Princeton University Class of 1969

End-of-Summer Summer Newsletter, 2014

Reunions reflections continue to be frequent and cheerful.Good friends do make for good times.

CLASS MATTERS:

Stephanie Judson and SANDY REA hosted their Philadelphia /South Jersey/Princeton regional PICS summer '14 gathering.28 gathered at their farm: 14 interns, plus Lor and MIKE GEHRET, CHIP JERRY, RICK KITTO, CHUCK FREYER, CLAUS FRANK, and a number of others along with our fine Executive Director Jeri Schaefer.

Thanks to the ongoing generosity of so many ‘69ers, our Class scholarship provided more than $10,000 in support to last year’s Class scholar Alexander Lee ‘15 of Canandaigua, New York.

A number of classmates planning to turn out for Princeton-in-Africa's October 23 annual dinner in New York, which will celebrate two of its most devoted founders, GEORGE HRITZ and JIM FLOYD.In addition to those leaders, classmates who have shared recent financial assistance for the organization include Debra and JIM BLEDSOE, ANNE and BILL CHARRIER, BARRY EVANS, Jane and JIM GREGOIRE, LINDSAY HOLLAND, Chris and RICK KITTO, BOB LOVEMAN, TOM MCKAY, Mary Harrington and JESSE OKIE, SANDY REA, Betsy and PAUL SITTENFELD, and Marybeth and George and Jim themselves.

OTHER NEWS:

Class webmaster JEFF KAPLAN brings all kinds of news to all of us.This summer, he and Patrice have their own news to share: daughter Andrea's first baby, Ari Kaplan Burnett, was born July 31.He is their second grandson and Ari’s cousin, their daughter Sarah's first, Henry, rounds out a truly talented family.

BIG victory for Connie and MIKE CONE, who won the Newport to Bermuda Race with their Actaea.After many years in the hunt, they took home the St. David's Lighthouse trophy.Connie's rendition of an extraordinary adventure aboard their Hinkley Bermuda 40 yawl confirms that she is not only a remarkable painter and sailor, but also quite a storyteller."It took me about 15 years to learn how to sail her.People think yawls are easy to sail, but they're not easy to race."

LAWYERS’ LIVES:

JERRY SALTARELLI, a founding partner of Chicago's Butler Ruben Saltarelli and Boyd, has been named a fellow of the College of Commercial Arbitrators.The national group provides services to the profession, the public, and the businesses and lawyers who depend on them for dispute resolution.

HANK ASBILL is engaged in one of the highest profile cases going.We have read that he is lead counsel for former Virginia governor, Bob McDonald, whose alleged infractions are fodder for much media ink as the trial goes forward.

Cincinnati barrister, BOB BUECHNER, continues to share himself in amazing and creative ways.A serial volunteer, his main focus has been assisting urban children to become better students and he works in all kinds of ways to make that happen.After coaching children's basketball at various schools, he's been working in recent years with a specific Cincinnati high school on its varsity basketball program.His work goes far beyond the court itself.He's engaged in opening up new opportunities for the students and directing them toward the kinds of role models and habits for building productive lives.

In New York, lawyer MIKE KIESEL has been focusing more and more on association activities.He has become one of the members of the House of Delegates in the New York State Bar Association, representing the 27,000 member association for the City of New York.He was also recently appointed to the non-profit organization committee and is working on new proposed regulations regarding political activity for social welfare groups.Meanwhile, wife Tertia, although officially retired, is still more-than-fully engaged and deeply committed to the Metropolitan Museum where she volunteers in visitor services and continues to give her inimitable VIP tours.

Beyond all that he does for Princeton-in-Africa, yet another lawyer, GEORGE HRITZ, reports that he and Marybeth have another legal pro in the works: their daughter Amelia, who won't even begin at Cornell Law until this fall, has already had two law review articles published while working on her PhD!Their godson, Jack, living with them and recently graduated from Greenwich High School, joins Amelia in regularly asking them: "What does the Big Guy want the two of us to do when we grow up?"

Exciting news from GRANVILLE BURGESS. He published his novel "Stone in the Crick!" recently. An Amish mystery-romance, available on Amazon either in print or Kindle, it was inspired by his wife Reba's farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and the adventures she shared with her cousin Howard. All sales proceeds go to charity in that area so the possibility for the benefits are doubled: a great read and assistance to the Farmland Trust. Novel number two is already in the works.

We missed ART HAMM and his partner, Bobby Nicholson, when Art's health issues made it impossible for them to be at the reunion. Happily, things are far better and Art is progressing well.

Thanks to JIM KUZMICK for sharing not only a great photo of Judy and him, but also for some interesting Princeton-related memorabilia. As he notes: "Old Nassau and the Princeton tiger are more ubiquitous in the old world than I had known." They saw a tiger mosaic on the floor of a Roman villa in Pathos, Cyprus, which dates back to the second century. They also enjoyed visiting the Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam, which reflects the House of Mata. Further, the staff there are all garbed in orange and black! "This is almost as good as the time we were in France visiting the Roman aqueduct off the Tont du Gard and heard the unmistakable sound of "hold that tiger" wafting across Provence. There was a German oompah band in the middle of the bridge playing our song!"

Good words from DON COWLES' wife Jane who sent great photographs of our 45th saying how much pleasure they both got from the times we were all together. Indeed, those early summer days served as motivation for many Class gatherings. Maureen and JEFF MARSTON hosted one as did Adrienne and BOB GANG. At one setting or another in these Northeast get togethers were Tina and LARRY MORRIS, Pinky and CLAY MCELDOWNEY, Stephanie de Sibour and MARC MILLER, Lynn and RANDY EVANS, RICK RAILSBACK, and Cathy and CHRIS MILTON.

BILL EARLE - the Texas Bill Earle! - takes great pleasure in thinking about Reunions and suggests, take note DAN HARMAN!, that we might well offer a registration category for those Classmates only attending the P-rade. He also noted that our President, CHRIS THOMFORDE, not our honorary classmate CHRIS EISGUBER, has now served three universities as Chief Executive : Bethany in Kansas; St. Olaf in Minnesota; and Moravian in Pennsylvania. Our old Chris T. is finally enjoying quieter times with wife Kathy in St. Paul: our new Chris E. is awash in accomplishments on Campus.

RICH REIN wrote in his June 11th issue of US One newspaper about Reunions and focused, especially on the alumni forums (forii?!), which he clearly and thoroughly enjoyed. For that matter, many of the nearly 500 of us on site enjoyed one or more of the presentations as well.

WOODY HALSEY spends about 10 months of the year in Avignon, France, and is only on this side of the pond during summers. Here's hoping we'll catch him at our 50th.

From Atlanta, Grö and BOB COXE, note that he recently retired from his radio broadcasting career. They missed our 45^th because they were in her native Norway celebrating the end of the wonderful life of her wonderful mother.When Grö and Bob were married, a mere 42 years ago, your Secretary got to be best man, and the loving hospitality of Grö's parents are a vivid, rich, and lasting memory.

Perhaps the best summation of all kinds of fine observations is from DOUG PRUDDEN: "Princeton is always in my heart."

Wishing you good months ahead and, especially, that you’ll be in the Best Old Place of All for the Harvard game and attendant festivities on Saturday, October 25.

All kinds of good wishes to everyone…

Paul