Despite the fact that many of us are retired or retiring from long-held positions, there are still the occasional reports of classmates moving on and moving up. Dick Glovsky wrote that he left his previous firm the end of April and as of May 2 became a partner at Edwards, Angell, Palmer & Dodge in Boston. Unfortunately he failed to fill in any details so other than a new e-mail address that is all I can pass on.


A brief note from recently retired Rick Willets and Joan tells of meeting Dave Boyle with Vicki on a trip from Austin, Texas, to Boston where the foursome enjoyed dinner at a French restaurant and spoke of many things. The aforementioned Dick Glovsky was to meet them for dessert but a scheduling conflict prevented it. In Rick’s words, Dave is somewhat retired, plays golf regularly and earns lunch money playing bridge weekly with rich octogenarian ladies. Apparently retirement for Rick is a smooth transition but sans lunch money.


Throwing his hat into the retirement ring is Roy Hitchings, who announced in April that he will be taking that course in 2012 after leading the Rockport, Maine, local healthcare system for nearly 13 years. Roy has yet to tell us what he and Debbie plan to do with their soon to be acquired free time. Being the quiet, retiring kind, Roy did not alert me to this change in lifestyle; the notice came from alert newspaper checker Paul Tuhus, our unofficial Upper Valley correspondent.


The reports of active employment in this column seem to be centered on the attorneys among us and this next is a dandy. Despite the many other talents for which we know him, he also possesses significant legal skills. In January Arthur Fergenson argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a British manufacturer of metal shearing equipment that had been sued in a New Jersey court by an employee injured operating one of their machines. Despite the British manufacturer having no contact with New Jersey, the state Supreme Court adopted a new theory of law that anyone who sold or marketed into the United States could be sued in New Jersey. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Arthur’s favor, reversing the New Jersey decision and handing his client a complete victory. The subject matter of the case is studied by every law student in first-year civil procedure and the Supreme Court had not considered the issue for 24 years. Although Arthur had clerked for Chief Justice Warren Burger in 1973-74, this was his first argument before the court.


Sadly we must report the loss of another classmate. Roderick Wallick passed away in April at his home in Massachusetts. Rick’s brother Randy has spoken with our newsletter editor Allen Denison and is providing the information for an obituary, which will appear in Allen’s next effort, which is likely already in your hands.


—Steve Larson, 9101 W 146th St., Overland Park, KS 66221; (360) 770-4388; wheat69@earthlink.net