Traveling to Orono for our 70th Reunion proved to be too much of a challenge for the Class of 1951. The campus event was canceled.
Elwood “Woody” Beach did email to say that he was still spending summers at his cottage in Raymond, ME, but like many of us he has cut back on his driving. Joan Wiswell Beach called to say she is still at her home in Latham, NY, and often connects with Floyd and Pepper Burbank Milbank, who live in nearby Loudonville, NY. Harvey Lord called to say he and his second wife, Caroline, continue to be active at White Rock Retirement Community in Bow, NH.
Floyd L. Milbank of Loudonville, NY, passed away in October 2021. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, participated in track, and majored in education. He also received an MS degree in rehabilitation from Springfield College. He spent 34 years in the healthcare field holding various positions with the Veterans Administration and the private sector. Floyd served four years in the U.S. Navy on a destroyer and retired after 24 years in the Naval Reserve. He was a member of the Sons of the Revolution. In retirement he enjoyed genealogy, gardening, and cross-country skiing. We send our deepest sympathy to his wife and our classmate, “Pepper” Burbank Milbank.
I am still active in the life of Thornton Oaks Retirement Community in Brunswick, serving on the board of directors and participating in art shows. My summer of 2021 was bookended by stays at two Maine lakes. With my daughter Lucy and her husband, Dan Hilburn ’81 Ph.D., I spent a week in June at Quisisana Resort on Kezar Lake, where we enjoyed beautiful classical and popular music performed by the young people who work there and sunsets beyond the mountains of western Maine. In August I visited with my son, Harold, his wife, Jen Dewilde Caswell ‘82, and my grandson Cameron at their camp at Seven Tree Pond in Union, ME. This was a more typical Maine experience with board and card games after supper and haunting music of loons in the twilight. In between lake visits I stayed with family members who were visiting at my cottage in Harpswell. It was wonderful to see my three children and their spouses, my six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. A third great-grandchild was too young to make the transcontinental trip. After the strictures of the pandemic, it was great to experience hugs again. Lobster bakes at the cottage reminded me of many summer feasts over the years, including the lunches Forrest and I hosted for the Class of 1951.
I have enjoyed serving as class correspondent since our 45th Reunion in 1996. However, this may be my last regular column due to the scarcity of news to report. If you would like to share some news, you can always send it to the Senior Alumni Class Notes, which includes all classes that have celebrated their 50th Reunion. See the contact information for Senior Alumni correspondent Nancy Morse Dysart ’60, of Carmel, ME, in the beginning of the class notes section.