alumni at large unchanged—except us. Oh sure, there was evidence of our 60-plus years in the predictable physical changes, but there was also important evidence of a shared sense of appreciation for our Colby years and a delight in being back there together, still sharing, still caring. We laughed, we cried, we hugged, we danced, we listened and learned, we extended our stillgrowing circle of college friends, we promised to stay in touch, and we went home with new Colby memories to add to the old. Did I mention that it rained on our parade—and on our hoped-for Monhegan boat trip and on most of our weekend on campus? It hardly needs mentioning, because it really didn’t matter. We still had a wonderful time together, and that was what mattered. That was what made it so special. Thank you, retiring class president and reunion chair Fran Finizio and Alumni Council rep Linda Mitchell Potter. Thank you, Gary Knight, for extracting piles of money from us for the benefit of Colby. Thank you, reunion committee members Fran, Linda, Debbie, Mary Sue, Barry, Stan Marchut, Karen Riendeau Remine, Denny Maguire, Brian Shacter, and Dick Gilmore. New class president Stan Marchut will lead us onward to our 45th reunion, Mary Sue will keep us informed about Colby doings in her new role as Alumni Council rep, and I will bug you on a regular basis for your news, views, and pearls of wisdom in my continuing role as your class correspondent. One returning classmate commented that being back at Colby made the years seem to melt away. Great comment! Great feeling! Great reunion! —Meg Fallon Wheeler
67 Elaine and Kurt Swenson
attended the dedication of the SchairSwenson-Watson Alumni Center last October. It was, Kurt reports, a sad day in most respects as the building was not intended to be a memorial to Doug Schair, but owing to his untimely death the ceremony was, in part, just that. Kurt lost a very good friend, we lost an outstanding classmate, and Colby lost a distinguished alumnus. Karen and Tom Watson were present along with the majority of the Schair family. Kurt tells us that the last several quarters have been rough in the granite business but that 2006 seems to be a recovery year. He has completed renovations on his summerhouse in Rye, N.H., and he and Elaine looked forward
50 COLBY / fall 2006
to spending time there this summer. Kurt ended his note with the hard-earned advice that we should all learn to take each day as a gift, a real gift, and enjoy it. Amen to you, Kurt. Y Irv Faunce also attended the dedication and found the event moving and full of fond remembrances of Doug and the long-standing loyalty, devotion, and generosity of Doug, Kurt, and Tom. Irv reported feeling honored to be there as part of the Class of ’67 along with Lee Potter, Lou Richardson, Terry Shaw, and others. Y Phyllis Jalbert spoke last fall at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Michael Klahr Holocaust Education Resource Center that will be built next year on the campus of the University of Maine, Augusta. More than 130 people attended the ceremony that honored Michael, a holocaust survivor. Phyllis delivered a moving testimony to her husband’s will and spirit. Y Chris (Nahabedian ’70) and George Markley proudly report that their son, Todd, was ordained as a rabbi by Hebrew Union College in New York. One of the members of the search committee offering the position to Todd is our own Chuck Levin. Chuck lives in Needham, Mass., and practices law with his son, Jonathan ’97. In addition to his law practice, Chuck is practicing his grandparenting skills as he and Jo Ellen welcomed their first grandchild this year. Chuck already is planning for a third generation Colby acceptance in 2024. Y * Sally Ray Bennett will join the ranks of the retired this year when she leaves her position as school counselor in South Kingston, R.I. Sally and Charlie will keep busy traveling about to visit with their four grandchildren. Y Jeanne C.P. Sommers drove down south on a week-long mission sponsored by her church to lend a hand to Hurricane Katrina victims in Pearlington, Miss., who had lost every material possession. Worried about the heat, the bugs, the dangers from unsanitary conditions, Jeanne said that she and the others in her group nevertheless pushed the boundaries a little farther back each day, and with support from each other and the prayers from the congregation back home they brought Pearlington a little closer to normal. Jeanne did some research and found that “Katrina” has German and Greek roots and that the meanings are “pure” and “torture.” What she found on her trip, she says, supported both meanings. Y Eric Meindl, you
might recall from a column last year, directly experienced the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. After they lost their home of 20 years on the Gulf coast of Mississippi and most of their possessions, they decided to relocate to the foothills of South Carolina in Greenville and are now settling in to their new home. Y By the time you read this column, our 40th reunion will be less than a year away. Mark the calendar and save the time next June to come to Colby. The trip will be worth the effort if you do no more than visit the Schair-SwensonWatson Alumni Center. Y Please go to the Colby magazine Web site for lots more news of our classmates. —Robert Gracia
68 Jane Finkeldey Stephenson
and Donna Massey ’69 attended Greg Crawford’s 60th birthday bash in March. Greg is retired and living in Greenfield, Mass., but is the “unofficial mayor” of Greenfield, so his party was a cast of hundreds. Jane blew up Greg’s picture from “Faces and Places” and his yearbook picture to display at the party. Jane also spent two days with Dana Heikes at his home in Charleston, S.C., in late November. Dana still has an active plastic surgery practice there. Y Ken Young’s daughter, Sarah, graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from UMass, Amherst, and is studying in Germany on a fellowship. She planned to leave for a job in Moscow before returning to the U.S. in 2007. Ken wrote that “the nest is so empty that the floors creak with every step. It is great to learn about foreign climes vicariously, but having Sarah so far away is a challenge.” Lest we feel too sorry for Ken, he also has spent time with Sarah visiting London and Ireland. Y Bruce McDonald is currently on a J80 racing team (sailing) that went to the world competition in July. Y Ellen Dockser is “still happily ensconced at Boston public television station WGBH. In recent months I’ve spent time with Carol Bennison Hartman, Vaughn Jelly Sills, Betsy Chase, Pat Carney, and Lynn Cilley Stone ’70, and I’m pleased to report they all look younger than they did in 1968.” Y The Manchester (N.H.) Union Leader reports that Mark Edelstein was unanimously recommended to become the new president of New Hampshire Community Technical College, Laconia. Mark previously was president of Diablo Valley College in California. Y Carolyn Welch
Ryzewicz ran into Nancy DeAngelis Morgan at a coffee shop in Denver while visiting her son, “and for the next two hours we talked non-stop. The last time we had seen each other was graduation day and there was a lot of catching up to do. She claims that I look the same—I think it was her longer hair that threw me, as her face doesn’t look that different. (Of course, neither of us mentioned that we’re both a lot older—sigh). I definitely promise to call the next time I’m visiting Denver.” Y The Waterville Morning Sentinel reports that Brigadier General John Bubar retired from leadership positions in the Maine Air National Guard and Army National Guard following 38 years in the military. A command pilot with the Air Force from 1970 to 1977, John was also a captain for American Airlines for 20 years. John now lives with his wife, Kathy, in Durham, N.H., and they enjoy frequent visits with their grandchildren. Y Mary Jo Calabrese Baur and Steve Campbell spent two weeks in Tuscany in early June in a villa in Volterra with friends—a wonderful stay, with side trips to Florence and Venice. Y Were you surprised to see Tony Jordan referred to as a "she" in the last column? Rest assured that Tony is still a "he." Colby apologizes for the error. —Peter Jost
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Bill Lyons just returned from his second time teaching a group of international students at the University of Leiden (Holland) Masters in International Taxation program. “Leiden is a fantastic city,” Bill wrote. “I went walking every day, rain or shine, and always found something new.” He reports that the tulip exhibition at the Keukenhof, near the north coast of Holland, was breathtaking. Bill also was awarded the University of Nebraska College of Law Alumni Council Distinguished Faculty Award. Congratulations, Bill! Y Don Clark made it back to Waterville en route to Bangor and a college football game in which two of his sons were playing. On the way he stopped to visit former roommate Larry Kassman and enjoyed reminiscing. Don has been with USAID for 33 years. He have been posted to Nepal for the last three years (also there 1984-88). “For those watching international news,” he wrote, “Nepal had a historic month of April with hundreds of thousands (some say millions) demonstrating for a