Class Notes, Sep-Oct 2024

Sadly, I have three deaths to report. In each case, a full memorial with pictures is available online at the class website: yale1969.org.

From Legacy.com: “William Streicker passed away on March 1, 2024.  He attended medical school at NYU and completed his residency at the Medical College of Virginia. He was head of the Emergency Department of Johnston-Willis Hospital for ten years and then established PromptCare, an urgent care medical practice which he ran in Richmond and Charlottesville, Virginia, for thirty years.

Will was a Renaissance man with a wide range of talents, interests and accomplishments. He was a physician, athlete, musician, investor, world traveler, designer and photographer. He had a thirst for adventure with a special love for whitewater canoeing. He surrounded himself with song throughout his life, from his time in the Yale Glee Club to hosting musicians in his home. Whether singing for heads of state with the Yale Alumni Chorus, singing endless rounds of Wheels on the Bus with his grandson, music was central to his life. There was always music playing (usually loudly!) when Will was around.

Will always had a project going and in recent years, many were focused on his cabins on the Little Piney River in the Blue Ridge Mountains. He brought characteristic joy and passion to all of his endeavors. He built glass bottle and cordwood houses, a Japanese tea house, a swinging bridge and a glass Victorian conservatory, creating a magical world that he loved to share with others.

Will often said he had no regrets. He was a role model for living life to the fullest and those who knew him were lucky to experience his generosity, creativity, and kindness. He was a caring  physician and genuinely interested in everyone he met. He was clever and funny. He often told his family how much he loved them and how proud he was of them. And he was loved deeply in return.”

From the Yale Alumni Records Office: “Norman Resnicow passed away on May 4, 2024. After his graduation from Yale Law School, he entered the bustling world of New York City law firms. Throughout his career as an attorney, Norman applied his exceptional intelligence and innovative “out-of-the-box” thinking to a diverse array of legal practice areas. His dedication and excellence in his profession were duly recognized in 2016 when he was honored with the prestigious Award for Professionalism by the NY State Bar Association, an accolade granted to only one recipient annually.

In the last years of his career, Norman demonstrated his commitment to justice by taking on cases defending individuals wrongfully terminated from their employment.

Norman’s legacy extends far beyond his professional achievements. He will be fondly remembered for his unwavering willingness to extend a helping hand to anyone in need, in any capacity possible. His spirit of service was exemplified by his 25-year tenure on the board of HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), where he served as Treasurer for many years. In this role, Norman’s activism positively impacted thousands of refugees, asylum seekers, and forcibly displaced individuals worldwide, aiding them in rebuilding their shattered lives.

Away from the rigors of the legal world, Norman found solace in his passions for nature, travel, and the arts. Norman‘s indelible mark on both the legal profession and humanitarian efforts will be remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.”

From James Porter: “My best friend at Yale, Bill Sacco, passed away on February 10^th, 2024.  Bill was one of the most talented photographers of our generation.

Both Bill and I were interested in photographing the natural world.  Both of us wanted to take photography during our senior year to advance our interest in science, but enrollment in Art Department courses was so limited for non-art majors that neither of us could get in.  We hatched a plan.  Yale had launched a program that permitted students to create new courses if we could find a notable instructor.  Life Magazine already had a Writer-in-Residence program at Yale.  What if we changed the first word to Photographer-in-Residence?  Somehow it worked. 

Photographers almost always specialize.  Bill, however, did it all.  As a scientific photographer for the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale, he photographed all creatures great and small.  (If you have seen images of the dinosaur mural, you have seen his work.)  While pushing the boundaries of photographic microscopy, he was also considered Yale’s finest portrait photographer.  Invariably, Bill was able to put his subject in their best light.  His portraits of Yale faculty remain the gold standard of portraiture even today. He went on to publish extensively in Life Magazine.  (His photographs also appeared on the covers of Science, Smithsonian, and Science News.) Bill finished his career in Yale’s Media Department as a photographer, doing the work he loved.

Bill had an exceptional eye for composition.  One of his distinguishing hallmarks was his ability to put his subject in lovely context within its surrounding environment.  One reviewer said of his Caribbean Coral Reef book, “It should be noted that as that as difficult as fishes are to photograph, Bill’s images are simply amazing – you believe you are there!”  Another said, “Bill’s photography connects the viewer’s heart and mind.” And another stated, “By revealing in extraordinary detail and vivid color the stunning beauty of coral reefs, Bill develops a powerful conservation message to preserve and protect these biologically diverse, and yet critically endangered ecosystems.”

From his wife Jan: “Bill was a very soft spoken, well read, friendly, interesting conversationalist.  Never boring, never loud, always polite, the perfect guest at any social function.”

I have just learned that Simon Whitney has passed away. His memorial will appear in the next issue of the Class Notes, and in full online by the time you read this. I will have some news of the living in the next issue.

Dan Seiver
Corresponding Secretary
seiverda@miamioh.edu