Class Note 1984. Derek Chow checked in from his home base in Boulder, Colorado, to share news of his son’s Milwaukee wedding on September 6, 2025. Not only did the day celebrate the nuptials of Miles and his bride, Tessa, it also marked Derek and Jan Gordon’s 33rd wedding anniversary (which translates to 44 years since they first met on a language study abroad in Arles, France)! Sharing in all of the celebrations were a number of Dartmouth friends, including Amy Worden Smith, Amy Eisenberg Folbe, and Rick Bertasi. Derek reports that he remains very connected to his Alpha Chi Alpha brothers and Jan to her Sigma Kappa sisters, with whom they often ski and vacation. In addition to the newlyweds who live in Chicago, Derek and Jan have one daughter in Seattle and another in her first year of med school at University of Colorado (where they’ve learned Sue Brandenburg is on the faculty.) Though Derek says he and Jan love the young, active lifestyle their college town provides and the abundant opportunities to ski, bike, and hike, they are “snow birding” in Tucson, Arizona, this winter while enjoying life and doing all they can to stave off old age!
John LoConte and I celebrated a recent wedding as well, “giving away” our daughter Geneva to her forever valentine James on February 14 in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Sharing the love on this joyous occasion were Pattie Herb Zinski, Cindy Terzakis Gakos ’81, and Alexandra Gakos ’11.
Eric Liederman recently got me up to speed on his latest milestones. In 2024 he retired after three decades as a physician executive in large integrated delivery care systems. Since then he’s enjoyed teaching about the business side of healthcare at the University of California Davis Graduate School of Management, consulting, and traveling with friends and family, including cycling in Western Australia and Portugal and hiking in Arches and Canyonlands national parks and in Brazil. Though Eric enjoyed his time in corporate America and takes pride in the contributions he made, what he’s enjoying even more now is the absence of days filled with back-to-back meetings! October found him joining the gang of northern California ’84s at Karen DeGolia’s Limerick Lanes for a most memorable sunset dinner at a long table set in the vineyard itself, a mini-reunion tradition they hope will be continued.
Kudos to Phyllis Utley, who received the 2025 Impact Award from the Asheville (North Carolina) Chamber of Commerce, recognizing her work in bail reform, youth mentorship, reentry programs, and cultural preservation. Her advocacy has reunited families, opened pathways to opportunity, and amplified Black voices in the community. Phyllis also leads the Land of Sky Regional Council Remembrance Project, which recently received national recognition for honoring unmarked ancestral burial grounds. Phyllis proudly shared that her Catawba Nation had its first pow wow in North Carolina in 2025, celebrating its rich history and traditions. And more good news: Phyllis anticipates that her book Sunshine Pathways will be released later this year.
—Deana Washburn, 209 Casino Ave., Cranford, NJ 07016; deanadw@aol.com