the next one. It’s not too early to start thinking about our 50th reunion. What would it take to get you there? Is there something we can do for you to make it happen? Send your thoughts and comments along, and I’ll share them with the committee.
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ROLAND LEONG 55 Kenmore Pl Glen Rock NJ 07452-2013 rl99@me.com
Al Gilbert attended his first post-graduation Christ-
mas Vespers this past December. Also in attendance was Susan Hanna Huleatt and her husband, Rick. En route to NMH, Al stopped into Wakefield to have Sunday brunch with Don Hodgkins and Faith Goodwin Hodgkins, but instead was recruited into Don’s church choir. Fortunately for Don, Al’s music-reading skills of hymnal song acquired at NMH were fairly intact. Christmas Vespers was just as beautiful and moving 40 years later, and Al encourages everyone to attend next year. Don Hodgkins writes, “Our son, Thom, was married in Newport, R.I., in September, and our daughter, Allyson, continues her third year of med school at the University of Miami.” Steven Harris: “Still working at TJX as a software engineer. Visit with family on occasion. Everyone here is in good health at the moment, which is life’s greatest gift.” It appears it is not sufficient for classmate Paul Murtha to educate poor females in Ecuador, he also brokers peace agreements between rival gangs. He writes, “Peace accord [was] reached between the local ‘Bloods’ and ‘Latin Kings’ groups. It was quite a full workday hammering out the agreement. This was in March (2014) and, to date, harmony reigns between the gangs.” John Fitzgerald: “Since the reunion, a small group of alumni and friends assembled by Jonathan Crowley of the NMH development office, me, and others exchanged emails as he briefed the chair of the Investment Committee on the NMH Board of Trustees in an attempt to follow up on both his earlier homework on the subject and my call dur-
ing the awards ceremony for the school to manage its endowment in a socially responsible manner by judiciously divesting and reinvesting with the help of Amy Domini Thornton ’68 and others, who accepted our invitation to try to help bring expertise to an advisory committee.” David Smith writes that his son, Hunter Smith ’00, “recently married Zorka Milin. The wedding was in Belgrade, Serbia, in an old orthodox church attached to Kalemegdan Fortress overlooking the confluence of the Sava and the Danube. This provided an excuse to see the Balkans and take in the sights around Trieste, Italy. Susan and I had a great trip and promised to be back in Italy/Slovenia/ Croatia. Still biking, skiing, seeing plays, friends, and enjoying retired life (including making beer and wine—the beer is good, the wine—OK). Recently started teaching bridge to a group of friends. Great memories of the Cloud and playing FYB and bridge. Anyone passing by is welcome to drop in.” Mike Aisenberg: “Thanks for including such a nice chunk of my update in the last notes. I appreciate it, and hope perhaps it will generate some communication from classmates.” Charles Andros: “I am in Brazil for the 21st time. I had an opportunity to go to English classes in Viçosa do Ceará. It was interesting, as always, and hopefully I inspired some students to learn English, although English classes are only once a week here. Now I am in Tianguá, also in the Serra de Ibiapaba, which is long and rolling. Rain season is getting under way slowly. I hope all is well in the U.S. and look forward to reading the notes!” Walter Lowe: “The year (2014) has been a blur. But the highlight for me was the 45th reunion in June. It’s always a joy to reconnect with classmates on the hill. I also continue to enjoy the email banter between West and East Coast ‘core’ classmates—those who typically attend the interim reunions and who financially support the school. The conversations are a hoot and topically diverse. I just became aware that one of my neighborhood golf buddies, Roger Quinn ’68, is a Hermie who played basketball and football with Dyson, Herman, and Rodney. We are everywhere, and we have Mt. Hermon largely to thank for our dispersion. Still loving retirement, and can’t wait for the next interim event!”
Ulgen Gulcat ’69 (left) takes in the view with his wife on their multi-country trip.
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William Bretschger: “I have lost 14 inches from my waist. I still possess the confidence to walk onto the mat and shake the hand of my opponent with full knowledge he will be looking at the lights in a matter of seconds. I am still involved in all aspects of real estate development, consulting from my own business. My family is growing—I have 11 grandchildren, I admit I never tire of their company—and live in awe of my children, who have blessed Susie, Cherrill, and me with their willingness to believe the importance of family. Our home—Orient Lodge—was added to the National Registry of Historic Places. It is most easily viewed from CTTrust.org, as only one of two historic districts in Stamford, Conn. I remain active in the local historic district commission, as well as serving on the board of the Historic Neighborhood Preservation Program. Just started returning to form and won the WGC Trap Championship. My closing thought to my classmates is: I rarely take pride in the accomplishments, and endeavor to bear witness to the crisis of change, and give thanks for the hardships that I have overcome and the opportunity to mentor all those who have sought me out.” From our Turkish classmate, Ulgen Gulcat: “This July my wife and I drove through 14 countries in a round trip in two weeks from Istanbul to Innsbruck, Austria. We survived through the torrential rains of the Dalmatian coasts and islands, and arrived at lakes Como and Lugano of northern Italy; visited Bolzano further north, where, surprisingly, German was the dominant language. Passing from Italy to Austria, we drove through the hairpin curves of Stelvio Pass, which is famous among the motor-bikers. From Gratz, Austria, we returned through Serbia and Bulgaria on a very crowded highway. We had a stopover at Sofia, a modern city with a lot of history. Finally, we reached the cool banks of Meriç (Maritsa) River. It was good to be back home! Currently, I am still in part-time teaching.” Kirk Johnson: “I’ve moved from the unforgiving winters of the Northeast to the low country of South Carolina. Biking, boating, fishing, hiking... just being outside all year long. Still practicing orthopedic surgery, developing a hip and knee replacement program in the Hilton Head Island/ Bluffton area. Linda and I are completing the construction of Ridgeland Ranch, a good home for
(Kneeling) Paul Murtha ’69 helped broker a rival gang peace accord in Ecuador.