CLASS NEWS

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Paul Simpson
recently corrected the caption on one Barbara "Bobbi" Silver Cohn's photos, which read "Vent?" "It is / was not a vent, it is a huge speaker loft. In one of the photos taken from the balcony you can see that there is one on each side of the stage. Behind the facing was an array of loud speakers that were an essential part of the sound system that was state of the art at the time. The organ that we had in the orchestra pit played through those speakers as well as a very large sub woofer that was located back stage in the center of the wall."
The reason he knew about the audio system is because Paul was a member of the stage crew and as he wrote, "we operated the sound system and all of the other stage related equipment. During part of my college career, I was the chief engineer of the communications center at The American University in Washington, D.C. where we had an FM, AM and TV station.

"Since then I have been involved mostly with business related endeavors, including a career on Wall Street with The Chase Manhattan Bank."

Dr. Sandra Hurlong
has been appointed President of Intercultural Open University Foundation in the Netherlands: http://www.ioufoundation.org. She regrets not being able to attend the reunion, but has provided us a Skyped conversations on our blog, appropriately in line with her "vision of adult-based distance education."
Patricia Said Adams
married right out of college to Hank Adams from W. Connecticut. He was a student at Stanford U. and they ended up staying in the SF Bay Area. They raised three kids and although she worked before the kids as a bank teller and then as a buyer of women's sportswear, she was also a school and community volunteer while they raised the kids. Her husband died in 2001. Since then she has operated a retreat house in her home and now has a spiritual blog at www.bythewaters.net. She moved to Charlotte, NC in Jan 08 in order to be close to her daughter and her four boys. Pat writes, "I do love Charlotte and being back on the east coast."
Bill Matuszeski
or B Mat as everyone has called him (since wa-a-a-a-y before J-LO came on the scene) retired in 2001 after 33 years of Federal service, the last 10 as Director of the Chesapeake Bay Program. Before that he held positions in fisheries, ocean programs and coastal zone management. One of the things he remembers is making the folks in Dover get serious about developing the parklands along the Delaware north of Edge Moor. He also served in the Peace Corps in South America, which he considers the great undiscovered jewel on earth. Since retirement, he has been consulting, serving on Boards (National Arboretum, Hudson River Foundation, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay) and landscape painting with his wife, Mary Procter, (see below and visit the their virtual gallery). He also spends time with his gardens in DC and Vermont and with his classic cars ('34 Chrysler Airflow and '71 Mercedes 280SL roadster).

Bill and his wife, an accomplished acrylic artist in her own right, will be attending the reunion.
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Karen Johnson Reardon is an organist and piano teacher in North Carolina. She is married to Bob Reardon whom she dated in her senior year. Karen says hello to everyone.
Marlene Taub Reinschmidt has recently been appointed head of the Tax Aide program for a Texas subdivision sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) for a two-year term.
Her new job is responsible for all aspects of accurately filing 23,000 federal tax returns at no cost to individuals and families.
Sharon Riggs Baffa is 'found' alive and well after 25 years of being listed as deceased in the class database. She writes,
"FYI--I am divorced. I have 2 children and 5 grandchildren. I live in Simi Valley, CA where the weather is wonderful if you can get used to fires, floods, and earthquakes. I'm still a stay at home Mom even though my kids have grown and have their own kids.

I'm active in things around the community and around the neighborhood. I do lots of walking (as my sport). I gave up serious tennis a few years ago when I couldn't stop scaling the fence for the winning shot. I love to stay in motion!

Let's see--I went to college at West Chester State (University) where I got my B.S. in education. I taught at the Dover Air Force Base School for a few years and then started a family. "

Have a great reunion!
Sharon
Ilene Kratka sends Aloha from her art studio: mauihands in Maui, Hawaii.

Please update your current

See privacy statement below.
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Betty Belden Iwan
Dear Classmates,
   I really am looking forward to our 50th reunion. Back in 1959, who could have predicted our various paths of life? Fifty years have flown by. Spending hours talking and studying in the crammed girl's Leader Corps room game me no inkling that I would eventually raise 2 daughters with my husband and design computer software. I am interested in hearing about your passions? See you in November. Betty

Betty has recently come to the rescue of the reunion committee with her computer skills, which are greatly appreciated!

Linda Topkis Berman
wanted to make a difference for women in her community. The idea for Attitudes & Attire™ was simple – to build the self-esteem of women entering the workforce and to provide professional interview attire:

Jürgen Thewes. Exchange Student, Says Thanks

As an American Field Service International Scholarships exchange student from the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Germany, I want to express thanks to my former sponsors, host families, teachers, and schoolmates who had made the senior year 1958 - 59 at P. S. duPont High School an outstanding one in my life: to the Delaware Optimist Club; my host families Mr. Harry C. Watson, Mrs. Margaret Watson with Nancy, Gail, and Douglas; Mr. William F. Said and Mrs. Anne Said with Patricia and William Jr.; my teachers Mr. Joseph Brewer, Mrs. Amy Farrand, Miss Alice Gardiner, Miss Trudy Gilgenast, Mr. Edward Lekites, Miss Helen Levy, Mrs. Jeanette McDonnal, Mr. Robert Martin, Mr. Wilfred Miller, and Mr. Jake Warner. I express my deepest thanks. I also express a special sense of gratitude to Miss Alice Gardiner, Mrs. Jeanette McDonnal and our dear friend Trudy Gilgenast and the Alfred Gilgenast family as well as my classmates who have kept in touch with me over the decades: Betty Belden, Ellen Levy, Marlene Taub, Don Goldstein, and Bob Rickards. I have treasured these friendships.
It's wonderful to be back with all of you again, and I hope to see some of you in Bremen one day.

Juergen Thewes

Sally Cordrey writes, "I am doing well. And attempting to follow my faith.

If all goes as nominated, I will become the Vice-Moderator of New Castle Presbytery for 2010 on November 17. In 2011, I will be the Moderator, and, in 2012, the Chair of Presbytery Council. New Castle Presbytery is composed of the 54 PC (USA) churches in Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. It will be a big job – and I am most honored to be the nominee. Wow!

Many years ago, my brother and I promised each other that we would bear no children in future marriages as our parents both had inherited diseases that we could not bear to pass on. Between us, we have raised or shared in raising and educating about 20. God is very wise and always provides.

Clovis, my 'Congolese son', whom I met in Congo (DRC) and is now living with me as I am giving him (and to DRC) his education to become a pediatric nurse. He will practice in Congo and has a wonderful family there.

Clovis is sick right now and I am becoming convinced that it is a recurrence of malaria. He has had it three times in Congo and is just 23 years old. Going to get it taken care of ASAP – we have been working with doctors/hospital for a year now – time for Mama Sally to get angry!

Many thanks for your friendship

Have a great time at the reunion – and be sure to give everyone my best!

Peace and Grace," – Sally

Sue Pratt Pikus received an award for her volunteer work with a children's charity in 2007. Sue will be flying up from Florida to attend the reunion.

SANTO DOMINGO —Dr. Ellen Levy Koenig, who runs the Instituto Dominicano De Estudios Virologicos — IDEV — didn’t set out to be a physician .

"The HIV epidemic made me a doctor,” she says. Koenig, an American who grew up in Delaware, had a degree in microbiology when she married a Dominican, and he invited her to join him “in paradise,” she says. “Then AIDS started.” [Full news article: Heroes of HIV in the Caribbean]
The Dominican Republic, where Ellen lives, is very vulnerable to hurricanes. In the past, Santo Domingo has been completely destroyed by hurricanes. This year Hurricane Dean and Tropical Storm Noel wrecked havoc. Ellen and her husband were lucky and did not suffer any damage, but many of her patients lost everything. Ellen and her husband were collecting food and clothing for them.

Ellen is recovering from recent shoulder surgery, but she and her husband are planning to attend the reunion. ¡Deseamos una recuperación rápida!

Ellen reflects, "For me it's not so much memories of the happy hours studying for tests nor the fun learning to write for newspaper readers, but how all that and more have positively influenced me the past fifty years. Miss Bryson's influence has obviously extended to many."

Fred Handelman

Occupation:  Retired after year of working for the IRS
Marital Status:  Married, Wife: Judy Shur, Class of 1963
No. of Children:  3
News: Just got back from a Bermuda family cruise
Fred and his wife Judy will be attending.

The summer of 1960, Bob Guessford spent working as a waiter in Wildwood N.J. at the Wildwood Diner. Every night after work several of "us from the Diner would go to the 'Hurricane Bar' to unwind and the Headliner at the Bar for the months of July & August was 'The Shirelles'. That was one of my greatest summers and my last summer on the East Coast."

Bob left for California on the 11th of September and arrived on the 15th at his Mom’s home in Reseda. He now lives in Palm Springs.

"I haven’t been back since, so the 50th Reunion will be my first time back since I left. So you can see that I’m really looking forward to it."

Bob Guessford just reported that he is attending to a family member's serious illness and unfortunately Bob may not be able to attend. See Bob's well wishes to all of us and his great recollections of his days at PS on our blog.

MORE CLASS NOTES 2005-2006

Pat Hoffman Hostetler
is coming from beautiful Oregon and will be arriving on Thursday (see transportation request on homepage). See some of the memorable 50s photos that were STILL in Pat's wallet. Until such time that we create an errata page for the reunion booklet, Pat's email in the reunion booklet is incorrect. Use the same user name, but the Internet provider has been changed to msn.com.

Bishop, yes, Bishop Jack McKelvey writes, "I look forward to my first PS reunion." Indeed, so do we in having him return to his roots. Jack is now retired and was the Bishop of Rochester, New York.

104 CLASSMATES CELEBRATE OUR 50TH
We have smashed the attendance of our 45th Reunion. A total of 164 classmates, spouses or significant others, and a former teacher attended the reunion. Linda Denenberg Seidenstat, who is recuperating from recent neck surgery, attended. Danny Ballbach had just changed his schedule so he and his wife can come in from Seattle, Washington. Jürgen Thewes came from Germany, and Charlie Allen from Tacoma Washington. Ernie and Jenny Schlabach was there. Soonie and John Mulford said the would be there. Bonnie Ellingsworth Reeder looked forward to seeing everyone and wasn't disappointed. She wrote, "Thank you for this. I was able to print the invitation, which is lovely. You all have certainly worked very hard to bring us all together again. We will attend the dinner and are very much looking forward to seeing everyone!" Tim and June Stringer Rietdorf left their Florida house by November to fly up for the reunion. How 'bout that for loyalty! John Savage had complained that he didn't want his name all over the Internet, Facebook and Twitter, but he DID want to be at THE Reunion! So, just google 'John Savage' to see if the real John Savage will showed up. Peggy Saunders asked to be excused for being so late in replying. She planned to attend what sounded like fun!

Sue Klein Wright went to the Ice Box at the Crane Arts Museum in Philadelphia last month to see a hand-knitted Hummer Cozy which was displayed there as a war protest. She continues, "I was lucky enough to have created the back bumper of this life-sized cover. As per usual we were early so I drove around to see our alma mater and the houses where I lived. P.S. looked wonderful and virtually the same except for the additions on the back. The neighborhood took me back to the 50s, Marcia, your old house is still there. I hope to see everybody in November. Sue" Now, who knows what an Ice Box and a Hummer Cozy are/were?

Dr. John Gregory has been involved with the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue with the MERT (Motorcycle Emergency Response Team) that's keeping him on the go. John attended the reunion despite as a Floridian, "we have to dig out those heavy cloths [for November]."


Unable to Attend Several classmates have written that they were unable to attend due to planned trips and other commitments.

Karen Johnson Reardon and her husband Bob had planned attend, but recently found out that their son and his wife and children (who live in Italy) will be coming into Norfolk. "Please tell everyone that I am so sad not to be there -but am there in spirit." – Karen Johnson Reardon

Margaret Whitworth Hazzard is sorry to say she will not be able to attend the reunion but is looking forward to hearing all of the news from everyone. She and her husband moved from Texas to a retirement area in northwest Arkansas. "We have four children and ten grandchildren."

Susan Kaufman Shane will not be able to attend but looks forward to all of the pictures. She will be traveling in Africa.

Pete Howell writes, "Sorry Gang but the Howell's will be unable to attend this reunion! If anyone is interested in a bird's eye update: Carole and I both graduated from the University of Delaware in '63. I was employed following graduation by Uncle Sam in Germany and Vietnam, then worked on/around Wall Street for 30 years while Carole directed/taught school, raised two daughters and involved herself in community activities in Ridgewood, NJ. In '97, we gave up life in the 'fast-lane', moved to the beach on Hilton Head Island and began our quest to learn how to play a better game of golf - which has been a complete failure - while at the same time Carole directed the construction of a new house and I took up part-time work for a Houston consulting company doing litigation consulting! We have four terrific grandchildren in the Washington D.C. area, travel frequently and have spent the past ten years every January/February in our favorite country, Mexico, exploring the 'colonial cities!' Cheers to our classmates. Wish we could be there! And our 'hats off' to the designer of the website!"

Karen Batty Boettger writes, "Sorry, but I will be unable to attend our 50th Reunion. We are at our beach home at the Jersey Shore (Ocean City) every year for August. Wish the reunion was at that time and we would have made it. Bill (Sallies '57) and I live in the San Diego, CA area, have three grown daughters, two grandchildren and travel often since Bill is retired. I spend a great deal of time volunteering with a national organization, Assistance League.

I can hardly believe that 50 years have passed since our graduation. I don't feel that old! Someone must be playing tricks with the dates! Anyway, have a great time. I'm sorry to miss this one. I would be interested in purchasing a yearbook if one is produced. Pleasse let me know.

Thanks again to all for putting together the weekend event."

Karen Batty Boettger

Lyn Harnett aka Evelyn Hutson (EVElyn) sends, "Greetings from Ft Rucker AL. Our son is stationed here, gave up command of his Black Hawk Battalion yesterday. His identical twin was here in uniform - even I mixed them up and got 'that' look. Bob [Rickards], at least you two don't have to dress alike!
We will not be able to attend the reunion because Heyward's West Point class in having it's 51st reunion in Tucson. If there is a bio book or anything like that I would like to contribute to and purchase one."

Also Unable to Attend

Some classmates, unfortunately, have notified us that they will be unable to attend due to ill health. Additionally, Reed Hinchliffe and his wife had planned to come by train, but he injured his back two weeks ago. He is scheduled to have a ruptured disk removed from his lower back and cannot ride in a car or train for 30 days. Reed says, "Tell all that I will miss seeing them. Also, I have a great surgeon and he is optimistic that I will will be 100% in 6-8 months."

Marcia Silverberg Lobman
With sadness, we have just learned that Marcia Silverberg Lobman has passed away. She died peacefully in her sleep and was without pain. Just about 3 or 4 months ago, Marcia was so excited about attending the upcoming reunion. Go here to read her obituary. "What contributions Marcia made over the years!" comments Gretchen Gravell Broadwater.

From Bobby Silverberg -
I am Marcia Silverberg Lobman's brother, PS duPont class of 1963. I stumbled upon the reunion web site the other day and noted that it reported Marcia passed away. Marcia died in Anchorage, Alaska on October 4th and a wonderful memorial service was held in New Orleans on October 14th. I would very much like to hear from Marcia's high school friends to learn more about Marcia's high school years from the perspective of her friends, of which she had many. Could you put the word out that I would welcome calls or e-mails from Marcia's friends by contacting me at the address/numbers below.
Thank you very much.
Robert (Bobby) Silverberg

Robert P. Silverberg
Silverberg, Goldman & Bikoff, L.L.P.
1101 30th Street N.W.
Suite 120
Washington, D.C. 20007
rsilverberg@sgbdc.com
direct line 202-944-3304
fax 202-944-3306

mobile 301-922-8895

We have also started a Blog: Remembering Marcia, where you can add you comments.

Recent Obituaries
James Toy III died on December 14^th under hospice care of lung cancer.
Sadly, we have just learned of the passing of Arlene Kolber Meek, who died July of this year.

Her obituary can be found here ---> In Memoriam

Eddie Argo passed away in May of this year. Some of cartoon drawings he shared with fellow classmates will be a lasting treasure as will be the memory of Ed.

David Reed

As we celebrated our 50th Reunion, we held a special remembrance in honor of David Reed, who was seriously injured in an automobile accident in 1965, in which his wife died. David's long courageous battle ended on February 5, 2013. His body was cremated, and his ashes along with his class ring were buried next his wife, Hazel, and his parents.

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