48 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES ’56 Bill Burgin, 534 W. Beechtree Lane, Wayne, PA 19087, (610) 6887374 (H); w.burgin@att.net It is great to be in touch with Hartley (Duke) King. He stays busy owning a group of Sonic restaurants, developing golf courses, investing in real estate and managing other enterprises. A member of Alpha Tau Omega, Duke and his family live in western Pennsylvania. Like others mentioned in this column, Duke participated in our lively 65th (postponed to 66th) reunion in June 2022. With enormous sadness I report the loss during 2023 of three vital and devoted classmates, Ferd Thun, Bruce Waechter and John Milnor. We join the Lehigh family in mourning the loss of Ferd, who died on July 30, 2023. Bruce Waechter reported that he attended a memorial service and luncheon for Ferd, where Ferd's wife Liz (Elizabeth Mason Thun) greeted a large number of guests at their retirement complex in Kennett Square, Pa. Our classmate George Mason, Liz's brother, presided over the Quaker-type service. Bruce spoke about their days at Sigma Chi, their work on the Lehigh yearbook, Epitome, and their adventures canoeing on the Lehigh River. After earning his degree in metallurgical engineering, Ferd received an MBA from Harvard in 1960. He spent a decade at SKF Industries in Philadelphia and in 1973 became director of planned giving at Lehigh. During his 22-year tenure there, he met many alums and helped found the Tower Society. Ferd was a thoughtful planner and generous participant in each of our class reunions. He was honored with the Paul J. Franz, James Ward Packard and Alumni awards. Within months after attending Ferd's service, Bruce Waechter died on Dec. 15, 2023. While earning a degree in mechanical engineering, Bruce held presidential roles in student government and Sigma Chi fraternity. In 2006 Bruce and Art Roth prepared a lavish 50th-year-reunion yearbook. Bruce was a proud member of the Lehigh-Lafayette 50-Game Club. He had a long career with General Electric. Bruce and Janet were married for 65 years before Janet's death in 2021. They are survived by three children, nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. We also fondly remember and will miss our classmate John Milnor, who died on June 17, 2023. John, a cheerleader in undergraduate days, was an enthusiastic presence in each of our class reunions. He provided posters and led the '56 parade at our last reunion. A Navy veteran and environmental engineer, he led an energetic life in Trinity, Fla., in retirement. He presided over his condo organization, played golf, and kept up with his fellow civil engineering majors and Lambda Chi Alpha brothers. A member of the Tower Society, John always enjoyed attending Lehigh's winter receptions in Florida. We and their many other friends grieve at the loss of these classmates and offer deep condolences to their families. Have a good 2024 and please stay in touch. ’57 James Watson, 774 Highview Drive, Wyckoff, NJ 07481. (C) 201 803-1307; (H) 201 891-1246; Jwatson@execsearchinc.net So, my big Theta Delt weekend at the Lehigh-Georgetown game was canceled due to the really bad weather. Looking forward to the new year as well as another Lehigh-Lafayette game—hopefully with a better result. I have high hopes for our new football coach from Yale. It looks like an opening game with Army at West Point—always a great event for families, as are Ivy games with Yale and Princeton. Hope to see you at some games next year. I will send out an email soon to all in the Class of 1957. I need to hear from you, so I can get a longer column. All the best—email or call soon! Thanks. ’58 Bill Helfrich, 80 Southwick Drive, Orchard Park, NY 14127. (716) 662-7927 (H); bh7831@aol.com The next two issues may get mixed up with the balance of our 65th reunion issue, so read slowly. I talked with Ed Delany before the reunion to see if he would be there, but he just sold his family home in Reading, Pa., and wasn’t going to make it. I called him after the reunion, left my name and number and got a phone call from Betsy Jenckes Koch, his third cousin, who said that I just missed him by a few days. He died on Aug. 7 due to the return of stomach cancer. I got to know him better from Betsy. He was the family’s beloved patriarch and wore a red plaid vest to special events. Last Christmas, the family gave him a Lehigh sweatsuit. He always drove a Saab. I called Dave Saunders to give him the update on Ed’s death and reunion chatter. Little did I know that he was failing fast and would leave peacefully on Oct. 24. He was married to Sally for 66 years. His political life was four years (1967-71) as mayor of the village of Hamburg, N.Y., and four years (1971-75) as an Erie County legislator and a manufacturers rep for most of his career. We were going to celebrate our 88th birthdays together. We got to know his daughter, Cheryl (Saunders) Butler ’87, and son-in-law, Scott Butler ’78. You think that is the end of the story? Not! Shortly after Dave’s memorial service, Anne and I received a call from Larry Trerotola that his wife, Izzie, died one day after their 65th wedding anniversary. They had just moved into their new townhouse during reunion weekend. Sad news! Jean-Claude Rousseaux and Lukie missed the reunion by going on a 30-day trans-Atlantic cruise around the British Isles. Wow! When they got home, there was a big surprise in their mail—a 1958 65th reunion glass! How? Thank you, Amy Gross! Lee Owens sent a very graphic description of a heart reconstruction being one tough experience. It has been 2-1⁄2 months of surgery, recovery, rehabilitation, respite care and now home stumbling around. The plan was to join Lynne with rehearsals on a Sydney Mens’ Choir Tour and to become familiar with the repertoire, learn the foibles of the new musical director and enjoy the fellowship but not perform until next year! Good luck, and get well! The 159th Lehigh-Lafayette telecast took place at BSG without 77 inches of snow in Orchard Park this year. But, the biggest surprise was our class clown, Don Heidenburg, sent a great picture of Kasper for the Bulletin. Some of his history was his service in the Korean War (he is 93) and 42 years with Bethlehem Steel and the Quonset huts on Lehigh’s campus. He became Kasper, the professional clown in 1982, as a Shriner. He lives in beautiful Crystal Lake in the summer, but he has a special room for Kasper, with makeup, costumes, supplies and awards. He attended clown camps, balloon contests, TV and newspaper interviews and conventions all over the world. He was named man of the year by Hamburg, N.Y., and Nov. 13 is forever known as “Kasper the Clown Day for Community Services.” He just finished 34 years volunteering
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