Class Note 1984. Been to a recent football game on campus? You may have seen a familiar face—Sarah Burrell Troxel—who now makes Hanover her home. In addition to being an avid football fan (all three of her kids, including her daughter, played), she is now a “Dartmouth mom” to a handful of players, supporting “her boys” through a program started by Coach Teevens. Sarah, who was widowed 20 years ago, raised her family in Alaska, where she had a plastic surgery practice for almost 30 years, largely devoted to reconstructive surgery for victims of traumas (think moose accidents and bear maulings) as well as cancer survivors in need of postmastectomy reconstruction. It was a profession Sarah loved, so when sidelined temporarily by her own medical needs, she found a way to give back: mentoring premeds, med students, surgical residents, and newly minted plastic surgeons. Sarah loves being back in Hanover, citing the access to learning and the many happenings from the arts scene to the sports schedule as great perks.
Sarah Frech is also using her professional expertise in a new arena: Africa. Having practiced as a veterinarian and worked in vaccine development, Sarah, an adjunct professor at her “other” alma mater, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine Paul Allen School of Public Health, supports Rabies Free Africa (RFA), which vaccinates dogs in rural areas to protect people, dogs, and wildlife. With the introduction of RFA, human rabies cases dropped to zero. And the push now is to expand RFA within and beyond Tanzania. Sarah is also technical advisor to Elephant Conservation Organization (ECO), a group (mainly veterinarians) focused on elephant conservation and greater wildlife care in Tanzania. Founded in 2020, ECO focuses on community-based solutions, including veterinary training for fellow vets, game wardens, and community health workers. A wildlife rehabilitation facility and elephant orphanage, the first in Tanzania, are in the planning stages. ECO also supports research to evaluate interventions aimed at diminishing human-elephant conflict. Learn more at https://ecotz.org.
Official summer mini-reunions found ’84s cheering on the Cubs in Chicago and pivoting from a Maine sail to a “lobstah” fest on land when the weather went south. Win or lose, rain or shine, great camaraderie was the order of the day. If helping classmates organize mini-reunions on their own turf or planning for our 45th in Hanover sounds like a good fit for your time and talents, consider getting involved. Email me, and I’ll put you in touch with all the right people!
Sadly, I’ve learned Jeffrey Snyder passed away on August 15, 2022. Jeffrey, a native of Buffalo, New York, and a member of the Turtle Clan of the Cayuga Nation, was always so proud of his Dartmouth education, according to Jacky Snyder, the eldest of Jeffrey’s three daughters. She reported that Jeffrey loved blues music and playing softball, was part of the Buffalo Oldstix lacrosse team, and worked as a therapy aide at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center prior to his health declining during the pandemic.
—Deana Washburn, 209 Casino Ave., Cranford, NJ 07016; deanadw@aol.com