ALUMNI PROFILES
Peter Doran '58
A Public Priority

Judi Garcia '63
Real People, Real Needs

Bob Duchesne '75
Egging Him On

Greg Ciottone '87
Drawn to Disaster

Harry R. Wiley '51

Charles J. Hely '68

Mike Swift '85

Gloria and John Tewhey, info@tewhey.com, report a mini reunion in Gorham, Maine, last June as May-Lis and Jay Gronlund, Jim Morang '64, Bill Snow '66 and Dave Svenden '64 gathered for a Tewhey nephew's wedding. . . . Linda Wakefield Larou, larou@sunnydutchess.edu, reports that she is an associate professor, department of English and humanities, at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. . . . Dana Abbott, dabbott@ACSDefense.com, e-mails: "After almost 10 years in Nashua, N.H., we are in the midst of moving into our new home in Montgomery, Ala., where I'm opening a new office for ACS. Clair and I are both excited about the climate change after the endless winter in N.H. these years. We did note that pulling up roots was much harder now than for our 21 Air Force moves." . . . Also on the move are Ann and Bud Marvin, Mule887@aol.com. Bud wrote that they "sold their turn-of-the-century Victorian home in Manchester, N.H., and moved to a townhouse in nearby Hooksett to enjoy some country living. I knew it was a good move when I saw the maintenance crew arrive to mow my lawn and clean up the leaves. I keep somewhat busy in the community by serving as a trustee of Notre Dame College in Manchester and doing fund raising for several organizations." . . . Charlie Bonsall, carbonsall@aol.com, reports that he and Yolanda "are well and enjoying our two little granddaughters. Although we live in Utah, we get back to Waterville frequently to visit parents and other relatives. Since retiring from the FAA in 1998, I have done some consulting engineering work and even tried long-haul truck driving for a while. Every little boy wants to drive 18-wheelers! As one of my retirement projects, I am working on a history and soldier genealogies (1,123) for the 13th Maine Infantry Regiment. If you have ancestors (or think you might) who served in that regiment, I would like your information, and I can share a great deal of information with you." . . . Theresa and John Bragg spent two weeks in spring '01 on a cruise through the Panama Canal with Dave Watterson '67 and his wife, Cathy. . . . Pat Campbell of Saco, Maine, exhibited in the 2001 Portland Museum of Art Biennial that featured 88 works by 58 artists chosen from 831 applicants. Pat has an M.F.A. in textiles from the University of Georgia and an M.F.A. in fiber from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and has been on the faculty of a number of universities and art institutes. . . . The Christmas 2001 mailbag disclosed the fact that Tom Donahue is still "chasing, counting and inventorying wild horses in the Wind River range of Wyoming in the company of the Shoshone people. If you haven't ridden at a wild, mad, uncontrolled gallop among wild mustangs across open country, I recommend, frankly, that you not do so. I was never so scared in my life. It was thrilling, but definitely not habit forming. I did learn a lot about Shoshone life, and a huge amount about wild horses, life in a tepee, and just how eight to 10 hours each day in the saddle in wild country can affect profligate Irish teachers of Spanish literature who inhabit 58 year-old bodies. I now know exactly why God created Jack Daniels." . . . Hail, Colby, Hail!

--Richard W. Bankart

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Colby has forwarded to me a fascinating account of Allen Throop's four-man, 18-day trek across the Juneau Icefield from Skagway to Juneau last spring. Eighty-pound packs, whiteouts, avalanche dangers, airlifts, snow fleas, wolverines--this was not a trip for sissies! Want to read about it yourselves? Contact me! . . . From Juneau we go to Istanbul, where Jan Holt Arsan and her husband, Noyan, have a view of the Black Sea and the Bosphorus from their faculty housing at Koc University, where Noyan teaches accounting and finance. Jan works half time for Georgia State University developing an international fund-raising program. She has spent more than nine years in Istanbul since 1965. . . . Congratulations to Dr. William H. Koster on his September 2001 appointment as CEO of Neurogen Corporation, one of the nation's leading drug discovery and development companies. Bill's impressive résumé includes 30 years' experience as a respected scientist, executive and leader in his field. . . . Good to have news of Steve Rand, who lives in Plymouth, N.H., where he works in his 92-year-old family hardware business. Hobbies include golf, travel, Rotary and visits with his year-old granddaughter in San Diego. Steve sees Eric Werner on Eric's annual trip home from England. Steve also inquired about Bill Kittredge. The College says that Bill died Aug. 10, 1988. . . . Connie Midworth Dellmuth's four grandchildren are just two hours away from her home in Philadelphia, so she and Terry, her husband of 34 years, get to play with them often. Connie is a part-time consultant in children's mental health. A priority now is to see the world cheaply via backpacks, hostels, etc., with recent travel destinations including Newfoundland and the South Pacific. . . . Bring the War Home! is the title of Barry Willdorf's recently published novel portraying the adventures of a newlywed student activist couple put to the test by their efforts to organize Marines against the Vietnam War. Barry drew upon his own experiences at Camp Pendleton in 1970-71. He lives in San Francisco with his wife of 33 years and has three grown daughters. . . . Russ Monbleau missed his calling; he should have been a comedian. Instead, he is self-employed in the insurance business. He writes, "Fifteen years ago, if anyone would have suggested that someday I'd be an insurance salesman, I would have taken him out back and beaten him to death. The upside, however, is that this career can last forever, which is only a few years short of my current projected retirement target." Russ remains committed to youth sports programs and is the New Hampshire State Babe Ruth Softball commissioner. . . . What a surprise to have a long e-mail from Judy Kelley Casey after all these years! Her life has not been easy, but Judy is a survivor, or, as she puts it, "a tough old broad," having experienced challenges such as divorce, brain surgery, tough-love parenting and a recent car accident. The good news is she's here to tell about it all, has two great adult kids, is a social worker living in Marion, N.Y., and is looking forward to retiring and moving back to Maine someday. Judy went back to Colby last summer, visiting Connie Day in Vermont on the way. She hopes to be in touch with more Colby friends and sends her best to all. . . . Another surprise--an e-mail from Peter Fellows of Charlotte, N.C., who says, "There's nothing like the birth of grandchildren to wake up sleeping alumni." Twins Nicole Louise and Drew Hobson Fellows were born to Pete's son and his wife on December 4 (the same day my granddaughter Emma Louise Wheeler was born!). Pete writes with pride of wife Cathy's Principal Fellowship award and her diligence in furthering her education in school administration. . . . Come on, other grandparents, you too can enjoy bragging rights via this column! . . . The year 2001 was an eventful year for Ted Houghton, grandfather of five. A diagnosis of tongue cancer in May led to surgery and radiation and then good news of a clean bill of health in October--all cause "to think about ‘the meaning of life.'" Ted retired in September and awaits this spring's acquisition of a Class C motor home for lots of future road touring. Jeff Quadland of Ontario, Canada, visited Ted in October. . . . Colby '66's three geology majors all spent their careers in the profession and still communicate regularly with their mentor, Dr. Donaldson Koons, reports geologist Peter Anderson. Peter listed a million recent Colby connections even though he hangs out in faraway California, where he had a recent visit from Allen Throop. Peter came east at Thanksgiving and spent an evening at Dag Wiliamson's home with Dick Dunnel and Fran Finizio, "refining the art of lying." Christmas was spent in Buenos Aires visiting wife Elena's relatives and friends. An alumni interviewer, Peter is impressed with the caliber of Colby applicants he's meeting these days. . . . I love this class correspondent job! E-mail is proving to be a great news gathering tool. But paring down your life stories to a few details due to space limitations feels brutal. Don't let it keep you from getting--and staying--in touch. And contact me if you want more news of anyone mentioned above. Thanks for all your great responses!

--Meg Fallon Wheeler

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As we prepared this column, a somber theme emerged. Recent e-mails from classmates have contained reminders that regular screening for cancer can be lifesaving! Therefore, this column is going to become a public service announcement to remind classmates of the importance of regular screenings. . . . Our first message was from Eric Rosen, who just had surgery for prostate cancer. The doctor told him that he got it all; the reason--early diagnosis. Eric wrote, "I had no symptoms, but had my PSA test annually. It was only slightly above normal, 4.8. It is a difficult surgery but worth it. So, I urge all our classmates to be tested annually. It is a simple blood test. I want to thank classmates Dr. Jim Bright, Jim Thomas and Jim Wilson. Jim Bright provided valuable medical guidance for me, and he, Jim Thomas and Jim Wilson gave moral support. The Colby connection was very important to me in the last few months. Finally, if any of our classmates have a similar problem they can contact me and I will be glad to support them in any way through what is a stressful process. In early generations, prostate cancer was never talked about. It is more so now and should be because there are a lot issues for men to deal with." . . . Our next contact was from Mike and Pam Cooper Picher. Mike says that the last two years have been trying. "As I think you know, our good friend, Geep Simonds, died of colon cancer in the fall of '99. I was with him virtually until the end. When I gave the eulogy at his memorial service, Pam was recovering from her own colon cancer surgery in Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. Because of Geep's experience, we both scheduled full colonoscopies, and it looks like it saved Pam's life. Her tumor was well developed but had not crossed the colon wall, so while they removed half of her colon, there was no need of chemo. So far, with close follow-ups, all has been O.K. They say two years is a good threshold, so we are thankful, positive and hopeful." . . . I e-mailed the messages from Eric and Mike to Bob Gracia, my partner in writing this column. He quickly e-mailed back, saying, "Ironically, the day I read Eric's note was but a week after I was told I had to make the same decision, and I was on the phone to Eric that afternoon. I can tell you that it was very comforting to talk to him and benefit from his experience, and I join Eric and Mike in urging all of our classmates to get regular checkups and to put up with the inconvenience of screening tests." . . . And now for the good news! Irv Faunce was very happy recently to make contact with long-time "lost" alumnus Dana Gladstone. He's a happy semi-retired actor living in Los Angeles, Calif., enjoying life with Ophelia, his 7-year-old daughter. His son, Jason, lives out there also and recently announced to Dana that he wants to be an actor! The College has Dana's address and phone number. He says he'd love to hear from classmates. . . . Linda (Mitchell '66) and Lee Potter became proud grandparents when their granddaughter was born on Thanksgiving morning. Ben, the younger of the Potters' two sons, lives in Hingham, Mass. The older Potter son, Drum '88, was visiting for the holiday, and he and his wife, Susan, announced that Lee and Linda will be grandparents again this spring. Best wishes to them all. . . . Joyce Demkowicz Henckler e-mailed, "Since I was at Colby for only two years and then went to UMaine for two years as I wanted to be able to teach when I got out, I am a bit of a mutant." Maybe so, but she's gone on to some interesting things. Joyce retired (after 30 years) from the University of Maine, where she was director of major gifts in the Office of University Development. Joyce then assumed the post of CEO of the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross in Bangor, Maine, after a brief break: she and her husband, Don, visited their son Aaron, Colby '03, who was studying in Rome as part of the Temple University program. Their older son, Adam, graduated cum laude in May of '01 from the College of Engineering at the University of Maine and is currently a naval architect at the Portsmouth Shipyard. Joyce and Don have an antiques and collectibles business named Mainely Retro. Most of their sales are out of state, but they do currently have two outlets in group shops in Maine. Their area of expertise is in mid-20th-century furniture and collectible jewelry. . . . As you can see, all of us need to slow down and reassess our priorities in light of recent developments in the world and in the lives of our own classmates. One way that you can reconnect would be to plan to attend the 35th reunion! If you haven't already made plans to go, do it now. Pick up the phone and contact some of your friends from your fraternity or sorority, your roommates or the people who lived next door to you as a freshman. It promises to be a good time! See you on campus in June.

--Robert Gracia and Judy Gerrie Heine

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Received an update from Judy Hymas Thomas in Shirley, N.Y.: "Thanks to the miracle of e-mail, I have decided that I need to get in touch with my alma mater. I'm getting to that age (55) which brings nostalgia for the good old days on Mayflower Hill. After I left Colby, I went to Ghana and got a degree in history from the University of Ghana. Since then, my career has been widely varied. I taught for a year at Bloomfield College in New Jersey, but like so many academics in the early '70s I was caught in a budget crunch and went into industry for years. For the last few years, I've been teaching history at Suffolk Community College as an adjunct. In the interim, I was married to a journalist, Ben Thomas, but widowed in 1991. We had no children. For fun, I breed and show pedigreed cats and am a Cat Fanciers' Association approved judge. In addition to teaching at Suffolk, I teach at a private high school and do programs in other schools about animals. I'm also a freelance writer." . . . The next three items were gleaned from Christmas cards: I heard from Betsy Clark Bungeroth that she was flying to Hawaii to spend Christmas with her two daughters. Becky was flying in from L.A., and Heidi was stopping there on her way home from a semester in Australia. . . . Mary Jo Calabrese Bauer was on her way to L.A. to spend Christmas with her daughter, Chrissy, who is planning to be married next summer. Mary Jo is also looking forward to an 11-day Alaskan cruise in July. . . . Nancy Thomas Fritz wrote from Providence, R.I., that she has changed her job from teaching ESL to being the director of adult education. She and her husband, Greg, have spent three Christmases in their Providence rental house while building a house in Bristol. Although it has taken much longer than anticipated, she says, it's turning out even better than they'd imagined. And they find living in Providence convenient and delightful. They are empty-nesters now that daughter Julie is a freshman at Oberlin College. Their daughter Cara is finishing up her master's degree at Oregon State and in May will be living on an icebreaker for six weeks on a scientific research expedition in the Arctic. Their son, Pete, is doing film editing in New York City. . . . Joseph Jabar was nominated for a Superior Court judgeship by Maine Governor Angus King and confirmed by the Senate this fall. Joe served two terms in the Maine House of Representatives as a Democrat from 1996 to 1999 and currently is an attorney in the Waterville firm of Jabar, Batten, Ringer & Murphy, where he has practiced since 1979. He previously served as a prosecutor with the U.S. Justice Department, as district attorney for Kennebec and Somerset counties, and as a commissioner of the Maine Workers Compensation Commission.

--Nancy Dodge Bryan

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Correspondent did not submit any notes for this issue.

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