CLASS NOTES | SPRING 2025 | 51 is where Henry James wrote some novels. The only other news I have is that my eldest grandchild, Anita, who graduated from Fordham University in the spring, has joined the Peace Corps and is now in Paraguay for two years. ’61 Ken Weaver, 13 Coachman Drive, Egg Harbor Township, N.J 08234, kenweaver78@gmail. com, (609) 788-4897 (H) Bernie Oppel wrote to me about this back in August 2023 and it somehow got lost. “Kudos to Ed Watters for his description in the Summer 2022 Alumni Bulletin of his earlier stay on Ile de Ré, France. It was an outstanding location, and the Ile de Ré tourist people should give Ed some perks for steering Americans to this hidden gem.” Based on Ed’s inviting account, Bernie and partner Marilyn (living in Fairfax, Va.) spent a wonderful week there in July 2023 at the Le Clos Saint Martin Hotel and Spa. The quaint towns, beaches, shops and restaurants were outstanding, and they highly recommend Ile de Ré as a charming, out-of-the-way place to enjoy a refreshing and peaceful vacation. Dick Von Soosten spent 14 years after graduation with PW in Manhattan and resigned as a partner in 1976. He then worked for an international venture capital firm owned by Clint Murchison Jr., founder of the Dallas Cowboys. There he met two guys and formed a small leveraged buyout firm. One of those two was Charlie Grace, grandson of Eugene Grace 1899. They had some successes and failures doing leveraged buyouts of plastic processing companies, then Dick founded a corporate turnaround consulting firm. He helped found the Association of Certified Turnaround Professionals. One of his clients was the largest grower of Vidalia onions in Georgia. He successfully reorganized that farm through a bankruptcy proceeding, and that led to a love affair with farming. Saving produce farms has been his occupation for over 20 years. During this time, he pursued his passion—ice hockey. Dick played one season for the Lehigh Hockey Club, and after graduation, he pursued hockey with a vengeance, playing five days a week. He was asked to join an Old Timers team of four Canadian brothers, assorted cousins, three or four Swedes and a German. They played in Old Timers Tournaments in Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Canada. Dick is now retired and, with his wife Cheryl, has lived in Florida for the past 20 years. They recently moved from Palm Coast to Jacksonville. They have traveled extensively for business but mainly for pleasure. Their favorite destination is Europe, especially Switzerland, France, Italy and Ireland. They have three grandchildren, none of whom graduated from Lehigh. Despite that, they are all doing very well in their careers. Norm Reinik writes that since retiring from construction and real estate, he tries not to think about being old by doing things like home repairs, lawn care, cutting firewood, replacing rotted wood retaining walls with rock in his backyard, and lots of golf—anything to remain vertical. Occasionally, reality sets in, like seeing our class column slip closer to the front of the Class Notes. Another reality check: In 1980 he was elected to the first city council of the newly incorporated city of Big Bear Lake, Calif. (served for 11 years, mayor in 1988). He recently became the last survivor of that first council. Norm and wife Linda, after years of work, lots of community service, a dozen trips to Europe, etc., now find pleasure in the simpler aspects of life: things like staying home, enjoying the four seasons they have at 6,700-foot elevation in Southern California, playing with their long-haired dachshund, enjoying the beauty of the backyard they’ve created in those alluring mountains where they live, and, most of all, doing things together! Brian Bauknight and Elaine celebrated 64 years of marriage on August 24, 2024. Besides their three children and nine grandchildren, they are now blessed with 10 great-grandchildren. That last group are in southern Virginia and San Diego, all age 8 and younger in 2024. They recently moved into a senior living community in the same township where Brian grew up: Mt. Lebanon, Pa., in the south hills of Pittsburgh. They are very pleased with the independent living arrangements there. He is involved in some senior exercise classes and a bit of volunteer service. In May, Brian published a book titled “Progressive Post-Modern Ponderings: Reflections from a Maturing Faith.” The book reflects upon his growing insights from 42 years as a United Methodist pastor and retired elder. The book is available in print or by electronic download from Amazon. He says his alumni ties with Lehigh are minimal, but appreciated. Look out for updates from Len Hertzberg and Toby James in my next installment. Please let me hear from you (in about 200 words). ’62 Philip J. Kinzel, 808 South Drive, Brick, NJ 08724. (732) 295.2106(H); (973) 226.1430(W); (973) 464.8282 (cell); pkinzel@kinzelco.com The Le-Laf game was a real treat for the faithful fans. I opted not to attend the venue this year but joined the other couch potatoes and watched on ESPN. Amongst the attendees were Penny and Mike Semcheski (Valley Forge, Pa.) and Will Hamp (Ashburn, Va.), members of the 1961 Lambert Cup Championship team. The 38-14 victory propelled Lehigh into winning the Patriot League Championship and a postseason NCAA D1 FCS Championship First Round. The icing on the cake was Lehigh’s 20-16 win over No. 9 Richmond and advance to the second round against Idaho. Will Hamp attended the pre-game breakfast at Stabler and was happy to meet up with teammate Craig Anderson ’60. Semcheski and Hamp joined the post-game celebration and venison chili dinner at the 1751 farmhouse of Harold Milton ’63 in Quakertown. Ron Johnson commented that the football spirit is finally back. Ron celebrated the win with a Negroni cocktail in Naxos, an ancient Greek city, as he ended his 10-day vacation in Sicily. His bucket list included a visit to Mount Etna, the highest Mediterranean island mountain, and the most active stratovolcano in the world. Pete Gratto (Kettering, Ohio) commented that the list of players was very heavy with first- and second-year players, and that bodes well for the future. Pete also reminds us to visit the ROTC Headquarters in Jordan Hall on the Mountaintop Campus to view the Class of ’62 Vietnam Memorial plaque honoring six of our classmates lost in the Vietnam War. Bob Henricks, a fellow bandie, attended the Lehigh vs. Yale game mainly to see the Marching 97. Bob and Becky live in Farmington, Conn. Will Hamp reported that a group of Theta Delts had a mini-reunion at the Bucknell game in September. Kent Westhelle and Jim Murchie (Maryville, Tenn.) joined the group. Kent and Beverly recently sold their home in Savannah, Ga., and moved to Sun City Hilton Head in Bluffton, S.C. Kent returned to a high school reunion and met up with high school classmate John Bello (Stamford, Conn.). Phil Kinzel attended his 70th grammar school reunion last May. Four classmates from
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