June 7, 2023 was a memorable day for members of the Class of 1960. Five Yellowjackets attended the Reunion Luncheon for the Classes of 1955-1965 in Albany. Our gratitude goes out to Loida Vera Cruz for making the event possible. Olga Eckardt Winsor had a “most enjoyable [reunion] afternoon becoming re-acquainted with so many lovely people!” Doris Hische Brossy and daughter Kristin Linsey enjoyed meeting attendees from adjoining classes. Phil Shepherd and Frances Cicero Shepherd ’62 live in a 55+ community in the Poughkeepsie area. They missed seeing Joan Cali Pecore at the reunion. As co-councilor, Joan was instrumental in planning for the reunion but couldn’t attend due to health issues.
Mary Ellen Johnson has been retired from teaching for 29 years. She is active in the Guilderland Historical Society and serves as Guilderland Town Historian. She regularly sees Mary Matey Garrett and Nancy Marie Ryan.
Fay McMore Graham retired in 2005 from the Washington County Department of Social Services. She keeps busy with Bible study, book group, two scholarship committees, Friends of the Library, and Garden Club, and enjoys line dancing, playing Scrabble, reading and traveling. She plans to take a Viking River Cruise on the Elbe this spring. Fay has three adult children and five grandchildren ages 19-26.
Raymie Sepe ’59 of Poughkeepsie was so happy to have made this reunion.
A Chi Sigma Theta “mini reunion” included Marilyn Desanta Delorenzo ’57, Marcia Lawrence Gauquie ’57 and husband John ’57, Pat Ireland Morgan ’59, Doris Hische Brossy, and Maris Sheehan Hart ’61.
Joan Cali Pecore keeps busy with her family these days–now with five adult children, all married; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. She enjoys reading, solving crossword puzzles, listening to music, and partaking regularly in courses/lectures offered by various colleges and the Smithsonian via Zoom. She is sorry to have missed old friends at the reunion.
Nancy Lou Ryan Gnan and husband John of Melbourne, FL., hoped to join us for the reunion, but health and other issues prevented the trip from happening.
Janice Graham Kaliski suffered a heart seizure in January; she lives at an assisted living facility in Harrisonburg, VA. Her first great-grandchild is due in July.
Art Hackett wants to be remembered to classmates from ’59 through ’62 as well as to his Kappa Beta brothers. Art lives independently in a senior community in Gainesville, VA. He keeps busy maintaining his house of 23 years, attending Lifelong Learning programs, and amateur radio contesting. He has two great-grandchildren who live nearby.
Betty Pflegl Nickles ’59 was also planning to join us, but she and her husband John decided at the last minute that making a reservation would not be wise due to ongoing health issues.
Class Co-Councilors: Doris Brossey, dbrossy@aol.com; Joan Pecore, joanpecore@gmail.com
Maris Sheehan Hart is retired from NYS, has four grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren, and has enjoyed many wonderful trips.
Ann Marie “Sunny” Sundstrand Mullen enjoys summers at her home in New Hampshire. In Maine, Sunny is active in Delta Kappa Gamma, Independent Order of Scandinavians and Kennebec Historical Society.
Elena Rabine Halady, Earl Buzz Welker, Robert Sweeney and Fran Shepherd are well, active, and send their regards. The “Fla. Hunter Run group,” meets weekly and includes Sue Byron Wallace, Doris Edelstein Hirschorn, Linda Levinson Kessler, and Shelley Gruber Karp. The group formed a weekly Zoom meetup that also includes Dan Shultz, Hank Maus, Pat Jones Maus, Gail Wackerow Kirby and Shelley Kellerman Pollero. Hannah Schnitt Rogers visited Sheril McCormack for Halloween week on Long Island and the “always” day at Jones Beach.
Class Councilor: Sheril McCormack, vanillastar202@yahoo.com
Bill Murphy and wife Susan of Atlanta celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on a European cruise and visited Spain, Gibraltar, England, Portugal, France and Denmark. The couple has three children, six grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.
Patricia Jewell McAlexander published a new novel, The Last Golden Isle. It is available in paperback and ebook format and can be purchased from Amazon, Apple or Barnes & Noble. Pat remains active, teaching and taking courses, and serves on the Friends of Athens-Clarke County Library Board of Directors in Athens, GA.
By the time you read this, our reunion committee will be trying to reach you to confirm your contact info and to plan for our 60th reunion. Can you believe that it will be 60 years since we graduated from UAlbany?! Do plan on attending our 60th for lots of fun and reminiscing. More information will be coming as plans are solidified.
“The chance to get together is never bypassed…” – 1964 Torch
Class co-councilors: Bill Robelee, wmrobelee31@gmail.com; Columba DeFrancesco Heinzelman, heinzel779@aol.com
Gale Brinn McCall and Art McCall still spend half the year in sunny Surprise, Ariz., and the other half in Baldwinsville, NY. For 20 years they drove cross-country between the two states and geocached along the way, but now they fly direct from Phoenix to Buffalo where their daughter picks them up. Their son Charlie is vice president of a large Swiss manufacturing company in India, where he has been working for six years. Their daughter Michelynn is still teaching. Gale and Art spent the summer on a Viking Cruise along the Danube, between Prague and Budapest, their first time in Eastern Europe. Gale spent most of November with son Charlie in India. Charlie had the week of Diwali off and arranged trips for Gale, a gift for her 80th birthday. Gale and Art enjoyed family gatherings in Syracuse during Christmas. In late June Gale and daughter Michelynn will be taking a cruise starting in Aix-en-Provence and ending in Amsterdam.
Dick Smith and wife Jean Thayer Smith ’66 have been in Greeley, CO, for 20 years. They’re near kids and grandkids who are involved in sports, performances and church activities. Dick and Jean are blessed with good health and send best wishes to all.
Mary Margaret Welker Young and husband John took a two-week walking/hiking trip to the Cotswolds and Cornwall, England. The trip was with Road Scholar, and they met another couple in the group who were from Michigan graduated from the UAlbany Class of ’72! Small world! In keeping with the tradition of those in the Northeast, Ira Rubtchinsky and wife Diane have made tracks—sand tracks, that is—to the golden Atlantic coast of South Florida. Regards to all. Stay healthy. And if there are any who want to have a get-together in their Golden Land, email Ira at irapaul@yahoo.com.
Ruth Siegel Baker is planning many trips in the new year including New York (to see a play, Lempicka, written by a former student), Napa, Italy and Ireland. An avid bridge player, Ruth achieved the rank of Ruby Life Master.
Judy Koblintz Madnick is the recipient of the UAlbany Alumni Association’s Whittlesey Excellence in Alumni Service Award for 2024. Judy will be honored at the annual Excellence Awards Gala in April.
David Simons is member at large and founder of Global H2O, a non-profit organization created in Raleigh, NC in 2009. Teams are also located in London, Munich and Dusseldorf. The organization’s mission is to provide clean water and sanitation facilities in rural areas. Learn more at www.globalh2o.org.
Class Councilor: Judy (Koblintz) Madnick, jmadnick@gmail.com
A message from your class councilor:
Greetings, beloved ’67 classmates.
Your classmates and I would love to receive news from you and any news you hear about our fellow classmates. Let us hear about your accomplishments after graduating from UAlbany, including your travels and volunteer activities. Please email me with your news. Stay connected!
Class Councilor: Canon Kay Carol Hotaling, FHC, aspenpaepke@msn.com
Gail Parsons is a registered nurse and works as an evaluator with the NYS certification of CNAs. She previously taught secondary French for 34 years.
Norma Abel, Ralph Grimaldi, Lenore Rich Reinhard, Frances Harris Jones, Sheila Stromwasser Foraker, Constance Bentley Mulligan, Harry Thornhill, Richard Kelly, and Bill Robelee were among the alums who attended the Classes of ’55-’65 Luncheon at the Italian American Community Center in June. Photos, memorabilia and lively chatter were enjoyed by all.
The 2023 recipient of our Class of ’64 scholarship is Albany native LeAsia Royall, a 2nd year student in the Special Education and Literacy program. LeAsia is a substitute teacher, volunteers with students in different capacities and is interested in working with autistic nonverbal students at the elementary level. Our 2022 recipient, Matthew Maldonado, was accepted into the School of Education graduate program.
We’ll be contacting everyone early 2024 as we make plans for our 60th-anniversary reunion, so please share any changes in your contact information with the Alumni Association by emailing alumniassociation@albany.edu.
“The chance to get together is never bypassed ...” – from the 1964 Torch
Class co-councilors: Bill Robelee, wmrobelee31@ gmail.com; Columba DeFrancesco Heinzelman, heinzel779@aol.com
The town of Springfield, N.Y.’s Fourth of July committee chose Fred Culbert, the voice of Springfield’s Fourth of July Parade for 30 years, to lead the parade as grand marshal. Fred was honored for his dedicated service to the parade over the years and for his other contributions to the town including being a social studies teacher, principal, school administrator, councilman, and serving for 54 years as a volunteer firefighter.
Brian Quigley is retired and living on Cape Cod. After graduating from NYSCT, Brian began graduate school at Indiana University and was drafted the next year. He served as naval officer in Vietnam 1967-1970. Brian attended grad school at UC Berkely and as a Fulbright scholar at University of Vienna 1970-1979, then served in the CIA and U.S. Dept. of State through 2005. Brian was married to Jacqueline Jadick ’64 and they had two sons.
Class Councilor: Judy (Koblintz) Madnick, jmadnick@gmail.com
Oneida Daily Dispatch columnist Leo Maloney received the 2023 New York State Outdoor Writers Association’s Pass It On Award, which honors an individual who has “done the most to ‘pass on’ our outdoor heritage.” Leo and his wife, Carol, are avid campers.
Class Councilor: Canon Kay Carol Hotaling, FHC, aspenpaepke@msn.com
Sandra Clark, ACSW- DCSW, ABE-BCD, NBCCH-CFCH, Emeritus, is part of the first accredited class establishing the SUNY MSW Grad Program.
