College friendships may last only a few years, or, in the case of six fraternity brothers, over 40 years. In the early years after graduation, Dr. Paul Auclair, George Clark, “Mac” MacBride ’68, Kermit “Kerry” McCormack, Geoff Titherington ’69, and Stan Wentzell, all in the same Phi Eta Kappa pledge class, got together often to enjoy snowmobiling, hunting, canoeing, and whitewater rafting. A few years later they got a chance to carry on these recreational activities when they bought a vintage log cabin in the great north woods — accessible only by boat or plane. The cabin on Indian Pond became a true getaway for the next 40 years, as children and grandchildren joined in the fun.
Although they sold the cabin a few years ago, all have kept in touch. George, a retired senior pilot for Delta who used to fly a float plane to Indian Pond, lives with his wife, Joan Perkins Clark, on Panther Pond in Raymond. Geoff, who owned a Bonanza restaurant for many years, and his wife, Rachel, live in Sanford with their blended families — 21 children and many grands. Mac was the owner of MacBride Dunham Group, a well-known real estate company, until he retired. He and his wife, Nancy Keene MacBride ’69, who have two daughters and a grandson in Portland, make their home in Yarmouth. They enjoy their summer place on Panther Pond and escape to Florida when the cold weather hits. Stan, who owned an independent insurance agency in Exeter, NH, still lives in Kingston, NH, where he and his late wife, Ellen “Toot” Willey ’67, raised their two children. Kerry’s career took him and his family to the Chicago area, where he was a senior executive at a Fortune 500 company. After retiring, he and his wife, Suzie, returned to Maine to live in Cumberland Center. They spend summers at their cottage on Thompson Lake. Paul, a retired Naval officer, and his wife, Debbie Farwell Auclair ’67, live in Cumberland and enjoy warm Maine summer days with their children and grandchildren at their cottage on Panther Pond.
Hollie Ingraham, who grew up in Houlton with Carleen Williams Cook, sent us news of several of her AOPi sorority sisters. Hollie is retired from a professional career in higher education, including 23 years at the University of Maine at Farmington. She lives in Brunswick and volunteers at Twice Told Tales bookstore there. She loves working part time at L.L. Bean seasonally and spends time at the family camp outside of Houlton. She stays in touch via Facebook with former roommate, Sharon Marks Steidle, who lives in Delray Beach, FL, and with Joanne Ericson Howard ‘69, who lives in Ocean Park, near her grandchildren.
Hollie has kept in touch with Jane Walker Woodruff ’68, who lives in Freeport, and every year the two meet for lunch to celebrate Women in History Month. Linda Parker McIntire ‘68 and Burtt ’66 divide their time between Vermont, Maine, and Florida, while Paula Delano Christiansen ‘68 enjoys living in Damariscotta Mills. As the time this column was written, Hollie reported that Meriby Sweet ‘67 was in Scotland and Ireland playing golf. After that she had planned to go to Italy to visit family, returning to the US to make her home in Castine.
A arrived note from Dr. Arlene Casey Stewart, another northern Maine native, from Fort Kent. She returned to her hometown to teach middle school after graduation while her husband was in the SeaBees in Alaska, then moved to North Carolina, where she resumed teaching. Later, she was an advisor to first-generation college kids, carried out survey analysis work in mental health, and finished her career at Clemson University as the director of Student Disability Services. Now retired, she lives in Asheville, NC, near her two sons and grandkids.
Arthur Kilfoil was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Certificate by the Maine Health Care Association at their annual “Remember ME” awards ceremony this year. This award recognizes “pioneering, innovative, and interesting residents living in Maine’s long-term care facilities.” He is living at the Maine Veteran’s Home in Bangor.