Ted Walch wrote that “I'm doing well. I'm still teaching full time at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. It's all virtual at the moment, but I've managed to figure a way to make Cinema Studies and Philosophy in Art & Science work as well as they can in Zoom and links and such. The kids are bright and eager -- even in a virtual setting. I do, however, look forward to a safe return to a classroom where the energy is in person and not compressed in a screen.”
Calvin Frost remains very busy: "The last 10 months or so have been extraordinary for everyone in the Frost family. We have had one daughter come down with Covid-19, picked up by her own daughter and son-in-law. Another grandchild married in another daughter's backyard, attended by 12. And the beat goes on. I have not traveled since March 1st, returning from a conference in Amsterdam. I did have to make a trip to our Wisconsin plant because of a fire. No injuries but a lot of damage resulting in prolonged negotiation with the insurance people. And you know what this means: higher rates when renewing in 2021. Our business is very strong, and we have run throughout the pandemic as we are defined as an essential business involved with the food and medical industries. Thinking of everyone in our class and hoping that they are staying healthy and safe!"
Bob Macdonald noted that: “Staying close to home in Minneapolis with day trips to Winona to see the exceptional Maritime Museum with great French impressionists and Mason City, Iowa to see the Frank Lloyd Wright and prairie architecture. Great memories of our senior year in 1963 when we had Robert Frost, Aldous Huxley and William Golding all visit the campus!”
Les Alford emailed “Like everyone else we kinda hung out this year. The only exciting news is that we bought a new BMW with a big engine that was guaranteed to "pass anything on the highway except a gas station". Unfortunately, we bought it two weeks before the pandemic lockdown. So far we are getting three weeks to the gallon!”
Jim Keyes is very busy devoting himself to a number of volunteer activities: "Lately these days, I feel privileged to volunteer for several Central Ohio human service groups. In no particular order:
(1) ForeHope, a golf therapy program for physically challenged golfers. My job is to help them from their cars to their golf carts. Then I drive a cart for one of them. Along the way, I sort of caddy for him/her. What I love about this is that these people are serious about golf. Occasionally, a player will hit an errant shot. And then spews forth frustrated obscenities and brief discussion with God about the situation. As I watch these determined people, I give thanks that I can still play in the more-or-less normal way.
(2) She Has A Name. SHAN is involved with assistance for victims and survivors of human trafficking. My primary function is speaking to service clubs, community groups and church groups about trafficking. Of importance these days, is SHAN’s focus on demand reduction.
(3) The Victory Choir. This is a music therapy program at James Cancer Hospital. I help folks learn and sing their parts as well as play guitar for folk and pop songs we do.
(4) Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church. Lately I have been working with “Becoming Beloved Community.” The big picture here is to address the declining membership in mainline Christian churches.
The bottom-line benefit of all this: whenever I am feeling frustrated or put-upon about something, I have learned to stop and remind myself that I am 78 years old, still take nourishment the normal way, and I shot my age in golf about a month ago. Then I end the pity party and get on with life."
Thomas Curtis commented: This summer of Covid reminds me of the Grateful Dead lyric “What a long, strange trip it’s been”. Barb and I are well, our families are well but we have all been extremely careful in our socializing. We have managed to take some short day cruises here in New Jersey on our sailboat, but no long cruises to Long Island Sound. I’ve played some golf, read a lot, worked a number of jigsaw puzzles and watched a lot of Netflix. My son and his wife are coping with partially in-person and partially virtual schooling for their 1st grader and Kindergartener. Our planned trip to Morocco in September with the Sierra Club was cancelled. I was awed at the virtual Kenyon town meeting with Sean Decatur in Sept to learn the steps Kenyon took to provide a safe education for their students. I fear that we are not even halfway thru this nightmare, and our lives won’t return to a modicum of normalcy until late 2021.
David Evans emailed: "Ten years we’ve lived in Ohio. Being vagabonds at heart, it’s time for Olivia and me to consider our next adventure. So, we’re thinking of a move to New Hampshire, or perhaps the U.K. One of us is a dual citizen--naturalized US/UK born--the other was born in the U.S.A. and now probably too old to transition to become a U.K. citizen. Despite this, the “foreigner” can qualify for the National Health Service in the U.K. Would the opposite, NHS to Medicare, be possible if we moved from the UK to the USA?
David G. Newhall wrote: "Hello Class of '63, at least those of you who are lucky enough to still be around. I'm pleased to report my health is good and my mind is good, although some might say that was always questionable.
My wife, Carol, and all four children are doing well. Carol is recently retired and enjoying a well-deserved rest. Sara, my oldest, moved to France a year ago. She lives in Le Visinet, a suburb of Paris, speaks fluent French, and continues to run her California-based businesses. Nate, my Navy Seal, moved to Steamboat Springs, CO where he started a distillery named Steamboat Whiskey. Look for Warrior Whiskey--absolutely top-notch stuff and a portion of each sale ($ not booze) goes to support our men and women in uniform. Davey, our computer whiz, continues to make Cargill the success it is. (ha ha) Davey and his live-in girlfriend, a law student at the U of Minnesota, are looking for their first house. Haley, our youngest, now makes her home in Yuma, AZ, with her Marine Corps, M.P. husband, Thor. She works as a business consultant.
As for me, I went water skiing on my 79th birthday and recently returned from 8 days of horseback riding and dirt biking in Montana's Little Belt Mountains. I play competitive duplicate bridge about 4 days a week with modest success.
Other than that we shelter in place, wash our hands frequently, and use lots of wet wipes. Looking forward to seeing you all at our 60th. Take care. Stay well.
Bob Iredell emailed: Since early June we have been at our beach house in Mattapoisett, MA, where our oldest daughter and grandkids also live. We will drive back to Cleveland in early November and continue being careful during this crazy time. One of the positive outcomes has been reaching out and hearing from old classmates such as David Shollenbarger and Ted Walch. Then on Aug. 12, I joined a number of guys including Dave Dawson and Dave Schmid ’64 in a Zoom birthday greeting to Coach Bob Harrison on his 93rd birthday. It was quite an event and meant a lot to Coach and all involved.
Neal Mayer notes that Jane and I cancelled two trips: a cruise from Alaska to Japan that was scheduled for late August and a cruise circumnavigating New Zealand that was scheduled for early January, 2021. Our four children and 12 grandchildren are coping with the pandemic and hopefully will remain well and safe. I agree with Tom Curtis that life as we knew it will likely not return to normality until late 2021. So hang in there and, as Les Alford said, measure your fuel consumption by “weeks to a gallon.”
