Writing this column in August expecting 95 F today. By the time you read it the heat will be gone
and the days shorter. Several of our classmates submitted news starting with our
first Class Note from Robin Bissell. “Had a great 3 day get together in NYC this
past Mid-April staying and dinning (and sipping) at the Cornell Club. Four Phi
Gamm classmates and their wives, Robin and Sandy Bissell, Phil and Jane Hodges,
Jack and Rilla Neafsey and John and Marilyn Sobke. Very, very special after all
these years!! All are still VERY close friends. Yes, many of the stories told
over cocktails and at dinner were repeats from yester year but there WERE new
experiences to share. 65 plus years of togetherness that are just so very
special to all!”
Barbara Cain Parker is
living in Burlington, VT. She states, “That I can, as Ezera Cornell said, learn
any subject no matter how old I become!”
Her son Hawkeye Parker
is another Cornell legacy , class of
’95. Keeping active fits well with Robert “Tom” Jewett taking care of
Rescue Horses. Tom lives in Dryden and
enjoys working on his farm near the campus.
He is a member of the Ithaca Club and stays in touch with his fellow
Cornellians and fraternity alumni. “ I spent 5 years in the US Air Force as a Staff
Judge Advocate. Returned home to
criminal trial practice and retired in2004 after two terms as Cortland County
DA His takeaway from the undergrad years,
“The grade you get in any given course is directly proportional to the amount
of time you spend with the textbook open in front of you... it took me 4 years to figure that out. “
M. Mehdy Douraghy and
wife Leora recently celebrated 66 years of marriage. They live in Chicago and spend time with
their family of 4 children and 8 grandchildren.
He remains active in collecting and lecturing about Persian rugs. “We’re still traveling and enjoying
life.” An old friend and classmate, Gerrit
White sent a note from The Villages in Florida. “Enjoying an active lifestyle here in The
Villages. Even after reading one of
Tiger Woods books my golf game has not improved on any of the 69 courses
here. Elizabeth and I have visited over
90 different countries and hope to add more in the coming years.”
The following note may strike a chord with many of us. Anne Lasher Mihalism
writes from San Diego, “ I have been living in a retirement community, The
Glen, in Scripps Ranch for 5 ½ years. I
love it here. I’ve connected with a
fellow classmate, Marge Seybold, who also lives here. She plays basketball and swims laps. I play bridge, poker and do ceramics. Guess who’s in better shape?”
Again, we find family and travel are staples in the lives
of our classmates. Barbara Jane
Margoloin sent a note from her home in Tuckahoe NY. “I’m spending my days
visiting and speaking with my children and
family. We travel when we can.” And finally
from our former class president Frank Cuzzi who acknowledged he is still
holding a professor’s chair and writing his next sports book. He also is
involved in his expanding family. He
closes with a bit of nostalgia reflecting on the leadership experience gained at
Cornell in competition with rival fraternities.
Finally, a note from your reunion Co-chairs. Remember, when you read this column, our 65th
reunion is only 7 months away!
Co-chairs,
Rosanna Frank and Pat Richards, hope your calendar is already marked for June
4-7, 2026, to join our class for our 65th Reunion. Effort is being made
to make it SPECIAL in every way. For starters, we'll be housed at the
Statler, able to enjoy its amenities. Plans for class events are
underway. Your attendance will make it complete! To that end,
please let us know if you would be willing to contact any affinity group or
groups, i.e. fraternity, sorority, college, etc. A list of pertinent classmates
would be sent to you. Meanwhile, please keep up to date on our class
website: http://www.cornell61.org.
Send your class
notes to Susan Stevens (sastevens61@gmail.com } and Doug Fuss <dougout@attglobal.net