34 CLASSNOTES
“I am forever grateful for the years I spent around that beautiful architecture which influenced my interest in art and travel to this day and the fine and unique genre of education inspired by the founder of R.H. Altiora Peto!” –ANN RIPPIN RAE
Anne Warner Whiting writes, “We’ve had quite a year, as Tim’s been diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. It’s manageable, but not curable. Once they got his chemo pill at the right strength, he’s been doing great. He managed to ski 60-70 days and now is playing and walking 9-plus holes on the golf course. Kids have been wonderful, and he has an amazing attitude – that really helps, I think.”
’56 C Bob Ackerman writes, “In August I traveled to Siberia for two weeks to see Lake Baikal and Tuva Providence, in part to see one of the environmental treasures of this world and in part to understand a bit more of Russian history and the role Siberia played in it (the Decembrists and all that).” He adds his wife “Meg sat this one out, waiting for the next plane to Paris. “ Jack Belles writes, “I’m going to Nashville with my local seniors in October. My oldest grandson graduated high school last year as Valedictorian and is now going into his sophomore year at college with a 4.0 average in engineering. My granddaughter is going to a fine arts academy. She is mostly a singer, but also acts, dances etc. This spring she won the $1,000 first prize in a major local talent contest here in Morristown, N.J. and with a small group she sang backup for a couple of songs with Kristin Chenoweth at her show in the Lunt Fontaine Theater on Broadway. My younger grandson is into sports; baseball and football in high school and the youngest granddaughter is taking gymnastics but hasn’t developed any specialty yet. I’m still marching in a Colonial Fife & Drum Corps and I pass through Wallingford twice a year on the way to parades in Westbrook in August and Old Saybrook in December. I’m a fifer, not that good because I don’t practice, but good enough to get along marching in parades with a group. I belong to two corps at the present time – The New Jersey Colonial Militia and the Colonial Musketeers of Hackettstown, N.J. With that group, we wear full dress long coats etc.”
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’61 Bing Blossom writes, ”I spend most of my time reminiscing of the past, including sharing stories with Mike Clegg over dinner once a month. Here are three stories: Summer 1981, Perry, my son, attended Choate. Delivering my sister’s Rolls Royce convertible to her in NYC, on the way I drove to Choate for lunch with him. After parking in the Hill House circle and after searching [for him] in vain, upon returning to the circle, I found a dozen students admiring the car, one of which was Perry. I merely said, ”Ready to go?” and he asked where’s the car? I smiled, ”This is it!” Twenty or so years later, Perry asked me to join him at the opening of The Yogi Berra Museum in Montclair. Yogi would not speak to me wearing a Cleveland Indians cap, but as we were all departing, my new friend Carmen, his wife, put her arms around me and gave me a kiss, on the mouth! In between times I managed a summer 18 and under baseball team, including David, my son. During a weekend Michigan tournament, the parents of another team were raving about their 17-year-old shortstop as a future major leaguer. Little did they know; His name was Derek Jeter! Now Debbie, my wife, actively and often looks after Perry’s and David’s children, while I merely reflect especially on vicarious thrills.” Don Freedman writes, “My wife Susan and I were in Vail, Colorado in July for the annual dance festival and visiting our son Derek who lives here and has taught skiing and snowboarding here for the last 30 years. Susan and I were in Sri Lanka and India last February. Derek and I biked in Scandinavia in May. I was sorry to have missed our reunion last year. Bob Graham visited me afterwards and brought news and information.” Class secretary Bob Gaines rode a private rail car “The Berlin” to watch the solar eclipse in Charlotte S.C, on Aug. 21, then attended the AAPRCO [American Association of Private Rail Car Owners] convention in Rutland VT in September. Ending with a round trip Pittsburgh on the “Steel City Limited” aboard the private rail cars “Alexander Hamilton,” a restored parlor car and “Passiac River,” a restored diner-lounge, both Budd cars built in 1948 and 1952 respectively.” Looking forward to the next reunion. SAVE THE DATE May 8-10, 2021.
George Gamble writes, “I have almost retired from my Cowboy Life and being a Rancher. It seems my wife Nancy and I are busier than ever! We now are quite involved with Dancing Horses and have a small ranch in Napa, Calif. We have Friesian and Andalusian horses (no more Quarter horses) which perform for schools, charities, shows and parties. If anyone would like to see our horses in action, I invite you to go to our web site www.ranchocenturion.com.” Harald Hille writes, “As I approach the very high 70s, I find much to be concerned about in our country, in particular the conduct and results of the last presidential election. To understand the mostly white, poor, and working voters who provided the core support for our most unusual President, I have been reading about those who feel left out, left behind, ill-served by the elites, etc. Books I would recommend are: Joe Bageant’s Deer Hunting with Jesus and Arlie Hochschild’s Strangers in their Own Land. I heard recently from classmate Lee Gaillard that his wife Ann has been posted to a church in Eugene, Oregon.” Dave Nichols writes, “I am happily ensconced in Manchester, Vt., with my dear wife, and visit other local Choaties occasionally. Lunched with Geoff Bullard and Bob Gaines in Albany last month when we spent some time strategizing about our upcoming 65th reunion in 2021 (not that far off!). As our class reaches our four score and (?) birthdays, the expected aches and pains are showing their ugly heads. I am exploring the opportunity for knee surgery (cartilage is shot in both). Fortunately, our small, local hospital in Bennington just affiliated with DartmouthHitchcock, so we have technical services available way above and beyond the typical small Vermont hospital. If that’s not enough incentive to move here there are cultural events in every season from Tanglewood to our South and up to Middlebury, both about an hour away. My son, Charlie ’07, continues to score home runs with his business in Kenya (See SunCulture.com).“ Carolyn and Cam Sheahan are snowbirds of the West spending October through April in Tuscon, Ariz., and April through October in Wilsonville Ore.
10/16/17 12:24 PM