CLASS NOTES music, theater, and dance events, and both continue to sing with Amherst’s Da Camera Singers, under Sheila Heffernon’s direction and inspiration. Steve is co-chair of the Board of Friends of Schell Bridge, working on getting a definitive engineering study done to estimate the cost of rehabilitating the bridge for a recreational link between East and West Northfield. Fred Cheyunski writes: “After many engagements as part of IBM (former PwC) and Computer Sciences Corp management consulting groups, I’m continuing with independent contract, writing, and presentation work. My wife, Jeanne, remains active with Southwick, Mass., home lake vacation rentals. We had minimal immediate Hurricane Sandy damage at our Brighton Beach condo. One daughter and son in-law in northern New Jersey (two adopted girls from China), one in Brooklyn, and the third in Singapore (one son) also help us stay busy and young at heart.” The class was saddened to learn of the passing of two classmates: David Crimmin on 9/14/12 and Owen Morrison on 7/07/09. You can find their obituaries online via Google.
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SUE PINEO STOWBRIDGE PO Box 26 Silver Lake NH 03875-0026 nfld69@aol.com
As I write in early January, days seem a little longer, and we are enjoying pretty good snow cover in central New Hampshire. Judging by the few replies to my email seeking news, a lot of us are at status quo, although more folks have some form of retirement in reports and more grandbabies are on the planet. Martha Blankinship Ide rejoices in her new adventure of retirement from “active” school nursing. She logged 30 years of serving students of all ages, as well as participating in the state and national scenes in support of professional school nursing practice. Martha and husband, Rob, will celebrate their 40th anniversary in August ’13. Rob is the Vermont State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and has no plans for retirement. Their two children, Jake and Betsy, live in Vermont. Jake and wife Amy have daughters Lily (4) and Alice (2). Martha welcomes visits from classmates at her home on a hill in East Peacham. Melinda Herron wrote in January when Merinda was visiting her in France for their birthday. Melinda is still an in-house translator at Kohler France and recently joined Kohler’s EMEA Stewardship advisory board. Merinda still has her solo pediatric practice in Atlanta, teaches medical students from Caribbean-based schools, and is enjoying her four grandchildren. Sue Parker Belcher wrote that ’12 was an emotional whirlwind of a year. She packed up 38 years of marriage and moved to an apartment, quite an adjustment after living in houses since ’76. Simultaneously, she was wedding planning for daughter Becky’s September Nantucket wedding
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to Peter Feen. Her niece and nephew were married the months either side of that in California and Rhode Island. Sadly, Sue’s mother didn’t quite make it to see any of these grandchildren married, having passed away on her 95th birthday in July. They squeezed in a memorial service at King’s Chapel in Boston one week after Becky’s wedding. Then, in October, Sue escaped on a hiking trip in Puglia, Italy, and was “stranded in Rome” for an extra six nights due to Hurricane Sandy. She says it worked for her, as she had never been to Rome. When she wrote, Sue was looking forward to Christmas with Sarah Allen-Oberstein and her mother, Jean Allen—a marvelous chance to catch up with Sarah, who doesn’t often come East from Santa Fe. New Year’s was planned for Charleston, S.C., with five of her oldest couple friends from Ridgewood, N.J., where she lived for 30 years, to ring out whirlwind ’12 and hopefully ring in a much calmer ’13. Good friends since our senior year as roommates in Hibbard, MarthaJane Peck and I took a break from packing moving boxes September ’12 to catch up on news. She retired in ’04 from her career, starting as a physical education teacher, then working in the early days of computers in the workplace, and eventually returning to teaching. She is fighting an ongoing battle with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis—onset in her 20s and diagnosed in her 40s, which complicated later struggles with breast cancer and MRSA infection acquired during mastectomy. While MarthaJane was battling cancer, her mother died from ovarian cancer; but brightening the picture and drawing the couple to the Olympic Peninsula was the arrival of baby Alexandra, born 6/26/12 to son Jonathan and his wife, Ania. Husband Rob wrapped up his career of 55 years in church music as the last moving boxes were being sealed; but daughter Sara remains back East, teaching at a private school for emotionally disturbed children in Brattleboro, Vt. She joined the family in Washington for the holidays. After 23 years living on Lake Winnipesaukee, the move to Port Townsend, Wash., was a huge undertaking emotionally and geographically, and there will be news in the future about life in the Pacific Northwest. They love the area, have now bought two acres of land on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula, are nearly done designing a new home, and hope to be moved in within the year.
Sue Pineo Stowbridge joined the ranks of the retired on 8/1/12, having accepted a USPS buyout offered at about the same time granddaughter Bri was born in May. August was divided between helping MarthaJane pack and helping daughter Jen Stowbridge ’05 find an apartment, pack, and move to Colebrook, N.H., for a first-grade teaching position. Most Sundays now include traveling to Standish, Maine, to stay with daughter Susie Stowbridge Simmons ’02 and family, and providing Monday child care now that Susie has returned to teaching. Otherwise, there is a daily hour walking in the woods and the perpetual effort sifting, sorting, and filling boxes for Goodwill. What a project. Whether you read this news online or in print, best wishes for a happy, healthy ’13. Please keep in touch, and remember that I welcome news written in the third person, appreciate the inclusion of your full name with your message, and no longer accept lengthy holiday letters requiring heavy editing. Planning starts soon for our 45th reunion in ’14; it’s time to start sending your suggestions so we can make the next rally in the valley the best yet.
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ROLAND LEONG 55 Kenmore Pl Glen Rock NJ 07452-2013 rl@shotgunreport.com
Here’s a short recap as to why I am writing as your class secretary. At the minireunion in San Francisco last October, I resigned as Annual Fund class chair. I’ve been in the position since the mid-’90s and haven’t been doing the job properly. With the big reunions coming soon, I felt it best that the transition happen sooner rather than later. I’m happy to tell you that Walter Lowe has accepted the position of Annual Fund class chair. Walt has always helped me with my Annual Fund duties, and I can think of no one better suited for the position. I will help Walt in any way I can to make his job successful. I hope you, too, will support him. I’m pleased to let you know that I’ve accepted the duties as class secretary. I wish to thank Peter Kropp for his previous terms as class secretary and for the terrific work he’s done for the class. Now on to class news. On the second weekend of October ’12, 20 Mt. Hermom ’69ers met in San Francisco for a minireunion, which is what our class now calls our off-year informal gatherings. George Chaltas, Edward Craine, Alfred Gilbert, Robert Linderman, Steve Pollock, Robert Steinberg, and Samuel Tobin put together
a weekend program of dinners, meals, and all-day winery tours that was truly memorable. Joining in were Douglas Dunlap, Roger La Hart, John Pape, Peter Farris, Robert Longley, Schelly and Timothy Petumenos, Peter Edwards, Jonathan Strongin, Sheryl and Walter Lowe, H. Benjamin Bullard and his wife, Betty Webster, and yours truly, Roland Leong. For a more detailed report on the Melinda Herron ’69 (standing) and Merinda Herron ’69 in Los Angeles in May ’12
weekend, check out Bob Linderman’s summary and comments by attendees at: https://www.dropbox.