From Fall / Winter 2017 Alumni Bulletin:  As Ralph Fortney said during the festivities: "We may not have had quantity, but we sure had quality!"  Richard Schaphorst joined 12 other '52 Classmates at our 65th Reunion - See Fall / Winter Alumni Bulletin for more details.

From Summer, 2015, Alumni Bulletin - Dick recently attended a Lehigh Alumni Club meeting along with John Kerr (deceased), Ralph Fortney, Robert Kiesling, Ed Purdy (deceased), Neil Randall (deceased), and George Young (deceased). 

From Winter 2010 Alumni Bulletin - Bob Flynn (deceased) saw Neil Randall (deceased), and Dick Schaphorst at the Villanova game.  For many years, Neil and Dick worked together in Philly, sidestepped a corporate move to California, and then formed their own high‑tech company and prospered.

From 50th Reunion Book, 2002 - ->

April 2002 - After graduation, I joined the Philco Corp. in Philadelphia where I worked as an electronic engineer / manager for the next 24 years.  In 1957, I married Patricia Smedick and we have been blessed with three children and six grandchildren.  In 1976 I left Philco / Ford to found an electronics company, Delta Information Systems.  From the beginning, Neil Randall (deceased), also Lehigh '52, has been a key technical consultant to Delta.  I retired as president in '97, as an employee in '99, and continue as Chairman.  We have lived in Jenkintown for 38 years and have been active in civic and church organizations.  I look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion.

Elihu Schepps wrote:  I understand your need for some news about our class of '52, but unfortunately (actually fortunately) there's not much new in our lives that is newsworthy.  Joan and I still live in Boca Raton, and she is very involved with duplicate bridge (She is a Gold Life Master, and writes the Bridge Newsletter for a local Duplicate Bridge club).  I spend my spare time with golf and watercolor painting.  No changes there.

We last visited Lehigh in 2016 for our Granddaughter's graduation, and again when our grandson Max Schepps became a Freshman.  He is now entering his Senior year and is doing very well as a Mechanical Engineering major.  So if all goes well, next Spring we will get back to our 4th family graduation.  The next one after that will take another generation which has not yet arrived.

We usually attend The Tower Society get together in Palm Beach each year, but the only one from our class is usually Bob Reisman and his wife Toby,  Hope you are doing well, regards, El - June 2019

From Summer 2017 Alumni Bulletin:  Elihu writes that he and his Joan are enjoying retirement in Boca (West), Fla.  El plays golf, does some painting and has kept in touch with Norm Merksamer (deceased) and Bob Reisman.  El and Joan have a son and granddaughter who are Lehigh graduates, and a grandson who is currently a freshman.  That's a Lehigh family, for sure!  Thanks, El, for the wonderful update.

I retired a few years ago after spending over fifty years at Mastex Industries, our textile manufacturing business in Holyoke, MA.  Joan and I are now living in Boca Raton, FL.  We love it here and are enjoying the great weather and golf and bridge.  

We recently attended a Tower Society affair in Palm Beach and met Bob and Toby Reisman there.  We found that we both were celebrating that their grandson and our granddaughter will be starting at Lehigh next Fall.  It is great that our kids keep wanting to go there.  It helps keep us in touch with the campus.  Bob and I are planning to be back for reunion, as is Norm Merksamer (deceased), and I hope a lot more of our class.  See you there.  Elihu - March 2012

From 50th Reunion Book, 2002 - June 16, 1952 not only brought my diploma, but also an invitation from Uncle Sam to serve my time in the USAF.  The first few years of my post-Lehigh life were spent in Newfoundland.  When I returned, I joined our family business, a textile manufacturing plant in Holyoke, MA.  The last 48 years have been spent there, culminating in serving as President.  The years were not uneventful.  Responsibility for all aspects of a manufacturing business has presented a myriad of challenges.  Our company has become a leader in several areas of the industry.

In 1956, I married Joan Fortgang and we have shared our lives since.  We had 2 children, Israel and Sara.  Israel graduated from Lehigh in 1980 and his time there gave me the great opportunity to come back on a frequent schedule.  He now works with me at Mastex Industries . Our daughter, Sara, is an attorney in Westchester County, NY.  Joan and I have 4 grandchildren.  Joan is an avid tournament Bridge player and has a world-class collection of Trump Indicators.

I have been active in Holyoke community work, serving for many years on the Mayoral Advisory Committee and in the area of industrial development.  In 1999, I was the recipient of the "Business Person of the Year" award from the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce.

My years at Lehigh gave me an excellent foundation for my career, as well as many happy memories.  In the years since, Lehigh's growth and progress have been a great source of pride to me.  My choice of Lehigh in 1948 was a good one.

 From Summer, 2015, Alumni Bulletin -  I received a compelling biographical sketch on Charles E. Scovil, Fairhope, Ala.:  Born 1928, Queens, N.Y.  Raised in Montclair, N.J., and attended public schools.  Enlisted in Army 1946.  Spent 1947 in Japan.  Graduated Lehigh 1952, degree in geology.  Met wife during col­lege years, married 1951.  Three children.  Hobbies:  Photography and astronomy.  Became interested in astronomy at about age 10.  Retired 1988, Curator, Stamford, Conn., Observatory, Stamford Museum and Nature Center.  Awarded many astrolog­ical commendations.  In 2001, received the Peltier Award of the Astronomical League for contributions to popularizing astronomy.  An asteroid, #3949 Scovil, was named after him for his work in astronomy.

Charles goes on to tell us he was raised Presbyterian from age 5, became an ordained elder about 1957 in Aurora, Colo., and moved to Connecticut in 1959.  Exposed to miracles of healing in 1967 at Rye, N.Y., Presbyterian Church, he became charismatic.  In 1972, he died of exposure to toxic fumes and overwork.  "The Lord sent me back to work for Him,”  Charles says, and he is now pastor of a small group of men.  2015:  Now completely retired and living with son Gary in Al­abama.  Thank you for sharing, Charles.

From Spring 2008 Alumni Bulletin:  Classmate Charles Scovil typically starts his workday at 6 p.m.  When the sky is completely dark, he leaves his desk and peers into a 22‑inch telescope at the billions of white freckles scattered across the black sky.  Over the 10 or so hours he spends at the observatory nightly, Scovil records stars' subtle changes in brightness with a pencil and logbook.  Why does he do this?  Charles is the chief astronomer and curator of the Stamford (CT) Observatory at the Stamford Museum.  He does not do this volunteer work for acclaim.  "It brings one closer to God, that basically is how I worship," says Charles.  Scovil has made 37,000 observations over 44 years, and his awards if related to football would be the equivalent of the Heisman, the MVP, and the Super Bowl trophy!

John Seville

Friends, this is a picture of John Seville taken recently in the advanced Alzheimer's disease unit in York, PA.  - Bob Hoyt, February 2022

Bob Hoyt reluctantly reports that John's wife had me talk with John but the conversation was definably one way.  She has had to put him in a place for advanced Alzheimers patients - July 2021.

In October, Bob Hoyt wrote:  Yesterday I had lunch in Lancaster with John Seville.  I had not seen John since the spring of 2016.  He and his wife, Joan, have recently moved into a Lutheran Church Retirement home in York. - October 2019

Bob Hoyt visited with John in Lancaster, PA in June, 2014 prior to spending the summer on Nantucket boating and cycling.  Fall 2014 Class Notes

Bob Hoyt writes in August 2010:  The weekend of May 14-16, John Seville, Bud Eakin and I were hosted by Bruce Hill (deceased)  and his wife, Jacquie, at their mountain retreat house which is about an hour southeast of Pittsburgh.  We were all congratulating each other on making it to 80.

Bob Hoyt writes, Spring 2004, I had a nice get together with John and his wife, Joan, in York, PA on Saturday, May 1st.  I had last visited him over twenty-five years ago when I was some sort of a Regional Alumni Vice President and had attended a York Lehigh Club dinner and maybe even made a speech.

I had forgotten that John lives in a house almost entirely built by him with his own hands.  I wonder how many of our class can make that claim. Of course John's career, after he left engineering, was to build houses and his father was a shop teacher in the high school, so he had lots of experience.  John was an usher in my wedding and he came to my wife's memorial service, so I wanted to show him some pictures and talk about things that happened many years ago.  It was a fun afternoon.

Bob Hoyt writes, Spring 2003, that while on a Nantucket vacation, he visited with Pete Shaw (deceased,) and also spent some time with Bruce Hill (deceased)  and John Seville hiking in the Laurel Mountains near Pittsburgh.

February 2008: I was surprised to be included in the "deceased" listing as I am alive and well spending the last 37 years enjoying life in Tequesta FL.  I hope that this error will be corrected SOON. Thank you, Jack

Editor's note: Sorry Jack, we do that when we don't hear from someone  for over 10 years.  We make it conditional by a note that we don't know if you are "dead" or just "lost."

Bill, sorry to hear that your bike riding led to your appearance as a 90-year-old bag of bones.  I quit riding over 10 years ago so I will settle for looking like a 93-year-old bag of bones every day.  I do have a history with bicycles!  When I was waiting to go to class around the 8th grade, I was playing tag in the school bus parking lot and collided with a bike coming at right angles like your car.  Knocked me unconscious for a short time and a sharp ornament on his front fender dug a hole in my left thigh.

A friend and I went swimming several years later, and riding back home we locked handlebars and went down in fresh patch of tar on the side of the road, leaving a new hole in my right knee.  Several stitches and a dose of Sulfa powder fixed this up.  I can still see a small amount of black tar in my knee.

Not too long after this, I helped my step-sister learn to ride and the next day she came home with her right arm broken.  Step-mom wasn't too happy with me.

Years later I went for a ride with son-in-law and rode from the pavement onto the grass strip beside the walk.  Didn't see a hole someone had left and the bike stopped, but I continued on with a graceful fill gainer to the grass.  No damage, my son-in law was sorry he didn't capture it on his smart phone.

I miss biking, but I guess I'll do without at my advanced age.  Don't even own one now.

I hope the above treatise will help you save yourself.  Bill Skillman - July 2021.

Bill writes:  An update on my life:  Charlotte, (Susie) List and I were married May 4, 2019, in the Chapel at Augsburg Lutheran Village in Gwynn Oak, Baltimore, MD.  My son-in-law, Richard Brash, ordained in April by the Church of the Nazarene, presided.  Best man was my Grandson, Eli Brash.  I am in the process of moving to her apartment at Augsburg, but am living there while packing up my Charlestown apartment. - August 2019

April 2018 - Since I am near the bottom of your correspondents list and after reading your plea and Pat's plea in the Bulletin, I decided to take a look at your marvelous site.  Rather than inventing a new diatribe, I thought perhaps you could utilize my web site for our web page. I have a brief bio and lots of links to interesting items, such as slide shows on the Hindenburg, that I toured in 1936 and watched the disaster in 1937, also AWACS career, and even me singing the Westinghouse song a few years ago.  My home page is http://skillmansofamerica.com/SkillHome.htm. The last 20 or so years of my retirement I have researched the Skillmans of America, see base page, now have over 6,000 Skillmans from my 9th great grandfather who came to America in 1664 to convince Peter Stuyvesant that he should surrender New Amsterdam, which he did, so it was promptly renamed New York. I correspond with almost 500 people interested in this Skillman saga.  I lost the love of my life March 19 last year, almost a year after Pat lost DAZ, so I will email him directly to share some thoughts.  I'll see if I have a picture or two to send via email.  Later I'll send another message about my review of the "S" classmates. Boy, you have a great job here!

Regards, Bill Skillman - Should we continue web site?: Yes

(From Bill's web sit) I'm a retired Radar Engineer with several areas of interest.  For over 53 years I lived in Linthicum Heights, Anne Arundel County, MD, about 10 miles south of Baltimore, MD, right next to Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI.)  My wife, Anne, and I raised our three children there and have been empty nesters for over three decades.  In March, 2010, we moved into the Charlestown Retirement Community eight miles to the north of our beloved Linthicum.  The average age here is 83, close to ours when we moved here, but approaching 90 now.   Late 2011 we decided to gift our house to our daughter.  After a frantic several months her family moved in the week before Christmas.  She loves the house since she grew up there.

November 2005 - I recently found the long-missing Christopher Longyear (deceased).  He is a retired professor of U. of Washington, living in Seattle, WA.  He sent me one e-mail, no more than "hi," so he is still among the living.  Maybe you can elicit more from him.

William Skillman of Linthicum, Md., retired engineer at Westinghouse (Baltimore, Md.), has been named 2003 recipient of the IEEE D. J. Picard Medal for Radar Technologies and Applications.  Bill was honored for his pioneering work in pulse Doppler radar design, including advances in the Airborne Warning and Control System.  The AWACS is considered one of the most effective air surveillance tools and is used the world over. - Winter 2004 Alumni Bulletin

*Bill has been a fantastic support person.  Starting in April, 2018. he has diligently searched Ancestry.com and other data bases for names of Classmates.  Thanks to him we have many updates and corrections.

Received a phone call from David February first and he brought me up to date on his interesting life.

Originally from Sewickley, PA.  The day after he graduated from Lehigh he was drafted and sent to Ft Riley, KS, where he applied and was accepted to OCS.  But when he found out he had to spend a couple of extra months as an officer he opted out.  In their infinite wisdom, the Army made him a medic without giving him any training.  David spent his time around Manhattan, KS, giving shots and driving an ambulance - Corporal Stickell should apply for the job of giving COVID shots.

He went to College Station, PA, as an Adjunct Professor at Penn State and as an office manger for Exam Services.  Married until 1981 - but says, "My wife and I get along better now than when we were married."  He gave up his motorcycle when he moved to Tampa in 2010 and lets his daughter, Ellen, look after him.

He sounded great and reasonably happy with his situation.  He still goes to church as often as possible and hopes outlive me - February 2021.

Hi, Bill,  Where are you these days?  In 2010 I sold the house I had lived in since 1969 (with NO advertising) and bought a house in Tampa about 2.5 miles from my daughter and son-in-law.  At the moment I am visiting in State College and staying with a friend who lives around the corner from Joe Paterno's house.  Needless to say there's been lots of activity in the neighborhood.

The day I joined the Unitarian-Universalist church in Tampa earlier this year a couple from Lehigh joined.  Chuck Smith was a professor and Christine was staff or administration.  If you have a chance, let me know what you've been up to. David Stickell – November 2011

Heard from Erny by accident on March 31, 2017, so I know he is still out there doinf stuff.  I hope I hear more about him soon - Bill

Winter 2012 Alumni Bulletin:  Erny was in attendance at our 60th Reunion