Classmates and their Stories
Classmate of the Moment - October 2024
Tim Burns RIP
A memorial service celebrating Tim’s life was held in early September. The church was filled with his family, relatives, closest friends and Williams classmates. There were several eulogies that described Tim’s life including remarks by our classmate Ed D’Arata. All offered the same perspectives – he was nice to everyone, he volunteered to help those less fortunate, and he sought no credit for his good deeds. Tim and his wife Marsha dedicated a great deal of their energies to charitable causes. Yet he wouldn’t allow his college friends to ever write in the Class Notes about these efforts. The service was exactly as Tim wanted. Simple and modest.
Tim was one of seven guys who joined our class from the Buffalo area. Most played two sports. Tim played freshman football and was a four-year member of the track team. Not surprisingly he was a pole vaulter. It was very hard work with very little attention paid to that event. It was only a few years ago he finally told his college friends that he was named the All-Star quarterback of his conference in high school. Ron Jaworski of the Eagles and Super Bowl QB came in second.
Tim moved to Florida after college and married Marsha in 1976. They raised two children in the Orlando area. He spent his career in real estate development. Marsha was a health care administrator.
Classmates who responded to the news about Tim’s passing mentioned that he was soft spoken, somewhat quiet and nice to everyone. He remained that same person.
As our 25threunion was finishing up Tim said “why do we wait five years to see each other. Let’s make it a point to see each other every year. As a result of that suggestion, seven classmates and spouses have taken 3-4 day vacations annually where we meet somewhere in the U.S. to be together. Just as Tim suggested.
(see the In Memoriam section of the website for a link to Tim’s obituary)
Classmate of the Moment - August 2024
Chris Filley will receive a Bicentennial Medal this September. He is the sixth recipient in our class, joining Janet Brown (1993), Lucy Calkins (1993), Charlotte Neuville (1993), Tsong-Zung J. Chang (1999) and H. Ward Marston IV (2007).
Professional Titles
Director, Behavioral Neurology
Professor, Neurology and Psychiatry
Senior Scientific Advisor, Marcus Institute for Brain Health
Biography
Christopher M. Filley, MD, is Director of the Behavioral Neurology Section, and Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He also serves as Senior Scientific Advisor for the Marcus Institute for Brain Health. Dr. Filley evaluates patients referred for behavioral neurology consultation at the Neurobehavior Clinic of the University of Colorado Hospital, providing a regional resource for expert subspecialty care for complex disorders of cognition. Although Alzheimer's disease has been a major focus of his work, his primary interest is in the behavioral neurology of white matter, including neurologic, psychiatric, neuropsychological, neuroimaging, and neuropathological aspects of a wide variety of white matter disorders. Through his role in the CU Alzheimer's and Cognition Center Clinical Core, Dr. Filley participates in observational and clinical trials for potential Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia therapeutics. He is also the author of three monographs – Neurobehavioral Anatomy, The Behavioral Neurology of White Matter, and White Matter Dementia – and he is the senior editor of the textbook Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry. Dr. Filley recently published an article in The Conversation on the importance of white matter to understanding the brain.
Classmate of the Moment - June 2024
On May 23, in our third Class Conversation, John Neikirk interviewed Janet Brown, Executive Director of the Commission on Presidential Debates(CPD). Janet’s long history (since 1986) with the CPD was evident in her detailed comments about the politically neutral process the CPD has developed, and the importance of our approach to other countries.
In a recent development the two major political parties appear to be developing their own approach to the Presidential Debates. Time will tell if it holds up for a set of debates in June and September between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. In the meantime, hats off to Janet and J.O. for calm and clarity.
Classmate of the Moment - May 2024
Dispatch from the Catholic Mass in celebration of Marty Doggett’s life held in Newburyport, Massachusetts on May 6. The church was full, the singing robust, and the eulogies personal and funny.
Marty Doggett ’73, who died March 11 of primary amyloidosis, had a vast array of family and friends, including pews full of classmates there to wish him a final farewell. In addition to numerous church members and community friends, students and faculty from the Lawrenceville School where Marty taught for years and Governors Academy where Marty ended his career as head of school were among the throng.
Marty’s family took center stage: five sons, Patrick, Andrew, Dan'l, Colin and David '12, and four daughters-in-law to match, seven darling granddaughters and one grandson, born shortly before Marty passed, and wife Patty, Tom Hyndman’s sister.
Oldest son Patrick spoke of Marty as a dad for all seasons and, looking right at his brothers and Patty, he said that as his dad’s health deteriorated, Marty’s concern focused on reminding his boys to look after Patty. His sister Eileen spoke of Marty’s constant tormenting of his younger siblings and acknowledged that she resented the family mandate to attend ALL of Marty’s football games at Williams until she was old enough to see that some of Marty’s teammates were pretty darn cute.
And, yes, as you could expect, brother-in-law and classmate Tom Hyndman dragged out several old Williams stories that have grown grander with each telling. These included Marty and Lenny Vecchio literally bumping to the Pope in his chambers in St. Peters in Rome (oops!), the encounter that cemented Marty’s request for forgiveness by means of a full Catholic Mass memorial, and that oft told tale of Prospect House class of ’73 spending way too much time watching "All My Children" and stalking the cast to the point that the star, Larry Keith, actually paid a visit to Williams to the delight of his adoring, and frankly surprised, fans.
Our collective memories list these classmates and spouses as present and accounted for: Our VP Connie Rudnick Grayson, Lenny and Anne Vecchio, Dave Driscoll, Tom Lee and Mary McTernon '76, Bob and Mary Koegel, Ellen Muglia, Jackie Oliveri, Andy and Robin Harper (signed the guest book but not sighted), Emlen Drayton, Skip Masback, Kent Hoffman, Dick Small, John Sivright, Mary Schendel and Phil Gleason, and brother-in-law Tom Hyndman and Laurie. A number of other alums from various classes were also in attendance.
Suffice it to say, the outpouring of love, respect and sadness was palpable. It was a wonderful recognition of an amazing life.
Classmate of the Moment - May 2024
Starting this May, in the on-going effort to bring our class together, the class website will periodically feature one of our classmates; perhaps visiting another classmate (or classmates), or perhaps chronicling an important life moment; bringing the rest of us up to date on his/her/their activities. Submissions may be sent directly to Steve Hauge, Class Secretary.
We begin with Field Horne, who dined with Borna Bebek at restaurant Boban in Zagreb, Croatia on April 5. Borna has had a "fascinating career," including earning a doctorate from Oxford (where he roomed with Rowan WIlliams, later Archbishop of Canterbury); writing four books; serving in army intelligence during the Croatian war for independence; and acting today as the director of the Royal Academy of Croatia (founded in 1776 by Maria Theresa of Austria-Hungary).
Happy Birthday, Ephraim Williams
DOB March 7, 1715
A Good Day to wear a bit ‘o purple!
The latest from Dr. David Hill:
I am currently in Kenya on sabbatical leave from Quinnipiac. It has been a wonderfully intense, immersive experience. I have filmed (with the excellent help of a Kenyan based documentary film company) a documentary on the district hospital in Nanyuki, on the equator at the base of Mt Kenya. I am now visiting many of the rural health clinics and smaller hospitals in the county to explore their relationship with the district hospital. There are very bright and committed health care workers doing their best with limited resources. If you are interested, I am recording the journey on Instagram: drhillmd.
Try out our Reunion Acrostic - Custom Crafted by Steve Hauge
The Department of unearthed Williams treasures.
…from Frank Chapman…a fun tale of a bottle from his Senior Chemistry project at Williams. The video of this can be found HERE.
These are great reunion stories from Johnson Chang!
Michael Pete and I met for the first time on Sunday 11th after the service at Thompson Chapel. He stopped me pouring coffee and asked me if I was me, which I admitted. Michael then proceeded to detail the saga of his journey to Taiwan in December 1971. The long and short is, even though Michael travelled light like a nomad, he brought a Williams class book with him, and during a short stop-over in Hong Kong, he looked up the class book and found one Chinese in his class of ’72. He went straight to the address for a surprise visit, and alas my parents told him I didn’t come home for winter holidays. After half a century, I finally came to answer the door, at Faculty House, to greet a classmate I had never known.
Another discovery:
I met Roy Simon on the morning hike up Pine Cobble, and we struck up an interesting conversation when we realised we were both educated by Jesuits in middle school.
Band list during ’69 – ’73
Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame highlighted
Stevie Wonder
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Jim Croce
John Sebastian
Buddy Tate
John McLaughlin & Mahavishnu Orchestra
Taj Mahal
Rod Stewart and the Faces
The Byrds
Pink Floyd
Little Feat (twice)
Leo Kottke
Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen
The Youngbloods
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
The Persuasions
The Flying Burrito Brothers
Poco
Van Morrison
Added by class members at dinner Sat. evening
Livingston Taylor
Then…and Now
Hey Steve, Found this in a box squirreled away in my attic. (Perhaps the highlight of my Williams ‘career'.) Can still hear Coach Coombs proudly sayin he'd had a cup of coffee with CONNIE MACK and the Philadelphia Athletics in the 30's!! Thought since few will remember me, I’d include an updated ‘23 image of an old dog gettin ready for a comeback. Plan on throwin some batting practice at the reunion gig. Unless we can get a game of whiffle ball. I'll bring the equipment. Hope all is well as the final month of preparations are underway. Godspeed Ed
This comes under the, “We’re not really that old, are we?” category.
Feel free to sign up for confession or counseling HERE.
Am Civ Antics
This is a treasure: Spring ‘73, senior AmCiv seminar. We kept needling Fred Rudolph to hold class outside and he said he couldn’t “think” unless class took place in the manner it was set up in # 3 Griffin. So we moved #3 to the lawn overlooking Rte 2. Fred dissolved in laughter, saying “you got me!” submitted by Janet Brown
…and here’s what the New York Times reckons we might be thinking after all these years. (you may need an online NYT subscription to read this) LINK
All about our classmate, John DiPersio: https://www.onclive.com/view/dipersio-s-altered-career-path-led-to-groundbreaking-developments-in-leukemia
Below is believed to be the oldest surviving depiction of Williams from the late 1700’s. Dick Lammert purchased it from an English art dealer and had it conserved at the Clark. Depicts West College
Freshman Soccer Team ID
1 – Chip Rowley 2-Dick Small 3- Bill Weaver 4- Scott Hibbard
5- Jim Markowitz 6-John Buehler 7- ??? 8- Ian Ratner
9- Doug Morrell 10- John Earhart 11-Steve Dewey 12- John Vestal
13- King Carter 14- Karl Machata 15- Scott Hopkins 16- ?????
17- (Behind #12 John Vestal) - Tom Geissler
Flash - Pete Farwell retires
Arguably one of the most successful of us - and undoubtedly the most modest - Pete Farwell recently announced his retirement from coaching runners at Williams. A tribute to Pete cites his personal honors, including many Coach of the Year recognitions. But Pete would defer any credit to the runners who he’s trained and mentored at Williams for 44 years. Furthermore, he’d probably admit that while his coaching was the means, the end was helping students find their own individual strength and pushing them to develop character. This link leads to that tribute from one of his student athletes as well as a record of Pete’s astonishing success in his field. Steve Harty, Class President
You can read all about it HERE.
Dick Lammert with grandchildren and 1893 Leaping Stag from the John Deere corporate headquarters
And for those of you who wanted to hear some tracks from my band, Lamont, here you go, hope you enjoy: John Alper
Scott Hopkins pitting sour cherries for…? You’ll have to come to the reunion to find out!
From Sue Danver:
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH?
It was a gloriously sunny autumn day. Upper-level students were moving into the dorms before classes began. Christine Henry, my Dennett suitemate, and I decided to climb Pinecobble. We were exhilarated to be Williams students and to already have a new friend. We were eating gooey peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while we basked on a boulder on top of Pinecobble. Out of the blue, a glider swooped down to within perhaps thirty feet of our perch. The pilot leaned out of the open cockpit and asked, “What’s for lunch?” We were speechless. In reflection, it was the perfect introduction to a special and wonderful two years at Williams.
From Larry Shoer:
Emily (my Chicago-area bride of 40 years) and I were out a few days earlier and my trusty navigator and sometimes photographer captured our adventure somewhere in the hills of Central Massachusetts. (below)
Joe Hartney’s 40th Birthday Celebration - Class Act!
Nan Elliot, Joe and Clinton Standart, Jackie Oliveri, Joe, Jim Rooney, Sue McFarlan, JO and Hope Neikirk
1973 Gul Font Cover - Click HERE to see what’s inside
Dave Futransky and Scott Hopkins on the links
A gathering of ‘73 women in September in Maine.
Mary Schendel, Sally Shipton, Dodie Jones, Cheryl Bailey, Jackie Oliveri, Chris Moore, Sue McFarlan
The latest curiosity might well be worthy of a spot in a trivia game for ‘73. Name this fellow, and his best known location. The photo here is not “the original”. Compliments of Peter Klejna.
Who and Where am I?
Williams classmates take trips together…sometimes even when these trips weren’t expected.
Here’s a wonderful story of one such trip: Dave Rutledge, Karl Machata et al,
with a few more pix from this trip.
And from the archives…
What Williams cost in 1972-73…