Class Notes

River Campus Undergraduate: Slater Society–1950s

1942
Madlyn Evans was profiled in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle for her three decades tending the First Unitarian Church’s four-acre garden in Rochester.

1943
Myron (Mike) Klein sends a recent photo and says, “I hope that my friends in the Class of ’43 will still recognize me. I am now a widower living in the Shell Point Retirement Community in Fort Myers, Fla., where I have been since leaving Sanibel four years ago. My address is 308 Nautilus Court, Fort Myers, FL 33908. My e-mail is mikeinspv (at) aol (dot) com.”

1950
Kenneth Hubel, class correspondent, writes:

Ken Button ’52 (Mas) is general chairman of the 29th International Conference on Infrared and Millimeter Waves, taking place in 2004 in Karlsruhe, Germany. He writes, “One step more toward retirement. My physicians (real doctors) at Mayo Jacksonville have persuaded me to stop search and rescue operations, so I had to resign my commission as a lieutenant in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Just as well. People always thought it was odd to see an old lieutenant in a naval officer’s uniform wearing four rows of ribbons and the U.S. Army Combat Infantry Man’s Badge.” Ken is 81 (2095 North A1A Highway, Indialantic, FL 32903; e-mail: kennethbutton (at) webtv (dot) net).

Frank Giangiobbe was in the U.S. Navy for three years after graduation, rose to Lt. Commander in the Reserve, and retired with 21 years of service. He married Janice Meinhart in 1953. They had two children and lived in Henrietta, N.Y., until 1967. Frank started teaching sixth grade in the Byron-Bergen (N.Y.) Community School District in 1953 and later taught in Rochester city schools where, in 1965, he became principal of an elementary school. He retired in 1983, allowing ample time for travel and visiting grandchildren. He takes classes at the Athenaeum at Rochester Institute of Technology, has become skilled in carving birds for competitive exhibitions, and requalified for a scuba certification (460 Hoffman Road, Rochester, NY 14622).

Margaret Wilson Jensen ’51N earned her nursing degree in 1951 and worked for two years at Strong Memorial Hospital. She married Stanley Wilson in 1953, and they spent six months in Europe starting processing labs for Eastman Kodak Co. When they returned to the States, they moved to Penfield, N.Y., and raised two boys and two girls. While the kids were growing, Margaret was active in the League of Women Voters and volunteering at the children’s schools. When they left the nest, she worked part time in the genetics division of the Department of Pediatrics at Strong and became a transcriber of Braille. She and Stanley retired in 1985 and have stayed busy keeping track of eight grandchildren, gardening, and working for their church (164 Hillary Lane, Penfield, NY 14526; e-mail: smjensen (at) worldnet (dot) att (dot) net).

Joyce Fairhurst Kopp writes that she “worked for several years in research for GAF Corp. and Schering Pharmaceuticals before advancing to full-time household engineer.” In 1952, she married Marvin Kopp, whose job as a chemical engineer with General Electric moved them from New Jersey to Massachusetts to New York and finally Wisconsin. They have enjoyed all sorts of outdoor activities and love canoeing the rivers in Wisconsin. “It has been, and still is, a great life. I loved my years at Rochester. All the ups, downs, laughter, and tears shaped friendships that have endured and that I cherish” (1240 Salter Drive, Waukesha, WI 53186; e-mail: marvkopp (at) juno (dot) com).

—Contact: Kenneth Hubel, 2562 Oak Circle N.E., North Liberty, IA 52317; (319) 626-6562; e-mail: khubel (at) southslope (dot) net.

Clark Barrett and his wife, Patricia, of Foster City, Calif., enjoyed Rochester’s Meliora Night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco last April. Pictured with them is Thomas Cassada ’81, former director of development for the Libraries and now senior director of development for the College. . . . Helen Baker Crouch received the annual Thursday Morning Roundtable award for meritorious community service last May for her volunteer work in the Syracuse area. The award is sponsored by the Syracuse University Continuing Education/University College.

1951
Roger Cason ’52 (MS) and June Macnabb Cason ’52 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. June is active in a variety of nonprofit organizations as board chairman or fundraiser. Roger is pursuing a longstanding interest in model railroading and recently became Master Model Railroader No. 307. . . . Stuart Daniels writes that he is an actor and pianist in the film Driving Miss Crazy, which was filmed at Rainbow Hill, the former estate of Douglas MacArthur, in Eccleston, Md.

1952
June Macnabb Cason (see ’51). . . . Robert Stone (see ’58).

1956

Livonia Wescott Eck writes to say that she’s now retired, after a 21-year career as an analytical chemist for Lancaster Laboratories in Lancaster, Pa. She says she’s “also enjoying being a grandmother.”

1957

A study conducted in 1990 by Charles Achilles ’67W (EdD) and two other investigators, on Tennessee’s Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio), has been recognized by Educational Leadership as one of the most influential research projects of the past 50 years.

1958
John Rathbone, class correspondent, writes:

Our class displayed a terrific showing of support for the 45th reunion. The number of volunteers exceeded all expectations. We were invited to several planning meetings at Rochester and must report that tri-chairs Dick DeBrine and Judy Frank Pearson run a good and productive meeting with thoughtful and meaningful—and often humorous—input from Jim Alrutz, Dick D’Amico, Joyce Timmerman Gilbert, Ann Baldwin Gilbert, Mary Duncan Granger ’59W (Mas), Gene Le Doux, Sandy Gravino Matthews ’61W (Mas), Linda Russell Messina, Dee Molinari, and Ed Przybycien ’62W (Mas). Long-distance (telephone) contributors at these meetings were Marg Taylor Adams, our third tri-chair Jerry Gardner, Sally Goddard, John Meyers, Fred Nelson, and Dick Vidale. Others serving on the committee were George Braddon ’59, Larry Chessin, Lou Clark, Don Culley, Liz Moody Culp, G. Graydon Curtis, Sandy Gruver, National Reunion 2003 chair and University Trustee Ed Hajim, Diane Morell Jenkins, Ann Pinella, Jim Polizotto, Elinor Reinhardt Postler, Nancy Kelts Rice, Robert Stone ’52, Peter Tarrant ’69S (MBA), Bobbie Kirsch Thomas, and Dick VanDermeid.

Joyce Timmerman Gilbert noted that husband Dick retired after 32 years as parish minister of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester. The couple then took on teaching tasks in Berkeley, Calif., and Chicago while residing in Oakland, Calif. Dick accepted the ministry of a congregation in Golden, Colo., which led to a tough air commute. Joyce spent a good part of last winter in Rochester with her new, first grandchild, Samuel Reed Gilbert. Joyce also racked up a lot of “frequent flyer” miles by attending quarterly meetings of their denomination’s Commission on Appraisal and three board meetings of the New York State Convention of Universalists. When in Rochester, Joyce continues to read for Reachout Radio, a public radio service for the blind and visually impaired. Recently, Joyce announced that she and Dick are relocating to Ithaca, N.Y.

John Rathbone and Val Evans Rathbone ’60W (Mas) reported that their trip to eastern Europe was everything they had hoped it would be and that they learned a lot and hope to have made some new friends. Their summer travel was a driving trip to Fallon, Nev., to visit daughter Elizabeth’s family. They took the long way, via Canada, “just to see Lake Louise!”

Dick Vidale is still putting the finishing touches on the Class of ’58 photo CD and will continue to accept any “then” or “now” (or in between) photos (hard copy or digital), biographical information, or other written memorabilia for inclusion in this “magnum opus” through the end of the year. He plans to distribute the CDs early in 2004. Dick will restore damaged photos and will return your original and restored “hard copies” to you too!

One last note: If you send Val or me an e-mail, be wary of the spelling: There’s no final “e” in the name—it’s “jrathbon.”

—Contact: John Rathbone, 2375 Brookview Drive, Hamilton, NY 13346; e-mail: jrathbon (at) dreamscape (dot) com.

1959
George Braddon (see ’58). . . . Noal Cohen and Michael Fitzgerald’s book, Rat Race Blues, on the life of noted jazz musician Gigi Gryce, won the “best research” award from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections in 2003. Noal is a musician and jazz historian who lives in Montclair, N.J. . . . Warren Eddy retired in August from his position as library director for the Cortland (N.Y.) Free Library. The collection, frequently praised for its range and quality, more than doubled during his nearly 40 years at the library. . . . Barbara Hunt Homolka (see ’93).