May 2003
Happy spring, classmates! I have received more news than will fit in print, so let’s get right to it. Dr. Stephen Billick has received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. He writes: “It was a surprise to find that the years have passed and now I’m old enough to get awards like this!” One question, Steve: Should a psychiatrist be surprised about things like that?
Thomas Moore, a doctor at the San Diego School of Medicine, proudly announces the birth of his first grandchild, Tristan Moore, and cites the coincidence of that event and the matriculation of his youngest child, Betty, in Yale’s Class of ’06. Juan Montermosoreported the following: “Currently I continue to work at Hewlett-Packard in Cupertino, California, handling business planning for our e-business operations. I am also an adjunct marketing faculty member in the executive MBA program for St. Mary’s College here in the Bay area.”
Doug Darif wrote (in extremely legible handwriting, I might add in appreciation) to update us on his family. “Daughter (Meghan) a freshman at Middlebury College. Son (Devin) a sophomore at Deerfield Academy. Living in Leverett, Massachusetts, with Patricia Gorman. Playing squash when possible and confirming that white men (especially older white men) can’t jump on the basketball courts at the Springfield YMCA during lunchtime pick-up games.” Or on any other courts, I’d guess.
James Biltekoff chimed in from Buffalo to report that he has taken a new position as president and CEO of AlFresh Beverages Canada Corp., the largest bottler of single-serve juice products in Canada. He is dividing time between Buffalo and Toronto. (Tip to Jim: Corresponding secretaries are widely recognized as discriminating food critics, given ample test materials.) Steve Bemis, whose thoughts on the United Nations are now well known to the class listserv, also corresponded from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He has acquired his first two grandchildren in the past two years. He is in his 23rd year as a corporate lawyer for Masco Corporation, specializing in pension/benefits, environmental, and product liability matters. He chairs the Detroit/Ann Arbor alumni schools committee interviewing applicants to Yale. And finally (a first, I think, for our class notes), he wrote, “I repair and rebuild old John Deere tractors and use them to bale hay, which I sell to local horse owners and to those who prefer organic feed for their cattle.”
Ralph Swanson wrote from Palo Alto, California, that his daughter Larissa (Stanford ’99) was married, with classmate Eric Prosnitz in attendance. The following was received from Ira Silverstein: “Life has been crazy but wonderful. I live in Philadelphia with a wonderful woman and our teenage son. Two grown daughters from a first marriage are off in the world. I just wish I wasn’t getting invitations to join the AARP — depressing. Now that I finally accept the fact that I’m middle-aged, I’m clinging to it.” (Ira, would you like me to arrange an appointment with Dr. Billick?) Or maybe with Keith Nelson, whose “work in psychology continues at the Burlington County Institute of Technology in central New Jersey. Third graders at Cold Spring Elementary School in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, continue in their studies of life’s lessons under the tutelage of my partner for 30-plus years, Polly. Our daughter Melissa is a second-year doctoral student in epidemiology at UNC-Chapel Hill. Melissa’s alma mater is in Ithaca, so we follow the relative success of our competing football — and now basketball — teams in their annual encounters. It’s my turn to smile. Go Bulldogs.”
Arnold Vickery sent the following update from Houston: “After 30 years [enough of these 30-year references already] practicing law, I decided to go back ‘to school’ to really learn to be a trial lawyer. So I spent 22 days last summer at Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming. Gerry is the ‘real deal,’ one of the most authentic people I have ever met, and America’s greatest trial lawyer. Thought he would teach me to be a better storyteller, but actually learned to be a listener.” (Listen to this: Corresponding secretaries get a cut of all advertising payoffs.)
And finally, Tom Guterbock wrote to ask if I had ever published the news of the birth of Halina. I will check it out and report to him, but thought I’d do it now just in case. Congratulations, Tom! Thanks to all of you for your letters; this month was a record. Until next time, I leave you with the news that as this is arriving in your mail boxes, I am hosting several classmates at the Kentucky Derby. Depending on the consumption of mint juleps, I may make a full report.