Albee Lewis Budnitz – 50th Reunion Essay

Albee Lewis Budnitz

27 Wheaton Drive

Nashua, NH 03063

albee.budnitz@gmail.com

603-566-3980

Spouse(s): Vivian Rowe (1970-89); Toba Weintraub (1992)

Child(ren): Martin Rowe (1968); Melissa Arel (1970); Alexander Budnitz (1977); Hannah Budnitz (1979); Elena Ruizzo (1983)

Grandchild(ren): Zachary Rowe (2001); Molly Arel (2003); Anita Rose Budnitz Williams (2011); Saul Budnitz (2013); Ethan Ruizzo (2013); Albert John Budnitz Williams (2014); Nina Budnitz (2016); Talia Ruizzo (2016)

Education: Yale BA,’69; Wayne State School of Medicine’,’73

Career: Internal and pulmonary medicine physician; Community action around tobacco and public/population health (Koop’s troops); Teaching

Avocations: Reading, running Boston Marathon and Mt. Washington road race x 2 each

College: Saybrook

It seems forever ago that we received our diplomas and “eagerly” went on to try and change the world. Actually, remembering graduation, I had more fear than anything else at “what next.” Jumping from New Haven to Detroit only amplified this. I’ve lived most of the last 50 years in New Hampshire and life is “interesting.” Like most, I’ve had many good years, as well as some difficult ones. I’ve been practicing medicine in Nashua, New Hampshire, for the last 40 years and will retire from patient care practice at the end of June 2018.

I was married, had three great kids, got divorced after almost 20 years; and now married again for more than 25 years, having added two stepkids, now multiplied to eight grandkids. All are well, doing well (never came back home to live!); I could not feel more lucky. Only Yale connection is one son with MFA from Yale School of Art. And one has lived in the UK the last 17 years, allowing us a, at least, yearly visit and having two grandkids with “funny” accents.

When I retire, my wife and I have plans to travel, tackle some home improvement (= de-cluttering), and continue to expand my volunteer work and teaching; combining the two in a public and population health and community action “lesson plan.” Most of this relates to tobacco issues; and I am proud to be one of “Koop’s troops;” as in C. Everett Koop, surgeon general in the 1980s; back to his alma mater, Dartmouth, after that and active in the tobacco “wars” until his passing at age 97 in 2013.

Looking ahead there are certainly concerns about the state of the country and the world. But my own interaction with students, plus those around the country and world, with my kids, grandkids give me optimism.