The College has confirmed that Nitya Pibulsonggram died in Bangkok, Thailand, in May at the age of 72. He was a retired career diplomat and former foreign minister of Thailand. “Nid” also served as the Thai ambassador to the United States between 1984 and 2000, and later became Thailand’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations. Nid is survived by his widow, Patricia. He was serving as a member of the Dickey Center board of visitors at the time of his death.


Our classmate Byron Percy Magness died in June. Percy was a prominent lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee, and a man of many interests and hobbies. These included sailing and wooden boats, grape growing and wine making, fishing and bird hunting, travel and his beloved Arkansas farm. Percy is survived by his widow, Perre, son Lon and daughter Perre.


And now a final death-of-classmate notice for this column, albeit one written in advance of official notification from the College. Allen Houser died on May 29 in Washington, D.C. He was leader and trumpeter of the campus band Modern Men during our four years in Hanover. Al had a life-long passion for jazz and was widely recognized as a talented horn player. His wife, Karen, will host an Allen Houser Memorial Jazz Open House on October 29 at Bertha’s, the place in Fells Point, Baltimore, where his sextet played for nearly 11 years. That will be a fitting salute to our talented classmate. Contact Charlie Balch for details about this event.


—Denny Barnes, 17007 Barn Ridge Drive, Silver Spring, MD; (301) 460-4523; dnbarnes62@verizon.net