Class Note 1957
Issue
January-February 2023
A line borrowed from Mary Oliver’s poem, “The Summer Day,” inspired our 65th reunion and asked the question, “What do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” A memorial service produced by Michael Lasser and Judy Stempel answered the question and made clear that we will remember and honor our fallen classmates. Rollins was unavailable so the service was held at the Hanover Inn. In Judy’s words, “The service is sacred. It will make whatever venue is available to us sacred as well.” And it did. The inn became a sacred space for classmates who have died since our 60th reunion—130 in just five years.
Mike and Judy set the mood for the dramatic reading of names withopening remarks from our outgoing president Tom Macy, a welcome from our incoming president Michael Lasser, and the reading of the Mary Oliver poem by Ted Jennings, class president our freshman year. It was a fitting introduction to the solemn reading of names.
Reading the names of the 130 were Charles Tseckares, Jack Hall, Bob Rex, and Bill Breer. Brilliantly, a moment of silence followed each name—allowing time to remember classmates, roommates, and teammates—igniting memories that keep them alive in our hearts forever. The mood was intensified with poetry readings by Bruce Bernstein and LynAdams, Ecclesiastes read by Cynthia Perkins,avocal solo by Jay Greene,a piano solo by Steve Swayne, and a clarinet solo by Dave Cook, providing accompaniment to the 130 who came marching in.
All this leading to Judy’s “Reflections.” “I am a ’57 widow,” she began. “My husband’s name is listed on the pages with your deceased classmates.” The room became very silent…and Judy’s “Reflections” became the emotional highlight and treasure of our 65th reunion. They’re posted on our class listserv and I urge you to go there. Referring to our storytelling and reading of names, she said: “The still north remembers them. The hill winds know their names. And the hill winds will know our names, too, when we are no longer here to tell our stories.”
—John W. Cusick, 105 Island Plantation Terrace, Vero Beach, FL 32963; (772) 231-1248; johnwcusick@aol.com
Mike and Judy set the mood for the dramatic reading of names withopening remarks from our outgoing president Tom Macy, a welcome from our incoming president Michael Lasser, and the reading of the Mary Oliver poem by Ted Jennings, class president our freshman year. It was a fitting introduction to the solemn reading of names.
Reading the names of the 130 were Charles Tseckares, Jack Hall, Bob Rex, and Bill Breer. Brilliantly, a moment of silence followed each name—allowing time to remember classmates, roommates, and teammates—igniting memories that keep them alive in our hearts forever. The mood was intensified with poetry readings by Bruce Bernstein and LynAdams, Ecclesiastes read by Cynthia Perkins,avocal solo by Jay Greene,a piano solo by Steve Swayne, and a clarinet solo by Dave Cook, providing accompaniment to the 130 who came marching in.
All this leading to Judy’s “Reflections.” “I am a ’57 widow,” she began. “My husband’s name is listed on the pages with your deceased classmates.” The room became very silent…and Judy’s “Reflections” became the emotional highlight and treasure of our 65th reunion. They’re posted on our class listserv and I urge you to go there. Referring to our storytelling and reading of names, she said: “The still north remembers them. The hill winds know their names. And the hill winds will know our names, too, when we are no longer here to tell our stories.”
—John W. Cusick, 105 Island Plantation Terrace, Vero Beach, FL 32963; (772) 231-1248; johnwcusick@aol.com