www.andover.edu/intouch finished the sequel to Loon: A Marine Story, and sent the manuscript off. Tentatively titled Dover Point, the new memoir picks up where the first left off, with Jack’s return to America and his efforts to reengage with civilian life while trying to sustain the relationships and sense of purpose he found in Vietnam. Not sure of its publication date, but you should definitely look for it. Several months ago, many of you may have received an e-mail from a classmate asking whether (a) the data we have regarding your contact information is accurate, and (b) whether you’re interested in supporting (or continuing to support) Andover’s fundraising initiative. These communications stem from a terrific conference call set up by Eddie Samp on April 7 that engaged 16 of us, including Samp, Mike Hudner, Dick Cromie, John Deane, Jim Eller, Paul Henry, Nick Marble, Kit Meade, Mike Sheldrick, Colby Snyder, Ralph Swanson, Danny Samuels, Don Shepard, Tom Hafkenschiel, Vaho Rebassoo (who underscored how sweet his life was by calling in from a beach house in Mexico), and me. Reports from that call include that Sheldrick has retired from Wall Street and his wife is running for office in Morristown, NJ; that Meade is consulting and his wife is working as a nurse practitioner; that Cromie’s wife is happily cancer-free and he’s consulting in the “electric vehicle space”; that Eller recently visited five Eastern European countries; and that Deane was heading off to Australia’s Lord Howe Island for “a fishing and wine contest.” Deane won. Other bits and pieces: Phil Young is one of a group of international photographers featured in a show titled Under the Andalusian Sun, which is touring Spain in the second year of a two-year run. Dan Warren was part of the Rachmaninoff Festival Choir that performed a benefit concert at New York City’s Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. Nick Marble—after five surgeries, three of them major, in 16 months—reports, “I am very much on the mend, so much so that a buddy of mine (40 years of hiking, backpacking, climbing, cross-country skiing, running rivers, and mountain- and road-biking together) and I are headed for the wilds of Utah (Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument) for five days of cycling and hiking.” Unfortunately, the June 4 memorial celebration for Mike Hudner’s late wife, Hope, will fall just outside the deadline for this column. So I will report on it later. Stay in touch.
1966 ABBOT Blake Hazzard Allen 481 School St. Rumney NH 03266 603-786-9089 603-359-0870 (cell) blakemanallen@gmail.com pakistan.partnership@gmail.com
Our celebratory 50th Reunion was over in a flash, and class notes focus on that brief period when a grand total of 36 members of Abbot ’66 marched back onto “our” campus and reclaimed space and memories. The four-day event encapsulated a moving mosaic of familiar faces and voices—even after a 50-year lapse—with classmates arriving from as far away as Australia and as near as Andover. Due to 16 months of programmatic brainstorming built on class input and unflagging outreach, reunion provided options and opportunities. Women returned for a day, a program, a meal, with the intrepid back for a longer haul. The class gift, and the generosity of a classmate’s initial challenge, resulted in a 56 percent participation rate, emblematic of the ability of Abbot ’66 to give back—whether to Andover; within our communities (local to global); or to one another, in friendship, solidarity, and support. Joyous dancing with our Phillips ’66 gentlemen friends, as well as thoughtful discussions, reflected the legacy of the 1973 merger. As Phillips ’66 returned to their school and we regained ours through Abbot@Andover day, collaborative leadership teams integrated event planning. The generosity and sensitivity of Phillips ’66 to our complex Abbot history and consequent AA ’66 customized initiatives resulted in meaningful reunion intersections, with all welcome. However, fundamentally, our 50th consisted of a fabulous group of women coming together, tucked in friendship clusters (new and old!), who shared compelling narratives and life experiences. Spurred by Abbot@Andover day, with its anchors of the Brace Center, the Rebecca M. Sykes Wellness Center, the Abbot and Phillips archives, and a profound memorial service, Abbot’s legacy expanded with our 36 participants. Lucy Crane Draper’s return from Santa Fe, NM, resonated with special meaning as we honored our headmistress, Mrs. Crane, along with classmates sadly no longer with us: Mauricia Alvarez, Elizabeth Ayer Chamberlin, Nancy England, Susan Lebach-Rosenbloom, Emma Welling “Winkie” Thomas Stocker, and Gale McKenzie. The following consists of reunion snippets. Cincinnati’s Barbara Roediger Seiver generously offered (after several late nights) to write a submission: “I think this is the first time I’ve sent a submission to the alumni/ae magazine and am prompted to write because I just returned from my first Abbot reunion. (It only took 50 years!) I had
not kept in touch with anyone from Abbot and had no idea what to expect. I was so overwhelmed by the warm reception I received. Most of the people there were not people I knew well at Abbot, but we bonded over a shared past and the diverse paths we have all taken since graduation. The program was carefully put together by Blake [Hazzard Allen] and Ruth [Sisson Weiner] and the committee to have a nice blend of Abbot and Andover events and included a good amount of time on the old Abbot campus. Because the Abbot Circle looks very much the same, with the gate and the three familiar buildings around it, I felt a very strong sense of connection to the Andover of today. I truly can’t put into words what a wonderful experience it was to return to campus after so many years. It was rich and emotionally fulfilling—I’m so glad that I made the decision to return.” With Beth Humstone setting up our class Facebook group, “Abbot ’66 50th Reunion, June 9–12, 2016,” Bev Armsden Daniel posted the comment, “I already miss you all. What a wonderful reunion! Thank you for your thought and time invested in creating an Abbot space—for the first time I felt this was all about us (the lack of recognition by PA was sad, demeaning, and alienating). On Friday, finally, we were empowered, due to your insisting that we should be equal! As Julia Alvarez ’67 said, quoting Miss Stevenson, ‘Ladies, let’s have ourselves a hell of a good time!’ And we did.” Ruth Sisson Weiner, traveling all the way from Andover’s Mohawk Drive, captured the essence of reunion when eloquently writing to our reunion committee of Marcia Watson Goldberg, Beth Humstone, Peigi Donaghy Huseby, Bethe Moulton, Pinky Rock Noll, Lucy Thomson, Barbara Timken, and me. In part, her note read, “Hello, dear friends. Just a week ago, we were saying our final farewells to friends and classmates after a truly outstanding weekend. The Academy really came through for us, delivering on all our expectations. With hundreds of people on campus and lots of moving parts, that was quite an accomplishment, and they executed it beautifully. “What made last weekend’s success possible is all the thought, planning, time, and dedication that took place beforehand. The commitment of this remarkable group of women set us up for a weekend of laughter and fun, meaningful conversations with friends old and new, and three nights of dancing till midnight! I know I will never again have the privilege or opportunity to work with such an amazing team of people. Every one of you took your assignments seriously and went above and beyond. Thank you. “Looking back on last week’s attendance, I am still awed. People joined us whom we never expected to see. From near and far, for lunch and for four days, regular reunion attendees and those coming for the first time, classmates involved and connected and those disenfranchised from our class and the school—the variety was wonderful. Conversations with old friends and new, spending Andover | Reunion 2016
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