This has been a tough year. We endured a worsening pandemic, a contentious election, and another winter of discontent. Our class fellowship, however, has rarely been stronger. There is more going on with the class of ’69 than we could pack into a dozen pages. Zoom meetings abound, and Arthur Fergenson coordinates a diverse series of mini-reunions online: poetry readings, a Civil War seminar, a Jewish culture discussion group, and more. John Mathias, a tireless class leader, presented a fascinating conversation about legal representation in death penalty cases. We were delighted to see old friends Chip Elitzer, Vaughn Taylor, Warren Simpson, Phil Bush, Greg Dobbs,and Benjamin Marcello among the two dozen folks sitting in on the session—too many to name everyone!

The Dartmouth Traveling Players (too many to list here) continue to host bimonthly play readings, and to our delight Jim Becker joined this month as we presented “Professor Benhardi,” a dark comedy about ethnic prejudice. The weekly 12-step meetings attract a solid group as well. (All are welcome. Contact Tex for details.) In other news Pete Lawrence writes thoughtfully from Pasadena, California: “I hope all of us will have some remaining good years doing what we enjoy after the Covid crisis. ‘Life is short’ becomes truer every day.”

Bamboo Gandy writes that he’s in the Moderna vaccine trial but gargling local south Texas tequila “just in case,” wishing everyone a happy holiday. Steve and Jo Larson have decamped courageously from Georgia to Montana, planning adventures in the great Northwest, “masked, healthy, and waiting out the pandemic.” Terry Light challenges Tex to online chess!

With genuine sadness we report the passing of Richard “Deke” Olmsted. We affectionately remember that Deke called himself a “small tackle” in football, a gregarious guy with a sharp wit and a sense of adventure. His loving sister, Jill, wrote a heartfelt essay in “The Book” about Deke’s life, hampered in recent years by illness. An anonymous teammate comments: “Deke ran over me many times in freshman football, and he always helped me get back up.” Good words.

Bruce Alpert and Peter Elias, et al., post updates on Covid-19. Join our mid-month Zoom social hours with Jim Staros, who invites you to raise a glass: “Join us for an hour of interesting conversation with no formal agenda. Conversations often focus on current events, including our life experiences, hopes, and concerns vis-à-vis the pandemic. Any topic you bring to the table would be welcome.”

Andy McLane, Paul Tuhus, and the DOC project team report impressive progress that’s on schedule. It’s not too late to make a donation, and every dollar counts! We have more news than we can cover here, so watch for your newsletter and check the website. Your friends and classmates, old and new, are getting together at www.dartmouth69.org. Pay your dues and send us news.

—John “Tex” Talmadge, 3519 Brookline Lane, Farmers Branch, TX 75234; (214) 673-9250; johntalmadgemd@gmail.com