Jul/Aug 2007
Hal Valeche (hal@halvaleche.com) e-mails: “Please add me to the list of class members running for Congress. To shake things up a little, I was not in Stiles but JE. I was elected to the city council of Palm Beach Gardens (pop. 50,000) in November 2004 after being elected to and serving on the board of a special taxing district from 2002 to 2004. I am running in Florida District 16, which is the seat formerly held by Mark Foley. This is going to be one of the most closely-watched contests in the 2008 cycle.” Good luck from all of us, Hal!
News from Dues (note that there is a definite pattern here): Rev. Morris K. Wilson(MK3Wilson@comcast.net) writes: “I took early retirement in June of 2005, after 32 years of parish ministry in the Episcopal Church. St. Augustine’s Chapel at Vanderbilt has given me opportunities to preach and teach, and I have been substitute teaching in the public schools to put a little excitement in my life.” Dr. Juan P. Montermoso(JPMontermoso69@aya.yale.edu) writes: “Took early retirement from Hewlett-Packard in October 2005. Currently I am consulting and am an adjunct faculty member at University of San Francisco and St. Mary’s College of California.” Terry Benson(terrybenson@nyc.rr.com) writes: “Freelance in PTV and loving it. A modern measure of parental freedom: no kid on your health plan. My daughter Kara (’06) is now done with Mother Yale. She loved it. The empty nest in NYC has room for guests. It’s strange how ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ has such a bittersweet ring to it.” On the dues form, Terry enthusiastically crossed out his business phone number and wrote “none!” in its place.Ethan Kra (ethan.kra@mercer.com) states succinctly: “Elected vice president of the Society of Actuaries.”
Lost classmate found by Norm Zamcheck: “Saul Hopper left Yale and went back to St. Louis — I believe — junior year, where he earned his BA and PhD. He was a psychologist for more than 20 years in Missouri, with a large and innovative practice. (I contacted him some years back and he mentioned that he had integrated Native American concepts into his work.) He has recently relocated to Colorado, where he is involved with radio station KRFC in Fort Collins. Saul was actively involved in bringing transcendental meditation to Yale, and I will forever be grateful to him for introducing me to this useful practice and getting the initiation fee waived. (I’ve used TM on and off for years).”
In Memoriam: An e-mail from Tom Emmons reports the sad news of the untimely recent death of our classmate Bob Wheeler. Bob was in Silliman College, was a Whiffenpoof, and lived in New York. A memorial service was held on May 1 at St. Thomas Church, New York City. Bill Mackoff was very close to Bob and we will hear from Bill in the next issue.
More “missing” (55 total) classmates: Anthony Kaiser, Merritt Kleber, Robert Knox, Charles Lamson. Any information is welcome.
Error correction: Frank Aronson reminds me that he and Carney Mimms were in JE, not TD. Frank says he “will never live it down.” I say we are all Yalies, Frank!
“Retirement to me is a synonym for decay. . . . The idea of knocking about, playing golf or whatever, is so unattractive to me that I would rather be nibbled to death by ducks. So long as I am doing what I choose to do and love to do, work is not work but total fun.” — Jack Valenti, quoted in his New York Times obituary.