Class of 1977

The year 2025 got off to a good start with all of us having survived for a few months then, boom, double-barreled right between the eyes. We regret to inform you that Michael Zischke (of the famed Orinda, California, Dartmouth dynasty) and Jeff Lyon, WDCR stalwart and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, father of four who we just chatted with, are both suddenly gone—a sucker punch to the gut for sure. You can read about their wonderful lives on Dar7mou7h.com, along with the stories of many of our 50-plus classmates who have moved on. We are still missing a few obits—if you know where to find them, please send to class compassion angel Gloria Martinez (gloriamartinezsalzle@gmail.com) to post.

Melancholy matters must motivate us to carpe that diem with a vengeance and deluge our ’77 cohort with love, phone calls, texts, and visits. Bring on the uplifting events laden with uproarious ’77s such as The Brigsy celebrating Mike Brigham, The Buffalo toasting Rory Laughna, and The Betsy applauding Ms. Stueber’s Mandel Award. Spurred by the news about Jeff, I called his Exeter classmate Michael Walsh to make sure all was well with Mike—and, great news, it is. He’s planning to connect this spring in Houston with his many lads, including Chuck Dana, Bobby Huggard, and Billy Donovan in spirit. A cryptic text to bunkie Edy Ullman scored an invite to her annual N.Y.C. cool girl meetup with posse Kathy Phillips, Cathy Burnweit, Penny Kurr Rashin, Liz Kadin, and Pam Perkins. Recently, Doug “6ix” Ireland, Betsy Stueber and our own precocious Mark Harris corralled a few of us (Amy Cholnoky, Leslie Bradford, Pam Perkins, and Bob “Weezer” Overhiser) on a cocktail hour phonathon to thank generous classmates, letting me catch up with Kevin Carlie (and, by proxy, brother Mark), Bill Ablondi (and, by proxy, George Kohl), Dan Mahoney, David Cutler, Max Anderson, Johnny Macomber, Gary Schillhammer, Treff LaFleche, John Bird, class songbird Jennifer Leigh Warren (who has the most melodious voicemail greeting ever), and class creative wizard Bill Replogle. Paul Storfer is doing his best to meet us in Santa Fe, New Mexico. George Eger can’t make Santa Fe but hopes to attend our 2027 50th.

Is all this camaraderie igniting some major ’77 FOMO in your soul? Good! Pick up the phone and call a classmate. Register for our August event in Santa Fe on dar7mou7h.com. You’ll party with many of the esteemed personages mentioned above and the spirit of Georgia O’Keeffe to boot.

By now you’ve been bombarded with email invites to create your page in our class of 1977 BrightCrowd digital yearbook. It’s fun, it’s easy, and, best of all, it’s free! If you can’t access, contact one of the editors—cbmuller1@gmail.com, edy2ullman@comcast.net, or apduffy@optonline.net—to hook you up. It’ll get you psyched for Santa Fe this August and our 50th Reunion, live in Hanover June 2027.

Be seen, be heard! Send news and pics.

Not getting class emails and e-newsletters? Call the alumni help desk at (603) 646-3202 to update your email and address.

—A.P. Duffy, 66 Saunders Drive, Wilton, CT 06897; (203) 979-2234; apduffy@optonline.net