2010 death of his wife of 52 years, he was "fortunate
enough to meet a lovely widow--not through a dating service or at a singles bar, but
because we sat next to one another at church." Pew proximity led to marriage.
Joe Quander is justifiably proud that yet another Quander, his granddaughter, is
a sophomore in Saybrook. Charlie Strong is adjusting to apartment living in Plato,
TX and spreads his wings in Florida each year and by touring Turkey and Greece. Ed
Meyer was reelected to a fifth term in the Connecticut Senate last fall. He's chair
of the body's environment committee and focusing on the state's economic turnaround. Lynne
and Merrell Clark have travelled with YaleGALE to Turkey, China, Israel and UK for
best practices presentations on alumni engagement at universities. He's still chair of
the Board of Yale Westchester and on committees for Yale Alumni College and the Yale
Alumni Nonprofit Alliance.
In Memoriam: Fred J. Laux died on August 16, 2012 after a short illness.
Lacking much information about him, I can only report that Fred spent his career with
Philip Morris, from which he retired in 1995 as executive vice president of human
resources. He was an avid sports fan who loved the New York Giants and never missed a
Majors golf tournament. Fred is survived by his wife JoAnn, their children George, Peter,
Cindy, Jacqueline, Jeannine, and Cheryl Smith. Donations may be made in Fred's memory to
JL Cares, 16823 Captain Kirle Drive, Jupiter, FL 33477.
In Memoriam: Henry M. Hulshizer died in Morristown, NJ, on September 13,
2012. A varsity swimmer, Hank seemed to know from college days that he would spend his
career in finance and investment banking. To Joe Mark, "Even during his early
college days, it was apparent that Hank was destined to be successful in the financial
field." After some years at Smith Barney, Hank went on to become a senior partner in the
investment firm of Tucker, Anthony, & Day, whose institutional sales and trading
departments he long directed. Ever the athlete, he was also long associated with the
Baltusrol Golf Club and the Short Hills Club. As Steve Ackerman writes, after
Hank's heart transplant 13 years ago, he had several close calls. On top of that, "He had
a kidney transplant in 2011 for which his wife, Pam, was the donor, a really touching
medical story." In addition to Pamela, Hank is survived by their son Hunter, daughter
Lisa Swats, and granddaughters. Contributions in Hank's memory may be made to the Heart
Transplant Program, 622 West 168th St., PH12-1262, New York, NY 10032 or to the
Millburn/Short Hills Volunteer First Aid Squad, PO Box 226, Millburn, NJ 07041.
In Memoriam: We also lost Richard B. Jordan in San Luis Obispo, CA, on
September 7, 2012. Buck entered Yale in 1948, left for four years of naval service during
the Korean War, then re-joined Yale with our class. Following a brief time with Mobil
Oil, Buck entered the securities business, where he remained the rest of his career, all
of it in Fresno, where he also served as president of the Fresno Art Museum. He was also
something of a philatelist, his stamp exhibits earning him numerous international awards.
In addition to his wife Connie, Buck is survived by his brother William.
In Memoriam: Walter J. Loesche died at home in Ann Arbor, MI on October
14, 2012. After Yale, Walt earned a dentistry degree from Harvard and a PhD in nutrition
from MIT before joining the University of Michigan faculty. One of the world's
authorities on caries and periodontal disease and termed a maverick for his ideas and
proposed dental protocols, his specialty was bacteriological research, the identification
of periodontal disease as a risk factor in heart disease, and the search for non-surgical
treatments of dental disease. His distinction in the field was recognized by honorary
degrees from the Universities of Göteborg, Ghent, and Turku. In 1988, Walt served as
president of the American Association of Dental Research and received its Distinguished
Scientist Award in 1994. In addition to his wife Rosemary, he is survived by their
daughters Heidi and Dana and grandchildren.
—JMB
Notes: January/February 2013
May I again ask all widows who wish to receive class email messages but do not do so to
let me know at my email address?
Many will have read of the dedication in October of Louis Kahn's long-delayed memorial
to FDR on Roosevelt Island, NY. But did you know that its completion as the FDR Four
Freedoms Park is due in part to the long efforts and generous donations of Reed and
Jane Rubin? Well done, ancient New Dealers!
In Paris in September, Phyllis and I spent some time with our errant composer
Griffith Rose and his wife Marie-France. I write "errant" only because Griff left
Yale after a year to study composition in New Haven and then with the likes of Nadia
Boulanger abroad, where he has lived ever since. I've listened to some of his music,
which, while atonal in a mid-20th-century manner, differs from much other music of its
time in being serene, genial, and light-spirited.
I've an encouraging June note from Val Kibens to the effect that he was "about
to have a zipper put into my sternum. 25 more years guaranteed!" May it be so--at least
25. Ray Ellison writes that while he's tempted to nominate himself to be Rick
Levin's successor, "my age and failing hearing outweigh my obvious outstanding judgment!"
John Westcott (Capt. USN ret.) writes that "the return of ROTC programs to campus
is a welcome event to this former midshipman who recited his oath of service 59 years
ago."
In Memoriam: Arthur E. Fournier, Jr. died on July 9, 2012, in
Collinsville, CT. After Yale, Art gained a law degree, served as a Marine officer, then
lawyered with a number of firms, including GE, as an expert in intellectual property law.
When Art retired in 2007, he was the director of the North American Intellectual Property
Organization of ALSTOM, a firm that provides equipment and services for the US power
generation and rail transportation markets. Art is survived by his wife Elizabeth, as
well as by seven children, their spouses, and many grandchildren. Contributions in his
memory may be sent to the Canton Food Bank, 55 River Road, Canton, CT 06019 or to St.
Patrick's Church, 7 Burlington Avenue, Collinsville, CT 06019.
In Memoriam: On July 29, 2012, we lost Robert E. Sullivan in Newton, MA,
to a progressive neurological disease from which he had long been suffering. Those who
knew Sully may not have known, because of his civility and modesty, of his achievements.
After graduating, he earned a law degree from Harvard, entered legal practice, and
eventually founded his own Boston firm. Bob was known as a gentleman lawyer of
thoughtfulness and prudence, one greatly admired as a legal strategist and beloved for his
warmth. He preferred to settle conflicts out of court and disliked the legal convention
of billable hours. His wit was always on display. When representing the BSO against
Vanessa Redgrave's charge of having illegally canceled her contract because of her support
for the PLO, Bob objected when a British theater producer gave lengthy testimony on
Redgrave's behalf. The judge denied the motion, saying that Bob had objected too late.
"I did not want to interrupt a lady,'' Mr. Sullivan famously replied. Sully represented
other major institutions, including MIT and Northeastern University. His concern for
others was evidenced by his service on a Boston Bar Association task force that published
a ground-breaking 1999 report on work-family imbalance in lawyers' lives. In his own
firm, he was known for hiring women and promoting flexible work schedules. Those who knew
Bob knew his wry sense of humor, his giggling laugh, and his sense of the ridiculous, as
well as someone who always saw the world with taut clarity. Besides his wife Anne of 36
years, Bob is survived by five children from a previous marriage--sons Barrett, Patrick,
and Christopher and daughters Katherine S. Warming and Sara--as well as a sister, brother,
grandchildren, and other family members.
In Memoriam: Jonathan Breslav died on July 29, 2012 in Tamarac, FL. He'd
been battling Parkinson's disease since 1996. After graduating from Yale, Jon spent most
of his career in auto re-marketing sales leasing (or, as he wrote in his usual jolly
manner for our 40th reunion book, "read wholesale used car salesman"). He was both a
stout battler of, and open about, his affliction, writing in 1997 that if it forced him
eventually to retire he "could always open a Shakey's Pizza Parlor franchise." All who
knew him knew how characteristic it was of him to write that "I'm convinced that as one
door closes, another opens. Fair to good health and a sense of humor come third and
fourth after love and friendship." Writing at our 50th of awakening in the morning, he
told us that "the first thing I do is turn to the newspaper obits and if I'm not listed
there, I'm ecstatic." After retirement Jon and his wife Diana traveled, and Jon remained
as active as possible. His goal, he wrote, was to get to his 74th birthday in 2010 and
thus become "the longest-lived male Breslav of all time." Fortunately, he succeeded. In
addition to Diana, Jon is survived by their son Gordon and daughter Alison.
—JMB
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This Page Last Updated: 08-09-26
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