48 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES originally in Phillipsburg, N.J., and later in Easton, could not be beat. As a foodie, my spot was the Roosevelt Bar & Grill, for an 85-cent cheesesteak and a 25-cent Neuweiler beer. Most nights, Dave Walker was there at the bar, as well as Leroy Bogert, a contractor from Allentown, whom we both worked for as carpenters on weekends. It looks like a good football schedule this year with a rare back-to-back Lehigh-Lafayette game at home in November 2023 and 2024, so Lafayette can celebrate with a home game during their bicentennial in the 2025-26 academic year. I hope you’ll have seen me at the Oct. 14 Lehigh-Georgetown game. Every year, my younger fraternity brothers from Theta Delta Chi (1957-62) throw a great weekend celebration Friday night through Sunday. I usually just hit the tailgate in the parking lot organized by Wil Hamp ’62, Kent Westhelle ’62, Jim Murchie ’62, Ken Weaver ’61, Al Richmond ’61 and Harold Milton ’63, all young guys from that era. And if I win the lottery soon, I’ll try to donate enough money to get the house back for a third time—it’s still a great location! As always, please send me your news so I can update this column three times a year. Wishing you all the best. ’58 Bill Helfrich, 80 Southwick Drive, Orchard Park, NY 14127. (716) 662-7927 (H); bh7831@ aol.com I can’t believe that we finally had our 65th reunion! It was a ball, but we missed most of you. Many of the calls that Dick Briggs, Bob Christie and I made were answered by our classmates who were either ill or their wives were and they decided not to join us. We ended up with eight classmates and a total of 20 attendees. It started with Sandy and Pete Mitchell running into Eileen and Warren “Winnie” Ferdinandsen at the Friday luncheon. Winnie said “I know you,” to Pete, “I was a dishwasher at your fraternity, Phi Gamm.” He was and remembered many of the brothers. That meeting was followed by tours of the many new buildings on campus and Hawktoberfest. Dinner was Reunionfest with the Lehigh Big Swing Band. Seeing Pete reminded Anne that at our 10th reunion where he took great care of her when she was very pregnant with our son Billy. Saturday started with breakfast followed by President Helble ’82 with his State of the University address – we are getting bigger with many more new buildings. Picnic lunch preceded the Historic Parade of Classes. All eight of us in brown and white mounted golf cart proudly following our class flag which features the Lambert Cup carried by Carolyn (Townsend) Shields ’90, the daughter of Fred Townsend. When we got to the bandstand, the leader, Steve Barosik ’77, kept that enthusiasm growing with our requests “Lehigh will shine tonight” and “Raring, tearing.” Somehow, we recovered and Lehigh chauffeured us to a renovated Lamberton Hall for dinner. We shared the hall with the Class of ’63 (outnumbered 65-20) with another visit by President Helble. Dinner and drinks were great, and the conversations really picked up! Fred Townsend was not only with flag-carrying daughter Carolyn, but also daughter Cynthia ’94 and sister Barbara. Only his wife, Corrine, was at home in Waterbury, Conn., trying to figure out how to empty the house and downsize – too many treasures! Bert Elsner came to the reunion with his daughter, Leslie, and grandson, Robbie Bell ’24, who is currently interning in Allentown. Bert’s wife, Joyce, and daughter both went to Gettysburg College. Bert really enjoyed talking with the current members of the Alumni Band in the parade. Bert and the rest of us had fun looking at Fred Berghaus’s yearbook of old Lehigh pictures. Anne and I had fun talking with Alice and Don Kohler. They looked younger than we can even remember. They are planning to move into a townhouse, but still plan to winter in St. Petersburg, Fla. Don had slowed down on his running but was glad to hear that Bruce Gilbert finished eighth of eighth in the Penn Relays this year. Bob Christie was honored with this year’s class Alumni Award for his centuries of contributions—congratulations, Bob! He and Gina sold the home in the mountains, but have decided to stay in their home close to friends, doctors and church—wow! We decided not to leave until Monday, so we visited with Ron Lichtenwalner for breakfast. He and Doris have just moved back from Venice, Fla., after 30 years to Macungie, Pa. He is still playing golf, but he last shot his age at 83. He was in our wedding and like of us has aliments. In my outreach for reunion, I spoke to Ed Delany, Dave Saunders, Ed Hummers, Jean-Claude Rousseaux, Bruce Gilbert, Larry Trerotola, Bill Glose, Dave Setzer, Jack Wright, Jim Davidson, Fred Smith, Bob Hirsch, Jack Hobby and Don Garaventi. For updates on those guys, see our next column. Greekers to everyone who attended the 65th reunion, and our recently departed classmates, Scott Wollaston, Dean Boyce and Tom Healy. Editor’s note: In the Summer issue we misreported that JeanClaude Rousseaux has Parkinson’s. His wife, Lukie, does and is doing very well with it. ’59 Bob Teufel, 1 Stoklea Drive, Emmaus, PA 18049. (610) 967-2049 (H); (610) 393-0565 (C); rteufel@aol.com You are one of the fortunate 1 percenters! According to a recent report, 99 percent of the worldwide population born between 1930 and 1946 has passed on. The latest class list from Lehigh shows 330 of our original 775 are still around, so we are doing quite well. If we only get a 10-percent return rate for our 65th reunion next year, we will be close to a record. Our ever-the-optimist class president and reunion chairman, Leon Harbold, has reserved the Villa at Saucon Valley Country Club for our Saturday night dinner, June 8, 2024, for a minimum of 40 classmates, but I’m certain we can do better. Heard from Bob Bauder, who writes, “I’m still mobile, playing golf but not setting any scoring records and driving. Moving from Williamsport, Pa., to a senior community in Warminster (north of Philly) next spring. I’ve marked my calendar to remember that our reunion is coming up.” Bob and I drove from Bethlehem to Greenville Air Force Base on the Mississippi Delta one staggeringly hot summer between our junior and senior years for Air Force ROTC summer camp. When we weren’t sweltering with the heat, we were drenched with driving rain—an experience to remember. Had a long conversation with George Karr, who mentioned he is now using a walker and has given up shooting. I reminded him that this is the first time in close to 50 years that I didn’t shoot at his wonderful, regulated shooting preserve in Bucks County. The terrain is a bit too rough for my balance. Then again, according to Mark Twain, “The older I get, the more clearly I remember things that never happened.” But do remember our 65th class reunion, June 6-9, 2024! ’60 Williams E. Millsom, 67 Mystic Road, North Stonington, CT 06359, (860) 235-3618 (C); bill.millsom@gmail.com
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