CLASS NOTES | FALL 2024 | 55 ’69 Peter Dane, pkdane@sbcglobal.net and George Ikeda, gaikeda425@gmail.com When the five-man planning committee for our 55th reunion gathering began its efforts last year, we knew we wouldn’t have anything like the turnout we had for the 50th. It turned out, though, we did pretty well. Thirty-two classmates and wives attended the Saturday hors d’oeuvres and dinner event at the Wilbur Mansion. They were Paul Beck, Lyn and Rich Bond, Laura and Allan Clauss, Pete Dane, Judy and Hal Fittipaldi, Bill Flammer, Wes Gewehr, Deb and John Grabowsky, Michael Hirschfeld, George Ikeda, Suellen and Bob Kirchberger, Ruth and Steven Levy, Anne and William McClintic, Edmund Petersen, Bruce Rodgers, Susan and Jerry Stenson, Liz and Doug Stives, Nancy and Don Wikstrom, Alex Yellin, Faye and Greg Young, and Rich Young. When we were at Lehigh, the Wilbur Mansion was a private residence in a row of luxury houses on the South Bethlehem side of the Hill-toHill Bridge. Times change, and the property was converted into a restaurant, banquet room and event center. It has an appealing patio and lawn area, too, but the evening was too hot for people to spend time there. In addition to the dinner attendees, 11 other classmates did go to at least one other event over the long weekend. They were Ira Feinberg, Michael Fisher, Jeff Hoffheins, Bill Layton, Bill Mura, John Musser, Richard Smoll, Tom Spencer, Denny Tompkins, Ronald Toothman and Steven Walter. Ira was the class honoree at the Thursday night awards dinner at the Iacocca campus for his longtime and continuing service to Lehigh. He currently serves on the Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Board, represents the Alumni Volunteers in Admissions program and Wall Street Council, and mentors students in the financial services capstone program. Congratulations, Ira! Theta Chi’s alumni association hosted a dinner at the fraternity house Friday night for reunion attendees and other brothers. George reports, “The food was fabulous and the fellowship fantastic!” Class of 1969 attendees included Jeff Hoffheins, George Ikeda, Steven Levy and Ruth, Bill McClintic and Anne, Bill Mura, Bruce Rodgers, and Denny Tompkins with son Mark (a Theta Chi from MIT). Joining from classes that shared the house with ’69ers were Gary Tilles ’67, Alan Young ’68 with Marie, and Steve Malkenson ’71. Several of us considered a highlight of reunion weekend an address Lehigh President Joseph Helble ’82 gave Saturday morning in a tent on the lawn near the STEPS Building and Maginnes Hall. Completing his third year at the helm, Dr. Helble went through a rundown of what was happening at the university, including an encouraging update on the status of the current $1.25 billion capital campaign. Then he made a special announcement. Starting with the incoming Class of 2028, students coming to Lehigh from families with annual incomes of under $75,000 will attend the school tuition free. The new policy also applies to current students in that situation. Bob Kirchberger noted the passing last year of our longtime correspondent Ray Schmalz and recognized Ray’s great service in a previous issue. Pete would like to add a few thoughts to that. Ray was our class correspondent from the time we left Lehigh until his death. It was rare that he did not have information on at least one or two of us in an issue of the Bulletin. I liked to joke he was the Vin Scully of class correspondents. (Scully called Dodger games for 67 years, and many consider him the best baseball announcer of all time.) Two or three times Ray had information on me when I had not been in any communication with him; he just got it somewhere. He must have had mentions of hundreds of us at least once over the years. Ray was also a really nice guy. George and I together will try to carry the banner as class correspondents as well as Ray did alone. ’70 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. ’71 Sam Dugan, 143 Pinecrest Lane, Lansdale, PA 19446. (215) 3681895 (H), (215) 680-9719 (M); srdugan49@comcast.net Tom Wible answered my plea for a successor class correspondent. His first column will be in the Spring issue. Tom’s contact information is 203 Cardinal Glen Circle, Sterling, VA 20164-5506, 703-430-4395, tewible@verizon.net. Tom retired from a life in software development with TRW and Northrup Grumman at age 60. He’s now the webmaster for four websites. If you’re ever in the Sterling, Va., area, you might run into Tom biking around the countryside. Let’s give Tom a running start on his premier column by contacting him and providing him with an update on your life 53 years after graduation. I got a note from John Texter several months ago indicating that he knocked off his #1 bucket list item. “In March spent seven days in Tibet. I got there via a 21-hour train ride from Xining to Lhasa but flew back to Shanghai from Lhasa. I toured five monasteries, but the high point was getting to Mt. Everest base camp and getting to see Everest up close (13 miles away). Our first ‘attempt at Everest’ was foiled by snow (could not see any mountaintops), but after a freezing night in a hotel, we got a sky-blue day and many excellent views of Everest and surrounding peaks. Base camp was 17,100 feet above sea level. I did the whole trip without using oxygen bottles! Occasionally my blood oxygen dropped to 70%, but stopping to rest and focusing on deep breathing overcame my need to gasp for air. Of course, my primary care provider and cardiologist said, ‘Don’t go to Tibet!’ I’m really glad I went.” Harry Sobel is a senior consultant, coach and licensed clinical psychologist through his company, The HJS Consulting Group in Newburyport, Mass. He’s had the opportunity to work as a psychologist in many different settings for over three decades. In addition to his work as a psychotherapist with individuals, couples and leaders in industry, he has held positions in business, academia and research-based enterprises. He also hosted a radio talk show on WRKO, Boston, for four years. Harry has been a volunteer at Our Neighbors’ Table, a food assistance organization committed to establishing a community that provides for the whole person with nourishing food, kindness and dignity. Kurt Augenblick has more positions listed on his LinkedIn site than anyone I’ve searched. Twenty-one positions starting with project engineer at Eastman Kodak in 1972 to currently being an adjunct professor at Delaware Technical Community College and a senior software development engineer at Lutheran Community Services. Is there anyone out there who can boast of more career postings? Ray Sims retired several years ago as EVP and CFO at Financial Engines, America’s largest independent investment advisor headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. Prior to that, Ray was SVP and CFO at Raychem Corporation and a
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