Class of 1964 Winter 2022 Class Note

Hello, dear Bears! I feel like I am talking to friends. Thank you. I used to feel like a survivor because age tried to sneak in, and I had to fight hard. I have chosen to be 58 years old forever, use hair color, and now am trying to explain to God that when I asked Him to make me thinner, I didn’t mean just my hair! But after this time with COVID and seam-splitting politics, survival has a much broader meeting. If only politicians, newscasters, and most organizers would talk about collaboration and solutions, not judging, criticism, and crises, I might listen more. Well, news from our classmates:

Bernd Heinrich, an award-winning biologist and accomplished marathon and ultra-marathon runner from our class, has written a book that is part memoir and part scientific investigation, on the unresolved relationship between metabolism, diet, exercise, and age. It is Racing The Clock: Running Across A Lifetime, and is available on Nook or Amazon and other places. You can see the July interview with Bernd on the PBS NewsHour. More awards are in his future for sure.

The pandemic has changed many of our lives in many ways, and Joyce Harburger Bennett writes that selling their home and buying a condominium in the same town when they were cloistered, she turned to her piano for much joy. Her youngest son was married this year, a happy event, and she is exercising her sense of purpose by volunteering at the local hospital and Senior Citizen Center and the New Hampshire Ombudsman office. Their three “grands” are living in Texas. 

Peter Bourque is still very actively involved in our class reunions and other UMaine purposes and would love to hear from everyone on the idea of a mini-reunion in 2022 in May, June, or August in Freeport. It would be easily accessible by Amtrak or bus, people could fly into Portland, and there is a hotel very close to the Amtrak station for convenience considerations. Peter can be reached at (207) 623-5333 or peterbourque@myfairpoint.net.

Betsy Hall Domoto (smiles anew) is still working in the travel industry in St. Louis, an industry that has been in such a pandemic crisis. She and her husband visited her college roommate Priscilla Maden Daly in Maine and visited with Susie Oakes Ackor and Judy Dresser Campbell. Betsy is part of an active book club, and in addition to reading they all check up on and bring smiles to older nearby residents every week and help drive them to appointments, and the like.

As Betsy reported, I too find that my volunteer work keeps me smiling and has expanded the friend circle I enjoy. Our local Rotary Club has 480 members and while the members are very successful business people and owners, their hearts are their focus, and it is wonderful!