Class Note 1977
One year to go until our 35th reunion. I hope someone out there is chomping at the bit to take over this column from me! It’s getting harder to write—nobody even sent news about a new ’15 being admitted from their family. It’s even getting harder to write because most of the news I have this month is unfortunately about the deaths of two of our classmates. Jeffrey Brooker passed away on August 27, 2010, in New York City. He was the president and senior operating officer of a family-founded real estate company. Mark Berthiaume passed along that Michael Brigham passed away on March 22 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Brian MCloskey emailed some very poignant thoughts to many of Brigsy’s Dartmouth friends, and with Brian’s permission, I’d like to share some of what he wrote with you. “For each of us this is a time of reflection and sadness. It’s been more than 30 years since we departed Hanover. Lives spent with partners, filled with career pursuits, children, family and friends. Where did all the time go? I am at a loss to think we are losing one of the best people life placed in our paths. A flood of memories comes back to me. Brigsy was a guys’ guy, a damn good man and above all, he really cared about people. Each of us carries something of Brigsy within because he touched those he counted as friends in his life. Dartmouth was a place that of itself meant little to me. The people who shared the journey alongside us were the magic. As brother stands by brother.” Rocky. Please visit the DAM online for Jeffrey’s and Michael’s obituaries.
Steven Mele was recently inducted into the Archbishop Williams High School Hall of Fame in Braintree, Massachusetts, for both baseball and basketball. His high school accomplishments included being captain of both teams his senior year, being named Catholic League All-Star in both sports in 1972 and 1973 and a Boston Globe All-Scholastic basketball team member in 1973. At Dartmouth Steve played both basketball and baseball and captained both teams our freshman year. Currently, Steve is a loan officer in Boston with Guaranteed Rate Mortgage Co. and resides in Centerville, Massachusetts, with his family, where he coaches his children’s baseball and basketball teams!
Jeff McKee and our daughters Kelley and Kimberley ’06 were vacationing in Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda in March. At lunch, while wearing a Dartmouth shirt, Jeff was approached by Bart Geer. Bart was also vacationing with his family. Bart is a portfolio manager on the Putnam Equity Income Fund in Boston, which he has run since 2000.
I hope as you read this column you are enjoying the start of summer and take a moment to email me with some news.
—Kathy Kelley Cimina, 6 Martins Road, Newtown Square, PA 19073; (610) 356-4685; cohasset73@comcast.net
