54 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES Roper ’67. The reunion committee hopes to see you in June for our 55th. Be on the lookout for details of the weekend from Lehigh University Alumni Association. Editor’s note: To share your news or if you would be interested in becoming your class’s correspondent, reaching out to classmates and writing a column three times a year, please contact the Alumni Office at 610-758-3686 or classnotes@lehigh.edu. ’70 Editor’s note: Denny Diehl died on Jan. 4, 2023, after a valiant fight with cancer. He wrote this column for 25 years with dedication and humor. Denny also worked in the Alumni Association office and his name is synonymous with Lehigh wrestling. For his devotedness, he was awarded the Alumni Award in 2005. We are so thankful for all the love Denny showed Lehigh over his lifetime. ’71 Sam Dugan, 143 Pinecrest Lane, Lansdale, PA 19446. (215) 368-1895 (H), (215) 680-9719 (M); srdugan49@comcast.net I’m writing this column upon my return from a fascinating 10-day trip with a group of Rotarians from the United States and Australia with Sustainable Cambodia into the heart of Cambodia. We traveled far off the “tourist routes” to visit families and experience the impact of Rotary projects in the remote villages of Pursat Province. Sustainable Cambodia is an NGO founded by two Rotarians to empower rural Cambodian families to create a sustainable quality of life with safe water and sanitation, sustainable incomes, healthy food and quality education for their children. Through this unique “pass-on” model, the residents develop the human resources needed to rebuild their future in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Bob Hess wrote me, asking, “What is the Cape Cod 5”? Most days, it’s a community bank. But one day in September, every year, it’s a gathering of five Delta Sigma Phi brothers who found they were in close proximity on the Cape. Joining Bob and his wife, Patti, are Jessie and Roger Vellecamp, Rosemary and Harry Spagnola, Elizabeth and Larry Prince (coming all the way from Tucson, Ariz.) and Janice and David Press. The reunion typically involves a visit to a seashore wildlife preserve, followed by a midday dinner. Bob also reports that Ed Thompson has retired from Siemens Westinghouse in Orlando. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Lady Lake, Fla. Lloyd (Buck) Ramsey and his wife, Carol, live in Perkasie, Pa. Buck spent his work years in roofing manufacturing in Quakertown. The plant changed hands many times before closing in 2008. Rather than relocate, he took early retirement and hasn’t looked back. Buck and Carol have two children and six grandkids. Paul Pansini is retired from the U.S. General Accounting Office in Atlanta. He and wife Gail live in Tucker, Ga. Barbara and Doug Pace have relocated to The Villages in Florida from Rocky River, Ohio. Steve Pierce retired from U.S. Steel and is now a principal consultant with Erling Technical Services in Pittsburgh, providing commodity strategy, procurement and risk management consulting. Scott Barrus retired several years ago as a pilot for American Airlines. He’s now working as an FAA dispatcher in Warrington, Va. Doug Biro retired after 40 years from the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. He resides in Sylmar, Calif. Dr. Richard Brown is a specialist in emergency medicine in Annapolis, Md. He’s been a practicing physician for 47 years. Guy Carter has over 30 years of experience in pharmaceutical R&D, primarily in the discovery and development of microbial products. He’s now a consultant with Carter-Berman Consulting, providing expertise on microbial natural products-based drug discovery and development. Greg Cascante is president and CEO of August Entertainment, a company he founded in 1988. August Entertainment is one of the oldest independent financing, sales and marketing companies specializing in the international distribution of feature films. I’d like to end this newsletter by announcing my hopeful “retirement” as class correspondent after more than 25 years in the role. It’s time to give someone else the opportunity. Surely, someone will step up to the plate. Please contact me to discuss this opportunity if you have an interest in keeping in touch with our classmates. ’72 Charles S. “Chuck” Steele, 2080 Flint Hill Road, Coopersburg, PA 18036. (610) 737-2156 (M); signscss@aol. com Our shirt saga continues. Since the last issue, we have distributed four more shirts to two classmates. I still have a small number of L and XL sizes available on a “first come” basis. There are quite a few more in sizes XXL and XXXL. I don’t know what to do with the latter group, but it has been suggested that some ladies may find them comfortable as sleepwear or cover-ups at the pool or on the beach. Gordon Brandon emailed me with orders for one L and one XL. He received his B.S. in industrial engineering. He now resides in the Albany suburb of Troy, N.Y., and wondered if I could ship his shirts there. I informed him that I know exactly where he is because I was admitted to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, located there. He informed me that he was, too, but we both decided to attend Lehigh. Gordon was the managing editor of the 1972 Epitome. Eventually, he obtained an MBA from RPI and remains principal of the G. Brandon Group, a consulting firm. William P. Maher chaired the reunion planning committee for our 50th. On Saturday of that reunion weekend, someone in Bill’s household tested positive for COVID-19, so he sacrificed the ability to attend our special class dinner at Saucon Valley Country Club. He placed an order for two XL shirts and asked me to ship them to his home in Macungie, Pa. At a time when we seem bombarded with information touting the advancements being made in artificial intelligence, I’m shaking my head. When tracking Bill’s package, I watched it leave Coopersburg and progress to the Lehigh Valley Processing Center of the Postal Service. It went to Philadelphia, then Lancaster, then Harrisburg, back to Lehigh Valley and finally made the trip to Macungie! While definitely not a logistics expert, I remain very curious about the AI algorithm that generated that itinerary as most appropriate—and am surprised that no human dared to alter it. In recent years, several classmates have asked if I could locate Robert Tootell. He was a government major and member of that Middle Atlantic Conference soccer championship team that Frank Mooney reminded us about last year. My internet research suggests that Bob migrated to California after we graduated, attended UCLA and was a VP senior project manager with Comer-
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