Class Note 1948

I received a thoughtful note from Chip Gedney ’70 that his mother, Ginny, passed away April 3 in her sleep at the Greenwich (Connecticut) Nursing Home, where she lived for the past five years. For many years she and Bud Gedney hosted Sunday brunch at our annual mini-reunions. Joyce and I remember their home in the country outside of Hanover off a very rural road in the woods with a lovely meadow replete with a huge and fortunately very friendly dog. They served a grand repast and the get-together was always a highlight to our weekend.

I’d sure like to hear from any of you guys or gals on what you may be doing, what your progeny are doing, and any memories you’d like to pass along. You can reach me by phone, cell message, or email as listed below. Not the latest technology, but adequate for our generation. During the years I have avoided listing recently deceased class members because they are listed in DAM, but because my phone calls to active members are becoming redundant, I’ll comment on personal aspects on some of these obituaries.

Robert D. Eckerson died January 27. He joined the Navy at age 17, learned to fly a Stearman biplane, and was a member of the Navy V-5 and V-12 at Dartmouth, earning his Thayer degree in 1949. His sister, Margaret, introduced him to Arlene Linder, a beautiful Swedish girl from New York City whom he married in 1948. They had two children and were married for 66 years until her death in 2014. They loved to explore the world together, traveling to six continents and memorably, with their children in the back of a newly purchased Volkswagen Beetle, driving across Germany, France, Sweden, and the winding roads of the Alps. In addition to his engineering career, Bob was a meticulous woodworker and built furniture and beautiful trim work. He also designed one of their houses.

Jeremy M. Copleston died December 11, 2019. He enlisted in the Navy in 1945 and, after graduating from Dartmouth, found his calling as a self-taught engineer. He and Joyce were married for 65 years. After retirement he served as a Coxsackie, New York, councilman and worked on building the Vedder Library. He was a lifetime member of the Coxsackie Yacht Club. He thoroughly enjoyed tending to the farm, hunting, flying, skiing, snowmobiling, and boating. Bob showed a great love for all animals, large and small.

—Dave Kurr, 603 Mountain Ave., Apt. 331, New Providence, NJ 07974; (781) 801-6716; djkurr@verizon.net