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by Barrie Rich

The 55th Reunion gift committee is hard at work for the class gift and we hope to add at least $5 million more to our total by the end of the fundraising year. Reunion gifts can be made up until June 30, but make them early so they can be included in the class total announced at reunion! Annual gifts to the Alumni Fund and special gifts for capital purposes will all count for the class gift.

At its annual meeting in November our class council elected new class officers for the five years beginning in June this year. Paul "Cy" Pesek will be secretary, Irving Jensen treasurer, and John Cleary chair of agents. Congratulations to all of you. Shortly thereafter was the Princeton game mini-reunion, which was a huge success. More than a hundred attended (a record), the rain held off during the game, and Yale won. In addition, Jeff Brenzel, Yale dean of admissions, gave an informative talk on numerous aspects of his new position.

On December 4 Richard Gilder was presented with a copy of Volume 39 of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, which is dedicated to him "with gratitude" for his generous contributions in support of this ongoing project at Yale's Library. At a dinner in Dick's honor, the presentation was made by Harry S. Stout, Jonathan Edwards Professor of American History at Yale and chair of The Papers of Benjamin Franklin administrative board. Among those attending were Mason Willrich, a member of the administrative board, and his wife, Wendy.

Richard Hiers recently had published a detailed article entitled "Reverence for Life and Environment Ethics in Biblical Law and Covenant." His piece appeared in the Journal of Law and Religion and the Forum on Religion and Ecology. Dick says his article examines covenants and biblical laws regarding human relations with the earth and its various life forms. Conserving our nations' natural assets and caring about people's needs have been two of his most pressing concerns.

Last September Vincent Pantalone attended the Alumni Schools Committee workshop held at Yale. It provided admission and financial policy information to assist ASC members in interviewing candidates for admission to Yale. After the session he chatted with classmate Elliott "Doc" Marcus at dinner in the President's Room in Woolsey Hall. In a separate note Elliott writes that like numerous classmates he and Nuran have moved south for the winters to Key Biscayne, Florida, not only for the weather but to be near their grandchildren. He says he remains active as a teacher and a writer. Together with his associate he has just published a new textbook, Neuroanatomy for the Neuroscientist.

Walt Pincus continues with a full-time workload at the Washington Post. His specialized field is national security, on which he currently writes a weekly column and soon to be twice a week. With the new administration coming in with so much activity, it is clear why he refuses to retire.

Thomas Briggs continues his avocation of road running: races of all distances from 5K to marathons. He says it provides a healthful outlet as well as an excuse to travel. The most unusual this past year was a marathon in Medoc , France , in the wine-producing region near Bordeaux . There was a carnival atmosphere with most runners in crazy costumes. Wine was available at every stop and at K39 he had oysters and white wine. Howard Hoffman writes from his kibbutz in Israel that he now has 17 grandchildren. This might be a record for our class. It would be interesting to find out if anyone has more. Please advise.

Sadly there are three deaths to report. Andy Vladimir died on December 15 in Miami , Florida , of complications from a 24-year progressive bout with myotonic muscular dystrophy. Before his illness Andy lived an active and productive life. After Yale he completed the advanced management program at Harvard Business School in 1974 and earned an MS at Florida International University in 1988. At Yale he was instrumental in the establishment of WYBC-TV and then went on to work for TV in San Juan , Puerto Rico . During his career in international advertising, public relations, and travel he won numerous awards. He is survived by his wife Uta, two daughters, and two sons. This information was provided by his four-year roommate at Yale, Bob Mitchell.

Tom McLane advises that Robert N. "Bob" Johnson died in late December of colon and liver cancer. After Yale and the Army he earned a degree from the New York University business school and then spent a long career in manufacturing, mining, and customer product sales. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, and three daughters.

William T. Reedy died on October 24 in Norwalk , Connecticut . While in the Army Bill attended the Army Language School and then received his doctorate in English medieval history from Johns Hopkins University . An internationally acclaimed researcher and linguist fluent in many languages, Dr. Reedy taught English history at SUNY in Albany for over 30 years.

Contact:
(Cy) Paul Pesek
1235 Lyman Ave.
Wayzata , MN 55391
cppesek@aol.com

Tampa, FL 33609

 by Barrie Rich

As my five-year term as your class secretary draws to a close, I am reminded of how many new contacts I have made over the years and old friendships renewed. These are the last class notes I will be writing and I wish to thank all those who have supported me in providing input. I have been impressed by the accomplishments we have made, which has confirmed my impression that we are Yale's greatest class. Even the obituaries, however sad, have added to my knowledge of our classmates' exemplary achievements. As reported earlier, Paul "Cy" Pesek will be our new secretary and Irv Jensen will be treasurer. Just announced, Murray Buttner will be our chair of agents for the Alumni Fund.

Sadly, in these final class notes there are six deaths to report, a record in my five years. In February our class lost one of its best-known and most loyal members. John P. Cleary died February 1 while on a ski trip to Colorado . John was an active member of our class council for many years and attended every function our class has held. He was slated to be our chair of agents starting in June. Following graduation he obtained a law degree at New York University and then became a founding partner of the Farrell Fritz law firm of Uniondale, Long Island , where he became an expert in tax and real estate law. He was a trustee and director of numerous philanthropic organizations and respected by everyone who knew him. He is survived by his wife Rita, a well-known author of historic novels, two sons, and a daughter.

Oliver Hazard died February 22 in Bedford , New York . Following Yale and a tour with the Army in Korea , Ollie began his career in investment banking at JP Morgan where he became a noted businessman, recognized for his expertise in design, structure, and timing of debt and equity financing. In the 1980s and 1990s, as senior vice president at Dillon Read & Co., his career culminated in the marketing, syndication, and pricing of public offerings totaling over $35 billion. Ollie was an avid sailor and skier. He is survived by his wife, Sarah, two daughters, and a son.

Albert "Jack" Frost also died during February in Fort Lauderdale , Florida . After Yale and a tour in the Army, Jack obtained a PhD in chemical engineering from Columbia University . He engaged in that field his entire career, serving in such places as Saudi Arabia and ending up with Union Carbide. His wife predeceased him by four years and there were no children.

On December 23 last, Richard J. Coburn died in Bloomfield , Connecticut . Dick had a long and varied career. After 14 years in the aerospace industry, he went on to co-found a number of industries involved with high technology. One of the things he was most proud of was creating with others over 10,000 man-years of employment in the state of Connecticut . He is listed as inventor on 11 patents. Dick is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Ann, and three children.

Roger Quincy White, lifetime Chicagoan, retired lawyer, and township trustee, died October 10, 2008. Following two years with the Air Force, he earned a law degree from Harvard. During his legal practice he headed the intellectual property group of the Chicago firm Sidley & Austin until his retirement in 1995. Quincy served as the honorary consul general of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for Illinois from 1978 to 2000. He also served his community of New Buffalo in many positions. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, two daughters, and three grandchildren.

Out in Denver , Colorado , Bruce Valentine died on February 5. After a stint as a pilot in the Air Force, he joined his family firm in Denver , which acted as wholesale lumber distributors. He reported that it was a difficult business but kept him alert and was not without its humorous moments. He is survived by his wife, Virginia, a son, and a daughter.

Edmund "Ned" Swigart continues to be immersed in his Ojibway-Onondaga Indian heritage. He says he has just completed the most important book he has ever written, which is about to be published: A White Man's Journey to a Northeastern American Indian Faith and its Relevance Today. Tom Richey is also busy writing, having just published two books on the housing industry in 2008. One is entitled The Essential New Home Sales Manager's Handbook, an 842-page reference manual for homebuilders and sales and marketing personnel. The other is Home Sales Financing Handbook. In these times it would seem that both would be in heavy demand. Bob Wahlers is a board member of an acting studio for the handicapped. His connection is his grandson, Joe, who has Fragile X syndrome. The staff writes the plays and performs along with the handicapped actors. A description of their work can be found at encorestudio.org.

Again, let me say how much I have enjoyed writing these notes and I look forward to seeing many of you at our June reunion. As we prepare to come back to Yale, I hope that you will mark this milestone reunion year with a commitment that is meaningful to you. Gifts may be made until June 30 to count for our 55th, so there's still time to participate! If you've already made a gift, the gift committee thanks you.

Contact:
(Cy) Paul Pesek
1235 Lyman Ave.
Wayzata , MN 55391
cppesek@aol.com