The tulips and daffodils are popping up, but not a lot of news has. It’s sunny in Hawaii, and the “Aloha” news from class vice president Rick Lloyd is that he has been president of the island’s classic car club for four years. In his email, classic antique American cars are in full view. My choice is a 1952 Caddy with a sunroof.
While the car would be great for parades, it would be fun to take to a traditional reunion. Reunions are back on track, so make your reservations now for the Reunion on Thursday – Saturday, September 28-30. The old University Inn, where we have always met, has been demolished, according to class president Ace Conro ’63G.
Ace has retired as an official of Ivy League track meets, and donated all his material to the university. On a recent trip, which he has done yearly, he gave his last lecture on life on the campus in the 1950s at Dr. Sandra Perron’s class. He commented on how much the trees have grown along the mall, and how beautiful the campus is.
Christmas letters brought welcome news. Joan Keith Sullivan made visits to Massachusetts, where most of her family is located. She still downhill skis on aggressive trails in winter. Like many of us, she plans to sell her lakefront log home in Harrison and downsize.
To be near East coast family, Donna Fritz Brunstad and husband, Bill Sweeney, moved from Oregon to North Branford, CT, to a community named Evergreen Woods.
Tade Osier Cross in Winston-Salem, NC, still has her Pemaquid home, but is so active in animal refuge work that she may not come north this summer.
Sally Wakefield has relocated to Clearwater, FL. Last summer she and her sister, Susan, visited several national parks including the Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde. The long-planned West coast adventure ended up in Las Vegas for a visit with Fred and Diane Tatlock Pierce. The Pierces winter in Maui, and Diane, our class secretary, remains active in organizing a golf tournament on the island. Fred sends snippets of humorous comments about aging like “inside every old person is a younger one wondering what happened.”
Nancy Morse Dysart, joined by 52 relatives from across the US, embarked on a Gustafson family reunion in San Francisco. They boarded a brigantine to cruise the bay, and saw the California Redwood Forest and the wine country during the 10-day visit. When her maternal grandparents came to Ellis Island in 1902, they settled in Proctor, VT. Nancy commented on her sweet memories of her visits with them each August, when she was younger.
Phyllis Hay Ayoob is at Sable Oaks in South Portland, down from The County, to be near her daughters here in Cumberland.
Ralph and Susan Pilsbury, who reside in Land O’ Lakes, FL, sold their Damariscotta Lake, ME, home so this is the first summer they will not be coming to Maine, unless the heat sends them north. Ralph is our class treasurer, and in the next column we will provide an update on our finances. Along with over 300 other UMaine alumni and guests, Ralph attended a spring training Red Sox game in Fort Myers. Classmate Dave Morton ’62G, Phi Mu Delta was also there.
Bill Stiles of Cumberland recently had a road named for him, to honor his service to the community over many years.
Nancy Small Russell faithfully keeps in touch with me. She is semi-retired from the library in Cape Elizabeth but still works a couple of days a week. Husband Jim ’59 has been busy helping in the soup kitchen as well.
Ace mentioned he took time to go carefully through the Prism to count how many classmates we had, pictured or not, and came up with 878. Then he took his spreadsheet and counted 484. Pick up your old Prisms and come up with fond memories of your life on campus. You can also find it online at https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/prism/.
Surprise me with a phone call or email of your news.
As you can see, I have a new address and moved in February to a small senior condo here in Cumberland. I am looking forward to my backyard patio and entertaining friends.
Enjoy the summer, stay well, send me news, and “maintain.”
Gail