Spring 2014

Pat Moran (now deceased) :

As I start this edition, it is early January 2014.  I wish the class good cheer and, above all, good health.

One of my favorite '52ers is Ralph Fortney, whose wry wit is always a joy.  He writes:  "Sue Ann and I are hanging in there, aging as gracefully as possi­ble.  We attended the annual Tower Society meeting, and we watched the exciting New Hampshire-Lehigh football game, resulting in a four to zero season.  Too bad Fordham rained on our parade the fol­lowing week.  The Marching 97 were at full strength, sporting what appeared to be new, snaz­zy uniforms and performing better than ever.  Spotted Bob McCann (deceased), Chick Kuss, and Bob Arndt at the game.  We now rely on the trolley to transport us to and from Goodman Stadium - that should give you a clue regarding our mobility!!  Ralph goes on:  "I still play golf once or, occasionally, twice a week (assuming I recover from the first round) with several other geezers from my club.  Enjoying it more playing from the for­ward tees to a course of about 5,800 yards and barely clinging ' to a 16 handicap.  I still feel blessed to be out there enjoying nature and good fellowship.  Remember, golf is a 'holey' spiritual game, despite some of the language!"

Another of my favorite '52ers, Mayo Snyder (deceased), of Cooperstown, N.Y., has managed to grow "olde”  gracefully along with wife, Betsey.  Their Christ­mas letter is a treasure.  In it, Mayo hoped that my citizenship papers were in order, in light of Arizona Governor Brewer's interest in these matters.  Mayo went on to take issue with an eastern Pennsylvania promoter who characterized Lehigh as "the Harvard of the Lehigh Valley.”  What a come down, says Mayo.  Lehigh has many attributes that Harvard cannot match.  In his letter, Mayo touched on the future of Lehigh's fraternity system, how Cooperstown's opera house complements the overwhelm­ing popularity of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and some golf tidbits.  He ended his letter by saying that glaucoma and dia­betes have pretty much ended plans for the Grand Tour.  The New York Times travel section is as close as they get.  Good luck you two, and thanks for a great letter.

Art Straussberg says that a university survey listing him as "deceased”  greatly exaggerates, and that he is alive and well and living in New Jersey.  Art studied two years at Lehigh, went on to dental school at University of Pennsylvania, and graduated dental school in 1954.  Let's hope that Art drops us a line and tells us all what he has been up to for the last 60 years.

That's it for now.  Be happy.  Be well.  Remember that this is your column.  I need your input.  "Pat”

Deceased

• Richard H Brown
• Dr William W Sharkan