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July 8, 2015 "Grow old with me. The best is yet to be.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning. My father had a response to that. "That’s horse manure, Johnny.” And so it is, yet the Sixtieth Reunion Committee, chaired by Dodie and Charlie Mapes, defied eternal verities and presented 138 classmates with an experience allowing them to believe, if only fleetingly, in Browning’s vision. Everything ran so smoothly that participants were reminded of Fred Astaire’s answer to why he and his partner needed to practice so long and hard "So it all looks easy.” The music, beginning with Jim Freund’s combo on Thursday night, continuing on Friday evening with Stan Rubin’s band featuring Eddie Polcer ‘58, concluding with the post-P-Rade performance of the Blawenburg Jazz Band, lured many, even the halt and the lame, onto the dance floor. Perhaps the best evidence of a well-oiled machine was to be found in the P-Rade dominance by the 1955 golf carts, the whole performance being reminiscent of the Soap Box Derby with all its seeming confusion masking some outstanding driving by golf course veterans such as John S. Wilson. The Sixtieth Reunion Memorial Presentation with introductory remarks by the Reverend Douglas M. Carpenter ‘55 was moving. Doug Carpenter has a special touch which inspires reflection. Reunions are, at their heart, not about events, but about people. A great joy to see Fern and Burt Abrams, poster children for the Successful Aging Movement. Win Adkins has now concluded his involvement with the choral group he founded to sing at nursing homes and now has time to write his book. Kaye and Don Boothman continue to supervise the smooth demise of their llamas; of which three are left. Dick Conroy’s daily trips to the exercise room in the West Palm Beach Trump Tower have him looking fit. Frank Crews brought with him his two pulchritudinous granddaughters, who made jaws drop. Ray Freeman, winner of two of three from lymphoma, cut with wife Mary a marvelous figure on the dance floor. Dick A. Frye, responding to wife Betty Lou’s wish to play tennis with him, was walking around with two new knees. Hands-down, Bob McCarty, traveling from Finland, won the long distance award. Walt Milbourne regaled us with the rankings of the tennis team. Teddy Rogers, recently deceased, played Number One; Walt, after several successful challenges against Dozier Gardner, played Number Two, Dozier Gardner was Number Three, Nelson Wild was Number Four, Graham Jones Number Five, and Tom Jordan Number Six. Walt Milbourne, Nelson Wild, and Tom Jordan were all at Reunions. Making a rare appearance at a Princeton function were Gael and Duke Habernickel, now living in New York City. The great nautical craftsman Bob Collier was present with wife Marilyn. Sarah and Milton Deitch were able to provide a needed perspective on the diet consumed by Reunion attendees. "Once in a while won’t hurt.” Jill and Rich Hespos have recently moved to Princeton and are enjoying it. Susan and Kerck Kelsey, not boastful at having survived the Maine winter but grateful. In the absence of Joan and Herb Ahrens, the task of representing Cape Cod fell to Betsy and Dick Evans, who executed their role effortlessly and well with the joie de vivre characteristic of this duo. None of the erstwhile varsity athletes in the group could match the trim figure of vice-president Herb Kaufman, who looks like he is at his college weight. As the capable tenure of President Rich Thompson ends, we look forward to the leadership of Kenly Webster. |
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