Did you know that Diane Boyer started skiing at age 4 and has worked for the family skiwear and active wear business for 49 years? “Pretty scary, right?” says Diane. “It started out as child labor.” I caught up with her in a recent episode of “’78 Conversations” (you can check out the video in the “Classmate News” section of our class website.) Diane has been president of Skea (Skealimited.com) since 1992. “I do a little bit of everything, from packing boxes to designing to handling finance—and that’s what keeps it interesting.” She lives in Vail, Colorado, which shut down early last spring after a Covid outbreak and has yet to bounce back. The pandemic made it a harrowing year for her business, but she used the opportunity to ramp up direct-to-consumer sales. Diane remains a passionate skier and outdoor enthusiast. She is actively engaged in promoting skiing for women and families and four years ago was inducted into Colorado Snowsports Museum Hall of Fame. A recently minted grandmother, she says she hopes to keep giving back to the sport and stay on the slopes. “My dream is to be able to enjoy the mountains and outdoors for as long as I can.”

After a highly successful career in advertising that culminated in being president and chief creative officer at Publicis, the fifth-largest agency in N.Y.C., Rob Feakins shifted course six years ago to found a consultancy called For All Humankind. (www.forallhumankind.com). He calls what he does “issue-raising.” Based out of Westport, Connecticut, he shoots and directs mini-documentaries for nonprofit causes and adventure companies. “I find the work constantly inspirational, whether filming former poachers turned entrepreneurs thanks to training or a homeless vet who earned two college degrees while sheltered with a charity or filming hospice caregivers trying to find a new normal after losing a teenage child. I find the struggle of life fascinating and often wonder if, raised in their circumstances, I would have overcome their struggles and persevered. I often think not.”

I saw Steve Bova in March on the 78th day class Zoom and was fascinated to hear about what he is doing. “At Tampere [Finland] University my research group is working on methods to leverage cancer genome evolution to benefit high-risk cancer patients. We are piloting a system in metastatic prostate cancer patients that attempts to straddle improved clinical trial practice and basic science research.” Steve currently spends six to eight months a year in Finland and the rest of the time working from home in Baltimore.

Good news for our upcoming 45th reunion. It’s on—in person! (You remember “in person,” don’t you?) The reunion is scheduled June 16-19, 2022. Yes, yes, math heads, that’s a year early. We will once again gather together with the classes of ’76 and ’77. Reunited and it feels so good!

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—Rick Beyer, 1305 S. Michigan Ave., #1104, Chicago, IL 60605; rickbeyer78@gmail.com