After our hot, humid summer here in Maine, we are happy to have cooler, autumn weather. We do not have much to report this time. Please send your news to us or to the UMaine Alumni Association, Buchanan Alumni House, 1 Alumni Place, PO Box 550, Orono, Maine.
After serving as a Hebron selectman for 36 years, Richard Deans is retiring. For 30 years, he had served as board chairman. After UMaine, Richard worked at a small dairy farm in Oxford County and then worked for 40 years at Paris Farmers Union.
Stephen Turner ’71G did send us some sad news that Albert E. Hodsdon ’73G, owner of A.E. Hodsdon Engineering, based in Waterville, had died in March 2022. Steve wrote that Al was a co-founder of the Senior Skull Alumni group and a generous benefactor to the new engineering building on campus. Steve noted that as a loyal Maine alum, Al had had the pleasure of sitting in the President’s box for both hockey and football games. Steve remembers Al as a man whose character was beyond reproach and whose smile and hardy laugh will be missed.
We received a letter from Nancy McKeone O’Keefe ’70. She told us that her husband, Ray O’Keefe, had died in May 2022. Ray and Nancy have been longtime residents of Naples, FL. Ray served in the US Army for 26 years; the last 10 years of his career were spent at the Pentagon. Throughout his career, Ray had been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, and the Bronze Star. Ray honored fellow veterans by creating two Veterans Day golf tournaments in Florida. Like Al Hodsdon, Ray O’Keefe had been a Senior Skull and a loyal UMaine alum. Ray attended several of our class reunions. At our 50th Reunion, Bill and I enjoyed sharing laughter and memories with Ray.