Class Notes and Agents

Class of 1963

Bill Ball wrote, “Finally retired at 77.  As I suspected, retirement S..KS.  I want to start another company and make it grow.  But, so it goes.  Change is inevitable and I may as well accept this as part of life.”

Erick and Candy Johanson reunited with the 1967 corps of cadets regimental staff at the 55th VTCC class reunion at VA Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia in September ‘22.

Class Agent: Wayne Pinkham
 

Class of 1964

Judy Smith Chapman and Dick continue to enjoy life in Worthington, MA and are fortunate to spend February and March in Beaufort, SC.  They keep busy enjoying their family and friends, gardening, playing golf and most importantly, enjoying life.  They look forward to seeing everyone at their 60^th.

Class Agent: Barbara Vigue Day
 

Class of 1966

Vicki Boetsch writes, “Weather has been beautiful here in midcoast Maine.  Shortly after Alumni Weekend, I was t-boned in a car crash in Rockport that resulted in a severe concussion.  However, recovery with lots of help, has me riding my horse, driving a car, and relearning this “digital world” again.

Alumni weekend was great, especially seeing Rex Fowler accept his well-earned Distinguished Achievement Award from Anna Parker.  I understand he went on to receive more awards throughout New England and in the music world.  Many of us danced away Friday evening to the music of Aztec Two-Step 2.0 along with Leon Southard ’64’s introductory great trumpet music.

Norbert Young’s familiar face around campus was greatly missed that weekend as he was learning the role of caregiver to his lovely wife, Christine, who was in the hospital in Bangor.  Since then, Norby has been busy renovating their home in Duck Harbor in preparation for her return.  I look forward to visiting them over the Holidays.

Dalen Mills and his wife Liz have returned to their Florida home.

Linda Abbott tells me, “I’ve accepted my son moving in with me, with his cats!”.

Anna Parker asked me to address in this issue the changes associated with her memory losses.  She has been required to move into a more secure care unit there at the Danforth North in Portland.  She told me she was ever grateful for Rex Fowler’s assistance in helping her face this lifestyle change.

On a lighter note, my brother, Chris (Kip) Boetsch ’69 spent two weeks with his Wild Hog Harley Davidson Riders out in the Colorado Rockies (I guess that’s where they were!).  Lastly, my brother, Greg Boetsch ’65, has become a noted trapper in the Megunticook Watersheds of Knox and Waldo Counties.

Here’s to being hopeful and grateful as 2022 comes to an end – and please write!

Class Agent: Vicki Boetsch
 

Class of 1968

From Sharon Hanson Ringuette:  Sadly, Cheryl Foster Duplessis passed away last Tuesday (September 27) evening around 11 pm.  I am told she was comfortable until the end.  I am so sad.  We were friends for a long time and kindred spirits in many ways.  I am so sad there was no celebration of her life anywhere nor did they put anything in the obituary other than family information.  It's like she just vanished.  She had a wonderful, full, productive life and was still working for The Birches in Rockwood doing all of their finances.  Believe me, I think they must be scrambling to replace Cheryl.  She was the salutatorian of the class, a very smart woman.  I will hold all of our memories close to my heart.

Congratulations to Kathy Starbird Warburg.  Kathy and husband Paul celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary on Saturday, September 24^th at a small family gathering hosted by their son Jason and wife Melissa; daughter Tristan and grandchildren Henry, Felix and Nathan. 

Class Agent: Sharon Hanson Ringuette
 

Class of 1970

This October marks the 35^th anniversary of the ministry of the Reverend Scott Jones.  Reverend Jones was raised in Pittsfield and graduated from the Bangor Theological Seminary in 1987.  During his years at the seminary he was a student minister in the First Universalist Church in Dexter as well as the First Universalist Church of Sangerville and Dover-Foxcroft.  After graduation he served several churches in Massachusetts before returning to Maine 30 years ago where he has served small town congregations in West Summer, Oakland, Castine, and most recently Sangerville and Dexter which has brought him full circle.  In those 35 years, he has delivered too many sermons to count and conducted over 200 weddings and 300 funerals. 

Class Agents: William Cunningham, David England, Martha Lloyd
 

Class of 1971

Milton Webber writes, “Have been very busy with Identities, working around the house while my "Nurse" is out on appointments!...I'm waiting on a new hip, probably into the new year, I will be good as new!... I have recently "retired" as the Alumni Assoc. President, Buddy Ingraham has taken over the reigns, and is off to a Great and auspicious start!... The Big news to share, is that Greg Saunders and I will be embarking on a cross country trip to his winter home in Mesa (Outside of Phoenix) Arizona, hauling his 40' 5th wheel... An adventure for sure in the making ....Route 66 is in our sights, as well as Vegas.... will be back around the end of November.... Reunion was a lot of fun as usual, with the Crowning of Rex and Leon as our Dist. Ach. Award Winners....Was nice to see a lot of Alums... You all know where I am... Stop by anytime!!!!....Happy Holidays to all, albeit a tad early!!!!

Scott Levin writes, “I have written a novel which circles around my many careers and narrated it as an adventure during a fictitious reunion predicament caught in the wilderness during a horrific snow blizzard in the wee hours of night. It's entitled "The Reunion", and is on Amazon.com. Off and on for about 7 years I have been in research to decipher the codes of the market makers in order to trade to "ES" which is the S&P 500 e-mini futures. I am frightfully close during a time when the markets are just crazy. The whole world is a bit crazy now and we are transitioning into a realm that we don't even know what it is yet. It's both scary and exciting. I spend the afternoons taking care of my 98 year old mom who has Alzheimer's Disease. Our Power Ball lottery has surpassed 1 billion dollars and I don't have a ticket”.

Susan Bowman writes, “My husband and I adopted a special needs child who was one of our foster children.  We did foster care for 21 years.  My son lives in Florida and I have 2 grandsons that are in the service.  I lost my daughter, Melody, to cystic fibrosis at 4 months of age.  I spend my days caring for my daughter Kayleigh who has many medical issues and behavioral issues.  I was able to attend the 50th reunion and reconnected with many classmates.  Would love to hear from even more because I don't get out much but do have email, or a phone if you want to call.  Thanks to those who kept in touch.”

Colleen Peterson Seremet writes, “I’m thoroughly enjoying retirement, splitting my time between home in Maryland and my summer place in Maine.  Although my three grandsons keep me busy with cheering on their activities, I find time for some long-awaited bucket list travel.  I visited Norway and the UK in April 2022 and have a river cruise from Amsterdam to Plague planned for Spring 2023.  As always, I look forward to seeing friends at our annual reunion!’

Michael Brown writes, “After 69 years living and working in the Mars Hill area, I sold my home and made the move (one more adventure, actually) Downeast.  I currently reside in Machias while house hunting.  I had held many positions with various companies working transportation, agriculture, winter sports and food processing.  During that time I have seen many of my dreams come true and bucket lists filled (some dreams are STILL coming true).  I formally retired on 1 Jan. 20, but in March of this year wound up getting bored enough that I went back to work in a less stressful environment down here on the coast.  I have stopped by the old campus a few times for a quick drive by, but it was always during a road trip or some other mission that gave me an excuse to head out of town (whichever town that happened to be at the time).”

Class Agents: Jeffrey Knights, Laurie Fitts Loosigian
 

Class of 1972

Paul Sauer wrote, “Just a short note, the first one I have ever sent to MCI.  My wife and I planned to attend the 50^th reunion (plane tickets and all) but the Covid variant precluded our visit at the last minute.  All is well now.

My life, so far, has been absolutely wonderful!  I finished Tufts Medical School in Boston, trained in General Surgery, found a wonderful wife and left for a plastic surgery residency in Birmingham, AL in 1985.  After a short stent in academic medicine, returned to Birmingham in private practice.  My wife and I raised two sons, one an attorney, the older son a plastic surgeon (he will start practicing with me in June 2023) – priceless!

I am nearing retirement and plan more visits to Pittsfield in the future.   All the best to you and the MCI family!”

Class Agent: Patricia Thibault
 

Class of 1987

Angela Wood Wren has a new granddaughter, Josie ann.  She is Angela’s first grandchild and she was born to her son and daughter-in-law.

Kathy Bouffard Kitchin, married to Chip  Kitchin ’88 said they are going to be grandparents in May.

Ray Withee said he is still living in the COUNTY, has one granddaughter, Lorelai, who was born this past February to his daughter Callie and son-in-law Nate.

Scott LaPanne bought a home in Centerville, Ohio and retired from the U.S. Navy after 33 years.  He now works for the Department of Veteran Affairs in Dayton, Ohio.

For myself, everything is pretty much the same.  I still live outside Tampa, Florida and my business is doing well.  My oldest daughter Shelby graduated from Oklahoma City University and is moving to NY City to chase her dreams on Broadway.  My youngest daughter Delaney is a Junior in the Physical Therapy program at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida, which was recently hit by Hurricane Ian.  The school is relatively new, so it faired very well in the storm.  They only missed a week of classes.

On a sad note, we lost a classmate in September.  Corey Nelson passed away suddenly.  He did attend the reunion in August so many of us got to see him one last time.  Which reminded us all why reunions are so important.

Class Agent: David O'Brien
 

Class of 2003

Daisy Cunningham writes, "Just a fast update.  A few years after high school, I found my way to Wiscasset and met my then, future husband who was, at the time enlisted in the United States Navy.  After his enlistment ended, he went on to a different career and as I grew tired of working for others, I decided to start my own business, Maine-ly Elderberry in 2018 which focuses on organic elderberry syrups, teas and lemonades.  I also dabbled in several other businesses, but as Maine-ly Elderberry grew, I couldn't keep up with multiple businesses.  My husband and I have a 13 year old son named Alex Jr. that excels at basketball.  We are collectors of horror decor and enjoy watching movies and exploring new places.  Life is good!

Class Agent: Ashley Holt Morency

Class of 1962

Preston Carter writes: After many decades in the Pacific Northwest, Beth and I retired from our medical practices (hers in Radiology, mine in US Army General Surgery) to fulfill our dream of coming home to Maine. We live not far from the village of Blue Hill, and find plenty to keep busy, both here and at our family property in Etna. We find the pace of life here much more agreeable than had been the case in recent years in the ever-more-crowded Seattle-Tacoma region.

Laurie Holden died last April at his longtime home in Phoenix. Laurie attended MCI for four years as a boarding student from his remote logging camp hometown of Clayton Lake. He moved west after graduation from Northeastern, and spent his career working in the Arizona Department of Highways. At MCI, he was a voracious reader, and keen follower of the political scene.

Dick Pearson wrote: “I was in the Class of 1962. Norby Young, Sr. was on the staff, and that’s all I remember. MCI did a very great job preparing me for acceptance at University of Maine Orono. MCI also did a lot for my early growth and maturity. I went on to graduate from Maine – Class of ‘66. Then I volunteered for the Marine Corps and a tour in Vietnam (13 mos.). I was discharged in 1969 as a Marine Captain. Now I’m on 100% disability. My degree from UMO was in Business Administration and I went into real estate in Portland. I was both an investor and real estate broker and had my own real estate office specializing in Apartment and Commercial brokerage. I had to retire at age 55 due to cancer from Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam – bad stuff!

Sorry I missed you at Ri Ras and wish you the best of luck as Head of School. Tell those students how important it is that they study hard and do well while they’re at MCI.

Class Agent: Preston Carter

 

Class of 1963

Jonathan Morse commented on how much he appreciated MCI which helped him get into college and led him to a full life. He went on to write “The most enduring memory that I have is the Sphinx ice sculpture that we in the ‘New Dorm’ created. I have a picture of it somewhere of us, in the middle of the night, on and around the sculpture.”

He said he will be thinking of all of us on reunion weekend. He sent 2 pictures of the Sphinx, one with the guys from the ‘New Dorm.’

Class Agent: Janet Viger Bryant

Class of 1966

Our sincere condolences to Judith Hobbs Webster. Thompson Webster ’66 unexpectedly passed away recently. Please keep Judith in your thoughts.

Dalen Mills here, and thanks to Vicki’s retirement from being our class agent, her recommendation of me to take her place was very thoughtful on her part. Something I may never forgive her for!

So, as my first official duty as class agent I can share some long held thoughts about our class.

1. Since 1966 some of us have never taken part in much of anything regarding our old alma mater!

2. I have to think that is a choice you have made for whatever reasons you have. Please consider changing that choice.

3. I hope you will consider our ages now and how many of our classmates have passed away. Our class reunion weekend is a possibility of seeing a classmate/s you haven’t seen in years maybe one last time. Please plan ahead and pencil in August 5 to come to your Reunion class of ’66.

4. I made an observation at my 45th reunion weekend that I was going to try to go to every reunion weekend that I could simply because I wasn’t guaranteed tomorrow and I didn’t want to wait for a zero year or a fifth year to go to a reunion. It has been a good decision as the class of ’66 seems to have a core of 10-15 of us that we look forward to seeing every first weekend in August. Those renewed catching ups are wonderful. I hope you take advantage of our reunion in August of this year to check in, maybe for the first time in years or maybe for the first time ever since your graduation?

5. It’s in the back of a lot of minds that MCI, like any other school, runs on money. I suspect that some of you think that the ol’ alma mater just wants to have you show up to reunions to ask you for money. I have found that to be not so! There is no pushing to donate to MCI at the reunion weekends. You certainly can do that but it’s not a prime directive by any means.

I have found in my own giving that I give to organizations that I feel good about. Ambulance Association in SWH, my church, Red Cross, etc. MCI is one donation that I give to because my three years there changed my life for the better! And I am forever grateful and thankful for that so I give to MCI gladly.

So come to the reunions as time has run out for many of us to just enjoy talking about whatever the heck you want to share, or not, with classmates you may or may not have seen in years. We have lost 61 from the class of ’66. One was David “Red” Allen who was my roommate for 2 years. He came to the reunions as did Randy McPherson, Jimmy Homstead. We all had some great times until we couldn’t! Are there classmates you would like to see one more time? Or more? I hope so.

Class news: Lets hear from you! Please email Sharon at MCI at alumni@mci-school.org or me at dalenmills@me.com for any updates, address changes and especially news from you all.

My wife and I are still driving to Florida in October and Maine in May and will as long as reasonable health allows us to do that. Two years of COVID-19 have certainly been an issue for all of us and we seem of have come around a corner with that. Norby and Chris Young live year around about 5 miles away from Liz and I in SW Harbor and we see each other as much as we can stand, whoops, are able!

The four of us even did a West Coast Viking cruise last spring to LA, San Diego and other stops and finished on Vancouver Island which was a lot of fun. Biggest disappointment was not being able to see Pete Susi as bad weather had us skipping Santa Barbara altogether. One of the highlights was getting together with Gregg Patterson ’69 and his wife Elaine while we were in LA. He and his wife visited with the four of us in SWH last summer and we had the pleasure of showing them the highlights of the area we live in -- plus some fine lobster. Also, on the medical side, I had a total right knee replacement on 12/5. My physical therapy has gone very well and having a pain free knee again is letting me be more active. Pain had limited me for the last couple of years. Liz and I will be in SWH all summer and any classmates in the area we would love to touch bases with. Take care, be safe and healthy.

Class Agent: Dalen Mills

Class of 1969

Lynne Gould Cianchette writes, “After almost 25 years, I have returned to the neighborhood where I raised my family. It is nice to be home.”

Class Agent: Susan Furbush Ryman

 

Class of 1974

Brian Bane writes: “Another greeting from the homestead across from the old CMP Dam on Rte 100. After much renovation– with the help of lifelong friend, Myron Sobey ‘74– we moved back here seven years ago. In September 2020, I retired from the Waterville USPS, and I am loving the freedom to hunt, fish, and follow the Red Sox, Celtics, and Patriots. My wife, Sharon, and I celebrated forty-four years of marriage in January. Our disabled daughter, Emily, still lives with us. Since her car accident in 2005, and the resulting TBI, she still deals with constant pain, along with other issues. I enjoyed reading Charlie Tryder’s piece; I made him the great catcher he was by blocking my 59’ curve balls my senior year. Thanks, Chuck. Love to read about classmates and other students in the MCI Alumnus magazine.”

Class Agent: Vera Lloyd Bryant

 

Class of 1975

Bud Ingraham writes: “I hope this note finds all of you well. As many may know, I am the new President of the MCI Alumni Association. We have had a lot of changes in Executive Committee members and I am excited to work with them all to provide an association that is embracing all alumni and friends. If you would like to be part of this, please let myself or Sharon in the Advancement office know.

On a class note: we are coming up to our 50th reunion in a couple of years. I have had a few classmates reach out to me inquiring about our event. The Association does a lot for the celebrating classes, and we will take them up on these offerings. Matt McGowan has offered to work with a committee to put all of this together. Please reach out if you are interested in being on the committee.

We have some very exciting things going on at the School. New Association members, new Head of School David Pearson and Tom Bertrand as new Advancement Head. He is also the Assistant Head of School. It is a pleasure to work with Tom in his new role.

Please visit our website for information on upcoming events and alumni news.

Also, a quick note to the Cianchette family. They have our heartfelt condolences in the passing of Ken Cianchette. Everyone in our class was touched by him in one way or another and we keep the family in our thoughts and prayers.

I have received notice that Kitty Rogers Trudell has moved from her longtime residence in NH to the Carolina’s to be closer to her granddaughters.

I now have 2 granddaughters that like many are the light of my life. Mike Susi has picked up stakes and is remodeling Deb’s family home in Gardiner. You can still see Mike on Campus while Deb is still here at MCI, doing a fantastic job with the Arts.

Keep in mind we have an annual meeting on Reunion Weekend so watch for the event calendar and also get signed up for Golf, The Awards Celebration, and the Saturday luncheon, and meet us under the tent on Friday night for some live music, dancing and socializing with classmates and friends.

Thanks and best to all”

Buddy

Class Agent: Buddy Ingraham, Jr.

 

Class of 1978

Martin MacGown writes: “After retiring from the Marine Corps in 1999, we relocated back to Maine from North Carolina, where I finished my grad degree in Management Information Systems and went to work in the field of Healthcare Information Technology (acronym HIT). I finally checked off my bucket list “to become a HITman! But I digress... though I’m pushing close to what many consider to be retirement age, I’m having a grand time as a software consultant, and plan to continue in this endeavor until I forget how to turn my computer on. I was traveling significantly prior to the “pandemic,” commuting regularly between home in Maine and neat places like Northern Idaho, Chicago, and Florida; however, when things went haywire in 2020, I’ve been able to work from home nearly 100% of the time, which has been fantastic (I love the morning commute).”

Class Agent: Robert Bryant

 

Class of 1983

Edward Reynolds writes: “The last 10 years have been stellar! I came back to God which changed everything. A new zest for life and a passion for telling others why. I married my best friend, became an Ordained Minister, completed my Bachelor of Christian Leadership degree, became a certified Life Coach, moved to Texas together with my wife, and founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit called Matthew’s Light. We are working to end homelessness and food insecurities in the greater Houston area. The future has a vision of sleep pods for the homeless, a sustainable homeless

community with services to give the homeless community a hand up, and eventually the 91st Refuge which will be a tiny village for military veterans with all the specialized services that they require. The future is shining bright with the Glory of God lighting the way.”

Class Agent: Claudelle Whitter Richardson

 

Class of 1989

Brenda Hartley Orffer writes: “In late 2022, I accepted the role of CEO for the American Neurological Association, an organization focused on academic neurology. The ANA office is completely virtual allowing me flexibility to live and work from anywhere, so the Orffer household is relocating to Mesa, Arizona where we can enjoy sunshine and warmth in exchange for the Seattle rain and gray clouds. I am thrilled to represent academic neurologists and scientists as they work to create a world free from neurologic disease. In other news, our youngest daughter, Arianna, is getting married this summer, and our oldest is contemplating offers to attend law school in the fall. We are proud of our children and hopeful for bright futures for both of them. The bright future I have enjoyed since graduating from MCI is partly attributed to the education, motivation, inspiration, and support I received as a student there.”

Class Agent: Nancy MacGown Monteyro

 

Class of 2008

Jordan Paradis emails that he has been busy volunteering at his local theatre, and is planning to travel to New York this summer. He has nieces and nephews who are a lot of fun to be around. He recently started his own baking company, Jordan’s Bakery World.

Class Agent: Tyler LePage

 

Class of 2013

Benjamin Thomasson writes: “Currently pursuing my Private Pilot License. Words of advice to the upcoming generation: When the opportunity presents itself, take it, because you may never have the chance again.”

Class Agent: Courtney Fowler