Longtime class councilor Joseph “Joe” Zanchelli passed away on Jan. 21, 2025. He leaves behind his wife of 73 years, Joyce Leavitt ’52, children Mark, Michael and Lynn, eight grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Joe was a high school math teacher for five years, a high school guidance counselor for 32 years, and chairperson of the Guidance Department at Great Neck South High School for 22 years. He retired in 1986. Joe had served as class counselor for the 1949 Red Devils since 2003. In 2014, he and Joyce were honored for their dedication to the University with the UAlbany Alumni Association’s Whittlesey Excellence in Alumni Service Award.
Naoshi Koriyama celebrated his 98th birthday Nov. 3 in Kanagawa, Yokohama, Japan. He continues to write poetry and translates Japanese poems into English. He recently finished a book manuscript with the tentative title, My Tankas, My English Poems, My Life and is looking for a publisher in Japan. He is a professor emeritus at Tokyo University.
Thomas “Tom” Hoppey passed away in July 2024. Dedicated to his community in Port Jervis, NY, Tom was a teacher and principal for over 30 years. The Port Jervis School District dedicated the recently renovated East Main Elementary School in his honor. The City of Port Jervis also named August 30, 2024 as “Tom Hoppey Day.”
Miriam Sanderson Russell wrote the screenplay for “Born A Secret,” a short film adapted from her 2017 memoir.
When class councilor
Ron Short passed away last year, Bob Kampf continued to help keep class communications rolling for the Green Gremlins of ’59. Unfortunately, he has not received any updates from classmates in the past year. Bob writes: “We had a beautiful get together and celebratory lunch for our 60th anniversary reunion in 2019. Since then, all has been quiet on the western front, and all other fronts. Recently, I donated the last $200 in our class account to the Alumni Association for whatever purpose they deemed necessary. I thought this was valid, rather than letting it be lost. I hope that, by seeing this note, some of you will drop me an email as we continue to keep as active as our faltering bones will allow. Send me a note at redhookbob@ outlook.com and I will let others know how you are doing. Hopefully, this wakeup call will find you in good health.”