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
65th REUNION COMMITTEE
Exciting News! Attendance at our May 21-24 New Haven Reunion is on track to equal or exceed prior 65th reunions. Thanks in part to our unique ’61 Cancer Center Endowment project, we are closing in on one of the largest 65th Reunion gifts EVER! Your Committee of Kuehn, McLane, Pearce, O’Connor, Kelly, Capra and Allyn, has assembled a stimulating program designed to showcase modern Yale as well as to awaken nostalgia for our Bright College Years. Highlights include a night at Mory’s, Memorabilia Night, Class Awards, and a return singing engagement by Melissa Errico, (Mike Errico’s daughter). Be on the lookout for the program and full details soon to be posted on the class website (above).
CREATIONS and MEMORABILIA REUNION ROOM
Beyond “normal work”, many of us have found outlets through activities and creations that are unknown to classmates. This Reunion will be the time to share them in the Creations and Memorabilia Room at JE! The room will showcase whatever you have enjoyed and worked at creating including experiences, books, other written work, visual arts, crafts in any form – paper, fabric, weaving, wood, metal, ceramics are all welcome; and works too large to bring can be represented in photographs, along with explanatory material. On the memorabilia front, while we don’t likely need 23 motheaten Yale pennants, there’s plenty of other items that will be a joy to share. All materials will be assembled on your arrival at JE, labeled in advance, and displayed on Friday and Saturday, and will be available for pickup late Saturday. So, start thinking about what you might have to share. Send your ideas to me at (oconnor.rw@gmail.com) and we can figure out how to represent them at the 65th. Do it now! Ron O’Connor
Richard (Dick) Huson Hart died on the snowy morning of February 20th in Grand Junction, Colorado. Snow appeared like a parting gift to the parched State he loved after a historically dry winter. So reads the first lines of Dick’s fitting obituary. Those lines capture Dick’s deep attachment to his home state. His colorful life history continues for pages including The Gunnery, Yale, and the Colorado School of Law. Dick spent 26-years as District Court Judge. Rather than recite his obituary which you can read on our Memorials Page, here are some comments from fellow classmates:
“I am very sad to say that Dick died last Friday early in the morning at peace and in good spirits. He was a very good friend starting with two years at Gunnery and as a roommate in JE. He, Jane, Cindy and I enjoyed our Yale reunions and trips together to Ireland and throughout the southwest.” Lou Allyn
“Dick was a great guy with a wonderful smile. I knew him from freshman year on the crew. My condolences to Jane.” Ed Cantor.
Charles (Charlie) Hamlin, MD, passed away in Denver on January 14, 2026. As a hockey goalie at Yale, he set a record for five career shutouts that lasted nearly fifty years. Charlie attended medical school at Dartmouth College and Columbia University, followed by an orthopedic surgery residency at The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. “One of my most significant accomplishments was the establishment of a hand clinic at Craig Hospital in Denver. He said: “I derived a great deal of satisfaction from working with these patients. So much had been taken away from them that to be able to help them regain some independence was tremendous”. One of his mottos said: “Making a living is important and sometimes even interesting, but sooner or later making a difference is what counts.” It was said of Charlie that he always knew when to end the party while it was fun, and that is how he left us while he was still having fun.
George F. Farris, passed away peacefully after a long, full life marked by curiosity, dedication, and a quietly incisive sense of humor. A native of Buffalo, New York, George developed a strong resilience as a lifelong fan of the Buffalo Bills, as well as the Yale Bulldogs. A distinguished Professor of Management, George devoted his career to teaching, research, and leadership in higher education at MIT, York University, and for 31 years at Rutgers, which dedicated a Chair in Entrepreneurship in his name. His work took him far beyond the classroom to Brazil, Belgium, China, and other countries, reflecting both his expertise and his openness to the wider world.
Jim Barnes passed away on November 1, 2025. Jim was a remarkable man: principled, generous, brilliant, and one of the true architects of the modern law and practice of letters of credit and independent undertakings. His influence on the field was immeasurable. Jim began his career at Baker McKenzie in 1966 after a BA from Yale and a law degree from the University of Michigan. He became a Principal in 1973 and retired in 2022, though retirement was never really in his vocabulary. He remained deeply involved as Senior Counsel until 2022. His dedication to his craft — and to the people in it — simply never wavered. His professional legacy is extraordinary. Jim served as counsel or advisor to countless companies, banks, and firms, and was a trusted collaborator and cherished friend in the global LC community for decades. And yet, those who knew him know that Jim’s impact went far beyond the documents and rules he helped create. He was unfailingly kind, endlessly curious, and always willing to take a call, offer guidance, or share a story.
Jack F. Adler, Jr died Monday, January 12 in Margate City, NJ. Born in Philadelphia, PA. Jack attended Cheltenham High School (1957), where he was a nationally ranked swimmer. He was a magna cum laude graduate of Yale University, and Harvard Business School. Jack returned to Philadelphia where he pursued his business career and actively served multiple nonprofit organizations. He served on the Board of Trustees for Albert Einstein Medical Center, among other health care institutions in the Philadelphia area. He was a founder, president and honorary trustee of The Philadelphia School, treasurer and a director of the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts. Upon his retirement, he split his time between Philadelphia, Margate City, and Manchester, Vermont, while continuing his interests in travel, fishing, bicycling, and bridge.
Stanley Wells Stillman died peacefully on January 1, 2026. A lifelong New Yorker, He attended Yale and Harvard Law School. Stanley was the founder of Access Publishing Co. through which he covered topics ranging from university governance to international monetary policy. An avid sailor, he was happiest navigating the coastal waters of Maine with a crew of young people aboard. He will be remembered for his gentlemanly manner, unmistakable laugh and staunch loyalty to his many lifelong friends.
William H. Lear (Bill) Class of ‘61, died March 30, 2025 at his home in Palm Desert, California after a brief illness. Bill and Jorlee retired to Palm Desert in 2000 and enjoyed golf, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, fine dining, great wine and traveling all over the world together. He is survived by his wife, four children, 7 grandchildren and one greatgrandchild.
This contribution from Lynn Johnson: “As the survivors of our class, we’ve all experienced many challenges over the years. For my part, I’m generally grateful for a good life. But I’ve also had my share of crises along the way — divorce, job loss, struggle with addictions, crises of faith, health crises, etc. As each of these occurred, I found myself doing a lot of journaling, trying to figure out how best to respond. These personal musings, augmented by a great many readings on each crisis, have turned into a book just published, After 50: Learning from the Crises of Midlife and Later Years. I mention Yale in several chapters, by the way. If any of our classmates happen to read it, I would love to hear about how they coped with crises in their own lives. Incidentally, I’m still in touch with Andy Block, David Bain, Dick Traister, and Herb Rothschild. As for the May reunion, Anita and I are looking forward to it. lynn.gunnar.johnson@gmail.com (518) 439 – 1055
Fellow classmate Peter Sprague sent me a link to his Substack https://petersprague.substack.com/
A recent offering was titled “Freedom, Crime and Surveillance” which I found more than interesting.
Which leads this humble scribe to ask whether other ’61 brethren are out there churning thoughts on Substack? If so, please let us know so we can share them with the class.
Paul Capra
’61 Class Notes Editor