Classmates

FRIDAY OCTOBER 12th.   6:00 to 8:00 pm.    WINE TASTING.   (Seltzer and Soda also available.)    Hosted by George Wheeler and Ellen Taylor.   Suite number will be given later.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 13TH.   5:00 to 7:00 pm.   Come say hello to some of your former MK teachers.   Bistecca Lounge.  

7:00 to 11:00 pm.    THE BIG BASH!  
OPEN BAR  (7:00 to 10:00), DINNER, AND DANCING to records spun by the Famous and Fabulous Tom Hammer.   And Open Mike!  Morris Room.   
(Night Owls may meander over to the Bistecca Lounge afterwards, if you so desire, to keep the party going.) 

SUNDAY OCTOBER 14th.   9:00 to  11:00  am.   BREAKFAST IN THE WATERVIEW ROOM, adjacent to the Bistecca Lounge. 

Lynn McFarlane (Leggett)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Retired
Comment: I know I am cheating since I didn’t graduate with you all, but since I’ve known many of you since third grade and attended MK for 2.5 years I wanted to join the fun. 


I attended Monmouth College (now University)  for two years and then decided to see the world by joining Pan Am. I flew for almost 7 years, living in Hawaii for three of those years. 


I then married and moved to Northern California. I’ve been here since 1976. I remarried and worked in various real estate fields for many years. I retired in 1999 and have enjoyed traveling, golf, photography and six grandchildren. Dennis and I have a second home in San Diego, close to four of the grandchildren. 

John McLellan

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Consultant
Comment: After graduation, Micky Collins and I set sail for FIT (Florida Institute of Technology) a small technical college in Melbourne, FL founded by engineers from Cape Kennedy. I don’t believe either of us had any other offers. It was FIT or working at the car wash! So off we went. Five years later and with lots of luck, I had a BSEE. Yes, I became an Engineer. After a couple of trials and tribulations, I hit the big-time and began working for Hewlett-Packard.


 


Twenty-seven and one half years later, I received the “golden handshake” from HP, thanks to Carly. What a great run it was! I got to see the world, meet some wonderful people and “retire” with the security and sense of accomplishment I never dreamed possible. I began as a sales representative in their newly formed Computer Systems Group, and went on to management positions in sales and technical consulting. At the time I was hired, I was just what HP was looking for, someone with a technical degree and the interpersonal skills so essential to being in sales.


 


Leaving HP at the ripe old age of 53, I knew it was the perfect time to test my entrepreneurial skills. It wasn’t long before I found the match I was looking for. A venture based primarily on a model lifestyle of working wherever and whenever I wanted, having no employees or significant financial investment, using my technical and sales / marketing skills, and delivering the financial rewards I set for myself. In 2002 Google entered the paid search advertising market, and while they didn’t invent the concept, they quickly dominated the market. AdWords rose to produce over 90% of Google’s annual profits. I became an independent consultant and certified Premier Partner of Google with clients all over the world and recognized by some of the top people in the industry. Luck was on my side again.


 


I currently live in Dallas, TX with my loving wife Nancy and have a second home in the mountains outside Asheville, NC. We have no children, but too many causes to mention, that bring us joy and happiness on a regular basis. We are both looking forward to seeing you in October.

Joann (Joanna) Nesbitt (Nagel)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Retired Executive Assistant
Comment: I married in 1971 and my husband, Floyd, and I moved to Greensboro NC in 1976. After 40 years with Cone Mills Corporation/International Textile Group as an Executive Assistant in the Finance area, I retired last year. Cone Mills went through bankruptcy in 2003 and merged with Burlington Industries in 2004 to become ITG. We have enjoyed traveling over the past years, mostly visiting family through the U.S. We enjoy taking advantage of all the theater and musical concerts available in Gso. In retirement we keep busy volunteering with Meals on Wheels and various activies at our local church, for me this includes being involved with a quilting group. I've continued my love of reading and have been part of a book club since 2004. 

Virginia Rittenhouse (Knauss)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 3

Turid Rudge (Egeland)

Marital status: Married
Children: 3
Comment: After graduating from Morris Knolls, I went to Montclair State College (along with fellow alumni Jack Beckwith, Erika von Schwedler, Wendy Lovgren, Marji Ensel, and Sherri Ackerman).  I majored in English and minored in Reading, student-taught at West Morris Central, and received job offers from that school, as well as Mendham and Morris Knolls. I accepted the MK offer and was a classroom English teacher for 8 years.  I loved it!  I was able to create/teach several electives in photography, writing children’s literature, and media studies, in addition to traditional English courses.


  I married in 1975 and in 1980, our first son was born.  We also bought a house in Denville (actually on Beaver Brook Lane, where Bonnie Bailey and Patty Fox had grown up).  After a year of maternity leave, I returned to MK and had the amazing opportunity to create, develop, direct/teach a program for gifted and talented students at both MK and MH.  What a terrific experience!  I had been part of a research team at MK in the late ‘70’s to study educational options for gifted high school students and consequently, was offered the position.  It was very challenging and exciting, and I enjoyed this job for the rest of my teaching career.


I gave birth to twin boys in 1985, took a 2-year leave, and returned to this wonderful job until my retirement in 2010.   A younger colleague of mine took over at that point, and she has continued to carry on the program for 8 years now in a most fantastic manner.  I could never have imagined a more interesting and professionally satisfying career!  But life goes on, and it was time to enjoy the wonderful world of being a grandparent!


Our three sons attended MK and reaped the excellent educational opportunities offered by this wonderful district.  Our oldest son went to school in CA at Claremont McKenna College and was a PPE major (Politics, Philosophy, and Economics), which is modeled on the Oxford system.  He also earned a Masters in Public Policy at UT/Austin.  He works for Orange County, CA, government as a Finance/Personnel Director for Child Protective Services.  He is married and has two children.  Not surprisingly, they were major catalysts in our moving to SoCal in 2017, as well as my husband’s love of golf and warm weather!  Our twins are still on the East Coast.  They graduated from Princeton University and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and are both psychiatrists. One is a Fellow in Pediatric Psychiatry at N.Y. Presbyterian and is married to a Nurse Practitioner in oncology; the other is a staff forensic psychiatrist with the N.J. department of corrections, and his significant other is a classical music composer.  My husband and I feel very blessed in our lives.


The reunion was such a fun and uplifting experience!  I wish there had been more time to connect with more of our class.  I truly believe that there were and are many good and kind people in the Class of 68 and that their many talents, beliefs, and energies have contributed to much good in our country.  I wish you all good health and happiness, and many thanks to Ellen and all who made this reunion happen!


 

Robert Sickles

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Graphic Artist
Comment: Linda is retired from many years of public school teaching, and I hope by this time next year I will have finished my career as a graphic designer. I then plan to revisit my loves of music, woodworking and painting/drawing - somewhat dormant these years I have been focused on commercial art.


After leaving Seattle suburbs 10 years ago, we are loving the pace of life in Olympia and the closeness to many treasures - children and grandchildren, a community of friends and neighbors, a great small city with much to offer, and beautiful natural surroundings.  Those are a few more things I intend to enjoy more after retirement! 


I am looking forward to our reunion and staying at the Embassy Suites. (and subjecting Linda to a little New Jerseyness) See you all in October!

Tim Steele

Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 2
Occupation: Entrepreneur/CEO/Owner of MicroSpec Corp.
Comment: Walking into the MK gym for graduation I knew life would never be the same and I felt like I was floating through space into a future in which I hoped to run my way onto the USA olympic team and get a college  degree.  I did the college thing but failed to make the olympic team in 1976. I did give the olympic team a good shot and had the thrill  of being competitive with some of the world's best runners. With competitive running behind me in that summer of 1976 it was decision time on what to do.  I took what I expected to be a temporary position in medical extrusion not knowing I would fall in love with the work and that it would become a lifetime career.  The job took me from NJ in 1981 to New Hampshire, then to Ireland in 1984-1987. I returned to the good old USA in 1987 with a business plan in my briefcase for a custom medical extrusion company I would name MicroSpec Corporation. I still own and manage MicroSpec today and will likely continue for years as I love my work in creating new extrusion technologies in the heart of advancing medical device technology. One achievement I am especially proud of in my MicroSpec experience was was an innovative pediatric catheter tube I designed and made. I introduced it to the medical device industry in 2001. It quickly became the global industry standard for neonatal cathers and it remains the standard today.





I have a son, Erik, a daughter, Jillian, and three step daughter from my wife, Elizabeth. We live in Hancock, New Hampshire and spend time at our beach house on Martha's Vineyard where a bunch of the old gang celebrated Senator John's 60th birthday and where Bob Foley met his life partner, Linda (who you will meet at the reunion.





I still love running and run routinely but sooo much slower. I am thankfukful for my health and happiness....and almost can't believe we are about to celebrate 50 years since MK.  See you in October!

Joan Strowbridge (Clemens)

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 4
Occupation: Retired Secretary
Comment: My husband John and I have been married for 32 years. We have one daughter, Sarah. She graduated from Florida State in 2015 with an English Degree and a minor in Art History. Her dream job came along after 16 months of searching. Sarah moved to Princeton, NJ and is an Associate Editor for HarperCollins. I also have three children from my previous marriage. Deborah and her family live in Dallas, Texas. BJ lives in Wisconsin and Matthew and his family live in Nashville, TN. John and I have lived in several states, but hope to move back to the Northeast next Spring. We have 9 Grandchildren, Ranging  in ages 10 months to 24 years. 

Ellen Taylor

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Children: 3
Occupation: Financial Journalist (Retired)
Comment: After graduating from the University of New Hampshire, I spent the first ten years of my career on Wall Street, involved in investment advisory and as a trader of money market/US government securities. I had always wanted to be a writer, so I left trading repos (don't ask!) in 1983 and became a market reporter (covering bonds, stocks, oil, currencies, money markets) for a number of companies, including Knight Ridder and Bloomberg News.  Along the way, I wrote a book helpful for those of you with insomnia ("A Trader's Guide to the Repo Market") and moved on to editing a global financial magazine.  I ended my career planning and running conferences for institutional investors for a company in Greenwich CT.





After college, I lived for 11 years in New York City and have spent the last 35 years in coastal Connecticut. I retired in 2010 and  occasionally maintain a blog called "Of Bonds and Blondes" (again, don't ask!)  I also buy and sell the oldest "vintage" Barbie dolls, those from the early 60s, on eBay.  I guess once a trader, always a trader!





Coming of age in the late 60s/early 70s as we all did, I then assumed that most of the friends I lost would be those classmates who died in Viet Nam.  In fact, I know very few guys who lost their lives in that war.  But I have lost six friends to AIDs and then six colleagues/friends died on 9/11 when many bond traders worked in the World Trade Center, as I did myself in the early 80s.  Signs of our times, I guess.





I've been married for 16 years to the very handsome and charming, Robert O'Neill, a former teacher and administrator in Greenwich CT.  We are looking forward to spending our third winter in Australia, an amazing country we both love.  Prior to Bob, I was married for 20 years to John Smith, a wonderful man, and an artist and banker, who passed away in 2000.





I have one daughter, Emily Smith, who is 30 and works in fine arts services as a project/logistics manager in New York. I also have two step daughters:  Kittson O'Neill, 45, who is a producer/director and actress in Philadelphia, and Ronon O'Neill, 42, who is a neurosurgical physician's assistant in Madison, Wisconsin.  We have three grandchildren:  Niall, 11; Mhairi, 10; and Seadan, 8.  

George Wheeler

Then Then
Now Now
Marital status: Married
Occupation: Conservation Scientist
Comment: I followed Coach Marino to Muhlenberg College where I majored in physics and art history and was all-conference as wide receiver in football and a second baseman in baseball.


My educational path continued to combine art and science with a masters degrees in art history and art conservation, culminating in a Ph.D. in chemistry.


The Metropolitan Museum of Art hired me in 1979, which began a career steeped in the study of stone and its conservation in scultpure, monuments and buildings. (If you are every having trouble sleeping some night, try my book published by the Getty - Alkoxysilanes and the Consolidation of Stone). Good fortune struck in 1996 when I was awarded a Rome Prize to live for a year at the American Academy in Rome to study the deterioration and conservation of marble.


I began teaching as an adjunct professor in the art conservation program at NYU in 1983 - a deeply challenging and satisfying experience - and in 2004 took up full-time teaching at Columbia University in the school of architecture as the head of the building conservation group. I retired from full-time teaching in 2017 and now teach part-time in the school of engineering at Columbia, the school of design at Penn, and the art conservation program at NYU where my wife Michele is a professor.