1963 – Fall ’21 Class Letter
1963 – Fall 2021 Class Letter
Class agent:
WAYNE WOLFGRAM ’63
(313) 550-5094 / [email protected]
Greetings, Classmates!
Hopefully, everyone is doing well in these trying times, and that letters such as this help to reconnect friends which brings back memories of our enjoyable and carefree (except for finals) Ripon experiences.
Class Notes:
VERNON CRONEN ’63 of Wilmington, North Carolina ([email protected]) writes, “My wife and I visited our daughter and grandson in Massachusetts. We tacked on a vacation to the Cape. We also got to visit my cousin at their vacation time-share in Hilton Head. We had not been in touch for decades. Surprisingly, we have a lot of ideas in common even though we are in very different fields. I have been working with a group on the problem of ‘moral injury’ encountered by our veterans. That is a new application of my theory. I have other projects too but that is the best developed so far. It is also where my wife’s expertise in neuropathology of speech and language comes into play. It is great working together. Otherwise, I have been trying to do the kinds of medical repairs over the summer I need to function during the coming academic year. A friend once said, ‘Old age isn’t for sissy’s.’ RIGHT!”
BARBARA SIVER JONES ’63 of Quarryville, Pennsylvania ([email protected]) writes, “For the past eight years I have been living in Quarryville, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, amidst Amish Farm Country, and I love it. I have retired from my 55-year career in Special Education. For the past six years, I have been working part-time as a receptionist in a retirement community here in Lancaster County. Last month I was privileged to enjoy a two-week visit from my classmate and Alpha Chi Omega sorority sister, ROBERTA HEYNE ’63, who is originally from the Chicago area, but who currently lives in Camden, Maine.“
SUSAN KELLER MATTHES ’63 of Carson City, Nevada ([email protected]) writes, “With all this COVID-19 and its variants (possibly with more to come), we are staying close to home. The California wildfires, especially the Dixie (over 700,000 acres) and the Caldor (jumped from 20,000 to 100,000 acres much too quickly) are sending smoke in our direction that makes it difficult to see and breathe! God bless all the fire personnel and keep them safe- They are performing a monumental service, in spite of the ever-greater number of structures burning. The winds have been truly devastating. Perhaps the rains will return and help? Keep the firefighters in your prayers!”
DAVID NEUBAUER ’63 of Ormond Beach, Florida ([email protected]) writes, “Egads, I just had my 80th(!) birthday like so many of us classmates, where did the years go? But life is good, family is wonderful, and we’re all staying healthy. Our daughter and 11-year-old granddaughter moved back home with us after their house burned down in June. Linda and I went from empty-nesters to a full house. They’ll stay with us until their insurance settles up and the home is rebuilt, probably by the spring. The five of us spent a week at Disney World this summer being kids again. We will return there next during Easter break as our lives are now controlled by the school calendar. COVID canceled our cruise in May so we signed up for a May 2022 cruise to France and Spain where we have family. We hope our governments figure out vaccine passports by then. My best to all of you.”
DAN SCHULTZ ’63 of Silver Spring, Maryland ([email protected]) writes, “We are enjoying our summer at our place on Lake Ripley again. Lots of golf and almost daily outings on our pontoon for a dip in the lake and a happy hour cruise. We will remain here until the end of September, then back to Maryland until January, and then down to Florida until May. Hard life! My golf goal this summer was to shoot my age before I turn 80 in October. Have come close (80 and 81) but no cigar yet. To celebrate my 80th birthday, Peg is treating me to the Alabama Trail, a series of golf courses all designed by Robert Trent Jones’ that are spread out over the state. It should be fun and we hope the resurgent coronavirus doesn’t force us to cancel the trip.
“We and all of our family have remained free of COVID and hope that is true for all of you. It continues to amaze us that there are people who continue to thumb their nose at the vaccine, putting themselves and others at such risk. Clearly, they could not be Ripon alumni.
“Feel so badly for the families who lost their sons and daughters in the stupid and futile
Afghan war. Hope everyone gets out that needs to and that the Taliban fall flat on their faces in trying to run the country.
“Had the good fortune to hook up with BOB COLLINS ’64 (a year behind us) for lunch in August and I am sending in a photo of us at our get-together. Life seems to have treated him well and it was fun to get together and catch up with each other.”
BOB COLLINS ’64 (left) AND DAN SCHULTZ ’63 (right)
FRANK SMOLL ’63 of Cascadia, Washington ([email protected]) writes, “Greetings from Cascadia! I hope this missive finds you healthy and doing well. To begin, here’s a brief personal-recap. After completing my Ph.D. in Kinesiology (UW Madison), I became a faculty member at the University of Washington in 1970. My teaching and research focused on the effects of competition on children’s psycho-social development (developmental sport psychology). After 51-years of playing in academia, retirement occurred in April, and I’m now a Professor Emeritus of Psychology – I won’t engage in self-aggrandizement by giving a summary of achievements (scholarly works/publications, academic awards, etc.).
“On moving to the Pacific Northwest, I quickly became a converted native. Our weather can get dreary, but that’s what sun breaks are for during the rainy season (e.g., CA, HI, Mexico). Since 1975, I’ve enjoyed living in Kirkland, which is the “Sausalito of Seattle.
“What are my plans for retirement? At this point, there are no specific things on my plate, as I’m savoring the absence of structure and obligations. Actually, the freedom from daily routines is like an endless vacation, and I’m looking forward to the ‘next chapter. Best wishes, Frank – aka Grande ”
CAROLYN QUILLING WOLF ’63 of Valencia, California ([email protected]) writes, “We are doing well. Tom and I got our vaccine in February. We’ve survived numerous lockdowns and mask-wearing. Tom retired last September but is keeping busy with the men’s biking group, bocce ball, ping pong, poker, and cribbage. He is on our HOA Board and he is also doing some consulting.
“I am in the Belcaro Book Club and am in charge of our 5 O’clock Friends group. We go out every Thursday for dinner. We couldn’t do that during lockdown but we did cocktail Zoom meetings. I also play Bunco and Tom and I attend the monthly Bingo game at the clubhouse. During the lockdown, we did Bingo in our cars.
“Moving to the 55-and-over community of Belcaro was one of the best things we’ve done. We’ve met lots of wonderful people here and are really enjoying our ‘Golden Years.’”
—————-
Until Next Time,
Stay Safe Everyone!
WAYNE WOLFGRAM ’63