Jan/Feb 2010

After subtle pressure from your scribe, Ken Wolfe (wolfeak@aol.com) has checked in: “Annemarie and I have recently moved back to Saint Petersburg, Florida, after 11 years living and working in the U.K. We each had three different jobs, which carried us from Manchester to London to Birmingham. I am continuing as chairman of my last company, Betterware, on a part-time basis and will continue to travel back to the U.K. once a quarter to fulfill those obligations. During our time in the U.K. we enjoyed many Yale Club of London events, including the Henley Regatta, Harvard game telecasts, and the Yale 300th anniversary celebrations at Saint Paul’s Cathedral. In Florida we are affiliated with a program at Eckerd College where we participate in teaching students there. It was great seeing classmates at the reunion, and we look forward to being in closer contact now that we are back.”

Rob Kuhbach (rgkuhbach@gmail.com) writes that he is “currently vice president of finance and chief financial officer of Dover Corporation (NYSE), and plans to retire later this year. He hopes to remain active in business, perhaps serving on a board or two, and looks forward to more free time to travel and enjoy life.”

Tom Emmons e-writes: “Seven classmates went behind enemy lines on July 15 at the Harvard Club of New York to view the screening of Harvard Beats Yale 29–29. Unfortunately the ending hasn’t changed over the years. It was entertaining and nostalgic nonetheless, especially so soon after the reunion. Kevin Rafferty, director, hosted and took questions from the SRO crowd, among which were some of the Harvard team. In attendance from our class were: Tom Emmons, Tom Reed, Mark Melamed, Andrew Popper, Arthur Klebanoff, William Mackoff, and Seth Herbert.”

Lou Casagrande has been appointed dean of the School of Education, Social Work, Child Life and Family Studies at Boston’s Wheelock College. From the press release: “An active anthropologist and international leader in museum management, Dr. Casagrande was most recently president and CEO of the Boston Children’s Museum where he developed innovative collaborations among communities, schools, and the museum, including the creation of the Community Learning Center and an expanded Early Childhood Center. He holds teaching positions at Bank Street College and Harvard University and is the author of several articles and books for both academic and general audiences.”

Sadly, I have two more deaths to report: Lathrop M. Gates died July 6 at his home in Kansas City. From the obituary: “He was a member of the tennis team at Yale University, where he also honed his croquet skills during his leisure time. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1973. Following his military service, he attended law school at the University of Missouri and began practicing law at Gage and Tucker, where he worked for over 20 years. After retiring early from law, he avidly pursued his interests in horticulture and travel, which were more often than not interrupted by his dedicated commitment to organizations that were meaningful to him, including Barstow School, St. Paul’s Episcopal Day School, Powell Gardens, and Linda Hall Library. Additionally, he was devoted to serving the community of Prouts Neck, Maine, which he visited often and loved dearly. His sense of humor and quick wit were legendary. He was a railroad enthusiast, accomplished sailor, and tennis player, and above all, he was devoted to his family. He is survived by his loving wife, Dody Phinny Gates, and two daughters.”

Michael S. Rubinovitz died on April 30. Your scribe has no other information, except a 25th reunion class book entry (1994) that suggested that Michael was living in New York City and was involved with Dance Theatre Foundation, Inc.

“Every human being wrestles with the question: How can you live knowing that you’re going to die? Most of us are too distracted to think about it. But ask yourself, ‘What accomplishments are you most proud of? What do you want your legacy to be?’ It’s never too late.”—Dr William Breitbart, quoted in the Wall Street Journal.