Page 41 - Alumni Horae: Vol. 94, No. 2 Winter 2014

41
A January check-in from
Tom Iglehart : “The personal
updates and anecdotes are fly-
ing thick and fast, far too fast to
document here. The only way to
catch up: take a moment right
now to dial 800-531-0330 and
make your room reservation for
the nights of May 30 and 31 at
the Colby Hill Inn, headquarters
for the SPS 1969 45th reunion
and site of our reunion dinner.
If others beat you to it, and you
find the inn chock full, rooms
await you at the nearby Rose-
wood Country Inn (603-938-
5253). Be sure to tell them you
are ‘on the list’ for the SPS 1969
reunion (no red carpet unless
you say that).
“Things you don’t want to
miss: Friday night at the home
of Annie and Bob Rettew ,
Saturday 1969-only extracur-
ricular activities (retroactive-
grade credit negotiable), the
races, special exhibits, reunion
dinner with special celebrity
guests, Sunday brunch at the
Colby Hill Inn, and a ton of good
stories. Amazingly, as you were
reading this, yet another room
reservation was taken.
“For the virtually inclined,
we’ve borrowed Mr. Peabody’s
Wayback Machine and brought
back an extravaganza of mul-
timedia delights just for you.
You’ll find it all atwww.sps1969
.org. Can’t get in? Just click
‘Request ID’ – Sherman will get
right back to you.
“If you take none of the
above actions, please expect
a phone call, plus some Face-
book stalking.”
1970
Tres Davidson
swdiii@gmail.com
Tres Davidson shared this
update: “Frank Kenison and his
wife, Pam, attended the wedding
of the daughter of TomBedford
on September 7 at the Bedford
family’s Ayers Lake Farm in
Barrington, N.H., just up the
road fromConcord. It was quite
thrilling for many reasons, not
the least of which was to wit-
ness Tom walk Courtney down
the aisle and give her away to
Jay after Tom’s recovery from
open-heart surgery in June.
Tom’s rehabilitation over the
summer was buoyed by visits
from Don Lippincott, Frank
Kenison, and your scribe.
“Steve Crandall and his wife,
Pat, stayed with Hy Blair and
his wife, Holly, in Prouts Neck,
Maine, inAugust. Also inAugust,
Jimmy Evarts and his wife,
Becky, Nat Wheelwright and
his wife, Genie, and I had dinner
together in Brunswick, Maine.”
“Lex Breckinridge is on
the governing board of the
National Association of Epis-
copal Schools, which met this
September in Millville. Lex gave
a Chapel talk on community,
which is available for listening
online at the School’s website.
His words are moving as he
reminisces poignantly about our
time at the School. Lex wrote
about his visit to Millville that
“the School seems vital, healthy,
and alive with energy. The stu-
dents we met on the paths and
sidewalks were happy, smiling,
and very hospitable. Every stu-
dent we encountered seemed
truly grateful to be at SPS.” Lex
goes on, “[My wife] Zonnie and
I had dinner with Bob Rettew
’69 and his wife, Annie, in their
lovely home (Phil Burnham’s
home when we were students).
I’ve been told by more than one
person that the heart of the
School beats in Bob and Annie’s
living room, and I think that is
not an exaggeration. Bob has
provided such faithful, stable,
and compassionate leadership
during times that have occa-
sionally been ‘interesting’ over
the last few years, and Annie’s
role as a nurse and surrogate
mom has been equally impor-
tant. Zonnie and I felt blessed to
be at their table.”
In November, Chris Bartle
(and daughters), Don Lip-
pincott, Brooke Roberts, and
Steve Crandall were together
at the Salvation Army in New-
port serving Thanksgiving din-
ners as part of an SPS Sparks
service event organized by
former Alumni Association
President Laura Hildesley
Bartsch ’86.
“In an end-of-the year e-mail,
Scott Johnson reported on his
family charity: “Americans Aid-
ing Refugees for eight years has
provided critical medical and
vocational assistance to refugees
in Cairo ever since my daughter,
Claire Johnson, initiated this
effort during the year she spent
there. Claire hasmoved fromJo-
hannesburg to LondonwithBain
Consulting, while her sister, Ca-
mille, is a year and a half into her
residency in internal medicine
in Seattle, having married her
partner, Jess Guh, in September.”
Nat Wheelwright writes:
“After talking the talk for years,
but not walking the walk, a
colleague and I are finally de-
termined to translate our book
on Costa Rican cloud forest
ecology and conservation into
Spanish and make it avail-
able online, free, for anyone in
Latin America. Via a Kickstarter
campaign, we have received
donations frommembers of the
National Academy of Sciences,
former students, a National
Book Award winner, middle
school children, Costa Rican
farmers, and several form-
mates.”
This winter report from Alec
Haverstick: “The Haverstick
brood gathered at my father-
in-law Ed Whalen’s 90th birth-
day celebration in October. I
have been blessed with five
grandchildren: Samuel William
Haverstick (Liam), bornOctober
4, 2010, Sadie Quinn Haverstick,
born April 30, 2013, Isabel Berry
Wachter (Izzy), born April 22,
2013, Wyatt Proud Umbden-
stock, born July 23, 2013, and
Luke Wise Umbdenstock, born
April 1, 2011. All were pres-
ent for the occasion as were
their parents, Sam and Casey
Haverstick, Woodney and John
Wachter, and Emily and Tyler
Umbdenstock along withAuntie
Genevieve, who graduated from
Yale in 2011. I can hardly believe
that an only child has produced
nine additions over two genera-
tions. Nor can I find anything
but joy in being a grandparent.
It is definitely one of the few
experiences in life that is not
overrated.
“On a different note, at the
gathering I was recovering from
a cracked femur, which I suf-
fered in August, that led to
reconstructive hip surgery in
October. While the mechanics
of the operation went smoothly,
I was given some medication
post-surgery, which compro-
mised my circulatory system
and started shutting it down. If
Jessica hadn’t noticed something
odd inmy demeanor and speech
(I was home at the time), I would
have been dead within 24-48
hours. I have always said that
Jessica saved my life but never
have I meant it so literally. I am
truly the luckiest man I know.”
Mystery formmate of ’72 hold-
ing his trophy fish. Can anyone
identify him? Photo courtesy of
Halsted Wheeler ’72.