Sudy Taylor Graham
33760 County Road 43A
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487-9783
sudy_graham@yahoo.com
970-846-4789
www.facebook.com/groups/UMaineClass1970/
Trying something new. I’m asking you to shoot me a quick something to put in our column from time to time. It can literally be anything — no matter how brief and simple (we don’t all have to be Nobel Peace Prize winners to have something to share!). Things like vacations/trips (or planned ones), a new move, retirement, hobbies, new goals and aspirations, children/grandchildren, climbing Mt. Everest (just kidding!), pets, connecting with a classmate, training for a 10K, a book you’ve enjoyed, etc. Just thinking that if everyone would send in little tidbits from time to time, it might make our column more interesting, fun to read — and less intimidating to write! Pictures are great, too! This is what I tried to do in this column.
Cathy Dearborn Raymond is psyched about our 50th Reunion coming up in just two years. And, like many of us, wondering, “where did the time go?” She’s hoping that we will “all gather together for a grand special memories weekend.” Let’s all rally behind Cathy and get ourselves there — our 50th Reunion only comes once!
In the winter months we will find John L. Collins on the slopes of Mt. Bachelor, OR, as an ambassador or as a volunteer coach for the high school Nordic team. In fairer weather he can be found fly fishing in some
stream or on his mountain bike. John plans to go back to Orono in April for the annual alumni dinner at Phi Gamma Delta, which includes an evening at Pat’s and a banquet (I’ve been told that they usually have over 100 in attendance!).
This girl is always busy! If it’s not her real estate business — then Carol Swaffield Ridlon and her husband, Reggie, are off doing something with family or friends! Here’s an example: for Christmas they were in Maine, next week (as of this writing) they will be in Tucson for a couple of days — in March she returned to Maine to ski Sunday River (she says that she’s not in shape, but don’t believe her!) — and, in June they are off to California for their daughter’s wedding (and, to spend time at Pebble Beach). Carol also just finished reading Hearts in Suspension by Stephen King ’87 Hon L.H.D. about our days at UMaine. She said that it was “cool to hear him tell about all the things he did” and “there were lots of familiar names.” Her kids and grandkids are good.
Now for some tidbits from Dave Krug. In September he went elk hunting with a partner in Idaho and both came home with huge bulls scoring over 400 on the Boone and Crockett scoring (guess some of you will understand that). He’s working very part time on a consulting basis with Cross Agency and working out with weights and snowshoeing to keep in shape. In December, he and his wife, Karen, spent a week in the
Mayan Riviera in Mexico, walking about 10 miles a day on the beaches. On an academic level, Dave recently purchased the DVD collection for All Creatures Great and Small TV series (he enjoyed the book many years ago!). His favorite pastime is spending time with his grandchildren, who live close by. Dave stays in touch with friends Brian Hallowell and Ron Bailey — adding that they’re as close as brothers. In fact, he’s added some updates on them as well!
Brian Hallowell, having been an optometrist, retired in June and has built a new home in Orland, ME. Ron Bailey continues to operate Stillwater Dental Associates in Bangor; however, he lives part of the year in Scottsdale, AZ, where his two sons live.
Donna Libby Hathaway tells us that she spent a week with friends on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. She is still on the University of Maine Foundation board and singing with Oratorio. Donna is very involved in the lives of her five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren (five live in Maine and two in California, all busy with sports and other activities — well, with the exception of the great-grandchildren!). She took two of her grandchildren to the University of Maine’s robot lab last summer and said that they were very impressed.
It’s great when I hear of those of you who have kept friends from our U of Maine days. Karen Zaimes Atkinson ’72G and her husband, Tom ’69, ’73G, watched the Super Bowl with friends Les ’74G and Judy Glazier Berry ’74G — they are neighbors both in Scottsdale, AZ, and Portland, ME!
Allison Ladd Chapman and her husband spend their winters in the historic Lincolnville neighborhood of Saint Augustine, FL (where they walk miles every day not hindered by snow!). The rest of the year, Allison enjoys gardening at their home in Brunswick, ME. Like many of us, they like to travel and have trips planned to New Orleans and NYC. Between the two of them, they have nine grandchildren. She is still singing in both places: in the Oratorio Choral in Brunswick and in the Saint Augustine Community Chorus.
Bill and Nancy Clark Gill are enjoying retirement! Nancy writes that she now has time to read, sew, and relax. She’s active in their local Altrusa group, currently sewing for Days for Girls kits. Soon she’ll be ending a two-year term as president of the Delta Kappa Gamma teacher’s group (Nancy had a long career in the field of education). Last October she returned to Maine to spend a week touring Portland with her two sisters — and this spring she and Bill have a trip planned to Kauai, HI.
Still living in Woodstock, VT, Jack Anderson and his wife, Dee, are both working part-time and looking forward to retirement. Jack revisited the campus last summer and says of that visit, “I could still see the campus as it was in the late 1960s. But the place is so much bigger — I had a great nostalgia twang – thoughts about Simon & Garfunkel in concert in Memorial Gym, anti-war marches across the common, bringing my date back to the dorm by curfew, ten-cent cups of coffee in the Bear’s Den, lectures in Hauck Auditorium….” Thanks, Jack, for a walk down Memory Lane! Those were four great years! And, I’ll be seeing you at the Reunion in two years (we were both there for the 10th).
Before I tie this all up, I want you all to be aware that we have a class Facebook group. Because it is a Facebook group instead of a Facebook page, you need to ask to join. Once you click on the blue box to join the group, someone from the Alumni Association will confirm that you’re a member of the class. Then you will be free to post news. I just joined and think it might be a fun way to stay connected. Here’s that link: www.facebook.com/groups/UMaineClass1970/
Keep easy — and don’t forget to drop a line!