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.

Return to Master Index of All Class Notes

Notes: January/February 2018

Notes: March/April 2018

Notes: May/June 2018

Notes: July/August 2018

Notes: September/October 2018

Notes: November/December 2018

January/February 2018

Pete Robertson relates to me his long-ago military record. After losing part of an arm near the Korean DMZ in 1959 when with the Army Field Artillery, Pete remained in military service until 1972. Among the earliest (perhaps the first) classmate to serve in southeast Asia, newly unclassified documents relate how, at the rank of captain, in 1961-62 he supervised photo reconnaissance and interpretation over Laos and south Vietnam from a base near Bangkok.

Steve Hopkins sends me a July photo of himself, Roly Machold, Peter Cooke, and Rod Correll at the Adirondacks celebration of Rod’s and Chloe’s 60^th wedding anniversary. Youngsters all! Similar news from Toby Briggs, about to celebrate his 60 years with Kate by crossing Canada by train. Toby has recently sold Holiday House, the publisher he purchased in 1965 and of which he served since then as CEO. Relaxing some weeks ago for some easy watching of age-old segments of “M*A*S*H,” I see popping up before me on the screen one Bill Bogert, the young actor he then was.

The recipient of poetry from Art Gardiner as well as from Pete Robertson, I must for lack of space pass over the artistry of both to report on Art’s existence. Retired a year ago, he lives on an abandoned dairy farm in Vermont where he cuts firewood, drives his tractor, takes pre-breakfast dips in the summer, and skis in winter. Of his poetry, only this closing high-lyric line from “Evening on the Front Deck:” “I must go inside; the mosquitoes are beginning to bite.”

In Memoriam: Via Toby Graff comes word of David F. Berger’s death on June 1, 2017.  He died in Ashland, Oregon, of pneumonia.  After naval service, Dave received his law degree from the University of Washington Law School, then practiced anti-trust law in Bend, Oregon, and Seattle.  After retiring in 1992, he and his wife Jeane Lind served in Jamaica with the Peace Corps, then settled in Ashland, where Dave devoted much time to pro bono assistance to the local legal services society and ACLU clients and served on the local boards of the ACLU and United Nations Association-USA.  A lover of travel and fly-fishing, he sea-kayaked, snorkeled, and trout fished in far-flung places. Toby recalls Dave's "keen sense of irony…always finding something to laugh about.  His dedication to civil rights and social justice, his compassion for the oppressed and the exploited, and his cheerfulness" always characterized him.  In addition to his wife, Dave is survived by his children Erin Tuckerman, Tim Berger, and Shannon Hornaday, as well as ten grandchildren.  A daughter, Sara Berger-Joubert, predeceased him.  Gifts in his memory may be made to the Center for Non-Profit Legal Services in Medford, Oregon.

In Memoriam:  Ray Lamontagne alerted us to the death on October 7, 2017 of Crawford Shaw. He died, of complications from heart attacks, in Rye Brook, New York, surrounded by his family.  After college, Crawford earned a degree from Yale Law School, where he founded the World Community Association.  Practicing international law as well as pursuing investments in New York and Houston, he counted among his clients the Lockheed Corporation and Volkswagen.  Recognizable by his brilliant smile and known by all who knew him for his bonhomie and devilish charm, he was a bit of a playful rogue--"a man of amusing wickedness," Nort Wright observes.  As Ray writes, "At college, Crawford had no money, was on full scholarship, and not only had to earn his extra spending monies; he was also supporting his penniless, widowed mother.  I don't know of any other student who was sending money home rather than getting money from home."  Crawford is survived by his fiancée, Neville West, his daughters Melissa Fleming and Deidre Gibson, and his son Crawford, Jr., as well as their families.  Donations in his memory should go either to Yale College or Yale Law School.

In Memoriam: Jack Hughes notified us of the death on October 10, 2017, of Muller Davis.  He died in Chicago, his native city in which he spent most of his life, after a long illness.  After attending Harvard Law School, Muller practiced family law with the firm of Davis Friedman, co-founded by his father after World War II.  Described as an "icon" and "pioneering light" of family law, he was widely noted as the co-author of the 1995 work, The Illinois Practice of Family Law, a book said to be on the shelves of every divorce court judge in the Prairie State.  He was consistently named on Best Lawyers’ annual list of the Best Lawyers in America and received the Samuel S. Berger Award from the Illinois chapter of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers in 2009.  Anyone who knew Muller would not be surprised to learn that his colleagues—judges and attorneys both—recognized him for his thoughtful, warm ways and for his refusal to exhibit the kind of conduct by which the matrimonial bar is often characterized. Lou Deluca writes that he was "so humble and unassuming that very few knew him well."  Muller is survived by his wife Lynn and their children Melissa, Muller Jr., and Joseph.  Contributions in his memory may be made to the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (www.metrofamily.org) or to the Lewy Body Dementia Association (www.lbda.org).

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March/April 2018

Steve Wittenberg has filed another splendid annual report about our Music in Schools Initiative. Its full text is on the class website on the "Class Projects" page.

Frank Brown‘s phone call was to tell me that the new Franklin College is named after him. How’s that, asks I? It’s because, Frank tells me in so many words, "I’m a lineal descendant of Ben’s son William" (hence Franklin K. Brown). So all hail the college named after a ‘57er! That may beat the Class of 1957 portal at Yale Bowl.

Franco Muggia, chairman and medical director of the Chemotherapy Foundation and Professor of Oncology in the Perlmutter Cancer Center of NYU Langone Medical Center, continues his oncology research while heading the foundation. Ara Bagdasarian has retired from his general and vascular surgery practice of 44 years. And on an analogous note, Keith McEligot writes that, in good health, he’s "noticed that I’m starting to outlive the doctors in my life."

Mike O’Hearn is "living alone, sharing time between Naples, FL, and Big Fork, MT, and traveling to see family and friends." John Ryan, also in Naples, still writes the notes for his Harvard Business School class, "too many of them obituaries." Shelby Tucker has another book out. It’s Two Roads—about, Shelby writes, "hitchhiking out to and around the Indian subcontinent in 1960 and doing the same trip in the same ways 50 years later." There’s continued crazy youth for you!

Gil Merritt recently celebrated his 40^th year on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. "About half of my law clerks returned to Nashville to remind me of how many times I’ve been able to unify the Supreme Court in reversing my opinions.  I’m still carrying about half a load as a senior judge.  The work remains interesting, but I’m not happy with the changes in the federal judiciary that the Trump administration is causing."

In Memoriam: Richard A. Moll died on October 16, 2017, in Bangor, ME.  With a mechanical engineering degree, Dick devoted his life and career to maritime pursuits.  Working at Bethlehem Steel Shipbuilding, later Electric Boat, he combined his love of the sea with engineering, spending much of his life in Groton, CT, his specialty being the machinery compartments of nuclear destroyers and cruisers.  Under Hyman Rickover, he was manager of nuclear quality control and oversaw compliance and quality for Electric Boat and the U.S. Navy.  Much of his non-work life was spent on the waves (or under them: he was a snorkeler). Frank Niering, Dick's roommate, writes of Dick's high spirits and prankster ways.  He records, for instance, that Dick and his roommates housed a six-foot snake in their TD room until Tom Bergin ordered its removal.  As Frank writes, "When Dick became involved in something, there were no half measures, and he brought to all of this a degree of intelligence and integrity that today’s political menagerie might to do well to emulate."  Dick is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patience (Pat) Moll, and by their sons Timothy and Richard and daughters Melissa Hale, Hilary, and Patience, as well as by members of their families.

In Memoriam: Otis L. Graham, Jr. died on November 14, 2017, in Westlake Village, CA, from the complications of Parkinson’s disease. After serving as a Marine Corps officer in Hawaii, in 1960 Otis took up history graduate study at Columbia under Richard Hofstadter and gained his PhD in 1966.  He joined the faculty of UC Santa Barbara, where he spent most of his career, with intermissions at UNC Chapel Hill and Wilmington. Among the most distinctive historians of 20th-century America of his generation, he was the author of many books designed to influence public policy as well as to contribute to historical understanding.  He was also controversial, especially for his stance in favor of immigration restriction, for which he was widely criticized by colleagues. Yet that stance came from a deeply held concern, about which we talked during college years, about environmental degradation caused by population growth, of both of which he was a strong enemy. Otis was also deeply involved in nurturing into existence what is now known as "public history" and served as editor of that field's leading journal. During his career, he held fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson Center, the NEH, and the Institute for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Studies. All who knew Otis experienced his bonhomie, broad laugh, and strong address to the world. His powerful and independent mind also had to be reckoned with. No one left his company without being impressed, often amused, by his easy, colloquial use of language, which he could delightfully contort into fresh expression.  Otis is survived by his two children, Wade Graham and Lakin Crane; his brother Fred P. Graham ('53) and Fred’s wife Skila Harris; and grandchildren, as well as his first wife Ann Graham Ehringer. He was predeceased by his second wife Delores, his sister Jenny Nunes, and his brother Hugh D. Graham ('58). His family asks that contributions in his memory go to the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

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May/June   2018

Ralph Winter, senior judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, has been awarded the 33nd annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award. Ralph accepted the award in the presence of Justices Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan.

In Memoriam: Samuel Lear Berman Jack Hughes notified us of the death on August 3, 2016 of Samuel Lear Berman, presumably in or near Williston Park NY. Sam seems to have pursued the teaching career on which he set his sights at commencement. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Susan of 51 years and their sons Michael and David.

In Memoriam: Sandland Webb died on November 20, 2017 in Norwell, MA. Dan entered Harvard with its Class of 1953, then joined the Marines, with whom he fought in Korea before being discharged at the rank of sergeant. He then entered Yale and graduated with our class after majoring in electrical engineering. Dan worked for Pan-Am as an engineer and later for GTE, from which he retired. He’s said to have been a serious Harvard (not Yale) hockey fan, but he redeemed himself as a model train enthusiast and someone who deeply loved the ocean. He’s survived by his wife Sybilla, their sons Peter and Robert, and their families. Donations in his memory should go to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.

In Memoriam: Daniel Allen Freeman III died on November 20, 2017 in Norwell, MA. Dan entered Harvard with its Class of 1953, then joined the Marines, with whom he fought in Korea before being discharged at the rank of sergeant. He then entered Yale and graduated with our class after majoring in electrical engineering. Dan worked for Pan-Am as an engineer and later for GTE, from which he retired. He’s said to have been a serious Harvard (not Yale) hockey fan, but he redeemed himself as a model train enthusiast and someone who deeply loved the ocean. He’s survived by his wife Sybilla, their sons Peter and Robert, and their families. Donations in his memory should go to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.

In Memoriam: Roger Cogswell informed us of the death from the complications of Parkinson’s disease of Sandland Webb in Bellevue, Idaho, on November 20, 2017. After graduating from college with an Army commission, Sandy (or "Spider" as he was known to college friends) served in Korea. Then, with an industrial administration degree, he had a career of over 35 years with Reliance Electric. Less characterized by his work than by his avocations--skiing, backpacking, birding, fishing, running (including many marathons), and hunting—Sandy retired early to live in what had been his second home in Mammoth Lakes, CA, to indulge his love of the outdoors. Greg Austin remembers Sandy for his wry sense of humor and his inseparable link with nature. "A lifelong outdoorsman, he would persist at marginally-productive surf-casting for stripers off Cape Cod, fly fishing in the most humble, little creeks, grouse hunting through swampy, thorn-bush terrain no matter how sparse the birds, and, for many years, a week or even two subsisting with his dog out of a back-pack, absolutely alone in his beloved Sierras.” Sandy is survived by daughters Hilary Webb, Jocelyn Webb Pedersen, and Melissa Webb Araya and four grandchildren, as well as by Sharon Wolcott and her daughters Jennifer, Justine and Alexandra. A memorial service for him will take place on Saturday, June 23, 2018, at Lake Mary in Mammoth Lakes. Donations may be made in his name to the Nature Conservancy.

In Memoriam: John Shaw died on on December 1, 2017 from the complications of an auto-immune disorder. He died in Bridgeport, CT, surrounded by family members. John pursued two successive careers, both, he wrote in our 50th reunion book, "dealing in fantasy," the first on Wall Street, the second in commercial acting and modeling, educational and training films, and soap operas. But the central activity of his life, as all who were ever in his orbit knew, was song. At Yale, he sang with the Augmented Seven and in the Glee Club before becoming a Whiff--the last becoming the central identifying note of his life. Fittingly, at his death he was listening to his beloved "Whiffenpoof Song." Fellow Whiff Reid White calls him "a lovely, kind, thoughtful, funny, dear, unforgettable man." Of his singing, Jeff Freeman, also a fellow singer, writes that John "had a remarkably fine bass voice, wonderful in song but also particularly in speaking. For those who admired a resonant, well-modulated deep voice from which happiness readily spills, John was hard to beat." John is survived by his wife Ann, his daughter Elizabeth Kleinbeck and her family, four step-children and their families, and other relatives. Contributions in his memory can go to the Yale Whiffenpoof Alumni, PO Box 201712, New Haven, CT 06520, or to the Southport Congregational Church, PO Box 366, Southport, CT 06890.

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July/August 2018

Jay Inglis, reports from Vail that he enjoys winter skiing, summer with family and friends in Shelter Island, and spring visiting far-flung daughters in Istanbul and Hong Kong. Also loving the Queen Mary II!”

Reid White is trying to fatten an Art School scholarship he created for our 60th reunion in the name of his late aunt, Dorothy C. Miller. Unable to afford graduate school, Miller nevertheless became the first professional curator hired by Alfred Barr at MOMA. At our 50th, Reid gave the Art Gallery a Nevelson sculpture his aunt had earlier willed to him. Generosity all ‘round!

In Memoriam: Thomas M. Perkins III: No one surpassed Thomas M. Perkins III in loyalty and contributions to the Class of 1957. Tom died on December 31, 2017 in New York after a long battle with congestive heart failure. After taking a Harvard law degree, he served as partner in what is now Venable LLP, Baltimore's premier law firm. There, he was known for the diversity of his clients—boilermakers and the city’s housing authority as well as corporations. Along the way, he conquered alcoholism at age 50 while surviving the death of a beloved son and wife. Through such losses, he remained indomitable and high-spirited. His various public services distinguished him more than his legal practice. Tom served as treasurer of the founding Board of the National Aquarium in his native Baltimore, president of the Baltimore City Jail, trustee of Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library, trustee of the Bryn Mawr and Gilman schools (the latter his pre-collegiate alma mater), and treasurer and fundraiser for numerous Maryland political campaigns. He was ‘57’s Class Secretary (1987-92), repeatedly provided the touch of Midas in raising reunion gifts, and was in at the origin of what became the Class of 1957 Music in Schools Initiative. To memorialize the death of his son Rob ('86), Tom led the creation of the Robert R. Perkins '86 Memorial Scholarships in JE. He co-chaired the 45th and 55th class reunion gift committees, which together raised $29 million dollars. As Don Roberts writes, Tom had "the knack of finding the 'hot button' that turns an unresponsive classmate into an enthusiastic donor. To Tom it was cat and mouse. Tom was the really clever cat." In addition to his wife Sarah M. Brown, Tom is survived by daughters Anne G. Perkins and Virginia M. Perkins and five grandchildren. His family asks that donations in his memory be made to the Class of 1957 Music in Schools Initiative

In Memoriam: Philip B. Weymouth, Jr.: David Wilmerding was the first to notify us of the death on February 14, 2018, of Philip B. Weymouth, Jr., due to injuries sustained in an auto accident. After three years as a naval officer in the Pacific, Phil joined his father's insurance agency, of which he became a partner, then rose to its presidency and worked for it until his death. Deeply committed to civic work, Phil was a trustee of his pre-Yale alma mater Deerfield, served as a council member of the Music School of Delaware, and was a board member of Americans for the Competitive Enterprise System. He was long a trustee of The Tatnall School and a member and chairman of the board of the Delaware Museum of Natural History. He was also an avid pilot with a perfect flying record, which won him induction--who can miss the irony regarding this voluble man?--into the fraternity of Quiet Birdmen. Everyone who encountered Phil met an out-sized man of unforgettable physical and vocal presence as well as of breezy self-confidence. David writes that "Phil had an athletic approach to a lot of things including drinking beer. His energy and enthusiasm were enviable." John Hermann, a Deerfield classmate, agrees. He was "fun, irreverent, opinionated, and almost always a bit naughty." John Barrett, Yale roommate and also Deerfield classmate, describes Phil, firm in conservative convictions, as always "unshaken in his beliefs and readiness of thought. At times outspoken, no one questioned his sincerity, friendship and support." Phil is survived by his wife of 53 years Natalie Margaret "Peggy" Weymouth; their sons Philip B. Weymouth III and Timothy B. Weymouth and daughter Natalie Keenan and their families; his brother Charles M. Weymouth, and a cousin Roland M. Machold ('57). Donations in his memory may go to the Delaware Museum of Natural History, 4840 Kennett Pike, P.O. Box 3937, Wilmington, DE 19807; The Tatnall School (for Weymouth Field), 1501 Barley Mill Road, Wilmington, DE 19807; or The Music School of Delaware, 4101 Washington Street, Wilmington, DE 19802.

In Memoriam: Owen O. Freeman, Jr died on on December 1, 2017 from the complications of an auto-immune disorder. He died in Bridgeport, CT, surrounded by family members. John pursued two successive careers, both, he wrote in our 50th reunion book, "dealing in fantasy," the first on Wall Street, the second in commercial acting and modeling, educational and training films, and soap operas. But the central activity of his life, as all who were ever in his orbit knew, was song. At Yale, he sang with the Augmented Seven and in the Glee Club before becoming a Whiff--the last becoming the central identifying note of his life. Fittingly, at his death he was listening to his beloved "Whiffenpoof Song." Fellow Whiff Reid White calls him "a lovely, kind, thoughtful, funny, dear, unforgettable man." Of his singing, Jeff Freeman, also a fellow singer, writes that John "had a remarkably fine bass voice, wonderful in song but also particularly in speaking. For those who admired a resonant, well-modulated deep voice from which happiness readily spills, John was hard to beat." John is survived by his wife Ann, his daughter Elizabeth Kleinbeck and her family, four step-children and their families, and other relatives. Contributions in his memory can go to the Yale Whiffenpoof Alumni, PO Box 201712, New Haven, CT 06520, or to the Southport Congregational Church, PO Box 366, Southport, CT 06890.

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September/October 2018

Ken and Mary Gergen spoke enthusiastically about the positive aspects of aging, an approach to our stage of life with strong appeal.

Steve Wittenberg informs us of the existence of the deservedly named Malcolm L. Mitchell and Donald M. Roberts Class of 1957 Prize, first awarded in 2014, to “an outstanding graduating teaching artist in the Music in Schools Program.” This spring our Music in Schools Initiative received one of the university’s Seton Elm-Ivy Awards for having “demonstrably contributed to increased understanding and cooperation between the city of New Haven and Yale University.”

Pete Robertson has learned from John Lee in South Korea that John, who served with the R.O. K Army in the Korean War, appears as a commentator on an “American Experience” film on “The Battle of Chosin,” the brutal engagement in which John participated alongside U.S. Marines. John plans his own future book about the battle.

In Memoriam: Richard D. Dermody died on c, presumably near Swampscott and Marblehead, Massachusetts. Dick entered Yale with ’54, stopped out to serve in Korea with the Army, then re-entered Yale with ’57. After college, he hitch-hiked across the country, sailed from California to Hawaii, lived and worked in New York City, owned restaurants in Marblehead and Swampscott, taught and served as guidance counselor in a high school, worked for the Department of Defense in Okinawa, and, with his wife Maryanne, founded an antiques enterprise specializing in nautical antiques. Dick is presumed to be survived by his wife and a daughter.

In Memoriam: Philip T. Clover died of unstated causes on February 20, 2018 at his home in Chapel Hill, NC. After Yale, Phil joined General Electric, for which he worked in budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis, along the way gaining an MBA from Stanford. He then served as vice president of finance and operations for Western Union North America (later First Data Corporation). After his retirement, Phil and his wife Denise moved to Chapel Hill, where he involved himself in community and civic work in many roles. Brian Walsh recalls Phil as "quiet and witty." Jerry Jones describes him as "modest, very quiet, very charming, and a man of great integrity." In addition to Denise, Phil is survived by their sons Greayer, Edward, and Samuel, their families, and his sister Margaret Stillman.

In Memoriam: Buell Neidlinger died on March 16, 2018, presumably in or near Langley (Whidbey Island), WA. A non-graduate of ‘57, he was a musical prodigy from childhood—by the age of seven playing the cello under the tutelage of Gregor Piatigorsky and Walter Page. In his one year with us, he was an original member, as bassist, of Eli's Chosen Six, founded by Dick Voigt, Lyman Drake and Pete Williams. He recorded and played gigs with “Hot Lips” Page, Tony Bennett, Billie Holiday, Lester Young, Gil Evans, Cecil Young, Bill Evans, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Costello, and Frank Zappa. Jazz not containing him, he also played "classical" music and ended up in the bass section of the Houston Symphony Orchestra under John Barbirolli. Subsequently, he was involved with such composers as George Crumb, John Cage, and Igor Stravinsky; with Leopold Stokowski's American Symphony, the City Center Opera, the Budapest, Amadeus, and Guarneri string quartets, the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Erich Leinsdorf, and the LA Chamber Orchestra under Neville Marriner; and with instrumentalists like Peter Serkin. Buell was, Nort Wright sums him up, "a superb and wiggy musician." He’s survived by his wife Margaret Storer, also a professional bassist, and children Mike and Miranda.

In Memoriam: Franklin P. Conlan died at his home in Carmel, CA, on March 12, 2018. After service as a naval officer, Hank became a leading salesman for 3M before being lured away by Memorex. Later, Joe Mark informs us, he started his own companies. It was his quavering speaking and singing voice--his Irish tenor in an "Irish tenor heart," in Jeff Freeman's words--by which Hank was best known. Fellow Whiff Reid White recalls that, a Catholic, Hank sang whenever and wherever he could, including for a long time as cantor in a California synagogue. He impressed everyone, Joe notes, by "his outgoing personality, his captivating sense of humor, his ability to spin a yarn, his lady-enticing Irish renditions of 'Danny Boy,' and his broad interest in cooking, politics, mystery novels and entrepreneurial pursuits." Sam Chauncey calls him a "cheerful, outgoing person - full of fun," whose politics didn't get in the way of friendships with others who failed to share his conservative views. Hank is survived by his wife, Rika (the widow also of our classmate Dan Cornwell), his daughter Betsy, sons Bill, Peter, David, and Benjamin, a brother, and other family members. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Salvation Army or the Special Olympics.

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November/December 2018

Jared Curtis, professor emeritus of English at Simon Fraser University, has moved from Vancouver, BC, to a Seattle retirement community, “renamed for publicity purposes,” Jared wryly notes, a “life plan community.” He continues his scholarly work with books on the manuscripts of Wordsworth’s poetry and Yeats’s poems and plays.

From Morgan Thomas: “Have lots of projects. (Is that what we call them at this stage?) Schedule: typing 12 hours a day, cooking—10 minutes (all meals lumped together); 5 minutes to put it all behind (and not on) me; sleeping 8 hours; exercising 10 minutes (to get back on my feet if/when I fall); feeding my cat; and making it to coffee at least once a day—and back (which is the hard part).”

In Memoriam: We have delayed word, its source unclear, that Martin I. Miller died sometime in 2012.  The class has had no news about Marty since graduation, nor has there appeared a published obituary.

In Memoriam: James A. Shanley died on March 11, 2018 in Branford, Connecticut.  We know little of his life. An AFROTC graduate, Jim served in Korea after Yale. With an LLB from Georgetown, he then practiced law in New Haven and nearby Madison. He’s survived by his wife Barbara, their son James and daughter Rebecca Gordon, grandchildren, and others.  Donations in his memory should go to the E. E. Scranton Memorial Library, 801 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT 06443 or to the Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405.

In Memoriam: John D. Dalack died on March 31, 2018 from pancreatic cancer.  John entered college with ‘50, stopped out due to illness, served with the U.S. Army for two years, then returned to Yale with ‘57.  Armed with a psychology BA, he took his PhD in psychology at Teachers College, Columbia, pursued an internship at Walter Reed, and completed military service at Fort Monmouth, retiring at the rank of captain.  From there, John worked with the Staten Island Mental Health Society and became director of that boroughs' community mental health center while maintaining a part-time private practice, his specialty being the clinical care of children, parenting, care-giving, and family-related issues.  He was closely involved in the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church and long served on his diocese's board of trustees and as its secretary.  He’s survived by his children Laila and Gregory ('81).

In Memoriam: Gerald H. Ayers died on April 7, 2018 from the complications of dementia in Watertown, New York.  Records are unclear as to whether Gerry completed work for his BA. Toward the end of senior year, he left for New York to write for the theater.  Accepting a post as story analyst with Columbia Pictures, he moved to Hollywood in 1964 as assistant to the vice president of production.  Thus began his rise to major producing berths in the film industry. As vice president for creative affairs of Columbia, in 1969 he produced Model Shop with Anouk Aimée and Gary Lockwood.  He then formed Acrobat Productions, which brought out Cisco Pike, with Kris Kristofferson and Gene Hackman, and, in 1973, The Last Detail starring, among others, Jack Nicholson and Carol Kane. The film reaped three Oscar nominations.  In 1980 came Foxes, in which Jodie Foster starred.  The next year Gerry wrote the screenplay for George Cukor's final film, Rich and Famous, starring Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen.  His television credits included Stormy Weathers, Holly Hunter's Crazy in Love (both 1992) and in 1995 Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story.  His two-volume memoir, Everywhere Hollywood and The Apple Bites Back, appeared in 2016 and 2017.  As close friend Jim Herlan writes, Gerry "led a most colorful life, during which he transitioned from straight to bisexual to gay.  He had a wonderful sense of humor, with a preference for wry wit."  Gerry had a son and daughter by a first marriage.  He is survived by his spouse Guy Briscoe Ayres, whom he married in 2013.

In Memoriam: Joel Kovel died on April 30, 2018 from pneumonia and autoimmune encephalitis.  A leading student in college, after Yale Joel took a medical degree at Columbia P&S and studied psychiatry at the Psychoanalytic Institute before breaking into public with the 1976 Complete Guide to Therapy, then in 1984 with White Racism, in which he argued that racism existed at the core of Western culture.  Radicalized by the Vietnam War and giving up on his profession because of its diagnostic rigidity and capture by insurance companies, he taught successively at Albert Einstein Medical School, the New School, and Bard College, from the last of which he retired. A versatile, if elusive, intellectual, he was firmly on the Left yet never unvaried in his commitments.  (He wrote at our 50th reunion that he'd had "a restless and rather complicated life" and described himself as "quixotic.")  Running as the Green Party's NY Senate candidate in 1998, he was trounced by Chuck Schumer.  A paladin of environmental protection, he was considered the founder of “ecosocialism” and co-author of the 2001 "Ecosocialist Manifesto."  Joel often came under criticism, not just for his robust socialist positions but also, late in life, for his attacks on Zionism, made most pointedly in his 2007 book Overcoming Zionism.  As if all of this was not distinctive enough, toward the end of his life he converted to Christianity.  Yale was always in his sights. He wrote in 1982 of its "stifling” atmosphere.  Ten years later, he attacked the university for its "brutal assault on workers" and its "remarkably undemocratic and un-collegial university structure."  He is survived by his wife Dee Dee Halleck; Jonathan Kovel and Erin Fitzsimmons, the children of his first marriage; Molly Kovel, his daughter with his widow; his widow's three children; and others.

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