42 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | CLASS NOTES stopping by. Jim Finne reports that when he retired in 1999 after a career doing 30 years of process, packaging and facilities engineering in the pharmaceutical industry, he had neither a plan nor a bucket list. “I saw an ad for a ‘one year only’ engineering faculty position at Middlesex College in New Jersey.” It was close to home, he had the requisite qualifications, and he thought it might be fun to teach for a year. “OYO became tenure track before I started that fall semester, and it was a very long year. I retired again after 25 years at the college …” He had taught a wide range of EE and ME courses and stepped down as an associate professor. “My definition of retirement is that I make the rules and do what I enjoy. Engineering and teaching certainly worked.” Jim occasionally sees Walt Sieglen, who retired from NY/NJ Port Authority after 9/11, on Long Beach Island. Bruce Mantell sees his time at Lehigh as being a “part of the total package of having a very fulfilling life.” His daughters Allison (Mantell) Gollin ’96 and Emily (Mantell) Golden ’99 are also Lehigh graduates (and sisters at Alpha Chi Omega). Bruce has stayed in touch with several brothers from Pi Lambda Phi including Steve “Moose” Edwards, Mike Brams and Jon Peisinger and recently played golf twice with Phil Rosen in March 2026 at member/guest events at their respective golf clubs in Palm Beach County, Fla. He also sees Alan Kessman ’68 and Ken Miller ’68. Bruce currently lives in Boca Raton, Fla., with his wife of 56 years, Ellyn, and continues to work remotely, traveling back monthly to his law offices in New Jersey (Mantell, Prince & Reynolds, P.C. in Basking Ridge) specializing in tax, business, and trusts and estates. His fondest memories of Lehigh were of the athletic endeavors and success of Pi Lambda Phi and the lifetime friendships with his fraternity brothers. He credits Lehigh not just with a great education, but also with having a great reputation, which he feels helped him find jobs early in his career. His main goal now is for him and Ellyn to stay healthy of body and mind for as long as possible. His hope for Lehigh is that it continues to maintain its terrific reputation. ’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 alumni@lehigh.edu. Bob Bartholomay reflects, “Coming from a low-middle class, single-parent family and a less than stellar high school, Bob was not prepared academically or socially for Lehigh. One bright light was Professor John Steckbeck. Being on scholarship, Bob was given a work study opportunity in Taylor Gymnasium, working for Steck. At first, he checked student IDs and handed out basketballs …. When Steck learned that Bob was a lifeguard, his job changed. They taught faculty children swim lessons on Saturday mornings. Bob also lifeguarded the faculty and secretarial swims. One night, a professor lost his glass eye in the pool. Without goggles, Bob kept diving and feeling the bottom of the pool until he found the marble. Eventually, 8 [a.m.] Saturday engineering classes prevented Bob from continuing the swim lessons with Steck, but he is forever grateful to Professor Steckbeck for helping him transition to life at Lehigh. “After Lehigh, Bob served in the PA Army National Guard and helped in Forty Fort, Pa., after Hurricane Agnes; he was licensed as a PE in PA, earned three master’s degrees; and Ann and Bob raised two children. Bob retired three times after working 30 years at Merck, 11 years at Sanofi Pasteur, and five years at Cape Cod Community College teaching engineering and robotics. “Ann and Bob now live in Des Moines, Iowa, close to their children and grandchildren. During the legislative session, Bob works as a doorkeeper for the Iowa State House of Representatives. Ann is a 1969 graduate of Beaver College, and her father, uncle and two cousins are Lehigh alumni.” Gary Leinberger wrote, “Latest news is I finally retired in 2023 after 46 years of teaching finance at Oklahoma State University, Franklin and Marshall College, Villanova University and the last 36 years at Millersville University, where I retired as a full professor and professor emeritus. “I am continuing to fly my Experimental Motor glider (a Europa XL)—have almost 500 hours on it. “I was awarded the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot award for 50 years of safe flying in 2025. This is the most prestigious award given by the FAA to pilots. I also serve as the director of maintenance for my Mooney Flying Club as well as an officer in the local Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter. “In the fall of 2025 my wife Susan and I vacationed in Australia and New Zealand for 42 days, including an 11-day mountain flying course on the South Island of New Zealand. A very exciting 18 hours of flying (including landing on a beach, several pastures and grass strips and a turn around Mount Cook at 12,000 feet). Plus, I was able to fly a De Havilland Tiger Moth, an open cockpit WWII RAF biplane trainer. What beautiful and interesting countries. “I got up to one [wrestling] meet this year and had a great time and dinner with a bunch of wrestlers after a get-together in the Caruso Leeman wrestling room (where ROTC used to meet above Grace Hall).” ’71 Tom Wible, tomwible+ lehigh71@cardin alglen.org, seventyone4fun4ev er.letartliveon.com/ After getting his B.S. in ME, Scott Shadle interned with Bill Milliken (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ William_F._Milliken_Jr.), getting his M.S. in Vehicle Dynamics (millikenresearch.com) from University of Michigan. He first worked at the GM Proving Grounds in Ann Arbor, later joining NHTSA in D.C., working on vehicle safety standards for 16 years, and then defect investigations for 14 years. He retired at 55, continuing to work on his Alfa Romeos and attending races with his (now late) brother. He also raised orchids in his backyard greenhouse for 15 years. ’72 Charles S. “Chuck” Steele, 2080 Flint Hill Road, Coopersburg, PA 18036. (610) 737-2156 (M); signscss@ aol.com Bill Perkins arrived at Lehigh from Binghamton, N.Y. We met on Drinker IV. He made a long career as an appliance specialist, finally retiring as large appliance buyer with Olums of New York. He played freshman baseball and rugby, and was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi. Bill and wife, Cindy, have been loving their extended travel adventures, especially on the East Coast. I almost forgot how lanky Bill is. He has a Facebook photo posted where only he is seated in one of those oversized Adirondack chairs, and he fills it quite impressively! Peter N. Louras Jr. grew up in the Green Mountains of Rutland, Vt., but made his way westward throughout his career. He was an accounting major and Chi Psi steward before graduation. He worked in Philadelphia and the San Francisco Bay Area until 1999. Pete retired in 2016, as chairman of the board of Simpson Manufacturing in Aspen, Colo., but has remained active for multiple terms on the board of trustees with the Colorado Rocky Mountain School. He and wife, Sam, made the trek to Bethlehem for a recent class Reunion and touched base with me as we staged our parade performance. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in September 2025. Just after the last column was submitted, I received this “extra special” info. “Possible content for the Alumni Bulletin?” suggested the group of Lehigh student-athletes who created it as part of a special tribute to their esteemed hero and coach from the 1970s and 1980s. “Here for your enjoyment is a video created for Lehigh’s tribute to Coach John Covert
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