The Larson house has enjoyed some classmate visitors this fall. Early in September Rick Willets and Joan spent a few days during a trip to visit relatives also in Virginia. We had a great time with them exploring the orchards and vineyards nearby on ATVs, testing our marksmanship skills on the firing range and learning that retirement for them is even more fun than teaching high school students. Rick provided photos and videos of his many off-road Jeep experiences, including a low-speed, head-on meeting with a tree. There were no injuries and even the tree escaped serious damage. The Willets visit was followed up just after Homecoming Weekend when Paul Tuhus arrived after spending time in Georgia and the Carolinas visiting friends and exercising his brand new British racing green F-type Jaguar convertible. Paul also does the Jeep thing in the deep woods and rocky passes, often with Rick.


As promised in the last column, Ben Romney chose retirement “with no intention of being uninvolved in things that were potentially meaningful to me, and I have had no trouble finding such things.” Ben’s volunteer activities include tutoring anatomy and physiology at a local community college, working with a program for disabled people as a ski instructor and delivering meals on wheels. He has enjoyed retirement and takes pride in feeling he remains a productive member of society. 


The following report on the September mini gathering is presented by Dud Kay, and he is solely responsible for its content. “The third almost-annual Mets Citi Field mini-reunion brought out a record number of ’69 classmates and their guests. The gathering of 70 humans and one canine prompted our host Sandy Alderson, aided by his gracious greeter hostess wife, Linda, to open adjoining suites with three food stations and two bars to serve the throng. What a feast! Under a deep blue sky decorated with high wispy clouds and a temperature in the low 70s it would be hard to imagine a better day for baseball and camaraderie. We mixed and mingled, met the five sons, six daughters, 12 wives or partners and three friends who accompanied the 41 classmates, laughed over old times, shared our current status and all swore to be at the 50th reunion. Of course, we all looked great! Though the Mets lost to the playoff-bound Nationals, we were all big winners. You should have been there!” 


In the November/December edition of this magazine the Class Notes for ’67 spoke at length of my fraternity brother Ralph Alan Cohen and his many accomplishments in the world of Shakespearean plays. Ralph asked me to join the board of trustees of the American Shakespeare Center (ASC) in Staunton, Virginia, which I have accepted. I am honored by the opportunity to work with this group in planning for continuity of the mission of the ASC and the Blackfriars Theater.


We have learned that Anthony John Skirius passed away in November of 2010.


—Steve Larson, 465 Miller Road, Winchester, VA 22602; (360) 770-4388; wheat69@outlook.com