Alumni News & Notes
1948
The Class of 1948 celebrated its 70th reunion during Homecoming in October. Class members attended the Half-Century Club Breakfast and a luncheon. Those able to attend were Eugene McClaren, Eileen Abrahms Petterson, Wanda Tomasik Methe, Gari Deliganis Paticopoulos, and Eleanor Holbig Alland. During Sorority and Fraternity Coffee Hour, Eleanor entertained the group with recollections of sorority life in the 1940s.
Ruth Seelbach Elmore sends greetings from Florida. John Knox Village is decorated beautifully and hosts events for its residents. The village bus transports residents to events in the area. In June, Ruth and her husband took the Auto Train north to visit relatives and friends.
Joan Sherwood traveled to Phoenix to visit her granddaughter and then to Scottsdale to visit Bob Kaiser ’49 and Mary Anne. Joan will welcome a new great-grandson this year. She still works on church archives, plays bridge, and volunteers at the library.
Donald Sayles has given up downhill skiing and sailing the Dulcinea as he approaches 96 years of age.
Gari Paticopoulos moved from Florida to Delmar to be near family.
Ruth Doran lives with her brother in Baldwinsville, N.Y. She is doing well.
Eleanor Alland and son James flew to Baltimore to spend Christmas with family.
Class councilor: Eleanor Holbig Alland, [email protected]
1949
Correction: Bob Kaiser and Mary Ann have been married 66 years, not 40 as printed in the Fall 2018 Class Notes.
Jake and Betsy Franks Schühle of Cortland celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in September. They have six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild (five generations)!
Bonnie Lewis Adkins sends the sad news that Lee, her husband of 28 years, passed away Oct. 25 after a month in hospice care.
Elsa Moberg Cox of California says that she still drives, goes to four exercise classes, attends church activities, manages her home and yard, and frequently visits shut-ins.
Dolores Stocker Eklund still resides in independent living and drives locally.
Mary Jane Peris Fredericks celebrated her 90th birthday with family, including four great-grandchildren. She feels very blessed.
Jean Pulver Hague still has one foot in Atlanta but is spending more time in Juno Beach, Fla.
Gloria Meistelman Herkowitz celebrated her youngest great-grandson’s second birthday in November.
Audrey Schmay Jones lives in the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington and goes to target practice at the air-rifle shooting range.
Freddy Laemmerzahl Miller of Oklahoma visited her daughter in Delaware during the holidays.
Anne Sucher Raser traveled with her son 400 miles to San Jose for a family Thanksgiving get-together. While there, Anne met her newborn twin great-granddaughters for the first time.
Juanita Evans Thompson lives with her son and daughter-in-law in Farmington, N.Y. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Glenyce Jones Trainor is in good health and spirits. Her husband died 17 years ago, and her son took over Trainor Funeral Home in Boonville, N.Y. Glenyce serves as secretary-treasurer. She visited her good friend Audrey Schmay Jones in Bennington, Vt., last summer.
Bob Kittredge’s wife Diana passed away in October at the age of 93. They were married for 63 years.
Class councilor: Joe Zanchelli, [email protected]
1950
Audrey Koch Feathers is enjoying her new role as a great-grandmother; Natalie was born in April 2018, and Cassidy was born in June 2018. She says, “Just call me GG from now on.” Audrey’s daughters, Cindy and Suzy, are both lawyers.
Lila Lee Silva Harrington had a busy year. She visited family in Scottsdale, Ariz., once for Thanksgiving and again to celebrate her 90th birthday. Lila’s daughter Leslie visited in July; they drove to coastal Maine to get their “lobster fix” and enjoy family get-togethers. Lila is an active resident at Prestwick Chase, an independent-living center in Saratoga Springs. She serves on the executive board of the in-house newspaper and enjoys aerobics, bingo, the Women’s Breakfast Club, Poetry Club, and Book Chat.
Harold “Sparky” Vaughn remains involved in anti-human-trafficking activities through the Rotary Club. A Rotarian from Bangkok was in Washington, D.C., in December for consultations. Sparky gathers with a small group in his building for monthly dinners. His granddaughter is the architect for the Harvey Milk ‘51 Memorial in San Francisco. She studied in Florence, Italy. Sparky’s two grandsons are lawyers.
Audrey Hartman White attended a family reunion in Utah, took her granddaughter on a Panama Canal cruise in November, and traveled to Houston for Thanksgiving and to attend her grandson’s graduation from Baylor Medical School. Audrey says Elly Rapacz finally bought a smartphone.
Class councilor: Harold “Sparky” Vaughn, [email protected]
1952
Nancy Frey Petinelli’s oldest grandson will be interning at a St. Louis lab on a heart-related project; the next-oldest is doing community-project work in Quito, Ecuador. Nancy’s oldest granddaughter is studying animation.
Mary Anne Lanni lives in Guilderland with her son Joseph. Five of her children live in the Capital Region. Mary Anne enjoys the Philadelphia Orchestra and the NYC ballet in Saratoga; the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown; and museums and theater in Williamstown, Mass. She enjoyed a lunch date with Joan Barron.
Jeanne Seymour Earle spent the summer cleaning up property damage from a tornado. She recently spoke to Joan Bennett Kelly, who is doing well.
Bert Jablon and Myra enjoyed Thanksgiving with their son Clark’s family in Pennsylvania. Their other son, Kyle, works in New York City.
Tom Holman spends summers in Long Island and the cooler months in St. Maarten. He saw Bette Midler in Hello, Dolly! last summer.
Joyce Leavitt Zanchelli continues to serve on various committees in her church and at the UAlbany Alumni Association, but has slowed down a bit. She resigned from the Yaddo Garden Association board. She and Joe continue to love Saratoga.
Vicki Eade Eddy became a great-grandmother in April when Esme Stella was born to Vicki’s grandson and his wife. Vicki’s son Chris will retire from the FBI. He teaches Miami University’s leadership course.
Shirley Rosenbaum’s granddaughter Eliana worked for a congressional candidate and spent time in Cuba. Shirley’s grandson was selected to play cello in the Kentucky State Youth Orchestra.
Dave Manly and wife Jean plan to sell their condo in Hilton Head and rent an apartment-sized unit in the same area.
Class councilor: Joyce Zanchelli, [email protected]
1953
A small but enthusiastic group of Red Devils celebrated their 65th reunion during Homecoming. Rosie Keller Hughes and Joe Lombardi arrived wearing their beanies. Others who attended were Tina Nicastro Beck and husband Ray; Betty Coykendall Hart; Yvonne Kloosterman Farmer; Howie Fenenbock; Doug Nielsen and wife Gail; and Owen Smith and his wife.
J Paul Ward and Alice Goewey Goebel joined us at the class luncheon. Class councilor Rosie Keller Hughes appreciates all of the thank-you’s she received from classmates for helping to plan the reunion with the guidance of Loida Vera Cruz at the Alumni Association.
Doug Nielsen and Gail recently moved to a retirement center in Liverpool, N.Y. They enjoy visiting their two great-granddaughters. Doug volunteers at the local library. He and Gail are still active in their church. Their grandson joined the constabulary and is a court official in the Town of Lyons near Newark, N.Y.
Louise Petfield Burns visited family in New England in the fall. She and one of her daughters visited Louise’s brother in Rhinebeck, N.Y. Louise enjoys church activities, including Bible studies; playing hymns on the piano for seniors; and knitting for charity. She exercises at Curves during the week.
Yvonne Kloosterman Farmer visited many buildings, including Dewey Library and the University Art Museum, during the reunion.
Carol Wandersee MacDonald moved closer to her daughter in Hilton, N.Y., in October. We send our sincere sympathies to Carol, whose husband recently passed.
Al Brown’s son is president of a professional chauffeur business and a member of the Bucket & Mop Brigade, a volunteer group that keeps America’s military monuments clean. Al served
in the Air Force and hopes to take an Honor Flight in the future. Classmates who are veterans are reminded to check for their listings at www.alumni.albany.edu/veterans.
One of Beverly Pranitis Railey’s grandchildren transferred from St. Lawrence University to a school in Pennsylvania, “closer to home and with less snow piles.” Bev heard from Pat Aswald.
Marlene Southard Fleming does limited walking, doesn’t drive, and has the “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up” jewelry around her neck. She enjoys reading and knitting. Matt still lives with her and is teaching in Watertown, N.Y. Marlene stays in touch with Tillie (Mary) Malouf Hecox. If you’d like to contact Tillie, please reach out to your class councilor. For the last two years, Sally Swanson Devine has not responded to birthday and Christmas cards Marlene sent to her. If you have any news about Sally, please let Rosie know.
After the reunion, Rose Mary (Rosie) Keller Hughes fulfilled a bucket-list item and traveled with her son and two nephews to the Panama Canal. She enjoyed seeing everyone during Homecoming!
Your councilor sent out a survey regarding the designation of the reunion class fund. The majority of responses were in favor of donating to the Dewey Graduate Library, formerly known as Hawley Library. Rebecca Mugridge, dean of University Libraries, mailed a letter to your councilor expressing her appreciation to our class for the donation. The gift will help maintain its historic murals and stained-glass windows. Please stay in contact, Red Devils! Share your news with your class councilor. If you’re on Facebook, join the Class of ’53 Group and connect with classmates. If you know of a classmate’s passing, contact the Alumni Association.
Class notes councilor: Rose Mary Keller Hughes, [email protected]
1954
The Class of 1954 will celebrate its 65th reunion in October! Let your class councilor, Joan Paul, know whether or not you plan to attend and if you have any reunion ideas by emailing her: [email protected].
John Allasio and Marge of Auburn Hills, Mich., have had some health problems but remain active. John’s grandson and great-grandson, both named John also, are now in Michigan, as well.
Sven Sloth and Eileen celebrated his 85th birthday on a Southern Caribbean cruise in December. Sven began studying at UAlbany when he was 16. He wonders if anyone else in the Class of ‘54 was born after Dec. 7, 1933.
Joan Hartman has been busy visiting family. She reunited with her sister Audrey, brother, and sister-in-law in Orlando in December 2017; spent some time at Disney World; and enjoyed visiting with her nephew and his family. Joan gathered with her family againin September, this time at a resort outside of Salt Lake City. She continues to volunteer with RSVP.
Jim Thompson meets Bill Floyd for lunch each month.
Dillies Pilevsky moved to Riderwood, a retirement community in Silver Spring, Md., to be closer to his daughter and her family. His significant other, Don Kratzer, passed away a year and a half ago. Dillies teaches at Brookdale Community College and Prince George’s Community College Sage Program. He would like to hear from classmates; please contact the Alumni Association for his phone number.
William Floyd’s grandson graduated from Marist in May and is now the early morning anchor at KTWO-TV in Casper, Wyo. Bill’s son Greg is the evening anchor at Channel 6 in Albany. Bill stays in touch with Naoshi Koriyama and received a copy of Naoshi’s newest book, A Fresh Loaf of Poetry from Japan. Naoshi turned 92 in November.
John Granito and Dolores White Granito are doing well. Dolores traveled to Russia; they also went on a Viking River Cruise to Paris and Normandy with their youngest daughter and her family. John and Dolores spent the summer on Keuka Lake and attended Dolores’ high-school reunion, where they met up with Rosemary Bradt Zongrone and John Zongrone. John and Dolores welcomed two new great-grandchildren in late 2018. They plan to go on a Viking Cruise on the Rhone/Saone rivers in June.
Dorothea “Dottie” Cherubini Potochnik lives at Kingsway Community in Schenectady. She is in the independent facility in a lovely apartment, and Frank is in the nursing home, where Bob Coan ’55 and Kathy live right down the hallway from Dottie.
Donald Voellinger recently found a house in Oldsmar, Fla., where he spends the winter months after “finally having enough snow” in New York City. He lives in Cape Cod the rest of the year.
Arline Lacy Wood is still at The Fountains in Millbrook; she lives in an apartment in a re-purposed brick firehouse. Arline invites classmates to visit.
Bradford Miller’s new email address is [email protected].
Stefanie Patricia Manning of Clearwater, Fla., wrote from Rome. She volunteers at a nursery school three mornings a week and still reviews children’s science books for School Library Journal. Her son Steve is head of the psychology department at Albertus Magnus College. Granddaughter Olivia graduated from Brandeis University, granddaughter Julia is a junior at Macalister, and grandson Alex is a sophomore in high school.
Class councilor: Joan Paul, [email protected]
1955
Wilma Baker Thornton is doing well. She gave up tennis but is now in her 46th year of league bowling. She goes on a cruise occasionally.
During their fall visit with family in Herkimer, N.Y., Ed Franco and wife Anne reunited with longtime friends Marilyn Gadd Koster and Peter McManus ’54 in Albany.
When the John Keats Society gathered to honor the poet’s 223rd birthday in Westminster Abbey last fall, Nancy Evans Bush’s daughter Katy, a London-based poet and blogger, laid the wreath and read from Keats’ letters.
Dorothy Croce Ferguson was honored with the Collier County Child Care Resources Distinguished Volunteer Award In 2017. She served as the Florida organization’s first director and volunteered for 20 years.
Class councilor: John Orser, [email protected]
1957
Carole Rising Martin and Charlie celebrated several family events in Florida and the Northeast.
Marilyn De Santa DeLorenzo participated in several Road Scholar adventures; they included visiting Pittsburgh and watching the Rose Bowl.
Sheila Lister Bamberger and Hank toured Newfoundland with Road Scholar.
Class councilor: Sheila Lister Bamberger, [email protected]
1958
Ellen McLaughlin taught pre-med courses at Samford University and served as the school’s histologist and embryologist for 40 years before retiring in 2007. She is in great health and continues to travel, teach, and give talks on natural-history topics. Ellen recently published a book on wildflowers in Maine.