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

Michelle "Mickie" Linder Simpson writes that she is married and living with her husband, Dave, and three cats in their house in Washington, D.C. Mickie currently works in commercial real estate development and has earned two master's degrees since leaving Colby. She adds, "I don't think that's made me any smarter, unfortunately!" She spent her last summer vacation in Maine and comments that she "spends more time now enjoying the beauty of Maine than I ever did when I was at Colby!" (I have a feeling that she's not the only one.) Mickie would love to hear from fellow Colby alums in the D.C. area (msimpson@concordpartners.com or 202-625-2206). . . . Carol Eisenberg sent word that she enjoyed a visit last August from Mary Alice Weller-Mayan, her husband, Paul, son, Alex, 12, and daughter, Natalie, 8, out on Peaks Island, where Carol lives with her husband, David Simpson '86, and daughters, Maxine, 7, and Charlotte, 4. Megan Casey and her husband, Chuck Parker, and daughters, Fallon, 7, Bridget, 5, and Anna, 1-1/2, joined the group from their home in North Yarmouth, Maine. Everyone had great fun kayaking, sailing, biking and playing with Carol's new flock of chickens. . . . Linda Carroll Higgins shares news of the birth of a daughter, Nora Virginia Higgins, on June 15, 2001! Nora joins 2-year-old twin siblings, Molly and Tommy, making "life in the Higgins household quite the adventure!" Linda adds that she "has resigned her position as assistant director of study abroad at UVM to be a full time mom to her three babes--a job no less stressful or demanding, but even more satisfying." . . . Rob Baldwin writes that he and his wife, Betty Dennis, are both Ph.D. students and live in Orono, Maine, with their 2-year-old. . . . Mike Muir began his update with "lots has happened since my last writing." In August '01 Mike married Tammy Ranger, a sixth grade teacher, and they are now a blended family with four children--April, 16, Aimee, 16, Sam, 12, and Chris, 10. They live in Fairfield, Maine. Mike adds that after getting his doctorate, he became an assistant professor of education at the University of Maine at Farmington. His specialties, which include educational technology, middle-level education and motivating underachievers, take his work all over the country. He is also half-time director of a $500,000 technology grant from the U.S. Department of Education to prepare teacher candidates for using technology effectively. . . . Beth Towle Locke and her husband, Tim, wrote to announce the birth of their second son, Brendan Crosby Locke, on October 23, 2001, in Cambridge, Mass. Brendan joins his older brother, Teddy, who is 3-1/2. Congratulations, Beth and Tim! . . . Deirdre "Dede" Galvin has lived in Bloomsburg, Pa., for the past few years. She is program manager of the Berwick Health and Wellness Foundation, a public charitable foundation. She is also a freelance writer. Dede and her husband, Jerry Wemple, have two children--Kyle, 9, and Jamila, 5 1/2. Dede writes that in August 2001 she met several Colby friends for a mini reunion near Minneapolis, Minn. Hannah Blake, Perrin Boyd '86 and Charlene Crocker '86 with all their families made for a terrific time and brought back some great Colby memories! . . . I am thrilled to add that during the 2001 holidays, another impromptu reunion occurred when Katie Hollander Adams, Cici Bevin Gordon, Laurie Herlihy Murphy, Dawn Gale LaCasce and I joined forces for a great night of catching up in Maine. To no one's surprise, by evening's end it seemed like we were back at the Pub (or somewhere close by!). . . . Cheers to 2002! Please send an e-mail if you have a minute even if it's just to say hello!

--Sue James Geremia

previous  |   top  |  next

Greetings, Colby classmates! Alas, the torch has passed from guru class columnist Wendy Lapham to me. Many thanks, Wendy, for your efforts. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I received e-mail from Buffy Clifford at Colby: you have been nominated as class correspondent! Was this a joke? Who is Buffy Clifford? And who nominated me? So I contacted the usual suspects to investigate! Dicky Deering just laughed, and Heidi Arnao said, "get in there!" Okay, here's the deal: Heidi, you are going to be featured in the next column, and Dicky, you'll have to write one! . . . "No news is good news!" Sometimes one can use that as an excuse! I apologize for the lack of a September column; however, after September 11, there wasn't much to say, or anything to report! So, send news! . . . Whatever happened to Donald B. Jackson or Jessica Truslow? Our news sources report that last summer, Checkerboard, Ltd., a specialty printing company in Massachusetts, appointed Don as the director of marketing, and Jessica has become the assistant principal of Concord-Carlisle High School in Massachusetts. . . . Congratulations are also in order for Rev. Doug Scalise, who became one of the youngest recipients of a Distinguished Alumni Award from BU School of Theology. Last spring he was joined by his father, Rev. Victor Scalise '54, for a special father/son weekend at the Brewster Baptist Church, where Doug is the senior pastor. . . . The Fourth Annual Women in Arts Conference brought me back to Mayflower Hill in the fall to screen the documentary I had produced on Helen Nearing. After 15 years as a Maine resident, I've moved to N.H., where I produce for New Hampshire Public Television. Athens 2004, here I come--the Olympic Games is my latest venture! . . . Rumor has it that Joan Handwerg is somewhere in Mexico. . . . Last I spoke with Norma Delaney, she was missing in action traveling somewhere in the United States. . . . George Samaras is in Portland and runs marathons. . . . What do Laury Shea, Sue B. Whitney and Kristen Giblin Lindquist all have in common? Stay tuned for the next column!

--Andrea Sarris

top  |   next

I hope some of you are still honoring the resolutions you made on January 1. I'm writing this at the beginning of January so I have high hopes for my money management, exercise plan, patience with my boys and books I hope to read! . . . We're in planning mode for the reunion in June. I hope by now you've made your plans to come to Maine and talked to a few friends about making the trek. It promises to be a fun-filled weekend with lots of time to catch-up and reminisce. . . . Wonderful news from John and Kathi Harnett Linger about the birth of Jack T. Linger on December 31. Congratulations to both of you! . . . Charles Herrera wrote looking for Ed Michaud's current address. If anyone knows Ed's address, or if you're reading this, Ed, please write to Charles at cherrera@ix.netcom.com. Rumor has it that Ed's in the Midwest somewhere, married with a few kids. We'll have to wait and see if that's true. . . . Kris Kelley Wilkinson wrote from Napa, Calif., where she lives with husband Matt and stays at home with their daughters, Kaitlin, 6, and Elli, 4. They have planted a four-acre vineyard of Chardonnay grapes, which will be bought by Acacia Winery, and this year will be their first harvest. Kris says she's in close touch with Carol Kenerson, who's getting married in the spring. . . . Janice and Rich Strock just completed a nine-month tour of the U.S., covering 30,000 miles and 37 states, driving a small Volkswagen and pitching a tent in all but the most inhospitable conditions. A few highlights included hiking in the Grand Canyon, the Great Smokey Mountains, snowshoeing in Bryce Canyon, a shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral and visits to many battlefields. They visited with Roma Vasa Rothman, who is married with two beautiful children, and with Tris Korten and Marco Loretto, who both live and work in Miami. Rich also has been busy running marathons, having completed the Boston Marathon in 2000 with a personal best of 3:06. He also stays in close contact with Scott Slater '88, who lives in Boston with his wife, Kay, and new son, Benjamin. Rich says he's looking forward to seeing everyone at reunion. . . . I read in the Manchester (Vt.) Journal that Colleen Balch will be teaching middle school science courses at the Long Trail School. . . . I love hearing about the different lifestyles all our classmates are leading. I think Kris Davidson Young is the only one who commutes to her job--as a K-6 music, band, chorus and piano teacher--in an open outboard boat, and it's in Maine! Her motto is "no bad weather, just bad clothing" as she goes from Vinalhaven to North Haven Island. Kris and her husband, Steve, a lobsterman, have twin daughters, Alex and Libby, 11, and a son, Matthew, 6. Kris has been president of a nonprofit organization that has raised $2 million for library enhancements and a new Vinalhaven school/community auditorium that is currently under construction. She loved seeing the community bond together for such a needed cause and says the buildings will be enjoyed by many generations of islanders to follow. . . . While it's on your mind, call a classmate and make your plans to come to Maine in June. If you would like an updated address or phone number of a friend, e-mail me at classnews1987@alum.colby.edu or Tina Zabrinskie Constable at tconstable@randomhouse.com, and we can get it to you. I hope you are all well. We'll see you in June!

--Jane Nicol Manuel

top  |   next

Witness a pair of our classmates as they claw their way up the corporate ladder: Chris Brown was named an associate of Flansburgh Associates, a Boston-based architectural and interior design firm, and Gary A. Donaldson Jr. was promoted to assistant vice president in the finance department at Banknorth Group in Portland, Maine. . . . Meanwhile, Carol Ann Beach was a member of a discussion panel hosted by the Women in Sport Management Club at the University of Massachusetts; Carol is an assistant athletic director at Mt. Holyoke College. . . . Also in academia, Whitney Kelting was recently honored by the Friends of the Owen D. Young and Launders Libraries at St. Lawrence University, who held a reception to celebrate the publication of her book Singing to the Jinas: Jain Laywomen, Mandal Singing and the Negotiations of Jain Devotion, published by Oxford University Press. Check it out on Amazon. . . . Stefanie Rocknak had some of her wood sculptures exhibited at the First National Bank of Damariscotta and in Saratoga Springs. One of the pieces, "Figurehead," is made of the same wood from Sierra Leone that was used to recreate the slave ship Amistad at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut. . . . Roxanna E.F. Pitkin and James Patrick McKeever were wed in Woodstock, Vt. . . . John Davie writes from N.Y.C. that he and his wife, Kristin (Hock '90), had their second child, Merritt Bussell, a daughter, in April 1999. Merritt arrived hot on the heels of her sister, Carson Frances, who was born in February 1998, and takes spiritual guidance from her godfather, Jeff England '89. John is still practicing real estate law--now with Morrison Foerster LLP after about five years with Skadden, Arps. The Davies recently visited Harold and Kirsten Rider Geiger and their two kids, Harry and Sarah. John went rock climbing with Dave Caspar; Dave and his wife, Nancy, live in Chappaqua, N.Y., with their two sons, Justin and Noah. John writes that Jon Selkowitz lives in Jackson, Wyo., but was in Portillo, Chile, recently shooting some ski photos. . . . Ellen Meigs married Paul Carchedi in Millis, Mass., on Oct. 6. Various Colby folk were in attendance, including Ellen's mom, Deb Smith Meigs '51, Heidi Kampersal Petrosino, Patty Rush '87, Lisa Kilmer '87, Kim Bernard Bodnar '90, Julie Karas and Elena Stamoulis. The happy couple recently bought an antique Cape in Bellingham, Mass., and is working on various home improvement projects. Ellen is a vice president in mutual fund operations at State Street Corporation in North Quincy, Mass. . . . Chris Patterson and his wife, Elizabeth Hutter, are living in Concord, Mass.; Chris works for Taxware as a product manager. . . . Melissa Brown Bride and her husband packed up the kids and moved near Exeter, N.H., after 12 years of living the boarding school life at St. Andrew's in Delaware. . . . Brian Smith teaches criminal justice at Westfield State College, in Westfield, Mass., where he lives with his wife, Debbie, and their young son, Connor. . . . Hansi Hals, who lives in Port Angeles, Wash., with son Peter, 4, daughter Lael, 2, and husband Tom, just joined the staff of a local tribe for river system and salmonid habitat restoration. Hansi recently saw Sarah Doherty Masonis, who lives in the area with her husband, Rob, and works at the University of Washington. . . . In November, Michael Bukowski-Thall and his wife welcomed their second child, Henry. . . . Paige Alexander Sato writes from New Jersey that she is getting her master's at Seton Hall and working part time as PR director at the local YWCA. In her spare time, she plays hockey and helps her husband with their two kids, Sam and Emi. . . . Todd Wallingford is in his seventh year at Hudson (Mass.) High School, teaching history and flirting with fellow faculty members. Apparently his efforts paid off, as he and Jen Pupa, with whom he teaches an American studies class, were engaged over the summer. . . . Melissa Ruff Cassel is dean of students at Walnut Hill School in Natick, Mass. She and her husband, Steven, welcomed their first child, Jordan, in February 2001. . . . Brent and Karen Hentz Merriam live in the Burlington, Vt., area, where they both work at Burton Snowboards. Karen has sent me a bevy of e-mails, all welcome of course, including one with pictures of Burton's annual meeting in Vail. If she ever sends them your way, be sure your spouse or boss isn't looking over your shoulder when you open them up. . . . Meg Galloway Pearce and husband Marc welcomed their third child, Annabelle Elizabeth, in May 2001. She joins sister Marina and brother Liam. In her spare time, Meg is director of marketing at MCI. She writes that Jill Heslam and her husband, Dan, have two sons, Owen and Daegan. . . . Matt '87 and Bevin Dockray Gove have handsome Ryan and his new sister, Anna. . . . Sara and Peter Weltchek wrapped up 2001 with the birth of son Charles. . . . Ann and I moved to Concord, Mass., where our house has become wedding central as we iron out details of our April nuptials in Wales. Stay in touch.

--Dean Schwarts

top  |   next

My deepest apologies to Steve Wilson. My fall 2001 column got mistranslated, and his daughter, Faith, became his dog, Faith. I hope she's not offended, Steve. Another oops from the fall 2001 column: Ingrid Kasaks-Moyer wrote to say that Greg Cronin '86 coaches for the Islanders, not the Rangers. Sorry, Greg. Ingrid also reports that she and Quinn are recovering from taking Carson, now 7 months old, to Walt Disney World for a week. . . . Kerri Hicks mailed with news of her life and her adorable little redhead, Teddy, who is 4. Kerri works on really cool academic IT projects at Brown. Last summer, Kerri, Scott Jablonski and his wife, Maria, attended Bill Spears's wedding in northern Mass. . . . Kathy Hollister is an internist in Scarborough, Maine, and is married to Michael Danielski and has a 6-month-old daughter named Anna. Kathy lives around the corner from Gretchen Schwarze Hartley '90, who has a daughter, Grace. Kathy writes that Nancy Spellman, her husband and little boy visited last June from California. She also writes that Kim King married Orion Popalowski last summer in Boulder, Colo. . . . Got a news-filled e-mail from Jennifer Cooke Rotman, who lives in Westborough, Mass., and keeps very busy chasing after Matthew, who is 2. Jennifer and her husband are expecting another boy in May. Jennifer writes that she sees Melinda Cheston and Audrey Barone often. Melinda is the director of sales and marketing at the Eliot Hotel in Boston, and Audrey lives in Andover. Jennifer also reports that Katie The Losen Goldberg and her husband had their second daughter, Kate, in August. Katie lives in California, as does Ruth Bender, who works at the Tides Foundation and, as we know, travels often to exotic locales. Katie and Ruth see Beth Bitoff Odom when she is in SF visiting her parents; Beth, her husband and daughter live near Venice, Italy. Finally, Jennifer writes that Kate Appleton Fitzpatrick lives in South Hamilton, Mass., with husband John '86 and their two little girls. . . . With a little help from the Colby alumni network, Shaun Dakin has a new job at Fannie Mae in D.C. He and his wife bought a house in Falls Church, Va., and he writes that after 9/11, life has changed in D.C., but it remains mostly the same, thank God. Amen to that, Shaun. . . . In the new baby department, Adair Bowlby-Joskow and her husband welcomed Ariane Rose on March 24, 2001; Adair is working three days a week at the Richmond Area Health Center in Richmond, Maine. In their great house on the Kennebec, she and husband Pete also have a little boy, Serge, and a most spoiled rottweiler, Andi. . . . Laurie and Jon Nash sent word of the birth of their first child, Isabel, on Sept. 26. . . . Justin and Sue Chaffee Cuyler had a little boy, Matthew Justin, last April 10. . . . Last but not least, Shelley Horton Olson and Brad '90 welcomed their own Isabel on May 9. Isabel joins big brother Zack at home. Shelley reports that Melita Marks and Dave Shacter tied the knot on a beautiful September day in Harpswell, Maine. Lots of Colbyites at the ceremony, including Bob and Sue Banta Gallagher, Jeff '87 and Mary Brown DiSandro, Christina Theokas and Gretchen Granger Hartley '90. . . . I was happy and fortunate to get together with Tracy Gionfriddo and Doug St. Lawrence in October; Doug was lucky enough to meet my adorable Johanna, now 6 months old. . . . Keep the news coming!

--Anita L. Terry

top  |   next