After I mentioned two columns ago that my wife, Vi, died, several classmates rallied round with warm notes and news. Tom Towler, Bruce Crawford and Joel Berson (visiting from N.Y.C.) all read some verses at Vi’s farewell party in Sarasota, Florida. Bill Ballard, whose wife, Nomi, died two years ago, has left New Jersey and is living in Daytona, Florida, with a double widow: “Love the second time around does indeed work,” quoth he. Minneapolis-based Paul Deneke enjoyed a recent river cruise in Germany with his fiancée. Doug Thomson and B.J. are finding life in their Savannah, Georgia, retirement home much warmer than the granite of New Hampshire. Quent Kopp’s softer side came out in his kind note.


The icing on my condolence cake came from Clarke Church with Ten Years to Manhood, his memoir covering his high school, Dartmouth and military years. He relates that Tom Towler’s father (class of 1917) was helpful in getting Clarke admitted to Dartmouth. Clarke’s family saved his letters and photos, so he had superb source material. Persis and Bob Alden, still close friends of Jane and Clarke, are mentioned frequently. If any of you want to reminisce over Clarke’s interesting memoir, send $18 to him at 5380 E. Harbor Village Dr., #103, Vero Beach, FL 32967.


Charles Russell Barwis died on February 19, 2013, at his home in New Hope, Pennsylvania. Charles spent his career managing his own landscape architectural firm. He is survived by his life partner Sue Meyers, four sons and a daughter, to whom the class sends its sympathy.


Marvin Bresler Durning died on October 16, 2013, in Seattle where he lived, after a 20-year struggle with Parkinson’s. Marv was class valedictorian at Dartmouth, a Rhodes scholar at Oxford and earned his law degree at Yale. He was a dedicated conservationist, serving as chief of enforcement at EPA under President Carter and playing an active political role in Washington State. He had a successful career as an environmental lawyer, but lost three Democratic races for Congress, attorney general and governor. (Slade Gorton did better as a Republican in that state as state attorney general and U.S. senator.) Marv leaves his wife, Jean, daughter Susan Stroming ’82 and sons Jonathan and Alan, to whom the class sends its condolences.


—John Adler, 1623 Pelican Cove Road, BA123, Sarasota, FL 34231; (203) 622-9069; (941) 966-2943 (fax)