Class Note 1987
Issue
Jan-Feb 2020
While I have mentioned Bob Gans in an earlier column, this time he is part of an interconnected series of classmate news. “You must be scraping the bottom of the barrel if you’re looking to me for content!” Bob joked, but then admitted that “most of my closest friends in the world are from Dartmouth” and proceeded to share updates about many of them. First, this past summer Bob attended the wedding of Ken Laughinghouse’s daughter, along with Kevin Donovan, Rob Engelman, and Mike Portland. Yes, our classmates’ kids are getting married! “It was more than a little emotional watching a great friend our age walk his daughter down the aisle,” Bob said. Although Bob could not join them, Ken, Kevin, Mike, and their spouses vacationed in Malta together this fall. Ken emailed me from the airport and pledged to send photos for the newsletter. Co-newsletter editor Julie (Park) Hubble and I will hold him to that promise!
Rob and Mike met up with Russell Kemp in Chicago after Russell dropped his younger daughter off for freshman year at the University of Wisconsin. While at Wisconsin, Russell also saw Stephen Crystal, as he was similarly delivering his son for sophomore year. “Good ’87 fun all around!” Russell said. In September fellow Denverite Gregg Rippey was in attendance to watch Russell receive a citizen diplomat award from WorldDenver, a Colorado nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding world affairs and cultures that brings international visitors to Denver through a partnership with the U.S. State Department. The award recognized Russell’s leadership in increasing cross-cultural empathy and creating mutually beneficial relationships across the globe. “I was so impressed by the whole spirit of the evening,” Gregg said. “In a time of such discord in our world, being known as a ‘citizen diplomat’ is a tremendous compliment indeed.”
Out here in northern California, Pleasanton resident Nancy (Davis) Lewis also is doing her part to support a cause close to her heart. Every month Nancy develops and presents a trivia slide show in her local brew pub’s dog- and family-friendly garden as a fundraiser for the animal shelter at which she has volunteered for more than a decade. “Our efforts raise about $1,000 each month, and I find tremendous gratification in knowing that my effort—truly a labor of love—benefits so many homeless animals,” Nancy said. “I must admit that I do love when people come up to me in the supermarket and say ‘Hey, you’re the trivia lady!’ ”
—Laura Gasser, 746 17th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94121; marcklaurag@aol.com
Rob and Mike met up with Russell Kemp in Chicago after Russell dropped his younger daughter off for freshman year at the University of Wisconsin. While at Wisconsin, Russell also saw Stephen Crystal, as he was similarly delivering his son for sophomore year. “Good ’87 fun all around!” Russell said. In September fellow Denverite Gregg Rippey was in attendance to watch Russell receive a citizen diplomat award from WorldDenver, a Colorado nonprofit organization dedicated to understanding world affairs and cultures that brings international visitors to Denver through a partnership with the U.S. State Department. The award recognized Russell’s leadership in increasing cross-cultural empathy and creating mutually beneficial relationships across the globe. “I was so impressed by the whole spirit of the evening,” Gregg said. “In a time of such discord in our world, being known as a ‘citizen diplomat’ is a tremendous compliment indeed.”
Out here in northern California, Pleasanton resident Nancy (Davis) Lewis also is doing her part to support a cause close to her heart. Every month Nancy develops and presents a trivia slide show in her local brew pub’s dog- and family-friendly garden as a fundraiser for the animal shelter at which she has volunteered for more than a decade. “Our efforts raise about $1,000 each month, and I find tremendous gratification in knowing that my effort—truly a labor of love—benefits so many homeless animals,” Nancy said. “I must admit that I do love when people come up to me in the supermarket and say ‘Hey, you’re the trivia lady!’ ”
—Laura Gasser, 746 17th Ave., San Francisco, CA 94121; marcklaurag@aol.com