Our June 10-13 55th reunion draws near. Chairman Larry Weltin foresees a great turnout based on the “intent” cards returned so far—both in Hanover and at Trapp Lodge in Stowe, Vermont, June 13-14. Recently added attractions: Athletic Director Harry Sheehy, a master of one-liners, and entertainment by the Dartmouth Aires and the North Country Chordsmen, a barbershop group. Hal Douglas and Jeannine will attend from Portland, Oregon, “the Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.” From the opposite direction, Portugal’s Algarve, Larry Hampton and Helga will join us. How about you too? 


Channel surfing recently here in New Hope, Pennsylvania, I suddenly found myself watching the Dartmouth hockey team beat up on Vermont in Hanover and looking mighty impressive. So I asked Dave Chapin, our 1957-58 hockey captain and avid follower of the team, for his take. Replied Chapes: “This is the best Dartmouth team I have seen in 10 years—big, fast and quick. The only thing missing is the Indian patch on their jerseys.” Dave, living in hometown Wellesley, Massachusetts, took a business partner at his Chapin Properties Team firm to a game in Hanover. The friend exclaimed on seeing Dartmouth for the first time: “What a great place to go school!” Amen, brother Chapin.


After Hurricane Sandy Dexter Faunce called to notify me of Dick Jacob’s death on October 22. They’ve been close friends on the New Jersey shore for years. Asked how he fared in his Ocean City home 100 yards from the Atlantic, Dexter said: “Gov. Christie made us evacuate early. But we were well-prepared, thanks to the 100-mph derecho that struck us last May, uprooting 750 trees at our golf club and knocking out power for 10 days.”


Sandy was a comparative breeze. A derecho, says Wikipedia, is Spanish for a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm associated with a fast-moving band of severe thunderstorms.” Of Dick Jacob, Dexter noted, “He was CIA and privately told me some stories I can’t repeat.” 


Other recent departures: Bob Dudley on October 21 at home in Liverpool, New York, along the Saint Lawrence, where he fished and boated and was a collector and dealer of antiques. John Quinton of Lisle, Illinois, January 15, 2012 (we learned in November), whose Chicago Tribune obit reported that he “became an avid runner at 40” and completed more than 500 races, including 28 marathons.


Over lunch with Joanne and Cack Bittner in December, Mary Ann and I learned that Palmer Beasley was Cack’s freshman roommate in Topliff. That experience didn’t stop Dr. Beasley from his hepatitis B work that his August New York Times obit said “saved millions of lives.”


Just back from visiting Nathalie and Andy Thomas in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Cack updated me on Stephanie Jallen, the remarkable 16-year-old Special Olympics skier from his Dallas, Pennsylvania, area who races slalom and downhill with one leg and one arm. This winter she’s training with the U.S. team for the 2014 Games in Russia. As reported here last spring, Cack and Dallas friends support Stephanie in various ways.


—Steve Quickel, 65 Chapel Road, New Hope, PA 18938; swquickel@comcast.net