JANUARY 2009

We seem to be losing the fight, folks.  Otie Tibbetts died at his home in Auburn, ME, on 3 September.  His wife, Renee, said that after she and Otie had dinner, she went upstairs after he sat down on the sofa, and when she returned he had died.  They had hosted a Maine reunion a few weeks before, and he had complained of being tired, but a trip to the doctor and an MRI had been inconclusive.  His funeral, attended by only his family at his request, was at the VA cemetery in Augusta, ME, where his father, also a veteran, is at rest. Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to Otie’s family and his many friends.

Otie Tibbetts

Hank Larsen writes that he and Otie were two of a very few 59ers from Maine, and so they were pretty close.  Hank and Brenda spent two weeks in August on a lake in Maine and were sorry they were unable to be there during the Maine mini and regretted it even more following Otie’s sudden death.  They were, however, able to spend an evening with Howard & Eileen Stiles.  Howard left the next day for Seattle to participate in a 37 mile bike ride with his son, Greg, and Greg’s wife, Sara.  Howard said the ride was a blast, with eleven crossings back and forth over the Willamette River with 17,000 of his best friends.

Hank & Brenda, on the way to Maine visited the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  As they entered the shrine, the very first photograph they saw was that of Fred Franks all decked out in his Class A uniform with Cleveland Indian superstars Larry Doby and Bob Feller.

As you can imagine, Hank is a super baseball fan and (Yankee fans read no further) has been selected by the Boston Red Sox to be the Governor of Red Sox Nation for Oklahoma.  Can you keep the states straight, or shall I recap?

John Ruth

And our classmate, Blaze Boggs, died on 6 October at his home in Glendale, AZ.  The condolences of the class are offered to his wife, Mary, and to all his family and friends.

Norm & Elva Rosner have lived happily in Atlanta since 1986 and are both retired, she from teaching and he from the practice of law.  They keep in close contact with the Luthers, the Burbas, the Harrisons, the Johs and the Reinhards, all local denizens.  A passionate interest is raising money for Hadassah, the international women’s Zionist organization.  They try to take one big trip per year, and last summer it was Ukraine, Russia, Estonia and Finland.

Ed Robinson writes that he and Pat were in Busch Gardens, Williamsburg, VA, on 17 August, and went for a ride on the Rhine River Boat Cruise.  Their crusty skipper was none other than our own Cap’n Don Tillar, and they had a short but pleasant visit.

Riverboat Captain DonTillar 

Over the last year or so Ed has been putting in a lot of time supporting Jerry Jervell’s needs for photos and input for the 50 year volumes.  It has been a great experience touching base with so many classmates via their photos, emails and phone calls.  Volume One is reaching completion in time for our 50^th, and we got to see a preview that Jerry brought to the Munz party last June.  Great credit goes to Jerry for his creativity and dedication in preparing that volume.

Pat & Ed Robinson

Ed & Pat have enjoyed taking lessons on the Lowrey organ for several years and still enjoy it very much.  Ed continues his interest in genealogy, Civil War history and antique American arms, and they regularly attend arms shows. The Robinsons still travel quite a bit, having visited Scotland in Fall 2007, and they were planning a cruise of the Mexican Riviera this past November.  They see frequently Dave Cotts and Dick LeClere, who live in their Alexandria subdivision. 

Bill & Butch Rowe thrive in Carlisle in the antique business with their son, David.  They enjoy water polo games that sometimes pit their granddaughters, Aubrey (Bucknell U) and Callan (U of MD) against each other, creating a cheering problem.  They were looking forward to the Temple game at WP, where the undefeated Army team of 1958 was planning a 50^th reunion.

Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers has just completed requirements for his master’s in public administration at NC State in Raleigh, where he lives with his three kitty cats.  His great interest is in history, especially military history.  After another master’s in history at NCSU, he intends to teach it there.  He keeps in close touch with his plebe roommate, George Day, who is looking great, says Dave.  Dave himself, who beat me to a pulp in plebe boxing, is fighting off three different cancers, high blood pressure and diabetes.  Oh, well, he says.

Al & Mary Ann Phillips have lived in Brussels since Al’s retirement in 1989 and Al has worked for a manufacturing company serving the mining and construction machinery business.  In the past three years he has spent a fair bit of time in Russia on foundry business development.  In between bridge, squash and golf, he finds time to spend as a member of the CofS Army Retirement Council and on the Memorial Day celebration at the US military cemeteries in Belgium.

Norma & Bill Mullen, Geri Hilmes, Rinny & Roger Ware, Jerry Hilmes above Estes Park, CO

Bill Mullen reports that he and Norma, along with Jerry & Geri Hilmes, were guests of Roger & Rinny Ware at their Denver home for several days in August.  Highlights included a baseball game won by the Rockies, dinner with Lou Schroeder, and a trip to Estes Park, where the accompanying photo was taken.  The Wares and the Hilmeses had recently observed their 49^th wedding anniversaries, and they helped Bill & Norma celebrate their 46^th.

Fred & Sue Manzo with Fred, Jr. ’86 at his promotion to O-6.

Fred & Sue Manzo, along with family, friends and several of son Fred, Jr.’s classmates (USMA ’86) celebrated son Fred’s promotion to Colonel at the Pentagon on 30 May.  He is a former Blackhawk Battalion commander and was promoted by BG Stephen D. Mundt, Directon of Army Aviation.  Fred Jr. is now attending the Air War College.  So I guess we’re not losing, after all.