Class Notes
Don’t see your class here? Send news via email or mail to your class correspondent, or to Classnotes.editor@unh.edu, or mail: UNH Magazine, 9 Edgewood Road, Durham, NH 03824.
At top, Franklin Theater on Durham’s Main Street in the 1940s, and below, the same building, more recently in 2025.
1949
Joan Boodey Lamson
This newsletter, I thought I’d take you on a tour of the Durham of the past. Durham in 1917 was a typical small New Hampshire town surrounded by dairy farms. It would have been easy to see why the school was often referred to as “Cow College.’’ The boys and girls from the nearby farms often had to work at the college to help pay for expenses. My father, Cecil Webster Boodey, grew up on a Barrington dairy farm and entered UNH in 1917. During his college years, he was a cashier at Grant’s Cafe, the only restaurant in town. He also had a night job at his fraternity house, Phi Mu Delta, keeping the coal furnace going in the basement (he had his bed down there, too). My family thinks that is why he was so good at taking cat naps later in life! When I entered UNH in 1945, my family and I had lunch in the same (although a little enlarged) Grant’s Cafe. It was still the only restaurant in town. In 1947, Soldati’s opened on the outskirts of town but it was too expensive for most college students. The Grants ran their business for 52 years until 1968 when they sold it to Dick and Annette Young, who renamed it Young’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop. After a number of years, the Young’s son, Ken, and wife Cathy took over running the establishment. Down the road, the Franklin Theater opened in 1924 on Main Street and closed in 1954. In later years, it was a ballroom, then a gymnasium and bar, and lastly a restaurant in the 2020s. My classmates and I remember it as one of the only non-college entertainments in town. I well remember enjoying nibbling on long licorice sticks while watching an action-packed movie. The third building we’ll visit was a sporting goods store where my mother and father bought me my first pair of skis. Remember, I grew up in Yonkers, New York, far from any skiing. The skis were all wooden Northland brand with the image of a deer’s head painted on the tip end. In order to find my size, I was told to raise one arm straight up in the air and curve my hand over the curved front end of the ski. This meant you learned to ski on very long skis, which was a challenge; but I learned to love it (though never master it; my skiing children will agree with that!) The only other store in town was a small hardware store. Of course, there were two gas stations, but not many students had cars. Those who did could take their date to the big city of Dover. When I was lucky, I’d hitch a ride with someone driving to Concord and hop off in western Barrington on Route 202 to visit with my grandparents on their dairy farm. Durham was often quiet on weekends unless there was a football game. Look at Durham’s Main Street today, with stores lining both sides and cars everywhere, and you might be surprised it’s the same place! It certainly looks different than the sleepy streets of 1945. What hasn’t changed is the joy of being a student at the University of New Hampshire. Other thoughts: The classes of 1947, 1948 and 1949 had the largest number of returning World War II veterans, that is why we always held our class reunions (except for each one’s 50th) together. The class of 1949 has two veterans who died in 2024 after living long and worthy lives. John L. Sherburne was born in New York City and grew up on Long Island. He lived 101 years with a life of service for others, first as an Air Force pilot from 1942-1970, and later as a farmer and a politician. He enlisted in the Air Force and survived 60 missions with the 325th Checkertail Clan flying P-51 Mustangs in support of bombers in Italy during World War II. Later, he attended UNH. After graduating in 1949, he re-enlisted in the Air Force, and in 1968 he volunteered for Vietnam and flew a C-130 Airborne Command Post. John retired in 1970 with his wife and their three children to the Deerfield property he had bought in 1950 as his retirement home — a farm with livestock — and then entered politics as a selectman. John achieved his ultimate goal before he died on September 15, 2024, at his home in Deerfield: He left his home as a viable farm for his family. I will write further about our veterans who passed in the next magazine.
1953
Ann Merrow Burghardt
Nancy Guay in Oregon says she’s given up driving and now plays lots of bridge — her physical activities are limited due to ankle problems. Robert (Bob) Skinner, an art major, began his career as a set designer for Boston’s Charles Street Playhouse, later becoming an art professor at URI, Ohio University, and from 1966 until retirement in 1996 at South Hampton College. He died at 94 on October 4, 2024, at his home in Saratoga Springs, New York. His UNH activities included ATO, Mask and Dagger, Senior Skulls, ROTC. He served in the Army from 1953 to 1955 and earned a master’s from Michigan State University and a doctoral degree from Ohio University. Helped by the 1953 Endowed Scholarship Fund: Kate Fowler of Franklin, Massachusetts, occupational therapy, and Zoe Taylor of Brookline, philosophy and justice studies … your dollars at work. Jeanne Lutze, 93, of Danbury, Connecticut, died October 19. 2024, in Danbury. A sociology major, she also earned a master’s in education from Western Connecticut State University, and taught for many years in New Milford, where she was a reading specialist. Ross Hall, who died October 19, 2024, joined the Marines when 17 in 1945, was assigned to Japan during the post-war occupation, and served four years. At UNH, he majored in English and was a member of Acacia. Ross first worked for Travelers Insurance, later joining Kalwall Corp. of Manchester, quickly becoming West Coast regional sales manager, and in 1970, vice president of the corporation. While residing in Merrimack, he was a Scout Master, a Meals on Wheels volunteer and served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Francis (Frank) J. Dutille, 93, died November 22, 2024. A biology major, he was a member of Scabbard and Blade, Newman Club and played football. During the Korean Conflict he was an Air Force first lieutenant. Earning a master’s from Keene State Teachers College, he became a football, track and field and cross country coach. He also taught math, eventually becoming department chair, at East Longmeadow, (Massachusetts) High School, retiring in 1996 after 36 years. Frank was inducted into the Massachusetts Track Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997. Neal Q. Herrick, 97, died January 15, 2025. An English major, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha, Scabbard and Blade and played football. After UNH he pursued a doctorate in industrial relations from Union College and was a visiting professor at the University of Michigan. For 10 years he also worked for the U.S. Dept. of Labor where he was director of the Office of Policy. His commitment to justice and equality led to a role in drafting the OSHA Act submitted to Congress in 1967. He also co-authored, edited and wrote four books on public policy issues. Completing two years of Army service after graduation, Conrad (Connie) L. Magnusson worked at Western Electric/AT&T In North Andover, Massachusetts, for 34 years, retiring in 1990. He also formed CL & TS Magnusson in the mid-1950s which transitioned to Magnusson Farm which still exists. Ralph D. Graham of Franklin graduated from The Thompson School of Agriculture where he majored in horticulture and was a member of the Horticulture and Outing clubs. After graduation, Ralph started his own landscaping business which grew successfully due to his eye for design and color. He was also a ski-lift operator at the King Ridge ski area in Sutton for 26 winters. He died November 23, 2024. Barbara Pritchard Joyce, 93, of Tampa, Florida, died February 9, 2025. A home economics major, she was a member of Chi Omega, the honorary home economics society, the Glee Club and Concert Choir. Earning a master’s in electrical engineering, Myron (Mike) Bovarnick worked at the National Company on the atomic clock and the stabilization of measurement of a second of time so that a second was measured more accurately. He was an avid duplicate bridge player and an Emerald Life Master. Mike, 98, died November 12, 2024.
1955
Editor’s Note: UNH Magazine was saddened to hear that 1955 Class Correspondent John Everson passed away on February 14, 2025. We send his family and friends our sincere condolences on the passing of this loyal Wildcat. His classmate, Chan Sanborn ’55, stepped in for this issue to share a tribute to John and to share other class news.
The 1955 Granite tells us what John Everson was all about. Unfortunately, per a call from his wife, Leita, on Monday, February 14, 2025, John peacefully went to rest. Although I didn’t have a lot to do with John in our four years at UNH, our strong relationship developed while going through the Basic Officer’s Infantry Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, in the fall of 1955. Of interest, Bob “Cuppy” Cuthbertson and Fred LeFaivre were also there but like John, in different cycles. Cuppy was married and living off-post so John and I took good care of Fred. After departing “Benning” for different assignments, John and I renewed our friendship helping with reunions and attending chapter meetings in southwest Florida with our wives. Until our time has arrived, John will remain a big memory in our lives. He was bright, personable and a loyal Wildcat. After learning of John Everson’s passing, I contacted Dr. Kent Keith in Colorado and Roger Parker in New Mexico, both having played lacrosse with John for four years at UNH. Both spoke highly of John’s character and team spirit. Kent and his wife, Meredith, are enjoying a mild winter in Grand Junction. His daughter is nearby in Denver. Robert is bouncing back from an illness and has his family nearby. In an attempt to reach a fraternity brother at Sterline Hill in Exeter, I spoke with Martha Norcross Waalewyn who indicated her retirement facility is huge. She is married to a graduate of Colby College, Maine. I also spoke with Chris Winslow of South Hamilton, Massachusetts, who had social privileges at Theta Chi and was in ROTC with me. He married a graduate of UNH who passed away years ago. He frequently sees his son and daughter-in-law who have a professional photography business in Portsmouth. I’ll always remember Chris as having a relatively new convertible while attending UNH; definitely a bright and likable gentleman.
1956
Pat Hollarn
I was happy to hear from some Class of 1956 at last, even if it was only two. Maybe this will inspire a few more for next time. I know we are all in or near the age of 90, but so glad to hear how well the three of us are getting along. I heard from Richard Portnoy, now also living in Florida, in Boca Raton. He’d love to hear from friends and his number, with his permission, is (508) 360-3487. Richard was an engineer for General Electric for more than 37 years and was fortunate to live in many places, especially enjoying Brazil and Australia. My second caller was one with whom we had kept in touch with for many years, especially after they moved to Birmingham, Alabama, Carol (Fogg) Bishop. But as life sped on with children growing up and out and busy careers, then “older” age, we lost touch later in the late 1990s. Accidentally finding my number on her phone, still valid after 54 years, she surprised me with a happy birthday phone call in November, remembering it because her birthday is the day after mine — we used to celebrate together when we could. We have managed to keep in touch by phone now, but a visit is coming up soon. Carol recently lost her husband, Sandy Bishop, AGR in class of 1958 also, and has just moved to a beautiful retirement resort, closer to her two daughters in Birmingham. As of this writing, I’ll be going up to see her in June and looking forward to it. I thought about a possible way to inspire more contacts. I was going to mention how big a family I have, when it occurred to me to ask everyone — I might even come up with a prize! How many (a) children, (b) children’s spouses (c) grandchildren, (d) their spouses, (e) great-grandchildren, and (f) other whatever’s do you have? Talk about surprises: I’m in the early beginning of recovering from a five-day loss of internet, especially 1,800 emails, with only about 40 or so relevant to my life. Today’s plodding through the constant deleting made me stop in my tracks with news from another classmate and it’s good news! Bob Keene of Hanover, has a new love in his life to his surprise, after losing his wife, Jean, two years ago. “Stephanie and I will be celebrating our union in July at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College. It did not seem possible that as I travel my 92nd trip around the sun that such hope and joy could fill my heart!” Thank you, Bob, for allowing me to end on such a joyous note! And from FOUR of us!
Don Forster ’57.
Gwen Marsh Caldwell ’57 and family celebrating.
1957
Nancy Jillson Glowacki
Don Forster (chemical engineering, Acacia) called me in April to help locate a couple of his UNH buddies. He was also preparing to celebrate his 90th birthday April 19 with a big gathering of family and friends. We enjoyed a long fun talk and found new friendship as we reminisced. Don lives in Rochester, New York and is reachable at: (585) 857-3504. My connection with Don inspired me to extend a reminder to all of YOU, our classmates, to give a call to an old friend or call the Alumni Office; Corena Garnas at (603) 862-4875 can help locate any former UNHers, and if they are still alive, she can teach you the correct connect protocol — it’s fun! Most of us are hovering in the “90 range” now. About 1 percent of those born between 1930 and 1946 are still on the planet so there’s life in these ‘old bones’ yet. Hopefully you’ve found a calm “home” place, supportive family, old and new friends, maybe even “companion friends,” safety and security for our last years! Remember, we in the class of ’57 still have each other — by phone! I am happy to include your contact information in this column! Be vulnerable and courageous and stay connected! BE ALIVE! Fritz Armstrong, our illustrious class president, will have been at UNH Reunion in June along with a few others of us and it’s always fun to see who else shows up! Fritz moved into a CCRC at 1020 Tamiami Trail, Heartis Senior Living, Venice, FL, 34229; (508) 246-3254; fparmstrong@verizon.net. We learned late in the magazine cycle that Jim Hellen (treasurer) has passed away. Our deepest condolences to Carly; we’ll have more about Jim in our next magazine issue. As for me, I’m enjoying life in Wolfeboro, leading a Death Café at the CCRC, facilitating a community workshop on “Healing the Heart of Democracy” (Parker Palmer), playing with some community musicians and planning for an International Peace Day concert Sept. 21, 2025. Sandra Willand Pelton, (vice president) in Wilmington, North Carolina, recovered well after knee surgery and feels stiff like the rest of us but stays active in her mind and life! Sandy’s phone is: (804) 240-3862. Jim Yakovakis lives in Venice, Florida, cell (941) 275-0099 or land line (941) 837-3039 or in Maine at (207) 363-3657. He is healing from a fractured neck vertebra and also not driving, so calls would be nice! Janice Gardella Gilroy enjoys her Bradford, Massachusetts, home and being independent with the close support of family and friends. Janice, always the philosopher, says, “it is what it is” and keeps her sense of humor! Janice’s phone is (978) 372-1442. Cindy Cameron Clement is enjoying the security and continued independence of living at Huntington Common in Kennebunk, Maine. She plays bridge, sees friends, still drives and enjoys someone else doing the cooking. Cindy’s phone is: (207) 450-4240. Cynthia McCauley Colbath is enjoying a new CCRC home in Venice, Florida, in spite of some interruptive health issues! Cynthia’s phone: (941) 223-8396. Gwen Marsh Caldwell, Marshfield, Massachusetts, celebrated her 90th in April with family at the Cape. Gwen’s laugh is as contagious as ever! She’s at (781) 718-1161. Bill Zimmerman, Keene, is still tickling those piano keys several times a week both at the residence and with outside bands and has taken up the clarinet again! I remember his stellar joyful musicianship at our 50th! Bill’s phone: (603)-353-0632. Every 1957 column creates a special farewell to those who have moved on. The obituaries written by their families portray the love for their individual stories. They followed their gifts, talents, desires, service, hobbies, plans, changes, adjustments, growth and learning as we all aspire to do. In spite of challenges, they left legacies of fruitful lives in those beautiful obituaries. If you want a copy, I will send; just call. Read the “In Memoriam” section in the back of the magazine for all classes. Those from the class of 1957: Joan Balmoria Mathews, Leonard Domenic Mannino, Cor van den Heuvel, Wesley Pietkiewicz, Andrew “Andy” C. Mack, George Howard III, Mary Kay McBride, Elaine Brunelle Grant, Melvin Ross Low, Joseph Supino, Amy Bentas DesRoches, Eugene J. Hingston Jr., and Arthur S. Wildman. A favorite quote. “Your heart to mine, my heart to yours, talk about opening windows … talk about opening doors.” (John Denver). Rediscover old friends, go out and make some new ones, too! It’s never too late … to love you!
1958
Peggy Ann Shea
Two UNH students received scholarships from the Class of 1958 Endowed Scholarship Fund. Giana R. Lanni from Warwick, Rhode Island, is majoring in communication: business applications with a minor in dance. Jack E. Souza from South Easton, Massachusetts, is majoring in exercise science. Rod Dyer reports that his fondest UNH memory involves an ATO house party where he met Gail Trefethen. Gail and Rod have been married almost 62 years. Rod retired in 2021 after practicing law for 60 years and is still involved with the Bank of NH as its chairman emeritus. He and his wife were recently honored for their public service by the creation of a plaza in downtown Laconia and are still active in their community. Rod added he hoped that the Durham authorities were still not looking for the folks who “borrowed” the Durham fire truck on the night the cow barns burned. John and Jane Rasmussen live in their apartment at RiverWoods in Exeter. While somewhat curtailing their travel they are planning a trip to the UK as well as their annual two weeks in Port Clyde, Maine. John spent many years at the Air Force Research Laboratory where I spent most of my career. Jane and your class secretary were in a freshman English class taught by Dr. Miller. At the beginning of the class, Dr. Miller announced he would award only two A’s in his class. I had the nerve to challenge his statement saying that it might be possible that more than two students would be worthy of an A. At the end of the term three students received A’s: Jane, Cynthia Varrell (deceased) and me. Bob Johnson writes that all is well in the West and he and his wife are enjoying their three great-grandchildren. I am continually amazed at the achievements and diverse interests of our classmates as documented in the obituaries I receive. Summaries about some of our decreased classmates are below. Sanford (Sandy) Bishop (Birmingham, Alabama) received his veterinary degree at Cornell and did post-graduate work at Ohio State. He retired as professor emeritus from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Civil engineer Donald Blanchard (Henniker) earned a master’s from the University of California (Berkeley) and was a university teacher in New Brunswick before settling in Henniker where he taught at New England College. He was described as a husband, father, tide pool explorer, airman, teacher, fireman, land surveyor, farmer, hunter and skier. Wendell Coogan (Rocky Hill, Connecticut) spent his entire career in many positions at the Wethersfield School System. He was known by his students for his positive influence, wise advice and humor. John Falkenham (Lakeland, Florida) spent his career with the U.S. government primarily in procurement. He was a proficient sailor and felt strongly about the benefits of education. Dick Hill (Concord) was the head of Stewart Nelson insurance company and enjoyed many farming activities including chopping wood. In 1988 he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail which inspired his license plate AT8. Joseph LaRose, Jr., (Munroe Falls, Ohio) worked at Avery Dennison as a chemical engineer and was an adjunct professor at Penn State University. Raymond V. LeBlanc (Jaffrey) owned several agricultural businesses, was active in the Future Farmers of America, and an avid hunter and snowmobiler. Donald Lessard (Biddeford, Maine) was a mechanical engineer at the Portsmouth Shipyard, retiring in 1993. He then worked at the Maine Turnpike Authority for 16 years. As sophomores, Don and I were classmates in Physics 21 and 22 taught by Dr. Mulhern. Douglas C. MacKenzie and his wife Nancy (Linscott) MacKenzie (Manchester) passed away within three months of each other after 66 years of marriage. Nancy was an accomplished landscape artist; Doug, who was inducted into the UNH Athletic Hall of Fame, worked at the family business, MacKenzie Motors, and later as a teacher at the Derryfield School. John (Jack) McDowell, Jr. (Keene) earned a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University, being the first part-time student to do so. His employment included public relations and marketing for several organizations; later he served as a financial planner and advisor. Bernard Richards (West Palm Beach, Florida) built a successful career as a territory manager at Amoco. He had a lifelong passion for sports, excelling in football and hockey. Gilbert Stevens (Nottingham) was a naval architect at the Portsmouth Shipyard. A gifted carpenter, he designed, built and renovated many homes for his family. Other deceased classmates include Ronald Hanson (Davis, California) and Roland Young.
1959
Jack Sanders
Hello classmates, I hope this note finds you well. Unfortunately, I only have news of the passing of classmates to share in this column, but I would love to include updates from as many of you as possible in the winter issue. No update is too big or too small — I just want to hear from you and keep our class connected. Feel free to drop me a quick email with your news, or even just say hello. Thanks, and I look forward to sharing your updates in the next column. William S. Owen passed away on March 12, 2025, at 88, surrounded by his family. A civil engineering graduate, Bill had a distinguished career as a project superintendent with Perini and J.F. White Construction Companies, leading major projects such as Boston’s Callahan and Ted Williams tunnels. Known for his self-reliance and generous spirit, Bill was a devoted husband, father and grandfather who shared his skills and time with family, friends and even strangers. Bill leaves behind a legacy of love, hard work and resourcefulness. Arthur “Art” Brodie Clark passed away on August 30, 2024. After earning his bachelor’s degree at UNH, he earned graduate degrees from Lynchburg College and George Washington University. He retired after a 40-year career as a manufacturing engineer with General Electric/Ericson. A devoted family man and active community member, Art was involved with Peakland United Methodist Church and the Lynchburg Rotary Club. Sandra Goss Munsey of Forestdale, Massachusetts, passed away on September 3, 2024, at 87. A Portsmouth native, Sandy earned a bachelor’s in government from UNH and a master’s in public administration from Northeastern. Her career included roles in public service, education and local government — most notably as the first woman selectman in Medfield, Massachusetts. A lifelong 4-H and community volunteer, she was a passionate quilter. Phyllis “Chic” Tsiatsios Zioze of Manchester passed away on October 13, 2024, at the age of 87. A proud alumna of UNH and member of Alpha Xi Delta, she co-founded and ran G&C Restaurant Equipment with her husband. Phyllis was known for her deep devotion to family, vibrant Greek hospitality and tireless community involvement. William H. Annis passed away at age 96 on December 3, 2024. Raised on a farm in Rockport, Maine, Bill’s early life shaped his incredible work ethic and resourcefulness. After earning his master’s in agricultural education from UNH, he went on to join the faculty and serve the university for decades. A Korean War veteran, dedicated educator and devoted husband to his late wife Sis, Bill was also involved in 4-H, the Masons and international education consulting. Robert P. Wheeler Jr. passed away on November 17, 2024, at age 88 in California. A proud UNH alum with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Bob served in the U.S. Army after completing ROTC. He enjoyed a successful career in regulatory affairs, retiring as VP at SIMS Portex. A man of many talents and interests — including woodworking, photography and travel — Bob will be remembered for his warmth, generosity, and devotion to family. Albert W. Barbour passed away on January 24, 2025, at age 94. A proud U.S. Army veteran who served in Germany during the Korean War, Al earned his master’s of education from UNH and taught math at Portsmouth High School for 32 years. He was known for his love of working outdoors, especially in his garden or barn, and was always fixing or building something. Russell R. Ross passed away on January 13, 2025, from complications of Parkinson’s disease. A Nashua native and U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam, he earned degrees from UNH, Ohio University and Catholic University. He worked as a research analyst at the Library of Congress and as an intelligence specialist at the U.S. Department of State, retiring in 2003. In retirement, he volunteered at several D.C. institutions and remained active in his church. Edward R. Davis passed away on February 18, 2025, at age 89. A Somersworth native and proud Pi Kappa Alpha brother, Ed completed the General Electric Manufacturing Training Program in partnership with UNH. He enjoyed a 40-year career with GE, retiring as a quality control engineer in the ordnance division. Known for his “dad jokes,” love of nature and devotion to family, Ed was a passionate outdoorsman, avid gardener and faithful member of Sacred Heart Church.
A gathering of 1961 grads in Concord in December, (left to right): Marcus Johnson, Lois Magenau, Lise Tighe, Pam Monty, Art Monty, Bill Tighe, Pat D’Allesandro, Lou D’Allesandro.
1960
Estelle “Stella”
Belanger Landry
Belanger Landry
I cannot believe that it has been 65 years since our graduation from UNH. In my recent phone call with Sam Paul, I so enjoyed some reminiscing. He had spent two weeks in March visiting with Doug and Nancy ’61 Blampied in Venice, Florida. Sam also mentioned he will be returning to golf after his successful cancer treatment. I also heard from Doug who mentioned that he gets to talk with Ted Sobozenski and Peter Davis quarterly. John Hussey wrote that he has been away from New Jersey and Pennsylvania for nine years. He recently turned 88 and said things are fine in the Hamptons where he now resides. I did hear from Dick Mikszenas and wife Terri at Christmas time saying they did make it through both hurricanes with no damage to their condo in Clearwater, Florida. Interestingly, they mentioned that they didn’t get to go on their amazing Danube riverboat trip because of the horrendous flooding in Europe that affected the river travel. Most important for them, however, they still celebrated their 50th anniversary at home. The Class of 1960 Endowed Scholarship Fund was awarded during the 2024-2025 academic year to two students: Alisa Janollari ’28 of Concord and Tim J. Ralich, a graduate student, of Durham. The following obituaries were sent to me from the Alumni Office. Dr. James S. Pringle of Hamilton, Ontario, died September 3, 2024. He joined the staff of the Royal Botanical Gardens in 1963 as its first full-time scientist and later served as an adjunct professor at McMaster University. In 2004 and 2015, newly described and discovered species were named to honor him. Charles Leland Nickerson of Wells, Maine, died October 14, 2024. He received his J.D. from Cornell University Law School. In 1976, he founded his own firm which continues to this day. In past years, he had been very active in his community. George “Mike” Frigard passed away on his 87th birthday, October 31, 2024. Mike captained both football and varsity hockey teams in his senior year at UNH. He was a member of ATO fraternity as well as the ROTC program. Until the age of 79, Mike was an avid skier. He also sailed competitively throughout New England, Key West, Nova Scotia and Bermuda. After his successful career in commercial insurance, Mike enjoyed working as a carpenter. Donations in his memory may be made to the UNH Foundation for the George “Mike” Frigard ’60 Athletic Scholarship. John W. Haslam died peacefully with his family by his side on November 29, 2024. While in high school, John was a standout athlete in track, football, lacrosse, and basketball. He played lacrosse at UNH and was president of his fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha. It is at UNH that he met his wife, Marcia Hinkley ’61, who predeceased him after 62 years of marriage. Alfred Puccetti of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on December 12, 2024. After graduating from UNH, he continued his studies earning degrees in accounting and finance. While serving on the town’s Budget Committee and Planning Board, he contributed to the growth and well-being of North Smithfield. He loved the outdoors and was an avid tennis player. He had a passion for classical music and opera which brought him much joy. T. A. “Andy” Parssinen passed away on February 1, 2025 “after a year-long struggle with a body that would no longer cooperate with his iron will,” according to his obituary. He was born in Finland and emigrated to the United States as a child. After attending prep schools and Cornell University, Andy then finished his degree in mechanical engineering at UNH. It was while at UNH that he met his soon to be wife, Nancy Brackett ’70. He purchased Wilton Pressed Metals in the 1980s with various schoolmates. After being recruited by UNH, he taught in the budding engineering technology program for 20 years. Cynthia “Cindy” McDonnell Salsbury of Hopkinton passed away on February 9, 2025. Cynthia was predeceased by her husband and UNH classmate Bruce Salsbury, who died on August 29, 2024. After graduation, she worked at a law firm in Manchester until moving to Denver to follow her husband’s military career in the Air Force. Marty Hall of Durham passed away on February 25, 2025, after a lifetime dedicated to the sport of Nordic skiing. See In Memoriam section for more about Marty.
1961
Bill Tighe
A few of our classmates have submitted their thoughts. Lou D’Allesandro advises he and wife Pat have recently celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary. Lou recently retired from the NH State Senate, has now joined a consulting group and was recently appointed a trustee of Catholic Medical Center in Manchester. He was celebrated at the 2025 UNH Commencement with a special award. Doug Krebs writes that at 87 years old, he’s enjoyed a very full life. “Married for 64 years to Cecile. I retired from GE after 39 years at age 57. That means I haven’t worked in 30 years. CiCi and I had two boys, Kurt ’90, Sean, (Mass College of Arts). Both have done well in their careers and each have two kids. At the end of my career I was supervising all of shop operations making house electric meters and instrument transformers in Somersworth and Dover. We sold our ski chalet at Waterville Valley and currently have our townhouse at St. Pete Beach, Florida, for sale. Really slowing down, I sold both northern and southern boats and now relax in my Man Cave labeled: Captain Doug’s Fish Camp North. Presently CiCi and I are hunkered down in a townhouse at York Beach on Long Sands Road, in York, Maine. If anyone wants to learn how to catch trophy striped bass, tarpon, snook or drum, look me up.” Carol Marsh Putney advises, “After living over 25 years in Florida, I was flooded out by Hurricane Ian and moved to York, Maine. My granddaughter Krystal (Putney) Pirini owns a shop at 9 Madbury Rd #106 in downtown Durham in the heart of UNH. Open daily, New Moon is a woman’s boutique focusing on sustainable brands and curated resale. Check it out.” From Hanover, Jed Williamson sends us “My wife Perry and I moved into Kendal at Hanover in 2020, a great Quaker retirement community. Good way to enter our 80s. We retired in 2006 after 10 years at Sterling College, where I was president and she was director of development. We have continued our travels and to be active in outdoor pursuits, though I stopped serious technical climbing at 75, following a one-day climb of the Grand Teton (6.7K to 13.7K and back). Nice capstone after 40 years of summer guiding there. Main interests now are teaching courses for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Dartmouth, head of risk management team for Kroka Expeditions, member of Kendal’s Residence Council, helping out at college Nordic races, and enjoying family, which includes four grandchildren. Not enjoying the current political situation, but by the time this gets to print, hopeful that positive changes are happening. Meanwhile, great memories of life at UNH, both in and out of the classroom.” We pause, to fondly remember our classmates who have recently passed on: George Dewey Brooks, South Burlington, Vermont; Joan-Beth Hendrick Carr, North Brook; Norman Paul Dion, Tacoma, Washington; Jacklyn Laser Fox, Thomaston, Connecticut; David Wayne Kinmond, York, Maine; Norman Lionel Major, Plaistow; Phoebe Lee Collins Olmsted, Oro Valley, Arizona; Bruce Salsbury, Hopkinton; Gail Walker Sampson, Beverly, Massachusetts; John P. Sherman, Meredith; Richard Simonian, Berlin, Massachusetts; David Nelson Woods, Evanston, Illinois. May they all rest in peace. Please send along your thoughts for future issues.
1962
Judy Dawkins Kennedy
(603) 875-5979
jarlenek58@gmail.com
jarlenek58@gmail.com
Rodney Grondin and wife Nancy are enjoying retirement after 32 years of teaching, and founding Yankee Electric & Co. in Rochester and running it for 15 years. Jane “Buffy” Kinlock Robitaille, Springfield, Massachusetts, married Tom Stasiak ’60, had three children, moved from Dover to New York City, then to Springfield. They divorced in 1975. For 35 years, Buffy taught high school biology and chemistry. At age 44 she went back to school to earn her master’s in physical sciences. She taught cops and prison guards in the criminal justice program for two colleges. She was in charge of the science division for a company that administers tests required of teachers to become certified in their states. She married Carl Robitaille in 1984 and the adventures began. They wintered in Seminole, Florida. They became certified scuba divers and dove in the Red Sea, lava tubes in Hawaii and caves in Belize. They traveled to 71 foreign countries on five continents, saw the highlights of the world, sampling and enjoying every culture possible. They slept on boards in Central American jungles, in a palace in India and on the yacht of the former Yemen prime minister. They visited over 100 U.S. National Parks. No opportunity was passed to see the world. She enjoyed volunteering at a local zoo. These days, she enjoys her three children, three grandchildren and four greats. Her two main hobbies: wanting to read every book by John Grisham and James Coleman and especially doing genealogy. She is back on one of her lines to about the year 1200, thanks to a cousin in England who has thorough family records. Buffy has wonderful memories of a great life, especially UNH in the late 50s. Anyone remember “Ungowa, we are the cavemen?” Best times ever. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of: Linda Issa Karmeris, who died January 2, 2025. She resided in Franklin, Massachusetts for 25 years, then Nottingham for 28 years and moved to Medway, Massachusetts in 2017. Linda worked as a materials manager in the high-tech industry for many years. Family was most important to her. She was on the UNH 1962 class reunion committee, for several reunions. She worked very hard to find difficult-to-locate alums. Her spirit will live on in all of us who were fortunate to know her. Maynard “Bud” Plamondon of Arlington, Texas, passed December 11, 2024, after a five-year battle with vascular dementia. He grew up in Lebanon, where he met future wife Mona in the second grade. They were married on June 17, 1961 “in part” he said because Mona’s residence hall would not let boys inside unless they were married. He became interested in bridges while young, which inspired him to become a civil engineer. After graduating from UNH with a civil engineering degree and a commission in the U.S. Air Force from ROTC, he deferred active duty to earn his master’s and Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Bud began active duty at Kirtland AFB Weapons Lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he served three years earning the rank of captain. He performed advanced weapons research which he greatly enjoyed; he was an exceptional mentor to many junior engineers throughout his career. In 2013, he retired from Applied Research Associates, a research firm founded by friends from Kirtland. Bud was a very active and beloved member of his community throughout his life. He attended all his sons’ (Mike and Steve), sporting events and band performances. When they became involved in swimming, he volunteered as president of the New Mexico Swimming Association — he traveled across the state to run the electronic timing equipment for the swim meets. In 2005 Bud and Mona began spending winters in Wildwood, Florida; that lasted 15 years. In 2020 he was diagnosed with vascular dementia and they moved to Texas to be near family. Even with his dementia, Bud was eager to engage with smiles and high-fives as a regular at his local YMCA. Charles Roy Baroody, passed October 9, 2024, in his beloved Portsmouth. Charlie taught himself music and art. He could be found playing live music on his guitar and piano in downtown Portsmouth. He loved making people smile with his contagious smile and his music. He was happy by the sea and enjoyed spending time with his friends, two daughters Martha and Rosina, two grandchildren, his sister Sue and her husband Jack, a nephew, a niece, and his former wife, Diane Jutras Baroody.
1963
Connie Weatherby Shea writes “Fifteen of my class of 1963 Alpha Chi sisters and I are still in touch through email and connecting by Zoom chats on a regular basis several times a year. Our ’63 Alpha Chi President Judy Holbrook Hurlbut is credited with keeping us all together. Our group ranges in geographical area from Seattle, Washington and California, across the country through Arkansas, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Nantucket, Cape Cod, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. Pam Edsall Stewart even joined us recently while traveling in Panama,” she writes. “It’s wonderful to hear of everyone’s adventures through the years. We even have an emergency contact list so if one of us is not responding to emails and Zoom chats, we have a family member to call to make sure they are OK. Reminiscing about our great times at UNH is still our favorite topic.” Tom Paige sent his kudos on the recent edition of the magazine, and to share his fond love for his alma mater. “I was in the Marine Corps from September 1958 to September 1961, when I landed in Durham for two great years.”
1965
Jacqueline Flynn Thompson
By the time you read this, we will have enjoyed a wonderful 60th class reunion. There were close to 70 classmates and guests who enjoyed all of the fabulous events planned by the Alumni Office and your Reunion Planning Committee, and that was a record for the 60th reunions. What they didn’t plan for was a rainy weekend. But all events were on schedule, and thanks to the wonderful campus bus drivers and umbrellas, we didn’t skip a beat. I’d like to mention one record for 2025: There were seven Phi Mu Sorority sisters in attendance who enjoyed every minute of the weekend. We even met two sisters from the class of ’75! Ronald Canizares still enjoys living in Coconut Grove, Florida, and working 20-25 hours a week in his Miami litigation support business and has no intention of retiring. While his junior partner works full-time, he can still have sailing adventures, like the Newport-Bermuda Race, and spend time at his second home in Roxbury, Connecticut where he spends most of the summer. He and wife Isela are in relatively good health. “I had a health issue this year that was successfully resolved, but more than ever I treat every day as a gift.” Terre Richard Levin and her husband, Pete, built a modular home on a portion of their land overlooking their fields and woods and all sorts of critters and birds in Saugerties, New York. Terre retired in December 2023, from teaching biology and chemistry in high school and college. Pete is a jazz pianist and tours with The Levin Brothers. Stanley Blanchard, a retired professional photographer who lives in Schenectady, New York, is now a hobbyist woodturner. He demonstrated his techniques for applying milk paint on his turned vessels at a professionals symposium in Saratoga Springs, New York, recently. Lynn Fiechter Grant moved to an independent living community in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. She has family nearby. Lynn says she misses New Hampshire, but this place gives her so much to do, and it was time after her husband’s death in 2023. She knew she needed to be active with interesting people. Judy Macdonald Markowski, a member of the reunion committee, writes that since retiring in 2010, she travelled the country visiting family. She served on her town library board and town council and currently serves on her town historical society board and the board of her county’s Community Action Agency. She lives near Rochester, New York. We missed Sally Gordon Shea at the April reunion committee meeting as she was moving to a Manchester CCRC. Judith Johnson Stebbins, a former class vice president, died in February. After graduation she earned a graduate degree in speech pathology from UMass. She met her husband, Arnold ’62, on a blind date at UNH, and they married in 1966. She loved working as a speech pathologist. She was also involved with Special Olympics, Uplift, Americorps, the Girls Scouts. Stephen E. Bennett passed away quietly on October 7, 2024, after a protracted illness. Steve graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and was a member of Acacia fraternity. He met his wife, Janet ’66, and they were married for 59 years. Steve served in the U.S. Air Force from 1966-1970, having achieved the rank of captain. He worked at the MIT Research Lab, developing equipment used by pilots during the Vietnam War. After discharge he worked for Union Carbide for 25 years and earned his MBA degree. Richard Hopkins died on October 16, 2024. At UNH he started as a forestry major, then changed to economics. He was an Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity brother. After entering the working world, he completed his master’s in business administration, also at UNH. He spent most of his working life in marketing research for The SAMI Group. Leo S. Hourihan, of Leyden, Massachusetts, died July 7, 2024. He was a clergyman for the United Church of Christ, receiving a master of divinity degree in 1972. He served churches in Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Leo was a person with broad interests, including theology, philosophy, quantum physics and mathematics. Patricia Benzing died on February 17, 2025, in Maine. She majored in education and became a committed educator teaching physical education; she worked tirelessly to mentor and support the underrepresented female student-athletes of that groundbreaking era. Leslie H. Downing of Harrisville died peacefully at her home on February 7, 2025. She graduated with a degree in education, married Russell Downing ’67, and settled in Harrisville. She was passionate about volunteering and was involved with her church and town positions.
Alpha Xi Delta sisters and class of 66ers (clockwise from back left) Linda Kelley Jewett, Sheila Bruce Far, Nancy Perreault Woods and Barbara Starkey Wingardner.
1966
Rev. Jonathan Tetherly
Dear classmates, I hope all of you are well. Guess what happens next year: our UNH 60th reunion! What a great time it will be, meeting old friends, whether we recognize them or not. The dates are June 5-7, 2026. If you would like to get involved, email reunion.weekend@unh.edu. This note is short, and amazing as it stands, so I’m just going to copy it verbatim: “An annual reunion of Alpha Xi sisters Linda Kelley Jewett, Sheila Bruce Far, Nancy Perreault Woods and Barbara Starkey Wingardner finds them anywhere from Aspen, Colorado, to Vero Beach, Florida, Friends for 60+ years, we have been to some pretty varied destinations for vacations, weddings, showers, or for no reason at all. In March we were celebrating all of our octogenarian birthdays, oh my!” I just am totally amazed that through all the changes of life, good, bad and indifferent, these four classmates have stuck together. I hope they keep it up for many more years. Beverley Morrison Beasley shares that she and husband Bill have lived in Ponte Vidra Beach, Florida, for 28 years. She mentions great weather, the beach, golf and friends. However, Bill has suffered from four different cancers, all “presumptive” as she says, from exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam where he was a helicopter pilot, 1967-68. Thankfully, the Mayo Clinic in nearby Jacksonville has successfully treated him. Beverley remembers Freshman Camp, where she began as a “nervous” camper, then three years as a counselor, and finally director. She is reminded of the “Cheery Hi, Frosh” of the Sophomore Sphinx, the Student Senate, and walks to the library in the snow. She remembers the sign on the library, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The sign is no longer there; that’s too bad. Beverley recalls her Alpha Chi Omega sisters, with the Bob Dylan music blasting from an upstairs window at lunchtime. I think we remember best the good times, and Beverley certainly does. I’ll let Beverley tell one, though, verbatim: “One memory that we all shared that fateful Friday, November 22, 1963. Rumor had just spread on campus that the President had been shot. (Surely, we thought, in the arm or shoulder … ) Not knowing what to do, I went to my 1 o’clock philosophy class with Professor Asher Moore. We were all buzzing about what we knew and it stopped when he entered the room. He stood in the front of the room and quietly said, ‘There is a saying that the show must go on, but that’s not true when the President has been shot. Class dismissed.’ That has been etched in my memory. What a time it was.” Beverley is looking forward to next year’s reunion. Mary K. Ball writes that she’s living the same life, in the same house, doing the same things. But there is one new aspect to her life: She now, finally, has a “charming little grandchild.” As the saying goes, “Wonders will never cease.” Congratulations, Mary! I was ruminating on changes at UNH, and I thought of my own family. I had a sister and four cousins, and of us and our spouses — 12 altogether — six went to UNH. In the next generation, there was only my niece, Jenny ’03, and nephew, Jesse ’05 Bodwell. I can’t give an accurate number of the members of the newest generation, and not all are old enough for college, but I believe there is only one: Kendall Jackson ’26. In our day, the only colleges in New Hampshire were Keene and Plymouth State, Dartmouth, St. Anselm’s and Rivier. Those were our choices if we wanted to stay in New Hampshire. I don’t want to even give a rough figure of the present number of colleges in the state. Also, when I was in elementary school, all the people I was related to, including first cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents, lived in or had a summer home, in Belknap County. Now, none of my family have any connections there; most are scattered far and wide. And yet, if my memory serves me right, the UNH student population was about 5,000 when we were there. Today, the website says a little less than 11,400. And so the UNH population certainly doesn’t suffer for the lack of my family. Is my family typical of yours? Have a safe fall, and keep in mind the words of President Roosevelt: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
Denise Deschenes ’67, Nancy McGary ’67 and friend Mary O’Connor at Ogunquit’s Marginal Way.
1967
Diane Deering
Hello classmates. Happy birthday to many of us who celebrate our 80th year. We’ve heard from several who decided this was the year for an update. Marty Philbrick met her husband Ken ’64 at UNH and celebrated their 60th anniversary in June. She carried our ’67 flag in Ken’s recent reunion parade and tells her grandchildren of her great college experience. Her Chi Omegas gathered recently at the Von Trapp Vermont lodge for a mini reunion. Dick Knight writes that he just finished his 54th year teaching skiing on weekends at Waterville Valley. Congrats, Dick. Graduate student Bill Meeker reports his retirement in Boise, Idaho, where he enjoys the four seasons like his New England but without the fierce snowstorms and keeps busy with oil painting and the local magicians club. After 25 years in Arizona, Bill retired as a specialized MH/SMI Adult Probation. He fondly remembers UNH Night at “the Cat” where Pabst beer with a pizza cost $1.00, and it was 25 cents to play pool. Denise Deschenes and Mary O’Connor met classmate Nancy McGary in Ogunquit, Maine recently. They hadn’t seen each other since graduation! And finally, we hear from Col. Joel Newton who served in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years. He completed a master’s of engineering administration at George Washington University. Joel and his wife Sally along with daughter, Allison, spent an assignment in Tehran, Iran, near the Shah’s Palace before the 1979 Revolution takeover. Cairo, Egypt, San Antonio, Grand Forks, North Dakota, followed until retirement. Joel then spent six years as plant manager at Stony Brook University followed by Virginia Commonwealth before retirement in Outer Banks, North Carolina. Next year he and Sally will cruise the Mississippi River from Duluth to New Orleans on Viking. It is with sadness that we report the passing of Alfreda “Freddie” Boston of York Beach, Maine. Freddie also received her master’s from UNH and went on to teach disabled children in New Hampshire, Maine and Florida. Freddie studied under Donald Graves and Jane Hanson and contributed to their book reviewed by the New York Times. She was Elementary Teacher of the Year in 2002 and taught with compassion and skill. Kurt Olson from Hollis served in the U.S. Army in Colorado and Panama before returning to UNH to complete his bachelor’s degree. After receiving his Ph.D in forestry from the University of Minnesota, Kurt then returned to a faculty position at UNH. We send our condolences to the family and friends of Freddie and Kurt.
1968
Angela Piper
Time is going by so fast. It seems as though we just attended Freshman camp and today we are retired and traveling. Yet Sue Ann Robinson is still teaching books and papermaking at California State University in Long Beach. She is also curator emerita of the Long Beach Museum of Art where she is writing a history of the museum for its 75th anniversary. Weston Cook escaped the snow in New Hampshire by going to Los Angeles and returned to New Hampshire just before the fires. He and his wife will do more traveling and may even come to our next reunion! Steve Dudley and his wife, Mac, have moved to South Carolina but will keep their home in Maine to escape the hot summers of the low country of South Carolina. Chuck Swartz enjoys his retirement traveling and living in Brookline, Massachusetts. Our next reunion will be in 2028, our 60th. Keep it in mind as it comes quickly.
Lynne Butcher ’69, enjoying retirement.
1969
Steve Capistran
Aloha! Kathy and I just got back from a wonderful trip to Hawaii. It is everything everyone says it is, what a paradise. Russ Lanoie, Thompson School, writes that he really appreciated all the skills and insight he received while at UNH. It really assisted in helping him develop his career skills. Russ owns and operates Alternative Systems, a solar company, in the White Mountain region. He is not only a developer but has lived in a passive solar home for 40 years. You can follow Russ’s bylines in the Conway Daily Sun and Green Ecology Times. Kurt and Linda (Griffiths) Vollherbst, and Bill and Judy Newcomb (also ’73G) went to Ireland in March. They had a great time visiting Dublin, Galway and the Aran Islands. You have to love these world travelers. Allan Stearns sent in a very informative bio. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Air Force where he met his wife Carol, both first lieutenants. They got married at the embassy in Bangkok, and still married 52 years later. They have since both retired as lieutenant colonels. Thank you for your service, Stearns! They currently live in Florida, and are loving life; they’ve joined that retired group who travel to Europe on a regular basis. Lynne Butcher has sold her business, Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon in Upper Lake, California, after 20 years. Many UNH friends have visited — Linda Vollherbst, Sue Bean Couch, Borden Webb, Pat Baker and more — she says life has been good and will be going forward. Paul Pitarys sent me a note that he was in Thailand when the earthquake hit Myanmar — fortunately, where he was only received minimal damage. Paul, stay safe.
1970
Jan Harayda
Happy 55 years since UNH! Here’s a reunion recap: The class dinner on Saturday evening at the Atlantic Grill was a great success. It was a meaningful opportunity to reconnect, and we took time to honor and remember classmates who are no longer with us. Earlier in the day, Bill Gardner and Brad Cook spoke at the free speech panel discussion hosted by former Governor John Lynch ’74. The event drew a full audience to the auditorium. Their remarks cut to the heart of the topic and resonated with everyone in attendance. If you attended in June, would you drop me a line and let me know whom you saw and what you enjoyed most? I’d love to include you in these notes. My roommate Nancy Winterbottom, who lives at RiverWoods in Exeter, went to our last big reunion and had a great time. It’s always a joy to hear from a classmate who says, “This is my first time writing in,” and this time Sam Aucoin made my day with those words. He wrote from Honolulu, where he and his wife have lived for 40 years: “After graduating from UNH, I headed west to attend the University of Hawaii in beautiful Manoa on the island of Oahu. I graduated in 1972 with an MBA and was hired by the Honolulu office of Haskins & Sells, one of the top national accounting firms. After several mergers, the firm is now known as Deloitte & Touche. I became a CPA and worked for them for 11 years. I eventually retired from an energy company in Honolulu where I worked for 24 years. Along the way, I met my wife Janie who was born and raised on Maui. We have two daughters and eight grandchildren. During the pandemic, since I was stuck at home with lots of free time, I decided to write a novel based on the history of my family. I’m of Acadian descent and from my childhood, I heard many stories about the Acadians. One day, my mother told me that my great, great, great, great, great (five greats) grandfather Pierre spent seven years in prison. I was shocked and asked ‘Why? What did he do?’ His crime, apparently, was that he was Acadian. My ancestor Pierre is one of the featured characters in my book ‘The Acadians: One Acadian Family and les Maudits Anglais (the Damn English).’ The book covers 400 years of Acadian history in northern New England, eastern Canada and Louisiana.” Congratulations, Sam! Tom Smart was happy to finish with a better time than he expected in the third annual Alumni Mile in April at the Reggie Atkins Outdoor Track, open to all alumni of the men’s and women’s track and field and cross-country teams. The event includes both competitive and non-competitive heats, and Tom and I would love to know who else in our class took part. Can you drop me a note if you did? Gary and Connie Kellogg Evans moved into a condo in Hopkinton, and are getting their farm in Weare ready to sell. Gary wrote: “I fell off a ladder last year and broke my leg and messed up my ankle and that prompted a lifestyle change.” He added that the change takes some getting used to, but the good news is: He and Connie have four grandchildren who live nearby. He’s still involved with theater, most recently with a role in “12 Angry Men.” He recently saw Gerry Langdon, who lives in Epping, and they try to do lunch and some easy hiking whenever they can. Jim Fiore still lives in Latham, New York, where the big news this winter was the wind. “I’ve never experienced such a windy winter. On some days we had winds up to 40 to 60 miles per hour! Our total snow for the winter was around 46 inches.” But that didn’t keep Jim from getting outside to run about 10 times, which included a 5k and 5-mile races. In the summer, Jim spends time with his daughter’s family in Lewes, Delaware, where five grandchildren were on hand last year. Jim spoke for many of us when he said: “It’s a lot of fun to have everyone together.” As of this writing, Diane Wright Foley was the 2025 undergraduate commencement speaker at Marquette University, which her son Jim attended before he was abducted while working as a journalist in Syria, where he died in 2014. Diane, who also received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree, still lives in New Hampshire with her husband, John Foley. We are so sorry to note the passing of our classmates Richard Reno, David Parent, Edward Lang and Pamala Marston Tinker (who met her husband, Robert Tinker, at Freshman Camp and had been married to him for 56 years). Please search online for their obituaries to learn more about these valued classmates and their rewarding lives. We were lucky to have them.
John and Sherman (Boothby) Kendall, both class of ’71, at Yellowstone.
1971
Debbi Martin Fuller
We’ll be celebrating our 55th Reunion in Durham, June 5-7, 2026. Make plans to celebrate with us! If you would like to get involved email reunion.weekend@unh.edu. Bill Schultz writes, “After all these years, I thought I would drop a line and say hello to the class before too many more of us ‘shuffle off’ our ‘mortal coils.’ I live in Burnsville, North Carolina, with Lisa Buss Schultz ’72, my spouse of 52 years. We are in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina, near Mount Mitchell. After college, I worked as a carpenter and then as a medical photographer in Chapel Hill before going to law school in 1980 in Oregon. Lisa and I spent 25 years in Portland, then moved back to North Carolina in 2003, and worked at the Arthur Morgan School in Burnsville before retiring around 2008. Our area was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Luckily, we escaped damage to our home or property, but many were left homeless and in need. The response from people all over the country was fantastic and for several weeks nobody’s politics or religion mattered — we were all neighbors helping each other. Lisa and I stay busy with volunteer work, and I have a small workshop for ‘piddling.’ Our daughter and her family live nearby and every summer we return to New Hampshire to visit with family and friends on Lake Winnipesaukee. I’d love to hear from anyone who might remember me or whom I might remember! I am at lisabill49@gmail.com.” Bill also commented he loved seeing Carl Patterson’s family pic in the last issue! Peggy Haughton MacLeod wrote to thank me for doing the column all these years, but she did it in Spanish! Cracked me up that she still remembered that about me! John and Sherman (Boothby) Kendall wrote to tell us about their 11-week RV trip around the country, the mirror of a trip they took 50 years earlier. In 1971 they traveled in a converted Ford Econoline van with the back seats taken out and a sink and small refrigerator installed. The 2022 trip was far more comfortable in a 2018 Winnebago RV. They visited national parks on both trips. They traveled down the Pacific Coast Highway 1 to the Redwood Forest before turning east to Yellowstone National Park. Sherman has been teaching elementary school for 54 years. In 2013 John sold his company after 27 years and retired. Sherman has promised him this will be her last year teaching, so they can travel more. She is a local ladies golf champion twice and held course records in both Maine and New Hampshire for years. John still skis and helps teach skiing to their two granddaughters. Wayne M. Glines writes to us for the first time! “Graduated with bachelor’s in physics; started graduate school at University of Massachusetts that fall. Got drafted and spent three years in the U.S. Army. Following 1974 discharge started graduate school at University of Washington in fall of 1975. Graduated with master’s in radiological sciences. Had a 30+-year career in the federal government (Dept. of Defense and Dept. of Energy) as a health physicist with a couple of stints with private contractors/consultants along the way. Retired for good in 2015. Remain active in health physics activities, e.g., president of Herbert M. Parker Foundation, member of U.S. Nuclear Technical Advisory Group for ISO TC85, peer reviewer for Health Physics Journal, contributing editor for Health Physics News. Married to my wife Janice (going on 49 years), have two children and three grandchildren. Still reside in Washington. Would very much like to touch base with other 1971 physics graduates, in particular, Barry Morgan and David Tetreault. David M. Bentley (hospitality management) writes, “I hardly knew anyone in our class, or my classes, principally because I was older than almost all of my classmates (having already served three years in the U.S. Army, including Vietnam for a year, and had previous college credits from some college-time before). I was 26 when I enrolled at UNH, married, father of a daughter, and had a full-time job at Exeter Hospital as an orderly. My wife worked for UNH at the Women’s Physical Education Department, so all in all, my time was well accounted for with very little time available for social activities. I did attend a ‘demonstration’ in the Lundholm Gymnasium when Abbie Hoffman and his buddies visited UNH sometime around 1971. Very peaceful, no bad language; actually, all three of them were quite articulate.”
From top: Bill Downes ’72. Lou Ureneck ’72.
1972
Mary Burke Desfosses
I love hearing from the class of 1972! People have such interesting stories to tell. I received an email from a Freshman Camp friend Bil Downes, who I ran into at a UNH reunion several years ago, and he gave a rundown of his life after UNH. He wrote, “For those of you who remember me as the short, funny guy at the MUB, I have been very lucky in my life. I found myself exploring various occupations (banker, elementary school teacher and textbook editor), but the major force in my life was comedy, stand-up in particular. In 1978 I started the Comedy Connection with my business partner and it became the premiere comedy club in the Boston area. I was doing stand-up myself and working next to great comedy talent at the time. My experience was transformative for me.” He’s is now semi-retired and lives with his wife of 43 years, Rita, and has a daughter Mary, a son Alex and two grandsons. His favorite memories are of Freshman Camp both as a camper and counselor, working at MUSO, and hanging out with friends at the newspaper offices. He said, “My choice to attend UNH was one of the best ones I ever made.” Bil would love to hear from classmates; his email is bil.downes@gmail.com. Lou Ureneck has retired from Boston University where he was chairman of the Department of Journalism. He continues to write, however, and will have an article published in the July 2025 issue of Sports Afield magazine. The article is about a Wyoming elk hunt he took with his son, brother and nephew last fall. His work has also been published in The New York Times, Boston Globe, and Field & Stream. Thanks for writing, Lou! Jean McCord sent an email saying she earned a master’s in English from UNH and now lives in Cuenca, Ecuador. She arrived in Cuenca in 2015 and stayed two months, joining the Cuenca Writers Collective. She returned to Tacoma, Washington, wrapped up her affairs, and returned to Cuenca permanently. Jean has published two novels, “Home Free” and “The Eagle Murders” and is working on a third. Allen Miller, who was the best man at our wedding, dropped me a note about his life after UNH. He first worked as an editor/writer in Florence, Italy, as the assistant editor for the Arms and Armor Annual. The editor-in-chief had an antique weaponry shop near the Ponte Vecchio, and Allen worked there as well, often delivering antique dueling pistols to collectors throughout Italy. He wrote, “I could legitimately say I was a gunrunner in my youth.” After returning to the U.S., Allen continued to be an editor in Washington, D.C. and then in Ithaca, New York. He often walked by Cornell Law School on the way to work and decided to apply there. Here’s a back story that will resonate with anyone from our class: “I was no doubt inspired to consider law school by my experience representing the ‘Hunter 51,’ a group of 51 students living in Hunter Hall who protested the then-already archaic system of ‘parietals’ that generally prevented females from entering male dorms. The protest involved inviting women into Hunter Hall en masse. Fifty-one of us faced potential disciplinary proceedings.” At the hearing, Allen served as a student rep to present the case to the dean. This all happened in the Spring of 1970; no one was disciplined, and parietals were abolished the following fall. Allen said, “Apparently, Cornell Law School was overwhelmed by this amazing result because it admitted me.” He worked for the next 40 years as a lawyer in New York and recently retired with his wife, Susan Davidson, to the Hudson River Valley where his two daughters and grandson also live. Allen looks forward to hearing from ’72 classmates. I would also love to hear more memories from the Spring of 1970, a semester to remember!
1973
Joyce Dube Stephens
Peter Gowen reports that he has recently relocated to Santa Fe, New Mexico, after over four decades in the Boulder, Colorado area. Peter retired in 2017 after a 40+-year career in water-related technical and legal matters. After his master’s in water quality hydrology, he became a lawyer. Peter keeps busy serving on the Santa Fe County Water Policy Advisory Committee and on the board of directors of the Santa Fe Watershed Association. Peter still enjoys running rivers and other outdoor activities. I received very sad and personal news on Elizabeth [Betsy] Keefe, who passed away in March after a courageous four-year battle with ALS. 
Betsy was a wonderful mother to her two grown children, and partner to her husband, John ’72. She also enjoyed a 39-year career as a catalogue librarian for Fairfax County, Virginia, and retired in 2015 as the head of the Cataloging Department. Her husband recalls that even in her most difficult days with ALS, Betsy had a ready smile on her face. Gary S. Domian retired from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service after 42 years in 2011. He thoroughly enjoyed his work in soil and water conservation in the northeast and internationally. Gary spent six years as a resident agricultural advisor on tour with the government of Indonesia [1986-1992]. Toward the end of his career, Gary spent about five years in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as a senior civilian agricultural advisor; and the last two years at Regional Command East at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Gary finally retired in 2011 to Rochester, where he owns and operates an LLC business in home renovation and maintenance. Gary has restored a couple of very unique antique wood and canvas boats, which he has used for trout fishing. He reports that “Life is good!” after recently meeting up with a group of 1973-1975 UNH alumni. Dennis Robinson launched his latest book “Lucy’s Voice” on Presidents Day. His preface begins: “On the night J.W. Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the famous actor was secretly engaged to Lucy Hale, the daughter of a New Hampshire senator.” Dennis writes that this book is available in e-book, hardcover and paperback, and suitable for all ages. Dennis is the author of 20 history books on topics from archaeology and axe murder to privateering, child labor, theater arts and the forgotten founding of New Hampshire. Photos in the book are from the collection of Thom Hindle, a well-known Dover photographer.
Betsy was a wonderful mother to her two grown children, and partner to her husband, John ’72. She also enjoyed a 39-year career as a catalogue librarian for Fairfax County, Virginia, and retired in 2015 as the head of the Cataloging Department. Her husband recalls that even in her most difficult days with ALS, Betsy had a ready smile on her face. Gary S. Domian retired from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service after 42 years in 2011. He thoroughly enjoyed his work in soil and water conservation in the northeast and internationally. Gary spent six years as a resident agricultural advisor on tour with the government of Indonesia [1986-1992]. Toward the end of his career, Gary spent about five years in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan as a senior civilian agricultural advisor; and the last two years at Regional Command East at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. Gary finally retired in 2011 to Rochester, where he owns and operates an LLC business in home renovation and maintenance. Gary has restored a couple of very unique antique wood and canvas boats, which he has used for trout fishing. He reports that “Life is good!” after recently meeting up with a group of 1973-1975 UNH alumni. Dennis Robinson launched his latest book “Lucy’s Voice” on Presidents Day. His preface begins: “On the night J.W. Booth assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the famous actor was secretly engaged to Lucy Hale, the daughter of a New Hampshire senator.” Dennis writes that this book is available in e-book, hardcover and paperback, and suitable for all ages. Dennis is the author of 20 history books on topics from archaeology and axe murder to privateering, child labor, theater arts and the forgotten founding of New Hampshire. Photos in the book are from the collection of Thom Hindle, a well-known Dover photographer.Reunion
2025
Laura Rickert Robinson ’74, music education major.
1974
Jean Marston-Dockstader
Janis Gogan retired from her business school professorship at Bentley University three years ago but still teaches Ph.D. students on case research skills and co-authors teaching cases. She and her husband, Ash Rao, travel to see their four children and five grandchildren. They also recently traveled to Vietnam and Tokyo. After teaching elementary music for three years in New Hampshire, Laura Robinson moved south to marry, have children and enter administration. She received an MBA from Virginia Tech and then worked for Fairfax County Public Schools retiring in 2016 as the coordinator for decision support, IT. She returned to playing the flute and plays in two local community bands. She is also a certified bicycling instructor and enjoys teaching children to ride bikes. Sally Gresla Grimm has lived in Tenafly, New Jersey, since 1976. She retired from her occupational therapist position at Valley Hospital in 2021 after 42 years. She was widowed in 2021 after 45 years of marriage. She has fond memories of UNH and her sorority, Chi Omega. Please send news to share with fellow classmates!
1975
Kim Lampson Reiff
Our reunion was a great success with almost 200 people attending! I was unable to be there but had the privilege of working with the reunion committee. What an amazing group of people! Thank you so much for your vision, tireless effort and dedication! Martha Byam said it all when she wrote, “Gayle (Metcalf Murphy) and I were so lucky with all of you. I have tears in my eyes as I write this — you all fully showed up and that made our jobs so much easier. We wanted people who would do what they say they would do, who did not take themselves too seriously, had a sense of humor, loved UNH and wanted some fun. You were all just the right people! The synergy of our collective spirits was bigger than any one of us. This whole year with you will always be a wonderful memory —and let’s keep making more!” Please write to me about your reunion memories and I can include them in the next UNH class news column. Caryl Dow ’80 asked us to think of her brother, Albert Dow, one of our classmates, in this year our 50th reunion. Albert Dow was killed in an avalanche on Mount Washington in January 1982 while volunteering as a member of the Mountain Rescue Service. In the 43 years since, hundreds of articles and two documentary films have been published about it. Author Ty Gagne ’96 just published a book about Albert and the events of that rescue, “The Lions of Winter,” available on Amazon. The theme of this column and the next is the wonderful world of retirement! Many of you who have written have told of amazing experiences since making this significant life transition. I hope more of you will write about life after retirement for future issues. Michael Lanza moved his goat farm from North Carolina to Texas and is enjoying substitute teaching students from preschool to high school. A consistent contributor to class notes, Michael reported that “Life is good!” John Hersey, an avid traveler, spent the winter of 2025 in Mexico, then he headed back home to Arizona. Rich Eldred retired last September after 36 years in the newspaper business as a sports/environmental/local news reporter on Cape Cod even though he never took a journalism course at UNH. His degree was in botany, and he is sure using that now serving as president of the Botanical Club of Cape Cod and the Islands and leading guided botany walks for a local conservation trust. A fun fact about Rich is that every year he tries to grow a pumpkin/melon or squash developed by one of his UNH professors, the late Dr. Brent Loy. This year it will be the Sarah’s Choice cantaloupe. Please send me news about what you enjoy doing during your retirement — if you have retired! Hearing these great stories may inspire those of us still keeping our noses to the grindstone to take the plunge! Sadly, we received notice of the passing of some of our classmates. We remember at times like these how precious and short life is. Patricia E. “Pat” Joyce Amherst, Mark Brighton, Roger E. Deschenes, Candace “Candy” Mae Hedges, Charles Butch Wilson Johnson, and Robert W. “Bob” Osgood.
From top: Stephen Crane ’76 photographed the lunar eclipse that occurred on March 14, 2025. Photo was taken at 2:38 am. At their annual UNH gathering, this year in Ogunquit, Maine, are former roomies from the class of ’77 (left to right) Deb Weiss, Mary Ellen Myles, Lauren Chisnall, Wendy Kessler, Jamie Batson, Lauri Hugentobler, Lori Dittelman.
1976
Ken Kincaid Jr.
Save the date for our 50th Reunion: June 5-7, 2026! We’re excited to bring everyone together for a fun-filled weekend in Durham to celebrate this incredible milestone. Mark your calendars and start reaching out to classmates and friends! If you’d like to help plan a memorable weekend, Larry Meacham and Garry Haworth would love to have you on board. There are plenty of ways to get involved, and we promise you’ll have a fantastic time reconnecting while shaping an unforgettable reunion. Send an email to reunion.weekend@unh.edu to join the planning team! I can’t fathom the fact we are to be celebrating our 50th anniversary of our graduation from UNH. It would be great to have an amazing turnout so we can meet up again, share good memories and create new ones. On with the alumni news. I got a couple old friends to respond and hope for more soon, people from other teams, fraternities and sororities I met during my four years at the U, and some of the many I went to high school with who also matriculated at UNH. I did attend the exciting UNH-BC hockey game with other soccer alumni board members and got to watch the game from the president’s box at the Whitt. I had never seen hockey from that upper angle, and it brought me back to games at Lively Snively seeing Jamie Hislop, Clifford J. Cox (also ’80G, ’82G, ’83PhD) and Robert ‘Cap’ Raeder dominate. I also see Dave Taggart, the record setting 53-yard field goal, (only recently broken); he is retired now after being in the IT world then setting up a soccer training club, FC Puma, that coached kids in this area. He plans to attend a UNH football reunion scheduled for this fall. Bob Kyle (hotel administration) just retired after 45+ years in the marine industry on Lake Winnipesaukee and is now living the good life in Moultonborough. Alex Nossiff (economics) is continuing to practice law in Dover. His wife, Stephanie, is a para-professional at the Strafford Learning Center at the grade-school level. His oldest daughter, Abby, is a sophomore at Plymouth State hoping to become a teacher and his youngest, Lilly, is a senior at Dover High where she broke the all-time Dover women’s basketball scoring record and now has accepted an offer from St. Anselm’s. A note from me because he is too modest, but Alex was the leading scorer on the UNH JV basketball team his freshman year. Alex jokes that “yes, he knows” he got a late start raising a family. Hmm, sounds familiar. He says he was very happy to have received a recent visit from his best friend at Dover High School, me! And he is in touch with DHS/UNH alumnus Scott Murray, who is currently the judge of the Dover District Court, and DHS/UNH alumnus Brian Peters. He is very happy to see all the positive changes at UNH. John Douthitt writes, “Let’s see … after graduating UNH I took a job as the head chef for a country club in Oregon, then wound up as a monk among the Tibetans for 11 years, then studied acupuncture, set up practice in Ajo, Arizona, for a while, moved to Davis, California, got married to Barb and her three kids, trained at UC Davis med school as a physicians assistant, and worked the local community clinic until I retired. I still love meditation, yoga, cooking, gardening, kayaking and miss the East Coast but California is OK. I’ve got aftermarket parts (two metal hips and dental crowns) but can still do splits to the floor and dementia doesn’t seem to have set in yet.” My old teammate Jim (Tank) Holmes writes that he is living in Northwood now. He recently retired from the highway department in Portsmouth and is now working part-time in Lee at Coppal House Farm. He has three kids, two step-kids and two granddaughters. He hopes to have more time for alumni stuff now, and would like to hear from old teammates too. Cynthia Overbaugh shared news that her twin sister, Suzanne Lowe, passed away in 2022. Suzanne was the mom of two boys, and was described as an entrepreneur, teacher, saleswoman, political organizer and athlete. She was proud of her Boston roots, but moved to northern California in 1980, where she lived the rest of her life. She was 67.
1977
Lois Kelly
Velna Roy Zuzick reports that she’s feeling very blessed these days, living on an island 15 miles out of Rockland, Maine. Before moving to Maine, she lived on Cape Cod from 1986 to 2020. Velna has two children and three grandchildren. Lyn Richards Pawlowski of Manchester raises Monarch butterflies and is considering installing a honeybee hive this year.
1978
Carol Scagnelli Edmonds
Cathy Haselton Laplante shared that she recently retired from lactation consulting to spend more time on self-care, travel and grandchildren! She is expecting grandchild number 6 and is enjoying living at the beach in New Jersey! Leslie Spilman is still working part-time as an independent occupational therapist in rural schools in Alaska. Many of the schools are north of the Arctic Circle. She travels by bush plane and sleeps on the school floor. All food is brought in with her as most people are subsistence hunters and fly in the rest of their needs. Four hours of sunlight in winter is difficult, but the promise of long, glorious summer days makes it worthwhile. She also owns a home in Texas to be closer to her family. Her photo of the Northern Lights was stunning! Rick Stark is honored to have been invited to join the UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) Development Board. He is looking forward to contributing to the board’s endeavors. He also joined other alumni at a recent UNH-Vermont hockey game and enjoyed the recognition ceremony for former UNH hockey players. What is new with you? Do you enjoy city life? Travel? Grandchildren? Learning something new? Your friends from UNH would love to hear your news!
From left: UNH alumni in Trysil, Norway, with the Seacoast Ski Club. Pictured left to right are Debby (Alcox) Mansor ’83, Alexandra Lizak, EMBA ’96, Jen (Roussell) Porter ’81, Caryl Dow ’80. Photo of the Alaskan Northern Lights by Leslie Spilman ’78. John Flynn ’80 and his new book.
1979
Yahya Gharagozlou ’79, ’81G, ’87G wrote a newly released novel, “Killing Gilda,” a historical fiction, which he describes as a story about love, power, politics and the secrets behind palace doors and the fall of Iran’s last Shah. Yahya has both a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UNH as well as a master’s degree in creative writing. He spent over 30 years as the president of ITW but always dreamed of writing a novel. He resides in Boston with his wife, who is a painter who has had shows in New York City, Dubai, Cairo and other locations. Together, they have two daughters — one is a CNN producer while the other works in finance.
1980
Caryl Dow
From top: Leon Bickford ’80 as young Green Beret; Bickford ’80 (second from left) at Pearl Harbor at Admiral’s Pier, May 2024.
Hello classmates. By the time you read this summer will still be in full swing and you’ll be enjoying every moment, I hope. We begin this column with Rye resident Tim Sanborn whose outstanding community service led a friend from church to nominate Tim a “Community Hero.” By definition, a hero is someone who singlehandedly, or by leading people, overcomes obstacles to create victories. Tim’s heroics have come in both ways to the people of Rye. Tim has been serving as a volunteer and board member in a variety of different organizations since 1997. Tim’s goal in volunteering was to help preserve the local community for generations to come. After 20 years in the corporate world, Tim passed up various promotions, choosing to stay close in order to devote more time to community. Tim served as: Rye Beach commissioner for 10 years; Rye Education Foundation Board (president and treasurer) for eight years, raising over $1 million in a capital campaign; Rye Little League director since 1997 and went on to coach a Babe Ruth State Champion team. Tim also served as Rye Surf Club membership director as well as Portsmouth Youth Football director since 2004 and is the current president dedicated to developing youth by not only teaching football fundamentals but also life lessons in the spirit of developing courage, confidence and character in local youth. In his spare time, Tim helps at the Seacoast Science Center to improve and preserve this important part of our coastline and Gather, the local food pantry serving the food-challenged. Tim has a personal creed in his service to community, “Always add value, be part of the solution.” A shout out to the cadre and cadets in Army ROTC and the brothers of Sigma Nu from Smyley! After 46 years with the U.S. government; 26 years as a commissioned officer and 20 years with the civil service, Leon Bickford has joined AARP and now rides the waves soaking up sun and drinking mai tais on the beaches of Hawaii. Leon served in dangerous missions in the prestigious Green Berets, finally joining co-workers with USINDOPACOM Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Leon wants to also remember his running mates from UNH cross country and track as well as the Psychology Department. He says he misses collegiate times, but he’s found another paradise in Oahu. Thanks for your service Leon, enjoy those waves. Four alumni traveled with the Seacoast Ski Club in February spending a few days visiting Oslo before heading to Trysil for a week of skiing. Our guide certainly knew his audience because one of the main attractions he had on our agenda was the Holmenkollen National Arena (photo of ski jump and stadium) with capacity for 30,000 fans to cheer on their “flyers”! It was quite a thrill looking out and down the runway! Trysil is Norway’s largest ski resort and home to some of the most beautiful cross-country skiing our friends have seen. John Flynn has published “50 Important Boomerangs” (www.fastcatchpress.com), a coffee-table book chronicling the iconic device’s evolution from indigenous tool to space-age international sport. “The research journey connected me with colleagues past and present and I gained some new friends,” says Flynn, whose notable competitive career started in 1981 (see Alumni Profile in Fall ’07 UNH Magazine). “The book pays homage to these implements that changed the course of my life, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the heartfelt responses from that community and beyond.” Flynn retired in 2024 from a career in aerospace bearings and geotechnical instrumentation; he has spoken several times on the latter subject at UNH civil engineering classes. “Returning to campus before, during, and after Kingsbury Hall’s reconstruction certainly had its surreal aspects, and I enjoyed each opportunity to share real world experiences with future grads.” Sadly, we mourn the passing of several classmates. Willard B. Tucker III, better known as Brac, beloved husband of Colleen (O’Rourke) of Sanbornville, passed away at his home on October 4, 2024. Brac was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, and raised in Reading. Brian Dana Baer of Hooksett passed away December 31, 2024. Brian was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and as part of an Air Force family, Brian’s childhood was spent in Morocco, Germany, Maine, New York and Arizona before finally settling in Hooksett where he graduated from Manchester Central High School. Elwin R. Richter of Rockport, Massachusetts, passed away February 11, 2025. Elwin was born in Manchester and graduated from Central High School.
1981
Caroline McKee Anderson
Philip Estes writes that he and his wife, Katie O’Connell Estes ’80, are retired and living in Wolfeboro. Philip was the head football coach at Brown University for 21 years and Katie was in the retail world and continues some freelance work. He writes, “We are enjoying our boat ‘Splash Cran’ on Lake Winnipesaukee, traveling in Europe and spoiling our grandson, Liam.” John P. Mello received his MBA from the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics (now the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics) after completing his bachelor’s from Washington and Lee University. He wrote that his first career was in international financial and capital management from 1973-1989. He added that his second career was in real property valuation. He was a Massachusetts certified general appraiser from 1989-2024 and an elected assessor (and chairperson) from 1994-2017. He retired in 2024 and lives in Rochester, Massachusetts. Peter Rhines died October 24, 2024. After UNH, he owned and operated his own painting contractor business, New Hampshire Painting, for 40 years. Peter was an avid hiker and summited all 48 4,000-footers in New Hampshire many times. He also ran seven marathons, including the Boston Marathon four times. Friends and family said that above all, Peter will be remembered for his quick humor. Peter is survived by his wife Holly Kimball; his children Sarah (Tom) Gregory, Megan (Addison Bigelow) Kimball Rhines, and Cooper Kimball-Rhines; his grandchildren Isabella and Olivia Gregory; his five siblings and many nieces and nephews. Helen Brock wrote with the sad news that her close friend from UNH, Elizabeth (Betsy) Kimball died unexpectedly on March 8, 2025. Helen wrote that Betsy lived in Jessie Doe and then worked as an RA in the Mini Dorms. She received both her bachelor’s in Russian and a master’s in linguistics at UNH as well as two additional master’s degrees, one in Russian from State University of New York at Albany and other in English from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury. She said Betsy spent most of her career teaching in the Lawrence, Massachusetts, school system. In a 2004 interview with Seacoastonline, Betsy credits her friend Helen with introducing her to the world of theater, specifically the Generic Theater. Betsy enjoyed time both on the stage and “behind the scenes.” Our condolences to the families and friends of both Peter and Betsy.
From top: Philip Estes ’81 and his wife Katie O’Connell Estes ’80. Doug Romano ’81, wife Joan and Natalie Salatich Jacobson ’65, former Boston news anchor, at UNH football game, fall 2024.
1982
Julie Lake Butterfield
It was great to hear from the following alums. I’ll let Lisa Kogut Hirsh tell you in her own words what she’s been up to: “As with many in our class of ’82 I reached the milestone of 65 years of age April 5. If I am being honest … first birthday number that has had any impact on my thought processes. I never really had a mid-life crisis (assume that happens around 45) and thus my mid-life crisis decided to bait me a bit at 65 — LOL. I am happy to report all is well and good here. Spent my 65th in Bermuda, golfing, imbibing and thoroughly enjoying ourselves and celebrating. On the flip side, we have now become snowbirds. We spend our summers now in Michigan (had to escape the summer heat of 95+ degrees in Florida) and look forward to returning to Lake Michigan in May. As always, I have a smile on my face, love in my heart and wish you all the best. Warmest regards to all that I had the opportunity to become friends with at UNH. Ron Cantor has retired after four decades as a college administrator, having served several institutions as dean, provost and president. He hopes retirement will be much like his years at UNH — a time to learn and connect in new ways. Gary Hardy writes to say he is living in Justin, Texas. After 40 years of software engineering, he has gladly retired. Gary and his wife, Suzanne, spend a lot of time traveling — U.S., Ireland, UK, France, Italy. He says it turns out non-business travel is quite enjoyable. When he’s not having fun traveling you can find Gary at home wrenching on classic cars. Gary sends a big hello to all his ChemE classmates. You can find him on www.youtube.com/@GaryHardyInc.
1983
Ilene Segal, DVM
Linda Lyons Weight shares that her spouse is still working as a federal employee and as his job was not affected by the recent firing of more than 10,000 federal employees, they are hoping the stress impacting so many of their colleagues and neighbors lessens. They both continue to believe that government helps people in their everyday lives, especially after a combined career in the government of almost 90 years. Linda has also been helping her siblings care for their mom with Alzheimer’s disease and trying to keep her in her home for as long as possible. Her youngest child is continuing her studies to become a special education teacher, while her eldest child is starting a woodworking business. Marti Nyman writes that things in Minneapolis are going well — he is enjoying his work as the CEO of New Wave Design, a defense technology firm. He has a great team, fantastic technology and wonderful market opportunities, especially with some of the defense firms in New Hampshire. Marty was invited to speak to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers chapter at UNH last fall and thoroughly enjoyed meeting the students, sharing ideas and perspectives on their career trajectories. He said his time back in Kingsbury Hall brought back some old but fond memories. Despite working full time, Marty and his wife Carolyn took some great trips this past winter — golfing in Palm Desert, skiing in Breckenridge, and back country skiing in British Columbia. Dr. Daniel Hayes has been on the faculty of Michigan State University Department of Fisheries and Wildlife since 1994 and is looking toward retirement in the next year or so. He writes that he has had the privilege of teaching great students and has led an Antarctic Study Abroad program four times. He and his wife live on a small lake where they spend warm summer evenings paddling their kayaks. Last summer, Dan reconnected with his first college roommate Dan Killiany ’84 and had a wonderful time reminiscing about their time at UNH. Leslie Schmidt Voss sends an update — she attended the Big 80’s reunion last summer, the 100th UNH Hockey Alumni game against the University of Vermont in January and volunteered to write postcards to accepted (but undecided) high school seniors as to why they should attend UNH. Leslie is currently utilizing all her business major skills as the owner of Francie’s Boutique, a clothing consignment, gift and home décor store in Topsfield, Massachusetts. She invites all UNH alumni to drop in to visit (she is right off Route 95 on the way to UNH) and promises a UNH alumni discount! Christine Nassikas retired in 2020. She was in the hotel business for 22 years after graduation, working as a concierge at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.. She loved helping both the tourists on vacation and the business travelers. In 2005, the hotel underwent a major renovation, and the staff was laid off, but this allowed Christine to follow her passion and open Doggie Concierge, a dog walking business which she ran for 15 years. In 2025, following her parents’ example after they set up a scholarship fund for the hotel program as well as one in memory of her grandmother, set up a scholarship benefiting the COLSA veterinary technician program. Thank you for your generosity! On a sad note, Karyn Plumley Forbes of Barrington passed away on November 8, 2024, after a long journey with cancer. A graduate of Rivier College and Franklin Pierce Law School, Karyn enjoyed the practice of law with Shaheen and Gordon Law for more than 30 years. Karyn and her husband, Dan, were married for 43 years. Together, they had three beautiful daughters and seven beloved grandchildren. Karyn and Dan developed beautiful gardens at their home, and the bees and hummingbirds that were drawn to the flowers gave her tremendous joy and peace.
Clockwise from top left: Four grads and Sigma Nu brothers from the 80’s recently met up at the UNH Hockey Alumni Game (left to right): Dana Rosengard ’82, Steve Silva ’82, David Kerkhoff ’84 and Jeff Foy ’87. Leslie Schmidt Voss ’83. Linda Lyons Weight ’83 with family. Marti Nyman ’83.
1984
Robin Peters Schell
Thanks to all of our classmates who contributed to the Classes of ’84/’85/’86 Scholarship Fund; we are very close to breaking the $200,000 barrier as our account now stands at $194,639! This past year, we were able to provide $8,074 in scholarship funds — enough to provide scholarships for three students. Jody Heneveld writes from East Hampton, New York, that she retired from her position as a school administrator (social worker). Her post-retirement job is renovating houses and flipping them — her last one was a 10,000 sq. ft. church in Vermont. She is enjoying being a grandma of five (soon to be six) grandkids, playing golf and staying in touch with her Alpha Chi Omega sisters. Amy (Price) Moldoff retired two years ago from her position teaching music in Salem, and she and her husband, Ross, are using their free time to travel; so far, they’ve been on a Mediterranean cruise, two Caribbean cruises and an African safari. They have also kept busy visiting family in Dallas, Oklahoma and California and have plans to visit the “big 5” state parks in Utah this fall. When they’re not on the road, they are enjoying being with their three grandchildren and planning a wedding for their daughter. Dan Burnford left his job of 18 years, working for SouthEastern NH Services, in 2017 and took a position as operations manager for a fitness studio out of Watkinsville, Georgia (Core Restore, LLC). He says it was a challenge for a “603 boy” to leave his life, job and friends for a whole new venture, but he’s very happy — though he hasn’t gotten used to saying “y’all” yet! Terrence Gaughan reports that he and his wife Gina Borrelli ’92 live in Somersworth. Terrence is working as a project manager for Plymouth Rock Assurance in Boston and Gina is a pre-k teacher at St. Mary’s Academy in Dover. Their son Raphael Gaughan just completed his last year on the UNH hockey team. Terrence said they loved the opportunity to experience UNH hockey from the perspective of an athlete’s parents. “Next year, we go back to being normal season ticket holders.” Laurie Manjikian (pictured inset) was recently promoted to vice president of rehabilitation services and outpatient operations for Hebrew SeniorLife. In her new position, she will provide operational oversight of home and community-based services and outpatient therapy clinics, as well as management of inpatient rehabilitative services and staff. Laurie has a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from UNH and a certificate of advanced professional studies from Tufts University. Pam Perreault wrote that she and her husband Bob Perreault will be celebrating their 40th anniversary in Ireland. They hosted a gathering of UNH Wildcats in July and hope to make it an annual event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the following classmates who passed away last year: Dwight E. Chick, 66, of Barrington, died peacefully on September 15, 2024, at Exeter Hospital following a short battle with cancer. Dwight and his family became owners of Newmarket Sand and Gravel in 1988; a business that he proudly owned/operated beside his parents and brother for 36 years. In 2014, Dwight and his wife, Deborah, built their dream home on Swains Lake in Barrington which Dwight referred to as “paradise on earth.” Dr. Daniel N. Hebert (Amherst, Massachusetts) passed away on December 8, 2024. During college, Daniel was a member of the UNH tennis team and graduated with a bachelor’s in chemistry. Daniel did his doctoral studies at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, obtaining his Ph.D. in 1991. He was a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UMass for 27 years and enjoyed teaching and getting his students excited about science. He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Leah (Kelley) Hebert; their son, Dylan, and daughter, Shannon. Keep the news (and the pictures) coming!
Clockwise, from above: Judy Matulis ’84 writes that her son Matthew Matulis ’19 and Madeline Osbon Matulis ’19 wed in August 2024 in Massachusetts. Coach Mac and many UNH football players and alumni joined the celebration. A late July 2024 gathering of UNH ’84 Wildcats included Bob and Pam Perreault, Gary Ng, Pattee and Craig Nowell, Chon and Jane Cottrell, Karen and Ken Croft. Missing from photo was Chuck Huckins who also joined the fun. Class of ’84’s Terrence Gaughan’s son Raphael Gaughan just completed his last year on the UNH hockey team. Terrence said they loved the opportunity to experience UNH hockey from the perspective of an athlete’s parent. Pictured left to right: Daughter Gabrielle Gaughan (who will be starting UNH in the fall), Gina (Borrelli) Gaughan ’92, Raphael Gaughan ’24 (and current graduate student for nursing), Terrence Gaughan ’84, daughter Maria Gaughan.
1985
Julie Colligan Spak
Hello, everyone! By the time you read this, we are 40-year graduates of UNH! Time flies when you’re having fun, living life to the fullest and making this happen as a UNH graduate! I’ve heard from many of you: Ruth Smith is the manager of the UNH Extension Master Gardener Volunteer program. She recently completed an online certificate program in therapeutic horticulture from North Carolina State University. Together with master gardener volunteers she “will use gardening as a way to help people deal with or overcome physical, emotional, and mental health challenges.” Love this, Ruth! Quick update from Consuelo B. Carver (nee Congreve): “I am now working for Governor Ayotte as a special assistant, which takes me all over the state, including the UNH campus! Living in Hillsborough with my husband, David, and our menagerie of three cats and a dog. Sandra (Leonard) Morton is a “first time responder” to our class notes (thank you!): She and David are doing well. Sandra retired from nursing last May to help with the grandkids as a set of twins arrived in October 2024! David is still working but moved to part-time status. “We have been super busy and looks like it will continue as grandbaby No. 7 is soon to arrive! We hope to eventually get back for a UNH football game and reunion in the near future.” Thanks for this beautiful family photo, Sandra! Michael Elcock shared “a spring skiing photo with my boys” — how fun! Love seeing you getting out there! Sherri-Ann Quimby shares a memory of UNH: “Great times spent at the UNH Dairy Barn, with the herd of dairy cows there, and their baby calves that were cute and adorable. Best ice cream ever at the UNH Dairy Bar!” Couldn’t agree with you more, Sherri-Ann! Darleen Dumont (pictured inset) shared her business card with a fabulous photo — she’s a Realtor for Century 21 in Manchester. Looking great! Here’s to our next chapter — please let me know what’s new with you!
1986
Susan Panas Clark
Susanclark714@gmail.com (include “UNH ’86” in the subject line)
From top: Class of 85’s Sandra (Leonard) Morton’s six grandkids. Michael Elcock ’85 shared “a spring skiing photo with my boys.”
As the Class of ’86 welcomes a new decade of life, birthday girls Sue Guarino Marston ’87, Susan Carlson, Lynn White Riley, Toby Greenfield ’87, Kathy Fitzpatrick-Murphy, Susie Childs, Ellen Praught Booth and Liz Cronin celebrated turning the big Six-0 together during a trip to Charleston and Isle of Palms, South Carolina, last fall. In December, Paul Jacobs (WSBE and Phi Kappa Theta) started his 23rd year at Tyler Technologies in Yarmouth, Maine. He’s starting to plan for retirement, even though he has a few years to work. He finds it amazing that he’s lived in his current home for 28 years. Paul and his partner traveled to Palm Springs, California, in November to stay with Peter Balon and celebrate their 60th birthdays, too. Time does fly by! Ed Tetreault went to Florida in April for a long weekend with Sigma Nu brothers Tony Vegnani, Craig Dickens and Chris Casey. Tony hosted the four-day event at his family’s home in Naples. Ed recounts, “Despite Tony beating us all at golf, we had a great time sharing laughs, memories and brotherhood and hope to return again next year!” Sharon (Ramsdell) Atkinson and David Atkinson retired early a couple of years ago, Sharon after spending 30+ years teaching Spanish and David after working 23 years in the pulp and paper industry and then a few years teaching middle school math. They are thoroughly enjoying traveling the world and living on a remote lake in northern Vermont. Dave reports they are fortunate to live within an hour of their two grandchildren and spend lots of time spoiling them! They have kept in touch with their Hetzel Hall 3rd floor friends from 1982-85. Vermont may be wonderful, but they spend “mud season” in Florida. They are looking forward to an upcoming Alaskan cruise. I’ve discovered the simplicity of cruising, too. In the 15 months between November 2024 and January 2026, my husband, Galen, and I will have taken five cruises: four to Mexican and Caribbean ports and one to Alaska. We love visiting U.S. National Parks and were quite excited to discover that there are some in Puerto Rico. Fun fact: Did you know that Kathy Fitzpatrick-Murphy loves Maine in the summer? That’s where she usually vacations. How do you like to vacation? Have you been bitten by the travel bug? Share your adventures any time, whether near or far; I’ll collect your stories for the next issue of UNH Magazine. It may not be travel, but one of our classmates is definitely going places. The Bulfinch Group is pleased to announce that Barry Zimmerman has been named a Five Star Wealth Manager for the 12th year, as featured in Boston Magazine’s March 2025 issue. Keep those accolades coming folks! Retiring soon? Not me! However, I was motivated to set a date of August 1, 2031. Let the countdown begin. Share your plans, hopes and dreams … until next time, be safe and healthy!
From left: Chris Casey ’86, Craig Dickens ’86, Ed Tetreault ’86, Tony Vegnani ’86. Left to right: Sue Guarino Marston ’87, Susan Carlson ’86, Lynn White Riley ’86, Toby Greenfield ’87, Kathy Fitzpatrick Murphy ’86, Susie Childs ’86; front row from left: Ellen Praught Booth ’86, Liz Cronin ’86. Barry Zimmerman ’86. Class of ’87ers: Patty and Randy Martin and Diane and John O’Mara in Marco Island, Florida. Tom O’Callaghan with his daughter, Molly, at Homecoming 2024.
1987
Greetings classmates! I hope you are all having a great 2025! Thank you for all of the news you continue to share. I heard from Lisa Klein DeMeritt recently. Lisa had founded a pickleball club, Pickles, on the south shore of Boston in 2021. Last year, Lisa and her husband Dustin sold Pickles and have started a pickleball lifestyle apparel brand called Dinky Balls. You can view their site at dinkyballs.com. I received a note from Tom O’Callaghan. Tom was at UNH Homecoming last fall, visiting his daughter Molly ’27, who is a sophomore psychology major. I also heard from my dear friend from UNH, Diane O’Mara recently. Diane wrote that she and her husband, John, live in Cary, North Carolina, and have three children. Recently, they visited Patty Barrett Martin, another old friend of mine, and her husband, Randy, in Marco Island, Florida. Patty and Randy have two adult sons (and two grandchildren), and split their time between Florida and Cincinnati, Ohio. Lisa Laroche Oliver sent a note that after graduating from UNH, she went on to receive her master’s degree in education and counseling at Plymouth State. She was an elementary school counselor for 29 years. Lisa went on to write a book, “Becoming an Angel: What Happens When Someone You Love Dies.” It is available online wherever books are sold. I heard from the UNH Alumni office of two of our classmates passing away. Julie McDonald of Yarmouth, Maine passed away after a brief battle with cancer last fall. Audrey Dudka Kieffer of Bedford passed away this past October after a lengthy battle with Huntington’s Disease. That is all the news I have for now. Please feel free to send along your updates on yourself and any of our classmates. Thanks, everyone!
1988
Beth D. Simpson-Robie
Teresa (Kenney) Roy ’88 and Anne Conley ’88 in Croatia.
Greetings to everyone! It was a pleasure to be honored along with a large group of volunteers at the UNH Volunteer Appreciation Event in early April at the Music Hall Lounge in Portsmouth. It was great to see other classmates who volunteer, Mike and Rina Drake, and Susan McNamara. If you have interest in volunteering, please contact the Alumni Center (alumni.volunteer@unh.edu). The opportunities to give back are wide and varied. Please also mark your calendars for Homecoming — October 3-5, 2025, and for our upcoming Reunion — first weekend in June 2026. It will be a combined reunion with the classes of 1987-1991. I understand events will be in Portsmouth and Durham. Keep your eyes out for details and reach out for more information (reunion.weekend@unh.edu). Thank you to the following classmates for sharing their news: Matt Allard and wife Robin ’84 are enjoying the arrival of their first grandchild by their UNH legacy, Emma Allard, class of 2017. Scott Hurlburt shared that he is enjoying having a legacy by getting back to campus and starting new traditions with his youngest daughter, a junior studying biology and planning to pursue a career in dentistry. After Scott reached out, I encouraged him to share an update on what he’s been up to the last 37 years: He graduated from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics (now Paul College) with a dual major in international affairs through the Program for International Perspectives and a minor in Spanish. He was recruited on campus by Aetna in Portland, Maine, where he was trained as a fidelity and surety bond underwriter. Scott worked with Aetna (Travelers) for 14 years in underwriting between a few offices (Portland; Rochester, New York; Hartford, Connecticut). In 2002, he made the move to reinsurance underwriting. The first company Scott was with, Swiss Re, asked him to take an expat position in Zurich, Switzerland, for two years where he, his wife, and three daughters lived from 2007-2009. “It was an amazing experience, and we were able to travel to 18 European countries, including Spain, where I did a semester abroad as part of the International Affairs dual major requirement,” he wrote. Since returning, Scott has had various reinsurance roles of increasing responsibility, including a U.K.-based start-up from 2013-2019. Scott completed his MBA at Fordham University in 2014 and currently manages a NYC-based underwriting team for SCOR Reinsurance Company where he’s responsible for the credit and surety reinsurance portfolio for North America. While a lot of opportunities happen on the job after graduation, Scott says, “I have always felt that my undergraduate degree from UNH provided a broad education and an excellent launching pad for the future.” Thank you, Scott! Teresa (Kenney) Roy shares that she celebrated her retirement from 27-year career at United Health Care with longtime friend and classmate Anne Conley. The two travelled to Croatia where they hiked, biked and island-hopped culminating in a two-story jump from a boat into the Adriatic Sea. “It was such a great memory, and I never would have done it without Anne by my side!” Teresa is currently living in Newburyport, Massachusetts. She has three children; including two graduates of the UNH Paul College of Business and Economics: Patrick Roy ’20 and Emmett Roy ’24. Mary Beth Cassely wrote this spring, “I am retiring from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill at the end of May after 32 years of service to the state of North Carolina! I recently saw classmate Beth Szopinski while visiting Missouri and she is doing great.” Anne Conley recently relocated to South Portland, Maine, after raising her family in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. She is originally from Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and is happy to be back home where she and her two sisters — Maggie Conley Frigard ’89 (married to Steve Frigard) and Mary Conley — run Starboard and Company. Check out their hand block linens with designs that are inspired by the coast of Maine @Starboardandco3. I encourage those of you who have been “on the fence” about sharing an update to please do so. Everyone always tells me, the Class Notes are the first section they read in UNH Magazine.
1989
Scott Laliberte recently published a book with Solution Tree Press, called “The School Leader’s Game Plan,” which is a look at how leaders might use the principles of training for competitive athletes to better prepare themselves for the challenges they face in their work. “The book draws on my experiences as a football player at UNH and includes an interview with recently retired UNH Head Athletic Trainer Jon Dana. One pivotal part of my experience as a UNH athlete included my participation in a mental conditioning program with my football teammates, which formed much of my perspectives of school leadership through my retirement as a public school superintendent in 2022.” Laliberte was on the football team here from 1985-1989, earned an English degree and was a staff writer for the student magazine, Main Street Magazine. Mike Duguay (pictured inset) was recently named commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. Duguay is a longtime leader of business innovation and economic development in Maine, and started his economic development career with the department in 1990. He was most recently executive director and vice president for innovation at the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College in Waterville. Since launching the institute in 2017, Duguay has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs market their products and scale their businesses, and trained thousands of students to succeed in good-paying careers in Maine. At UNH he majored in political science, and minored in community development.
1990
Chris Moran
Hi everyone. I hope this finds you well. I received an update from my old high school and college friend, Sue (Noble) Adams who let me know that she and her husband Ken Adams will celebrate 33 years of marriage in June — after first meeting at Jessie Doe Hall! They live in Groton, Massachusetts. Ken has been with Illumina for 20 years and Sue works as a high school tennis/pickleball coach and is pickleball director for a local country club. They have three children: Matt who will graduate medical school in June and will pursue radiation oncology, Zach who received his master’s degree in material science engineering and works in Burlington and Sydney who is a junior at UMass Amherst studying environmental science. Pamela (Colburn) Harland (MLS, EdD) was recently honored as Plymouth State University’s Distinguished Graduate Faculty of the Year. She is an associate professor and directs the library media and digital learning specialist MEd programs. Congrats Pamela! Judith Jackson-Pomeroy (our year, and also ’94G and ’98PhD) a former WUNH DJ, told me that after spinning records at UNH, she was a professor for over 20 years, before quitting academia in 2016 to work exclusively as a book editor (for a research group at Wellesley Centers for Women, Wellesley College) and an academic publisher (American Society for Microbiology Press.) But more recently, she just published a novel “Weight of a Woman.” You can check out more about Judith at her website: www.judithjacksonpomeroy.com/. And finally, Steve Cullen, wrote in to explain that while life has not always gone the way he planned since UNH, “it has been soooo cool!” He’s passionate about his dog Daisy’s happiness, music, nature, geography, and retirement. And … about a sizable and exciting discovery: Thin sections showing glass on the surface of a couple multi-ton meteorites, formerly called glacial erratics, on his property. These erratics can provide valuable clues about past glacier flow patterns and Ice Age events. He has a channel on YouTube called “NewMoonMeteorites” if you’d like to see and learn more. Looking forward to hearing from even more of you in the next edition.
1991
Christina (Ayers) Quinlan
Caryn (Grenier) Blake and Christine (Crowe) Swisher-Crowe recently met up with Kristine (Murphy) Mitchell. They were “Congreve Pit Women.” They all live in the same southern New Hampshire area now. Caryn also recently met up with her Alpha Phi sister Beth (Sierodzinski) Enser who currently lives in New Jersey. Peter Eden accepted the president position at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge last summer. After graduating from UNH with a Ph.D. (microbiology), he did his post-doc at MIT. He went to the biotech industry for six years as a molecular biologist and research director. He became a professor/researcher in Pennsylvania and moved to be dean of arts and sciences at Endicott College in Massachusetts. He held additional leadership positions at universities prior to accepting the president role at Franklin Pierce University. Steve Pomper got together recently with other ROTC alumni near UNH. Steve is a doctor and plans to retire soon. Holli Howard still sees many close friends from Hubbard, Hetzel and Alpha Chi including Laura Sansone, Catherine Squire, Sue Membrino, Sarah Denyer, Jodi Levy, Joyce Mersereau and Charlotte Finigan. Holli works at Google Maps and moved from the Seattle office to the Dublin, Ireland, office a few years ago with her son. Jonathan Miner is in his fourth year as a project sponsor for a CEPS Capstone Project. Students work on the PiRail project to improve the user interface to work better on a variety of platforms, and in a variety of lighting conditions. This project is centered around data analysis to improve railroad infrastructure.
From left: A group of 1992 UNH Alpha Chi sisters decided that the winters are long in New England; Sue (Develin) Membrino hosted a Cape Cod winter weekend in Falmouth, Massachusetts. “It was so much fun to reconnect and laugh! From left, Wendy (Balboni) Grant, Sue, Kathleen (Fareri) Pease, Andrea (Buschini) Quinn, Heidi Fiore-Campbell, Sarah (Davidson) Denyer. Hilary Gensler Dording ’92 and family in Boston
last year.
1992
Missy Langbein
Christine (Dupuis) Hodsdon ’92 and family in Girona, Spain.
Hilary (Gensler) Dording is corporate director of marketing for Propark Mobility, a parking company with a large national presence, based in Hartford, Connecticut. Hilary’s husband has a higher-education software company. Their oldest child graduated Bentley University in 2023 and works in the marketing department of a healthcare company. Their middle child graduated from Northeastern in May and is working in a law office and their youngest is a junior at Notre Dame studying engineering. They also have a rescue pup named Annabelle and life pretty much revolves around her, their family and friends. Christine (Dupuis) Hodsdon and John Hodsdon celebrated their 30th anniversary after meeting at UNH. Christine teaches middle school art locally and is currently on sabbatical doing research, while John is a middle school science teacher in Danvers, Massachusetts. John was honored with a Fulbright Scholarship in 2024 and was able to travel to Ghana to collaborate with teachers there. Their oldest son, Ben ’21, is a civil engineer at TF Moran in Portsmouth and their youngest son, Andrew, graduated from Wentworth Institute of Technology for Architecture in April. He will pursue his master’s this fall. They continue to enjoy traveling together and getting outdoors to enjoy the beauty of nature.
1993
Caryn Crotty Eldridge
Hello from London, England where the sun has been shining for an unseasonable three weeks. We don’t really know what to do with ourselves with all this vitamin D. If you have any British friends I suggest checking in on them to make sure they are alright! On to the news: Erin Farrell Talbot wrote to say: “Last year, Erin Dixon Watson, Lauren Keene Rotondo, Kristin Vaughn Flanagan, Michelle Butler Duncan, Kristen Pierce Shamis and I (“Roomies”) reunited after 30 years for an unforgettable cruise to the Bahamas. That trip sparked a tradition — we committed to gathering every January, not only to beat the winter blues but to stay connected. This year, though two of us couldn’t make it, we carried on and took our reunion to Colorado, where one of us now lives. The trip turned into a nostalgic celebration, as it just happened to be the four cheerleaders of our group — proud ’91 and ’92 national champions! Of course, we couldn’t resist reliving our cheerleading days, complete with Big Wildcat Bowhead spirit. Moments like these remind us how important it is to reconnect, reminisce and cherish the friendships that shaped our time at UNH. If you haven’t reached out to your old friends or roommates in a while, we highly recommend making the effort. You won’t regret it!” Congratulations to Jayne South Rothman, chief legal officer at Integrity, who was recently interviewed by the Dallas Business Journal in connection with being awarded as one of the C-suite leaders in north Texas. You can find the interview here www.bizjournals.com/dallas/news/2025/03/27/executive-insights-jayne-rothman-integrity.html. John Sudsbury met up with Tom Cloos and Patrick Manor at the Final Four in San Antonio. Geri Bardelli writes with sad news: Kevin Schiller passed away on February 3, 2025. Dave Dauphinais wrote to share that his wife Erin (Heppe) Dauphinais ’97 passed away November 24, 2024, after a six-month battle with breast cancer. Our deepest sympathies are with everyone.
1994
Stephanie H. Rothstein Smith is pleased to report that her son has committed to San Diego State University’s class of 2029. He’ll enroll in the Weber Honors College as a music business management major. Stephanie celebrated her 15th anniversary with Jack Resnick & Sons on April 10; she still loves working in human resources! Elissa Von Letkemann (studio art) (pictured inset) has a boutique agency, Elissa Von Letkemann Art & Design, which is marking its 25th anniversary this year, a milestone that coincides with her recognition as a “Person to Watch” by GDUSA Magazine (/gdusa.com/peopletowatch2025/elissa-von-letkemann). Beyond her design work, she serves on the Board of Trustees at the Portsmouth Historical Society, is an inaugural member of the gallery committee at 3S Artspace and chairs the marketing committee at the Blue Ocean Society. She also maintains an active art practice, and her series “Windows of Portsmouth” will be on display this year at the Plaistow Public Library and the gallery at Ceres Street Bakery in Portsmouth. Connect with Elissa at elissavonletkemann.com.
1995
Tammy Ross
Patrick Closson, a corporate and transactional lawyer with McLane Middleton, has been named to the 2025 New Hampshire 200 List. This list honors a unique group of people who have made their mark on New Hampshire’s economy, business climate and the state as a whole. Congratulations, Pat!
1996
Ellen Massa Cabral
Hello! I am excited to announce that I am your new class of 1996 correspondent. First, let me take this opportunity to thank our outgoing class correspondent, Michael Walsh — he has done a great job keeping us up-to-date with news about our classmates. It is my honor to take over this role; I will do my best to uphold the high standard he set! I live in Hampstead with my husband and our 15-year-old son. Since graduation, I have worked in life sciences marketing. This past December, I completed my MBA at UNH. As you can imagine, attending class in the 2020s was a much different experience than in the 1990s. It was a fantastic opportunity, and I highly recommend the program if you are looking for a new challenge. Drop me a line if you want to know the 50-year-old perspective on being a student again. I want to highlight something very important and shocking: we are just months away from saying we graduated 30 years ago! I’m sure you have stories to tell about your post-graduation adventures. I created a new Facebook group named “UNH Class of 1996 (new).” I encourage you to join (and ask your UNH ’96 buddies to join, too). Would love to hear about what you have been doing, such as career shifts, personal accomplishments and new jobs. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can email me updates at eecab19@gmail.com. Brendan Emmett Quigley, crossword puzzle author, recently helped create Align, a new puzzle-game in the Boston Globe, in collaboration with the Globe’s director of games, Daniel King. When not puzzling, Brendan can be found playing in the Boston Typewriter Orchestra. He lives in Brookline, Massachusetts, with his wife and daughter. Retired Lt. Col. Scott “Kidd” Poteet ’96 delivered the UNH 2025 commencement speech. He has a long list of accomplishments, and highlights include a 20-year Air Force career. He served as mission pilot for Polaris Dawn, guiding SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on a five-day mission. Poteet’s inspirational speech (available on UNH’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sI8bJqp2o4 ) focused on the importance of sacrifice and service to make things possible: “Find your mission, one that is worth giving everything for.” He received an honorary degree at the May ceremony. Ty H. Gagne (who also earned his grad degree in 2003) published a book in November 2024 called “The Lions of Winter,” based on the 1982 avalanche in the White Mountains that took the life of fellow alum, Albert Dow ’75, a member of the all-volunteer Mountain Rescue Service. Dow is the only member of a backcountry search and rescue team to be killed in the line of duty in the White Mountains. Kirsten Martin was appointed program director for environmental science at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. She has been teaching there for 14 years and started a new bachelor’s in environmental science program last fall. She helped produce “Conte Conversations: Stories from the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge,” a documentary honoring the 25th anniversary of the founding of the refuge, which has earned awards. Mica Stark is now the president and chief executive officer of New Hampshire College & University Council (NHCUC). He’s also serving as executive director of the Education Alliance for New Hampshire (EANH), formerly known as Campus Compact for New Hampshire. Together, these organizations work to advance higher education in New Hampshire and expand educational opportunities for students across the state. He previously worked at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College and at the University of New Hampshire, where he led communications, public affairs and government relations. Most recently, Stark served as senior vice president at Brodeur Partners. He and wife Holly Stark ’97 have two sons and live in Durham. Karen LaFond (pictured inset) is an attorney at Fletcher Tilton PC and was recently elected to the firm’s management committee for a five-year term. Karen’s legal expertise is focused on commercial finance, real estate and corporate law.
From left: Former UNH cheerleaders and class of ’93ers are a travelling crew: The self-proclaimed “bow heads” — which includes Erin Farrell Talbot, Erin Dixon Watson, Lauren Keene Rotondo, Kristin Vaughn Flanagan, Michelle Butler Duncan, Kristen Pierce Shamis Michelle Butler Duncan and Kristen Pierce Shami, first did a Bahamas cruise, then a Colorado adventure. From left, ’93ers John Sudsbury, Tom Cloos, Patrick Manor at the Final Four.
From left: Class of ’97 friends Heidi (Clark) Ebol, Kristen (Freve) Cobb, Natasha (Sarris) Goyette, Kim (Bennett) Barad, Kim (Stewart) Osborne, Gretchen (Davidsen) Keneshea, Amie Pelletier, Tasha (Przybyszewski) Benson, Jen (Rosenthall) Fennelly, Meredith (Fratar) Burns, and Heather (Norton) Dwyer celebrating milestone birthdays. ’97 grad Ian Buell’s 50th birthday celebration included classmates, (back row from left): Alex Robinson, Pat Norton, Wayne Godbout, Greg Wilson, Ian Buell, Brian Whitbread, Tyler Kelly, and Matt Formica; front row (from left): Kris Millington, Craig Service, Geoff Grant, Scott Sinclair, Jamie Metsch.
1997
Geoff Grant
This is the year: Many of us are turning the big 5-0! In my last update, I asked for pictures and stories of celebrations with UNH friends and I received some great ones. Tasha (Przybyszewski) Benson shared pictures of a “Decades Party” she and a number of UNHers held in January to celebrate a year of turning 50. As of this writing, a bunch of them planned to head to Antigua in June to continue the “half century club” celebration. A number of UNHers showed up to celebrate Ian Buell’s 50th in April in Boston. We had a memorable evening taking over some unexpecting bars and showing the current generation how to have a good time. It is truly wonderful to see the strength of the connections made at UNH and how they have lasted all these years. Dan Kane writes that while he is pursuing a graduate degree at UNH he joined the Graduate Student Senate — while his son, an undergrad, serves in the Student Senate. It’s great to see two generations serving the student body at one time. It is great hearing from all of you — please keep your updates coming!
1998
Emily Rines
It was nice to hear from Amanda Noyes who shared that she is living on the “secret” coast in Mississippi. She got married on March 1 to Amy Sager — congrats, Amanda! She reports she is doing well and hits her 23-year anniversary at Walmart this year. Her kids are 26, 23, 21, 19 and 16 and she has two granddaughters. Ken Hager reached out and shared they are starting their own real estate brokerage on Cape Cod “Classic Cape Real Estate” — best of luck, Ken! Thanks to Ken and Amanda for sharing your news and glad to hear that life is treating you both well. Please send me your news for the next issue; make sure to put class notes in the subject line. Happy fall!
1999
Matthew Morris celebrated his 20th wedding anniversary to fellow wildcat Alice Anne (Crocker) Morris ’01. He is currently the senior video producer for Tufts Medicine in Boston, and finally feels vindicated for having a bachelor’s in communications. Matt also celebrated UNH friendships with fellow alumni Matthew Lauzon ’00 and Stacey (Arnold) Michne ’03 by reuniting their rock band Dr. Catharsis for a 25-year reunion concert in the garage to an audience of many UNH alumni. WUNH has been kind enough to play Dr. Catharsis music in the 2020s. Matt and Alice have a teenage daughter, Charlotte, who is considering attending UNH for marine biology.
From left: From left, Stacey (Arnold) Michne ’03, Matthew Morris ’99, Matthew Lauzon ’00, members of the rock band Dr. Catharsis. Alice (Crocker) Morris ’01 and husband Matthew Morris ’99 with daughter Charlotte (a possible future Wildcat!) Col. Jeff Samon ’00 provides remarks during the 197th Field Artillery Brigade (N.H. Army National Guard) change of command ceremony in December last year.
2000
Mike Bove
Hello, class of 2000. We have some news this issue from Col. Jeff Samon (a UNH Army ROTC graduate and classmate who also earned a graduate degree in 2009), who returned in October 2024 from a two-year assignment in Germany coordinating the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and supporting U.S. Army Europe and Africa operations across two continents. He then assumed command of the New Hampshire Army National Guard’s 197th Field Artillery Brigade in December 2024, overseeing the training and operations of more than 2,000 soldiers across four states. He and his wife, Lorelei, have returned to their home in Candia. We also extend condolences to the family and friends of Samuel J. Epstein, who passed away this past September. If you have news you’d like to share, please send it my way.
Suchana Chavanich ’01PhD, a professor at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, has been honored with the prestigious title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques.
2001
Elizabeth Merrill Sanborn, Ed.D.
Jim Nute ’01G has been competitive in Marathon Sports’ “Winter Warrior Challenge” the past few years, focused on lots of outdoor running, walking and hiking. Over the same stretch, he and nearly 50 family and friends have teamed up every January in accumulating outside miles in an annual adventure they’ve dubbed “Journeyary,” a virtual tour of the world by foot. Since the inaugural Journeyary in 2022, they’ve walked, run and hiked more than 9,600 miles, virtually trekking from Dover to Greenland to France to Azerbaijan to Bangladesh, “summiting” Mount Everest along the way. All the miles have helped Jim keep a few steps ahead of his inner old man and perhaps a few steps closer to qualifying, someday, for the Boston Marathon. Jim ran the Baystate Marathon in October and will be trying again for that elusive BQ at May’s Vermont City Marathon. Suchana Chavanich ’01PhD, a professor at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, has been honored with the prestigious title of Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques (Knight of the Order of Academic Palms) by the Government of the French Republic. This recognition highlights her exceptional dedication to fostering research collaboration between Thailand and France, particularly in the fields of marine science and polar research. Chris Hussey was recently promoted to principal at Baker Newman Noyes (BNN) in Manchester. A CPA specializing in tax services for high-net-worth individuals and family businesses, Chris has been with BNN since 2014 and also leads recruiting for the firm’s tax department. He serves on the advisory board for UNH’s Center for Family Enterprise.
2002
Now available on Kindle is “Democracy in America,” a new novel by Peter N. Oliver, who received his master’s for teachers in mathematics. The novel is a high-stakes chronicle of intrigue set against the 1980 New Hampshire presidential primary during which a leading candidate is investigated for criminal negligence. The book features scenes from the Durham campus and other Granite State locations.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS for Homecoming Weekend Oct.3-5, which will serve as a fall reunion for the class of 2000, as well as 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and the newest Wildcats, the class of 2025! Check out unhconnect.unh.edu/homecoming for more information.
Several UNH classmates play an annual golf tournament. In 2024 they played at Nonesuch River Golf Course, where Team Gray beat Team Blue by 8 strokes (see hat colors). From left to right: Dan Cardarelli ’05, Keith Whitt ’05, Joe Kennerson ’05, John Jeanson ’05, Ryan Parsons ’05, Colin McCarthy ’05, Trav (not a UNH grad), Jon Almeida ’06.
2004
Steve Kobzik writes, “Had a great time reconnecting with Aaron Thomas, Reggie Godin, Phil McNish and Myles Staunton who all traveled up for the UNH Homecoming Football game in October of last year. We all shared some good memories of our old football playing days together. He notes that Coach Rick Santos ’07 is organizing a football alumni network through which players from the team can connect with UNH football alumni for mentoring, job openings and much more. “I’m looking forward to participating as a professional resource for today’s players and I know many other players who are as well.”
Jen Weimer ’05 recently had a photo published on the cover of Northern Logger Magazine.
2005
Jen Weimer
Has it really been 20 years?! Yes, time is flying by, as they say. Since graduating with my forestry degrees, I have been busy working to protect New Hampshire’s forests. I recently accepted a position with the Monadnock Conservancy, after working for the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands for 20 years. I’ve also been honing my writing and photography skills while freelancing for Northern Woodlands and Northern Logger Magazines. Other classmates have also been busy; here’s what they have been up to these past two decades. It’s been an amazing 20 years, writes Alex Garces. “It flew by, but I’ve had my fellow UNH alum and wife (Mary ’07) by my side the whole time.” They are celebrating 15 years of marriage and have two boys (11 and 8). Alex has spent 20 years in the tech industry and stayed in New Hampshire. He just got his boys into Wildcat hockey this past season, visiting the campus. “I always have fond memories of working at the SCAN TV studio, our Tae Kwon Do club and enjoying all the concerts at UNH!” Alex writes, “Hope to see you guys around!” Jon L’Ecuyer has also been busy. After graduating with his degree in English/Journalism and pursuing a career as a newspaper reporter for the Eagle-Tribune Publishing Co. (including the Haverhill Gazette, Daily News of Newburyport, and Gloucester Daily Times) Jon went back to school to get his master’s degree in teaching. He’s been teaching social studies, specifically American government, to first-year students at Pinkerton Academy in Derry since 2016. His department hosts a Social Studies Week each April and they are looking for folks who would be willing to come in and speak to students about their work experiences in the ‘real world’ (politics, first responders, business owners, social activists, lawyers, museum/historical workers, etc.). If you are interested in presenting, contact Jon at Jlecuyer@pinkertonacademy.org. “It is hard to believe it has been 20 years!” writes Cheryl A. Hunter. She has been hard at work as a senior adjunct professor in the English Department at University of Massachusetts Lowell. She also just published her sixth novel and is a glass artist, with work being sold in gift shops in Massachusetts and Florida. Cassandra Leavitt recently completed the Certified Public Safety Executive (CPE) program from APCO International. She is one of approximately 350 individuals worldwide and only the third individual in New Hampshire. This program is an intensive executive-level leadership program designed for public safety. She has been with Hampton Fire/Rescue for more than 18 years and currently is the fire alarm supervisor. John Jeanson and several classmates played in their annual golf tournament this year on June 20 and 22 at Chebeague Island off the coast of Portland, Maine, and Nonesuch River Golf Course in Scarborough, Maine. No score was available at the time of this report but last year Team Gray beat Team Blue by eight strokes.
2007
Michael Antosh
Nicole (Guyette) Haley passed away after a long illness with cancer. Nicole grew up in Nashua, and graduated from UNH with a degree in civil engineering. She was a lifelong athlete, musician, traveler, and advocate for safe drinking water through her work in public infrastructure. She studied abroad in Hungary and traveled extensively through Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia. Nicole met her husband, Ryan Haley, at UNH, and together they built a joyful life in California, marrying in 2014 and raising two daughters, Irie and Summer. Known for her radiant smile, humor, compassion and love of animals and soccer, Nicole touched many lives and will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
2009
Sara Townsend writes, “My classmates and I still remain best friends and we get together at least monthly — for dinners, celebrating children’s birthdays, or weekends away at family vacation houses. We recently got together in January to celebrate the planetary alignment, just because. We loved our time at UNH and some of us still regularly attend football and homecoming weekends alongside our friends (shoutout to the ’08 and ’09 Cahill’s!) and family alumni. UNH onesies are the first gift we buy newborns who join the crew. We plan to return to campus this fall to celebrate our 20-year anniversary of when we all met, back in Alexander Hall in August 2005. Julia (Agresto) Morin is a writer and grief specialist, educator, and advocate. Morin completed trainings and certifications at University of Wisconsin-Madison and with renowned grief experts/authors David Kessler and Claire Bidwell-Smith. You can learn more about her work at linktr.ee/girl_meets_grief.
2011
Jessica Bardi (pictured inset) is a member of law firm Robinson + Cole’s real estate and development group in its Boston office. Her practice concentrates on land use and environmental law and related litigation. Jessica counsels developers, landowners, businesses, and other organizations on local, state, and national land use and environmental regulations, and represents them in permitting for development projects. Her experience extends to zoning, planning, subdivision, local, state and federal permitting.
2015
In class news, Amy Sterling has returned to Massachusetts after three years in Denver. She is enjoying being auntie to her niece, little Lily. At UNH she graduated magna cum laude with a degree in psychology.
From top: Many Wildcats were in attendance last August at the wedding of Sarah Buckley ’15 and David Nardella ’15, including their parents Carole Maravelias Buckley ’82 and Robert “Buck” Buckley ’79, and Sarah Dearborn Nardella ’74 and Robert Nardella ’76. The UNH banner finds its way to the Caribbean! The Dittrich family (kids Elliott Anastasia and Arthur, and parents Brad ’17PhD in English composition, Meaghan Elliott ’21Phd in English composition) went on the Disney Dream cruise ship at the beginning of February 2025. Meaghan is currently the director of University Writing Programs at UNH.
From top: Jude Blake ’77 attended the UNH wedding of Stephen Prescott ’14 ’21 and Katie Houde in February in Groton, Massachusetts. She shared a group photo. Back row, left to right: Jake Adams ’19, Emily Cochran ’19, Nina DeMarco ’14, Keith Seymour ’21G, Colten Tenney ’18, Marissa Ramsdell ’15, Albert Pace ’15, Katie (Houde) Prescott, Stephen Prescott ’14, ’21, Jude Blake ’77, Lincoln Crutchfield ’17, Lizzy Barker ’14, Alexis (Andrus) Byrd ’20G, Shelley Kosek ’13, Ashley Taylor ’13. Front row, left to right: Nikolas Beimler ’14, Sarah (Olver) Beimler ’17, Darline (Balen) Tenney ’18, Jenna (Russo) Ashby ’07, Dakema Welch ’24JD. Happy one-year anniversary, Ashley Hardy ’17 and Brian Chea ’17, who were married last September.
2017
Ashley Hardy and Brian Chea were married on September 28, 2024. The couple, who first met at UNH as freshmen in 2013, both pursued bachelor’s degrees in nutrition within the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. They shared several classes in Spaulding Hall and frequented the same spots around campus throughout their time at UNH, writes Ashley. In their junior year, they both lived in Handler Hall (formerly known as SERC A), where Brian served as a resident assistant. Though their paths diverged for a time after graduation, the couple later reconnected and spent five years together before tying the knot last fall. “We celebrated our wedding on a beautiful day in Bar Harbor, Maine, surrounded by our closest family and friends. There were several fellow Wildcats in attendance, including several members of Brian’s a cappella group, Not Too Sharp,” Ashley writes. Both work at Concord Hospital: Brian is a physician assistant in cardiothoracic surgery and Ashley is a registered dietitian specializing in diabetes care and education. The couple lives in Loudon.
2018
Kellie Reardon (communication and applied business) shares news: “Nate Muska ’19 (environmental engineering) and I are excited to share that we’re engaged. We met in the SERC B/Peterson Hall Council during our time at UNH.” Tricia Lepage and Joe Haviland ’19 tied the knot last June in Wells, Maine. Spencer Bardwell and Sarah (Heath) Bardwell where married in January in Meredith. Aurora Sidor wrote a musical, retelling Hans Christian Anderson’s “Snow Queen” tale — it’s called “The Wolves of Winter” and it won best virtual performance in a new musical festival in Philadelphia. Learn more about it here: stageagent.com/shows/musical/30753/the-wolves-of-winter. When she’s not writing, she’s working as a paraeducator at Pinkerton Academy in Derry. Simon Freitas shares one of his favorite UNH memories: being part of the “Say Something Nice” setup in Murkland Courtyard. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWCJB6Ef7I8. “I’m the guy right at the end and honestly it was one of the highlights of my life!”
From top: Tricia Lepage ’18 and Joe Haviland ’19 married last June. Class of 2019 classmates Brett Pearson and Emily Dion were married last August.
From top: Kellie Reardon ’18 and Nate Muska ’19 are engaged. Spencer Bardwell ’18 and Sarah Heath ’18 in January.
2019
Brett Pearson and Emily Dion were married last August. They both got their undergrad degrees at UNH, and Emily also received her master’s in education here. “We had so many UNH grads from all ages at our wedding, and decided to take a giant group photo; we wanted to share how much UNH has made an impact on our lives!”
2020
In class news: You’ve heard of #paulpride, but what about #paullove? Nick Stuart (business administration: finance, minor in psychology) proposed to girlfriend Alana Hovey (dual major in business administration finance and management) last fall; an August 2026 wedding is planned. “We met in Paul College and naturally had to do our engagement shoot there!” says Nick. Aidan Schlotman is now a civil project engineer at TFMoran’s Bedford office. At UNH he earned his bachelor’s in civil engineering, with courses in soil science, surveying and solid waste management.
Sarah Drake ’20 ’21G married Connor Smith ’19 last November.
Nick Stuart ’20 and Alana Hovey ’20 are engaged — complete with a photoshoot in Paul College!
From top: Gabby Corricelli ’22 (left) and Dr. Susan Siggelakis, one of her UNH professors. Temo Dadiani ’24G.
2022
Gabby Corricelli recently graduated from law school and this summer was preparing to sit for the Georgia bar exam. She writes that she misses UNH very much. “One of my UNH professors, Dr. Susan Siggelakis, even came to Virginia to watch me graduate from law school. I have such lifelong connections from my time at UNH!”
2023
Alexandra Smyrak shares a fun memory: My freshman year of UNH my friend and I did an overnight challenge at the Dimond Library when it was closed. We stayed on the basement floor hiding underneath the stairs while it closed. We snuck out and played Mario Kart all night till we heard what sounded like a demon screech coming from the bathroom in the other room. We were scared out of our minds. Good memory though, we left right when it opened on Saturday morning.”
2024
Temo Dadiani (master’s degree in adaptive sport from the UNH College of Health and Human Services) recently achieved a global accomplishment: In February, he won a gold medal in Para Nordic Skiing at The Invictus Games in Vancouver, Whistler Canada. Jack Duffin writes, “Having a blast since graduating from UNH working as the sales manager for the state’s very own Conway Scenic Railroad in North Conway! I’ve been lucky enough to live out a childhood passion and work in the ticket office, on the train, in the roundhouse, out in the yard, and finally in management. Our company is rapidly growing, with an expanded schedule, more offerings and a plan to add 60+ miles of track to Portland, Maine!”