Alumni Class Notes

Bob Klock (’58A) remarried this past June after losing his late wife Thelma to Alzheimer’s 2 years ago. His new bride Susanne is a retired nurse and herself a widow. At age 83 Bob still visits his local jail twice a week with the Celebrate Recovery program and preach every Sunday as a pastor for a local Baptist church.

Had my 80th birthday in July and knocked off some bucket list trips. Visited Mexico for golf, Spain, New Zealand, and Burgundy for wine business (We still have the Marlborough New Zealand Vineyard. Our wine is at Costco, “Kirkland, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, Ti Point”), Switzerland and Lake Tahoe for family vacations, Japan to pick up our grandson Diego from a student exchange, and in December a week in New York City centered around a Carnegie Hall performance with the Naval Aviation Alumni Choir. Took me 80 years to make it to Carnegie Hall. Don’t forget to contact me if you are coming to San Francisco or New Zealand. We can help you keep your fun factor up.

My beloved husband, Theodore (Ted) Bickart, died on October 20, 2023. I am grateful for every day of the 50+ years we spent together. I remain actively involved in life in Golden, Colorado, which I love. I moved last May to the independent living unit of Golden Pond (Really!), the senior retirement community where Ted spent his final months in assisted living and then memory care, due to his Alzheimer’s Disease.

Just reporting that the Pebble Hill class of 1966 is still around. I’m still living in St. Louis, and trying to stay active. One of my daughters is a foster-parent, and I help her out. If someone had told me 55 years ago that at the age of 75 I’d be bottle feeding babies I would have laughed at them. But here I am, at least I’m doing something useful.

In the Manlius School ‘66 yearbook, General Wilson, School President, wrote as part of his graduation comments, “Thus it will ever be—-places, buildings, familiar surroundings may have a special significance, but only insofar as they recall our associations with the people there——who really count!”

Still valid thoughts, thanks for keeping the remaining Manlius Cadets (real Old Boys) in mind of MPH.

While it has been many years since my 1967 graduation, I often fondly remember the many friends, roommates, instructors, support staff, and daily routines (I still make my bed 1st thing every morning) that were a part of my six years attending The Manlius School.

At the time of my admission in September 1961 I was only 11 years old, and I believe the youngest (ever?) to be enrolled in the “Lower School” as a resident cadet.

This 7th Grade Lower School “class” was the last year for that grade, which made my full six-year transit through Lower/Middle School and High School as a resident/dorm student possibly pretty unique!

While living away from home at such a young age surely was sometimes unsettling, I found that the manners, friendships, “esprit de corps” and academic focus helped me develop an ability to be confident, curious and respectful of others – which remains with me today.

I want to wish all current MPH students and my surviving Manlius School alumnae the very best as we look forward to the opportunities ahead for 2024!

I have remarried and my new name is: Sarah Peacher Stagemeyer I live in Lewisville, Texas. I am a Stephen Minister and Grief Seminar educator.

Because of covid, our class didn’t get it’s 50th reunion. Since 9/21, I have used a class list to track down members of the class and put together a new updated list. I was able to make some kind of contact with about 32 people, another 16 have passed. I have sent an updated class list to everyone I have come in contact with. I have visited 49 states and played pickleball in 13 of them.

In February, 1973 I began working in high tech: while I was a student at MPH, I was offered a job at Syracuse University Computing Center. I readily admit that I was more than a little surprised that SU was actually willing to pay me to write APL and IBM/370 assembler language programs for them! What started as a hobby became a career that culminated in April of 2023, when I retired after 50 years in the industry. I am certainly grateful to MPH for the opportunity they afforded us, there in the basement of the Math Building.

Since retirement, I’ve focused much of my energies on general aviation. Besides my own flying, including a trip to the Boston area to visit our younger son, I’ve been mentoring about a half dozen pilots who are in the early phases of their flying. In addition to being very enjoyable, it’s rewarding. I’ve also been writing articles for our flying club.

My wife and I have been traveling together, including trips to Carmel, California with friends, to the Mendocino coast with friends, to Seattle to visit friends. We’re planning a trip to Mazatlán in April, 2024 to view the total solar eclipse. (I flew a friend to Ely, Nevada in October, 2023 to view the annular solar eclipse, too.)

I became a grandfather in August 2021, as my son Seth Rothschild (MPH 2008), as he and his wife Hayley welcomed Conrad Dean Rothschild into the family. In other news, my younger son Ethan Rothschild (MPH 2011) just got engaged to Jessica Harper.

2023 was a big year for our family. We had two weddings to plan in the area. Our oldest son Kieran and his fiancee purchased Blair’s parents’ house (they are both in senior living now) and were married in May. While Blair & Kim’s youngest daughter and her fiancee bought their first house last summer and were married in September.

Blair continues to be self-employed as a music therapist and entertainer after 25 years, and has no plans to retire anytime soon. He also continues to blog about the spirits & cocktail industry, and is on the board of directors for The International Wizard of Oz Club. He would enjoy hearing from his classmates.

Just wanted to say hello to the class of 1993. Miss you all dearly.

I live in Syracuse with my husband, Brion, and two girls, Adelina (2035) and Genevieve (2036), who are both in attendance at MPH! My daughter is an English teacher for the Innovative Education program at BOCES Reach, an alternative middle school in Liverpool, and is currently working on her CAS in Instructional Design at Syracuse University. She loves being able to be a part of the MPH community as a parent in addition to an alumna and still living “around the corner” from Mr. Curtis!

Jeffery is delighted to report that he has been accepted to medical school and will be continuing on the path of becoming a physician!