Class Notes Editor – Paul Capra
2365 Chambers Lake Ln, SE
Lacey, WA 98503
E-mail: shonea1@gmail.com
Webmaster – Lou Allyn
E-mail: yaleclass1961@gmail.com
Website: http://yale1961.org/
Class officers:
Jamie McLane – Co Chair – E-mail: jmclane@profexa.com
Henry Kuehn – Co Chair – E-mail: hhkuehn@gmail.com
REMINDERS:
NEW HAVEN MINI 10/24 – 26 – More info on the way
FILM GROUP:
CHINATOWN 10/16 1.00 East Coast
THE GODFATHER 12/11 1.00 East Coast
Past movies are on the Class Website if you missed them:
Rear Window; The Graduate; On the Waterfront, etc.
William MacLean expresses the thoughts of many in our class: I am constantly grateful for my years at Yale, from the education to growing up with amazing friends and teachers, It was a privilege! Now in my remaining years I am healthy and able to practice office cardiology in Birmingham AL. I expect something will come along to stop that, but for now I am pleased I can still walk into an exam room, listen, and try to help. That is the best part of medicine for me. Everything else is just the process, taken over by the business world. At home I have a loving wife who does real estate, two Afghan hounds who keep me walking, an old goldendoodle and attentive children.
Hearing of Bob Brown’s passing (see below) made Cotesworth Pinckney write: I reflected on my experience at Navy Officer Candidate School. Although I did not know Bob Brown at Yale, beginning in July of 1961, I spent 16 challenging weeks at Newport in the bunk above Bob. The accommodation was not ideal. We were in a sort of boot camp training to be Naval officers. Our OCS class also included: George Darlow, Johann Deines, Lawrence Eherhardt, William Field, Holcombe Green, Joe Hinckley, Walter Hough, John Howarth, Richard Hoyer, John Hutcherson, Timothy James, Paul Jarocki, Jim Kelly, Charles Langbehn, Glenn Lemon, Carl Lindquist, John D. Moore, Roy Pendergrass, Brian Pendleton, John Petrasch, Richard Rieder, Ned Roache, Arthur Vaughn and Brian Woodward. Many of them have died. It is remarkable that of a graduating OCS class of 816 from colleges throughout the nation, 26 were members of our Yale class. Of course, other classmates went to later OCS classes. I know that group included John Bingham, Bob Blanchard, Allen Goolsby, B Lee Mallory, Jamie McLane and Kenny Wolfe. Also, several of our classmates were commissioned under the NROTC program. I am sure there were various reasons for joining the Navy, but I believe most of us had at least a little patriotism. For God, For Country, For Yale. Cotesworth
On the same subject of OCS, Jamie McLane chimed in: “A wonderful remembrance and note from Cotesworth. I know John Bingham, Bob Blanchard, and I were in the Nov 1961 Navy OCS class as were several 1961 Harvard hockey players. And Cotes was right: the barracks were clapboard and swayed in the very strong winter winds of Narragansett Bay. The hanging light bulbs would swing wildly from side to side inside the barracks jam packed with double-decker beds exhibiting inspection-ready sheets and blankets. Jamie
Bob Smith reminisces about Bob Brown: “Bob Brown, a roommate for four years, passed March 1st after a long, slow decline. Brownie was a true polymath. He served as an officer in the Navy, taught math at a New England prep school, did a stint in the corporate world, and worked as a boat builder with another roommate, Duncan Syme (who, alas, passed in May). He was also a rancher in Wyoming, practiced as a Jungian therapist, and at one point had his own car repair shop. He did the repairs himself and may have been the only Yale grad with an engineering degree to have done so. He played viola in a string quartet, came close to dying while mountaineering, and was a published poet. He converted to Catholicism and regularly visited prisoners in Colorado as a layman. We were friends for nearly 68 years.”
The Morris Arboretum & Gardens of the University of PA recently honored Joseph Manko as the first environmental attorney in PA. Joe is a founding partner of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP and served or currently serves in many voluntary and elected environmental positions and taught environmental law at the University of PA and Vermont Law School.
John Keller informed us that he is working to get a Referendum passed which would acquire open lands in Martin County, FL. There will be a half cent increase in sales tax that will last for ten years to acquire land and put it in a permanent easement. It will raise $360,000,000 and acquire approximately 50,000 acres for recreation, clean water and open space. It’s on the November ballot.
One of the charities that Mark Lebow heads is St. Francis Friends of the Poor. Its mission is to find and maintain permanent housing for the mentally ill homeless population. It treats all of its clients with dignity. They live as normal lives as possible. The clients are no longer a burden to the taxpayers, because they are kept out of shelters and jails. Mark would like to hear from classmates who may be interested in this arena. (212 408 7479)
Re: Bill Hamner. This note from Peggy Hamner: “This is Wm. Hamner’s wife Peggy. I am sad to inform you that Bill died on June 6th. He is survived by his wife, 2 sons and 2 granddaughters.”
Charles Sydney Rubinger passed peacefully in his New York City home on April 30th, just one month short of his 85th birthday. A quiet man, he was a proud bulldog and frequented football games in New Haven as often as he could. He believed deeply in higher education and was generous in supporting his schools and medical research. He was also very involved with the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies. Always a gentleman and a gentle man. Everyone he met was immediately taken by the twinkle in his eyes, his warm voice and kind smile. Outside of his family, his greatest loves were his dogs, the Dodgers baseball team and the stock market. He remained a First Vice President Wealth Management, Portfolio Manager and Financial Adviser at Morgan Stanley until the day of his death. He is survived by his wife, daughter, grandchildren, and sister.
Roger R. Coffman died peacefully on May 2, 2024. Interestingly, he was an extra in the movie “Where the Boys Are” in 1960. He served in the US Army from 1962 – 1964 then graduated from The University of FL Law School in June of 1971. In his later years, he wished he had studied Archeology, because he had acquired a love for ancient documents and history. He enjoyed poker games, football, horse races, especially the Kentucky Derby, and gardening. He lived his life on his own terms. He is survived by five children: nine grandchildren; one great-grandson and his best friend for many decades, Tom Cobb.
George Longstreth sent this in: Nick Trane came by for a few days after the death of our classmate and roommate, Bill Bayfield whom we celebrated. Nick looked as well as any of us can expect these days and was in fine humor, recounting old days in Branford and his days pulling a crew oar for Old Eli. Speaking of crew (and remembering Jim Elting) my daughter Rena Hedeman Y’87 rowed 4 years on The Yale Women’s Crew, followed very successfully by my granddaughter (her daughter), Margaret Hedeman, Y’24, who rowed for YWC all four years, and is now on the USA Olympic Women’s crew team going to the Paris Olympics in July. The dedication is incredible!! Boola. boola!
This just in from Joe Novitski and more on the Jim Elting tradition. The U.S. Women’s quadruple sculls, with Teal Elting Cohen in the 3 seat qualified for the Paris Olympics today in Lucerne. Teal’s boat finished first, ahead of five other national team quads, not once but in two races, two days apart, in what is known as “the last chance regatta”.