www.andover.edu/intouch PHILLIPS Frank duPont 8 Nichols Drive Hastings-on-Hudson NY 10706 914-478-7818 dupont@wdfilms.com
On Reunion Weekend in June—45 years to the day after 235 members of the Class of ’71 celebrated the 193rd PA commencement—a bunch of us gathered to check in on one another and the school. I was wondering in advance what to expect. Forty-five: not exactly the magical round number or quarter- or half-century benchmark year. Nonetheless, we had a good showing. My wife, Lindsay, joined me, in part because PA elicited so many fond memories, with our kids Sam and Rosie having graduated in ’04 and ’06. The campus looked great—the school seemingly firing on all cylinders—and John Palfrey was in top form. For some it was a repeat of a regular five-year cycle. Ernie Adams, who arrived on Saturday evening with his wife, Christine, mentioned that Fred Johnson has been to nearly every reunion. Ernie, by his own account, has missed only a couple. Dana Seero, who wrote class notes for 20 years—God bless him!—and who came with his wife, Kathy, has likewise been a frequent attendee. Others in this camp: Chris Duble, who could roll out of bed and be on campus, was there. Not surprisingly, proximity was a factor. Pete Sachs with wife Tracy, Peter Kellogg with wife Jane, and Dave Samson (without spouse, but with a threelegged dog) came from nearby Massachusetts towns. Jamey French was there with longtime work colleague Tom Chamberlin. Vin Broderick was down from New Hampshire, John “Falstaff ” Smith came from Vermont, and Evan Livada and Drew Cheney came from Maine. Cheney, who had not returned to PA in years and “didn’t know what to expect going in,” was pleasantly surprised by how our class “seems like a group of really good people. In several instances, I had conversations that were longer and better than any that had taken place during the three years I was at PA.” Evan Livada was in top form throughout the weekend, regaling everyone in conversational range with stories about extracurricular activities back in the day. I enjoyed BS-ing with Livada, Samson, Duble, and others about athletics at PA and about individual characters—where they came from and where they might be now. Kevin O’Brien, Fred Pepin, and Milt Holt (none of whom were present) were remembered. Kurt Kuchta, a garrulous and opinionated fan of ’71, made the trip from Colorado. Kurt, who is semiretired and coaching lacrosse, stayed with Evan up in Maine, then, after the weekend, stopped off for a day at Pete Sachs’s place in Newton, MA. Don’t know whether it’s due to the rigors of managing a vineyard, but Fred Johnson is still
totally fit and was up rowing crew at 7 o’clock Saturday morning. I enjoyed meeting his wife, Jennifer. As a bonus, they brought a selection of wine from their upstate New York winery, Johnson Estate; the bottles were uncorked on Saturday afternoon before the Addison Gallery cocktail party. The attendees included Phil Kann, Art Just, Vernon Barksdale, and Chris Brescia, among others. I was fascinated to hear about Arthur Just’s post-PA life. As it turned out, studying Greek at Andover aligned perfectly with a devout Lutheran background and interest in Christianity—all of which coalesced into a life studying the Scriptures in the original Greek and becoming a pastor, then picking up a master of divinity degree from Yale and a doctorate in New Testament studies from Durham University in England. For the past three decades, Arthur has been a professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN; he has traveled extensively to Kenya, among other places, to teach and share his expertise. Along the way, Art and wife Linda have raised three kids. Cleve Burton came from NJ with his brother Kelvin; Chien Lee came from Hong Kong (he was already in the States for a PA Board of Trustees meeting). Cleve said, “My brother has attended about four Andover reunions with me and enjoyed this particular cast of characters the most.” Both Cleve and Chien, former roommates, enjoyed reconvening for the first time in 20 years. As Cleve recapped, “Who knew that after 45 years we would be talking about how he introduced me to classical music, which I exported to Detroit? He told me that I had introduced him to Michael Jackson. We are proof that Bach and Michael Jackson could coexist in the same dorm room.” Chien also enjoyed connecting with Vernon Barksdale, saying, “Despite the fact that I am the only one in our class living in Hong Kong, I found out that Vernon, through his involvement in the Amway organization in Phoenix, has close associates in Hong Kong and China.” Chien briefly outlined to me one of his current business objectives: working to build/create a new hospital in Hong Kong. Geoff Foisie was up from Alexandria, VA. Paul Tessier flew in from Niceville, FL, with his partner. Sandy McAdam traveled up from Florida as well. Rob Hearne and wife Nancy came from Princeton, NJ, and Dave Cuthell came up from NYC with wife Catherine. It was great seeing Foisie after about 30 years. He still embodies the same reflective, philosophical cast of mind, capable of seeing both sides of every exchange or situation. He recently retired from his investment company and is contemplating his next career. Sandy McAdam moved a few years ago to Wellington, FL, where he lives “on a private airport. We are 12 miles from Palm Beach. We enjoy flying out of here to many different destinations.
The Bahamas is a favorite. I never thought that we would leave New Hampshire, but it has been fantastic here. I am still working trading options.” Sandy also credited Phil Kann for doing a superb job of rounding up the class. “Health willing, I will return for my 50th,” he said. Other moments of interest included checking out Ernie’s very gaudy Super Bowl ring (I asked him whether he ever wore, at the same time, the four or five rings he has received) and hearing that Evan Bonds was a key third person with Bill Belichick and Ernie deconstructing football videos senior year; catching up with Pete Sachs and Tracy about their lives with youngish kids; and learning from Jamey French about his involvement, senior year, in leading an initiative to stop spraying trees on campus with DDT. As Vin Broderick noted, Jamey, president and CEO of Northland Forest Products, was recently recognized with the 2016 Granite State Award for his longtime commitment to conservation and nonprofit organizations in the state. I heard from a number of guys who were leaning our way but couldn’t make it at the last minute: Andy Rutherford, Ted Mook, Sam Coleman, Paul Finnegan, Jon Grant, and Steve Sherrill, to mention a few. BTW, I had a fun mini reunion in NYC over lunch, about a month before the 45th, with Nils Finne, who was in for his daughter’s graduation from NYU with a master’s degree in art restoration; Bill Gardner, who was down with wife Kathi from Ottawa; Pierce Rafferty; Stewart Crone; and Dave Winton, who was in from SF. Great conversation, with lots to catch up on—more than could possibly be accomplished in a two-hour lunch. Here’s to revisiting those connections, and to a massive turnout for our 50th!
1972 ABBOT Julia Gibert 300 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7ED England + 44 0 7766 022832 juliagibert@gmail.com
PHILLIPS Tom Rawson P.O. Box 1361 Eastsound WA 98245 206-632-8248 tomrawson@gmail.com
Sam Butler reports that he spoke with Dave Wilson in January. Dave “had a stroke three years ago (on the operating table during routine surgery). He sounded great, lots of therapy, and is hoping to improve enough that he can take Andover | Reunion 2016
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