CLASS NOTES | SPRING 2024 | 47 What a man! Joe Morgenstern is working on “the memoir I’ve been talking about writing— and not writing—for as long as I can remember. Now I’m finally doing it and hoping to finish a first draft before April Fool’s Day. Part of it involves the remarkably gifted people I’ve worked with over six decades as a movie critic and entertainment reporter, but it’s also about my hunt-and-peck process of learning to write.” I talk to our president, Joe Workman, on a regular basis. We try to keep the class information flowing. And, he just told me that he and Pete Strategos keep in touch. Pete and wife Kathy live in The Villages, Fla. He is 91 and thought he was “Mr. Indestructible.” But, he was recently cutting down dead palm tree branches when he was hit with a serious problem. Blood test showed he needed bladder surgery. He has recovered well, but it was a little scary. Perhaps, we should not cut down trees. Please keep me posted on any news for this column. ’54 Mark Davis, 302-422-1861; 18655 Piper Lane, Ellendale, PA 19941; markLdavis@ verizon.net Hello, classmates! Time to blow the dust off the yearbook and find the picture(s) of your classmates. Here are the names and email addresses of those who have responded to my emails: Peter Barba peter_barba@alumni. stanford.edu; Donald Green donaldgreen9217@att.net; Bernie Grossman grossmanbernardb@aol.com; Dan Hake hakeinaz@msn.com; Bruce Klein preload1@aol.com; Bill McElwain suebillmac@ msn.com; Dick Schreiber dick3280@gmail.com; Philip Smith pcsmith1001@hotmail. com; Edwin Van Brunt BigEdVBir@aol.com. I think they would like to hear from you. Why don’t you send them an email now that you have their address? Here are bits and pieces from their emails. Peter Barba: “Navy OCS, three years repair division officer aircraft carrier USS Lexington CVA16. Worked five years at Sandia Corp., Albuquerque, N.M., while getting an M.S. at the University of New Mexico. In 1963, moved to California to attend Stanford University for a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. Next 49 years worked doing designs of attitude control systems for Earth satellites. I enjoyed windsurfing, skiing, running and bicycling. Only bicycling now. Live in a continuing care retirement community in Cupertino, Ca. Lost my wife earlier but have several children and stepchildren nearby. 650-305-9768, like to chat sometime.” Don Green hopes that more than three respond to our class notes. Bernie Grossman: “Looking forward to the ‘Big 70’ in June 2024.” Dan Hake lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., but has lived and worked in the U.S., Europe and the Far East. “Being 91 is interesting.” Bruce Klein is a retired CPA, just back from Casais, Portugal, traveling, enjoying life. Bill McElwain wrote, “Mark, you’ve managed the nearly impossible task, i.e. reviving a barely breathing class notes column.” Phil Smith is residing in Montecito, Calif., along with his fabulous wife, and is very alive at 91. Two warehouses plus three tire stores in Las Vegas keep Phil occupied and afloat. Received a phone call from Richard Gilbert from California. The call was unexpected, so I wasn’t prepared to get specifics. Would suggest that you contact me by email. If you need to call, make it after 6-8 p.m., as I’m certain to be home. On a sad note, I received an email from Bill, son of Walter Schneider, letting me know that Walt had passed away in September. “His wife of 59+ years, Peggy Schneider, survives him (along with three children and nine grandchildren). After a 36-year career at PSE&G in New Jersey, and 28 years retired in Brevard, N.C., Mom and Dad moved to Gloucester, Mass., in November 2022 to be nearer to my sister, Julie. He’s enjoyed and told stories of Lehigh, Kappa Sigma and everything his college years meant to him.” Parting thought: With our 70th reunion on the horizon, we should make every effort to return to Lehigh to celebrate the event. For myself, this could be my last Lehigh reunion. In June, I’ll be one month shy of 96. So, let’s try to get there with our walking sticks, walkers, wheelchairs and pogo sticks. Hope to see you there! ’55 Burt Sutker, (732) 718-0617; 21204 Shannondell Drive, Audubon, PA 19403 It has now been five years since I took over from the great columnist Bob Kiley. Tough act to follow. I am sure we have all had the experience of asking kids, “How are you?” The normal response is “good.” I have gotten in the habit of asking, “What is the best thing that has happened to you today?” They can’t answer good. Now, why not pick out one or more of the best things that have happened to you in the recent past, write them down and send them to me? It would be great to have one or more columns devoted to snippets of best things. Of course, a full column is always appreciated. On to the star of this column: Lew Shupe. Lew arrived at Lehigh from Long Island in the late summer of 1951 as part of the Class of 1955. The fourth floor of Dravo was his initial home with roommate Ed Small ’54. (Yes, from the back side of Dravo, you walked right onto the fourth floor, but from the front side, it required a four-story walkup). Additional up-hills from down-campus buildings such as Packard Labs added to his daily exercise, often more than once a day. He joined Sigma Phi Epsilon and long maintained contact with two brothers, Dick Davis and Jim Kline. Lew was VP of the chapter. After a semester of chemical engineering, Lew switched to accounting in the business school. Completing his ROTC obligations, Lew then worked for Alcoa, Imco (a cosmetic packaging company), Westvaco and, in 1971, joined Universal Packaging. He left after 25 years in 1998 as VP of sales. In 1995, Lew and three partners bought Universal Packaging from Kraft. Jell-O boxes, among many other consumer products, flowed out of Universal’s four plants. Lew had two sons; one is a computer engineer who also graduated from Lehigh. His second son graduated from the University of Colorado in finance and now runs an ice cream business in Denver. In 1998, Lew remarried. Carol has four children. Lew remembers fondly how he was welcomed wherever he went on campus. Everyone was helpful and giving, from administration to faculty. It seemed as if everybody wanted to be sure that Lew had a positive experience. Everything was first class in preparation for a career. Lew fondly remembers the bonfires, strolls over to Moravian’s campus and Junior’s Diner. Wrestling matches were also a highlight. At the time of writing, the world is in upheaval. We do not know what the resolution will be for tragedies that exist today nor what new tragedies will befall us between now and then. We can only work toward and hope for peace.
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