1954
Bob Bradbury (FRM) writes, “At 91, still enjoying life and fairly strong with a honey business at farmers markets and festivals in Flowery Branch, Ga., where we retired back in ’97 after 40 years in the pastorate. Bev and I celebrated our 65th wedding anniversary back in June and are still active in growing our year-round organic garden of some 22 veggies and nine fruits. In our church is a fellow SU forestry alum, Dave Decker ’71 and his wife, Michele; and at the Suwanee Market several years back, we met Pete Jones ESF, ’88, and his wife, Beth. God has been very gracious to us, as we have five kids, 18 grandkids, and 14 great grandkids. If you live long enough, they will come. They have all kept the commandment “Be fruitful and multiply.” We have also been on some 40 + short-term mission journeys all over the world, to such places as Thailand, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, jungles of Peru, Haiti, Chile, the Cree Indians in northern Ontario, etc. As we are coming down the home stretch, we look forward to the day when we will enjoy a new heaven and a new earth, where we will be able to garden without weeds, thistles, and other encumbrances. Now that is something to look forward to.”
1956
James Curley (LA) writes, “Great news! The grapevine tells me that my request for funding of some landscape improvements in my retirement community here in Maryland may be approved by the Collington Foundation. The Foundation grant would enhance the winter appearance of a bland part of our campus. It would also enable mass plantings of daffodils and wood hyacinths for spring interest, plus a garden of deer-resistant perennials selected to attract pollinators from summer through fall. In one sense, this is a continuation of the community’s wish to work with nature, rather than against it, through plantings and maintenance. Two years ago, an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) program was implemented campus-wide. It has been amazing to see how quickly white clover and dandelions have taken over the lawns. Although most of us like the results, my wife, Mary Ann, has a “thing” about dandelions and removes any seed heads she finds. Maurice Wrangell (LA 1957) and I keep in touch. He has a fantastic garden in Millbrook, N.Y., but told me recently that he is changing his emphasis from labor intensive vegetables to roses. My son Michael Curley (Environmental Studies/Forest Biology 1994) is an attorney with the EPA in Boston. His daughter Mia (age 13) has been invited to continue her ballet studies this summer at the prestigious School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center, NYC. I probably have seen too many movies, but I imagine myself as an old, old man (is that possible?) watching her as a soloist in a Balanchine (or the then latest hot-shot choreographer) ballet at Lincoln Center, many years from now.
1957
Scott Gray (WPE) writes, “On March 31, 2022, our class of ’57 Endowment Fund reached $92,192. An ESF Environmental Biology student was awarded the 2021/2022 scholarship. How wonderful it would be if our Fund could reach six figures! Epic news: Team ESF/TAC achieved blight resistant Darling 58 American Chestnut. Thrilled to learn, as a 20-year member I can have two seedlings this fall. I have a 7.3” D. tree on my 114-acre woodlot now. Still wandering around the great Adirondack Park!”
1958
George Treier (PSE) writes, “Greetings from Cazenovia on the Fourth of July. The big flag is an annual tradition with Merike and Adam. I am on the left with my wife, Ronna, along with other members of my family, including my brother and grandchildren.”
1960
Walter Kehm (LA) writes, “Hello to the Class of ’60. The profession of landscape architecture continues to inspire me, and I wonder when I will start to work and not play every day! Fascinating design projects at all scales continue to occupy my days and nights. Sometimes I feel as if I am still in our studio pulling all-nighters to meet deadlines. Ecological restoration projects along the St. Lawrence River near Brockville, the Ontario Place Master Plan, and the Humber Bay habitat creation and recreation concept are fascinating. I recently spent time at Louisiana State University’s landscape architecture program discussing climate change and the future of the profession. We are at a critical point in our history and now we see fresh water being brought to New Orleans because of the Gulf of Mexico’s saltwater current navigating up the Mississippi. The role of landscape architects in meeting these challenges has never been greater. Thank you, ESF, for preparing me over all the years. The sciences taught, combined with art and cultural appreciation classes, create the background for integrated design solutions. Email – walter.kehm@gmail.com.”
1962
Gordon Cook (FRM) writes, “Being aware of my interest in woodlands, I was recently given a book by a friend at a nearby Legion Post. It was authored by a forester and entitled The Hidden Life of Trees. Having been employed in forestry and related fields (USFS and USDI) for 35 years on the west and east coasts, I’ve read a lot of texts, manuals, reference material, etc., but this book is definitely one of a kind. The author had extensive experience in forest management in Germany and was able to convert this knowledge into a compassionate format that depicts the complex interactions (physical, biological, etc.) in nature that influence healthy tree growth. It’s well worth the short time to read and I genuinely recommend it to any interested parties at ESF and alumni. My best regards to all former classmates and hope all is well.”
1964
Susan Hughson (PSE) writes, “At this stage in my life, I am long retired, spending time volunteering at the Susquehanna SPCA; participating in various activities with my Papillon, Teddy; enjoying bridge and book club with friends; and spending time with my family. News of the happenings at ESF is welcomely received.”
1967
Richard Gray (WPE) writes: “Retirement is going well.”
1969
David Janes (EFB) writes, “Joyce and I are still enjoying retired life in Lake City, Minn., on the shores of Lake Pepin. We’re both enjoying good health and continue to tour the country visiting friends and relatives. Come visit when you can.”
Jeff Frohn (FRM) writes, “Don Clukies (CHE) and I celebrated his 81st birthday by remote camping on Umbagog Lake split by New Hampshire and Maine. It was long overdue since our last Adirondack canoe trip adventure almost 20 years ago. The weather and fishing cooperated with two old Stumpies enjoying the great outdoors!”
Turns out a couple ESF alumni are runners and both recently competed in a road race outside of Boston. Here is a photo of Don Clukies ’69 & Brian Yocis ’92 after the Irish Cultural Center 5k in Canton, Mass., Sept. 10. Don won first place in his age group!
1970
Thomas Catchpole (FRM) writes, “I have had health problems with an infected foot since June 2022. On June 4, 2022, we had our 50th wedding anniversary. Wife, Susan, is a 1972 SU grad – we were married at SU’s Hendricks Chapel on June 4, 1972. I have been retired 22 years from the USFS, Sierra National Forest, Prather, Cali. We are still active in SAF. We have three grown daughters and six grandkids, ages three to 15 years old. In June 2022 we went back to our old home in Bath, N.Y. to sell my mother’s house. Fires are a problem in California.”
1971
Donald Carr (FRM) writes, “Continuing to grow and manage family tree farm in the Oregon Coast Range, growing big trees: Doug-firs, Giant Sequoia, Coast Redwood, Western Cedar, and Red Alder. Dirt forestry continues to be the best profession there is today! Thank you, College of Forestry at Syracuse!”
1974
Jon Roberts (FEG) writes, “My ‘retirement’ is in name only. I was fortunate to have a great mentor and a successful career in engineering and science with stints in the USAF Intelligence and Reconnaissance Division, USAF Air Systems Command (as a civilian) developing and flying sensor systems. I received my MS (’74) and Ph.D. (’79) from SUNY ESF and SU. I moved on to the CIA (1977), where I became deputy Division Chief of the Image Exploitation Research Division and spent time on assignment in Russia. I next moved on to become a Senior Staff Scientist at the General Electric Space Systems Division. After that, I completed law school at George Washington Univ. (1984), became a patent attorney and started my own law firm in 1994. From 1980-1990 I sang with a large chorus at the Kennedy Center with over 70 performances in the KC Concert Hall and two gigs with the Prairie Home Companion. My wife, Jessie, got me into community theater in 2005, where I found an affinity for sound design. In 2013, I received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Science at RIT. I retired from law in 2014 and went back to school at the Yale School of Drama where I studied sound and projection design, and then returned to live theatre. I was nominated for best sound and projection designs in NYC and the Washington, D.C. area nine times and won the “Best Special Effects” award in D.C. for my projection work in 2018. Since “retiring,” I have designed for more than 40 shows and am still going strong. If you come to D.C., give me a shout at soundman0322@gmail.com.”
Roger Miller (WPE) writes, “From 1974 to April of 2020, I worked with multiple companies using my Wood Products Engineering degree. I retired, sold my house in Conn., and have been full time RV-ing around the U.S. and Canada.”
Stanley Swierz (FRM) writes, “Retired three years ago after 42 years in the consulting business. Currently residing in Columbus, Ohio, as I have been for the last 36 years. Hope to make it back for the 50th reunion.”
1975
Larry Woolschlager (FEG) writes, “Regards to the Forest Engineering Class of ’75 … best class ever! After retiring from Niagara Mohawk/National Grid after 35 years, I am now in my 12th year as a senior project manager at TRC Engineers in Liverpool, N.Y.”
Brant Miller (FRM) is enjoying “retired” life in Nashville, where he and his wife, Patricia, live on five acres among more than 300 trees they planted. He is writing and performing his songs around Nashville and other parts of the country and was one of 11 Folk/Americana/Roots finalists in the 2022 International Acoustic Music Awards. He regularly volunteers for the local tree planting and invasive plant removal projects.
David Rak (FRM), Paula (Kapcio) Rak ’77 (EFB), Kate Dukette ’05 (EFB), and Victoria (Gray) Houser ’05 (NRM) write, “We paddled 160 miles of the Stikine River from the historic gold rush village of Telegraph Creek, British Columbia, to Wrangell, Alaska, from Aug. 24 to Aug. 31, 2023. The attached image is at Great Glacier Lake in BC, a tributary to the Stikine River. The Stikine is the fastest free-flowing, navigable river in North America. David and Paula retired in 2022 from the USDA Forest Service, Wrangell Ranger District, and continue to live in Wrangell. Victoria lives and works for the Forest Service in Wrangell. Kate lives and works in Lake Havasu for the state of Arizona.”
John and Joan Coffey (standing) with Ken and Kathy Kugel.
PJ Stokes (FRM) writes, “Wear an ESF hat and you never know who you’ll meet … even in another country!” Friends John Coffey (FRM), PJ Stokes and their wives recently returned from a two-week Viking River cruise from Paris to Zurich. Soon after getting on the 190-passenger ship in Trier, Germany, PJ – who was wearing a black ESF cap – – encountered another passenger sporting a beige ESF cap. The two were surprised and immediately stopped to chat. It turns out that the third ESF alum was Ken Kugel ’73 (LA), who was traveling with his wife, Kathy. The three couples enjoyed spending time together on the cruise, with Ken, John, and PJ reminiscing about their days at ESF. Ken, who lives in Doylestown, Penn., is retired from a fulfilling career in municipal planning. John is semi-retired, working in environmental remediation and living in Mount Laurel, N.J. with his wife, Joan (SU ’78). PJ is enjoying a post-retirement career in utility vegetation management, working as a full-time consultant and living in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. with his wife, Judi (SU ’78). PJ says, “Wear your ESF swag proudly; we’re everywhere!”
Judi and PJ Stokes
Ken and PJ just after spotting one another’s ESF caps.
1979
Ron Blackmore (Silviculture) writes, “Putting my soil science training to work finding a 10,000-12,000-year-old fossil of a giant ground sloth (megatherium) claw found near my home. Except for a broken tip, it was in excellent shape! Dr. Linda Ivany, Professor of Earth Sciences at SU, and Dr. Warren Allmon of the Paleontological Research Institute, Ithaca, came by to have a look around. I donated it to the PRI to be exhibited at the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca.”
1980
Michael Stein (EFB) writes, “Where is Peter Van Wallendeal? 201-342-9486 or email bigmike544@aol.com.”
1982
Peter Ritchings (EFB) writes, “After graduating in ’82, I worked at NYC Cultural Institution in the Department of Environmental Education and Natural History. Started an environmental consulting firm in ’88, Environmental Management Group, Inc., and that has been my steady gig ever since. Happily married with kids and grandkids. I spend a fair amount of time volunteering, Local Env, Shade Tree Commission, Planning Board, and Open Space and Beautification Committees. From Africa to Alaska, love to travel. Frequent contact with Dan Miller (LA). I get back to ESF every couple of years.”
1983
1984
Thomas Fairservis (EFB) writes, “Recently marked 20 years of service with my employer, Bartlett Tree Experts, as an IPM Technician. The entomology and plant ID classes I took are certainly paying off.”
1985
Michael Ragan (WPE) writes, “Still a very busy construction market here in NYC – definitely a shortage of construction professionals in the industry right now, so let’s see some more ESF Engineering and Construction Management graduates!”
1987
Thomas Schukis (FRM) writes, “My wife and I have been living in Fredericksburg, Va., for the last 10 years, where I work as a groundskeeper for a high school. I recently published my autobiography under the pen name, R.A. Fields. It is titled Don’t Believe the HYPErtension: Surviving Aortic Dissection and Other Stuff. I am very lucky to still be around and able to work.”
1988
Brian Dangler (FRM) writes, “Living north of Atlanta in Canton, Ga.. I can almost see the mountains. I am still working for the Conservation Fund, buying working forests around the country, and keeping them as permanently protected forests. Ring me up if you’re in the Atlanta area.”
1998
Mickey Dietrich (EFB/FRM) writes, “A lot has happened in the past few years. Professionally, I served as NYS GIS Association president in 2015 and was active with the NYS GIS Association for many years. I am currently serving my second term on the NYS Geospatial Advisory Council. In 2017, I changed positions within the NYS Tug Hill Commission from GIS Specialist to the River Area Council of Governments Local Government Advisor. In October 2020, my family became horse owners, adopting three horses that had to stay together. We only planned on two horses and now have five horses that are either older or have medical issues. We have two Clydesdales, a Percheron/Belgian (newest addition), a Quarter Horse, and a Shetland Pony. People can follow our horses and their stories on Facebook @hyderrockranch. In August 2022, my wife, Adrienne, and I got a chance to take our two daughters, Denali and Aurora, to Alaska. It was a trip that was many years in the making and one we will never forget. We rented a van and toured Alaska on our own. “
2006
Caroline Brady (EFB) California Dept. Fish and Wildlife, Kelly Walton (EFB) Oregon Dept. Fish and Wildlife), and Andrea Mott ’12 (EFB) USGS, capturing white-fronted geese in Southern Oregon.
2011
Daniel Liwicki (ERE) writes, “In 2021, I married my best friend, Julia, back in our hometown of East Aurora, N.Y.. We happily reside in Salida, Col., with our trusty dog, Trapper. I do my best to live the TroutBum lifestyle, pursuing the residents of the Arkansas River with a fly whenever I can. Last year was an exciting one, as I took a new opportunity after 10+ years engaged in environmental remediation and solid waste engineering to more directly pursue sustainability. I want to thank all of my professors and the ESF community for instilling in me an obligation of environmental stewardship which has served as a compass throughout my career.”
2020
Nick Sims (ERE) sent us this photo of a group of alumni who hiked to Round Top in Belgrade Lakes, Maine. The group included: Spring DeFranco ’22, Tyler Urbanski ’19, Jon Laselle ’21, Noah Fyan ‘19, Nick Sims ’20, Will Klein ’22, Ben Balet ’21, James Hart ‘21
2022
Michael J. Parrinello (SEM) writes, “Since graduating this past December, I began working for Blattner Energy, the country’s leading EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contractor for renewable energy systems. I traveled from Syracuse to Avon, Minn., for corporate training, and then down to Temple, Texas, for my first project. I’m a field construction contractor working on a solar field installation in Rogers, Texas. Thank you ESF!”
2023
Donald Benson (FESC) writes, “ESF changed my life, it changed how I see the world, and it developed an ideology centered around caring for this earth. To the friends I made at ESF, I will miss you, but you will forever be in my heart.”
Weddings & Celebrations
2014
On Aug. 26, 2023, Valerie Mitchell and Gabriel DeBrita were married in Hammondsport, N.Y. Fellow ESF and Ranger School Alumni in attendance included (from left to right in the photo): Jake Cianci-Gaskill (2014); Andrew Timmis (2014); Evan McFee (2014); Kate McManus (2014); Emily Adams Aucoin (2014); Mark Mitchell (Ranger School [RS] – 1981); Eleata (Morse) Mitchell (RS – 1981); Jay Finkelstein (RS -1977); Gabe DeBrita (RS – 2012, Main Campus [MC] 2014); Valerie (Mitchell) DeBrita (2014); Lauren Mitchell (RS – 2008, MC – 2011); Kramer Kwaczala (RS – 2012, MC – 2014); Pat Lafler (RS – 2012, MC – 2014); Katie (Cappiello) Lafler (RS – 2012, MC – 2014); Ethan Trim (2014); Kristen (Howard) Trim (2014); Kayla Barthelme (2014); Emily Bonk (RS – 2008, MC -2010); Ryan Gebo (RS – 2008)
2017
Samantha (Hollister) Kerlin (EFB) writes, “My husband, Cole Kerlin (PBE) ‘18, and myself were married on Sept. 9, 2023, at the Tailwater Lodge in Altmar, N.Y. About half of our wedding party was made up of ESF alumni, and we had 20 guests in attendance who we met during our time at ESF. We love our ESF family, and wanted to make sure we captured such a special moment with us all together again in one place!” (photo credit to our photographer: Brittany Juravich)
2018
Cullen Utermark RS ‘16/’18 (SRM) and Gillian Lightenfield ’19 (SRM) are thrilled to announce their engagement!
Growing the Family Tree
2013
Danielle (FEG) and Michael Miles ’12 (FEG) welcomed their third daughter, Harper, in July.
2018
Nora Elizabeth Taylor was born to Bree and Ben Taylor (ERE) on the first day of fall, Sept. 23, 2023. Ben writes, “Mom and baby are both healthy, and we’re learning how to be a little family!”