Class Notes reflects submissions received between April 15 and August 1, 2016.
1949
John Cole ’49, MA ’51 writes: “My wife, Mary Middleton Cole ’52, and I celebrated our 65th wedding anniversary in September 2015 by moving to Maui. The photos of us make a fun comparison, one was taken in the spring of 1949 when we announced our engagement and appeared in an issue of The Bulldog newspaper. Aloha!”
1951
Richard “Dick” and Marianne Reith Hatfield ’51 celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in June, 2016. The couple met at Redlands High School and continued their friendship at the University where it blossomed into love! They spent time studying for classes and making plans for their future together under the shade trees between the Admin building and the Mill Creek zanja. They married just two weeks after graduation and have enjoyed an exciting life together ever since. Over the years, their mutual love of Arabian Horses has taken them on adventures in the Middle East and around the world. Today, they no longer raise Arabians but enjoy all of the friendships they made over the years. Dick has been involved in local community initiatives for many years as a member of the water board and in other service capacities. They enjoy life with friends and family.
1954
Our question for this issue: Do you have a favorite physical activity that you would recommend to the rest of us? Many of you had some fun answers, below.
Bill Baker ’54 recommends that “one should walk at least 45 minutes each day, to keep limber and ambulatory; at least twice a week, one should go to the gym to tone muscles and do balance exercises.” Having gone through three strokes, Bill feels he is lucky to be as ambulatory as he is and without paralysis. He has lost 32 pounds and says that dieting to keep one’s weight where it is ideal is also important. And, “Then again,” he adds, “wine always helps.”
Nancy Ford Blue ’54 recommends a daily walk on the beach along with a friend to talk to while walking.
Sal Cardinale ’54 works out three days each week at a local men’s club and does “the treadmill, bicycle and a 12-station Nautilus machine program.”
Janet Amend Carver ’54 learned to take long walks in Norway. However, in her late 40s, she took up scuba and dived in Baja and off San Diego and once in Tobago. She had to give up scuba in her 70s but had already taken up biking in her 50s. She now races daily on her stationary bike while reading.
Carl Davis ’54, Bill Hawk ’54, Don Ruh ’54 and George Russell ’54 along with Ellis Bowman ’56, Al Hoien ’56 and Danny Blake ’59 represented the ’50s at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Kappa Sigma Sigma fraternity in May. In July, Carl completed an RV trip to Texas.
Ron “Squeak” Davis ’54 continues to play tennis and to swim laps three times a week. He also bikes early in the mornings when it is cooler in the Coachella Valley.
Dale Edmondson ’54 recommends golf, which he thinks “is not only good for the body (if one avoids carts), it also does wonders for one’s humility, invigorates the determination gene and tempers unwarranted optimism.” Dale and his wife, Alice, “spent three enjoyable weeks this spring in England catching up with former Oxford classmates—then, in Scotland, driving in the Highlands and staying in bed and breakfasts where Brexit and Trump were found to be the topics of choice.”
Fred Edwards ’54 writes: “Staying mentally active is related to physical fitness. Read books that make you think (A good mystery now and then doesn’t hurt). Walk rather than ride whenever you can. Invent your own exercise routine, and do it at least every other day. Avoid sugar and starchy foods. Avoid salt. Drink lots of water. Do something creative: art, music, writing, etc. Discuss things with other people. Think! Never let yourself get bored.”
After 55 years, Jim Erickson ’54 has retired from the practice of law and as managing partner of two of California’s larger law firms. Jim continues to live in San Juan Capistrano. He is proud of his three children—Kirsten, who is the deputy public relations officer with the Disney Corporation; David, who is second in command of the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco; and Karla, an elementary school teacher whose daughter is a sophomore at Bates College in Maine.
If you want to be physically fit, Tom Grant ’54 recommends (in jest) that you “get a job hoeing weeds in August at an orange grove in Redlands.” He adds that “if that does not work, load up on bourbon and be cured for life.” An article in the San Diego Union-Tribune in June was about Tom’s philanthropic work. With his late wife, Mary Ellen Plume ’56, he gave $1 million for the renovation and enlargement of the emergency room facilities at the Scripps Encinitas facility. More recently, in memory of Mary Ellen, Tom has given a $100,000 matching-fund grant to the Angels Foster Family Network, a nonprofit that Mary Ellen was deeply committed to.
Dave Hayes ’54, who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes seven years ago, decided to treat it with diet and exercise. He has lost weight and maintains his blood sugar at acceptable levels. Dave walks about 50 minutes each day and highly recommends it.
For exercise, Marilyn Brobst Headlee ’54 recommends “getting out of bed in the morning.” She is living in Texas and went through a tornado and flooding earlier this year, and reports that the woman killed in the tornado lived three streets north of her. She is wondering if she would prefer earthquakes.
Maggie Heacock Kildee ’54 recommends water aerobics, her “favorite physical activity, not counting lifting sculptures into and out of the kiln.” Maggie also shares: “Having been a teacher for 10 years, a Ventura County supervisor for 16 years, and a founder and board member of Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo for the past 20 years, I have the most fun being a sculptor!”
Tennis and Pilates are Annette Howard Lilly’s ’54 recommendations. This past summer, Annette visited one of her daughters and her family in North Carolina.
Dave Lilly ’54, who was president of the Class of ’50 at Redlands High School, was one of the speakers when the classes of ’50 and ’51 combined their 65th reunions in May of this year at the Redlands Country Club. Members of the planning committee included Mara Dee Miller Hodson ’56 and Anne Hollenberg Derfer ’55. Other members of our class attending the event were Bob Bell ’54, Bob Curtis ’54, Gretchen Holstein Davis ’54, Bill Hawk ’54, Jorice Jacobs Maag ’54 and Donna Palmer Sanders ’54.
Dave Moke ’54 says: “Always use the stairs for the first two flights; always park some distance from [your]destination; and watch [your]weight.” In addition, Dave swims laps two or three times a week and has a daily 15-20 minute exercise routine that includes stretching and light weights.
Irv and Pat Donahue Perry ’54 participate in a low-impact Silver Sneakers exercise class twice a week and report that it “seems to help.” They celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary on July 31. Pat reports that their grandson is excelling in his math major at Moorpark College and is keeping up with his mastery of the Japanese language with hopes of getting an internship at JPL next summer.
Alton Robertson ’54 reports: “Until I began to lose weight in ’15, I thought I might have to drop tennis and take up sumo wrestling; however, now, I can recommend tennis, which I continue to play five mornings each week from 6:30 to 7:30.” In response to those of you who have asked why he didn’t answer the question in the spring edition, he notes that he did but that it was cut to save space. Therefore, it is being included here: “In 1956-57, when I wrote my M. Div. thesis on ‘The Classic Christian Doctrine of Revelation Examined,’ two of the books in the bibliography were particularly helpful and stimulating—Israel and Revelation by Eric Voegelin and John Baillie’s The Idea of Revelation in Recent Thought. They have been important roots in my lifelong quest to understand how God has made/makes God known to humankind. A runner-up would be Arthur Miller’s movie, The Misfits, with its central insistence on the conviction that human beings are meant to be actually and actively present to one another.”
Don Ruh ’54 reports that he ran daily (including half and full marathons) until his doctor reportedly told him that “since a person loses 7 percent of his/her intelligence with each marathon run, you have to stop because you don’t have that much left to lose.” Now, he promotes fitness among youth and loves it.
Mary Rector Russell ’54 writes that she takes a Jazzercise and stretch class three times a week and has taken jazz for 16 years. George ’54 works out on the stationary bike while Mary is in class; and they both “do lifting each night at 5 p.m.—a glass of chardonnay or one of merlot followed usually by one more!”
Marshall ’54 and Joyce Stillman Thompson ’54 are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service this year by visiting parks. They have been to Sequoia, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe and have reservations for late September to stay at the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion. In June, they were in Iowa City, Iowa, to celebrate their grandson’s completion of medical school; from there, they went to Dayton, Ohio, to visit the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Marshall writes that “for a former Air Force NCO and person who spent a career in the aerospace industry, to see the evolution of flight from the Wright Brothers first powered aircraft to some of the latest planes like the B-2 Bomber and the F-35 Stealth Fighter was quite a thrill!”
Joe Tilson ’54, who retired as chief of Flight Safety Engineering for HQ USAF and has recently completed successful four-bypass heart surgery, recommends losing weight.
1955
Bob and Betsey Barker Clopine ’55 celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on July 14.
1956
From Class Notes Reporter Ed Brink ’56: “Hi my friends! Wow, what a reunion. I am proud of you. We fielded 39 alumni and spouses, and that’s just the ones who made it to the group photo. A great time was had by all, as they say.”
Sally Rider Cummings ’56 writes: “The Class of ’56 Reunion Weekend was awesome. Lots of memories shared, wonderful updates on our lives today with hugs and laughter squeezed in between. Occasionally we had to look at name tags to recall to whom we were speaking. We are a sprightly group of 80-year-olds. Save the date: The next gathering will be May 12-14, 2017. We’ll kick off with a warmup event on Friday at my house. Hope to see you in May. Invite a classmate to join you! Och Tamale!”
Patti Lewis Garrison ’56, Tom Niquette ’60 and his wife, Judy, wish to invite all UR alumni to visit them at St Simon’s Island, off the coast of Georgia, halfway between Savannah and Jacksonville. There is plenty of golf, beauty, history and friendship.
Jayne Daniels Harasty ’56 and Walt Harasty still live in Solvang. Jayne is finishing up a year as president of the Tri-Valleys Reciprocity Bureau for the eight P.E.O. chapters in north Santa Barbara County. In addition to raising money for scholarships to assist in the education of women, she has met and worked with some fantastic, energetic women dedicated to education. Both their daughters are also involved in P.E.O.: Valerie in Waxahachie, Texas, and Sharon, chapter president in Sierra Vista, Ariz.
In May, Marilyn Nagel Lee ’56 visited her son and family in Munich. This was her 18th trip and a special treat: she saw her two granddaughters’ dance recital and school music program. She also visited Nurenberg and the historical city of Bamberg.
Sue Mauser Nason ’56 reports: “1956’s 60th was a REVELATION! I’ve never had such a great time. I’m in touch with friends in Class of l957 to tell them about my experience and urge them to attend their 60th in May. I’ll be there! A special treat for me was seeing Pat Silverwood and Lee Porterfield whom I’d not seen since we graduated. Sally Cummings’ Friday eve “warmup” was another such. Fondest memories at UR include singing under J. William Jones; professors Morlan, Bromberger, Bohrnstedt and Bess Adams; Pi Chi serenades and Verda Armacost’s stage whisper as she and George entered the newly-renovated Doghouse to hear the Quartet sing: “I never thought I’d pay six dollars to hear Dave Nuffer ’54 sing!”
Georgie Suitor ’56, first soprano member of the 60-voice San Diego Choral Consortium, participated in the annual June Summer Sing in La Jolla.
Ken Topping ’56 served as chair of the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission during 2015 when the commission approved key environmental initiatives including the Renewable Energy Streamlining Program promoting solar development and the Countywide Water Conservation Program implementing water savings. He and his wife, Phyl (Phyllis Brewer) Topping ’56, live in Cambria, Calif., and walk regularly on Moonstone Beach boardwalk.
1957
Class Notes Reporter Pat Fobair ’57 asked classmates to describe their 80th birthday events. Pat says, “My sister said she was flying out to be with me, “whatever you are doing.” I wanted an evening at a favorite local restaurant, Evvia’s (Greek) with everyone, a table for 10. On birthday evening everyone found the food ‘so good’—while they went for their wallets, I proudly paid the bill with money earned from my trip to Iran from lectures on ‘Group Therapy with Cancer Patients at the Cancer Center’ given in Tehran a few weeks earlier. My life hadn’t resulted in children and grandchildren, but I did have a great career.”
George Savage ’57 shares: “Alice wanted to have a celebration while she was here for her annual summer visit. So in the early spring, I went to the Parks and Recreation office and reserved shelter #5 picnic area near Woodland Park Zoo but east of Aurora closer to the Green Lake Amphitheater. We’d had a picnic there for Jean’s memorial in 2007. Jim Wanamaker, my boyhood friend, flew down from Anchorage with his grandson, Sterling, and Benny and Fernie Wasserman flew up from Los Angeles. Sherry Lee drove up from the Colfax area picking up our friend Chris Colette in Cottage Grove, and Dick Lewis and Meg drove from Portland. There were Fremont Homecare friends: Lucinda Clark, Janine Kirby and Robert Lovitt and his friend, Susan. Actors too, and playwrights were represented by Spencer, Jim Q, Mari Salinas, Scot Bastian and Dan Green. My oldest friend Danny Roberts, who died a few years ago, was represented by his long time sidekick Bill Hooper.”
1958
Class Notes Reporter Gordon Clopine ’58 reports: “Our outstanding class of 1958 continues to roll along, although reports are that we are not getting any younger!
Marge Johnson Dieterich ’58 has been traveling since she retired from teaching in 1992. With her daughter and/or her husband, she has been on 18 Road Scholar trips, including China, Russia, Australia and all over Europe. This year, she will complete visiting all 50 states with a trip to the Dakotas for the annual buffalo run. She has also been active with the Sweet Adelines in both Southern California and now Chico, where she lives in the friendly town of Paradise, Calif.
Howard Hurlbut ’58 reports that he and his wife, Marilyn, recently returned from a truly “magical” month, with a great transatlantic cruise with Marilyn’s sister and husband followed by searching for McRae roots in Scotland with their two sons and their wives.
John Knox ’58 and his wife, Dorothy ’59, took their three children and their spouses this summer on a river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. Last December, he published a poetry book on limericks, humor, memorial poems, Christmas poetry, family and friendships covering 60 years of fun, memories and spirituality. He is now teaching a year-round memoir writing class for his community and doing some pastoral calling. He has a woodworking shop located in Southern California. Note from Class Reporter Gordon Clopine: If you would like to contact John, let me know and I will have him contact you!
Charles “Chuck” Thorman ’58 is still an active geologist, and he was the invited opening speaker for a symposium in Reno with an audience of 5,000. During 2015, he was a distinguished lecturer for the Denver Region Exploration Society (complete with silver and gold medal). He continues with mining research in Nevada and Brazil as well as consulting for various mining companies.
Our class poet Bentley Wallis ’58, now 86 years young, continues his active life of writing and “enjoying all the gifts of life—they are precious! Och Tamale!”
Mel Wright ’58 still goes to his petroleum geology office each day in Southern California, in spite of the low price of crude oil. His duties as a great-grandfather are a special part of his life.
Note: If you haven’t heard from your class reporter, it is probably because I do not have your email. Thanks for keeping in touch with me at gclopine@aol.com. Please let me know how you are doing and thank you in advance!
1959
Gary Gaiser ’59 and husband, Rick, took Gary’s family, three children, their significant others and five grandchildren, on two back-to-back cruises in August. One week on an Alaska cruise and five days from Vancouver to San Diego.
Ron Johnson ’59 has retired from the Superior Court in San Diego but is sitting as an assigned judge in San Diego and Palm Springs. Ron said it works out well as he has houses in both places, and his horse is stabled near the house in Palm Springs. He was on a river cruise in France the first two weeks of August! He looks forward to seeing classmates soon! (Reunion in 2019!!)
Lauralee Horner Lindholm ’59 won the charity division of the eBay Shine contest. She is involved in Heart for Ethiopia, a nonprofit encouraging development in rural Ethiopia. Projects include kindergartens for children who have never attended school before, adult literacy and helping adults start a small business. Lauralee said she felt like “Queen for a Day” while on stage with a huge video of her charity projected behind her! Congratulations, Lauralee!
Class Notes Reporter Marilyn Kerr Solter ’59 traveled to Manzanillo, Mexico, for a relaxing week! She reports: “In May, I met Celia Webb Dudley ’59,Pat Lucas Harasty ’59 and Sue Blackwell Hurlbut ’59 for lunch in Temecula. I recently had dinner with Richard Cox ’59 and Gary Gaiser ’59 in Palm Springs. Love mini reunions!! I am also off the Alumni Board after six years, a fun and rewarding experience. We are all of the age trying to get rid of “things”! Don’t forget the U of R archives for some of those treasures you have from our college days! Contact archivist Michele Nielsen at michele_nielsen@redlands.edu. I occasionally send out class news via email. If you are not receiving it and would like to, please send your current email address to mjsolter@verizon.net.”
1961
From Class Notes Reporter Judy May Sisk ’61: “I thought our 55th reunion for the class of 1961 was wonderful! We all had a chance to talk with everyone and catch up on the lives of our classmates!”
Linda Modyman de Vries ’61 has been a widow for 11 years. Her husband, Jack de Vries ’62, passed away in 2005. Retired from 50 years of university professorship and directing, acting and coaching theater, Linda took up singing and the study of music, studying privately and completing 32 units toward a second B.A. She sings alto with Chorale Bel Canto, a community choir based in Whittier, Calif. She also serves as the chair of the Board of Directors for the chorale. She is advisor to the Downey Symphonic Association board and the board of the Whittier Conservancy, as well as being involved in other community groups. She travels widely, sometimes with choral groups. Most recently, she has sung in Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece and Hawaii. Further travels include France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and the U.K. Linda is a 2014 recipient of the Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award.
Maile Mickey Mahikoa Duggan ’61 and her husband, Larry, and Mickey VanDeventer Rehwoldt ’57 and her husband, Bruce, happened to meet on an Oregon paddleboat river cruise on 4th of July and did the “Och Tamale” cheer. Mickey lives in Santa Barbara, and Maile lives in Alexandria, Va., and had never met before.
Jim Jordan ’61 and Carol Gustafson Jordan ’61 of Alaska were sorry to miss the reunion due to a conflict with a granddaughter’s graduation. Carol and Jim hope to attend Jim’s 50th reunion from the Louisville Medical School this year. Jim has had 50 years of active medical practice and still very much enjoys it. Two of their three children graduated from U of R along with one of their grandchildren. They celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary Sept. 10, 2016. Carol retired from teaching in 1999, but Jim is still in private practice in Fairbanks.
Judy May Sisk ’61, her husband, John, and sons, Joel and Daryl, visited Switzerland at the end of August for a 16-day Road Scholar program, “Splendor of Switzerland by Rail.” Before returning home, Judy and her family visited the village of Frenkendorf in Canton Basel, where Judy’s Tschudy (surname) ancestors lived before immigrating to America in 1767.
In May at the 55th Reunion of the Class of 1961, Dick Sjoberg ’61 won a prize for having the most relatives to attend the University of Redlands among the alumni present at our Saturday luncheon. He has 12 family members who have attended/graduated from the U of R. His granddaughter, Sydney, is currently a sophomore. Sydney’s other grandfather was Ron LaFourcade Sr., after whom the LaFourcade Community Garden (just south of the Administration Building) was named. His wife Beverly LaFourcade ’59 and son, Ronald LaFourcade Jr. ’84, also went to Redlands. They honored Ron’s memory by creating the garden.
Clarice Giberson Wiggins ’61 shared that her daughter, son-in-law and 10-year old grandson have moved back to the U.S. after living in Rome, Italy, for 16 years, working for the U.N. They are locating in Washington, D.C., and Clarice and her husband are looking forward to frequent trips to visit.
Mike Williams ’61 received a B.S. in chemistry and M.D. from USC. He has been a practicing surgeon now for 45 years and is unable to quit. It’s still too much fun. Mike is married to Evelyn, and they have four children, six grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
1962
Please plan to join us at our 55th class reunion on May 12, 13, 14, 2017, at the University. You would be very welcome on the planning committee! Class Notes Reporter: Judy Smith Gilmer ’62.
Maggie Boren Bell ’62 writes she and husband, Ray, will be “on the Mississippi” for a cruise on the American Queen paddle wheeler from Memphis to St. Louis, Mo., in September with an important stop at the International Quilt Museum in Paducah, Ky.
Although “retired” for 10 years, Jeanne Babcock Carter ’62 continues as director at her nature
center at El Modena High School in Orange, Calif. The center, a one-acre, drought-tolerant plant garden containing 100 species of native plants, a large pond and stream, was started in 1975 by Jeanne and her high school students. Last year, over 2,000 elementary students led by high school docents visited. If you would like to visit, help, or have questions, please contact her at jcarter@orangeusd.org.
Martha Mull Davies ’62 has a new book out on the history of the Welsh in Minnesota. Martha has an amazing body of work that encompasses her many years as a historian and translator of the Welsh language, specifically in transplanted Welsh communities in the U.S. Wales came into the picture when Martha’s late husband became professor of statistics at Aberystwyth University. Martha and her family learned the Welsh language over four years before returning to America. Many turns of the path later, Martha married a Nebraskan of Welsh extraction, Berwyn Jones, and they moved back to his home state to volunteer at the Great Plains Welsh Heritage Project in Wymore, just north of the Kansas state line. This year, she was given a rare honor for an American from the National Eisteddfod of Wales: She was received into the Gorsedd of the Bards.
In June of 2016, John and Peggy Selover Overland ’62 visited Hawaii for a family wedding. Their coastal California home was in good hands with Larry Murman ’62 and wife, Barbara, cat- and house-sitting while enjoying the Pacific Ocean views.
Bob Simms and Linda Nelson Simms ’62 were proud grandparents in April as they enjoyed the UR commencement celebrations of their granddaughter, Mary Frances Simms ’16. As Mary completes her time on campus, other ’62 class members are beginning the odyssey of watching their granddaughters grow and learn at the U of R. Among the legacy Bullpups coming to campus in the fall: Karli Stichter ’20, granddaughter of Don Haskell ’60 and Marie Stevens Haskell ’63; Randirose Wilson ’20, granddaughter of Myron Tarkanian ’62 and Virginia “Anna” Fagerlin Tarkanian ’62; and Peyton Shatafian ’20, granddaughter of Gary Van Osdel ’62. Paige McLeod ’20 joins her sister, Ellie McLeod ’17, and they are the granddaughters of Betty Craven Stanfill ’62. Who would have imagined 55 years ago that our “grands” would one day grace the Redlands campus!
1963
Susan Whitlo Clasen ’63, Penny King ’63, Judy Brodie Liddell ’63 and Carole York ’63 enjoyed gathering for three days in Portland, Ore., to catch up—something they have done every few years.
Susan Whitlo Clasen ’63, a retired CPA, is deep into her family’s extensive history and lineage societies, including the Mayflower Society and DAR. She is involved in the local and district United Methodist Church/women, choir singing and travel. She went on a birds and culture tour of Cuba in December with Judy Brodie Liddell ’63; in February, she saw wonderful birds and challenging culture in India and will be doing a Viking cruise from Moscow to St. Petersburg in October. After the cruise, she will make two mission visits, one to Novgorod and the other to Arkhangelsk. Don, her husband of 49 years, joined her in Portland after our mini-reunion. They have two sons and a 7-year-old granddaughter.
Penny King ’63 lives in Laguna Beach and manages commercial real estate investments. Previously, she taught high school biology for over 25 years and was actively involved in addressing the needs of inner-city education in the Los Angeles schools. She enjoys time with her young niece and nephew living nearby and loves to travel with family and friends (recent highlights include a South African safari, Thailand, reminiscing in Germany, sailing the Southern Caribbean, Portugal by car and annual family vacations in Hawaii).
Since retiring from the School of Medicine at the University of New Mexico in 2006 as associate
director of the Center for Development and Disability, Judy Brodie Liddell ’63 has been involved with Central New Mexico Audubon, where she is currently vice president. She has co-authored two books (Birding Hot Spots of Central New Mexico and Birding Hot Spots of Santa Fe, Taos and Northern New Mexico), writes two blogs and teaches classes on birds for OASIS and at various birding festivals in New Mexico. She is currently working on her memoirs. Her two youngest children live in New Mexico, and her oldest son and his family live in Encino, Calif.
Carole York ’63, a clinical social worker, moved to Mirabella, a Continuing Care Retirement Community, in Portland, Ore., in September 2013. She received a master’s degree, her second, in history from the University of New Hampshire in 2010 and continues to do genealogical and historical research on her LDS ancestry: Aaron Marean and Hannah Carter York, who converted to Mormonism in Bethel, Maine, in 1835. Carole’s son, Tim, and his wife, Laura, live nearby, and Carole’s son, Bill, his wife, Jody, and 5-year-old granddaughter live in Walnut Creek, Calif.
1964
John Mehl ’64 reports: Five Gamma Nus, Bill Hendrick Dick Long, John Mehl, Larry Spencer and Art Stephenson, from the classes of ’64 and ’65 got together in May for a weekend of reminiscences and fellowship. The gathering marked the 31st year they have met to celebrate their lofty status as “Bulldogs.”
1965
Janet Carpenter Johnson ’65 and members of her extended Bulldog legacy family are deeply involved in a transformational organization taking dental care and diabetes treatment to those in need locally and internationally through the Foundation for Worldwide Health. Janet provides stateside business support for the extensive work of the foundation at a local clinic in San Bernardino as well as the work they do in Nicaragua.
1966
Shirley June Patch Jacob ’66 shares: “Casper College awarded me the Commitment to Excellence award on May 13, 2016, at the commencement ceremony held at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyo. Beginning in fall 1962, I was a teaching intern in Dr. Elsie Gibb’s internship program. I taught two years at Victorville High School in Victorville. I moved to Littleton, Colo., where I met my husband, Bob Jacob. Both my husband and I taught at Casper College, although I took off some years to raise our small children. Bob retired in 1992 and passed away in 2008. We have two children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. My studies at the University of Redlands were very important to me, giving me a clear idea of excellence in teaching and scholarship.”
Thirteen men from the Class of ’66 met for dinner in Solano Beach, Calif. The Gamma Nus, Pi Chis and independents all had a great time reminiscing about what they hadn’t had a chance to reminisce about just a month earlier at their 50th Redlands reunion.
1967
Dean Laws ’67 and Chris Johnson Laws ’67 live in Corona del Mar, Calif., and enjoy their four local granddaughters, art, boating and travel. Dean retired in 2000 after 30 years in the advertising industry, which he says was only a little like “Mad Men.” He ran EJL Advertising, a national agency that represented brands like Kahlua, Neutrogena, Pennzoil, Suzuki motorcycles and Corona beer. Chris taught elementary school in Glendale prior to having their two daughters. They lived in Pasadena until 2000 when they moved to Corona del Mar.
Bob Thelen ’67 reports: “I retired from paid work for the last (I hope!) time in March 2015 after a little more than four years working as an aide at the Des Moines Public Library. I’ve enjoyed gardening since the ’80s and now volunteer in caring for the outdoor beds of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. I love to sing and have been a tenor in my church choir since 2010. Also, I joined the Des Moines Gay Men’s Chorus in 2014 and really enjoy the variety of our musical repertoire (classical to jazz and Broadway) and the interesting performance venues. Bruce, my domestic partner for three years, and I explore local arts and community events (especially LGBT events). Together, we have made so many new friends—I feel very fortunate! Go Bulldogs!”
1968
Craig Walker ’68 has retired from his career in sales and marketing, which included 10 years of teaching marketing at San Diego State. He and his wife, DeeRay, who retired from flying for United, split their time between their home in Vista looking out at Catalina Island and a beach getaway in Baja, surfing, fishing and kayaking. This year, they enjoyed a trip to Costa Rica, a cruise through the Panama Canal and have an upcoming fall adventure in Tahiti.
Steve Zahniser ’68 is living in Boise, Idaho, with his wife of 11 years, Paula. Both have three children each from previous marriages and are pleased to be grandparents to six grandchildren. Steve was inducted into his high school’s athletic hall of fame in May for his coaching accomplishments. He coached and taught in Redlands and Yucaipa until 1995 when he left for Wyoming to be a cowboy. Steve and Paula have become guardians for three homeless children, 11, 9, and 8, whom they met through Paula’s volunteer work with City Light Rescue Mission.
Send me your news! We all enjoy hearing what our old friends have been doing since we last saw them. No news from you, no column! Nancy Bailey Franich ’68, your Class Notes Reporter.
1970
Dr. Mark J. Carpenter ’70, his wife Barbara “Barbie” Johnson Carpenter ’70, their daughter Dr. Erin Carpenter Estey ’94 and close family members and colleagues from southern California work together to further the mission of the Foundation for Worldwide Health. Barbie utilizes her fluency in Spanish and Dr. Carpenter and Dr. Estey bring dental students from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry to clinics they helped establish in Nicaragua for volunteer clinical care visits. As a part of the work of Worldwide Health, representatives work collaboratively with healthcare professionals in Nicaragua through advanced training and patient care to develop self-sustaining clinics. What started out as an effort to provide much-needed support of dental care for the people of Nicaragua, has now grown into an effort to serve those who suffer from Type 1, or pediatric diabetes, too. Building on the strength of their successes in dental care, the Foundation is now in the process of creating a clinic that will support the work of the one hospital in Managua, Nicaragua that is treating patients with juvenile diabetes, a challenging and often deadly disease many children suffer from. To learn more: www.fwwh.org.
1971
Jean Biddick ’71 a quilt maker and teacher, was inducted into the Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Phoebe Reese Cheney ’71 shares: “I’m 20 years old again! No wrinkles, no intervening 45 years of life history. See you in five years for our 50th anniversary…bring pictures!”
Jane Hedgpeth-Kessler ’71 says: “I finally found my calling in clinical science physiology, worked for 27 years in cardiac rehabilitation. Received a master’s in 1990 in clinical experience from California State University, East Bay and just retired from John Muir Health in Walnut Creek, Calif. Now moving with husband, Michael, to Grass Valley, Calif.”
Dallas Hensley ’71 relays: “Living in Sydney, Australia where I have lived going back to 1972. See you in five years.”
Debbie Fear Morales ’71 shares “two new knees, so watch out. Headed to “the Camino” in Spain in Sept./Oct.”
Paulette Marshall ’71 is an attorney in Fullerton, Calif. with husband, also a U of R grad, Dough Chaffee. They own the Chaffee and Marshall Law Firm. Now they are in the process of retiring from the practice. “We love to travel and have recently been to the Caribbean and Greek Islands. We are both involved in local charities. I have been a board member of All the Arts for All the Kids, which provides arts education for all K-6 public school children in the Fullerton District. Dough serves on the Fullerton City Council. We have two sons, Marshall, a 2010 U of R grad, and Adam.”
Kitty Warner Soltow ’71 is happily retired. “We have three grandchildren living in Boston. Busy with volunteer work as chairperson of our church’s social justice committee and local non-profit called Many Mansions.”
1972
Martie Casford Tarter ’72 and Steve Tarter, after 40 years in Tokyo, Japan are now living in Portland, Ore. Steve is playing horn in Solid Brass and the Jewish Community Orchestra. Steve and Martie sing in the choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
1974
Susan Cox Stevens ’74 carried a double emphasis in English and music (voice, bassoon) at the University, receiving a bachelor’s in comparative literature at U of R in 1974. While earning a master’s in creative writing at Northern Arizona University (1988-89), where she studied with the late poet Jim Simmerman, she worked as a radio announcer/programmer at classical KNAU. She taught English on the Navajo reservation for three years and English composition, literature and creative writing at several campuses, including Eastern Arizona College, where she directed the Visiting Writers Series. She received a Pushcart Prize nomination from Seems editor Karl Elder in 2002 and her poetry book With Ridiculous Caution was published by Finishing Line Press in 2013. She lives in Springfield, Missouri, where she is working on a second book of poems and a novel about the philosophical ethos in 1960s Alaska.
1975
Marc Sellers ’75, an attorney at Schwabe, Williamson and Wyatt, was recently honored with the Oregon State Bar’s Tax Section Award of Merit at a luncheon sponsored by the Oregon Tax Institute. Marc was the first attorney in the U.S. to obtain an award of attorney fees against the Internal Revenue Service under the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. He has represented clients in tax controversies before the United States Tax Court, the U.S. District Court (Oregon and the Southern and Central Districts of California), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims as well as in the Oregon Tax Court.
1976
Rick Graey ’76 shares: “I had every intention of getting down to the reunion, but school business just kept backing up on me; May and June are difficult months to get away. I am in my 21st year as superintendent at Mattole USD/Mattove Valley Charter Schools. I’m living in an old farmhouse on an acre of land just off Elk River/Humboldt Bay and still coaching basketball at one of my high schools. My kids are all in and/or out of college with two of them teaching school. I have two years left on my contract, so I may be close to the end.”
Rod MacAlister ’76 reports: “Mary and I have lived in Cape Town for two years. We came to ‘semi-retire,’ but the opportunities were irresistible, and I do enjoy working on complex challenges (Africa’s specialty). I’m CEO of a natural gas pipeline company, and Mary works for our church. Our son, Martin, 28, just got his MBA in D.C., and our daughter, Lucy, 24, is working on her B.A. in SoCal. South Africa is cheap and beautiful! Ask Don and Becky McFarland ’76 how easy it is to visit. Y’all come!”
Lynne Malinowski ’76 says: “Sorry we missed the reunion, but my husband and I have been building our own home in Rainbow (Fallbrook). A long and arduous process, but it’s just about done. We’re in the midst of moving. This is our retirement home because we never want to move again!”
Lois Vandahey ’76 shares: (Editor’s note: Lois goes by Addie these days.) “I retired six years ago from the Albany School District. I spend my retirement as a CASA volunteer, golfing and gardening on my mini farm.”
Class Notes Reporter LeAnn Zunich ’76 shares: “The reunion in May was a fun day of not having a clue who people were—it’s been a seriously long time. But Redlands memories are the tie that binds. We had a really pleasant lunch together on Saturday afternoon and then an afternoon to wander the campus. There’s another reunion in five years—probably in May—write it down someplace you can find it again and plan to come. It will be better with you.”
1981
A special welcome to Gina Hurlbut ’81, the new Class Notes Reporter for her class! Gina reports: “We had our 35-year class reunion in May. You all were sorely missed!! However, those who reunited had a great time at the Remy’s Friday evening and at lunch at the U of R.
Bill Chute ’81 divides his time between San Diego and Newport Beach working for a commercial real estate investment company. He has traveled to 86 countries and knows all of the best places to visit.
Sue Gehman Gilleland ’81 is director of advancement services at the U of R. She maintains lots of info for the University, so stay on her good side. Both of Sue’s girls went to U of R. Sue is now a grandmother to Reese Olivia Flower, daughter of Haley Gilleland Flower ’09.
Brad and Gina Griffin Hurlbut ’81 are now living in Santa Ana to shorten Brad’s commute. “Our daughter, Carolyn Hurlbut Cullen ’09, ’11 has blessed us with two children, Hunter and Paul Cullen. Yes, that is grandson of Paul Cullen ’79, ’86 and Emma Anne Cullen. She and her husband, Wes, live in Yucaipa. Gina went to Cancun in November with Viva Rose ’81 and Melinda Pearson Birks ’81. Viva is back in the Chicago area working as a flight attendant again after a few years in Utah. Melinda lives in Richmond, British Columbia. She has three boys, Douglas, the accountant; Peter, the doctor; and Daniel, still young and figuring it out—like my youngest.”
Eric “Tex” Johnson ’81 lives in Victorville and is an environmental compliance inspector. His beautiful daughter, Danika Johnson ’17, attends U of R and joined us for our reunion lunch.
Jim McLellan ’81 still commutes 86 miles one way from Arrowhead to Boeing in Huntington Beach. He bought a Triumph motorcycle to make the commute more enjoyable.
Leslie Saint McLellan ’81 is running two businesses doing marketing for the hospitality industry after 21 years as director of marketing at Lake Arrowhead Resort.
Mike Remy ’81 and Diane Ghighleri Remy ’80 are now grandparents to Thomas Edward Davis, son of Laura Remy Davis ’09. They love to see him as often as possible as Laura and her husband live in the D.C. area.
Connie Pezoldt Smith ’81 is principal at Taft Elementary of Orange. Her school was just adopted by the California Angels and also received its Gold Ribbon. Connie and her husband, Phillip, live in Tustin.
Margie Burdon Wiens ’81 is teaching 2nd grade at Park Village Elementary in Poway Unified. Margie and Gordon Wiens ’80 have two sons, Ryan and Andy. Ryan was recently married.
Kim Hanna Womack ’81 is executive secretary for the dean of arts and sciences at U of R. She and her husband, Gary, live in Redlands.
So that is the class news from those attending the reunion and within my radar. What have the rest of you been doing? Your new class reporter, Gina Griffin Hurlbut ’81, bghurlbut@verizon.net.
1984
Richard Beloz ’84 shares: “This year, I completed my 30th Los Angeles Marathon. Go Bulldogs! I’m currently teaching P.E. and serve as the school athletic director at St. Timothy School in West Los Angeles. I’ve been at St. Timothy going on 12 years teaching grades K-8th.”
Philip Pescosolido ’84 relays: “I have ranches in California, New Mexico, Texas and the Ozarks. I am writing music and am involved in the music business as well as volunteer projects and business development around the world. Vaya con dios!”
1986
Kathryn Kanjo ’86 was named deputy director, art and programs for the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego in August of 2015.
1987
Teddi Anderson ’87 was named a 2016 Industry Leader by Pacific Business News as a part of their Pacific Women Who Mean Business 2016 program.
1990
Penelope Anne Owens DeLeon ’90 shares: “I just received my first appointment as superintendent of schools for the Oxnard Union High School District. I am a graduate from the Class of 1990, earning my B.A. and teaching credential at the U of R, and I am a Sigma sister.”
1992
David Goldy ’92 shares: “I have owned Wild West Pizza in Lompoc for three years. This past March, we participated in the International Pizza Challenge, the largest pizza competition in the USA. We finished fifth overall and second in the southwest division. Our pizza was called The Jalollieberry Popper. It was made with olallieberry chipotle cream cheese, pulled pork, jalapeño-infused bacon, candied jalapeños and a three-cheese blend.”
1994
Gloria Cheung Henderson ’94 and Andrew Henderson ’92 are having a blast this summer playing Mr. and Mrs. Mayor with their daughter as JoJo and son as Thing 2 in “Seussical” at Musical Theatre Village in Irvine. This is their second year performing as a family.
Greg Lewis ’94 is living in Texas now. He just started this new YouTube channel that he believes is going to make a difference in the world. Please check out the channel “Big Things Talk,” https://youtu.be/m9_j6AY110Y, and let him know what you think.
Pete McCall ’94 is now doing a podcast, “All About Fitness,” where he interviews various experts on different types of fitness programs with a specific emphasis on how exercise can slow down the aging process. Check out his website for details: petemccallfitness.com.
Melisa Chance Mika ’94 just returned from a trip to Las Vegas for the Jam On It tourney for her son, Evan, 11. It was three days, 46 courts and 371 teams from all over the nation. Can you guess “Where’s Thurber”? Answer: Las Vegas Convention Center.
Please keep sending in your info – it’s great to hear what everyone is up to these days. And mark your calendars: Homecoming and Parents’ Weekend 2016 is coming up October 21 through October 23, 2016. Och Tamale!—Heather Pescosolido Thomas ’94.
1995
Jamey Heiss ’95 spent a week cruising along the coast of Alaska in July and immediately flew to the other side of the country to participate in his 25th high school reunion in Kennebunk, Maine. He co-earned a class superlative for assisting in the planning of the event: “Most Dedicated.”
Liliana Narvaez ’95 and her husband Andrew Ayala with pride and joy announce the adoption of their children on July 7, 2016, Rosa Elena age 8 and Alferdo Ace age 4. Liliana says “It’s been a long journey, but every day our two little blessings have made it all worthwhile.”
1996
Thank you to everyone who attended the 20th reunion in May and gave so generously, in particular our fearless leader Jim Martin ’96 and his wife, Aimee.
Chris Gilbert ’96 is a national and account key manager for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.
Tamara Vandevanter Youngstrom ’96 and Rachel Wallace ’96 ran into each other on the landing in front of Mount Rushmore; Heather Hunt Dugdale ’96 photo-shopped herself into the photo after taking a photo in the same spot a few days later!
Jen Argue Moffet ’96 lives in San Antonio, Texas, but continues to consult with districts in California, working with teachers in mathematics. Jen’s family was honored to join her husband, Dr. Aaron Moffett, who was the head coach for the American Team, at the Invictus Games in Orlando, Fla.
Joel Peavy ’96 is a Principal R&D imagineer with Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development working as an electrical engineer and physicist. He writes: “Some of my current projects include designing some things for the upcoming Star Wars land at Disneyland.” Joel lives in L.A. with his wife, Rayni Peavy, who is a freelance writer and speaker.
Emily Reichert ’96 is the CEO of Greentown Labs in Massachusetts.
Lori Anasagasti Simanek ’96 is beginning her 20th year in San Bernardino city unified school district where she is a program facilitator at Mt. Vernon elementary.
Meredith Cieszynski Stinson ’96 writes: “Recently, I traveled with my husband and our three girls (ages 12, 10 and 7) from our home in Seattle for a two-month trip along the east coast. We did everything from work on a free-range chicken farm with horses and goats for a month to Colonial Williamsburg and a tour of the White House.”
James Wusterbarth ’96 still works in federal law enforcement but now in the northeastern region of the U.S. for the Department of Justice.
If you have an update, or just want to say hi, please find me on Facebook or email me at dugdalefamily5@gmail.com – Heather Hunt Dugdale ’96
1997
Dentist Erin Carpenter Estey ’97 and members of her Bulldog legacy family volunteer as a part of the Foundation for Worldwide Health, training professional staff and treating patients at clinics in Nicaragua. Currently, their focus is on the creation of a childhood diabetes clinic that will be self-sustaining and support the work of the one hospital in the country that treats children with type 1 diabetes, located in Managua.
2002
Marianna “Mia” Oller ’02 graduated in May 2016 from California State University, Fullerton with a Master of Science in counseling. Mia was honored with academic excellence, graduating at the top of her class.
2005
Jason C. Helveston ’05 shares “Words were never really my friends. And so the thought of reading a long book or writing an extensive paper was overwhelming in high school. Thankfully two of my teachers in particular took interest and championed my literary angst to the point that I enrolled in the creative writing program at Redlands—I’m still not totally sure how that happened. During my years at Redlands what were once adversaries became some of my truest allies. Words became a profound joy. Each of my writing professors opened my eyes and heart to fresh insight and creative expression helping me to craft meaningful and beautiful prose I didn’t know I possessed. Recently I published my first book. I owe a great deal of the process and product of this writing project to my professors at the University of Redlands.”
2011
Julie Schiering ’11 started a master’s degree at the University of Oslo, in Oslo, Norway in July. She will be studying higher education.
2013
Victoria Llort ’13, Bulldog for life, announced Monday, June 20, 2016, that she is running for the open seat on La Quinta City Council. Victoria is currently vice president of fundraising and public relations for local non-profit organization, American Outreach Foundation. To learn more about Victoria’s campaign visit lqchamber.com/member/victoria-llort-for-la-quinta-city-council-2016.
Schools of Business and Education
1981
Jerry Berning ’81 shares: “I started my college career in 1951 but the military and life’s happenings kept me from completing my mission. In 1980, I found the Whitehead version of Redlands which permitted me to keep working in the computer business while attaining a BSBA. This degree gave me the opportunity to teach at Santa Ana College for a few years. Fun!!!
Recently, Redlands found me after thirty odd years and I received your delightful, insightful magazine. The years have been very good to me and I am just down the road in Desert Hot Springs living in a golf course community. Every few months I offer up Jerry Berning presents Theatre Night at Mission Lakes. Two of my one act comedies are presented as staged readings by members of the club. May 12 will be the eighth performance of our group totaling sixteen of my plays most of which were written in the last two years! Most evenings we draw close to 100 fans!
Additionally I have written a trilogy for young adults, The Gatekeeper’s Daughter, available in trade paperback on Amazon and elsewhere. The series combines the warm humanity of Tom Sawyer with the wizardry of Harry Potter and the fantasy of The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe. Also available as a Kindle book is Happy Holidays, a collection of short stories. My full length play Jigger is published by Norman Maine publishing and will be presented in a radio version with Foley Board just as it would have been in the golden days of radio. My golf game is a disaster presently as sciatica is testing my patience, but in the immortal words of MLK, “We shall overcome!” Go Bulldogs!”
1988
Sallie Seymour Piccorillo ’88, and daughter, Susan Patricia Piccorillo ’13, traveled down the Mississippi River to New Orleans aboard the American Queen during the Christmas holidays 2015.
2003
Robert Warren ’03 received his doctorate in business management from University of California, Irvine with an emphasis in entrepreneurship in November 2015.
2017
It is never too early to celebrate the accomplishments of a future alumna!
Lauryn Pena ’17 reports: “I’m currently a student at U of R, Graduate School of Business in Orange County. I recently accepted the role of Membership Chair to the Orange County Ronald McDonald House - Red Shoe Society, a young professionals networking and social group. I would like to invite all Redlands alumni to our social mixers and volunteer events! To learn more: OCRMH-RedShoeSociety@rmhcsc.org.
Johnston
1980
Anita (Hicks) Latch ’80 went to the Democratic National Convention this July in Philadelphia as a member of the Credentials Standing Committee. Appointed to the committee by the Bernie Sanders campaign, Anita has worked hard in the Washington State Democrats for 16 years and served in many positions, from neighborhood organizer to the state executive board. Anita also serves as a court appointed special advocate (CASA) and with her county labor council.
1984
Andrew Irvin ’84 is a teacher in the Beaumont-Banning School District. He also owns a bookstore in Yucaipa and operates a grove-care business with five groves to manage in Redlands.
2007
Nina Marie Fernando ’07 shares: “As I write this reflection from Sri Lanka, I recognize that a Johnston spirit of innovation and adventure has influenced me beyond measure. There aren’t many schools where students can create their own emphasis (major), and I’ve been living out mine, social change through music and religious studies, every day since graduating from the University of Redlands. First, I joined a graduate program at Claremont School of Theology to work on M.A. in religious and cultural studies: ethics and community engagement; then I worked as a faith-rooted organizer for Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice helping educate, mobilize and organize religious communities of all traditions to take part in social and economic justice that lifts working families out of poverty. And all the while, throughout the years, I’ve been singing and playing music on my own and with a number of different bands and music ensembles (including U of R original band, The Overeasy) at venues, events, religious congregations, public demonstrations and protests throughout Southern California. Now, I find myself here, across the world in Sri Lanka on a fellowship, living and working on those very themes for these next six months. The LankaCorps Fellowship is a program funded by The Asia Foundation (TAF) that selects individuals of Sri Lankan descent to come “back to their roots” in Sri Lanka and to contribute to the economy and community. I am learning so much about myself, my culture and family history, and I feel passionate about this work.”
Engagements, Marriages and Partnerships
Casey DeWolf-Domingo ’12 and Francesca Sabatelli ’12 were engaged in March 2016.
Kate Finnerty ’99 married Jonathan Schwartzer in April 2016 in Old Town Alexandria, Va. Despite his rooting for the Phillies and Flyers and her rooting for the Dodgers and Kings, Jon and Kate live happily in Arlington, Va.
Deidre Nissen ’12 and Andrew Blancarte became engaged on Dec. 25, 2015! They celebrated 10 years together in September and are looking forward to their upcoming wedding in February.
Baby Bulldogs
Laura Remy Davis ’09 and her husband, Foster Davis, welcomed a son, Thomas Edward Davis, on July 3, 2015. Proud grandparents include Mike ’81 and Diane ’80 Remy.
Carolyn Diane Hurlbut Cullen ’10 welcomed a daughter, Emma Anne, on March 21, 2016. Proud grandparents include Brad ’81 and Gina ’81 Hurlbut.
Liliana Narvaez ’95 and her husband, Andrew Ayala, welcomed their children Rosa Elena and Alfredo Ace on July 7, 2016.
