Class Correspondent

The new reunion system suited us because we had decided we didn’t want to wait five years for another reunion. I attended the June event along with Alan and Sandy Greenwald ’55; Marve and Rita March ’64, P’93, P’94; Steve Meltzer; Hilda and Max Perlitsh; Gene and Joan Saklad, P’78; and Len Van Gaasbeek and Norma Meras Swenson. We spent time with Sandy Lakoff ’53 and Lois Lyons Lindauer ’53 and their spouses, and with Lois Spiro Robblee ’53. At our memorial service, led by Gene, we read a prayer by Rabbi Stanley Chyet published in “Mishkan T’filah: A Reform Siddur.” Gene chanted a moving El Malei Rachamim. After the reunion, I had a phone conversation with Eleanor Baron Timberman, who asked me to send her best wishes to our wonderful class.

Phylis Levins Acker and her husband, Sandy, have downsized to an apartment in the Polo Club of Boca Raton, Florida. Two of their three children live close by. Their twin grandchildren are enrolled at Florida State University, and their oldest grandchild is married and has an 8-year-old son. Phylis and Sandy enjoy attending the Lifelong Learning Institute at Florida Atlantic University. “They have the most wonderful professors who lecture every week,” Phylis writes. “Other than that, I love playing bridge, Sandy enjoys his gin game, and we attend many of the Broadway shows.” Tamar Soloff Brower had carpal tunnel surgery. In August in Newport Beach, California, she and Martin celebrated his 90th birthday, her 87th birthday and their 65th anniversary. They’re planning a round-trip cruise from LA to Mexico. “We did enjoy the program in LA for Bernstein’s 100th birthday hosted by our local Brandeis alumni chapter,” she writes. “I remember taking part in the ‘Trouble in Tahiti’ and ‘Threepenny Opera’ performances conducted by Mr. Bernstein during graduation events in 1952.” Eugene Glick reports his wife, Susan, is still writing grants and serving on “every” nonprofit board in their York, Maine, community. Gene, who is 10 years older than Susan, says he doesn’t get out much except to book groups, local Democratic Party meetings and “les medecins.” Son Peter is retired and also serves on nonprofits. Daughters Emily and Katie are both teachers. Tragically, younger son John was killed at age 35 in an automobile accident; he was a Greek and Latin scholar who led a punk rock band in Chicago. Sumner Sheff writes, “‘Beautiful Boy,’ a movie about the impact my grandson Nic’s meth addiction had on my son David and his family, was released on Oct. 12 in limited showings and then across the country in November. The movie is based on David’s memoir ‘Beautiful Boy’ and Nic’s memoir ‘Tweak,’ and stars Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet.” Caroline Shaffer Westerhof spoke on the topic of discrimination in health benefits for the elderly at the Southeastern Conference for Public Administration. She was elected chair of Encore at the Southern Gerontological Society as well as to the group’s board. She is an online adjunct professor for several
universities and an auxiliarist with the U.S. Coast Guard.

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