April 2012 - Alumni News - Williams College

CLASS NOTES
College, Pa., where the football
stadium holds 114,000 people! A
little bit bigger than our modest
grounds in Billville. Also they
receive more national coverage.
Betty Ann and Rick Wheeler
are trying to get their home in
the Massachusetts Registry of
Historic Places.
Ed and President Fred Goldstein
chimed in as follows: “Not much
to report other than seeing Nicky
and Paige L’Hommedieu for
theater and dinner in New York
on a regular basis as well as the
92nd Street Y Lyrics and Lyricists
Series. Joan and Jim Manning
came over for dinner with us,
and we had a great evening, even
if my soufflé didn’t rise as high as
it should have. I talked to Peter
Ochs in Vienna early in January
and was glad to hear that he is
recovering well from a serious
illness. Have been in touch
with our great 60th reunion
committee, Nicky and Paige
L’Hommedieu and Susan and Jim
Henry, and they are doing a terrific
job. Everyone should have
a wonderful time at reunion. We
are looking forward to seeing all
in June.”
“I plan to attend the 60th and
really enjoyed the mini last fall,”
reports Art Levitt. “We are at our
home in Stuart, Fla., for most
of the winter but came up to
NYC for the Xmas holidays. We
saw several shows and movies,
but the highlight was the New
Year’s Eve premier presentation
of a new opera, The Enchanted
Island. I have fond memories
every time I go to the Met of my
roommate Ted Withington’s love
of opera.” (Ted and wife Robin
still do.)
Got a nice note from Becky,
stating: “Joe Bumsted doesn’t
have anything noteworthy to
share as he continues to be challenged
with vascular dementia, a
result of his long-term diabetes.
He will not be attending the
60th reunion, which is sad for
both of us, as those gatherings
are always great fun. With Joe’s
blessing, I’m joining the Williams
trip to Holland and Belgium in
April and look forward to seeing
all those beautiful tulips.” (If
you want to contact Joe, you
can do so through Becky’s email:
BBBum1415@aol.com. He will
appreciate it.)
Bob Huddleston happily
reported, “After two and a
half years as deputy assistant
secretary of defense for policy
(Africa), Vicki resigned as of the
end of December and is now
back in Santa Fe.”
16 | Williams PeoPle | aPril 2012
Bill Missimer happily reports
that he and Jane “were married
on Dec. 29 at a little church in
Newfields, N.H. Other than
that it’s been a quiet holiday
season. Life as a married couple
is wonderful. We plan on making
Newmarket, N.H., our
headquarters, with time spent at
the farm in the Berkshires and at
our hideaway in the Florida Keys.
We’ve volunteered to help the
Henrys and the L’Hommedieus
with the Big 60 celebration and
look forward to seeing classmates
there.” Also on the nuptial front,
Ray George announced that he
has some news: “BIG NEWS.
Betsy E. LaMotte of Winnetka,
Ill., and I were married in Florida
on Dec. 29, and I am looking
forward to introducing her to
you all in Williamstown this
June.” (I wonder if the Georges
and the Missimers knew they
were getting hitched on the same
day! Who knew?)
Pete Gurney reported: “Molly
and I took all eight of our grandchildren—and
their parents, of
course—to Mohonk Mountain
House, near New Paltz, N.Y., for
the Thanksgiving weekend. I recommend
the experience heartily,
though my checkbook showed
considerable reluctance."
Bob Rich, sounding in good
form, wrote from Annapolis:
“This fall was busy for Joan
and me. On Oct. 15 my
granddaughter Leila Wendler
was married at Bisby Lake,
Old Forge, N.Y., and on Oct.
29 Joan’s son was married in
Charlotte, N.C.” Bob also mentioned:
Mary and Jack Ordeman
have a “beautiful” new grandson,
Thomas Wells Foster, who
arrived in September. Jack also
reports a glorious Thanksgiving
when the whole family came
to Nassawadox to celebrate
son Lee’s 50th and Mary’s 80th
birthdays. Bob recommends
Jack’s latest book, The Art
of Milton C. Weiler. “It is a
beautiful, thoroughly documented
and superbly illustrated
treatise of the life and work of a
talented artist-sportsman.”
Bob also shared the sad news
that his friend Bob Johnson
passed away last July.
Betty Ann and Rick Wheeler
announced: “Starting with the
annual ‘Holly Harvest,’ which
united our family in the process
of boxing and shipping over
three quarters of a ton of my
grandfather’s wonderful holly, we
had a lovely family reunion on
Christmas and a fun gathering
on New Year’s Eve. So the clock
is ticking now for our grand
reunion in June, and we both
look forward to being together
again. In closing, we mourn the
passing of Henry Catto and will
always remember the many ways
in which he served our country.”
Mimi and Hank Norton
chimed in to say that they are at
Hillsboro Club for the winter, as
are the John Montgomerys. Hank
said they are signed up for the big
reunion.
“After a busy September—a
wedding in Chicago and a funeral
in Maryland, we hunkered down
here while Nancy had a second
ankle replacement in October,”
writes Bob Kimberly. “The first
one wore out after nine years.
I’ve been chief cook, bottle
washer, house maid and chauffeur.
Currently we are thinking
of a vacation for both of us in
Scottsdale and sunshine for a
couple weeks, but we haven’t any
plans yet.”
Bob Riegel announced with
regret: “My granddaughter will
be graduating from high school,
so our trip will have to be to
Florida rather than to Williams.
At the end of May I will officially
retire from full-time parish ministry
(56 years is long enough).
Keren and I plan a two-week trip
in April to Berlin and Prague.
Sorry to miss the big 60th—hard
to believe! (Congratulations!)”
Pat and Bill Hatch had a
nice Christmas with all the
kids for one day in Cleveland.
Just enough cold and snow to
remember what it was like in the
old days. They have both their
houses here and in Chagrin Falls
up for sale, but real estate is not
moving well in either location.
“If we sell up north, we have put
money down on a lovely little
home in a retirement community
like Essex Meadows just out of
Chagrin Falls and could move
right away. We have reservations
at the Berkshire Hills Motel
for the reunion, and Pat and I
are looking forward to being in
attendance.”
Good news came in from Don
Wyman in Marblehead, who says
he will be at the 60th.
Betty and Howie Martin
returned happily from a New
Year’s weekend in Williamsburg,
Va., with their family. “New
programs since our last visit
30-plus years ago helped make
history come alive again, plus
our five grandchildren (ages
23-30) make interesting travel
companions. Happy to report
two are employed and three are
taking graduate work.”