2001: Mumford High School Class of 1961 (Detroit, Michigan) 40th Reunion Biographies partial: from Nancy (Pollak) Precour (deceased) Compiled by Michael Stecker http://mstecker.com Los Angeles, California 90064 mike@mstecker.com or mastecker@gmail.com or masmd@sbcglobal.net January, 2009 Mumford High School (Detroit, Michigan) 1961 reunion web site: http://www.mumford61.com/ Nancy Pollak Precour (deceased): Nancy's old email: nancy.precour@prodigy.net Nancy's old web site: http://pages.prodigy.net/mscheesecake/mum.htm Hampton Elementary School 1957 reunion websites: http://mstecker.com/hampton/home.htm http://www.hampton57reunion.org/ Hampton Elementary School 1958 reunion website: http://mstecker.com/hampton58/home.htm Alphabetical listing of Mumford High School Class of 1961 Biographies Pam Abrams Hi Nancy - I married a classmate - Marty Spitz. Stayed married for seventeen years - have two children. We were divorced in 1981, shortly after moving to Florida (Ft. Myers). My son is 34, and lives in Orlando with wife number two and my beautiful granddaughter, who is 3 1/2. His first wife, with whom I am very close, lives here in Ft. Myers with my grandsons, who are 4 and 5 1/2. My daughter Melissa, who is 29, just moved to Ft. Collins CO to attend grad school in Social Work. I had a second, brief marriage from 1988-90 - big mistake. I am now with the love of my life (finally!), and we've been together for eight years. We are in the Home Inspection business, and I also have a gift basket and corporate gift business. We came down to Florida twenty one years ago, and I can't imagine going through the winters again. It is true what they say about Florida blood! Fortunately, my "significant other" feels the same way. He is also from Michigan (Saginaw), and doesn't go north of Tampa in the winter! I haven't been back to Michigan for about fifteen years - I'm sure that it has changed a lot. Best regards, Pam Abrams HometmLee@aol.com Judi Abramson Hi Nancy, I've so enjoyed this step back in time. I'm glad you "found" me. Where have the years gone? I have not lived in Detroit since 1965 and through these bios I feel reconnected to my roots. After graduating from Wayne State, as a teacher (of course), I relocated to Chicago, where I taught school and dabbled in commercials and voice-overs. I married, had two children, moved to New Jersey and ultimately on to Los Angeles, where I now reside. I returned to school and became a psychotherapist specializing in industry. If an employee "feels postal" or suicidal, my phone rings. I enjoy a variety of clinical & consultive work, coupled with developing and delivering seminars. Work is never boring and always challenging! Given the recent crisis, I have been very busy. I have been married for nine years to my second husband, in whom I have found my soul mate. My daughter is a school psychologist, who just delivered my first grandchild. My son lives in Colorado and fulfills his life's passion working with animals. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the reunion, however my thoughts will be with you as I reminisce "Victory for you Mumford High" Judi (Abramson) Nussbaum larryjudi@aol.com Allen Adelberg O. K., you've worn me down. Unfortunately I have to submit a bio at Nancy’s request. Due to a terrible twist of fate, Nancy and I have a common bond - - we share the same grandchild. Easily explained, inconceivably, my daughter married Nancy’s eldest son Howard. Julia, who is three, is the only grandchild so far. However, my daughter Teri will be adding another later this month. Like most grandparents we like to brag. Julia takes after our side of the family and is real cute, has a great personality and is very bright. I married Penny Trebuck Adelberg in 1965 and we celebrated our 36th anniversary. Penny recently retired from Eton Academy a school for learning disabled students. They are in mourning. We also have a son, Brad (born in 1967). Brad has not provided us with a grandchild so far and is out of the family will until he comes through. Both of our children have made us proud. My daughter graduated from Michigan and Wayne (Masters) and is the North American Knowledge Base manager for Accenture. My son Brad graduated from Stanford, ultimately getting his PhD in Electrical Engineering, started a company, taught at Northwestern University for three years, and is now an Architect at Siebel Systems. Unlike most of my fellow graduates I am pleased to say that I have as much hair as when I graduated - - unfortunately some of it isn’t in the same place. I promise, however, to have the more protruding offensive ones clipped for the reunion. I am also happy to say that I still have the majority of my teeth (we’ll survey again in 10 years), all of my favorite organs are still functioning and I have not acquired that pungent body odor that I so remembered about my grand parents. Also, I am sure that many of my fellow graduates have put on a few pounds since graduation. I could deceive and diet like crazy and try to get back into an old pair of ivy leaguers, but I have found a more reasonable alternative. I am just going to suck it in - - I am working on it and am up to 8 minutes. I’m sure I will be able to work up to 4 hours by November. Personally, I have worked at Ford Motor Company for 35 years. I started in vehicle testing but I had to change career paths once they developed amamorphic dummies. Did the coaching thing (soccer, baseball and hockey), viewed more than a few recitals, plays and had the perfect family pet (a Boston terrier). I have also focused time on community service in West Bloomfield as a member of the Zoning Board and current Township Trustee. I serve with another Mumford graduate, Stuart Brickner who sits to the far left while I sit to the right. Can you figure out, who’s the leftist Democrat versus the righteous Republican? On a less political note, I hope that everybody is well and look forward to seeing many of you at the reunion. Allen Adelberg buzzard1@netperson.net Myra Adelman Dear Nancy, Here is a brief update on my life: In Mumford I enjoyed playing viola in the orchestra and playing tennis (badly) on the tennis team. Tennis led me to a Brazilian, who I invited to my confirmation -- to the enormous consternation of my parents (and most likely the Rabbi). At U of M I majored in Spanish and married Mike Okin. We had three daughters and were divorced. I then married Mike Ryan and we recently celebrated our 28th anniversary. Our daughter (makes four girls) is 22 -- our baby. I have three grandsons and live in New Jersey where I obtained my MBA at Rutgers. I am the executive director of Cerebral Palsy of New Jersey. In my spare time I cook, garden and paint watercolors. Gardening got me through breast cancer, along with a supportive family. Doing something beautiful that brings pleasure to others (all three of my hobbies) have been great. Occasionally someone actually pays me to design a garden or paint a picture -- the icing on the cake. I missed the reunion at Mumford, but did have a reunion with my family and friends. If there is a 45th reunion, I will do my best to attend. It sounds like everyone had a great time. My heart goes out to all who have suffered great losses, as revealed by the bios. I hope all of us will remember to enjoy the many small things that make each day special. Best regards, Myra (Adelman) Ryan mmlryan@rcn.com Lionel Allan (taken from his webpage later on July 6, 2007) Lionel M. (Lon) Allan PO Box 562 Los Gatos, CA 95031 Telephone: 408-354-8854 Fax: 408-395-1492 email: lon@lonallan.com website: www.lonallan.com After a 35 year career as a corporate and business lawyer, Lon Allan has now teamed up in residential real estate with his wife, Mary, who has been a Realtor since 1989. When in private practice, Lon performed legal services for: Atari; CPS, a commercial real estate company; E.F. Hutton; Catalyst Semiconductor; Pizza Time Theater; Advanced Technology Ventures; Glenborough Realty Trust; NetLogic Microsystems; Marubun/Arrow Electronics; Intergraph; Paine Webber International; Groth Winery; Integrated Device Technology; Accom; Carlton Communications; ChinFon Global; Wolff-Sesnon Development Company; VISX; Warner Communications; Louth Automation; Galvantech; and Global Motorsport Group. Lon Allan has been an outside director on the boards of a number of companies, including: NetLogic Microsystems, Inc. (Chair, Governance Committee);  Catalyst Semiconductor, Inc. (Chair, Governance Committee; Chair, Compensation Committee);  Galvantech, Inc.;  Global Motorsport Group, Inc. (Vice Chair of the Board; Chair, Audit Committee);  Accom, Inc. (Chair, Audit Committee);  Louth Automation, Inc. and Groth Vineyards and Winery.  He has also been active on the boards of various professional, philanthropic and civic organizations, including the Silicon Valley chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (Chair of the Board); The Harker School (Chair of the Board);  KTEH Public Television Channel 54 (Chair of the Board); Villa Montalvo (President of the Board); the Silicon Valley Chapter of the AeA, formerly the American Electronics Association (Legal Consultant to the Executive Committee); the American Bar Association (Chair, Small Business Committee); and the Board of Visitors at Stanford Law School. In addition to board service, Lon Allan has been a lecturer on corporate governance issues at the Haas Business School at U.C. Berkeley; the National Association of Corporate Directors; the Investor Responsibility Research Center ( IRRC); Directors’ Consortium at the University of Chicago, National Taiwan University; the American Lawyer Magazine Board of Directors Training Program and Stanford Directors’ College. He has also presented lectures on corporate and securities issues at the American Bar Association and the State Bar of California, and has had articles published by Prentice-Hall Corporation Service, the California Continuing Education of the Bar and Mathew Bender & Co. Lon Allan received his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1968 and his A.B. from the University of Michigan in 1965. In 1969-70, he was Law Clerk to Chief Judge Robert Peckham of the United States District Court in San Francisco. Carolyn Appel Oh, by the way, about ME and my life for the reunion book. To sum up my life: I graduated from Wayne state from the college of sciences and worked one year for Reichhold Chemicals as an analytical chemist. Then I moved to San Francisco where I had a wild life surounded by cults and hippies. After 3 years of california, I moved to IRAN! What a culture change! I lived with Iranian families and infiltrated the culture so well that no one believed I was American. Every time I told someone I was American, they said: bull shit! They assumed I was from one of the villages, and that I had moved to the city to live with rich relatives, and that I was PRETENDING to be an american!!! When the revolution broke out, I had to escape! I had no idea that I would land in seattle. I traveled through many countries trying to get to safety. I landed in canada, but they wouldn't give me a landed immigrant status, so I took a train across the border and came to the US at Seattle. I am now a research consultant for the U of Washington. I have written text book (ESL and Science), and they are published in Taiwan! When I was a high school senior I did not have money; not even enough for the photograph for the class year book. I asked my counselor if I could bring a photo from home. He said NO. He said I would have to come up with the money for the school photographer, or NO photo. I was not able to get the money. Therefore, you will not see my photo in the year book. However, I was president of the biology club, and all clubs had their photos taken as a group. So you can find my in the photo of the biology club. I would like all my school mates to know about this, and why I am not pictured with the rest of the group. Thanx carolyn Susan Appel Mumford High School 40th reunion. Some information about me: My road over the last 40 years has had a number of bumps, detours and “start-overs”. As a teen, I wanted to be a spy, so pursuing Russian studies at Miami University in Ohio seemed a logical choice. I loved the studies, but the civil rights movement caught my heart and soul, and I joined VISTA after college with my best friend and then-husband. Through moves to Chicago, Philadelphia, New Haven, Connecticut; Eugene, Oregon and Seattle, Washington, I continued to follow my heart (and gave up on spying) with a 20 year career mostly in community organizing and social services. In the late 60’s and 70’s, I gave birth to a son (now 32), got a divorce and received a master’s degree in urban planning. I worked with the City of Seattle helping neighborhoods and community groups gain more skills and resources in their efforts to solve local problems. Then, at the age of 40, having fallen in love with a recycler/junk collector, he and I started a recycling company. I learned how to drive big trucks, move heavy materials and run a business. Here it is fifteen years later and our company handles all the recycling from apartment buildings in one-half of the city. Seattle is one of the top 5 cities of the country in terms of recycling. We (my partner, Bill, and I) are pleased to have helped it get to that place. Last year, Bill and I were inducted into the “Recycling Hall of Fame” by our state-wide recycling association. This year, a half-hour video about our business, Bill’s junk, and our relationship was shown on our local public television station. So now, we’ve had our 30 minutes of fame and can retire! On a personal front, there have been just as many meanderings: political activism, spiritual journeys, and experiments in living communally. We currently live in an apartment above our warehouse in a commercial district of Seattle. The downstairs and outside is mostly a junkyard (Bill’s passion) but we are carving out a unique place to live upstairs. It took us only six years to install an upstairs bathroom and twelve years to build a kitchen, but now we are living in the “lap of luxury” with a wonderful view of Lake Union and the city from our kitchen and all the comforts one could ask for. We were able to use a great deal of recycled materials in our re-model. There is still more to do to finish the inside and we plan large art projects for the hillside behind our place. Yoga, Vipassana meditation ( a form of Buddhist meditation) and progressive politics are three of my main interests. In addition, I’ve been working out regularly as we prepare for a two week sea kayaking trip to the Queen Charlottes (off the north coast of British Columbia) this summer. Bill and I have had many wonderful kayaking trips off the coasts of Vancouver Island, Canada; the west coast of Washington State and Mexico (the Baja Peninsula and south of Puerto Vallarta). Birds, whales and physical challenges abound! I’m grateful for my health, family and community and for the personal work I’ve done to heal old wounds. I was such a lonely and unhappy kid in high school that I only remember a few names from back then. It’s doubtful that I’ll be coming to Detroit in November, but I wish you all good health, an easy spirit and a calm heart. If you feel so inclined, contact me if you come out our way. Peace to you. Sooz Appel (I’ve been called Sooz instead of Susan for the last 15+ years) You can email me at the address below: soozappel@netos.com Julius K. Armstrong Married to wife Kay D. Armstrong for 37 years. Two sons Julius K. Armstrong II, age 33 Chad Nolan Armstrong, age 28 One granddaughter Jade Briana, age 9 Taught school for 4 years in Detroit Ford Motor Company for 30 1/2 years Retired from Ford effective 1/12000 Julius K. Armstrong: jade947@mediaone.net Len Aronovitz Hi Nancy....it's easy and enjoyable to read the bios, but writing one...?????? I feel like I'm in school again, worried about punctuation and grammar. My life has been blessed with wonderful friends and family. I married Eleanor Gerbs, Mumford ' 60, and we have two daughters living in the area and giving us great joy. We play with our two grandchildren as often as possible. Eleanor and I have been very lucky to have traveled and lived a charmed existence. My drug dealing paid off. Actually it was by prescription only. I practiced general medicine for 28 years with a wonderful partner, Lou Soverinsky, in Pontiac MI. The combination of managed health care and burnout afforded me a great opportunity to have a second career in a medically related field. I joined Marty Tessler [Mumford ' 60] over six years ago in a practice dedicated to hair transplantation. I am enjoying a stress free life now, with night calls once a year. We are enjoying a great partnership and have interesting patients come from all over the world. I think that 10% are Mumford grads. Much of our spare time has been filled with golf and fishing. I'm a nut fisherman who will drop anything to go drown worms. In fact, I am presently living out a life dream. I'm building a cabin in the wilderness of Ontario on a lake in the middle of nowhere. Enough about me. It truly is a great job you are doing. I know everyone appreciates it. Thanks, Len Aronovitz Fish550126@aol.com P.S. all Mumford grads get major discounts on hair transplants....Peace and good health to you all. Pattye Asarch Hi Nancy, This is pattye Asarch at Los Angeles Unified School District where I now work in an office. This is my office e-mail which I don't use much now that I got a machine at home. Since it is easier to use, I'll bring you up to date. I have worked here 7 1/2 years after a career in broadcasting doing television engineering. My last jobs were doing local News for two major stations. My jobs were not permanent, thus I needed to get a job with good benefits and retirement. It's not as exciting but fulfills my needs. I'm single and except for a 3 year stretch up north, have Lived near Venice Beach for the past 30 years. I lived in Manhattan 5 years before that. I have been owned by a blue eyed kitty since 1972 (I'm now on SIMCHA,no.#3) and love animals and nature in general. I am avid reader, enjoy movies and going to the theatre. I have traveled alittle. I go to Oregon regularly and have also been to Mexico, New Mexico, and Israel twice. I love indian things and feel their traditions are similar to my own Jewish heritage. I am now actively engaged in Jewish studies and enjoy it immensely. I would love to hear or see anyone who is interested in e-mailing me or visiting this way. I think about Detroit often and am very glad we had a SUPER place to grow up in. If I can be further help, please write. Sincerely, Pattye Asarch 1pattye@mymailstation.com If there is anything else you'd like to know, please feel free to write. Mathew Ash Thank you, Nancy, for all of the work you have done for our class and the reunion. You and the others have made a real contribution and it is appreciated in many ways. For a long time, I did not know what to say, so I hesitated to respond. As I have read the emails, I realized how good it feels to be connected to the past this way. Unfortunately, my biggest disappointment is that I can remember so few of my classmates. I read the emails and try to picture everyone, but it is so difficult. And such an interesting group of people. A brief bio: I struggled with personal problems in my last years at Mumford and made up for it in community college in Boston. I clicked there and transferred to U of M where I graduated in ‘65. After that, I attended Wayne State and earned a Masters and most of a PhD in Political Science, in the evenings, while working for various government and private human rights groups through the riots and afterwards. In 1969 I decided to try law school and moved to Washington, DC where I attended Georgetown Law School at night, while working full time doing race relations work for the Justice Department, and then as an investigator for a Senate subcommittee chaired by Michigan's Phil Hart. After law school I worked for one of the federal banking agencies and have been in private practice, doing corporate and securities work as a lawyer since 1980. I now manage the DC office of a 475-person national law firm and spend most of my time with financial institutions and insurance companies. I have always enjoyed developing innovative solutions to business problems and I really do take great satisfaction from my work. On a personal note: I married in 1968 (the first time) to a daughter of one of my U of M professors. We were both too immature and ended up parting without children and as friends in 1973. In 1978 I met and married the most beautiful and wonderful woman in the world, Carole, who was living in Glen Cove, NY running her own interior design business (I was trying to get it wholesale). I proposed to her the day after we met and, after a few months of convincing, we married and she moved to DC. Carole continued her business here, and then gave it up to raise 3 wonderful kids and, since 1996, has been building a growing and very successful catering business. (I have helped with many aspects of the business and act as CFO for the time being; I am very proud of her growth and accomplishments and happy that we can share some of the experiences.) Our kids are Jesse, 29, now a new lawyer himself, Ruth, 17 and Diana, 14. Ruth is aiming for business school next fall. I try to picture myself as a high school student as my daughters are, and am sad to say I have forgotten what it feels like. Was I ever really that young? I have little left in Detroit these days. All of my closer family has died or moved away, and I have lost touch with friends, so I rarely get back. Business and family commitments will keep me from attending the reunion, but I wish you all a wonderful time at the party and health and happiness until the 50th. We'll all be there with bells on, right? Mathew Ash mat8608@aol.com PS: I'd love to hear from anyone who is in or visiting the Washington area: 301-469-5838. Linda August Hi Nancy....My life seems so "main stream" after reading some of our classmates bios..,.but here goes mine..After Mumford I went on to graduate from U of M with a degree in special education.. After ten years of teaching in Detroit/Southfield I married Joel Gershenson..a Detroiter. I quit teaching after 6 months of marriage and moved to Israel for 4 months to work on a kibbutz. When we came home, I settled into community volunteer work, had a daughter and went back to work as a travel consultant. I've been very lucky in that I have had a very happy, uncomplicated and very healthy life style. I've been able to travel virtually all over the world....I've elephant trekked in Thailand...swam with sea lions in the Galapagos islands...hiked Patagonia...climbed part of the Great Wall of China....visited with Refusniks in Russia in 1980....etc.etc. Three years ago, we bought property and built a beautiful house in the mountains of Telluride, Colorado. I now spend my winters skiing and snowshoeing and my summers hiking. My husband is semi-retired, my daughter, who graduated from Tufts University in Boston, is working in Chicago, and I am having a great time dividing my time between two houses, visiting Chicago and finding new places to explore. I can't wait to see everyone in November................. Linda (August) Gershenson lgershenson@hotmail.com Judy Avrin As for my life over the last 40 years, IN BRIEF: In 1964, I married my first and only husband, Neal Barmack, a fellow student at Michigan. He is a scientist on the faculty at University of Oregon Health Sciences University. In 1965, I graduated from Michigan with a BA in History. In subsequent years, I received an MAT and taught high school social studies for a few years in Rochester, NY. I received my Ph.D. in Urban Studies from Portland State University in 1975. I worked for the Portland Public Schools for many years as an in-house demographer. For the past seven years, I have been a self-employed demographic consultant to school districts -- doing enrollment projections and long-range planning. To date, I have worked with 20 different districts in the Pacific Northwest. My husband and I lived in Oslo, Norway in 1969-1970, where he had a post-doctoral fellowship. It was a wonderful, memorable year. Since 1970, we have resided in Portland, Oregon. We have two sons, Matthew, born in 1970, and Erik, born in 1973. In 1998, Matthew married Catherine Wolfram. They have a son, Max, born in 2000. It is a great joy to be a grandparent -- just the best. All of our kids, at the moment, live in the San Francisco Bay area. Best regards, Judy Avrin Barmack jbarmack@uswest.net Edith Babb My bio simply put: Professionally, I am a Registered Nurse. I worked almost 20 years in management for Health Management Organizations. I am currently what I call semi-retired working in Quality Management for the DMC Health Plans, a part of the Detroit Medical Center. I was married, but divorced now for 21 years. From that marriage, I gained from two wonderful children and oddly enough, a lifetime friend in my ex. My oldest is 36 years old, a daughter, Kris. After completing her Master's, she worked in Hospital administration in Atlanta. She then decided to be on the other side of the fence and become a doctor. She will graduate from Wayne State's School of Medicine in January. Married 4 years to a wonderful man, they've decided they have postponed parenthood long enough. They're trying to make me a grandma for a second time, which leads me to my next child, my son, Steven. Steven is 26 years old and a graduate from Alabama A & M and married to wonderful southern girl. They are expecting their first child late September, so I will be a grandma by the time we have our reunion. I, too, am looking forward to spending an evening with former classmates. Looking through my yearbook really brings back a lot of fond memories!!!!!!!!!!!!! Edith (Babb) Manlove emanlove@dmc.org Bob Baer Hi Everyone, I'm now in Florida and feeling guilty about: 1. Not doing my bio earlier, 2. Not being at the reunion and seeing some of my old friends. 3. Missing the Michigan/Ohio State football game. I can't do anything about 2 or 3, although the game is on TV and the weather is great down here this year, so here goes number 1. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 1966 with my MBA, went to work for Touche Ross (now Deloite Touche) and practiced as a CPA, with them and later with J.K. Lasser, for 8 years. In 1974, I went to work in the family engineering business, Efficient Engineering Co., and have been running it since 1979. I am now training my nephew to take over the business so that I can spend more time enjoying life. In 1966 I married Patti Danto, class of 1963 and my senior prom date, and we have had 35 great years together. (In fact, the two other classmates with whom we went to the senior prom, Mel Shotten and Julian Smith, are also still married to their prom dates, Terri Phillips and Fran York. That must be some sort of record!) We have 2 wonderful children, Laura (age 29) and Steven (age 25). Laura is a social worker for the Dearborn Heights School District and is married to Jeff Raitt who works in the securities industry, and Steven is a prospective CPA working for Grant Thornton in Southfield. All 3 are MSU graduates. I ran 2 marathons in the early 1980's and continued to run quite a bit until I was injured last year. I also play tennis and enjoy sailing and skiing. Pat and I love to travel and have taken many interesting trips, and we also enjoy collecting art. Four years ago we purchased a great condo overlooking Sarasota Bay on Longboat Key in Florida. We love the Sarasota life style and, for the first time, we plan to spend all winter down here. I feel bad that I can't be with you at the reunion, so I think I'll pour a glass of wine, go sit by the pool and think about my friends from 40 years ago. Have a great time! Best regards, Bob Baer rebaer@efficient-eng.com Geraldine Barnett Nancy, I was glad to hear from you and to know that you will be keeping me informed regarding our 40th year class reunion. A lot has happened in 40 years and I truly feel blessed today. Would you believe that on January 27, 2001 I will be celebrated my 39th wedding anniversary to the same man. I graduated at 16 years old, married at 17yrs. old, and had my first child at the same age. I have also finished graduate school, but currently I am not working, due to my health. I have 4 grandchildren whom I admire so much. I could go on and on but I won't. Geraldine (Barnett) Evans jerib118@juno.com Larry Baskin Nancy, I just came back from a trip to Ann Arbor for my college fraternity, SAMMIES 35 yr. reunion. It was great to see old friends and members of my extended family. It also means I probably won't make to big "D" for the Mumford reunion. Here's a brief recap of 40 years since. After graduating U of M in ' 65, I went to Wayne State Law School and graduated ' 68. From there: a teaching stint at the Univ. of Ill. in Champagne/Urbana; a community law fellowship from the Univ. of Penn. took me to Berkeley, Calif. and a period of wonderful, wild and crazy times!! I had hair, it was long and I drove a VW bus. Lived with a wonderful woman for a number of years and although we never married, I think of her like a first wife. After all, we had a monogamous relationship in the 70's when many of our married friends didn't. Left the poverty law program in 1973, traveled on a year long sabbatical, and in Sept. 1974, started my own law firm with a partner I met in California. It grew and we had many great successes and in 1995, I left the law firm to be on my own. It's freedom and wonderful. Now I hit the links whenever I can, practice part time and act as a Mediator to help other lawyers and litigants settle disputes. It appears that with little hair, a gray beard and the aging process, people (other than your children) think you "know things" and they listen! I married for the first and only time in 1980, a California girl who is my best friend, mate and a wonderful mother to our children. Unlike many classmates who are grandparents, I belong to the mature parent club and have a 17 yr. old son, senior in high school, and a 13 yr. old daughter in eighth grade. We own a half-acre of the California coast in a small beach town 1 hour North of San Francisco, upon which we built our home. There is nothing but sand between our house and the Pacific. It's quite a contrast to Woodingham. I feel lucky and blessed. Life is good. My best to all, sorry I'll miss the party. Have fun!!! Larry Baskin labaskin@ix.netcom.com Art Bayer I’ve roamed and rambled and followed my footsteps. And they’ve certainly led in some interesting directions. In the first few years after I graduated from Mumford, I lived on the notorious fourth floor of the 700 Prentiss building, down by Wayne State University. I’ve slept in barns and bunkhouses, lived in a 5’x8’ outdoor shower room behind an old brothel, and did the YMCA thing before it was a dance. I delivered phone books in four-story walk-ups in Brooklyn, hustled tourists into a coffee house when I lived in Greenwich Village, lived and worked in both LA and San Diego, and looked for work in Salina, Kansas, the dead center of the United States in every way, shape, and form. On March 2, 1967, I stepped out of her broom closet and met Joyce. On April 1, I proposed, and we were married on July 1,1967. Maureen, our older daughter, was born 4½ years later, possibly setting a record for the longest pregnancy in history. She is currently studying in Israel. Korrinne (Korrie) 23, served in the Navy, and has moved to Minneapolis where she is working and attending school. Joyce is a kindergarten teacher. I’ve worked at several occupations throughout the years, including the wholesale floral and nursery industries, printing, and warehousing. Much of my lifetime was spent working in the family janitorial supply business which had been started by my father in 1949. After my father’s death in 1981, my older brother and I continued to operate the business for over ten years. In 1992, my former brother decided to go in a different direction with his life, and he closed the business. Since selling toilet paper and floor machines was no longer an option, I tried my hand at other kinds of sales. I tried furniture sales, both contemporary and game room. The best part about selling furniture is that you have a comfortable place to sit and visit with the other sales people while waiting for your “up” to come in the door. After discovering that furniture sales wasn’t my thing, I decided to go back to one of my first loves, working around plants, and I took a job with a nursery and landscaping supply company. My hobby is indoor gardening; I have around 150 houseplants. About three years ago, I began my career with Kroger, where I still work today. I have heard that a measure of success is that “whoever has the most toys at the end wins.” My toys don’t have a great dollar value to speak of. What I find priceless, however, is an ongoing joke on the occasions that both my daughters are home to visit. They will start to argue, tongue in cheek, as to who gets what when we are gone. “I get the Pepsi collection,” says Maureen, “because I helped collect a lot of it.” Korrie comes back with, “I get all of Dad’s drums because I’m more musical.” Both girls agree on these things, and they agree to disagree on their mother’s aluminum mixing bowl with the handle, a bowl that has been in her family for at least three generations. Sometimes they talk about wanting the furniture and artwork that their grandmother made, sometimes paintings by their great-grandfather or their aunt. What makes me proud is knowing that what they “argue” about are things I value, and it is for the reasons I value them. On the occasions that our daughters think I’m giving them too much static about any given issue, they remind me that they control the size of the window I will get when they put me in the home. Sometimes when the girls don’t like my behavior, I’m told I may not get a window at all. As you may have picked up from the opening line of this bio, I’m an old folker at heart. The song that comes to mind now is “I can’t help but wander where I’m bound.” With two wonderful daughters, and a wife I love more than ever, I’ll be satisfied with love and memories for happiness; after all, I don’t think I’ll have a lot of space for toys in a room with no windows. Art Bayer jqbayer2@juno.com Priscilla Beresh Hi and a Very Happy Thanksgiving to All, According to my plan (but not the Taliban's) I was supposed to be in Australia, Lecturing and touring this month, and did not make plans to attend the reunion. However, my husband who is chief scientist of NASA Glen Research Center here in Cleveland was prevented from traveling outside the country because of security considerations, and we will spend Thanksgiving with our family. Actually my life seems about average. I graduated college, got married, moved to Boston and then back to the Cleveland area, and raised two beautiful, successful, and lovely (the Jewish mother is coming out) daughters. I am blessed with two grandchildren who live exactly forty minutes from my home. My husband and I chose to live in a very small city, Elyria, Ohio, and became big fish in a very small pond. For the past 25 years, I taught school, received my reading specialists degrees, and finally, at the great age of 58, completed my Masters Degree. Although I have done many jobs in both independent (private) school and public school, I am presently facilitating the reading program and promoting family involvement programs for Sheffield/Sheffield Lake Schools. In my spare time, I play tennis on many women's teams and ten years ago was thrilled to play USTA Nationals in California! I am also very active in the Temple and have been the principal of our small religious school for the past fifteen years. Starting with my first trip to Israel in 1959 with USY, travel has always been a priority in my life. Marv's job allows us to travel and be hosted by many heads of universities and countries. Mom and Dad owned a condo in HerzIia, Israel and we often joined them in Israel for spring break. Life has been very good to me. My greatest challenge is juggling family, fun, friends, and job responsibilities. I look forward to the future and feel that I still have many mountains to climb. My wishes for the future are global peace, diet pills that work, and continued good health. I wish you all the ability to meet new challenges with a smile. Have a good life and see you at the 50th. Priscilla (Beresh) Goldstein pgoldstein@sheffield.k12.oh.us Barbara Berk Hi Nancy, First I would like to thank you for all your hard work. I really enjoy reading the bios. They are quite impressive. I graduated Wayne State in 1965, taught elementary school in Livonia for three years and then got married in 1967 and divorced nine years later. I am currently a district manager for Revlon Cosmetics. I have been in this position for 9 years, and with the company for 18. I guess you could say I worked my way up: two years with Leggs pantyhose, 5 years with Kimberly Clark (sanitary products and Huggie diapers) and 9 years with Almay Cosmetics, ( now owned by Revlon). I have two wonderful single sons, both living in Sausalito, California. Andy 32, sells computer hardware. He graduated from University of Cal., Long Beach. Scott 30, went to Cal Poly, University of S.F. Dental School and U-D Orthodontic School. He practices in Mill Valley, CA. My greatest achievement was raising my sons alone. I am currently single and live in Birmingham, MI with Romeo, my Tibetan Terrier. I do keep in touch with many of my classmates from Mumford and some go back as far as Bagley Elementary School. There is nothing like OLD friends. I'm looking forward to seeing everybody at the reunion. MsBFun@hotmail.com Barbara (Berk) Lebus Michael Berke Dear Nancy, Thank you for all your good work on the reunion. It has been great catching up with all my former classmates from Mumford. Here is a brief synopsis of my life since I left the big pink and blue building on Wyoming. I graduated in six short years from Wayne State University with a degree in History. What the heck do you do with that? Well, I started teaching mentally-impaired students for Wayne County Intermediate Schools while working on a Masters Degree in Special Education at Wayne State. I decided that teaching was not my true calling and began my career in Jewish communal service at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. After three years at Federation, I moved on and became the Executive Director of Hillel Day School. Three years later --- back to Federation, where I remained for the next twenty-two years. I served as the Executive Director and Vice President of Financial Resource Development and Marketing until I left in 1997. For many years, I had wanted to start a fund-raising and marketing consulting firm. Well, my time had now arrived, and I formed a partnership with Peter Remington called the Remington-Berke Group. Our firm consults with non-profit organizations both locally and around the world assisting them in annual giving campaigns, capital/endowment campaigns, marketing and communications. If you have any interest in the firm, please visit my website at: www.remingtonberke.com On a personal basis, I married Mumford graduate, Linda Weisman, in 1967 and lo and behold, we're still together! Quite an accomplishment in this day and age. Linda started her career as an art teacher and artist but somehow ended up in the "family business" of fund raising. She worked for the Karmanos Cancer Institute and B'nai B'rith and is currently a free-lance professional writer and fund-raising/marketing consultant with her own firm, LMB Consulting Services. Linda and I are blessed with two wonderful children, Marc and Stephanie, and a terrific daughter-in-law, Sharon. Marc and Sharon have given us the best gift of all, two beautiful grandsons, Cameron Alexander (3) and Gabriel Nathan (9 months). We are also fortunate that our children now live in town after living far away for a number of years. Marc is also in the "family business" and works as a major gifts officer for the Karmanos Cancer Institute. Stephanie is a multi-media producer for Big Productions, and Sharon is a special education teacher at Berkely High School. All are doing well, and we are very proud of them. It's hard to believe that it has been forty years since high school graduation. Many of my closest friends are still those from childhood and Mumford; Howard Kaplan, Richard Lenter and Jerome Rosenthal. I wish everyone well and let's hope for peace in the world. Michael Berke, Jan.61 mberke@remingtonberke.com Barry Bernstein Nancy, thanks for your email. Actually you must be mistaken. It is impossible that it is the 40th reunion. Isn't it impossible? Oh well, reality is sometimes hard to accept. As to update : I am not married and have no children. I have lived in Vermont since 1971 and I am an owner/partner in Better World Energy LLC, which sells automated wood chip (biomass) systems for commercial, industrial, and institutional use in New England. We have installed systems in schools, state office buildings etc. I am president of the Board of Washington Electric Co-op - an electric member owned utility, serving 9000 households, 30,000 people, in 41 towns in central Vermont. I live in the country in Calais, Vermont, 1,500 people spread over a large area, 20 miles from Montpelier, which is our state capital. I have also been active in the disability rights movement in Vermont and nationally on and off over the past 25 yrs and helped start the Vermont Center For Independent Living (VCIL) in 1979 , a self help, statewide, advocacy organization, run by people with disabilities, that is still the lead organization on disability issues 22 years later. I also serve on the Woodbury College Board , Montpelier VT, a small 4 year school that focused on paralegal, conflict resolution/mediation and prevention fields. Thanks, Barry Bernstein bbearvt@aol.com Linda Bernstein Hi Nancy, Thank you for your response to my e-mail. We have been living in Texas since 1984, and I don't think anyone knew that. Anyway, my brother is the one who gave me your address. I think he saw it in the Jewish News. He also lives in Texas. Here is my address and phone number: Linda Bryce 605 W. Ridgewood Road Georgetown, Texas 78628 Phone: 512-863-5933 There is no problem giving out information to my former classmates. It would be great to hear from them. Some of the people that I knew all the way through grade school and high school were Barbara Berk, Laurel Bauman, Barbara Tenebaum, Linda August, Sherry Berris, Lynn Benigsohn, and Rosalie Beber. Have you heard from any of them? I have not. I can't remember if I know you or not. I have been trying to remember what you might look like. I know that we had such a large class that it would have been hard to know everyone. We will be celebrating our 36th wedding anniversary on February 27. My husband's name is Douglas Bryce. He did not go to Mumford. We have 4 children, three daughters and 1 son. Our oldest daughter is 29 and our youngest (our son) is 21. We have one 7 year old grandchild. I have been working at my present job since October of 1988. I will be taking early retirement in April of 2004. Looking forward to hearing from you. Regards, Linda (Bernstein) Bryce lbryce@texplas.com Linda Berry Dear Nancy, Sorry for the delay in writing. I wanted to be sure of my plans before I responded. I will not be coming to the reunion. We're honoring a sacred family rite of passage. According to our tradition, at 13 you have a Bar Mitzvah, at 21 you get a trip to Las Vegas. So we've finally committed and we'll be heading west for Thanksgiving. My bio follows--which may clarify "heading west." After graduating from the U of M, I moved to NY to go to Columbia University for graduate school. I obtained an MSW, worked for several years and became a fieldwork supervisor for Columbia and NYU. Next stop, back to graduate school for a degree and license in psychology. In 1973, I married my best friend, Bruce, and 28 years later we're still best friends. Bruce is an attorney in midtown Manhattan specializing in communications (newspapers, magazines, etc.). We live in both Manhattan (near the UN) and in Westchester (Bedford Corners). We have two sons: David, 23, who was graduated from MIT and is now a second year student at Harvard in the MD/PhD program; and Eric, 21, who is a junior at MIT majoring in course 6 (no words, only numbers at MIT). Somewhere in the middle, I became an art dealer, owned a gallery and served as a volunteer for a number of organizations including the MIT Parents' Advisory Board. Both my husband and I are licensed private pilots, avid scuba divers and fair weather skiers. We've traveled extensively and enjoy our lives. I don't think my husband plans to ever consider the "R" word (retirement) but we still find plenty of time to pursue our interests. I'm sorry I won't make it to the reunion since I've really enjoyed getting "reacquainted " with so many people, but I'm sure it will be wonderful. My best to all. Linda Cole Berry LCBerry@aol.com Carol Blauer Hi, Nancy I graduated in June 1961 and went to Highland Park JC, then on to Eastern Michigan. I graduated in 1967 and started teaching at the Cortland Elementary School. Right after graduation, in 1970, Jerry Leaderman and I were married and in 1975 our daughter, Rachel was born. Rachel was three months premature and weighed one pound six ounces at birth. She has mild Cerebral Palsy, but she’s twenty-six now and doing fine. I ran the school library at Cortland and was relief teacher until May 1997, when an old friend (yeah, sure!) "Arthur," last name “Itis” made me stop. Jerry is retired too now and we’ve done some traveling, but mainly live pretty quietly in the house we bought 29 years ago in Oak Park. I am not up to coming to the reunion, but may try to come to the breakfast. Either way, it has been nice to hear what everyone has been doing for the last forty years. Good luck to all. CAROL (BLAUER) LEADERMAN JLeaderman@mediaone.net Ken Benjamin Dear Nancy......... You've finally goaded me into it. After graduation, I went to Wayne State, U. of D. Dental School, U.S. Air Force at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, and finally U. of M. Graduate Dental Program for an M.S. in the specialty of Endodontics (root canals-ugh!). I had twin daughters, Shawn and Hillary with my first wife, Suzi Gross- (class of '62). After U. of M., I finally said goodbye to snow and sub-zero weather and moved to San Francisco, where I practiced endodontics and taught at University of The Pacific Dental School. I have been in practice in San Jose since 1974, working only 2 days a week now and thoroughly enjoying life with my wife, Janice. I'm an avid photographer and love traveling and photographing other cultures and ways of life. In the late 70's and early 80's, I was a serious marathoner and eventually completed 27 of them with a personal best of 2:37:41 of which I am very proud (Thanks to Coaches Loeffler and Mullin!) I'm not sure if I'll be at the reunion or not, so I'll take this opportunity to say thanks for all your great work in putting this together and reuniting the great class of '61. Hopefully, I'll be able to tell you this in person. Take care! Ken Benjamin kbenj11@aol.com Lynn Benigson Hi, Nancy, I have been divorced for 16 years and am about to get married this spring. I have 2 sons, one in california practicing law, and one in chicago, a C.P.A, a real jewish mother's dream. They brought me the most incredible daughters {in law}. We don't use that term. They are truly just my girls. I have an 9 year old grandaughter, a 4 year old grandson and a new one due in may. My significant other has brought me joy and hope for the future. I had cancer and beat it with a great support system, so you can see I am happy to be turning 58 and seeing this great reunion, so looking forward to it. Lynn benigson dubin SOON TO BE STAHL (She is now Lynn Stahl. She has since married) Barbara Berger Dear Nancy, After graduating from Mumford. I went to Wayne State University. Taught elementary school for 4 years. During this time went on for a master's degree at Wayne in in education. Also, I married Philip J. Silverman while he was a Medical student at Wayne State University. We moved to Toledo, OH. in l974 and began our life there. We have two children. Michell and Jared. Michelle is married and living in NYC. and has one child, which makes us grandparents. Jared is an attorney in Washington DC. About 15 years ago I decided to get another Master's degree in with a specialty in Recreation Therapy. I then worked with elderly in this field for 12 years. We have recently become Scottsdale AZ. snowbirds. I live out in Scottsdale 4-6 months a year in the winter/spring months and love it. Hope to be at the Mumford 40 reunion and catch up with all. Love, Barbara (Berger) Silverman pjsmgoblue@buckeye-express.com Judy Berlin Dear Nancy Thanks for the e mail. My NEW e mail address is j-berlin@pacbell.net. I am a 1961 grad and proud of it. I was active in Mumford's performing arts and I was president of our Drama club. I have lived in San Francisco area since 1974. I am married to Gary Clifford. Gary has an engineering background and is from Portland, Oregon. He is a Consultant in Energy Services. We own a sailboat and Gary has sailed in transpac races to Hawaii for fun! I am a performing arts instructor and I own a private TV & Film Acting School in San Francisco called Kids on Camera. I am also a pro voiceover on radio and TV. My education includes a BA from Michigan State U and graduated work at Wayne State U and San Francisco State U. After receiving my BA, I moved to Chicago and started to teach in elementary schools, as well as perform in Summer Stock Theatre. I moved back to Detroit and taught drama for 12 years at Burt Elementary near Redford Township. I moved to San Francisco, California in 1974. My first job in San Francisco was as a casting director for Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Educational Films. I was also a vocalist in local nightclubs for a 2 years and a free lance casting director for films and commercials. I have been a voiceover on Sesame Street since 1985. 2001 is my 20th year as owner and director of Kids on Camera TV & Film Acting School in San Francisco. It is a private school and I enroll over 900 students annually. My curriculum is designed to enhance communication skills, build confidence, and teach acting and audition skills for TV and film. My web site with current information about my business is www.kids-on-camera.com. My E mail is j-berlin@pacbell.net. Some of my students include the voice of Andy in TOY STORY 1 & 2, and another student won an Emmy Award in 1994 and portrays Jimmy Olsen on the TV series, Lois & Clark, The New Adventures of Superman. My career keeps me busy. The coast of California is a one hour drive from my home, and a place I go often for rest, rejuvenation, and long walks with my husband. Until, Judy Berlin Clifford Merrill Berman Nancy, Merrill Berman-Here's my bio: After graduation I joined the Detroit Police Department and stayed for nine years while attending college. In 1965 I married Sandra Keila (also a Mumford Grad 1963 ) and we have been very happy together ever since. After leaving the Police Department I bought a liquor store in Detroit with an uncle and we ran it for about 12 years. That was when the weather finally got to us. Sandie and I left Detroit and moved to Dallas, Texas. I've been a mortgage banker for the last twenty years and really enjoy the business. Sandra and I had three sons Jeffrey, Howard and Scott. We lost Howard in an auto accident in 1992 when he was 22 years old and that's still hard to deal with. Jeffrey has been married for 10 years and he and his wife gave us a beautiful grandson named Hayden who is now three years old. Since they both work, my wife watches him quite a bit ( we would pay them to watch him if necessary). Jeff is a branch manager for Bank of America and his wife Suzi owns an advertising and design company. Scott lives in N. Hollywood ,CA. and is an actor. He has been on several prime time shows, Darma and Greg , Will and Grace and Arrest and Trial-all small parts but you need to start somewhere. He is currently making his third appearance on a soap opera called Port Charles. Sandra and I live in Plano,Texas a Dallas suburb and really love it. We have wonderful lifestyle and a great group of friends. We belong to an Orthodox synagogue and enjoy practicing and learning about our religion. Unfortunately we can't get into Detroit for the reunion. Thanksgiving dinner has been at our house for the last 15 years and it has become a tradition. I hope everyone enjoys themselves at the reunion. Sorry I can't be there. Merrill Berman Steve Biegel Nancy; I can't believe it's already forty years. How depressing. Now a little about me. Nothing too exciting. For the past 34 years I have been a practicing Certified Public Accountant. For the last 28 years I have been a partner in the accounting firm of Morof Sheplow Weinstein Plc. By the way, Marv Weinstein, another one of our graduating class, was one of my partners. As of June 1, 2000 I have been retired and loving every minute of it. I am married. My wife's name is Laurie. We have been married for 11 years. We have no children.. Well, that's about it. Please keep me posted about what is going on. Steve Biegel sjbiegel@aol.com Joyce Biscomb Bio of Joyce Biscomb (now Joyce Tennant) Mumford High Class of ’61 (By her husband Bob Marine City High Class of ’62) Nancy, Joyce just won't write a bio for you, but I will. Even though I'm not in your class, I have enjoyed reading the bios and it has prompted me to check in on some of my old classmates from Marine City. The years sure have passed quickly, haven't they? Joyce Biscmb's biography by Bob Tennant Those of you who remember Joyce will remember that she was very shy. She is still too shy (modest) to write her own bio, so here I am. It is hard for me to imagine your reunion. Your school had more students in 1961 than my whole town. After graduation, Joyce attended Highland Park Community College and Wayne State University (where we met). She earned a BA in English and a BS in Education in 1966. She taught at Highland Park High School for two years and then became a full time Army wife serving in Germany, Kentucky and Texas. After the Army, she settled into domestic tranquility in Clawson, raising three kids. The tranquility was interrupted by a move to Virginia, which proved to be the best move of our lives, after we got over the shock of leaving our beloved Michigan. When the kids were old enough, Joyce returned to her career with a vengeance. Her first love was always music, so she got certified to teach in Virginia, and is now an elementary music teacher. She is also the organist at a large Baptist church where she plays for three Sunday morning services, one Sunday evening service and Wednesday evening. She also teaches piano to kids and adults. In my opinion she is a great wife, great mother and all around great person. But what do I know? I’ve only been married to her for 35 years. We are in the empty nest mode now. Our oldest boy, Rob, is a Baptist minister in Arlington (near the Pentagon). Our younger son, Matt, is VP of Operations for an Internet options brokerage firm in Chicago (Optionsxpress.com, not for the faint-hearted investor but the only online brokerage specializing in options). Our daughter, Christy, is an actress in New York (As The World Turns, Godspell, Member of the Wedding). We live in Roanoke, Virginia, in the heart of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. We still visit family in Michigan twice a year and for special occasions. We count ourselves blessed to have been born and raised in Michigan, but even more blessed to be living in this part of Virginia now. We pray God’s Blessing on the Class of ’61. Joyce (Biscomb) Tennant rjtennant@msn.com Larry Blaine Professional Bio Larry Blaine is a nationally-recognized business consultant with over 30 years of business experience and president of Decision Path Management, a consulting firm specializing in helping firms develop and expand their operations. Larry leads a team of multi-disciplinary professionals focused on helping entrepreneurs start and expand their companies. Larry lives in Stockton, California with his wife of 35 years, Gloria. He is also the president the Parent Advisory Board of the University of the Pacific where his son Steven is a senior. PERSONAL BIO Nancy, After graduating from Mumford, I went on to Wayne State where I received a B.S. in Psychology and then the University of Chicago where I received a Ph.D. in Cardiovascular Physiology - none of which has anything to do with what I do for a living. As I mentioned, I am the president of a management consulting firm with clients throughout the U.S., as well as in Europe, where I am currently opening a branch office in London. It might interesting to note that I was introduced to my wife of 35 years, Gloria (Remer), by a fellow classmate, Michael Rosenblatt. Gloria owns and operates her own gourmet gift basket company, Basket Caravan, which is an Internet-based company. Our son, Steven, is a senior at the University of the Pacific, majoring in Theater Arts and International Business. Steve is also a power lifter and was the California State Champion in 1998. We live in Stockton, California where we landed because we love the friendly people and our involvement at the university where I serve as the president of the Pacific Parent Advisory Board. Regards, Larry Blaine decisionpath@hotmail.com If you would like to add my company's Website, it is www.decisionpathmanagement.com. Joanne Bloom Dear Nancy, With the reunion less than two weeks away, I knew I better hustle and submit my bio. At the end of our senior year, I met my future husband. I was cruisin' Woodward with my best friend, Barbara Cartier (Goldberg), in her parents' new, '61, powder blue and white Bel Aire Chevrolet convertible. We were checking out the guys who frequented the drive-ins along the strip. We met 2 cute boys, Pat and Joe, backed in at "The Pole", eating Big Chief Burgers and drinking vanilla Vernors. One thing led to another and Joe and I have been happily married for 38 years. When the senior class held the Sadie Hawkins's Dance during that same time, even though I was already going with Joe, you were supposed to ask someone from your class. I asked Jerry Bruckheimer. His locker was next to mine and he was a nice guy. The only part of the evening I remember is being back on Woodward cruisin' to Ted's Drive-in. I must really have liked that Woodward strip! Who would have predicted that that skinny, nice guy could become the executive producer of such blockbuster Hollywood films? I am a math specialist for Detroit Public Schools and frequently visit many of your alma maters: Bagley, Schulze, Vernor, Bagley, MacDowell, Winship, Hampton (now called Barbara Jordan), Post M.S., and of course, Pasteur. It was my experience at Pasteur, with the best teachers and the greatest of kids that made the most lasting impression on me. Fellow classmates with whom I am currently good friends include Deanne Gursky (Reitman), Linda Stern (Goren), and Pan Kessler (Horowitz). Marjory Miller, who grew up across the street from me, is still a friend and neighbor. Joe and I have two beautiful daughters and a fine grandson. Another grandchild is expected next month. Unfortunately, I will miss you at the reunion. However, I will be thinking of all of you and looking forward to hopefully, our '45TH'. Joanne (Bloom) Paholak 18210 Adrian Southfield, MI 48075 248-557-2127 (She is currently without a valid email address) Ronny Bonheim Hi Nancy, Ronny Bonheim's story is as follows…. High school, college, dental school. I married Nancy Weiss (Mumford '62) when I was 22 years old and practiced dentistry in Lincoln Park, MI. Nancy and I have two children, Tony, age 32 and Beckie 31. Tony is in the restaurant business in Auburn Hills and Beckie teaches high school in Palm Springs, California. I’m real proud of both of them. Nancy and I lived in Toronto in the early 70’s and then moved back to Michigan and got divorced. Both kids eventually moved in with me. So did my girlfriend, Suzi Katzman (Southfield Lathrup '73). Suzi and I got married in '87 and we’re still together. We live on Elizabeth Lake in Waterford, where we enjoy the summers boating, water-skiing, jet skiing and just plain partying. We used to snow ski in the winter, but now we do other things like movies and dinner with friends and a lot of traveling. Europe, Middle East and all over the US and Hawaii. We have a cock-a-poo named Buddy. Buddy Bonheim. I sold my dental business in 1983 and got involved in a number of things that included healthcare marketing, dental credit cards, x-ray clinics and TMJ clinics. A few years ago I hooked up with a young dentist from California who had an idea about developing a non-medical cure for migraine headaches. We opened the Headache Prevention Institute where we refined the procedure and recently were approved by the FDA for the treatment of migraines. You may have seen my ex-partner on Good Morning America the first week in September. Since then I have returned to school at Oakland University in pursuit of a Certified Financial Planning Degree. I am now working with LinscoPrivate/Ledger as a financial advisor and investment consultant. You can reach me at Ronald.bonheim@lpl.com As I write this and look back over the last 40 years, I realize how fortunate I have been and I always will be grateful. Looking forward to seeing you in November. Ronny Bonheim Ingrid Boodin Dear Nancy, So you're requesting a bio from me---well, here goes... After graduating from Mumford in January 1961, I spent 3 1/2 years getting my undergrad degree (Ph.B.) from Monteith College at Wayne State University. I then attended the Wayne State School of Social Work and received my M.S.W. in June 1966. I had met my future husband (Sid Grossberg) when I was still a senior at Mumford and after a three year relationship, we were married in September 1963. We will be celebrating our 38th anniversary this September!! (Sid graduated from Cass Tech in 1959 and got his Master's Degree in Social Work from University of Michigan and his doctorate from Wayne State in 1971.) Both Sid and I have worked as Clinical Social Workers at various agencies in the Detroit area, and we both taught for several years at the Wayne State School of Social Work. In 1971 we had our son, Alex. He graduated from U of M (undergrad) and U of Miami (Master's in Broadcast Journalism) and has worked as a news writer (in Detroit and Phoenix), news producer (in Colorado Springs), and, most recently, as senior writer for the website Click on Detroit.com. He is currently in the market for a new position in the public relations area. Our daughter, Emily, born in 1974, graduated from U of M in 1996 and graduated from Wayne State Medical School in 2000. She is currently in her second year of residency in Dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Both of our kids are still single and pursuing very busy lives. In 1971, Sid and I established Counseling Associates, a private outpatient psychiatric clinic in Southfield, Michigan. We have both been in private practice at the clinic, along with about seventy other therapists, including psychiatrists and psychologists along with other clinical social workers. I specialize in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with children, adolescents and adults, with a particular interest in gifted children (and adults). I tend to do a lot of long-term work with my patients. I am a State of Michigan Certified Social Worker and a State Certified Marriage and Family Counselor. I have enjoyed my work very much and continue to work full time. In my free time I am an avid equestrian. (For those of you who may remember me from as long ago as elementary school, I have always loved horses.) I compete actively in dressage, (which is one of the Olympic equestrian events) in which the horse and rider perform a series of movements and patterns and work together as a team. It is difficult to see what the rider is doing to get the horse to do the various movements. I currently own a Dutch Warmblood, black and white pinto, at 2nd and 3rd levels and have qualified to compete in the regional finals next week (September 7-9) in Springfield, Illinois (anybody live there?). In addition to my passion for horses, I am also "into dogs." We have two Portuguese Water Dogs, Garth, age 6, and Max, age 11 months. We are actively working to get an off-leash dog park in West Bloomfield, Michigan, for our pups to be able to play and romp with their friends! I have had my share of health problems (illness and injuries named Image Maker, aka "Scout." If any of you reading this know about dressage, I am competing) but am very healthy now and enjoy leading an active lifestyle. I did have to give up my second passion (downhill skiing) after a very serious injury three years ago. Sid and I have done some traveling to several places: Mexico, Vermont, California, London, Paris and Rome. In October, we are planning a two week trip to Northern Italy and Vienna, which we are very much looking forward to. I am planning to attend the reunion (as I have the 20th and 30th) and look forward to seeing everyone. For any of you Vernor School people planning to attend, please contact me so we can try to set up a special Vernor reunion during that weekend. I'd love to hear from any of my former classmates and buddies. Ingrid Boodin Grossberg IngridGPhD@aol.com Sanford Braver Dear Nancy, You asked me to send a more extensive bio than the two lines I sent when you first "found" me last December. Here goes: Most importantly, I have remained in my 30s, while almost all my classmates seem to somehow be about 57 years old. But seriously... After Mumford I went to University of Michigan for 2 years, returned to Wayne to get my BA, then back to U of M, where I got my Ph.D. in Social Psychology in 1971. I have continuously been on the faculty in the psychology Department at Arizona State University in Tempe (suburb of Phoenix/Scottsdale) for over 30 years, advancing through the ranks to Full Professor. My teaching is primarily in the areas of research methods and statistics, almost exclusively to senior Honors and doctoral students, and I have just completed a textbook in that area. My primary research interest over the last 18 years or so has been in Family Psychology. A special emphasis is studying divorced fathers and their relationships with their children after divorce. To support this work, I have been the recipient of 15 competitively reviewed, primarily federal, research grants, totaling almost $16 million. I have published my work in over 60 peer-reviewed professional articles and chapters, and in my 1998 book Divorced dads: Shattering the myths (Tarcher/Penguin-Putnam), which was a popularized treatment of the research I did, leading the largest federally-supported research project ever conducted on divorced fathers. The publication of this book gave me a certain amount of notoriety and as a result I have been a consultant to such entities as President Clinton's National Fatherhood Initiative (and got an award from Al Gore), the National Commission for Child and Family Welfare, and the domestic relations taskforces of states like Ohio, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Oklahoma. I have been quoted in numerous news media discussions, including U.S. News and World Report, Kiplinger's, Redbook, the Wall Street Journal and was featured in a segment on January 7, 2000 of ABC News' 20/20 with Barbara Walters and Jon Stossel. My website http://asuprc.la.asu.edu/pirc-facultystaff/sanford-braver.htm has links to this book, various media articles about it or me, the transcript of the 20-20 episode, and even the "live on-line national chat" I was asked to do after the show aired. Personally, I am married to Jodi (Bernstein) Braver, who is a healthcare attorney, and the General Counsel for TriWest, the AZ division of TriCare, formerly CHAMPUS. My oldest two kids have each made us grandparents. Todd is a Psychology Professor (!) at Washington University in St. Louis, and married to another Psychology Professor there. Their daughter is Rachel, almost 3. Devra, who lives in Denver, is mother of Soren (7), Thierry (2-1/2), stepmother to Shelby (15), and she's expecting again. She is almost finished with her Psychology (!) degree. Still at home are Matt and Carrie, both gymnasts, and each swearing they will never go into Psychology (of course, that's what Todd and Devra said before college, as well.) After reading many of my classmate's bios, I realized I was hardly alone here in Arizona, (I sure was when I first got here!) A couple of weeks ago, Audrey Feldman, Nancy (Feldman) Seifer and I co-hosted a "mini-reunion" for Mumford '61 grads who live here, (thanks to Nancy and to Ben Craine for providing addresses, etc.) but after reading more bios I recognized there are many more who will shortly come for winter. Unfortunately, we will not be able to come to Detroit for the real reunion, but Mumford and my former classmates will be in my thoughts. Best, Sandy Braver sanford.braver@asu.edu Louise Bresler Dear Nancy, I apologize for not having sent this sooner. While I have read all of the bios and have enjoyed them, I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and write about my life. I haven't any children to talk about. I have not traveled to far away and wonderful places. And so, to me the question became, would anyone want to read about a rather ordinary life? And then I decided, what the hell! I started teaching Middle School in Madison Heights, in 1965 and I am still there. I am now teaching my third generation of some families. Ten years ago I switched from teaching Social Studies to teaching Language Arts. Literature has played an important part in my life, so the last ten years have been the most rewarding of my career. Bored Yet? I have fought a lot of wars in my life, not by choice. As a result, I have learned a lot of lessons that have ended up enriching my life and making me a stronger person than I ever thought possible. Even though my life did not turn out as I thought it would, I am happy, serene, and looking forward to tomorrow. Louise Bresler Would love to hear from old friends and not so old friends. weeze44@yahoo.com Marcia Brickner I’ve enjoyed reading the information submitted and I’m glad I saved my Capri all these years. I’ve been referring to it to refresh my memory. However, reading my classmates bios and thinking about composing my own, 40 years removed from Mumford, I’m amazed to discover those same teenage insecurities and feelings of inadequacy surfacing…not pretty enough, or rich enough, or smart enough to compete. Nevertheless, I will attempt to put those 40 years into a few words. I’ve lived in Southern California for the last 38 years. I love the lifestyle, the climate, and the Pacific Ocean; but may retire somewhere else (assuming I ever retire) because it’s becoming too expensive to live here. For the last 10 years I’ve worked for the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross where I coordinate CPR, First Aid and Preparedness Training. The pay isn’t great, but the work is rewarding. Having survived two marriages and two divorces, I’m currently single and in complete control of my remote. My production credits are my three sons, Jeff, born in 1964 who is a doctor specializing in reproductive endocrinology in Las Vegas; Steve, born in 1966, who is a musician and writer in Orange County; and Jason born in 1969 who is a landscape contractor in San Jose. They have given me three of the world’s smartest and most beautiful grandchildren, not to mention a few gray hairs. I don’t expect to attend the reunion, because I get together with my sons and their families at Thanksgiving, but would love to hear from anyone who remembers me. You can contact me by E-Mail at www.mmohr@oc-redcross.org or you can call me at (949)768-8484. Lawrence B. Brilliant Dear Nancy, Reading all of these bios of my Mumford classmates makes me nostalgic. What a wonderful group of people you have all turned out to be. I am proud to have known you “when” and grateful that you, Nancy, have assembled these stories for us! After medical school and an internship in San Francisco, my wife (whose name is now Girija Brilliant but who was born Elaine Feldman, Mumford ‘62) were extras in a terrible Warner Brothers movie (the Great Medicine Ball Caravan) then ran away with a hippie commune, the Hog Farm, lived on funny painted buses for a couple years traveling through Iran-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India-Nepal. We wound up living in India for nearly 10 years, first in a Hindu monastery in the Himalayas. Girija and I became disciples of Neem Karoli Baba (Ram Dass’ book Be Here Now was about him) and we also studied with the wise and wonderful Tibetan teachers Karmapa and Lama Govinda.. One day, my guru told me to go to work as a diplomat for the United Nations. I cut my hair, took off my ashram robes and put on a suit and tie and became a WHO medical officer (there is a story there), helping to run the smallpox eradication program from an office in New Delhi. There were over 150,000 people working on the smallpox program. I started off as the mascot on the team; it was my first real job and I did not know anything. Over the years, many of the experts moved back to their home countries, and I stayed in India and was fortunate to become one of the team leaders. It was an enormous program: we searched door to door for cases of smallpox, visiting every house in India every month for 2 years, making over 2 billion house calls. We eradicated smallpox, the last case of Variola major was a little girl named Rahima Banu who had smallpox on October 16, 1975 on Bhola Island in Bangladesh. I’ve written a book and lots of articles about smallpox and for a long time my sense of my identity was intertwined with the conquest of that awful disease. I am so saddened by the need to think again about smallpox because of the possibility of bio-terrorism. I’m going back to CDC in Atlanta to be part of the “old farts” smallpox emergency back up team in a few days. (if you are interested in the risk of smallpox today, see Jonathan Tucker’s book Scourge: the once and future threat of smallpox, which was published just last month). After smallpox was eradicated, I became a professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan and taught and did research there for 10 years. Girija and I started a foundation, the Seva Foundation, which works in India, Nepal, Tibet, etc. and develops programs to combat the diseases which cause blindness. Seva is now 22 years old and we have helped to cure 2 million people of blindness for free, mostly by providing hospitals and money for cataract operations in India and Nepal. (Contributions are way down after 9/11 and I am a shameless fundraiser: please take a look at www.seva.org). When I was in Ann Arbor, I became interested in computers and started a software company and I found myself in this very weird place of being CEO of a public company, while “inside” still a doctor, spiritual seeker and ageing hippie. I co-founded The Well, one of the first online communities. There is a good book about this which just came out (The Well, Katie Hafner, 2001) and, if anyone were interested, an article with much more about me than you would ever want to know in FastCompany http://www.fastcompany.com/online/39/brilliant.html Girija and I have known each other since we met at Mumford when she was 15 and I was 16. We have 3 great kids and live in Mill Valley, just outside of San Francisco. Being married for 32 years to the same wonderful woman is one of the greatest gifts of my life. Ten years in India caused me to lose touch with many dear friends from Mumford. I saw Sandy Friedman a couple of months ago in Hawaii, so nice to see him. This past week I met Tom Kuhn (Mumford '60) for the first time in 40 plus years but mostly I lost touch with Mumfordites and hope I can make the reunion to re-meet so many remarkable souls. Until about ten months ago, my day job was as CEO of SoftNet Systems, Inc, a NASDAQ technology company. Today I am writing a book, still work with Seva, and with my friend Wavy Gravy’s kids camp, Camp Winnarainbow, (I am still mostly a happy camper) and I’m on the board of a couple of VC backed companies and nonprofits. I spend a lot of time reading the Old and New Testament, Hindu scriptures, and lately the life of Mohammed. I’m still trying to figure it all out. If any of you have figured it out, please let me in on it by dropping me a line at: larry@well.com Best regards, Larry (Lawrence B. Brilliant) 8 Ralston Ave. Mill Valley, CA 94941 larry@well.com Sheryl Broner Hi, Nancy, Here's my bio - Sheryl Broner Gordon I got married in 1964 to a 1957 Mumford graduate - Milt Gordon. He's an orthodontist in Sterling Hts., MI and semi-retired. We recently 'cruised' in the Dream Cruise in his 1959 Bonneville convertible up and down Woodward Ave. We have 2 kids; one girl and one boy; both married; both live nearby; both have given us 2 grandsons that keep us busy all the time - especially me! Our oldest grandson is 3 1/2 and the youngest, 8 days old. In recent years my husband and I have enjoyed traveling to places we've always wanted to see. I've worked in a family business (Broner Glove and Safety) since 1982, but in the last few years (since grandchildren) have been a very part-time employee. I also volunteer for the Beaumont Hospital Parenting Program with new mothers, Mature Minglers, where I drive seniors to doctor appointments, and for Jewish Family Services, as a 'friendly visitor' to seniors living alone. In 1993, I began breeding parakeets in my home for a pet shop in Royal Oak or giving baby birds to friends and family. I will be coming to the reunion and hope I can recognize classmates from 40 years ago. Sheryl Broner Gordon My e-mail is SherGordon@aol.com Edith Brown Dear Classmates, Wow! It is awesome reading the bios, so much to reflect upon. I remember putting green food coloring in my hair on St. Patrick's Day. What else would a good little Irish girl do?! Calling teachers a "schmuck" and Lord only knows how many others. It wasn't until I called Sharon Shapiro a schmuck, that she explained to me what it meant. Heck, I though it was a cute slang name and no big deal. Excuse the pun! Although I had some amusing times, I must say that high school was not one of the most enjoyable experiences in my life. I was but one among many, possibly, going through all of those perceived insecurities at that time in our lives. I left high school a bit shell shocked, not really sure what I wanted in my life; however very happy to be out. I did know, if it was to be, it was up to me. So I took some time to work for companies and absorb the real world and what business had to offer. Two very large companies (Michigan Bell and Burroughs) hired me, but when it came time for the physical and they found out that I was a juvenile diabetic, I was promptly let go. (My how times change) Got a job with a large food chain distributor, as one of Hoffa’s teamster girls. Very interesting experience. I was later offered a management/buyer position. They felt I was very qualified because of my experience on the firing line with my union status job, (my first experience at learning the contrast in pay between a woman with more work experience and a man with considerably less experience in the same job). Another reality check. Married in 1963, to my "Jimmy Dean" love of my life, Bob Zahler. We had our first child in 1964, a son, Robert Jay. Then over the next 5 years, a 5-month miscarriage (girl) and a full term stillborn (boy). Feeling very sorry for myself and “why me?” feeling that things always happen to the other guy. I was now the other guy! Last time I ever asked "why me?" The situation made me much more insightful, appreciative and grateful to have our only child. Another reality check. When our son was about 2 years old, I went to beauty school (must have been influenced, by my green hair days in school). I had a salon set up in our home, so I could have the best of two worlds. I could raise our son and do something that I had loved from a young girl. My ultimate dream was to have my own salon business one day. At age 30, I was told that I had a terminal skin disease and had only 3 months to 3 years to live. I lost my mother, the following month and my father, 10 months later. Wow, what a kick in the tush and another of life's reality checks. After almost five years, I found out that I had been misdiagnosed and had something very rare from a flu virus, with a low mortally rate. Hearing this made me realize there is no tomorrow. Don't procrastinate, do what you want now. So I did! I opened up my own salon business, "Tortoise & the Hair, Ltd", (great seventy's unisex name), in Troy, MI. (I never really left far from home.) Shortly after, I opened a second location and after about 3 years, sold it. I've had the original business now for 24 years, purchased the building and have trained and employed innumerable employees. The decision has given me some of the most gratifying experiences in my life. I did attend some advanced developmental and management classes. I didn't go for the degree, but what I got was something so truly extraordinary. The faith and trust from clients, being there for their baby’s first hair cut, home coming dance, proms, graduation, shower, wedding, a pick-up after their babies birth, a new look during a mid-life crisis or divorce, or for the funeral service of a loved one. And of course, for all the times in-between. I'm so fortunate to have been able to take part in a profession that has given me such a tremendous opportunity, to participate in the most important occasions of another person's life. My profession has also offered me the opportunity to be a State of Michigan, Cosmetology Educator, competition judge, platform artist, and a motivational beauty school speaker. My husband has been a wonderful supporter in my dream. I had a quintuple bypass 13 years ago and now I manage the business and look to new opportunities within it. We're also considering developing some acreage that we have by our home up North on the Tittabawassee River. This will be another new adventure and we're looking forward to the task. Our son was also a juvenile diabetic at the age of 10. He is a licensed builder. Just as his business was getting off the ground, he ended up with kidney failure. He went to the University of Wisconsin and had a double organ transplant (kidney and pancreas) that saved his life. The ravages of the disease still didn't stop. He had one leg amputated and is trying to save the other. He married a wonderful girl named, Pam. She's a nurse that he met, while being carried for at William Beaumont, Hospital in Royal Oak, MI. Bob has a great attitude and a wonderful sense of humor. He hopes to begin again, moving forward in his career. No grandchildren, as of yet. The positive wonders of what an organ donator can do for another person and his family is totally indescribable!!! My hope is that others would at least consider being a donor to help another to live. My husband has been in construction all of the 38 years of our marriage. He retired this past year; however, he is still working full time and enjoys it, along with his fishing. Now it's by his choice! I enjoy our family, friends and home immensely. Along with decorating, gardening and tending to our three little Shih Tzu's, "Shasta, Ranger & Riley," I go to the gym several times a week and after 54 years of diabetes with many complications, feel very fortunate that I still can. I will not be attending the reunion because of health reasons. I know that you'll all have a wonderful time and reminisce the night away. For a quiet, shy girl in school, I certainly made up for it with this lengthy bio! Another reality check! "As long as you're green, you grow. Once you become ripe, you rot." Much good health and happiness to you all. Life is good! Edie (Brown) Zahler e-mail: shasta2is@home.com Jerome (JERRY) BRUCKHEIMER As of 1/13/01 3:25 PM Jerry Bruckheimer (Producer) one of the most successful producers of all time, is a filmmaker who loves telling a story with fully developed characters who go through a process to learn something. His films take us, his audience, through those some processes, and we leave the theatres enriched by the unforgettable characters, exited by the great stories and intrigued by the new experiences. So we go back, and keep going back, to the films that begin with the lightning bolt- the Bruckheimer films that have grossed billions and have earned their producer the acclaim and respect of his industry and devotion of moviegoers throughout the world. Bruckheimer has always been a storyteller. He started out with the short ones- the 60-second tales he created as an award-winning commercial producer in his native Detroit. One of those mini-films, a parody of "Bonnie and Clyde" he created for Pontiac, was noted for its brilliance in Time Magazine. It also brought the 23-year-old producer to the attention of the world-renowned ad agency BBD&O, which lured him to New York. Four years on Madison Avenue gave him the experience and the confidence to tackle Hollywood, and not yet 30, he was at the helm of the memorable films like "Farewell, My Lovely" and "American Gigolo." Also among those early films was 1983's "Flashdance," a film that clichés aside, actually changed lives. It changed Jennifer Beals' life by making her a box office star. It changed its audiences' lives by killing off the jumping jack forever and turning us all into aerobic dancers. Most importantly, it changed Bruckheimer's life by becoming a sleeper hit (grossing $100 million in the U.S. alone) and pairing him with an old acquaintance, producer Don Simpson, who would be his partner for the next 14 years. As one of the most prolific partnerships in recent motion picture history, Bruckheimer and Simpson produced films that were honored with 15 Academy Award nominations, two Oscars for Best Song, four Grammys, three Golden Globes, two People's Choice Awards for Best Picture and an MTV award for Best Picture of the Decade. Equally important to Bruckheimer as a creative force was the fact that the films were turning their stars into box office giants. "Beverly Hills Cop" launched Eddie Murphy's film career and "Top Gun" made Tom Cruise an international superstar. Industry acclaim followed box office success. In both 1985 and 1988, the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) named Bruckheimer Producer of the Year. Along with Simpson, Bruckheimer was named Motion Picture Showman of the Year in 1988 by the Publicists Guild of America. By 1995 the team was producing one hit after another. In that year alone, Simpson and Bruckheimer were responsible for "Bad Boys," the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence film that was Columbia Pictures highest grossing movie of the year; Michelle Pfeiffer's acclaimed "Dangerous Minds," and "Crimson Tide," the Denzel Washington/Gene Hackman adventure that, with "Dangerous Minds," topped Hollywood Pictures box office slate. In 1996, Bruckheimer produced "The Rock" starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. The film broke new ground and continued the established Bruckheimer tradition of success; with a box office gross of nearly $350 million worldwide; it set the video rental market record as the most-ordered film in history. His casting of the film reestablished Connery as an action star and created that same image for the intellectual Cage. "The Rock," which was named Favorite Movie of the Year by NATO, more significantly was Bruckheimer's last movie with Simpson, who died tragically during production. Now on his own, Bruckheimer followed in 1997 with "Con Air," a film that placed Cage in the stratosphere of international action heroes, and grossed over $200 million worldwide. It also earned the producer two more Oscar nominations and a fifth Grammy which brought him once more to the attention of the international industry, which in 1999 awarded him with the ShoWest International Box Office Acievement Award for his unmatched foreign box office grosses. In 2000 Bruckheimer was honored by the Producers Guild of America with the David O. Selznick Award for Lifetime Achievement in motion pictures. In 1998 Touchstone pictures released "Armageddon" starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and Steve Buscemi. The outer space adventure, directed by Michael Bay, proved to be the biggest movie of 1998, with combined revenues of nearly $560 million worldwide. The film's soundtrack album hit multi-platinum status and spawned a #1 single, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," for the rock band Aerosmith. The video debuted on MTV and immediately became the #1 video in America. Another hit for Bruckheimer in 1998 was the critically acclaimed psychological thriller "Enemy of the State," starring Will Smith and Gene Hackman. "Enemy" earned over $225 million worldwide. "Gone in 60 Seconds," starring Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Giovanni Ribisi, Delroy Lindo and Robert Duvall was released in June of 2000. Directed by Dominic Sena, the fast paced version of the 1974 cult classic brought in over $100 million in domestic box office and an additional $135 million worldwide. "Coyote Ugly," a romantic comedy from Touchstone Pictures, was released in August 2000. It is the story of a 21-year old's wild adventure in Manhattan while pursuing her dream of becoming a songwriter. The film has grossed over $60 million domestically and is still in international release. The soundtrack from the movie featured songs written by Diane Warren and performed by LeAnn Rimes. The soundtrack album quickly rose to the top of the Country charts where it spent seven weeks at #1 and to the top of the Billboard soundtracks chart where it spent two weeks at #1. In September of 2000, Bruckheimer released the first film under his Technical Black banner with Walt Disney Pictures, "Remember the Titans." The number one film on its opening weekend and the biggest opening ever for a Denzel Washington film, it recently crossed the $100 million mark. "Remember the Titans" was inspired by the true story of the integration of a high school football team in Virginia and the two coaches who first clashed, then, led the team to glory. With worldwide revenues of over $11 billion in box office, video and recording receipts, more than any other producer in history, Jerry Bruckheimer continues to find and develop the films that will take him into the new millennium. The company recently wrapped production on "Pearl Harbor," directed by Michael Bay. Penned by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Randall Wallace, "Pearl Harbor" is a story of love and heroism on an epic level. It follows the lives of two daring young pilots who grew up like brothers, and the beautiful courageous nurse they both come to love. As the two young men strive to maintain their friendship while vying for the same woman, they put their lives on the line for the sake of their country. "Pearl Harbor," starring Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Beckinsale will be released on Memorial Day 2001. In March of 2001, Ridley Scott will helm "Black Hawk Down" for Bruckheimer, the gripping recounting of the 1993 Somalian Battle of Mogadishu adapted from the best selling novel by Mark Bowden. Scheduled to begin shooting this spring is the comedy, "Down and Under." This project will mark the second collaboration between Jerry Bruckheimer and "Coyote Ugly" director David McNally. This raucous comedy follows the misadventures of two friends from Brooklyn forced to deliver mob money to Australia. While taking photos with a kangaroo, one of them places his red jacket on it. But when the kangaroo bounces off and they realize the mob money was in the jacket, they're forced to give chase in the Outback. Presently in pre-production is the action thriller "Takedown." The drama unfolds when a U.S. Marshal, determined to avenge the brutal rape of his female partner, learns that the very officials he's served for years are now harboring his enemy in order to gain access to an even bigger criminal. Additional projects in development include the comedy "Affirmative Action," starring Will Smith and Ben Affleck (from an original idea by Affleck) about a black Louisiana cop and a white FBI undercover agent who reluctantly team up to track down missing police flash money and put away a major drug lord; "The Veronica Guerin Story," a biography of the heroic Irish journalist gunned down by Dublin crime lords to be directed by Joel Schumacher; "Rogue Warrior," the story of a Navy SEAL; "Witness to the Truth," based on the true account of FBI agent Paul Lindsay; "The Tiger Project," based on the work in India of conservationist Belinda Wright and "Operation Moses," the real story of a New York stockbroker who risked everything on a covert operation to rescue Ethopian Jews. Bruckheimer has hit television series this season with "Crime Scene Investigations," which airs on Fridays on CBS at 9pm. "C.S.I." stars William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger as members of an elite forensic detective unit in Las Vegas. "C.S.I." was the highest rated fall debut this season. Jerry Bruckheimer Films also produced the syndicated action series "Soldier of Fortune" and the ABC drama "Dangerous Minds" starring Annie Potts. What these and the other projects on Jerry Bruckheimer's slate have in common is what his concepts have always shared- great characters playing out great plots. When the films reach the screen, they will share with each other what his films have always given us- stories told with style and passion, cinematic adventures that engage and hold us until Jerry Bruckheimer himself says it's a wrap. Susan Budson Hi Nancy, I graduated U of M, became a teacher, married, moved to Poughkeepsie, NY, had 2 daughters, divorced, therapy, back to school, became a legal assistant. A pretty ordinary story up to then! I am now married to Allen Fink, the love of my life and the most patient, positive man in the world. Allen and I have 4 great children between us, all about to be married! We hope that someday we will have a few grandchildren in addition to our 3 grand-dogs and 4 grand-cats. I have two daughters, Leslie Rosenberg, who lives in Arizona, just earned her Master of Social Work. She works for the Surprise Fire Department in Support Services, Victims' Assistance and Fire Prevention Education. Julie Rosenberg lives in Boston and is an assistant producer at WGBH, making documentary films. You may catch her name in the credits on American Experience, The Wright Stuff and Alone on the Ice. Steven Fink lives in Cincinnati and works as marketing director for inventors of radio controlled vehicles. And Joli Tompkins nee Fink has her own pet grooming business here in Poughkeepsie. Last year I retired after working for 22 years as a legal assistant, working in the areas of creditor bankruptcy, corporate and elder law. It was a strange mix, but I was never bored. Allen retired several years before from IBM and was looking forward to sharing his fun with me. We play competitive table tennis and have been medal winners in New York State, which qualified us for the National Senior Games in 1997 and 1999. What a moving experience to be with 10,000 seniors from the US and Canada, competing in all the different sports from tennis, baseball, swimming, cycling and track to shuffleboard and badminton! We are also avid collectors and dealers in stamps, covers, postcards. We have an interesting collection of turn of the century Michigan postcards and advertising envelopes for anyone who is interested! We now spend our winters in Scottsdale, AZ, and our summers in Poughkeepsie, NY. I do not play competitive sports any more, but play with friends. Allen continues to play and coach table tennis and wheelchair tennis. I am learning bridge, am on the Board of Trustees of Vassar Temple, and work as a volunteer in the library and the soup kitchen. And life goes on and on. It has been wonderful reading everyone's biographies. I have had warm responses to letters to several long lost friends. Allen has enjoyed the biographies and correspondence, as well, and is beginning to think he is part of our class. See you at the reunion! Warm regards, Susan (Budson) Fink Sbudson@aol.com John Burbank Dear Nancy, After reading so many interesting bios of classmates from the Mumford Class of '61, I realize what a special group of students we were. We were truly blessed to have such a talented and dedicated staff of teachers. Perhaps that is why, after a year at Michigan State, I decided to become a teacher. I transferred to Wayne State and received my B.S. degree in '66. I immediately landed a teaching position at Post Junior High. By that time the neighborhood had changed and I found myself teaching in the "hood". It was an incredible challenge to teach in a school where teachers were receiving "combat pay" from the Detroit Board of Ed. I was young and full of idealism, believing I could change the world. I believe I made a difference but also, the experience had changed me. After working on my Masters in night school at Oakland University, I received a position at a private prep school in the Traverse City area. What a drastic change, teaching well-to-do white kids! I remained at my post for over 20 years, loving every minute of it. I retired in '91 and decided to go into the telecommunication business with my nephew in Livonia. This proved to be a financial disaster. Penniless, I took a position with a large Ford dealership as a customer service advisor. In '97, the Greater Metro Detroit Ford Dealership Association choose me as their TV advertising spokesperson and my message was aired all over Michigan and Ohio. It was a great experience and my only 15 minutes of fame. Of course I have had some regrets-as we all have, but on balance, I have had an interesting life. My side jobs have included being a museum curator, a voluntary probation officer, campaign manager for a probate judge, business manager of a small tourist business, and graduate of the Bob Bondorant School of High Performance Driving. Well, that is my very brief bio. Keep up the good work with the class reunion, and if I am able, I will see you at Comerica Park in November. John Burbank brojohnb@worldnet.att.net Jim Burdick After I graduated Michigan law school, I went into the prosecutor's office, exchanging my 1-A military classification for a 2-S (essential skills occupation because of the riots) and was forced to cut short my planned trip to Saigon. A few years later, I moved to the defense side, where I have remained for all but a short 4-year stint doing a bit of television out in dear old Hollywierd. (How Bruckheimer can continue to deal with those people for all these years is beyond me; he was always such a nice guy. Well...maybe that's it.) A fair amount of politics - until the last few years - writing speeches, surrogate speaking, advancing, fundraising, etc., even one early run for Congress (remember when we thought we could change the world?). I was married first for a brief, yet somehow interminable, six years - not really her fault, though - but I have been happily married for the last 8 to a truly wonderful woman with two unbelievable children, 17 and 14. My wife went back to Ann Arbor to finish her undergraduate degree in psychology, which she interrupted for her first marriage (from which she was sadly widowed), and now is working on her masters in psych, which being married to someone like me is probably a smart thing. With the kids pushing back my previously planned retirement age to somewhere around 106, I am gleefully charging through my 34th year in the law business, helping a few innocent people, as well as many, many others, through what has become a morass of criminal injustice; writing a few op-eds and articles and working on my first book, American Injustice (which now looks like it may have found a home); and working out like a fiend - before and after heart bypass. I have one urgent problem: I try to work at my golf handicap, yet it has risen inexplicably ten or twelve strokes, while my son, who does anything but work on his game, lolls around with a nine (or less) handicap. It hardly seems fair. It's been a kick reading about old friends and how well their lives are turning out. We were a mighty lucky bunch for the most part, but I'm pretty sure very few of us realized it at the time. The world has become a far less optimistic place, I'm afraid, with challenges for our kids we never dreamed of facing. Who'd'a ever thunk...? Thanks to you and whomever else is responsible for pulling this whole thing together. Regards... Jim Burdick Ntglty2000@aol.com (248) 335-5000 Kenneth Burk Hi Nancy. My name is Kenneth Burk I have worked for over 20 years as a Mortgage title closer and district sales manager. I have 1 son, Alan, who lives in Ypsi. I have 2 stepsons, David and Steven, who live in California. I have 1 granddaughter, Abygale, 2 yrs old, in CA. I have been remarried to a wonderful woman for nearly 17 years. We travel a lot and are currently planning our retirement. We don't know where we will live, but it will be in the sun and warmth. Take care. Ken ken1june2@aol.com Karen Burke I've been married to Mickey Kurzman (Mumford '56) since '63 and we have lived in Dallas since '76. We have a daughter, Kathy, who lives in Austin with her husband and 3 boys (8, 5 1/2, 3 1/2) and teaches at the Jewish Community Day School. Our son, Bill, trained as a chef and is living in Bend, Oregon, where he and his wife own a wonderful bakery. Our son, Matthew, is single and working as a homebuilder here in Dallas. I had an office supply store for 10 years and taught cooking classes before that. I've done a lot of volunteer work over the years and for the last 6 years have been doing my favorite...giving hearing screenings on at-risk newborns at Parkland Hospital. I am also part of a very active study group and I love to read. I'll be celebrating my parents' 60th anniversary and will not be able to attend the reunion. I'll miss seeing all of my old classmates...especially those from Schulze! I still keep in close touch with my dear friend, Patty Weinstein Shook. Karen (Burke) Kurzman kayem@sbcglobal.net Jane Carnick Dear Nancy: I've been reading my former classmates bios for several weeks, toying with the idea of "checking in". This morning I clicked on and there was Larry Okrent so I decided it was time! One of the advantages of being a late entry is that I realize how lucky I have been. I have been married to Gerry Weber, an attorney here in Chicago since 1964. We met at the University of Michigan. We have two children. Our son, Adam, practices law with the Illinois State's Attorney and our daughter, Michael, is in television production. Both of them live within a mile of us in downtown Chicago. Neither of them is married, although Adam is engaged. I have owned a retail business for the last 25 years or so located on Michigan Avenue. I have enjoyed it and have no plans to retire. Gerry and I have been fortunate to have been able to travel extensively both with each other and with the children. We are all healthy and intend to stay that way! An interesting twist is that my mother, who had been widowed (several times) is now married to Barney Schwartz, Alan's dad, so Alan Schwartz is now my stepbrother. Because the reunion is Thanksgiving weekend, we will not be able to make it. We have traditional family commitments here, but I wish all of you well. Perhaps the 50th will be on a non-holiday weekend? That is a not-so-subtle suggestion, for what it's worth. All my best, Jane (Carnick) Weber Email Address: j.weber.ink@worldnet.att.net Barbara Cartier Hi Nancy, Well now that I have read all the Very unusual 'life stories" I guess I should make mine a bit more readable. Here goes.... I graduated from U of M in 1965 with a teaching credential and was married that same year. In 1969 we moved with our daughter to Southern California. The following year we had a second daughter but divorced shortly thereafter. I was lucky to meet a wonderful man with two sons. We have been happily married since 1973, and still reside on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Our children have given us three beautiful granddaughters with a fourth one on the way. Sex unknown, but after three generations of girls in my family we are due a boy. I taught school for about 8 years and then decided to switch to the Travel Industry. My husband and I have enjoyed many wonderful trips over the years. Last December we both retired and now are enjoying our free time. Our youngest daughter lives in Baltimore and our friends now know that whenever we get on a plane exactly where we are heading! We love movies, theatre, walking on the beach, and being with our family. I have not been back to Michigan since the 30th reunion and unfortunately will not be able to attend this year. I wish you all a wonderful evening and send love to all my old friends. Fondly, Barbara (Cartier) Goldberg Email Address: sbgoldberg@webtv.net Shel Ceresnie Dear Nancy, Sorry for not responding in a more timely manner, but I have been working in Wisconsin for the last several months, and my time has been very limited. The truth is, that I was actually supposed to graduate with the Mumford class of ' 60, but I had to graduate from summer school in '61, due to my "high academic" achievements at the time and my involvement with the "Continentals," of which I was a founding member. It's a miracle that I graduated at all! Also, I really didn't know any of the kids from the class of '61, except my cousin Carolyn Apel and a few others. After graduation, I enlisted in the Army for three years, and they sent me to electronics school at Ft. Monmouth, N.J. I had a blast in New York for about a year before going to Okinawa for eighteen months. While I was in the service, I married my high school girlfriend, Laraine and we've been married for thirty-nine years. We have three children and three grandchildren. After leaving the army, I went to Lawrence Tech on the G.I. bill. I've been an automotive designer for the past thirty-seven years, and have owned a few businesses on the way. My son and I own "The Music Stand" in Berkley, but he and his wife manage and run it, as all I know of music, is that I like to hear it.....rock, classical, and jazz. At the present, I'm working in Wisconsin on a military combat vehicle design project for the British and U.S. armies. I manage to come home on weekends every so often. I still live in Oak Park and we also have a lakefront home near Lewiston Mi., where we plan on retiring. Shel Ceresnie proton1@mediaone.net Arlene Charness Dear Nancy, I apologize for not doing this sooner. I have so much enjoyed hearing about so many people that I remember so well and some that I ran home and looked up, which is amazing to me, as I rarely remember what I did yesterday! I will not be able to come to the reunion, as I plan to move back to Dallas soon. We moved there about 30 years ago, and I came back to Detroit about 6 years ago to help my parents who were ill. I have 3 great kids, whom I always thought were the best thing that ever happened to me, UNTIL I had a grandchild. My little Joey (nickname for Joella Shayne) will be two in November, and she is the most precious gift I have ever received. I also got a bonus with Auri, who is 6, when her mom married my son. So life has been good to me, and I am anxious to move back where my family is, as I miss them terribly. I wish all of you the best and thank you for sharing your lives with me. Arlene (Charness) Niskar ASN@mcul.org Mervin Cherrin After Mumford, I went to Michigan and Michigan Law School. I worked summers in Georgia for a civil rights firm. After Law school I moved to Belle Glade, Florida where I represented Migrant farm workers, then to Oakland, CA with Legal Services and a community with a lot of old Mumfordites: Howard Schechter, Alan Myerson, Billy Davis, Larry Baskin, Lee Redstone. Hard to remember much of that. I then did a two and a half year stint in Washington D.C. as a public Defender where I fell in love and got married and then back to Berkeley for good. I taught law for ten years at the University of Santa Claire Law School and am presently a Lecturer in law at Stanford. Private practice, a lot of horticulture classes and two very wonderful children along the way. In 1997 I got a masters in Clinical Psychology and am now a practicing therapist, working mainly with adolescents. My wife, Bonnie, is a school librarian. My daughter, Amanda, is a junior at Northwestern University and my son, Will, is a junior at Berkeley High. Thanks for doing this Nancy. Merv Cherrin Mcher68669@aol.com David Chesluk Everywhere we go-o people want to know-ow who we are so we tell em: Graduated U of M in 1965. Married my wonderful wife Penny in 1967- still happily married. Graduated WSU College of Medicine in 1969. Pediatric internship at Children's Hospital of Mich-1970. General psychiatry and the Child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at U of Colorado in Denver from 1971 to 1974. Moved to paradise (Santa Cruz, CA) and have lived in the river valley, very country, but just outside of town for 26 years. My two adult sons live in Brooklyn and Santa Barbara and they both got married last year to great daughter-in-laws. Ben is teaching at NYU and writing his book and Sam is buying and selling ISP network hardware. No grandchildren yet but we are ready to enjoy that phase. I learned basic photography from Stan Ormsby at Mumford and have lately been exhibiting some and selling a few photos. I haven't been back to Detroit in 31 years but have seen quite a bit of the rest of the world. David Chesluk dpchesluk@aol.com Charlene Choiniere Hi Nancy, Thanks to all the Mumford grads who have taken the time to write their bios. Each night look forward to opening my email. Who will be next with their Bio? I have read every one with great interest. Here's my story: After graduation, I went to California for the summer and then returned to Detroit for the winter, then the next summer I spent in New York State. After Labor Day in 1962, I moved to Oshawa, Ontario in Canada. I met my husband Jim and we were married in July of 1963. That makes it 38 years. We have two sons. Andy is married to Paulie and they have 2 daughters. My other son Steve is not married. He works with me in our Travel Agency and Tour Company. I started Fun Bus 22 years ago and we do day tours from our area. In 1990 we started Fun Time Travel Company Ltd., which is a tour and travel agency. It is very interesting organizing tours and escorting them. My husband Jim retired September 30, 2000, after 40 years of service in General Motors. We both enjoy traveling and hope to do more when I retire. I have survived breast cancer with a year of chemotherapy, which was 14 years ago. It can be beaten! Sorry, I won't be able to make the reunion. But I am sure all will enjoy who do attend. Thanks, Charlene (Choiniere) Groat charlenegroat@home.com Norma Cochran Hi, Nancy, Well, I will try to complete my Bio: After graduating from Mumford in January of 1961, I began attending college at Compton Junior College. While there, I participated in both the student council and a sorority, plus I was Feature and Organization Editor of the school newspaper, the "Tartar Shield." I was certain that I would continue my education at Cal-State in San Jose. I had planned to major in journalism, however, after a trip to Detroit to visit my family, I decided to attend Cal-State in Long Beach. I changed my major several times, from Elementary Ed. to Anthropology to Sociology. I finally decided on Sociology. I met my husband, Robert Downs, at Long Beach. We will celebrate thirty-seven years of marriage in December. We have two loving children, Robert Dalton and Karol Lynn. A renowned pediatric surgeon at University of California in Los Angeles employs my daughter. She has a very sensitive job, however, she seems to enjoy the challenge. She is a graduate of the University of LaVerne. Prior to her graduation, she studied at affiliated universities in Mexico and Greece. My Son, Robert, attended U.C.L.A. .He plans to complete his requirements for his B.S. in the German Language. He too studied abroad; Robert studied at the Goethe Institute of Language. He also received an Award Of Excellence from the German Consulate. Actually, we are very proud of him. He dedicated sixteen years of employment to UCLA, working as a library assistant. The 64 mile a day ride took its toll on him and he accepted a librarian assistant position at Cal-State Dominguez (Berkley by the Blimp). He has many visions of making this library more student- friendly. As a family, we valued education and travel and we have enjoyed traveling throughout the United States, Mexico, Hawaii and Europe. Robert 's travels have taken him to the East coast, Germany, Italy and Costa Rica. Karol's travels have included Spain and France. Robert and I have logged in miles to Europe, Denmark, Sweden and Canada. Our family also visited East Berlin. I owe my wanderlust to a very vibrant and illustrious geography teacher at Mumford. She urged our class to widen our horizons through travel. I would certainly like to share with her the news of all of our travels. Now more about me: I completed my undergraduate work at Cal-state University at Long Beach. I completed my graduate work at Cal-State Dominguez Hills in Behavioral Sciences. I am a marriage and family therapist and have worked for Los Angeles County in excess of thirty-two years. I enjoyed my most recent assignment as a Dependency Investigations Supervisor. In LA County there are only eight such Units. Our responsibilities include investigating allegations of child abuse, writing petitions, developing treatment plans for the families, assessing feasibility of adoption, consulting with attorneys, doctors, relatives, penal agents and inmates, as well as, testifying in court. I really worked hard and found the position rewarding in many aspects. The same employer employed my husband, Robert, in excess of thirty years. A larger firm bought out his small company. He is employed as an International Sales Manager. Their company distributes aluminum for Alcoa and other companies. He is a very diligent and knowledgeable manager and has earned a glowing reputation for service and ethics throughout the metals circuit. He has plans to retire "next year.” So far; next year is still on the horizon. We enjoy living in our dream condo on the beach and attending church and are anxiously anticipating three events: Robert's retirement, marriage of either or both of our children and what every parent wants---------Grandchildren. Well I finally did it!! Norma (Cochran) Downs RDowns1014@aol.com Judy Cohen Thanks for sending me all the Mumford material. Though I can't remember most of these people, it is interesting to hear about them. I have very basic computer capabilities and tons of email to answer, so I have not checked out any websites. How do people find the time to keep up with all of it? Bio for me; I have been living in New England and teaching at the college level since the late 1960's. For years I lived the hippie "back to the land" life in Vermont and wrote a novel about it called Seasons, still in print from The Permanent Press. I taught at Goddard College, a very progressive alternative school, for many years, and still feel lots of nostalgia about that period of my life. But I moved on to the Boston area where I taught writing at Harvard, both at the Business School and the College. I have been at Lesley University in Cambridge for the past 14 years and teach only adults working on Bachelor's, Master's and doctorates--I love teaching mature students and consider it a major passion of mine. I continue to write and publish articles, short stories, and memoir pieces. You can find my reviews in The Women's Review of Books, and my most recent short story in The Larcom Review. When not teaching, I am working on a book length memoir about my Mother, a lot of which takes place in Detroit. I have been divorced once and am happily reattached to Mark Schneider, an American historian who has written two books ( Boston Confronts Jim Crow, and We Return Fighting (forthcoming). We have no children and we travel as much as we can. Next year I have a sabbatical and will be visiting Amsterdam and eastern Europe, South Africa, and India, so if anyone has contacts in these places, I would love to hear about them. I am also still very close to my oldest friend from Detroit (who did not attend Mumford,) but people may have known her: Sarah Marwil Lamstein, now a children's book author. We have been buddies since we were nine and met at Pasteur School. Judy Cohen Markanjudy@aol.com Lawrence Cohen Bio: Larry (Lawrence) Cohen It wouldn't be proper to start a bio without a comment on how time flies, or someone attached a "whizzer meter" on the calendar. I transferred from Cass Tech for the last year and a half of high school. The course I remembered the most from Mumford was driver's education. Who was it that drove up along the driver's ed car on a supposedly closed course and asked, "How do I find Wyoming?" At graduation, I remember someone on the stage proudly stating that some 90 percent of the graduates were going on to college. I was not in that number, and I needed to get some direction. After graduation, I knocked around selling commercial art supplies and attending college part-time. I went out to Arizona, and finished a BS in Pharmacy at the Univ. of Arizona, 1968. California was inviting so off to LA where I worked for a couple of years all over the LA basin. Unfortunately, my birth date made headlines as the number one draft lottery pick. Modesty prevents me from making further comments about the national press publicizing my birth date. An act of g-d gave me a six-month deferment and Michigan Local Board No. 179 ceased to find me very interesting. With my newfound peace of mind, I proposed marriage to Linda Kremer of Tucson, and while she was still saying yes, I hustled her off to Omaha, Creighton University Dental School. As I was graduating (literally) in 1974, Linda gave birth to Marc, and we moved out to Tucson before winter set in again. Linda is an alumnus of the Univ. of Arizona, which is where we met. Marc graduated from Beloit College with a BS and MA in psychology and education. He is married and teaching the first grade in a suburb of Houston. Kimberly was born in 1978, and she is graduating from the Univ. of San Francisco nursing school next month. Yes, it is home alone time, except for that 130# "Great White Pyrenees." Linda and I have enjoyed Tucson and Arizona these many years. We are 60 miles from Mexico. Tucson has by far the better landscape compared to Phoenix/Scottsdale area. However, Phoenix has at least three times the population and ten times the financial clout. The reality is I have been in Arizona the past 38 years except for a 6-year hiatus. I still have family back in Detroit. Detroit is very appealing come spring and fall. Those other two seasons don't interest me, and that comes from someone who lives in a dry heat. My parents passed away earlier this year. My dad was still working part-time the month before he passed away at 92. I am not ready to retire, but 92 would be a push. Please remember the University of Arizona Wildcats are from Tucson. Arizona State University is in the Phoenix Metropolitan area, Tempe. Other geographical information upon request. Have a wonderful reunion. If anyone needs travel information for Southern Arizona, e-mail me at Larcohen@aol.com, and may many reunions be in your future. Leon Coleman Hi! Nancy this is my Bio. My Adventure Thru 40 Years After Mumford, my thoughts went to "now what do I do?" Having no money for a higher education, and no special skills (so I thought), but later proved not to be true. After bumming around the home for six months, I moved to Toledo, Ohio, from Toledo to Chicago, from Chicago back to Toledo, from Toledo back to Detroit, from Detroit back to Toledo, where I have been for the last 39 years. Married twice, first marriage lasted 16 years. Bore two sons, Jeffery 36, Leon Jr. 33, and one stepson, Warren 40. I have two grandsons, and one granddaughter. I am now retired, after working 28 years at Dupont. The skills I mentioned before was the ability to retain numbers and remember formulas. I moved through the various paint making processes and settled in the field of Resin processing, where I stayed until retirement. I am now married to wife number two, and being very content doing modest jobs around the house. I also enjoy Trap Shooting. I have won a number of trophies, and this sport has taken me to many places in Michigan, Maryland, New York, Florida, and a lot of areas of Ohio. Hope to see you all at the reunion. Leon Coleman Leshcole@netzero.net Arnold Collens Nancy, I've been enjoying the fruits of your efforts for the last few months and haven't responded to your requests because frankly I really didn't want to look in the mirror. Then I got the phone call. I was to meet a gentleman whom I had never met before for a business meeting. We arranged a meeting place and before hanging up, I thought I'd better describe myself so that he could find me. I told him that I was 5'8" tall, medium build with hazel eyes and brown hair. Luckily, my wife Dorothy was within earshot of the conversation. She smiled at me and said, "he will never find you!" HE'LL NEVER FIND YOU!! Tell him you used to be 5-8, wear glasses that cover those hazel eyes and that your brown hair has thinned across the top and is now gray.--He found me!! So now you're asking me to take another look at myself, at what has been a very good and mostly enjoyable 40-year ride. Arnold Collens Bio Information: Work: 1960's to early 1970's: Opened and Administered Camp Kennedy for the Tamarack Camps, Fresh Air Society in 1964. Honeymooned and headed the Tamarack Teen Travel Trips in 1966. Worked with the Thursday Night (Young Adults with Disabilities and Special Needs) Social Groups at the Jewish Community Center, this group was the seed group that launched the Jewish Association for Residential Care (JARC). Graduated with a Bachelor, Masters Degree and Teaching Certificate from Wayne State University then taught Business/Distribution at the High School, Community College and University level. At one point I was receiving 5 paychecks at the same time. Mid 1970,s to 1980: Worked in the industrial chemical industry primarily selling to the injection molding (plastics) and turf industries. 1980 to the Present: Incorporated Chem-Line, and industrial distribution company, we serve the industrial and janitorial supply needs of the automotive, injection molding and healthcare industries. In early 1984 Chem-Line was recognized as the first company in the automotive industry to develop and use EDI capabilities to communicate between Personal Computers and Mainframes. We eventually taught the technology to EDS and General Electric. Personal: I enjoy travel, photography, learning about cultures and history, boating, birding and watching sunsets. I've been blessed by being able to travel across our beautiful country, five continents, the Pacific Rim and Papua New Guinea enjoying these pursuits. I enjoy showing and sharing history with my 1929 Ford Model "A" Phaeton. I have participated for several years at the Greenfield Village Old Car Festivals and at specialty events like "Eyes on Design" at the Edsel Ford House. I've enjoyed watching our sons develop into fine young men. They played in the Michigan Marching band together in 1990. Howard marched off to Law School and now works For UAW/Ford Legal Services. He is active as a volunteer in several community organizations. Howard and his wife Nancy (Hoffman), who has a Masters Degree in Public Health and is a great Mom, live in Huntington Woods and have given us the most pleasure of our lives, Adena Beth who is 2½ and Max Ethan who just turned 4 months. Jason graduated Magma Cum Laude in Chemical Engineer and has earned Professional Engineer status. He married Lisa (Rives) who worked at the Great Lakes Commission to put into place contingency plans to monitor emergencies and spills in the Great Lakes/St Laurence Seaway. Lisa has a Masters Degree in Library Information Science and currently coordinates the Centre County Library System at Bellefonte, PA. Jason is currently working on a Doctorate in Chemical Engineering. He is in the third year of a five-year endeavor funded by Penn State University. His research is focused on: The production of therapeutics in plant tissue bioreactors. With all the blessings I've had the best part of my life is my wife Dorothy. We went to different High Schools together (she's from Oak Park Class of "63"). We've dreamed together for over 42 years, built those dreams and continue to look for more. We are looking forward to retirement in a few years (tried it once and it didn't work out). We love lake living, to sit with friends and family at our kitchen table, on the back porch or on the boat and watch those wonderful sunsets that settle across our view of the fishing bay at Cass Lake is great. We're starting to think that our next venture is to figure out where we would like to live during the winter months. We already know we want to continue to summer here. Nancy, thanks for your efforts! Looking forward to seeing you at the reunion - I'll be the balding guy with the gray hair and large smile. Arnie If anyone remembers me and would like to share a memory e-mail me at: acollens@chem-line.com Cindy Corman Hello To All of my Fellow Classmates, I realize this sounds like a cliché, BUT "WHERE HAVE THE LAST FORTY YEARS GONE?" THEY HAVE GONE BY IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE!!! It's scary to think we are all 58 years old and on the brink of Social Security (If there's anything left)! I married Mickey Newman in 1965 and have two wonderful children. My son is an attorney in Newport Beach, California, and my daughter lives in Farmington Hills with our “most darling granddaughter” of 5 years old. We all moved to San Diego in 1972. I have been a travel agent since 1980, and have thoroughly enjoyed helping the desires and needs of wonderful people over the years. The HORRENDOUS losses that have occurred to our country on 9/11 has been quite devastating and my heart goes out everyone and especially anyone personally touched by it (like Ina Gold), you have my deepest sympathy. I hope our country will heal and that there will be no more acts of violence. I am so looking forward to the reunion and seeing everyone, I can hardly wait! Less than 2 months to go! I just hope there will not be a snowstorm Thanksgiving weekend. Nancy, you are doing a terrific job of sending out all these bios. Regards to all, Cindy (Corman) Newman cindynewman43@hotmail.com Judy Covensky Nancy: I am a 1961 graduate of Mumford. I am Judy (Covensky) Goodfriend-Sanders. I was married to Gary Goodfriend for 24 years, divorced, then remarried 2 1/2 years ago to Ben Sanders. I have two daughters; Debbie Kennedy (28), married to Scott and living in Madison, WI with a 4 month old son, Garrett, and Marla Goodfriend (25) living in Southfield, going to college and working. I am a first-grade teacher in the Detroit Public Schools. Please keep me informed! Judy My email address: jubendy@aol.com Ben Craine After Mumford, I headed for the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Majored in Accounting, but spent at least as much time working in theater. I was a lighting designer, including a year as the lighting designer for the Pennsylvania Ballet Company, a new, regional, professional company. After Wharton, I returned to Michigan and married Vicki Miller [celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary this year]. Vicki is an interior designer. I also began working in our family photography business and started in a Masters program at Wayne State. Finished a Masters in Radio and Television, then completed the course work for a PhD in Communications [no, never did the dissertation]. While at Wayne, I began teaching a course in Oral Communications and spent the next 31 years as an adjunct faculty member at WSU. At the same time I continued to work in the family business, selling the studios 23 years ago to a national photography company. I worked the next four years for the parent company, Lifetouch, running the Detroit division, and also as Director of Marketing for our national senior portrait division. After four years, I realized I was not very corporate, so I moved on to another entrepreneurial business. As the B. H. Craine Company, we buy from paper mills reject and surplus industrial packaging papers. We then convert the large mill rolls into smaller counter rolls or sheets, and we sell through distributors mostly in the Midwest, but we do ship paper across the country and also internationally. Our web site: www.papermaven.com. A few years later, having not gotten photography out of my blood, I did open another business with a partner. Realizing the benefits of combining one-hour technology with portrait photography, in Southfield, we opened The Photo Center, one of the first portrait studios to offer proofs in one hour and finished portraits in 2-3 days; we also created a niche market processing and printing film for advanced amateur and professional photographers. Vicki and I have two children. Joey is 32 and, having returned to Michigan, now works with me in the paper business. After U of M, he spent nine years in California, first working in production on a variety of prime time network sitcoms, and then writing. Ultimately, he produced and directed one of his own feature films. The Three Little Wolfs is now working its way through a variety of Jewish film festivals around the country. Ellyn, 30, graduated from the University of Wisconsin and is a partner in a local ad agency; she is married and has one daughter, our first granddaughter. Happily, they live in Huntington Woods. She is also expecting her second. Keeping with the Television background, I have served on the Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills Cable Access Board for the past seventeen years, including serving as its chairperson for the last twelve years. I have also served on the boards and as president of our Penn and Wharton Clubs of Michigan. Three years ago, Vicki and I built a house in Scottsdale, and we are preparing to spend our second winter there. Because of my business, I can work, without difficulty, in either location. Ben Craine bhcraine@papermaven.com Linda Dershow Right now I am a certified personal trainer with my own business. I am also a certified aerobics instructor. Life has been great. Two kids are grown up and married. Kim is an attorney living in Lamberville, MI. Derek owns Cregger Plumbing in Royal Oak, MI. He has been on television several times. They both have children, and I miss them very much. My mom still lives in the Detroit metro area. Dad died three years ago. We get back to visit, but it is usually over Labor Day. Love living in Virginia. We are in a big old house on a salt marsh and have been redoing and renovating for the past year. Have two dogs, a poodle and a shih tzu. My husband is a CPA. If anyone gets down this way, feel free to contact me. We probably wouldn't recognize one another passing on the street after all this time. Good luck with the reunion. Linda Dershow, Mackie, etc., etc. hgncpa@aol.com Eva Dorra Dear Nancy! Following graduation 40 years ago, I went to Eastern Michigan and then to Wayne State where I completed my undergraduate and graduate work in French Literature. I married David Gelfand in 1968 and have two fabulous daughters Debbie and Miriam. David and I were sadly divorced in 1998 after 30 years of marriage. I was devastated at first, but have recovered completely with the support of a caring family and a group of wonderful friends and colleagues. Life is good in Winston-Salem N.C., where I have lived since 1975. I enjoy the small town atmosphere where everyone knows everyone. I have been teaching French for the past 15 years, the last twelve being at Forsyth Country Day School, where I am very happy. Now to news of my children, with great pride: Debbie, 31 is a textile designer in NY. She has recently become engaged to Erik Secan, whom I like very much and will be a fine son-in-law. They will be married in March. Miriam, 28 is married to Michael Rodrigues Pereira, a wonderful son-in-law, and they live in Irvine, California. They have been married for one year and Miriam, who loves the East coast, is adjusting to perpetual sunshine. Miriam is a figure skater who coaches and is passionate about the sport. I have no grandchildren yet, but will be a fabulous grandmother. During my free time, I enjoy my Yoga class, walking, spending time with friends, and attending concerts, the theater and traveling, of course. I will be unable to attend the reunion due to the annual Thanksgiving family gathering. I wish you all a successful reunion and a wonderful time. Eva (Dorra) Gelfand emdgelfand@aol.com David Drachler Here is my bio-feed back: I completed my undergraduate education and medical training at the University of Michigan. In the process, I married Carole Leslie Simon (Mumford Class of ’64), served in the Army as a medical officer in Europe, where our only child was born and then in 1976 moved to Phoenix, AZ where I have been a Pulmonologist. We love Phoenix and have never looked back, but it took 10 years for me to replace my loyalty from Detroit to Phoenix teams. We have been very fortunate to enjoy stability and good health, given the adversity presented in so many of the submitted biographies. Hobbies include travel, golf and stamp collecting. Best wishes for the reunion. David Drachler ddrachler@home.com drachler@msn.com Bill Eichelbaum Bill Baum’s Post-Mumford Auto-Bio I was born named Bill Eichelbaum……but, legally Americanized my name to Bill Baum when I turned 21 years old. (I could never learn how to spell the old name!) After graduating Mumford, I attended Wayne State U. for a year because my acceptance to U. of Michigan had not reached me in time. At Wayne State I maintained a B+ average in Engineering School, while being a member of the Rowing Team and the Chess Team, and being elected as Freshman Class President and a member of the Student-Faculty Board. I worked part-time jobs to finance school, and then with a summer job as an Architectural Engineer, and playing in a semi-pro baseball league, I was able to save enough money to transfer to Michigan for my sophomore year. At Michigan, I always worked several part-time jobs, played baseball, football, and basketball in Intramural Sports, and struggled my way to a B.S.E. in Engineering and a B.S.E. in Mathematics. (During summer vacations I always landed engineering jobs that enabled me to earn enough money for the next year of school.) I had enlisted in the Marine Corps, when I was granted a critical skills deferment to accept a very high-paying job as an Aerospace Engineer at McDonnell Aircraft Corp. (now Boeing) in St. Louis working on the Phantom F-4 Fighter Jet Program and the Gemini Space Capsule Program. I did software engineering in computer graphics. During this time I married for the 1st time to a woman who looked like Dolly Parton, but who was confused as to who had gotten her pregnant. (After our divorce, 12 years later, she confessed it was not me.) Being addicted to college studies, I attended night school classes at Law Schools and MBA Schools wherever I happened to live, but never completed either curriculum. To keep in shape, I earned a black belt in Karate. My next job took me to Miami, Florida as a computer sciences consultant to Eastern Airlines. After burning out on high-tech computer sciences jobs, I switched over to selling computer systems (triple the income), and lived in a mountain estate outside Birmingham, Alabama before settling in Denver, Colorado for the past 24 years. In sales, I was able to maintain my US Dept. of Defense Top Secret Clearance, and sold computer systems and computer networks into many Federal Government Projects: The MX-Peacekeeper Missile Program and the Star Wars Program being the only ones I am allowed to mention. I once was requested to return to engineering work for a 3 year stint as Lead Engineer in computer sciences with Lockheed Martin Astronautics on the Star Wars Program, but then returned to the higher paying sales career. Along the way, I married and divorced a woman who resembled Sophia Loren (8 years, no kids) and a woman who looked like Bo Derek (9 ½ years, no kids). I took many elaborate vacations to Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, Caribbean, Mexico, Canada, National Parks, Ski Resorts, Dude Ranches. I ended up skiing well enough to instruct (Alpine & Nordic), and horseback riding & training horses well enough to work weekends as a wrangler on Dude Ranches. I have been up and over the continental divide (13,347 feet) on the back of a semi-wild Mustang (10 ½ hours), and down into a dormant Hawaii volcano (4,000 feet) on the back of a Quarterhorse (8 hours). I have river rafted the Arkansa River and the mighty Colorado. I have snorkeled amongst whales and sharks. I have tracked Grizzly Bears on foot and horseback, with only a Bowie Knife and a camera. I keep in shape with a daily regimen of aerobics and heavy weight-lifting and a healthy diet supplemented with vitamins. (Today, I am the same 6’0”, 175-180 lbs, 33 inch waist, as when you last knew me. Except, a lot more muscular.) Although I have been single for 7 years now, I have a lady horse trainer/ranch owner friend in New York State that shares my life. Kathy and I once took off working an entire year (1996) and visited all the National Parks in America and Canada. My horse (Arab filly named Rebel Star) and my dog (female Aussie named Rocky) live with Kathy, until I buy a ranch out west somewhere. I have another lady friend, here in Colorado, who once owned a cattle ranch, a horse ranch, was a ski instructor, horse trainer, and a college professor. Ann and I can always be found high up in the Rocky Mountains skiing, hiking, or horseback riding (when we are not writing books…..she is working on her 2nd, I am still working on my 1st.). (Kathy and Ann do know each other.) I have accumulated a very eclectic collection of antiques and artwork (Early American, Country English, Native American, Southwestern, Cowboy), and I have become a Cowboy “Wannabe” that dresses the part. Being a cowboy, and doing wildlife photography (I acquired the nickname of “Grizzly” from a close call), leads me into the pursuit of my next lifestyle change. My home in over-crowded, air-polluted Denver is currently for sale and I am looking to move to an uncrowded, clean Montana wilderness area, or somewhere else within sight of my beloved Rocky Mountains. I will either do wildlife photography for a living, and/or breed and train horses for a living. The cost of western USA acreage will be the driving factor. I may well have to “settle” for the cheaper acreage in western New York State to realize my ranching dreams? Goodbye affluence, hello quality of life!! I have not kept up with any of my high school classmates. My only excuse is that I am always going too fast…….afraid my shadow might catch up with me. I have become very well-read on male-female communications (it’s about time!), self-improvement (I needed some), relationship building (perhaps, impossible?), and the melding of science & spirituality (I am not religious)…….otherwise, I may not have participated in this writing of my autobiography. It is not likely I will make the reunion. The only chance is if I drive to New York to spend Thanksgiving with Kathy, instead of staying here with Ann. I did that last year. However, I doubt if I will actually know anyone at the reunion, based on the bios I see coming across my SONY laptop screen. Where are the people I knew, then? In any event, I wish you all a grand time at the reunion, Grizzly Bill Baum. P.S. My pictures are on one of my web-sites: http://skybusiness.com/GrizzlyBillBaum (I completed my Real Estate Broker’s License and Appraisal License in Colorado and New York, but have never put them to use.) Bill Baum P.O. Box 3863 Englewood, CO 80155 303-770-1374 (Phone) 303-888-6580 (Cell) 303-779-0187 (Fax) billbaum@worldnet.att.net Fran Einhorn Hi Nancy, Thank god for e-mail. It sure makes life and communicating easier. Umm, how do I capsulate 40 years?? Well, my husband Bob and I have been together almost 36 years (41 if you count the dating period)! We have two children, Stephanie (age 30) clinical psychologist who lives in Mich. and Ian (age 27) telecommunications, living in Portland, OR. Neither married and both completely enjoying life. The first half of my life I stayed home and raised our children. The second half I helped to create, along with my partner, a creative program for young children, owned a daycare center (Grandma's House), sold that, bought and renovated (along with my sister-in-law) a house, and have come full circle back to our children's program, "Images and Imagination." I also dabble in black and white photography. In between, Bob and I love boating and a little traveling. That should fill you in pretty well. Fran Wolf (Einhorn) mycutegeorge@aol.com Frank Ellias Hi Nancy, Most of you probably don't remember me, or just didn't know I was in your class. High school was not easy for me, as I'm sure it was not for most. However, I've learned a lot about high school students from my wife of almost 25 years, Betty Rotberg Ellias. Betty is a retired high school English teacher. She retired after teaching 30 years at Southfield-Lathrup High School. After Mumford, I attended D.I.T. & Wayne. Then I went into the Navy (Naval Air). This experience only lasted 6 1/2 months; I received an honorable medical discharge. I bounced around, working at different jobs, mostly selling. In 1967 I went into the insurance business, selling individual life insurance policies. I stuck it out for 5 years; I was never happy with the business. In 1972, I went into management with the Paul Revere Insurance Company. Additionally, I got my Insurance Counselors license and started a second career, advising people and corporations about the correct insurance products for them. From 1983-1985, I was a Director at Coopers & Lybrand in the actuarial, benefits and compensation consulting division. In 1985, I discovered a field that intrigued me called Employee Leasing. I continued my consulting practice and worked in the employee leasing field (now called Professional Employer Organizations.) In 1992, I open my own company called Key Human Resources Management, Inc. (http://www.keyhr.com). I married Barbara Krause in 1966. We were living on Greenfield, one mile north of Grand River during the riots. When our lease was up in September of 1967, we moved to Farmington Township (now Farmington Hills). Our son Charles Michael (Charlie) was born in July of 68. Charlie is now a Graduate Gemologist and an internationally known appraiser. Barbara and I divorced in 1972 and have since become good friends. I met Betty the summer of 1974, while handing out cards at a voting place. She was supporting Bill Brodhead and I was there handing out pictures of some guy that was running for judge. If memory serves, it was one Stuart Brickner! Betty and I married in December of 1976. We live in Farmington Hills and have lived there for 22 years. We have two granddaughters, Sydnie who is eleven years old and Zoe who is almost 2 years old. I now own a limited edition Firebird called a Firehawk http://community.msn.com/BADHAWKlicense plate, BADHAWK http://community.msn.com/BADHAWK, (provided by my friend Harve Disner.) The car has its own web site http://communities.msn.com/BADHAWK. Some things never change. I loved automobiles when I was a teenager, and I still love them now. How's that for a 40 year summary of one's life? My best to all, Frank Ellias FELLIAS@email.msn.com Landra Eppstein HI NANCY -- I've been reading all the stories of our classmates. Originally, I thought my story was too boring to even repeat, but thinking back over the years, it might be worth a word or two. After high school I went to Wayne State, majoring in fine arts and art history. Even before graduating, I worked at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Then, after college, I worked at the museum as an assistant curator. The job was the most fun of any I have had -- lecturing, teaching about art, traveling for the museum. Really my dream job. I got married in 1969 to David Rosenthal -- Mumford, Class of '56 -- and we moved to Berkeley, CA. Before long, I was pregnant and had my wonderful baby boy -- Joshua -- who is now going on 31. David and I traveled a lot -- back and forth to Europe quite a lot -- with frequent stops in Detroit to see family and friends. As time went by, I opened a small art gallery, then ran two restaurants. Finally, for whatever reason, I ended up in law school. I finished law school and my marriage at about the same time. Moved to Los Angeles for two years, then returned to Berkeley. Really liked L.A. but was still glad to get back up North. After about a year, I took off and had my "junior year abroad" somewhat late. Spent six months traveling with a boyfriend in Europe. What a wonderful time we had. Bought a van in Amsterdam and went all over -- Belgium, France, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, England, Ireland. Even took a side trip to Egypt, complete with a cruise up the Nile. We camped most of the time, and when we needed something more "civilized" would check into a nice hotel. Finally, reluctantly, went back to Berkeley. Went to work in the Attorney General's office, practicing law. Not nearly as much fun as roaming Europe -- or working in the museum. Finally, got tired of the work and went into private practice about 9 years ago. Now, I work out of home, doing criminal appeals. Pretty low key stuff, though, about 90 percent of my clients are murderers. I just keep plugging away -- hoping to retire in about 8 or 9 years -- Then I can get back to traveling, and even start to paint again. Hopefully, by our 50th reunion, I will have something more exotic, or fun to report. That wonderful baby boy of mine has his own business -- he's an electrical contractor -- and he owns his own house which, here in Berkeley, is quite amazing. I can get electrical work done by my own kid, and so far the house has not burned down! I hope to make it to the reunion but if I can't I will look forward to all the stories of the class of '61 in the reunion book. My very best to all of you. P.S. to Fran Frumin -- I bought Jennifer's book and loved it! Landra Eppstein Rosenthal Rose Rita Farkas Nancy, After I graduated from Mumford I got a degree as a medical tech. I worked at Art Center Hospital in Detroit. I met my husband, Sheldon in 1966 and we were married in 1958. I am still married to the same man. We have two daughters, Ilyse and Andrea. Andrea is married. After my children started high school, I devoted almost all of my time to charitable activities. I became involved at Sinai Hospital in 1980 as a volunteer. I served in the Sinai Guild as a board member and then an executive board member, holding positions as Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Fundraising and Vice president of Volunteers. During the years 1997-2000, I served as President of the Sinai Guild. After Sinai merged with the Detroit Medical Center, I took a position on the board of the DMC and have been involved there ever since. I devote much of my time these days to the Karmanos Cancer Treatment Center as a navigator. I also recruit volunteers at many other satellite locations of the DMC. I have also become involved in the Jewish community by participating at the Jewish Federation of Detroit. I served as Vice President of education and sit on the board of Directors of the Women's department, Jewish Home and Aging Services, Jewish Community Center, and I am also a weekly "friendly visitor" at a home for the aged. Rose Rita (Farkas)Goldman sgold4320@aol.com Michael Fidler After graduation I attended Wayne State University. I went there for undergraduate studies and then to the Wayne State University School of Medicine. I graduated in 1969 and interned at Harper Hospital. I took my residency in Psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital and finished in 1973, getting my first job at North San Mateo County Community Mental Health in Daly City. I met my wife Kathleen Gauen there. She is a Psychiatric Social Worker (LCSW). We moved in together in September 1974. We married in February 1977. My son Alexander was born July 19, 1978. We lived in San Francisco from 1974 to 1979. At that point we moved to Alamo, Ca. Though we both loved and enjoyed SF, (and still do, though less frequently) we wanted more land, a swimming pool and summers. I went into private practice for a while, Kathy and I sharing an office building with others. Kathy got a job at Kaiser in Oakland in 1981, in the psychiatry department. In 1985, my daughter Anastasia was born. I cut my hours and took care of her for a while, along with some outside childcare. In 1987, I became medical director of the Intensive Day Treatment Program in Richmond, CA. Kathy retired last year, after 20 years at Kaiser, and I retired last October, after 14 years working for Contra Costa County. Alex graduated in 2000 from NYU. He has taken some time off and is working in a hospital in Santa Barbara. He is in the process of applying to medical school. Anastasia (She prefers Ana) is 16 and has her driver's permit. Kathy does better with that than I do. Ana is a junior in high school. Though not the student her brother was, she is more comfortable in the social scene. I play racquetball three times a week and softball on Sundays during spring and summer. I love word puzzles. I both solve and create them. I belong to the National Puzzlers League and contribute to their magazine. I actually had a cryptic puzzle published, but the NY Times just rejected me for a regular crossword I submitted. Kathy and I both love movies and go at least twice a week. We travel to see family, her mother in Tucson, her brother and nephews in Seattle and my sister in Farmington Hills. Now that we are retired, we are planning to go to Europe. Kathy went after college, but I have only been to England. We rent a house every summer on the North Sonoma Coast at The Sea Ranch. Kathy paints and I write poetry. We walk the trails and search the tide pools. It is a wonderful place. We are enjoying retirement. Michael Fidler leroy2001@aol.com P.S. I have excluded the trials and tribulations. Sid Fields Hi Nancy, Sorry that it has taken me awhile to get my bio to you.... where do I begin...so much has taken place during the past forty years. Actually, the last forty years has been quite an adventure for me. After graduation from Mumford I enrolled in several institutions of higher learning, including a short stint at Michigan State University before getting married in 1965 and dropping out of school for a while. I was actively involved with a number of anti-war, civil rights organizations and in politics for a number of years. During that period I held a variety of jobs ranging from the assembly line at Chrysler to a youth gang worker on Detroit's eastside. I finally graduated from Wayne State University in 1973 with a Masters in social work. For two years following graduation, I served as a mayoral appointee under the late Mayor Coleman A. Young, as Deputy Director of the Detroit Youth Dept. For the next fifteen years, I worked in several local community mental health programs as a therapist, while dabbling in various business pursuits, including real estate. In the late eighties, I decided to leave human services and enter real estate full time. I now live in Silver Spring, Maryland (just outside of Wash., DC) where I am a full time realtor. In 1999, I married again after being divorced for almost twenty years. Unfortunately, that marriage lasted only a year before we parted ways. Actually, I missed our reunion because I was a bit out of sorts in dealing with the divorce, etc. I am blessed to have two children from my first marriage. Nyasa, my wonderful daughter is now 31. She is in the marketing department at a large insurance company here in Maryland. She has blessed my life with three grands. My son, Norbert is 38, he is in Saginaw, Michigan where he operates a restaurant. After my children were out of the house, I began pursue a passion that I have had since high school. I have studied art at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit and later at the Corcoran in Wash., DC. I am now a fairly decent painter and hope to actually have a gallery exhibit someday. Who knows...I may just buy a gallery and exhibit my own work. I look forward to hearing from former classmates. Best Regards, Sid Fields 1-800-777-BETH or e-mail me at Sidfields2000@yahoo.com Sid Fields Hi again, I am a real estate broker in Washington, DC. I am married with two grown children and three grandchildren. I graduated from Wayne State University with a Master's in Social Work, worked for several years in Coleman Young's administration before getting into the mental health field and later moved into real estate before moving to DC. I return to Detroit once or twice a year. I hope to make the next reunion...more later. Sid Fields Sidrealty@aol.com Richard Fine Nancy, I went to Wayne State where I received a BA in History. Then to Michigan State where I received an MA in History, and wound up working for IBM (it's along story). Went to law school at night at Detroit College of Law. After finishing Law School I moved to Cleveland, then to Washington, DC, and finally to Connecticut. I work in IBM's Law Department in White Plains, NY where I write "end user" contracts for IBM worldwide (and some of the Program License Agreements that you might see if you buy IBM software). I met my wife Linda, who is from Milwaukee, through a friend whose then, very young son, was undergoing a series of delicate heart operations at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in the City of New York where Linda was then a VP for Nursing. She's since throttled back, opting for the more sedate life (and much shorter commute) of Program Director for Pediatrics at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, Connecticut. Oh, yes, I've got a daughter, Sydney, who is now ten. Richard Fine rsfine@attglobal.net Joe Fineman So many of the bios remind me of one of the differences between the Midwest and the West. So many marriages of more than 30 years back home. Whew! We Westerners pass through them like water draining into the Pacific. I am a youth in the marriage department...18 years and counting. 2 kids...well sort of. Aimee, 30, is Sharon's daughter whom I raised from the age of nine. She made me a step-grandfather in April, a precious child...Ryan Jane. She and Tom live in Chicago, where the humidity and frigid temperatures appear only when I visit. (Glad to be in L.A., thank you very much) Tom's a trader, Aimee, a headhunter, but now a mom. My son, Gabe, is 33, conceived of a 1968 rock and roll liaison. He and I did not meet until I received an email from his girl friend about 5 years ago, inquiring if I might be the same Joe Fineman etc. etc. We have grown very close. Gabe is an architect in Portland, OR. And no, he really doesn't look like me. But we share many traits and common interests including cooking, hiking, rock climbing, dance hall music and classic fiction. It was a miracle we found each other and the greatest gift I could have imagined. My wife, Sharon, was a fix-up. A brilliant Berkeley Grad and non- practicing attorney, she dreams of an interior design career, thus our home in Brentwood, CA, up the road from Santa Monica, is near to being torn down. We were meant for each other, as we share so much, from art to design, to travel and to haute cuisine. Life since Mumford has been full: 4 years at MSU and Wayne, the sixties, anti-war, pro Civil Rights and the ballroom scene. I can't say I would change a thing. After a four year L.A. rock and roll career after college with an album to prove it, I fell into the film industry and became a picture and sound editor. Later I wrote TV scripts, and somewhere in the middle, lived in Rome a year and produced my own screenplay. Back in L.A., I got the Buddhist calling in 1972 and entered a Zen monastery outside L.A., where I spent a year meditating, cooking and generally ignoring the world. Unfortunately, the bar across from our retreat in the mountains above San Bernardino, displayed a Coppertone Billboard reminding me of the material world and all its voluptuous appeal. In 1984, on a whim I became a line cook at one of L.A.'s hot restaurants, while continuing to supervise sound by day. Within a year, I graduated to sous chef at Le Toque, the French seafood spot, which had inaugurated Nouvelle Cuisine in L.A. Two and half years of my calling, but miniscule money and in '86 I took an executive position with a tiny film company called New Line Cinema where I spent 12 years supervising Post Production and visual effects, trailers, et. al. We had a great run with many successful films including THE MASK, SEVEN and RUSH HOUR I left in '97 to form my own company to oversee the budgeoning independent film world and its digital technical revolution. As a family, we have all been blessed with good health, many interests, spiritual well being, world travel and a bright future. Hopefully, all of us will weather these unusual times and reconnect in 2011. My best to all. Joe Fineman letoque@aol.com Kenneth Fink After Mumford I graduated from Monteith, (Wayne Univ.), taught school in Uganda (Peace Corps, 1966-69), and returned to Michigan full of questions that I didn't yet know how to formulate. A year of reading and another year in Cambridge working for the SDS sponsored Africa Research Group left me left me with no answers (only polemics) -- but I was learning to formulate questions. Anthropological theory led me to answers and a new understanding that called for testing. Testing meant moving to Eastern Oklahoma, six years of doing whatever was needed as a ‘gofer’ for a Cherokee elder, as well as fieldwork leading to my Ph.D. My two children, Herschel and Sarah, were born in Oklahoma, and my marriage of three years began and ended in Oklahoma. Two years as the director of a Native American Studies program (founded on ‘soft money’ at a small state college outside of Tulsa) left me a single dad and unemployed. We returned to Ann Arbor and looking for employment, I found that U of M was particularly generous to their visiting scholars, as they allowed me to pursue a degree in Computer Science. Matriculating as a single dad was a rewarding and maturing experience. Herschel and Sarah have made my life meaningful and exciting, leaving no time for questions of identity or the pursuit of ‘deep’ theories. How wonderful! I've been working at U of M, as a systems developer, since 1983. I remarried when Sarah and Herschel were 13 and 14. Pam (Schwarzmann) and I have had not created a ‘blended family’ but instead two separate sets of children and a couple who are true partners in life. Herschel is now a fund raiser for Democratic candidates in DC. Sarah will finish her teaching certification at Eastern in April. Peter (Pam’s son) will finish at Brown in Computer Science at about the same time. Pam and I just returned from two weeks in Civita de Bagnoregio, a small town sixty miles north of Rome, where we rented a house originally built by the Etruscans (2600 years ago!). Life is sweet. My thanks to all of you who have worked on the reunion. Pam and I will be at Comerica on the 24th. Kenneth Fink kenfink@umich.edu Senior Business System Analyst Human Resources Records and Information Services 734- 647-3447 (Wolv. Tower Office) 734-763-1283 (FAX) 3003 S. State, Office 4036 University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1281 Barbara Finkel Here is my story: I went with D.J., Warren Pierce, most of my high school life, well really all of it and the beginning of Eastern Michigan University. Then we parted and I met Dennis Israel, who was Dennis Clark on radio then. We were married and transferred a lot...and somehow he ended up going up the corporate ladder very quickly. Yet, executives can cascade down even quicker. I may have mentioned that I lived in England...well I was married to the President of Hertz Rental in England, Germany and Italy....He went back to being the person I married, a small time disk jockey.....I learned what was important then!!!! Now I have a different quiet, spoiled but unspoiled life. The best is that I never will take anything for granted. Since Arthur and I do not have any grandchildren and our children talk to us everyday for a brief hi and bye, there is still just arthur and I. Once again, I have a very strong husband, but he gave me the ability to laugh and enjoy the simple things in life.....a great forever gift. When a customer comes into our dry cleaning plant and has a frown on their face, I try and make sure that they go out with a smile. Elderly people have the doors opened for them and all big orders are carried out by the women that work for us. Water is brought to people who wait inside for buses outside our store, and one retarded bike rider gets all the candy he can eat everyday or clothes not picked up. Nancy, to be able to do these things....I have known what it is to not have a lot of money to feed the children when I was single ... how can I not feel blessed. My sisters and brothers all live in different parts of the US. Seattle, Washington, Chicago and a brother here in Florida...with two children that are going to be bat Mitzvah in Israel this fall. Little remains of big family in Michigan...but if all is well...I plan on going to Detroit for the Reunion. Days zoom by here going to be 89 today...but living on the water enables us to keep windows open and air still off. Nancy, I still enjoy the weather here...and still miss the beautiful foliage in Detroit. I Enjoy keeping in touch. Barbara (Finkel) Leviton Tama Finn Dear Nancy: Better Late, than never. Sorry for the delay in responding to the email bio request. I graduated from Wayne State University and obtained a Masters Degree in guidance and counseling with a specialty in human sexuality. For the past 28 years I have worked in the field of counseling and vocational rehabilitation. I have been working with the State of Michigan Department of Career Development/Rehabilitation for the last 15 years, working with the chronically mentally ill to obtain employment for them. I love my job and find it most rewarding, making a difference in people's lives. I am married to my wonderful second husband, Ashley Gorman, an attorney. Between us, we have 4 children from a previous marriage, all of whom graduated from U of M. My daughter, Hollie is 33 and has a Masters in Public Health. My husband's boys, Bradley, 36, is an attorney in Birmingham; Jonathan, 34, is a CPA/MBA in California; and David is a Vice President of Warner/Atlantic/Electra records in California. Three of our children are married. We have 2 wonderful grandchildren, Adam and Emily, ages 8 and 5. We enjoy our family and dog, Maxx, very much. Ashley and I like traveling, art, and the movies, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion. I've also enjoyed reading the e-mail bios. Tama (Finn) Gorman ashleygorman@mediaone.net Barbara Fisher Hi Nancy: First of all thank you for all your hard work. I have enjoyed reading all the bios and I have my Capri yearbook handy when I do! I stayed in the Detroit area and worked until 1968, when I had the chance to move to Texas with some friends. We moved to Dallas, where I met my husband and we met/married in 5 weeks. We will be celebrating our 33rd anniversary in October. The week after we married, we moved to Philadelphia and stayed there about 16 months. From Philadelphia we moved to Lansing, Michigan, then to Redford, Michigan, Dallas, Texas, Little Rock, Arkansas, Amarillo, Texas and we are living in Houston, Texas at the present time. Vern is in the computer business and each move has been interesting. Our moves averaged about every 5 years until we moved to Houston where we have lived for the past 11 years. We now have a pending move in the next few months to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Both Vern and I have enjoyed moving around and meeting new friends. We do miss our family and old friends. I was a travel agent for quite a few years, and had received my certification in travel. I managed a few travel agencies, but when the Airlines started cutting commissions for agents, I decided to get out of the business. Now I work as a Hostess for a new homebuilder. I work 2 days a week (Tuesday and Wednesday, hard work but someone has to do it) which leaves me time to get our motor home ready for camping trips with our camping clubs. This past March we went to Perry, Georgia to an RV Rally where there were about 6900 RV's. We had 10 rigs from our camping club and we traveled together and were able to park together at the rally. We had a grand time! At the present time, Vern still works full time, but when we retire, we plan on traveling on extended trips in the motor home. We still have not decided where we will retire, but we just want to have a small home base and do a lot of traveling. Due to the pending move we will not be able to attend this reunion, maybe the next one. Have a Great Day! Sincerely, Barbara (Fisher) Seehusen BVSEE@PDQ.NET Linda Fisher Hi Nancy, I felt a little intimidated about sending in my bio, after reading about all the exciting lives and adventures that others in the Class of '61 have described. However, perhaps my pretty "ordinary" life story will inspire others of like mind to also reply. Here goes: My first 2 years at Mumford were spent in the business program, following in the steps of my older sister before me. In my junior year, I took a journalism class and that changed my outlook. I decided to change over to college-prep and spent the next 2 years making up all the necessary classes I had not taken in 9th and 10th grades. I continued in the office co-op program throughout my high school years, working every day after school in an interesting office that consisted of an insurance agent and a real estate agent who also ran an orange juice bottling service in the back of the building! I knew that if I was to go to college, I would have to earn the money myself, since my parents were unable to afford such costs. Because of this schedule, I didn't really socialize very much. I went to Wayne State after graduation (also worked the entire time I was in school) and became the first college grad in our family. I majored in journalism, worked on the Daily Collegian there, and did a couple of internships at Detroit newspapers. Before graduating, I got married to a former Mumford grad (George Kates). I realized that the demands of a beginning newspaper career didn't gel very well with a beginning marriage, and so went off in other directions. Worked for the State of Michigan Employment Services, counseling in poverty level areas. I left to have my family (2 girls). My older daughter lives with her husband and my only grandchild in San Antonio, TX. My younger daughter is a free spirit who has spent 1 1/2 years in Tanzania, Africa and is about to go off to Washington, D.C. in her hopes to save the world. Both graduated from U of M. I have spent most of the last 10 years or so taking care of my parents (both have now passed away). My Mother had Alzheimer's, which was totally devastating. I now work at the nursing home where my Dad had resided during the last year of his life. I have been divorced for 5 years, and am on my own for the first time in my life. Though my accomplishments are not as adventuresome as so many that I have read about, I am proud of raising two wonderful daughters and coping with so many difficult situations which life threw me. If any out there remember me (probably they were also in the business program at Mumford), I would love to hear from you. Linda (Fisher) Kates KatesLK@cs.com Sheila Fishman It hardly seems possible that over 40 years have passed since I graduated from Mumford and went to The University of California at Berkeley. I really have never returned to Detroit again for any length of time. I graduated with a BA in political science and moved immediately across the bay to San Francisco. For four years I worked at the telephone company doing labor market studies, traveling around the world, and having too much fun. In 1970 I married, moved to Kansas City and then in early 1971, we moved to Los Angeles, where I have happily remained. My husband worked in the real estate business, and we raised two wonderful sons, Marc and Jonathan. In the early 80's I decided that homemaking and community service were not enough, and to the surprise of family and friends embarked on a career in medicine. I began medical school at USC in 1983. Unfortunately, after my third year my husband died suddenly. Needless to say, my life turned upside down. Tragedy gives us previously unrecognized strength, and my sons and I continued, surrounded by a most loving family and devoted friends. Nine years ago I met and married a wonderful man from Canada. My elder son, Marc is 29 and living in Seattle. Jonathan, 28, lives a bit closer in Newport Beach, CA. I currently have a private pediatric practice in Santa Monica, am chairman of the department of pediatrics at St. Johns Hospital, and am again involved in various community projects. From the many bios I've read, it seems that there are many Mumford transplants here in Southern California. Please let me hear from you. Sheila (Fishman) Phillips 337 N. Kenter Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90049 (310) 476-3658 mep@ucla.edu Marsha Fleischer Hi, Nancy: First off let me tell you how much respect I have for you for taking on such a monumental task. What a job. It's Marsha Fleischer signing in. A little catch up. My husband Jerry Blanke (also a graduate of Mumford,1958) 32 years into lifes journey living in Montclair , N.J. We just moved from a co-op over looking the Hudson River to a 80 year old tutor home and renovating it. Sounds a little backwards,huh? But I love it. We have two fabulous children, Carrie and a son David. Carrie & Jason her husband just gave us our first grandchild, Jake. I own a company called Tablewear by Marsha Blanke . We manufacture gifts and decorative accessories and sell to Department Stores and Specialty gift shops . I travel the world and try to find unique items that will appeal to my buyers. I go to Asia twice a year and India as well. I love my work and my life. I miss Detroit and seeing old familiar faces. But most of my family lives there so I do come and visit. Looking forward to seeing everyone. I'm joining Weight Watchers tomorrow so I will be ready. Warm regards, Marsha Fleischer Blanke Sandee Forman Hi Nancy. Thank you for providing some very interesting reading material for the last few months. I congratulate you on a job well done. Here's my story: After graduating from Mumford in January, 1961, I left for Ann Arbor to attend the University of Michigan. During my 3 years at U.of M., I earned a bachelors degree from the School of Education. Shortly thereafter, I married Stephen Wittenberg, class of 1960. I put my education to use for 4 years. Concurrently, I earned my Masters in Education at Case Western Reserve University. During my teaching career, I had the opportunity to start the first remedial reading program for the Warrensville Heights School System. In December of 1968, I gave birth to my first son, Ken, and was blessed with the opportunity to be a stay at home Mom. David was born in 1970. Jeff was born in 1972. As I raised my children, I tutored children with learning disabilities, was a substitute teacher in the public school system, and volunteered my time to local charities. In addition, I enjoyed tennis, bridge, walking, bicycling, reading, and cross country skiing. I was also fortunate enough to be able to travel to various vacation destinations. Essentially, however, as my sons will tell you, I was a "smother mother". The "empty nest" syndrome impacted me. I suddenly needed a life of my own. I tried golf, but quickly learned it was not my sport. In 1994 I decided to get a real estate license. Since then I have been working in residential real estate, currently at Century 21 Town & Country in Birmingham, Michigan (248/901-0260). I love what I do for many reasons, but most notable, because I have met many interesting people. Thirty-seven years later I am still happily married to Steve and living in West Bloomfield. Sandee (Forman) Wittenberg sandeesold@aol.com Allen Frank Upon graduation, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Instead of entering college, I entered the world of work. In 1965, inspired by JFK’s challenge, I applied to the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), the domestic version of the Peace Corps. Mary Ann Modelski had other plans for me, and I received my induction notice. The following day, I received my acceptance to VISTA. Mary Ann reluctantly granted me a deferment to serve my country in a more peaceful manner with the admonition that when I completed my term I would be “marching.” Thankfully, I never did march. I was trained and placed as a remedial reading and math instructor at a Job Corps Center in rural Oregon. I returned home and enrolled at MSU. At her brother’s wedding in Detroit, I was introduced to Judy Klein (Mumford ’62) who had just graduated from U of M. During our overlapping years at Mumford, we had many of the same friends, but had never met each other. We knew early on that we had met our soul mates. Contrary to the theory that mixed marriages (U of M/MSU) don’t last, Judy and I recently celebrated our 33rd anniversary. We settled in the Lansing area, where Judy taught English at Holt High School, and I worked for the City of Lansing in the Urban Renewal program. Six years later, I opened a picture framing business across from the Capitol. In the early 80’s, Judy attended law school and took a position as a litigator with a large law firm. A few years later, we both made major career changes - still trying to decide what we wanted to be when we grew up. Judy got her dream job when she became a professor at Cooley Law School. I got in on the early days of the cellular business and held a management position with a large telecom company for 12 years until I was “downsized” a few years ago. I now administer a grant program for our local transit authority. East Lansing has been a wonderful place to raise a family. For many years our next-door neighbor was the retired head of the Michigan Selective Service System, Col. Arthur Holmes - Mary Ann Modelski’s boss. Our proudest achievements are our two sons. Brian, 27, graduated from Antioch College with a degree in technical theatre. The next five years he had a variety of experiences including: six months working at a pub in Ireland, touring Europe, an emergency medical training course, two years as an EMT in an Arizona hospital emergency room and six weeks of Spanish language study in Guatemala, all in an effort to “find himself.” (The 90’s version of deciding what he wants to be when he grows up – must be genetic.) He now lives in Berkeley, CA and is preparing to enter medical school. Danny, 24, recently graduated from Prescott College in Arizona with a degree in outdoor adventure education. We hope he will soon become gainfully employed - with health insurance coverage! There are “significant others” in both boys’ lives, but no marriages or grandchildren, yet. Judy and I are grandparent wannabes. For the past nine months, we have been dealing with a serious health issue of Judy’s. It has made us stronger and reinforced our appreciation of family and friends. I am particularly fortunate that my brother, Dennis (Mumford ’58) had the good sense to marry my dearest childhood friend, Peggy (Meyer) Frank (Mumford ’61) who has been my sister-in-law for the past 36 years. We are excited that my mother, a very young 87, has been selected as a torchbearer and will be carrying the Olympic torch as it passes through Southfield in January on its way to Salt Lake City. I’ll let you know at our 50th reunion if I’ve figured out what I want to be when I grow up. Allen Frank amfrank1@aol.com Sharon Frank Hi Nancy, Sorry it's taken me so long, but sitting down to write about myself is not the easiest task for me. Where to begin, what to say, what to leave out; quite a job! Anyway, just wanted to let you and the others know what a monumental assignment you have taken on, and for that I appreciate. 40 years since graduation from high school? No, could believe 20, 30 maybe but not 40! And we all still look the same!! Went to M.S.U. where I majored in Spanish and French and went on to become a language teacher at Berkley High School for 30 years (1 1/2 years before that in Detroit.) Retired from teaching in June of '97 and haven't had a free day since. That's what happens when you're married to "energetic Doug Roeseler," a wonderful man I met after being divorced many years from Eddie Ogul. I now have a husband, step daughter, and a darling year and a half old grand daughter, Samantha Marie, who all live in El Paso, TX. Doug and I were married on a yacht in Negril, Jamaica, just over six years ago. An experience I shall never forget! One regret, though. Ladies, if you're concerned about a bad hair day, I don't recommend Jamaica in June! Doug and I live in a wonderful condo in West Bloomfield, MI. It's in Westacres, which is near Commerce and Union Lake. We bought this condo four years ago so my Dad could live with us in his own apartment in the lower level. He truly loved it, but unfortunately, this past Feb., he died at the age of 88. My mother passed away almost eight years ago. I am not sure about attending the reunion, even though curiosity is now beginning to get the best of me. I am still so very close to my "sisters" Roberta Keystone Malin and Marcia Simon Bodzin. In fact, Marcia and her husband Jon, and Doug and I are leaving this coming Thursday for a 12 day trip to southern France. We spent last year in Paris. Good choices for a French teacher, oui! Wish us luck, as we need to get back for Roberta's daughter's wedding, Oct. 20. Any of you who still remember me, feel free to email me at droeseler@ameritech.net. If I don't see you at the reunion, have a great time, and thanks for the memories. Your classmate of '61, Sharon (Frank) Roeseler Nancy Freedman It is my turn. After reading so many great stories, I have overcome my resistance. I am Nancy Meltzer (born Freedman). After Mumford, I attended and graduated from Michigan, met my husband Ron there (Law, 1965), married, and found myself in Seattle. 1965 Seattle was quite different from today's high tech city. The city and our family matured together. I taught school for several years and then we started our family. Adam was born in 1968 and that changed my life. Adam has developmental disabilities, which include a unique blend of neurological differences from the general population. Figuring out what he needs and going after it has been much of my life work (plus lots of Ron's as well). It has also expanded our network of friendships, fellow advocates, and political connections. After graduate school in public health education, I turned to employment in the disability field. I currently work with older families at The Arc of King County. Our daughter (born in 1970) Dana, sweet, smart, and amiable, has followed the usual development milestones, is married, lives close by, works for the state, and is expecting our first grandchild. Ron is in private practice. We love to travel, although we have not done so extensively. We will be unable to attend the reunion, due to a reunion for our family in Seattle over Thanksgiving. I want to thank Nancy and the other reunion planners for their fine work. I especially owe thanks to them for connecting me with a fellow Mumford and Schulze alum, Carolyn Apel. We did not recall each other from either school. Here in Seattle, we live about 2 miles apart. Have a wonderful reunion. Nancy (Freedman) Meltzer Nanmeltzer@aol.com Harold Friedman It is wonderful to read about the lives of many friends. I was the guy who was, in part, in the class of 1960, but did not make the cut so was in your class. I went to Wayne State and then to Boston University Law School. I married while in law school to a great woman that lasted 19 years. We had two great children...Anna, 31, a paralegal in Boston and Doug, 29, who just retired from professional hockey. He got to play in Joe Louis Arena against the Red Wings. I have been married to Mary for 11 years. We have one daughter, Sara, age 10. I have a law firm of 16 lawyers in Portland, Maine, specializing in trial work. We frequently visit our villa in Italy. My experience at Mumford gave me the tools to do many things in life, including the successful practice of law. I hope you have a great reunion, Thanksgiving and that we all have peace. Harold Friedman HFriedman@FBG-LAW.com Roslyn Friedlaender Nancy, I’m doubly delighted to be receiving e-mails from you each day. First, the diverse and interesting bios give a remarkable glimpse into what the class of ‘61 has gone on to do as adults. Secondly, although I started high school with this group of 9th graders, my parents built a house in Huntington Woods after my sophomore year, and I graduated from Berkley High School. As I check my email each day, I recognize many of the names of classmates from grade school, the first two years at Mumford and the University of Michigan. When you invited the handful of us receiving these emails that were not Mumford grads to also contribute bios, I couldn’t resist. I finished Michigan in three years with a major in Spanish and a minor in Art History and French. The day after graduation, I married Norm Levy (Class of ’58), whom I had had a crush on from the first days of high school, though I had only seen him from the upper balcony at school assemblies where he presided over the student council. Norm was about to finish medical school, so we lived briefly in Cleveland, and then moved to New York, where he did his internship at Bellevue Hospital. I was a full time graduate student in Spanish literature at Columbia University, and our first child, Deborah, was born that year. Norm then took a position as a Peace Corps doctor, and our next two years were spent high in the Andes Mountains in the colonial city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Two sons, Steven and David, were born while we were with the Peace Corps, and I taught English part time at a USIS Center. We returned to the States for Norm to do his residency in Ophthalmology and a Ph.D. degree at the University of Chicago. As we left Ecuador with three children, all in diapers, our Ecuadorian friends congratulated us on having the beginnings of a fine Latino family. However, new friends who wondered whether we’d ever heard of zero population growth,greeted us in Chicago. (We had, but did not fully subscribe to it.) So, although our first three children were just a year apart, there was a two-year gap before we had the fourth one, Kenneth. In 1972 Norm finished his training and took a teaching position at the University of Florida. We both agreed that it would only be for a short time—just long enough to sample living in a warm climate and the academic life. Nearly 30 years later, we are still in Gainesville, and love it. The natural beauty of the area, the mild climate, the excitement of being in a university community and the wonderful friends we’ve made here are hard to equal. I had started studying photography in Chicago, and did a Masters Degree in Art at UF, concentrating in photography and printmaking. I taught History of Art briefly, and worked for seven years as a photographer, exhibiting at shows and galleries and publishing an annual portfolio with a group of printmakers. By the late ‘70’s, we began to realize that we were going to stay in Gainesville. Norm started a private practice, we built our dream house on five wooded acres just outside of town, and I went into real estate. I owned my own company for a dozen years with a partner, and as the practice of real estate in Florida began to change in the early ‘90’s, we closed our office and I joined Coldwell Banker. I love what I’m doing, and often wish that there were more hours in the day to accommodate both work and all the volunteer activities that make Gainesville such a rich and wonderful community. I am a founding member of our Public Radio station, WUFT, and a past president of the board of our Public Radio and TV stations. I do the on air fundraising for both stations and am now a representative to the Association of Public Television Stations in Washington. I also sit on the board of the United Way, our Performing Arts Center, the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, the UJA, our synagogue, and am a docent at the Harn Museum of Art. Gainesville has been a wonderful place to raise a family, though we’ve come to realize that none of our children will ever come back here to live. While growing up, each of the children was an exchange student, and over the years we’ve had many foreign students, as well as Rotary fellows, stay with us. Deborah was the first of our children to go away, and as a high school student, went to prep school in Wellesley. She then went to college at Smith and law school at Georgetown. Debi practiced with a Wall Street firm for a couple years, then with a firm in D.C. for several years, and is now back in New York. Our son Steve went to Wharton, did a law degree at UCLA, and after practicing in L.A. for a couple of years, he went with a large New York firm. Steve gave up law about five years ago, did an MBA in France at INSEAD, and spent a few years studying at a Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He is now back in New York, studying in the mornings and working on an Internet business the rest of the day. Our son David went to the University of Pennsylvania, then to Yale for medical school. He practiced for a few years and then returned to school to do a graduate degree in Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government. He has remained in Boston, teaching at B.U. last year, and is now thinking about consulting. Our Youngest son, Kenneth, went to the University of Texas, did an MBA at Chapel Hill, and now lives in D.C. with his wife Melanie, who is a tax attorney at Price Waterhouse Coopers. We have been blessed with our children, who are each bright, sensitive, beautiful individuals. We have yet to be blessed with grandchildren, but hope that that joy awaits us in the not too distant future. We travel a great deal, and have been to most parts of the world. Whenever possible, we try to see the children, as well as my brothers in LaJolla and D.C. and Norm’s sister in Seattle. I have kept in touch with a few friends from the Class of ’61, and as I read new bios each day, I hope to be able to see other classmates during the coming year. Likewise, I hope that any of you who may be in our area will let us know. I can be reached at rlevy@n.mmparrish.com or at 800-755-0087 ext 214. I wish that I could be at the reunion, but Thanksgiving is a time when we will have the children visiting and a house full of guests. Perhaps the 45th! Please keep me on the list. Thanks for all your efforts in bringing so many of us together and creating a whole new set of memories. Fondly,Roslyn (Friedlaender) Levy rlevy@n.mmparrish.com Sandy Friedman Hi Nancy - Despite similarities in many of our backgrounds, sometimes we hear a different calling and seek fields afar in which to sow our oats. I, too, attended Michigan and picked up dual degrees in both finance and education followed by one year of Michigan Law. The one-year was sufficient for my anticipated business needs. After teaching briefly in the inner city of Detroit and wanting to find out for myself what really was happening in Viet Nam, I enlisted in the army and was able to get into the Finance Corp after completing Infantry OCS in Georgia. I initially served at Ft. Knox and then in Viet Nam at Cam Rahn Bay as a Cash Control Officer. I was fortunate in that I was able to travel frequently throughout Southeast Asia and realized that this part of the world was much more fascinating and mystical to me than was Michigan. I decided that it was in this part of the world that I wanted to spend a considerable amount of time during the next several years. Upon discharge in Viet Nam and given 24 hours to get out of the country, I flew down to Singapore and then traveled through Malaysia (during their race riots of '69) into Thailand and ultimately India followed by Russia and then Europe. I then briefly returned to Detroit and taught at Northern High School for a year. My experiences at Northern reinforced my desire to return to and live in the Orient. After departing Detroit for the second major time, I went to Hong Kong where the only jobs available to "Expatriates" were in the hotel industry. Having no experience in hotels, I decided that I would retreat to Honolulu for I knew that there were many hotels there. On my 2nd day in Honolulu, I was able to get a night auditor's position with Sheraton Hotels and became the token "haole" (Caucasian) in their accounting department. Soon afterwards, I enrolled into the MBA program at the University of Hawaii. While auditing an undergraduate class in Resort Area Development, I met my wife to be, Jill Kuok, who was born in Malaysia, but raised in Singapore and London. Within a month of our meeting, we were engaged and 6 months later we were married in Honolulu. While waiting for Jill to finish her undergraduate degree at UH, I quit Sheraton, for who wants to work nights when you are a newlywed, and began teaching at one of the local high schools. Jill and I recently celebrated our 30th Anniversary while we were in vacationing in Spain. In 1972, we moved to Singapore and ultimately to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, which is across the causeway from Singapore. For those who have never been to Singapore, it is an island nation having gained its independence from England in 1958, the same time Hawaii became a State. Singapore sits on the equator and is one-third the size of Oahu (800 sq. miles), but has 3 times the population of Hawaii's one million. It is predominately Chinese, with some Malays, Indians, and Guailos (white devils). While in Singapore and Malaysia I was involved in the operational set-up of the first Shangri-La Hotel (now 40+ hotels; www.shangri-la.com) and I was also the first Managing Director of Pelangi (rainbow) Development Company which was the first company in Malaysia to be Bumiputraized (children of the soil) under a new government wealth reallocation scheme (take from the Chinese and give to the Malays). In 1975 Jill and I decided to start our family and decided that it would be healthier and a more desirable life style by living in Hawaii than in a Muslim country and having to travel constantly. Our daughter Lea was born in 1975 and now lives in New York after having lived the past three years in Italy. Lea is an aspiring Diva (http://hometown.aol.com/jwfhawaii/LeaWoods.html). In 1984 our son John was born and he is now in his final year at Harrow in London. I have been unsuccessful in getting our children interested in attending college in Michigan. Despite their spending many summers at Interlochen, studying music and visiting Ann Arbor on numerous occasions, U of M was not in their blood. Lea graduated Cornell and John is favoring the East Coast of America after having spent 7 years in London as a boarder. Despite living in paradise, we have spent a considerable amount of time throughout the years in both London and Asia. For many of my years in Hawaii, I was the Honda motorcycle, BMW motorcycle, and Vespa scooter distributor. We also had fun introducing Jelly Belly jelly beans to Hawaii and being the factory distributor. In 1987, I sold my motorcycle retail and wholesale businesses and went into the field of financial and real estate services and also began teaching business subjects part-time on the college level. A few of the major activities which I have undertaken during the past few years have been the setting up, on behalf of a California church, an off-shore bank in the Bahamas; organizing a direct investment fund in China; and the owning of a cosmetic and pharmaceutical factory in the Los Angeles area. While in the pharmaceutical business, I was able to secure a licensing agreement from 2-time Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Linus Pauling, in order to introduce a line of Vitamins under his name. For many years my wife and I have sat on the Board of Directors for the Hawaii Opera Theatre (www.hawaiiopera.org). Recently, I established the Hawaii Kai Educational Foundation (www.hawaiikaief.org), whose aim is to raise the achievement level in 5 public schools in East Honolulu. Our initial project, which I am heading up, is the raising of $100,000 in order to implement the EAST (Environmental and Spatial Technology) Initiative (www.wgsol.com/ed_east.htm) at Kaiser High School. Lastly, I am once again a student, for I am completing my Doctorate in Management at the University of Phoenix-on-line campus. I have also been teaching both on-land and on-line for UOP for the past 5 years. Online is a great way to keep the mind active for, as we all know, education is a life long process (www.uophx.edu). Due to all of my chair-borne activities now, I try to exercise daily by either jogging or swimming. During the past 25 years in Hawaii, I have completed 17 Marathons (26.5 miles). I look forward to seeing many of you at the reunion. Sandy Friedman _______________________________________________________________________ Contact numbers- Tele: (808) 595-8866; Fax: (808) 595-8867 email: friedman@lava.net Richard A. Funke Well I have to start somewhere, so how about the 1960's? Given the choice (ha ha) of going to Vietnam or serving in the Michigan national guard, I optioned to serve and protect my fellow Detroit citizens. I can proudly state that, during my six years of duty, there was not one incident of foreign or domestic violence under my watch. Of course, that only included one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer. Anything that happened while I was off duty would not have been my responsibility. I cannot provide much information on the years during the late 1960s to the early 1970s. Guess you could call those the "purple haze daze". I do remember having a very good time! In 1973 it became time to move on. The wild West was calling. I relocated to Scottsdale,Arizona, which is also known as the " West's most Midwestern Town." Armed with my National Guard discharge, a Mumford High diploma, (equal to a Masters Degree from the University of Arkansas) and a few thousand bucks, I started a career in raping the desert, (aka a real estate developer). The rest is history! I guess that could mean either jail time, being rich, or both. Raised two boys, Zachary, 17 and Benjamin, 15 since they were just little guys. Both are honor students, with Zack starting ASU this fall and with Ben following next year. Given my scholastic background, I wonder if DNA tests should be ordered. They are not chips off the old block and I am not complaining! With the golden years sneaking up, (no option to move to Sun City, as I am just next door) I needed to create an anti-aging agenda. Daily yoga keeps me from being too creaky, and collecting things keeps me alive. Three garages are loaded with the toys of the 1950's. Given the pace at which the cars, scooters, and motorcycles are being restored, I'll need to remain on this planet for at least another forty years. It is getting tougher and tougher to leave the blue skies of Arizona for the gray skies of the Motor City, so showing up this November is still up in the air (no pun intended). This is all I've got to say for now except good-bye and good luck. Richard A. Funke zfunke@uswest.net Arnie Gartner Dear Nancy, This is the first reunion committee I have been unable to work on, but you guys are doing a great job, and I am enjoying the "Virtual Reunion" very much. Nice to read about so many old friends and their paths in life. At Mumford I was usually found behind the lens of an old Speed Graphic photographing for the Mercury. We had a great photography program and I enjoyed working with Mark Diem on the Mercury and Larry Goulson and Jerry Bruckheimer (whatever happened to him, I wonder?) on The Capri. My best teacher was Aaron Gornbein, who has influenced my life the most - I still read the NY Times daily because of him. I attended Wayne State, along with a host of our classmates, following my love for science. Although I was genetics major, I saw no future in it (dumb move # 1), and decided that I would bolt Wayne early and headed to Dental School at U of Detroit. The riots were etched in my mind forever, and after living near the tanks and helicopters of the Artillery Armory on eight mile, I decided to take my dental skills into the Air Force, so that I wouldn't be drafted in the Army and sent to Vietnam. (Dumb move # 2.) After eight wonderful months being stationed near Santa Barbara, I was sent to Viet Nam, anyway, following a request for separate housing so that I might resume keeping kosher. "How you gonna keep kosher, boy, when we send your ass to Viet Nam?" (Col. Billy Joe-Bob told me). And he was right. I couldn't. I hated the war, and became a military member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Such a waste of life and money, and it changed me forever (not necessarily for the best.) Unfortunately, the war was the ultimate education for medical personnel, and the best doctors and nurses I've seen, were the ones I worked with. Although I planned to return to California, I came back to Detroit to take care of my ailing mother in 1970. By 1972, both mom and dad had died, and I had my own dental practice in Warren. After having the experience in Viet Nam of doing thousands of extractions on villagers, I decided that I wanted to save teeth instead, and sold my practice and went back to school at U of D to study Endodontics (Root Canal Therapy). Following my residency in 1976, I decided that California was no longer in the picture for me, and I have been practicing endodontics, first in Southfield, then Bingham Farms, and now Farmington Hills ever since. In 1972, I met Diane at a mutual friend's graduation. She had been recently widowed after 5 wks of marriage, and we connected and have been married 27 years. Diane is an elementary school teacher, presently teaching kindergarten in Taylor. Marrying her was on of my smartest moves ever, and we have 2 kids: Jessica, age 21, lives in Chicago and is studying education at Columbia College. She started as photography major, but decided to follow her mother into teaching. Joey, age 16, is a junior at Andover High School and enjoys acting and music. He has been in West Side Story, Annie Get Your Gun and The Music Man, as well doing a great Woody Allen in Don't Drink the Water. He also was in Midsummer's Night Dream. He is ultimately planning on attending law school. I have continued my love affair with photography, preferring B & W Fine Art and Portraiture. I studied in 1981 with Ansel Adams at Yosemite, and with Arnold Newman, as well as other pros. I taught photography locally at Cranbrook and with the Michigan Photographic Workshops. As age has caught up with me, and the amount of energy lessens, I realize I can’t do everything and that someday in the near future I will be trading in my dental drill for a camera, and live out the rest of my years behind the lens, once again, just like at Mumford. By the way, mistake # 3 was when I suggested to my wife in 1976 that California didn't have any bagel shops, and that we should relocate and start a chain. Diane said that only Jews eat bagels, and convinced me otherwise. Oh well, there is always the next life. Looking forward to the reunion. Arnie Gartner endodon@aol.com Marie Gelberg I have been receiving your emails and really enjoying them. All those wonderful and talented people in our class spread out all over the world are amazing. My story is not quite so exotic but certainly has been fulfilling for me. I have been married 34 years, have three wonderful daughters and three beautiful granddaughters. I just retired last June from the Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids as the Senior Adult Director. Now I guess you could call me a professional volunteer. We are building a summer home on Mt. Desert Island in Maine, near Acadia National Park, and hope to be in it by May. This has really been our focus the past few months. Thanks for all your work and effort and keep me posted. Marie Gelberg Berlin mgbegr@aol.com Joel Gilman Dear Nancy, Congratulations on a great job with our upcoming reunion. I look forward to reading the very diverse bios that I receive daily. I came to California to go to school when I was nineteen, attended Art Center, UCLA and then on to Harvard graduate school. Started my first advertising agency in LA... got very lucky... acquired by a major international agency...Bought the agency back .... Sold it about ten years ago. During my ad career, my agency has been the recipient of many advertising awards including the Clio and Golden Lion. Our work has also been included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Currently I am pursuing my second career and my great love in life....painting. Galleries throughout the United States and Europe represent my artwork. My next opening will be in Palm Beach, Florida this January, followed by London in Fall, 2002. My new art website will be up in November, joelgilman.com, and my bio and press can be viewed on Google.com, search joelgilman. I have an extensive collection of contemporary art, which has been featured in many national magazines; sit on the boards of several charities and museums, including The Los Angles County Museum of Art. I am the founder of The Spirit. The Star, an annual art event featuring my portrait sittings with current Oscar nominees, and benefiting the Motion Picture Country Home in association with the Academy Awards. On a personal note, I reside in Beverly Hills, California, have been married several times and am currently very happily involved. I have traveled extensively throughout the world and continue to do so. Looking forward to attending the reunion and catching up with old friends. Joel Gilman artist2000no1@cs.com Carole Gold Dear Nancy - I am sorry it has taken so long to respond. My life has been great and we are very happy with our two children. Our married daughter lives in NY and is teaching at NYU and our son has a business here. I married my high school sweetheart, Barry Cohen, and we have been married 37 years. Barry is a CPA and my business is reservations for hotels in Mexico. We are wholesale and our clients are travel agents. Our most popular hotel is the Gran Caribe Real Resort and Spa in Cancun. We rep the entire Real Hotel Chain. Barry and I travel quite a bit end enjoy our home on the lake. We will attend the reunion late. We are so sorry about this, but our cousin (like nephew) is being Bar Mitzvahed and the party is the same night as the reunion. Hello to everyone, Carole (Gold) Cohen Carolecvhw@aol.com Ina Gold Well Nancy, here is a short summation of 40 years. Actually I can leave out the first years in California, for Sheila Rosen Troiano covered them pretty well. She left me as I returned to Detroit to finish school and to marry Murray Pitt. We returned to LA in 1965 .We both taught high school in Watts for 5 years. My daughter was born in LA and I also have a son born in Michigan, who is a lawyer. We returned to Michigan in 1970. My husband founded Murray's Discount Auto Stores, while I had numerous occupations...a small photography business was one and then I became an outside agent for a travel agency. I am still involved in the travel business in a very limited way. Up until the tragedy that struck our family on 9/11, Murray and I had been traveling nonstop...Aspen, NYC, and the world at large........now our focus is on our daughter and our 2 year old grandson....helping them to heal. Ina (Gold) Pitt autofan1@aol.com Judi Goldberg Dear Nancy and all of my fellow classmates, In a blink of an eye, when time seemed endless, 40 years have now become history. I, like many of my female contemporaries, was marching in the line of the women who preceded me, searching for the prince to fulfill my hopes and dreams. For our generation, the dream was the perfect "Donna Reed" family. During my own particular march, I graduated from Wayne State with a degree in Special Education/Speech Therapy (as it was called then). I was married two days before the beginning of 1965 and moved to Des Moines, Iowa where I was to live for the next four years. During the week, I taught second grade at Our Sisters of Mercy Catholic School and on the weekends I experienced the wonders of the plains. I drove tractors, rode horses, fished in hidden ponds and ate just picked peeled tomatoes, served farm style by toothless farmers and their "happy to have company" wives. Fall was the most the spectacular time of year. With windows rolled down, speeding across the landscape, my eyes were overwhelmed with neatly placed sheaves of corn, as far as I could see. Little did I know, as I posed for pictures on the covered bridges of Madison County, that one day, many years later, a little book would catch my eye and trigger memories that would warm my heart. I returned to Michigan in 1968 and practiced my craft for a short while. In 1987 I began a real estate career, combining the best of investing, managing and selling property. Fast forward.....In 1993 my "Donna Reed" fantasy was over. During its run, however, I was blessed with happiness and laughter that came in the form of my children. My son David is 32. He is an architect/furnituree and calls Manhattan his home. My daughter Carrie is 30 and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She has been an assistant film editor with many credits to her name and is now working as an editor on her first documentary. Carrie has been married for seven years and has made me a grandmother to Emily and Jake. From 1993 until the beginning of 1997, I added some weight to my workload by becoming the business manager/assistant to one of the top Realtors in Oakland County. A new chapter began in February 1997. I chose a new surname and moved to paradise, officially known as Orange County, California. Not a day goes by that I do not marvel at the natural beauty of the land and sea. Aromatic flowers are abundant and gently carpet freeway medians. The hills are forever changing with the seasons. In winter the rains come and the slopes of the hills change from sun dried parchment to multihued greens. I can walk along the beach with sand tickling my toes or hike in the desert and see big horn sheep. Southern California truly is an outdoor lover's delight. Last year I traveled solo to the south of France. I rented an apartment for six weeks in Aix-en-Provence and made short hops to Venice, Florence and Paris. One of our classmates and long time friend, Linda August (Gershenson) came to visit for a week. We giddily explored the many diverse towns in the region. We experienced stand up meals at open-air markets, sampling olives on 20-foot tables, and reminisced over afternoon coffee. It was a wonderful time. After taking an extended work break and recovering from two auto accidents, I have recently jumped back into residential real estate sales. Just before coming in for the reunion, I will have moved to a new house. Here is the best part. There is a door in my bedroom that provides a panoramic view of the nearby hills. When the door is open, there is a special place to stand just in case Romeo shows up and I give "Donna Reed" another chance. I am looking forward to seeing many old friends from both Mumford and Vernor Elementary School. I do not look exactly like I did at 17, so I have attached my picture so you will recognize me at the reunion. For now, Judi (Goldberg) Laine Pooh26@aol.com Jerry Golden Jerome (Jerry) S. Golden With the events this past Tuesday, the personal history I had stored in one of my files and had not yet sent seems pretty unimportant. My office is in a large building directly opposite the New York Stock Exchange, and about a 5 minute walk from the World Trade Center. Interestingly, I was in the office to sign a lease for space in Midtown that we plan to move to in the next few weeks. We felt and saw the devastation around us, but our building was spared. After being evacuated to the lobby and waiting for about two hours, we were able to leave and walk up to Grand Central Station. Working downtown and being in the financial services business, I knew many who got out and others who are missing. It was a tragedy for all. I guess my story until Tuesday was pretty unexciting compared to some. It might have a plot line like the following: " Young man (really a boy of 21) leaves the Midwest to take on the Big Apple, and finds excitement and happiness." I found the excitement in starting several new companies, and happiness in a wonderful family. I'm now President of Golden Retirement Resources Inc., which I founded in 1999. Golden Retirement is focused on emerging baby boomer retirees, having developed an Internet-based system that allows them to create their own retirement benefits plan. This latest effort follows a pattern of alternating start-ups and stints at corporate life. One of the start-ups resulted in a company I got to name "Golden American Life Insurance Company," which is now owned by a large Dutch financial services company. All my work has been in Manhattan, living there from graduation until 1984,and then moving to Westchester, where we've been for the past 17 years. Most of our summers have been spent out in Amagansett on the eastern part of Long Island. I went to the University of Michigan, where I majored in math and intramural sports. I met my future wife, Linda Leibler, in 1971, and we are coming up to our 30th wedding anniversary. Linda grew up in New York City and is a psychoanalyst with a private practice. We have two girls, Stephanie and Rebecca, 26 and 23, respectively. Stephie just graduated from the University of Virginia Law School, and will be starting work in Manhattan in October. Becky graduated Brown University in 2000, and is living on the upper Westside in Manhattan. She's looking to do documentary films, but in the meantime, has done a variety of things, most recently stage-managing an off-off Broadway play. I still have family back in Michigan and so we get back there quite often. P.S. Since I started Mumford at age 13, what I remember about the social scene was, that no matter what grade I was in, any dates I had were 9th graders. P.S.S. I appreciate the amount of work you've put into this project. Thanks. Jerry Golden jsg@goldenretirement.com Joel Golden Dear Nancy, Here is some additional information for the high school reunion: I attended U of M undergrad and law school, following which I clerked in Federal Court in Detroit for two years. While clerking, I was involved in the arraignment of most of the "weathermen," who ultimately stood trial in Chicago. For the last 30 years, I have been in private practice in Detroit, specializing in estate planning, probate, and trust administration. 33 years ago I married my wife, Linda, an interior designer and artist. Together, we raised two children. Our daughter Courtney is a free-lance stage manager in New York, who recently opened a production in Ann Arbor and then took it to Lincoln Center. Our son is a C.P.A. who works for Deloitte and Touche in New York. Our family loves to travel and it seems to be our hobby. Along the way I have collected some contemporary art, enjoyed learning about good wine, and thoroughly enjoyed all the interesting people and experiences encountered while traveling the world. When not working, I love to garden, and have discovered mountain hiking in Arizona, something I like to do every morning when I am out there. Joel Golden jgolden@jafferaitt.com Ed Goldman I'm married (33 years) and have one daughter and one (brand new as of Dec. 17, 2000) grand-daughter. Both my wife and I work at the University of Michigan Medical Center. She is a Phd. epidemiologist in the Psych. department and I'm a health care lawyer. After Mumford I graduated from Univ. of Michigan (undergrad. and law school); practiced law in the City of Ann Arbor City Attorneys Office, taught at the UM Law School, was in private practice and have been with the University since 1978. I was fortunate enough to be on President Clintons health care task force in 1993 and in 1999 I chaired Governor Engler's Commission on Genetic Privacy and Progress. I have teaching appointments at the UM Schools of Medicine and Public Health where I get to share my knowledge about law and medicine. That's a very brief summary of 40 years Thanks, Ed Goldman E-mail: egoldman@umich.edu Janet Goldman From Janet Goldman Brody I have 2 children. Michael is 34 years old and Marla turned 33 in May. My son has been married for 3 years as of August, 2001 and my daughter was just married on July 14th of this year. No grandchildren yet. It is amazing that my children are fully functioning adults who are independent of me and my ex-husband. Mumford was the first of many tough experiences I have had. I was so insecure when I went to Mumford. I wasn't part of the " Nerds" and I wasn't in the "Clique." This experience was the best thing that could have happened to me. I learned how to treat other people how I wanted to be treated. I used the excuse that my family didn't have lots of money and we came from the wrong side of Northwestern Highway for my lack of self esteem. Finally, it forced me to learn self-respect, individuality, and a sense of humor. My mother died at the age of 52 of a massive coronary, 10 years after my high school graduation. I was in my 20's at the time. Fortunately, my father lived until he was 90. He died in October, 1998. I was closer to my mother when I was growing up, yet I learned much about my father, since I spent more time with him. He was a simple man and one of the most honest, principled human beings I have ever met. He embodied spirituality and inner strength which I saw as I matured. My children learned these principles by spending time with their grandfather. The next tough break came when I was divorced after 20 years of marriage. There was a lot of ugliness then. I still had lots to learn about being an independent woman. They say when one door closes, another one opens-- as long as you stay alert. It certainly has been true for me. I have met and married my soul-mate. He is the most accepting, loving person I could have wished for ( My children, my family, and my friends agree). All who meet Richard (my husband), come away from the experience enriched. I continued my education after I married my ex-husband, got a master's degree and became a limited licensed psychologist. I have been in the mental health and substance abuse field ever since. I started working with patients individually, then in groups and my "piece-de-resistance" was working with chemically dependent senior citizens from the city of Detroit. In my search for more money, I moved from direct care to managed care, (mangled care to many). I have had the opportunity to do critical incident stress debriefing and have traveled all over the United States, training people to do face-to-face assessments in the substance abuse field. I have changed from a woman who was scared and lacked confidence to the"red-head." My favorite method of training is "acting out examples of clinical issues." It helps others learn, through humor, how to do the clinical work necessary for mental health and substance abuse assessments. I am still working. I would like to retire but........ it is not time yet. I have another business which is very exciting---I develop teams of people who connect to the internet to purchase everyday products (toilet paper, toothpaste, deodorant, potato chips, shirts, plastic bags, etc., you get the idea) which in turn produces passive income. I didn't have to buy my own web site or spend millions of dollars for advertising in order to develop my own business. I am involved with a community of great business people who are interested in helping others become financially free. What a blast!! If this bio sounds mushy, IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The older I get, the more important my family is to me. The 2 basic characteristics that portray my family are--- enthusiasm and humor. The most important pastime in our lives is to have a great time and laugh ourselves to tears for any reason. Looking forward to the reunion in November. Jan (Goldman) Brody janet.brody@valueoptions.com Ellen Goldsmith I remember high school as a sad time of confusion and solitude. It was like an extended "out of body" experience and I was really ill equipped to participate in my own life. I had very few friends and was uncomfortable and lonely. Art was extremely important to me and I spent my weekends taking the bus to and drawing or staring at paintings in the Detroit Art Institute. I would never want to return to that time, unless I could take my mind as it is now with me. Then I'd really love to get to know the people who have written their bios for the reunion. What a diverse and interesting group of people we have all become. After Mumford, I went to college, graduated from the University of Miami, ran away and got married- didn't know how else to leave home and have sex. Then I left my poor choice of a husband after 2 years, moved to NYC as an artist, then moved to LA as a designer of shirts for rock bands in the late 60's. I had a motorcycle, took drugs, had some great friends and generally lost my mind to have fun and re-balance the scales from one extreme to the other. I stopped painting for 15 years. I worked in hospitals. In the late 70's I moved back to NYC and began painting again. Funny, I picked up right where I had left it. All the same painting problems I hadn't been able to resolve when I stopped were right there waiting for me when I returned to it. Not a surprise. I had a boyfriend at the time who had a country house in Woodstock, NY, and one day he said to me, "I'm going to teach you to fly fish and it'll change your life." "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," I said. Eight years later I was not only an amateur entomologist, but I was really good at it. I had a friend who could "read" the water and knew where every fish was. He drove me crazy with jealousy every time he'd say, "There's a fish over there," he'd cast, and get the fish. One day I was with my new husband, who I had taught to fly fish, and I said to him, "There's a fish over there" and I cast and got it. For half an hour I became the trees, the insects, the water and the fish. I was out of my body, but in a good way. It was the opposite of isolation; I was a part of life on a profound molecular level. After that I couldn't fish anymore- I didn't want to interfere in the life processes that had welcomed me so gracefully and in which I had participated in such a positive, transcending way. He was right, it did change my life. My husband and I bought a house by the river. I have been very fortunate. I've been married now for 25 years. We have no children, but we did adopt and bring from Nepal, two Tibetan children who now live here with their own birth families. I'm working on a book of interviews of Westerners who have done long retreats. I practice Tibetan Buddhism. I live in a spiritual place with my beloved husband, and now I paint landscapes. I see turkeys by my car, eagles by the reservoir where I walk every day, stars, and happily, other creative people. I've loved reading all your bios Ellen Goldsmith Nieves Email: ellen1@amexol.net I have a website: www.ellennieves.com Paul Goldsmith Nancy: I married my sweetheart from High School, Elaine Zager. We have three children. One is a doctor, (Jeff), one a Lawyer-to be, (adopted from South America) Emily, and one an Indian Chief (Steven), working locally for and learning the Landscape business. I am an Architect and I head up the Architectural Department at Harley Ellis. I am also an adjunct faculty member at Lawrence Technical University, from which I graduated. I have been teaching for 30 years. As you probably know, we have kept close with a few other Mumfordites which include Marv Weinstein and Sandy Melder. I live in the house that I ,along with family and friends, built with my own hands and a lot of theirs, too. We look forward to attending the 40th. Thanks for all the work I am sure you will be doing to make it successful. Paul Goldsmith pahogold@aol.com Jere Gottfurcht After graduating Mumford I went to Great Lakes College to pursue a career as a Laboratory Technician. I then ran a doctor's office for about 6 years. I began dating Fred Berkley (Mumford 1959) when I was 16 and just starting 11th grade. We married in August of 1966, now married 35 years and had our first child, Jason, in August of 1969; Elizabeth, our daughter, was born in July of 1972. I enjoyed being a stay-at-home mom, taking care of the kids and sharing in their experiences. I have always loved animals and we had dogs and cats throughout the years. I also had a Fish & Wildlife permit, enabling me to rehabilitate injured birds and mammals. I had a great backyard for it! I took in migratory birds, red squirrels, raccoons, possums etc., raised them and then released them in the wild. In 1982, I started a gift basket business, The Great American Gift Basket, with a friend and we eventually moved it into a store on Orchard Lake Rd. In 1988, Fred, Elizabeth and I moved to California. We live in the Los Angeles area. Our son, Jason, continued at Michigan State and Elizabeth finished high school in California. Jason is now a Neurologist, finishing a Fellowship at Henry Ford Medical Center. He will be moving to the LA area to begin practicing in January. Elizabeth has followed her heart and has gone into "show business." She has appeared on television and in many films. The latest is the new Woody Allen film "The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion." I have continued my gift basket business here in LA, and am lucky to see it become successful. I do baskets for the studios and for many celebrities. My husband is an attorney here, as he was in Detroit. We have three cats: Buster, Lucy and Newman, and we like to spend our free time taking short trips to Big Sur, Carmel and Santa Barbara. We recently bought a kayak and enjoy spending time on the lake near our home. I wish everyone health and happiness, and I hope all of you have a wonderful time at the reunion. Jere (Gottfurcht) Berkley Mumford59@aol.com Barbara Goodfriend Hi, Nancy. Since Judie Lax is involved in the reunion, I am delighted to provide some basic information about my life over the past almost 40 years. Yawn. FORTY YEARS!!!! 1. I moved from Birmingham, MI with my husband and children in 1980 to Aspen, Colorado which was the most fun ever. I worked for the Aspen Skiing Company in marketing and property management. 2. In 1991 I moved to Chicago in order to marry my current husband. My children settled out West, two in Denver, CO and one in Hood River, Oregon. I am currently director of Northwestern University's Institute for Learning in Retirement (www.northwestern.edu/scs/nuilr). 3. My two daughters, Jill Jacobs and Meredith Meskin, are 31 and 29 years old. My son, Dan Meskin, is 25. I have a two-year-old grandson in Denver, Zak Jacobs. b-reinish@northwestern.edu Best, Barbara Henry Gornbein Hello everyone, After graduating Mumford, I attended Monteith College at Wayne State University, where I received a scholarship for playing the clarinet, which I had played for many years. I was also the president of the Monteith College Student Faculty Council. I then went to the University of Michigan Law School. Since becoming a lawyer, I have become a specialist in family law. I have written many articles on divorce and child custody related issues, as well as being one of the authors of a book entitled Michigan Family Law, which is used by lawyers and judges throughout the State of Michigan. I lecture on family law related topics, as well as the impact of the Internet on the family throughout the United States. I have been involved in numerous organizations, including being a former Chairperson of the Family Law Section of The State Bar of Michigan, a former President of the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and a past president of the Michigan Interprofessional Association on Marriage, Divorce and the Family, which looks at family related issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. I have also served on the Board of Directors and been a President of the Sanctuary, a shelter for runaways in Oakland County, Michigan, as well as the board of directors of Both Jewish Family Services and Catholic Social Services of Oakland County. I am the owner and founder of one of the leading divorce related websites: http://divorceonline.com/. I now communicate with people all over the world regarding divorce related issues. I was a columnist for the Oakland Press, writing a legal advice column, and for the past 5 years have been the producer and host of the local cable television program, “Practical Law”, which covers numerous law related topics and personalities. I practice family law in Bloomfield Hills and have a very active practice that includes divorce, child custody, mediation and arbitration. I am married to Debra who is a retired high school English Teacher and also a U. of M. grad. We have two children. My son, Jonathan, is engaged, a U. of M. Graduate, and an investment broker with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter in Birmingham, Michigan. Our daughter, Laurie, is also a U. of M graduate, married and the proud mother of our 15-month-old grandson Benjamin Jerris. She and her husband Brad also live in the Detroit area. Life is wonderful. Debbie and I travel a lot and lead very full and active social lives. I look forward to reminiscing, sharing, and seeing all of you at our 40 year - has it really been 40 years? - reunion. Henry Gornbein henry@rust.net Allan Gould Dear N.P., So many fascinating people! Might I write about my 57 years on earth as well? This is Allan Gould, class of '61, Mumford High. After graduation, I was determined to "work my way through," which was probably a mistake, since my dearest friends went up to U. of M., and I missed out on all that wonderful camaraderie of dorms, living away from home, etc. So I went to Wayne State--Monteith College, to be exact--earning my Bachelor of Philosophy (how pretentious!) in 1965. The real highlight of those university years was going on the Freedom Summer of 1964, down in Mississippi, and teaching in a Freedom School for eight weeks. I remained friends with "my family" there, which risked (and experienced) jail and worse for letting white folks stay with them, and two years ago, I went back on the 35th anniversary of that great moment in the Civil Rights Movement (our town, Carthage, was only a few miles away from where Schwerner, Chaney and Goodman were murdered) and visited my loved ones, taking my then-25-year-old son Judah with me, along with about a hundred others on an organized trip. How wonderful to see how much that once-evil state had changed!! Probably like many a Mumford grad, I felt the War in Viet Nam was a disaster, and hardly the place to "stop communism." So I gave up my student deferment in protest, and just a week before going to jail, I won Conscientious Objector status, an honor which I continue to treasure. And now, even those who RAN that dreadful war appear to have recognized what a mistake it was. Interestingly, I ended up marrying a Canadian woman, Merle Benjamin--how silly to change her name!!--in 1968, and moving up to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where we still remain, married 33 years, with a 27-year-old son and a 22-year-old daughter, Elisheva. (My mother and father had both moved from Toronto to Detroit in the 1930s, so I had roots there, even if that city HAD become the major landing-place of many a draft resister.) My son actually went to Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, where I was refused admission so many years earlier! I had finished a Masters Degree in Modern Theatre at New York University in 1967, and soon began my doctorate in Theatre Criticism and History at York University (no relation to NYU!) in Toronto, finally finishing it in the mid-70s. In the meantime, I taught at York, landed a tenure-stream job, and loved it, until cut-backs led to sudden unemployment in 1975--shortly after the birth of our son. It was a hard and scary time. I then drifted into radio and TV writing and performing in the late 70s, taught humanities at several universities part-time (including the University of Toronto, where my wife had earned her degree and where both of our children took their undergraduate degrees), and grew to love freelance. Finally--well, so far!--I turned to journalism, writing for major national magazines from 1981 on, and wrote my first book in 1981--and had it published, which is even better. Now it's 2001, as we all know. I've written over a thousand major magazine pieces, and over two dozen books, including a history of the creation of the Stratford Festival (FIRST STAGE), a fairly-definitive anthology of Canadian comedy (THE GREAT BIG BOOK OF CANADIAN HUMOUR), several best-selling business books (THE NEW ENTREPRENEURS--80 CANADIAN SUCCESS STORIES), several books of original political satire, travel guides (THE TORONTO BOOK; FODOR'S TORONTO, 1989, 1990, 1991, etc.); and two major scholarly anthologies, WHAT DID THEY THINK OF THE JEWS? (which I still am) and WHAT DID THEY SAY ABOUT GAYS (which I'm not, but I'm proud of the collection of over a hundred major people through history and what they had to say). Over the past few years, my life has been dedicated to "ghosting" books--autobiographies of prominent business people, corporate histories, etc. It's fun working with others, and less lonely than writing alone. And I DON'T mind not having my name on them--really. So, here I am, still an American citizen, but also a Canadian, returning to Detroit only to bury my parents in 1975 and 1988, and to bury the mother or father of old friends. Canada is quite a wonderful country, and it's been good to me. It's been good to be a freelancer: I was home with my children as they grew up; home when they were sick; having breakfast and dinner with them every day, while my wife taught English and Theatre in various high schools. How many kids have even one parent around as they grow up, much less two? There's much more to say, but for now: my warmest wishes to everyone at Mumford who might remember me, and even those who do not! I'm not sure if I can make the 40th this fall, but I'll try. (Lectures often pop up which take me around the States, so I can never be sure). I have fond memories of Mumford, and am often moved by the impressive and dynamic lives of those who have shared them with us over e-mail. I have no website, but anyone is welcome to e-mail me at amgould@ican.net. Best wishes to all of you young, healthy, brilliant fellow-grads!! Allan Gould in Toronto (bearded since 1965; some gray appearing; 40 pounds slimmer than at Mumford, and in frightfully good health, thanks to vegetarianism and swimming a mile every day. But, as we Canadians love to say, "If you're THAT good, why ain't you in the States??") And I once was--for the first two decades of my life!! Take care. Allan Gould Nancie Grace Nancy, After reading all of the wonderful bios that you have been sending, I have decided that I am definitely coming to the reunion. What an opportunity to catch up with, in person, so many "old" friends. It still doesn't seem possible that 40 years have passed since we left those hallowed halls of maroon and blue. I spent my college days at Michigan State majoring in Speech and Hearing Pathology and having a ball. As a graduation gift, I went to Mexico with Carol Sloman and found the man I have been married to for the last 33 years in Acapulco at 3:30 a.m. one morning. I moved to Mexico City, where I did get to see Audrey Feldman and her beautiful red ponytail a few times. My husband and I had 3 wonderful sons in 4 years. While life was very good there, we saw the changes coming, both economically and politically and made the move north to San Diego. It was difficult because we left my husband’s whole family there, but we knew it was for the best. Of course, they have all since moved to the states except for my 90-year-old father-in-law. Once my boys were all in school full time, I felt I needed to find something to do to keep myself sane. I got involved in starting a promotional advertising company in 1979 and have never looked back. I am a guest lecturer at 4 of the Universities in the San Diego area where I teach sales and marketing to undergraduate and graduate students. I have also turned into an avid golfer and try to play whenever possible. My boys are grown and have brought us 3 wonderful girls that we consider our daughters. Our oldest has been married for 2 years and the other 2 are both getting married next year. Doesn't it seem that every stage in our lives gets better than the last? So, that in a nutshell, is who I am and where I am today. Again, I thank you on behalf of all of us for taking on this awesome job of tracking us down and helping us reconnect. I can't wait to see everyone! Nancie (Grace) Vann nancievann@hotmail.com Brenda Green Dear Nancy: I tried my hand at many things after High School. I worked in a dental lab, became a chairside dental assistant and oral surgery assistant. I married and divorced and had a son while still seeking what kind of work I really wanted to do. I became the secretary to the director of Somerset Mall which I thought was pretty cool. When my boss went on vacation, (she really went to have her eyes done) I did something unprecedented in the history of the Mall. A tornado watch had been issued by the Troy Police, and I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to close the mall. I got in the loudspeaker and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, by order of the Troy Police, a tornado watch has been issued and, for your safety, we are closing the mall. Please proceed in an orderly fashion to the lower level auditorium." Well, all hell broke loose. Saks Fifth Avenue called and said they had NEVER closed a store before and Bonwit Teller employees called me totally freaking out. Mall security came running down to the mall office and asked me on whose authority I had closed the mall. I said, "Um, my own?" I had a sneaking suspicion that my days there were numbered and they were indeed. That was, in fact, the end of my mall experience, but something interesting had happened. I liked talking on the loudspeaker and sounding so authoritative...as if I knew what I was doing. As IF!!! My feelings weren't even hurt when my boss told me not to go away mad, just to go away. I knew fate had something better in store for me. And so it was I found myself on my path. Through a series of coincidences (there really are no coincidences, I've since come to understand) I became a private investigator. It was only a short leap from private investigating to police dispatching. I started at Lathrup Village P.D. A year later, I hit the "big time" and went to work for Southfield P.D. From 4PM until midnight every day, the Brenda Green show was "on the air". From heart attacks to hold-ups, the calls came in and sitting at my dispatch console, I put them out on the air. I loved it when we had a high-speed pursuit because it was so challenging..and no one ever got hurt on my watch. Shot at, yes, but not hurt. And so it went for the next 9 years. Then I moved down to St. Petersburg, Florida to be with my family, who were by this time, all down in St. Pete. I went to work for St. Pete P.D. and really, really hated it so I transferred to a little town police department called Gulfport, aka "Goofport". It was the cesspool of the south. I had gone from a gorgeous, contemporary structure in Southfield, to a tiny little hole in the wall building where there were pigeons in the ceiling over my head..and rats were competing for them in unbelievable battles going on directly over my head. But worse than that, I later came to find out that the Board of Health had condemned the building I was in as "unsafe". There were large vats of unknown and uncapped chemicals scattered around the building, and, well, you don't want to know what was coming out of the air conditioning vents (when the air conditioning worked..which never happened in the blistering summer heat, of course) But I didn't care about any of that..I was dispatching and that was what I wanted to do. But within three months, I found myself desperately ill. I spent the better part of the next year and a half in the hospital with an unknown illness. I was taken by my parents to medical facilities from Shands Research Hospital to Mayo Clinic and no one could figure out what was wrong with me. It turned out to be toxic chemical exposure and the damage it did was devastating. I felt like the canary who had been sent into the mine to test the air..and the air was unsafe to breathe. After protracted litigation, I settled my law suit and was officially on permanent and total disability, which is where I remain to this day.. So, when you get lemons in life, you make lemonade, right? Finding myself home too much, I began to write and wrote two novels about a serial child-killer. When I tired of writing, I painted water-colors and found them very marketable. And, oh, did I mention my two grandsons, my true reason for living? So here I sit in my condo on the lake with my grandsons playing Sony Playstation beside me..and I find myself very content. So, thanks for listening. Fondly, Brenda Green Burt Gregory Hi Nancy, It is great hearing from everyone. I retired from AAA at 55 in finance and computer programming. I am now contracting with Ford Motor Company doing their computer programming. I am moving to Arizona in 4 years. Currently live in Southfield and have a farm up north. My two kids are on their own. Have three grandchildren, Brittany Spaniels, Shepard Collie mix and cats. My wife is a social worker and is with American and National Brittany Rescue. I had double bypass surgery in October 2000. It will be good to see everyone. Burt Gregory burtg2000@aol.com Linda Zitomer Grekin Nancy, Thanks for all your work. I loved reading all the bios. Here is mine. I married Roger Grekin, a classmate, in 1965. We have three children. Joe is an attorney with a small firm in Bloomfield Hills. Josh is a musician in New York, and Emily is in her last year of a doctoral program in clinical psychology at Emory in Atlanta. Josh is married and has a beautiful four-month-old daughter, Maya. Roger and I have been in Ann Arbor for 27 years. We love it here and have no plans to relocate, though I am occasionally tempted as I slide along the expressways in January and February on my commute to work in Farmington Hills. I have had numerous jobs through the years and have enjoyed all of them. I've taught school, been an educational arts consultant, developed educational curricula, worked as a free lance journalist and jointly owned and operated Around Town Tours Inc., an Ann Arbor company that provides individual and group tours of the area. I am presently the librarian and curriculum resource person at the Hillel Day School in Farmington Hills. I love working with the students and I love having the freedom to be as creative as I want. My specialty is the utilization of the arts in all the educational disciplines. The most satisfying thing that I've done, besides marry my husband and take care of my children, is write a book, "I'll Never Get Lost Again." It's about people like me who can't tell North from South, who lose their car at shopping malls and who always turn the wrong way out of a hotel room. We are the people with the sixth sense, intuition, but without the seventh sense, the sense of direction. I wrote the book to find out how many people were like me, and why we couldn't do what everybody else seemed to be able to do so easily, find our way. After the book came out, in 1998, I received letters and Emails from people all over the world who, no matter what their personal accomplishments, felt inadequate and stupid because they were "directionally challenged." If any of you are perpetually lost, or are afraid of getting lost because your sense of direction is poor, I'd love to hear from you. My book is available at any bookstore. I'm looking forward to the reunion. Linda Zitomer Grekin lgrekin@umich.edu Larry Grosberg Nancy, These emails have produced some interesting reactions in me, and apparently in others as well. For me, it's meant an introspective, somewhat rambling path. While it's been enjoyable, being open in this way is quite unusual for me. Maybe others will be moved in the same direction. How does one assess the last 40 years of one's life? How do you even go about deciding what it is you want to put in an email as a reunion autobiography? Some do it in a paragraph. Some take 6-7 pages, all in glowing terms. Others are much more balanced in presenting the ups and downs of their lives. Occasionally, some humor surfaced. What is most intriguing to me is what happened to the hundreds of people who have not responded? What have their lives been like? Why haven't they written in? How would they present themselves in an email? There is something about the isolation and privacy of sending (as well as reading) emails that seems to bring out thoughts that are much more difficult to verbalize. And it also seems different from writing letters (remember that ancient custom!) because it so casual and seems so much easier. For me, one response to the emails has been to contact people who have written in. I even had a reunion lunch with Marsha (Fleischer) Blanke, who I had not seen in 40 years. We had both been in the New York area for more than 30 years but had never seen each other. While it generally is not my style to be open in the fashion of the reunion emails, classmates I've talked to, and my wife, Susan, have encouraged me to write in. At this point in our lives who cares what someone thinks. Or, why be locked in by prior habits or personality limitations? As an aside, I wanted to note that there seem to be three themes in the emails received thus far: almost all of them are from people who no longer live in Detroit; and nearly all of the writers do not know very many of the other people who have responded. Those themes remain applicable to this email as well. The third is that, with a couple of exceptions, the bios understandably do not really bring out the more traumatic or disappointing aspects of people's lives. Maybe I'll try to be more balanced. What, if anything, is unique about our class? Do we have more self-made millionaires than other high school classes? We all know we have a rich movie producer; a federal judge who doesn't like affirmative action; etc. What about authors? Athletes? Artists? Nurses? What has been most important to us? The richness and value of family is certainly one reality that has been vivid in many, many emails. How many divorces have there been? The number of children we have given birth to? All of this is interesting stuff and would satisfy some of my curiosity. But, what I have found most fascinating in the emails is the mosaic created from the cumulative effect of the stories of the "non-rich and famous" - - our many classmates who have lived full and productive, but basically unspectacular lives. So, as one of the quiet ones, maybe this will inspire some others to follow suit. I know that there are many of you out there - - other reticent and generally private '61 graduates - - who have something to say that I would find very interesting. For I really have enjoyed reading the emails, even if I don't know the people. So what about my bio! Where is it? What do I want to say? I've been stalling long enough. I left Detroit fairly quickly and went to college at University of Southern .Cal. Even more quickly, at 22, I got married to a classmate, Adrienne Glickman, and we went into the Peace Corps training as a couple. We didn't make it through the training, nor very much longer as a married couple. I went on to law school at Columbia and then law practice in New York. While our marriage didn't last long, we did produce a great daughter, Gina (a working mother doing real well at Ernst and Young), from whom we now have a terrific son-in-law, Kenny Walters (an entrepreneur with a growing auto repair business), and two wonderful grandchildren, Benjamin and Cara. After practicing in a Wall Street law firm (mostly international and securities law), I switched gears and moved into poverty and civil rights law, and then into teaching where I have been a law professor for the past 22 years (18 at New York Law School). My focus has been on clinical education and how best to produce law graduates who are competent as well as humane lawyers. Work has been fun, most of the time, and very satisfying. While the law students seem to be getting younger each year, they remain a constant source of stimulation. It is that intellectual spark they can generate that keeps you on your toes. I married Susan Rosenthal 21 years ago, and it has been a great marriage. She is a social worker by profession and a warm spirit by personality. I am very lucky to have such a smart, sensitive, loving and beautiful wife. Now, you're asking yourself, how much has he already left out? What else might anyone want to know? How else can I define my 40 years? More about my work? My successes? My failures? More about how I/we enjoy life? More about the stresses and strains of life? Where do I go from here? Other than the standard mid-life crises (I've lost count on how many), and one very serious family illness (from which we all have fortunately survived), life has been good. Most recently, I have discovered that if I have a short term goal to do something or go somewhere in a meaningful way, it alerts my life force so that I can keep enjoying both the good and the challenging and difficult aspects of accomplishing something. If I have a work project that will take me abroad to do something constructive, that is a great incentive to prepare it and to implement it. On the personal front, planning a family get-together (our grandchildren do not live in the NYC vicinity) produces a similar sense of satisfaction. Is this a product of our age? Are we approaching the future differently at our age than at some earlier point in our lives? I've been intrigued by the several writers who disavow any competitiveness and then tell us about how they retired at age 50 or 51!! I wonder how they are looking at the future. I wonder about it myself. Even if I could retire now, do I want to? What would that be saying about how I've spent my life up till now, if the only thing on my mind is stopping what I've been doing? How do I want to spend my time in the future? What role does work play in one's life? In my life!! It's becoming clearer that this literally is a stream of consciousness narrative. Is this what reunionitis is all about? Where is it going to take me next? Have I lost any reader who has stayed with me this far? It also is clear to me that the number 40 is having a much bigger impact than any other number has had before now. I did go to one reunion and it was fun to see a bunch of people I liked a lot in school and had not seen since Mumford. Will I be going to the reunion? I don't know. It may very well be that I will have exhausted my need for reflection by my email contacts, an occasional conversation with a classmate, and this email exercise. Who knows! In any event, there it is. Larry Grosberg lgrosberg@nyls.edu Pat Gross Hi Nancy, Sorry that it took so long for you to find me. I did get a phone message from you, but it was inadvertently erased from my machine. I am now known as Patty Jordan. My husband, Joel and I are about to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Joel is my second husband. I was previously married to 1959 Mumford grad, Mel Katz, (now known as Malcolm). Malcolm and I have 2 children, Wendy Katz Glatt and Jonathan Katz. Wendy and her husband Doug have 2 fabulous daughters, Danielle and Samantha, my very precious granddaughters! Joel and I are both teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. We teach in an independent study program, working with high school students one-on-one. I received my M.A. in educational psychology in 1978 and have been working in education since then. I have been in the Los Angeles area since 1976, and I must say that I have never stopped missing the change of seasons! I have only been back to Detroit once in all that time. I would love to get the info on the reunion and to hear about my former classmates. Thanks for all your efforts, Patty (Gross) Jordan pjordan@lausd.k12.ca.us Jim Grossman Impression from reading all the bios, which I have enjoyed very much: 1. I believe I went to school with a doctor in every major city in the country. 2. I'm embarrassed that I've never written a book. 3. So many classmates retired or thinking about it ... and I'm still just one lotto ticket away from retirement myself. 4. I am jealous of everyone with grandchildren. 5. Looking up names and faces in my Capri has been great fun. At 17 & 18, everyone looked terrific. So many good looking women that I never knew. Now as for me... Six years at U of M resulted in an MBA in Marketing and a career in Advertising and Public Relations. I've worked for large agencies, medium sized agencies and owned a couple of small agencies. Along the way, I also spent two years in professional football as VP/Marketing for the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. That was a lot of fun, but the league folded and I had to go back to a real job. Currently, I'm involved with three businesses. Pronto Promotions is an Ad Specialty company I operate with my wife and stepdaughter. Grossman Marketing (catchy name!) is a one-man agency and marketing consultancy. I have a couple of accounts and do strategic planning for corporations and non-profit organizations. And finally, with ex-Detroit Tiger, Darrell Evans, I have a company that conducts baseball Fantasy Camps with minor league teams. None of these has made me rich, but I live comfortably and have a lot of fun. On a personal front, I have been married three times (#1, Barbara Friedlander for all you ex-U of M residents of Mary Markley; #2, Barbara Lupiloff Berent, Mumford, '64). For my third wife, I decided to try a different first name. Judy and I have a mixed marriage -- She graduated from Ohio State! Barbara #1 and I have two children. Elizabeth (U of M, U of M Law) is an attorney for the EEOC in NYC (She is recovering from the traumatic events of September 11, sleeping better and staying busy supervising her staff and helping to put their office back together in a new location. Thanks for asking.), living in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. She has been with the same man (an environmental attorney) for over 8 years, but so far no wedding and no children, but they're trying. My son, Jonathan (U of M, MPP & JD from Harvard) is an attorney in Washington, DC and still single. I also have 5 stepchildren, -- 3 courtesy of Barbara # 2, and 2 from Judy. All are adults; none are married and NO grandchildren. I'm getting desperate!! I do see some of my old friends, but only casually around town. Bob Dovitz and I are still friends -- we get together a few times a year. The other member of "our driving group" -- Cliff Franzel, sadly passed away nearly ten years ago as a result of Hodgkin’s disease. The only good thing is that it brought Bob and I back together. This email network we have established in anticipation of the reunion has put me back in touch with some old friends I've not seen or talked to since Mumford or college -- Dorothea Buchalter, Judy Berlin, Judi Abramson, Larry Baskin, Roseanne Kotzer, Nanci Grace. Maggie Ozer. So anyone who feels like saying hello, feel free. baseball@prontopromotions.com I look forward to seeing everyone in November. PS to Eddie Schutzman: Of course I remember you. Hampton School, 8th grade photo, front row with a bow tie! [Jim Grossman] Margaret Grundstein Dear Nancy: I am sorry that I did not respond right away. Your phone call came when I was in Cleveland for a week helping to close down my parents house. I just got back yesterday and am catching up. I went looking for my yearbook but can't locate it right now. I am interested in keeping in touch. I am not sure what is planned for next fall for the reunion, or if I can come. I have a stone setting for my father early next fall. As you can see it has been a year of great family responsibilities. Nonetheless it would be fascinating to see how everyone looked and hear about what they were doing. For a brief run down of my history. After mumford I went to U of M, like so many of us. From there a year in Scandinavia and then on to Goddard College in Vermont. I graduated from there, worked for a year and then went to Yale for a Master's in City Planning. Immediately after receiving the degree, I went with friends out to Oregon, where we lived communally for about five years, from there to a brief stay in San Francisco and on to Los Angeles, where I have been for the past 24 years. I own and direct a small preschool in Venice. I am also doing an internship and finishing up a Masters in Family Counseling. I was married twice, but am not now. I have two daughters. The eldest is in San Francisco, working and finishing up school. The youngest is just graduating from the Art Institute in Chicago. And that in the briefest terms is me. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for all your efforts at contact. Margaret Grundstein Grundstein@aol.com Elaine Gunsberg Thank you so much, Nancy, for sending these e-mail bios every day. When I read the names attached to the letters I see these people, in my mind's eye, as they were at least forty years ago. Joel Golden lived across the street from me on Greenlawn. He liked throwing tennis balls at me. Audrey Feldman had long, beautiful red hair. I remember spending New Year's Eve at her house. We went outside and banged on pots & pans. Marcia Fleischer had a pajama party. Anne Rosen and I walked through the snow & pretended we were in Alaska. Huey Kamen & I ran into each other crossing the street in Hollywood, CA, when we were about 13 years old. I'm still laughing about that. Douglas Hoffman once drew a horrible picture of my face on a note & gave it to me. Jere Gottfurcht lived across from Bagley. We always thought that Stevie Wonder lived next door. For some odd reason, I had a dream about Marion Helfer the other night. There are so many memories that have been flooding back into my thoughts. Joel Helfman, Danny Moss, David Rives, Elaine Harris--and so many others that I grew up with. How in the world could I be turning 58 years old on October 5? I remember playing down my basement when I was young. We either played down there or outside. I wasn't allowed to sit on my bedspread & there was plastic all over the furniture in the living room. My Mother was always cleaning, cooking, and washing clothes. Anyway, there was a book in the bookshelf called "Life Begins at Forty." I remember thinking that title was hysterical. I thought 40 was old! Where have the years gone? My story? Taught junior high English in Allen Park. Married Nate Rosenthal in 1970. He graduated from Mumford in 1959. We have two children: Amy lives & works in NYC, Freddy lives in Saratoga Springs, NY, and has a store in Lake George, NY. Both graduated from U of M. No weddings, no grandchildren--boo hoo. My husband retired from the City of Detroit in 1993. We moved to Ann Arbor & have been here ever since. I score MEAP tests & he makes maps for U of M. And that's about it. Elaine Gunsberg erose43@aol.com Deanne Gursky Hi Nancy, I'm still working for the Detroit Board of Education. I was a teacher for many years and became an administrator of Title 1 programs and other Federal and state grants. I'm getting ready to retire and a year or two. Mike and I have been married for 37 years and have two kids, Rick and Wendy. Wendy is married, lives in Manhattan and has a baby girl, Sophie. Wendy is 31 years old and Rick is 33 years old and lives in Dallas. He recently finished a fellowship in Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard in joint replacements and became a member of a practice in Dallas called Southwest Joint Replacement Inc. We're really proud of both of our kids. Wendy graduated from Michigan from the business school and worked as a CFO before recently deciding to be a stay at home mom. We live in West Bloomfield in a condo but have recently bought a condo in Boca Raton, Fl. We plan on living there in the winters as soon as we both are retired. I'm very good friends with Joanne Paholak and her husband, Joe. Also, Linda Goren is a good friend of mine. Sharon Sandler and her husband are friends of ours also. Deanne deereitman@msn.com Bob Harrison You had asked for a quick biography: I recently celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary. My wife Elaine retired from the Farmington Schools last year. She was a special education teacher. Our daughter recently graduated from U of M and is working in Washington DC. I have made a few career changes in life, basically from a rehabilitation counselor to retail and now for the last 7 years I have been working with small businesses specializing in employee and selective employer benefits. I also work with families assisting them with life insurance and investments. This is an area that I am enjoying. As far as interests, both Elaine and I enjoy the outdoors and travel. This Summer we hope to explore Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada. We are both animal lovers, and currently have two cats and a dog. Hope this is helpful Bob Harrison Sharee Harvith Hello! I am Sharee Fahidy (nee Harvith), one of the two 61 Mumford graduates I know of, who live in Canada. I have been living in Canada since my first marriage in 1966. I spent my first year in Toronto, and the remainder in Kitchener-Waterloo (Ontario). I ran my own businesses for a number of years in the wholesale and retail end of food services. I raised a son and two daughters, and now I delight in my six grandchildren, looking forward to the arrival of the seventh. My first marriage ended in divorce after fifteen and a half years, and I remarried almost eight years ago. My major occupation is looking after my family, our home, our garden, and our two cats. I am happily married to Tom, a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Waterloo, who is (among other honors) a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, in recognition of his internationally noted scientific/engineering achievements (however, at home he just compliments me on my culinary talents and tells me jokes of questionable taste...). I also have a modest claim to fame, inasmuch as a Nobel - prize winning economist was my dinner guest on several occasions, prior to his recent honor. I live, what some people could call, a simple life and I enjoy its peacefulness far from the madding crowd. My greetings to all my former classmates. Sharee Marion Helfer Bio of Marion Helfer Freedman As I read theses bios, I am so impressed with all of you and your outstanding accomplishments. What a class! Anyway, here is a brief overview of the last 40 years of my life: I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and French from Wayne State in December of 1964, along with the all-important teaching certificate. I married Michael Jay Freedman (Mumford ’60 grad) five days later. He is a practicing psychiatrist in the Detroit area. If you do the math, you’ll see that we are soon approaching our 37th anniversary. We have three children: Oldest son, Jeff is an attorney working in Business Affairs for Paramount Pictures. He is married with one son and is expecting twins in March. Daughter Laura is a radiation oncologist at Detroit Medical Center/Karmanos Cancer Institute. She is married, with one son, and is expecting baby # 2 in four weeks. Son Steven lives in Los Angeles, near his brother, and also works for Paramount as a production executive. Aside from parenting, I received my Master’s Degree from the University of Michigan School of Social Work in 1987 and have been employed by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit ever since. Most recently, I concluded six years as director of Federation’s Neighborhood Project, a neighborhood stabilization program for Oak Park and Southfield. Presently, I am a senior planning associate at Federation with oversight of the Education Division and Fisher Foundation. I am also the immediate past president of Temple Beth El, having served as president from 1998-2000. I hope to see as many of you as possible at the reunion. Feel free to say e-mail me at freedman@jfmd.org Best wishes to everyone! Marion (Helfer) Freedman Judie Hertz Some things never change. I tended to be a procrastinator at Mumford and forty years later, I am still late in writing a bio for the reunion. The University of Michigan and Ann Arbor have been my home for the last forty years. It has been a great place to live. I graduated with degrees in elementary and special education and spent several years teaching at Children's Psychiatric Hospital. In 1968 I married Jerry Lax (Oak Park'59) and we have raised two wonderful sons-Jonathan, (wife Jen Benjamin), an attorney living in Concord, New Hampshire, and Andy, a food writer and cheese maker in San Francisco. Jerry has had a great career as City Attorney of Ann Arbor, (wrote the $5 Ann Arbor "pot” laws - but we never inhaled) and for the last 30 years, Professor of Urban Planning, and in private practice and most recently playwright. Last year Jerry and Ed Stein (Mumford‘59) collaborated on a play about lawyers called “and Associates”, which was produced by Performance Network in Ann Arbor. It won several awards in Southeastern Michigan. They have recently completed a new play. Any agents out there? After a nine-year hiatus from teaching, as a full time mom, I went to work for Carl Levin. That in turn led to jobs in development at both Washtenaw Community College and the University of Michigan. I spent eight years working at the Center for the Education of Women at U of M. For the last four years, I have been Director of the Washtenaw Jewish Community Endowment Fund. It has been truly satisfying to help donors set up legacy gifts for projects and programs in the Jewish community. Also rewarding has been a real commitment to volunteer work in community mental health, hospice, the public schools, politics, and the Jewish community. Have you figured out that I have not yet learned to say "no." When I have time, I still love to cook. There are not enough hours in the day to get reading done and I constantly have a nightstand with "books I intend to get to". I love yoga, swimming and tennis. Travel is our greatest passion. Getting in a car and just going, or planning trips to places far away give us great pleasure. My parents, in their 80's, are relatively healthy and spend four months each year in Scottsdale. Over the last 30 years, we have gotten to know Arizona well and contemplate also spending winters there, if we ever think seriously about retirement. We look forward to attending the reunion and appreciate the hard work of the committee. Judie (Hertz) Lax judithlax@jccfed.org Doug Hoffman After reading the many bios of our fellow classmates, it has certainly been enjoyable to see the different roads that many of us have taken. It seems a long way from Wyoming and Curtis. I started my career in 1961, after high school graduation, working part time for Todd's Clothes at Northland. I had been working at Todd's while attending Wayne State University and found that I had tremendous passion for the menswear retail business. I was offered an opportunity to become the "Junior General Manager" of Todd's Clothes and to assist in the buying. In order to further my retail career, I attended night classes at Wayne State. As I write this, it seems astonishing that 40 years ago the most expensive neckwear in town was $3.50, dress shirts were $10.00 and some of the nicest men's clothing manufacturers were selling suits that retailed for $75.00. My vision in 1968 was to open a gentleman's store. Doug Hoffman LTD, A Gentleman's Boutique, 875 square feet in the New Orleans Mall on 10 Mile and Greenfield. I t was amazing how saving money and Bar Mitzvah money helped. When I was married one year, my son, Josh, was born. When I opened Doug Hoffman LTD, my 875 square foot store was the most exclusive store in town. Dress shirts were $16.50, neckwear was $12.50, Sport Coats were $75.00 and suits were $125.00. Part of the allure of the store was introducing designer labels, Yves St. Laurent, Oscar D'Laurenta and Pierre Cardin were only women's designers. Something new! The store volume grew each year, and I was the sole employee. In 1972, I expanded the store to 2200 square feet and Matthew, my number 2 son, was born. There seemed to be a pattern beginning. Open a store, have a child, expand a store, have a child. In 1975, I opened my second store in Birmingham, and had my third son, Seth. In 1976, I sold my 10 Mile store to concentrate on running my Birmingham operation. Although my business was always good, the automobile industry and our Country were in a recession. Imported cars were having a tremendous effect on the United States automobile industry; people were losing their jobs. Chrysler was bankrupt. Hughes and Hatchers went bankrupt, and I was having a tough time selling Italian clothing, while reading bumper stickers that said, "It is un-American to buy European". I decided to close the store in December 1983, to pursue other ventures outside of retail. After being in the insurance business for 7 years, my life hit another speed bump. I got divorced and decided to pursue my first passion, menswear. I was approached by Barney's New York in Troy. I knew from day one that this was my calling. After being at Barney's for 3 years, I was approached by Neiman Marcus to join their company and bring my expertise. I was able to travel to Dallas and New York twice a year for buying. During my 3½ years, the men's tailored clothing department had a significant increase in sales. After 31/2 years at Neiman Marcus, Saks approached me to help with the design, re-merchandising and buying of their Troy store expansion. I spent 10 years of working at Somerset, and that allowed me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams of buying and selling the finest men's clothing in the world. Working at Somerset Mall was a great experience, yet I wanted something a little more personal. Coincidently, the gentleman who I sold my store to in 1976 is the same gentleman for whom I am now employed. I have come full circle. We truly have one of the finest men's clothing stores, not only in the state, but also in the country. L'uomo Vogue is located at Maple and Telegraph. My oldest son Josh, now 31, lives in Malibu, CA. He's worked as an actor on the TV shows "Saved by the Bell", "Step by Step" and had a short lived TV series called "Teech". Josh is currently in the advertising business. My middle son, Matthew, 29 was an all city basketball player in high school and received numerous scholarships. He played on the number one city AAU basketball team. His teammates were current NBA players, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Howard Isley, and Vochon Leonard. I certainly saw some great games with these talented kids. Matthew is currently looking to enter into the financial world. My youngest son, Seth, was one of the top junior tennis players in the United States. He not only finished in the top 5 from the age of 10 and up, but also twice won national tournaments, and always in the top 3. After traveling the pro circuit around the world, he decided to return home and is currently a teaching pro at Square Lake Racquet Club. All single, no grandkids. I'm looking forward to the weekend of the reunion. It will be great!!!!! Doug Hoffman dhltd71@hotmail.com Gail Honeyman Dear Nancy: I never could resist a request, but have had difficulty putting together a bio that is revealing enough to be interesting, at least more interesting than I was in high school, while at the same time not too revealing and still reflective of who I am today. After high school I continued my education and graduated from Wayne State University with a teaching certificate. I then taught for five exciting, emotionally draining years at Post Junior High. I loved the experience because I was at my most idealistic energetic peak and was able to keep up with the fever pitch of the 60's and junior high school students. Immediately after graduating from Wayne in 1965, I married my first husband, Marshall Trubow whom I had dated through high school. In 1970 we moved to the Boston area so that Marshall could do an OB/GYN residency at Beth Israel Hospital. In November 1970 we had our daughter Wendie, continued to live in Framingham, MA and in 1983 we divorced. Wendie is now an OB/GYN resident in the Bronx at Albert Einstein Hospital and engaged to be married. We are extremely close and although she is three hours away, we do get to see each other about every 4 weeks. After being at home when Wendie was born, I returned to work in 1976 to a large women's health clinic in Brookline MA where I worked for many years, first as an abortion counselor and finally in Public Relations. Those were tumultuous years, as I was very committed to the cause, and daily had to face pickets who had very different agendas. In 1987 I realized that it was time to make a living and was recruited by a local "kick-ass" radio station to sell time. (Clearly not my first, or last seduction). After six short weeks I realized that I was in the wrong job and shortly after began seeking out jobs that could both financially and emotionally support me. I will say, however, that my job at WAAF 103 taught me to prospect, a very valuable skill as I employed it to find clients, a new job, and a new husband! I happily met my husband, Ron Avery, in 1987 and we married in 1990. We will soon be celebrating our 11th anniversary. In 1988 I began selling for the Tufts Health Plan, a managed care company located in Waltham MA. After 13 years I am now the Director of Small Group Sales and have had a wonderful career at one of the last few truly wonderful companies in America! One of our benefits is the ability to take a sabbatical from work. I just returned from eight weeks off and filled it with lots of sleeping and traveling. During my sabbatical, we went home again to Detroit. Most of my family is there, along with my 97 year-old mother. She recently went into a nursing home, so this weekend I will be making my third trip home this year to see her. My sister is able to handle my mother's needs, but I like to see her regularly. We also took a trip out West to visit my husband's family and then took the opportunity to visit BC and Albert, Canada. Truly a wonderful trip. In March of this year, I was operated on for breast cancer and fortunately did not have to have chemo, but I did have 7 weeks of radiation. I decided to work through my radiation, but paid dearly for it, hence the above mention of intense sleeping. I do feel great now and am now followed by my oncologist every 3 months. Thank God for modern medicine! I have enjoyed reading these bios and am grateful to you, Nancy for caring enough to do this. I'd love to hear from anyone who wants to get in touch at R0532@rcn.com, , gail_trubow@tufts-health.com., or at 508.877.6324. Regards, Gail (Honeyman) Avery Denny Herman Dear Nancy, I know that I’m very late with this info. Sorry!!!! I married Robin Bell in 1967, and I am still in love. We have two wonderful children, a son Ben, who is single and 24 years old. Tracy is our oldest at 29 years. She will be getting married in Maui during Christmas vacation. I would like to be able to say that I wrote the great American novel, but I didn’t. Robin is a director at the JC.C. Children’s Development Area, and I own a Manufacturer’s Rep Firm. We live on Long Lake and both enjoy boating very much. I still see the friends that I had during school. I find it very rewarding to be able to say that, because not everyone can. My wife and I will be at the reunion. I look forward to seeing everyone there, although I am sure I’ll only remember a few of those there. Love to all and see you in November, Denny Herman dherman668@aol.com Lettie Higdon Dear Nancy, Here's a brief profile of my last forty years. After graduating I attended business college. Shortly after, I got married to my husband Richard C. Hurley, Jr. We had two beautiful daughters. I worked a few jobs before joining the Detroit Police Department in the year of 1977, where I continued to work until my retirement last year. In regards to your questions, I have two grandsons by my oldest daughter, who lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We don't get to see them as often as we would like, but when to do ,we usually take them on summer vacations with us, and they spend a lot of their summer vacation time here in Detroit. I first joined the Detroit Police Department, in 1977 as a patrol officer, and worked that position until 1988, when I became an investigator of Sex Crimes for the Department. I started working as the court officer for the Sex Crimes Unit in 1993, and continued at that position until retirement in July 2000. Lettie (Higdon) Hurley RichTee@worldnet.att.net Carol Hoffman Dear Nancy, Thanks for your efforts, and I apologize for my delayed response. Here’s my bio: How is it possible that 40 years have passed since we graduated from the pink and blue palace: Mumford High School? Sadly, 40 years and the many miles between Mumford and me have dulled my memory. But those of you who were special to me then, are still special to me, and I send a "Hi" and big hugs via this email, as I will not be able to attend the November reunion I've been very blessed with a good life: a devoted husband, Michael Dean for 36 years, two lively and loving children, Jeff who is 33 and lives in Denver, and Julie who is 31, married to Scott, living in Wisconsin, and expecting their first child. For the first 34 years of our marriage Michael and I lived in Cincinnati, OH, where we focused on raising our kids and on our teaching careers (at the University of Cincinnati, and in special education respectively). In 1999 we both took early retirement and moved to Sedona, AZ....truly one of the most beautiful places on earth! We love it here, volunteer, enjoy the incredible environment, take classes, and are helping to build the Jewish Community of Sedona (ground breaking for Sedona’s first synagogue is this November). We are very appreciative of the beauty and bounty in our lives, and I send my best wishes to all 1961 Mumford grads. Carol (Hoffman) Dean profdean@aol.com Rita Hooberman Dear Nancy: What a treat to open my email and find so many personal histories. I look forward to reading them and finding out about people who were part of my childhood. After graduation from Mumford, it was on to college...finishing at Wayne State U with a B.S. in education. I married a man from Toronto. The marriage was short lived, but long enough to have two amazing kids, Steven and Debbie. Back to school to get my Masters degree in special ed. at Wayne. I lived in Royal Oak and taught Hebrew school. I Fortuitously caught the German measles at my brother's wedding and went to the Concord Hotel in Kiamesha lake, NY to recuperate...the week of Woodstock. I found a very special man at the Concord..Married him and moved to NY. I became the mother in a blended family of 6. It was a challenge. I have been involved in several businesses, the most successful of which, was party planning. "Soup to Nuts" was fun. I went back to school and finished my Masters at Adelphi univ..new school, NYU and School of Visual arts..art therapy. I had been married for 25 years and then, suddenly, my husband died. My world turned upside down, so many changes and new responsibilities. There were a lot of things to learn about myself and choices to be made. I opened a tiny real estate brokerage and enjoyed a very botiquey market in Manhattan in Chelsea..the west side of midtown/downtown where I live. My kids are both married..and have gifted me with a total of three grandchildren: Perri, 4 1/2, Anastasia, 4 and Julian, 3 1/2. My daughter, Debbie was an account exec for an advertising firm and is now a full time mom. Son, Steven is a money manager with a global fund. I have wonderful in-law kids. Cliff is a dentist and Christina works for the Federal Reserve. My parents are still alive and living in Michigan, as does my brother Paul and his family. I love my life in New York. It is an exciting one (no pun Intended) and having my kids living close by is a bonus. The email exchange has allowed me to renew some lovely friendships and to visit some classmates when I'm in Michigan visiting family. Nancy (et al) thanks for doing this for us. Not sure about the time for going to the reunion, it’s my son -in-law's birthday..but maybe. Would love to see you all. Warm regards, Rita Hooberman Winton Zausner ritaZ102@aol.com Would love to hear from you Sharon Horowitz Hi Mumford Class of 1961, I'm a new computer owner and thought I would tell you about myself. Before I begin my bio, I want to inform all of you that I’m Co-Chairwoman of the Mumford West Reunion. This reunion is for anyone who attended Mumford, regardless of the year. The Western states include California, Oregon, New Mexico, Washington, Nevada, Arizona and Texas. Of course anyone who is willing to travel from the East is welcome, too. The tentative date is May 31.2003. We would appreciate it if you would send an email to MUMFORDWEST@AOL.COM with any information that you may have regarding Mumford classmates who might be interested in attending the reunion. Now about Sharon: I moved to Southern California in 1973. I have two married daughters: Sheri, 34 and Jodie, 32. My three loves of my life are my grandchildren: Cameron, 4, Conner, 2 1/2 and Andrea, 1 year old. I'm divorced and work in a Beverly Hills store as a bridal consultant. Prior to that, I owned a furniture business, which was destroyed by the 1994 earthquake. However, life goes on. I would love to hear from you. Sharon (Horowitz) Gorman My Email address is GORM406@AOL.COM Jackie Hubert Hi Nancy, It was really good to hear from you and to read about what some of our classmates have been doing since graduation. Well, I am employed by the State of Michigan, Family Independence Agency. I've worked for the State for 31 years and I'll be retiring soon. I've been divorced for a number of years. I have 2 sons and 5 grandsons. Both of my sons are married and doing well. I am so looking forward to our 40th (it's really hard to believe) reunion and seeing everyone. I'm still a resident of Detroit, however, I am seriously considering moving out of the State after retirement. Jackie Hubert hubertj@state.mi.us David Jackson Hi Nancy, Since I am now not sure whether I will be flying to Detroit for the reunion, I wanted to give you a little more detail as to what I have been doing since leaving Mumford. After doing my undergraduate work at Michigan State, I graduated law school from Wayne State and then went to the University of Illinois Law School where I was a teaching assistant during a Masters of Law program. I then moved to New York City, where I clerked for a Federal judge. After three years in New York, I moved to Los Angeles and got a job as an attorney at Capitol Records. MCA Records subsequently recruited me, and I became their Vice President of Business Affairs. I moved from records into film in 1988, when Mike Curb (the former Lt. Governor of California and the owner of the Curb Records, which released such artists as The Judds, LeAnn Rimes and Tim McGraw) asked me to partner with him to form an international film distribution company. Curb Esquire Films was created, and I ran that company with Shauna Shapiro (from Calgary), who is also an attorney. Shauna and I got married in 1989. After Mike Curb bought out our interest in Curb Esquire in 1992, Shauna and I formed Showcase Entertainment together with Norty Stern, who was instrumental in raising the capital for the company. Showcase produces and distributes motion pictures internationally. As for hobbies, I have always had a passion for music and have been fortunate to have placed many songs that I have composed into feature films. In addition, I have composed some motion picture soundtracks, including a film, which starred Sharon Stone and Brad Davis. Shauna and I have two boys: Drew is 11 and Brandon is 8. They are typical boys who I have been able to indoctrinate to love the Red Wings (which is rather easy to do) and the Tigers (which is becoming much more difficult as the seasons come and go). I feel very fortunate ­ especially about having grown up in Detroit. As kids, we could walk to school with our friends; we could go home from school for lunch (watching Soupy Sales); we could go to the playground and play a choose-up game of softball or a game of home runs with no adults having to watch us; we could take a bus alone to Tiger (Briggs) Stadium. We were very lucky. I hope that when our children reflect upon their childhoods, they, too, will feel that lived in an age of innocence ­notwithstanding that, amongst other things, they must be car pooled wherever they go. I was planning on bringing the entire family to Detroit over Thanksgiving for the reunion. However, in light of the recent events, Shauna and the boys will be staying in L.A., and I am in the wait and see what happens next mode. I was so looking forward to seeing everyone (especially the Bagley kids) and hope that things work out so that I can be there. Thanks, Nancy, for all that you have been doing. Best wishes, David Jackson david@showcaseentertainment.com David Jackson I truly enjoy receiving your various e-mails regarding our classmates. Please keep them coming. With regard to my family life, I am married to Shauna Shapiro from Calgary, and we have two boys: Drew (age 11) and Brandon (age 8). With regard to my business life, you can check out http://showcaseentertainment.com/ We sell American movies all over the world as well as produce. FYI: our partner is Norton Stern (husband of Sherrie Gross, Class of ¹61). Thanks again, and best wishes, David Jackson Ruth Anne Jacob Nancy Pollak and I roomed together in Miami in our young, single and poor days. We worked a little and played a lot. They were good times. I also got to know Nancy's brother, who we would feed and spoil when he came in on leave from the Navy. He was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida at the time we were living in Miami. I have been blissfully married to Allen (Class of ' 55) for 35 years. We have two sons, Robb, a lawyer and Dot.Com CEO, and Daniel (DJ), who is a successful commercial photographer. Robb is married to Debbie, and we are blessed with two wonderful granddaughters, Mollie (4) and Eryn (1-1/2). We are fortunate that both our children live in the area. For the first seventeen years of our married lives we lived in the corporate world, moving up the proverbial ladder. This took us to Albuquerque, NM, St. Louis, Detroit, Columbus, and finally to Chicago. In 1981, Allen decided to get off the business roller coaster and we moved back to the Detroit area to stay. Allen then announced that he wanted to go to law school at age 47, so I entered the working world full time for the first time since I married. This accomplished two things; I was able to help in getting our boys through college and my husband through law school; I began a career, which has now spanned seventeen years in length. I work for Sidney Krandall & Sons Jewelers in Troy as a buyer, appraiser and salesperson. The career has been rewarding, both in regard to achieving my modest accomplishments, and in filling my personal jewelry box. Life has been kind and wonderful to us. Working on the Reunion Committee has brought me back to the old friends with whom I grew up. Renewing and sharing our adventures over the years has been great. It has been wonderful hearing from and seeing all of you. Now that my family is out on their own, I truly try to spoil myself as much as possible. I play golf regularly, bridge, take long walks, read many books, and spend time spoiling my grandchildren, which is the greatest joy of all. Ruth Anne (Jacob) Lippitt ALLENJLIPPITT@cs.com Alyssa Kahn Thank you for doing such a wonderful job in locating our classmates. I marvel at our accomplishments and also wish I had remained in contact with more of my high school friends. After Mumford I went off to the University of Michigan with my high school friend, Jackie DeYoung as my roommate. After graduating with a degree in French, Russian and History, I taught for 6 years in various subjects and school systems in the Detroit area suburbs. I met my husband when he was a waiter in my sorority in college and married him after his stint in Vietnam. He is an ophthalmologist and we have lived and raised our two children in Grosse Pointe, MI. I have been an at home Mom, trying to keep up with the energy and interests of my family. We are boaters and my husband is a pilot, so we have had many wonderful family adventures together. My “free spirit” children are off on their own now…our daughter has a swing dance company in Chicago and our son is employed in a business in New York City. The Detroit Institute of Arts, “Art to the Schools” program and the Karmanos Speakers Bureau are my interests at the moment. I love reading where everyone is in his or her lives and just seeing the familiar names brings a tug to my heart. I’ll close by saying that I believe I was one of the few girls who had an official Merciless Piston badge. akmertz@home.com is my current e-mail address. Alyssa (Kahn) Mertz Cynthia Karay To catch up on my life since Mumford, I have gone on to a teaching profession with a Bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan at Ypsilanti and a Master's from the State University of New York at New Paltz. I have taught in Poughkeepsie, NY and New Canaan, CT. I married in 1966 to an IBM (now retired) scientist, and we have three daughters and three grand daughters. We are living in Austin, TX since 1976, where I am still teaching. I have been on the cover of the magazine "The Grade Teacher" on the November, 1966 issue. Cynthia Karay ezachos@attglobal.net Hugh Kamen Dear Nancy, Thank you very much for contacting me. I have been living in San Diego,California since 1973. Prior to that, I lived in Los Angeles for ten years. I am a licensed psychologist. My wife, Francie, is an art conservator, and we have an 11 year old daughter, Emily, who is in the "tween" phase of life. We both work a lot, but enjoy our home life, friends, outdoor activities, Art, and pets-Annie (female border collie mix), Ginger (neutered male-orange tabby cat) and Lightening (black and white, old man of a rat). Best wishes! Hugh Kamen hfkamen@ix.netcom.com P.S. My dear old friend, Richard Lustig, called and said that a rumor about my death had been circulated. For the record, I am, gladly, very much alive. Dennis Kay I made an error to the number of years married to start out with. Susan and I were married 39 years in April. After graduation from Mumford I attended Highland Park Junior College and Walsh College. After Susan and I married things were very hectic, but I continued my education and finally received an Associates Degree in Business Administration and went on to Wayne in the business school. During this time, I worked at Ford Motor Company and General Motors until 1978 when I went into a partnership with my father-in-law in a manufacturer's representative agency. My father-in-law retired about 8 years ago. I am now president of the agency. Susan and I were also very busy raising three children. Sherri, 38, is married and has three boys, Josh, 10 1/2, Adam- 8 1/2 and Evan 6. She is a stay at home mom, but graduated from MSU and worked in telecommunications and computer software previously. At this time, Sherri and her husband are building a new home in Franklin . Our son Marc has two girls, Jordyn 8 and and Meredith, 3 1/2. Marc also graduated from MSU and U of M with a Master's in Social Work. He teaches fulltime at the high school level in the Huron Valley School district. He and his wife, Amy, just moved into a new home in West Bloomfield. Our youngest Stacy is married and has two girls, Nicole, 3 and Alana, 18 months. Stacy graduated from Grand Valley University and is a paralegal in a law firm in Birmingham. She and her husband Andy just moved into a new home in Huntington Woods. We are very fortunate to have all our children live near and as you can see, they keep us very busy. Susan and I like to travel in our spare time. Each year, in the fall, we go to Arizona with a group of friends for about 10 days. As it gets closer to retirement (Susan has partially done that already), we hope to spend our winters there. We have had a very full and happy life since the Mumford days. Dennis Kay susanbkay@aol.com Harry Keidan Hi Nancy, I am a trial attorney in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona. After law school in Ann Arbor, I went to Wall Street - - law, investment banking and real estate development - - and then to more open spaces. The wilderness and running are my passions and photography is still a strong interest. Nepal, Tibet and China are some of my favorite places to be outside of Arizona. I own a charter school (K-6) where I teach photography - - named the photography program after Stanley Ormsby (by far the best teacher I had at Mumford). Love to hear from all of you - - harry@keidan.com 2375 E. Camelback Road, Suite 700, Phoenix, AZ 85016. 602-445-8280 Have a great reunion, Harry Keidan Richard Kersh Dear Nancy. I finally got around to this. Let's see, in forty years a lot happened, but in simple terms, it turns out the same. I graduated Wayne State and went into business and made money and retired. I got bored doing nothing, so I went back into the business wars and made more money. I have done this a total of three times. I feel you have to stop and smell the roses or someone else will enjoy your hard work. Along the way, I was married and divorced once with no children. I am now retired (fourth time) and living in Boca Raton, Florida where it is nice three hundred plus days out of the year. All I have to do is decide what I will eat for today. I have written a book on car leasing. It explains how the dealer can hit a home run in a car lease deal and how you can stop him. I am going back into business to publish this book myself and of course make some more money. For those who car lease, it is information you need to know. Sorry I missed the reunion but it is too cold in Detroit in November. If I am still walking and talking, maybe I will get to the next one. Richard Kersh rjkwho@yahoo.com Ron Keys Hello Guys!!!!!!!!!!! After, Eastern Michigan University, I studied at Wayne State University School of Medicine a bit, even did some sewing up in the emergency room at Detroit Receiving Hospital but got tugged into a masters in clinical psychology and then into law school (DCL). I was a prosecutor, both in Michigan and NY City, for 11 years (Career Criminal, Felony and even Homicide Prosecutor), ran for prosecutor in Ann Arbor and even put in for appointment to the Michigan Circuit Court Bench, didn't get it. I taught moot court at St. John's Law School in NY City, later got a PhD and studied post-doc geriatric medicine at five different hospitals in NY City, that being St. Luke-Roosevelt Hospital Center, NY University Medical Center, Beth Abraham Hospital, Howard A. Rusk Rehabilitation Institute and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Sooo.......I worked my way back into medicine. A lot of what I do is teaching an advisory staff of company counselors on life extension sciences as well as teach and train doctors all over the world. I am currently arranging for export of functional and integrative medicine concepts (biotechnology transfers) to Cancun Mexico and Malaysia. I will go and teach it, using fundamental biochemistry with nutritional and hormone replacement medicine. I go over a lot of bloodwork with members of the Life Extension Foundation, offering a conventional and then a longevity science interpretation.........how to do it. I share information in such a quiet way (aha!!), its like a very quiet sledgehammer.approach to get biobehavioral modification. So this is most of my day, now. I was a talk show doctor (not an attorney show) in complementary medicine in NY City and am doing the same in Ft. Lauderdale, as Scientific Director for the Life Extension Foundation. I am a past Co-Director of the American Aging Association. I specialize in taking old people apart with biochemistry and putting them back together again. Hormone assays, discussions of human growth hormone, estrogen, testosterone replacements, reversing the later developed androgen-estrogen inversion is what I do daily. Reconstituting aging biological systems is quite an adventure, as I am sure you can all appreciate . You can find me (picture on front page) and even hear me at www.lef.org, which will archive my current run of Florida based radio shows that are webcasted now. Anybody on the planet can hear these Saturday Radio Shows on Saturdays, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, EST., if they have a late model computer with a sound card and speakers. They can hear the show and even participate in it, live, or click to hear the already archived shows. Webcasting makes this possible to listen in from anywhere in the world, through WWW.LEF.ORG, even though the show covers the Florida Keys, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach Counties. Mmmmmmmm will anybody listen??????? Don't know!!!!!!!! I have two daughters, one, Andrea, who lives in Royal Oak, Michigan,with a BBA who works for a Japanese company and another, Beth Keys, who just past her orals for a double PhD in Clinical Psych and Cognitive Neuroscience, doing a residency at Rush Memorial Hospital in Chicago. I have started USE OR APPLICATION, of a new form of transdermal human growth hormone cream.....actually, it is a transdermal, growth hormone releasing hormone analogue that stimulates and builds your own pulsatile release of human growth hormone as a replacement for the less effective and frankly expensive, risky and more dangerous HGH shots. So, efforts continue to rebuild people and bring them back to what they were, orchestrating the functional restoration of major systems, organs, etc, of course, all based upon BASELINE CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY. All hormones are studied, not just HGH. . I realize this may sound unbelievable to many of you, but this is what I actually do. It's a lot more challenging then waiting for jury verdicts or fighting with attorneys all day long.. My interest started when I did a paper on gerontology while in high school. Ron Keys, rkeysphd@brainlink.com, 954-325-6134 Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Mumford61 JUDIE KOPITZ HI NANCY AND ALL MUMFORD CLASSMATES, I'M SORRY THAT YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE MY EMAIL THAT I SENT MONTHS AGO, BUT I MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG. ANYWAY, HERE IS MY STORY: AFTER GRADUATING I WENT TO COSMETOLOGY SCHOOL AND WORKED FOR A FEW YEARS, AND THEN I MET MY HUSBAND ALAN. WE MARRIED IN 1965 AND HAD 3 WONDERFUL CHILDREN. HEIDI, WHO IS 36 AND IS MARRIED TO CLYDE AND HAS TWO BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTERS, MELANIE, AGE 8 AND EMILY, AGE 2. LISA, WHO IS 33 AND MARRIED TO JEFF, HAVE ONE DAUGHTER, AGE 1, AND THEN THERE IS JASON, WHO IS 32 AND IS MARRIED TO BETH AND THEY HAVE NO CHILDREN YET. THEY ALL LIVE HERE IN MICHIGAN AND I'M SO GLAD, MY LIFE HASN'T BEEN AS EXCITING AS MOST OF YOU, BUT I HAVE A LOVING HUSBAND AND A GREAT FAMILY. I HAVE HAD DIABETES FOR 30 SOME YEARS AND IT HAS TAKEN A TOLL ON ME. I AM VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND HAVE A LEADER DOG. SHE IS A GOLDEN RETRIEVER AND IS A GREAT HELP TO ME. I DIDN'T HAVE MANY FRIENDS IN MY CLASS, SO I WASN'T ABLE TO BE IN TOUCH. IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO CONTACT ME, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HEAR FROM YOU. ANY EMAIL NEEDS TO BE IN LARGE FONTS. JUDIE (KOPITZ) GOODGALL NONSWEET43@AOL,COM Barbara Kozloff I was very surprised to see my "bio" appear on the net, as I sent in that information at least 4 months ago. After reading all the others, I feel that I want to expand my previous brief update. Nothing earth shattering so, if you never knew me, you can stop here. After Mumford I graduated from U of M with a degree in Education. I interviewed in Ann Arbor and accepted a position in Los Angeles Unified School District teaching 2nd grade. I had never been to LA, but after the bitter winter of '64 (chapped knees, running, red nose etc.) I was off to the land of sunshine. Remember, that this was the time of pleated skirts and knee socks--not many girls wore pants often. I taught one year and hated every minute of it. The fact that they changed my school two weeks into the semester and the other teachers gave me the students they wanted to get rid of had a lot to do with it. I then went to USC and received a MSLS and was a children's librarian for 3 years until I had our daughter in 1969. When she went to preschool I sold advertising for a local newspaper. Eventually, I purchased the typesetting portion of the business and did that for many years. I met my husband through a Detroit friend who had come out here to teach. Bob and I will be celebrating our 35th anniversary this December. He was a teacher until 1981. In 1979 we bought our first home computer. Software was pretty non-existent and Bob started programming. He then proceeded to write the first home accounting system for the fledgling computer market. It took off, as well as other programs he wrote, and in 1984 we retired. Our daughter, Cindy, and her husband Toby Northcote-Smith were married October 1998, no thanks to the INS. Toby is from England. They gave us our beautiful granddaughter, Madeline Hailey, on May 28 this year, and she has her own web-site at http://www.schoenburg.com/baby.htm. We are doing our duty and spoiling her rotten. Since Madeline's birth, Cindy retired from her position as National Advertising Coordinator for Music and Video with Universal Studios. Toby is a Project Manager with KPMG, the Big Five accounting firm, not a radio station. Bob got bored and went back into teaching about 8 years ago. He was appalled by how grades had to be entered on scantron sheets. They had constant misreads and jams. (Florida and other states, please note that scantron sheets are NOT the answer to voting problems.) He proceeded to write a computer program that allows teachers to do their grades on a diskette and then turn it into the office. (School office computers still use only diskettes.) Our program is now in use in 56% of the middle and high school in LAUSD. Bob and I are customer support, when necessary. We travel and just enjoy being together. Of course, we spend as much time as we can with our family and the baby. Barbara (Kozloff) Schoenburg bks@schoenburg.com Robert Kahl Nancy, Here is the information you requested about me. I am married for 35 years to the former Gwen Carrick, also a mumford graduate, class of January ' 64. We have two daughters, both married. We are the proud grandparents of four beautiful granddaughters. I am now retired from my Podiatric Practice of 30 years. I have six Pet Supplies Plus retail stores in the state of Connecticut that our sons-in-law operate and own with me. The stores keep me very busy. Looking forward to the reunion. Robert L. Kahl (Bob) pspofct@aol.com Flodell Kamen Dear Nancy: After graduation in 1961, I worked as Departmental Secretary for the Department of Instructional Technology at Wayne State University in Detroit and was promoted to Executive Secretary/Assistant to the Dean of the College of Education until the summer of 1970 when--while vacationing in Denver, Colorado visiting family--a blind date changed my life. Two weeks after meeting Philip, we were engaged and married three months later--December 27, 1970 in Detroit. We moved me to Denver right after our wedding. I worked as the Department Secretary for the Division of Biometrics, Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver. In 1972, I was under consideration for the position of Executive Secretary to the Dean of the College of Medicine when I found out our first child was on the way. I remained with the University until my daughter was born and then took some time off. I returned to work in layout, design and production for the Rocky Mountain Business Journal, a weekly publication for the Denver business and real estate community, where my skills were developed and expanded. That position filtered into the development of my own business, where I could work at home at my own pace--especially pertinent, as my second child was on the way. It was great having the control of my time that was so necessary in raising two young girls. And having my own business afforded me the opportunity to be productive, as well as parental. Philip and I have been happily married for over 30 years and adore our two wonderful daughters: Keri 28 and Dani 23. Keri is a graduate of Metropolitan State College in Denver with a B.S. in Business Management and Dani just graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a B.S. in English and Pre-Pharmacy. My husband just recently retired from 20 years as a Deputy Sheriff for the City & County of Denver. Our daughters have great jobs and we are extremely proud of them. And to live in Colorado is a privilege!! There's no other place quite like it. Beautiful weather almost all of the time. I still have my own business and am responsible for the business activities of three major companies. I am also very involved in the volunteer/charitable community with executive responsibilities for two major women's organizations. My life is very fulfilling and I love to write, play classical piano and include my expertise as a Commercial Artist in all that I do. My husband and I are looking forward to attending the Reunion. Flo Dubowitz (Flodell Kamen) phleaux@hotmail.com Pam Kessler Dear Nancy, What a great job you're doing putting us all back in touch! I thoroughly enjoy reading about the accomplishments of my classmates. In fact, until I read their updates, in my mind they're frozen in time, sitting in the Mumford cafeteria or dressed in black and hanging out at the "evil" Cupid's Bow. Is it still there? So here's what I've been up to since my Mumford days. I never owned enough cashmere sweaters, so I had to leave Detroit. I moved to Germany where I converted my wardrobe to lederhosen. I lived there for three years and did extensive traveling disguised as a Canadian. Edie Hoffman became my constant traveling companion through the years. With our combined five children we drove all over Europe in my VW van - - with our kids constantly fighting in the backseat to the never-ending strains of Blondie's "Sunday Girl". From Germany I relocated to Westport, Connecticut and Tiburon, California. I'm currently living in a cabin in the woods in Vermont with my dog, Sedona, and numerous bears, ducks, otters, beavers, and (my personal favorite) a blue heron. (I live on a lake.) In my efforts to save the wildlife, I was arrested for trying to protect a bear and moose from the local game warden and his hit men. My most recent endeavor involves saving the world from annuity salesmen, and I have written a book called "Winning with Your 403(b)", published by JK Lasser, that exposes those slick annuity salesmen in silk suits who prey upon innocent 403(b) investors. For those of you who don't know, a 403(b) is the equivalent of a 401(k) plan for teachers, hospital workers, clergy, and other employees of nonprofit organizations. Look for my book on the shelves of Barnes & Noble in October. Can't wait to see you all at the reunion. Pam Kessler Horowitz Roberta Keystone Dear Nancy, Very glad to hear from you. I have had a wonderful life so far with three wonderful children, one son and two daughters, one stepson and a darling granddaughter, with another grandchild on the way. Also, we will have a wedding in October for our youngest daughter. I have a wonderful husband, who is in the linen supply business, and I work for Consultants in Cardiology as a business assistant. I keep very busy, but most of all love to be with my family. My oldest, Jeff, lives in Atlanta and is a carefree bachelor working for Conseco Finance Corporation as a area manager. His degree is in Communications and Public Relations. Cari was working in the tax and assessing office for the city of Farmington, but is now a stay at home mom and loving every moment of it. Alissa has a degree in human resource development and works for Make-a-Wish Foundation. I adore my son-in-law, Bill and soon to be son-in-law, Lance. They make my daughters very happy and that is all that counts. I have some great friends, including some that we graduated with in 1961. Sincerely, Roberta (Keystone) Malin jerrymalin@hotmail.com Phyllis Kleiman Nancy here is my bio After I left Mumford, I went to work as a civilian employee for the Detroit Police Department. I met Stephen Gold from Oak Park High School and was married in October of 1963. On our wedding day we moved to Trenton, New Jersey. That was where Steve was working at the time. Within three months, we were transferred to Boston, Massachusetts. After only three months in the Boston area, we came back to Detroit and I returned to work for the police department. When we had children, I became a full time mother and we moved to Oak Park. We had three children, two girls and a boy. When our son was six years old in 1980, Steve changed jobs and we moved to Chicago (Buffalo Grove) and have been here ever since. I am now working in an insurance office. Our oldest daughter, Marilyn, was married in 1992 and is now expecting her first child in March. Our second daughter, Elaine was married in 1993 and is expecting her second child in December. Our son, David was married this June and is not expecting. Now we are finally empty nesters. Our one grandchild, Samantha will be four around Thanksgiving. Phyllis Kleiman Gold bestmom810@home.com Susan Kobel I have certainly read all the bios, and my take is that we should all be less self-congratulatory and more aware of how privileged we grew up. I went off to Germany as an exchange student the day after graduation. The year there changed my life. Most importantly, I met my former husband there. When I returned, I attended Michigan State and got a great general education, with a major in humanities and social sciences. This was followed by a year at two German universities on a Fulbright Fellowship. I married my husband shortly before graduation. I worked at a range of jobs in Germany, bookstore, translating, etc. I stopped working away from home when my daughter, Nadia, was born in 1970. She was followed by twins, David and Jennifer, in 1973. A few years later, we moved to Toronto, where my spouse bought and ran a bookstore business. I helped out at first and then sought paid work. We split up and I became officially responsible for bringing up three children. They are three wonderful adults, Nadia a full-time mother and wonderful support to her mother, married to Peter Arender who works in the financial sector. That is the ultimate cosmic tease, that I have access to excellent advice, but nothing but debts. Jennifer and David are single, attending graduate school, David in English at York University, writing essays the titles of which I don't understand. Jennifer, who makes her home in the Yukon, left to attend graduate school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she is taking Land Use Planning. I am currently working for the provincial government, doing labour adjustment work, which can be pretty stressful, but rewarding. Before that I worked in occupational health, first as a union activist and then in government developing policy around occupational disease. I also write and have published one book, "Working at Inglis: the Life and Death of a Canadian Factory," a labour history book that was truly a labour of love. I have also published poetry and have written a play, "Shadowboxers" about a plant closure, which was produced live and then sold to the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) as a radio play. I have since written another play, a one-woman piece looking for a performer, "The Feminist's Daughter's Wedding." I also write for a few magazines, mostly about satisfying my old curiosity with emphasis on labour history and oral history. My health is a problem, as I have developed diabetes, which seems to engulf every aspect of my life. Otherwise, I love to garden, knit, paint, read and listen to music. I would be happy to meet with any of those from Mumford who live in Canada. Susan (Kobel) Meurer meurers@web.net Shelly Komer Dear Nancy, How wonderful it is to renew acquaintances with my fellow classmates via the email bios. Even better will be to see them in person after so many years at our reunion. Now to add my bio to the class of '61 grads: After graduating from U of M in '65 with a B.A. in French and Spanish and a secondary school teaching degree, I immediately received an MRS. degree having married an older alumnus (by one year) of both Mumford and U of M--Larry Jackier. Our honeymoon was a dream--one month traveling to England, Spain, France & Italy. Larry and I returned to Detroit in 1969 from New Haven where Larry received his Law degree from Yale and began practicing with his Dad and I began an M.A. in French literature at Wayne State U. Ariana (born in ''71) and Seth (in '' 73), kept us happy and busy carpooling to school and extra curricular activities. During this time, Larry became very active in the national United Jewish Appeal Young Leadership cabinet, and subsequently we participated and then led many missions to Israel. I also became "hooked" on Israel and decided to vicariously relive my experiences by taking Israeli folkdancing classes and by establishing an Israel Information and Resource Center in the main branch of the JCC. As a result of a seminar I organized about Israel--travel, volunteering, business and aliyah, I began a chapter of the American Israel Chamber of Commerce in Michigan. In addition to facilitating matches between Michigan and Israeli businesspersons, I organized informational seminars and led business missions to Israel. The sister entity which I established, the American Israel Education Institute, was a vehicle for business and cultural exchanges. As a consequence of our efforts, the Detroit Institute of Arts hosted a major Israeli art exhibit and purchased several works of art for the Institute's permanent collection. In 1980, Larry and I were "spies" (sounds more glamorous) for the National Conference for Soviet Jewry along with 3 other couples. We met with Jewish "refuseniks" to deliver merchandise for resale on the Black Market since they had lost their jobs having declared their desire to immigrate to Israel. How unbelievable it was to receive one of the refuseniks at our house in Detroit about 7 years later. I left the Chamber in '92 and established my own company, Avishel, which "matched" businesses (not limited to those in Michigan) on a private basis. Not having reached the goal that I had aspired to and becoming somewhat disillusioned in the process, I decided in '99 to become a realtor. I wanted to be able to see first hand the "product" I was selling. Since I love interacting with people and viewing homes, all while receiving some wonderful decorating ideas, I found that this new profession suited me perfectly. Though you might not ask, I am going to reveal anyway the origin of the name of Avishel --Avi and Shelly. I met Avi in '92 during an Israeli folkdance workshop that I organized in Detroit. The rest is history. We have been together since then as well as teaching Israeli folkdance for over 9 years every Wednesday night at the main branch of the JCC. JOIN US! The most exciting event that is happening in my life is the upcoming marriage of my son, Seth, to a wonderful young woman who just happens to be a died-in-the-wool maize and blue fan. What else could I ask for? Avi is already on my case for being long winded. So, "THAT'S ALL FOLKS". See you November 24! Shelly (Komer) Jackier Shellyhomes@aol.com Julie Koretz Aloha Nancy, Thank you for all the work, time, and energy that you have put into this Reunion project. Julie (Koretz) Bridle’s Bio I have been single now for 20 years, after having been married for 17 years. I have 2 great daughters, one in Seattle and one in Tennessee, plus 2 wonderful grandsons in Seattle. I've enjoyed scuba diving for the past 11 years; I have had over 500 dives in the Hawaiian, Fijian and Indonesian Islands. I also have been doing Tai Chi for 11 years and Yoga for 5 years. I love traveling and islands. I've been to most states and national parks. I have also been to Tahiti...Moorea, Bora Bora, many Fijian Islands, Indonesia....Sulawesi, Moluccan Sea, Bali. I also enjoy people, waterfalls, hiking, camping, dancing, photography, art work, creating (Halloween) costumes, and especially my family. In 1962 I moved to San Francisco and then to the Los Angeles area. From 1979 until late 1995, I lived in Maui, Hawaii. I am now living in Spokane, Washington and am currently in the process of moving back home to Maui. I will be back there before Halloween. Working in sales, I supported my daughters and myself. I sold fun (activities)......luaus, sailing, snorkeling, helicopter trips, dinner cruises, accommodations, rental cars, etc. (helping people arrange their vacations). For 5 years I was office manager for scuba diving charter service (Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures). I also had my own hand painted clothing business for 15 years. I have received income teaching art, doing photography, selling my own art, etc. I have displayed work in several art shows (acrylic paintings, etchings, drawings, etc). I've enjoyed working with children and teens (mentally challenged and otherwise) using the media of art, in elementary, junior and high schools, as well as the Spokane Children’s Museum. In spite of occasional financial problems and times of having to work really hard, I have had a wonderful life with lots of fun adventures, great people, friends all over the country, and much joy. I am happy. So far it's been great. I am busy moving and probably will not make the reunion. However, I know you all will have a blast. I send you much love & light. Julie (Koretz) Bridle jbridle@hotmail.com (P.S. Julie went to Mumford with us through the 11th grade and transferred to Cooley High for her senior year. She is one of my oldest and dearest friends). Nancy Pollak Precour Roseanne Kotzer Thanks for all of the interesting stories- I've really enjoyed hearing about the grown up lives of high school friends. Here is my tale: Went to Michigan State where I learned to drink illegal scotch, avoid studying and fall in love approximately every week and a half. I studied Spanish, for which I am eternally grateful, considering that I live in Southern California now and it is the language of choice. Viva La Raza! Anyway, my family moved to Columbus, Ohio just as I graduated so I had no choice but to run away- if one can be said to do this at 21. I ran off with a friend to Boston where I worked in the projects with old Jews and honed my skills as a social worker with the full intent of making the country a socialist nation. I met a brilliant black militant (a Rhodes scholar) and so for three weeks I was a member of the Communist party. Red being my favorite color, I gave little thought to future consequences. If I ever decide to run for office, I'll have to talk about three weeks worth of Stalinism. I'll do my best. Actually, discussing the three weeks worth of pamphlets I handed out to impress a brilliant friend (who subsequently committed suicide just before grad school graduation) won't be so difficult. I lived in Boston for eight years before moving to Newport Beach, Ca. I took a job at a prestigious hospital psych unit overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The staff used the parking structure, with its breathtaking view of the sea, for R&R. The patients used it as a diving platform. Rita Hayworth was one of our patients- pickled, prickly and, oh, so demented. She stayed with us until her daughter, Jasmine (Yahs-meeeen) took her away to discover Alzheimer's Disease. I decided the day I told a Newport Beach maven, complaining about her meager multimillion dollar divorce settlement, that I had bigger fish to fry- that, perhaps, psychotherapy was no longer my calling. In search of my calling, I turned to spirituality to calm my weary mind. After reading "The Handbook to Higher Consciousness" by Ken Kyes, Jr., I wrote him telling him of my desire to "know" something more, big, big and bigger. I guess he heard the angst in my message because before I knew it, I had sold or given away everything that I owned (except my beautiful blue VW bug with sunroof) and moved onto a converted Greyhound bus with 12 other strange seekers. "Oy vay", my grandmother says, turning rapidly over in her grave. This intensive Buddhist-like training lasts three months covering most of the State of Paranoia and California, for good measure. Well- that's how I finally got to the "old Man", as my friend Marilyn likes to call him- not to his face, of course. Pret-ty amazing, folks.. Nice Jewish girl meets Realized being- who would have thought it? I become Hindish, overnight. Well- I took a crack at business as a Counseling Manager for an International Career Counseling firm where I got to: a. Get transferred off the bat to Dearborn, Michigan (thank God for Saunders Hot Fudge!) b. Open offices in Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. c. Get to follow my Guru- Muktananda all over the planet d. Go to India for three months e. Return yo California ,"right back here I started from"- hey! And so, dear friends who haven't aged rapidly during this long tirade, I am here in sunny southern California again where I am a Consultant to the Health Care Industry- advocating on behalf of Older Adults (whether they like it or not) Feh! and having a rather lovely life. P.S. My entire nuclear family left the planet over the last three years forcing me to live life without guilt or despair. After the grief, life is looking pretty damn good. Love to you all- and you know who you are-shine on, friends. We have one helluva graduating class! As ever (but not, hopefully, forever) Roseanne Kotzer, woman uplifted. Barbara Kozloff Hi Nancy, First the e-mail address is bksS@schoenburg.com My husband and I are both retired and have been for many years. We travel and just enjoy life. Last year we spent a month traveling in the Mediterranean as well as many other shorter trips in the US. I have a daughter, Cindy, who is married to a Brit and they also live in the Los Angeles area. I will be a first-time grandmother at the end of May! I am very excited. My husband and I have recently celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. Since I have to be in Detroit Labor Day weekend for the unveiling of my father's tombstone, I doubt very much if I will be returning Thanksgiving weekend. But would love to hear about all the people and things going on. Thanks, Barbara Kozloff Schoenburg Rachelle Kraft Nancy: I have had a chance to read many of the bios that cross my screen and have saved them all. As I'm sure many of our classmates have discovered, condensing 40 years into a few paragraphs can be a daunting task. I'll give it a try. I left U of M with a degree in English in 1964 and returned as a PhD candidate in 1979. During those 15 years I worked as a writer, editor, social worker and university instructor. I had also married a doctor at the Detroit Medical Center where I was working, traveled extensively to France where he was born, had two children -- Eric in 1969 and Julie in 1972 -- completed my M.A., and divorced. By the time I was able to pursue the goal I'd postponed, the goal no longer seemed relevant or practical. In 1981, I quit my job and started law school at Wayne. I knew little about the practice of law, but a bit about life. By the time I finished law school, I was to learn a great deal more about life. In June 1984, as I was taking my last 5 law school credits and studying for the bar, Eric, then 14 years old, sustained a C-6 / C-7 spinal cord injury while traveling in Europe with his dad and sister. The events of 1984 became the defining experience of all our lives and taught us much about inner strength and the incredible kindness of both cherished friends and total strangers. While Eric was still in intensive care, I literally studied for the bar the night before the exam. Thanks to the grace of God and a good education, I actually passed. I practiced law at a corporate firm for a year, then revised the plan and clerked for a federal judge for 2 years. From the court, I came to what is now Clark Hill, one of the major Detroit law firms. I have been here since 1987 in the Employment and Labor Law Practice, which I chaired for 5 years until I opted to simplify things a bit this year. I advise employers of all sizes (from airlines and auto dealers to physician groups and non-profits) on avoiding liability for discrimination, harassment and a myriad of other claims and, of course, defend them when they didn't ask for, take, or benefit from the advice, in litigation. Fortunately, I love what I do, because I spend a great deal of time doing it. I have been supported and surrounded by a family that keeps growing. My wonderful "better half," Joe DeMent, and I have been together for over twenty years and now have five children and 9 grandchildren. Cumulatively, this crowd has lived over the last ten years in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Minnesota, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, Illinois, Iowa, England, France, Hong Kong and Singapore. Joe, a retired college professor, inveterate golfer and film and classical music buff, puts up with my hectic schedule and keeps me focused on what's really important in life. Having tired of traveling, we bought a condo north of Naples, Florida a year and a half ago to which I can retreat and where the kids would actually come visit us. My greatest reward in life has been my kids. Eric is an astounding person. He, too, has degrees in English (U of M of course) and Law (Boston University), but alas his true love is computers and he has wisely opted to earn his living doing what he loves. He travels extensively, is a certified rescue scuba diver and plays wheelchair rugby in his spare time. Julie is an extraordinary blend of artist, businesswoman and mom. She has a Masters degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, currently works as an executive with the Chicago chapter of the American Red Cross, operates an art gallery with her art critic husband, and raises the cutest 5 and 2-year-old boys in the world. Two years ago, we moved my Mom back to the Detroit area after 25 years in Florida. She is getting close to 92 and is a terrific sport. We are truly blessed. I have somehow never managed to get out of this city for very long. But it has been good to me. Although we will have a lot of activity at our house over the Thanksgiving weekend, I do look forward to getting to the reunion and seeing familiar faces that I haven't seen in years. To you and to those who have organized the reunion and brought all of us to this intersection in cyberspace - many, many thanks. Rachelle (Kraft) Silberberg rsilberberg@clarkhill.com Perry Krauss Nancy, Thank you for your interest with regards to my bio. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond to your request. The delay hasn't been for lack of interest, but simply to a very busy schedule that has hit me over the past couple of weeks. I know I had sent you my general information a few months ago and, since you have asked for my television information, that's what I'm going to include now. I started in television out of college. I began my television career at WXYZ Television as the producer of The Morning Show, with Bob Hynes. I produced that show during the late 60's into the early 70's. During that time I also produced additional programming for WXYZ, such as "The Anniversary Game" and others, of which I don't recall names. After I left WXYZ, I went to Los Angeles on two separate occations, within the same year to produce a couple of different shows for syndication. While out in California, my wife, (I married the former Cherie August in 1969,) remained in Michigan teaching school in Birmingham. Upon my second return home, we decided to make the move to California, since my industry was based in the Los Angeles area. We moved to Los Angeles in 1973, with Cherie 4 months pregnant and me having no job...probably not the greatest planning, but in retrospect it did turn out okay. Over the years here, I worked as a producer, director and writer for many shows. The majority of my television career was spent in situation comedy and talk/information shows, both for network and/or syndication and local programming. I worked on a show shortly after I got to LA called "On The Rocks" (ABC). From that show I went to a new show called "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman". Then I was asked to create a childrens show for the local NBC station here. The show was called "That's Cat" which I created, wrote and produced. I also did several other local shows for KNBC-TV on and off for several years. In 1977 I was asked to join a new show called "Barney Miller" which kept me pretty busy for over 8 years. After "Barney Miller" ended, I worked on several different shows, both local and syndicated, though I was beginning to burn out on the television industry. During this time many people were telling me we should sell our brownies that we had been making for many years. I began to take these suggestions seriously and, in 1995 I left the television industry to start a company called Cherie's Brownies. Cherie is not involved in the business, as she is still teaching school, right here in Calabasas, California, where we live. We have 2 boys, both of whom graduated from University of Michigan. Our older son, Danny, graduated Wayne State Medical school last year, and is presently doing a 5 year residency at Beaumont Hospital in Radiation Oncology. Our younger son, David is back in LA in graduate school at UCLA, working on his PhD in Cognitive Neuro-Psychology. And me...I'm really happy working hard, growing Cherie's Brownies, Inc. Cherie's Brownies can be found in many areas of the country, as well as on many of the Navy ships and Submarines.We are in several locations in the Michigan area, such as all of the Hiller's Markets, in their bakery departments, as well as at Borders Books and others. Basically, all is well and I certainly hope to see a lot of old friends at this coming reunion. Perry Roger Kukes OK, Nancy. Here it is: Don't know if I've been chicken exactly, just lazy, just so far removed from Detroit and all of you for so long that writing barely seemed relevant. But I was genuinely touched by this "virtual reunion project," and by Nancy Precour's dedication to making sure that your words got out, regardless of whether they were read carefully, or at all. She just deemed it, "the right thing to do." And I think Larry Grosberg summed up the value of her commitment when he said, "What I have found most fascinating in the emails is the mosaic created from the cumulative effect of the stories..." For me, particularly after 9/11, and after my mom's death in November, the fragility of all our lives is just too real not to want to include my voice. Thank you, Nancy. And thanks to all of you who have shared yourselves and your stories. Fifteen minutes after graduating from Mumford (actually two weeks) my mother moved our family-me, my older brother Gary (Mumford '59), and two sisters-to Southern California, more precisely to a Camellia covered apartment in Beverly Hills. I was ambivalent about the move. Loved the palm trees and the ocean, my new job at the first ever Baskin Robbins ice cream store, my garage artist's studio, where I painted really bad acrylics. But hated that when I woke up in the morning nothing was familiar. My childhood home, my friends had vanished. Stayed in Southern Cal for a year, went to a community college, then transferred to Wayne State (I wasn't finished with Detroit yet!) where I spent a year re-connecting with my high school sweetheart. Junior year in Northern California, and back to Wayne State. It's true, I reckon, that you can't go home again-because after my 1965 graduation from Wayne I was gone. Off to graduate school at Yale (Painting). And after that, a disoriented, stimulating, educational five years in NYC where I worked as a caseworker, got mugged, taught art in a tough junior high in Brooklyn, drove a cab and became an avid, self-taught underground/experimental filmmaker. Very cool, crazy years. The Vietnam years, protests, psychedelics, Yoga and Zen. (New York - what a great place to "grow up!"). I met my first wife on the 5th Ave bus near MOMA. We lived in "the Village" next door to the Gaslight cafe where the young James Taylor performed for fifty people, became macrobiotic, began to build a life together. Eleanor got pregnant. We couldn't imagine raising a kid in Manhattan. Moved to Oregon, where my sister Toby was doing the hippie thing on the MacKenzie River near Eugene. We checked it out. Eugene too small for us, Seattle, too big. We settled in Portland. And it took. Our beautiful daughter, Maya, born 1972. I began teaching filmmaking at area colleges, substitute taught in Portland area high schools to make ends meet. (Man, were we poor)! And so it went during the early Oregon years: sweet family life, passionate filmmaking, and intermittent teaching gigs. A waxing interest in animation. Led to the co-founding of The Animation Collective in Portland in 1979. We shared equipment, ran an adventurous exhibition program, taught classes, and did residencies in city schools. "The collective" provided a yeasty environment in which many young film-artists (including myself) found support, recognition and an extraordinary sense of community. But I was getting older. Closing in on 40. I was spending five years creating intricate, non- narrative animated films that were seen by maybe 25 people at film festivals in Athens, Ohio and Annecy, France. I had a 7-year old daughter. And I was making $6000 a year? This sucks. Time for a big change. After writing a book on animation ("The Zoetrope Book," 1985) I returned quite consciously to my first love, drawing and painting. (I could finish a painting in a month! Amazing after the time it took to produce a film.) Doors began to swing open. I was doing 15-20 residencies a year in area schools. I fell in love with elementary age kids. Loved their enthusiasm, openness and unabashed creativity. As art teachers were axed here and across the country and we drifted into a dark age of arts education, ironically, my personal stock rose. Studio work went well. I began teaching graduate courses for educators at colleges and universities up and down the West coast. I learned to integrate the visual arts with math, writing, and science. My residencies enabled me to test new projects with children before presenting them in my courses for educators (e.g., "Encouraging Reading and Writing through Art,"..."Connecting Art and Mathematics," etc.). Over time, I created a niche business that was viable, stimulating and great fun. For the past 20 years I've been juggling school visits, teaching, studio work, writing (my second book, "Drawing in the Classroom" was published in 1998). Marriage #1 was a casualty of the move West. Marriage #2 has been a lesson in patience, humility, awe and love. My beautiful wife, Linnea, a Portland Public School teacher and I celebrate 20 years of marriage this summer. Born and raised here, she and her Oregon clan have further connected me to this place. My roots go deeper and deeper. And yes, the Northwest is everything you've heard about and more. Having lived here for almost 30 years I'm still knocked out by 50 degree tamps in January, Azaleas in February, camping by the ocean, Mt. St. Helens visible from downtown, warm summer nights with low humidity and no mosquitoes. (Oh yeah, I almost forgot: it rains a lot..) Daughter Maya, now 28, thrives as a journalist in LA (as the crime reporter for the Pasadena Star News). My younger daughter, Norah, is graduating from high school this June and wants to be a nurse. (We are drowning in college applications and scholarship essays as deadlines approach. Ugh.) Life is good, better than ever, though definitely not a straight line. But I'm in great company. Few of you have described straight-line lives. It's good to make a connection with you all. Ironically, I was in Michigan last summer to visit family and friends for the first time since 1979. Crystal Lake, Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Detroit, Bloomfield Hills. I even dragged my family over to Mumford High School and had Linnea take a picture of me on the playground with the inimitable pink and turquoise (maroon and blue??) structure in the background, I have the photo to prove it! And I'm not done with Michigan yet. I will be back in October to do a keynote presentation at the Michigan Art Education Association Conference. If you want to see more of my creative detritus, it can be found on my website. www.rogerkukes.com or drop me a note at: kukes@teleport.com Cathy Kursman I got an MA in English and taught for awhile at Georgia State University. I then went to law school and graduated in December, 1988. Since 1989 I've been practicing environmental law full-time at the Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 here in Atlanta. I really enjoy my job. I've lived in Atlanta since 1974 and love it here. I'm divorced and remarried. I'm the mother of two daughters, both married. ( We just married off the youngest in April). My oldest daughter has three sons. My husband has four children, three of whom are also married with children. Between us we have seven grandchildren. When we're not working or involved with our large family we love to travel. Cathy Kursman Email Address: Winokur.Cathy@epamail.epa.gov Shirley Lane HI, NANCY, I DID, IN FACT, ENJOY OUR LAST CONVERSATION. BROUGHT BACK SOME FOND MEMORIES. I AM SHIRLEY BAGGLEMAN. I CELEBRATED MY 40TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY THIS PAST JUNE. MY MAN AND I HAVE 4 CHILDREN, 3 GIRLS AND A BOY, AGES 39 TO 30. I HAVE 9 GRANDCHILDREN. MY HUSBAND IS RETIRED. I AM WORKING FOR THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, DEPT OF WELFARE (NOW IT IS CALLED "FAMILY INDEPENDENCE AGENCY"). I USE TO WORK WITH THE DEPT. OF MENTAL HEALTH UNTIL SEPT. OF '97, WHEN I WAS LAID OF FOR 2 1/2 YEARS. THEN, I WAS RECALLED BACK TO WORK WITH THE STATE /WELFARE DEPT. NOT TOO MUCH HAS HAPPENED, THAT I WOULD CONSIDER EXCITING, AS FAR AS TRAVELING, (WHICH I WANT TO DO WHEN I DO RETIRE). I AM BETWEEN MY JOB AND GRANDCHILDREN, WHICH I CAN EAT UP!!!!!!!!!!!THEN GIVE THEM BACK TO THEIR PARENTS. SHIRLEY (LANE) BAGGLEMAN bagglemans@state.mi.us Ellen (Lankin) Diaz Mumford High School – Class of January 1961 Biography of Ellen Lankin Education & Professional History · Graduated Mumford High School in January, 1961 · Highland Park Junior College 1961 – 1963 · Wayne State University 1963 – 1966. Obtained a B.S in Medical Technology from the School of Medicine. Concurrently, during last year of school, performed one-year internship in Medical Technology at Detroit Receiving Hospital. · Passed the national licensure examination in Medical Technology (ASCP) while still in Detroit. · Moved to Los Angeles California, June 1966. · Passed state board examination for state license in order to practice as Medical Technologist in the State of California and obtained a position as a Medical Technologist at Los Angeles County – USC Medical Center. · Remained at County Hospital and worked as bench level technologist, lead technologist in Special Chemistry, day shift supervisor in the Toxicology Laboratory, head supervisor of the Toxicology Laboratory and lastly Laboratory Manager of the STAT Core Laboratory. Retired in 1997 at age 54 years after 31 years of service. · Currently assisting my husband, who is also retired. He was an auditor for the defense department of the federal government. Also assist my daughter who, too, is an accountant. Each has a tax and accounting business. My husband also sells real estate. Personal History · Met my husband, Rafael (Ralph) Jesus Diaz, in Detroit in 1964. (Ralph was born in Havana, Cuba and moved to the US when he was 19 years old.) · Married in Sherman Oaks, California on November 26, 1967. (Still married to the same guy!!) · My husband graduated from California State University at Los Angeles (Cal State LA) in 1972 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration, major in Accounting. · My first child, Melissa Marlene, born April 30, 1970 and my son, Scot Jason, born September 6, 1974. · Lived and raised both my children in Alhambra, California. · My daughter, Melissa, graduated from Cal State L.A. in 1992 with a B.S. degree in Business Administration, major in Accounting. · Moved to North Arcadia, California, in 1992. · My son, Scot Jason, graduated UCLA in 1997 with a B.S. degree in Political Science and is getting his masters in Public Policy from the University of Chicago in June 2001. Now that I’m retired, I’ve been indulging myself in all kinds of “fun stuff”. I take an exercise class, Jazzercise, 4 times a week and also work as one of the class managers. I attend a sewing class and started crocheting and baking again. I enjoy the performing arts and attend as many events as I can, as well as museums, reading, and, of course, shopping. Since my children are not yet married, I do not have grandchildren. However, I am looking forward to grandparenthood in the future. Marie Lee Hi Nancy, Like the previous 1961 graduate of Mumford High School, My bio dims compared to some of the other graduates, but I thought I would respond. I, too was married early. I graduated in June of 1961 and was married in October of ' 61 to a wonderful guy, Clarence Fuller. We had a son, Eric, 10 months after we were married and a beautiful daughter, Rhonda, 13 months after that. We thought we were done and 7 years later we had our last son, Chaka. We were married 9 years and a terrible tragedy struck. Clarence was stabbed to death outside of our apartment in 1970 at the young age of 27 years. Yes, I was a widow at 27. However, God has been good to my children and I. I waited until my youngest son was 4 years old and went back to school, (Highland Park Community College) and received my associate degree as a Medical Technologist and then I went on to Marygrove College and received several certificates as a Medical Insurance Biller, an EKG Technician, and an Emergency Tech. I worked for what use to be Park Medical Center for a number of years and then I left there and went to Henry Ford Hospital. After 2 years of working in Plastic Surgery with Dr. Ditmars (A real Tyrant), I went to William Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Michigan where I worked for 12 years before having to take an early medical retirement in 1998. My husband (since 1991) and I moved in December of 1997 to a little town in Western Michigan called Fenwick, near Ionia, Mi. It was a real culture shock, since I was born and raised in Detroit, but I got use to the slow and laid back atmosphere and the quiet. I'm convinced that I will never move back to a big city. The main thing I miss, however, is my dad, my children, my grandchildren, my sisters and my friends, but we are only 2 hours away, so when those feelings get too bad, I just jump into my car and make that 2 hour drive. Most of the time I stay overnight. I'm on permanent disability now, but I am allowed to work a minimum amount of hours a week, so I take advantage of that. I work part-time for the Carson City Hospital and that's enough for me. My back tells me often, Marie you need to slow down. I had major back surgery in 1998 and again in 2000. I suffered from degenerative disk dx. spinal stenosis, among other things. I had to have rods and screws and a fusion done. I didn't do so well and I had to have the fusion redone and all of the hardware removed. My body started to reject the metal. I still have some problems. The doctor said that I probably will never be without pain, but it's better than what it was. My husband is self-employed. He is a contractor and does painting, tiles floors, does texturing, drywalls etc. in and around the Detroit area. I have 7 grandchildren, the oldest being 20 years old and the youngest being 1 month old. Eric has 1, Rhonda has 2 and Chaka has 4. I hope to see all of you at the reunion. I would like to hear from you, too. That is if you remember the quiet black girl, Marie Lee.(smile) My email address is: herbgary@iserv.net Bobbi Lerman Celebrated 39th wedding anniversary February 3, 200l. Married Mike Miller, high school sweetheart, also Mumford graduate. Two single sons, 38 and 36 years old. No grandchildren. Conducted estate sales for a number of years. Now working in the resale business in Keego Harbor. Our 38 year old son will be married Oct. 7, 2001. Bobbi (Lerman) Miller bobbimike1@aol.com Georgene Levin Nancy, OK, here's a bio: I spent 2-1/2 years at the University of Michigan, a summer at Wayne State and then got my degree at Central Michigan with a B.S. in Chemistry and Physics (I started out as a French major). That was because I got married my Junior year to a chemical engineer at Dow Chemical. After I graduated from CMU, I also went to work at Dow until my son was born. After living in Midland, MI, we then moved to Concord, CA where my daughter was born, back to Midland, then to Miami, FL, next to San Juan, Puerto Rico and last but not least to Bogota, Colombia--all with Dow Chemical paying the moving costs. Then, in 1976, I parted ways with both Dow and my husband and moved back to Ann Arbor, MI with two children, where I have lived ever since (except for a 1-1/2 year stint in Schaumburg, IL). I had received a teacher's certificate from CMU but I have only taught in San Juan and Bogota, never in the continental US. When I returned to Ann Arbor, I went to work for a computer leasing company for 10 years and then met my second husband in 1987. We bought a computer sales and service company in Ann Arbor and sold it after 10 years in order to open a HobbyTown USA franchise store in 1998, also in Ann Arbor. We are still happily selling trains, models, radio-controlled cars, airplanes, boats and lots of other stuff. We love to go on cruises and have our next one planned for this August in Alaska. So far we've been to the Caribbean several times and to Bermuda. My son is a graphic artist in New York City. He's engaged but may never set a date to get married and my daughter lives in Scottsdale, AZ with her husband. She was in the insurance business and is now trying to be a successful real estate agent and raise my two grandchildren (also successfully). See you soon, Georgene (Levin) Brown browngwge@aol.com Marlene Levine I am a substitute teacher for Mt. Clemens schools and have just become a grandma for the first time. My daughter, Laurie Guthrie, lives in Fort Davis, TX with husband, Jerry and baby, Jacob. My son, Aaron, does logistics for FedEX and lives in Madison Heights. Both are wonderful children! My husband Jack is an engineer for General Dynamics. Marlene Levine msvan84@home.com Michael Limond Dear Nancy and Classmates, Life has been pretty good to me, so far. I eloped to Ohio after graduation; stayed married a short time, had no children, and then got on with my life, all the while working in the family business, Holiday Delight Cheese Cake Co. I attended the University of Detroit, where 19 Catholic guys and I (a Jewish kid) reactivated a Jewish Fraternity (Phi Sig) on campus in which I became President and Hell Week Chairman (a good fit). It remained active and later merged with another Jewish Fraternity. After graduating with a B.S. in Economics, I went to the University of Detroit Law School, graduated and took two Bar Exams in the same week, passed them both, and moved to Florida to find a job. No Fault Insurance had just gone into effect and attorneys were losing their jobs, but my salesmanship training from the family business came in handy, and I wound up in a law partnership immediately. Two years later, an opportunity opened, and I became Assistant City Attorney and Insurance Manager for the City of Miami Beach. As such, I had the unique experience of prosecuting "DEEP THROAT" with Linda Loveless for Obscenity. The conviction was affirmed! My, how things have changed since then! After prosecuting numerous City employees and Police Officers, and receiving numerous death threats, it was time to move on. Going back into private practice, I again wound up with strange cases and a stranger clientele. One I represented was Brother Luv of the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church, the Sect that smokes Ganja as part of their Sacrament. I wound up on the TV news and they wound up on "60 Minutes". While representing another client, a Pakistani, I ended up spending 6 weeks in Karachi and went into the Emerald import and export business. Thereafter, a friend and I went into the Building Materials business, which I later sold to him. After that, I bought a Hotel on the Beach, The Blue Waters, and proceeded to run for the Miami Beach City Commission. I loved the people and campaigning (sales again), but disliked the politicos and the people in the shadows behind them. I made a good showing, but lost the election (Thank G-d!). My practice then became Health related as I began representing more and more physicians. Finally, in 1983, I started my own Medical Management Co., which has been highly successful and in which I am still active. With eight different Specialists, we have handled over a hundred thousand trauma-related cases and even opened a California office. Medicine has changed a lot, and I'm certainly glad I went into Law and not Medicine. There are way too many Bureaucrats telling you how when and where to practice. I'm still single and need to find a nice Jewish girl and have kids! Who knows! Anyone know anybody near Miami? My activities outside the office are also health-related. I exercise, run a marathon a week and lift weights. I'm still 6'0", 160, and a 32 waist. I enjoy the stock market, especially when it’s up, and have done well. I love animals, plants, and will never retire. I wish everyone health, wealth, happiness, and a joyous reunion. PLEASE NOTE BELOW MY UPDATED AND CORRECT EMAIL ADDRESS FOR RETURN EMAILS Smiles, Michael Limond mlimo24@hotmail.com Barbara Linden Dear Nancy, So, the bio: Professionally, I am the Artistic Director of Omega Theater, (34 years) a director, actress and playwright and currently performing in an original two woman play called EARTHEART about growing up female and Jewish. I also am A Registered Drama Therapist and Board Certfied Trainer helping future drama therapists get their RDT credential. I also work as a Management Consultant. I have been a meditation teacher and spiritual guide in the Sufi Order, an esoteric school that teaches meditation from all traditions, for 30 years. Personally, I am divorced and have 2 sons. One, Asatar, is currently getting his doctorate in Economics (radical economics) doing his dissertation on the economics of prisons. He is also a metal sculptor. Ethan is a sophmore at Oberlin. He was in the American Boy Choir from ages 10-13 and has been very involved in theater. (He had the lead last year in a production of HAIR). His interests are many and will probably major in religion. Of course I have many very long resumes and bios but I assume you wanted a short one with the headlines. Let me know if I can offer anything else to your process. Thank you and the others for doing this on our behalf. Blessings, Saphira (Barbara Linden) In my bio, I realized, I neglected to mention my website that deals with our original 2 woman play (that we're performing this week-end in Elgin Illinois) called EARTHEART. Our own stories about growing up female and Jewish. The website also describes our professional training program in Transpersonal Drama Therapy for people to be credentialed as Registered Drama Therapists, and Meditation Retreats and Seminars. Thought you'd like to know. www.omegatheater.org Alan Lipson If I delay much longer, my bio will appear after the reunion, so here it is: Went from Mumford to U of M where I spent seven years earning BBA, MBA and JD degrees. Married Donna Polk from Royal Oak Dondaro in 1967. After graduation we moved to Cleveland where I started work as a CPA specializing in taxes. In 1984 I started my own firm, The Lipson Group, which has grown to 13 people and has evolved into a multi-family office organization serving wealthy individuals with their tax, financial and estate planning needs. We had two children. Benjamin, born in 1973, who upon graduating high school, went off to see the world with three friends. Ben ended up in Israel with Aish Ha Torah. He became orthodox after being bar mitzvahed at a reform temple. He found a soul mate Carin who also became orthodox after moving to Israel from Johannesburg, South Africa. They were married in Johannesburg in 1997. We made the most of the wedding, touring Cape Town and going on a safari at a private game reserve near Kruger National Park. I have two granddaughters and another grandchild due in January. They live in Ra'ananna Israel. Ben is still studying. My other son Josh, born in 1976 is the opposite extreme. After graduating high school and spending a year at Ohio State, he worked for four years at various restaurants, auto repair and construction jobs until he decided to go back to Ohio State as a serious student. At least he spent a good part of the time in Colorado at ski resorts. In 1986 I was divorced. In 1988, while visiting family in Detroit, I met current wife Judy Fink Harris, Mumford 1962. We finally married in 1997. Now I am trying to convince Judy to move to Cleveland. We have been commuting back and forth between Cleveland and Detroit for all these years. At least now Judy has her home in Beverly Hills up for sale. Slowly, Judy is running out of excuses about moving to Cleveland, and "Someday We Will Be Together" as the song goes. Since we have never lived together for the entire time we have been a couple, that will prove to be interesting. We do enjoy being together and recently started taking ballroom dancing lessons. We enjoy traveling and look forward to doing more in the future. It is easy for me to attend the reunion, since we will be celebrating Thanksgiving at our Detroit home. Along with Judy, came two children, Adam Harris, born in 1974, a lawyer in Washington DC married to Shari, and Molly Harris born in 1977, a legislative assistant to Senator Kohl of Wisconsin. All three of them graduated from U of M. Molly worked in the Hart Office Building, so she ended up tested for Anthrax and is on Cipro. Now she is a nomad without an office until the government figures out how to decontaminate the building. The bios have been great. It is extremely interesting to get a peek at how all of us have spent the last forty years. Alan Lipson aglipson@lipsoncpa.com Frank Lipson Dear Nancy: I have really enjoyed reading the bios of my former classmates. The medium of e-mail makes it easy to keep updated and encourages insightful and rather uninhibited commentary. I am pleased to submit my bio to your collection. After graduating from the UM in 1964, I did graduate work in economics at Wayne State, where I was a teaching fellow for one quarter. My economics career was interrupted by Uncle Sam. I served, as good fortune would have it, in Panama. While the country*s attention was focused on the carnage in the jungles half-a-world away, our battalion was charged with the significantly less dangerous task of defending the Canal from air attack with Hawk missiles and twin 40mm anti-aircraft guns. Near the end of my tour, I was assigned to defend soldiers at summary courts-martial. (Those were the days in which a non-lawyer could be appointed to defend a soldier when the prosecutor was not a lawyer.) After winning the first few cases (much to the dismay of the commanding officer, I assume), I was assigned to the prosecution side. My army "legal" experience rekindled my interest in attending law school. After being released from active duty, I enrolled in graduate school in economic and then law school at the University of Michigan. I was graduated in 1969 with a JD and an MA in economics. Later that year, I accepted an offer to join the legal antitrust staff of the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. Except for two years work with the Department of Energy, my professional career has been at the FTC. For the past ten years, I have been involved in the investigating corporate mergers and acquisitions involving energy companies*oil, gas and electricity. The purpose of the investigations is to determine whether the merger or acquisition is likely to substantially reduce competition in various markets. Needless to say with Exxon/Mobil; BP/ARCO; Shell/Texaco; El Paso/SONAT; CMS/Duke; DTE/MichCon; Entergy/Koch and the like, we have been very busy. Sometimes our investigations result in abandonment of the proposed acquisition. More frequently, the investigations result in divestiture of selected assets to third-parties or the imposition of conduct-type relief to cure potential anti-competitive harm. One of the more interesting aspects of my job has been attending conferences that discuss plans to react to potential disruptions in oil supply. Over the years, these meetings have taken me to Paris, London, Rome, Berne, Stavanger (Norway), and Tokyo and afforded numerous opportunities for interesting side-trips. During my last year in law school, I married Helaine (Lainey) Orkin. Lainey graduated from the UM the previous year and was a physical therapist at University Hospital. We excitedly moved to Washington to begin a new life and new careers*she as a physical therapist at Georgetown University Hospital and me as a staff attorney with the FTC. After living in Washington, D.C., itself, for a few years, we soon moved to Bethesda-Chevy Chase area of Montgomery County Maryland, close-in suburbs of Washington. In 1974, we had our first child*Evan. Soon after Evan*s birth, Lainey "retired" and became involved in the civic activities of our community. Lainey was a charter member of the Montgomery County Masterworks Choir; a vice president of the Montgomery County Legal of Woman Voters; and an active member of our temple sisterhood. In 1984, we had our second child*Julie. In 1986, Lainey was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Eighteen months later, at the age of 42, she died. For approximately two years, I was a single parent of a teenage son and a pre-school daughter. In 1990, I remarried. I met Audrey at a single parents* luncheon. Audrey*s son, Dan, was 1-1/2 years older than Julie. We both sold our houses and moved to a new home to begin a new life as a family of five. Audrey is a warm, wonderful, and fun-loving redhead. She is a native Washingtonian with a large family, all currently living in the area. For Evan and Julie, not previously having any family in the local area, our marriage meant an instant extended family, local and very supportive. Audrey currently is the associate executive director of a higher education association. She is active in distance learning, association management, and international woman leadership exchanges. In November, she is going to China as a guest of the Chinese government to study the leadership role of women in that county. We also have significant other travel plans in the near future as we visit, or travel with, our three children: Evan, now 26, is a first year student at Mt. Sinai School of Medical in New York City. Dan, 18, began his freshman year at Purdue this month. Julie, now a high school senior, will soon begin her college visits. The schools of top interest are Brandeis, Tufts, BU, Oberlin and, of course, Michigan. In my free time, I tutor an inter-city high school student; play golf; root for the Frederick Keys, our local Class A baseball team; and enjoy the mountains and lakes of beautiful western Maryland. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend the reunion in November. However, I would certainly enjoy hearing from my former classmates. They can e-mail me at flipson@ftc.gov. Regards, Frank Lipson Potomac, MD Diane Liss Dear Nancy, I have been meaning to add my "40" cents worth, but time has gone by so very fast. I married Joe Kriszenfeld, a Cuban, D.P. in l963, We moved to Hamilton, Ontario to open our mattress factory and showrooms. I helped him through the years doing books,sales and whatever was needed. We have two children Philip,age 36 - wife Dalia, and he has two children Jacob, 9 and Dana, 7. Our daughter, Allyson, married Darryl last March, so far no children, but hopeful. Joe had two strokes in five years and died in l999. We had a wonderful life together. Great friends,traveled and lived well. Thanks to Joe, I am able to continue my life as before. I won't be in Detroit for the reunion, as I am going away. Good luck to all. Diane (Liss) Kriszenfeld Kriszenfeld@aol.com Linda Lee I am going to download See below) the bio I update yearly for the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit. It is long because I have spent the past thirty years volunteering in the community. Aside from that, I have administered my husband's law office since 1984. I have also been very fortunate to have traveled to some very interesting places and hope to continue visiting parts of the world I haven't seen yet. Among my favorites are the adventures in Kenya and Tanzania, the Amazon, Russia, Turkey, Australia, French Polynesia and Alaska. I have been to 47 states and feel compelled to get to North Dakota, Alabama & Mississippi. Linda Lee DATE: June, 2001 BIOGRAPHICAL FACTS NAME: Linda (Marash) Lee HOME ADDRESS: 5300 Isle Royal Court West Bloomfield MI 48323 248.852.2518, fax: 248.851.2523, e-mail: LLEE@aol.com NAME OF BUSINESS: Law Office of Lee, Gregory & Sternberg, P.C. BUSINESS ADDRESS: 280 West Maple Road, Suite 300 Birmingham MI 48009-3344 248.646.4200, fax: 248.642.0625, e-mail: llee@lgspc.com TITLE OF POSITION: Administrator DATE OF BIRTH: 05/28/44 NAME OF SPOUSE: Henry P. Lee, 2/14/41, Tax Attorney BA, The University of Michigan, 1962 JD, Indiana University, 1965 LLM, New York University, 1966 CHILDREN: Sheri R. Lee, 12/06/68 BA, The University of Michigan, 1990 AM, University of Chicago, 1994, Social Service Administration Married to Dennis Brodsky, 04/16/63 on 08/05/00 Andrew R. Lee, 05/23/70 BA, The University of Michigan, 1992 JD, American University, Washington College of Law, 1995 LLM, New York University, 1996 PARENT: Harriet Marash, Southfield, MI EDUCATION: BA, Wayne State University, 1965 (graduate school at WSU) OFFICES & DIRECTORSHIPS WITH JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT MEMBER AGENCIES AND DIVISIONS: Jewish Community Center Chair of Executive Committee, 1992-4 President, 1990-2 Vice President, 1982-90, 1997-8 Treasurer, 1981 Executive Committee, 1981-present Committee Chairs Endowment JPM Weinberg Playground, co-chair Marketing Volunteer Sixtieth Anniversary Leadership Development Cultural Arts JCC North American Maccabi Youth Games, 1990: Sponsorship Committee Dr. Morton Plotnick, Retirement Party Seventy-fifth Anniversary 2001 Annual Meeting Fresh Air Society, formerly Board member Acculturation Committee-JEFF, 1989-92 Jewish Community Council, Soviet Jewry Committee, 1988-94 National & Community Relations Budgeting Committee, many years Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit Board of Governors, 1990-2 (as JCC President) Makor Committee, 1989-93 Ten Mile Campus Committee, 1988-93 New Gifts Chair, 1988-90 Letter of Intent Committee, 1990 Goal Setting Committee, 1990 Human Resources Development Committee, 1986-93 Strategic Planning Committee, 1991-2 Mission & Governance Sub-Committee Agency & Beneficiary, 1993-4 Super Sunday, Co-chair, 1992-3 Michigan Miracle Mission Committee, 1992-3 (Bus Captain) Walk for Israel, Co-chair, 1994 Days of Decision, Co-chair, 1995 Special Gifts, Co-chair, 1996 Agency Campaign, co-chair, 1997 Federation/United Way Relations Committee, 1994 COI, Staff Training Sub-committee, Co-chair, 1994 COJES, 1996-present Education Sub-committee Chair, 1997-present Jewish Information Service, 1993-7 Max M. Fisher Foundation Committee, 1996-1999 Women’s Division/Department Board, 1977 to present Vice President, 1985-6 & 1987-8 Corresponding Secretary, 1981-4 Briefing Chair, 1982-5 Retreat Co-chair, 1986 Institute Chair, 1988 Annual Meeting Chair, 1993 Advisory Service, 1995 to present B&P Voices Chair, 1998 OTHER OFFICES, DIRECTORSHIPS, CLUBS, HONORS, AND MEMBERSHIPS INCLUDING SYNAGOGUES: Michigan Jewish AIDS Coalition (MJAC), Board 1991-present President, 1995-8 Vice President, 1994 Executive Committee, 1998-present Program Chair Fundraising Chair Membership Chair ECHO Advisory Committee Chair 1998-present Search Committee Chair Jewish Welfare Federation, Sylvia Simon Greenberg Young Leadership Award, 1982 Council of Jewish Federations Committee on Leadership Development, 1980-6 Co-chair of LD Component of General Assembly, 1994 Women’s Division, 1986-92 Executive Committee, 1990-2 United Jewish Appeal Young Leadership Cabinet, 1977-81 (Regional Chair) Jewish Community Centers Association (JCCA), Board, 1992-4 New Leadership Award, 1984 American Women for Bar Ilan University, Executive Committee, several yrs, Vice President, 1984-7 Hillel Day School, Board, 1977-81 Recording Secretary, 1980-1 Cranbrook-Kingswood Schools, Mothers Council, 1983-88 Foreign Exchange Student Program Chair, 1983-5 Recording Secretary, 1985-6 United Way Community Services Family & Youth Services Allocations & Review Panel Member, 1988-90 Chair, 1991 Protective Services Committee Chair, 1992-6 Speakers Bureau, 1992 Heart of Gold Award, 1991 Fund Distribution Committee, 1991-present Priority Setting Committee, 1996-present Muscular Dystrophy, Neighborhood March, District Leader, 1987-9 Women’s American ORT, Region Vice President, 1979-81 WWJ NEWSRADIO 95, Citizen of the Week, 9/91 Michigan Jewish Historical Society, Board 1992-4 Advisory Board, 1994-present Membership Chair, 1993 Volunteer Impact, Advisory Board, 1993-present HAVEN, Annual Giving Campaign, 1995-7 Worker Training Chair, 1997 Congregation Shir Tikvah, Honorary Co-chair of Rent Fundraiser, 1997-8 White House Conference on AIDS, December, 1995 Saturday Luncheon Club, 1996-present Treasurer, 2000-present Member: Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Hadassah, Na’Amat, B’nai Brith International, NCJW, Women’s American ORT, Sinai Hospital Guild, DIA-Founder’s Society, Detroit Zoological Society, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Human Rights Campaign, Affirmations, Triangle Foundation & PFLAG Allyn Lite Hi Nancy, You tracked me down about eight months ago and I said I would write it and send it in. Well it's Thanksgiving Day, 2001, the reunion is the day after tomorrow and I'm feeling nostalgic and a bit melancholy. (Listen to Bob Seeger's "Night Moves" and you will get the idea.) I will not be there in person, but I will be there in spirit. At graduation for the June '61 class, I was very honored to be chosen as one of our class speakers. My opening line was a quote from someone whose name I no longer remember, but whose words I do: "We can only pay our debt to the past by putting the future in debt to ourselves." I have read all the bios you have so diligently assembled and am amazed at how well we have paid that debt, and the example we have set for our children and their children. I spent five undergraduate years in Ann Arbor, first as a Russian Studies major, and then transferring to the College of Architecture and Design where I worked a lot harder, had more fun and got a B.S. Des. Degree with a concentration in sculpture and minors in painting and art history. Now, there is a solid base upon which to go forth and earn a living. I wanted to be near the New York art world so I went to graduate school at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, about thirty minutes from Manhattan, where I received a Master of Fine Arts degree with a major in sculpture -- yet another step on the road to financial independence. In May 1968, I went off to San Francisco and applied for a teaching job in the art department of every single institution of higher education in the state of California. No thank you, and good luck in your career. I returned to the security of Ann Arbor in the fall of 1968, got drafted and deferred, and began to work with a laser physicist and a British sculptor figuring a way to make holograms in a very inexpensive procedure outside of a laboratory. The goal was to use holograms as art media, and we were successful enough to start a business to explore this new media of three-dimensional images that appeared to float in the air. The exploration led to exhibitions in Detroit, San Francisco and New York. It also led to a hotel suite in New York, where a 25-year old sculptor who had not had a haircut for about two years (me), found himself sitting on the floor with three 70-year old Wall Street investment bankers explaining holograms and trying to coax a $1 million investment in something as illusory as an image that really isn't there. I actually found myself trying hard not to laugh at the absurdity of my position. They agreed -- no thank you and good luck in your career. In the meantime I kept painting and worked in an art gallery in Ann Arbor, where in the door in January 1969 walked a young woman with whom I immediately fell in lust. The love came quickly thereafter. Peggy Ehrenfeld (yes, David Ehrenfeld's [Mumford '62] kid sister) was in her first year of teaching fourth grade in Ann Arbor and, astonishingly, married me in August 1969. Even more astonishing is the fact that she is downstairs as I write this, putting together a Thanksgiving dinner that will feed, among others, our daughter Jordan and our son Joshua. Jordan, 26, graduated from Brown University and is a journalist living and working in Manhattan. Josh, 23, graduated from Boston University and is in the advertising business also living and working in Manhattan. After Peggy and I were married we decided to pack up and head east, back to New Jersey where I was able to get a part-time job as an art instructor at a local university while also working in an old masters print and drawing gallery in New York; Peggy got a teaching job and we thought we were in fat city. I was soon approached to give a lecture at the Art Department at the University of Guelph, in Ontario Canada. After the lecture, the Department Chairman offered me a job to come and be, as he put it, "the radical alternative" in what was a very academic environment. It was an offer I couldn't pass up, including the keys to a brand new television studio, all the (then) experimental video equipment I could ever learn to use, and a Canada Council grant to make videos for exhibition. We immigrated to Canada on the Fourth of July, 1970. Peggy stayed until mid-August when, after finding that "the national color of Canada is brown," she couldn't get a decent job, and declaring that she would not put up with "the world's worst male chauvinists", she promptly returned to New Jersey and the teaching job she had left. She moved in with friends of ours in the beautiful town of Montclair, 15 miles due west of midtown Manhattan. I commuted from Canada every weekend, and broke a two-year contract after a year, when I returned to Montclair. I learned marriage's most important lesson: Listen to your wife and you won't get hurt. I continued painting, taught art at another university and tried to decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. So I went to law school. I was 31 years old. I attended Seton Hall Law School at night for four years while working during the day. Jordan was born during my second year and Josh, 12 hours after my graduation. While in law school, I worked at the federal courthouse in Newark, where I later clerked for a federal judge. I then worked for one of New Jersey's larger law firms for two years, when I was asked by the Chief Judge of the federal court if I would take a job as his executive assistant. I accepted and, a year later, the judges of the federal court appointed me as the Clerk of the Court to succeed the prior clerk, who died after a long illness. I told Peggy that the Clerk of the Court was different then the clerk who weighed the produce at the local supermarket and, in fact, was a respected position that dated back to the old English judicial system. The clerk is the chief administrator of the federal court, responsible for everything except deciding the cases. She said, "Yeah, right. You're a bureaucrat." Utilizing my long education as a sculptor, I was a bureaucrat for four years. I then joined with two other lawyers at a law firm in Newark that evolved over time. My firm, Lite, DePalma, Greenberg & Rivas, LLC, is a 13-lawyer litigation boutique that specializes in plaintiff's class action suits in the areas of securities, antitrust and consumer fraud. We have been fortunate to work with lawyers around the country in some very meaningful cases, including litigation recovering $5 billion for Holocaust survivors. It's not every day that a lawyer gets to file a complaint that includes the name Adolf Hitler. I've also managed to write a book that annotates the local federal practice rules in New Jersey (soon to be a major motion picture coming to a theater near you) and teach legal writing and federal procedure at Seton Hall Law School. Not everyone has the opportunity to teach both art and law in the same lifetime. We still live in Montclair in a beautiful Tudor house built in 1913 with a partial view of the Manhattan skyline. Peggy has finally stopped teaching, but tutors children who need her help. The best thing about our life is that our children are near by and we see them very often. We take advantage of the proximity to New York to attend theater, ballet and to eat well. We travel as often as we can and are partial to Italy, where most of the best art is located, and you can't get a bad meal. I don't get back to Detroit very often. My parents, Bill and Anne Lite, whom some of you may remember as the advisors to the Ahavas Achim youth group during our teenage years, passed away in 1989 and 1999, respectively. My sister, Linda Gurvitz (Mumford '59), still lives in West Bloomfield and, I'm sure, remembers more of our class than I do. Forty years is a long, long time. We have much to be grateful for on this Thanksgiving Day. We got to be old and remember. I hope to make it to the 50th reunion. Allyn Lite allynzlite@yahoo.com Maxine Loomus Dear Nancy, I graduated from Wayne University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. I have been teaching pre-school for the past 25 years. For the past 15 years I have been Director and Head Teacher at Mayfair Co-operative Pre School in Farmington Hills. It has been a lot of fun and obviously very rewarding. I have five children. Randi and Michael Ruskin are my natural children. Diane, Sarah and Bill Flagg are my husband's children from our second marriage. They all went thru Farmington schools and attended either Michigan State or University of Michigan. We have two daughters living in the area. Michael and his family live in Florida. Randi and her family live in Chicago. Bill lives in Colorado. We have five grandchildren , ages three, four, five, six and seven. We enjoy having our families vacation together and over the years have gone to Colorado to camp. Maxine (Loomus) -Ruskin-Flagg gkf@prodigy.net Doris Lowenthal Married to Marvin S. Shwedel, Attorney I have been a Public Relations consultant for over 15 years. The name of my company is: DORIE SHWEDEL & ASSOCIATES, INC. 32712 Franklin Rd. Franklin, MI 48025 248-932-3888 I handle the media relations, business writing and marketing needs of clients who are in business. I supervise the preparation of press releases, collateral materials and advertising, working closely with a broad spectrum of subcontractors, such as photographers, graphic artists and ad agencies to create materials. I handle all press relations personally, including follow-up, to assure my clients proper exposure in the media, and occasionally, to keep clients out of the media. 2 children: Ari, a sports writer in New York City Merritt, currently attends graduate school at NYU Doris (Dorie) Lowenthal Shwedel dshwedel@aol.com Phyllis Luis Phyllis Luis Hi, Nancy and all, Phyllis Lui Koslow here. Well, I haven't found a cure for cancer, but on the other hand, I haven't joined the Bush administration either. After a year at Wayne State, where I carpooled with Alan Gould and Bruce Rubin, I went to Purdue and got a BS in Math and an MA in Logic and Philosophy (they really do go together). I also got very lucky and got Dave Koslow, who was supplementing his scholarship by being the cute headwaiter in my dorm. We've been married for thirty years (still amazed by these numbers). No kids or grandkids. Some beautiful Irish Setters along the way. I'm a computer database architect at Foremost Insurance in Grand Rapids, having worked for IBM and Meijer here and for RCA in Cincinnati. (Hello Mel and Terry, still in Cinci.) Publishing articles occasionally. Still into old pleasures ..... Playing violin in the G.R. Symphonette (often at nursing homes); doing local radio and TV work; announcing for the G.R. Symphonic Band www.grsymphonicband.org (I'm the one by the piano); alumni weekends at Interlochen; reading for blind friends; a local theatre group (just finished writing a play, not sure if it's any good). My sister Nance (Art Editor of our great '61 yearbook) lives in London, and we travel. What a great chance this is to hear about Ingrid, Nancy H, Lenore and others in both January and June classes! I wish everyone continued lives of happiness and caring contribution. Phyllis (Luis) Koslow koslo@juno.com Patricia Mahaz Patricia (Mahaz, Slater) Thomason Married in 1962 to Henry Slater I have 4 sons. Michael: age 37 (one son, Christopher, age 16) Steven: age 35 Matthew: age 33 (3 children, Matthew-10, Sarah-9, Chelsey-8) Patrick: age 30 (5 children, Candice-12, Cassandra-11, Travis-8, Morgan-6, Josh-3) Divorced in 1983. Married Tom Thomason in 1985 (and still married) Tom has 2 children from previous marriage (Mellisa-22, has 1 child, Gabrille-3) (Jason-24, has 1 child, Hannah-2, & Stepchild, Emily-8) Total 6 children, 12 grandchildren I lived in Grand Blanc, MI, for the past 28 years. All our families live within 10 miles of us. I am the office administrator for Kruse & Muer Grand Blanc Restaurant. I have been with them for 2 years. I have worked in office positions for the last 42 years and in different restaurants for the last 15 years. Previous to moving to Grand Blanc, my first husband was a K-Mart manager & we moved 11 times in 12 years, in three states, but I finally settled in Grand Blanc where I plan to stay. My husband Tom is a home entertainment consultant for Today's Audio, a retail home stereo store in Burton, MI. (suburb of Flint) My father died in 1985, right after I got married for the second time, but my mother, who is 80 years old, still lives in Redford (where she moved to 30 years ago) & for a few aches & pains is doing well. It doesn't seem that 40 years has elapsed since graduation from Mumford, but having my sons the age they are brings back the reality. The biggest joy for my husband and myself is our large family, but we do treasure the time we have alone. PATRICIA (Mahaz) THOMASON E-MAIL: patriciathomason@hotmail.com Judie Maiseloff It seems that not long ago I was eighteen years old with a world of possibilities before me, when suddenly I am sitting at my desk wondering what to write about my life for my 40th class reunion. Forty years that means! About myself! For one frantic minute my mind was paralyzed with the fear that I DID NOTHING. I did not make a difference, whatsoever. I finally decided to get a grip and just start writing. So here goes. First of all, I want to emphasize how impressed I was to read about all of the accomplishments of so many of our classmates. I was also amazed at the risk-takers, those who questioned their lives and went on to live such different life styles from when they were growing up in Northwest Detroit. Many of these read like novels. However, I feel that each and every one of us has a story whether our bios reflect this or not. My life typifies the mainstream of our class. After I graduated from Mumford, I went to Michigan State where I received a teaching degree. I always wanted this career and did not choose it because "it was the thing to do." After watching my mother enjoy her thirty plus years as a Detroit schoolteacher, I realized I shared her passion. I married Ron Klein (Mumford class of 1960) thirty-three years ago. Ron is the President of Midcom Data Technologies, a national computer company. We have two children, Danny, 31, who is a clinical psychologist. He is single and lives in Chicago. Our daughter Lisa, 28, also lives in the Chicago area, four blocks from her brother. We have lived long enough to watch them become very close friends. Lisa is a systems analyst for a major Chicago hospital. She is married to Ken Feinstein, who is in computer sales. They are expecting their first child in April. Naturally, we are very excited about becoming grandparents. had children and then became a stay-at-home Mom. When the kids were older, I returned to teaching in the Highland Park School District until three years ago. I feel that I have had a rewarding career and plan to do some work with adult literacy. We travel extensively and have been to many interesting places, both in the U.S. and abroad. Some particular favorites are Israel, Italy, Greece and Turkey. We also still take family vacations. We have been very fortunate to have a close-knit, extended family. We enjoy our get-togethers, particularly Thanksgiving, when all family members from out of town join us. This is held at our home, so I do not know if I will be able to attend our reunion. I will do my best and hope to be able to see you all in November. Judie Maiseloff Klein heyjudekle@aol.com Connie Malliaros Hi Nancy, please include my bio. Thanks. Hello Mumford! I just started reading all of the bios (I had 220 unread...you can guess that I don't check my email everyday) and they brought a smile to my face and the memories from a wonderful time in my life. So, here goes mine! Connie Malliaros (now Nicholas). After graduation I attended junior college and then attended Wayne State University to receive my Bachelor’s degree in art education. I then attended University of Michigan (Go Blue! - although my daughter is a Spartan) where I received my Masters degree in guidance and counseling. I began teaching art in Birmingham Public Schools and am now in my 30 something year and still enjoy it to this day. I was married in 1973 to Nick T. Nicholas, a marketing and advertising consultant. We had one daughter, Stacey, who is now a speech-language pathologist also in Birmingham. She will be married this coming May and I'm thrilled! Unfortunately, my husband passed away from cancer in 1991 after 18 wonderful years, despite that, life must go on. The journey is not always easy, but I've learned and grown so much along the way...I continue to love my life and feel that I have been blessed. Connie (Malliaros) Nicholas email: constancenicholas@yahoo.com Gail Malone Hi, my name is Gail (Malone) Petway, a proud graduate of Mumford High School! Since graduating H.S., I have earned a MA + degree in Early Childhood Education/Learning Disabilities. I am still working and loving every minute of it. David and I have three lovely children, Lance, Petra and Patrice. All are college grads. One is married and the others are not interested! David and I have traveled to several countries, with and without our children. It has been an education for all of us. I am looking forward to our 40th anniversary! See you soon. Gail Malone Petwayfam@aol.com Alan Markle Nancy, After having read many of the profiles I am impressed with the diversity of the paths that our class has followed. It doesn't seem like forty years since we graced the halls of Mumford, but time does march onward. I want to thank you for the effort that you have put in to providing us all of the information concerning the alumni and the reunion. You should be proud of the effort and the results. As for me, my career has taken some twists and turns, but seems to have progressed to a point of success. Like most of us I left Mumford to pursue a college education. While accepted to Michigan, I chose to attend Wayne where I could partake in campus life instead of having to work to pay for room and board. (Both Wayne and Michigan offered scholarships for tuition, but not room and board.) College life was interesting and I was able to participate on the swim team and in a fraternity. I swam mostly the 200 and 500 freestyle and 200 butterfly. I finished school as a Metallurgical Engineer, graduating second in the department and seventh in the College of Engineering. While working at Ford Motor as an engineer, Jeff Lipton convinced me to apply to Wharton's MBA program. While not certain, I think I was the first student from Wayne to ever attend Wharton. Philadelphia (or "Filthydelphia" as I called it, since it is the only city I have lived in that smelled worse after it rained), took two years out of my life and moved me out of Detroit forever. My claim to fame at the school was that my thesis was titled "The Value and Purpose of the Thesis in the MBA Program," and as a result of the data I collected, the School eliminated the thesis from the MBA curriculum. My school days were over, or so I thought. I moved to New York, having accepted a job with Arthur Young & Co. planning on becoming a consultant. However, they sent me and other MBAs and Lawyers hired in that year to Northwestern to learn accounting. Chicago in the summer, and downtown at that, was wonderful. The program paid us full salary, travel expenses, and the full cost of the education for two summers. Needless to say it was great. I learned to sail on Lake Michigan, enjoyed Rush Street, and learned some accounting and tax. New York wasn't so bad either. I spent my weekends during the winter skiing in Vermont. However, after passing the CPA exam I found that life in New York was not what I really wanted. My third year into the job, 1972, I took off the summer and spent two weeks sailing in the Virgin Islands with friends, and then camped out cross country. The United States is beautiful and everyone should take the time to see it. We ended the trip in San Francisco, where I fell in love with the City. After returning to New York, I spent the next three months arranging to move here. I arrived in San Francisco to stay the Sunday after Thanksgiving 1972. I worked for a semiconductor firm in Silicon Valley for two and half years, at which point I quit and started my own CPA firm called "Creative Accounting." In 1980 I joined with another CPA to form what has evolved into our present firm, Markle Stuckey Hardsety & Bott. It is a small firm located just north of San Francisco, and I concentrate on individual taxation. Because of friends I have met, I specialize in performing artists, mostly those on stage, and lecture the SAG/AFTRA members annually on taxation for performing artist. I also work with a number of physicians, primarily because my wife is a doctor. While my work is rewarding, it is not as satisfying as my family life. I met Joan in her second month of residency at a San Francisco hospital. We married the year she went to Stanford for a fellowship in Rheumatology and have been married for 19 years the 24th of this month. We have two children, both of whom attend the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 15 year old, Philip currently studies piano and composition, though he will probably switch to the voice department in the fall. He has composed a number of pieces for piano, and has participated in the writing of 2 operas with his composition class. He also studies acting at a Conservatory here and, at least for now, wants to become an actor. I suggested that he become a lawyer, since a lawyer is an actor that gets paid. Time will tell how things turn out. He is also an A student in high school. 12 year Michelle studies violin at the Conservatory and is extremely talented. (Is parental bragging allowed?) As of now she wants to be a doctor like her mother. Perhaps by the time she finishes med school, the pendulum of managed care will swing back to a point where doctors can once again make a living in line with the years of training they must endure. I am sorry that I must miss the reunion. Thanksgiving is family time here in California. Also, as both of my parents have died, I do not return to Detroit as often as I once did. I am sad to say that I have lost track of many of my friends from Mumford. I would very much like to receive any reunion book that is prepared. If any of you are in the San Francisco area, it would be great to hear from you. Have a wonderful time at the reunion. Alan Markle markle@mshb.com William Markowitz Hi, Nancy, Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I have been under the weather. I wish I could put this to music, something like Rod Stewart's "Still Crazy After All of These Years." It's been quite a ride through life's journey. I have two great kids and one great ex-wife. I worked very hard all my life and was devastated in 1995 when the doctors told me I had multiple sclerosis and there was no cure. I said to myself, "self you have worked all your life and now the greatest challenge is still ahead. Can I do it? Do I want to do it? Will it be hard? Have I a future? What will become of me? Am I strong enough to handle all this, and WHY ME?" Those were all the questions I asked myself at the time. Well, I thought long and hard and came to the conclusion that G'D had his own plan for me and that things really do happen for a reason, ( MAN MAKES PLANS AND G'D LAUGHS). I found out at the time that I was really not happy with my life and I had to do something about it. I had to have a change if I was going to survive this devastating disease, so I decided to retire and move to Florida and just relax. Sounds good, right? Well, that couldn't happen. I'm still a very young, active, good looking and smart man (wow what an ego). I got bored, so I started doing advocacy work with other MS patients. Maybe I could make their lives a little better and in doing that, maybe it will help me, too !!! Well, to say the least, it has been a very humbling experience for me and the joy and happiness I receive from other MS people makes me very happy. Now I must say that after reading my cohorts' bios, we have some very talented individuals that came out of mumford. I am also very proud that my life, to date, has been very rewarding, and not just in monetary value, but in life experiences and seeing how people deal with others when circumstances are beyond their control. I have mellowed through the years and am content with my life now, living every day to the fullest. Making others happy and seeing others smile, that's what I get off on. in 1998 I became bored and needed more in my life, so I started a small manufacturing company here in Florida that is doing quite well, along with keeping me busy. This is just another example of a way to overcome adversity. Look us up at: http://www.whyslip.com/ I am really looking forward to the reunion and to seeing everybody and I must say to all, you have done a remarkable job and I really like the idea of forming some sort of alliance between us all to try and make a difference in others' lives (health care reform, stem cell research, REMOVING BUSH FROM OFFICE, THINGS THAT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN OTHERS LIVES). I have found that just one person can make a difference, so count me in for the long haul. So, to close for now or until we meet again, I say, watch the curves in the road and wear your seatbelts and remember, G'D ONLY GIVES US WHAT WE NEED, NOT WHAT WE WANT !!! LOVE TO ALL WILLIAM MARKOWITZ wjm43@hotmail.com Mike Marx Hi Nancy, After Mumford I earned a BS in Pharmacy from Wayne. I then attended Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. While in medical school, I met my wife, Sandy. We moved to Albany, NY for my internship and part of my residency in anesthesia. I finished my residency at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago and settled here. I have been an attending anesthesiologist at a community hospital in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago for the past 27 plus years. We have three great kids. My oldest is married and lives in Los Angeles. She is Director for Jewish Engagement for Hillel. My son is a graphic artist and has his own firm. He is also married and lives in Chicago. The youngest is a second year law student at the University of Iowa. She is serious about a very nice young man, but plans to finish school before getting married. Sandy is a Lay Chaplain. She is one of a very small number of Jewish Lay Chaplains in Chicago. While working, she is also studying for her Masters at the Chicago Theological Seminary. We have one grandchild, a grandson who lives in Los Angeles. With Sandy working and going to school, most of our free time is spent traveling to LA. Sandy and I recently fulfilled a long held wish and moved from the suburbs to the City. We purchased a condo in the heart of downtown and are loving being city dwellers. I am enjoying reading the biographies that you have sent and looking forward to seeing everybody at the reunion in November. Sincerely, Mike Marx nlgzyk@home.com Virginia Mayo Hi Nancy, Thank you for sending all of the BIOS. I have truly enjoyed reading them. Who knew that all of that talent was in the halls of Mumford High? I have loved my life. After graduating from Mumford in 1961, I worked at Mount Carmel Hospital. Two years later I met and married a Cass Tech. graduate by the name of Daniel Papin. Shortly after our marriage, we moved to St. Paul, Minnesota where he worked for IBM. In 1962, we moved back to Michigan and lived in Lansing. Soon after, Dan started to work for Ford Motor Company as a Designer. We moved back to Detroit. I worked at Hudson's for a short while and then went back to school and worked as a Lab Tech. for three years at a couple of hospitals in this area. After the birth of our two sons Brian and Keith, I became an at-home Mom (better known as a "Domestic Goddess" by my friends). After becoming avid skiers, we joined a Ski Club as a family and traveled with them all over the United Stated and Canada. Our family has faced ski slopes in more that 15 states and provinces. I cannot begin to tell you of the fun times, tons of friends and exciting stories that our family has enjoyed while skiing. In 1979, I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me flexibility of time with my family and with substantial monetary rewards, so I joined Mary Kay Cosmetic. Their philosophy of putting God first, family second and the career third helped me to stay focused and work the business. Within my first year, I became a Sales Director of a fantastic Unit of Consultants. Before long I was promoted to Senior Sales Director, the position I currently hold. During my Mary Kay Career we have earned the use of several free cars, two pink cars and five red. In addition, I have received numerous other awards and have traveled to more than 10 states to recruit, teach and just enjoy the Sisterhood. One of the greatest gifts the extra income and flexibility my Mary Kay career has provided for my family had been the privilege and honor of becoming foster parents to Darrell, one of our youngest son's friends, during their senior year of high school. Daniel and I are very proud of our three sons all of whom attend and graduated from Iowa State University. Currently, Brian, 33 lives in Washington, DC and works for a NASDAQ company. Keith, 28 and Darrell, 28 both live in Sterling Heights, Michigan and both work for the same company, Darrell, as the Front Office Manager who then hired Keith as a financial Analyst. Darrell and his beautiful wife Nicole have made us proud grandparents of 3 beautiful grandchildren: Nicholas 6, Olivia 3 and Devon 1. After 32 years of service, Daniel retired from Ford Motor Company four years ago. His retirement has been wonderful for us. For starters, he travels more with me in my Mary Kay business now. I love it. We bought a sailboat and now spend a lot of time on the St. Clair River. He loves that. We have also cruised the Mediterranean Seas and visited such places as Monte Carlo, Monaco. Palma and Barcelona, Spain and, while in Italy, we visited the Vatican City. During our stay in Greece, we visited Katakolon, Athens and my favorite Santorini. In Turkey we toured Ephesus then onto Istanbul. Overall, I must say that life has been very good to my family and me. And I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to stumble upon the world of Mary Kay. It has not only provided huge financial incentives, flexibility and control of my time. It has given me the joy of enriching so many lives of women that needed to better their lifestyle. We, the consultants at Mary Kay, have raised thousands of dollars to assist in finding the cure for breast cancer, to break the silence in the abuse of women and lately to the Mary Kay families who have lost loved ones in the New York and Washington disasters. The personal growth and the many good friends and memories over the past 23 years with the company keep me centered. I have truly loved my life! Virginia (Mayo) Papin www.marykay.com/vpapin (Website) papinpepper@cs.com (Email Address) Gay Mazer Nancy after reading this email my life seems so mundane!! All I did was make Aliyah to Israel in the middle of the Lebanon War and have stayed put ever since. My maiden name was Mazer and my name (Gay) was changed to the Hebrew equilavent years and years ago before I came here (had something to do with the change in meaning of the word..... My kids chose not stay so left (as I wrote in a previous email). My husband Herman Slatis, died in 1976 of heart failure very young (50) and I raised my kids alone for the most part. Got a BA and a Masters from Wayne and no, I don't have a picture in any year book from Wayne nor did I attend any of the commencement exercises. Boring!!! My life was turned upside down by a wonderful man 8 years ago and I married him. He is now retired from MSU and knew my first husband. I never knew that till after we were married awhile. I will retire in three years. And am looking forward to it. We have a lovely life in Rehovot and visit the family every 2 years. In between times, we gallop around Europe which is close and cheap. So that is my life, oh! I am an admistrative assistance in the Dept of Structural Biology at Weizmann Institute of Science for the last 17 years. Talk about Seniority! Unfortunately I won't be able to attend the reunion as the distance and timing are not the best. My best of all those who are going to be there and I look forward to getting a 'book' as we all did 10 years prevoiusly. At least that way I can share vicariously what my old classmates are up to. Ciao, Aliza Slatis-Weinberg (nee Mazer Estella McGhee Hi, everyone. This is Stella McGhee and my granddaughter [9 years old] is sending this email for me, because I do not know how to do this (Ha-Ha-Ha). I married and had one daughter, Toria. I have one granddaughter, Sydney Danielle. Life has been good, and I am now retired from the State of Michigan, (F.I.A.) and I have been doing a lot of traveling. Hope to see you all at the reunion. Love, Estella McGhee emchandler@webtv.net John Mellen Hi Nancy, Even though I've read everyone else's Bio, I have been negligent about sending mine. Your own life never seems as unusual as everyone else's, but here goes anyway. After Mumford (still being a child of 16) I began Wayne where I spent the next 8 years in a very poorly conceived program combining liberal arts with medical school. The theory was good (keeping us into the "arts" while we were also pursuing a medical education). It just didn't work schedule-wise, since for 3 years I was in night school getting the courses that would fit into the schedule with the med school classes. Anyway, I finished and stayed in the area for a residency in Radiology. I'm still here and still doing that today. I married a wonderful girl, Barbara Perlman (now a wonderful woman in 1966 and we just celebrated our 35th anniversary. Our daughter was born in 1972 and the joy of our lives, but it wasn't to last. She died in 1991 (the reason I never got to the 30th reunion). Since we weren't ready to stop being parents, we started over and my son was born in 1993. I see that I'm not the only one with a young child from our class, but am among the very few. So that's why I'm still working and socializing with younger parents. From the kid who was always the youngest in school, now I'm the one of oldest among our friends. Life sure has a way of turning things around. Anyway, hope to be at the 40th so I can feel young again. John Mellen jm5791@aol.com Charlene Meltzer Hi Nancy, Well, now that I've read about so many of my classmates lives, I've finally decided to write something about what I've been doing for the past four decades Unlike many of my classmates, I did not go to college -- but began working. My first job was in an insurance investigation office which was interesting but not too exciting. After one year I got a great job working for Cadet Distributing (a one stop for LP's and 45's) and also a PR company for Capitol and Liberty Records. Got to meet quite a few of the "Teenage Idols" in the recording business like Bobby Vee, Freddie "Boom Boom" Cannon, etc. And we had quite an interesting sales staff. Enjoyed working there for 5-1/2 years. Spent the 60s getting married, having major surgery, getting divorced, moving to Chicago, traveling, learning to play guitar, getting remarried. Worked in International Finance at Bell & Howell Corp. Headquarters while in Chicago. After 13 horrible and stormy months of my second marriage, decided to move back to Detroit area where I could be close to family and friends. Got a great job at Anthony M. Franco Inc. (one of the largest independent Public Relations firm in the country) where I worked for two great Senior Account Reps. I was there from 1971 until 1981 and when I left I was the Supervisor of Accounting Services. Had some great times with some great coworkers and went to a lot of PR functions (even had my photo taken with Charlton Heston), met Tennis Stars, NASCAR drivers, etc. Guess I was destined to be a PR person. Bought a little house in Oak Park and somehow found my way into Semi Professional Clowning and appeared in the J.L. Hudson Parade on Thanksgiving 1980 (the year it sleeted just as the parade began -- smelled like a wet dog by the end of the day). Also appeared at the Detroit Auto Show as "Sparky the Clown" and did a walkaround in the Shriners Circus. Even taught a small "clowning" class. Remarried in 1981 and in 1983 we adopted two children. I settled down and finally became "MOM" . In 1986, we moved to Los Angeles (Culver City to be exact) and started a new life. In mid 1988, my husband, Mel, and I divorced and I became "SINGLE MOM" and re-entered the working world. I worked for a CPA, Educational Supply Co and finally a Jewish Synagogue "Temple Beth Am", a very large and dynamic Synagogue outside Beverly Hills, where I have worked for the past 8-1/2 years. The past year has been one of spiritual growth. My son, Tony, is 23 and my daughter, Dawna, is 21 and I now have time to do some of the things I put off while raising them. Last year, a friend took me to a Karaoke party, and I became addicted to "SINGING" Karaoke. Bought my own Semi-Professional Karaoke Machine and quite a collection of music. Had a party for my 58th birthday and several times a month I go with friends to a French Restaurant and sing. Besides 3 husbands, I found my real soulmate in 1968 but G-d took him from me in 1977 (still carry him in my heart). But that's a whole story itself. Someday I will write my memoirs and the whole world will know my story. Until then, that's a brief overview of my life (too many details for this bio) for all you Mumford Mustangs. Still writing my story. The other night at a restaurant, I heard someone do a "Soupy Sales" smack with his lips. I asked him if he was from Detroit as I hadn't heard that sound in years. And sure enough he was -- and only Detroit's who grew up with Soupy will know what I am talking about. But it warmed my heard and I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the Reunion. I am attaching a photo taken in January of 1999 in case you are looking up old photos from the yearbook. Addendum -- September 17 Well, I started this bio before the September 11 tragedy. My heart has been so heavy this past week. And the emails from everyone regarding this tragedy.....the internet is so wonderful....and brings us so close....even though we are so far from each other. What can one say -- I am trying to get past this. I am hoping that I will see most of you in November....though I must admit...I was having second thoughts about flying.....but getting past that. I love having everyone's email so we can continue emailing....and thanks to Nancy for all the time and effort she has put into this project. This is gonna be one hell of a reunion in spite of the tragedy. That's All Folks!!!!!!! Charlene Meltzer Janis charley007@mediaone.net Lenore Mendelsohn Lenore Mendelsohn (McDonald)'s Biography I have enjoyed reading some of the other Mumford students’ biographies. However, I have not recognized any of the names. I too was one of Mr. D.'s art club students. Two fellow art club members who were my friends, Grace Benish and Sybil Oshensky, are on the missing list. Is Mark Krastoff or Roger Manella on your email list? These are the people I would love to hear from. After Mumford, I went to Wayne for six months as an Art major. Then I transferred to the University of Michigan and decided to get serious and became a history, art history major. I have regretted this for years. The sixties hit me big time and I became active in SDS at the end of my college career. I lived in a cooperative at U of M, which was one of the centers for left wing, political activity. I went to Chicago to community organize with some famous people such as Tom Hayden, and Rennie Davis. Under this influence, I decided I was going to help save the world by becoming an inner city teacher. I returned to the U of M and got a teacher's credential and went back to Chicago to teach on Division Street. I returned to Ann Arbor six months later to live with my boyfriend, who was a graduate student. I taught in Wayne, Michigan. When this relationship fell apart, I got on a plane and went to New York City. I lived on the upper Westside and taught school in Harlem. On the weekends I spent a great deal of time in art galleries and museums. I took art classes at night and often went to lofts in the east village to draw at life drawing sessions. It was no surprise that most of the men I dated were artists. I decided to marry one of them, an artist named Grady McDonald. He wanted to get a Masters in Fine Art at San Francisco Art Institute. So in 1974, we bought a van and came across the country to the west coast. I got a job teaching school in Oakland, California. Grady went to S.F. Art Institute and we both participated in the art world of San Francisco in the 1970's. Six years later, at the age of 40, my husband died of a massive heart attack. We had no children. Since I was the breadwinner, I was left with a lot of memories and a garage full of abstract expressionist paintings and art supplies. Six months later, I starting living with a San Francisco, real estate broker named Mark Zimmerman. Mark and I have been together for twenty-one years. We live in a waterfront condominium facing San Francisco, in Emeryville, at the foot of the Bay Bridge. Eighteen months ago I retired. I am now a full time artist with a studio in Oakland. I feel that I am beginning a brand new life. One can never change the past, but sometimes you get another chance at doing what you wanted to do. I don't think I will be attending the reunion. Five years ago I moved my parents to California. March 2000, they both died. Four and a half years ago my sister died of breast cancer. These were my connections to Detroit. However, if anyone remembers me, please write. Lenore (Mendelsohn) McDonald marklenore@earthlink.net Stan Meretsky Hi Nancy, My name is Stan Meretsky, and while I did not graduate from Mumford, my whole social life was there. Bernard Friedman (who has been my best friend since kindergarten at MacCullough) has been sending me many of the bios that you have been getting and he suggested that you could add me to you distribution list so that I could see the letters without waiting for him to give me the printouts or forwarding them on to me. I will be having a bit of a reunion with a few of the guys that I was in Brandeis AZA with. We will be meeting at our old hangout --Davison Coney Island (it originally was on Davison at Linwood but it still exists on 9 Mile Rd. in Oak Park). After high school I went to Wayne State University and got a degree in Advertising and Marketing. I became the Advertising Manager at the Auto Club of Michigan for 12 years and then opened my own ad agency, running that for 12 years. I closed that and went to work for one of the world's biggest agencies where I was to run their Wilmington Delaware office, servicing the U.S. DuPont account. A year later we parted company and I was so burned out with the ad business that I got out of it and started a whole new venture. For the last 10 years I have been a surplus broker selling industrial products all over the world. Interesting business, and I work out of my home in Birmingham. My business is named the McCullough Corp. after my dear old elementary school. My years of activity in AZA led me to continue being active in community and professional organizations. I'm a past president of several advertising associations and the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. I also volunteer with other organizations. I remarried almost 3 years ago--her name is Sandy Lax. I have two great kids--Jimi Jo, who is 30 and lives in Chicago, and is a film editor, and a son, Nat (25) who just became engaged. He's in the corporate display and exhibit business. Thank you for letting me share my last 40 years with many old friends. It has been a great 40 years, due in many ways to the friends that I made at Mumford. People like Mickey Heideman, Gerry Maxman, Carol Zeiger, Joyce Sherman and a bunch of others from the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization. My email address is mccullou@htdconnect.com for anyone who would like say Hi. Stan Meretsky Rick Merson Nancy, I work at Beaumont Hospital as a Speech-Language Pathologist My bio is boring.....but in brief I completed my Ph.D. at Univ. Wisc in 1971..spent some years at the Mayo Clinic, in Minnesota...then a long period of time in St.Louis, MO. ... I have two daughters in California and a grandson Tyler.......That's it...... I look forward to the Mumford Reunion......One note .....You may not be aware of one of our Mumford High Economics Teachers , Walter Goodman ,who has owned and operated the "Wells Fargo" store in Birmingham for years... His store is now in Bloomfield Hills...He must be in his late 70's early eighties....and he still comes to work....He'd be great to invite to the reunion...... Rick Merson, Ph.D. RMERSON@beaumont.edu Gary Milis To fill in the years between graduation and now, I will give it my best shot. After graduation, I attended Lawrence Tech for 3 years, thinking I would enjoy Electrical Engineering. During this time frame, I got married and we started a family. I discovered that raising a family, going to school and working full time was quite demanding and besides, I realized that I liked working with my hands and mind, creating and building designs of my own choosing. After 12 years of marriage and 4 kids, I got divorced. I have been remarried to my wife, Sandy, for 24 years now and between the two of us, we have 6 kids and 5 grandchildren. In 1979 we bought the pattern making business that I had been working in for the past 14 years. It has thrived over the years and changed direction in that we do a lot more work for the auto companies now than we used to. We live in the Livonia area with 4 of our children nearby and two out of town. We enjoy going to Atlanta and Nashville to visit them often. Sandy and I are both also involved in the Travel Industry, owning and operating our own agency from home. We have traveled extensively over the past 12 years, visiting Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, England, Germany, Alaska, Korea and most recently Tahiti and her islands. One of my daughters-in-law is Korean and we went with my son and his family to South Korea to visit her family in 2000. It was quite an adventure to say the least! Sorry we won't make it to the reunion, as that is the weekend of our family reunion. Thanks for all the work you've done, Nancy. Gary Milis joyfuljourney@juno.com Gary Milis Hi Nancy, How exciting to think about a 40 hear Reunion. Can't believe its been that long. My wife and I are trying to rework a family reunion that is currently scheduled for Thanksgiving Weekend, just so that we can be in town for the Mumford Reunion. My wife and I are both self employed. I own my own business and do wood fabricating as well as metal prototype work--all related to the auto companies of course. Sandy owns her own travel agency and would be delighted to have you list Joyful Journey Travel as the preferred provider of travel arrangements for those class members coming to Detroit for this special reunion. If they contact her and mention the reunion, she will extend a special 5% savings to them for their travel arrangements. Feel free to list both the e-mail and the web site address for fellow classmates to check out. Sincerely, Gary Milis Sandy Milis Joyful Journey Travel 734-522-3304 www.joyfuljourneytravel.com joyfuljourney@juno.com Norman Miller & Paula Goldman Info on Paula and me--we have two daughters who are out of the house and on their own. One is a practicing attorney in the Detroit area and the other is a marketing associate in Burlington, Vermont. Paula is a part-time law office librarian and receptionist at a Bloomfield Hills law office. She also does free-lance calligraphy. As for me, I retired after 30 years in the trust department (Vice President and trust officer) at Comerica Bank but I am still working--I moved over to Key Bank in Ann Arbor where I am still in the trust business (Chief Fiduciary Officer). Norman Miller & Paula Goldman Norman_S_Miller@keybank.com Norman Miller and Paula Goldman OK, here is our extended joint bio. Just like Mel Shotten and Thelma Phillips, we are a same-class (June '61) married couple; however, unlike them, we did not know each other during our Mumford days. Paula's father and I were in the same legal fraternity and Paula and I met at a planning committee meeting being held at her parent's home. I was on the committee and Paula, recently divorced, was there helping out. Some matchmaker introduced us and we have been together ever since (married 21 years). After graduating from Mumford, I attended the University of Michigan where I received a BBA and MBA degree. I then went to Wayne State Law School. After graduation, I clerked at the Oakland County Probate Court for a year. After passing the Bar Exam, I went to work for Manufacturers Bank in Detroit, eventually becoming a Vice President and Trust Officer. After the merger with Comerica, I continued with that bank, moving around between several Detroit suburban locations. This past January, I retired after 30 years with Manufacturers/Comerica, but I have kept working--I took a position with KeyBank in Ann Arbor as a Chief Fiduciary Officer and I am enjoying the challenges of this new venture. Paula attended Wayne State University where she graduated with a bachelors degree in Art Education, a field she never really pursued. She married and had two daughters and, upon her divorce, began a career as a member of the support staff of a law firm. Working part time, she was the firm librarian and receptionist and eventually became an administrative assistant there. She has worked in the same position at a second firm and is currently at a young and growing firm in Bloomfield Hills (where she is one of several employees who are older than the senior partners). Away from the office, she enjoys needlepoint, knitting and calligraphy--she even has a sideline calligraphy business. We both enjoy travel, having returned most recently from a Danube River cruise (forget the song--it's BROWN, not BLUE!!--but still worthwhile). I also like to tackle crossword puzzles in ink. We have two daughters--one is an attorney in the Detroit area and the other works in advertising and marketing in Burlington, Vermont. We have two English Springer Spaniels with us and three "granddoggies" which includes two rescued greyhounds. It's quite a scene when all the kids and dogs converge at our place for holidays. Norman Miller and Paula Goldman Norman_S_Miller@keybank.com Sandra Miller I have lived here in upstate NY since 1964. My husband and I get back to Detroit at least twice a year, since we have lots of family still living there. I had a very successful career in Human Resources for 24 years with a utility company, I "retired" at 55, 2 1/2 years ago. My husband (Frederick...Mumford 59) had "retired" at 50 from IBM in 1992. Over the course of our 37 years together we've utilized numerous opportunities to travel the world. Now that we stopped "working"...we continue to travel. Periodically we help the International Executive Service Corps ( a business peace corps trough USAID) by going to other countries and teaching or training in issues re: Human Resource Development or my husband's specialty of ISO 9000 90001,International Standards, Quality etc. We've had assignments in Egypt, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. I also periodically do some lobbying in Washington for various organizations. We have two sons, and three daughter-in-laws who have blessed us with two grandsons and two granddaughters. Our oldest son, wife and daughter are in the Bay area, (he's a venture capitalist) his son lives with his mom in Detroit. Our youngest son, wife and children live in Wappinger's Falls NY, about three hours from us, close to NYC. He's a NY State Trooper and she owns a daycare facility. When not traveling I'm enjoying going to auctions, antiquing and I've become a sabre fencer. Good luck and I hope to see you and others in November. Sandy (Miller) Johnson fesaj@webtv.net Larry Millman Hi Nancy, What a wonderful way to connect with the past! I can't believe that 40 years have flown by, for it only seems like yesterday that I was walking the halls of Mumford. My wife, Barbara Raznick, (a ‘63 graduate) and I have loved reading the bios. Thanks for all the time and effort you have spent on this project. Upon graduation, I went to Marquette University to study Dentistry. I decided that this was not for me, and returned home to pursue a career in accounting. I worked for a firm for several years, becoming a partner. Barry Grant, a ‘62 graduate, and I successfully started our own firm, Grant, Millman and Johnson P.C., 17 years ago. We have a great office staff and, although I am slowing down, I am not thinking of retiring soon, for I love what I am doing. I also love jogging, bike riding and traveling whenever possible Barbara and I have been married for 33 wonderful years and have been blessed with a wonderful family. Our daughter, Cheryl, 32, is married to a fantastic guy from Chicago and blessed us with a grandson Nathan who is 16 months old. Drew, a builder, just turned 30. He married a sweet, loving woman this summer, and we are fortunate to have them living near us. Lisa is 25, and is our free-spirited one. She is a speech pathologist living in San Francisco. Although she is not married yet, she has a very nice boyfriend. Our children keep us busy seeing them, and we try to get together once a year for a family reunion. Hopefully, we will be able to make the 5oth reunion. We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year. Larry Millman E-mail address lmillman@grantmillman.com Thom Millman Nancy, I decided to amplify my bio and update it. After Mumford, I attended U of M for 8 years, where I obtained my MD. I did my residency training in ophthalmology at the Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit. I have been in practice in Rochester, Michigan for 28 years. Unlike several of my classmates, I have only been married once, (in 1969, to Sandi Canvasser) for a total of 32 years to the same person. I do NOT have a girlfriend on either the East or the West coast. We have two lovely daughters: Jodi, 30 and Shelley, 27 and a delightful 4 1/2 year old Bichon Frise named Baci. We live in West Bloomfield, MI. We enjoy traveling, and have been to the Galapagos Islands, Africa, China, Alaska and several other less exotic places. Our second love is boating, which we have done on the Great Lakes and on Pine Lake, where our home is located. In case anyone out there was in Mr. Brook's physics class in 1961, and remembers him singing the song "Does your chewing gum lose its flavor on the bedpost overnight" by Lonnie Donegan, (who later sang with the Irish Rovers), I happen to have the words to the song. I have found the bios of my classmates very interesting and most of them believable (you figure out which ones I find questionable). See you in November, Tommy(Thom) Millman tmilldew@aol.com Lois Mitchell Hi Nancy: I have not answered because I am not sure I will be going to the reunion. My family will be coming home for thanksgiving. Here is some of my story. Seven years after graduating Mumford, I graduated Wayne State with a degree in business. I became a Michigan CPA and moved to San Francisco in 1970. San Francisco's openness nurtured me. I met people from all over the globe and integrated their cultures into my own. I traveled to Asia and Europe, climbed Sierra mountains, hiked parts of the John Muir trail, biked across the Golden Gate bridge (many times), went to theatre, concerts and sat on charity boards. My own CPA business grew until I merged with a regional firm. The new firm's rules became constraining. I left the firm, became a forensic accountant and had a column in the San Francisco Chronicle on money advice. By the time I was 38, when my business was in high gear, life at the office and at play felt wanting. At 41, after three years of trying and one week's notice, I became a stunned adoptive mother of a baby girl, Sarah. Being a single older mother in San Francisco was not uncommon. Despite thriving, I wanted more. At a Bat Mitzvah in Boston seven years later, I met a man from Long Island. He was a widower with four children. A year after we met, we married. This was a little after my 49th birthday. For the past nine years I have been living on Long Island and visiting San Francisco often. My life is full and my career is almost dead and ready for resurrection. All the kids but Sarah are grown and out of the house. All of the kids (and one grandchild) will be here for Thanksgiving. That is why I am ambivalent about going to the reunion. I may fly into Detroit on Saturday morning. I still have to decide. Also, my best friend from High School, Joanne Brodsky, won't be at the reunion. She remembered more about my high school life than I did. She remembered my teachers, my classes, parties we went to, who our friends were and what we did during the summer. I forgot most of it. Joanne has been my pal since first grade. We talk about once a month, even though she lives in Holland. Only now I say hello, she recognizes my voice, has a wonderful laugh, which was her trait, and then I talk to her husband. Joanne, as I told you, has Alzheimer's. She knows me because I am such an old memory. We laugh without saying anything but words like "nice day" or "oosh". I think that Joanne's absence is another reason I am ambivalent about the reunion. Ten years ago Joanne was not at the reunion because she had cancer. She successfully fought it. She can't fight this. Enough about Joanne. I am impressed with all the effort that is going into this reunion. If I don't make it, it is not out of lack of interest. If I do, make it, it will be like pinching me to make sure that those four years of my life were real. Thanks for your effort. Lois Mitchell superlhn@aol.com Robert Mittleman I have been reading many of my former classmates bios and really only remember a very few names. Probably only a few people will remember me. However, I must say that after reading the bios, my life has been much more ' Damon Runyonesque' than most. I attended M.S.U. and by some miracle, did graduate in ' 65. When the movie "Animal House" came out, it seemed exactly like I remembered my days as a Spartan. I taught school in Detroit between ' 65 and ' 68 because it was a draft deferment. I then kind of drifted into the hippie psychedelic world, even attending Woodstock with Larry Becker and Steve Dunn and my "playmate of the month" girlfriend and all time used-to-be Susan Smith, who is still in my life, as I introduced her to a good friend of mine from L.A. who married her twice, the second time at my house in Benedict Canyon, in Beverly Hills, where I had moved after getting into music business by joining with a guy named Ron Stasner to co-manage "Rare Earth". We also managed Parliment/Funkadelic and some others and sold over 30 million records with these groups. In 1978, I moved to Manhattan to be near a kid from the P'Funk, for whom I made 2 huge record deals with Clive Davis, then president of Arista Records; However, after making these deals, my kid, Glen Goins was his name, brilliant artist and kind of a Sam Cooke and Sly Stone combined into one, died. It was the saddest of moments. Not only was I losing a kid I really loved, but also the millions of dollars we were going to make together. The next thing I did was get back into the boxing business. I guess I left out that I managed a kid from Detroit who won a bronze medal at 1968 Olympics; actually he was George Foreman's roommate at those Olympics in Mexico City. The fighter's name was Alfred Jones. I have been back in the boxing business since 1981 and have managed many world champions, the most famous being Oscar de la Hoya and 2nd most famous, the kid that just knocked out Lennox Lewis for Heavyweight Championship of the world. I am off to Copenhagen, Denmark on this Thursday. I have Mike Tyson fighting a Dane that I represent named Brian Nielsen. I am married 11 years to my wife, Debra Hollis Mittleman, and we have a 6-year-old son who is the most gorgeous boy you would ever see. His name is Maxwell Mittleman. We live in Oak Park, Illinois, which is where Hemingway grew up, and I just bought a condo on the beach in Sunny Isles, Fla. I do not think I will be at the reunion, but wish everyone all the best. RM Robert Mittleman rmittlema@aol.com Ulrich (Uly/Uli) Nocken Dear Nancy, Sorry to have taken so long for my reply and the promised Bio. But during the Easter vacation I took the kids for a week of skiing in the Alps and on the very last Schuss down the slope on the last day I ended up body-surfing head first straight down to the ski station. It took me over a month to fully recover (the children recovered from their laughing fits somewhat earlier) and that meant a lot of deadlines had passed. Now, after the end of the Semester, I am finally catching up and so here it goes. Biography of Ulrich (Uly/Uli) Nocken Given the laws of mathematics, since I graduated at 16 years of age as the youngest in the class from Mumford, I suppose that I would still be the youngest at the reunion, if I could make it. While this would be rather pleasant at this point in time, it was not the greatest thing in 1961, given the developmental laws of puberty. Being a somewhat quaint recent immigrant off the boat from Germany with an unpronounceable first name (how I hated roll calls!) did not make it easier on me. Fortunately I had abandoned my ”lederhosen” already before my first day at Mumford. They had caused quite a stir during my first Semester at Eastern High, and that had taught me a lesson I would not soon forget. As an historian, which is my profession, looking back on my experience at Mumford, I still find it a sign of a remarkable tolerance that less than 15 years after the holocaust I was accepted as a normal student at a high school with a largely Jewish student body. At most I was asked a few times the reasonable and understandable question: ”Why did it happen?” Obviously I had no answer at that time, which bothered me, and we historians, even after decades of research have many ideas but still have no real answer. Maybe those questions of my fellow students at Mumford set in motion the process of questioning which, after various detours, finally encouraged me to become an historian. Among the detours were a post-sputnik year of engineering studies at Michigan State, a change to pre-law and finally a BA in economics and a MA in history, also at MooU. At that point, after many sub-zero walks through snow drifts to early morning classes, I knew there must be a better way to live. So I packed my belongings into the Chevy, headed west and entered the Berkeley Ph.D. program in history in that historical year of 1968. Since a number of other Bios have already reported on the all too well known aspects of life in the Bay Area in these years, I will dispense with the usual stories of drugs, free love, hippies, Vietnam protests, Altamont, etc. But those fascinating, horrible and fantastic years meant that it took me an awfully long time to finish the Ph.D. and to finally tear myself (my thesis advisor would say kicked) from the Bay Area in 1977. In an ironic twist of fate which made me realize how much our lives are often determined by pure chance or extremely playful or possibly sadistic fates, and not by well-laid plans, I received an unsolicited job offer from the University of Duesseldorf. Since jobs for historians are not too plenty, especially if one does not want to trade Berkeley for Lawrence, Kansas, I accepted. This meant that I would be going back to a city which is located only 25 miles from the small town which my mother and I had left in 1956 to emigrate to America. Naturally, I dreamed for years about going back to California, but tenure, a marriage, and twins (a boy and a girl, now 14 years old) meant ever deeper roots in ”old country”. While I still can’t stand the eight months of rain, cold, and dirty skies, there are benefits like 8 opera houses within 60 miles, countless very good museums, beautiful historical cities like Cologne half an hour away and being able to drive to Paris, Nice, Amsterdam or Tuscany in one day or less. I am sad that I won`t be able to come to the reunion, but it is in the middle of the semester for me. And am saving up for the big tour of the Western USA with my children in the next summer. It was especially good to read Mel Shotten’s recent retelling of the infamous attack on our English teacher. Having played a supporting role in this drama, I can still remember my fears of whether my career without a high school diploma would be stopped before it ever got started. Wishing everyone lots of fun and good times, Uli. Larry Okrent Dear Nancy, It is very difficult for me to write about my life because just at the moment when everything seemed to be perfect, we suffered the tragic death of our 20-year-old son David, who was a junior at Harvard University at the time (March, 1998). Everything about him was exceptional, and nothing else in our lives could ever offset the enormity of our loss. David's death has made me into a different, and hopefully better, person; more attentive to the pain of others and more attuned to the tragedies that mar other peoples' lives. It has also strengthened our family ties, bringing us closer together than we have ever been. I have lived in Evanston, Illinois since receiving my master's degree at Northwestern University in 1968. I have been married to Inez Marmorstein (of Chicago) since 1969. Just this June, she retired from her career as an elementary school art teacher. She is a beautiful person in every respect, and I treasure the years we have been together. Our daughter Arika (b. 1970) is completing her doctoral studies at the University of Chicago in the field of Linguistics. Arika can speak several languages (including Hungarian and Portuguese.) She is also fluent in ASL (American Sign Language). Our daughter Sarah (b. 1972) is an art director for the Madrid office of the Leo Burnett advertising agency. She has been living there for almost three years, and speaks fluent Spanish. Since 1979,I have headed my own consulting firm in downtown Chicago, Okrent Associates, Inc. (www.okrentassociates.com). We provide a number of services to the commercial real estate industry in the Chicago region, and have been involved in some of the largest and most prominent projects in the area. Our work has a strong orientation to graphics; and our resources include a 3-dimensional computer model of central Chicago, which we created. Perhaps our "sexiest" service is aerial photography. Since 1986, I have completed approximately 200 photo flights and built up a portfolio of ±17,000 images (a sampling can be seen on our web site, under "photographic resources"). Before I met Inez, I had never been anywhere, but Toledo and Toronto; while she was already a seasoned traveler. Over the years, we have had the good fortune of having been able to travel widely. I am especially fond of Brazil, a country of enormous diversity. Selected photographs from our travels are posted on our company web page under "International Portfolio" button in the "photographic resources" link. As I am sure is true for most, I have ambivalent feelings about my high school years. After all, all of us have personal and professional relationships of much longer duration that the four years we spent in high school. Were it not for the long time friendship I have had with Mike Schermer, and his exceptional loyalty, I would have lost all contact with my Mumford cohort group by now. I am embarrassed to say that I can no longer link classmates' names to faces I can remember. I am also sad to say that my connection to Detroit has become very tenuous. I have only been there once since 1990. No one in my immediate family lives there any more. My sister Judy is in the process of moving to Chicago after many years in Cincinnati. My brother Dan has long been a resident of New York City. My mother, still vigorous at 89, lives here in Evanston. W/Best Regards Larry Okrent larry@okrent.com Maggie Ozer It's been an incredible treat to read the stories of so many. As I head to the computer each morning to see what awaits, the experience puts me in mind of excited readers anxiously gathered at the dock for the latest installment of Dickens. We are certainly as interesting and diverse a group as those created by any novelist. On this Thanksgiving Day, prior to our 40th reunion, I'm especially grateful for the excellent education we received at Mumford. I've been particularly struck by how well written (and correctly spelled, punctuated, etc.) the autobiographies have been. Our English teachers deserve lots of credit. By now, you may have figured out that I was an English major. Like so many, I attended U of M. Unlike so many, I did not get a teaching credential. And that worried my parents no end. I was too full of myself to worry. And when I came to New York the summer before my Junior year and found a job at a fashion public relations firm, the die was cast. They wanted me to come back the next year, which I did. I was so anxious to begin my "real" life that as soon as I finished up my finals, I immediately headed back to The Big Apple, passing up commencement exercises. Every employment agency assured me that the only job for an English major was as a copy typist for an ad agency. Since I was in no position to be snobbish about advertising, within a week I was typing copy for five writers at J. Walter Thompson. Thank goodness my "Wicked Stepmother" had insisted I learn to type in Summer School. Because I actually liked the environment and was stimulated by the work, I encouraged my boyfriend and soon-to-be husband, Larry Cadman, another U of M English major, to try his hand at copywriting. Turns out he was brilliant at it -- eventually winning many major awards for his work on Volvo and other national accounts. Difficult as it may be to imagine in those days, the agency business was similar to the dot coms of a few years ago -- fun, fun, fun!!—and definitely the place to be. After getting the lay of the land, I soon moved from the 100-year-old Thompson to an exciting and creative young agency. I didn't know it at the time, but the three partners were from Detroit. The man whose name was on the door took a liking to me (I think because I could spell and punctuate and think and maybe even more because I could sing "The Victors"), and I was quickly promoted to his assistant and discovered I had a real talent for administration. Before that promotion, I typed copy for three fabulous copywriters, each of whom would eventually own his own agency. What a heady time. Not only was New York the center of the universe, but advertising was the center of New York. Eventually, of course, New York nearly went out of business and mergers (and other euphemisms) became the order of the day in the advertising industry. Since advertising wasn't much fun any more, I went into business for myself in 1976 as a professional organizer. The company is called Let's Get Organized. No wonder one of my cousins in Detroit, who is connected with the car business, nearly had heart failure thinking I was becoming a union organizer. I had tried my hand at copywriting, but wrote very pedestrian ads and commercials. However, I had always been good at setting up systems and working my way through messes so this nascent business and I were a great match. I've organized and systematized everything imaginable and met fascinating people in all sorts of fields. Though it was an uncomfortable time to be an American in Europe, in 1968/69 Larry (who was classified 1Y) and I took leaves of absence and $5,000 we'd managed to save in three years of marriage and traveled throughout Western Europe for six months. We came back nearly broke and hungry to hear English on a daily basis. Most important, we were educated in ways we never could have imagined. Our marriage lasted almost 30 years. No kids, no grandkids -- after all, I didn't even want to teach. But we did have two cats and no regrets. And we do have an excellent divorce, thanks in good part to having participated in the EST Training in 1977. Over the past 24 years, I've participated in every program offered by, what is now Landmark Education, and even led a course called "Self-Expression and leadership." The non-linear education for living they provide has allowed me to be joyous and powerful in the face of any sort of circumstance I might encounter. We've all needed that ability of late. Regardless of what's happened in New York in the 36 years (+ two summers) I've been here, I've always felt I was living in the middle of a candy store; and I love the experience and the city of my heart as much as ever. I'm an avid theatre-goer and usually get to London once a year to pursue further one of my many passions. I plan each trip as if I were about to launch the D-Day invasion so that I can fit in whatever's great at the museums, while generally managing to take in two plays a day. I've recently developed a touch of wanderlust and am starting to think about what it might take to sublet my apartment for six months or so with the intention of getting back to Europe for another extended journey. Speaking of my apartment, its location makes me one of those (liberal) Upper West Siders you may have heard about. I won't be at the reunion, but I'll certainly hit the web page and expect to get several first-hand reports as well. Enjoy! Maggie (Ozer) Cadman mcadman@earthlink.net Richard Parkans For those of you that get bored easily, quit now. I haven't burned down the world or become famous or won the Lottery. I left Detroit in August, 1971 and moved to Phoenix. Isn't running away from your problems great? The only problem was, nobody moves to Phoenix in August. Two days after I got here, I saw a temperature sign that read 118 degrees. My van didn't have air conditioning. I almost came back to Detroit. I went to work as an electrician. I even had my own company for 5 years. I got tired of working for nothing. Too much competition. I got lucky and went to work for the State of Arizona in 1981. In 1988, I transferred to the Photo Lab (The Arizona Highway Patrol). What a great job. It was a hobby turned into a career. I remember working for Leo Knight in high school but I didn't want to do that kind of work. Today, I am still working in the Photo Lab. I am the only on-call photographer for the Highway Patrol and I cover the whole state of Arizona. I see dead people. I married my wife, Debbie, in 1975. She deserves a medal for putting up with me for all this time. We have 2 great kids. I also have 3 married kids and 7 grandkids. I'm not rich. I don't know when I am going to retire, but I am having fun. Richard "Dick" Parkans fotoman1@att.net Dennis Pastor As I read the bios, I can actually hear the voices of some of my friends from high school. It brings back wonderful memories of growing up in a special place, during a much less complicated time. I moved to Los Angeles after my second year of college and then graduated from UCLA. I’ve been practicing as an attorney-CPA for 30 years, specializing in the areas of business transactions, tax and estate planning. My wife, Mona, graduated from the University of Wisconsin and SUNY-Buffalo with a degree in library science. She worked as a multi-media specialist at Beverly Hills Public Library and later as a researcher and production assistant in the entertainment industry. I have had little contact with Detroit since I’ve been living in California for the last 38 years. However our two children have close relationships with Detroit friends because they attended Camp Tanuga near Traverse City for many summers. For the last eight years Mona and I have had short vacations up North for camp visiting day, so we have also been able to get together with my Detroit cousins. Our son, Adam, is a sophomore attending the University of Southern California, admitted to the honors program at the Marshall School of Business. Our daughter, Dara, also an honor student, is a high school freshman. She plans a career in fashion design, dance, photography, business, law, or any other interest of the month. I still love to play basketball, baseball, tennis and bike ride with the kids. My daughter beat me in a one on one game of hoops last week, destroying my last illusion of athleticism. Anyway, our children bring great joy to our lives each day. My office is only two blocks from our home in Encino, so I walk to work each day. (Very unusual in L.A.) We enjoy Los Angeles and living the southern California lifestyle—basketball, tennis, hiking, going to the beach and theater are regular activities, with occasional weekends to Santa Barbara, San Diego and Palm Springs. I look forward to seeing many of my Mumford friends at the reunion. Dennis Pastor dpastorlaw@aol.com Judy M Pavlovich Have you been reading all the bios from our class! I must have been on some kind of drug, cuz I don't remember but a few people from all the people who've answered the class call so far. I married right out of high school; therefore my husband appeared handsome, vivacious, and promising. What actually transpired was life with a non-ambitious, unmotivated bum. That put me in the single parent club with my two children. I will only say this about "parents without partners," it's nearly impossible to pretend you're dating when your kids are crying uncontrollably as you walk out the door with a date. This parent without-a-partner spent her life protecting the precious belongings of others. I was knee deep in fur coats, a 65' ocean cruiser docked in Florida, and saw more precious gems than any one person can possibly wear, as an insurance agent, for thirty-two years. I'm happy to say that I'm one of the lucky "early" retirees. I can now spend hours acidifying my hydrangeas, fundraising for the less fortunate or lunching with my friends. I'm proud to be part of the Class of '61. If we used to share lunch hour at Mumford, or perhaps sat by each other in class, send me an email and remind my "menopausal mind" what fun it was. Judy M (Pavlovich) Ray Judymray@yahoo.com Allen Pollard I have been married for 36 years (to the best woman in the world). We had three daughters and they are all married to very good guys. We have three grandchildren- two girls & one boy. I retired from Truck & Bus two years ago. I had just over 30 years in there. I am enjoying retirement very much. My wife and I thoroughly enjoy traveling. Since ' 96 we have been to Europe three times, three cruises, Hawaii once, Florida once and two trips to Vegas. Allen Pollard ammecpoe@netzero.net Linda Pollard I'm an educational consultant working with students from 7 to 50. The bulk of the work is with college applicants and their anxious parents. After years of teaching high school and journalism, I've found a career that combines the best of both--working with kids and writing. After at least 98 years of marriage, my husband and I are still together. Our sons live in Manhattan & write for TV. I think about Detroit when I read about cultural institutions like Soupy Sales Linda Pollard Puner lipny@aol.com Nancy Pollak (Precour) Dear Classmates: My grandmother made the mistake or gave me the good fortune (whatever way you look at it) of taking me to Florida during the winter months to visit her brother in St. Petersburg, Florida on a couple of occasions when I was still at Roosevelt Elementary school. With a directive from my teachers on homework I should being doing while out of school for an extended period of time, off I went with my grandmother, who was also my dearest friend in the world, on one of those old prop jets to Florida. Upon reaching Florida and getting off the plane, I was greeted by sunshine and warmth in the middle of winter. I was amazed and enthralled by the change of climate and I think that made me decide at a very young age that Florida was where I wanted to be. When I graduated from Mumford I had no idea of what I wanted to do with my life, but I did know I didn't want to do it in Michigan. So, within a little over a year of graduating Mumford and after a short stint at Detroit Business Institute, I decided to leave Michigan for Florida. Although it was a difficult thing to do, I left my steady boyfriend of 4 years behind in Michigan and took off on a Greyhound bus for a place in the sun. That was in March of 1962. Having no job and no place to stay at first, I started my new life. I moved into a cheap hotel on Collins Ave. in Miami Beach and started looking for a job. I ended up getting a job at Mt. Sinai Hospital doing clerical work. I had a ball living in Florida! Many of my friends were nurses and many of the guys I dated were interns and residents at the hospital. If any of you remember an old movie called the "Young Interns," starring Stephanie Powers (then a starlet and the same age as most of us, by the way), that was the way we partied. We had IV bottles filled with boose at the parties just like in that movie. I did a lot of partying with the nurses and doctors and when I wasn't partying or working, I was a beach bum. Many of my friends were Cuban, so I made use of the Spanish I learned from Mr. Madonna for two years at Mumford. I was living in Miami Beach during the Cuban Missile Crisis, talk about scary, being that close to Cuba. I was at Lincoln Mall in the now famous South Beach area the day word broke out that JFK had been shot. I traveled across country by Greyhound bus at age 19 by myself from Miami to San Francisco when they had a deal of $99.00 round trip anywhere in the U.S. It was a wonderful adventure, as I made many stops along the way in different states and went sightseeing and met some really interesting people. I also had the good fortune to room with classmate, Ruth Anne Jacob in Miami for about a year when she decided to move down to Florida. We had a great time together before she moved back to Michigan. I missed her a lot afterwards. After almost 4 years in Miami Beach, at the age of 21, I decided that it was time to do something with my life, careerwise. I knew I didn't want to do clerical work forever, so I decided to become a nurse, since so many of my friends and roommates in Florida were nurses. I couldn't afford to go to nursing school and take off work to do so living in Florida, so I headed back to Michigan to move back home only until I finished nursing school. I was going to immediately move back to Miami, but it didn't work out that way. I met my now ex-husband while attending Shapero School of Nursing at Sinai Hospital and got married shortly after graduation. Although I pleaded with him to move to Florida, he wouldn't do so. He had just been made partner in a law firm and didn't want to have to start all over again somewhere else, so Michigan it was and here I still am, much to my dismay. We were married for 10 years and had two wonderful sons. I only worked for a little over a year as a nurse in the first year of my marriage and I absolutely hated it! Then I became a stay at home mom for several years. Since nursing was the wrong profession for me, I had to find a different way to make a living to supplement my child support money. I began sharing my home with roommates to bring in extra income. I went to a roommate referral service to help me find a roommate on one occasion and ended up working there. I loved the business and thought that I could do a lot more with that type of business than my employer was doing with it, so I decided to start my own business. A friend of mine had recently lost her job and wanted to go into business with me, so in 1979 we started our business called Home-Mate Specialists. I handled all promotion and advertising for the business. She handled the financial part. Other than my children, that period was one of the chief highlights of my life. Through my efforts, we were featured on almost every local radio talk show and several top TV shows, including Kelly & Co, Good Morning Detroit and PM Magazine. We were also featured in many newspaper articles, including US News and World Report. I spoke at several different singles group meetings and was invited to speak at Madonna College on alternative lifestyles for seniors, regarding the benefits of sharing living quarters. It was the best of times and the worst of times. My partner refused to allow us to get a computer to help run the business more efficiently and so the matching up of roommates took hours and hours to do, instead of a few minutes if we had had a computer and the right software. I ended up living at the office, since she had a boyfriend and never worked overtime. Many times I worked until the wee hours of the morning doing things that could not be done during the day and sleeping on the couch at the office, only to begin again the next day. I couldn't take it any longer. I had no life out of work, so I left the business. It broke my heart because I had worked so hard at it for four years. Other than my kids, it was my life. It was almost like losing a child. I had a very brief and unfortunate second marriage with a man who was a hopeless alcoholic and then several years later met my now husband, Paul on the Internet, believe it or not! If you go into the URL below you will see our success story online. Look for the names: Paul Precour and Nancy Stanson. http://pages.prodigy.net/mscheesecake/ For many years now I have been in sales. You name it, I've sold it. I recently was laid off from the job I had where I sold remanufactured Nortel and Lucent telephone business systems. I will be starting a new career on Monday, July 16th and will be selling advertising specialty and promotional items. If any of you use them for your business, please give me a shot at it. I will need all the help I can get in this new venture. By the way, I have two wonderful sons, ages 32 and 28 and 2 1/2 grandchildren. P.S. It is difficult to abbreviate 40 years of life experiences, isn't it? I hope this isn't too long. Peppy Pont Hi to everyone, I have worked on the first three reunions and enjoyed the experience tremendously. Although I will not be attending this event, the bios have been a great way of hearing about all my classmates. I attended U of D for two years, hoping to get into the dental hygiene program. After two years, I transferred to WSU and graduated with a degree in elementary education. I earned my MA from there, as well. I taught school for 33 years and retired in 1998. Things happen for a reason. Teaching became my true love, along with loving so many children. I am now looking to teach at the college level. I want to stay connected and committed to education. I have been married, divorced, and now remarried in 1989 to a l954 Mumford grad. I have a 16-year-old son from my first marriage. After an entire lifetime in Detroit, we moved to Santa Rosa, CA in July 2000. We are one hour north of SF and one hour each to the ocean and the wine country. We picked a great location. I do volunteer work as a CASA for the court system...again staying connected to children. I read about this program before I retired and became involved the day after I was done in Michigan and now here. Forty years, hard to believe when I read your bios. I can still picture (most) of you as you were in 1961. I run to the yearbook to compare my memory to the faces in the photos..... Peppy Levy (Pont) mollygoldberg@yahoo.com Marty Portnoy Nancy, I wasn't really excited about this year's reunion until I began to receive the various emails from you and exchanged emails with Saphira. I look forward to being there. Saphira, this is a duplicate of what I sent you. My life has been fairly straightforward with various peaks and valleys. Chronologically: 1967 Graduated Wayne State after spending 2 years at Highland Park 1968 Married Ellen Reiff, Berkeley '63, and adopted her 4 year old daughter, Kristine 1972 Son, Ben born 1976 Offered my "dream job" and moved to Chattanooga, TN 1981 Personal crisis time lost job, left family, relocated to Chicago 1986 Doing well. Daughter living in Chicago. Completed first Chicago Marathon 1989 Daughter Kristine marries Dale Kelley in Chicago 1991 Married current partner Carole Wald. I was ready to commit and she appeared. Completed New York Marathon for the second time 1992 First grandchild Nathan Portnoy Kelley 1996 Second grandchild Louis Portnoy Kelley 1999 Complete Chicago Marathon for the second time 2000 Third grandchild Joseph Portnoy Kelley and engagement of son Ben to Gianh Ngyuen after a 7 year courtship. 2001 Career crisis time again for both of us. We've been affected by the dot com crashes and are starting/creating new careers. The chronology appears very dry. All of the emotional highs and lows aren't truly expressed this way. Marty Portnoy mport50871@aol.com David Priver Nancy, Thanks to you and the committee for all your hard work. I've enjoyed hearing about what has become of my classmates after 40 years, so I guess now it's my turn. I'll be brief. After graduation from Mumford, I attended Kalamazoo College, which offered a foreign study program, which was, at the time, relatively unique. It permitted me to study and live with a French family in the town of Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. I was there during the academic year 1963-64. This resulted in my being there during the horrific days of the JFK assassination. Dealing with this without my family and friends was a trying, but ultimately maturing experience. I left Kalamazoo in 1964 and finished up a premed curriculum at Wayne State University. Four years of medical school followed, which proved to me just how much meaningless minutiae it's possible to cram into one's head if one must. At the end of my junior year, June 1969, I married Rita Jackson (Oak Park High '64), who, fortunately, had earned an RN degree, and, thus, could support us during my senior year. We just celebrated our 32nd anniversary. My internship and residency in OB/GYN were served at Sinai Hospital of Detroit, after which I entered practice in partnership with Mumford classmate Leon Hochman and Richard Goldfine (Mumford '62). After 5 enjoyable years, my mid-life crisis struck (or maybe I just got snowed upon one time too many), and we moved to sunny San Diego. Our boys, Mark and Steven, were only 6 and 2 respectively, so it was not a major disruption for them. I've been here ever since, now 22 years. I've enjoyed my chosen field. (As my Sinai Hospital mentor, Dr. Alfred Sherman, used to say when I would complain about the long hours, just remember, you've got a job where you get to be with people at the finest moment of their lives-----and then they pay you for it!!). I've worked hard in medical politics, having served as president of the San Diego County Medical Society in 1996 and 97. I'm also very committed to the ongoing struggle to assure reproductive rights for women. I'm looking forward to renewing a lot of old friendships at the reunion in November. I still think of Mumford as among the most competitive and challenging academic environments I've ever been in. I think we all owe a debt of gratitude to our high school for preparing us as well as it did! David Priver dpriver@aol.com Donna Quen What a long, strange trip it's been." I eloped in 1962 at the age of 17, during semester break of my first year at Wayne. Being a good student, I couldn't get married until finals were over. It was supposed to be a secret, but our parents found out and were not at all happy, except for my father who wished me good luck. When my first son was approaching the age of 17, I finally understood why my mother had been that upset. I stayed in college until having a baby in early 1965. That year I also moved to Lafayette, Indiana where my first husband attended graduate school at Purdue. Although I was in culture shock for most of the seven years I spent in Lafayette, I managed to have another son, get divorced, get remarried and finish a B.A. at Purdue. I was also involved in anti-war activity and played a small role in helping to shake the foundations of the status quo, which in Indiana, had not changed since the early 1950's, at best. I met my second husband after he returned to Lafayette from Vietnam in 1970 to finish college and start a chapter of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). The Berkeley chapter had about 600 members--Purdue had six. I married Steve Sherlock in 1970, about six months after splitting up with my first husband, and six weeks after my divorce. (I believe this should merit some kind of award at the reunion.) We moved to Minneapolis in 1972 for Steve to go to graduate school. I somehow managed to be a student's wife for a total of sixteen years. (Another award perhaps?) We never intended to stay in Minneapolis, but inertia is a powerful force and Minneapolis is a great place to live in spite of the weather. During the nearly 30 years we have been here, I raised my kids, got an M.A., and started two successful non-profit organizations, a clinic for low-income people with learning disabilities, and a bilingual/bicultural mental health center for the Latino community. In the mid-1980's, I went into foundation work and have been a funder ever since. I have two wonderful sons, each of whom has a terrific wife and daughter. My older son, Scott Brandt, is a computer science professor at University of California at Santa Cruz. My younger son, Cory, is a Renaissance man currently living in Senegal, West Africa, where he is helping to run a research center, doing computer consulting and selling fabulous antique African art. I am now a semi-retired foundation consultant, trying not to work more than half time. I am also working with a professional film maker on a documentary about my mother's experiences in escaping the pogroms in the Ukraine and coming to this country in 1922 as one of seven orphaned siblings. This is a non-profit venture which will be used as an instructional tool to address issues of ethnic and racial hatred and violence. I have raised about $100,000 and have to raise at least that much more to finish the project. I do a great deal of traveling, some for work, but primarily to visit my far-flung family, and to accompany my husband to Vietnam where he does humanitarian aid work. Growing up in Detroit, I never imagined going any further than Fresh Air Camp. I guess you just never know. Donna (Quen) Sherlock donnasherlock@qwest.net P.S. To my old friends in Detroit who always ask me to call when I am in town--I love you all, but my large extended family has been all that I can handle. Forgive me. I can't wait to see everyone at the reunion. Annette Rader Hi, Nancy. It's so nice of you to have thought of and pursued this project of collecting the biographies of our classmates. I finally sat down and read them all, and it was very interesting. Great idea. Now, here's mine. After graduating Mumford, I attended Wayne State in the School of Occupational Therapy. In April 1964, I married my Mumford high school sweetheart, Herschel Fink. I had gone to his prom in 1959, and he was my prom date in 1961. After our marriage, we moved to Davison, Michigan, which we thought was a suburb of Flint, but soon discovered was really a small town. Quite a change from Detroit. Herschel had already been working as a reporter on The Flint Journal the year we were engaged. I still had a year of college left, and enrolled in the University of Michigan Flint College, a wonderful school, which I really loved. The only down side was that I had to give up occupational therapy, and ended up getting a teaching certificate. Ironically, U of M's occupational therapy school is now located on the greatly expanded Flint campus. I taught school briefly in Davison until Herschel was offered a job as a reporter at The Detroit News. I happily moved back, since I'm a "home-body" at heart, and am close to my family. I substitute taught for several years in the Royal Oak School District, while we started a family. At the same time that our first child was born at the end of August 1968, Herschel began a four-year night law school program. The last two years of law school he was night city editor of The News. Our life was rather crazy. We practically never saw each other, since he slept days, got up and ate dinner with us for his breakfast, then went to evening classes, and from there to The News, where he worked all night. Somehow, we survived. Eventually, Herschel developed his "dream job" of being a First Amendment lawyer at the firm of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn in Detroit, combining both his careers by representing news media, including the Detroit Free Press, TV stations and networks. I'm extremely proud of both of my children, Sheri, 33, and Marc, 30. Both graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Michigan. Sheri went on to Stanford for her combined medical degree and PhD. Marc went to Sheri recently took a leave of absence from her residency in emergency medicine at Harvard's Massachusetts General Hospital to complete the research and writing of a narrative non-fiction book about the young doctors of Srebrenica, the city under siege during the Bosnian war. She had spent almost a year in Bosnia doing research before starting her residency. She has also done a lot of human rights work, starting at Stanford with Students Against Genocide, and then for the International Medical Corps and Physicians for Human Rights. During the Kosovo war she was right on the border helping the refugees, and then followed troops into Kosovo. (A few more gray hairs for me.) Sheri has an agent, and the book was recently purchased by Public Affairs, a prominent publishing house for serious non-fiction. Look for her book, hopefully next year at this time. It's tentatively called "Blood of Warriors." I was a so-called "stay-at-home" mom, but I don't remember ever staying home. I worked very hard for over 30 years doing a variety of interesting volunteer "jobs," which were extremely rewarding. I also did every kind of craft imaginable, such as weaving, macramé, needlepoint, knitting and sewing. As our parents began having health problems, my volunteer work shifted toward them. I'm so fortunate to have had wonderful parents and in-laws, so it was my pleasure to be able to help them. I lost my dad, who was my "pal," on August 6, 1999, the day of my parents' 60th wedding anniversary. I'm blessed to still have my 87-year-old mother, and Herschel's 92-year-old mother. I've always had a dream, which was put on hold for many, many years while we raised and educated our children. I'm terrified to fly, and don't like to travel, which I only do to attend happy occasions for family and friends, or when our children were away at school. My life-long dream was to live on a lake, since I love the water, and for every day to seem like a vacation. Four years ago we bought an old house with a spectacular western view of gorgeous sunsets down the entire length of Cass Lake. We spent two fabulous summers in our "up North" house, which was five minute north of our "regular" house. In February 1999, I began the exciting adventure of designing our dream house with architect Don Paul Young. Don was not frightened off by my 40 pages of notes and four drawings. To his credit, he let this be my house, and during the next nine glorious months, he put my ideas on paper. Due to his expertise, it's a little gem! In April 2000, we demolished the old house, and started construction on the new one in June 2000. It's not a big house, but it's a special house, and construction is going V-E-R-Y slowly. It will probably end up taking a full two years, and not be ready until late spring 2002. I spend a great deal of my time on this project; it's a big job. Herschel just says, "Tell me when we've moved, and which house to come home to!" As for hobbies, I've played tennis for the past 30 years. Perhaps you've seen my license plate, "4TLOVE." I walk outside in the summer for exercise, and inside on a treadmill in the winter. I love to read, and enjoy my book club. I'm looking forward to our 40th reunion -- it's hard to believe so much time has gone by! Annette Rader Fink hpfink@mich.com Mike Raick Hi Nancy, You asked for a biography. Here goes. I have been married to the former Sara Perlman for 34 years. She is a 1963 Mumford graduate. We have 2 daughters, Cindy, 28, who is a registered nurse, and Tammy, 26, who is still in school and working at a travel agency. Neither are married, so, alas, no grandchildren. We have always remained in the Detroit area. I was a Manufacturer's Rep for 24 years, before retiring 10 years ago. I currently do some individual computer instruction, and my wife and I travel extensively. Fortunately, not much else fit to print. Looking forward to the reunion (we have not missed any of mine, nor my wife's). My sincere thanks to you and all those who are working with you to make this happen. See you at the new ballpark, (superb choice) Mike Raick Judy Raisin Dear Nancy Pollak Precour, It’s already our turn! Where have the forty years gone? It seems like yesterday I was that cute girl with a ponytail on her way to Mumford High School. My fairy tale life began during my senior year of high school when I fell in love with my prince charming. A little grey at the temples here we are married 40 years later and still holding hands and smooching. Our life was centered around sport activities such as snow skiing, hockey, tennis, baseball, football, boating, swimming and more. There’s never a dull moment at The Singer Hilton. After Bobby & I married we were blessed to have three children. We lived on Pine Lake for fifteen years. Our daughter and son were each Bar and Bat Mitzvah’d in Michigan. In 1976 we decided to build a beautiful house in Wabeek. In 1978 Bobby went to Phoenix with Bernie Kahan a friend of ours as he was interested in buying something for “his” future and then Bobby was taking him to Las Vegas for the weekend. Bobby called me from Phoenix and told me to call our friend “Larry Harwin” (Realtor) and have him put a “For Sale” sign out because were moving to Phoenix. Can you believe that was in April 78? After looking at over a 100 houses the kids agreed on one house. We moved into our new house in Phoenix by Thanksgiving of 78. The Kahan’s stayed in Wabeek! Great move for all of us. Bobby & I played tennis everyday; kids did great in school. Our youngest son had his Bar Mitzvah here in Phoenix at a Western town and over 100 people came in from out of town. It was a blast! We also have done a lot of traveling with the kids. They each met their spouses in Phoenix. All their in-law families live here. We had fabulous weddings! Today we are blessed with seven grandchildren and five granddogs. We also never lived without at least one family pet. During the last forty years I have done volunteer work, ran gambling junkets for hotels in Nevada, owned and managed medical clinics, did travel arrangements for large companies, entertained at our home and raised a family. Richard Raisin Hi Nancy, Nancy, I really did not know many people when I was in high school. I have never been to any of the previous reunions, for which I feel very sad! I am determined to attend the 40th! I will know hardly anyone, I'm sorry to say! I have lived a very colorful life since graduating from Mumford. I have been married twice and divorced twice. I am several months out of an engagement of 2 years, which I thought would be a match made in heaven, so I am once again available. I have no children from my marriages, first married 12 years and then 3 years. I have been blessed with everything a fellow could want to have, except children! I would have been the best dad in the whole world, something I really miss, but it has never happened for me yet. I lived in California for 2 years, (late 60's ) and in West Bloomfield in the 70's. I moved to Clarkston in 1978. I went into the building and real estate business in the late 60's, and have been doing that ever since! I have traveled all over the world, mostly in the 80's and early 90's. It's been quite the experience. I never became famous, although I had my dreams! My first wife (Barbara Ellis) graduated from Southfield. My second wife ( Tina Louise Sgroi Burgess) graduated from Birmingham. After 2 marriages and divorces, and 21 years since, I have the most wonderful gal in my life, her name is Tiffiny and a 5 year old girl that I know will become very famous in life. We all love each other dearly. I have never been happier, and I speak for Tiffiny and Kayla too ! Richard Raisin RMR52942@aol.com Joel Raitt HI, Nancy, I was supposed to graduate in ' 60, but I spent too much time at Cupid's Bow. I graduated in ' 61, the Winter semester. I'm married twice and have 3 kids. My youngest is 12. I live in Orchard Lake, MI. I dated Judy Ellis and Cookey. I was friends with all the people that Cookey was friendly with, plus Danny Kruse, Jerry Fisher, Ron Kaden, Ricky Drapkin (all the Dexter boys) and did doo-wop in front of Rocky's Pizzeria on 7 Mile Rd. My counselor at Mumford was Jeannette Caplan. She insisted that I go to night school, as well as to day school and I finally made it! Joel Raitt Hannah Rappaport Greetings All, from the "Graveyard!" Yikes! Me deceased? I don't think so. I graduated from school and went to J.C. for two years. Dropped out and worked as a teller for Manufacturers' Bank until July, 1966. I married Marty Benstein from Livonia, (Clarenceville High) and moved to Kalamazoo, Mi. I finished my degree in Elementary Education, majoring in Library Science. Alas, that was when Michigan schools stopped hiring Librarians. I taught school for one year, then became a "Mom." We have two wonderful children: Tami is 30 and married to Brian Meyers, an Environmental Chemist. She is finishing her Master's in Counseling in Colorado; he is in the process of starting a new job in Portland, OR, where they will both live, once she finishes in May. Marc is 26 and finishing up school in Albuquerque, N.M. this month. He is a Computer Programmer. He will go back to school to further his education (Yup, two perennial students). In 1980 my husband took a year's leave of absence from the Galesburg (MI) Public Schools, where he was the band director. We moved our family to Germany, which we enjoyed immensely. We returned to Galesburg for four more years, then to Elkhart, IN. During that time I was a tax preparer and then manager for tax companies. Then in 1990, Marty was hired by the DoDDs schools (Department of Defense Dependent Schools) to teach the children of military members. We moved to Sicily for seven years. Boy, was that an experience! In 1997 we were transferred to Germany, where we live about an hour away from Nuremberg. We live a wonderful life, traveling all over, (Vienna for Thanksgiving). I substitute in the elementary school. So, if any of you are planning a trip to Europe, please contact us; we have an extra bedroom and would love to see you. Hannah (Rappaport) Benstein martin.benstein@asamnet.de Lee Redstone Dear Nancy, Thank you for organizing these biographies. They are very interesting. After graduating Mumford I went to the University of Michigan with what seemed like half of our class. It was a wild and crazy time in Ann Arbor. At our freshman dorm, there seemed to be a “ bit” or prank every night. With the likes of some of our classmates - Mike Schermer, Matt Rosenthal, Steve Grand and others, there was never a dull moment. Somehow we all made it through college. After being in Ann Arbor for 7 years, I left with a BA in Architecture and a Master's in Urban Planning. I also got married to a U of M graduate the last year of my master's program. Upon graduation, I was faced with going to Vietnam, to Canada, or alternative service. We elected to go to the Peace Corps and were accepted into the Brazil program. While each volunteer had his or her area of expertise, all of the volunteers used democratic grass roots organization as the basis for all of our activities. This came in direct conflict with the then ruling military dictatorship in Brazil. It was a real awakening, dealing with Brazilian “secret police” that monitored all political activities. I learned a lot in Brazil. They have a wonderful carefree way of looking at life. I loved dancing the samba down the streets at carnival time each February. After the Peace Corps, my wife and I divorced and I came out to San Francisco. I have been practicing architecture here for 30 years. I have remarried to a wonderful woman, Linda Haley and we have a son, Ari, who is a high school senior. We enjoy all of the outdoor activities that the Bay area offers: mountain biking, sailing and skiing. There are many people from Mumford and Michigan in the Bay Area. I keep in contact with classmates Merv Cherrin. Mike Schermer and Larry Baskin. I will end with this fact. It has been 40 years since I left home. When I return home to visit my parents, I go back to the same house I grew up in on Appoline near Outer Drive. My mom and dad, who are 96 and 99 respectively, have lived there for 61 years, and I get to have my old room back just the way I left it in 1961. I look forward to seeing you all. Lee Redstone eredstone@aol.com Linda Reichman Yo Nancy, Just thought I'd holler at ya and give you the news from the hood, Palmer Park, that is. I've lived here since 1985, and if you'll bear with me, I'll tell you how I got here. I went to Michigan State after Mumford and eventually joined the antiVietNam/Hippie movement. I married my first husband who was also a hippie and we went to Nova Scotia to avoid the draft. I was all of 21 and he was almost 21 and we were going to change the world. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, if we had a plan, which I don't think we did. Nova Scotia was an economically depressed place and the only jobs we could get paid bubkis. We did have landed immigrant status, but we really didn't have a clue what to do with it. Anyhow, he left me in Nova Scotia and came back to the United States. I didn't see him again for 25 years. Eventually, I came back to Detroit, and lived with my parents who by this time had moved to Southfield, a move that I deeply resented. But I met Larry Loberman, and we weremarried in 1968. Two years after we were married, my life changed drastically. My father died and I became responsible for the care of my sister, Suzi, and my mother. Both were extremely ill. Suzi was a paranoid schizophrenic and mentally impaired. My mother coped by consuming large amounts of prescription drugs and was heavily addicted. This was quite a lot to deal with for a young, married couple, but there was even more hardship in our future. Suzi was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer and Larry and I had a son with a congenital heart defect. We had adopted a beautiful daughter and she was the only joy in my life during those years. Suzi passed away in June of 1975 and our son died two months later. By this time, my mother's behavior had become out of control and I had to try to find some kind of placement for her. Finally, I got her into a nursing home where she lived until she died at the age of 86 in 1995. But all of this was too much on our marriage, and Larry and I divorced in 1982. I truly believe that if he had not stuck by me during those years, I could not have made it. The divorce was hard on all of us, and my daughter decided that she wanted to live with Larry. I was heartbroken, of course, but by this time, I was teaching in Detroit so I decided that I would move back and live in Palmer Park, a place that I'd always loved and felt like home to me. Of course, in 1985, Palmer Park had changed a lot. It was now a gay community, and that was good news to me because it meant that I was in an environment with people who were loving, open and accepting. It was a place where I could heal. I loved the gay lifestyle, and became very active in working for AIDS organizations. Things were very scary then and there was a lot of work to do. Most of those people died from AIDS, but the work they did was remarkable. I stayed in the Park and still teach special education at Northern High School. As a hippie, I fell in love with Dr. Martin Luther King and have tried to live up to his ideals. My career in teaching has focused on high-risk, inner city kids, and my life had certainly prepared me to relate to the struggles that they face in their lives. I have not remarried and live by myself in a beautiful Palmer Park apartment. I have a close relationship with my daughter, and have been very fortunate in having wonderful and supportive friends. So, that is how I came to live in Palmer Park. I am looking forward to the best reunion we have ever had, thanks to you and your committee. Great Job!! Catch y"all at the do (that's ghetto talk), Peace, Linda Reichman (Loberman) Carol Reis Well, I have practically waited until the last minute, but here it is. It is not as exciting as some of my fellow classmates, but life has been rewarding and fun. After graduation I went to Highland Park CC, hated it and didn't finish anything. I did get married to Rick Goldstein in October of ‘63. We had 2 fabulous kids, stayed married for ten years and then divorced. I remarried a second time in 1974 and bought a house in Huntington Woods. I divorced my second husband 2 years later, but stayed in HW. It was great. I loved it and so did my kids. I went into the Real Estate business in 1980, and have been in it ever since. I work at Century 21 Town & Country in Commerce. I love it, and I have been moderately successful. I now Live in West Bloomfield. I have 3 wonderful grandchildren, Jared who will be 4, Aubrey (2) and Darren (1). They are the epitome of JOY. My son lives in Wixom and my daughter lives just outside Lansing, so I am able to seem them on a regular basis. My daughter sells Discovery Toys, so all you grandparents can buy fab toys for your grandchildren. Just email me for a catalog. Well, that’s about all for now. I will see all of you who will be there at the reunion. Looking forward to it. Happy Thanksgiving Carol (Reis) Gold Goldstar81@aol.com Carol Rismann I truly have a hard time believing it's really 40 years since graduation from high school! It sometimes seems just a couple of years ago. Poodle skirts, penny loafers, getting your driver's license, gas for a $.25 a gallon, Elvis, and dances such as the HOP! Was it that long ago? I guess I never really grew up until I was about 22 years old. It was 1966 and I married a wonderful guy named Ken Wilson. He was in the service so we lived in Killeen, Texas for 2 yrs. It was at the height of the Viet Nam war and, although Kenny didn't have to go, a lot of his friends did, and some never returned. It was a sad time, but we had ourfirst child there, a boy, named David. He is now a chemical engineer for Dow Chemical in Freeport, Texas. (At least he can say he is no transplant, he truly is a Texan!) After the service, Kenny went back to work for Ford as a designer. I stayed home and took care of David and also had two more girls in the next few years. Deanna is now 31, and the mother of two great boys. She is also a sergeant in the Detroit police force in the domestic violence unit. Next, came Melussa, who is now almost 30. She is single and just got the boot from Midway Air, as they closed their doors. But, she is very resourceful, and I'm sure she will have a job in no time. In 1997 Kenny got lung cancer, but was operated on and all went well. Or so we thought. In 1998, he was found to have colon cancer and passed away in the fall of '99. Since that time, I have lost my wonderful mom and my mother-in-law, too. I live on a lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in a little town about 80 miles west of the Bridge. I really love it and plan on staying. I Winter in Fla., as there is much too much snow here in the winter and it is too quiet. I travel to see my kids and my grandkids quite a bit. David has three and De has two. Melissa lives in Raleigh, N.C., so I'm never at a loss for somewhere to go. I Don't know yet if I'm going to the reunion, but if I don't make it, I hope everyone has a wonderful time. Carol Rismann Wilson andrewrismann@msn.com David Rives Guess it's time for my bio... Don't know how many of my 660-plus classmates remember me (I certainly don't remember 90% of THEM, so I'm not sure how they'd remember ME), but the fact is, I did do something back then to try to stand out at least a little bit from the vast sea of now-faceless names, and to try to at least give some sort of "focal point" to our graduating class -- something it seemed no one ELSE wanted to give us -- certainly none of the closet anti-Semites on the teaching staff, or in any of the Administrative Offfices, save that of the Principal (I'm not sure the Colonel even knew what PLANET he was on most of the time -- let alone have any feelings pro or con about Jews -- but he sure did dress nice!) -- and certainly none of my fellow classmates, where it often seemed that it was all the east-of-Livernois contingent could do to even TOLERATE us west-of-Livernoisers; and, to refine it even further, where the Shaarey Zedek people were definitely SHAAREY ZEDEK PEOPLE (and NOT Beth Aaron or Beth Abraham or Adas Shalom people), and wanted little to do with us, their congregation being superior in every way -- especially "philosophically" -- to anything any of the rest of us had going. Until, of course, one of our fellow Mustangs -- Dick Wishnetzky, Class of '60 -- tried to avail himself of that avant philosophy by having his Rabbi -- Morris Adler -- officiate at Dick's wedding -- to a non-Jew. After all, Dick reasoned, the good Rabbi often prided himself on having more priests and nuns in his audience, on any given Saturday, than guys named "Goldberg," so how could such a Rabbi possibly object to extending such "openness" to one of his own congregants? Which is when the wheels came absolutely flying off that "avant 'nonsense'" -- with the Rabbi instantly retreating, double-time, to that vast arena that seems to be the refuge-of-choice for virtually ALL modern religious leaders: the Dark Ages! At which point, Dick blew his stack (those who were fortunate enough to know him knew that Dick never did handle "hypocrisy" real well), following which, he applied a similar "blow" to Rabbi Adler's cranium -- and then his own. At which point, the Beth Aaron's and Adas Shalom's of the world started looking not all that bad to us non-Shaarey-Zedekers -- and not all that "backward" either! But I digress.... The fact was, it was obvious there would be nothing forthcoming from ANY quarter, to help "unite" me and my fellow classmates. So I figured I'd better do it myself. But how? And then, one day, I discovered how: The fact is, Mike Schermer and I shared a locker on the second floor. One day, we got into a mock shoving match over who would be first to extract his books from the locker, prior to the next class. At which point, I said to him: "You'd better cut that out, or I'm going to start hitting you like a merciless piston!" "Like a WHAT?!" "Like a merciless piston!" At which point, I began doing a rat-a-tat-tat on his upper arm with my fist, which he thought was quite funny (remember: we were both Detroiters. It didn't take all that much to entertain us!) Anyway, that's how the Merciless Pistons were born. The next problem was: What to DO with the concept. "Well," I said, "we've got the Clothing Drive coming up. The (mostly-east-of-Livernois) AZA's and BBG's would absolutely 'DIE' if they didn't win the Clothing Drive one year, so why don't we help put a few nails into THAT 'coffin?!'" Which we did -- with the inestimable help of our two favorite distaff Pistons: Jackie DeYoung and Judy Hertz -- who (wouldn't you know it) just happend to be responsible for logging in ALL contributions to the Clothing Drive (which were then stacked in the alcove just outside the School Office), and who, as charter west-of-Livernoisers themselves, apparently shared our own antipathy toward the aforementioned, possibly-elitist groups. What would happen is: when a student would bring in a bag of clothes (mostly so he or she could eventually get out of going to class for an hour, and go to the Clothing Drive Assembly/Talent Show instead), Jackie and/or Judy would ask the student: "Are you donating those under the auspices of any particular group?" If the answer was "No," then what J or J would sometimes do is ask,"Well, would you have any problem with your contribution going in the Merciless Piston 'column?'" To which a common reply would be: "Not at all." Which is how the Merciless Pistons won the 1961 Clothing Drive -- and how the concepts of "politics" and "subterfuge" and "it's not WHAT you know, but WHO you know" began to assume some definite shape in this reporter's noggin! Oh, not that we didn't do our OWN bit for the Drive: if fellow Piston Emery Weiss had gotten a dollar for every thrift store he drove me and Mike and Irv Wainer to, in his dad's '58 Olds convertible, to gather what eventually turned into a veritable "mountain" of clothes, then dear Emery would never have had to work another day in his life! But he didn't. So he did. No, we did an awful lot of work ourselves to win that Drive. It's just that, without the help of certain people, we couldn't possibly have competed with the veritable LEGIONS the AZA's and BBG's could put on the street, and we knew it. So, a belated tip of the cap to J and J and E for "being there" for us. Anyway, it was incredibly sweet to win that Clothing Drive, and the Talent Show that followed it -- though it's generally agreed that Mike and I did perhaps the most talent-FREE act in the history of the competition! Didn't matter: we won -- and hopefully gave a lot of our classmates some sort of symbol to rally around. Of course, nothing much happened after that: I went to Michigan, along with 125 of my classmates. However, unlike any of them, when one of them would run across me, that first week in Ann Arbor, the response was always the same: either a) "What are YOU doing here?!" or b) "Who you visiting?" -- to which my RESPONSE was always the same: "I'm not visiting anyone: I'm enrolled here." "YOU??!!" "Yes, me, a--hole!" The inevitable fallout of being the Class Clown, I guess. Which was fine with me: if there was one thing I learned at the WY-7 bowling alley (my main source of enlightenment, next to Fredson's), it was: "Never let ANYBODY know what you've 'got' -- at least, not until the REAL money is on the line; and even then, only reveal as much as you absolutely have to (to win the match)." Which is exactly what I did: "cruising" in high school, only to "turn it on" my first year at Michigan, where I finished ABSOLUTELY ON TOP of every one of those 125 Doubting Mustangs (due, I must admit, as much to my being afraid that I'd be the first of the 126 to be asked to LEAVE Michigan as it was to any "brainpower" I might have possessed! Amazing what a healthy dose of "fear" can do to "perk you up" sometimes!) Anyway, graduated from Michigan in '65; was having a Coke with Schermer; got into a conversation that was pulled almost verbatim from the movie "Marty:" "So, what do you want to do next year, Mike?" "I don't know. What do you want to do, Dave?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?" "I don't know. Why don't we go to Med School?" Which we did (and this next is strictly for those of you whose kids are wondering if their 3.8's from Brown and Amherst will be good enough to get them into something even RESEMBLING a Medical School): Schermer and I took our Three-point-OH GPA's and trotted off to the vaunted University of MICHIGAN Medical School. Where, after two years, I started asking the "wrong questions:" Wrong Question No. One: "Excuse me, professors, but is there anything we can actually CURE?" "Uh, nothing that comes to mind." Which led inevitably to Wrong Question No. Two: "Well, since we can't CURE anything, what about PREVENTING disease?" "'Preventing disease?!' Are you crazy?! You want to put us out of business?! Get out of here!" So, I did -- headed for the Left Coast. Where I had a series of odd jobs (not much "real" work for someone who's suddenly 1-A in the draft -- the week after the Tet Offensive -- and is one of only 248,000 proud holders of a Bachelor's Degree in some form of Biology!), until I fell into "telemarketing" (i. e., until I finally found a "home" for my REAL calling: Class Clown!) Started by selling office supplies over the phone; then switched to selling birds over the phone; then switched to IMPORTING birds -- legally, at first, and then, when the government tried to wipe me out (think "Babi Yar" here), illegally; finally got caught; served three years in Federal Prison; got out; resumed my telemarketing career; then remembered why I had dropped out of Medical School in the first place -- because I wanted to keep millions of people from GETTING sick -- so I proceeded to write two books -- "Walk Yourself Thin" and "Dying for a Smoke" -- that addressed the two most PREVENTABLE causes of disease in this country (and, in the latter case, the World). Which is what I've been doing for the last ten years -- "flogging" those books -- with the (side) intent of someday getting at least as famous as our Jerry, so we'd at least have ONE person of that fame level attending our reunions (obviously, am not there yet!) Anyway, that's it; that's my story. Hope you enjoyed that little trip back through time. Feel free to call or write anytime: David Rives: davidrives44@aol.com P. O. Box 5244 Ventura, CA 93005 (800) 522-7735 See you in two months. Patty Roberts Nancy, I wanted to let you know what has been happening with me. I had been living in Brentwood, California and had a weekend home in Palm Springs. After my husband died, five years ago, I moved permanently to Palm Springs and started selling vacation and second homes to people who wanted the desert lifestyle. I have two daughters. One lives in Thousand Oaks, California and has a three year old son. My other daughter lives in Brentwood, California and has a ten year old daughter. I have a married son who is an attorney. No kids. He and his wife are living in Stockholm, Sweden. I am single and enjoying the single life in the desert. If anybody gets to the desert please call me. I would like to hear from anybody by email at: Patty (Roberts) Fleisman PattysDeal@usa.net Barbara Robiner Hi Nancy, You're doing a great job. I am really enjoying reading the Bios. As for myself, I graduated from Wayne State University's College of Education and taught Reading Readiness for two years at Clinton Elementary in Detroit. I met my husband, Steve Widlansky in 1961, and we dated off and on for 4 1/2 years before my mother gave him an ultimatum. Thanks to my mother, we will be celebrating our 36th anniversary in December. We have three sons. Robert is 34. He graduated from Stanford with a degree in Computers and Artificial Intelligence and received his MBA at University of Chicago. He works for Cisco Systems and lives in Evanston, IL with his wife, Helen, who has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and our 2-year-old grandson, Ethan. Michael is 28, and also received his undergraduate degree at Stanford, his medical degree from U of M, and is presently a resident in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston. He and his wife Shannon (who is doing her residency in OB-GYN) live in Framingham, MA. Kevin is 26 and dares to be different. He went to Georgetown for his undergraduate degree in Foreign Policy. After spending three years in China working for GM, he has returned to Washington with his Australian fiancée, Jane. She is at Georgetown University, working on her MBA. Kevin is in a combined program. He is presently working on his MA at Johns Hopkins, School of Foreign Policy. After that he's on to Wharton for his MBA. They will be married in December 2002 (in Melbourne). Needless to say, with none of the boys in Michigan, Steven and I do a lot of traveling. Barbara (Robiner) Widlansky sbrmkw@aol.com Steve Robinson OK, Nancy, here goes. After graduation, I attended U of M and received a BA and MBA in International Finance. Spent a lot of years working in the automotive industry, gradually making a shift to marketing and training. That's when I discovered that I was headed down the wrong path. "If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there." I decided to go back to school and pursue my first love - science. Received a BS in Biology/Animal Behavior in 1984. The rest is history. I am presently a practicing animal behaviorist, own a boarding, training and counseling center in Ortonville (about 60 miles north of Detroit). I work ungodly hours and I love it. Rather than using up more memory, anyone interested can go to our website, www.commonscentscanine.com. Hope to see everyone at the reunion! Best regards, Steve Robinson Lowell Rodd Ten years later and life is still confined to Michigan. Located at waters edge with my family, wife Lynn, son ryan, son randy & father Harold. The old group is still in touch on a regular basis. The first 30 years covered a lot of ground for me with a trip around the world, plus stays in france for the winters of 71-74. Now it's time to make the money. Summers are the most enjoyable, as water plays a important part in our life. Looking forward to the November get-together. The orange bike is being rebuilt by my son randy, waiting to see the looks on peoples faces when he rides up to Big Boy's lot..... Lowell Rodd rjrassoc@voyager.net Karen Rogers Dear Nancy, Above all, thank you for all your hard work in honor of our reunion. I do wish that I could recall you, as well as many others who I have either forgotten or perhaps never knew. Shortly after graduation, I moved to Los Angeles, briefly attended UCLA, fell in love with Southern California, and have remained there ever since. I married my first husband in 1964, a wonderful man and father to my two fabulous children. My daughter, Kim is 36, a graduate of U of A, married to my favorite and only son-in-law, Jeff, an entertainment attorney. They live in Calabasas, CA and have gifted me with two beautiful grandchildren, Skylar, 5 and Griffin, 2 1/2. My son, Monte, is 34, single, works in the insurance industry and resides in Sherman Oaks, CA. I am so fortunate in that both my children live and work within 15 minutes of me and we enjoy a close and loving relationship. My grandchildren, however, have become the two most important children in my life. They have given me more love and happiness than I could ever imagine (as I'm sure all you grandparents can relate to). My family is my joy in life. Shortly after my divorce, I married a Mumford graduate, Merle Goldstone, my soulmate! We enjoyed a beautiful life together until, at the young age of 44, a heart attack took him away from me. So sad!!!! I remain single, a loving mother and grandmother. I am truly shocked that 40 years have literally slipped by. I have so enjoyed reading all the interesting bios and I am delighted that I remember so many, in spite of my absence from Michigan. After much deliberation and encouragement from my friend, Joel Gilman, I have decided to attend the reunion. So, I shall see many of you in less than two weeks. My regards to all, Karen (Rogers) Goldstone I can be reached at Mtarnol@aol.com (my son's email address) Contact information as of 2007: Karen Rogers Starr Encino, CA klstarr04@aol.com Janet Rope Nancy, My name is now Janet Ginsberg Jones. I'm now married to Robert (Clint) Jones of North Carolina/Michigan. We have been married nearly 8 years but have been together for 20 years. My children from my first husband, Sy Ginsberg, are Debbi Ann Chasnick who is married and has 3 year old twins (a boy and a girl) and a nearly one yr old baby boy and Ric Ginsberg who is married to a girl from Liverpool, England and they have three boys 5, 3, and nearly 1. Clint has 2 sons and the youngest has a 4 yr old daughter. That gives us 7 grandchildren. We moved to Ocala in 1992 and bought a copy/printing business in 1993 which is now thriving in our ninth year. Hope this helps - I probably will not be able to attend the reunion in November, but I would like all the information and I am interested in buying the book. Please keep me in touch with what is happening. Thanks - Janet jonesgins@aol.com Elly Rose Dear Nancy, I am remarried to my dentist from Ann Arbor and am happily living in the outskirts of Ann Arbor, in Saline, MI. My two children are in New York. My daughter, Jennifer, works for Axis Promotions, an entertainment events agency, My son, Bill is married with a new baby and is an investment banker with DLJ. I am currently "retired" after working as a director of a nursery school. My e-mail address is Eldred@AOL.com. Take care, Elly Rose Jerry Rose Dear Nancy, Firstly, I have to compliment you on a job well done and with persistence. I admire your ability to stick with it! After high school, I began at Wayne State University in Liberal Arts. I had always wanted to practice medicine and at that time, the university offered a new experimental program referred to as the 2-4-2 program which involved 2 years of Liberal Arts, full time, then 4 years during which I completed the first 2 years of medical school and the last 2 years during which I completed the last 2 years of medical school. One month prior to graduating medical school, my wife, Marlene nee Pam, also a Mumford graduate (1965) and I got married and it has been a great 32 years! I recently told Marlene that she was just like a bottle of fine wine and she said yes, all of the sediment had fallen to the bottom :-) At any rate, I then began a one-year rotating internship at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak and was subsequently accepted in the residency program to do OB/GYN. I then entered into the private practice of OB/GYN and have remained doing so until recently. Along the way, I was voted the best general gynecologist by the magazine Detroit Monthly. I became active in the Oakland County Medical Society and, after serving as chairman of the mediation committee, the ethics committee, and serving as a board member for several years, I was elected President of the Oakland County Medical Society, a position I held for one year. I remained practicing OB/GYN full time until 3 months ago. After 16 years with my partner, we separated. I was appointed a Professor of GYN for Wayne State University Medical School and have a dual appointment working with University Women's Care and am running a small private GYN practice. I have paid my dues delivering babies so I now limit the deliveries to a very few women, and I can really pick and choose. Marlene and I have three delightful children. Our 30-year-old daughter, Melissa Weintraub was married just over one year ago. She is employed as the assistant to the Director of Finance for the Detroit Medical Center and is responsible for physician reimbursement. Our second child, Michael, who is 28 years old, lives in New York and is employed by J. P. Morgan Chase as an international investment banker. Our baby, Rob, is 24 years old and is a computer engineer for Global Crossing and lives in Phoenix. I really have not had the opportunity to keep up with my classmates, but have thoroughly enjoyed reading through all of the bios, which you have so kindly provided. I can't be certain that I will be able to attend the reunion and my thoughts will be with all of you. Jerry Rose jrose500@mediaone.net Anne Rosen Dear Nancy, Here at last is my bio: Since graduating from Mumford life has unfolded in some strange and interesting ways. The facts are pretty standard for an academically driven merchant’s daughter: I got my BA from the University of Michigan and taught high school history for a while. I then decided that, while I liked the subject (and still do) I was more interested helping the kids than in teaching them about our founding fathers. I returned to school, got two master’s degrees and a Ph.D., and have been in private practice as a clinical and forensic psychologist ever since. For a nice girl from Mumford High School I spend a lot of time in prison and in court. Its fascinating work, and I consider myself very fortunate to be doing something I love. I just completed my term as president of the New Mexico Psychological Association. I also was appointed to a SAMHSA grant review panel, and so get free trips to Washington DC three times a year to help decide how to spend the government’s money. Your tax dollars at work! My personal life, as many of you have related about yours, is a mixed bag. I have a wonderful husband who just closed his surgical practice, and now wants to do strange things, like take vacations. My son, Stephen, graduated from Stanford last year with a dual masters degree in electrical engineering and engineering management, and is one of the few Silicon Valley survivors who still has a job there and a future. He married a wonderful young woman in June, and we are now pressuring mercilessly for grandchildren. The bad part is this: My beautiful, smart, funny daughter, Susan, died four years ago at the age of 27 of a chronic illness. We will miss her forever. I have lived in Albuquerque New Mexico for twenty-six years, and its been a good choice for me. This is a captivating part of the country, and very different from Michigan. I urge you to visit and see for yourselves. I doubt that I will be at the reunion this time, but I'd really like to hear from any of you that remember me. You can email me at: rosecope@home.com or call at (505) 843-8450 or 345-5839. Anne (Rosen) Rose David Rosen Nancy, I am sorry about taking so long to respond to your request for my bio. I have enjoyed reading the many exploits of the Mumford Class of '61. And I think you are doing a great job. Well as I look back, quite a bit has happened in the last 40 years. A good deal of it not exactly as I planned. From Mumford I went to Highland Park Community College, where I was arrested in the summer of '62 during a student protest over our right to wear blue jeans to school. From there I went to D.I.T. from which I graduated with a BA. After College I went to work as a stockbroker and I did that for a little over 10 years. Then I decided that I didn’t like to work inside, so I starting working as a Manufacturer’s Representative and traveled ten Midwestern states. I loved it. I have seen how people in small towns will leave their doors open, even when they are away. I have looked from the tops of mountains over miles and miles of the most spectacular mix of colors in the fall and the red hue of buds in the spring. I have been married twice. My first ended in divorce. However, it did bless me with two beautiful daughters. Wendy, my first child, is now 28 years old. She is a single mom whom I admire greatly. Not to mention that she has given me the apple of my eye, my granddaughter Sydney. She is going to be 8 on November 24th. Jill is my second, and she will be 27 on November 19th. Fortunately for me, we are all close together here in the suburbs of Detroit. I also have a stepdaughter living in Marquette and a stepson and daughter-in-law who live in Chicago. Steven is the oldest (he’s 32) and we are particularly close. They are the children of my second wife Estelle. She was my friend, my lover and my soul mate. We were married for 15 passionate years. She was a beautiful dynamic woman. In 1988, Estelle was diagnosed with chronic and progressive M.S. In 1998, she died from complications of M.S. Today I am in the process living everyday as though it were the last, I try to get the best out each one. I have started a new career in telecommunications to support my habits of eating and sleeping indoors. I’m not sure if I will be able to attend the reunion. Although I saw Steve Biegel tonight and he said he was going to be there. David Rosen drose2000@msn.com Marlene Rosen You asked and you shall receive: After reading all the interesting bios of our fellow classmates, my life seems quite ordinary. I think, though, that it has been a wonderful and happy one. After graduating from Mumford, I went to Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri for 2 years (that's all there was then, now it's a 4 year school) and completed an Associate's Degree. I came back to Detroit and completed my bachelor's degree in elementary education (who knew there was anything else for a woman back then) at Wayne State and began teaching 5th grade in Oak Park. I married in 1965 and am still with the same wonderful guy today - 36 years. In fact, our anniversary is the same day as the reunion. After a few years of teaching we started our family - 3 sons. Tony (33) and Brad (31) live in Los Angeles. Brad and his wife made us grandparents of twins (boy and girl) last year. Tony is not married yet. Gregg (28) is here in the Detroit area and his wife is expecting their first child in the middle of March. I was lucky to be able to be a "Stay At Home Mom" while the boys were growing up. I volunteered at their schools and various other organizations, along with carpooling to baseball, basketball, etc. When Gregg was almost through high school I became a travel consultant. What was I thinking? We have traveled a lot during the past 16 years, lately often to L.A. to see the twins. For the past several years we have spent part of the winter in Colorado at our condo in Snowmass - I still love to ski! Looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion. Marlene Rosen Oleshansky omarlene@yahoo.com Sheila Rosen Hi Nancy, What a great thing you are doing here, bringing us all together via email. This wouldn't have been possible just a few years ago. I keep my trusty year book next to my computer to remind me of those fresh scrubbed faces and those flips. So here is my saga. I had started Wayne, majoring in Sociology. Does anyone remember Dr. Butts? He loved Jewish women because he said we age well. That was my Sociology education. I lived the hippy life for about a week in a 3rd floor walk up on Prentiss. My next door neighbors were the first couple I ever met who were living together in sin and had painted their bathtub pink. I thought that was the coolest thing I had ever seen. At 19, Ina Gold Pitt ( I'm sure you are all aware of the terrible loss of her son-in-law) and I went to LA to seek our fortune. We use to walk down Hollywood Blvd. on Sat nights with no shoes (I was dating a Hungarian soccer player who didn't speak English at the time) and thought that it just didn't get any better than that. We both went back to Detroit. She, to finish school and marry Murray Pitt and I, just to finish school. Back to LA for both of us. I married Joey Troiano, a blue eyed East coast Italian with silk suits and friends named Empty Noose and Little Louie. We divorced after 12 years. I needed to vacation somewhere other than Las Vegas. Ina and I opened a boutique in West Hollywood with a die hard following of starlet's and drag queens. After taking all the clothes and fighting over who worked hardest and was paid the least, we closed the business, (after it burned down). Ina moved back to Michigan, and I have been here ever since. I became enmeshed in the garment industry, in management and buying. I worked for a compliance co. in conjuction with the Dept of Labor, investigating sweatshop violations in alleys in China Town and basements of East LA. I loved it, but it is a losing battle with all of the illegal immigration and off shore competition. But I got to eat the best tacos.. For the last twenty years, I have been an instructor of management at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and do freelance consulting for retail start ups. I have also recently fulfilled my dream of becoming a slum landlord. I have 2 small buildings in Long Beach, and you don't know joy until you step over fish heads and chicken bones to collect the rent. I picked a business partner who isn't Jewish-she can fix things. I have a beautiful 24 year old daughter who graduated from CSUN in Psychology, and like her Mom loves adventure. I've enclosed my picture. Dr. Butts was right about Jewish women, but only because we know the best miracle workers. Peace to us all. Fondly, Sheila SST5167@msn.com Shirley Rosenberg Shirley (Rosenberg) Loewenthal After completing my BA at Wayne, teaching in Berkley, MI, and putting my husband, Larry, through medical school; I followed him around the country to Springfield, MO, where he was in the Public Health Service and then on to Washington, DC for his residency program. Here I went back to school at University of Maryland and worked towards a Design Degree. We have wonderful souvenirs from each state we lived in: a son, (Robert) Avraham who now is a well-known artist in Tzfat, Israel, a son Jeffrey, who along with his wife, gave us 2 Sabra grandchildren (who is now living in Denver for a few years with plans to return to Israel, and a daughter Lisa who, along with her husband and baby, live in NJ. She graduated Columbia College with degrees in physics and mechanical engineering, being valedictorian of the engineering school and MIT with a MA in engineering. Jeffrey has a MA in economics and international finance and is busy working as an entrepreneur setting up start-up companies. These are by far my biggest accomplishments. When asked, “What am I doing?” I usually answer “In which lifetime,” as I have taught school, worked in the Interior Design and Marketing fields and was the “Chief OF Everything” for 20 years, as I directed the growth of Vision Institute of Michigan from a staff of 6 (when I was drafted into the position) to a staff of 87, 4 offices, and a surgery center that cares for over 100,000 patients. I built 11 offices and orchestrated a number of mergers and acquisitions along the way. I then decided to retire (it took 7 years to find someone to replace me and convince my husband to also take at least some time off) as I wanted to ‘live life’, be a professional Bubby, visit my kids who lived around the world, make aliyah and last but not least build a ‘winter home’ in Israel. God willing, we will move into our home in Ra’anana this Oct. and plan to spend 5-6 months there a year. I am loving this part of my life. We travel a great deal and have done lots of volunteer work in Romania, Ukraine, Russia, and Israel. We love to ski (Aspen), Captain a ‘bare-boat’ sailboat in the Caribbean, and bike all over the world, visit with our 3 adorable grandchildren and in my spare time garden. I’m busy planning my Israeli garden at the moment. Shirley Rosenberg Loewenthal Phone: 248-355-2272 23285 Morningside Dr Fax: 248-350-2526 Southfield, Mi 48034 Cell: 248-882-1740 E-mail: stickyqueen@mediaone.net Israel Address 18 Chaim Bar Lev Phone: Will be listed as of Nov ‘01 Ra’anana, Israel Cell: 058 579 474 or 053 955 170* *From US dial 011 972 (omit first 0) + # Michael Rosenblatt Dear Nancy: Thanks for all your hard work (as these kinds of things always are). The e-mail part of it is probably not too bad, but when you start mailing things out, THEN the work (and expense) really starts to pile up. Thanks again for asking questions about me. I hope to provide a "wealth" of information. Actually my Dad, Charles Rosenblatt taught at Mumford (head of the business education dept). for at least 7 years. (Long after I graduated). As far as I'm concerned, I retired about 4 years ago after being a podiatrist in the Seattle area for over 27 years. I enjoyed it, but was REALLY glad to retired. I am still married to Yvonne (nee' Yvonne Markiewicz), a graduate of Henry Ford High, for over 34 years. We have a single daughter Amy, who's an electrical engineer who lives here with her husband, in Silicon Valley. No grandchildren yet, but we are keeping our finger's crossed. We moved down to San Jose to keep in contact with our daughter and son-in-law. But we keep out of their hair. We live here in THE VILLAGES in San Jose (http://www.the-villages.com) in Hermosa. I still have many of the same interests I had at Mumford. You probably don't know that I was an amateur concert pianist. I've played since age 6. I've done concertos with orchestras, etc, strictly amateur. I studied with the same teacher as Ruth Meckler (aka Ruth Laredo) in Detroit. She's better than I am. I still play. I will probably team up with a retired chair of the piano dept. at San Jose State University, who also lives here, and we will do the 2nd Rachmaninoff duo piano suite together, so I still DO practice. Despite my interests in classical music, I am still glad that I didn't try to become a concert pianist. Most of my fellow classmates had no idea that I could play, except for some of the music teachers. Yvonne and I will probably come to the re-union, but I am ashamed to say that I will probably not recognize or know the names of many of my classmates. Call them "senior moments." Then too, like most everyone else, I will "suck in my tummy" (figuratively speaking), comb my hair way down in front of my forehead to "maximize it" and otherwise be silly. Mike Mike Rosenblatt Dear Nancy: I wrote another bio. I have shared it with some classmates, who felt that I should send it in to you. I particularly wanted to get some reactions from Vietnam Vets prior to sending it in. They feel that Ishould send it. I am also going to try to send in a picture. I'm not entirely sure how to do that. Mike Rosenblatt A BIO FROM MIKE ROSENBLATT Bios from high school graduates tend to be a boring set of accomplishments written to prove that you have more than your fellow classmates: a variant of "whomever has the most toys by their death, wins." But that sarcasm is not really fair, since most of us at Mumford were not born with a silver spoon. We had to make it in the real world on our own. That is our accomplishment. I find the really interesting ones are from classmates who faced painful loss, illness, financial difficulties and death. I had my own personal battles, but I consider myself more lucky than most. After Mumford I went to Highland Park College (a wonderful school, where I hit my stride academically) and Wayne State. I was accepted into podiatry college in Cleveland and studied there for four years. I took a podiatry surgery internship and residency at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Leavenworth Kansas and Munson Army Hospital. More about that later. As a youngster I was certainly not a part of the cognoscenti at Mumford. People often delight in saying that, but in fact you probably won't remember me. I was overweight, socially unsure and quiet. My academic achievements then were adequate but not stellar. Despite that, I had some talents. I was an excellent amateur concert pianist and studied with one of Detroit's best professionals (Mischa Kottler). I earned the money to support those studies with a weekend bagel route. Our family was not wealthy. My father actually taught at Mumford (business ed.) for over 7 years, long after I graduated. Professional music was not for me. Classical pianists are almost as common as poker chips. I was glad to become a podiatrist instead. I settled in Washington State, far away from my past and certainly Mumford. I chose to be very active in my profession as well as our state association, and I excelled at both. I was awarded "Podiatrist of the Year" in 1993. Because I was very concerned and disappointed about the quality and quantity of Medicare reimbursements (they are even worse now), I wrote a book on how to certify medical offices into Medicare Certified Surgical Centers. I got my clinic certified in 1987. One never knows where your steps will lead. Eventually, my book became the basis for a business and more than 45 surgical centers all over the Country use it. I retired in 1994 and settled into San Jose, where our only daughter Amy moved with her husband. Amy is an electrical engineer and her husband a manufacturing engineer. So far, no grandchildren, but we are hoping. I have been married to Yvonne (Markiewicz) for over 34 years. She is the daughter of Holocaust survivors. She was born in Shanghai China. Yvonne graduated from Henry Ford High and still remembers the fluent German her parents spoke with her as a child. I picked quite a bit of it up out of "self defense." My podiatry residency and internship in Kansas represents a key vantage point in my life. It was not a paid program, but I was honored to not accept money for my "services." Even though I took active part in charity all during my practice years, those training years became an opportunity for me to learn about and interact with Vietnam Veterans, as well as others from other wars. In an ironic, prescient way, this "contribution" to Veterans allowed me to actually be of service to them, even though I was not in uniform. But I won't dare suggest that this substituted in any way for the raw courage of real soldiering. The Vietnam war left gashes on our society that still exist. For men who graduated Mumford in 1961, it demanded an "answer" in more than words. Even our government was "schizophrenic" about it. These were typical responses: 1. You joined up because you felt it was a legal, honorable and just War; and you felt an obligation to serve your Country. Or you were intending to become a professional soldier anyway, and Vietnam was a necessity for advancement through the ranks. 2. You joined up because you were about to be drafted anyway and by joining up you had a better chance of getting a good (read safer) assignment. 3. You "played" the odds of "selective service" and floated through the process, letting the chips fall where they may. Your odds of getting drafted depended on a lot of different factors, including your age, your physical and mental status, the governments' need for soldiers at the time, your college career and major, etc. 4. You actively opposed the War and demonstrated against it. 5. You actually left the country and renounced your citizenship. I don't know if any Mumford grads actually did that. It would be interesting to find out. "Selective service" was the name; selective was the game. The Government itself was a key factor in determining your "choice." By making this entire war a "selective" one, it separated social classes, including those at Mumford. This included racial aspects as our African American classmates will definitely agree. An un-stated Governmental rule definitely assigned your chances of serving because of college choice, marriage and family (at certain times), and even plain luck (lottery of birth dates) at a later point. I didn't serve in the Military. My own response was in the middle. I let the chips fall where they may and during the time of my military physical, I was issued a medical deferment. I did nothing to try to gain that deferment, and during the time I was in treatment for it, I had no particular intention or expectation that it would keep me out of the military. In the final analysis, it was just up to a "doctor's opinion." I told him: "I'd go if I were drafted, but would prefer the chance to finish my education first. I thought I'd be more value to my Country then." But I didn't volunteer. Viet Nam was the 5,000 lb. gorilla for every man who graduated Mumford in 1961. I know it is unseemly to talk about it in this retrospective, but in order to honor the men (and women) from our class who served there, I feel an obligation to mention it. It split our society and I'm sure it also split our graduation class. I remember Mary Ann Modelski, the secretary of Selective Service Board 179. I will never forget her. She was not very friendly. Even now, I remember her 300 lb. visage in a tiny office in the smelly, old Federal Building, scowling at the teenagers who nervously entered her own private doorway. Mumford graduates, particularly those who didn't serve in the Military, whether they believed in the Vietnam War or not, owe a debt of gratitude to those who did. My life since then has resonated with the contribution of Veterans to the freedom of our Country, as well as their contribution during our various wars. If my life was a success, and it was, it was certainly in great part because of freedom of opportunity. Vietnam Veterans might not think much of me for "drifting in the ocean current" of the draft, and having the "good fortune" of not being called, but I never considered moving to Canada or giving up my citizenship. A number of Viet Nam vets have since told me that it was the same for them. They drifted in the same selective service military net as I did, but their net pulled them into the service instead. But I won't judge those who did not. We had a popular two term president who did everything in his power to avoid the draft. A number of reasonable people felt the Vietnam war was immoral, unjust, unnecessary and even illegal. It took courage to demonstrate against it too. A few people were even killed during that process (Kent State). Some readers might resent this dialogue: they will say: "if you felt so patriotic, why didn't you join up and fight the war?" To answer this reasonable question I'd have to say that I was only 19 and the reasons why we were in Vietnam were by no means clear cut to me. There was no obvious moral imperative. Had Ho Chi Minh been Osama Bin Laden, I'm sure I would have felt differently. Even though I am an atheist, for me, the cemeteries at Normandy are a sacred place. Those real people, as well as those who served in Viet Nam contributed mightily to our Country. I hope Veterans are granted every possible benefit that previous military service can entitle them. Now in San Jose, where I live in a retirement community, I am in contact with authentic, real military heroes who saved mankind during the years between 1939-1945. When I go to the re-union this November, I hope that I can personally thank those men (and women) who served in Viet Nam. I hope they approach me so I can shake their hands in genuine gratitude for their courage. I also hope they will not judge me harshly for not serving. Mike Rosenblatt ROSEY1@prodigy.net Jerry Rosenthal After graduating from Mumford, I attended Wayne State University where I received a BS, MS, and, finally in 1974, a PhD in Physiology from the WSU School of Medicine. It was about this time that I realized that I did not wish to conduct research in a laboratory for the rest of my life. To end the suspense and reveal the surprise ending, this essay is about Jerry Rosenthal, January 1961 Mumford graduate. As it happened, I was working part-time at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac Michigan (a suburb of Bloomfield Hills) as Director of Medical Education (DME) and then full-time in the position as I completed my PhD. That was my true calling: to work with people to organize and develop programs in medical education. I continued as DME and have held positions of Assistant Dean for Graduate and Continuing Medical Education at the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Peoria, Illinois, and Director of Medical Education at Hurley Medical Center in Flint, Michigan (a northern suburb of Pontiac, Michigan). I was on a roll now, having positions at two of the major resort areas of the country. I was then hired at the American Medical Association (home of the Sunbeam fiasco), in Chicago, as Assistant Director in the Division of Allied Health Education and Accreditation. I remained there until 1984 when the AMA, in its infinite wisdom, decided to discontinue its accreditation services for allied health programs, and thus went the department that supported that activity. But, I bounced back as usual. On my last day at the AMA, I was hired as Director of Accreditation for the National Commission on Correctional Health Care in Chicago. What that meant was I visited jails and prisons to accredit the health programs those facilities had for their inmates. I would always find my designer pens missing after my visits. I suppose you could call it an occupational hazard, or theft if you prefer. * * * * INTERMISSION * * * * Actually, the intermission was for me so that I could attend my local home restroom – my prostate isn’t what it used to be. I’m almost at the end of my illustrious career. I then worked for Advocate Health Care in the Chicago area as Director of Scientific Communications at its Research Institute. There I was head of the Annual Research Forum that encompassed the seven hospitals in the Advocate system and managing editor of a system wide health care journal that I developed. After being there four years, there was a coup (I guess that’s like a pigeon) that toppled the vice-president and one of the directors of the Research Institute and the Institute itself. I knew my days were numbered and, with severance package in hand, I was hired as Executive Director of Editorial and Publishing Services for Harvey Whitney Books in Cincinnati, Ohio. Currently, I have bought a home in West Chester, Ohio, where I am now living, and am closing on my home in the Chicago area this month. Then my wife and I will finally be together again, having been apart since last September when I began the job in Cincinnati. Anyway, to make a short story even longer, I married Katie Webster in 1970. We have two wonderful children, Joshua, 29, and Gavrielle, 26. Josh is attending Columbia College in Chicago and is aspiring to become a filmmaker. Gavrielle graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, but not before she won a Watson Fellowship in her senior year. The fellowship gave her the opportunity to visit many European countries while undertaking a project of her own design - to research what became of the holocaust memorial sites and museums since they were first established. After a short hiatus from her traveling, Gavi is now spending the next two years in Jordan as part of the Peace Corps. What do I know of Jordan, other than the almonds that it produces. I could not be any happier with my wife Katie who has helped to raise our children and provided a nurturing environment that has instilled her qualities in them. She is a shining gem and has not lost her luster in all these years. She is also a craftsperson who started her own, at-home business in 1981. It is known as Katie Designs. She makes fabric-covered albums, jewelry boxes, lamps, wedding accessories, floral arrangements, etc. She was featured at Saks Fifth Avenue in Chicago many years ago as one of a handful of local artists worth watching. She sells her items in several stores and, together, we sell in selected craft shows. I really am getting near the end of my story. I have developed many extra-curricular interests over the years (not other women). I love riding my 1982 Honda CB900 Custom and have ridden cycles since 1980. I play the banjo – clawhammer style. My wife and I love animals and have four dogs: Toujour Gay and Sophie - the Brussels Griffons, and Sandy and Willow - the Chihuahuas. And I have been selling items on Ebay for the last three years. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I am an avid and addicted collector of SAFETY RAZORS, you know like Gillette safety razors. I have over 400 razors in my collection that represent over 200 different companies. The razors date back to 1886. Some you wind up and they vibrate, others are electric and you plug them in. Some look like lipstick cases, others like fountain pens. Some are as small as the diameter of a half dollar and others come with blades for every day of the week that you resharpen. Well, enough razor talk. I have read many of my classmates’ biographies over the past several weeks. They bring both tears and laughter. You begin to realize that no matter how idyllic other peoples’ lives may appear, they are usually fraught with both good times and bad. But in the end, the messages that are coming through loud and clear are that those lives have been made stronger and healthier, with a true understanding of what really matters. I hope to attend the reunion in November and hear more of the fascinating stories that I have been reading about my classmates. Bill Buam (did I get the spelling right this time?): see; now you know at least one person from the graduating class. I would love hear from classmates that I knew and, perhaps, even those that I did not know. My email address is jprkmr@abac.com. Jerry Rosenthal West Chester, OH Matt Rosenthal Nancy: Congratulations on your work putting this reunion together, and gathering so much information on so many people. The diversity and accomplishments of this group is amazing. I barely graduated from U of M, being led astray from my studies by many unsavory characters, all of whom I still cherish, but rarely see. I then taught Spanish and Social Studies for four years to stay out of Vietnam while obtaining an MBA in Marketing at Wayne State. I've been in marketing and advertising ever since, always in the Detroit area. I've worked for some very interesting companies, and currently have my own small company. Carol Eisenberg (Mumford '63) didn't believe anyone, so she and I have been married for 34 years and we have two very terrific kids, if you can call a 31 year old and a 28-year-old kids. Both teach High School Spanish, Eric in Troy and Jill in West Bloomfield. Eric is also a basketball coach and Jill is also the school's activities director. Neither is married, so we don't have any grandchildren, so if you happen to know of anyone .... Looking forward to the reunion. Again, great work, Nancy and the rest of your group. Matt Rosenthal faygomktg@aol.com Carol Ross Hi everyone, It’s hard to believe that we are approaching our 40th reunion. Working on the reunion has been a lot of fun, and I will do it again for our 50th. Reading the bios has been wonderful, and makes you aware of your classmates whom you have forgotten throughout the years. Life certainly has not been boring for me. I was married to Eddie Bliznick for five years. I got divorced and married Steven Plotnik and was married to him for almost 10 years. I have no children. I have been divorced from Steven for many years now and am still looking for that "Prince Charming." Next time I will stay away from the names ending in "nik." My sales career started at Mary Jane Shoes on Livernois and 7 Mile Road and also at the Pickwick shop. Remember those stores? I worked at Saks Fifth Ave. as a Manager for 16 years, and then left retailing to experience other areas of sales. I look forward to seeing my classmates at the reunion and for those who cannot attend, I wish you a happy Thanksgiving, and I hope that you have a great new year!!! I hope by the 50th reunion our nation will have settled down and we will have a new World Trade Center. See you at the reunion or on email!!!! Carol (Ross) Plotnik carolplotnik@yahoo.com Gaile Ross Nancy: I have been reluctant to submit my bio but your message of August 19th encouraged me to give it a try. After graduating from Mumford, I attended Monteith College at Wayne State University. I then taught second and third grade at Courville Elementary School in Detroit. While working on my Masters, I was recruited by the U.S. Bureau of the Census and I moved to Washington D.C. in September of 1967. I worked in the Ethnic Origins Statistics Branch of the Census Bureau and was put in charge of American Indian data (because I could name more than five tribes, thanks to Michigan history). I was very involved in the planning of the 1970 Census and spent some time in Arizona supervising the enumeration on the Papago and Navajo Reservations. It was during this time at the Census Bureau that I became a Demographic Statistician. In the Government, everyone has a job title and I have had this one for 34 years. My next Federal Government job was with the Indian Health Service, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. I was the Chief of Population Statistics and I was very involved with the establishment of Revenue Sharing for Tribal Governments. This job took me to some very remote places and was very enriching. In 1980, I transferred jobs and began working for the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement, also part of the Department of Health and Human Services. This has been a very rewarding job. When I first came here, the State Child Support Enforcement programs were only collecting $1.5 Billion a year on behalf of the children in the child support system. In 2000, they collected $18 billion. There have been many legislative changes in the program and I have been a major player in proposing legislation and helping to implement new laws. As the Director of the Division of Planning, Research and Statistics, I am responsible for a large staff that compiles statistics and published analytical reports. I also direct the research program for my agency. This is a program that spends over $10 million a year on grants and demonstration projects. We sponsor national, regional, state and local projects. I have traveled to nearly every state and given presentations at countless conferences, conventions and meetings. Being the ultimate government bureaucrat has been an interesting experience and I feel like I have contributed to society and helped create benefits for children. In 1969, I was married to a wonderful man I met in Washington. Marvin and I recently celebrated our 32nd Anniversary. Marvin was born in Chicago but grew up in Washington. Living in the Washington area is fun. There is a real sense of being part of world happenings. We have two wonderful children: Betsy is a Ph.D. candidate at Yale in Cellular Molecular Developmental Biology and Brian is a Financial Planner. Neither is married as yet, but we are hopeful. Marvin is planning on retiring at the end of this year and I will follow shortly after. We have a second home in West Palm Beach and plan to do the Snow Bird thing for a while. We both have done volunteer work for many years and plan to continue. Gaile (Ross) Maller Chief Statistician Director Division of Planning, Research and Evaluation Office of Child Support Enforcement phone: (202) 401-1822/401-5368 fax: (202) 401-5642 e-mail: gmaller@ACF.DHHS.Gov Brian Rothbart Nancy, Below is a brief synopsis: Married, no children Podiatrist, practiced in California than Washington for 30 years PhD Biomechanics CoFounder GRD BioTech Inc Holds US and International Patents on replaceable insoles Presently two jobs: Director Medical Billing Company R&D for BioTech Brian Rothbart brianr3@ix.netcom.com Bob Rourke Am I the only on who wishes he/she could do it again? High school is just a cloudy haze to me. I do remember the typing class, the fantastic science curriculum, student managing the football team, and piloting a motorcycle to class that outweighed me 4 to 1. I never skipped and now have nothing to write about. Obligatory Bio: The small scholarship expired after 1 semester at Wayne State. I found the freshman instructors abominable and my interest waning anyway. So 3 children and a marriage that still exists preceded my graduation from Lawrence Tech at age 29. Bless that school; they still dun me for contributions. I've worked at the GM Research Laboratories for the bulk of 33 years, doing my part to develop software on vacuum tube computer/design systems. They were hot, slow and unreliable - not unlike the Windows system I'm using at this moment. I dabbled in the largest and newest mainframes, the earliest super-computers, and network systems barely removed from the spawning University. My accrued knowledge is, of course, of no value today (apparently one has to continue learning).... so I now handle communications for a smallish insurance company. I don't need Calculus anymore, but thank g_d I took that typing course. My goal is to exceed the life span of my male ancestors. I have one year to go - pray for me (assuming you make it). Bob Rourke bob.rourke@npic.com Nina Rudin Hi Nancy. Thanks for asking for my bio—although I’m happy with my life, I wasn’t going to send it because it may sound dull compared to some of the very interesting bios I have read. But since you asked directly, here goes. First, thank you for all the time and work you have put into this project. It is appreciated. During high school I was in the Business Co-Op program and always worked. After graduating, I worked as a secretary for a few years before realizing that I was missing something by not going to college. I started at Highland Park JC, graduated, and then went to Wayne State. After a year at WSU, my part time job was becoming far more interesting than school. I worked for the law firm that was the prosecutor in the Grecian Gardens/Black Book Grand Jury case. Do any of you remember that? Anyway, that was the end of my college career. (I left academia in the family to cousin Neil Rudin, also in our class, who has had a very distinguished academic career.) I married Alan Herman (Livonia Bentley ’60) in 1968, and will be celebrating our 33rd in November. We have no children but live vicariously through friends’ and relatives’ children and grandchildren. Alan has always been in the travel business in one way or another. We were transferred to St. Louis in ‘71 by his incentive travel company and lived there for 5 years. We enjoyed St. Louis, but in ’76 Alan got an offer we couldn’t refuse from the Sheraton Corp in Boston, his hometown. New Englanders are somewhat different than Midwesterners and it took us a while to “assimilate” but I love it now. Besides family, the thing I miss most is not having the roots of my childhood here like Alan does. When we lived in Detroit, I would always meet someone who went to, or had a connection to, my childhood schools…McCulloch and Hampton…and neighborhoods…Grand, Linwood, Lawton, Dexter & Thatcher, Six Mile, Seven Mile, Livernois. I saw Beverly Hills Cop in Boston and Eddie Murphy was wearing a Mumford shirt! Remember? Well I screamed out to a full house, “that’s my high school”! The audience response was a good laugh...they didn’t understand. Alan opened a travel agency 16 years ago. I keep the books, and have also worked in various secretarial positions over the years. I now have a good job as an executive secretary for a man that has a very secure company and appreciates loyalty (he’s a dinosaur by today’s standards). The best benefit is that I am free to travel whenever I want, so besides our personal travel, I co-host travel groups with Alan (30 to 225 people) 2 to 3 times a year. It’s great! I am a cancer survivor and consider myself lucky that it was caught early (ladies—I can’t stress enough the importance of regular mammograms) and that I have a wonderful spouse who was my rock during the whole thing. I feel fortunate to have had my parents well into their 80’s but lost both of them in the past two years. I am also lucky to have a wonderful brother and am blessed with extraordinary in-laws. Yes, I have a lot of things to be thankful for. All in all, it’s been a wonderful life--until the events of September 11, 2001. I am not a very religious person, but I am saying a prayer for us all. Nina Rudin Herman alanina@mediaone.net Ina Sachs Dear Nancy: I promised you I would give you a bio and here it is: First of all hello to all my classmates: After graduating Mumford I went to Detroit Business institute and graduated as a Legal Secretary. I then took a two week temporary job, while looking for work as a legal Secretary. While on the temporary job a man came to interview me for another temporary job. I wound up staying with that man for 33 years. He had an insurance agency. During the 33 years I held various jobs, getting my license for Property & Casualty and then Life & Health. I became office manager and Controller and worked as a bookkeeper and statistical typist. I was sent to various locations around the country to open offices one being in California. I never did work as legal secretary. After 33 years, my boss sold his business and the new owners did not want me. I did get another insurance job, but had to start from scratch with lower pay and no benefits. After a few months, I parted company with them, and after a couple of weeks, I had a major stroke. I spent many months recovering as best I could. I still slur my words sometimes and when I am talking, some words just don't come to mind. But I am ALIVE and that is wonderful. I am retired under disability and live with 5 cats that keep me going. I am sorry I can no longer crochet or garden, but I am happy to be here. If anybody wants to talk to me they can reach me at: inasachs@aol.com Fayclare Sand Dear Nancy here is my bio Since graduating from Mumford, I went to University of Detroit and graduated from their dental assisting program and became a Certified Dental Assistant. I started dating my husband when I was at Post Junior High. We continued to date and finally got married in 1964. I stayed home to raise our two sons David and Randy. David is now a lawyer and lives with his wife Risa in Farmington Hills. Randy is also a lawyer and lives with his wife, Michelle, in West Bloomfield. Michelle happens to be the daughter of a fellow classmate, Donna Spoon. We are the proud grandparents of Jackson Henry Blau who is almost eight months old. I worked as a Dental Assistant while my husband Bob (Mumford '60) went to medical school. We have lived in Detroit all of our lives, except Bob's one year Fellowship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Now that the boys are grown I have been working in the same dental office for 14 years. Bob is an Ophthalmologist, sub-specializing in Retinal and Vitreous surgery. He keeps quite busy with three offices in the Detroit Metro area. I am active as a volunteer in our synagogue and other organizations. I look forward to our reunion and seeing many of you. Fayclare (Sand) Blau rpblau@mediaone.net Sandra Sandweiss Hi Nancy, Good to hear from you and that plans for our reunion are underway. I have one 28 year old son, Dan Berman -- no grandchildren. I recently retired from teaching special education, and look forward to enjoying my interests of playing the classical guitar and watercolor painting. Thanks for all your work, and I'll look forward to seeing you in November. Sandra (Sandweiss) Berman Sberman1@aol.com Isaac Schaver Hi Nancy, Here's a short bio of my life since Mumford. I'm sure many can relate. After Mumford, I went into Peace Corps (Sierra Leone) and afterward got married, had 2 kids, and studied medicine in Israel. Returned to USA and began working at Sinai. Then my past (holocaust survivor, adoptee) caught up with me. I went through a long and ugly divorce, got addicted to drugs and alcohol, lost medical license and myself in process, spent almost 2 years at mental hospital for depression, studied to become a Rabbi and became disullusioned with formal religion. I am now an upstanding "retired" citizen with vigorous 96 year old foster mother, 2 grown daughters, an active golf life, sticking around as long as life doesn't get too painful. On one hand, one can say my life has been a wasted potential, on the other hand, one can say I'm a survivor. I say both hands are true! My Mumford experience was probably the last "innocent" time of my life. Isaac ischaver@bigfoot.com Marcy Scheidenpelz – Just in case you didn't realize it, Marcy Scheidenpelz's bio was a spoofbio and was contributed by Classmate Sharee Harvith and husband Tom. -- Nancy Greetings, dear 1961 classmates! If you've been wondering when you were going to hear from Marcy Scheidenpelz, wonder no more. Although my grades were the pits at Mumford, I had a fantastic social life. My life really took off after graduation, like a Boeing 707---I mean, I had no fear of flying, so much for Erica Jong and her shtick! The years that followed 1961 were tumultuous for me. After many successful occasions of the kind, Dad was finally caught in a botched bank holdup and went to prison for ten years. Mom then got into the escort - plus business to put food on the table, but the competition was fierce, and the girls getting unionized proved to be the final straw. Then my brother's short - lived success in printing fifty - dollar bills folded and he was reunited with Dad in prison. Suddenly I was on my own, but not discouraged, I jumped headlong into the job market and landed the position of product tester in a prophylactic manufacturing firm. The pay was low, but satisfying my bodily needs on a regular basis was well worth it. Due to problems with quality control I became pregnant after a while, but my performance evaluations were so good that I could keep my job until a few days before my baby was born. She was adopted by a nice couple, received a good education, and is now gainfully employed in a massage parlor. After my baby’s birth I decided to move up in life and widen my horizons. Acting on advice, I enrolled at the University of Chincaglia in comparative concubinary sciences. The subject of my PhD thesis was the sexual edacity of hallucinating rats in symbiosis with prairie dogs. At this point in time I was ready to transfer my research methodology to humans and make some money doing it. I began to travel extensively all over the world and enjoyed the company and the wallets of a large number of temporary significant others. At some time during Clinton’s presidency, I tried to become an intern in the White House, but a nasty fight with Monica left me partially bald and all my savings were invested in expensive plastic surgery with hair grafting (the transplant came from my armpits, so put your imagination to rest!). After all this upheaval I decided to retire in a small villa on the California coast, where I get drunk every night on tequila, and reminisce about the good old Mumford days. Many of you, I understand, have become successful writers, playwrights and movie directors, and this gives me an inspiration to sober up one of these days and write up my memoirs under the title of "Sixty nine ways of pleasing your partner". If Hollywood buys it in time, I promise that I shall pay for everybody's dinner at the next Mumford reunion. Although I don't expect to be in Detroit this November, I would appreciate hearing from any of you. My current address is 101 Via Orinal de la Cingada, Unit 54, Rio Mierda de Toro, California 23456-7890. Adios, Marcy Mike Schermer Dear Classmates, I have been married to the same wonderful woman for 35 years, I have held the same job for 25 years, and I have lived in the same house for 23 years. Along the way, Shelly and I have had two great kids, both of who are happily married to women we really like. In fact, our favorite times are still those spent with "the kids." We wish they were closer to Sacramento. David is 500 miles away in La Jolla, and Ethan is in Honolulu. They work together on a web site called: www.nutritionalsupplements.com Check it out. We expect our first grandchild in December. He will be a Hawaiian. Shelly practiced law till 1991, when she switched to financial planning. I much prefer living with her since she shed the stress and vicissitudes of law. David married a terrific girl named Charlotte, whose father happens to be Mexican, and Ethan is hitched to a darling pixie named Sabrina who is Vietnamese, so the next generation of Schermers is less conformist, and more multicultural. Speaking of Vietnam, I need to add that, rather than catching a bullet in that country, I spent two years working on the Papago Indian Reservation in Southern Arizona. Saguaro cacti, mesquite and distant mountains in the middle of the desert, 60 miles from Tucson, surrounded us. The average summer temperature was over 100 degrees, and when it rained, the drainage would stop traffic for hours. I did general practice at the hospital where I took care of a lot of sick kids and delivered a lot of babies. We often took our own X rays, and did our own lab tests. It was a fantastic two years. I would do it again in a heartbeat. The government gave us a home on the hospital compound, walking distance from the hospital where I worked. I had plenty of time to spend with Shelly and the kids, and the work was stimulating. We learned to love the desert. I was Chief of Staff at the Sells Indian Hospital. With a total of six doctors, only three of us had seniority, and the other two didn't want the job. I am treasurer of the California Physicians Alliance. This is an organization with a great name, but a small impact. We have been struggling for six years to stay solvent in Sacramento's intense HMO environment. I got the prestigious position by having my arm twisted. About 10 years ago I started taking a group of visually handicapped people to the California State Fair. Every year, my staff and I sponsor and escort ten to twenty people. It is a day full of gratification. The Fair is a party for the senses that everyone can enjoy. I have done volunteer eye surgery in Mexico, the Philippines and China. These have been our best trips because the local medical communities host us. In 1993 I became a founding member of the Purple Paw Foundation, a charitable organization with its roots in Ann Arbor. My work on a Sigma Alpha Mu reunion in 1989 qualified me for this position of dubious distinction. Most of my time is spent being a dinosaur with a solo private medical practice. It has been a marvelous practice for 25 years, and I want to keep active with it for another 25. That would be a claim to fame, 50 years in practice! The practice website is: www.lasereyes.com. My favorite movie is "Bang the Drum Slowly." I love Pat Conroy and Dominick Dunne, and I enjoy computers, skiing, hiking and classical music. I have given myself doctor's orders to workout at least four times a week. During the workout, I listen to books on tape. You can take the boy out of Mumford, but you can't take Mumford out of the boy. See you at Comerica Park. Mike Schermer (page 110) Email address: mjs@lasereyes.com Leslie Scherr Ohhhhhhh, the pressure! You'd think that, at this age, it wouldn't really matter. But, with Nancy's prodding, and reading about so many classmates (whether I knew them or not) and their accomplishments (just living this long is an accomplishment of sorts!), I succumbed and decided to fold my bio into the mix. Like so many of us, I headed off to Ann Arbor in the Fall of '61, there to spend the next 8 years as an undergrad (art history), overgrad (art history), and wife of a medical student ('65-'69). After Lou graduated from U-M medical school, we spent the next 28 years living along I-75, which I thought was my eternal destiny. We spent 2 years in Lexington, KY, for a partial residency and the birth of our son Aaron. From there it was north to Toledo, OH, where our son Adam was born and Lou finished his residency. Deferred from the service until now, we owed the USAF 2 years...which we spent in beautiful almost-downtown Dayton. The best thing about that time along the expressway was the birth of our daughter Rachel. In the summer of 1976, our family of 5 returned to Toledo, where most of us stayed...at least for a while. Lou did a fellowship in peripheral vascular surgery and then went into private practice there. I began volunteering as a docent at the Toledo Museum of Art, a stint that I enjoyed for 20 years, even after I joined the staff as the coordinator of art docent education. I also taught art history part-time at the University of Toledo, learning very quickly how much college students had changed...and remained the same...over the years. I watched with pride as my kids grew into adulthood, spousehood and parenthood. That pride hasn’t diminished one iota Aaron, 32, lives with his Parisian wife and their 4 children (Hindy-6, Chaya-5, Menachem-3and Michel-2) in Liverpool, England, where he has developed a Judaic Studies curriculum for the day school there. His yeshiva education, rabbinical ordination, B.A. in philosophy from U-M and M.A. from Columbia University Teachers College have all informed his professional accomplishments. (He was hired to work there for 2 years, this is his 5th, and one of the synagogues has hired him as a part-time rabbi, hoping he'll decide to stay forever!). Adam, 29, also likes exotic: his wife Beth was born and raised in Anchorage, AK. They live, at least for now, in San Francisco with Noah (9 months), while Adam finishes his last year of osteopathy school there. It took Adam awhile to decide what he really wanted to do after graduating from Yeshiva University in NYC. He spent a few years trying out other scientific fields, but finally decided to do the medical school thing. He should graduate in May, and we all hope (I think futilely) that he'll move back east, at least for a residency (anesthesiology)...the only sure thing is that they won't end up in Alaska. Rachel, 27, not to be outdone, also married exotic: Yossi is a wonderful guy from Crown Heights, Brooklyn! Their wedding came on the heels of her Jewish education, and part-way through her secular one. She opted for heavy-duty Jewish education, like her brothers before her; so she went to NY for middle- and high school, living with her aunt and uncle for 6 years. After graduating from Bais Yaakov Academy in Brooklyn, she spent a year at a Jewish teacher's seminary in Melbourne, Australia (which I probably would never have seen otherwise) and then went on to Barnard College, marriage, a baby, and a B.A. in English...in that order. After graduating from Barnard almost 3 years ago, she and Yossi left NY for CT, to open a Chabad House, offering Jewish programs for the Shoreline community. They live in Branford with their daughter Basya (4) and sons Yehoshua (3) and Avrahom (2). In the Fall of 1997, I finally had an opportunity to pull away from the I-75 magnet, too. I was offered what seemed to be the dream job...and it has been! The Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill hired me to join the staff as one of 4 museum educators. One of my colleagues and I focus on school programs all k-12 teachers and students in the Triangle area (and beyond, actually). We train the volunteer gallery teachers (25 is a vast improvement over Toledo's 125!), develop gallery lessons with and for public and private school teachers and, best of all, actually get to teach some of the lessons we plan! The professional challenges are exciting, the people interesting, and the life style here as close to Ann Arbor as I could imagine...with better weather! Things have been good and I look forward to seeing many of you in just a few weeks. Warmest regards, Leslie (Scherr) Balkany lcbalkany@aol.com Naida Schiff Dear Nancy, I’ve lived in the Detroit area for all but three years, when my husband and I lived in Boston in the early 1970s. I have been married for 34 years to Stephen Migdal, who is a 1960 graduate of Mumford. We didn’t know each other in High School, which isn’t surprising considering the size of our classes. We didn’t know many of the people in our own year, which becomes so apparent when reading the biographies! Steve is now Chief of Nephrology at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. I am a psychiatric social worker. We lived in Boston during my husband’s fellowship years. While there, I taught some classes dealing with emotional problems in children at Lesley College in Cambridge. It was a difficult decision to return to Detroit from the East Coast, but raising our two kids with grandparents around turned out to be a plus for everyone involved. We have a daughter, Linda, 30, who lives in the Detroit area, and is planning to be married next spring. She followed in her mother’s footsteps, and is a psychiatric social worker. Our son, David, 25, lives in Chicago. He works for a telecommunications company. He continually reminds us that marriage is the furthest thing from his mind. I thoroughly enjoy having two independent, wonderful adult children. But, as for grandchildren, I guess I have to continue to wait to become a grandparent. I always knew I felt ready for that new role, but after reading bios from all those proud grandparents in our class, I admit that I am somewhat envious. Though there are no grandchildren in the picture, I am surrounded by lots of wonderful kids in my work. I am a psychotherapist in private practice, and the majority of my practice is with children and adolescents. Recently I’ve begun to see many youngsters who have been adopted internationally, which has become increasingly common. There is still so much to learn about the special meaning to these kids of having two cultures as part of their identity, on top of the adoption issues itself. We are learning together about the special challenges and rewards of these adoptions. I find the work extremely gratifying. After “30-some” years working with children and their families, I still love what I do. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the biographies. They have been a great way to connect to and learn more about what the last 40 years has been like for our fellow classmates. Looking forward to learning more. Naida Schiff Migdal sdmrc@aol.com Adrienne Schon Sorry Nancy. I have no excuse for waiting so long to send this, except after reading all the great replies you are getting, I was wondering what I could say that would be interesting. My husband, Sid Finkelstein (retired Detroit Water Board Chemist and now an accountant) and I, along with our two beautiful daughters, moved from Southfield in 1981 to southern California. We have lived in Valencia, which is north of LA (near Magic Mountain for those of you familiar with the area) since the move to CA. We love the area. I worked as a word processor for a CPA firm until 1987, and then my husbands practice got really busy and I quit work to really work (with him). I still work with him (tax-season at our house is a real test to our marriage - but it has lasted for 35 years so I think we are okay!). Our daughters are both happily married. One is a legal secretary and has two beautiful sons, aged 6 and 3. The other one works at Princess Cruises (lucky us - we went on our first cruise to Alaska last year and will cruise again as long as she works there!) and has a 2 month old son (I ordered a girl but she said maybe next time!!). I'm happy to say we are a very close knit family and all live within 10 minutes of each other! We travel when we can. Every year we meet my oldest and dearest friend, Ann Schwartz Gallison (fellow graduate of our class) in Las Vegas. It is a great mini-reunion for us. I am sorry to say we can't make it to the reunion, but am looking forward to the "book" that is created from all our classmates. Wish I could join you. Adrienne (Schon) Finkelstein sidade522@earthlink.net Bob Schore Dear Nancy, I really enjoyed the 30th reunion, but remained indecisive about the 40th until your Featured Classmate series captured my attention, pushing me off my ambivalent stance and onto the internet to purchase my round trip airfare to Detroit. I know now why people watch soap operas, and finally I'm motivated to produce my 40th reunion bio. I was very reserved in high school, and my sense of humor did not develop until about 4 o'clock this afternoon. Like most of you, I kept going to school, first Wayne State for two years, then my B.S. from University of Michigan. Medical School followed from 1965 to 1969. I interned in Oakland, California for a year at which point I was burned out by academically supervised medicine. I did an about face and plunged into being a country doctor, delivering lots of babies, and learning about the "front lines" of medicine. However, not being adept at running a business, I took a job with Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound in Olympia, Washington. That was a wonderful group practice experience. However, when a bus driver friend in Los Angeles sent me a book about Homeopathy, my life changed. I took a postgraduate course in homeopathy in 1974 and found out that most illnesses, which I had been taught were incurable or surgery/drug-dependent, could be cured or significantly improved by homeopathy. Of course, as was common in the 70's, this discovery alienated me from just about everyone I knew, except my mother, who, even though she continues not to understand what I do, thinks it's just wonderful and tells everyone about it. So, I quit Group Health before they fired me for helping to cure a patient with unconventional methods. I did not want to leave the Seattle area, but opportunities presented themselves elsewhere. While living in San Diego, I learned a lot about natural healing methods and nutrition, and for a few years was the editor of a homeopathic medical journal. I learned Cranial Osteopathy in Dallas, which in the 80's was the Mecca for this profession. Finally I moved back to Seattle where I've been blessed with many opportunities to expand my understanding of spiritual healing. I've learned to merge intuitive healing with the essence of Homeopathy and Cranial Osteopathy. Now I don't know what to do with my M.D. degree! On the personal side, I've been married for 29 years . . . in three shifts (like day, swing, and night shifts). I have a wonderful 30 year-old daughter (conceived and born during the first shift) who recently married and lives in Oakland, CA with her Israeli husband. They live near my first wife. My second wife moved with me from San Diego to Dallas, but stayed in Dallas, I think, so that I could meet my third wife in Seattle. My third wife and I are divorced but both of us live and work together in Seattle. Now, according to my friend-since-grade-school, Sandy Friedman, I'm now ready to move to Utah to become a Mormon, but only after they pass new laws legalizing polygamy. Then I figure I can marry three more women at the same time, which will save me a lot of time and money for the next 50 years! I am looking forward to the reunion, to visiting with old friends, and making some new ones. It will be good to "touch base" again in Comerica Park. Detroit was a very special place in the 50's, and our Class of '61 had extraordinary energy, which is alive and well today. Best regards, Bob Schore E-mail: rms@drschore.com Judy Schultz I’m married to Bob Ancell ( ’59 Mumford graduate). We have a son who lives In California and our daughter and her husband ( who is our second son) live in Washington DC. I got the obligatory teaching degree, but lasted six weeks as a library teacher in an inner city Detroit school . I went from working with young children to being a social worker at the Jewish Home for the Aged when it was located on Petosky and Burlingame. I loved that job but, unfortunately, had to leave, as the pay wasn’t the best. I then was an employment counselor for MESC at the McNamara Skill Center, which was part of Johnson’s war on poverty. It was very interesting and quite a different world than the sheltered one in which we grew up. My next full time job was being a mother. I then became a vocational rehabilitation counselor . When my daughter entered school, I became very active in politics and have gotten to know some interesting people. I was on an advisory board to James Blanchard when he was governor of Michigan. I also did an internship for Senator Don Riegel ( Since I was already 43 and married, thankfully, my experience was quite different than the young interns we hear about in the media. ) For the past ten years, I have been a mediator for the Oakland County Mediation Center. It is a very rewarding experience In addition to visiting our children, we have enjoyed traveling to many interesting places. We have been to such diverse places as South America, Russia, Europe in addition to our travels in the United States. We are currently planning a trip to China. Reading is still one of my great pleasures. I am a founding member of the Monday Night Book Club which has been in existence since 1971. Traveling, reading, friends and family are what occupy my time these days. Its a good life. Judy Schultz (Ancell) jancell@aol.com Ed Schutzman Dear Nancy, I'm glad to provide you my biography but I'm afraid its not nearly as interesting as the others I have seen. After graduating Mumford I got a degree in business from Wayne State and then a law degree from the University of Michigan. In 1967 I married Judy Ostrow, a 1963 Mumford graduate and we are still married. I have no children, but she has one, that being me. Since college graduation I have obtained my CPA certificate and I am a member of the California Bar. I have my own office in Burlingame, California, not far from the San Francisco airport. Our hobby is travel and although we haven't been to all of the continents, we have visited 57, like Heinz countries. We just came back from a visit to the Canadian Rockies. We had already seen most of Canada, although I'm sure we'll go back since it's so close, though not as close as it is to Detroit. This fall we will hit 60 countries when we visit Ecuador, Peru and Chile. When you sent the bio of Michael Stecker I contacted him because we shared a locker at Mumford. He was also a big traveler, having visited all seven continents, but he didn't remember me and hadn't visited anywhere near 57 countries. I wasn't that memorable in high school and I'm not that memorable now, but I haven't got much to complain about. I don't think I'll make it back to Detroit for the reunion as I'm not too big on cold weather. We get to Detroit on a fairly regular basis since we both still have family there and we try and make all the parties. We did go back in February for a bar mitzvah. It was too cold and although you did experience a record high temperature during one of the days we were there, we didn't get too excited, since it was only 56 degrees. I did visit Mumford on one of my last trips to Detroit and was surprised to see it was now gray and black instead of maroon and blue. It produced a great travel story. if we ever see one another, (do you even remember me?), remind me to tell you. it's a funny story in a sad sort of way. Ed Schutzman Email address: schutz4@juno.com Alan Schwartz Not much to write: After Mumford, Michigan (1965) and Harvard Law School (1968); married that same year to Sandy Goldberg from Norfolk, Virginia; returned home to practice law which I have done at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn ever since (with no plans to retire); two sons, David (1969) and Mark (1972), both attorneys, both in Chicago and both single; one dog, Harley (2000), in lieu of grandchildren; Sandy and I live in Franklin and love it; all is well; as Jane Carnick Weber wrote - her mother and my father are now married and we are accordingly step-siblings, but Jane neglected to add that she has another step-sibling in the January class, since Wendy Serwer Ormond's father (now deceased) was also married to Jane's mother; I look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion. Alan Schwartz azs@honigman.com Ann Schwartz Hi Nancy, It is so hard to believe that it is 40 years since we walked the halls of that maroon and blue building! Some days I still feel like a kid, and others, well, not so young! Shortly after graduation, I met Harvey Gallison. Ten months later, we were married! I was 19 years old, very young by today's standards! Over the next 7 years, we had 4 beautiful daughters! If you remember, I was the most prolific at our 10-year reunion!! Trust me when I tell you that raising 4 daughters is about the toughest job on earth, especially when they were all teenagers! Today, Lisa is 37 and has 2 children. Marlo is 35 and has 4 children. Tracey is 33 and has 3 children, and Marci is 31 and has 1 child! If you are that adding all up, it comes to 10 grandchildren!! 5 boys and 5 girls ranging in age from 11 years to 5 weeks! They are WONDERFUL! Harvey was never lucky enough to meet any of these wonderful babies, as he passed away in August of 1990 from Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as ALS, after only 27 wonderful years of marriage! He died 2 months before the birth of our first grandchild. He was my best friend, so it took a while to pick up the pieces, but I did. I was lucky enough to find a new best friend! For the past 8 1/2 years, Rod Burke and I have been a wonderful team! He is Grandpa to my grandchildren, a great pal to my children and the perfect soul mate for me. I am a Design Consultant working at a Design Studio in West Bloomfield. I am planning to retire from the work world a year from June when I turn "60." Gee...remember when 60 was old? Rod & I live in Bloomfield Hills, but we also own a home in Summerlin, Nevada, a suburb of Las Vegas, where we will retire one day. I still maintain a 42-year friendship with Janet Rope Ginsburg, who is living in Florida, and a 46-year friendship with Adrienne Schon Finkelstein, who is living in California. As a matter of fact, Adrienne and Sid and Rod and I meet in Las Vegas every August and have some fun together! Some things never change!! Ann (Schwartz) Gallison Fleetsa6425@aol.com Ricky Schwartz Nancy: It may not be Pulitzer material, but you get what you pay for. The Life and Times of Rick (Ricky, Frederick) Schwartz After graduating from Mumford, I attended Detroit Institute of Technology and Wayne State University and received a Bachelor of Business Administration. During my college years, I was working in the family business, while attending school. While tiring of both school and work, I opted for a semester off to spend skiing in Colorado. This was 1965 and Viet Nam was really beginning to escalate, but I thought I had my school deferment in place and that would keep me out of the draft until the fall when I planned on returning to school. WRONG! While in Aspen, Colorado, I called my parents to tell them I was leaving for a few weeks to go to New Orleans and the Mardi gras. My mother informed me that my dear friend, Mary Ann Modelski, from the draft board thought it would be good if I joined the army. I didn't agree and packed up my skis and rolling papers and headed back to Michigan. I was able to get into an army reserve unit, which wasn't my first choice, but it was certainly better than Viet Nam. After graduating college, I worked full time in the family business. But being overworked and underpaid, and not really having an interest in the business, I decided to clear my head. So, it was back to Colorado again for a little more skiing. This time I landed in Steamboat Springs. My plan was to stay for the season, but that turned into three years...without question the best three years of my life...so far. At the end of the third year, my father decided to sell the business here in Detroit and asked if I was interested in working for the new owners. I agreed and for the first time in my life, I actually had money in my pocket. However, this lasted only a couple of years, as the owner of that company died and things went to hell. Earlier in my life, I had been very interested in the stock market. So, I decided to go to work as a stockbroker and joined E.F. Hutton. This worked out well, as I learned enough to make a pretty good living for the twelve years I was there. It was during this time that I met Darlene Dailey, a Dondero grad, and after dating for 3 years, we married. As a result I now have a son, Andrew who is 14, single, an honor student at Detroit Country Day School and an all around great kid. But, nothing lasts forever. I decided it was time for a change and left Hutton to go into the building business with a partner. This lasted only a few years however as we disagreed on numerous philosophies of running a business. His idea of dealing with the trade people was to not pay them. I'm sure you all know how well that works. So, I split up with him and my wife at the same time. After selling our house, I bought a fixer-upper and proceeded to redo this house, while living in an apartment. I had full intentions of going back to work when the house was completed but, so far, that hasn't happened. I've been retired since May, 1990 and living in the same house in Bloomfield Hills. I have a motorcycle and do a lot of traveling on it, having been in 46 states and 7 Canadian provinces on 2 wheels. I also like to travel via the more traditional methods, which I do as much as possible, either with friends or with Andrew. So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it and yes, I will be at the reunion. I am looking forward to seeing a lot of my old friends again Regards to all, Rick Schwartz fredbob1@aol.com Maxine Schweitzer Dear Nancy, Thanks so much for this incredible undertaking. It's been so much fun reading about what everyone has been doing since graduation. I can't always put the face with the name, but it will be fun trying to do that at the reunion. I've often wondered how it was that I ran into so few people in the city...it really isn't that big; but now I know why! Lots of people are off doing all kinds of things. I'm very impressed with all the accomplishments. As for me, I have been married to Ron Grumet for thirty six years. We have two married daughters and two sensational grandchildren. We love to snow ski, water ski, and spend time with our kids. Professionally, I have been very busy (no thanks to Mrs. Christy who told me to go to trade school). Following undergrad, I taught school and took care of my children. I returned to grad school in 1977 and received a Masters in Social Work from Wayne State. I went into private practice and continued on to get my doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Following that I was trained as a psychoanalyst through the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute. I'm finally done with school! I am in private practice in Birmingham doing adult psychoanalysis and adolescent/adult psychotherapy. I have also returned to teaching, but this time in the psychiatry department at Ford Hospital, teaching the psychiatric residents. I thoroughly enjoy my practice and, at the same time, can manage my own schedule which leaves me time for baby sitting! That about wraps it up! Looking forward to seeing everyone! Maxine (Schweitzer) Grumet mgrumet@mediaone.net Beverley Shafer I have very much enjoyed reading the Bio’s, especially of those people who, like me, attended Vernor Elementary School. I grew to appreciate Mumford many years after I graduated; but at the time, it was very large and easy to feel a sense of alienation there. Fortunately, I found my niche in playing sports. Field hockey, basketball, and tennis defined who I was in High School. I went to Eastern Michigan University for my Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education. It was a wonderful experience! Eastern’s size and approach to education allowed me to feel close to my professors as well as fellow students. I went on to get a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling at E.M.U. and an Ed. Specialist in the same field at Wayne State. I worked for Livonia Public Schools for 33 years –a few years as a teacher, and the rest as a counselor. I truly loved what I did; but reached a point when I was ready for a change. I retired and joined a friend in a private counseling practice in Farmington. I’m finding it very fulfilling; and part time work lets me play golf and read a lot more. Not until early adulthood did I realize that I am gay. Once I accepted who I truly am, I was able to lead a more authentic life. I have a life-partner, Linda, who was also an educator. We celebrated 29 years together in August. We will be traveling the last couple of weeks in November, so I will not be able to attend the reunion; but I’m sure everyone will enjoy it. I think that age, accompanied by America’s recent tragedies, encourages us to appreciate what we have, and to be kind to others. I feel thankful for all that life has given me. I cherish the wonderful memories of youth, and have much to look forward to in the future. A happy reunion to everyone! Beverley Shafer Beve3@mediaone.net Linda Shaye Hi Nancy, sorry it has taken me so long to reply, but yes, I have been getting your messages and updates, and find them reeeally interesting and great to read and catch up. I have never been to any of our reunions, and hope I can make it to this one, but it depends on were our family is for Thanksgiving, as my dad is turning 90 this year, so wherever he is I will be!! After Mumford and U or M, I went on to get a Masters in acting and theater at Columbia University in New York, and then moved on into the theater scene in New York. I lived there till 1977 where I did theater theater theater, off-off, off Broadway and Broadway. In 1977 I moved out to Los Angeles, where I have lived ever since. I am and guess always have been an actor, and am still doing it, always as much as possible. I have done what seems like a gazillion things in T.V. and film, over the past thirty (yikes, did I say thirty years?!) but got my big break from the Farrelly Brothers, who cast me in a small role in DUMB AND DUMBER, a bigger role in KINGPIN, (in which I play Woody Harrelson's nasty landlady,) and then the biggest role in THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, in which I played Cameron Diaz's neighbor/roommate, the suntanned "Magda," (for which, I better add, I was in make-up for 3 1/2 hours each day!) Things have been going really great since then, especially since "MARY". I am actually in a film that the Farrelly's just produced, but did not direct, which is out now, called SAY IT ISN'T SO. That's just a fairly small role, but big or small, I love them all! I am married for 13 years to an actor named Clayton Landey, and we have a 12 year old son named Lee, who is becoming a fantastic writer. Most importantly, we are all well, and doing what we want to be doing. There's of course lots and LOTS more to tell, but that's a really brief update. Thank you for including me in your search. I will stay in touch. Linda Shaye P.S. I go by "Lin Shaye "professionally and to all my friends here, but to my old friends, and of course family, I guess I'm always Linda! xxoo Vivian Shevitz Having just found my 1961 Capri, and becoming totally interested in this reunion stuff, (I, too, have not kept up with anyone before, nor attended any prior reunions -- why now? Nearing 60?), I thought I'd tell whoever-may-be-interested about what I've been doing. After being the first person ever to drop out of Smith College (after a year and a half), I tried the working world in Boston. I decided it was worse than school (although I played a lot of bridge while at Smith) and went to the University of Michigan. Well .... actually ... I went to Ann Arbor, and sort-of went to the University of Michigan. It was there that my mind was (so to speak) expanded ...... I worked at the then (in-)famous Discount Records, either while at Michigan or afterward (the time all melds together; I stayed in Ann Arbor for 11 years or so, until 1974), and listened to a lot of great music. (Marshall Korby reminds me that I was the first to tell him that there were TWO Sonny Boy Williamsons -- a fact that I can't remember at this time (probably the burnt synapses). Anyway, Ann Arbor in the 60's was inspiring (in certain ways), and I learned to play electric bass, and played in some great bands around Ann Arbor and the Grande Ballroom in Detroit. The various incarnations of the band -- sometimes with horns, sometimes 4-piece bands --included "The Charging Rhinoceros of Soul", The Jeweltones, and I can't remember other names. But we were pretty good. I played awhile with some of the guys who later became Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen (who are still around); but suddenly I awoke and asked myself: what is a nice Jewish girls from Detroit doing in a life like this? (But it WAS fun!) After getting my M.A. in education and teaching little kids for two years, I decided I was not the type to stand outside for recess. So I went to Law School at age 30. Given my college grades (what college?), I ended up at Brooklyn Law School, the Dean of which I convinced that my past was aberrant and that I'd be a great law student. Actually, it turned out to be pretty true: I graduated first in my law school class, Clerked for a Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (a federal appeals judge), then became a federal prosecutor, where I tried cases and then became the office's Chief of Appeals and after a stint at one of those Wall Street law firms, (Stroock & Stroock & Lavan), where I learned well the game of dragging people through the horrible civil litigation process (or trying to prevent the other side from doing it to my client), I went out on my own. Since 1985, I've had my own solo law practice: I do mostly federal criminal defense and federal and State appeals, but also other litigation (and lawyer disciplinary defense). I've had quite an interesting practice given my "connections" through the U.S. Attorney's office, including political corruption cases, alleged "organized crime" folks (some of my best clients), and others. But... I can never retire! Having concentrated on my career, I didn't get married until I was 45 (we met when I was 43, through a mutual client; he was the client's outside C.P.A., and I took over the client's defense after a trial where he was convicted of RICO for underpaying his companies' state sales taxes and faced a possible lengthy sentence and forfeiture of his entire business. More later on this. We did well for him. Anyhow, we adopted two wonderful daughters, Sydney, now age 11, who was born in Nebraska, and Alyson, now age 10, who was born in Florida. Unfortunately (well, fortunately) I'm getting divorced. There are a lot of complications at this time (more later on this, too). But the girls and I live about an hour from New York City, in South Salem in Northern Westchester, with two dogs and a macaw named Rosie. I'm really nervous about walking into the reunion event after having kept up with no one (and also having been somewhat "reserved" during high school) -- but I'm really looking forward to it. As I said, I found my Capri last night. (Hopefully I don't look quite like the dork I looked like in high school!!). Vivian Shevitz vshevitz@bestweb.net Mel Shotten and Thelma Phillips I will try to give you a quick "bio" on me--and, if I dare, my lively wife Thelma--who I first met at Mumford as Thelma Phillips and early-on nicknamed "Terrie" (in turn, she gave me several peculiar nicknames, but their use all depends on the nature of the argument at hand). Having survived January graduation from Mumford in early 1961--classmates will recall my close call after having squirted English teacher Sonya Linsner in her face on Senior Day with a violin-cased/crank-operated water gun while wearing a wide lapel "zoot suit" (and appropriate hat) borrowed from chemistry teacher Max Gross--I was privileged to attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Unlike many of my peers, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for a living--i.e. become an Aerospace Engineer. Fortunately--although it did not seem so at the time--after parental financial support collapsed in 1964, I was forced to take a part-time job with an aerospace firm in Ann Arbor and HATED EVERY MINUTE. Faced with this personal crisis, I immediately took two logical steps: (a) I convinced Thelma, who would soon complete her teaching degree at Wayne State, to marry me, and (b) applied for admission to Michigan's Law School (notwithstanding what later turned out to be my complete misunderstanding of what lawyers really do). We were married in June, 1964, I graduated as an Engineer in May, 1965 and then went on to Law School at U-M on a partial scholarship. After four happy but lean years in Ann Arbor--where our regular diet was diversified by the introduction of the fish sandwich at the local McDonald's--I graduated as a lawyer in May 1968. We then moved to Cincinnati, where I have spent my entire career--who could know--with one organization, the law firm of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, where I eventually became an "expert" (at least in my eyes) in business, banking and health care laws and entities. The Firm now has 180 lawyers, mostly in major Ohio cities, and I am presently Co-Chair of its Business and Finance Department, Chair of its Health Care Practice Group and Chair of its Participation Committee (which determines pay levels for partners, and thus makes me very "popular," at least at year-end). My proudest career accomplishment is, however, as Frank Sinatra would sing it, "Doing It My Way"--in this case, finding a way to practice law with humor and perspective as keynotes. In my spare time, I exercise like mad (racket ball being my best sport), have perfected a curly comb-over to hide my bald spot, and have collected antiques, old watches and a 1952 MG--and became skilled at competitive pistol target shooting (a useful reputation to have in my role as participation chair for our law firm). Thelma also graduated from Mumford in January, then from Wayne State University with a teaching degree in early 1964, taught briefly in Detroit, had the rare privilege and/or misfortune of marrying me, and then taught in two Michigan communities near Ann Arbor--Nankin Mills (now Westland) and Belleville--while supporting my law school efforts. She also found time to get a Masters Degree in Education from U-M and develop her interests in art, knitting and other crafts. Thelma moved--reluctantly--with me to Cincinnati in 1968 (even though I couldn't quite answer her question "why Cincinnati?"). There she taught English, history and social studies at the middle and high school levels in Cincinnati public (mostly inner-city) schools for the last 30 years, gaining a reputation as being fearless--and motivating some of the System's most difficult students with her compassion and fairness. At the same time, Thelma had time to have a son and take multiple classes with great success at the Art Academy of Cincinnati--where her projects in various media have been showcased at numerous local and regional art exhibits. She retired from the Cincinnati School System in 1999 and now is happily teaching art (finally) three days a week at a nearby Catholic school--and spends her spare time traveling with me, "tending" her several beloved cats, reading veraciously and continuing to develop her art talents at the Academy. One of Thelma's happiest teaching moments was her return to Westland, Michigan this past November to excavate and open--with surviving members of her first class of 1965-1966 middle school students--the time capsule they had buried 35 years ago (under what turned out to be nine feet of cement). We have one child, a son, Marc--fortunately also a red-head (being the offspring of two red-headed parents)--who is currently working at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., doing project research and analysis as to grants to developing nations. He just got to go to Bangkok and Tokyo with his project group. Marc is age 27 and is living happily with his lovely Spanish girlfriend of five years in Arlington, Virginia. (Their future plans? We'll tell you as soon as we know.) God, writing this "bio" was therapeutic! We both look forward to attending our first (better-late-then-never) Mumford reunion in November and seeing our classmates--mine being the January graduates and Thelma's classmates (as the product of summer school) being both the January and June graduates. Richard Silberman From: Richard Silberman Dear Fellow Classmates, After graduating from Wayne University with a business degree, I continued my career in the food business, after years of working for my father in his wholesale food company while attending Mumford. I held various mid and high level management positions with two local food chains, several food manufacturers, and controlled the multi-state distribution of some well known cookie brands for 14 years. The position I held as VP of Sales and Marketing at Sanders was my favorite. I'm sure most of you remember their hot fudge, chocolates, creamy ice cream, and of course the coffee cakes and layer cakes. At my house, we always had a decorated birthday cake from Sanders. Many of the extra pounds I carried through my youth came from eating Devilsfood Buttercreme layer cakes (bumpy cake), and chocolate covered peanuts. I gained about 30 pounds during my first 3 months there and loved every bite I took. After a fulfilling career in food, I moved into finance and currently am an executive loan officer and training manager for a large regional residential mortgage lender. I became widowed 2 1/2 years ago rather suddenly after 33 years of marriage to Ronni (Rosann Mandel). She was a renowned miniaturist and left a large collection of her finished art in the form of room boxes (every day scenes of life in miniature). Some can be seen in display cases on the second floor of the Medical building at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. I still love the rock and roll music we grew up with. My collection of songs keeps growing and I never tire of listening. I'll occasionally guest host as DJ on a local AM station and play my favorites. I have lived in the Detroit area my entire life and currently live near Ann Arbor. My daughter and son live and work in Ann Arbor. See you at the reunion. Richard Silberman dmrs53@peoplepc.com Lorraine Silverman Hi Nancy: First of all, I want to thank you so much for having facilitated and coordinated this site, making it possible for all of us to catch up on the past 40 years with each other. I have so enjoyed reading all of these bios and am in awe of the many successes and accomplishments of our classmates. Now about me! I received my Bachelor's degree from Wayne State University in Education and proceeded to teach elementary and junior high science for 6 years. This June I will be married for 35 years to Daniel Feber, also a graduate of Mumford '58. We have 2 sons, almost 31 and 32. Kevin is a resident at Beaumont Hospital and is married to Lisa Bieman who is a teacher. They have our first granddaughter, Gabrielle, now 2 ½, and are expecting another baby in November. David is a corporate strategist for McKinsey and Co. and is married to Susan Langnas, a lawyer. They have our first grandson, Max, almost 3. These grandchildren are the light of our lives. If we had known how wonderful it would be, we would have had more children. In 1995 I received my Master's Degree in Art Therapy from Wayne State. My sons and I graduated the same year from WSU, Kevin, from medical school and David with his first Master's Degree. He went on to receive an MBA from U of M. I am in private practice at the Trauma Recovery Center in Royal Oak, doing Art Therapy with children, adolescents and adults. Recently I have begun doing Art Therapy with individuals who are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease. Fondly, Lorraine Feber (Silverman) LFeebs@aol.com David Silverton Hi Nancy, you asked for it, here it is… I was an August graduate of Mumford. The Teachers liked me so much they insisted that I stay for an extra semester. Needless to say, after Mumford, the last thing on my mind was more school. I was a young seventeen at graduation and underage to enlist in the service, so I asked one of my uncles to convince my father to sign for me. I took the Air Force aptitude test and aced the electronics portion, didn’t do too bad on the other three sections either, and joined the Air Force in September ’61. All that time in Mr. Aronson’s electronics shop came in handy! After four years being stationed in such exotic places as Columbus, Ohio and Oscoda, Michigan, I left the service and spent the next fifteen years doing the auto industry shuffle. I worked for G.M., Bendix, and Chrysler, with a stint at IBM. Along the way I married Judi Katz, an Oak Park and Wayne graduate, (we celebrated our 30th anniversary yesterday) and lived in Oak Park. I managed to attend school, work 60-hour weeks, and help raise our two children. In 1980, Chrysler was having all kinds of problems; going into work on Monday not knowing if I would still be employed by Friday got the better of me. I bailed out and through a headhunter relocated to Vernon Hills in the Chicago suburbs. Talk about jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire! I went to work for International Harvester. At least Chrysler is still in business. I was also moonlighting as a computer programmer working with Motorola microprocessors. When IH went down the tubes, I was able to use my experience and contacts to land a job with Motorola Communications. I have been with Motorola twenty years and work in engineering management for the division that makes two-way radio equipment (not cell phones). It’s a dream job for a Ham Radio Operator. I guess my two greatest accomplishments are my kids. Sara (1973) attended Illinois State and until recently taught Special Ed. Three years ago she decided to attend Law School at night while teaching full time during the day. Sara is now an attorney practicing family and education law here in Lake County, IL. We are planning a wedding for her in May. Aron (1975) attended U of M and graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BSEE with dual majors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He started here at Motorola 5 years ago as a summer intern (yes, Daddy got him in the front door) and was just named a Senior Research Engineer with Motorola’s Corporate Research Labs. We are both looking forward to retirement in the next few years and have been doing a bit of international travel. Nothing like spending your kids’ inheritance! We wont be attending the reunion, but hope everyone has a good time renewing old friendships. Just a side note: In 1971 while Judi and I were on our honeymoon in Lake Geneva, WI. I heard my name being called in the hotel lobby. I turned around to find our late classmate Alan Sidlow and his wife there on vacation. We had some enjoyable times together. Best regards, David Silverton Email address below: dsilverton@earthlink.net Dan Silver Dear Nancy, It seems like an impossible task to squeeze forty years into four pages, let alone four paragraphs, but here it goes. After Mumford, I went to University of Michigan undergrad for three years and then graduated from U of M Medical School cum laude. I married a classmate from Mumford, Dianne Stocker, and after Med School we moved to Los Angeles, California for my one-year internship. In that first year we had Sophia, who is now 33 years old. Dianne and I divorced in 1972. Unfortunately, Dianne died tragically in 1985 when Sophia was 17 years old and just starting college. I had at that time already remarried Lynnette, my current wife of 25 years. After my internship at Harbor/UCLA General Hospital, I was a general practitioner for one year and was a doctor in the U.S. Army for two years. Also during the years 1969-72, I acted and was technical advisor on the TV series “Medical Center.” From 1972-76 I did my Orthopedic Surgery training at Orthopedic Hospital in Los Angeles and thereafter went into private Orthopedic practice in Los Angeles. In the twenty-five years of my career, I have specialized in sports and industrial injuries. More recently in the last few years, because of managed care, the private practice of medicine has stressed all doctors, but I have managed to stay successful and gratified in my work, never-the–less. For the last five years I have been the Medical consulting writer for Southern California Tennis and Golf magazine, and have recently been asked to be consultant to Easton Sporting Goods, Inc. I have two locations for Silver Orthopedic Centers one in Los Angeles and the other 100 miles north in Bakersfield, CA and farming and oil drilling and production area. So, four days a week I am in the city and one a week out in the country, surrounded by farms with crops and oil pumps side by side. As busy as I have been and hope to continue to be, my emphasis is on family and living a full well rounded life. Lynnette and I have two boys together, Michael and Stephen. Michael, 20 years old, is in his third year at Tufts University in Boston and is in a combined Pre-Med and Visual Arts curriculum and plans to be a plastic surgeon. He plays the bass guitar and has formed a band that plays in the Boston area. He also played on the Varsity Hockey team for his first two years. Stephen, 18 years old, is a freshman at University of California in Santa Barbara. He loves music, photography, and is an amazing drummer. Stephen’s future will be interesting, I’m sure, in whatever he goes into because he has focus and determination to achieve his desires. My wife, Lynnette, was a real find. She is a giving thoughtful person, and whenever I need an example of “the right thing to do” I think about how she would react. This keeps my devious personality under some control. Lynnette, for thirteen years, was a physical therapist and then spent the next twenty years being Super mom to our two boys and Sophia, my daughter. Today, since the Sept 11 New York tragedy, she alternates between recording TV coverage, emailing, and making little American flag kerchiefs for dogs, cats and people to help raise money for the families of the victims in the World Trade Center collapse. She is also involved in a program called “Happy Hats”, that makes and distributes colorful hats to hospitalized children around the country. As for me, a 58 year old (as of two days ago), I still play ice hockey, swim, play a little golf and tennis, but take an awful lot of anti-inflammatory pills to loosen up this very achey and beaten-up body. For pets, we have three dogs, six chinchillas, and a pond full of beautiful Koi. If I can survive another two months of hockey, stress, terrorists, earthquakes, and whatever else might happen before late November, I will see you all in Detroit at our reunion. God bless all of us and God bless America!!!!!!!!! Dan Silver dsilver@speakeasy.net Laura Silverman I still can't believe it is 40 years since we graduated high school! After leaving Mumford, I went right out into the working world! I worked for a photo finishing company for a number of years. Burton Roth (class of "59 Mumford) and I have been married 38 fun and loving years. We have had a lot of different challenges in our life together. When Burt was 30, he went back to law school at night, worked days, and I held down the fort with 2 children, making sure nursery school, Hebrew school and law school all got paid. We had our 3rd child while Burt was in law school. I was really happy I had a mom that always was there for me at night, so I could go to PTA meetings or hear a lecture at times. Our three children have been the joy of our life. Jeff is 36 and lives in Nashville, TN. He is single and works at the Gaylord Arena, managing the food concessions where the Nashville Hockey Predators play. Our daughter Melissa, 3l, is married and recently left her job at EDS to switch roles as a new mom. They presented us with our first grandchild in April, and boy did we ever find out life doesn't get any better!! Our youngest daughter, Jodi, 27 works in Ann Arbor at a Pharmaceutical place and puts doctors reports on the computer. She was recently married this past summer. Burt and I love to travel and see new places. Israel was one of the best trips we were ever on, (even though I don't like flying that long)! I work for a wellness company now part-time and, in between, I help both our moms out, and then I love being with our grandson Max. Looking forward to the reunion. I really must admit it feels so strange not working on the reunion this time. That's a 1st for me!!!!! Nancy, you are doing a super duper job. My hat is really off to you!!!!!!! Most warmly, Laura (Silverman) Roth lmrmich@aol.com Leslie Sklar Hi, Nancy: Here's my biography: Hi, everybody: Can you believe that the last time we were all together, we were teenagers and now some of us are grandparents? After Mumford, I went off to Michigan State University. I met my husband Dave Molitz there and we've been married since 1964. Thank you Judy Berlin for fixing us up. We lived in Detroit from the time we were married until 1983 and raised our two sons there. David graduated from Wayne State Law School and practiced law for a while in Detroit. In 1983 we moved to Del Mar, California, a suburb or San Diego where my husband managed an insurance agency and I became a professional volunteer. I was a board member of the Women's Division of the United Jewish Federation and then went on to chair several committees. Both of our boys finished high school in California. Jeffrey is going to be 35 this fall. He's a graduate of Arizona State. Jason was just 32 this June. He's a graduate of the University of Colorado. Neither is married and unfortunately we have no grandchildren. In 1989, we moved to Las Vegas where I became a partner with my son Jeff in a Mail Boxes Etc. franchise. Meanwhile, Jason graduated from Colorado and went to work for the Mirage Corporation. He's now a Special Agent for the Nevada State Gaming Commission. We stayed in Las Vegas for the next seven years and then David got a great job opportunity with a marketing company in California, so we left our sons in Las Vegas and moved back. We've been here for about the last six years and hope to stay. We still go back to Las Vegas in December and I help Jeff out in his store. We also get back to Detroit a couple of times a year because David's Home Office is in Bloomfield Hills. Once again, I'm on the volunteer circuit and, occasionally; I go to David's office to help out. We live in Costa Mesa, a city in Orange County, south of Los Angeles. Unfortunately for David, our Condo is about a mile away from the South Coast Mall, one of the largest regional shopping centers in all of California. It's been great getting all of these bios every day and I really enjoy reading them. If anybody is out here in Southern California, please get in touch with me. I have my sons to thank for that. I would really like to hear from our contingent in Southern California. I don't know if I'm going to be able to get to the Reunion, but I'm sure going to try. You can reach me at Leslieshops@aol.com Leslie (Sklar) Molitz Anna L. Smith Dear Nancy, I am ashamed that it has taken me so long to answer you regarding my Bio. However, I will attempt to give you a few details regarding my past forty years. After graduation I attended cosmetology school, received my State License and practiced cosmetology successfully for many years. I owned a beauty shop for a number of years and decided to go back to school. I attended The University of Michigan-Dearborn, and graduated in 1989. I also attended Eastern Michigan University and received a Masters in History. At the present time I am attending Wayne State University for a second Masters in Education with part of the credit hours going towards a Doctorate in Education. I am a teacher with the Detroit Public Schools. I reside in Ann Arbor, Mi and I married Abraham Channey. We have one son Marcus who attended Devry Institute of technology and is now a High Tech for Comcast. Marcus is married to Quiana and we have two lovely grandchildren, Amber who is 3 years old and Kyle who was 1 month old November 8,2001. I never knew I was college material while attending high school. How life changes as we grow older. Have lots and fun and enjoy the Reunion. Hello! Eight Mile Road Gang! I know I am going to miss a "Great reunion”! I'll be thinking of all of you during my travel to Springfield, Illinois to spend Thanksgiving with my sisters and brother. We want to share some time together since our recent loss of our mother. Sincerely, Anna L. Smith-Channey alarettachan@yahoo.com Judy Smith Hi Nancy. Finally I am getting around to responding to your letter from a while ago. Info on me for the past 40 years ... or so First, let me commend you and your committee for all the work you're doing to put the reunion together. I'm not sure if I'll be able to come in for the reunion but I'll certainly try to. Judy Smith (not an AKA) is now Judy Goldberg. I moved to sunny California when I turned 21. Right now I live in Oxnard to be exact. For those who don't know California, we're right next door to Ventura and about 30 minutes south of Santa Barbara. We live at the beach. I married an ex-Detroiter but met him in CA. Howard graduated from Central but did go to Mumford for a semester. He will probably know more people than I do. I married at 21 and have 2 great kids. Steve lives in Oakland, CA and is a video producer. Lisa lives in Sherman Oaks, CA and is a hairdresser. Neither are married and there aren't any grandkids yet. We lived in Northridge (yes, the earthquake capital of the valley) in '94 and moved to the beach in June of '94. We were one of the lucky ones who didn't lose their house. It wasn't the earthquake that made us move. Our house was already up for sale when it hit. Bad timing, huh? My husband, has been an elementary teacher all his life. I have been a secretary. We are both partly retired. Howard works for Ventura School System part time and I am the Administrator for a non-profit that teaches adults how to read, write and/or speak English. I run the office and write grants. This part time work is great...I have the freedom to come and go as I need or want to. We love to travel. We've been on numerous cruises and will be going on a cruise the end of August. Great times and bad times...let me think!! Great times have been many...traveling, watching the kids grow and just being together. We'll be celebrating our 36th anniversary in December. Unfortunately, I have had too many illnesses but am on the road to recover, again. I consider myself the "bionic" woman. New shoulders and now new hips. One hip done Feb 2000 and the other one done a month ago. I'm doing great and look forward to getting on with life. I love to dance and am taking flying lessons - they have both been on hold for a year but I'm looking forward to continuing soon. I have been a "clog dancer" for about 6 years. (no, wooden shoes and stomping my feet are not clog dancing). Anyway, that's some of my last 40 years. My, how time has flown by. If you want more information, let me know and I'll send it along. Take care, work hard and enjoy the excitement of planning the reunion. Judy Goldberg (Smith) clogsalot@aol.com Julian Smith and Fran York Clearly I have procrastinated till just about the last minute in writing this. In part, every time I log on I so enjoy reading all the bios - it just beats the heck out of writing one (actually 2, mine and Julian's). High school had added import in our lives. When Julian was too ill to receive his chemistry merit badge as part of his Eagle Scout award, his mother went in his place. The result of that meeting was that she married the chemistry teacher, Max Gross. This was when we were seniors at Mumford. Through Max's generosity Julian went to U of M. Although Julian and I dated in high school, it wasn't till after graduation, 4 years at Michigan for me (LSA) and 4 ½ years for Julian (electrical engineering) that we married. We both did our Master's degrees at night at Wayne State and have a very short list, though long years-of employment! The bulk of Julian’s career was 30 years at Cadillac Motor - he is now "retired" from GM but working as a consultant at GM Truck. I taught high school for 4 years, took off a lot of years to be a Mom, and for the past 20 years have been on the full time faculty teaching Mathematics at Oakland Community College (I don't think Miss Beck would ever have guessed it). We have 2 great children. Our son Joel graduated from U of M, BS in molecular bio, MBA and law degree and lives in San Diego. Our 1 year old grandson Eli is a joy, and also too far away. Our daughter, Elisa also graduated from Michigan with a BA and MSW and then a law degree from Emory. She is practicing law in Atlanta. Life has been exceedingly kind to us. Our lives have been filled with much love, a great deal of travel and a very stable path. I remember SOOO many of you. I think if you think you are not remembered - you are wrong! We plan on being at the reunion and look forward to seeing you. Fran (York) Smith and Julian Smith fjsmith@tir.com Judy Snider After reading the biographies and thoroughly enjoying them all, I decided that it must be time for me to write about myself. I have realized how few of you I really knew in high school. What a shame for all of us! After Mumford, I along with many others from the class went to Ann Arbor. In 1965 when it was close to Graduation Day, I knew one thing.... I really didn't want to return to Detroit. Plans were made with a college roommate to go first to Chicago, Boston, New York,.... but then we decided to head west to San Francisco. During that first year, I met David Leash who also was from Detroit. We were married in June of 1966 after knowing each other for only 6 months. That is truly hard to believe. After a year of working in a travel office, I decided to get a California teaching credential. I began teaching 6th grade and have been teaching ever since.... although I now teach 3rd grade. Along the way, I received an MA in Education and a second MA in Educational Technology. We have one daughter, Elana, who is 30 and lives in San Francisco. She too is involved in education, but with special education. When I am not teaching, I have been involved in community activities serving on Boards for many years. I am in two book groups which keeps me busy reading in the wee hours of the morning when insomnia creeps in. David and I have also traveled whenever we can. Neither of us is retired. My mother is still in the Detroit area, so I do get back a few times a year. I will be at the reunion so hope to see those of you I know.... and meet those of you I didn't know. Judy Snider (Leash) jleash@aol.com Susan Sobel Dear Nancy, How nice to hear from you! I am sorry about the delay in responding, but I am, unfortunately, not retired and am swamped with work. I have been at Roosevelt University for a long time and am a full professor of Art History and am currently serving as Director of the School of Liberal studies, which is a unit that includes history, English, philosophy, languages, women's studies, art, African American studies, and I may even be forgetting something. It is a job that is as big as I let it get, which is sometimes overwhelming. But I am also often gratified. I have a 28 yr old daughter, who is now teaching at the Anshe Emet Day School, a Jewish Day School in Chicago where both of our children went to school! She is going to be going to grad school in Jewish Studies next year, but does not yet know where. She graduated from Harvard in 1995. Our son is 23 and is now in his first year of Law School here in Chicago and is living with us. He is doing very well and is really a pleasure to have here at home again. It is the first time since Melissa went to college in 1991 that they have both been living in Chicago, so we are really enjoying it. Although Noah has a long term girlfriend who I think he will marry, he is going to finish school first. Melissa is not involved with anyone at the moment. So we have no grandchildren, but are certainly hoping. Michael and I will celebrate our 31st anniversary in a few weeks. Best, Susie (Sobel) Weininger sweining@roosevelt.edu David Soffa Hi Nancy, This Labor Day vacation has freed up some time so here goes 40 years: After High School I attended Wayne State University, where I eventually got a BS in Biology. In my sophomore year, I met Pauline Lee, class of '62, and we have been together since. This December we will have been married 35 years. I went to medical school at U of M. Followed by a year of internship in SF. That kindled a love affair with this somewhat weird city that Pauline and I have yet to get over. We have stayed in the same home adjacent to golden gate park since 1974. After Radiology Residency in Ann Arbor and two years at Naval Hospital, long Beach, we moved to SF. I joined a practice in the Mount Zion Hospital community and really had a wonderful 25 years in practice. It would have been like practicing at the Sinai Hospital of our day. In my last year of residency, I told Pauline that it was time to have our son, Hence the twins Naomi and JoAnna. Naomi does sales and marketing for a genetic testing company, and JoAnna does food and drug law. She has recently returned to SF to open an office for her Washington, DC firm. After 11 years of recovering from twins, Pauline asked me If I wanted to try "that son thing again," hence Audrey Soffa who has just started her freshman year at NYU. Empty nest at last! No grandchildren and like the marines, this family needs a few good men. Now for the professional stuff. SF behaves like a very small town and it has been easy to get involved in the local societies. I have held multiple offices including presidency of the SF Radiological Society, the Bay Area Ultrasound Society and in 1993, I became the 125th President of The SF Medical Society. I have been a delegate to the California Medical Society and a Counselor to the California Radiological society and to the American College of Radiology. I was elected to fellowship in the American College of Radiology and am an Associate Clinical Professor at University of California San Francisco. My interests in Medical politics placed me in a rich information stream and gave me ample warning of the changes that were coming in Medicine. I decided that rather than let some MBA get in there determine my future, I would rather screw it up myself. I took an administrative degree at University of SF [MPA in health services] and went into administrative medicine. I have been working in Imaging management for the past ten years and have been a co-founder of a startup, a Chief Clinical officer and am currently the Chief Medical Officer of a company based out of Chicago [Big Commute actually makes up for the years of living only 2 miles from my job]. We actually work with some Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. This past year I have, on occasion, returned to Detroit and gotten thoroughly lost, thinking I knew where I was going. I am really looking forward to the reunion, but need good directions. I want to thank you for all your efforts and tell you how much I am enjoying catching up with what has happened to us all. Best regards, David Soffa P.S. I can be reached at soffad@aol.com Cookey Solomon Married 34 years. Not bad in this day and age. We moved up north 35 years ago and tried to keep in touch with friends from the Detroit area, but we were too busy in business, trying to make a lot of money for our future. I married Jerry Currier in 1967. We had known each other since we were 12 years old. We have one son Paul. He's 31. I graduated Mumford in night school, 1961. I dropped out of school my last year. What a stupid ass I was! I wanted to go to beauty school in the day time, so I went to night school to graduate high school. I have good news, we are going to be GRANDPARENT'S this Aug.25th, our first, a little girl. Can't wait, especially at our age. (She is a grandma by now). Cookey (Solomon) Currier My E-MAIL is jandccurrier00@aol.com Bruce Spitz Has it really been forty years? And who are all these people with those great bios? Have I been living on another planet since high school? After Mumford, I went to the poor Jew's Michigan. I had an extraordinary time. I may not have increased my intellect much--let's be honest, I probably didn't increase it at all--but I learned critical political and life skills and made friends--many of whom were friends from Mumford--that continue to play an important part in my life. Thank you Soother for taking that econ test for me--and for everything else you've done over the years. Thank you Sigma Alpha Mu. And thank God for that one evening in 1963 at a snowy Woodhull Lake cottage when I began a friendly "Hearts" game with--Krow, Lupi and Cecil--that's been going on for nearly forty years. Who knew? After Wayne, I spent three years in Colombia where I was a Peace Corp volunteer in what was called "community action." This consisted of aiding the radicals in my barrio, smoking very good and inexpensive pot, reading all the books I didn't read in College, and doing as much as I could to keep the Colombian government from throwing me out. It was so much fun that I re-upped for a final year, married a woman from Minneapolis, supervised a bunch of volunteers and drove my jeep all over the country-and into other countries on occasion. I returned home and spent a year trying to find myself, resuming the hearts game, and finally finishing college. Next, I moved to Washington, D.C. to attend the George Washington University School of Public Management. I became an Assistant County Manager in Arlington Virginia and got my MPA. Then, it was on to St. Paul where I was Minnesota's Deputy Legislative Auditor for three years. Soon, I found myself speaking with a funny accent--"fer sure"--and longing for life in Washington, D.C. When Jimmy Carter became President, I headed to Washington to work for Joe Califano. I stayed in the Secretary's Office of DHEW working in health and long-term care policy through seven secretaries and two Presidents and through the changeover to DHHS. When the Reagan people finally found me--a Democrat in Republican's clothing--I went to the American National Red Cross, first working for the president and later for seven years as Director of Program Development. I also went back to George Washington to work on my Ph.D. in public policy. And, each year the Hearts game continued in Ohio, Virginia, New York and Kentucky. Eight years ago my father died. I turned 50, left the Red Cross, divorced, remarried, moved to Winter Park Florida, became a self-important consultant, and began to spend a lot of time in the swimming pool. I wrote two unpublished historical novels, got tan, fat, bald and wearied trying to raise a teenage son and daughter and three teenage stepsons. I also bought an antique mall that took up too much of my time and money while zapping my energy. This was not the best time of my life, but the challenges left me stronger and a little wiser. Nearly two years ago I divorced again and moved to St. Petersburg. Now I teach at Eckerd College-a lovely school five minutes from my condo--and keep up a small antique business in someone else's mall. I'm also doing a little consulting and writing a new and improved novel that's going to be published some day along with the other two. Right! Over the years I've been blessed with interesting times, good health and true friends. My son, Matt graduated from Guilford College in North Carolina and my daughter, Sarah has given me three grandkids. I thank God every day--well almost every day--for a good and eventful life. And, I look forward, as always, to the next Hearts game in Scottsdale Arizona. Bruce Spitz bruspitz@aol.com Jay Stark Hi Everyone, After Mumford it was on to Wayne State. I graduated in 1965 with a degree in History and Economics. While at Wayne, I met my bride-to-be, Sandy Yanitz (Ford High School class of 1964). Well, it was on to Michigan for a Masters and then a Ph.D. in Economics, which I completed in 1969. Sandy and I were married in 1967, a few days after the Detroit riots ended and the curfew was lifted. We have been happily married for 34 years. We have two sons. Eric is 30, and a Reform Rabbi in Baltimore, Md. Michael is 26 and owns his own construction company, AMS Building Co. in Sylvan Lake (if any of you need work done, he's great!) He's married to Danielle and they live in Waterford. No grandchildren yet, but Sandy and I are looking forward to having them someday – can't wait. After graduation from Michigan, I was on my own for a couple of years. In 1971 an opportunity to go to work for General Motors arose. I have been there ever since. Today I'm the Executive Director of Corporate Strategy and Knowledge Development. I truly love my work. On the volunteer side, I am the Vice President of the Clinton Valley Council of the Boy Scouts and on committees at Temple Israel. Sandy graduated from Wayne and taught kindergarten in Ann Arbor. Shortly after Eric was born, she retired to be a full time mom & volunteer. Along the way she was president of the PTA, teacher at the Temple Israel Hebrew School, Chair of the Channel 56 Auction, President of Michigan Region Women's American ORT and now Co-chair of this year's Jewish Book Fair. For the past 15 years we have lived in Bloomfield Hills. We love to travel and have seen most of the world. I just can’t believe how much has happened in the 40 years since Mumford. It’s been great to read all the bios and catch up on all the interesting lives. See you all at the reunion. Jay Stark sanstark1@aol.com Sheldon Starman Bio?? - not very exciting, but very happy one University of Michigan liberal arts Peace Corps in Turkey for 2 years (teaching English) Back to Detroit, working for Civil Service Commission To Florida in '69; various jobs, then to U of South Florida for MBA degree - '73 Working for a CPA firm in Naples '73 to present Two great kids, son graduated Chapel Hill in '99; now sailing & working for an environmental rehab company, daughter graduating from Appalachian State U on Saturday! Dog, cats, goldfish & tennis racquet; lots of summer travels; active in local Jewish organizations. I won't make it to the reunion, but wish everyone well Sheldon Starman sstarman@aol.com Michael Stecker My biography to Nancy Precour’s e-mail on 3-25-2002. The Story of Michael Alan Stecker Greetings to the Mumford Class of 1961 I have to say that I am amazed by how homogeneous this e-mail list is, and I feel very comfortable in this "virtual community." Since so many of you have moved to Los Angeles like me, you'll understand that this list, demographically, is much like Hillcrest Country Club. I mean, the only gentile name on it is "Mumford!" I am very proud that so many of my classmates have had such amazing adventures and careers. As for myself, I became a doctor and live in Cheviot Hills, which is a chimney-less neighborhood of Los Angeles (we lost them in the '94 earthquake, which is really a nuisance every time I need to burn my high-school report card). My major hobby is astrophotography, which is great because the stars are bright and don't move (unlike the many in LA). A typical Angelino, I spend my time making left-turns in and out of my driveway and working on my tan (which is tough to do when stargazing). My favorite Mumford memories are: Principal Frazer Clark’s magnetic personality, nearly drowning in Mr. Grove’s swimming class, almost blowing up Mr. Hachigian’s chemistry lab and dropping water balloons out the window of the Roosevelt Hotel on our senior trip to Washington, D.C. Living in Los Angeles, I miss the pleasures of Detroit like eating Kreplach at Fredsons, drinking Boston Coolers (Vernor’s phosphates) at Cunningham’s, buying securities from Ivan at Boesky’s Deli and watching Soupy Sales on TV. I also used to like throwing octopus on the ice at Red Wings games. I always imagined that when the players came home and showed them to their wives, they'd scream "get that tref out of my house, Murray!" Looking back on it, we were really a bunch of dorks. Well, we are all getting a little older. Ten years ago I thought the 30th reunion would be held here in Los Angeles, maybe the 50th will be in Miami. Next year in Jerusalem! Meanwhile, every time I take Pepto-Bismol I will think of the Mumford High School colors . My Biography I have always been fascinated by film and nature: two interests which led to my profession (radiology) and avocation (astrophotography). To fully understand this, we need to start at the beginning. I was born in 1943 to a peasant tailor family in Williamsburg, a section of Brooklyn, N.Y. Unfortunately I soon developed allergies to push carts, knishes and peyas and was forced to move to Detroit in 1947. It was there that I grew up and my personality molded. The big things in our neighborhood were watching the Lions loose in the play-offs, plowing the snow away from the driveway and reciting hymnals. But once we finished our chores and prayers, our attention turned to chemistry. After all this was the beginning of the space age and US rockets were exploding daily on their launch pads. If NASA could make bombs (they called them "rockets") why couldn’t I? But how to do it? Fortunately, my life-long chum and fellow Mumford graduate Joel, now a chemistry professor at the University of Utah (which is a block down from Wyoming) came to the rescue. He introduced me to the methodology of science, when he instructed my brother Steve and I in the synthesis of Nitrogen tri-Iodide. Steve had tried in vain for months to make this explosive while I watched, and thus it was a big surprise when Joel taught me the shortcut. Boom! Isn’t science wonderful? Forthrightly, Joel and I started a demolition business, J & M Entertainment, which made a big profit during the 1967 Detroit riots. When Joel was 13, he got a telescope as a gift. One night he set up the scope in his backyard. "Look, Mikey – that’s da house we blew upa ! " I looked through the telescope and was fascinated. I could see things many miles away! However, Joel warned me not to take it too seriously, for it might offend the astrology community, so I abstained from it. Instead, I became interested in terrestrial photography. Because I was fascinated with pictures, I also became obsessed with green pieces of paper with pictures of the presidents on them, and my goal was to collect all of them. To wit, I studied many sciences at Mumford High School. After graduating Mumford near the bottom of my class, I went off to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (also known to Detroiters as the "Colossus to the West"). I received a B.S. in Zoology in 1964 and then went on to medical school. My most memorable experience at UM’s Medical School was attending the neurosurgical conferences. What a group of oddballs! They were all brilliant, amiable and eccentric. It was led by Professors Edward "Eddie" Kahn, Elizabeth "Ma" Crosby and James "The Stud" Taren. Dr. Kahn was chairman of the neurosurgery section. He was born into wealth, but devoted his life to patient care and teaching. His life was used as the basis for the movie "The Magnificent Obsession." Eddie was sweet, unconsciously funny and absent minded. I remember one time we both entered the elevator on the fifth floor. Dr. Kahn called out "fifth floor" to the elevator operator and exited on the same floor. Eddie was completely oblivious to his surroundings that day. Next there was the world-class neuroanatomist Ma Crosby. She looked frail and tired -- like my Grandma Sadie after a marathon session of preparing Gefilta Fish. Ma appeared to be about 80 years old, but had a vigorous constitution. Finally, there was the colorful Dr. Taren. He was the archetypical Hollywood playboy type who drove a Jaguar XKE and was married to the stripper "Irma The Body". The banter between these three was hilarious and it was difficult for me to hide my laughter. After graduation I went to the University of Iowa Hospital for internship. Since it was now 1969 and the Viet Nam war was at its peak, I was offered "a deal I could not refuse." Voila, I became Captain Stecker of the US Army Medical Corps. I underwent strict military combat training so I would be prepared to sneak under barbed wire barricades, slip by booby traps and dodge machine gun fire. Because of this training the army sent me to a top-secret army base in Sonoma County near Petaluma, California. There I sneaked into the movies to watch MASH (banned on the base), slipped by traffic speed traps and dodged night call. I was fighting the "Battle of Petaluma" where the greatest fears were a bad crop at the vineyard and mad chicken disease. After two years in the army with absolutely no medals or commendations, I was discharged. I then moved to Los Angeles where I did my radiology residency at LA County – USC Medical Center. Then in 1976, while on the Mattehorn ride at Disneyland, a car blew up in the parking lot. That explosion reminded me of the old days, so the next day, I went out and purchased, not chemicals, but an eight-inch Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. I got really interested in astronomy, but never did much photography. Since I lived in light polluted LA, I couldn’t even find the North Star – a prerequisite for telescope alignment. Ten years later, that all changed. Comet Halley (1982) was on the way, and I figured I would get the best shot of seeing it in Australia. I packed my telescope, called up Quantas, tied me kangaroo down mate, and flew off to Auckland (NZ). Except that the guy at the airport who did the announcements pronounced Auckland a lot like Oakland (California) and I ended up there instead. This is about the worst city in the USA; some fool even tried to shoot a hole in my eyepiece. I finally got to Australia and went to Coonabarabran, NSW to photograph the comet. It was a puny comet with such an attenuated tail that I mistook it for the globular cluster Omega Centauri on my first night out. I returned to LA with a lackluster bunch of photos of the most over-hyped comet of all time … but I was hooked. Astrophotography is a most addictive hobby. I have had about two hundred of my photos published around the world and in 2000 co-authored a book on the subject. In 1996 I was invited to speak at the European Astrofest in London. The topic was "Enhancement Techniques in Astrophotography". The talk went well until I showed a nude photo of Cindy Crawford created with the tri-colour technique (ala physicist James Clerk Maxwell). I thought if Maxwell could show the technique at the Royal Society, why couldn’t I show it at Kensington Hall? The British response was disastrous as I got many groans and grimaces from the audience. "What prudes …nothing like LA!" That same year (my annus mirabilis) I was constantly nagging a friend (formerly chairman of the astronomy department at Harvard University) to help me find a place in the Southern Hemisphere to photograph the austral night sky. Somehow he convinced the Director of the Carnegie Las Campanas Observatory in Chile to allow me to spend 10 nights there. Except for scorpions and Vichuca beetles, whose bite can lead to Chagas Disease, Las Campanas is a great place and Carnegie has an illustrious history. Its two most famous employees were Edwin Hubble (the greatest astronomer of the twentieth century) and Vannevar Bush (the man in charge of building the atomic bomb). The scorpions were not as good; except with mayonnaise. Four months after returning from Chile, I took yet another astronomy-related trip; this time to Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. The altitude of the lake is about 12,500 feet, so you are greeted with a brisk cup of Cocaine laced tea. It seems that wherever you go, you just can’t seem to escape the LA culture. After re-energizing myself, it was off to "Dr. Lozano’s" hut. He is a genuine Andean fortune teller and native physician from the old school. Instead of Taro cards, he uses cocaine leaves to tell your fortune and throws wild guinea pigs against the wall to diagnose your ailments. I opted for the fortune telling, and he was quite clairvoyant predicting a successful trip and loss of much dinero to pay for those coca refreshments. My other hobby that can be linked to photography is travel. I have been to all seven continents, and Belle Isle. The tales are too numerous to mention in this posting, so I will end my letter here. We have all led different lives since 1961, but do have those four years at Mumford in common. I hope these anecdotes rekindle your memories. Michael Stecker (2001 addresses) mstecker@dslextreme.com My Web Site: http://www.homestead.com/mstecker/index.html Michael Stecker mstecker@dslextreme.com Michael Stecker (2007 addresses) mike@mstecker.com (in 2007) masmd@sbcglobal.net (in 2007) mastecher@gmail.com (in 2007) http://mstecker.com (in 2007) My Old Web Site (2001): http://www.homestead.com/mstecker/index.html My Old email (in 2001) mstecker@dslextreme.com (in 2001) Carol J. Steen Dear Nancy, Here is my bio. It took a while to write it, as I thought it might. It is hard to condense 50 years of 'searching and finally finding' into a few paragraphs that might be of interest to my 700+ fellow classmates from 40 years ago, but here goes. There is a story here. Let me preface it with a few accomplishments. My press release reads: Carol Steen is an artist. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous public and private collections, including the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa, Canada. Steen's work has been seen in 5 television documentaries including the BBC's documentary, "Orange Sherbet Kisses', and Australia's "60 Minutes". She has participated in numerous radio interviews including National Public Radio's "The Infinite Mind", hosted by Fred Goodwin, and her work has appeared in Discover Magazine and the February, 2001 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. She has been the recipient of grants from the Ford Foundation, National Endowment Visiting Artist, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She has been awarded fellowships by the Printmaking Workshop and the MacDowell Colony. Her recent paper, "Visions Shared: A Firsthand Look into Synesthesia and Art" has just been published by "Leonardo", a journal of The MIT Press. Carol Steen is a synesthete and co-founder of the American Synesthesia Association, Inc., a not-for-profit organization. She lives with her husband in a small artist's loft in Manhattan. I have a rare ability called Synesthesia and I have spent my life so far seeking those who can"See what I see." For the scientists/scholars among my classmates, and for those who might be intrigued, here is a very, very brief definition: Synesthesia is the joining of the senses. For example, a synesthete might hear sounds in color, or see letters and numbers in color. These 2 examples are only the tip of the iceberg. Any of our 5 senses can be joined with the others. Some forms of synesthesia are common, others are rare, but this perceptional ability is very real. It is not made up, it is not imagined and it definitely is not drug induced. I first found out I perceived the world differently when I was seven and walked home from elementary school with a classmate. I said to her, The letter "A" is the prettiest pink I have ever seen. She replied with a withering look that 7 year olds are so good at giving, "You're weird". Hearing that comment, I didn't say another thing about my synesthesia until I was 20. I was silenced, but silence only made me look harder. Unfortunately, it also made me very, painfully, shy. As one might expect, this also made me very self contained, and quietly, except for my parents serious protests against me becoming an artist, I went into the artist's world of loners, and dreamers, and survivors and I thrived there. I still do. On occasion, I would try to find another person like myself, someone I trusted enough to ask, "Do you see what I see?" And for many years I never heard the echo back I so sincerely wanted to hear, I never heard the resounding, "Yes, I do see what you see!" As the years passed I'd find out a tidbit or two more about my ability. One splendid day I got lucky when I mentioned my colored letters to a colleague at the University of Michigan who taught there in the Psychology Dept. (I was teaching in the School of Art.) I learned my abilities had a name: Synesthesia. And yes, the word was in the dictionary. I'd find more information as I got older, but it wasn't until I was 49 when I heard a radio broadcast that was to change my life. I heard Dr. Richard Cytowic speak about a book he had just written entitled, "The Man Who Tasted Shapes". It was a book about synesthesia and finally there was someone I could talk to who knew far more about a synesthete's abilities than I had ever been able to learn on my own, and who was willing to talk to me. I was almost no longer alone. Speaking with him, I knew something major in my life had changed, but the most magical day of my entire life was going to take another year to happen. That was the day I met my first fellow synesthete. We were introduced by a famous scientist in England who thought that two synesthetes who lived in the same city should know each other. On a cool November evening in 1995 we met in my loft. Pat, who works at the U.N., and I immediately liked each other and we laughed and argued happily about what we could both see synesthetically. To this day, we still argue happily about the colors of our letters, but back then in November 1995 what I had been hoping for all my life happened and my whole world changed. My art changed as I consciously began to use what I see synesthetically, and my shyness vanished. I was no longer alone. Since then I have spoken with or written to over five hundred synesthetes worldwide thanks to the Internet and in May we held the first American Synesthesia Association, Inc. conference at Princeton University. The conference was mentioned in Time Magazine and now lots of synesthetes are no longer alone either. For those who want more information about synesthesia, you might like to know: Synesthesia has been known about for over 300 years, but until 1993 when it was finally 'proven' to exist, synesthesia wasn't taken too seriously. It was a curiosity, however much admired by artists and writers. Kandinsky loved it, and Rimbaud and Baudelaire used it. But scientists thought it was merely a collection of interesting stories that people had made up and most scientists didn't want to spend their time studying anecdotes. That is until 1993 when a small control group study was done in London, England with PET scans and finally the first mystery of synesthesia was solved, (was it real?) and about a hundred new mysteries began: i.e. if this is what the brain can do, how does the brain really work? Work on synesthesia and the remapping of the brain has begun in 15 countries worldwide that I know about, including studies at the N.I.H., Yale, Harvard, McMaster and Waterloo Universities in Canada, Monash University in Australia, University of Cambridge, University of Lyon, etc. There have been many famous people who have had synesthesia and have used it in their work: Nabokov, author of Lolita; David Hockney, artist; Richard Feynman, Nobel Prize Winner in Physics; Olivier Messiaen, composer; Liszt, Mozart and, we think, Van Gogh. If this topic interests you, and especially if you are a synesthete, please contact me at rednote@infohouse.com for websites and more information. Carol J. Steen sterncj@touro.edu rednote@infohouse.com Carole Stern Hi Nancy, you are finally hearing from me! Sorry it took so long. Time flies. I have really enjoyed reading the bios of my classmates and it is hard to believe that forty years have gone by. After graduation, I attended Cosmetology school and became a hair stylist for twenty years. As a mother of two, I wanted to spend more time with the kids so decided to take it easy. As they got older, I tried my hand in the field of Retail Sales and then I ventured into the Real Estate market, which wiped me out after five or so years. I am still living in the Detroit area, West Bloomfield to be exact. I have been married to a wonderful man by the name of Saul Borlack for twenty-eight years. We have two great children: My son Scott (25) graduated from MSU and is now pursuing his acting career in LA. My daughter Jamie (23) is studying to be a Cardiovascular Technologist, so look for her as we all hop on those treadmills for Stress Testing! Stinks getting older doesn't it? Both of my children are single at the moment, but we look forward to the joys ahead. Winters are not my cup of tea, so we have decided to grab a winter home in Florida for the coming years. I am sorry to say that at the time of the reunion we will be soaking up the rays down south seeking that new house. Nancy, you have done a terrific job organizing this huge ordeal and I can't wait to hear how it goes. I am interested in any other resources you may have on the reunion including the class book and other souvenirs. That's it in a nutshell, wishing you and everyone the best. Sincerely, Carole (Stern) Borlack Jamielyse@aol.com PS: I am computer illiterate, but my daughter is graciously allowing me to share her email address if anyone would like to contact me! Norton Stern Thanks for including me in all of the '61 reunion email. I actually graduated in January 1962, along with my wife Sherrie (Gross) Stern. It seems that most of our friends were in the '61 class, so we both are looking forward to the reunion. Sherrie and I were married in 1964. We have two married sons, Scott and Ken, and three granddaughters. It's so perfect to have little girls after raising two boys! Since 1969, I have been in the investment business and am a partner in Franklin Financial Investments. I am currently the president of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, MI. Both Sherrie and I are very involved with the Reform Jewish community. I am also partners with 1961 Mumford graduate, David Jackson, in Showcase Entertainment. Showcase is in the film distribution business and located in LA, so I'm out there quite often on business. Because of all of these BIOS, I have been in contact with many old friends and I really enjoy hooking up with them again. If anyone would like to email Sherrie or me, please feel free to do so: nortystern@aol.com or sherstern100@aol.com Thanks again for including us! We'll see you at the gig! Norton Stern Harriet Stocker Nancy, here is a snapshot of my past. I graduated WSU Medical School in 1969 and completed a residency program in Anesthesiology 34 yrs ago. I married the love of my life, Howard Lefton, met when we were 20, and went thru Med School together. We moved to California to practice, and have been here 25 years. We have two wonderful kids. Ron is 29 and a tax attorney, Helene is 31 and principal of a huge Jr. High. Between the two of them we have two grandchildren and a third due next week (day before Thanksgiving). I am also fortunate that they both live within 4 miles of each other and from us. About 9 years ago, I retired from private practice and switched careers. I am a medical director for a large insurance company. They put me through business courses, and I have enjoyed my second career in administration. Howard has been retired for four years and spends his time with his amigos and as "Papa Nanny" a few days a week. I am sorry to miss the reunion, but will be awaiting the arrival of our next grandson. Harriet (Stocker) Lefton You can reach me at hlefton@yahoo.com Marcia Stulberg Dear Mumford Class of ‘61 I was a member of the August graduation class, any more of you out there???? We were supposed to graduate in February. Remember those years when we had two semesters? After Mumford, I went to Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State and then went to work at B. Siegel Co. for several years. I worked my way up to being the Buyer of several departments and found myself in New York every month or so. Because I was the youngest Buyer they'd ever had (22 yrs old) the "Bosses" (men, of course, in those days) cautioned me against the perils and invitations that a young single woman would be up against in the "Rag Market." They must have sent out warnings to the suppliers as well because while the "older" woman were being wined and dined every night, I was alone in my hotel room writing orders. -- BORING! But the days were exciting and fun. After several years, I met Michael Cuttler (Mumford Class of "59) and I no longer wanted to spend a week each month in NYC. Besides, he had a big boat, 40’, and needed a crew. When he asked me to be his "First Mate" and take off for a year with him on the boat, I agreed. In June of ’72 we got married and began our "year honeymoon." First we cruised the Great Lakes to Toronto then came south on the Erie Canal and Intercostal Waterway stopping in so many places that I can’t remember all of them. Yes, I even ran her aground once but not too serious. The year was very exciting and oh so different than any years till this past year when we traveled for the first six months of our retirement. . But in 1972-73 the boat went down in the Bermuda Triangle on our way to Nassau and the Coast Guard rescued us. We did buy another one though and continued our year including trips to the Bahamas and Out Islands and the Keys. (I think we are now on boat number 6 since we were married) In ‘73 we lived and worked in Madeira Beach, FL (near St, Pete) and in ‘74 we settled in Sarasota, Florida and our daughter Cori was born. She attended the University of Florida and got her Master’s Degree at George Washington University in Public Administration (and politics). She is still living in DC and yes, I get a little inside gossip. Any connections to government jobs would be most appreciated. In '79, I went to work (sales and office) with my hubby and we opened the first Computerized Automotive Diagnostic and Repair facility in the area. We were very well received and closed every August for 2-3 weeks vacation. Then we added an Ugly Duckling Rent-A-Car Franchise and also opened 2 more franchise locations. Then we found that we could not take our summer vacations anymore because it was hard to get good help in Florida and all those little Ducks were waddling around and someone stable had to be available for calls. And as long as we had to be around, we added a U-HAUL truck and trailer dealership to the flock and became one of their top Dealer producers on the West Coast of Florida. (PS – We did not rent those broken trucks you saw on TV.) Sundays were spent on the boat but that did not make up for having no vacations for 15 years – but it helped. And just because I wasn’t busy enough, also being a Mom and car pools, etc. I did a lot of volunteer fund raising for several organizations. I just like to sell! And I like to cook. Three years ago, I strongly encouraged Michael to get out of the business. We closed the repair facility and rented a small lot so that I could continue the rentals, under our own name by then – McBargain Rent-A-Car. Michael went into Commercial Real Estate and then a year ago – we both retired. We traveled for the first 6 months of retirement (to make up for all those vacationless years) and are now remodeling our home. For the first time in my life, I don’t have to be somewhere at some particular time to do some specific thing, and it’s been nice, BUT…. I can’t sit still so I just earned my Florida Real Estate License and I am going to sell commercial real estate part time. The best part of the last 40 years is that my family and myself has had good health (knock on wood). That is the number one most important thing that I could wish for all of you. I can’t make the reunion but would love to hear from any of you that remember me. And if you are ever in the Sarasota, Florida area please let me know. Marcia Stulberg Cuttler marcia-c@home.com Michael Stulberg Dear Nancy, After Mumford graduation, I spent twelve years in Ann Arbor, four years as an undergrad, four years in medical school and four years in residency in psychiatry and fellowship in child psychiatry. Along the way, I also picked up a master's degree in public health. After Ann Arbor, I spent two mandatory years in the Air Force in Florida which cured me of ever wanting to live in winter again. So, in 1976, I moved to Santa Barbara, California where I have been in private practice as a psychiatrist ever since. I also was the medical director of a chemical dependency unit in town for twenty years . In 1969, I married my wife, Judie, formerly Judie Gordon from Pontiac, and this July we will have been married for thirty two years. Our two kids are actually living out my dream. They are both working rock musicians. Our oldest, Jeremy, performs under the name J. Roxx. He is a drummer with band in San Diego and a band in Los Angeles. His San Diego band, Seven Train, has a website at http://seventrain.com/ Jeremy is the handsome kid with the shaved head and the goatee. Our youngest, Adam, performing under the name Adam Daniel (his middle name) with his band, The Adam Daniel Frequency, is a singer, songwriter, plays everything else except the drums musician. He lives in Santa Monica and has been under contract with an independent record company in New York for the past several years. He performs in various clubs in L.A. His CD, Blue Pop, is available at Amazon.com. His website is at http://adamdaniel.com/ I don't have a website, or a record contract for that matter. But I am assured that when either or both of our kids gets mega wealthy and mega famous, they will buy their mother and me a retirement house. So, buy the CD...every little bit helps. Michael Stulberg mvsjgs@webtv.net Maureen Tarnopol Following my graduation from Mumford, I worked a year before entering Michigan State where I majored in Special Education for the Visually Handicapped. While there I met and married Ron Diehl from Staten Island. After graduation we moved to Omaha where I taught for a few years. After six years of marriage we called it quits. Shortly thereafter I met and tried marriage a second time to Michael Sullivan, who just happened to be in Omaha for a few days on his way to Washington, D.C. Fortunately, he was able to change his schedule and we lived in the Midwest for a short time. Eventually, though, in search for the ultimate amusement, we moved to San Miguel del Allende, Mexico. After a year and a half, guess what..our money ran out and it was time to return to real life. So, we settled in the hills outside of Gettysburg, PA, where I worked in a community mental health agency. It was wonderful to live among the orchards only a mile from the Appalachian Trail. Eventually, feeling the need to further my education, I entered UC Berkeley and earned a Masters in Social Work. We now live in Los Altos, just south of Palo Alto in the heart of the Silicon Valley. We have two almost grown children. I direct a non-profit agency called the Jewish Coalition for Literacy where I place volunteer reading tutors in the area’s worst public schools. My husband works for Kodak developing medical imaging systems. I still have some family in Detroit and we visit occasionally. I’m always so pleasantly surprised to see how lovely it is becoming. I’m going to do my best to make the reunion and hope to see you all then. Maureen (Tarnopol) Sullivan mopo@infi.net Barbara Tenebaum Hi Nancy, please include my bio: Hello Mumford!!! I have read each and every Bio, and I smile as I read trying to put a face with a name. The Bios are a wonderful way to have each of us be known for our accomplishments in life, instead of just the memories of who we were long ago! So here goes mine. Barbara (Tenebaum) Gluck, definitely not the same person who was on the field hockey team, or who could barely keep up with all the academic competition! I graduated Mumford and went to D.I.T….where I worked like a dog to get accepted to Eastern Michigan University, where I graduated with a BS in Education. I immediately taught school in Ferndale Michigan and moved back home. I did not have the guts, nor was it even imaginable for me to think about moving out of Detroit. I was following a destined path. My friend Judi (Maiseloff) Klein fixed me up on a blind date, and soon I married my husband Arnie Gluck. We lived in Oak Park, had two daughters, Carrie and Marci, and life was predictable. THEN my husband received an unexpected phone call from a headhunter that changed our lives and shook up my pre-planned life. Our family was off to the East coast. For the next 20 years we lived in Somerset, NJ and Princeton Jct., NJ. Moving out of Michigan opened up my world. My life took many different paths. In 1974 I participated in a transformational workshop called the EST Training, now known as the Landmark Forum. The Forum is a leading corporation that deals with personal growth and development in the USA and Internationally. The program had an amazing impact on every area of my life, especially my relationship with my family, husband and daughters. It opened up a world that led to many possibilities in my life, not just what was predictable. I was so inspired by the contribution that Landmark made to people's lives, that after years of working in Education and in Real Estate, I accepted employment in 1982 as the Landmark Program Manager as well as a Course leader. I was in charge of sales, marketing and program development. I was the number one course leader in the country and I made a difference in thousands of peoples lives. It was a very fulfilling time in my life. It was during that time that I realized that I had a passion to go back to school. I was accepted to Rutgers University, a far cry from D.I.T. and when I graduated with Masters In Social Work, I cried at graduation! In 1993, another call from a headhunter sent Arnie and I to San Francisco, where we now live in Mill Valley, CA (across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco). Our daughter Carrie (33) lives in SF, working on her MBA and works for Wells Fargo Bank in their Internet Services Group. Our other daughter, Marci (31) has a PHD in Health Psychology, lives in Manhattan and does research at St. Luke’s Hospital. My wonderful husband of 34 years works in the financial world and can’t wait to retire. Over the last 11 years, I have moved in and out of two very different careers. As a management consultant for large corporations, I was a trainer and coach impacting corporate culture and productivity, and as a psychotherapist, I worked with individuals and couples, focusing on relationships, as well as alcohol and drug issues. Currently I work as a psychotherapist for a non-profit organization. I am a clinical supervisor for graduate students and develop psychotherapy programs for Older Adults. I love empowering others to find their own strength and spirit just as I have been empowered to find mine. Looking forward to the reunion. Barbara Tenebaum Gluck us422@aol.com Arlene Teper Nancy, I can't believe it has been 40 years!!!!! I worked for a C.P.A. firm for 4 years, and when my husband finished dental school during the Viet Nam war, he joined the Air Force and we left Michigan and spent 2 years in Illinois. I did accounting part time up until 7 years ago, when I retired from the work force. All during that time, I raised 2 sons and 1 daughter, and am now helping to raise 1 grandson and 4 granddaughters. life is good!!!! looking forward to more info on the reunion Arlene Teper dovrlov@aol.com Arlene Teper Nancy, since i won't be attending the reunion, i thought i would send in my bio and catch everyone up this way. i had the parents from hell, who informed me early on, that there was no way i was going to go to college, so i decided that my only chance was to get a good business and accounting education in mumford - which is what i did. when i graduated i joined a large cpa firm as an accountant and statistical typist. i married bobby niskar in l964 and supported us until he graduated dental school. while he was in dental school, he made a deal with uncle sam, that if he wasn't drafted out of school, he would do 2 years service after graduation - which was during the viet nam war - but we got lucky (?) and he was stationed in rantoul, illinois - chanute air force base. it was there that i had two of my three children. howie is now 35 and works for a division of johnson & johnson where he goes into operating rooms and teaches physicians how to use the latest instruments. he has given us 2 granddaughters. our daughter, audrey, 33, graduated as an interpreter for the hearing impaired and went on to get her masters in medical social work. she currently lives in ann arbor where her husband is completing his residency in urology and will follow it with another year as a fellow in endoscopic surgery. she has given us one more granddaughter and our only grandson. our youngest , joey , 30, is an attorney practicing in southfield and he gave us our fourth granddaughter. when joey was in school full time, i went back to working in accounting and when i turned 50, decided i had had enough and i retired. bobby and i have done a lot of traveling in europe and hope to get to the other parts of the world when things quiet down. i love to cook and bake and needlepoint - i spend most of my time now taking care of grandchildren and just enjoying life. (in case you are wondering - i write in lower case because i am a lazy typist) i am a severe chocoholic and i only read mysteries. for those who care to find out more about me, just ask sheryl broner gordon - she's a good friend of mine and she will be at the reunion - or just email me - i would love to hear from you. sheila rosen, carolyn weingarden, cookey solomon, judy pavlovich, nina rudin and a few others of you - BEWARE - i will be emailing you soon!! regards - arlene i send to you all, my best wishes for a fun reunion and may we all know peace in our lifetime. arlene (Teper) niskar dovrlov@aol.com Arlene Tilchen Hi Nancy, You have made this fun - For our class of '61. Bio of Arlene (Tilchen) Rubinoff It is hard to believe our war baby generation will be celebrating 40 years since our Mumford graduation. We have traveled a long way since the ' 60's. I have enjoyed and been impressed by reading about our classmates' many achievements and sources of pride. The bios speak of education, marriage(s), children, grandchildren, divorce, careers, travel, accomplishments, and special interests. Some are working and many are retired. The class of ' 61 has plenty of reason to be proud! It is a fascinating "material" report. It would be even better if we could share our causes and commitments, so that who we are and what kind of people we have become is revealed by more than a recitation of our accomplishments I graduated from Wayne State University with two degrees, a BA in history and biology and a Master's Degree in secondary education. I taught two years in Detroit, married Norman Rubinoff and moved to Toledo, Ohio in 1968. In 1991, I earned a Specialist Degree in Administration and Supervision from the University of Toledo. We have both been very active in our Jewish community with many charitable, service and religious organizations. I especially enjoyed being President of our 400-member sisterhood organization and I have even published a cookbook. My husband received his law degree from Case Western Reserve Law School in Cleveland. He practices estate planning, business law, trust and probate law. We have been married for 33 years. Norman adds them differently, saying, "Twenty glorious and great years, ten good ones and three so-so years." I stayed home and raised the four children and when our youngest went to school, I returned to teaching. I teach science at Start High School in Toledo. The high school is an eight-minute drive from my home. I have taught physical science, biology, anatomy and physiology, physics, and I enjoy it. For the year 2000-2001 I was recognized in Who's Who Among Americas Teachers. Teaching has changed so much since the 60's. It was difficult then and it still has a long way to go. Like many of our classmates Norman and I have started to travel to many places like Scandinavia and St. Petersburg, Russia, the Canadian Rockies, Caribbean, Florida, Vegas, Mexico, and of course, to Israel. My school's baseball team has been ranked #1 in the nation two times, in 1994 and 1998. We even made the USA newspaper. Our baseball team has also won four state championships. I wish our Detroit Tigers team played as well. Our Toledo Mud Hens play in the international league and is the Detroit Tigers Triple A farm team. Toledo is building a new Mud Hens Stadium and it will be called Fifth/Third (bank) Park. Umm, sound familiar? Comerica (bank) Park. Umm. Now, that our daughter attends U of M, I follow their football team. When Ohio State and U of M play, I seem to cheer for both teams. My husband and the oldest of our three sons attended Ohio State. There is a good rivalry here, since I am from Michigan and our daughter attends U of M. However, we have a good time U of M-Ohio State football game day. Our four children range from 20 to 31. They all went to the Big 10 schools: Ohio State U., University of Wisconsin in Madison, Indiana U. and University of Michigan. This provides even more great sports rivalries. Two sons are in the computer field (consulting and management systems) and one is a materials and science (Metallurgical) engineer. Two sons have earned master's degrees. Our daughter, Sara is a junior and studying at Hebrew University this year, her junior year. She plans to return to the University of Michigan to finish her senior year in Ann Arbor and then onto graduate studies in the field of public health. It seems my children went into the sciences. We feared that one might become a lawyer. Not so. :-) If anyone is ever in Toledo please call to reminisce. We can take out the Capri and look at our Mumford High School pictures. Thanks for your delightful company. I have enjoyed our Mumford reading "material." It's been interesting, I would say better than the American Literature class we all had. Lots and lots of life stories. Arlene (Tilchen) Rubinoff (419) 535-6448 email: arubino@pop3.utoledo.edu or Happyrub@aol.com Maureen Traitel Nancy, just a brief overview. I have being working in corporate relocation for the past 13 years. Seven years on site at General Motors and the past six years on site at Ford Motor Company I have two married sons, two beautiful granddaughters and a third grandchild due the beginning of December. Maureen (Traitel) Leslie Sharon Tucker I'VE BEEN VERY HESITANT TO WRITE. I THINK YOU HAVE DONE A MARVELOUS JOB AND THE BIO'S HAVE BEEN SO INTERESTING. MY ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT I JUST DON'T KNOW ANY OF THESE PEOPLE. I WAS BEGINNING TO WONDER WHERE I WAS IN MUMFORD THAT ALL THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE JUST PASSED ME BY. I CERTAINLY HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS THERE BUT HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING FROM THEM YET. HAS ANYONE HEARD FROM INA SACHS, CAROLYN WEINGARDEN, OR NICKY GELL? WHAT ABOUT NANCY KARCH? I WAS INTO ART WHILE AT MUMFORD AND MOST OF MY FRIENDS WERE IN THE ART DEPARTMENT. DOES ANYONE REMEMBER MR. DEVLEESCHOWER? AFTER READING HOW SUCCESSFUL EVERYONE IS I WAS VERY RELUCTANT TO SEND IN MY BIO BUT I'VE HAD A VERY FULFILLING LIFE. I WAS MARRIED AT NINETEEN AND HAD TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN. MY SON IS A CHEF AND MY DAUGHTER IS THE CEO OF A COMPUTER STAFFING COMPANY. I WAS DIVORCED AFTER SEVEN AWFUL YEARS BUT MANAGED TO RAISE MY CHILDREN ALONE. WHEN MY DAUGHTER WENT AWAY TO U OF M I DECIDED TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. I'VE BEEN TAKING CLASSES HERE AND THERE AND JUST HAVE A YEAR TO GO. I DON'T THINK I'LL EVER CATCH UP WITH MY DAUGHTER WHO HAS THREE DEGREES. I HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR A LARGE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY IN SOUTHFIELD FOR TWENTY EIGHT YEARS. I SUPERVISE THE ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT AMONG OTHER THINGS. IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING AND REWARDING POSITION. I'M NOT SURE IF I'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE REUNION OR NOT BUT WILL TRY. IF ANYONE REMEMBERS ME AND WOULD LIKE TO CHAT, MY E-MAIL IS SJAMSW@AOL.COM SHARON (TUCKER) WINANS Thomas (Earl) Walton My bio may sound rather ordinary, but so am I. So, here goes: After graduating from Mumford, I enlisted in the Air Force. I thought this would be a good way to "see the world." I was able to spend a short time in Hawaii and made it overseas to the Philippines and Guam. I was stationed in California for a little over 3 years. After my military duty and my discharge in 1966, I returned to Detroit for a brief stay. Not letting the grass grow under my feet, I left for St. Louis and worked as an aircraft mechanic for a little over a year. Feeling restless, I went back to California where I trained on a trapeze for about 6 months. Had it worked out, we would have been the first black trapeze team. Realizing that this was not my calling, I got hungry and had to get a paying job. I stayed in LA. for about 4 or 5 years, where in 1971, I got married and we had one daughter. After the earthquakes ran me out of LA, I returned to Detroit in 1972 and divorced in 1975. I then went to work for GM, bought a home, and settled down. I met my true love in 1978 and married her in 1979. We have been together for 22 years. Between the two wives, we have 6 daughters, five granddaughters, and finally a grandson, and another grand in the oven. I retired from GM in 1993, rested a few months, then went to work at a small company as a press operator and die setter. I gave them 7 years of my valuable time. I retired this past June. For now, I am enjoying doing nothing but getting up in the morning, thanking God for His Blessings, and figuring out what to do with my day. We built a second home in Central Michigan where we spend our time fishing and relaxing, and getting away from the city noise. I will be at the reunion and am looking forward to seeing those of you whom I do remember, and also those that I don't. Life's been good. WHAT A BLESSING! Thomas (Earl) Walton no1penee@aol.com Marvin Weinstein Nancy here is my bio. After graduating from Mumford I attended Eastern Michigan University for two years. Since I was coming home every weekend, I decided to move back home, and attended WSU. I graduated in June 1966 and immediately joined the National Guard, so that I wouldn't go the Vietnam. I then proposed to my wife, Eleanor. As it turned out we got married on November 20, 1966 and went on our honeymoon. On December 4, 1966, I left for basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. I returned home on June 1, 1967 and left for summer camp for two weeks. After returning from summer camp, I began to settle in. However, the riots broke out, so I was gone again in July and was on 12th street for two weeks. I had a machine gun mounted on the front of a jeep and patrolled 12th street every night. Finally everything settled down, and we will be married 35 years in November. In October of this year our children are taking us to Napa Valley for our anniversary. We will all be there together. We have three children. Jeff is 33, Robbie is 31 and Debbie is 27. Jeff lives in Oakland, Ca and is a corporate executive with Peet's Coffee and tea. His wife is Fenella, and he has a daughter (my granddaughter) Brooklyn Rose who is 22 months. Robbie lives in Brooklyn and has studied in France and Italy after graduating from College. He is an aspiring young actor. Debbie is married to Matt Dubin and lives in Las Vegas (Summerlin). She has a Masters in Social Work and is working for a dialysis clinic. As for myself, I am a Certified Public Accountant and have been with the firm of Morof Sheplow Weinstein plc for almost 37 years. Three years ago I also became a Certified Valuation Analyst and perform business valuations. I also serve as an expert witness on many different types of litigation. I am really looking forward to the reunion and would encourage everyone to attend. I have had a great time working with the committee. Marvin Weinstein marvin@mswplc.com Ronald Winokur RONALD L. WINOKUR 2307 EL CONTENTO DRIVE . LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA . 90068-2815 PHONE:323.467.4492 . FAX: 323.467.4315 EMAIL: BEAUXART_S@EMAIL.MSN.COM From 1970 ? 1976, I was a curator at the Detroit Institute of Arts. As Assistant Curator of European Art and subsequently as assistant to the Director, I was responsible for care of works of art, installation, research and purchase of works of art. During this period, I published scholarly articles concerning my research. Since May, 1980 I have engaged in my own business in Los Angeles as an art dealer and appraiser. I have specialized in the fields of European and American Paintings, Drawings and Sculptures and Prints. My clients include: Mrs. Benson Ford, Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan Mrs. Charlotte Ford, New York Mrs. Anne Ford Johnson, New York Mr. and Mrs. Deane F. Johnson, Beverly Hills Mrs. Anne Ford, New York Mr. Edward R. Downe, Jr., New York Mr. David Murdock, Los Angeles Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Davis, Beverly Hills Mr. and Mrs. Thomas V. Jones, Bel Air Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Peck, Los Angeles Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ehrlich, Beverly Hills Mrs. Allan Shelden III, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan Mr. Richard A. Manoogian, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Newberry Brooks, New Preston, Connecticut H. Shickman Gallery, New York Didier Aaron et Cie. , New York Frost & Reed, London Galerie Fischer-Kiener, Paris Galerie Heim, Paris Mary-Anne Martin/Fine Art, New York Hirshl and Adler Modern, New York Anita Friedman Fine Art, New York Michael Hue-Williams Fine Art, London Edward Tyler Nahem Fine Arts, New York Warner Communications, New York American Financial Corporation, Cincinnati Marmon Master Trust, Chicago National Bank of Detroit The Rodeo Collection, Beverly Hills Christie's, New York Crescent Court Hotel, Dallas Mr. Harold Berkowitz, Loeb & Loeb, Los Angeles Dr. Alfred G. Lerner, Beverly Hills Kalef Alaton et Cie., Los Angeles Booth, Mitchell and Strange, Los Angeles Law Office of Henry Friedman, Los Angeles Law Office of Charles W. Daff, Newport Beach, California Mr. Peter Morrell, New York Donald Wagner Dear Nancy- you really have done a remarkable job. Although I see a few of our classmates in the course of business, and live a few doors from Bernie Friedman, it has been interesting to see the diverse history. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the reunion, as other engagements prohibit the same, nevertheless I wish all our classmates well. After graduating Mumford, I attended Eastern along with several of our classmates in order to have a safe environment to party. I not only roomed with Lenny Aronovitz, but recall that Joel Golden and Ronnie Bonheim (to mention a few) were also there. Unfortunately, Joel Golden took his studying too seriously for the rest of us at Eastern and transferred to U of M. After graduating, I went to Wayne State Law School and in 1968 attended NYU graduate law school. In 1969 I thought I had cleared that two-way rifle range in Southeast Asia and got engaged to Dottie Weiss (Mumford class of 62). However, I was wrong and we ended up doing our patriotic duty in Washington, D.C. for a little over 2 years. Fortunately for us, it was a great 2 years, as I was lucky enough to have my orders to Vietnam pulled and changed, to be the aide to the Provost Marshal General. I have 2 beautiful and successful daughters, Sheri and Amy, both of whom are unmarried and out in the real world. Sheri lived in Chicago for a few years after graduating U of M, and now lives in Birmingham, and Amy now lives in Baltimore after graduating U of M, and then receiving her Master’s from Brandeis. After reading many of the Bios, I guess I am very lucky and blessed to have had a 31-year marriage and 2 wonderful children. Donald Wagner dwagner@couzens.com Howard Waserman Hello class of '61. Nancy, you have my heartfelt gratitude for doing this project. The memories it has conjured up. Coming from a corporate environment, I know what it means to "manage by committee" better known as, "the contention system!" My hat goes off to you. Of course it would be more meaningful if I actually wore a hat. Oh well. And thanks to the rest of the committee for the work you guys are doing. I've read each of the bio's submitted. It is apparent many roads and journeys have been taken since 1961. I see some of you were quite successful financially; and some academically; some of you have traveled great distances; while others have stayed put. I've noticed joy and happiness, and unfortunately, tragedy, as well. It seems, as I read through your individual bios, the images I have of you come not only from Mumford, but go as far back as Bagley (Thank you Mrs. Hosner). Well, here's my story. Most of you will remember me as the one with the thick glasses. In my senior year I got contacts and met my first love (thanks JoAnn). Those two events molded me into who I am today. The jury is still out on whether that was a good thing or not. I went on to college, where I became president of a fraternity (thanks Mickey and Al). After finishing school, I joined IBM, had a pretty great career with them. I got married in '68 to a lovely gal, who put up with me for nearly 30 years (thanks Pat). IBM moved us around the country. First we went to San Jose, CA, where I worked in a lab. Then on to Dayton, OH, where I became a manager, followed by National Account Manager for GM. What a ball I had. Then onto HQ staff, first in White Plains (We lived in Danbury, CT), and then to Franklin Lakes, NJ (we resided in Wayne, NJ). Finally here to Atlanta, where I have been since '84. Had two kids. First came Jodi, we got her in Detroit. Oh yes, did I mention she was a dog. She died in '80, I still carry a picture of her in my wallet. OK, so I'm sentimental. Our second, was a real live person. Robyn is now 24, trekking through New Zealand, Australia, Bali, Thailand, and all points east. She went to 7 different colleges during her undergrad years and she said to me, "Dad, do you think that will look strange on my resume?" I assured her it would not be a detractor, but would make for some very interesting interviews. What a treat this girl is (thanks Rob). Well, in '94 I took an "early retirement" package. This is a euphemism for "downsizing!" Ah yes, life's journey takes many unexpected turns. My expertise in computers, got me a job with an attorney in the middle of a major crisis. I went to work for him as VP, of Operations. I became the head negotiator, and hired 3 people to handle the workload. Long story short, he was an alcoholic and a terrible wife abuser. I got involved. It cost me my marriage. Suddenly one Monday morning, the attorney was found at the bottom of a flight of stairs. My wife accused me of murdering him. Talk about "Hell hath no fury..." To make matters worse, sometime later, his wife accused me of the same thing. I DIDN'T DO IT, THAT'S MY STORY, AND I'M STICKIN' TO IT!! Scared the hell out of me though. Well, enough about that. The latest chapter, for the last year I had been seeing a law enforcement official (totally unrelated to the previous issue). She was a most exciting woman. The second or third date I said, "What would happen, if I squeeze you too tight?" To which she replied, "Oh, that won't happen. I've already sized you up, and I can take ya!" I chose never to test that. Oh, and another thing, a gun on the side of the bed...what a tremendous incentive to perform :) Unfortunately, her job got in the way, and we had to part company. Well, if nothing else, I realize it never stops being exciting. "Life is good!" I have enjoyed sharing this with you and reading the stories that some of you have sent in. Thank you, Howard Waserman waserman@aol.com 770-438-1749 (H) 888-426-4343 Option 4 (I'm back on contract to IBM Mel Wiener Hi Nancy Here ya go. Mel It has been quite a while since those Mumford days. I must admit I don't remember high school as vividly as I wish I could! This leads me to the conclusion that I was more interested in sports and girls. Some things never change! Following graduation, I received my degree in accounting and married Lesley Fiegelman (Mumford class of '63) in 1966. We had our first child, Randi, while still living in Detroit and later moved to Miami's warm, actually hot, climate in 1969. I have to admit that I do miss the cold weather and frequently take summer vacations in places that have remnants of snow on the ground. In the spirit of the tropics, I actually went on my first job interview wearing shorts. Who said that all CPA's only wear gray suits? Shortly after moving to Miami, we bought a new home and were featured in a Miami Herald story about young families and housing. In 1971, our youngest daughter, Mardi was born. My daughters both live in Florida. Mardi is close by and works at Carnival Cruise Lines. She was just promoted to a new department that sees to planning for the needs of individuals and groups while on board. She really enjoys her work and has met a young man there with whom she has been spending a lot of time. And no, I still have not taken advantage of travel benefits for families of employees! Randi and her husband Kevin live to the north in Plantation. Randi and Kevin both work in the corporate offices of Sports Authority. They have an adorable little girl, Megan, who for the last two years has been the apple of her grandfather's eye. Marilyn and I were in the delivery room when she was born. Quite an experience! We are looking forward to the arrival of Branden any minute now. Lesley died of cancer at a tragically young age, leaving me with two adolescent girls. I was befriended by one of her teaching colleagues and we subsequently were married for seven years. Following our divorce, I found myself in dating land, a rather odd place to be in middle age. But I met some lovely, interesting ladies and tried my hardest to make the best of it! All the while, I worked, opened my own practice, traveled, and played ice hockey and tennis. I played defense until last year when a "very wise" doctor suggested my back would improve if I took a leave of absence from the ice! I still threaten to go back to the game. Go Wings! Eight years ago I met Marilyn, a crazy art teacher, and she recently moved into my home. It doesn't look the same anymore. All of my white walls are gone. The dining room is red and I actually like it! We have traveled to places I thought I had no interest in seeing. Both of us have learned from the other. Marilyn says she is right brained and I am left and that is in part is why we get along so very well. We laugh everyday, probably because we are so different, but I find that differences are a good thing. We just purchased a townhouse and are renovating it. (Did I mention that it was 92 degrees outside last weekend while we were gardening)? The plan is to rent out the property and purchase a couple of others so that I can pretend that I will retire one day. Life is good. Hope you are all enjoying yours too, from the bios I have read it sounds like you have. Mel Wiener artmiami3@cs.com Marvin Weinstein Nancy here is my bio. After graduating from Mumford I attended Eastern Michigan University for two years. Since I was coming home every weekend, I decided to move back home, and attended WSU. I graduated in June 1966 and immediately joined the National Guard, so that I wouldn't go the Vietnam. I then proposed to my wife, Eleanor. As it turned out we got married on November 20, 1966 and went on our honeymoon. On December 4, 1966, I left for basic training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. I returned home on June 1, 1967 and left for summer camp for two weeks. After returning from summer camp, I began to settle in. However, the riots broke out, so I was gone again in July and was on 12th street for two weeks. I had a machine gun mounted on the front of a jeep and patrolled 12th street every night. Finally everything settled down, and we will be married 35 years in November. In October of this year our children are taking us to Napa Valley for our anniversary. We will all be there together. We have three children. Jeff is 33, Robbie is 31 and Debbie is 27. Jeff lives in Oakland, Ca and is a corporate executive with Peet's Coffee and tea. His wife is Fenella, and he has a daughter (my granddaughter) Brooklyn Rose who is 22 months. Robbie lives in Brooklyn and has studied in France and Italy after graduating from College. He is an aspiring young actor. Debbie is married to Matt Dubin and lives in Las Vegas (Summerlin). She has a Masters in Social Work and is working for a dialysis clinic. As for myself, I am a Certified Public Accountant and have been with the firm of Morof Sheplow Weinstein plc for almost 37 years. Three years ago I also became a Certified Valuation Analyst and perform business valuations. I also serve as an expert witness on many different types of litigation. I am really looking forward to the reunion and would encourage everyone to attend. I have had a great time working with the committee. Marvin Weinstein marvin@mswplc.com Dennis Weiss Not much to it, Nancy. BA in Business, major in Accounting, at Wayne State University. Three years enlistment in the Army (to avoid the draft). They say there is the right way, the wrong way and the Army way. Rather than accounting, the Army put me in programming. I've been a programmer ever since. Eight jobs, five cities, winding up as a Project Manager for CSC in Fort Worth. MBA, concentration in information systems, at University of Texas, Arlington. It's nice in Texas; I think I'll stay. First marriage, 4 1/2 years, one son, two grandkids. Six years single. Second marriage still going, 24 years, two stepchildren, one more son, one grandchild. I have to conclude that it’s better to be married than single. There you have it - career and personal. I've been happy most of my life. I think that's the important thing. Dennis Weiss Dhweiss555@aol.com Irving Wainer Irving W. Wainer, Ph.D Senior Investigator, Chief, Bioanalytical and Drug Discovery Unit National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health Gerontology Research Center Wainerir@grc.nia.nih.gov PERSONAL DATA Irv Wainer graduated Wayne State University in 1965 with a BS in chemistry and then received his PhD degree in chemistry from Cornell University in 1970. He then did postdoctoral doctoral studies in molecular biology (University of Oregon) and clinical pharmacology (Thomas Jefferson Medical School). From 1978 to 1986 he worked for the US Food and Drug Administration as a Research Chemist. His duties included the development of the FDA’s program on the stereoisomeric purity of drugs. The foundations he laid at the FDA have lead to international regulations on the purity and content of new drug substances. In 1986, Irv left the FDA to become Director of Analytical Chemistry, Clinical Pharmacokinetics Lab, and Associate Member, Pharmaceutical Division, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN. He stayed in Memphis until 1990 when he moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada where he assumed the position of Professor and Head, Pharmacokinetics Laboratory, Department of Oncology, McGill University. In 1997, he moved back to Washington, DC as a Professor of Pharmacology at Georgetown University and this year he moved to his current position at the NIA/NIH. He is still an Adjunct Professor at McGill and Visiting Professor at the Universities of Pisa, Bologna, Kyoto and Sunderland. Irv has published over 250 scientific papers and 7 books (his eighth will be out this year). He was founding editor of the journal Chirality and is currently Senior Editor of the Journal of Chromatography B: Biomedical Sciences and Applications. He holds eight patents including the development of the anti-cancer agent dex-ifosfamide. His awards include: co?recipient with Dr. John E. Stambaugh of the "Harry Gold Award" from the American College of Clinical Pharmacologists; "Sigma Xi Science Award", Food and Drug Administration Sigma Xi Club; "A.J.P. Martin Medal" presented by the Chromatographic Society for contributions to the development of chromatographic science; Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Elected Member United States Pharmacopeial Convention Committee of Revision for 1995-2000. In addition, Irv was the recipient on an INSERM Fellowship (Post Jeune) at INSERM U7 Hopital Necker (Dr. Philippe Meyer), Paris, France 1983,1984 and 1986. He still maintains a strong association with medical research in France. In his current position, Irv will continue his studies into treating the critically ill and terminal patients. In particular, clinical pharmacology-pharmacogentic studies of the effect of disease progression on the relationship between genotype and phenotype. This work includes the proteomic evaluation of new disease markers as well as the development of new drug to treat cancer Cachexia. In 1983, Irv married Pamela Zulli. Pamela is an internationally recognized visual artist who has lived and studied in Italy and France. Her work has been shown in the USA, Canada and Europe including Florence and Ferrara, Italy, Paris, Washington, Chicago and Montreal. Her studio is now located in Washington, but she continues to work in Montreal as well as occasionally in Stowe, Vermont. Bob Waldeck Dear Nancy, Although I know very few people from the class of 1961, I have read each biography with great interest. Truly we are a diverse class, and my bio will add another dimension. I studied at the University of California at Davis and at the University of Santa Clara (CA), where I received my Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Electrical Engineering, respectively. From 1971 to 2000, I enjoyed a successful and satisfying career in the engineering field (from the technical side to management). I retired on July 1, 2000, after 29 years with TRW (formerly ESL) in Sunnyvale, CA. California was home for me and my family for 35 years (29 years in San Jose). My wife and I moved to Colorado Springs, CO, last summer, following my retirement. We love it here in the beautiful Pikes Peak region of the Rocky Mountains. We recently celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary. Our life together has been a sweet love affair with each other and with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are committed Christians and are actively involved in our church and related ministries. I am a member of the Colorado Springs City Task Force for Crown Financial Ministries (based in Gainesville, GA), a ministry that teaches biblical principles of finance and assists individuals/families in setting their financial houses in order. Through financial counseling, seminars, small group Bible studies, and a myriad of publications, we teach what the Bible has to say about God's provision and man's responsibility, debt, honesty, work ethic, contentment, and so forth. We assist families in establishing budgets, debt retirement plans, and so forth. It is very gratifying work and a great joy to see people freed from the bondage of financial debt and materialism. God has graced our lives with two wonderful sons and two wonderful daughters-in-law through marriage to our sons. Their marriages have resulted in our being blessed with four adorable grandchildren (three grandsons and one granddaughter). Our oldest son (30) is a member of the staff at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA, directing campus recreation, intramural athletics, etc. Our youngest son (26) is a financial planner in Valencia, CA. My wife, Elaine, is a conference and retreat speaker for Christian women's organizations and has a very effective mentoring ministry with younger women. We will not be able to attend the class reunion, but trust that all of your hard work will result in a wonderful event for many of our classmates. Thank you for the countless hours you have invested to make the reunion a reality for so many. Sincerely, Bob Waldeck bewaldeck@att.net Alan Warren Dear Nancy, My bio is that I have been very happily married for 35 years to a wonderful wife. I've lived in Toronto for the last thirty years. I have two grown children. Our son works in the theater and films as a writer/director. He travels to Europe and the States for his work. Our daughter lives in Whitehorse, where she works with children. She is expecting a baby in March, and we are looking forward to being grandparents. I recently retired from teaching, and I am enjoying retirement. Best wishes for a great reunion. Alan Warren paulaw@axxent.ca Marvin A. Wayne, M.D., F.A.C.E.P. (formerly Marvin Verlin) 456 14th. St. Bellingham, Washington, 98225 360-676-6830 office, 676-8939 home email: mwayne@cob.org Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1943. Graduated from Mumford High School. Escaped from Detroit to attend undergraduate and medical school at the University of Michigan. Following graduation from the University of Michigan, received a fellowship to St. Bartholomew's Hospital in London, England. Following this fellowship was a surgical residency at the University of Colorado. The United States Army and a trip to the People’s Republic of Vietnam interrupted this residency. He served as a combat surgeon in Vietnam achieving the rank of major and was the recipient of a bronze star for valor. After he returned from Vietnam he was stationed at Fort Carson Army Medical Center in Colorado Springs. Following the military he completed a fellowship in surgery at the Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. In 1974, migrated from Seattle to northwest Washington State and the city of Bellingham. Left the field of surgery to enter the evolving field of emergency medicine. Became the Medical Director for the emergency medical services system for Bellingham and Whatcom County and has served in that capacity for the last 27 years. Additionally, he is an associate clinical professor at the University of Washington and an assistant clinical professor at Yale University. Serves as a member of numerous local, state, national and international organizations on emergency medicine and emergency medical services. He lectures nationally and internationally and has helped establish the specialty of emergency medicine throughout the world. On a personal note he has been married for 30 year to his wife Joan, and has two grown daughters. One daughter, Michelle a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Banks Street College of Education, lives with her husband and his grandson, in Seattle. His younger daughter Dana is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in film. She currently lives in Los Angeles where she is looking for her “big break” seeking to work behind the camera. (Jerry if you read this, help!) While medicine is his primary vocation, avocations included founding and operating a cookie company called “Dr. Cookie” a product that was served on most major airlines in the early 90’s. Also, authored 3 cookbooks. Unfortunately, his medical skills far exceeded his business acumen and Dr. Cookie eventually crumbled. Sports also fill many of his hours. He plays ice hockey, (left wing), windsurfs, skis, scuba dives and swims. For those who are interested his name was changed in 1962 from Marvin Verlin to Marvin Wayne after his stepfather adopted him. Susie Weinberg Climbing Mount Everest, running with the Pygmies (notice I didn't say Bulls!), and helping Mother Teresa was not what I did after graduating from Mumford. In fact, I must have been such a good student that I have been teaching there for the past 15 years: English and Drama. Like so many of our graduates I, too went to U of M and graduated with a degree in Political Science, along with a teaching degree. I really wanted to go to law school, but my mother, who was a teacher, said I should become a teacher, as I would always have a job! We women weren't very brave in those days. Even though I never did go to law school, I really do love teaching. I've had wonderful successes with my students. One of my drama students went to Hollywood and had his own series, starred with Kevin Spacey in "Pay it Forward" and played Ali in the made for TV movie, "Ali". His name (remember it, as he is a fine, fine actor) David Ramsey. I took my masters in teaching and curriculum from MSU, where I was honored at graduation because I had a 4.0. Some of my teachers at Mumford probably turned over in their graves, or moved the coals in hell when they heard that. I have been happily remarried to for 15 years to Jerry Weiner from Shaker Hts., Ohio, and between us, we have 5 daughters, 3 grandsons, and our beautiful granddaughter, Baillie. Life is good, as long as you remember to laugh! I still love to read, and my students can't believe I read everything I assign them! Mumford is good. We have a magnificent new athletic field. I tried to get them to name it after Mr. Korchinski or Mr. Strepek, or Mr. Bowlby, but they wouldn't bite. Come and see the big, blue house. OOPS, they repainted it beige. Susie Weinberg Weiner sw43@mediaone.net or sw643@aol.com, If you want to contact me at Mumford my number is 313-494-7069. Carolyn Weingarden Hi Nancy, It is really nice of you to take on this huge responsibility of tracking down all of our fellow students. I am afraid I haven't stayed in touch with anyone over the years, so I will be of no help in locating anyone else. I didn't even remember Edie Morris until I looked her up in the year book. Oh well, I am glad you were able to find me, and I hope you can find the rest of the class as well. About me, I am married and have two sons. I also have three grandchildren, one girl and two boys. My husband and I live just outside of Washington DC and we both work for the Government. I am a paralegal with the Department of Justice and my husband is an Administrative Appeals Judge for the Social Security Administration. We have lived here in the Washington area for about 12 years and truly love it. Most of our family are still living in the Detroit metropolitan area, so we make frequent trips back to see them. I look forward to hearing from you again and learning what has happened to others in our class. Carolyn (Weingarden) Dowd pndowd@email.msn.com Donna Weiss Hi Nancy, sorry it took so long. I have been married to Allan Apple (mumford ‘58) for 38 years. We are still happy with each other and that is amazing. We have 2 daughters and 1 son. They all live in the Detroit area, so we are very fortunate. Two are married and the third is getting married this month. We have 2 adorable grandchildren. After raising my children, I had a retail gift business. I worked for other people until I had my own store in the Orchard Mall for 8 years. When Allan was able to partially retire, I retired fully. We winter in Boca Raton Florida. We are there for about 4 months. During the year we try to travel to other places. I love to read and am in a book group. I am also part of an investment group. I practice Yoga as well. My days are very busy. I have been blessed with a very good life. I can't believe it's our 40th reunion. I still feel like I am 30!!! Donna (Weiss) Apple aaple@aol.com Lou (Alfred) Williams Nancy, This is the weekend for our 40th Mumford "Mustangs" Reunion, so I thought I would send my Bio. The Bios previously sent, are all great and I knew all along, that I was in the company of great people. Anybody remember the song, "LOUIE, LOUIE" by The Kingsman? After Mumford, I went to Great Lakes College (now defunct) and graduated with a Certificate in Medical Technology in 1963. Not satisfied with this, I went to Western Michigan University, but after a year and a half, I was back in Detroit (too much partying). Well, determined to make something better for myself, I enrolled in DIT night school and finished with a BS in Biology in 1968. I married my wife Geri, (Conemaugh High, '63 Johnstown, Pa) in 1969. Also in 1969, October 13, to be exact, I started my career with the Upjohn Company (Unicap Vitamins, Cheracol, Kaopectate), as a Pharmaceutical Sales Representative. I sold "Fine Pharmaceuticals" to physicians and hospitals in the Detroit metro area. In May of 1973, I was transferred to the Flint area and in October of 1973, Geri blessed me with twin sons, Bryan and Ryan. After spending four years in Flint, I was transferred back to Detroit to work as a Hospital Representative. In 1985, I again was transferred, but this time, it was to our home office in Kalamazoo, MI. On February 6, 2001, I accepted an early separation package from The Pharmacia Corporation (formerly Upjohn), as opposed to transferring to New Jersey. I retired as Operations Director, US Medical Affairs. I will officially retire February 1, 2003. Our sons are now 28 years old. Both attended Albion College for undergrad and Michigan State College of Human Medicine. Ryan is a second year surgery resident in Cleveland and Bryan is a fourth year medical student. Bryan decided he wanted a MPH from Michigan before attending medical school. We don't have grandchildren yet, although Ryan married this year. His wife, Bridget, is a first year family practice resident, also in Cleveland. I enjoy my retirement, although my wife thinks I should go back to work. She probably thinks this way, since she still works for the Pharmacia Corporation in Kalamazoo. I spend my days going to the Bronson Health Club, surfing the net and beta testing software. I also enjoy cooking and I am an avid, not so very good golfer. I remember many, many good times at Mumford, including the only night football game in 1957 (?). Remember I asked about "Louie, Louie," well I remember at one of our Track meets, the attendees sang this song as I crossed the finish line ... indelibly imprinted in my mind, along with the pink and blue school. See you all at Comerica Park. Lou (Alfred) Williams LOUBOWSKY@AOL.COM Geri Winkler Hi, Nancy....I guess most of the bios are from ex-Detroiters and so is mine. After graduating college I taught art in the Detroit area for a couple of years. I always loved New York City and decided to move there. I got a job in the textile industry, which I loved. However, after a couple years in New York, I got married and was soon pregnant. I was forced to take a leave and never returned to work...at least for awhile. I enjoyed suburban life and raising two beautiful daughters. By the time my oldest entered her teens, I decided I needed something more meaningful to do. I had taken classes at Parsons (Design School) and got another degree. I tried my hand at Interior design. I even worked for a short time for Leona Helmsley, re-doing some of the hotels she owned...no I wasn't fired. Even though I liked the design part, I hated telling people what to do constantly. By 1987 I was hired as a recruiter for a small market research company and from there became a recruiter at two large companies. The recession hit in 1990 and I was out of a job. I decided that I always enjoyed traveling and started working for a travel agency.......which I am still doing. I guess many us are capable of doing a lot of different things well. My life was fairly normal until January 1997 when i was operated on for Colon cancer. Its been a constant battle with treatments and surgeries. If it wasn't for good friends and family I do not think I would have made it this far. One thing is for certain, you can be living a very comfortable life, but everything becomes meaningless when your sick. I do miss talking about the old days at Mumford. If anyone has any funny stories I would love to hear from them.............................Geri Winkler Ruderman GeriR124@aol.com Judy Winston ( JDDOLPHIN@aol.com ) I was born a poor black boy.... Whoa! wait a minute, wrong movie. Uh - well. After I completed a highly successful four year stint as a Mumford High School student, I No................. STOP......... still not me............. LETS TRY: After surviving high school, with multiple personality disorders, including intense shyness and working very hard at learning to smoke (yuk!)so as to be cool. Eating too many corned beef sandwiches and much too much coffee at Fredsons (read as: cutting classes), getting an “A “ from Mr. Korchinsky (extreme over compensation), and summer school to make up for flunking algebra (twice), I actually managed to graduate. I then found myself faced with the prospect of four more years of schooling. Not easily deterred from what appeared to be my lot in life. I reluctantly made my way to Michigan State, Wayne State, and the University of Miami (which , at least had beaches.) I attended summer school in New York to make up for all the transferring and did, in fact, graduate on time with a BA in Communications. (Which means WHAT in terms of securing gainful employment?) Exactly! From there I went on, most briefly, to New York with my dear high school chum Diane Horowitz. She had been an excellent student in college and was accepted to Social Work School at Columbia. I, on the other hand, not-so-patiently awaited the materialization (which never came) of a job offer made by a professor who was a also producer at NBC. Diane and I both worked at Bickford’s coffee shop in times square and got off at Midnight (Ah youth!) Diane lasted about two months. I hung in a little longer. Eventually we both landed in San Francisco, Diane in late fall of 1965 and I in the winter of ‘66’. What a trip that was as I watched the mostly San-Francisco-State- student-neighborhood turn into a feature article in Look magazine. Without foreknowledge or intention I found myself in the midst of a counter-culture that was to touch every one of us in one way or another. The scene around me, personally, was not so much political as it was philosophical. I still believe that, despite the tragedies and loss of hope that arrived with the 70”s, positive seeds were planted that are still coming to fruition. Now what was I doing while all of this was going on? I quickly moved out of the Haight as the “Summer of Love” brought in bus loads of tourists. I moved into an old mansion that sported a fluxuating number of residents. In addition to smoking a lot of dope, making all of my own clothes usually out of indian print bedspreads, and teaching myself yoga from a book, I was actually studying and acting in plays. Later, I taught yoga (in the days when people were still getting it confused with yogurt), continued doing some acting and began working as an I.A. script supervisor. To those of you unfamiliar with the ways of the movie biz, that means that I was actually in the union, which was actually a VERY big deal. I worked on a lot of commercials, moved back to Detroit for two years, (but it really is true that “you can’t ever go home again) as well as a score of low budget films and a couple of movies of the week. I even made a short, rather ill-fated film with a friend about the demise of the San Francisco Rock scene. We called it a docu-drama, the now common cross between a documentary and a drama. Unfortunately it fell a bit short in both categories. Although it never got the air play that we hoped it might, I got the mini version of going to film school. Finally, hating the tedium of my script supervisor job, while loving the teamwork of of making movies, I went to The Academy of Art College to study photography. Intending to become a still photographer in films, but heavily influenced by European magazines, I emerged (voilá) a fashion photographer. I notice that I am writing a book here, so let’s see how I can truncate a bit. I worked as a fashion photographer in the late 70’s (just when fashion was coming back into fashion), I shot for Macy’s when they first came to San Francisco and were very forward in their advertising. Naturally my style was well, European (wonder why). However, the young art directors loved it. I even shot for Victoria’s Secret when it was a small San Francisco based company. In 1980, amid the questioning looks of friends and mentors, I decided to move to L.A. to “further my career”... NOT! Absolutely no one would hire me. I had not bothered to check out the fact that, particularly at that time, L.A. had no fashion industry! Art directors would just stare at my portfolio bemused. Occasionally one of them would say something like, “I would put this work on my wall but, I can’t hire you for the job.” Or, “It’s a bit ‘arty’ for us, could you just go into the studio and shoot some nice clean shots that really show the clothes.” Slowly but surely, I began to get the message that either I had better move to Europe, change my style of shooting or, just get more “arty”. I choose the latter. It was about this time (1981) that a truly “off the wall” opportunity opened up for me to go to Egypt. Long story short (PLEASE, I hear you out there!), I ended up traveling to Egypt with a Spiritual Teacher from Virginia, who has been likened to Edger Cayce. It was an incredible journey. I had the opportunity of returning with him a year and a half later, as his staff photographer. It was a life changing experience. I ended up spending the rest of the 1980’s traveling around and photographing some of the world’s most ancient and mysterious Sacred (megalithic)Sites, like Macchu Picchu, Stonehenge, and Easter Island. So, my work did indeed change to something one could hang on one’s wall. I now do large hand-painted black and white (and color- manipulated) photographic pieces. I have written and published a rather unusual meditation book. (I’ll give my web address at the end, otherwise I will be going on for a few more pages. I am currently, and have been for a number of years (way to many) writing a “spiritual adventure story” which is the novelized version of my time in Egypt, as well as my journeys to many of the other ancient mysterious sites. It is really a story within a story and goes back to pre-dynastic Egypt and Atlantis. (OK stop squirming, that’s why I’m calling it a novel.) It is, I hope, pertinent to our times. I have always felt that his would make a wonderful film (If you lived in L.A. you would know that EVERYONE out here has a movie they are writing.) However, I do fully intend to do a screen treatment. That is if I can only get past chapter 2..... (JOKE). So, I guess my life hasn’t been dull. But it has not been without it”s challenges, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And, the beat goes on! I have never been married and never had children. I can’t say why exactly. It just never seemed to be on my list of things to do. I don’t think that I was ever ready for marriage before, I like to think that I am now. I live with my dog Hopi (of course) in a condo townhouse that I just bought in Santa Monica. I would love to make it to the reunion, I’ve not been to any. I don’t know if that will happen. My parents have just decided to sell their home in Bloomfiend Hills and are moving permanently to Sarasota, Florida. (This July may be my last time back - anyone want to chat?) We kind of have a family tradition of Thanksgiving in Florida, but who knows. While my father is not turning 90, like Linda Shaye’s, he is not getting any younger - or healthier. I am suddenly touched by how much time has flown - I haven’t kept in touch with anyone - AND there are so many more of you out there then I had ever realized (we had such a huge graduating class!) It would be great to see those of you I knew and meet some of you who I am just now reading about! Unfortunately, I have no idea where my yearbook is so I can’t see who you are as I read about each of your incredible lives. It has been a most moving, but strange experience, to discover that there were all of these interesting people, whom I never even knew existed, around me as I was growing up. I hope that you will keep your stories coming. So, until later, I hope - my love to you all! Judith Diana (Judy!) Winston Oh my website is http://www.meditativemagic.com (cut and paste works really well.) Requirements to enter: a computer, the internet and an open mind! Bob Woolf Nancy, Sari and I have two children (Scott and Amber) as well as, two grandchildren from Scott and his wife, Cheryl (Eric and Ryan). I'm still working and my company (The DYNAMIC Group) is located in Farmington Hills, MI. Both Sari and I are looking forward to this year's reunion. Regards, Bob Woolf dyngroup@aol.com P.S. (9/27/01) Nancy, Daughter Amber and husband Wayne had a baby boy (Robert) this week. Now we have three wonderful grandchildren. Bonnie Woolf Hello to old friends and classmates. The BIOS have been quite interesting and help to bring back old memories. I have been living in San Diego for the past 18 years in the Del Mar area. I enjoy living in this perfect climate. I go back to Michigan to visit friends and family yearly. I went to the reunion last November for the class of 1960. It was great to see old friends and talk about the good old days at Mumford. Some of our teachers are still around and they were there too. How well they remembered most of us. I was in the design industry for the past ten years. Just recently, I went into business with my Daughter, Erinn. We have a Portable Service Company. It keeps us quite busy with all of the building that continues to grow here in California. I have been single for the past 10 years. I was quite active with the JWF and JCC in starting a community service organization called Hands on San Diego. We were a group of single professionals who made a difference in the community helping others in need. It was very rewarding. Warm regards to all of you. Bonnie Woolf bontinkerbell@aol.com Linda Yanow Dear Nancy, I am probably the most anonymous member of our class. My name was Linda Yanow (now Goldsmith), and I began Mumford in my 10th year, after moving from Rye, New York. I graduated early, and attended the University of Illinois, where I majored in speech therapy, but transferred to NYU, where I graduated and did the teaching stint for twelve years in the New York City school system in Special Ed, ESL and coordinated a high school program. After graduating from Fordham University in 1979 with my MSW, I have had varied experiences in the field of the homeless, substance abusers, women’s issues, couples and parenting skills. I am still going to school, completing two post Masters at the Brookdale Center on Aging, Hunter College in Gerontology and Mental Health, as well as Geriatric Care Management, getting ready to handle my elder years! Aside from attending school, I created IDS, which never really got off the ground like "Dr. Cookie" (by the way I sampled his goods on a plane, and they were delightful). My first marriage left me with a wonderful daughter, who is now 32 years old, and my second marriage, much more fulfilling, to an attorney has resulted in two stepchildren and four grandchildren. I breed Shi-tzus and pedigree pygmy goats on our weekend farm, and I am exploring the possibility of breeding alpacas. Anybody who can share his or her experiences with these wonderful and gentle animals would be appreciated. This letter was written before the World Trade Center tragedy. Life has changed a great deal here in NYC for me, as well as everyone else. I have been called upon many times to do critical incident debriefing with the airlines and other major companies, and my private practice of psychotherapy has ballooned with an overabundance of crisis referrals and those suffering with post traumatic stress disorder and grief. At last my social worker degree and my ten plus years of post Master's training is valued, and I am proud to be making this contribution. Some of you I remember by face and name e.g. Ellie Rose, Miriam Olshansky (next class - does anyone know how I can reach her?) and Linda Stern to name some. I know that there were many more who touched my life at good old Mumford. I hope to be able to attend our reunion, but really can't be certain at this time. If Norman and I do come to the reunion, we hope there will be lots of dance music, because that is something, among many other things, that we share together. We are proud of our New Yorkers and the way they are handling themselves in this crisis, and would welcome you if you happen to come our way. I would enjoy hearing from any of you who remember me. Warmly, Linda (Yanow)Goldsmith nsgesq@aol.com P.S. From Linda’s husband: Linda fell in a store and banged up her knee real bad and isn't getting around much. Therefore, she will be unable to attend the reunion next week. She would love to hear from some of her classmates. Ralph Yamron Hi Nancy, I'm sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. Since my Mumford education failed me totally and I can't type until I can get my wife to the keyboard. I have been married for 34 years to the same wonderful woman (I had to say that cause she is typing this), and I have 3 terrific children who still speak to me, ages 31, a teacher in the Berkley school system and twins, 28, one a licensed plumber, and the other one works with me . As you probably know, I spent many years in the music business playing with, among others, Marshall Korby. I am a representative for one the world's largest body armor companies....Body Armor, in case you are wondering, are bullet resistant and are used by police officers. I am also a landlord, specializing in the rental of single rental homes in the city of Oak Park, where by the way I still live. My hobbies are, scuba driving, snowmobiling, boating and competitive shooting sports. Hope to see everyone at the reunion Ralph Yamron hahatdc@yahoo.com Sandy Yeszin I'm finally sending my bio. Today's events with the World Trade Center and the Pentagon has had me glued to the TV. Hopefully, this will let me think of something on a lighter note. My bio is not as exciting as most, but here it is. After graduating Mumford I worked for an insurance agency and then Merrill Lynch. I met my husband Jim, in 1966 and 6 months after our first date we were married. We have been married 34 years. I got so lucky - he's a wonderful person, and it's impossible to find one person who does not like him. We have three sons, Dan (33), Mike (31), and Steve (28). They turned out to be really nice, caring adults. No one is married yet. My husband just retired from Chrysler after 35 years of service. He is now working on his "honey do" list and maybe the end of the year or beginning of next he'll look for a job. He hasn't decided if it will be something exciting, or something that only involves a few days a week. We enjoy traveling, so he wants to be available for that. In 1981 I went back to work, after staying home to raise my sons. I became an executive secretary to the executive director of the Girl Scouts of Macomb County. Yes, it was a real job and paid quite well. In 1994 I decided I wanted less stress, and wanted to work less. So, now I work for Macomb Intermediate School District. I'm a part time secretary in the consultant services department and work for the math consultants. I only work 111 days a year - IT'S GREAT!! It's the best of both, I work a few days a week and have lots of time off. My life now is quite nice, but it's had many hills and valleys. Life's hard times, make one stronger and more understanding of others. I have ordered a copy of the 1961 Capri, since I don't know what happened to my original. I wish I had it to look up people whose names sound familiar but I'm not really sure if I knew them. I was quiet and shy in high school, but if you do remember me and want to get in touch my email address is: sandy1219@home.com Sandy (Yeszin) Kearns Sandy Yolles I actually came to the reunion because I was so inspired by reading the biographies, but I never sat down to write mine. Here it is-- University of Michigan, an English major. It was in Ann Arbor that I felt I really came alive for the first time. Then I went to New York City, stayed there about five years working in different publishing jobs-- copy editor at Cosmopolitan magazine, Production Editor at Popular Library--like that. Then I went on a trip to Europe for about six months to try to find myself. I didn't find myself, by the way, but I had a very good time. I returned for a long visit in Detroit-- still subletting a New York apartment—and ended up taking a job at Wayne State University Press, where I worked as an editor and as promotion manager for about fifteen years. I went back to school at Wayne State and did another undergraduate degree in studio art--painting. I did a lot of freelance work as an editor then, editing a catalog for the Michigan Council for the Arts, and editing a journal called the Detroit Focus Quarterly, and writing reviews for ARTNews. In 1989 I moved to Chicago with my partner Robert Marsh (we have been together since 1981, twenty plus years, but never married). In Chicago we serendipitously came to be the owners of a toy store called Toyscape—a wonderful creative and innovative place we invented that sold interesting toys and imports from all over the world. We had a lot of masks, marionettes, music boxes, musical instruments-- and a great reputation in Chicago. Chicago is cold and sometimes too big--and since our families were not there anyway, the cold got to us, and we sold the store in 2000 -- (It's still there and as clever and interesting as ever-- owned by a young New Yorker named Adam Weintraub). I had been coming out to California for a couple of years--going to Big Sur-- a couple of times to Esalen to deal with my midlife crisis. Bob was in San Francisco in the sixties along with the flower children. So when we sold the store, we moved out here. We are living in El Cerrito, just a mile north of Berkeley. Berkeley of course reminds me of Ann Arbor, and that makes me very happy. Our house is on a hill overlooking the San Francisco Bay. We can see both the Bay Bridge and the Golden Gate from our deck. After Chicago, it is really glorious. Bob is managing a museum store for a children's museum in San Francisco called Zeum. I tried retail with a big company in the East Bay and gave up after a year to try to do some writing. Now that is very hard. I am taking some courses in counseling, starting my third career. I should be finished sometime before I am eligible for social security-- but not by much. Best wishes to everyone. I thought that the reunion was just great. Sandy Yolles my email-- marshyolles@myrealbox.com Wendy Yolles Hello Nancy and Everyone, After graduating from University of Michigan, I taught in the Detroit Public Schools, while attending law school at night. In between the start of law school and finishing it eleven years later, I married my husband, David Potts (a fellow law student) and had two children. We have two daughters. Kelly is an attorney with Lear Corporation and Stephane works at Doner Advertising. The girls are wonderful and challenging. Neither is married yet so I haven't gotten into the exciting grandparent thing yet. After law school, I clerked for an appellate judge and was in private practice. In 1997, the Governor appointed me to be an Oakland County Probate Judge. Ten months later, the Governor appointed me to my current position of Oakland County Circuit Court Judge. This is my dream job!!! I have been inspired by the biographies. What a diverse group we are! Can't wait to see everyone. Best Regards Wendy (Yolles) Potts pottsw@co.oakland.mi.us Farrell Yost Hi Nancy, Where have the years gone? My life after Mumford has not been as interesting or bizarre as some of our classmates, but I’m very happy and have been successful. After graduation from Mumford, I attended Walsh Accounting for 3 years, worked for a CPA firm for 3 months, and realized that this path was too confining and not for me. I found that sales was my passion and went to work for “Helene Curtis” for the next 5 years. In March of 1969, my wife Carol and I were married and in December our daughter Shari was born. Shari resides in Manhattan and is Vice-President of Government Affairs for Cablevision. After HC, we moved to Akron, Ohio where we lived for 18 years. During that time I became an independent manufactures rep selling health and beauty aids and closeouts to all classes of trade. Ten years ago we moved to Minneapolis and I am currently in the “upscale” jewelry business. We have been very fortunate to enjoy good health and stability. We enjoy traveling, visiting with our daughter in NY and seeing family and friends in both Detroit and Akron. Our next move will be to a warmer climate…perhaps Arizona in the next 5-6 years. Farrell Yost leetwo@earthlink.net Larry Zatkin As I ponder my history since graduating from Mumford in 1961, I find it most interesting that the only person that was seriously interested in same was my Mother. Of course she has been a long-term member in good standing of CRAFT (Can't Remember a F---ing Thing). Nevertheless I graduated from college in 1965, majoring in Psychology, History, Literature and Political Science, and immediately entered into a career that hardly represented my educational training (Commercial banking as a management trainee). I remained in banking for three years and interestingly; I was quite successful considering my zero preparation for such a career. While I learned about the Banking Industry, I dabbled in Graduate school in the fields of Industrial Psychology and Business Administration. June 1968 I took the plunge and got married, quit my job in banking, taught emotionally disturbed senior boys as a substitute teacher for the Detroit Board of Education, and pursued a Masters Degree in Counseling at Eastern Michigan University. After one year of teaching, I decided to locate a job that would more closely resemble my imminent Counseling Degree that I expected to receive in January 1970. Unfortunately, because I was short two classes to pursue a career as a counselor and over educated for an entry level position with a variety of State and Federal jobs, I found a position working as a vocational evaluator on behalf of disabled adults. Again I was forced to become a quick study in a field that I knew absolutely nothing about. Apparently I demonstrated a reasonable facility as an evaluator and other agencies began to seek out my alleged expertise and offered me new job opportunities. In May 1970 I began a career for the State of Michigan, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, as a Rehabilitation Counselor. I immediately realized that I had found my niche, given that Rehab Counselors were measured on their ability to interpret vocational and psychological diagnostics, guide respective clients in selecting appropriate vocational goals and implementing programs to insure their ultimate success in becoming independent and self sufficient irrespective of the physical and/or psychological impairments. I quickly advanced to a leadership position as a State Employee, until 1979 when I decided to open my own private practice as a Rehabilitation Professional. I began my business as a private for profit company called Rehabilitation Resources Inc. I continued to use that name until 1986 when we created a d.b.a. called The Genesis Group. RRI d.b.a. The Genesis Group created some unique and unheard of programming from 1981 to 1990 specializing in the treatment and rehabilitation of the adult closed head injured population. Those 9 years had extreme highs and equally extreme lows. In June 1990 I sold my don Quixote Lance and closed the doors of the Genesis Group and focused on the long term care of the adult closed head injured population. As an owner and consultant to Specialized Residential Care my partner and I created a beautiful long-term care facility that provided the most comprehensive and cost effective residential program for severely impaired adults in Southeastern Michigan. February 1999 we sold our interest to a national out of state service provider. Oh, I forgot to mention that my first and only wife and I in 1991 got amicably divorced. Since I sold my long-term care facilities, I continued to remain in the field of Rehabilitation as a Forensic Expert Witness. I deal with the vocational implications of impairments and how they affect peoples' long-term capacity to financially fend for themselves. As a sole practitioner, I no longer have to request from my employees' permission to take a vacation, pay myself a bonus or just goof off. It's quite refreshing to be accountable to one's self and therefore accept all of the consequences (good or bad) of one's own decisions. I currently live on a lake and I consider a perfect summer day beginning at 7:00 A. M. on the golf course and 12:01 P. M. on the boat. Whenever possible, I try to break up the winter by traveling to warmer environs in order to pursue my idea of a perfect day. Enough said already. See you 11/24/01 at Comerica Park lsz Larry Zatkin lzatkin@aol.com Rosalie Zdanowicz Hi Nancy, It has been quite an education reading everyone's biography. I sit by the computer, Capri in hand, before I read each one. We were such a large class that I'm not surprised that I don't recognize so many of the people who have written in. Seems that the graduates of Mumford Class of '61 have traveled extensively, produced many marriages and consequently lots of kids and grandkids, and certainly experienced and tried a wide range of occupations. Of course we were the hopes and overachievers for our parents. I decided to write at the urging of my husband of 34 years. As for many of us, high school was such an unhappy experience. Mumford was such a large school and always being on the fringes and looking in at the "in-crowd", I guess I have no desire to attend the reunion but I did want to contribute my update. After 2 years at Michigan State, I graduated from Wayne with a teaching degree and taught elementary school for a year and a half. In 1967 I married Jerry Lubin and we moved to Flint. Fortunately, we had some wonderful adventures in the early part of our marriage because of his occupation. Jerry was a disc jockey, (some of you might remember "Lunch with Lubin") and that being such an unstable job, we had 10 different addresses in 4 states in our first 7 years of marriage. About once every year or so Jerry would move to a different radio station. We started out in Flint, then Detroit, San Diego (my all time favorite city, where I worked on the McGovern campaign), Washington state, (where we lived on a commune with no electricity or running water), Portland, (for a brief 6 weeks or so until Jerry lost his job and we headed back to Detroit). We've lived in Oak Park ever since 1974. Jerry no longer is on the radio and I no longer teach. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home and raise our two sons, Adam now 31 and Ethan now 26. When they were well into school, I went back to substitute teaching and did that for about eight years. I also decided to get my Masters Degree in Reading. However, I priced myself right out of a job. Local school districts are not very loyal to their subs and I never learned, get the job first and then finish the degree. When Adam was starting college, I needed to have a full time income so I became a bookkeeper and really liked the business world. When that job ended rather abruptly after 8 years, I moved to the job I have had for the last 5 years. I am the Office Manager/Human Resource person for a Computer Company. I really like my present job very much. It's close to home and my boss is very generous to work for. Jerry now works for the Post Office as a mechanic. Adam has been married for about three years, and he and his wife, Lauren, have a beautiful seven-month-old son (our only grandchild). He works for Universal Studios in LA in the finance department. Ethan lives in San Diego and just started a new job with the Navy in the Criminal Investigation Division. Maybe one day we'll be able to retire to California. When you condense your life story to a few paragraphs, it doesn't seem like much. However, when I reflect back on all the wonderful things that have happened to me and all the great adventures I've had, I'm quite grateful to be alive. Rosalie (Zdanowicz) Lubin rose123@flash.net Carol Zeiger & Mickey Heideman Mumford 40th Reunion Bio x 2 Here’s a two/fer – two bios for the price of one. Carol Zeiger & Mickey Heideman Carol Zeiger – I graduated from Wayne State University with a degree in Special Education in ’64, and received a Masters in Educational Psychology in ’67. I worked at the Merrill Palmer Institute of Child Development for three years as a teacher for one of the first preschools for disturbed children. After having my first child in Dec. ’66, I retired from full time teaching and began therapeutic tutoring out of the Grosse Pointe Psychological clinic. After dating since 1959, I married Mickey (Michael) Heideman in 1964. We moved to Louisville Kentucky in 1968, and have made this our home. We have four children, Maureen - 34, Julie – 32, Beth – 29 and Robert – 26, and two granddaughters, Rachel – 5 and Maya 1. For the past 22 years I have continued to teach on a part time basis as the music and Judaic director of a temple preschool and have been an active participant in my community as a volunteer. Mickey Heideman – I graduated from Ferris State in ’64 with a degree in marketing and have been a Kroger Shopper ever since – nothing like putting your education to work for you. I have worked in the premium and promotional products sales field for 37 years. I have served on several boards in the Louisville community as a volunteer. Carol & Mickey HeidemanCZ@home. Sharon Ziporyn Nancy, I am married to the same person I went with since I was 13 years old. We have three children. Kevin is 32 years old and recently married a girl from Quebec. He is a professor of film and she is a professor of geography. Brad is 30 years old, lives in Denver and is with R.E.I. Our daughter is 26 and is expecting a baby in December. She is a recruiter and her husband is a financial analyst. They live in California. I was a teacher, and then for the last 25 years, a sales representative in the men's wear field, covering states in the Midwest. My husband, David Skolnick owns "Photo Frames" in Madison Heights. I now work in our business. Our greatest accomplishments in life are our children. We are a close-knit family who enjoys spending time together. We are truly a family. Sharon (Ziporyn) Sandler Sgsandler@aol.com Shelly Zipper Shelly (Zipper) Moss Brooks Married to Richard Brooks (14 years) Three children: Sue (Moss) Sutton 30 years old Marty Moss 28 yrs old Stacy (Moss) Schwartz Two Step Children: Nicole Brooks 25 yrs Cara Brooks 23 years Two Grand Children: (Twins) Haley & Wylie Sutton Two cats: Max & Erma BS of Science in Education Wayne State U. MS of Science in Early Childhood Education, Oakland U. 1969-1987 Former owner operator of Bloomfield Nursery School 1978-Present Professor & Program Coordinator of Early Childhood Development at Oakland Community College, Highland Lakes Campus National Speaker on a variety of Early Childhood topics. Author: 'Oodles Of Art' by Shelly Moss Brooks Early Childhood art activity book Always lived in Michigan Hobbies: Kayaking, Sailing, (I live on a lake) travel, hiking, cross country skiing, and E-mail, playing with Grandchildren. Shelly Zipper profsrsmb@aol.com Mariette Zomberg Dear Nancy, Thank you for your letter. Where has the time gone? You probably hear that with every response. My husband, Eddie, is a 1959 Mumford graduate. He is a radiologist and we have three sons. Lonnie is a financial consultant living in Farmington. David is married, living in San Diego and just obtained his doctorate in Clinical Psychology. His wife, Claire, who is French like me, is a professional musician. Jonathan, our baby, graduated Harvard in June and is living and working in New York as a financial analyst. I have a Master's Degree in French Literature and have taught at Wayne State University and Oakland Community College. I am presently employed by a private school and teach French to executives, primarily in the automotive industry. I enjoy reading and cooking and am an avid jogger. Both my husband and I have been running for about 20 years. I've covered a lot of territory in that time! Sincerely, Mariette Zomberg/Goldberg auberg@aol.com Stanley Zukin I debated long and hard as to whether or not I would participate in this bio program. I was one of those students who took summer school so I could get out of school early. Most of my friends are in the class of ’62. I know very few members of the class of ’61, but for those I do know, here goes. Subsequent to high school graduation, I attended D.I.T. for a year before entering L.I.T., where I majored in Industrial Management and Accounting. I believe this is where I developed my anal retentive tendencies as all accountants are know to have. As such, I have divided my bio into the following categories - Family, Education, and Work. Family: June 1, 1969 Jane Shetzer (Mumford ’66) and I were married (and we still are). We have three children and three grandchildren. David (Iowa ’93) born in 1971, Eric (Aquinas ’95) born in 1972, and Renee (U of M ’99) born in 1976. Jane received her masters in writing from Eastern Michigan University in 1998. She has become the foremost authority on Lactose Intolerance. Currently, Jane is the Editor of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics’ newsletter. David, his wife Lynda, and daughter Laurel (5 yrs.) live in Denver, CO. David is a Vice Principal/Athletic Director of one of Denver’s suburban junior high schools. Eric, his wife Heather, and daughter Chloe (1 yrs.) live in Grand Rapids, MI. Eric is a cook for one of Grand Rapids’ hotels. Renee and her daughter Shelby (3 yrs.) live in Iowa City, IA. Renee is completing the M.A.T. graduate program at the University of Iowa. As you can tell, I am extremely proud of my family and their accomplishments. Education: September, 1961, I entered Detroit Institute of Technology. I had had so much fun that by the end of the school year (by mutual agreement) I decided to leave D.I.T. In September, 1962 I entered Lawrence Institute of Technology. Not as much fun (there were only five coeds enrolled at that time). However, I did receive a very good education that has carried me well throughout the years. Graduating in 1968 I opted to try the real world. Crazy enough, in 1991 I enrolled in the Master of Business Administration program at the University of Iowa. I completed the program in May, 1993. My eldest son, David, and I graduated from Iowa the same weekend. David an undergrad student and me a grad student. We had a double kegger that weekend. What a celebration! Work: After graduation from L.I.T., I spent three years in public accounting, then for the next couple of years I went into the family business (Zukin’s Dial-A-Dinner Rib Shacks). In 1973 I went to work for Olsonite Corporation, which was bought by Sheller-Globe, which was purchased by United Technologies. I spent 26 years with the company starting as an auditor through a controllership and retiring as the CFO of the Steering Wheel Division. During my tenure with Sheller-Globe I was transferred to Iowa . Spending nine years in Iowa and through another buy-out, United Technologies then transferred me back to Detroit. In 1999, I took early retirement and we decided to move back to Iowa. Because I’m too young to stop working I took a job with HWH Corporation in Moscow, IA., as their “Mechanic.” The company manufactures leveling systems for RVs. They have had such fantastic growth in resent years that they have outgrown “all” their systems and procedures. My job is to fix their systems. I’ve been doing this for almost two years and I’m still having fun. Well, that’s my family and me in a not-so-small nutshell. I will not be attending the reunion, but I wish everyone well and lots of fun. Thanks for listening. GOD BLESS AMERICA! Stan Zukin StanlZukin@aol.com