Bulletin-Spring23

62 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES for diversifying talent in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and ensuring STEM programming and opportunities get introduced early in underrepresented communities around the world,” according to the award website. Congratulations, Judy, for the recognition you so amply deserve, and allow me to say that we are proud to call you a classmate. ’85 Jennifer Sheehan, (240) 401-3724, jksheehan@aol.com As I write this, I’m about to head to New Zealand for a couple of weeks with my family. I don’t know if I’ll run into any Lehigh alumni there, but it wouldn’t shock me since I seem to meet them everywhere! A short while ago, the Alpha Phis had our annual reunion in New York, with Kyle (Friedman) Greenberg, Mimi Judlowe ’84, Katie (Rosch) Hegedus ’84, Trish (Costantini) Mosconi ’84, Mary Beth (Coolleen) Tully ’84, Lucia (Mascolo) Diana ’83 and Meredith (Lesslie) Spector ’82. Out of this group, at least six of their children are current Lehigh students or alumni. It’s heartwarming to me how these busy women travel in from all over to catch up with old friends, and it was truly great to see everyone. Beth Berns and her husband, Larry, stopped in Bethesda to visit with Lynn Anne Miller on their way to visit their daughter at University of Florida. My small world connection to Beth, other than Lehigh, is that I enjoyed working with her sister, Penni, for many years. Mike Ellow is living in southern California and is executive VP, electronic design automation global sales for Siemens. Mike was both an electrical engineer and middle linebacker while at school, which is also just so impressive. I figured out that this is roughly my 140th column for the Bulletin. Thank you all for sharing your updates over these many years. If anyone is interested in guest writing a column, please let me know, as I’m sure everyone would love to hear from someone new. ’86 Dave Polakoff, 400 E. 71st St., #3K, New York, NY 10021. david@ dpolakoff.com. Look for “Lehigh University Class of 1986” on both Facebook and LinkedIn. “Speak to me in tongues and share. Tell me how you’d love to hate me. Tell me how you’d love to care. Well, I just want to shake us up.” (Collective Soul) Jim Cronin made the 2022 reunion weekend early run with President Helble ’82; I will take his word for it as I was “running on empty” (Jackson Browne) that morning. Jim, who is vice president of automotive sales and marketing for the Americas at NXP Semiconductors, and his wife, Amy, have two daughters in Chicago and one in Grand Rapids, Mich., the eldest of whom got married last autumn. Jim divided the cost of the wedding by the retail value of a semiconductor and noted, “I gotta sell a lot more semiconductors. Dave, wanna buy one … or two thousand semiconductors?” Jim enjoyed the reunion with fellow electrical engineer Michael Neuberger, his wife of two years, Francesca, and Kevin Dwyer. Michael is vice president of electrical/instrumentation and control with D&B Engineers and Architects on Long Island. Bethlehem-based Kevin, a financial planner with Northwestern Mutual Financial, and his wife, Tricia, like to “throw a kiss and say goodbye” (Steely Dan) as three kids ride the Alabama Crimson Tide: daughter Shannon graduated, while sons Kevin and Brendan are undergraduates; daughter Meghan graduated from Villanova. You can call Kevin “Deacon Blues.” Leo Crann, head of Americas region management at LBBW in New York, was excited to attend the reunion, along with many Alpha Chi Rhos, once again enjoying cocktails on the show porch of the former Crow house. Similar to Leo, sans a show porch, Missy (Capuano) Rohland was also delighted to have attended the reunion with her Emery girls, Eve (Gerriets) Mongiardo, Linda Kagan Horowitz, Heather (Truesdell) Vimba, Jill (Henry) Schopf and Jill Lovecchio. Defense contractor Kevin Fitzpatrick lives in Fairfax, Va., along with his wife and two daughters. Kevin is perpetually in training for the Sea Gull Century, a 100-mile bike ride. Kevin hangs with Philadelphia area’s Al Luckanavage, a software engineer with Lockheed Martin. Al and wife Janet have three daughters. Scotland-based Tracey (Dudding) Kleber published her first book, “Mud, Grapes and White Linen: A Beautiful Vegan Life.” See details at traceykleber.com. Tracey’s book tour brought her back to the U.S.A. and through Bethlehem. She wasn’t nervous in presenting but was “unnerved” as her event occurred in the Hotel Bethlehem’s Lafayette Room. Converging in Philadelphia, Jan (Panariello) Mansley, Cathy Shea, Merryl (Goldstein) Tarricone and Holly (Stas) Brown traveled from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Colorado, respectively, and held their first Birkel Avenue reunion, falling right back into the groove, despite the passage of time. Jan converted a two-week pandemic visit into a permanent move to Southampton, N.Y., continuing her role as vice president of NOVA, a non-profit providing medical care in southern Haiti. Following the 2021 earthquake, NOVA is currently rebuilding a medical clinic. Move over, Aunt Bee— Carol (Cochrane) Kankelborg won first place in the pie bake-off at the 2002 Montana Winter Fair with her apple pie (though in all fairness, Aunt Bee won for rhubarb pie at the county fair). Carol loves to bake using Haralson and Red Baron varieties, from her own Bozeman, Mt., trees, but the award winner included Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Braeburn and Fuji. When not taking home the ribbon, Carol, a retired engineer and a retired stay-at-home mom, is an active Bible study leader, continuing from her Lehigh Christian Fellowship days. Carol notes that Philadelphia area’s Lisa (Ellis) Betz published her second novel, “Fountains and Secrets,” following “Death and a Crocodile,” which earned 2021’s Golden Scroll Novel of the Year. “I’ll say anything, I’ll take anything, Except goodbye.” (The Smithereens) ’87 Laura M. D’Orsi, 26 Falcon Ridge Circle, Holmdel, NJ 07733. (732) 241-5229 (H); lauramdorsi@yahoo.com It seems like ages since the reunion. We are all definitely back in the routine of life, after the holidays and the start of 2023. One fun event of the fall was Lehigh-Lafayette at Lafayette. Pete Antico was true to his word when I saw him at the reunion and he had a tailgate complete with heaters, burgers, some seafood (for those who don’t eat meat) and Bloody Marys. Fellow classmates in attendance included Karl Pupke, who came out from Garden City, Long Island; Rich Mazzella, who drove out from Short Hills, N.J.; and Todd Silva, who flew up from Florida. Pete did a great job, and it was fun to see everyone before going into the game— yes, we went in! To see Lehigh lose, sadly. Next year, Pete promises to make an even bigger tailgate, and maybe we can motivate other ’87 members to

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