Steve Alexander
Alas, I have no news. I am confined to wheelchair living. Covid-19 has limited what life I did have…
Doug Armbrust
I have no idea how I managed to do so, but today as I was sorting through my email and looking for something ... I have no remembrance as to what it was ... I came upon some emails regarding Kenyon, and then noticed it was one year and one day ago that Bill Russell passed away. In his memory and to all of you I suggest a toast to all those of us living and all those who are not. And if we have forgotten which are which, let us toast to all. Here's to you, Willy, and to the rest of us.
I pray all of you are well and surviving best you can under unimaginable circumstances ... unless, of course, you remember reading George Orwell. Love, Doug
John Binder - (Spring 2020)
I hope you are well and stay well. I'm attaching a file with a note and photo (see below). Please publish as you see fit.
Thanks, John
George Brownstone
I have no real news, but perhaps just a sign of life at our age, when the attrition rate begins to climb, is better than the alternative. I’m still reasonably intact, can still walk 18 holes, my golf is still acceptable, though I’ve found that my short game has had to become longer. Family’s fine. My only problems are COVID-19, the US elections, and global warming. I’m among the lucky ones, since none of them has affected my quality of life too much, but they’re all pretty depressing. I can’t solve any one of them, but I can help a bit.
The pandemic has hit us in Europe badly, too, but we’re a little better off than many other parts of the world, including the US. Global warming is bound to get worse, my daughter and her kids will already feel its adverse effects, and I’m afraid future generations will suffer greatly. Which brings me to the US elections. If Biden wins, which I desperately hope, dealing with both Covid-19 and climate change will probably improve, but it won’t be a great leap forward. If Trump wins, horrible dictu, these things, along with much else that’s wrong in the US and globally, will only get much, much worse.
Edward Chase
In the autumn, if not the winter of my years, I yearn for days which were harder...not easier. I yearn for...I earned, not I am entitled. What one earns, he or she is entitled to, but not for the efforts of others. I suspect you may not ask me for comments in the future. Go Lords
Pat Eggena
Here is a class note about one of my wood projects (see photos below) that is keeping me occupied while quarantined on my farm.
Praying by the River – 7/2020
Watching families in cars lined up for food assistance during COVID-19 brought to mind a picture of families praying at the river bank. The river (from a 130-year-old black walnut tree) is flowing through a landscape (from a red cherry tree) supported by slabs of black walnut (from a 250-year-old black walnut tree). The benches of the church pews (in cherry wood) are supported by the old black walnut tree; one is showing a few accidental drops of ox-blood barn paint.
While cutting and sanding boards from fallen trees on our farm in the Hudson Valley, my thoughts drifted back to 1945 when I was the “English Patient” in a convent that had been refurbished as a hospital during the War in Freckenhorst, a small village in North Germany. I was seven at the time with Impetigo from poor nutrition in a room with five German soldiers.
I pushed aside the pile of blood-and iodine-stained bandages on my bed the nuns had given me to untangle; they would apply them again on my arms and legs in the morning, only to be pulled off the next day crusted with pus and some still-good skin for rewashing.
I made room on my bed for the food tray that was about to arrive because I could hear a nun down the hallway chanting her usual prayer which I now have inscribed on one of the pews: “Unser taeglich Brot gib uns heute.” And when she reached our room the old soldiers answered as I have inscribed on the pew with drops of blood: “Und vergib uns unsere Schuld”.
I did not understand the meaning of these words at the time, for we only spoke English on the farm assigned by the British Occupying Force to house us upon returning to Germany after internment on the Isle of Man during World War II.
Gerald Fields
All good here notwithstanding COVID-19. This past summer Ingrid and I spent 6 weeks in San Francisco (actually the East Bay) welcoming a new granddaughter. Although now an Emeritus Trustee I have participated in virtual Board meetings in the spring and summer and will continue to do so as we deal with COVID-19 and other issues. We are fortunate to have stellar leadership from the Administration and Board.
Peter Glaubitz
On August 12, 19 Kenyon alums participated in a 93rd Birthday ZOOM party with Coach Bob Harrison. Many of our classmates were part of this celebration as well as a number of other classes. Coach Harrison coached Basketball, Soccer and Tennis as well as being a significant life Mentor to many of us. Coach Harrison is a member of Kenyon’s Hall of Fame as well as 5 other Halls of Fame across the country. He was a retired NBA player having won 3 National Championships. He now resides at Discovery Village @ Melbourne, 3260 North Harbor City Boulevard, Room 206, U.S. Route 1, Melbourne, FL. 32935 (321)-622-8506 rharrison@troxel.com. Coach would love to hear from you!
Doug Hill
Sorry to be slow to reply but there’s no news to report. Life goes on pleasantly in (virtually) COVID-free Newfoundland, for which we are grateful. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Best, Doug
Tom Hoffman
Staying safe in the Gambier bubble. Missing events at Kenyon. Tom and Jan
Jon Katz
Guess I was one of the last to be kicked out of the office and the gym. Have been teleworking since end of March. And prognosis here in the Boston area is that we may not be back to a semblance of normal until next spring, that is, if the administration ceases the subtle advocacy of COVID genocide against the Nation’s population. Yvette’s son was married in March at a Boston Hotel almost totally vacant and with significant social distancing. I mostly miss exercising and have been substituting 10 Mile per day average walks with a goal of exploring all 13 villages in the city of Newton. Time to get an exercise machine in the basement – Doctor says “Get a Peloton” but I can do without the coaching. So, we are living by the grace of Jeff Bezos and Amazon Prime, his delivery vans constituting much of the traffic around here. But all told, we are doing well considering the circumstances. Yet born prior to our entry into WW II, and remembering my Mother creating care packages to send to the concentration camps, the blackout window shades, and my Grandfather’s sector’s air raid warden’s siren bolted to the large willow tree in the back yard, I can’t seem to avoid the comparison of the current situation to the 1918 pandemic combined with 1939 Germany. Hopefully we will get through all this insanity and I plan to do what I can to help clean up the mess.
Warm Regards, Best Wishes, and Keep Well
Jon
Jonathan S. Katz
31 Bruce Lane
Newton, MA 02458
Office: 781-225-0713 - Teleworking
Home: 617-965-3634
Cell: 603-682-4739 or 617-610-4361
Don Langois
I sure wish I had some exciting news for you. Indeed, I wish I had any news for you. But here we are still basically locked down but still alive. As endangered species, that's about all we can do until a coronavirus vaccine arrives and we venture forth into the world.
Donald - (Fall 2020)
Wish I had some news for you, but I don't. Both Rikke and I are well and in the full upright position and on the move. But it is just the same old trips to various healthcare providers, Planet Fitness, grocery store, and the occasional restaurant and movie.
Donald (like the President) Langlois – (Spring 2020)
Harvey Lodish
In August Harvey received the Donald Metcalf Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Experimental Hematology. In December he will receive an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Chinese University, Hong Kong.
Richard Rubin - (Spring 2020)
Marcia and I just returned from a 3-week sojourn to ISRAEL— aka the HOLY LAND. Our small group was comprised of both Jews and Christians—reflective of the extraordinary diversity of cultures and religions who—along with Palestinians—live side-by-side in uneasy coexistence.
We were lucky to get one of the last flights out of TelAviv one day before authorities closed all of the country‘s borders amidst the pending spread of the Coronavirus.
It is one of the most uniquely “tribal” nations on earth with clashing territorial aspirations that depending upon the region and even the neighborhood you are visiting makes dreams of national unity purely fanciful.
Citizens such as the young Palestinian refugees on the West Bank have very distinct boundary lines carefully monitored from which they dare to stray at their own peril.
On a quick trip to the Golan Heights in clear viewing distance of Syria —Israel’s arch enemy—we saw helicopters hovering overhead and soon heard distant rocket explosions. We were told the target was Arab snipers approaching the forbidden border area.
These incidents are an everyday reality for parties in a perpetually undeclared state of war.
Though it functions much as other modern democracies Israel is in a constant state of military preparedness that is unmistakable. This encourages the strong central controls which has helped to keep the current administration in power despite fierce opposition which prevents formation of stable governments.
While current U.S. policy toward Israel and White House support of the present regime is a matter of considerable concern here, the views of many average Israelis toward Telavi our present leader is quite clear:
“We consider Trump the best American president we’ve ever had,” said several taxi drivers.
Everyone seems to be an expert on how we should be handling this situation—but the feeling after our visit to this very complex and troubled nation is that nobody really knows.
Victor Schur
Since the pandemic we have been very cautious about going places. Since our cruise was cancelled, we have elected just to stay within our neighborhood and only do essential things. We have stayed well and healthy, with the usual aches and pains! We wonder how the others in our class our doing and would like to hear about them! We wish everyone a safe and well year and look forward to resuming our "normal" activities! (Fall 2020)
I have been retired since 2009. Eileen and I are getting ready to celebrate our 55th anniversary and Eileen's birthday. We are also planning to visit our children in Seattle and Springfield MO, with their 4 children. Later on, in May, we are going to NYC to have a 60th anniversary reunion with my HS friends! We will continue our travels by going on a cruise the first week in June, to Copenhagen, Sweden, Talinn and St. Petersburg, Russia. People who want to communicate with me can email at vschur@hotmail.com. (Spring 2020)
Nathan Withington
My email got hacked, so I’ve got a new one. Best you use nnwithy@gmail.com. No startling news from me other than I thought I’d be retired by now. I think I’m still employed by Morgan Stanley. I haven’t been to work (Boston) since March due to some kind of virus going around, Cheers to all the survivors of ‘62
Note: My apologies to all our Classmates for failing to complete the class notes in time for the Spring Class Letter. Guess I got too concerned with the accelerating COVID-19 situation, especially since my new daughter-in-law, a pediatric physician, told me she is pretty sure just about everyone has got the virus, which I realize is a poor excuse. Anyway, I have tried to include the Spring notes in my files and those sent to me by the Alumni office. – Jon
