Class Notes

From The Archives

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

This photo, taken by Jim Gemza ’70, depicts a student with her parents on Move-In Day in the late 1960s. Notice the Zenith typewriter, business casual attire, the formal footwear and suitcases—a far cry from the laptops, shorts, T-shirts, sneakers and plastic bins visible during Move-In Day today.

Beyond fashion, the make-up of the student body has also changed, with 4 in 10 new students in fall 2022 identifying themselves as culturally diverse. Approximately 12 percent of American men and 8 percent of American women in the late 1960s had a college degree contrasted to today when approximately 37 percent of women and 34 percent of men in the country have college degrees. No doubt, all SUNY Oswego students—past, present and future—experience some dramatic changes during their years in college. Their minds change. Their worldviews change. Their passions change. Their goals change. Their friends change. Their lives change

Do you have a favorite photo from your college days that you’d like featured in an alumni communication?

Send the photo and a description, along with your name and class year, to alumni@oswego.edu; or King Alumni Hall, Oswego, N.Y. 13126.

Submitting A Class Note

To submit your class note, email alumni@oswego.edu, call 315-3123003 or complete the class note form online at alumni.oswego.edu. You can also mail submissions to the OSWEGO Alumni Magazine, King Alumni Hall, Oswego, N.Y. 13126.

Editor’s Note:

Due to changes to our typical production schedule, this Class Notes reflects submissions from Jan. 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. We apologize if the information has changed since submission.

We encourage alumni to submit their updates as we expect to resume our normal schedule in 2023. All submissions received between Jan. 1-June 30 typically run in the Fall/Winter issue; and submissions received July 1-Dec. 31 run in our Spring/Summer issue.

Thank you!

1950s

Sheila Greene Bellen ’53 of New York, N.Y., is a retired teacher who formerly worked at Polk Street School in Franklin Square, N.Y.

William T. Mayer ’57 of Garnerville, N.Y., is a retired industrial arts teacher. He remembers teaching metal shop as an assistant professor as a senior because of an enlarged enrollment in fall 1956.

Gerald Goran ’59 of Anaheim, Calif., is involved in Epsilon Pi Tau and served as the gift chair for the spring industrial arts program. He was also the three-year table tennis champion and represented Oswego in a tournament in Utica. After graduating with a degree in industrial arts, he taught for 38 years in Buena Park, Calif., and has since retired.

Ruth Weingarten Jenkin ’59 of Wynnewood, Pa., is a trainer for Weight Watchers.

Priscilla Sanders Walsh ’59 of Groveland, Mass., is a retired office manager from Appli-tec, Inc. in Salem, N.H. She is a member of Theta Chi Rho sorority.

1960s

Janice Stoutner Esse ’60 of Fairport, N.Y., is a help desk technician at Finger Lakes Community College.

Carol Humphrey Berggren ’62 of Ballston Spa, N.Y., is a retired teacher at North Colonie Central School. She is a part of Arethusa Eta sorority and Kappa Delta Pi, and was involved in Symphonic Choir.

Beverly Gutman Bierman ’64 of Delray Beach, Fla., worked as a learning disabilities specialist at East Ramapo (N.Y.) School District.

Linda Tufel Chapman ’64 of Long Beach, Calif., is a retired teacher from Little Lake City School District in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. She is a member of Alpha Delta Eta sorority and was a member of Symphonic Choir.

Teresa Ryczek Colwell ’64 of Newport, N.C., is a retired credit review specialist who formerly worked for Verizon Wireless.

Sharon Forse Lea ’65 of Blue Bell, Pa., is an Alpha Delta Eta sister, and she was a part of Symphonic Choir and the Newman Club. In 2021, she moved to outside Philadelphia to be near her two daughters, after spending 34 years in northeast Florida.

Kathleen McHale Mantaro ’65 of Oswego worked as an adjunct instructor at SUNY Oswego. She is in Pi Delta Chi sorority, and was in the Newman Club and a part of The Oswegonian.

Regina D’Onofrio Falbo ’66 of Bradenton, Fla., is a homemaker. She is in Arethusa Eta sorority.

Beverly DeFlores Schultz ’66 of Clifton Park, N.Y., is a retired computer software specialist. She served as vice president, alumnae treasurer and newsletter chair of Theta Chi Rho sorority at Oswego.

and weekly radio show for the Las Cruces, NM KTAL-LP radio station called “Music They Don’t Want You to Hear.” He is also the founding director of A Still Small Voice 4U Inc., a philanthropic organization that presents folk concerts and sponsors artists, festivals and community groups in support of the arts, culture and community.

Donald Davis ’67 of Baldwinsville, N.Y., is a former senior water quality scientist who retired after 54 years working in the public, private and military sectors of the physical, chemical and biological treatment of drinking water. He is a brother of Alpha Phi Omega and also served in the U.S. Navy. Donald recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife, Anne, with whom he has two daughters and three granddaughters.

Ronald Ray ’67 of Greensburg, Pa., works in educational sales. He is in the Sigma Tau Chi fraternity. He was a part of the Psychology Club, Statesmen, State Singers and Men’s Residence Hall Council and was a resident assistant.

Patricia Smith Robbins ’67 M’81 CAS’01 of Henderson, N.Y., is a retired teacher who formerly worked for Phoenix Central School District. As a teacher, Patricia specialized in math and science.

Karen Gallo Eggleston ’68 of Cicero, N.Y., was a teacher at North Syracuse School District. She is a Theta Chi Rho sister and today serves on the Reunion planning committee.

Roberta Swaney Kohut ’68 of Ithaca, N.Y., is a substitute teacher. At Oswego, she was involved in the Symphonic Choir, Swing Sixteen, Alpha Kappa Phi and the thespian club, along with working as a telephone operator in Hart Hall and for Dr. Maurice O. Boyd in the music department.

John ’66 and Sally Sodemann Sroka ’66 (above) of Defreetsville, N.Y., celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on the St. Lawrence River with David Jacobowitz ’70 and Kathleen Fitzpatrick Moran ’77

Ronald Cooke ’67 of East Greenbush, N.Y., is the author of Obituaries and Other Lies, a book of short stories and poems currently available on Amazon. Ron also runs a well-received blog at at assv4u.com/blog

Eugene Drumm ’69 of Denver, Colo., is a principal at Organization and Staff Effectiveness Consultants after serving in senior positions at Fujitsu America, Microsoft and Newmont Mining. He has happy, although somewhat hazy memories of fun times at Buckland’s and Nunzi’s with his Phi Sigma Phi brothers. He lives with wife, Pat, and they enjoy time with their children and six grandchildren.

Ronald Hedger ’69 of Ballston Spa, N.Y., is a trustee of, and curates exhibitions for the Saratoga Automobile Museum in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. He previously worked as a teacher at Utica (N.Y.) Free Academy and as an instructor in auto mechanics and technology chairman in Troy, N.Y. He served as chairman of the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame Committee for many years and served three terms as president of the Eastern Motorsport Press Association. He and his wife, Lynne, split their time between Ballston Spa and the Villages, Fla., and enjoy traveling to the Mayan Riviera and Ireland.

Donald Sova ’69 of Silver Spring, Md., retired from technology consulting after a 25-year federal career in the Office of NASA’s Chief Engineer, where he directed research in software engineering and software assurance. At Oswego, he played varsity baseball and is a brother of Sigma Gamma fraternity. After graduating from Oswego State, he served in the U.S. Army. He holds an MBA from the University of Utah, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Maryland.

Charles “Chuck” Wysocki ’69 of Collingswood, N.J., served in the United States Army and is a retired research scientist after working for Monell Chemical Senses Center. He is a member of Beta Tau Epsilon fraternity.

1970s

Dee Gilligan Banagan ’70 of Delmar, N.Y., is a retired administrative assistant. She is in Arethusa Eta sorority.

Georgene Megas Bramley ’70 of Wilmington, N.C., is a retired teacher who formerly worked at UNC Wilmington. She is a part of Arethusa Eta sorority.

Susan Atkins Jerva ’70 of Auburn, N.Y., is a retired teacher at Union Springs Central Schools.

Karen Marzynski ’70 of Syracuse, N.Y., is in Theta Chi Rho sorority, and currently volunteers at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Karen also volunteers with the North Area Volunteer Ambulance Corps and is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma.

Tina Goldstein Penzel ’70 of New York, N.Y., retired as program manager of the Division of Neonatology from NYU Langone Medical Center, and now assists as an administrator at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She volunteers as a food preparation worker at the Brotherhood Synagogue and delivers meals to seniors through DOROT. At Oswego, she was president of Iota Xi sorority and was a part of The Oswegonian.

Edward Salvetti ’70 of Fulton, N.Y., served in the U.S. Navy Nuclear program after graduation. In 1977, he was hired to work in the Chemistry Department of the New York Power Authority at the Fitzpatrick Nuclear plant in Oswego. He worked there for 37 years, retiring in 2013. He remembers fondly his years at Oswego, particularly in chemistry classes with Dr. Gus Silveira.

Jean Hilfiker Accorsini ’71 of South Harwich, Mass., played field hockey and basketball at SUNY Oswego, and belongs to Arethusa Eta, the college’s branch of local sorority Sigma Gamma Phi. Jean enjoys playing golf with her husband and volunteering at a women’s empowerment organization on Cape Cod.

Kristina Kurowski Crowley ’71 of Bloomfield, N.Y., was an educator at Bloomfield Central High School.

Karin Franklin-King ’71 of Central Square, N.Y., is self-employed as a TV/radio host/ public relations consultant. At Oswego, she was a part of Blackfriars, human resources club, Alpha Psi Omega (theatre) Greek Honor Society and Solid State/State Singers.

Ellen Talaba Fuller ’71 of Little Falls, N.Y., is a retired entrepreneur and owner of Crafts From the Heart.

Raymond Harquail ’71 of King Ferry, N.Y., is a military veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy. Raymond is moving back to the Finger Lakes after being a ship crewman in Dana Point, Calif.

Karen Holliday ’71 of Murdock, Fla., is retired as a reading specialist at Monroe