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Class Notes

 

Class Notes for 1966

Winter 2013

With no New York Marathon in the fall, Bob Adams completed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail instead—six distilleries in two grueling days, and a free T-shirt to prove it. * Gary Knight won another term in the Maine House of Representatives, his last, due to term limits. It was a painful campaign due to a German shepherd bite on the shoulder and a fall that caused a ruptured Achilles tendon and sprained ankle, followed by surgery, a cast, and lengthy rehab. “It’s a battle out there in political land,” says Gary. * Peter Grabosky received the 2012 Gilbert Geis Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Criminology in recognition of outstanding professional contributions in the area of white-collar crime. Peter adds that the recognition relates to research on, not the practice of, white-collar crime. * Barry Willdorf announces the publication of his novel The Fourth Conspirator, part three of his 1970s mystery trilogy. * Six years after retirement, Gretchen Wollam O’Connor has learned how to relish each day by catering to her creative side, which was sidelined for 40 years. Ceramics, sewing, upholstering, photography, and videography keep her hands busy, while swimming and yoga keep her fit. Gretchen, Ellie Caito Thompson, Linda Kaiser Wantman, and Marty Walker Marchut continue their summer get-togethers, a lovely way for them to honor the memory of their dear friend Carol Lordi, who started the tradition 20 years ago. * Fran Finizio has learned the art of retirement quickly—golf (with Dag Williamson and Peter Lax last summer), exercise, reading, house and yard work, travel, including a tour of the Canadian Rockies, and volunteer work as board member and treasurer of Agassiz Village, which runs a summer camp in Maine for disadvantaged inner-city Boston children. * Betty Ann Hernberg Went’s volunteer efforts are as a “crazy cat lady” working with 125 others who serve the needs of feral, stray, and unwanted cats in innumerable ways. * RVer Ted Houghton is busy growing his Internet enterprise, “The Ultimate U.S. Public Campground Project” at www.ultimatecampgrounds.com. * John Perkins’s mother, Grace, a Colby faculty wife from 1936 to 1944, passed away last June at 103. Although a Bates graduate, she often spoke of her love for Colby. * Pam Harris Holden and Bryan Harrison Curd ’65 had a great trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest last fall. * Karen Riendeau-Pacheco went to Haiti in January with a church group to visit orphan children and give out equipment, encouragement, and hugs. * Sue Turner credits Reiki, mindfulness yoga, and meditation for helping her through a difficult summer of 2012 when complications of cancer treatment caused extreme fatigue and discomfort. Happily, the news by late fall was encouraging; tests showed no advance and even some improvement, and our brave classmate marches on, saying, “I’ve decided I can coexist with the cancer as long as it doesn’t get greedy, and that’s a good place to be right now.” * Another courageous classmate is Janice Holt Arsan. Her husband, Noyan Arsan, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s three years ago. Noyan retired as director of the Graduate School of Business and Executive Development programs at Koc University in Istanbul, and they moved back to the Atlanta area to be near their children and grandchildren. Despite Jan’s determination to care for him at home, she was advised he would be more contented at a memory facility near their home, where he has been since late summer 2012. Although the deterioration continues, he still recognizes family and friends, and Jan’s release from 24/7 care for him has been a tremendous relief. * Sue and Jan, we wish you the very best. * Anne Hodsdon, wife of Tom Hodsdon, reported Tom’s trip back to Colby in fall 2012 was his first since graduation, the incentive being to visit their only child, Morganne, Class of 2016, on Parents Weekend! Tom has retired, is a golfer, and lives in Rye, N.H. (Note to spouses and partners of reluctant classmates: You too can send me news!) * Wonderful responses; more to come.

 
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