Page 46 - Alumni Horae: Vol. 93, No. 3 Spring 2013

“Over the last year I have had
the great fortune of re-con-
necting with my friend and
classmate Henry Laughlin, first
through his wife Linda – the
Steamboat Springs art world
and beyond – and then with
Henry, most recently complet-
ing a successful commission for
their home. Henry is big on all
sorts of physical activity, from
hockey to Chi Gong to skiing
(duh) to just plain intense hiking
around the mountains. Me?
Mostly the hiking part, which,
when accompanied by Henry,
includes steep, snow-packed
terrain, hearty hellos to the
many people we run into whom
he knows, and constant stimu-
lating conversation, all while
marching uphill at altitude. Very
refreshing to say the least. But
by far the single most memo-
rable moment of the last visit
was watching Henry do a St.
Vitus dance through the house,
ripping off his clothing, after a
more-intimate-than-desired
visit to his beloved bee hives.
Ouch, hurts to watch, ouch,
hurts to laugh. Jeffrey gave a
lecture on color theory at the
Steamboat Springs Center for
Visual Arts, where Linda
Laughlin is the director.”
From the farther reaches of
the world (Kauai), former Form
Director and Reunion Party
Giver Extraordinaire Charlie
Bronson reports: “Gotta admit:
not much advancement on the
surfing front. Spending more
time in the water in the swim
mode. Anini Beach: there is a
nice ‘course’ from the boat ramp
to the reef and back. Three laps
is a mile. Haven’t done one lap
without seeing sea turtles.
Gotta be careful about not
bonking into them. Pretty nice
swimming pool. The noni busi-
ness is booming. We are up to
12 farmers markets. People
want our plant-basedmedicine,
which heals and prevents. We
sell everything we make. Every
day someone says: ‘Wow, this
stuff really works.’ We say, ‘yup,
that’s why we make it.’ Simple
formula, eh? I’ve found living in
Kauai to be about acceptance. If
she accepts you, based on your
conduct, life is sweet. If she
doesn’t, you gottamove toMaui.
. . . Simple formula, eh? It’s
whale season now, and I can
count on seeing them every day.
The binoculars stay in the truck.
It’s also albatross hatchling
season. We have seven chicks on
the property. In a couple of
months, they will jump off the
cliff and take to the sea – for
three years. . . . In three years,
these seven little nippers will
come back toMoloa’a, having not
touched land since take off.
Kinda reminds me of SPS: your
parents push you out the door
and you make your way. . . .
Aloha nui loa!”
DavidHolt reminisces about
the four-0: “Good to see the
picture in the Horae of some us
in the Chapel at our 40th. Inspi-
rational.”
Finally tri-coastal, former
hockey player Bob Shepley
gives a follow-up report on this
year’s Saint Bernard Search and
Rescue training here at Low
Hills Farmwith the observation:
“The cask is much too small.”
1973
Samuel E. Belk
qbelk@hotmail.com
www.sps.edu/1973
1974
Art Sistare
sasart@sbcglobal.net
Inmemoryofourpal Caldwell
Davis – the truest friend tous all.
Art Sistare shares his mem-
ory: “Caldwell, with his upward-
looking smile and kind words
for everyone and his West Vir-
ginia twang will ring in my ears
forever. . . . But first, lest we
overlook those others who have
sadly left us in addition to our
pal Caldwell: Jimmy Knott,
Kim Kemp, Bob Defender-
fer, Paul Hastings, Jean Mol-
leron, Licia Wood, and John
Rutter. . . . R.I.P. to you all.”
Art received the following
remembrances in response to
the news of Caldwell’s untimely
passing:
Mike Harlan: “It’s sad that it
takes somebody special’s pass-
ing on to bring us together (at
least virtually), but it’s still nice
to be reminded of how con-
nectedwe are, or can be. I wasn’t
the most socially connected
classmate when we were all at
SPS, but I’ve increasingly ap-
preciated our classmates as the
years have come and gone, and
I’ve learned how important
people really are. Looking for-
ward to the next reunion.”
Dori DelandWalton: “I echo
Mike’s words. Just hard to be-
lieve we have lost Caldwell as
well as so many others.”
David Clark : “A classic
Caldwell tale – Caldwell im-
pacted all of us and infected all
of us with his Southern charm.
Can’t ever forget the great
times at SPS – sitting up in his
room while he drummed on his
desk to the tune of American
Woman by The Guess Who,
while KC was trying to sleep off
another rough workout on Tur-
key Pond. Caldwell was part of
our Sober City crew – remem-
ber the log cabin we built out by
Turkey Pond? Nobody ever
found it, but years later we
discovered that a logging skid-
der had plowed it over. We
will miss Caldwell, but will
smile knowing that he truly
touched all of our lives with his
incredible humor and the spir-
it of what it means to be a friend
to all. Makes us understand
that all our days are numbered
and that he left us just a little
too soon. May God bless him
richly in Heaven and watch over
his three beautiful daughters
and other family members that
he leaves behind.”
James Caviston : “The re-
ports that Caldwell was with
family, friends, and without any
suffering is a great comfort.”
RodGiess : “Aclassic Caldwell
Davis story: This is truly sad
news. I was quite close to
Caldwell at SPS and remember
spending a month or so with
him after our Third Form with
SteveMorton at Steve’s ‘ranch’
in California. Caldwell taught us
both tennis, and he was par-
ticularly helpful when Steve and
I decided to have a BB-gun fight,
I hit Steve, who came yelling at
me, shot me point blank in the
chest, and we almost broke into
a fist fight. Due to size differ-
ence between me and Steve, I
suspect that Caldwell saved my
life. Of course all was well soon
thereafter when we returned to
Steve’s ‘bunk’ and put on the
scratchy Crosby, Stills, Nash
and Young LP for the 200th time
that trip. Let’s all try tomake the
40th! And pray for Caldwell’s
family.”
Tom Wiggin: “First, let me
say that the striking aspect of
Caldwell to me was always the
joy of living that he demon-
strated every minute I was ever
in contact with him.”
Alice Franco: “My thoughts
are with all his friends and fam-
ily and especially his three
daughters. Too soon, too soon
to lose him.”
Patti Glovsky: “It’s nice to
hear that what I did know about
Caldwell is confirmed by those
close to him. . . . Caldwell always
seemed happy and the nicest of
people, so I like hearing that this
was Caldwell to those closest to
him also.”
Whit Wagner: “There are a
few wonderful moments in life,
and when they come to pass you
never forget them. One of these
moments in my life, thankfully,
FORMNOTES
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