The first people to hove into view at the Bowl for Yale’s opener against Georgetown were two of Simsbury’s leading citizens, Jim Wade and Bob Evans, both hale, both hearty, both planning to attend next year’s 50th reunion and both recruiting others to do the same. Jim is still going strong as a trial lawyer working out of Hartford and has been named one of the “Top 100 Irish-American trial attorneys in America,” an honor I’m pretty sure nobody else in the class can challenge him for. Bob is retired from business, but remains active in local philanthropic, cultural and educational projects, in particular Hartford’s Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.
These serendipitous encounters followed the first fall gathering of the usual suspects in Parking Lot B, all without spouses except Charles Griffith, accompanied by Barbara, the others being employed, at school, injured or otherwise engaged — George Piroumoff, Herb Hallas, Mr. Griffith and your secretary. This was a smaller crowd than usual, as was the audience in the Bowl itself, but these should grow as the season progresses. There should, at the very least, be a bigger gathering at the Princeton game, given the added attraction of the post-game cocktails and dinner at Mory’s, to which by now you should have received not one but two invitations. Yale won handily, by the way, a sign of good things to come, we hope.
Since the deadline is fast approaching (indeed, may well have passed, but send it anyway) this is my last chance to urge you to correct your biographical material, write a brief personal essay and complete the class questionnaire, all to be published in the 50th Reunion book being assembled by Sandy Wiener. You can do so either by filling out the material mailed to you some time ago or by logging on to www.Yale59.org, our secure class website, and then following instructions so simple that even I could navigate them. The process does not take long, it’s a useful trip down memory lane and it could be your last, great shot at immortality. In addition, your contribution will also greatly enhance the book.
Short notes:
John Stickler’s prolific writing career continues apace. He shared the spotlight with Ray Bradbury recently at the Bakersfield Californian’s fourth annual festival of books, where he and his spouse, the illustrator Soma Han, discussed their book, “Land of Morning Calm: Korean Culture Then and Now.” John has written many books about local cultures, a considerable cut above your usual travel books. Karl Ziebarth continues his active consulting business in Dallas, is chairman of the Dallas Goethe Center, which promotes an interest in the culture and history of German-speaking countries, and remains “moderately active in conservative political circles.” Among the many interesting things about Karl, the photo honcho at the Yale Daily News in my day, is that he runs his own little railroad in Santa Fe. John Lang, retired after many years of medical practice in upstate New york, married Marie Covey in January. They live in Selkirk.
Sad notes:
Norman Goldstein, of Phoenixville, PA., died of a heart attack in August. After Yale, he graduated from Jefferson Medical College , completed his residency at Temple and, that year, helped found Valley Forge Ear, Nose and Throat in Phoenixville. He served a tour of duty in the Vietnam war, returned home and practiced medicine in the Phoenixville area until his death. He was active in community affairs and an accomplished trombone player. Our sympathies to his wife of 39 years, Wiletta, his four sons David, Mark, Michael and Jonathan and his daughter, Jennifer.
Paul Killenberg, a member of the Duke medical faculty for 36 years and a national leader in the diagnosis and treatment of liver disease, died at Duke Hospital in July. Paul was not only a first-class physician — he helped create Duke’s liver transplant program, North Carolina’s first, in 1985 — but a reverered teacher in whose honor the hospital established the Paul G. Killenberg teaching Award. He received a Bronze Star in Vietnam while in the Army Medical Corps, and was active in his church and a prison ministry. Our condolences to his wife of 46 years, Melinda, his sons Christopher and Timothy and his daughter Jennifer.
Frederick Miller died in April in Portage, MI. Fred graduated fom Exeter, received a civil engineering degree in from Yale, served in the Navy’s Civil Engineering Corps in Spain and the Antarctic, returned to the Kalamazoo area where he was born and raised and continued his engineering career with several different firms and, later, on his own. He was an active volunteer in the community and a fixture on the Kalamazoo tennis scene. Kalamazoo has long hosted the national boys and juniors tennis championships, and its local college has fielded championship teams. Fred was active in both. He loved the outdoors and was an active conservationist. Our sympathies his wife of 41 years, Sue, and his daughters Barbara and Valerie.