Class Note 1956

Thanks to the quick response to the news of Christchurch, New Zealand’s earthquake, Flint Ranney and Buddy Schattman were able to get word from Jackie and Dick Hlavac, down under, that they had come through the second of those crises intact. Sadly, their younger son and family lost their home and the other son and his partner have had to deal with the loss of power and potable water. Jackie described the whole central business district’s decimation. It certainly put a face on the TV coverage we had been watching.


News has come of the death of more classmates, and you can find obituaries as well as post comments about these friends on the DAM website. Bill King died in early February as a result of a bout with pneumonia following a heart attack shortly before Christmas. Frank Strong worked with Bill’s wife, Elizabeth, to craft a tribute to him. The College also alerted us that Harvey Hambleton died early in February. He and his wife, Sabra, had been living in Saint Augustine, Florida, in retirement. Art Zich’s reflections on Eric Valentine, whose death was previously reported, can also be found on the magazine website. Karen Merrell deserves a round of applause for her attention to the widows of our classmates, writing them personal notes as soon as she is made aware of the deaths. 


I hope you now and again turn to our class of ’56 website that Flint so ably manages. There you can read Bob Slater’s most recent Alumni Council report. He and Lynn return to Hanover for these meetings, and his coverage of the meetings along with his responses to what he’s experiencing are good and important reading. Bob has asked each of us to e-mail him with any of our concerns or observations at rslater3@wi.rr.com. 


A note to Peter Rosazza on a recent birthday garnered the report of a dinner he had shared recently with Betty and Stu Klapper down in Puerto Rico. That’s a great way to deal with the winter Connecticut experienced!For those of you who’ve not yet written those Alumni Fund checks, Don Davidoff is challenging the class of ’56 to reach the 75 percent level of participation in our 55th reunion year. Let the College know that we treasure the experience that has bonded us for so many years, and that we want others to experience something of the same thing.


Retirement opens all sorts of possibilities. Harry Nutting spends his Sunday mornings doing volunteer housekeeping at a no-kill animal shelter named the Animal Rescue and Protection Society in Chester, Vermont. He acknowledges that he’s drawn more to cats than dogs but believes these shelters all across our country deserve our volunteer and financial support. 


This issue goes to press before there’s a report available from this year’s Baci in Sarasota, Florida, but Clif Phalen, Ted Bremble and Gordi Lenci have given their best to continue this great yearly celebration of friendship and loyalty that flourished under Tony Bruscion’s leadership.


—R. Stewart Wood Jr., P.O. Box 968, Quechee, VT 05059-0968; (802) 295-8912; stewwood@aol.com