S P R I N G 2 0 2 2 | 5 5 N O T E S uate, who works as an electrical engineer for Lockheed Martin in New Jersey; Kara, a mother of two, and a nurse practitioner with a degree in midwifery; and Andrew, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in epidemiology at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Michael added that he is mostly retired as president of engineering at Joseph Oat Corporation in Camden, N.J., and keeps busy playing the oboe in local community orchestras and chamber music groups. Pat Hamp posted a note to friends and family that her husband, Steve Hamp, passed away on September 24, 2021, “after extensive surgery for a fast-growing malignant tumor.” Pat added, “Steve lived a full and inspiring life. He had his dream fulfilled by spending his retirement living in Cozumel, where he loved to scuba dive and care for his five dogs.” (See class column, summer 2019.) We are now just one year away fromour 50thLehighClass Reunion. Inpast columns, I’ve encouraged everyone to plan on returning to campus for this event. Now, I’mconducting apoll toestimatehowmanyof youare planning toattend.Whenyou finish reading, please emailme at pfekula7@gmail.com regarding your attendance at our 50th. Class President Bernie Suess and membersof theReunionCommittee are alreadyworkingonplans for thismomentous event …and I’msure Celeste Varricchio is developing another great theme for the parade! P.S.—Check out the Class of 1985 column for a story about the Lehigh family and our classmate, Bill Goodwin. ’74Bill White, 5418 Holiday Drive, Allentown, PA 18104, whitebil1974@gmail.com Our classmade the adoption of the Class of 2024 official last August at The Rally, a tradition dating back to 1899, before some of youwere born. Class President Gus Gustafson and Andy Shmerler did the honors for us, presenting our flag to Class of 2024 students Harry Shmerler—Andy’s son—and Isiah Simon. Gus offered some introductory remarks, which luckilywere muchmore coherent than his speeches at our reunion dinners. Among those also attending from our class were Eileen Colahan, Bob Goldich, Mike Stershic, Nick Noel and me. The Class of 1975, represented by Karen Stuckey, adopted the Class of 2025 at The Rally. The arrival of women at Lehigh was a strong point of emphasis at The Rally, so it was particularly good to have Eileen there, representing the handful of women who ended up graduating with our class. As some of you may recall, we did our best to observe the ritual in 2020 during the COVID shutdown in a ceremony organized by Gus in front of the U.C. This official ceremony just cemented that bond. Since Andy andHarry Shmerler also were integral to that 2020 ceremony, I promised you a report on Andy’s activities since graduation, but it’s been hard to come by. In an epic dinner interview on The Rally’s eve, I finally gathered the information I needed and wrote it up. Unfortunately, he had requested the opportunity to review what I wrote, and he still hadn’t returned it by this deadline. So, I’ll move on for now to some of the other correspondence I’ve received, starting with Bill Sanders, who had an amazing life story to share. He wrote: “Thanks for keeping up on the 1974 dispatch in the Alumni Bulletin. I see thatmy high school classmate, RichMuir, replied in the Summer 2021 edition. Here’s what I’ve been doing in the last 47 years or so: “In 1977, I ventured north to Alaska. I married my girlfriend fromNew Jersey in Anchorage, and we stayed for nine years. There I worked for a consulting engineering firm, and later founded my own firm, which I sold when I left. My work took me throughout the state to almost all the remote villages, and as far north as Point Barrow and the ARCO polar base camp. I joined the Alaska Air National Guard and flewC-130 aircraft for them. Four of my sons were born there. I got mymaster’s degree from the University of Alaska. “We moved to Los Angeles in 1986, where my wife went to medical school, and I went to law school nights while working days. My only daughter was born there. We both graduated, and headed for Tulsa, Okla., in 1992, where my wife did her residency. I started my own law practice, and once the kids began school in the district, there was no moving again. “I joined the Oklahoma Air National Guard, this time as a civil engineer, and did one short tour in Saudi Arabia. I then switched to the U.S. Air Force Reserves and served as a JAG until I retired in 2007. My final duty station was at the Pentagon for three years as a reserve. I closed my law practice and worked for a pipeline company legal department until I retired from there in 2018. “I now spend the colder six months of the year inMexico and warmer six months here in Tulsa, mostly golfing.” I also have updates on Eric Wallace, Mike Actis-Grande and Don Wasson—the latter via his wife and New Providence, N.J., high school classmate of ours, Patty, so it will actually be true for a change—but no space for them this month. I’ll get to them—and Andy, I hope—in future columns. ’75ThomHirsch, 139McHenny Court, Chester,MD 21619, hirschlaw@verizon.net Very glad to hear from Rich Sheeler. Rich and I were hallmates our freshman year in Richards Hall. Rich reports that, after obtaining his degree in accounting, he passed his CPA exam and, ultimately, started his own accounting firm. He is thinking of retiring in a few years. Rich was a college basketball referee (mostly women’s basketball, but some men’s) for 17 years. When he retired from refereeing in 1995, Rich became a long-distance cyclist and a spinning instructor at his gym. That ended about five years ago when Rich was in a very serious accident on his bike. Rich is now doing fine. Rich has maintained a close friendship for over 50 years with Mike Albers, who was the best man in Rich’s wedding in 1987. Rich’s wife unfortunately passed away in 2012. Rich remarried several months ago, and he and his wife recently attended a Lehigh football game. Rich feels blessed with three wonderful children. His oldest son, who is also a Lehigh graduate (Class of 2014), lives in Richmond, Va. His second son graduated fromMarist and lives in New Jersey, while his daughter graduated from Santa Clara University in California and lives inMountain View, Calif. Rich was happy to receive a call from Paul Farsetta a few months ago and stays in touch with Howard Broadbeck. Rich says that he is very thankful for Lehigh and the effect it has had on his life. Our class leadership recently received a letter fromLehigh senior EthanEngle, a financemajor fromNorthfield, N.J., who is a recipient of theClass of ’75 Scholarship. Ethanwrote: “I just want to take aminute to say howhonored I amto receive your scholarship. Without it, I would likely be
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