Last year Mike Fonner returned to the United States after serving six years in Nairobi, Kenya, as pastor of an international Lutheran congregation, the culmination of 38 years as a Lutheran pastor. After college Mike worked for a year as a student pastor at the oldest church in Harlem before completing his master of divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School. He joined the Peace Corps just before ordination and worked in the Philippines. Later Mike earned his doctor of theology degree in Buddhist-Christian studies at Harvard Divinity School and through time served as a pastor in Thailand, South Korea, and Malaysia, as well as with the campus ministry congregation behind Leverone Field House in Hanover for seven years.

In his email to me, Mike humbly described himself as a Lutheran pastor who has been blessed with many extraordinary opportunities to learn and to serve. Mike and his wife, Leslie Weed-Fonner, now live in rural Vermont, an hour from Hanover. Mike is working as a substitute teacher in the local village elementary school and this summer will begin the M.A. program at Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College, concentrating on the novel. Leslie is a licensed, independent clinical social worker and coordinator of the outpatient adult clinic at the community mental health agency serving the greater Barre-Montpelier, Vermont, area. Mike and Leslie have three children, each with one child. Sophie is a hospital psychiatric social worker, Jess is a special education assistant at a public elementary school, and Zach works with an international nongovernmental organization with projects in the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Mozambique.

Shelley Kosisky, Bert Hubinger’s widow, wrote that Bert’s historical fiction trilogy about the War of 1812 (1812: Rights of Passage, 1813: Reprisal, and 1814: Raze of Glory) has been accepted posthumously into the library of the Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore for staff research and development. Bert’s books are available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Sadly, I must report that John Fisher passed away unexpectedly in December. Jim Miller kindly sent the following list of classmates who attended the memorial service for John in early January in Westport, Connecticut: Owen Williams, Steve Allison, Dave Cranshaw, Alan King, Rick Clarke, Paul Lukeman, Chris Gates, Doug Lind, Steve Dietz, Judd Fitze, Mitch Sadar, John Elsenhans, Gary Kraemer, Simon Etzel, Marty Mehlberth, Toni Hopkins(for Herb Hopkins), Don Casey, Joe Barnes, Bob Clymer,and Doug Peabody. After the service the group reconvened at John’s favorite lunch spot to share memories of John and to celebrate his life. Please see John’s obituary under the class of 1974 section at www.dartmouthalumnimagazine.com.

Please join in the fun and fellowship at our 45th reunion from Thursday, June 13, through Sunday, June 16, in Hanover. Also, please remember to make your contribution to the Dartmouth Fund by June 30.

Be safe and send news.

—Rick Sample, Retreat Farm, 1137 Manakin Road, Manakin Sabot, VA 23103; samplejr@msn.com