Colby Magazine Volume 93 Issue 4 Winter 2005 Article 10 January 2005 Alumni @ Large Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/colbymagazine Recommended Citation (2005) "Alumni @ Large," Colby Magazine: Vol. 93 : Iss. 4 , Article 10. Available at: https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/colbymagazine/vol93/iss4/10 This Contents is brought to you for free and open access by the Colby College Archives at Digital Commons @ Colby. It has been accepted for inclusion in Colby Magazine by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ Colby. alumni at large alumni at large 20s/30s granddaughter Jennifer accompanied Bisbee ’49, who I am glad to say consid- me. And thanks to all of you who sent ers herself an honorary member of our Deaths: Faith Rollins Davidson ’31, July 15, 2004, in Mitchellville, Md., along condolences to me at the time I class. A long letter came in from at 95 Helen Bell Bennett ’35, June 13, 2004, in Presque Isle, Maine, lost my Fred in April. Betty Richmond Anthony, who says at 90 Louis F. Garson ’36, May 22, 2004, in North Branford, Conn., at —Josephine Pitts McAlary her life in retirement is “pretty tame.” 89 Lora Cummings Newcomb ’37, May 16, 2004, in Olympia, Wash., She and Dave no longer travel as much at 89 Percy H. Willette ’37, August 29, 2004, in Biddeford, Maine, at 45 As Naomi and I are taking turns as before but are in good health, read 90 Albert L. Hunter ’39, July 12, 2004, in Kennebunk, Maine, at 88. collecting news for our class, I thought a lot and enjoy the backyard birds. I would say that one neglected area to Dave and the squirrels are in constant 40 A thoughtful note from Ralph It was with sadness he read of Tom’s fill in is the military service our class- contest to see who can “win the war of Delano assures me that he is still active death. Corrine (Judy) Jones mates volunteered for immediately the bird feeders”—a war that John and in North Carolina. Ruth Hen- Zimmerman and her husband have following the Japanese attack on Pearl I lost when we lived in Concord but dricks Maren sent me an obituary left their retirement home in Florida Harbor three months after we started one in which Betty and Dave hope to from the Gainesville Sun in recognition and have moved to Vermont to be near our freshman year. While some of us be victorious. Betty enjoys computer of Tom Elder, who died in March. family. They have been involved at the (mostly the girls) were able to remain at games, Scrabble, crossword and jigsaw Tom was identified as a retired admin- University of Florida track and field Colby and continue with our academic puzzles and does container gardening. istrator for Pan American Airlines. meets, where they work primarily at ambitions, this was a circumstance She volunteers at her local hospital He also was a skillful and enthusiastic weighing and measuring throwing denied to most of the male members doing all kinds of jobs that the office photographer. Adrianna Rodgers implements used in the field events. of our class. As one who continued gives to her and has accumulated an Paine moved to Riverside, Calif., a They have been doing that for 12 years. at Colby during the war years, I felt amazing 6,500 hours! A member of few months ago. She says that her . Nan Grahn Christensen wrote that a veil fell over the activities of PEO (Providing Educational Oppor- childhood summers at Mousam Lake saying that she wouldn’t be back for all our friends who volunteered for tunities for Women) for nearly 40 convinced her to choose a college in our 60th reunion as she doesn’t feel up military service during World War years, she finds in the group some of Maine. Colby benefited from her to the traveling. However, she is still II. Since I feel that it is never too late the most interesting women she knows choice. An article in the Lewiston swimming and won the women’s swim to find out what happened to some of and enjoys their good programs. PEO Sun Journal last December reminded race in the Senior Challenge competi- those classmates after they left Colby, provides important financial aid to us that Walter Reed succeeded the tion in May. She’s very happy living I phoned Bob Barton to catch up. women students. Betty’s older grand- late Ray Stinchfield ’39 as principal of at her senior retirement village. He had attended Colby for two years son graduated from high school and Walton Junior High in Auburn way Harris Graf is a good correspondent. before he went into the Maine Mari- worked in Colorado before entering back in 1953. We were young then! . He says his health continues to be a time Academy, graduating from there Baylor last fall. Her other grandson Our little Colby group at Granite Hill problem, but he and Merrie are happy in the fall of 1944. Following gradu- is a sophomore in high school. Their Estates in Augusta, Maine, includes to be so much closer to the medical ation from the academy, he sailed to mother, Susan, is working for the Margaret Whalen ’39, George ’34 attention he needs than when they the Mediterranean, where his liberty Electrical Regulatory Commission and Vesta Alden Putnam ’33, Nancy lived in New Hampshire on the lake. ship helped move the British Eighth of Texas. Betty’s other daughter, Libby ’36 and me. We would welcome . I received a wonderful letter from Army to Marseilles, France. Bob also Judy, works for an architectural and more of you to our congenial group Mary Kay Smith Lyons. She has been served in the North Atlantic and on engineering firm in Houston. Thanks, of residents. It’s not as expensive as living in Glendale, Ariz., since 1970. VJ (Victory Japan) Day was in San Betty, I hope you have inspired some some similar retirement communities. She has strong family connections Francisco preparing to sail into the of our classmates to share their own And it’s an easy drive to Mayflower to Maine but so far has no plans to Pacific. He didn’t leave the maritime experiences in the next column. Hill. Frank Farnham and his move back. A note from Mildred service until 1947. When Bob returned —Mary “Liz” Hall Fitch sister, Lydia Farnham Johnson, Steenland Ellison says how much she to civilian life after the war, he attended joined Alleen Thompson and me at enjoys getting Class of 1944 letters. mortician school in Boston and had a 48 Peg Clark Atkins writes that the parade of classes and the lobster Pauline Tatham Stanley, who also successful career. Bob said that he has she is still doing volunteer work. She bake during Reunion Weekend 2004. lives in Rockport, dropped a nice note. done some boating, including 18 trips and husband Harold have six children. Frank has some physical problems, She says she lost her husband several to the islands of Grenada and St. Lucia All the children are “on their own” but his hearing is good and his mind years ago. Ralph Braudy died in the Caribbean, carrying school and are scattered in New England and is as sharp as ever. Lydia is active and in April 2004. His memorial service students on a chartered schooner. He Texas. They had a fifth grandson and energetic as always. Lin Workman was held on Cape Cod in June. His claims this was a great experience and a now have five granddaughters and five writes that Joanna (MacMurtry ’41) obituary stated that in his memory lot of fun. Bob and his wife (a sister of grandsons. The Kiwanis Club chose had a serious bout with pneumonia contributions could be made to the Professor Phil Bither ’30) have done a Peg and Harold as “Town Couple of this spring, complicated by an adverse Colby Alumni Fund. Our 60th class lot of traveling in their retirement but the Year,” an award for the work that reaction to medication. They were not reunion on June 4-6 was a delightful now find themselves quite content in they have done for church, the library, back at their summer home in New success. Those returning for the event Jensen Beach, Fla., with many activities Boy and Girl Scouts, town depart- Harbor, Maine, in time for Reunion were Geneva and Pete Bliss, Kay to occupy them. ments and women’s clubs. Peg says Weekend. Will you join us for our Howes Brooks and daughter Wendie —Dee Sanford McCunn that her high school algebra teacher 65th next year? Geiger, Judge Deraney and Leonora, attended Colby, as did the daughter —Ernest C. Marriner Jr. Tim Economu, Harris Graf and 47 Few people from our class were of her high school history teacher. Merrie, Gabe Hikel and Zani, Ralph at the June alumni reunion, but those That was enough to interest Peg in 44 Bob Sillen tells of meeting Hilton and Jean, Lois Peterson who were reported a splendid event applying to Colby. Kay Weisman Thomas Savage ’40 shortly after Bob Johnson and Ed, Harold Joseph and and a campus looking more beautiful Jaffe reports that she and Mike now graduated. Bob aspired to become a Naj, Nancy Curtis Lawrence and than ever. Those in attendance were have two great-grandchildren. She novelist, so winter nights he drove to her granddaughter, Nancy Pattison Ray and Tossie Campbell Kozen, also said that if all goes well this year Hingham, where Tom lived, and took McCarthy and Joe, Dick Mountfort Cecil Burns, Ernest and Beverly they are going halfway around the private lessons in learning to write.