Peter Kilby, professor of economics, emeritus, passed away on Aug. 2, at the age of 83. Kilby arrived at Wesleyan in 1965 after working with USAID in Nigeria for two years. He received his BA from Harvard University, his MA from Johns Hopkins University, and his D.Phil from the University of Oxford. Kilby’s work spanned continents. Throughout his career, Kilby was appointed a Fulbright Fellow, a Ford Foundation Foreign Area Fellow, a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, and a Guggenheim Fellow. He served as an advisor to the ILO World Employment Programme in Geneva, the Ciskei Commission in South Africa, the governments of Malaysia and Tanzania, the World Bank in Kenya and Nigeria, USAID, the U.S. State Department, and the Food and Agricultural Organization, among others. “Peter Kilby was a respected scholar and beloved teacher with a wide range of friends at Wesleyan not only among those of us in the social sciences, but throughout Wesleyan’s three divisions,” said colleague Professor Emeritus Mike Lovell. Kilby is survived by his wife, Marianne Kilby, his three children, Damian, Christopher, and Karen, and his six grandchildren.

Lewis “Lew” N. Lukens, professor of molecular biology and biochemistry, emeritus, passed away on Sept. 8, at the age of 91. Lukens taught at Wesleyan from 1966 to 1999, where he was one of the founding members of the molecular biology and biochemistry department. He received his BA from Harvard University and his PhD. from the University of Pennsylvania. Luken’s research involved the regulation of gene expression by eukaryotic cells. He was the recipient of many research grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. At Wesleyan, Lukens served as chair of the biology department, on the committee on graduate instruction, and as program director of the Biomedical Research Support Grant. In retirement, he served on the advisory board of the Wasch Center for Retired Faculty. Dr. Scott Holmes, his colleague, said, “Lew exhibited many qualities I will continue to seek to emulate, as a scientist and a person.” Lukens is survived by his wife, Ellen, and their four children, Katherine Lukens, Marie Lukens Hansen, Ellen Lukens Sisson, and Lewis N. Lukens Jr., and nine grandchildren.

Peter Standaart, private lessons teacher and visiting instrumental teacher, passed away on Sept. 16, at the age of 70. Standaart was educated at Duke University, the North Carolina School for the Arts, and Yale University. He arrived at Wesleyan in 1975 and continued to teach flute until shortly before his death. He performed many times with the Wesleyan Orchestra, the Goodspeed Opera, and the Connecticut Flute Orchestra, among others. In recent years, Standaart was a member of two trios and co-founded Flutes in the Woods, a Middletown performance series for regional flutists. Throughout his career, he premiered many new works, including compositions by his Wesleyan colleagues. He is remembered as a talented and passionate musician by his family and friends. His friend and colleague, Libby Van Cleve said,“It’s a huge personal loss for me, and a collective loss for the Wesleyan community and music world.”

E. Craig MacBean ’67 passed away on Oct. 16, 2018. A full obituary can be found here.

Jerome S. Parker ’69 passed away on Nov. 29, 2018. A full obituary can be found here.

Robert S. Davis ’69 passed away on Jan. 2, 2019. A full obituary can be found here.

Jonathan S. Felt ’71 passed away on Oct. 21, 2018. A full obituary can be found here.

Tina Jacobson ’75 passed away on Oct. 16, 2018. A full obituary can be found here.

Peter E. Kelley ’78 passed away on Oct. 8, 2018. A full obituary can be found here.

Michael S. Kucinskas ’81 passed away on Oct. 16, 2018. A full obituary can be found here.

Robert D. Marraffa ’82 passed away on Dec. 6, 2018. A full obituary can be found here.

Doris P. Barry ’84 passed away on June 11, 2018. She had a 30-year career on Wall Street where she managed and inspired staff while battling Lupus. A woman of faith who loved her family and friends, Doris was a member of Delta Theta Sigma, Incorporated, and was on the Board of Trustees at Concord Baptist Church where she inspired many of the church’s best and brightest to attend Wesleyan. Doris loved Wesleyan and her legacy will be evident in the scores of students who attended Wesleyan because she was the University’s number-one cheerleader especially for first generation students of color. See her obituary here.

We thank Ricardo Granderson ’84 for this heartfelt tribute.

Randy B. “Rand” Smith, MALS ’78 of Old Lyme, Conn., and Owl’s Head, Maine, died of natural causes on Aug. 9, 2018, at the home of his longtime friend in New York City. Rand was 68-years-old and the devoted son of Elizabeth D. “Betty” Smith and Brainerd F. “Bud” Smith, now deceased, of Deep River, Conn.

Rand grew up in Deep River, graduated from Valley Regional and attended The First Congregational Church with his parents. He graduated from Lafayette College, Class of ’72, in Easton, Pa., and later obtained his master’s degree at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. A middle school teacher of science and mathematics, in his early professional years, Rand later worked at Xerox and as a science editor of Scholastic Magazine. He served as a regional sales manager of inflatable boats and retired from this position when the company was sold.

Rand was a lifelong student and enthusiast of the arts, antiques, gardening, period homes, and Holland. Rand had a passionate loyalty to Volvos and spent many a day “bumbleshooting” along the shoreline of Connecticut and Maine. He was an intrepid traveler abroad and enjoyed both the planning and execution of trips to far away places with more frequent trips to his favorite country, Holland.

In June of 2017, Rand was a part of the first 18-person kidney exchange at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, CT. With a new kidney, donated by his best friend, and renewed energy, Rand’s zest for life often took him to his childhood vacation cottage in Owls Head, Maine, or on cultural forays into New York City.

Please remember Rand for all that he was and what he became through his 68 years; a man of great energy, creativity, knowledge, and passion. He always marched to his own drummer and approached life, every day, with incredible enthusiasm and curiosity.

Rand is survived by his sister, Lynette Smith of Brewer, Maine, his nephews, Justin and John Gorecki, and his cousins, Joanne Hall of Bedford Hills, N.Y., Susan Briskie of Florida, and Tom Grant of California.

We thank Laura Lee Miller for this heartfelt obituary.

Michael C. Lovell, the Chester D. Hubbard Professor of Economics and Social Sciences, emeritus, passed away on Dec. 20, 2018, at the age of 88. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Reid College and his master’s degree from Stanford University. He earned his PhD from Harvard University after serving in the Korean War. He taught at Wesleyan from 1969 until his retirement in 2002. He had a long scholarly career and received numerous fellowships and grants in support of his research. His work as a graduate student is still widely cited today, and in retirement, Lovell continued to publish articles and a book on economics. Richard Grossman, a professor of economics, said: “Mike Lovell was an eminent economist, adept in both theoretical and empirical fields, who would not have been out of place in any of the world’s leading economics departments.” Lovell is survived by his wife, Adrienne; their four children: Leslie, Stacie, George, and Martin and their spouses; and eight grandchildren.

John D. Maguire passed away on Oct. 26, 2018, at the age of 86. He attended Washington and Lee University as an undergrad then completed his bachelor of divinity and doctorate in theology and psychiatry from Yale Divinity School. He was a Fulbright fellow in Scotland and later a Fulbright scholar in Germany, where he conducted post-doctoral research. He began his academic career at Wesleyan as a professor in the religion department. He later served as an associate provost. Throughout his career, he held many academic leadership positions such as president of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. In 1981, he joined Claremont Graduate University and became the longest-serving president, a role he held until his retirement. He was known for his passion for civil rights. President Michael S. Roth ’78, who knew Maguire well, said, “John’s life-long, exuberant dedication to the combination of moral activism and liberal learning . . . is stamped upon the memory of all who knew him.” Maguire is survived by his family including wife Billie and their daughters Catherine ’83, Mary, and Anne.

Joseph W. Reed, professor of English and American studies, emeritus, passed away on Feb. 11, 2019, at the age of 86. Reed earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from Yale University. He also served in the U.S. Navy. While at Wesleyan, he served as the chair of the English department and of the Sesquicentennial Committee, and was one of the founding architects of both American Studies and Film Studies at Wesleyan. He retired in 2004 after 44 years at Wesleyan. Richard Slotkin, the Olin Professor of English, emeritus said, “Joe Reed was my good friend and colleague for more than 40 years. His intelligence was adventurous, and his scholarly and teaching interests ranged from 18th-century British literature, to Faulkner and the American novel, to movies and television.” Reed is survived by his children, Mack, John, and Kate, and their families, including four grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Kit, author and former resident writer.

Lewis C. Robertson, professor of mathematics, emeritus, passed away on Dec. 22, 2018, at the age of 80. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago and his PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. Before teaching at Wesleyan, he was an assistant professor at the University of Washington. He taught at Wesleyan from 1970 to until his retirement in 1998. A passionate mathematician, Robertson conducted scholarly research on Lie groups, topological groups, and representation theory, and often collaborated with his Wesleyan colleagues on papers. Carol Wood, the Edward Burr Van Vleck Professor of Mathematics, emerita, said, “Lew was a gentle fellow, and unfailingly kind. As a mathematician he was extremely self-effacing. Nonetheless, it was impossible for him to hide his mathematical ability. Lew was a regular in the topology seminar over the decades, and when a topic (often outside his area of expertise) caught his interest, the depth of his comments would yet again remind me that Lew was a gifted mathematician.” Robertson is survived by his wife of 44 years, Janet; their son, Michael; one child from a previous marriage, Laureen; Janet’s daughters from a previous marriage, Julie and Jeanne; and eight grandchildren.

Joseph P. “Joe” Rumberger passed away on Oct. 22, 2018, at the age of 92. He earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and naval science and a master’s degree in anthropology and linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania. He served in the U.S. Navy office training program and later received a fellowship to study linguistics at the University of Indiana. He was also a Fulbright Scholar and earned a second master’s degree from the London School of Economics. He worked at several places before coming to Wesleyan in 1977 to work as the director of personnel. He was active in the Middletown community, taught Swahili, and wrote a memoir. He is survived by Gertrude, his wife of 57 years; three sons, Tim, James, and John; seven grandchildren, and a nephew. He was predeceased by son Tommy and brother Andy.

David I. Block writes: Hi, all. Greetings from Brooklyn! While you are likely reading this in the spring, these time-capsule class notes were due on the Monday of Martin Luther King’s birthday weekend, by which time the government had been shut down for a month. With any luck, as you read this, the government has been up and running for a little while, at least.

As you read this, tax season is over. As I write this, it is about to begin, with IRS workers who are not getting paid. My office just moved 20 blocks south down Broadway, after 22 years on West 57th Street. I finally bit the bullet and will become a Certified Financial Planner by November (I am already licensed to supervise stockbrokers), and I’m doing business, financial, and general coaching on the side. That gives me three full-time jobs. I joke that “people come in to have their taxes prepared, and leave feeling better about their moms.” My 14-year-old is in ninth grade and has come to enough Reunions that they are already scheming to figure out how to get into Wesleyan via early admission.

Alvin Peters writes, “Hurricane Michael (Oct. 10, 2018) has substantially destroyed my neighborhood in Panama City, Fla. Ironic, that climate change helped heat up the Gulf and magnify this storm into a major destructive force in a county that voted 75 percent for Trump.”

Paul Godfrey writes that his son, Charlie, is in grad school at UW. Paul is the president of the Minnesota State Bar Association and coaches a community team of high schoolers.

Michele Choka joined the board of Boingo Wireless, Inc. as an independent board member.

Barnaby Dinges has a memoir that is being published this spring called Ragged Run. “It covers my brother, Casey ’79, and my challenging childhood in Chicago in the 1960s and 1970s dealing with the deaths of our parents and subsequent struggles. It includes sections from my mother’s journal, which I found in a warehouse during the WesU years. It’ll be available on Amazon. Special thanks to Phyllis Rose ’82, Larry Zuckerman, and Mary Murphy for their help with the manuscript.”

Barry “Pono” Fried’s Open Eye Tours, which offers custom private tours on the beautiful island of Maui, has won the 2018 Trip Advisor Hall of Fame Certificate of Excellence. He has been “enhancing Hawaiian journeys with fascinating cultural interpretation and a 100 percent personalized itinerary, since 1983.” Congrats, Pono!

On a more somber note, in the last note I wrote, I hoped for “less-bidity,” yet we lost two more classmates since the last issue. We lost Michael Kucinskas on Oct. 16. He majored in theology, played on the football team, and was a Chi Psi brother. He worked as an information technology consultant for Mass Mutual, and then Cigna, before becoming a partner of Factorum, Inc., a computer consultant company. He loved golf and was an advanced scuba diver. He is survived by his wife, Carol Petruff, M.D., two brothers, and a large extended family. We will miss his presence and his wit.

And then Steven Hiscox passed away on Nov. 20. Michael Trager and Tom Miceli attended a wonderful memorial tribute, which celebrated Steve’s life “the way he would have wanted it—filled with heartfelt tributes, and plenty of food and beer.”

Tom recalls that “Steve was the prototypical Wesleyan student—academically smart in the usual ways, but with wide-ranging and unexpected interests. Steve was a music major who composed and played classical music for course credit, but then listened to rap music for pleasure, well before it was hip to do so. He made college look effortless—he was at once scholarly and down to earth, serious and affable. I well remember the time when he pulled an all-nighter to read Gone with the Wind in one sitting! His passions included pick-up basketball (he was a beast) and cars. He devoured Hot Rod magazine the minute it hit the newsstand and spent countless hours under the hood of his car acquiring the skills and knowledge that eventually led to his life’s work as the owner of an automotive training school. I regret that I did not stay in close touch with Steve after Wes, but I will always cherish our friendship during that formative time in our lives.” He is survived by his wife, Tammy, and a large family that includes his brother, Dave Hiscox ’79.

Here we are, at 60 or close to it. That once seemed old. Sometimes it still does. Yet too many of us did not make it this far. In two years, we have another Reunion. I hope we all make it there in good health . . .

David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com

Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com

Class of 1982 Endowed Wesleyan Scholarship
Matthew Frishkoff ’21, Philadelphia, PA

First off, thanks to Michael Ostacher, whom I was pleased to see after 25 years (yes, we both look exactly the same), for volunteering to share the class secretary job. Michael is at Stanford doing psychiatric research, treating veterans, and teaching undergraduate courses on addictions and the opiate epidemic; he and his wife have a daughter in high school and a son at American University. Which explains why he has all that spare time to do the notes, i.e. the goodness of his heart.

Thanks also to Ginny Pye (check out her lovely new book of stories, The Shelf Life of Happiness), Walter Massefski (a nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopist working as core manager at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute), and Danielle Rudess (neé Nancy Kornbluth) for offering to share the job. I caught up with Danielle after her keyboardist/composer husband Jordan’s world tour, and persuaded her to come salsa dancing.

Jeannie Gagné has had a busy year, completing her 19th season as voice professor at Berklee College of Music, teaching a course online (check it out if you’d like to improve your pipes), as well as teaching and performing in Kenya, China, Hong Kong, and Santa Fe. She sang at the Urban Renewal reunion party with musicians Rob Levin ’81, Joel Kreisberg ’81, Bryant Urban ’81, Joe Galeota ’85 (also a Berklee prof), and many others. Her family renovated the top of their barn in eastern Massachusetts, once a hay loft, into a recording and workshop space, where her son, Dylan Wolff, is recording an album, and Jeannie is writing new songs.

David Loucky, professor of trombone and euphonium at Middle Tennessee State University, performed at the 100th anniversary of the premiere of Igor Stravinksy’s A Soldier’s Tale with Nashville’s new music ensemble, Intersection, along with Wynton Marsalis’ companion piece of the same instrumentation, A Fiddler’s Tale.

After 25 years in magazines, Janet Wickenhaver Allon has a new gig working for NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio, as associate commissioner of marketing and communications of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (perhaps she will use her editing skills on that title, formerly known as the Film Office, but now encompassing film, TV, music, publishing, advertising, digital content—and, get this, the Office of Nightlife). Janet lives in Dumbo and just sent her youngest off to college.

Sabina Brukner is the literary manager of the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, now in its 104th consecutive year bringing Yiddish theater to audiences in New York and beyond. She served as a Yiddish coach and script supervisor for Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, directed by Joel Grey.

Suzanne Kay is producing a documentary about Ed Sullivan’s little known support of racial justice and the impact of his show on American culture. She is also part of Daughters of the Movement, working with others whose mothers were on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement (in her case, mom Diahann Carroll) to put together a podcast and speaker series.

Matthew Capece has been admitted to the DC bar and honored with the Samuel Gompers Award from the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions.

Clara Silverstein published her fifth book and first novel, Secrets in a House Divided (Mercer University Press), about the complicated relationship between two women, one white and one African-American, in Civil War Richmond. Clara and her architect husband George Schnee ’80 are living in the Boston area and traveled to Indonesia last year to meet their son, who was studying gamelan and linguistics—bringing them full circle, as they met in the gamelan group at Wes.

Denise Joseph married Jonathan Watson in Newton, Mass., on July 14. Alice Apley, Beth Ross ’83, Laurie Trupin, Heather Baker, Liz Feigelson, Kay McCabe ’83, Marion Wilson ’83, Andrea Smith ’83, Deborah Schneider ’78, Clara Silverstein, and George Schnee ’80 attended, providing a wonderful song/dance rendition of “I’ll Be There.”

Finally, we end with sad news. Ed Goss wrote, “I am very sorry to say that Bob Marraffa died on Dec. 6 of pancreatic cancer. He was truly grateful for his tremendous life, which included a great four years at Wesleyan, where he was a government major, captain of the football team, played two years on the hockey team, an assistant coach of the women’s hockey team, and president of DKE. He leaves his wife, Jackie ’84, whom he married 34 years ago in the Wesleyan Chapel; three sons; Bob Jr., Jack, and Nick ’18; and a grandson named Robert (for him). Bobby started his own very successful business 30 years ago, and his oldest son, Bob Jr., will continue as president. Many Wesleyan friends were present at the memorial service, including Dr. Mike Rosenblatt ’80, who coincidentally oversaw Bob’s medical care at the Lahey Clinic outside of Boston, where Mike is the chief medical officer.”

And, we were sorry to hear that longtime newspaperman Alvin Morris, who was an older classmate of ours—he was a 39-year-old freshman—has passed away. He is survived by his family including his wife, Mary ’77.

Laura Fraser | laura@laurafraser.com