Alumni News & Notes
Dorothy Griffin celebrated her 97th birthday in July in good health, although she is very lame. Dorothy is president and still very active in her family-owned business, Varflex Corp., along with her younger brother, 86. She gets to the office almost every day!
A note from your class councilor: Sadly, Shirley Callahan Dillon’s husband, John, died in January after a long struggle. Glen Clark recently was honored by the French government’s Legion of Honor for his work in liberating France in 1944. He was a superintendent in the Oswego school district and president of the retired teachers association. Glen retired from educational work after 35 years and then became a banker. He is now fully retired and lives in an assisted-living facility in Oswego next door to his wife, Eleanor, who lives in a nursing home. Glen’s address is: Glen & Eleanor Clark, 4 Burkle St., Apartment 218, Oswego, NY 13126. Herb Oksala and his wife, Ruth, live at 1361 E. Boot Rd., Apt. 213, West Chester, PA 19380. In December 2010, they moved there from Pittsford, Mass., to be closer to their son. Both are doing well. Herb was a member of Kappa Delta Rho and lived at the Kappa Delta Rho house on South Lake Avenue. He spent his pre-retirement years with GE.
Class councilor: Vince Gillen, [email protected]
Eleanor Alland
A note from your class councilor: The majority of our classmates report that they have no significant news but are mostly focused on keeping well in spite of numerous physical ailments, and many have curtailed their travels. Eleanor Alland has chatted with Ruth Doran, Jane O’Brien and Mary Emmett Foster. Mary has moved to the Kingsway retirement community in Schenectady, N.Y., and is very happy there. Her husband, Bill, has passed on. Mary keeps in touch with Peggy Eggert Richardson and Julia Genovesi Fassett, who are both well. Gari Paticopoulos keeps well and is happy to be involved with her church, St. Demetrios. Eleanor attended the Albany Volunteer Council luncheon April 30 and enjoyed talking with class councilors from ’42, ’44 and ’46. Eleanor traveled to Italy with members of her church, St. Lucy’s/St. Bernadette’s, in April of this year. The group stayed in Rome, Florence and Venice, and Eleanor says they enjoyed every minute.
Class notes councilor: Eleanor Alland, [email protected]
A note from your class councilor: Bonnie Totten Adkins and husband Lee traveled many miles in June, as they hosted a dear friend from Mozambique, Jeremias Franca, who spoke to Methodist church congregations in five cities, as well as to members of the annual Methodist conference meeting in the Boston area.
On the weekend of June 3-5, the Class of 1949 made history: It was the first class in the annals of SUNY Albany to hold a 62nd reunion. Congratulations to us! There were 19 registered classmates and, with guests, the total was 28. Everyone who attended seemed to have a very enjoyable time. There was plenty of time to chat (24 attendees for three hours in the hospitality room Friday evening and 17 for three hours after the luncheon on Saturday). The bus tour of all four campuses including a well-received guided tour, narrated by University at Albany Archivist Geoff Williams. The luncheon program on Saturday included 1) a beautiful remembrance by Bonnie Adkins of our deceased classmates; 2) a reading by Ellen Fay Harmon of Don Dickinson’s poem “All Hail ’49ers on Their 62nd;” 3) a hilarious monologue (a parody of Hamlet) by Ellen Fay Harmon; 4) a tribute paid to the nine class members who have received Alumni Association Awards; 5) a rousing song fest led by Betsy Franks Schuhle; and 6) recollections of our college experiences. Our planning committee was so grateful for the tremendous assistance from the Alumni Office staff, particularly Loida Vera Cruz. Loida and Geoff Williams were our guests at the luncheon. All in all, a grand time was enjoyed by all! On to the 65th!
Note: Copies of the reunion program, the tribute to our nine award recipients, and Don Dickinson’s poem are available upon request to Joe Zanchelli (e-mail address below, or phone 518-587-4581).
The Class of 1949 celebrates another grand reunion, its 62nd, June 3, with 17 alumni attending from as far away as California and Oklahoma.
Some sad news to report: Kay Grant Baird passed away Dec. 11, 2010. By June 2011, Jack Brophy and Mary Sue Dunning had also passed away. There is good news, too: Our class has reconnected with Jerry Dunn, Class of 1951. Jerry and his wife, Shirley Wiltse ’50, were guests at our 62nd reunion. He started with our class in September 1945 and was elected freshman class president. In October, he was called into service, returned two years later to join the Class of 1951 and was again elected freshman class president. Most of Jerry’s working career has been with various New York State departments, with the most time spent at the Department of Labor. He also served as president of the Alumni Association for several years.
Bob Donnelly ’52 reports that his nephew Martin, eldest son of his sister, Kocky Donnelly Macy, retired from the U.S. Navy with the rank of rear admiral after 39 years of service. Richard Foster, who lives in Sarasota, Fla., sings in a 16-member group called the Glenridge Harmonaires. He has one grandson in the Army in Korea and also is very much enjoying his two great-grandchildren. Dolores Stocker Eklund was planning a cruise in September to Canada and New England. One of the highlights of the year for Ellen Fay Harmon was attending our 62nd reunion and having the opportunity to revive an old ’40’s monologue, a parody of Hamlet. (She did a terrific job, too!) Ellen and Tom celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in August.
Gloria Maistelman Herkowitz and her husband celebrated the birth of their second great-grandchild – a boy! Bob Kittredge and his wife, Diana, attended the wedding of their granddaughter in May. Also in May, they started their 16-day journey through the eastern United States by visiting Bob’s brother in Illinois, his 97-year-old aunt in Connecticut, then the Zanchellis in Saratoga Springs, and finally Albany for the reunion. No rest for Bob and Diana because, on their return to California, they traveled to the San Diego area to attend their granddaughter’s high school graduation.
Elfrieda “Freddy” Laemmerzahl Miller went to Wales in June with the Oklahoma Native Plant Society. Jake and Betsy Schuhle are rejoicing this year in the birth of their first great-grandchild. Wilma Whitney Saunders attended the wedding of her granddaughter June 4. Horty Zeilengold Schmierer’s granddaughter Rachel received her master’s degree with honors from Columbia University. Another granddaughter, Jaime, graduated from SUNY Binghamton and has started her master’s in speech therapy at New York Medical College. A trip to Italy was planned in October to celebrate Horty’s birthday.
Abe Trop had one granddaughter graduate from St. John’s College in Annapolis and another from Emma Willard School in Troy, both with honors. Abe had a reunion in the spring with a few World War II buddies who were with him on D-Day on Utah Beach, Normandy. Barbara Houck VanTilburg and her husband, Gerry, attended an awards assembly in Woodstock, Ga., where their 17-year-old grandson received the Spirit of the Eagle award in recognition of his leadership, academic achievement, athletic skills and community service. In June, they traveled to State College, Pa., to attend the local ballet company’s production, “The Snow Queen,” in which their 17-year-old granddaughter performed.
Joe Zanchelli and wife Joyce, Class of ’52, enjoyed a wonderful river cruise in Belgium and The Netherlands, where the tulips were in full bloom. A highlight of the trip was meeting their grandson, Greg, in Amsterdam. Greg was traveling on his spring break from his junior-year-abroad semester and just happened to be in Amsterdam that same time – serendipity!! In June, Joe and Joyce planned to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary by vacationing for a week on the Jersey Shore with their entire family. Thanks, 49’ers, for keeping the news coming.
Class councilor: Joseph Zanchelli, [email protected]
A note from your class councilor: Joan Peterson Englebosch took a world cruise on the Queen Mary 2 in April. Joan enjoyed going to the Great Wall of China and visiting Dubai, UAE. She was unable to visit New Zealand and Japan due to the earthquakes. Joan also experienced a “Pirate Drill” and had to black out her windows with the curtains after dusk. Ken George keeps active by playing recreational tennis. He still sings in the choir and with a barbershop quartet; their highlight of the year was singing “The Star Spangled Banner” at the local high school football game.
Lila Lee Harrington left her beloved log home in the Adirondacks and relocated to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Lila was ill when she moved to Prestwick Chase independent living, but after several hospitalizations to correct dehydration, the problem was solved. She is very grateful that she can drive short trips around Saratoga, to Glens Falls and to Ballston Lake, where her son, Todd, and his family live. Since regaining her health, Lila has become active in Book Chat Club. She was also elected to the board of directors for her in-house newspaper, The Chase, and participates in aerobics classes four days a week.
Marjorie Lyons will be directing a production of T.S. Eliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral” for performances Feb. 25-26, 2012, at All Saints Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She attends the playwrights’ and actors’ groups and is still in love with drama, as she was when she attended State and studied under the marvelous Agnes Futterer. Marjorie also is launching a series of business seminars to train participants how to set up and operate a book-producing business (www.telling-your-story.com).
Malcolm Slater is enjoying life with his wife and soul mate, Dr. Nancy Suzuki-Slater, in Honolulu, Hawaii. After corresponding all of the years since graduation and becoming widowed, Irwin Baumel and Elise de Seve Brown decided to do some traveling together. In Fall 2010, they went to Argentina, Brazil and Chile, followed by a three-week trip to northern Italy in May 2011. On the Italian trip they met with Harold (Sparky) Vaughn in Florence after having renewed their acquaintance in Washington, D.C., where Elise and Harold both reside. Harold had announced that he was planning to be at his condo in Florence during the time of their visit. It was a treasured evening; the former classmates shared unusual historical tidbits about Firenze (Florence), fine food and wine at a special “local” restaurant, and gelato for dessert. Unfortunately, Harold’s wife recently passed away. A memorial Mass for her in the village outside Florence where she spent her childhood drew about a hundred dear friends from Quarrata, Pistoia and Firenze.
Class notes councilor: Harold Vaughn, [email protected]
A note from your class councilor: Our 60th Reunion will be held Oct. 1, 2011. Earl Sipe from Ocoee, Fla., sent along a clipping about the Orlando “Harvey Milk Day” celebrations. A recently elected gay member of the Orlando City Council, Earl attributes the city’s recent uncontroversial passage of a domestic partner’s ordinance to the influence of Milk’s social networking methods for effecting change. Marilyn Allen Ochs, Joyce Barringer Soule, Marie Thurlow Gunn, Jackie Mann Gavryck, and ex-’51 Dorothy Bens Langr met in Cobleskill in June for lunch. Marie brought many photos from their college days to add to the fun. Jerry Dunn (ex-military) recently brought us up to date about his life and career. Jerry was our freshman class president; later, he was president of the Alumni Association and served on the board of the Benevolent Association. In 1950, he married Shirley Wiltsie ’50. He obtained a master’s in public administration from a joint Syracuse/NYU program and worked in the public sector most of his life. Jerry started his career with the University of the State of New York, and over the years he worked for several New York State departments. At one point, he served a year with the United Nations as a budget management advisor to the Venezuelan government. When he retired in 1987, he was director of Unemployment Insurance with the Department of Labor. Jerry’s hobbies are golf and volunteering with his church.
Class notes councilor: Jacqueline Mann Gavryck, [email protected]
A note from your class councilor: Dave Manly and his wife, Jean, will be attending their 17th Road Scholar program in July. They also enjoy going to plays at Niagara-on-the-Lake and spending the winter months at “Triple M” (Manly’s Modest Manor) in Hilton Head, S.C. Helen Pilcher Terrill is on the road more than she is at home at her daughter Ann’s. She was in Indiana enjoying grandson Will, who just graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and who will be starting med school at North-East Ohio Med School. From there, Helen went to Akron for the high school graduation of granddaughter Helen and had a nice visit with her brother and his wife. The next stop was Kitty Hawk, where she was going to be vacationing with Ann’s family.
Jane Minckler Jennings attended her granddaughter’s graduation from Sweet Brier, where she received an engineering degree. Another granddaughter had a garden wedding a week later. Jane spends her summers (11 weeks’ worth) on Block Island, where she plans to see Mimi Gorskie Blake a few times. Nancy Frey Pettinelli has happy news. In order to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays and other occasions, all 14 of the family will be going to the Cayman Islands for some R and R. Nancy and her husband, Lou, will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
Kitty Kloser Irons is still busy with her bridge club, church choir, parish council, quilt guild meetings and going to a Broadway play in New York City once a month. Kitty and Marty spent three days in Philadelphia sight-seeing; their trip included a visit to the beautiful Longwood Gardens. Tom Holman has extended an invitation to any of you on a cruise ship which stops at St. Maarten, where he stays from mid-January until the first week in March. He stays at the Pasanggraham Royale Guest House, where he says Janet the bartender would be happy to find him so that he could buy you a drink. Book your cruise now.
Kathleen Cody Sengle retired from being a school counselor in 1992. Kathleen and her husband traveled and were involved in the grandchildren’s growing up until he passed away from leukemia last year. She keeps busy volunteering at her local library and historical society. She has lived for 56 years in a very active community in the Poconos. Kathleen has five grandchildren. Glad to hear she’s in touch with Jane Hatt LaDuke, Barbara Anderson Hadden and Viola Myles Folks. Vickie Eade Eddy divides her time between Yuma, Ariz., in the winter and Olean, N.Y., in the summer. Her five children and 12 grandchildren are an accomplished bunch.
Herb and Marilyn Holland have been presented the 2011 Circle of Humanity Award by the congregation of Temple Israel in recognition of all the volunteer charity work they have done and continue to do. They have been involved in this kind of work for 40 years. Congratulations, Marilyn and Herb.
Joyce Leavitt Zanchelli has just returned with husband Joe (’49) from a riverboat cruise of Belgium and The Netherlands. The tulips were in full bloom and a gorgeous sight, but the best part of the trip was meeting their grandson, who was on spring break in Amsterdam. Serendipity! They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with a weeklong vacation with their entire family on the Jersey Shore.
We have begun planning our 60th reunion, which will take place April 28-29, 2012, in Albany. We do not have a program in place yet but would like you to mark your calendar so you don’t miss this momentous occasion. You will be receiving particulars of the weekend sometime in October, but don’t wait until then to cross off those dates on your calendar. One other reminder: If you want to earmark any contributions to the Class of ’52 scholarship fund, please write “UAlbany Class of ’52 Scholarship Fund Program Fund” on your check. We continue to award scholarships honoring our professors in a different department every year.
Class notes councilor: Joyce Zanchelli, [email protected]
Sadly, we report the death of Shirley Callahan Dillon’s husband, John, in January 2011. Before coming to the United States in 1950, Naoshi Koriyama taught at a junior high school on his home island, Kikai Island. He also attended Okinawa Foreign Language School and worked as interpreter at Kadena Air Base, a United States air base in Okinawa. This coming November, Naoshi will be 85. For the past several years, he has been working on translating a huge 12th-century collection of medieval tales of Japan. Now, he has been revising and improving the translations for possible publication in the United States. Naoshi also regularly submits his poetry to Poems of the World, based in Palatine, Ill. His poems “Unfolding Bud” and “A Loaf of Poetry” are quite popular.
Art Stone is still heavily involved with his costume company, Art Stone/The Competitor; his dance convention business, Dance Olympus; his dance competition business, Danceamerica; and Statler music (music for dance studios). Art and his family travel frequently around the country to dance conventions and travel to China twice a year. He enjoys being busy and is looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion.
Gerry Holzman recently wrote a book, The Empire State Carousel. This past Memorial Day, the New York State Historical Association celebrated the fifth anniversary of the carousel’s opening at Cooperstown by releasing his book and holding a book signing. Gerry’s days are also busy with carving and writing. He recently reconnected with his neighbor, Nancy (Sue) Whittle Mitchell, and the two reminisce about their UAlbany days quite often.
Jim Finnen will not be making the 57th reunion since he will be serving as the public address announcer for Lafayette College football, a night game against Yale Oct. 15. Jim has enjoyed this part-time job for 47 years. John Centra took a relaxing and enjoyable vacation with his family to Bermuda. After many trips all over the world, this one was very special to John and his family. Rose Mary Zongrove’s daughter, Amy, had her second set of twins. Rose and John have been the extra pair of hands and are keeping busy.
Jim Thompson still enjoys going all around the country visiting grandchildren and attending high school and college graduations. Jim and Carol will spend much of the summer at their travel trailer near Tupper Lake, N.Y. John and Dolores White Granito have been traveling. Thanksgiving week, they went with their family on a cruise on the Rhine from Basel, Switzerland, to Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In April, they went on a four-masted sailboat along the French and Italian Riviera, Monaco, Corsica and Sardinia, ending in Rome after 16 days. The couple is in good health and continues to live on Pine Island, Fla., for eight months of the year and in Penn Yan, N.Y., the other four months.
Stephanie Manning still takes a trip to Italy every year and also spends a couple of days in New York City, visiting museums and enjoying theatre and dance. Stephanie still volunteers two mornings a week at a nursery/daycare school and is doing “Soothing Touch” with Hospice patients in their homes. She is training to be a eucharistic minister for her church, Light of Christ, at a local nursing home. Stephanie is still reading like mad, and still writing reviews of children’s science and history books for School Library Journal. Sadly, we report Barb Decker’s husband, Walt, died in June.
Class co-councilors: Bernice Shoobe, [email protected]; Joan Bolz Paul, [email protected]
A note from your class councilor: Hannah Banks Best recently was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women for her numerous accomplishments in both the legal and women’s communities. Hannah is a founder of the New Mexico Black Lawyers Association, the state chapter of the National Employment Law Association and the state Planned Parenthood and is the former president of the state chapter of the NAACP. Wilma Thornton joined a land and sea tour of the eastern Mediterranean. Starting in Dubai and ending in Italy, the journey included stops in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Naples and Capri. Among the highlights were a Jeep and camel safari in Egypt and a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Petra in Jordan. Elizabeth Comstock is the 2011 recipient of the Class of 1955 Award. Ms. Comstock, a magna cum laude graduate in Spanish from SUNY Geneseo, is enrolled in UAlbany’s master’s program in general education studies. During April, John Orser took a week’s trip through Saxony on the Elbe River. Included were tours of the former Eastern Bloc cities of Prague, Dresden, Wittenberg, Meissen, Magdeburg, Berlin and Potsdam.
Class councilor: John Orser, [email protected]
A note from your class councilor: Those of us who attended our 55th Class Reunion June 10-12 had a wonderful time, thanks, in part, to support from Loida Vera Cruz, assistant director of Alumni Programs. Jane Ide Hutchins spoke convincingly at the reunion dinner of the importance of supporting one or two outstanding students who are financially needy and preparing to be teachers through the Class of 1956 Scholarship Fund. Please send contributions for the fund to The University at Albany Foundation, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., UAB 226, Albany, NY 12222, and make certain that the check is earmarked for the Class of 1956 Scholarship Fund. You can also donate online at www.albany.edu/onlinegift.
Class councilor: Arnold Newman, [email protected]
In the beautiful Dewey Library, the Class of 1956 observes its milestone 55th reunion June 11. Seated, left to right: Jane Ide Hutchins and Joyce Tannata Keating. Standing, left to right: Annick Loehr Belleville, Marvin Goldstein, Joan Wilkinson Arnold and Arnold Newman.
Dr. Emil Polak spent January and February in Rome and Naples on his last research trip, ending with 871 libraries.
A note from your class councilor: On Oct. 11, 2009, the Class of 1959 members attending their 50th reunion farewell breakfast voted to donate $1,700 from our class account to the School of Education Mentoring Program. The class has a Facebook page; after signing in, search for Green Gremlins of Albany State, Class of 1959. Please post news and comments.
Bill Spence is retired from two years’ teaching high school science and a 38-year career as a global researcher on major earthquakes for the U.S. Geological Survey. Bill received his Ph.D. in geophysics from Penn State in 1973. He and his wife spent the past seven years in the beautiful Roaring Fork Valley of eastern Colorado. After a couple of medical incidents, he happily reports the wonders of modern medicine. Bill and Sue have traveled much of the world and are very active physically, traveling with their camper and enjoying the available music and lecture scene, along with tons of voluntarism.
Valerie Burns McDonald and Joan Anderson Haught travel together. Last summer, they did a Road Scholar program, modeled after the Chautauqua experience in Virginia at the Natural Bridge Area. Valerie spends winters in the West Palm area and Joan is in the Daytona area. They both teach line dance. Valerie, who also teaches clogging and runs the local monthly, Chatterbox, also plays bridge and golf. This summer, Valerie is back in New York with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Lynn Schmidt still spends summers in the Adirondack Mountains and winters in The Villages in Florida. Bill Hershfield and wife Myra have been married 51 years. They live in Port Orange, Fla. Rosemary (Raymie) Neilson will be recording/producing another CD in July. The previous one, Tenderly, is still available at CDBaby.com if anyone’s interested. Ron Short and his wife are excited about an upcoming trip to see their son and family in Nova Scotia. Ron expects to do another skydive before the year is out. Annie Macintyre finds herself heading for the 30th-year reunion of her advisor class of 1981.
Herb Piper has been retired from working as an aerospace engineer on the Eastern Missile Range for over 10 years. Presently a docent at the Harry P. Leu Museum House at Leu Gardens in Orlando, Fla., he conducts tours several days each month. Photography is his main hobby. A member of the Cypress Cove Camera Club, Herb has won many awards in the juried competitions held twice each year. He is now considered one of the top artistic nude photographers in the State of Florida. Some of his work can be seen at www.onemodelplace.com, member ID #159478.
Pete Engel is still working full time at NASA. Susan Thompson lives in St. Louis. She retired from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as an editor and reporter and is now a freelance journalist, writing for, among others, publications of the Catholic Health Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Dick (Richard) Herodes received his master’s in mathematics in 1961 from SUNY Albany while teaching math at Scotia-Glenville High School. Dick married Constance Dorland ’61 in 1960, joined IBM in 1963 and retired in 1993 after many years in executive management. Dick retired as European director of Quality and Customer Satisfaction, having spent over six years in Paris on two assignments. Since retiring, Dick has spent time volunteering and sitting on a number of boards; he is also involved in the Marist College-sponsored CLS adult education program. The Herodes spent their 50th wedding celebration with their whole family in Costa Rica.
Miriam Sanderson Russell is serving as writing coach and part-time faculty for SUNY Empire State College’s Center for Distance Learning. Miriam’s personal essays have appeared in the Albany Times Union and have been broadcast on the Capital Region’s NPR station, WAMC. Search Google to read her latest: Zenyatta and Me. Now living near her two sons in Troy, N.Y., Miriam enjoys the music, art and lectures abundant all year in the Capital Region. Harold (Jim) Owen recently retired as president from Piedmont Community College in Roxboro, N.C. The College Board of Trustees recognized his 22 years of service by awarding Jim the title of President Emeritus. The governor inducted Jim into the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest recognition given to citizens of North Carolina.
Class notes councilor: Miriam Sanderson Russell, [email protected]
Lore Howard Scurrah has moved to Albany, N.Y., after living in Florida for 25 years. John and Nancy Lou Ryan Gnan celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June.
John Abrams and wife Catherine, who live in Orange Park, Fla., have two children and one grandchild. John is retired from his career as a database administrator. John is interested in contacting Barry Nadler and Dave Donley. Carol Mardigan Carlson is a retired school superintendent. She and husband Bob, who live in Watervliet, N.Y., recently spent a month visiting South Africa. They have five children and nine grandchildren.
Elizabeth Drumm Demski and her husband, Edward ’58, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary recently. They both retired 10 years ago, and Ed is a new member of the UAlbany Foundation. Tony and Gail Kasparian D’Onofrio visited Egypt this past January. They both look forward to seeing their classmates and friends at the reunion. Josephine Montarello Egan retired after 33 years as both a teacher and administrator. She enjoys visiting family and grandchildren, and thoroughly enjoyed her Alaskan cruise. Josephine lives in Phoenix, Ariz. Elaine Frankonis lives in East Longmeadow, Mass., with her daughter, son-in-law, and only grandson. Elaine had several poems published in the Ballard Street Poetry Journal last summer and still blogs at www.kalilily.net, which she began a decade ago.
Mel Horowitz still lives in the Capital District. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with incurable but treatable blood cancer in 1995. June DeVore Hunter and her husband, Kenneth, interview veterans for the New York State Military Museum Archives, do volunteer work, and have traveled extensively. Rosemary Kverek moved to Boston, Mass., after she retired from teaching in 1985. From 1990 to 1997, she was co-owner of a real estate office in Charlestown, Mass., where she still resides. She has taken two major bicycle trips: in 2009 to Spain and in 2010 to Slovenia, Austria and Italy.
Gloria Laynor retired after teaching business and math for 30 years. Gloria is the president of the Laynor Foundation Musuem, a nonprofit organization awarding scholarships to college students in the visual arts. The museum was established in honor of her late husband, Dr. Harold Laynor, a well-known artist who received his doctorate from UAlbany in 1966. Gloria lives in Phoenix, Ariz. Bradford Mundy is retired and continues to do professional writing. He taught at Montana State University, starting out as an assistant professor and working his way up to assistant department head. He also was the chemistry chair at Colby College. Bradford’s favorite hobbies are gardening, fishing, boating and writing.
Janice Goodermote married Richard Newport and recently celebrated 47 years of marriage. She taught seventh-grade social studies at Bethlehem Central Schools in Delmar, N.Y., from 1961-1964. Janice also substituted in area schools while her children were younger. She retired from full-time teaching in 1995 and went on to become the coordinator of the JOBBS (Joint Opportunities between Businesses and Berlin Schools) Program at Berlin Central. Janice enjoys traveling with her husband, as well as cooking and entertaining.
Roger Quackenbush is enjoying life in Florida, after retiring in 1995 from Bethlehem Central High School in Delmar, N.Y. Besides teaching high school biology, Roger taught a course in marine mammals at SUNY Albany. Roger has been written up in Who’s Who in American Education and was presented with the Tandy Prize as one of the 10 outstanding technology teachers in the United States. In retirement, Roger enjoys researching his genealogy. Angela Theodore is enjoying retirement after working as an alcohol and other drug counselor for 20 years. She spends her time reading, drafting and relishing the company of family and friends.
Sharon Wenzel Miller and husband Merle continue to enjoy retirement on the “Crystal Coast” of North Carolina. They are active in many volunteer activities, such as Master Gardeners and the North Carolina Maritime Museum. They have enjoyed cruises to Alaska and many other exotic places. Robert Sands is married and has three children and two grandchildren. He has been a visiting scholar at Harvard and an editor of the Journal of Management Educators, and also was on the Advisory Council for Business at Hudson Valley Community College. Last year, Robert won three gold medals at the New York State Senior Games in Cortland. He currently is in Tunis finishing up a Fulbright. Joan Heywood Valesente and husband Robert are spending time in Germany until October while Robert coaches in the German football league. They currently live in South Carolina.
Class notes councilor: Mel Horowitz, [email protected]
Helen Arcuri Stoloff’s son, Stephen, threw out the first pitch at a Padres game: a strike from the pitcher’s mound. He is the CEO of Vavi Sports Club in San Diego. Rochelle Gruber Karp winters with Doris Edelstein Hirschorn, Linda Levinson Kessler and Susan Byron Wallace at Hunter’s Run in Boynton Beach, Fla. Within walking distance of one another, they meet daily for mah jongg, bridge, golf and sharing the good life. Our 50th reunion is approaching. If you can help plan, coordinate or somehow be a part of making it all happen, please contact Robert Sweeney at [email protected].
Class notes councilor: Sheril Joan McCormack, [email protected]
Kathleen Tanner has been appointed executive director of Equinox Inc., a large community service agency serving the Capital District.
Charles Lindemann is a full-time professor of biology at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.
Ijuka Kabumka recently gave an inaugural lecture at Nkumba University near Entebbe, Uganda.
Stephen Goldstein
Charlotte Biblow recently was appointed to the board of directors of Unisphere, a private non-profit corporation formed to transform Flushing Meadows Park into a model for urban parks nationwide. Charlotte, a resident of Bayside, N.Y., is also on the boards of the Long Island Fund for Women and Girls, Sustainable Long Island and the Queensborough Community College Fund. Stephen Goldstein was one of three men and 13 women who became b’nai mitzvah during services Feb. 11-12 at Temple Rodef Shalom, Falls Church, Va. Rod Fortran recently retired as chief of the Bureau of Labor Market Information of the New York State Department of Labor in Albany. He resides in Voorheesville, N.Y., with his wife, Julie-Ann.
Gregor Macmillan
Gregor Macmillan has joined Hiscock & Barclay’s Albany office as of counsel. Gregor is the former director of the Bureau of Health Insurance Programs in the Division of Legal Affairs for the New York State Department of Health.
Robert Schwartz is partner of Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto in the New York office. Scott Waldman has received the prestigious Award in Excellence in Clinical Pharmacology for work that includes discoveries that hold promise for diagnosing, treating and even preventing colorectal cancer. Scott is director of the GI malignancies program at the world-renowned Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia and also is director of Thomas Jefferson University’s postdoctoral training program in clinical pharmacology. He also has received the Award in Excellence from the PhRMA Foundation.
Cynthia Vroom is associate vice president for Recruitment at Quinnipiac University. President Barack Obama nominated Major David McNulty, a state trooper since 1978, to become the next U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of New York. David currently heads the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the department’s plainclothes detective branch. Stuart Gelberg was selected for inclusion in the Long Island Pulse Magazine’s feature article “LI’s 2011 Top Legal Eagles.”
Michael Arcuri
Robert Sampson has been elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society. The society, the oldest learned society in the United States, was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge.”
Russell Marnell was named in Long Island Pulse Magazine as one of Long Island’s top “Legal Eagles” in the area of Divorce Law in the March 2011 issue.
Former United States Congressman Michael Arcuri has joined Hancock Estabrook, LLP, located in Syracuse, N.Y.
John Nielsen
Jerry Pradier recently was chosen CEO of EnviroTextiles in Glenwood Springs, Colo.
John Nielsen is president of PERMA, based in Latham, N.Y. Glenn Bieler has been appointed vice president for Communications and Public Affairs at The Johns Hopkins University.
Alan Schacter has joined Allen & Overy LLP’s New York office as senior counsel in its U.S. Real Estate practice.
Earlier this year, Gerard D’Aversa of Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island, along with his daughter Jaclyn, a junior at Barnard College of Columbia University, traveled to Accra, Ghana, to work in the North Western Eye Clinic. They provided clinical care and conducted screenings for eye disease on children and adults and implemented education programs. Gerard performed sight-restoring surgery on a large number of adult patients.
Valerie Carducci ’07, left, and Elizabeth McGrath Belitz ’86, right, receive their nursing degrees together.
On May, 19, 2011, two Albany alumni became graduate nurses after receiving their RN degrees from SUNY Westchester Community College. Valerie Carducci ’07 and Elizabeth McGrath Belitz ’86 have spent the past two years as classmates after each decided to return to college to become registered nurses. Elizabeth decided to become a nurse after spending time in the hospital with her college roommate, Mary-Jo Tout Rosenblatt ’87, who she says taught her many lessons, the last of which was the importance of kindness and compassion in the face of illness. “The value of our UAlbany education is incomparable, but the friendships of classmates and alumni are priceless,” said Belitz, whose son, Jeffrey, is already building lasting friendships with his roommates at UAlbany, where he is a sophomore.
Stacey Ramis Nigro was named partner at Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman LLP in East Meadow, N.Y. Darlene Delancey has been named deputy network director for VA Health Care Upstate New York, including VA Medical Centers and 29 community-based outpatient clinics. Susan O’Hern is vice president for Information Technology of Excelsior College in Albany, N.Y.
Paul Linzer has been named partner in Labor Relations and Criminal Law Practice Groups at Certilman Balin.
Kimberly Welsh
Cecilia Rodríguez Milanés won the 2010 Longleaf Press Poetry Prize leading to the publication of her collection Everyday Chica. A spoken word CD, Everyday Chica, Music and More, including the poems from the book and other selections set to Cuban music, was released by Longleaf Audio Book (2011). When she needs a break from the world of high finance, Kimberly Welsh hits the road on her bright white motorcycle. Decked out in a matching suit and helmet, the managing director of Municipal Capital Markets at Janney Montgomery Scott is pictured recently, ready to set off on an adventure. Her itinerary? “Boston to West Virginia and back in five days – yeeehaw!”
Evan Kaplan, an employee of the Major League Baseball Players Association and Trading Cards/Collectibles/New Business Development, is taking on the role of director, Licensing and Business Development, overseeing all of the MLBPA’s core licensing categories, including trading cards and apparel.
Keith Murphy
Keith Murphy recently was elected to the partnership of Baker & Hostetler LLP, located in New York. Anthony Rini was awarded a doctorate in higher education from the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania in May. Anthony began his career in higher education 20 years ago as a graduate assistant in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs at UAlbany. Luke Bierman, former general counsel to the New York State comptroller, has been named associate dean for experiential education and Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Law at Northeastern University School of Law.
Laura Mann
Meredith Celentano, Hofstra University’s assistant vice president for Development and Alumni Affairs, has been named one of Long Island Business News’ “40 under 40” for 2011. Meredith has served as a member of the board of directors of the National Association for Mother’s Centers and as a member of the corporate development committee for the 2010 Walk-A-Thon for Girl Scouts of Nassau County. She is a member of the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Long Island and was recognized with the first-ever Generation Award for advancing ethical and effective fundraising practices across generations. Laura Mann is program director of Business Growth Services for The Center for Economic Growth in Albany, N.Y.
Jill Traverso Vogel has been appointed associate administrator of the Adirondack Community College Foundation.
Timothy Poynton
The American School Counselor Association has named Suffolk University Professor Timothy Poynton the 2011 Counselor Educator of the Year. Timothy, an assistant professor of education and human services, directs the School Counseling Program in the university’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Patti Cellery-McCall is the head of Public Services at the Pratt Institute Library in Brooklyn.
Jonathan Sumber, a veteran of key digital sales positions within units of Time Inc. and Gannett, is joining Hearst Television as director of Digital Sales based at the company’s New York City headquarters. Phoenix Business Journal has named Brett Mecum one of their “40-Under-40” for 2011. Additionally, Campaigns & Elections Magazine has named Brett a Rising Star for 2011.
Captain Sean Piccirilli is stationed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, at the Kandahar Intelligence Fusion Center.
Captain Sean Piccirilli ’02, left, and Sergeant Richard McVinney ’06, right, are pictured in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
John Smith
John Smith, associate professor of history at Texas A&M University-Commerce, was awarded the Paul W. Barrus Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching by the university in April. The award is given annually to an instructor nominated by colleagues and students for outstanding teaching and mentorship.
Dorothy Santos has joined Smith, Gambrell & Russell’s Estate Planning and Wealth Protection Practice in New York City. She previously was with the law firm of Abrams Fensterman. Mike Neppl, director of the Correspondence Unit at the Office of the Attorney General in Albany, N.Y., has been named to The Capitol’s “40 Under 40 Rising Stars in Politics” list.
Ann McGrath recently passed the New York State Bar examination. Melissa Martin Crocetta was married July 9, 2010, and moved from Troy, N.Y., to Amsterdam, N.Y. She is a senior education specialist with the Professional Development Program at UAlbany. Charles Moore was featured in a story in the Albany diocesan newspaper, The Evangelist.
Students brave a cold March night to cheer on the men's lacrosse team at the annual Spring Stomp, sponsored by the Alumni Association. Students were rewarded with giveaways, free food and a chance to win a flip camera.
Jeffrey Fiut
Jeffrey Fiut of Hodgson Russ in Buffalo, N.Y., has been admitted to the New York State Bar. Sgt. Richard McVinney is currently stationed in Afghanistan (See photo in Class of 2002 section) at the Kandahar Intelligence Fusion Center, along with Capt. Sean Piccirilli ’02. Janelle Bechol participated in the eighth season of “American Idol,” survived the early rounds of auditions and went on to Hollywood. Although she was cut well before the final rounds, she continues to perform and inspire through her music. Janelle plans to launch a series of concerts for high school and middle school students; she hopes it will go national. Richard Cupolo’s band, the american dollar, has scored music to the viral video manhattan in motion. The american dollar went to St. Petersburg and Moscow to play an all-expenses-paid musical tour. The band’s music can be found on facebook, as well as online at http://theamericandollar.info/.
Peter Faherty and David Rozen recently passed the New York State Bar examination. David, admitted to the state bar in June, is working as a legislative Fellow for New York State Senate Deputy Minority Leader Neil D. Breslin. Matthew Rozea was admitted to the New York State Bar last January. He is working as an assistant town attorney for the Town of Oyster Bay, N.Y. Michael Landsman is a project manager/business systems analyst at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in Manhattan.
Casey Crandall '07, right, a member of the Alumni Association's GOLD Committee, welcomes a new graduate to GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) at the Commencement Picnic.
Raymie Wayne
Raymie Wayne has been promoted to associate professor of social work/Latino community practice with tenure at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Conn. Kenneth Long, a professor of history/political science at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, Conn., will serve as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria, during the Spring 2012 semester. Melissa Ann Little graduated from the University of Akron Law School in Ohio in June. Stephen Murphy, a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual in New York City, will chair a fundraiser, The Hunt, on Long Island Sept. 24 to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Danielle Wohlenberg and a team of 10 other AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps members arrived in Little Rock, Ark., in March to begin an eight-week service project at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center. Danielle’s team worked on outdoor maintenance and construction projects aimed at making the 1,200-acre camp more sustainable. Arielle Krasner is a volunteer coordinator for Community of Hope in Washington, D.C., after spending two years in AmeriCorps, including one on the Gulf Coast building homes and responding to hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
Leslie Wood
Leslie Wood is chief research officer of Nielsen Catalina Solutions in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mike Wolf recently graduated cum laude from UAlbany’s School of Business. He served on the Albany Student Dining Advisory Committee board, was active in the intramural sports community, and was a principal actor in many theatre productions. After graduating, Mike has decided to become a professional poker player. He also writes a monthly strategy and lifestyle column in Ante Up poker magazine and has signed with Surebetpoker.net to be a team professional.
Weddings
Melissa Crocetta and James Martin
1995 – Patrick Flandreau and Elizabeth Martin,
Sept. 4, 2010
2005 – Melissa Crocetta and James Martin, July 9, 2010
2006 –
Jeannine Sikora and Daniel Robertello,
May 15, 2010
Patrick Flandrea and Elizabeth Martin
Births
Maya and Elana Gutter
1985 – Jonathan Green and Hilary Thomas, a son, Devon Adam, Jan. 12, 2011
1991 – Michael Gutter and wife Emily, daughters Maya and Elana, Dec. 6, 2010
1992 – Jennifer Acerra-Markey and husband John, a son, John Thomas Markey V, Nov. 24, 2009
Joshua Riolo
1997 – Sommer Jones Riolo and husband Mark, a son, Joshua Lyndon, June 3, 2011
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