BULLETIN | SPRING 2018 41
LEFT Tom Towers ’84 with wife
Liz, and their three children, from left, Tommy (15), Jayne (13), and Brody (10). The family lives in New Canaan, Conn. CENTER James Reardon ‘83 with the Honorable Dr. Riyad Insanally, Ambassador to the United States from Guyana, in Washington, D.C. on February 17, 2018. RIGHT Larry Rush ’80 and Lee Smith ’80 attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC ) Conference in Washington D.C. in March.
’78 Robin Lauren Derby is associate professor of Latin American history at UCLA and has been teaching there since 2002. Her publications include the prize-winning The Dictator’s Seduction: Politics and the Popular Imagination in the Era of Trujillo; (co-editor) Activating the Past: History and Memory in the Black Atlantic World; (co-editor) The Dominican Republic Reader; and articles on Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. She has a book project with fellow alumnus Richard Turits, a collection of shared essays called Terreur à la frontière: le massacre des Haïtiens en République dominicaine en 1937, Watson Denis, ed., to be published with C3 Editions, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2018. Her current book project, which considers werewolves in light of the ‘animal turn’ is based on oral testimony of demonic animal apparitions in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and is entitled Werewolves and other Bêtes Noires: Sorcery as History in the Haitian-Dominican Borderlands. She has three boys. The eldest is in the combined fiveyear BA program in Jazz performance and anthropology at the New School, in addition to identical twin boys who will graduate from high school this year and who are trying to figure out where to go to college right now. Her husband, Andrew Apter ’74, teaches African and Atlantic world history at UCLA. James Isaacs writes, “Looking forward to the reunion in May! I am on my fifth entrepreneurial company-building experience in Silicon Valley. Page and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary, and all three boys are ”launched” – two gainfully employed and one in college. We enjoy family cycling in the summer through Europe and have been to France twice, Czech Republic, Austria, and Ireland.” ’79 Caroline Arlen writes, “I recently moved to San Luis Obispo, Calif., from Durango, Colo., where I had lived for 20 years.” In 2017, Caroline was a recipient of a LAURA Short Fiction Award, named in honor of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and sponsored by Women Writing the West (WWW). You can read the piece she authored, The Tent, at: womenwritingthewest.org/ lauraJournal.html.
1980s ’80 Larry Rush and Lee Smith attended the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington D.C., where Lee was a speaker on the current conditions in Lebanon and how those are affecting the rest of the Middle East. Says Larry, “Lee was great! Congratulations to my daughter Sarah Rush ’18 on her upcoming graduation from Choate and my son JP Rush on his acceptance to the Class of ’21.” ’81
Tom Colt writes, “My wife, Megan, and I moved to Shanghai in August 2017. I enjoy my work as a college counselor at Shanghai American SchoolPuxi. In early December, I attended a Choate alumni/ parent club dinner on the Bund and had the opportunity to meet school administrators. Megan and I have taken advantage of travel opportunities thus far with trips to Korea (twice, including for the Olympics), Hong Kong, Bali/Lombok, Harbin, and Phuket.” Michael T. van der Veen was recently elected to the Philadelphia Bar Association Board of Governors. The Philadelphia Bar Association, founded in 1802, is the oldest and one of the most prestigious associations of lawyers in the United States. Kurt Willett was delighted to work with Choate Choral Director Alysoun Kegel and the talented students of the Festival Chorus singing the title role in their May 4th performance of Part I. of Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah. Charles Calotta ’13 sang the role of Obadiah and student soloists included Lily Kops ’18 (soprano), Will May ’19 (bass), Graysen Airth ’18 (Angel), Mia Rubinstein ’18 (Widow) and Scott Romeyn ’18 (Ahab) in this exciting collaboration of students, faculty and alumni in the Seymour St. John Chapel. In addition, Kurt was pleased to share the stage with chorus members Elizabeth Quinn ’20, daughter of Tony Quinn ’80 and Lily Smyth ’20, daughter of John Smyth ’83.
’82 Lynn Dale, Principal, Lynn Dale Events, was a guest lecturer at both an undergrad and graduate level at the Boston University School of Hospitality. She spoke on the topics of Special Event Planning and Operations (undergrad) and Meeting Planning & Special Events Management (grad). In addition to sitting on the boards of the Boston Ballet and the Boston Symphony, she has also recently been elected to the Museum of Fine Arts Board of Advisors. ’83
Ricardo Ball writes, “Married for the second time on March 17, 2018 to Adriana Solorzano MD. We co-founded a physical rehabilitation center in Caracas. My Daughter, Isabella ’13, works for Louis Vuitton in NYC and my son, Ricky, will graduate with a degree in Economics in May from Trinity College.”
’84
Patrick T. Clendenen writes, “I will return to Connecticut to practice law with my father and his partner soon. I look forward to seeing more of everyone in Wallingford.” Janell Denler received her master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia in 1992. Her recent work is featured on the cover of the March 2018 issue of LUXE San Francisco. Tom Towers writes, “I have been working at Barclays in NYC for the last nine years as equity derivative sales trader, which I enjoy a great deal. My wife, Liz, and I, and our three children live in New Canaan, Conn., where for the last 14 years, I have coached youth football, basketball, and lacrosse. Still playing lacrosse, albeit a bit slower. Last April, I met George Stein, Scott Hickey, Bill Ryan, Greg Williams, Noel Williams, Joe Madden, and Coach Lou Young for a CRH Football get together in Las Vegas, great time. Return trip next April for those interested, ping George Stein!”