CLASS NOTES Gordy Keiser sends his regards and reports that he is still working as a defense contractor in the Marine Warfighting Lab at Quantico, VA. He and Tom Klemenko were making plans to attend a football game in Lexington sometime in the fall. Hope they made it. Noland and Mary Pipes are as busy as ever, with Noland completely involved in a project for a seminary course he is teaching through Trinity Seminary. Noland and Mary have contacted Rusty and Andrea Loth’s wonderful daughter, Laura, who lives in Memphis and is teaching at a local college. They have had a great time with her and feel it is such a treat getting to know her. Rusty and Andrea can be proud to have such a wonderful child. On a more somber note, Noland has had some symptoms for several years that no one could pin point. He finally had a brain scan and has been diagnosed with a condition called “normal pressure hydrocephalus.” This will require installation of a shunt in the ventricles of the brain. The doctor is a specialist in this area and is a good friend of their daughter, so they feel good that Noland will be a person and not a number. They are both happy for the diagnosis and to be on the road to recovery. They will keep us informed as to Noland’s progress. Good luck, Noland, and as always, our prayers are with you. Dick Bingham is off on a five-month travel adventure taking him to Florida, Mexico and all the way across the U.S. to CA for a trip to Hawaii. Dick really thinks this retirement is great and recommends it to all our BRs who are still at the grindstone. Bob Haines and girlfriend Monique Harnetty went on a dandy cruise in the Eastern Caribbean on the biggest cruise ship on the high seas, Freedom of the Seas. They will visit family in Texas for Thanksgiving, but Christmas is undecided, as yet. Bob is back in the U.S.A. from his fourth tour in Iraq. He started out in 2004, then 2006, 2008 and now 2009 and feels this conflict has lasted way too long – should have been over in ’06. Bob is seriously considering not going back to either Iraq or Afghanistan anymore, as Monique suggests it is time to smell the roses before either of them begin to have health issues. Needless to say, Bob would sure miss the 62
flying and the feeling of helping to save lives and limbs, as they have been doing over there on a daily basis. Ron and Mary Alice Marley had a lovely lunch with Mel and Jean Anderson at Honey Bees on Fleming Island, FL. Mel and Jean were returning home from a conference in Ponte Vedra, FL. Mel, who as we all know was dean of engineering at University of South Florida (USF), had to rush home so he could attend the USF/ Cincinnati game. Mel is always easy to identify at these games, because you can find him in his green shirt with the bull horns on his head. Ron promised to watch the game, and sure enough, there he was, the third guy from the left, second row. Jean must be so proud of him, as Mary Alice is of Ron, no doubt. Ron and Mary Alice are beaming about their grandson, Samuel William Watts. Sam is the nose tackle and right guard on the Freeport Junior High football team. They got to see him play, and what a delight it was; they had forgotten how much fun scholastic football can be. Ann and I continue to plug along. We were fortunate to be able to spend some time with Ron and Mary Alice Marley at their timeshare in Daytona Beach, FL, and with Chuck and Margo Cotton at our timeshare in Hilton Head, SC. All are doing well. Chuck is on a new medication which has really helped him a lot. Unfortunately, while he was at the timeshare, I had to hide it for a few days, so I could beat him at golf, and I really feel bad about that. Ann and I joined Bud and Susan Mease in Salt Lake City, UT, and drove out to San Francisco, CA, to visit an old high school friend with terminal cancer. It was a sad trip but one that had to be made. A month or so ago, Ann and I were enjoying a day at Disney World Hollywood Studios, as we often do, when we ran into Harry and Terry MacGregor’s son, Jay Lee, and his family. Because we were on the tram, we didn’t get to spend as much time with them as we would have liked, but just the short visit was enough to know what a great family they were and how proud Terry and Harry must be. In December 2009, Ann and I are off to the heart of Africa, visiting Nairobi, Amboseli, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti and Masa Mara. This will be our second
trip to Africa but our first to the central part. Our kids and grandkids continue to amaze us with their accomplishments. We now have three in college, unfortunately none in VMI, but we haven’t given up hope yet; we still have seven to go. I recently received a call from a young lady who is associated with the MusicalFare Theatre in Amherst, NY. She is currently researching the possibility of doing a stage play about our Brother Rat Jud Strunk. It seems MusicalFare writes and performs a play each year about someone from the Amherst area who has gained some degree of prominence. I will keep you posted as to the progress of the project, and perhaps we can have a mini reunion in Amherst, NY, on opening night. Keep those cards, letters and e-mails coming in; I can’t write the class notes without your input. Yours in the Spirit … Shep
’60
L. Edward Tolley
Brother Rats: Can you believe that this is the last VMI Alumni Review you will receive before we hold our class of ’60 50th Reunion? Well, what you can believe is that activity to make this occasion truly momentous is in high gear and that, as you read this Review, shake-a-leg will have been sounded! To restate our goal, it is “ … to get as many Brother Rats to attend as we can.” Our “Class of 1960 50th Reunion Fund” goal has been exceeded, as a result of your generosity and desire to assure that the Virginia Military Institute remains the number one college in the U.S.A. committed to the mission, “To produce educated and honorable men and women, prepared for the varied work of civil life, imbued with love of learning, confidence in the functions and attitudes of leadership, possessing a high sense of public service, advocates of the American Democracy and free enterprise system, and ready as citizen-soldiers to defend their country in time of national peril.” As of mid-November, we expect approximately 120 Brother Rats to attend! For those who will not be able to attend, our thoughts and prayers will be of you and your families. Howie Roth called to advise that he and Nancy plan to attend the reunion and will bring Bettina Graham with them. They are living on their boat in Florida and receive mail only once a week.
VMI ALUMNI REVIEW