Class Notes
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1947
Class Notes Editor
Nancy Wills Keteku wrote to share that her mother, Arline Kiessling Wills, died on September 1, 2023, at the age of 98. Arnie transferred to UNH in 1946 after her marriage to Charles B. Wills, and they graduated together in 1947. A native of Melrose, Massachusetts, she lived in Lynnfield, Massachusetts for 72 years, contributing to the town through the Historical Society and the Friends of the Library. Arnie published two books, a Wills family genealogy and a history of Lynnfield, and numerous articles on European travel, another of her favorite activities. A voracious reader, she belonged to the same book club for 50 years. Charlie and Arnie raised four children and adored her seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Dick Dart ’49
1949
Joan Boodey Lamson
“He never met a stranger and was quick to offer any help he can to someone in need. He was kind, thoughtful and very loving. We will miss him. If you want to honor my dad, just try to be like him.” These were the words of our Class President Dick Dart’s daughter, Debbie, after he died on September 8, 2023. Just a few days before on August 27, he had happily greeted his 98th birthday. I have read many comments like that of Dick’s daughter by former students of Dick, who taught algebra for more than 30 years at Simsbury High in Connecticut. Every one of them praised Dick for being a wonderful and unforgettable teacher. Melinda “Mindy” Fitch wrote: “Dick Dart was my most kind and patient high school teacher, when I moved to Simsbury, three months before my high school graduation in 1969. And boy, do I mean patient. Later, as the years went on, my husband and I were raising our sons, we moved to the beautiful little town of Tariffville, a few houses away from Dick and Bev Dart. ‘Surprise,’ I said to him. He said, ‘Oh boy. I just won’t help you with your checkbook.’ He was a wonderful man. Many of Dick’s former students and friends have kept in touch. In retirement, Dick often sent an e-mail to them showing an unusual part of our world or amazing happening like an eagle that perched often on a sky-high tower and then soared down to Earth. I was one of those lucky viewers.” A neighbor wrote “Dick was a great friend to me. As Navy veteran of World War II, he was proud of his country and diligently placed flags at the cemetery in our town of Tariffville and on the street poles each year. He accomplished so many things in our community that he was named a hometown hero.” Dick met his wife, Bev, when she came to UNIH to attend a dance and to visit her brother, who was a friend of Dick’s. He introduced them. They were married 73 years. Bev died two years ago. They had two daughters, Debra and Linda, three grandsons and one great-granddaughter. I know you classmates will remember Dick, the amicable basketball star and his winning ways, and now you know that he became a wonderful, unforgettable teacher and friend to so many. My oldest and closest UNH friend, Donald Bent ’48, whom I met in Durham in 1946, died at the age of 97 on June 20, 2023. Don and his wife, Nancy (Bowen), who was Dean Woodruff’s secretary at UNH, visited us one summer on Pleasant Lake. They liked the area so much that they purchased the one available lot on Lamson Lane that weekend. By fall of 1959 they, with three young children, had settled in New London. Don taught at Colby Junior College (now Colby Sawyer College). In 1967 he took the family to Malaysia, where he taught microbiology on a Fulbright Scholarship. On the way out they toured Asia, then Europe and Scandinavia in a VW bus for two months. Don’s son, Doug, shared, “Most of all, Dad was an educator. Whether it was swimming lessons or microbiology, water quality or public health, sailing or how things work, building things, fixing things, taking things apart, sometimes putting them back together, he was always teaching. It was what he enjoyed most and was the best at.” After getting his master’s degree at UNH in 1953, and after he retired from the Navy Reserves as a lieutenant commander, Don graduated from the University of Maryland with a Ph.D. in microbiology. Don was New London’s health officer for 33 years. He also was an active worker in the New London community and state organizations and the New London Rotary and Outing Clubs. Don loved sailing. He sailed to islands off the coast of Maine in a boat just big enough to feed and sleep four close friends. In the winter, he was off to the ski slopes. He had an excellent singing voice and was a fantastic whistler. Don and Nancy would be in the chair lift in front of Don (Lamson) ’48 and me and we would have to guess what tune he was whistling. Sadly, Nancy died in her 80s. The Bents had three children, Cindy, Susan Stinson ’74 and Doug ’77, who lives in a new home on the family property on Lamson Lane, with his wife, Becky. They then enjoyed their four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Don would drop whatever he was doing to always help when he was needed. He was a wonderful friend and citizen of our country and community. I didn’t know Dorothy Haynes Pitman ’47, who passed away on May 27, 2023, in Meredith; but I have the 1947 Granite yearbook and she was a very pretty co-ed born and raised in Lisbon. “A few days before she died, she rode with her children around the Lisbon area reliving some wonderful times,” according to her obituary. Vaughan Pitman ’45 must have noticed how pretty she was too, because after meeting her the first day of art class at UNH, he gallantly saved a seat next to him with sign he made that said, “Saved for the Artist.” They were married in 1947 after Dot graduated and enjoyed 65 fun-filled years together. They raised their five children in Hollis, where Dot was very active in community and church affairs. She did substitute teaching and was an educator and outreach worker for Nashua Family Planning. She delivered Meals on Wheels to Nashua well into her 90s. They loved hiking and camping with their big family and friends. Dot’s greatest joy was spending time with her five children and their families which included 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She always said, “If variety is the spice of life, my life has been filled with spice.” I know I would have liked spicy, fun-loving Dot. I am writing this late in October, but it is due to come out in February/March, which is the height of UNH’s extremely popular ice hockey season. Now I will tell you about this great sport in the 1948 and 1949 seasons. The outdoor rink (No! There was no inside rink) was surrounded by a half-high wooden fence, which spectators stood behind. It was good that you had to stand because on a typical windy day with the temperature hovering around freezing, you could jump up and down to keep your feet from freezing. It was a good year for our team in 1948 when they played in 11 games against the big New England College teams. However, one of the mildest winters in the history of Durham brought great disappointment to our 1949 Wildcat Hockey Team. The unseasonable warm weather wiped out all home games and most practices. They played only three games: Army, Bowdoin and Northeastern, on their respective rinks. Aren’t our Wildcat hockey players and their cheering UNH spectators lucky today?!
1950
Class Notes Editor
The family of Dr. Frank Irving Burno wanted his classmates to know he passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by members of his family on October 26, 2022. He was 96. A physician, scholar and adventurer, he was dedicated to community and family. At UNH he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology. His university education was interrupted by service in the U. S Navy during World War II when he served as an aviation electronic technician’s mate third class. He practiced internal medicine in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, from 1957 until his retirement in 1994. Early in retirement he served part-time as physician to the Federal Indian Health Service serving Indigenous populations (Assiniboine, Sioux, Chippewa and Cree) at Fort Peck and Rocky Boy Reservations in Montana. He was predeceased by his wife in 2019. He is survived by four children, their spouses, and a daughter-in-law, as well as six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Patricia, and a son, Jon. His family carried on the UNH tradition: daughter Susan Palmgren graduated in 1979, and granddaughter Heather Holmes graduated in 2017.
1951
Class Notes Editor
Jane Hayes Brown wrote in to share a bit of family history: “My father, Robert Hayes, graduated from UNH in the class of 1916 with a degree in electrical engineering, I graduated in 1951 with a degree in psychology. My nephew, Bob Lyon, graduated in 1975 with a degree in hydrology. Our grandson, Tim Brown, graduated in 2015 with a degree in mechanical engineering. I never talked with Tim about attending UNH. He just liked what he saw about his field of interest and loved the campus,” she notes. “How’s that for four generations of UNH grads!”
1952
Class Notes Editor
The family of Bob Leavitt wrote UNH Magazine to let us know he passed away on June 17, 2023. He grew up in Durham and attended UNH as an engineering major. It was here he met his future wife, Loire ’53, in an economics class. He served in the U.S. Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. He had three master’s degrees, worked for IBM taught at Fisk University, and took extensive bicycle trips. He was active in his local library, Methodist church and Boy Scouts.
1953
Ann Burghardt
I drove through Durham in mid-September en route to NHPBS on Mast Road for a program about that facility. A quiet campus between classes, I noticed that New Hampshire Hall, now used for classrooms and offices, was getting a facelift. But in our day the Women’s Physical Ed Department was there (remember those blue gym uniforms?), and the gym was also used for dances and Stunt Night, among other things. George Lyon in Escondido, California, writes that he was a founding sponsor of the Army’s first National Museum at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, and visited it in May. George held the rank of colonel and served in Korea. A note from Charlie Steeger, Elaine Henderson Steeger’s husband, says Elaine is now in the memory section of their assisted living facility in Needham, Massachusetts, where he can see her daily. They observed their 68th wedding anniversary in September. James Owen, a music major, died February 11, 2023. After Army duty, he earned a degree in business administration at Burdett College and a master’s in education at Boston University before teaching music at Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine, where he developed various music groups. He later created an Art Department. He was a president of the Maine Arts Association, state representative to the National Art Education Association, and in 1981 he and his wife Lucia were elected fellows of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain for their work in slide-tape productions. Business administration major William (Bill) Borden, originally of Keene, died February 26, 2023. A Theta Chi, he was also a member of Blue Key, Scabbard and Blade and Outing Club. His wife, who died in 1975, was Nancy Hill Borden ’54, an Alpha Chi; they had four children who survive. Bill served with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division before returning to Keene to take over the family business, The People’s Laundry, which grew under his innovations. Daniel E. Hogan died March 22, 2023. He was a Theta Kappa Phi, president of the Newman Club, member of Scabbard and Blade, captain of the Track Team, among other things, and developed a lifelong interest in pole vaulting. As an Air Force pilot, he flew 282 combat missions in Vietnam, earned a master’s in business administration and retired in 1979. He then taught social studies in Nashua and was a volunteer track coach at two Nashua high schools, teaching pole vaulting for more than 20 years. Marilyn Hartnett McGuinness of Leominster, Massachusetts, died April 27, 2023. After majoring in History, she earned a bachelor’s in special education from Fitchburg State College and was a third-grade and special education teacher before retiring after 21 years as a social worker for the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare. Marilyn was an animal lover, giving help to animals in need. Chemical engineering major Robert Todd, a Phi Mu Delta who sang bass with the Salamanders, died April 24, 2023. At UNH he met Arianna Whittemore ’47; they married in 1954. He started for Goodyear Tire and Rubber as a development engineer, served with the U.S. Air Force in Japan, and returned to Akron, Ohio. He held a variety of jobs with Goodyear, including six years in Paris and in the company’s initial commercial contacts with China (1979-1980). Bob sang in church choirs and enjoyed many sports. John Gill of Chuluota, Florida, who was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, died January 31, 2023. He majored in and had a career in mechanical engineering, after which he enjoyed a variety of hobbies including machining and woodworking. Joan Hutcheson Kingsbury, wife of Richard (Dick) Kingsbury, died March 22, 2023. She was a secretarial studies major, and a member of Alpha Chi. Joan volunteered in the Chelmsford, Massachusetts, school system and was Girl Scout leader. The Kingsburys’ last home was in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts, which Dick designed in 2000. Robert (Bob) Ellis of Falmouth, Massachusetts, died June 3, 2023. He majored in business administration, earned an MBA at Boston College and a master’s of library science from Rutgers, then worked as a business consultant for several corporations. He also ran his own travel agency and served as a U.S. Navy officer during the Korean War. He and his wife had seven offspring, all college graduates. Bob quipped “in lieu of inheritance we educated our children.” Ronald F. Gray of Nashville, Tennessee, died July 21, 2023. A math major, he earned a doctorate in mathematics education at the University of California and taught at various schools and colleges in the U.S., Canada and Trinidad. Bob Leavitt ’52 of Ridgefield, Connecticut, died February 16, 2023. Bob and wife Loire (who passed away in 2021) met in an economics class while at UNH and married in 1954. Bob worked for Dupont Chemical and IBM.
1955
John Everson
In our last ’55 News we asked you all to send us a comment of any special event or award you were most proud to receive after leaving UNH. Unfortunately, we got little or no response. It is rather hard for me to fill an article with welcome news of our classmates, without your help. We have just under 200 members still living in various parts of the country, so please send me a short e-mail with a little news on anything jandleverson@gmail.com. Had a nice call with Roger Parker the other day now living in Nigel, New Mexico. He says he manages to get to an exercise class at least twice a week now and is fortunate to have his daughter living with him. His wife passed away in 2018, but he still manages his 20 acres and his vegetable garden — not many of us can say that. Received a very nice note from Jim and Paula Shira. They moved from their house in Denver to Greenwood Village, Colorado. Seems they sold the house to one of their three sons. They feel it is a real pleasure to be able to live in Colorado: Good weather, lots of sun, mountains for skiing, sightseeing and friends and family close by. They are both active in church and love their flower gardens in the spring and summer. Last spring, I got together with Bill Johnston and Chan Sanborn for the Southwestern Florida alumni gathering. Seems we are just a few of the ’55 class remaining in the area. Both Chan and I are full-time residents while Bill comes down for a few months from Michigan. Bill is still in great shape but not ready to play hockey. Chan of course is full of energy and still very active in UNH activities. If you want to know anything about UNH these days just ask and you will get an almost immediate response, Bill and I could not believe his involvement nor the fact he still manages to attend football games. We did hear from Tom Tracy’s wife, Marilyn Tracy ’58, that she and Tom are well, but they have given up on arranging football get-togethers for all the home games. Seems that the group is now too small to organize any group events. Sorry to hear that! You may have heard Billy Pappas passed away recently, and a group are working to get the UNH Athletic Department to honor him in a similar way that they did for Norris Browne. Will let you know more when we hear any further news. Had a note from Anne Russell ’56 her husband Ken Russell (deceased) was in ’55 so she passed a little info on to me. Anne says she misses the Chi Omega girls who used to meet every summer, but unfortunately did not happen this year. She did mention that Lee Perkins ’54 came down this year from Wolfeboro to visit. Seems he has children in nearby Exeter. Now that was a name I had not heard since leaving UNH in 1955. Bill Lacey has sold his lovely boat and is now living in Boxford, Massachusetts, with his lovely companion, Ruth. Bill Geoffrion and Shirley are living in Venice, Florida. They send their love to everyone. Len Willey passed away in August at 89 and will be sorely missed by many of us. Len was a dedicated family man, co-worker, teammate and friend. Before moving back to New Hampshire, he lived in Ridgefield, Connecticut, while working as a captain for American Airlines for 33 years. Len made significant contributions to the Ridgefield Boys and Girls Club, UNH Athletic Association and especially the UNH basketball program. Len’s wife of 68 years Penny (Marian Sitter Willey), also in our class, moved from Connecticut just recently to Ohio to be closer to her children Linda and Michael Andersen, Len and Julie Willey, and Janice and Kenny Day. Penny grew up in Westchester, Pennsylvania, before attending UNH. Unfortunately we just heard that Penny passed away on October 8, 2023. They will be missed by their family, friends and all those whose lives they touched. Had a nice chat with Eliot Jameson a few weeks ago. He said he and his wife were just headed to Cape Cod for a few days. They are still living Branford, Connecticut, and enjoy the life of living on the Long Island Sound. Tried to contact Bob Cuthbertson recently but got no reply. If anyone has been in contact, please ask him to give us a call and a little news. Unfortunately we lost a few more of our beloved classmates and send our love and prayers to all their families. Donald Brown of Bremerton, Washington, married Mary J. Hanson in February 1958 and after serving in the U.S. Navy and went to work as a design engineer at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard retiring after 22 years. He is survived by his three children, several grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In September we lost Laird Charles Towle who went on to graduate with a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Virginia and worked with the Naval Research Lab. In Washington, D.C., for more than 20 years before retiring. In 1969 he co-founded the Prince George’s County (Maryland) Genealogical Society with Shirley Lando Wilcox, George E. Russell and others. He and wife Marlene founded Heritage Books, Inc. in. 1977 and sold it in 2002. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and seven grandchildren. John “Kit” Barnes went on to obtain a master’s degree from Trinity University in San Antonio. Survived by his wife Joanne Robinson, two sons, two daughters and 13 grandchildren. Lt. Col. Richard Kelley passed away in August 2023. Richard retired from the U.S. Air Force. He was most proud of his MATS Service patch for flying 10,000 accident-free hours and his second-place finish in 1964 National MATS Air Drop. He was a commercial pilot with Pan American Airways before retiring to South Glastonbury, Connecticut. We send our love and prayers to all the above families. Remember: Send me some news for our next newsletter.
Jim and Carly Hellen ’57 celebrate at Reunion.
1957
Nancy Jillson Glowacki
Jim and Carly Hellen share a photo of the celebratory mood at reunion! A passing to report in our class: Prescott Greene passed away quietly at The Collins House hospice on July 28, 2023. “Scotty” graduated summa cum laude and worked for Joy Manufacturing of Claremont and Franklin, Pennsylvania, for 41 years, retiring as the director of engineering. After retirement, he served his community as the executive director of the DeBence Antique Music World Museum in Franklin until the time of his death. Scotty is survived by his wife of 67 years, Dorothy Binmore Greene, his three children, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. His daughter Joanna Jones shared, “Dad was a big UNH supporter. When we realized he would not recover, we went to Durham and took pictures of campus for him, and he was quite pleased. He was always very proud to be a UNH engineer.”
1958
Peggy Ann Shea
The North Andover, Massachusetts newspaper The Eagle-Tribune issue of April 3, 2023, carries a feature story of Frank Johnson’s book “Looking Back.” The book, a history of the Highland View Farm in Windham, where Frank and his ancestors grew up, contains many stories of life on the farm from the early years to the present. Those stories, plus some new ones, were collected from columns Frank wrote for local publications. Frank and his wife, Mary (Todt) Johnson, still live near the farm; their son Scott now resides in the family farmhouse built around 1753. Flowers, vegetables and ice cream are sold at the farm. At UNH, Mary majored in mathematics and Frank studied fine art, English and history. Mary and I were classmates in Professor Robert Davis’ calculus classes. Frank and Mary, retired from teaching at Salem High School, are active in church activities, sing in the choir and are part of the local historical society. Mary Ann and David Chase are moving permanently to their Durham Point house by the end of the year. They still spend their winters in Naples, Florida. Ned Gould and his wife have moved to Reno, Nevada. Ned wrote that wild horses visit their yard frequently. During the UNH Evening of Distinction in October, I had time to visit with Polly (Lessard) and Jack McDonough who live in Eliot, Maine. They occasionally attend lectures at UNH. Editor’s Note: You can read about Peggy receiving the Pettee Medal this year on page 48, and read more about her storied career in space science and physics here: https://unh.me/41qfAcN. Our class has received a letter from Jack W. Suhesky (class of 2024) who was the recent recipient from our class scholarship fund. Jack said “I feel fortunate to have really been able to make the most out of my time at UNH and have the scholarships and support along the way. Thank you for believing in me.” The following section includes the names and information of our classmates who are no longer with us. I have more details that I will share if requested. Barbara (Potter) Barbieri, Milan, was employed as a librarian at Berlin Public Schools for nearly 30 years. She enjoyed outdoor activities and was active in the Berlin Historical Society. Joyce (Hartshorn) Beairsto, Barnstead, devoted her life to helping others. She was a director of the Girls Club in Worcester and the American Red Cross for several years. Employed with Granite State Independent Living, she was a strong advocate for helping people with disabilities overcome issues with accessibility. Clara “Teedee” (Knowles) Carroll, Chatham Township, New Jersey, worked for a short time at Massachusetts General Hospital and later at Chatham High School and was active in many Chatham organizations. Lloyd Conery, Wolfeboro, had a varied career as a field agent and service manager with the Farm Bureau, teaching elementary education in Wakefield and Rochester, owning a gasoline station and working at an IGA in Meredith and Hannaford’s market in Wolfeboro. John D’Angelo, Sr., Methuen, Massachusetts, served for 27 years as a special agent for ATF’s Boston Field Division investigating high-profile federal and criminal cases. James Donahue, Wilmington, Delaware, had a three-decade career with the DuPont Company which included 10 relocations with the organization through a number of promotions. After retirement, he began a consulting career with the Forum Group. Robert Goodrich, Stratham, worked for the Extension Service in Rockingham County. William Harmon, Enfield, Connecticut, was employed at Hamilton Standard as a mechanical engineer and was an active member of several Enfield organizations. After retiring from a very distinguished career in the U.S. Army, Lt. Col. Harry Kageleiry, Dover, attended Rivier College for certification as a teacher, and taught mathematics and computer science at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover and Hesser College in Portsmouth. Virginia “Ginny” (Paulu) Leonard, Wilbraham, Massachusetts, was an avid golfer and skier, and loved gardening. Fred Lloyd, Jr., Portsmouth, had a variety of jobs before he found his love of education, serving with the Portsmouth School District for 21 years. He was best known as assistant principal at Portsmouth High School. Al Newman, Citrus Heights, California, taught French, Spanish and history for 40 years. He traveled to more than 60 countries, lived in a remote corner of Guatemala where he was involved in the used clothing business and wrote two novels and a comprehensive genealogy which were published online. Ralph Page Jr., Littleton, Colorado, was employed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, spending most of his career in Colorado. He loved music and was a collector of LPs and CDs. Others no longer with us include Richard Murphy of Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, and Robert Vedeler of Estero, Florida.
1959
Jack Sanders
Stan King informs us that he is still residing at Falcons Landing, a military non-profit continuing care community in Loudoun County, Virginia, and is staying busy with resident activities. He also regrets not being able to get back to New England, thanks to COVID-19 precautions. Please take a few minutes to send information about what of interest is going on in your life that you would like to share, or that of a member of our class of which you are aware.
1960
Estelle “Stella” Belanger Landry
I am hoping that by the time you read this letter I will have completely recovered from a broken radius and ulna of the right arm. My husband and I were in Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend a family wedding. We decided that we had enough time to go for a walk before the 2 o’clock wedding which, unfortunately, resulted in a sidewalk fall. Needless to say, we never did attend the wedding as I spent the next three days there in a hospital followed by more hospital and rehab stays when back in New Jersey. As a result, typing this with one hand on my desktop is a challenge! Other than my mishap, it is not only sad that I have no classmate news to write about, but even sadder that I have to mention the passing of classmates. Donald C. Bullock of Emerald Lake Hills, California, passed away on February 5, 2023. He studied mechanical engineering at UNH and served as commodore of the sailing team. He served in the Peace Corps twice in his lifetime. His love of water led him to a career in water purification. In his later years, he lived on a boat in Florida. Long-time Dover resident Donald Chamberland passed away unexpectedly on April 17, 2023. The first of three generations of Wildcats, he graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for 30 years and spent the final 10 years at Pease Air Force Base. Don served as president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and as a docent at the Seacoast Science Center. James “Jim” P. Greene of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, left us peacefully on July 1, 2023. He was born in Castleblayney, Ireland, and grew up in Dover. He set several records while playing on UNH’s basketball team. He was a successful businessman in the Harrisburg area. Jim was a lifelong athlete having biked in the Tour de Belt just weeks before his passing. On October 19, I received notification from UNH informing me that Beverly Jean Fay died peacefully in her sleep on October 16, 2023. She was a proud mother of three and grandmother to two. Over the years she was a flight attendant and an art teacher. I do remember spending some fun time with her at a couple of our reunions.
1961
William Tighe
Welcome fellow classmates to this edition of class notes, February/March 2024. Time sure does fly, we must all be having fun. As of this writing, Harvey Galloway advises he and wife Linda have once again made their annual voyage to Ogunquit, Maine, to enjoy the autumn weather, dinner and camaraderie with classmate Dennis Shinn and his wife Sherry Boyd Shinn ’62. The weather was slightly uncooperative with some rainstorms prevailing initially but then sunshine reigned for the rest of the visit. Denny and Harvey’s friendship goes back roughly 70 years. Harvey also advised: “We have had three of our grandsons get married this past year and as well we now have three great-grandsons — so far.” Bob Shea reports from Virginia he and his wife took a small ship cruise in May 2023, from Caen, France, to Copenhagen, Denmark. The trip proved to them that long city walks and cobblestone streets are not user friendly to us ‘old folks.’ “It was a great adventure but probably convinced us our days of international travel are over. I still have my UNH 61 Virginia license plate on the car showing pride in my roots.” Lois (Stickney) Magenau reports the Alpha Chi Omega sisters have been enjoying being together on Zoom for the past few years — Penny (Hallward) Gage, Lois, Sally (Orcutt) Page, Nancy (Parry) Blampied, Brenda (Ferguson) Kanarian, Lynne (Wrightnour) Lefelar, Ann (Miller) Patch and Judy Holbrook Thompson, their honorary Alpha Chi! “We connect every other Tuesday. Not only is the experience of reminiscing and catching up wonderful but there is a lot of love and support we offer to each other.” Bobby Coppins ’83 advises his dad, William T. Coppins, a member of our class, passed away in July 2023. His headstone, at his request, is proudly marked with UNH ’61. The family has set up a program with UNH, the William T. Coppins II ’61 and Patricia M. Coppins Athletic Scholarship fund. Please send along your thoughts and ideas for future editions of our class notes. UNH ’61 — Best Class as Ever There Was.
1962
Judy Dawkins Kennedy
Ken McKinnon, Alton Bay, is no longer skating because of balance issues but still coaching and now managing the age 80+ American Hockey Team that plays the age 80+ Canadian Team. Ken has recently reconnected with Paul Dumdey and Ed Mullen; they are working on fundraising for UNH Hockey Renovation Fund, Whitt 2.0, for a $6 million expansion of the Whitt. For more info go to unhwildcats.com/SupportTheWhitt. Ausma Melkis Briedis, after retiring from occupational therapy, volunteered in a hospital, at a museum, in an orchestra and other opportunities. Recently she moved to a senior independent living place in Hackettstown, New Jersey, where she sometimes runs exercise classes. Peter Greer enjoyed visiting with former colleagues from Portland, Maine, public schools at his home on Sebago Lake. In February he got engaged to his Colorado high school girlfriend. Periodically, Peter is in touch with Richard ’62 and Susy Goodnough ’64 and Paul Durette. He is feeling old as one of his granddaughters graduated from Goucher College and is in a graduate program while another granddaughter graduated from University of Virginia in nursing — he even has a great-grandchild, Cyrus.
1963 class attendees posed for a group shot at the 2023 Reunion.
Top to bottom: Classmates Diane Glenn, Chuck Glenn, Wenda Helme, Sue Clark, Cheryl Dickson, Mary Ann Pappanikou, Peter Garry and Harold Parks. 1963ers Sue Clark, Wenda Helme, Andrea Coleman and Cheryl Dickson lunch at Angelina’s in Concord with friends reminiscing of days at UNH.
1963
Cheryl Kuebler Dickson
The final update of our 60th Reunion which was held in June 2023: After the expenses of the reunion, our class has given the final pay out of our treasury of $6,080.65 to the UNH Class of ’63 Scholarship Fund to be given to future UNH students. Ken Wade and his wife, Gayle, so graciously invited those classmates attending the reunion to his home in Durham for some appetizers and beverages on Friday afternoon before we attended the lobster bake. Those attending were Barbara Taylor, Wenda (Thompson) Helme, Susan (Chapman) Clark, Mary Ann (Theophile) Pappanikou, Sue (Robinson) Long, Robert Butler and Sue, Jim and Jean Anne ’62 Twombly, Carolyn Sue (Gordon) Johansen, Peter Garry and me. I am happy that so many of you have sent me updated news that I am sharing with our classmates. Diane (Abramowitz) and Chuck (Grzebielski) Glenn celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in June with a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii (Kona) accompanied by their two daughters Darlene Glenn Wolff ’86 and Dawn Glenn Edmondson along with their husbands and their two grandchildren, Alex and Sophia Wolff. Diane was one of the volunteers who helped organize the 60th reunion. Diane graduated from UNH with BFA and was a member of Delta Zeta. She has also been an active (30 years) Realtor with Jack Conway Realtors in Canton, Massachusetts. Stella and Doug Scamman ’64 still looked forward to fall and going to all the UNH home football games. “At most games we would run into our classmates including Carroll Winch, Susan Long and Cheryl Dickson. We are still living on the farm in Stratham. Our biggest project for 2023 was the complete restoration of our 1750 barn. We had a major celebration in the barn to rejoice the saving of the barn as well as celebrating our 60th anniversary.” Nancy (Markey) Gleason has been living on Great Diamond Island, Casco Bay, Maine for 45 years, first as summers, and for the past 20 years, year-round. Her husband of 58 years died in June following living for seven years at home with Alzheimer’s. How exciting it must be for Jim Twombly and Jean Anne ’62 to watch their grandson Aiden Twombly play football for VMI. Jim writes that Aiden has been starting tight end since his freshman year. They saw Aiden play against Bucknell where he had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, VMI lost to Bucknell 21-13. I had a nice note from Bill Sullivan ’63 ’65G, a member of Kappa Sigma and captain of the track team. From 1965-67, Bill was in the Peace Corps in Venezuela. While there he was national champion of Venezuela in discus and second in hammer. Receiving his Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico, Bill did research in Venezuela on the 1890-1908 period and worked with three presidents. He is finalizing a 5,000-page biographical, historical, geographical and statistical dictionary of Venezuela, 1890-1908. Married with two sons, Bill has lived in Verona, Wisconsin, and volunteered for high school track teams. He was inducted into the Wisconsin State Coaches Hall of Fame. Donald Sargent from Somersworth graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and has lived in New Bern, North Carolina, with his wife, Catherine, for the past 32 years. After a short attempt at retirement, he went to work for the U.S. Marine Corps in 2002. Retiring in 2016 at the age of 76, Donald is enjoying being a senior citizen. Sara and Don Cote (also ’70G) wrote they love their beautiful views of the mountains and Frasier Retirement Community in Boulder, Colorado. They have enjoyed the never-ending choice of classes, entertainment and trips. Don has volunteered to help low-income and retired people prepare their taxes. He has also worked with the city council on flood control, and volunteers at Frasier as well as their church. They have enjoyed many river and ocean cruises. Two of their children and three grandsons live nearby. Their third child, Jim, and his wife live in Indiana. As for me, in September, my daughter, Kelly Kirkpatrick, and I were invited to fly with the football team to see the Central Michigan game in Mount Pleasant. We toured the CMU athletic facilities and had seats in the visiting AD Suite to watch an incredible game. We spent time chatting with UNH personnel, including coaches, trainers, administrators and those who organize the intricate parts of the trip. A fabulous trip! Hopefully 2024 will bring joy and good health to all. Days are getting longer and spring will soon be here. I am looking forward to hearing from classmates for the next edition in August. A cheery so long and stay in touch — Cheryl, aka “Chew.”
Doug Scamman ’64, Cheryl Dickson ’63, Stella Scamman ’63, Sue Long ’63 and Carroll Winch ’63 at Homecoming.
1964
Polly Ashton Daniels
Heartfelt thanks to those of you who sent along your condolences with the passing of JD. Still often think about picking up the phone or emailing him about a book I’m reading! Susan Abell Sinta, Ann Arbor, Michigan, recapped for me that occasion of meeting her husband of 55 years, Don. It was our UNH Band Director Don Mattran who introduced the two. The Sintas have two sons: one in Chicago and one in Los Angeles. The first big gig their son Blair enjoyed in his musical career was with Alanis Morrisette and the career took off from there. Presently he’s with Fitz and The Tantrums. Sue and Don are major University of Michigan football fans. Don is recovering from hip surgery; Sue sings with the University Musical Society. The big upcoming news is the approach of our 60th UNH Reunion in June. We must “push” the invitation to one another and encourage everyone to hit the campus! Save the dates will be in the mail soon, in the meantime mark June 7-9, 2024, on your calendars and plan to be in Durham. Learn more at unh.edu/reunion. Hmmmm, the above number, minus five, total the years you’ve been sending me news … let’s continue this magnificent trend! Take care of one another and remember, your smile lights up someone’s world (try it — it’s true!).
1965
Jacqueline Flynn Thompson
Kay Lawrence Ruma and Armand C. Francoeur married in Rye, on July 22, 2023. They have lived together in Rye since 2015 after each tragically lost a spouse, Kay in 1996 and Armand in 2012. Kay and Armand agree that their getting together was a lucky meeting of old acquaintances, and it happened because they were each members of the class of ’65 reunion committee! They feel blessed to have found and married each other even at 80 and look forward to much happiness ahead. They enjoyed a 25-day cruise to Greenland and Iceland for their honeymoon. Armand has been class treasurer for as long as I can remember. Congratulations to two very deserving friends. As most of our classmates are turning 80, I’m happy to share a couple of special celebrations. Mary Kellogg Bourgault’s kids and grandkids put on a dinner theater mystery, Casablanca 1942, to commemorate the event. They were all in costume, and there was music from the era, vintage posters and newspapers to read. I also know that Armand Francoeur and Kay’s family also celebrated with a similar murder mystery dinner. Our children and grandchildren hosted a family dinner to celebrate my 80th birthday as well as Chuck’s, with our entire family able to be here. We then rented a large cabin in Bretton Woods for three nights for everyone to spend time together. We took the Cog Railroad up Mount Washington, traveled on muddy, windy roads in an open off-road vehicle, and visited the Mount Washington Resort, among other fun things. Steve Smith and Margie are enjoying a Danube River Cruise from Regensberg, Germany, to Budapest, Hungary, as well as a few days in the Big Apple celebrating 30+ years together. Steve continues to teach in Northeastern University’s master’s nonprofit management program. His area of focus is fundraising and he feels fortunate to still be in demand at age 80! Sharon Welch Dean’s latest novel, “Finding Freedom,” honors our entry into our 80s as it traces the journey of an 80-year-old woman driving alone from Oregon to Massachusetts. Sharon is doing her part to keep the UNH spirit alive. She now lives in Ashland, Oregon, but still misses New England. Our class president, Ralph Young, and spouse Judy Corbett Young are enjoying their retirement community, Piper Shores, a continuing care retirement community located on the ocean in Scarborough, Maine. Time flies, they’ve lived there for five years now. Ralph says the management and staff of the community are devoted to serving seniors. Judy serves as chair of the Food and Nutrition Committee, and Ralph serves as chair of the Resident Buildings and Grounds Committee. Edward Willett of Hampton died on January 23, 2023. After graduation he became a passionate educator and taught for more than 38 years in many Maine schools, including Lincoln Academy, Livermore Falls, Gorham and Portland public schools. Joseph Bettencourt of Poughkeepsie, New York, passed away on March 4, 2023. He earned his bachelor’s from Suffolk University where he met his wife, Martha Ann Gerroir. They were married for 54 years before her death in 2018. Joseph received his master’s and doctoral degrees in parasitology from UNH. He started his 50-year career at Marist College as an associate professor of biology. In 2016 he retired as Marist’s longest-serving employee. He enjoyed walking the Hudson Valley Rail Trail daily. He is survived by three children, five grandchildren and four great-grandkids. Marsha Jordan Newick, a resident of Saco, Maine, died on March 13, 2023. She lived in Yarmouth, Maine, for 43 years before moving to Saco. She taught for 40 years in the Yarmouth school system, after graduating with an elementary education major and a political science minor. She was awarded a master’s degree in mathematics education from the Boston University School of Education in 1968. The first few years of Marsha’s teaching career were in Somersworth, Durham and Merrimack. After moving to Maine in 1972 she became academic director of the Levey Day School at Congregation Shaarey Tphiloh in Portland. Her great passion of her last 20 years in education was teaching social studies to middle school students. Diana Butler Shore passed away June 15, 2022. She is survived by her husband Stephen of Loudon, three sons and five grandchildren.
Dave Cohen ’66 with his grandson Gaelen on Thacher Island, off Rockport, Massachusetts, where Dave and his wife have been volunteer resident keepers for more than 12 years.
1966
Jonathan Tetherly
Greetings, centennials! That’s not the name of a generation, but our name as members of the 100th class at UNH, in case your memory needs a jog. Linda Mulley came to UNH with us, stayed three years, and then finished at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in experimental psychology. She then worked at Haskins Labs in NYC in speech/linguistic research from 1967-70. After moving to Vermont, she co-founded and directed developmental centers for folks with disabilities from 1972-1980, with one gap year, training at the School for Deaf/Blind/Autism in the Netherlands. Linda received two advanced degrees: an M.Ed. from Lesley College and a CAGS (certificate of graduate studies) from the University of Vermont. She co-founded Practical Autism Resources, working part-time as a consultant/teacher. She continued in training and work with children and adults through 2006. She is married, with three grown children, mostly retired, and is a cellist and Buddhist. Linda remembers fondly her friends at UNH. Dave Cohen, a business school graduate, can name many of his favorite professors at UNH: Max Maynard in humanities, Asher Moore in philosophy, Thomas Williams in fiction writing, and especially Donald Murray ’48; Dave took all of his writing classes. He says that Prof. Murray himself was his major. He describes classes with no textbook, little class time, but hours of struggle writing and re-writing. Dave’s grueling experience (no pain, no gain!) learning to write led him to spend his summer after junior year writing for the Gloucester (Massachusetts) Daily Times, and later, 40 years as a newspaper writer, including 27 with the Boston Globe. Donald Murray later became his colleague at the Globe. Donald was the newspaper’s writing coach, and contributed a column, “Over 60.” Dave and his wife Sharron live in Gloucester. Donald J. Gemmiti and wife Carol live in Nokomis, Florida. They have two daughters, three grandchildren and one great-grandson. Donald owns and still works in a fundraising consulting firm. Continuing to work while being a great-grandfather is pretty remarkable! Jane Martin passed away on July 23, 2023. According to her obituary, Jane continuously improved herself. She obtained her pilot’s license, and in 1970 went to work for the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic control specialist first at Hawthorne Airport then at Hollywood Burbank Airport and at Los Angeles International Airport. Following this challenging job, she went back to school and in 1979 received a bachelor’s degree in computer systems and entered the technical field as a systems analyst/engineer for Xerox Corporation and then Hughes Aircraft Corporation. She was an entrepreneur with her own business for many years as a PC support specialist, technical writer and editor. She’ll be deeply missed by family as well as her UNH “Sawyer” sisters with whom she attended weekly Zoom meetings, including Marilyn Perkins, Diane Newick, Cyndy McLeod, Rose Morin, Jan Serieka and Carol Sudol. In the summer class notes I mentioned that I was publishing a book about my 30 years as Protestant chaplain. I worked at the Hampden Correctional Center in Ludlow, Massachusetts, the county jail for Hampden County. The title is “What’s Going on in There? A Jail Chaplain’s Story.” Since I last wrote, I changed publishers. I am now with the Book Writer Cube near Portland. No, not that one — Oregon. My wife Katsuyo (Kay) died in 2017. She flew to Boston from Japan by herself on propeller planes at age 21, knowing no one, worked as a nanny, learned English, studied nursing and retired as a director of Baystate Health System in Springfield, Massachusetts. She was a great golfer and designed our house in Canada. My daughter Christine, son-in-law Mark and grandsons Owen and Cody live in Franklin, Massachusetts. My daughter Naomi and four cats live with me. I tap my neighbors’ trees and boil maple syrup in my backyard, usually about 25 gallons, much of which I sell at farmers markets. I’m a semi-retired track and field official for high schools and colleges in Massachusetts and Connecticut. After UNH, I received my master’s in forestry from the University of Minnesota. I taught biology at Assumption College, a Benedictine junior college in Richardton, North Dakota, now defunct. Then I went to seminary and received my M.Div. at Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, Massachusetts, now located at Yale University. I was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1974 and served a two-point parish in New York for five years, and 10 more in Chicopee. Then I went to jail but was able to come home every night — I was a chaplain at a correctional facility. To keep busy, I worked as a substitute teacher in middle and high schools. In the coffee room at Putnam High in Springfield, Massachusetts, some of us began talking union. We got a positive vote and began negotiations with the school department. The Carpenters Local were our sponsors, but after giving up, they asked both teachers unions to take us on, and both refused. But the United Food and Commercial Workers agreed, and in nine months, they had the contract. It lasted from November 1994 to March 1999 and provided great increases in income, plus other benefits for the about 400 subs, approximately 130 working each day. I now chair the Actual Justice Task Team of the Southern New England United Church of Christ. We coordinate with other criminal legal advocates to change laws. How about you? What have you been up to? Inquiring minds want to know!
1967
Diane Deering
Greetings classmates. We enjoyed some of the fall activities on the beautiful UNH campus and look forward to the activities of our SW and East Coast Florida events through the winter! There are many snowbirds from our class! Too often as we age, we report the passing of our friends. I fondly remember Peggy Ninde Purcell as my floor mate in Devine our senior year. Peg went on to a career in real estate and Purcell Property Management in Dover. Our condolences to husband Bob and daughter Gretchen Joslin. Kathryn Baldwin Graf of Manchester, Maryland, died in June. She had been a manager of the North Carroll Senior Center. She was the widow of the late Alton “Bud” Graf and is survived by her son, William. We also celebrate the life of Dick Lunt who was an electrical engineer at the Portsmouth Shipyard. Dick volunteered much of his time with the archeology societies of Maine and New Hampshire, as well as the Old Berwick Historical Society. On a happier note, UNH classmate Doris Bens and I met recently at our 60th Cheshire (Connecticut) High School reunion! Doris asked if I had heard from our Jessie Doe and Fairchild dormmate Nancy McGary of New York city. The very next week Nancy emailed me because she had seen a picture of me and my husband David ’66 ’67G, with her Alpha Chi big sister Nat (Salatich) Jacobson ’65 at the SW Fla Red Sox spring training game. Karma? Nancy and I would like to plan a get-together next spring. One location suggested was the Molly Picher Resort in Red Bank, New Jersey … or maybe a location in Maine. All our UNH friends are invited. Reaching out to Mary (Lautzenheiser) Wasserman in Princeton et al.
1968
Angela Piper
Hello to all 1968 classmates. It was so interesting reading all your adventures and gatherings. Mike Corbett wrote that Sigma Beta and several Delta Zets gathered in San Francisco for the centennial celebration for Sigma Beta. This group included Jack Rafferty, Roger Formisano, John Lindahl, Peter and Nancy Brown, Dick and Joan O’ Connor, Jim Leavitt, Mike Corbett, Rick Oettinger and Steve Harvey. That must have been a memorable get-together. Jill and Allen Brandt are enjoying grandkids and take in a UNH football game from time to time. Sue Ann Robinson is staying active in the art world and continues to teach at California State University and work in her studio in Long Beach. She is preparing for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Long Beach Museum of Art in 2025. Richard Shmishkiss still works at Bank of America and continues to run UNH Night at the Boston Pops. Many of you have attended this event, I’m sure. Cindy Ledger and Allan love living near the beach. From time to time, she meets up with Gale Smith Starr and Kathie Kirk Robinson. Richard Whitney has recently published a retrospective exhibition of his work in book form with 275 paintings and the stories behind them. You can find more information at studios@crescentpond.com. Reunion: only 12 classmates attended our 55th reunion. I hope we see more of us at our 60th. John Donovan and cohorts had another great year of skiing — some things never change! But this year he tended a torn rotator cuff, so he had to take it easy. Since then, he has been to Ireland, visited Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and Mount Rushmore. He also just caught up with friends Ken and Jan Davis Brown who both worked with him on The New Hampshire newspaper. Douglas Vaughan took the river cruise from Jacksonville, Florida, to Charleston, South Carolina. What a treat to be on the cruise and learn so much about our great country! They took a second trip with Road Scholar program to the Virginia shores. Another Road Scholar adventurer, Lynda “Boo” Anderson Rishkofski, went on her 52nd trip, this time to the Seattle shore where she swam at Orcas Island. She and Joey still live in New Smyrna Beach. Bruce and Donna McAdam have also traveled with Road Scholar, the most recent trip was to Croatia. Bruce still subs in the schools in Dover. They have recently visited with Joe and Carolyn Dooda, Dick Smith and Bruce Marshall ’69. Sarah Knox lives in West Virginia where she is doing research in the biophysics/bioelectric field relevant to cancer, and she finds time to travel. It is interesting to read about all of your adventures. Please continue to be in touch.
1969
Steve Capistran
Hola! Kathy ’71 and I just back from a wonderful trip to Spain and Portugal. Traveled with Kathy’s two sisters, Susan Hayes Swaine ’73 and spouse Bob, and Peggy Hayes. Homecoming Weekend was great; attended both the hockey and football games, good wins. Sitting next to me at football was Nancy Jillson Glowacki, the class of 1957 alumni secretary. Enjoyed her enthusiasm and great conversation. Katie (Perry) Firczuk reports that several members of the class of ’69 and others gather annually to celebrate the time they spent together living in International House, a tradition started by their house mother, Mary Booth. This year they gathered at the home of Nishan and Carolyn (Parent) Nahikian ’70. Those attending were Bill and Peggy (Mehron) Sandford, Joel Nelson ’70 and wife Joyce (Bailey) Nelson ’70, Michael ’70 ’75G and Katie (Perry) Firczuk. Other alumni included Nancy Winterbottom ’70 ’76G, Richard Whitney ’68, Kate Hill ’69, Dave Hill, Paul ’70 and Karen (McGlinchey) Foss ’70, Web Bunnell ’71 and Bonnie Abbott ’70. Also, six couples in the group are married and met at UNH, 50+ years of married bliss. Audrey Young Deloffi shared that while visiting Cape Cod this past summer, she and husband Tom were thrilled to connect for lunch with Audrey’s roommate, Shirwin Merrill Pockwinse, and her husband, Dick. Audrey and her husband have been retired to Hobe Sound, Florida, for 11 years. For any alumni in the Treasure Coast area, watch the UNH website for East Coast FL alumni activities. Dick Lord would like everyone to know that he has been living in Durham for most of his varied and successful professional career. He is the president of the Lamprey River Watershed Association, a member of the Durham Historical Board and New Hampshire Art Association. Congratulations to him for being inducted into the UNH Department of Electrical & Engineering Old Fogies. Also, this past summer he was recognized for his 32 years of volunteerism in the Lamprey River Association. REMEMBER, our 55th Class Reunion will be held June 7-9, 2024. Let’s have a great turnout. Looking forward to seeing you there. Info available at www.unh.edu/reunion. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the year. GO ’Cats!
Audrey Young Deloffi ’69, right, met up with Shirwin Merrill Pockwinse’69.
Several members of the class of ’69 and others gathered at the home of Nishan and Carolyn (Parent) Nahikian ’70.
1970
Jan Harayda
Thanks a million to all of you who’ve kept the news for these notes coming! You may have noticed, alas, that we lose more classmates with each issue. If you’d like to see a balance here between obituaries and news of the living, you can help by sitting down right now and dropping a note to the address at the top of this column (and if you have a partner or child who attended UNH, including his or her graduation year). Have you wondered what our class president Bill Gardner has been up to since he stepped down as the New Hampshire secretary of state and the longest-serving state election official in the U.S.? Not long after he announced his retirement, Bill was named the 2022 Perkins Bass Distinguished Visitor at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy at Dartmouth College. That honor called for him to visit Dartmouth twice to give lectures and to meet with public policy students. Eric Halvorson lives in the Concord area and has been great about keeping up to date on the activities of Bill and the others in the area. It was great to hear that Donald Boynton and Susan King Boynton are enjoying their retirement on Cape Cod. We have lots of classmates on the Cape, and if you’re among them, why not let us know? Ann Boulanger enjoys being near the campus again now that she lives at RiverWoods in Durham (where Nan Winterbottom also lives). “I have a UNH ID again and can attend all types of events and can even audit classes,” Ann says. “I have not done classes yet as my travel is usually in the middle of semesters. I leave on another trip in 11 days, a cruise from Athens to Rome over 15 days with stops in Turkey and islands. In the spring I went to Ireland and saw where my mother’s parents were born. In April, it will be 10 days in Iceland.” Larry and Pam Barker Smith are still enjoying life in Parksville on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Larry writes: “We’ve been here 17 years now and recently celebrated our 53rd anniversary. We are both keeping active and have the normal aches and pains of others our age. We continue to drive to Mesa, Arizona, for the three wettest months here on the island, November through January. Every winter we try to get together with Al Clark and Blair Buchanan Clark as they live on the far side of the Valley. I’m always surprised that no one living in the Phoenix has ever organized some type of alumni get together.” Jim Fiore is an inspiration with his continued devotion to running from his home base in upstate New York. He recently did four races of 5K or more and did well in his age group. Jim also loves that his daughter, Meg, signed him up for Storyworth, a service that emails you a weekly question to answer that you return to the sender, which can be compiled in a book. Jim writes: “Each week I get a topic to write on such as, ‘What were your grandparents like?’ or ‘What music groups did you see in person?’ I’ve completed 14 stories (which get sent to the kids) so far and have 38 more topics to write about! It’s really interesting as you have a whole week for the topic to percolate in your mind, and it’s amazing some of the things you remember.” We are so sorry to report the loss of seven valued classmates, whom we will miss and keep in our thoughts. They are Peter Hunt, Susan E. Pickering Durgin, Margaret Mary Whalen, Christine “Tina” Shively McGuire, Jody (George) Couillard, Ronald Nathan King and Monsignor John Thomas Cassidy. All of these classmates led lives full of service to others, and I hope you’ll search for their obituaries online. Remember, too, that a full list of obituaries for these and other classmates appears at the end of this issue.
1971
Debbi Martin Fuller
Dennis Sasseville writes that he’s just published his second non-technical book, “Granite Fizz: The Untold Story of Spring Water and Flavored Tonic in New Hampshire.” This was a four-year endeavor doing research into former and current soft drink bottlers in the state, going back to pre-Civil War times. The book also provides case studies on the many spring water/destination spa locales that once graced the Granite State. In 2019 he co-authored “Moxie,” the story of that iconic New England soda with Merrill Lewis ’67. He says he’s come a long way since the Earth Sciences Department! In “Granite Fizz” he explores the roots of the soft drink and water bottling industries and the Granite State’s historic and current role in these significant commercial ventures that touch virtually all of our lives in some way today. Yours truly, Debbi Martin Fuller, went on a fundraising cruise to Croatia, which raised $25,000 for the Pan Am Historical Foundation. We began and ended in Venice, which is one of my favorite places. The Dalmatia coast is breathtaking. Imagine a bunch of 70-year-olds whitewater rafting! “Game of Thrones” addicts would love Dubrovnik and the little villages we visited were exquisite along with the food and wine! Thomas G. Dimitriadis writes that on his 74th birthday, September 2, he watched UNH lose a very close football game on ESPN+ to Central Michigan. He was looking forward to the rest of the season watching Cats football and hockey. Gail Ramsey writes that she can’t think of anything new or exciting except for the fact that she broke her ankle in February. She says she is looking forward to our 55th Reunion in a couple of years. Rhayna Curtis-Teich, formerly of Nashua, has retired to Leland, North Carolina. Dan Mariaschin, our amazing MC at the 50th reunion, has a very sad thing to share. His cousin, age 63, hid in her house in the Kibbutz Nir Oz while it was being attacked by Hamas on October 7. I don’t have space here to tell the entire story, but please pray for Dan and his family. His cousin was taken to the hospital for her injuries, but as of this writing, her son, Sagi, is still missing.
Pat Broderick ’71 signs books in San Diego alongside fellow author Ash Bishop.
Members of the class of 1973, from left to right: Dale Gagnon, Robert Morey, Richard Pastor, Janice Kelley Jaferian, Brinton Wright, Phillip Read, Lauren Pullen and Arun Taneja.
1973
Joyce Dube Stephens
Chuck Parker, Engelhardt Hall, writes that he is still trying to become the “most interesting man on Earth,” but his attempts are feeble. He volunteered to build the set for Sparrow’s Nest Theater in Industry, Maine, population 944. He visits Orchard Park Nursing Home once a week to give joy and comfort to the residents. Chuck has joined a chess club and plays his French horn daily. He also keeps a field notebook and has recorded 145 identified flowering plants in 2023. He also exercises in the UMF pool regularly. Chuck paints small rocks with Maine flowers and gives them to the unappreciated in our society including secretaries, clerks, waitresses, nurses. He opens church services with a prayer and teaches adult Bible study. Of particular note, Chuck donates blood about every 10 weeks, totaling more than 210 pints over the years. His wife Diane teaches classes for senior colleges, and Chuck may offer The Evolution of Islamic Ideology next spring! Brian Doherty, associate broker for REMAX sends more greetings from the Arizona Desert! He is still active in real estate, primarily residential properties in the areas of Scottsdale, Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Cave Creek and Carefree. Brian adds that he does not miss our New Hampshire winters! Dick Pastor reports that the MBA class of 1973 recently held their 50th reunion at the Stonehurst Manor in North Conway. The group has had a yearly dinner meeting for the past five years. A total of 15 alumni attended the three-day getaway, including graduates and spouses. Sadly, we have a number of classmates who have passed away: Henry A. Beaudin, Jr. of Gloversville, New York; Dr. J. Patrick Decoteau of Wilbraham, Massachusetts; Charlotte Fardelmann of Manchester; Willard Robert Harris, Jr. of Readfield, Maine; and Carol-Lee Igoe of Hauppauge, New York. It was wonderful to meet so many of our classmates at the 50th UNH reunion in Durham. I would still like to receive updates from them as well as other classmates to keep this column active [and not just obituaries!].
1974
Jean Marston-Dockstader
After more than 50 years working for the town of North Elba in Lake Placid, New York, Eugene “Butch” Martin planned to retire Jan. 1. He’ll continue to coach high school hockey in Lake Placid. Jeff Wells has retired after 42 years as an IT professional. He enjoys golf, woodworking and family time between Moultonborough and Concord. Ann Getchell Gray lives in Pittsburg. She has been the school librarian since 1995 and after partial retirement continues part-time as the school librarian. James Novak is a professor emeritus, Auburn University. He has published books on Amazon, “Free Land of the Dakotas” and “Sacrificial Lambs, Economics in the Bible.” He also published the second edition textbook, Novak, Sanders, and Hagerman, “Agricultural Policy in the United States, Evolution and Economics” in 2022. Jim Bolduc is enjoying retirement in Hooksett, and his five grandchildren after a civil engineering career that took him to Boston, Houston, Austin, Oshkosh and Concord. His career-defining projects included a 5,000-home development for Del Webb called Sun City in Georgetown, the world’s largest water supply system in Libya and the Seadrift Texas Raw Water Supply System. The satisfaction of helping clients, large and small, overcome the myriad of rules and regulations purported by municipalities, the state and federal government was Jim’s hallmark and the basis for never regretting his decision to major in civil engineering. Don’t forget: our 50th reunion is this June! Mark June 7-9, 2024, on your calendars and plan to be in Durham. Learn more at unh.edu/reunion. Please send news to share with your fellow classmates!
Members of the class of 1974 pose for a picture during a recent event in the Elliott Alumni Center on campus.
Linda Higgins ’74 and Diane Atkin ’74.
Top row, left: Chris Bassett ’75 atop Whitehorn Mountain at Lake Louise Ski Resort near Banff, Alberta. Top row, right: Martha Byam ’75 had a wonderful visit to Squam with her husband and four grandchildren. She sends her greetings! Middle photo: Purr Gow Whalley ’76 shared a photo of a group of Alpha Xi Delta grads from the 1970s who gathered on campus for a reunion. Above: A group of 1976 classmates and alumni from various years played in soccer game as part of a weekend back on campus last fall.
Dr. Robert Barish ’75 has had a successful medical career since majoring in zoology at UNH.
1975
Kim Lampson Reif
Hello classmates! I hope all of you are doing well! I have good news and bad news. The bad first. I went shopping for 10 minutes at a local grocery store and when I went to put my groceries in the car, found that my car had been smashed by a hit-and-run driver! It was hit so hard it was pushed into the car next to it. Long story short, my car was totaled. I loved that car. It was a 2015 Honda manual transmission with only 55,000 miles! Sigh. Now, the good news! I celebrated my granddaughter’s 1-year birthday this year! She is a joy and a wonderful addition to our family. Chris Bassett retired in 2015 after about 40 years of working in various marketing-related positions in financial services and telecommunications technology. He acquired an MBA in the field (although not from UNH.) In retirement, he has been active in the local (Wilmington, Delaware) Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Delaware and is the president of his local ski club. Come try the mountains in Washington state, Chris! Michael Lanza reports that the Lanza Farm is flourishing in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. What started as a silly little hobby in the spring of 2019 has evolved into 17 goats (and growing), 30 ducks, 25 layer hens, two roosters, 20 Cornish hens and rabbits everywhere (difficult to keep up with the exact count). His organic garden spits out much more than they can consume, so they donate to local needy causes along with many duck and chicken eggs. Michael is proud to report that he has been selected to compete in the Senior Games of Forsyth County. “I had to wait to reach 70 and now it’s here,” he shares. “My events are: basketball 3-point shooting, billiards, Pétanque and of course bocce.” Go Michael! You are an inspiration to us all! By the way, what is Pétanque? Plus, he just had the blessing of a seventh grandbaby! John Hersey recently returned from 18 months of travel — Cape Cod, New York, Croatia, Budapest, Slovakia, Cornwall, Salisbury, UK, Spain, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Uganda, Istanbul, Portugal and Spain again. “Photographing the mountain gorillas in Uganda was the highlight,” he shares. Sounds amazing, John! Dr. Robert Barish has served as vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago since 2016. In this role he oversees the university’s hospital and health service system, which includes a tertiary care hospital, more than 40 outpatient clinics and the University of Illinois Cancer Center. Prior to Illinois, he was chancellor of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, Louisiana, and spent 24 years at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he served as chief of emergency medicine as he built a nationally recognized program. In 2005, following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast, Bob helped lead a medical regiment dispatched by the state of Maryland to deliver emergency care to more than 6,000 hurricane victims in Jefferson Parish. After UNH, he earned his medical degree from New York Medical College in 1979, and then interrupted his residency training for one year to provide medical treatment to refugees at camps along the Thai-Cambodian border and in Somalia. A former lieutenant colonel and flight surgeon in the Maryland Air National Guard, Bob was among a select group invited to become a NASA astronaut candidate in the early 1990s. He has been married to his spouse, Jenny, for 40 years, and together they have three daughters and six grandchildren. If you’re ever visiting Chicago, he says, reach out. Please send stories and updates! I would love to hear more about what you are doing if still working, what you are doing if retired and fun adventures with adult kids and grandchildren. Also, I welcome great pet stories and photos! I will do a pet edition if we get enough!
1976
Ken Kincaid
As usual I have been coming up to campus for men’s soccer games and alumni events and I get to see so many old teammates, A few from our era were Tom Johnson, Jim Tufts ’74, Pat Udeh ’84 and Kevin Dewhurst ’78 along with so many others, up to recent 2023 graduates. The team put on a great weekend for us September 29-30 with a reception in the Victory Club attended by about 40 alumni players and then a “game” the next morning with those who are still mobile. Playing in that were Brian Costa ’82, Mike Pompian ’85, Steve Bracy ’86. Thanks to the coaching staff and AD Allison Rich for making this happen. Purr Gow Whalley writes: “In August, a group of Alpha Xi Delta grads from the 1970s had a reunion on the Durham campus. We had a fabulous lunch at Holloway Commons and visited the house on Strafford Ave. — it was great fun.” Pioneering oarswoman and coach Liz O’Leary retired from coaching Radcliffe after the Ivy League championship regatta in mid-May, after 37 years of guiding Harvard-Radcliffe rowing. Before women’s collegiate rowing was recognized as a varsity sport, O’Leary competed in a college varsity eight — in the University of New Hampshire men’s eight. Before women’s rowing was an NCAA sport, O’Leary was coaching championship crews — and then won an NCAA national championship. And before “The Boys in the Boat,” O’Leary put great rowing on the big screen — as Meryl Streep’s sculling stand-in for the opening scene of “The River Wild.” According to an article in Rowing News, O’Leary, a two-time Olympic athlete (1976 and 1980) who also coached the 1988 Olympic squad, began coaching at Radcliffe in 1986 and produced championship crews immediately, winning the Eastern Sprints (when it was still also the de facto Ivy League championship) in 1987 and 1989. Under O’Leary’s leadership, Radcliffe qualified for the NCAA championships 18 times, and she coached 14 women who went on to represent the U.S. on the national and Olympic teams. O’Leary was inducted into the UNH Hall of Fame in 1994, and the O’Leary Cup, presented to the winner of Radcliffe’s annual race against Syracuse and Dartmouth, is named in her honor. Donna Davidge writes “Still running Sewall house yoga retreat in my ancestral home in northern Maine summers, living in NYC for winters. Big event this year performing my one-woman show about my great-grandmother’s life at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, North Dakota, written 30 years ago!”
1977
Lois Kelly
Tis the season of 1977 classmates getting together and sharing their fun with us. Keith LePard reports that 13 Sigma Beta brothers from the classes of ’76, ’77 and ’78 gathered in mid-July for the annual Beta Summer Weekend. This year they met up in Killington, Vermont, for a weekend of golf, ATVing, fun, frivolity and a few cocktails of course. This was the 45th year in a row of this gathering. The attendees and locations have changed from year to year, but it’s almost always a group of 12-18 that meet up. Check out the pic they shared; those who attended but not in the photo: Ed McGrath and Tom Asacker. Regular attendees who could not make it include Jim Casey, Glen Yergeau, Tom Moulton, Peter Saul ’76 and Tim Phoenix. Needless to say, a great time was had by all. Nancy Waldman Taft had the opportunity to reunite with fellow UNH graduates as she traveled around Washington state in June. Their first reunion took place at Deception Pass State Park near Anacortes, Washington, and the second reunion took place at Rialto Beach in Olympic National Park, with the “Hole in the Wall” rock feature in the background.
Top left: Left to right: Classmates from 1977 and Sigma Beta brothers Stan Deloid, Dave Teittinen, Ken Bellefeuille, Bill Chisholm, Al Beck, Gregg Stanley, Ted Wheatley, Keith LePard, Steve Davis, Mike Bergeron, and Bob Williams. Top right: While Dawn Kimball ’77 was in her hometown of Portsmouth for her 50th high school reunion this summer, she had a wonderful lunch with, left to right, Polly Gazaway Stanwood ’77, Sandra Fanny Ziegra ’79 and Carol Gulla ’76. It was a hilarious afternoon reminiscing about UNH and living at Devine Hall. Middle: Left to right, Charles “Kirk” Taft, Jr. ’76 and Nancy Waldman Taft ’77; Daniel D. Stanton (Kirk’s UNH roommate) ’76; and Pamela Hamilton-Powell ’76. Dan’s wife, Clara Conner, is not pictured. Bottom: Left to right: Nancy Waldman Taft ’77 and Charles “Kirk” Taft, Jr. ’76 of Gig Harbor, Washington; Pamela Hamilton-Powell ’76 of Atlantic Beach, Florida; Jim Fels ’75 and Linda Doherty Fels ’77 of Bellingham, Washington. Kirk, Pam, and Jim are all retired from careers in the U.S. Air Force. Pam also retired from the Federal Aviation Administration.
1978
Carol Scagnelli Edmonds
Send your news! Did you relocate after retirement? Following any life-long passions? Traveling? Taking up a new hobby? Would love to hear from you. James Edward Long passed away on March 7, 2023. James was an attorney for more than 45 years, and he loved the law, New York politics and the community it gave him. He was a brilliant legal mind, eloquent writer and fantastic storyteller. James loved to travel, drive his convertible and talk politics and history. He loved to sit on the beach and read good books, but his greatest joy was spending time with his granddaughter. James was an amazing father, grandfather, and friend who believed in treating others how you want to be treated, his family notes. Victoria McKinney-Vareschi passed away July 2023. Victoria had a career in nonprofit leadership and education. She also was the owner of the Metamorphosis Café in Lawrence, Massachusetts. She leaves behind her children, grandchildren and parent of her grandchild. Dave Ruel passed peacefully on June 8, 2023. He enjoyed the ocean, especially in Maine, and boating on Lake George. He was an avid swimmer, animal lover and history buff. After serving as an administrator in a social service agency, Dave transitioned to IT and became the director of administrative computing and enterprise systems at Union College where he was employed for more than 30 years. Dave always left people laughing or smiling. To know him was to love him, and his family says they find great comfort in knowing that his spirit will live on forever.
Top row: Gary Holforty ’79 writes, “I recently spent the weekend on the Cape for an annual golf outing with close UNH friends. Always great to spend time with Paul ’79 and Sandy Tassinari ’79 (above right), Jay Herther ’79 and Gary Austin ’80!” Bottom row: From left to right: Caryl Dow ’80, Jennifer Roussel Porter ’81, Lisa Doty Cloyd ’79, David E. Schricker ’74, Carol Constantineau Schricker ’78, Karen MacDonald ’95, Lin Tamulonis ’75 and ’94G and Karen’s husband Don Anderson ’00G at a hotel in Starigrad, Croatia. Cruising the Danube River are UNH classmates Steve Perna ’79, Gail McSweeney MacInnes ’80 and Eileen Smith ’78 to Steve’s left.
1980
Caryl Dow
Hello classmates, here’s the news you’ve shared and a bit I found on my own travels. Carolyn Rehill Stiles lives in Cohasset, Massachusetts, and would love to hear from alums on the South Shore. She is enjoying her first granddaughter with a grandson on the way in December. After many years at State Street Global Advisors, she is enjoying her role as the senior associate director of gift planning at Northeastern University, and she encourages all of you who are thinking of leaving UNH in your estate plan to let the UNH Office of Gift Planning know so they can answer your questions (email gift.planning@unh.edu or phone (603) 862-3694). Gail McSweeney MacInnes writes she officially retired by celebrating on a Viking River Cruise on the Danube River with her husband John, Steve Perna ’79 and Eileen Smith ’78. The old friends had a great time and look forward to another river cruise. Gail notes she will be helping another close UNH friend, Nancy Errico ’79, and her husband move to their new retirement home in Delaware, and they also see their old friend, Don Bisson ’78, when he is home from his work with The Jimmy Carter Center currently in Tunisia. The MacInneses celebrated their 40th anniversary, John’s retirement and their 65th birthdays with friends Steve, Nancy, Eileen and Tom Pappas ’79. Gail tells us the couple split their time between home in Francestown and an apartment in Boxborough, Massachusetts. They’re not sure what retirement plans are quite yet but they do know they will be spending lots of time with their first grandchild, Lucas. From my view, UNH alumni get around, and it’s just amazing where you find us! I was recently on a fabulous trip with the Seacoast Ski Club, which I’ve enjoyed being a member of for many years and traveled to some really cool places. It didn’t surprise me when I realized I was in Wildcat company in Croatia. Of the 33 on the trip, eight of us are UNH alumni — that’s a pretty strong representation. We had a wonderful time on a national park tour. After exploring Zadar, the oldest city in Dalmatia along the Adriatic (known for its Venetian forts, Ottoman influence and cultural attractions like the famous Sea Organ) we headed to the beautiful Velebit mountains. Every day we discovered new terrain in the Paklenica and Plitvička National Parks, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. Whether we were hiking or biking in the rugged Velebit, kayaking along the Adriatic coast, exploring the magnificent lakes and caves connected by stunning waterfalls in Plitvička, or taking the day off at a local organic winery, we were bombarded by epic views where mountains, canyons and the coast collide. Please join the Facebook class group at www.facebook.com/groups/UNH1980 —invite your friends and send along news and photos.
1981
Caroline McKee Anderson
We want to hear from you. Please take just five minutes to send me an email with your news about family, travels, volunteer activity or career. Or throw out a favorite memory of a person, place or experience from your days at UNH. Rich Baker was recently elected as the president of the National Association of Patent Practitioners (NAPP), an organization of patent agents and patent attorneys who practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Rich has run his own firm, New England Intellectual Property in West Newbury, Massachusetts, for 13 years (www.newenglandip.com), helping inventors get patents and monetize their patents. In his free time, he dabbles in Massachusetts politics and works with his wife, Leisa Mingo ’80 and son David at Achaleus Hill Maple Farm. Sadly, we have several deaths to report. We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of these classmates. Marilyn E. Jewett died on April 1, 2022, in Milton. She is survived by two daughters, two sons and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Suzanne Brita Schecker died on September 16, 2020. Born in Germany, her family emigrated to New York City. She studied acting and later pursued a career with Harris Poll. She earned a doctorate at UMass and practiced psychotherapy first at Crossroads Community Growth Center and then in private practice. Friends say that the enduring theme of her life was growth through learning, self-discovery and spirituality. Suzanne is survived by her brother and his family. Lisa A. Cummings Minkowsky died on February 11, 2023. After UNH, Lisa moved to Seattle, Washington, where she co-owned and managed a flower shop. She returned to Maine in 1997 where she worked at Advanced Dentistry and Windsor Dental. Lisa will be remembered by family and friends for the warmth of her smile, the twinkle in her eyes and the sound of her laughter. She is survived by her mother and brother, as well as her husband, stepdaughter and extended family. Stephen A. Lemire died on February 2, 2023. Prior to attending UNH, Stephen served in the U.S. Coast Guard, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. After UNH, he earned an MBA at the University of Southern California. He worked in inventory control for Harris and Cambridgeport Air Systems. Family and friends will miss his stories of all absurd, weird and unusual things. He is survived by his wife and her son, and two sisters. Peter Lawrence Goulet died on March 24, 2023, in Saco, Maine. Peter worked in the food industry for 47 years, beginning in-store at Hannaford Bros. and rising to director of produce marketing. In 2006, he founded Pinnacle Sales and Marketing. He served as chairman of the board of the Produce Marketing Association and was named North American Produce Marketer of the Year in 2000. Peter was an active volunteer, coaching youth sports, serving as a Boy Scout leader and officiating at swim meets. He is survived by his wife and his three children and their families as well as four siblings. Cris T. Goodman died on April 8, 2023. Cris dedicated much of his career to the family business, Portsmouth Paper Co., serving as CEO. He and his wife enjoyed spending time with family in Naples, Florida, and at the family lake house in Maine. Cris is survived by his wife, daughter, two sons and their families, and his sister. John Dabuliewicz died on April 8, 2023, in Warner. After attending Boston University, he joined the service where he was stationed in Germany. Post-service, he attended law school and became an attorney for the state of New Hampshire. John loved being with his family whether on a grand adventure or playing in the backyard and was known for planning the best family vacations. He is survived by his wife, daughter and sister. He was predeceased by his beloved son. Edward J. Schmidt, Sr. died on April 18, 2023, in Durham. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Columbia and Purdue, he was the first person to earn a Ph.D. in engineering systems design at UNH. He was a diplomat in the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. He was pre-deceased by his wife of 58 years. He is survived by his daughter and son and their families. George Frederick James Langs, Jr. of Dover died on July 12, 2023. George served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 22 years, rising to the rank of master sergeant. He completed his degree in history at UNH while serving in the military and later earned his master’s degree. George was dedicated to the Dover community and was a member of the Parish of the Assumption and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was predeceased by his first wife. He is survived by his wife Patricia Langs ’58 ’65G, his son and daughter and their families. Please write!
1982
Julie Lake Butterfield
Gretchen Cherington released a memoir in June 2023 detailing the infamous embezzlement scandal involving her grandfather. “The Butcher, The Embezzler, and The Fall Guy” chronicles the story of Alpha Larue Eberhart, who was dismissed by George Hormel, the founder of Hormel Foods, in 1922. A century later, she raises the question of whether her grandfather had any involvement in the embezzlement, which was orchestrated by Ransome Josiah Thomson. Gretchen earned her undergraduate and MBA degrees from UNH and founded GC Consulting. She has also served as faculty at Harvard Business School, Columbia University and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. In 2020, Gretchen’s memoir, “Poetic License,” was published, providing insights into her upbringing alongside her father, the renowned poet Richard Eberhart. Andrew Ashe (civil engineering) retired from the U.S. Navy in 2022. He notes that life is now moving at a more leisurely pace, dedicating time to staying active by participating in local 5K races and eagerly anticipating trips to our National Parks this year. Ellen Greenwell Franklin shares that she has resided in Baltimore since 1983 and recently retired from her role as an attorney for the Department of Social Services. She has transitioned to working for the non-profit organization, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Earle Sandy Wingate informs us that his beautiful home in Peru, Maine, which offers a breathtaking view of Speckled Mountain, was tragically struck by lightning and burned to the ground. Fortunately, no one was at home during the incident. Sandy, who actively participates on the Planning Board and Bicentennial Committee, also serves as a poll worker, and volunteers as a firefighter in town. He extends his gratitude to his town and contractor friends who, as of this writing, are tirelessly working to complete his new home before the winter sets in. Sandy’s sense of humor shines through as he wonders in his email how to obtain another copy of his degree. We are thankful that he is likely safe and warm in his new home as he reads this column.
We asked alumni to share what Durham eatery they’d want to bring back from their UNH years. Read stories of favorite restaurants here in Class Notes, and in “Sound Bites” on Page 84.
Alumni Food Faves
I always loved sandwiches at CamCo (Campus Convenience) and Moe’s at the DuMP. DHoP, JP’s and Wildcat Pizza were staples as well. I will never have anything as good as the chicken tenders at Young’s Restaurant. My parents would come for a hockey game and we’d end up there. I was actually sad when they closed because I knew my two boys wouldn’t get a chance to try the Holy Grail of their favorite food before games. Now if we’re talking drinks — Libby’s Nickel Draft Night (or Quarter Pitcher Night to the senior ‘professionals’) was always wonderful on Tuesday nights but the Tin Palace was always the best. Especially when the weather was nice and you could be outside. The week before finals was always the best. It may be over 20 years, but just typing these memories really brought me back. Now I need a beer …
Ben Lyons ’00
Editor’s Note: Hmm Ben, these familiar memories of beverages are making us think… this is our food issue, but could a beverage issue be far behind?
At top: Suzanne Noble ’83. Above: Kappa Sigma brothers Ned Burke ’83, Jim Freeman ’84 and Bobby Coppins ’83.
1983
Ilene Segal
Hello fellow alums! Please save the date June 7-9, 2024! Registration opened for the UNH Big ’80s Reunion on March 1, and you can register www.unh.edu/reunion. The first 100 people to register will be eligible to win a drawing for a UNH T-shirt! There will be a kickoff evening at Jimmy’s Jazz Club on Friday night featuring music by the Eric Grant Band with Mark Phaneuf ’87 and on Saturday night Chris Avery ’83 is performing with The Crab Shack Band. The UNH Reunion Committee has reserved discounted hotel rooms on a first-come, first-served basis in Portsmouth at the Residence Inn Marriott or the Hampton Inn & Suites (room block expires March 8) and in Dover at the Homewood Suites by Hilton or the Hampton Inn & Suites (room block expires April 30). I hope you will sign up to follow the Big ’80s reunion Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/big80sreunion) where we are posting photos and other important information as our reunion approaches. For additional questions, please contact reunion co-chairs John Davis ’85 at johncdavis@comcast.net or Robin Peters Schell ’84 at rschell@jjwpr.com. Sheila McDonough writes that she can’t believe it has been 40 years since we graduated from college. After UNH, she went on to get her master of education degree at the University of Alaska Anchorage in 2000, and when she was working on her Ph.D. with one statistics class and the defense of her thesis left to go, she suffered a stroke in April 2021. While her doctors gave her a poor prognosis, her strong faith supported her back to a full recovery. Robert T. Coppins also is surprised that we are 40 years older than when we graduated. He is currently the director of testing at Castaway Technologies, LLC, a comprehensive data destruction company in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Bobby is still in touch with many of his Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers. He attends most of the New England Patriot home games and usually can be found tailgating with other UNH alumni. Suzanne Noble wrote that she lives in London, and runs a social enterprise called Advantages of Age which delivers a government-funded program called Startup School for Seniors. She was recently shortlisted in the British Businesswoman Awards for her work in supporting people over 50 who are interested in turning their ideas into a business. She also hosts a podcast and TikTok channel with 55,000 followers named Sex Advice for Seniors which has been featured in national newspapers and magazines. Melissa Thayer retired two years ago after 37 years as an occupational certified hand therapist. She is married and currently living in western Maine. She enjoys many outdoor activities and spending time with her three sons and daughter. Deborah Carrigan McGuire and her husband Bob recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary with a trip to Hawaii and were blessed to welcome their sixth grandchild this past July. The grandchildren range in age from the newborn to 16 years old and keep them quite busy. Debbie has worked for more than 25 years in the professional development program at the University of Albany in New York, where she is a training director managing training contracts and activities with state agencies. Timothy Giotas took early retirement from Fidelity Investments on July 1, 2023, and is enjoying his free time. He would love to hear from our classmates and can be found on Facebook.
1984
Robin Peters Schell
Mark your calendars for June 7-9, 2024! Registration for the UNH Big ’80s Reunion is open as of March 1 and you can register using this link — www.unh.edu/reunion. The first 100 alums to register will be eligible for a drawing for a T-shirt! Let’s get this party rolling now! We have a kickoff evening at Jimmy’s Jazz Club on Friday featuring music by the Eric Grant band (Mark Phaneuf ’87) and on Saturday night, music by the Crab Shack Bank (Chris Avery ’83). The UNH Reunion Committee has discounted hotel rooms blocked for reunion (on a first-come, first-served basis) in Portsmouth (Resident Inn Marriott or Hampton Inn & Suites, room block expires March 8) and Dover (Homewood Suites by Hilton or Hampton Inn & Suites, room block expires April 30). If you haven’t already signed up to follow the Big ’80s reunion FB page, you can do so by clicking on this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/508075372872742. Here’s where we’ll be posting lots of photos and other “need to know” information as reunion approaches. For additional questions, contact reunion co-chairs John Davis ’85 (johncdavis@comcast.net) or myself. Caroline (Reese) Brown is enjoying riding her horse and traveling during retirement. She spent a month in Portugal and in November, spent another month in Germany, Austria and Poland. Xochi Blymyer writes that she is still working as a first assistant director in Hollywood. Her latest projects include the documentary “Red Dog & Bates” and “Hey Alexa.” In her spare time, she participates in an axe-throwing league. After his time at UNH, Todd Robertson got his master’s degree and worked in printer maintenance for companies Ricoh and Xerox. After experiencing a lay-off during COVID, he became a caretaker for his father for two years and is now working on a 250-hour welding class. Jeanne Sheehan Corcoran retired from her position as an interim dean for the College of Health & Human Services and professor of occupational therapy at Salem State University in Massachusetts in November 2019. Since then, she has been serving as a consultant for the Registry and is currently enjoying her stint at the interim chair for speech pathology and audiology at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She fondly remembers her time at UNH (undergrad ’84, graduate ’98). Mike Wang, CEO/founder of Lifestyle Body Armor, writes that he became a grandpa to a grandson Raphael Pimentel Wang. Mike will be living abroad in Barcelona in 2024. After a career in high tech, Diana Keohane left the workforce to raise her four children. She became an active volunteer, serving several terms on both the Tyngsborough (Massachusetts) School Committee and Tyngsborough Recycling Committee. Her time volunteering in the classrooms led her back to school to get a second master’s degree in education. She began a second career as a math teacher, first at Groton-Dunstable Middle School and then at Greater Lowell Technical High School. In retirement, Diana has continued to serve her community as the chairwoman of the Tyngsborough Sustainability Committee. She put together a team to help support the International Institute of New England as they resettled Afghan refugees in the Lowell area, gathering donations, setting up apartments for arriving Afghan and other refugee families and tutoring children in math. She is also serving as president of the Larrea Family Foundation, established by her family to support sustainability efforts. She reports that their first grant went to the UNH Sustainability Institute, and she is looking forward to getting involved with the program at UNH. Our hearts go out to the families of UNH classmates we lost recently: Joyce D. (Costello) Cullins of Franklin, Massachusetts, (formerly Newton), passed away in January 2023 after a courageous battle with cancer at the age of 60. She worked as a campaign manager in digital marketing at Merkle Inc., Monster.com and Gillette and was a passionate volunteer for charities associated with breast cancer. Daniel Thomas Fagan, of Ashland, Massachusetts, passed away in July 2023 at the age of 60 after a battle with bile duct cancer. He graduated from UNH in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and earned an MBA from Benedictine University in Illinois. He worked for Emerson & Cuming for 28 years and for ThermoFisher Scientific for the last 11 years of his career. A devoted husband and father, he is survived by his wife and son. He loved to travel, listen to jazz music and watch his son play hockey. He also enjoyed a variety of outdoor sports, including skiing and kayaking.
From left: Caroline (Reese) Brown ’84. Xochi Blymyer ’84
1985
Julie Colligan Spak
Tammi Truax’s second book for young people was recently published by Piscataqua Press. “The Pearl of Portsmouth: A Story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” is a biographical picture book about the day Rev. King and Miss Coretta Scott visited Portsmouth. It is beautifully illustrated by Rev. Lillian Buckley and is available from most booksellers. See you at the reunion June 7-9? Registration opened for the UNH Big ’80s Reunion on March 1, and you can register www.unh.edu/reunion. The first 100 people to register will be eligible to win a drawing for a UNH T-shirt! There will be a kickoff evening at Jimmy’s Jazz Club on Friday night featuring music by the Eric Grant Band with Mark Phaneuf ’87 and on Saturday night Chris Avery ’83 is performing with The Crab Shack Band. The UNH Reunion Committee has reserved discounted hotel rooms on a first-come, first-served basis in Portsmouth at the Residence Inn Marriott or the Hampton Inn & Suites (room block expires March 8) and in Dover at the Homewood Suites by Hilton or the Hampton Inn & Suites (room block expires April 30). I hope you will sign up to follow the Big ’80s reunion Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/big80sreunion) where we are posting photos and other important information as our reunion approaches. For additional questions, please contact reunion co-chairs John Davis at johncdavis@comcast.net or Robin Peters Schell ’84 at rschell@jjwpr.com.
Alumni Food Faves
For me, the best restaurant in town was hands down The Tin Palace. There was always something about those first spring days when the patio would open and the pitchers of cold Sam Summer would be served outside. If you were on your way to class and had to walk by the T.P. you’d likely see some friends encouraging you to join them — a very hard invite to turn down. The live music on Thursday nights was also a big hit. Local musicians visited the T.P. stage and were always welcomed by patrons. And if it was a home game for UNH hockey, you could sure bet the T.P. would be packed with fellow Wildcats and alumni, enjoying adult beverages and eating great pub-style food. The Tin Palace just had a different vibe than most other establishments in town. So many great memories here.
Spencer Dole ’03
1986
Susan Panas Clark
The countdown to The Big ’80s 40th Reunion has begun! Do you have June 7-9, 2024, on your calendar, yet? You don’t want to miss it. Now is the time to make plans to be there. All 1980s classes are welcome. Also, it’s not too late to volunteer to help by calling or emailing classmates, teammates, roommates … every big event needs lots of help with planning and coordination. There are tasks that need a local touch and plenty that can be done from your computer at home, wherever home is. Consider sponsoring an event for prominent name recognition for your business. Check out the Facebook page for all things reunion at www.facebook.com/groups/big80sreunion or contact John Davis ’85 at Johncdavis@comcast.net or Robin Peters Schell ’84 at rschell@jjwpr.com to see how you can get involved. Of course, you don’t have to wait for the official event to have a reunion. Some of the Sigma Nu guys had their own mini reunion over the summer. Ed Tetreault writes that he had a blast reconnecting with Sigma Nu brothers Dave Rayment, Tony Vegnani, Chris Casey, Craig Dickens and Neil Colstead at an impromptu reunion at the lake house of Phil Rayment ’87 in Laconia in August. They had a great time sharing old stories (some true) while spending time with their significant others, too. Drew Keifaber sent a quick recap of the last 37 years. After graduation, he earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He married Kristin Buckley ’87 ’97G in 1991. They have lived in Newmarket since 1986 and have two children, both of whom are UNH grads. Drew worked as an engineer for 32 years in the printing press and medical device industries. He is “pretired,” so he doesn’t have to work full-time anymore. Kristin has been a high school math and physics teacher for 26 years. She is planning to retire after this school year. They look forward to adventuring more when she is retired. Some of our classmates have already reached the golden years of retirement. Since retiring after a 24-year career on Wall Street, Mark Chamberlain bought a house in his New Hampshire hometown and now splits his time between there and Manhattan’s Upper West Side where he and his husband own an apartment. In New Hampshire, Mark serves on two non-profit boards, one of which is a public housing authority. In addition, he writes articles for the local newspaper on a variety of topics including the economy, local human-interest stories and even pickleball! Speaking of which, he’s jumped on the pickleball craze and reports that he plays several times per week. Many members of the class of ’86 will be turning 60 during this academic year. Do you have a big party planned? Are you taking a trip? I know at least one group of UNH ladies planning a tropical girls’ cruise to mark the milestone event. I hope you will tell us all about how you are celebrating (or have celebrated), whether you’re staying home with family, buying a beach house/ski cabin or traveling the world. I know I will be celebrating by traveling 1,001 miles to The Big ’80s Reunion. See you there! Registration opens March 1.
1988
Beth D. Simpson-Robie
The New Hampshire Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services (DMAVS) announced retired U.S. Army Colonel Brenton K. Fraser has been appointed as the director of the Division of Community Based Military Programs (CBMP). Fraser will lead the division in its mission to deliver quality services to New Hampshire veterans, service members and their families through collaboration, coordination and communication with military and civilian provider groups across the Granite State. Fraser brings more than 30 years of experience to the department, most recently as director, Capability Development Integration Directorate at the Space and Missile Defense Command at Fort Eustis in Virginia. From 2012 to 2013, Col. Fraser served overseas as chief, Provincial Security Force Advise and Assist Team, 101st Airborne Division, leading a team of 27 personnel in the politically complex northeast Afghanistan region along the Pakistan border. He was a business administration major at UNH and holds a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College; he has also completed additional studies at the U.S. Naval War College and the Joint Forces Staff College at the National Defense University in Norfolk, Virginia.
1992
Missy Langbein
Kerrie-ann Guarino recently started a new position with the National Coast Guard Museum Association as their manager of annual giving. She is thrilled to be able to help build a world class museum showcasing the U.S. Coast Guard. Kim (Wallins) Friedman has been living in San Francisco for 18 years and has two children (aged 7 and 6). Kim is in her 16th year of running a tech staffing firm (specializing in Salesforce administrators/developers). During Summer 2022, several classmates from Christensen Hall floor 4B had an incredible first-time reunion. Most lived together freshman/sophomore year. It included Whitney (Burbank) Nowak, Dee Dee (Lang) Maldonado, Joy (Thompson) Ball, Kelly (Waples) McLinden, Sandra (Morris) Cyr, Kim (Squires) Mahoney, Cindy (Carlberg) Matuszewski, Leah (Subilia) Hurlburt, Deb (Gowing) Welch, and Kim (Wallins) Friedman. Toby Trotman recently got engaged to his long-term partner, Annalise Coady. The wedding will be in May at Leander Club, Henley, England. They live in London where they often meet up with UNH grads on their travels — especially ex-Smithies. Lisa Cusson Silva spent years working in corporate travel in Boston including during the 9/11 terror attacks, which she says was a humbling and scary experience. After having two little girls, she moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and returned to school to become a physical therapy assistant. She has been working at a 700+ bed, level-one trauma center doing acute care physical therapy interventions with patients of a wide variety of diagnoses. She has been married for 27 years to her husband Matthew whom she met at a Halloween party her senior year at UNH. They were able to take a long road trip out west for their 25th anniversary and visit six national parks!
UNH Magazine incorrectly identified the alums pictured above in our last issue. Correctly stated, they are, from left, Michelle (Burrill) Peach ’89, Ron Majer ’88 and Tania (Fort) Zirn ’88. Both Michelle and Tania are Alpha Phi sisters.
During Summer 2022, several 1992 classmates from Christensen Hall floor 4B had an incredible reunion.
1993
Caryn Crotty Eldridge
Hello from London, where the weather has just now turned autumnal. Nothing like Durham, of course. Some of you have responded to the UNH Magazine call for Class notes email. Bob Sullivan wrote: “I can’t BELIEVE it’s been 30 years since our gold medal class stood in line at Karl’s. Fortunately, I still look the same, but everyone else seems to have aged. I did have a nice winter interlude as I pulled some strings and scored free (nearly) tickets on JetBlue to Heathrow in February. They had just started the Boston-to-London service, so the planes were almost empty. Managed to take in many of the tourist sites and caught up with no fewer than seven of my English and Irish cousins. Missed the London Eye as I was astonished to find it closed at 6 p.m. on a Saturday. Like Hoops McCann, I had one crazy summer as the post-COVID rush to/from Nantucket was not slowed one bit by the newly sanctioned topless beaches on the island. A winter-refurbished airplane helped things run smoothly, despite the terrible monsoon-style weather.” Matt Pappas wrote to say “After 24 years of teaching social studies at Oyster River High School in Durham, I decided to make a change and moved to the middle school, teaching 7th grade this year. My oldest daughter started her junior year at the University of Rhode Island. My youngest is a senior in high school and we have started the college selection tour. I am also finishing my fifth term on the Rochester School Board and have put my name in for the sixth this fall. Keeping my fingers crossed!” It’s great to hear from you both, Bob and Matt, and we wish you both continued success. In other news, the UNH Alumni Office shared that Leslie Carver joined CareQuest Institute as chief operating officer, where she will lead critical strategy, integration, and operational efforts across the organization’s full portfolio. Congratulations, Leslie!
1995
Tammy Ross
Greetings! Three of our classmates reached out to me to share their good news. Dan Bureau is the assistant vice president for health and well-being at Louisiana State University. He was recently elected to serve a two-year term as national president for Phi Kappa Theta fraternity, which he joined at UNH in fall 1991. Rebecca Chase DiGregorio is a 2022 Chairman’s Circle Gold Award Winner, placing her in the top 2 percent of all Realtors within Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (BHHS). Rebecca has been with BHHS Verani Realty in Londonderry for 19 years. Todd Feltman, who works as an intensive elementary school reading interventionist in Brooklyn, recently published an interactive handbook called “Transforming Into a Powerful Third, Fourth, or Fifth Grade Navigator of School Success.” It is available on Amazon.
1996
Michael Walsh
Mica Stark, previously UNH’s chief communications officer, has joined Brodeur Partners, a strategic communications firm, as senior vice president. He joins many other Wildcats at Brodeur including CEO Andrea Coville ’82, who is a member of the UNH Foundation Board. Mica also started a podcast, Granite State Golfers, which focuses on the best amateur golfers in New Hampshire and people connected to the game. He has had a few Wildcats on the show including golf journalist Chantel (McCabe) Welsh ’11. Karen LaFond has been selected as a member of the 2023 class of Top Women of Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Each year, the publication honors attorneys from across the spectrum of the legal profession: educators, trailblazers and role models, and include public-service lawyers who work in the trenches, attorneys who have dedicated their careers to non-profit work, private practice attorneys who have become leaders in their practice areas and in-house counsel who have been instrumental in their companies’ success. Please join me in congratulating Karen on this accomplishment!
Alumni Food Faves
The Licker Store is the place I miss the most. I had the privilege of working for Christine and Mark Henderson (Licker Store founders/owners) from my sophomore through senior years. They taught me so much about hard work, responsibility, business savvy skills and customer service that I still use today! I remember riding my bike at 5:30 a.m. (or was it 6?) from my tiny Beaver Dam apartment to open up the shop, make the muffins, count the money, start the coffee, set out the tables, get John Meyer going on the CD player and prepare for the regulars including Mike Libby (rest in peace), Roger Hayden and my personal fave and ultimate dreamboat, Ty Conklin, No. 29 of the men’s hockey team. It was the place to be morning, noon and night, from coffee and breakfast sandwiches to lunch and then ice cream at night. We were a well-oiled machine with a few hiccups like the time the new employee came to work with the outfit she clearly wore the night before at SAE (short skirt, black boots and questionable eye makeup) … did she even go to sleep?? She was politely asked to go home and take a nap. Everything was made to order, quickly and with a smile. Sure, I smelled like a sandwich shop and a coffee mug in my sociology class but I had earned a full day’s work by 2 p.m. and helped pay my way through college thanks to the Licker Store. When I close my eyes and go back in time to 2000-2003, I find myself at the Licker Store.
Annie Perley ’03
1997
Geoff Grant
It is always great to hear from my fellow ’97 classmates. Please keep the updates coming. Joe Pace’s most recent novel, “Moss,” was recognized as the outstanding work in fiction at the 2023 New Hampshire Literary Awards, sponsored by the New Hampshire Writers Project. “Moss” has also earned the Hawthorne Prize for Fiction and a gold medal from the Military Writers Society of America. Reggie Kenon published his first book, a memoir, entitled “Be a Star” which includes a foreword from longtime UNH Football Coach Sean McDonnell. You can pick up a copy through Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Dan Kane has returned to UNH as a new graduate student in the nursing program. Dan’s son Ben ’27 also started at UNH as a first-year student studying nursing. They both join the family business, so to speak, as Dan’s wife is also a nurse. Shana (Brunye) Hoch is president and CEO at Secondwind Water Systems Inc., located in Manchester. The business provides testing, design, installation and related services for residential and commercial water. In 2023, she’s celebrating her 18th anniversary married to fellow alum and TNHer Casey Hoch ’98. The Grant family had a great summer with swim team, dive team, lots of pickleball and a vacation back east to Acadia. I’m the new proud owner of an electric dethatcher and will work on getting my lawn in tip top shape this fall for the envy of my neighborhood in the spring. Please keep your updates coming!
1998
Emily Rines
Samara V. Serotkin writes, “After I graduated in 1998, I went on to earn my doctorate in clinical psychology in California and am now a psychologist in private practice in Seattle. I’m also a happy mom of two wonderful tweenagers. I’m also an author! My first book, ‘Mindful Willpower,’ was published in 2021 and I’m really proud of it. I also have a chapter in an upcoming book edited by Tara Prescott-Johnson (writing professor at UCLA) about the Netflix adaptation of ‘The Sandman’ (originally a comic book series by Neil Gaiman). The current working title is ‘The Therapeutic Value of Hope as Shining Through the Lens of The Sandman.’ It’s about the powerful healing that came through conversations I had with my clients about their experience with the series. It is being published sometime next year, I believe.”
2000
Mike Bove
Hello, class of 2000! I haven’t received any news for this issue, so here’s a bit of my own. My fourth book, “EYE,” was published last fall by Spuyten Duyvil Press in New York. If you’re a poetry fan or know one, give it a look. Thanks, all. Send any new happenings my way for next time.
2001
Elizabeth Merrill Sanborn
Shannon A. Mullen, a longtime NPR journalist, has her first book coming out this month from Penguin Random House and Steerforth Press — it’s about the governor of Maine and a woman who sent her weekly letters of support for the first pandemic year. You can learn more about Shannon’s work on her website: www.shannonamullen.com.
2002
Class Notes Editor
Congrats to Heather Olds Gray, who earned a master’s degree in communication science and disorders. Her company, Gray Consulting and Therapy, was named a top women-led business by NH Business Magazine recently.
2003
Ryan Walls
Greetings classmates! I’m sharing prompts to inspire you to send me updates and memories from our time at UNH. We want to hear from you. How has your professional career been influenced by a UNH faculty or staff member? Tell me about a recent mini reunion with UNH classmates. Late last year I accepted a new job as the U.S. executive director of Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF), a nonprofit organization that runs innovative programs empowering and educating thousands of Nepali children and young adults. I first went to Nepal as a junior at UNH when I studied abroad there for a semester in 2001. A group of ’03 and ’04 alums from around the country gathered for a long weekend reunion in October. Berta Sinclair, Meredith Leavitt Coffin, Jesslyn Schlosser Smith, Sasha Didier Swift, Libby Joseph Bruce, Rebekka Cullen Singhal (all ’03), Amy Clarkson Radwanski, Emily Hinnendael Gatti, and Abby Cochran (all ’04) shared a couple days of laughs and reminiscing together in Park City, Utah. A hearty congratulations to James Abbott and Suzanne (Bitler) Abbott who first met at Stoke Hall and recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. They attended the 20-year class reunion in October. I look forward to your updates.
At top: Class correspondent Ryan Walls ’03 with therapists from the Nepal Youth Foundation child counseling center when he visited in February 2023; the center is the first of its kind in Nepal. Above left: A group of ’03 and ’04 alums from around the country gathered for a long weekend reunion in October: From left to right, Berta Sinclair ’03, Amy Clarkson Radwanski ’04, Emily Hinnendael Gatti ’04, Meredith Leavitt Coffin ’03, Sasha Didier Swift ’03, Jesslyn Schlosser Smith ’03, Abby Cochrain ’04 and Libby Joseph Bruce ’03. Above right: James Abbott ’03 and Suzanne (Bitler) Abbott ’03 celebrate their 20th anniversary.
2005
Jen Weimer
Nathan Michaud ’07, wife Laura Ogonowski ’07 and John Jeanson ’05 attended the 65th Honor Flight out of New England on September 17. Nate is a board member of Honor Flight New England and the others attended as volunteers. Honor Flight New England is a non-profit organization dedicated since its founding in 2009 to honoring America’s most senior veterans by transporting them — at no cost — to Washington, D.C. to visit veteran memorials. At the end of the day’s events, John asked a Vietnam veteran what his favorite part of the trip was, and he said, “The send-off line at Boston Logan Airport, filled with hundreds of people who wanted to thank me for my service. I didn’t know how to respond because I have been so accustomed to the opposite, for those years I served in Vietnam. It took a lot for me to hold it together after the many handshakes, hugs and seeing tears of TRUE GRATITUDE in those supporters’ eyes.” John notes that he wasn’t alone: a 91-year-old Korean War Veteran, for whom John was a guardian, said the same thing. John’s grandfather, a Korean War Veteran, also took part in an Honor Flight four years ago and felt the same way. John says that if any classmates know a veteran interested in taking part in an Honor Flight, check out the organization’s website: honorflightnewengland.org
Left: John Jeanson ’05 took part in a recent Honor Flight New England trip to DC with veterans. (photo courtesy of Honor Flight New England). Right: Jonathan Tomer ’12, environmental science major and avid UNH men’s Ultimate Frisbee player, married Kathleen Dobell on October 22, 2022, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The couple, along with their puppy Moose, live in Waltham, Massachusetts.
2008
Class Notes Editor
Sarah Theriault shares that on August 17, 2023, she and her husband, Levi Theriault ’09, welcomed their second son, Henry Richard Theriault. Congrats, Theriault family!
Above left: Sig Nigam ’16 and Mimansa Thakar ’17 celebrated their wedding in India in 2023. Above right: Doug Rodoski ’16 is now also ’23G.
Keegan Smith ’17 and Kathryn Decker ’17 got married in December in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Several UNH alumni were in attendance!
2012
Class Notes Editor
Amanda Frederick was recently hired at personal injury law firm Parker Scheer LLP, as the firm expands its work into the Granite State. A longtime New Hampshire resident, Frederick focuses her practice on a wide range of personal injury matters. She is actively involved in the New Hampshire legal community and is a member of the New Hampshire Association for Justice, the New Hampshire Bar Association, the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association and the Rockingham County Bar Association.
2015
Class Notes Editor
Ashley Barbera has been promoted to manager in the tax practice at Baker Newman Noyes. Barbera specializes in tax planning and compliance for closely held businesses, and partnerships. She also is an active member of BNN’s internal training committee. She graduated with a degree in accounting.
2016
Samantha Gorski
Just like that, another summer and fall have come to a close at UNH. The class of 2027 moved in on campus; UNH Football defeated Dartmouth for the Granite Bowl and celebrated a victory over UAlbany over Homecoming Weekend; UNH Men’s Hockey kicked off their season with wins over No. 1 Boston University and No. 4 Quinnipiac (you know, the reigning national champions). It’s been a busy time on campus as students now begin the countdown to the end of the semester. Seeing all of this as an alum and staff member on campus just makes me think how much has changed on campus and how much has stayed the same. If you have the opportunity, plan a trip back to Durham and see for yourself how much has changed in the years since we’ve graduated. In alumni news, Sid Nigam and Mimansa Thakar ’17 were married last summer in Jaipur, India. Doug Rodoski graduated with a master’s of arts in liberal studies from the UNH Graduate School this past May. Doug also retired from the U.S. Army in July after serving for 28 years. Congratulations to Sid, Mimansa and Doug on their major milestones!
2017
Class Notes Editor
Ian Robinson has been promoted to manager in the transaction advisory practice, and Zachary Smargon has been promoted to manager in Baker Newman Noyes’ assurance practice. Smargon has experience in the completion of annual audits for professional services, commercial, technology and nonprofit companies. In his role, Robinson provides advisory services for privately held businesses, including mergers and acquisitions, and due diligence.
2018
Class Notes Editor
Christine Chrysafidis and Alexi Galica-Cohen were both recently promoted to supervisors at Leone, McDonnell & Roberts, Professional Association, a CPA firm with offices throughout New Hampshire. Chrysafidis started as an intern in the summer of 2017, taking a full-time position after she graduated. She is well-versed in both tax and audit, as well as reviews and compilations. Chrysafidis took a lead role in helping to develop the firm’s Mentor Program, and she also assists with recruiting and hiring activities. She serves on the board of directors for My Breast Cancer Support, and outside of work, she enjoys going to the beach, boating and spending time with her family. Galica-Cohen graduated summa cum laude with a master’s degree in accounting, with a focus in tax. She joined the firm in 2021 and works closely with a wide range of small- to mid-sized businesses and high-net worth individuals. Galica-Cohen has taken a lead role in the firm’s work on the Employee Retention Credit program, helping numerous local businesses.
From left: Katie Holden ’21. Jasmine Skye Taudvin ’22.
2019
Class Notes Editor
Leone, McDonnell & Roberts, a CPA firm with offices throughout New Hampshire, recently announced the promotion of certified public accountant Peter Dukas. Recently promoted to senior accountant, Dukas joined the firm upon graduating with a master’s degree in accounting from the University of New Hampshire in 2020. He assists clients with tax preparation and audit engagements and enjoys helping clients with their financial challenges. A native of St. Albans, Vermont and current resident of Dover, Dukas enjoys outdoor hobbies including hunting, fishing, surfing and golf.
2021
Soleha Patel
Vikki Jiang started her first job as a technical associate for a data storage solutions company. Through talking to numerous clients and working with different engineers, she realized her interest in cybersecurity and decided to return to school to learn more about it. She is currently in her last semester at Boston University studying to receive her master’s in computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity and will be working as a cybersecurity threat intelligence analyst after graduating in December. Since graduating, Katie Holden has been working at Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte region in North Carolina. She works with families as they move through the homeownership program, specifically the requirement for families to complete 300 hours of service. She is looking forward to participating in this year’s Carter Work Project as a crew leader.
2022
Class Notes Editor
Jasmine Skye Taudvin shares that after graduating with a dual degree in journalism and international affairs, she spent the summer teaching English in Italy and Austria. She then left Austria to meet up with her aunt in Norway, where she was able to track down the childhood home of her great-great-grandfather. The current owner still had a photo of him hanging under the stairwell! She then spent the next couple of months working as a producer for local station WMTW Channel 8 News and writing a cookbook.
Alumni Food Faves
As an underclassman on campus, walking by the Tin Palace and seeing older students and professors enjoying a beer outside on sunny afternoons was something I remember fondly. Hustling by with my huge backpack, I’d think ‘those folks have truly arrived.’ I imagined myself there one day, relaxing with my friends after my last-ever final exam; a fully grown and graduated adult! Not only did I achieve that prized seat at the spindly wrought-iron tables, shimmed with coasters on the uneven sidewalk, I savored my frosty pint; sunglasses on, watching students pass on the sidewalk from behind the plastic chain stanchions. To be completely honest, I think I maybe ate at the Tin Palace only once or twice, returning briefly after graduation to catch up with some friends, and I can’t even remember what I had to eat, but that golden moment of a small dream realized is something that I’ll always think of. It’s been gone for quite a while now, and when my husband (Jesse McGowan ’02 ’18G) and I return to campus to visit our daughter, Gretchen McGowan ’25, we always say ‘That used to be the Tin Palace!’ every time we drive past.
Lesley McGowan ’01