An informative letter received from Glenn Arthur (19):
 

On November 1st, Barbara, widow of RADM Dwaine Griffith USN (Ret), and I will celebrate our second wedding anniversary.  (My wife) Dot and Dwaine both succumbed to cancer in 1996 after 41 and 36 years of marriage.  Several of our classmates attended our wedding as shown in the enclosed photo. (PHOTO #6, "Glenn Arthur Wedding")  Tom Kiefaber's wife did a beautiful job on the floral arrangements.

Dot and Barbara became good friends while working in the Submarine Force Officer Wives Club in the seventies.  Dot always spoke very highly of Barbara.  Although Dot and Barbara were good friends, I only knew Barbara by sight.

In her sympathy and Christmas notes, Barbara offered to talk if I wanted someone to talk to about the challenges we were facing.  She was and had been living in the Virginia, DC area since 1980 and I had not seen her for many years.  In the spring of 1997, on one of my bleakest days, I decided to call her and reminisce about old times and as it turned out, about many mutual friends.  She told me she was coming to Connecticut in June to help her oldest daughter who would be giving birth to her first child.  Since her
daughter lived about fifteen minutes from my office, we talked about meeting for lunch during her stay in Connecticut.

The week she arrived in Connecticut, I called and asked her to lunch the following Monday.  As I left to meet Barbara for lunch, I jokingly told my secretary I would be back about 1:30 unless I was having a good time.  Lunch lasted 4-1/2 hours.  As lunch progressed, I told Barbara she was on my list of candidates to be my wife.  She insisted that I take her off the list and that she was not even considering remarrying.  We became engaged 2-1/2 months later!

I have four married daughters: Shelly & John Pasko USNA '79 (0-6 Selectee), CO of USS WYOMING (SSBN 742); Marcy and Jim Pillsbury, Maine Maritime '78 (0-6), USS JAMES K. POLK (SSBN 645) currently in Naples; Cindy & Kim Castro, USNA '70, Sonalysts; and Dotty & Don Boland, USNA '78 (0-6), USS PHOENIX (SSN 702) and a son, Mark.  I have 10 grandsons and a granddaughter.

Barbara has two daughters and a son, all married.  She will have four grandchildren under the age of 3 by the end of this year.  We feel extremely blessed!!!  We know that we have two guardian angels watching over us.

I am currently one of five commissioners on the Connecticut Public Utility Control Authority and began a second four-year appointment on July 1st.  It is a full time job.  We are responsible for setting utility rates, approving mergers, and many other utility issues.  The technology changes and the changing from monopolies to competition and choice make it an especially interesting and challenging era.  The issues involved are very complex and challenging.  If you are enjoying the competition in the telephone industry,
just wait until you have a couple dozen or more electric generators wanting to serve you!

We are living in Gales Ferry, CT but function out of a condo in Cromwell, CT during the week that saves 100 miles of driving each day.

We are looking forward to the 45th and maybe the 44th, if we can fit it into our busy schedule this year.

Sincerely.

In Memory

It is with a great deal of sadness that I report the loss of two classmates (one followed by his wife) and the wife of another.  Dick O'Neil (12) passed away on September 25th following a long bout with heart disease.  Condolences are extended to his widow Addie and the family.  She resides at 1104 Palos Verdes Dr., Orlando FL 32825, (407) 282-9635.  Bart Fordham (16) lost his wife Carolyn on September12th.  Bart and Carolyn had two sons, Kip and Doug, and a daughter, Charlotte.  Bart can be reached at 6249 Yorkshire Dr., Columbia SC 29209, (803) 776-7028.  James R. Holder (09) died on July 26th and his wife, Carol died on September13th.  They were inurned together in the Naval Academy Columbarium on October 28th.

A memorable vignette from Bruce Newell (19) about Jim Holder:
 

Jim was manager of the soccer team. In the Fall of '54, we were in New Haven playing Yale. Staying in our hotel was Miss Universe. Can't remember her name. Jim posed as a reporter for the Log and arranged with
her press person to interview Miss Universe. Of course he asked her to tour USNA as his guest. She accepted!  My mom lived on Hanover St. just outside the main gate and on occasion had drags in. So Miss Universe stayed with my mom.  Jim, of course, escorted her to the Saturday night hop. My mom's only personal comment about Miss Universe after helping her dress for the hop was "She's all there." As I recall Jim did get a story on her in the Log, and if I recall correctly she appeared on the Log cover. Anyhow, Jim was a great representative of midshipman ingenuity and a real fine gentleman. I for one shall miss him.

This reminds your correspondent of his own circumstances during first class year.  I spent spring break in Columbus, OH visiting my brother and his wife.  He fixed me up with a date one night and she turned out to be Miss Ohio of the Miss Universe contest.  We hit it off famously, and I invited her to June Week, and she accepted.  Alas, in the meantime, I got into a bit of trouble (went over the limit in demerits) and was confined all of June Week (and some more!).  She decided to come anyway, and one of my roommates, John Yuscavage (19), "the Ukrainian Cabbage", volunteered to escort her.  As I recall, she came to visit me once or twice while I was mustering at the Main Office. So much for true romance.  By the way, she too was "all there."

Pat Taylor (16) and Charley Plumly (16) have joined Frank Farino's (10) American Legion Post 113 of Virginia Beach.  Charley says that he and Pat are the youngest ones there! (PHOTO #7, "Sgt. Bilko, Gen. Halftrack & Beatle Bailey")

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Conceptual planning for the 45th Reunion: The dates of our 45th Reunion have changed.  It will now take place on October 26-29, 2000, an "off-Homecoming" weekend.  However, nothing else has changed.  We still have booked the waterfront Marriott Hotel in Annapolis as well as the Days Inn on Route 50.  And Washington area Classmates are still planning a great program.  More details will be provided later in Shipmate, via letter, and on the '55 Net. We still have a long way to go - if you have any ideas, put them on our Listserv or call Tom Kiefaber at (703) 759-7743 or another Washington area Classmate.

Class Membership for December 1998 is 63 Percent........... Are you a member of the Naval Academy Alumni Association (15 non-graduates are!)? You can sign up by calling (410) 263-4448 x112 or 117. Annual dues are $30.00 or $410.00 for lifetime membership (paid in quarterly installments). Or indicate your interest to me and I'll have USNAAA send you an application. You'll find SHIPMATE has vastly improved. Tom K. Note:  Please contact USNA Alumni Services office at 410-263-4448 x112 or achamber@arctic.nadn.navy.mil to update your address if you are a member of the USNAAA and not getting Shipmate. If you are not a Naval Academy alumnus, but would like to subscribe to Shipmate, please contact the phone number/email address above or click on Subscription Form. Your Webmaster

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All editorial matter, inquiries concerning memberships or subscriptions and change of address of members and subscribers should be addressed to: U. S. Naval Academy Alumni Assoc. 247 King George Street Annapolis, MD 21402-5068 Phone: (410) 263-4448 Internet: alumni@artic.nadn.navy.mil