Mike Seymour
Malcolm.seymour1@icloud.com
From Tad DeBordenave: “Connie and I are enjoying being nowhere in particular on and near the Southwest Coast Path in Devon and Cornwall for a couple of weeks.”
Bill Matthews writes: “Marcia and I just saw and had lovely conversation with Maria Walker at Kelly Clark’s funeral. She was with her son, Carli ’90.”
Mike Van Dusen checks in with this note: “I feel there is a desire or need for us to be much more involved with our grandchildren than I ever felt our parents were involved in the lives of our children. Geography can play a role.”
Stuart Douglas ’61 with a sampling of peace signs he has created during his travels.
Limey Pillsbury sends in this news: “Jan and I are enduring a cold rainy day on the Atlantic coast, waiting for some warm weather.”
John Jay speaking to David Niven: “I am reminded of your clairvoyant suggestion on Tiffany’s porch at our 25th that we all chip in $100 at that time, invest it, and throw ourselves a party for our 50th. Would that we had! However, we can still throw ourselves a party at our 60th, but we need you on the premises to uncork the first bottle!”
A note from Peter Pell: “Watching Boston beat Carolina in Stanley Cup playoffs. It rained all day in N.Y. Perfect Sunday Evensong weather in sturdy gray flannel suit.”
Stu Douglas shares: “Martha and I will be house-sitting in Sausalito the month of September, and would love to get together with San Francisco-area formmates. Since we read and learned many Shakespeare plays during our SPS tenure, anyone coming to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland should contact me (541-292-0503). I drove 1,100 miles to Colorado in early April to ski with my grandkids on the last day of their season. Six weeks later, I just picked up my daughter and her two children, aged five and four, for eight wonderful and busy days.”
From Ed Tiffany: “Spring 2019 finds Joan and me under boats and in garden in Marion, Mass., ready for summer sailing and eating and in Boston enjoying the city, working at our desks and attending end-of-school-year grandkid events. Six-year-old Alden and four-year-old Wyatt live down the street and we often walk, scoot, or bike with them to school, music lessons, ballet, and other stuff. Ski season 2018-19 found us in Franconia, N.H., four days a week with an hour ski at Cannon with Alden and Wyatt on Saturday and Sunday before heading up the mountain. Bobby Clark joined me for one day of skiing, prompted by John Jay planning to be there in training for his annual week in Vail. But, alas, he could not make it this year. This summer we will be racing our Bullseye two days a week and Shields one or two days.”
Jim Hatch submitted this message: “The good news from Western Massachusetts is that I moved into my almost-finished new home in Stockbridge a couple months ago. It is on a piece of property adjacent to my old family home, which has been in the family for over 130 years and is now in the hands of the next generation. Like most of my classmates, I have been blessed with grandchildren; the four of them are between the ages of eight and 12, and live near each other in Marin, Calif. One, the 10-year-old daughter of son Lucas, last weekend beat her father in the famous 7.4-mile Dipsea Race in Mill Valley, Calif. Being on the East Coast has its disadvantages when it comes to grandchildren, but in this digital age it’s very easy to keep abreast of their activities. They will all be visiting me this summer, and I will get back out to them in the fall.”
Tom Roberts
tarbigred@yahoo.com
I heard from Wick Rowland about the honors Chad Floyd has gotten for his design of the Thompson Exhibition Building at the Mystic Seaport Museum. Wick also commented on how many members of our class had fingerprints on the New England yachting world. I also heard from Monty Downs and Charlie von Stade. Both are doing well.”
Larry Rand continues teaching history after 40 years at Kent School. He is program director and teaches courses on constitutional law and documentary film at Taconic Learning Center in Salisbury, Conn.
The acclaimed Thompson Exhibition Building at the Mysitc Seaport Museum, designed by Chad Floyd ’62.
Dulany Howland has been elected to a two-year term as a trustee of the Dallas Estate Planning Council.
Rob Howard sends this: “Same ol’ same ol’. Still working at my law office in Henniker, N.H., for 50th year. Same wife, college classmate, Dr. Sachiko Howard. Biannual visit with son in Maui. Concord Chorale concert tours every two years – last summer we toured Latvia, Estonia, and St. Petersburg. Boredom averted!”
Maxwell King writes: “Last fall, I concluded seven years of research and writing, when Abrams Books of New York published my first-ever, full-length biography of Fred Rogers, the creator of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The biography, The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, is in its sixth printing and briefly made The New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. As a result, I have spent a good deal of time speaking at book events around the country and doing TV and radio interviews. An interesting experience for me as a former journalist, and part of an exciting resurgence of interest in the importance of Rogers’s work. Meanwhile, I am retiring again this year – my third time. I retired previously from the positions of editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer and president of the Heinz Endowments. This summer, I will retire after five years as president of The Pittsburgh Foundation. I think, at age 75, I am finally ready for retirement. And, in all this, I have found that the strong values of St. Paul’s School and the fine education I got there have proven invaluable to me. I am grateful for those things.”
Geoffrey Douglas’s fifth book, The Grifter, The Poet and The Runaway Train, a collection of his stories in Yankee over the past 20 years, was published in May by Globe Pequot. There are 17 stories, all drawn from life, several on the gritty side. Geoffrey writes, “I’m hoping some of my formmates will find one or two to engage them.”
Toby Hall sends this update: “Jan and I got this year off to a good start with a three-week tour to Ireland in the company of Jan’s brother and sister-in-law. We began with a trip around Northern Ireland in a rental car with brother-in-law, McCormick, at the wheel. He did pretty well with the left-hand drive and drew only a few horn blasts from irate drivers who didn’t like the way he jockeyed for the proper lane to exit from a roundabout. The principal purpose of the trip was to seek homes and churches of McCormick ancestors, information about them, and to meet a few distant cousins, in all of which we were quite successful. At the end of that phase, we joined a Grand Circle Tour of the Republic, beginning in Dublin. It happened to be the day of a rugby match in the Six Nations league, a home game against the French. The streets and pubs were packed with French fans who were to witness their team being thrashed by the Irish. From there, we made a big, clockwise loop around the Republic, covering many of the major attractions. It was a very well run expedition. Back home, we settled down to our usual activities of paying attention to our four grandchildren, Jan keeping in touch with her world of books, and I focusing on the fifth book in my series on family history. This one is about Wayland Island, located on Long Island Sound off Stony Creek, about 10 miles east of New Haven. My family owned it from 1870 to 1952, along with a good many boats, the record of which I want to get into a more permanent form than my head. At this writing, it’s time to get the old rowboat into commission for its 103rd season in service to the family.”
Rufus Botzow
rcbotzow@gmail.com
Ray Payson is a grandpa as of April 10. Child and parents doing well. Grandparents, too.
John Rice
Jwrice460@gmail.com
Randy Morgan
wyndmoor@comcast.net
Russell Corey ’65 with his new book, A Wonderful Courtship.
This note from David Parshall: “Several alumni were fortunate to attend a most interesting gathering and talk at the Racquet & Tennis Club in New York in April. Consummate sportsman Russell Corey spoke eloquently and with amusing vignettes about court tennis. The talk included reminiscences of Russell’s many experiences playing with or against many world champions. Russell’s extensive experience has included play at all eleven courts in the U.S., plus a number of others in Australia, France, and Great Britain. The talk coincided with the publication of Russell’s new book, A Wonderful Courtship. Others present at Russell’s talk in addition to me included his wife, Missy, John Evans ’66, and Freddy Gillmore ’66. The supply of Russell’s book available that evening quickly sold out, but more will be available directly through the author himself following completion of a second printing.”
John Landes
Jlandes1948@yahoo.com
Michael Klosson writes: “Following my career as a diplomat, capped by being Consul General in Hong Kong and Ambassador in Cyprus, I’ve been at Save the Children now for 12 years as the vice president overseeing our policy and emergency response work. It’s very fulfilling, as we celebrate our 100th anniversary. We are making a huge difference for the most marginalized kids in rural America as well as around the world. With my policy hat on, I go to familiar international conferences and summits on the emergency side. Long airplane rides have given me a chance to get back into writing songs, which I inflict on Boni, my wife of almost 30 years, and two grown daughters. Look forward to seeing everyone at our 55th.”
(L. to r.) Rick Billings ’65, Harry Billings ’67, John Branson ’67, and Ed Ross ’05 at the wedding of Harry’s daughter in Boston.
From the 2019 Anniversary Weekend Boat Races: Hugh Taylor ’69 (stroke) – doctor in attendance, Charlie Hickox ’69 (7), Rev. Charles Bradshaw ’69 (6) – spiritual guide, Pete Flynn ’69 (5) – legal representative, Charlie Scribner ’69 (4) – literary agent, George Birchard ’69 (3) – instigator, Terry Hunt ’69 (2) – therapist, and Greg Vail ’69 (bow).