ALUMNI AT LARGE Close to Dying. It’s autobiographical and will surely speak to some of us. Y Mary and Stan Marchut traveled in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe last November. They found parallels between U.S. and South African histories when touring Cape Town and the wine country, similar to San Francisco and Napa Valley, and Soweto’s racial violence brought memories of the U.S. turmoil of the ’60s. Y Beth Peo Armstrong writes, “Still doing freelance photography for two corporate clients in Everett, Wash., our winter hometown, and at the Marine Biological Lab and Children’s School of Science in Woods Hole, Mass., our summer hometown.” Two of her children live on the East Coast, one lives on the Isle of Skye, and one is in the Pacific Northwest. Beth and Sam see their four grandchildren whenever possible, with extended summer visits at Woods Hole. Daughter Emily and her children make frequent trips to Peter and Linda Buchheim Wagner’s Applecrest Farm in New Hampshire. Beth’s husband, Sam, is retired, and Beth’s note came from Kauai, Hawaii, as I was outside shoveling snow.
1967 Bob Gracia Judy Gerrie Heine classnews1967@colby.edu Irv Faunce and his wife, Jan Collins, enjoyed two weeks in Pakistan recently. They were invited by a student who had spent an academic year with them as an exchange student under a program administered by the U.S. Department of State. It was a great educational experience for all of them. Irv reports that his host family in Pakistan was generous, warm, and welcoming. Irv and Jan enjoyed the food, the culture, and visits to many sacred and historic sites and to the city of Lahore. Pictures are posted on Irv’s Facebook page. Y Clark and Kathy Haskell Whittier were named 2012 Citizens of the Year for the town of North Yarmouth, Maine. This award is given to people who have served the town through volunteer activities. Clark has served on many boards and committees throughout the almost 40 years that they have lived in North Yarmouth, and Kathy has also served on boards as well as being the town’s local news correspondent for more than 35 years. They were grand marshals for the town’s annual 2012 Fun Day. Y Elaine and Kurt Swenson have been busy working on plans for a new house in Rye, N.H., very near their existing house that they’re trying to sell. Kurt and Elaine drove to Boca Grande, Fla., and stayed for the
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month of February. They were hoping to see C.A. and J.J. Mueller Sinton while there. Kurt reports that Terry Stratton is recovering from surgery for stomach cancer. We all wish Terry the very best. Y Although she retired from substitute teaching in public school last June, Clemence Ravacon Mershon still subs in a Catholic elementary school several times a month. She also participates in Habitat for Humanity builds around the world. Her most recent building activity was a single-family house in Kyrgyzstan with an all-women’s team. This winter Clemence took advantage of an opportunity to go on stage in a wonderfully humorous and touching play, Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Although she has participated in local theater for some time, this was her first on-stage role in 35 years. She reports missing Powder and Wig days. In addition, Clemence keeps busy as the advisor for a local college Alpha Delta Pi chapter and looks forward to her daughter earning her M.P.H. soon. Y Leanne Davidson Kaslow is back from 17 happy years in Birmingham, Ala., and living in northwest D.C. on California Street since June. Husband Richard retired from the University of Alabama School of Public Health to take a position with the Virginia medical system in D.C. Her son, Dan, lives in Colorado with his two children. Daughter Jess lives in Hamden, Conn., and expects to present Leanne with another grandchild. Leanne reports that she is enjoying herself and enjoying good health. Y Caroline Kresky moved her practice from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough to Ichter Thomas, a business litigation boutique. Caroline, an equity partner at Nelson Mullins, joined Ichter Thomas as a partner Aug. 16. Y Sally Ray Bennett has closed a chapter of her life as she and Charlie have moved, full time, to Virginia. Sally had lived in Rhode Island since graduating from Colby, but she recently closed her house and moved to an over-55 community. Good timing for Sally as she was opening boxes in her new home the week that her old backyard had nearly three feet of snow. Y Mike and Pam Cooper Picher were asked to present an overview of their work to the National Academy of Arbitrators of the U.S. and Canada at the annual meeting in Vancouver this June. The academy’s magazine says Mike and Pam, “two of the most prominent and successful arbitrators in Canada, will share the insights and experience of literally being married to the job in the course of two sparkling careers.” Mike promises to mention that they launched their successful careers on the men’s and women’s judicial boards at Colby.
1968 Peter Jost classnews1968@colby.edu Peter Roy: “Get on Ted Alison. He just got back from a three-month motorcycle trip through the Andes. The rest of us are just boring old people.” Y Bruce McDonald: Since retiring, he’s been able to spend more time doing competitive sailing. “We spent the fall learning to sail my new J/70, then went to Key West Race Week. It was instructive and humbling to sail against the pros and high-level amateurs in a 38-boat fleet in punishing conditions.” Y Jane Morrison: “I’m retiring after 13 years at Rumford
to get back to New England! We’re living in a new 55-plus community and we really love it here. It wasn’t easy relocating three vehicles and three older cats, but it was worth it. We brought our RV to N.H. and hope to use it more to travel now that we have the time. I have taken up snowshoeing and I love it. I find time for yoga, Zumba classes, and the local gym. I look forward to our 45th reunion and meeting up with old friends.” Y Ted Allison: “Life is good! I went to Bolivia last November and bought a BMW motorcycle from a friend. I then spent 2.5 months riding around Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. I crossed the Andes eight times! Dirt roads, fall downs, red
Mary Jo Calabrese Baur ’68 is creating a floral design for the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ annual fundraiser Art in Bloom. She is interpreting five Japanese woodprints.
(Maine) Hospital. I’ll become the volunteer coordinator of the volunteers here, though. I initiated a patient-visitor program and a lobby-host program that I want to continue to support. Jann Semonian Czarnetzki and I are tentatively planning to return to Trinidad and Tobago in April for the second year to celebrate Lystra Wilson Gaskin’s ’67 birthday.” Y Arthur Brennan: “I’m enjoying my active-retired status more this year—less active and more retired. Have been teaching a criminal-law course at our local community college and expect to do more of that in the fall. Looking forward to our reunion—hoping for a big turnout and to reconnect with old classmates. See you in June on Mayflower Hill!” Y Mary Jo Calabrese Baur: “For the eighth time in the last 10 years I’m doing a floral design at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, for their annual fundraiser Art in Bloom. I just received my assignment this morning, and this year I will be interpreting five Japanese woodprints. So if anyone is in Boston the last weekend of April, stop by and look for Dracut Garden Club.” Y Joe Boulos writes: “Erik Quist ’99, Marine Corps officer, severely wounded on his fourth tour in Iraq and Afghanistan, was my guest, along with his wife, Liz (Czernicki) ’98, at a Marine Corps Scholarship fundraiser event at Pebble Beach. Erik and his wife represent the best this country has to offer!” Y Lynne Oakes Camp writes: “My husband, Howie ‘69, and I finally retired and relocated to Newton, N.H., in 2012. After spending 40 years in New Jersey, I figured it was time
wine, steak! Of note is that I did not have an aggressive or rude encounter with another person the entire time, even when they would not let me enter Argentina and kicked me back to Chile, more than 200 kilometers of dirt road! Carry on!” (Ted sent some spectacular photos, which I will try to upload to the alumni website.) Y Barbara Bixby: “Wow. It appears many of you are pleasantly retired but also extremely active members of the Worldwide Adventurers’ Club. As for me, I plan never to retire; my dream is to pass away quietly at the pipe organ at the conclusion of midnight mass sometime in the distant future. My three sisters and I are still a team, devoted to our sweet, petite, Swedish momma, Berta, who is in her 95th year. She and my late, great Dartmouth “Deke” dad urged me to apply to Colby. Thinking of you all. A coda: Let’s all remember Waterville joints trivia: Whippers, Boulie’s, the Spa, the Jef, the Moon, the Chez, the Buck, Oneys.” Y As for me, we’re rebuilding our place at the Jersey Shore after it was inundated by Sandy. Guess I won’t be retiring for a while!
1969 Ray Gerbi classnews1969@colby.edu Happy spring, everyone! Y Robert Oldershaw and his wife are expecting their first grandchild this summer. Congratulations! Y Tom Wright looks forward to hearing news from classmates, would love to hear from more, and hopes to see more classmates