Class Notes

Jack W. Suhesky ’24 was the recipient of a scholarship from our Class of 1958 William T. and Lee M. Nelson Scholarship Fund for Excellence. Jack comes from Portsmouth and is majoring in business administration with a specialty in finance. Thomas Whitcomb has moved from Keene to 6619 E. Valle di Cadore, Tucson, Arizona. His e-mail address is thomas.whitcomb7@outlook.com. Alan Vincent writes that all is well in Iowa; his granddaughter was married on March 25. Alan will be visiting New England in the summer to see his son in Connecticut and daughter in New Hampshire. Bobbie and Bob Juster enjoyed spending time with Mary Ann and David Chase during the winter with both couples in Naples, Florida. They all celebrated their 86th birthdays together. Bobbie and Bob celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in June. Married right after graduation, Bobbie recalls that they were always the last couple on the dance floor at UNH gatherings. I keep active with my career and in January participated in a webinar organized by Boston University and MIT. The topic of my talk was “The Road Taken: My Journey in Space Physics from the IGY (1957) to the Present” and included some of my years at UNH. The webinar was to encourage young people to consider a career in STEM, and I focused my talk on “follow your dreams.” I have just submitted a manuscript to a professional journal on the large solar cosmic ray event of Feb. 23, 1956. That event occurred a month before I started working on cosmic ray data acquired by a neutron monitor located in a truck behind DeMeritt Hall and was, in a way, my introduction to cosmic ray physics. We have lost several of our classmates. After graduating from UNH, Joan (Colon) Duncan (Underhill, Vermont) received a master’s in education and lived a very active life. She was an accomplished equestrian, enjoying many sports, knitting, travelling and volunteering. Nancy L. Johnson (Raleigh, North Carolina, and Charlottesville, Virginia) earned a master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina and served in the International Voluntary Services, Laos. She also lived in the Philippines and Peru and worked for the state of North Carolina as a nutritionist for more than 20 years. She enjoyed travelling and quilting. As a graduate student at UNH, Avrom Aaron Levy (Mount Vernon, New York) studied psychology and was a child psychologist for more than 50 years having both a private practice and working for the New York city school system. Aaron had an affinity for photography, antique clocks, wine tasting, classical music and travel. Upon retiring from teaching home economics in the Long Island, New York, area, Janet R. Tegan and her husband, Bob, returned to New Hampshire to live in Dover. She was an avid reader. Bradley A. (Brad) Trefethen (Ballston Lake, New York) served in the U.S. Air Force and spent his professional career as an insurance agent for Liberty Mutual and later as an insurance agency manager for Allstate. Brad volunteered with Saratoga County to deliver meals to those in need and was an avid sports fan enjoying golf and bowling. Other classmates who have passed include Paul Dana Archibald (Sun City Center, Florida), Donald Brenton (Naples, Florida), Joseph Cotie (Orange City, Florida), Beatrice Curtis, (New York, New York), Richard W. Funke (Gilroy, California) and John J. O’Connor (Cambridge, Massachusetts).

Kudos to Michelle Morrissey ’97, editor-in-chief and Corena Garnas of Alumni Relations for their hard work in providing us with the wonderful Winter 2023 hard issue edition of UNH Magazine. I wish to remind class members that although there were no issues mailed during Covid months, those previous issues can be found online at https://magazine.unh.edu. In a conversation with Sam Paul, class president, he mentioned that he did not spend time in Florida this past winter as he was undergoing chemotherapy for the cancer in his lungs, but he added that there were some positive results from the treatment. I was so happy to hear from Mike Mikzenas at Christmastime. He mentions that “getting old isn’t easy.” That we know! He still thinks about and misses the old UNH gang. He and his wife, Terri, are still in Clearwater, Florida. Unfortunately, I have no news from other classmates. Corena Garnas on the Alumni Relations team suggests we come up with memorable events on campus while we were there regarding a favorite class, affinity groups or meeting up with a UNH grad somewhere far from the campus. In the last issue, I mentioned the good times we had at Commons during our freshman year. A good memory for me occurred in February of our senior year when John F. Kennedy came to UNH. As secretary of the campus Young Democrats, I greeted him and shook his hand as he came out of the limo with Pierre Salinger before going into New Hampshire Hall. At 21 years of age and meeting this 42-year-old running for president, I had all I could do to remain standing! Here are the names of classmates who have left us. Leo Martin passed away on June 25, 2021. He had been in the insurance business for 60 years. Leo and his wife, Pat Moriarty ’61, had lived in Akron, Ohio, for 33 years, retired to Westport Island, Maine, for 15 years and then moved to North Carolina because of his failing health. George LaCasse died on June 26, 2021, in Blue Ridge, Virginia. Joan Evelyn Hill passed away on October 30, 2021. She received her bachelor’s in mathematics and her master’s in mathematical/computer education at Oregon State University. She was a lifelong teacher. Margaret Cooney died in Lansing, Michigan, on August 9, 2022. She studied French at Indiana University and The Sorbonne in Paris, receiving a master’s degree. In later years she received her CPA accreditation and served as auditor for the Michigan Public Service Commission. Benjamin J. Prescott of Concord passed away on October 13, 2022. Ben worked for National Cash Register for many years. He later purchased a sporting goods store in Concord and a bike shop in Manchester. His early years of caddying led to golf opportunities at home locations in Concord, Chebeague Island, Maine, and St. Simons Island, Georgia. Deanna C. Holt of Nashua died on January 18, 2023. For many years Deanna was employed as an administrative assistant at Sanders Associates/BAE in Nashua where she met her husband, Alan. The Class of 1960 Endowed Scholarship Fund was awarded to Alexandra L. Vergara ’23 of Alton Bay, who is majoring in English.

First off, I want to thank our classmate Don Dean for making my day by sending me a short “thank you” note. Things like this make this job even more rewarding and fun. I love to hear from classmates I knew and many I didn’t know 60 years ago but I do now. Don’t forget to check out Natalie Salatich Jacobson’s book, “Every Life a Story: Natalie Jacobson Reporting,” which is primarily a reporter’s journal. You will find it on Amazon, ebook and Audible, with Nat doing the narration. Our esteemed class president, Ralph Young, and his wife, Judy (Corbett) Young, are looking forward to their sixth voyage aboard a Star Clippers sailing ship, this time the Royal Clipper, from Cannes, France, through the Strait of Gibraltar to Lisbon, Portugal, in October. This ship is 439 feet long and accommodates 227 guests. Judy added some info about their family: They celebrated Ralph’s 80th birthday with a trip to Sunday River and looked forward to their three grandchildren’s graduations this year. Next year they’ll have four in college, with only the youngest still in school. They enjoy trips in New England and to Maryland to spend time with their son and family. From my Christmas messages, Ingrid Norman Willikens, like many of us, hasn’t traveled as much lately as in past years, except to visit her daughter, Kaia, and family in Florida. Her two sons, Donny and Ian, both live in New Hampshire. Frank “Skip” Hubbard and wife Karen received some devastating news after Hurricane Ira dumped 20 inches of water inside their winter retreat on Marco Island, Florida. So they stayed in their home in Connecticut and re-learned how to clear away snow and ice! But both are very active seniors, so they managed and will rebuild their Florida home. There’s room in this column for a couple of obituaries that were sent to me. Elaine Chase Jackson was born in Rhode Island and raised in Jackson. She spent many years in California and New Hampshire (The Jack Frost Shop) as a clothing buyer. At age 33 she married the love of her life, Joe Jackson (along with his three children). They settled in Bournedale, Massachusetts, and ran Jackson Plumbing & Heating together for many years. Elaine became a grandmother of nine and a great-grandmother of 12. They retired to Anna Maria Island and spent winters at their home in St. Lucia. Elaine loved spending time with her family, reading, sailing and traveling. Robert Wendell Oslin of Bessemer, Alabama, passed away in May 2022. Born in Boston, he received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture-forestry, served 26 years in the U.S. Army, retiring in 1991. His career included two combat tours in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, two tours in Germany, and multiple assignments in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa. He was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho while at UNH. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Patricia. Richard Rogers of Fort Collins, Colorado, died peacefully on August 18, 2022. He was a tie-dye craftsman, a hippie, an artist, an author and a veteran. He developed and sold thousands of new and interesting tie-dye designs. If you check out his web page: https://stroyan.net/tie-dyes/ you can still see his many designs. He was a pacifist but served his three years as the supply clerk for the Frankfurt Army Hospital. He lived in communes in Vermont and at The Farm in Tennessee, a spiritual community, which ended up being the largest hippie “commune” in the country. Carol Joy (Hanson) Smith died peacefully in Providence, Rhode Island, in November 2022, after a long courageous battle with ALS, her husband Jerry wrote to tell us. Carol taught elementary school, adult education and ESL. She was fluent in seven foreign languages, an accomplished pianist and composer who made her performance debut at age 15, a gifted, award-winning poet, and a research consultant. She enjoyed ice skating, tennis, cake decorating, travel and mountain climbing. She and Jerry were married for 43 years. The names of deceased classmates sent to me from the Alumni Office include William Allgaier III (February 2023) Anthony DeRocchi (September 2022); Mitchell Dirsa (November 2022); Charlie Downes (December 2022); Warren Edmonds (December 2022); Susan Pimentel Meyers (August 2022) and Raymond Steenbeke (June 2022). Our condolences to the families of our deceased classmates.

As you now know, I am your new ’66 class correspondent. In order that you might know who’s writing this, here is what I was doing at UNH: Forestry major; freshman year: Gibbs Hall, track and cross country; later, Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, three years in Student Senate, senior key, and member of the 50th Anniversary Committee. Douglas Murphy writes that he and wife, Ann, are enjoying golf and other activities around Naples, Florida, where he is president of the Southwest Florida alumni chapter, keeping up the UNH spirit. The club might take a cruise, enjoy lunch and annually comes north for a Red Sox game. Douglas has a granddaughter at UNH and anticipates more grandchildren as students at our alma mater in the near future. Mary Parry Wolfe reminds me that her husband Frank ’65, my fraternity brother, passed away over two years ago from pancreatic cancer. Mary and Frank started Lake Street Garden Center in Salem 50 years ago, and Mary still works there. She sows all the seeds from late winter through spring. The management has passed to her oldest son, Tim. Two of Mary’s three children and her daughter-in-law are UNH alumni. She enjoys time with her family, including four grandchildren, and has a lake house in Northwood. She keeps in touch with UNH friends and certainly maintains the UNH spirit. Jane Washburn is happy that pandemic restrictions have been lifted so she can go back to volunteering at theaters. She is also a Granite State ambassador, volunteering for various events and venues, meeting new people and learning more about New Hampshire. She mentions that she has been friends with Betty Johnson Beaverstock since they were UNH freshmen. That’s a 60-year friendship! Betty and husband Eric Beaverstock ’67G are enjoying life to the fullest. They married in 1967, and are now retired, Eric from the computer software industry and Betty from teaching home economics in Maine and Massachusetts. They have one daughter, Holly ’95. Betty and Eric hold season tickets for UNH football and men’s hockey and have attended the men’s Frozen Four Hockey Tournaments since 2000. That event might be held in Boston, or Tampa, or somewhere else in the country, so provides a chance to travel. Other destinations include theatre productions in Boston, Ogunquit, Maine, and Cape Cod. The Beaverstocks are classic car buffs, especially enjoying the Father’s Day show in Hyannis, Massachusetts, and the Independence Day show at the Owl’s Head Transportation Museum in Maine. Other destinations include New York’s Adirondacks, Pennsylvania’s Poconos and Dutch country and Betty’s hometown of Morrisville, Pennsylvania. They keep in touch with our classmates Mary Washburn, Mary Parry Wolfe, Jim Rock and Carol Conde Miske. I know what you’re thinking. The answer is yes, Betty and Eric do have a home, in Hollis, which they built back in 1975. Brian Mitchell spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force after college, and then had a wide-ranging employment experience, in Turkey and Spain, public housing maintenance director, retail auto parts sales, and even telemarketer. In 2006, Brian’s heart issues caused him to retire, but he volunteered with the Disabled American Veterans and served as a veterans service officer assisting with veterans’ compensation claims, a rewarding experience for him. Unfortunately, Brian’s oldest child died of cardiovascular issues. Brian and wife Ginny have been married for 57 years, and very involved in their family. They have eight grandchildren, including one in Russia, and two great-grandchildren. Brian’s enjoyment is his presidency of the Florida MG Car Club. He works on his three Triumphs and an Austin Healey, keeping them going, or trying to. As for me, I have two daughters, a son-in-law, and two grandsons, all in Massachusetts. My wife, Katsuyo, passed away from cancer in 2017. I had dinner with AGR brother Ross Allen in 2018 and took two friends to Maine for a tour of Moosehead Lake in 2019 in one of the restored small planes another fraternity brother, Roger Currier, Thompson School of Agriculture, owned for that purpose. I was sorry to learn that Roger has since passed away. My book should be out this year: “What’s Going on in There? A Jail Chaplain’s Story,” published by Austin Macauley, vignettes of my 30 years at Hampden (County) Correctional Center. I have a house on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, with a 120-degree view of the ocean. I rent it out when I can’t be there. It’s listed at VRBO.com, ID 4730426. I hope to hear from more of you!

Dave ’66 and Di Deering ’67 with Natalie Salatich Jacobson ’65 (middle) at the Southwest Florida alumni chapter annual Red Sox game.

It’s been great to hear from so many of you by email or our class Facebook page. Maryevelyn Biggers Monty had exciting news: “Love found me again! I married Neil Pilotte October 8. He is 10 years my junior and still working as a medical technologist. We are both avid skiers and building a house at Sugar Hill. We also hike the Whites and canoe on the mighty Merrimack with our Australian shepherd. I am a professional museum interpreter (tour guide) at Canterbury Shaker Village. I have amazing health and energy thanks to a life practice of dance, yoga and Pilates. Neil and I are politically and civically active. I am very grateful for my life journey! My name is now Maryevelyn Monty Pilotte.” Other classmates are on the move, too. Art Learmonth writes: “After 17 years of retirement in northwest Washington state, my wife Diane and I have moved back east to Stockton Springs, Maine, to be closer to family.” Ken Nelson is happily retired with his wife, Joyce: “We spend our winters in Lake Wales, Florida, and the rest of the year we are at our home in Somersworth. Much of my time is spent gardening, metal detecting and doing volunteer work for various civic and nonprofit organizations. We are blessed with good health and lots of grandkids.” Richard Masson has been living in San Pedro, California, for decades. He says: “A cool note is that every year, in the summer, a few of us UNH graduates meet for a week of golf and bonding, somewhere in the U.S. The four of us played baseball together at UNH. This year we are going to Nashville.” The group will include Brian Collins, Walter “Buddy” Walsh, Rick Schavone, and “a non-baseball guy,” Jerry Isaacson: “Buddy lives in South Carolina, Brian in Florida/Massachusetts, Jerry in Tiburon, California, and Rick is about to settle down in Laconia.” Under the byline @janiceharayda, I write a column on pop culture, among other articles, for Medium.com, which has upwards of 50 million visitors a month. In April I linked to one of my stories that I thought might interest our class (especially those from New Jersey like Margaret Urban, Cynthia Brown, Brad Cook and Laurie Folkes): “Are We All Wrong About the Legacy of Bruce Springsteen?” It explored — from my perspective as a Garden State native — how the world might remember the Boss. A happy result was that I heard, through our Facebook page, of many class connections to my home state. New Jersey native Gale Griese Butcher says she lives in Brewster, Massachusetts: “Happily retired from teaching. Married to Bill Butcher ’69 for 53 years!” E. Warren Pierce III said that after UNH, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Dix 1972-1975. Thomas Earle Moore noted that he’d enjoyed listening to Bobby Rydell’s “Wildwood Days” before UNH, and a few years ago, finally made it to the New Jersey beach town the song celebrates. Jim Fiore added: “As a kid growing up my parents always took me to Hampton Beach every summer while my best friend always went to Asbury Park. For my 75th birthday my family took me to Asbury Park!” Jim is still an avid runner who recently ran several 3.8-mile races and one 3.5-mile run at State University of Albany as part of Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club Winter Series. “I was fortunate to win a Bountiful Bread coupon three times for placing in the top two of our age group (70-79),” he says. Congratulations, Jim!

“A good time was had by all!” Our 50th class reunion was a huge success according to all of the attendees! The crazy weather couldn’t dampen our spirits. Thanks to the incredible organization, transportation was always present when needed. From the reception lunch to the final dinner, we were entertained and involved whether by speakers, tours or activities. It was rewarding to interact with the UNH president and many current students. We knew we were in “good hands” wherever the venue. Our amazement never ceased with all the changes over these 50 years; building and renovating continue into the present. Most impressive were all the upgraded technologies and recent innovations. We were also very impressed with all of the improvements regarding the university’s progress in its sustainability — a model for the country. We would be proud to have our grandchildren attend our University of New Hampshire! In other news: David Shaw ’73 recently brought a piece of his UNH history back to campus for what he hopes is a permanent inspiration to current students and visitors. It was more than 50 years ago in a UNH art class that he created a sculpture using a Styrofoam form and molten aluminum. “I named the sculpture Amara, and it lived with my parents and then me for many years as a single piece.” He recently decided to produce more Amaras in cast bronze — three of which were installed this spring on the UNH campus. “My hope is that these sculptures will convey the sense of joy and inspiration that I felt as a student at the time that the original piece was created,” says Shaw, who, along with his brother John, created the Shaw Explorers program through UNH’s Peter T. Paul Entrepreneurship Center with a generous gift in 2021. The sculpture gift, he says, is made “with gratitude for my UNH experience, and appreciation for the school’s impact in the world.” UNH Magazine did a story about the Shaw Explorers Program in its last issue, you can find that here: magazine.unh.edu/issue/winter-2023/the-age-of-exploration. It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Gary Russell Edwin O’Neal in March 2023. Gary was well known by our classmates and his participation in the theatre department

Doug Lenz ’79G with wife Karin in Olympic National Park, Washington.

Meg Cowan writes that she recently retired as executive director of the Newport Opera House here in the Granite State. Built in 1886, the historic community-based theater brings quality, affordable entertainment to the area. Meg managed to keep it vital during the pandemic: “It was an interesting time for sure and we were shut down for a year and half,” she shares. “It’s a tall order trying to keep a nonprofit theater alive when there is no audience. We managed, and I’m happy to report it is still going strong.” You can take a tour with Meg these days in her new job, pursuing her lifelong passion of New Hampshire tourism as a “step-on” tour guide for the White Mountains Attractions Association or manning a booth for them at travel shows in the off-season. We hear from Carolyn Avery after 31 years as a pediatrician. Retirement finds her keen on doing fine art painting. Accomplished at that, she’s even won a couple of first place awards in local competitions near her home in the Washington, DC, suburbs. You can find most of her paintings on Instagram, @claverly111. Carolyn stays busy these days by stirring up good trouble with political groups and church. Her sister still lives in Durham, so she’s back frequently. She notes that campus has changed a lot since the days she was a student and volunteering with the ambulance crew, but the town not so much. And nothing beats a New England summer! Suzan Messina has lived in Windham for 38 years with husband, Peter Ohanian, their children and Italian greyhound. They love to travel visiting warm spots like the Cayman Islands, and frequently visit Florida. Her business, The Law Offices of Suzan Messina, specializes in real estate. She is also the vice president of her local garden club who strives to provide public service and scholarships. A visit to campus by Doug King led to a chance encounter with Willy Ryan ’79 last summer. Doug tells us Willy was working as assistant manager at the local Dunkin’ Donuts and says it was good to catch up and reminisce about UNH in the late ’70s. Doug also caught the UNH women’s club lacrosse team playing UVM that weekend, what a great club program! Donna Keefe Shannon ’78 wrote to tell us her sister, Marcia Keefe, originally from Manchester, passed away October 31, 2022, at Maine Medical Center after a sudden illness. Marcia earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and resided in Maine most of her adult life, living in Alfred and later in Saco. She taught in the Alfred School District for 20 years before moving to Saco where she was a medical secretary for 12 years. Marcia loved living near Ferry Beach. She leaves behind two sons, one granddaughter, her husband and four siblings. Sadly, many other classmates have passed away recently. You may refer to the In Memoriam section of this issue to review their names. Please write! Consider these idea starters: share your favorite spot on campus, favorite class if you can remember. Were you a part of an affinity group? Where’s the craziest place you bumped into a UNH grad? Join the Facebook class group “UNH1980,” invite your friends and post photos.

THE BIG PLANS OF THE BIG ’80S

Plans are under way for the “Big ’80s” 40th Reunion on June 7–9, 2024…please mark your calendars and join the Classes of ’83, ’84, ’85 and ’86! For those who haven’t been back to the Durham/Portsmouth area in a while, this is an excellent opportunity to connect with longtime friends and see the many upgrades to the UNH campus. We’re planning Friday night festivities in Portsmouth on the Friday night of that weekend, and a day/evening of fun in Durham on Saturday, wrapping up with a farewell brunch in Durham on Sunday. You don’t have to wait until next year to begin connecting with everyone; start right now by joining the Planning Committee. Whether you live near or far from UNH, there is something you can help with, including classmate outreach, finding venues and caterers or getting sponsors. Do you own a business or know someone who might like to help underwrite one or more of the reunion events? Sponsors are well-recognized in reunion-related communications. The 35th Big ’80s Reunion had more than 500 people in attendance and more than $20,000 in sponsorship support. With your help, these classmates aim to top that! To join the planning committee, contact Robin Schell ’84 at rschell@jjwpr.com or John Davis ’85 at johncdavis@comcast.net. Sponsors should also contact John Davis. Remember to join the reunion Facebook group “UNH Classes of 1983-84-85-86 Reunion” for the latest information.