1943
George Prokupek (PSE) writes, “This past June, my wife and I celebrated our 72nd wedding anniversary. In August, I celebrated my 97th birthday. Wishing all ESF alumni a happy and healthy 2020.”
1948
Willard Fichtel (WPE) writes, “Still enjoying fishing and golf with my children and grandchildren at 96. ESF is in my thoughts.”
1950
Art Nishball (WPE) writes, “I celebrated my 91st birthday Jan. 19, 2020, and 62 years of marriage Nov. 10, 2019, with our two children (Nancy, and Judy and her husband Scott). Our health is good considering our ages. Both using walkers and have been living in an assisted living facility in Woodbridge, Connecticut, just outside of New Haven. Hope all who see this are still enjoying life.”
1952
Jay Hutchinson (FOR) writes, “Daily woodsy walks keep me at least puffing and panting if not healthy, as I approach 90. My wife and I like some foreign travel and enjoy our bit of Adirondack-like land on Superior’s north shore. Bob Levine (FRM) and I keep in touch by email.”
Edward Kimball (FRM) and his wife, Barbara, celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary Sept. 6, 2019.
Howard Rothe (PSE) writes, “I can hardly believe that it has been 67 years since graduation and that I have been retired and living on a golf course in Palm City, Florida, for 30 years. I spent my whole working life in the pulp and paper industry and have lived and worked in six states, some twice, plus four years in Canada and seven years in Brazil. First off with National Gypsum Company in various engineering, manufacturing and management positions. Then with Beloit Corporation, Beloit, Wisconsin, a leading manufacturer of papermaking machinery in sales and sales management positions. Then four years as VP of sales Beloit Canada, Montreal. Followed by three years as VP of sales, Beloit Corporation, and, lastly, seven years as president of Beloit Brazil, Campinas, where we sold, engineered and manufactured machinery for all of South, Central and North America. It has been a great ride both personally and professionally, and it all started with a great education at the New York State College of Forestry.”
1953
Harold Schumm (LA) writes, “At the full age of 91, life is still good on Pleasant Valley Road in rural Onondaga County, with children, grandchild and great-grandchildren nearby. Although handicapped, still happily gardening and reading with my wonderful wife.”
Robert Smuts (FRM) writes, “My wife, Betty, and I have been enjoying senior living at Lake Seminole Square in Florida since February 2015. We
have three sons who are all married, seven grandchildren (three girls, four boys — two of whom are
adopted and have special needs) and seven great-
grandchildren (five boys, two girls and increasing!)
1959
George R. Adams (PSE) writes, “Moved to a retirement community.”
William Apgar (FRM) writes, “With the drought, wildfires, weather conditions, environmental impact and the nation’s politics impacting our western forests, I’m glad to be a retired forester.”
Bruce Dayton (WPE) writes, “I am retired and living in Venice, Florida, with Norma, my wife of 35 years. As a graduate student, I did research on vegetation/soil relationships in North Carolina and on radionuclide recycling in slash pine at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, South Carolina. After I received a Ph.D. in botany from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1968, I was hired as assistant professor at SUNY Oneonta. I taught ecology and botany, did research on browse availability at Kruger National Park, South Africa (1977), received a SUNY Chancellor’s Award (1979), and was then promoted to professor. After marine ecology training, I taught SUNY summer courses in marine ecology at Shoals Marine Laboratory and elsewhere on the East Coast. I retired from SUNY Oneonta in 2000 and have since served as a volunteer naturalist at Mote Marine Laboratory, Oscar Scherer State Park and Charlotte County Parks. I am recovering from lymphoma.”
Charles Frommer (FRM) writes, “I am now spending most of my time in our ‘shack in the woods’ that I love so much.”
1960
Henry Eichenhofer (WPE) writes, “The Eichenhofer family continues to grow. Our four children ‘produced’ 11 grandchildren and four (soon to be five) great-grandchildren!”
1962
Kenneth Laffend (PSE) writes, “We spend our time between Media, Pennsylvania, and Ocean City, New Jersey. Very proud of our granddaughter, Hannah, who is a senior at ESF.”
Edwin White (FRM) writes, “I attended my 60th reunion at the Ranger School in August. Enjoying retirement, lots of time at cabin on Hickory Lake, into ESF a few days a month, hockey and lacrosse games with the grandkids. Connie and I celebrated 58 years of marriage in July!”
1963
Stephanie (Hewitt) Labumbard (FRM) writes, “Still enjoying Cadillac year-round. Lots of volunteer work, exercise, coffee times and physical therapy for ‘age-related’ conditions. All is well here!”
Ernest Paskey (LA) writes, “Living midway between the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean in a subtropical forest; it’s very nice!”
1964
John Dwyer (FRM) writes, “Carolyn and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with our three children and seven grandchildren.”
1965
Robert Edmonds (FRM) writes, “You have chosen well if you went to ESF. After well over 50 years in natural resources, I realize that I could not have selected a better path in life. In fact, I have retired, ‘unretired’ and started a couple of related businesses because I just can’t shake the desire to stay in forestry. Like many of my colleagues, the natural resources profession has captured me mind, body and spirit. One reason is the people in this field are usually of exceptional character, honest, sensitive to the world around them, caring, mutually supportive, likeable and on a mission in their profession. This probably describes you if you are reading this in the ESF publication. So far, three of my nine grandchildren have chosen to follow my professional footsteps into the field of natural resources; Maddie is a wildlife graduate from UNH, Chase is a UNH senior in outdoor education and Michael is in the second year of his four-year program at ESF in forest resources management, spending this year at the Ranger School in Wanakena. On our way to visit Michael at Wanakena this summer, my son and I stopped by the site of the College of Forestry Spring Camp at Pack Demonstration Forest in Warrensburg, New York. We encountered the old lodge that I was fortunate enough to stay in during spring camp as a student 55 years ago. The lodge has a strong history that ESF can be proud of. It served as a visitor center and provided educational outreach to travelers along its prominent highway. A forestry friend of mine, Bob MacGregor, is now overseeing ESF Forest Properties and is working to erect a historical sign to preserve this part of Adirondack and ESF history. If others stayed in this lodge and are interested, please email me at robertleeedmonds@gmail.com.”
John Slater (LA) writes, “Pleased to report that to simplify our lives we moved to a ranch house this year. I am now in semi-retirement (sort of a going-out-to-pasture thing), and I received two nice honors: a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maryland chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and a Preservationist of the Year Award from Preservation Howard County. Still active and consulting on a part-time basis. Life is good.”
1966
Jock Robie (PSE) is busy with his vermiculture project: providing education and worm bins to individuals, schools, adult education programs and libraries all over the state of Maine and beyond. Susan (Pennoyer) Robie (CHE) is busy helping with worms, vegetable gardening, bees, rabbits, children and grandchildren.
1967
Craig Fournier (WPE) writes, “I am living in New Hampshire and just completed a workshop for metal working: welding, forging and casting. Also working on climbing all 48 peaks in New Hampshire over 4,000 feet in elevation; 12 left to go. I am on the local planning commission and am involved with our local rail-to-trail organization.”
Stephen Glasser (FRM) writes, “My wife, Elizabeth, and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary this year and we hope to attend our 60th ESF class reunion in 2027 as well, God willing.”
Richard Gray (WPE) writes, “Enjoying retirement — grandchildren, golfing, fishing, bow hunting. Everyday is a Saturday.”
Robert Kinstrey (PSE) writes, “I retired in April, just before my 75th birthday. Doing some consulting but primarily managing National Corvette Convention and local Corvette Club. Pauline and I are spending time in Florida. Life is good.”
David Stout (FRM) writes, “I recently installed 22 solar electric panels on our house to provide power to our 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus because we believe that without the capture of the sun’s energy the world’s economy will fail; and scientists assure us our climate will also fail. I have been advocating the adoption of a world hydrogen and electric economy with additional power from underwater hydro in New York state rivers adjacent to major highways to service H2 refueling stations for vehicles as their current use is replaced with solar and wind electric generators. Without refueling stations, H2 vehicles that are currently available are not marketable to the public, and global warming will continue. Also, our building stock must be adapted to air-to-air or ground-source heat pumps to replace their fossil fuel heating systems. This will also require additional electric power from green renewable sources. Without these changes no one will be able to grow food or live on this planet. I have called for a regional advocacy group, such as exists in California (www.H2usa.org) and Massachusetts, to push the adoption of the H2 economy here. We need participants. Call 716-549-3386, start a message saying why you are calling, leave a call-back number if we don’t answer.”
1968
David Tessier (LA) writes, “Linda and I took a wonderful and relaxing 10-day cruise to the Panama Canal with stops in Aruba; Curaçao; Colón, Panama; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica. The passage through the canal was imposing, striking, massive — the highlight of the trip!”
1970
Thomas Catchpole (FRM) writes, “I have been retired from the Sierra National Forest for over 17 years. I still substitute teach, write for a newspaper, do ‘talk about trees’ presentations at schools and run a wood products business in retirement. Three daughters and their families are all busy and the five grandkids are growing fast. I had some health problems in 2019 but am still active in Society of American Foresters education.”
Robert Sellar (PSE) writes, “Great P+P turn out for our 40th! It would be nice to have a bigger crowd for our 50-year reunion.”
Charles Sperry (FEG) writes, “This is my first class note in the nearly half-century since graduation. My erratic career path began in the private timber industry in British Columbia and Oregon, and continued through the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado, grad school at Colorado State for a Ph.D. in economics, faculty at SUNY Fredonia in New York, self-employment as an organizational development consultant in Montana, and finally back to the Forest Service as land management planner in Missoula, Montana. My late wife and I also spent 16 of our Montana years raising llamas (never failing to lose money at it!). I am now happily retired in Florence, Massachusetts, enjoying my woodworking shop (way more tools than skill) and devoting a modest amount of time volunteering with an area land trust and a community-based recycle center. It’s unlikely that many SUNY folks would remember me, but, now that I live back East, I welcome the possibility of meeting new, aging, ‘Stumpy’ friends.”
1971
John Mishko (WPE) retired from British Petroleum Alaska Inc., Prudhoe Bay.
Douglas Wilcox (CHE) writes, “I took my Civil Service retirement from the USGS-Great Lakes Science Center in 2008 with the Empire Innovation Professor of Wetland Science position at SUNY Brockport in my back pocket. After 10 years of teaching wetland ecology, northern wetlands, restoration ecology and scientific technical writing, and pulling in grant funding for many Great Lakes wetland research projects, it was time to consider retiring again. However, that is not easy when you enjoy what you are doing. Therefore, I opted for partial retirement and am now in my second year at half time, with no teaching responsibilities — just finishing off grants and writing journal manuscripts.”
1972
Darrell Osterhoudt (FRM) writes, “Retired, for the second time, from the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators in 2019. The first time was from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources in 2005. I have been living back in Missouri after 14 years in the Washington D.C. area.”
1973
Barry Colman (ES) writes, “Enjoying retired life in Palm Springs with my partner, John.”
Albert Gomolka (FRM) writes, “Can’t wait for the next alumni winter SU basketball game and pizza party. The Alumni Association and staff do an excellent job and a great time is had by all.”
1974
Robert Vass (EFB) writes, “After 30 years of working in Syracuse, first at the Pet Shop on Marshall Street, then at Pet Depot in Shoppingtown mall, then at Syracuse Aquarium in Shoppingtown, I moved to Sebaho Lake in Maine to help a friend take care of her kids and her family estate. In 2000, I moved to Englewood, Florida, to care for my parents. My father died 15 years ago of Alzheimer’s (the worst) and my mother died three years ago at 95, simply of old age. I spent 20 years working as a caregiver and learning a lot. My brother died five years ago and my wife 12 years ago. I am officially retired and now living on and caring for the family estate. I have two daughters, Elisabeth and Melissa, both very successful, living up north in Rhode Island and Wisconsin. And I have six grandkids — each of my daughters has two girls and a boy.”
Stephen Young (FRM) writes, “I am still working as chief botanist for New York under ESF and the DEC while also helping to improve the herbarium at ESF and hiring ESF summer botany interns. Get out there and enjoy the flora of New York!”
1975
A. Christopher Sandstrom (FRM) writes, “2019 marked our 50th year caring for trees as Cayuga Tree Service, Inc. The company was founded in 1969 by Arthur C. Sandstrom (‘49, FRM). After working for the company through college, I joined full time, purchasing the business in 1988. We have had the opportunity to work on many properties throughout Central New York, focusing on estates around Skaneateles Lake. I still enjoy what we do, so no plans to stop just yet. I am past president of the ESF Alumni Association and currently serve on the board. I have also been involved with the Central New York Land Trust for 30 years, currently serving as vice chair. I can be reached at cayugatree@msn.com if any classmate would like to reach out.”
1976
George Steele (EFB) writes, “I continue to do environmental education work and attended the New York Forest Owners Association conference on managing your wood lot for wildlife. I will also be attending the North American Association for Environmental Education and New York State Outdoor Education Association conferences where I will be on the lookout for ESF alums.”
1977
Scott Saroff (EFB) writes, “I’m glad to report that my ESF roommate Mike Anderson (EFB) and our families continue to hang out at his home in Newark, Ohio!”
Russell Seus (FRM) writes, “I retired in 2017, after 28 years as a Burger King franchisee, here in Maryville, Tennessee. Both myself and Pam Petko-Seus (’78, EFB) cherish our years at ESF. We spent 21 days in Australia/New Zealand for a retirement celebration.”
1978
Laurel E. (Fitch) Flynn (CHE) writes, “While I miss doing mass spectrometry, I don’t miss working in management. I have now officially retired, finishing out my career in chemistry as director of a small lab in upstate New York. To change it up and start off on my next adventure, my husband and I have relocated to sunny Casa Grande, Arizona! Snow is now a recreational destination rather than something that piles up outside the house. We are looking forward to revisiting all the places we have already been in the great Southwest and seeing so many more! We have quite the bucket list.”
Mark Langton (FRM) writes, “How little did we know the importance of staying flexible in our careers? My career spanned 21 years with Champion International Corporation in South Carolina, North Carolina, Minnesota and New York, and four years with Rexam/FiberMark in New York, mostly in quality assurance for building product and paper, with four years in building products sales. The poor paper market at the turn of the century sent me on a new career path. I retired in 2015, after 11 years as a compliance supervisor at Westway Feed Products in Tomball, Texas, covering 26 plants in the U.S. and Canada. Diane is still with me after 45 years. She retired from teaching as a nursing professor this year. We reside in a cabin that we built on the lake in Livingston, Texas. We have three daughters and six grandchildren (ages 21-7) who live close enough to stay a tight family.”
Denise Hobson (EFB) brings her ESF flag on all of her travels. Here she is most recently at Mt. Rainier in Washington state.
1980
Irene Marx Olson (FRM) writes, “I am still working as an RN, but now we live in our little dream house on a lake in Northern Wisconsin. It is so wonderful — we are close to ski and mountain bike trails. I love living in the woods, I’ve had to brush up on those ‘quiz trees’ and the bird calls we learned off that LP phonograph record at summer camp!
Susan (Kong) Tripp (FRM) — wish we lived a little closer to each other!”
John Shields (LA) writes, “After 27 years at Walt Disney Imagineering, I’ve retired to Palm Springs, California. I became a Master Gardner and travel four months of the year.”
1981
Susan (Guhl) Browne (ES) writes, “We send an Alaskan hello to fellow ESF graduates. Retirement in Alaska is satisfying, living in the shadow of Denali National Park. Come visit. Summer is best. Environmental science thrives here.”
Ward Moeller (FRM) writes, “Hello Class of ‘81and congrats to those of you who stayed in the environmental business. After receiving my M.B.A.,I have been in the banking business in downstate New York for 35 years. I am currently an SVP and chief compliance officer for a bank in New York City. Even though I am a world away from forestry, I always tell people that I credit ESF with teaching me how to write a good research paper. Those skills translated well into regulatory compliance, memos and reports. Joanne and I are starting to think of retirement down the road. Have been doing more travel and have fun with my rock band The Gypsy Felons. Peace.”
1982
Doug Daley (ERE) displays the ESF flag at the Palomar Observatory in California with sons Cameron (’22, ERE) and Bryan (SU, 2015).
1983
David Jacobs (LA) writes, “I have a new second home in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Peacham, Vermont, is still my home base, but my wife teaches in Tashkent so life is back and forth.”
Robin (Viola) Kruse (EFB) writes, “Last year we moved to a new house, I retired and we welcomed our second grandson into the world.”
1985
Jeffrey R. Auer (EST) writes, “Forestry Day is to be held in West Springfield, Massachusetts, April 26, 2020. This day is to celebrate the Town Forest with the MADCR and the TriCity Carbon Sequestration Project.”
1986
Terry Croad (LA) became a grandfather this past summer! Three generations of Croads were able to enjoy a Yankees vs. Tigers baseball game in Detroit. Here is Terry with son, Aaron, and new grandson, Wesley.
1988
After over 30 years working as a planner, Tracey Corbitt (LA) is retiring and moving to the Adirondacks!
Holly Kaufman (ES) has left the world of private engineering firms and is currently an environmental scientist for the Utah National Guard. She is still conducting soil and groundwater remediation, and generally playing in the mud, and is loving life in the Wasatch Mountains
1991
Virginia Rettig (EFB) writes, “I have been refugemanager at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge for nine years and counting!”
David Suarez (LA) writes, “Ellen and I moved to Greenville, South Carolina, at the end of 2018. After 27 years of operating Global Landscapes Inc. in Syracuse, we closed down and moved closer to Mom and family. I now work for the City of Greenville Parks and Recreation Maintenance Department at the Greenville Zoo. Greenville is a great small city!”
1994
Andrea Owens (EFB) writes, “Rob and I have been married for 17 years. We both enjoy teaching and camping with our two kiddos and dog in the summer and throughout the year. Love to meet up with others — let us know!”
1995
Avery Y. Kamila (ES) reports that her work with the Portland Public Schools in Portland, Maine, resulted in the state’s largest school district serving daily vegan hot lunch, which started in September.
2005
Nicole Williams (EFB) writes, “I am now in Port-land, Oregon, working for Ocean Outcomes, a fisheries and ocean conservation organization. I’m still playing roller derby under the name Bonnie Thunders and won my sixth world championship last year. If you’re in the area, let’s link up!”
2011
Last summer, Kathryn Ellers (EFB) studied emerging models in conservation and education as well as spiritual connections to nature in Thailand. Kathryn, a conservation biologist at Adelante Consulting, Inc., lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and is a graduate student in Miami University’s Global Field Program.
2019
Elena Araya (ERE) writes, “I went on a trip to Peru with my dad as a graduation/birthday present. While there, we traveled to Puerto Maldonado, which is near the start of the Amazon Rainforest Preserve. My father and I went on an excursion to Lake Sandoval (Lago Sandoval), where we learned about the absolutely amazing ecology of the area. On the way back from the excursion, I ran into my classmate, Emma Peister (EST), who was also there with her family. Her parents noticed that I was wearing an ESF hat, and when I turned around, there was Emma! It was too funny, and I couldn’t believe we were in the same country, let alone in the same part of the Amazon Rainforest.”