MAY 2004

            Chaplain George Bean, our friend and honorary classmate, died at his home in Lynchburg, VA, on January 31.  A memorial service was held on February 3 at St. John’s Episcopal Church, where Rev. Bean had been the rector for 11 years before his retirement.  John Gurr, Tom Russell, Ron Baldwin, and Bill Zaldo were able to attend, and John reported that Mrs. Betty Lee Bean was the focus of a 15-minute tribute from our class in which our four attendees read some of the e-mails we had sent with memories of Chaplain Bean. His children, Tracy and Bill, also spoke; and they were eloquent, humorous, loving in memory, and deeply Christian in their remarks.  It was a superb, humorous, and tearless service, according to John; and the family was very appreciative of our participation and floral tribute.  Mrs. Bean can be reached at 3230 Downing Drive, Lynchburg, VA 24503.  

With Mrs. Betty Lee Bean: John Gurr, Tom Russell, Bill Zaldo, and Ron Baldwin.  

            Jay Weisler’s wife, Jerry, died of melanoma on January 12 at their home in Brenham, TX.  As reported two issues ago, Jerry had been through surgery and chemotherapy and had been holding up well.  She graduated from Texas Lutheran University in 1961, and she and Jay were married in 1969.  Sincere condolences of the Class are extended to Jay, their daughters Christina and Caryn, their grandson Julian, and to all of Jerry’s family and friends.

            Jim Walsh reports that Phyl’s father, Opa Hauser, died on February 2.  He was a fine gentleman whom we enjoyed seeing at the annual A-1 picnic, where Opa often presided at the barbecue pit with his rib-eye roast.  He was always a delight to be with, and we will greatly miss him.

            Johnny Cox and his wife, Kay Leonard, attended the West Point Society of Naples, FL, luncheon on January 17.  Also there were Rod & Pat Paschall, John & Pat Eberhard, Bob & Mary Ann Ranalli, Bill Benagh, Bill O’Meara, and George & Beth Kleb.  The Klebs accompanied Johnny & Kay back to the Cox home in St. Petersburg for the weekend, stopping along the way in Sarasota for a visit to the Ringling Brothers home.  Thanks to Johnny for the accompanying photos.

   John Eberhard, Rod Paschall, Bob Ranalli, Johnny Cox, Bill Benagh, George Kleb, and Bill O’Meara.

Jim & Marigold Abrahamson are in Fearrington Village, NC, where Jim is now fully retired but still interested in US history and national security issues.  He continues to write books and letters to the editor (his latest book is reviewed in the May/June 2003 issue of Assembly) and to debating issues associated with the Iraq war with appearances lately at the three local universities and speeches to local groups.  He and Marigold do a good bit of volunteer work, from maintaining some of the village gardens to cooking at the soup kitchen in Chapel Hill.  About every quarter Jim has lunch with Tex DeAtkine, Johnny Carroll, Don Gruschow, Lou Hightower, Charlie Johnson, and Hugh O’Connor.

            Mike Faber is organizing this year’s Rocky Versace Memorial Golf Tournament.   It will be at the West Course at Andrews AFB on Monday, June 7.  Details may be had from a brochure that Mike will send you if you contact him at MikeFaber@aol.com.  

Happy hour chez Cox in St. Petersburg.

            Bill & Alyson Zierdt are in Fond du Lac, WI, where Bill teaches at a small school and Alyson has a law practice.  They were married in Scotland in 1991 and are enjoying life on a lake with Bill, at least, in what he calls a low pressure job.  For many years he raced sailboats (Thistles) and iceboats (DNs), but he has relaxed a bit in his Social Security years and just floats and skids around these days.  He was a chopper pilot in his army life and still likes to be around them.  He spends increasing time at the Experimental Aircraft Association Airventure Museum during the summers, and he says that may become a full time avocation pretty soon.  He has kept up with Carl Weaver and Rush Yelverton over the years.

            Dorsey & Charlyne Baker are in Lubbock, TX, where years of drought stricken farming has forced him back to the practice of law.  So at the ripe old age of 67, he has the pleasure of relearning something about patents and the digital revolution, of digital signal processors, and a host of new stuff.  And after two open heart surgeries and then a AAA surgery, he is back to exercise.  He and a doctor bike to Gold’s Gym every morning at 5, work out for an hour, and then bike back to the neighborhood.  He says he mentions this to preach that exercise has incredible health benefits.  Dorsey sees no classmates any more, and he sorely misses Don Davis, with whom he lunched at least monthly before Don’s untimely death last year.  Maddy, he says, has moved to Dallas to be close to their children and grandchildren.

            Alan & Inara Baldwin are in Fallston, MD, where Alan works full time as president of Alcore Inc., a subsidiary of MC Gill Corporation.  The sub is located in Edgewater, MD, and the parent in El Monte, CA.  Alcore produces aluminum honeycomb and special processed metallic and non-metallic honeycomb core details and bonded core blankets for use in commercial and military aircraft, in missile and space components, and in other military and industrial applications.  No, I don’t know what most of what I just said means.  Alan hasn’t seen classmates lately, so I hope he will come to one of our next soirees in Washington.  

At Ringling home in Sarasota.

            Bob & Elaine Weekley are in Lancaster, VA, where Elaine, now retired, keeps heavily involved in bridge, garden club, investment club, book group, women’s groups, and charity projects.  Between events she goes to the health club, gardens, reads good books and “cooks up a storm.”  She had a successful cookbook project for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship that caused her to appear many Saturdays at farmers’ markets and fairs.  Bob is still spending the workweek in Washington with Energy and Communications Systems LLC, where they are developing energy projects in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other countries of the former Soviet Union.  He gets home to his lovely spot on the “rivah” on weekends, and is sorely tempted to hang up the day job and stay there full time.  The Weekley’s big event last year was a three week trip with a few friends to Myanmar (Burma) and Laos.  They visited the exotic cities, but also made two long trips by boat, jeep and truck into Myanmar’s remote mountainous interior (where few Westerners have ever gone) to visit tribal villages.  While they roughed it with no tourist accommodations, they found it wonderful to visit with the warm, friendly, and charming tribesmen.

            Once again, at this writing, our prayers are with Bob Cyr, Jim Dorsey, Nancy Hurst, and Tony Pokorny.