Class Notes Spring 2020
1951
Dick Davis writes, “Turned 91 in November and going strong. Still treat 10 to 20 patients every Tuesday, using chiropractic medicine and acupuncture. Living in rural Missouri in a fascinating community of French heritage started in 1732. We built our home 12 years ago in 134 acres of forest. Still love my education at WPI. Engineering is a great mental approach to problem solving.”
1952
Edgar Van Cott writes, “I was one of 30 veterans on a Phoenix, Ariz., Honor Flight in September 2019 to view war memorials in Washington, D.C. Service during the Korean War period qualifies one for the flight. The trip was especially rewarding as a member of the last class entering WPI that included over 50 percent returning WWII veterans. They were great guys (all men in those days) to learn from and made my college days even more educational.”
1953
David Hathaway writes, “Having moved from Lexington to the next town (Bedford, Mass.) into a senior retirement home called Carleton Willard Village, two and a half years ago, we find ourselves among everyone who are now dear friends. We were lucky enough to manage our finances well enough to be accepted, and to be in a state of health needed for acceptance. More than that, we were lucky to have a son and daughter both nearby (within 20 miles). In September WPI classmate Don Oliver and 20 other Lexington High School classmates celebrated our 70th High School Reunion here at CWV.
My wife and I were both hit by serious health problems days before we were to leave for Paris and a boat trip down the Seine River. Fortunately, I have managed to get my bone marrow to work properly, and Harriet is leaning to deal with a stroke that mostly took away some eyesight so that I have become the chauffeur these days. And I have had to leave my wonderful motorcycle that gave me much pleasure for 37 years. One winter I removed the transmission for overhaul with great trepidation, but successfully. My greatest pleasure was meeting fellow riders all over the northeastern USA and finding among them nobody who would ask, ‘Why do you ride a motorcycle?’”
1956
James Prifti’sgranddaughter, Rebecca Barolli ’16/’17 (MS FPE) informs us of his death on July 30, 2019, after a brief battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dorothy Kiritsy Prifti. Rebecca writes, “Jim graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering and later earned a master’s degree in ME from Northeastern University. He spent his career working as a supervisor for the U.S Army Natick Labs. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and member of the Morning Star Lodge and Scottish Rite for 59 years. Jim was also an active member of St. Mary’s Assumption Albanian Orthodox Church, where he served on the board of directors as president and treasurer. He volunteered as a tax preparer at the Greendale Men’s Club and the Holden Senior Center. He enjoyed spending time with his family and always enjoyed a great card game, bowling, and golfing.”
1957
Ed Dennett shares some sad news: “My wife, Katherine (Kay) Dennett, passed away on Nov. 4, 2019. We were married 62 years.”
1958
Roger Litman’s son, Pete, writes to informs us of his death on Nov. 1, 2019. His obituary noted his 61-year marriage to the former Beverly “Bevi” Weinstein, and his early career as an engineer for firms in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Upon the death of his father, Roger took over the management of North Shore Fuel Inc. in Revere, Mass., at the site where his grandfather, Jacob Litman, an immigrant from Russia, founded North Shore Ice and Coal in the 1920s. Roger ran the company for 45 years expanding from oil to HVAC contracting. “Good weather” for him meant a clear, 10-degree day in January, because “they are burning oil.” An early user of a beeper, at a time when they were rarely carried by anyone who was not a doctor, he could always amuse himself when it went off by shutting it off and saying, a bit too loudly, “Let the patient die,” to horrify those nearby. Pete’s note adds, “He often spoke very fondly of his time at WPI, or, as he always called it, ‘Worcester Tech.’”
1959
Richard Keats’s daughter Leslie informs us of his passing on Nov. 13, 2019. Predeceased by his wife, Maxine Lebowitz Keats, he leaves three children and his loving companion, Linda Wartow. “He was very proud of WPI, and shared that love with all of us,” Leslie writes. “We have a lot of wonderful memories of Homecoming games, parades, and just being on campus.”
1960
Richard Brewster writes, “The newest Mercy Ship will sail on its maiden voyage next spring. I have been accepted as part of the crew. In the photo, I am second from right in the back row.”
Bob Fitch shares, “Retired from real estate in Southern California, sold our real estate company, moved to Florida to live at The Villages in November 2017. The Villages is a retirement heaven, 684 holes of golf, 2,000 activities per month. The greatest retirement community in USA! I could not be happier.”
1965
The Class of ’65 News continues to welcome biographies from classmates. The newsletter, sent every four weeks to members of the class from president Pat Moran, includes 3–5 bios in every issue. Each issue also lists the classmates who have passed away.
“I’m pleased that 41 classmates from all 11 fraternities and Independents have sent bios,” says Pat, “but 171 have not. It would be great to hear from them before our 55th reunion, May 28–31, 2020.” To submit a bio, get back issues, or get on the mailing list, contact Pat at WPIClassof65@gmail.com. To submit an update to be seen by all alumni, email to ClassNotes@wpi.edu.
1968
Bill Belisle writes, “Belinda and I celebrated 50 years of marriage with a 35-day Viking Cruise along the coast of Asia. Ending in Cambodia, countries along the way included Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Thailand. The highlight was seeing the famous religious sites of Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.”
1970
Robert Donald Plante was presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who. His profile notes his service as a professor of management and dean at Purdue University. He holds a PhD from the University of Georgia.
1972
Lesley “Lee” (Small) Zorabedian writes, “It is with great sadness that I write to inform you of the death of my husband, John (“Jack”) Zorabedian ’72 on Nov. 30, 2019.” Jack’s obituary notes his service in the U.S. Naval Reserve and the Massachusetts Army National Guard. He retired from GE Healthcare in Westborough, Mass., in 2019. In addition to Lee, he leaves four children and six grandchildren.
1973
Russell Smith has been busy traveling. “Last adventure was a tour of WWII battle sites in Normandy sponsored by the National WWII Museum in New Orleans,” he writes. “Earlier in the summer of 2019, I traveled to Colorado for a family reunion, to Las Vegas for a friend’s retirement, and to San Diego for two Red Sox games.”
1974
Holly Keyes Ault (MS, ’78 PhD), associate professor of mechanical engineering, was interviewed by Design World Online about the dynamics of computer-aided design systems driven by direct modeling. In the article, “Parametric Modeling: Still going strong thirty-one years on,” Ault likened changing a solid model to working directly with clay.
Will McBride writes, “My big news is that I am a grandfather of a boy: Owen Juniper McBride-Barber. I recently completed my third cycle of the National Electrical Code, for the 2020 NEC, where I represent IEEE as the principal member on Code Making Panel 14. I am still working, although part-time, as the electrical administrator for CONAM Construction Co. (mostly I do engineering work for the Alaskan Oil & Gas industry.) I shipped a truck to the Big Island of Hawaii and hope to develop a lot I purchased there to build a family vacation dwelling. I still have my second home outside of Phoenix, Ariz., and my main residence in Anchorage, Alaska. I have a collection of Shelby Dodge cars that I need to start trimming down, since my kids do not want them.”
1978
John Bourassa accepted a senior principal engineer position with theTest Engineering group at Northrop Grumman in Linthicum, Md.
1979
Laurel (Wiljanen) Holland writes, “Although my path didn’t shape up to be a conventional engineering path, I’ve been helping others engineer more fulfilling lives with greater meaning and authenticity. As a therapist turned life coach, I have truly loved my professional life since making this big change at 40—it been more than 20 years now! I think I had the courage to take on projects like writing two books and building online courses because of the project work I completed during my undergrad experience. I am always grateful for my WPI days!”
Gail D’Amico Mason writes, “Greetings from the Great White North! My science and problem-solving education at WPI has served me well. I became a board-certified veterinary internist and the co-owner of two multi-doctor practices. I recently merged my specialty practice, and am now the chief medical officer of Portland Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Care in Portland, Maine. I’m lucky enough to still love my work, and have raised three sons who are successful in their own right. Though I’m still working (more than) full time, I am enjoying sneaking out to show my horses at the national level. Life has been good to me!”
1982
Although Jim Diemer and his wife, Maureen, continue to enjoy life in Houston, Texas, (where Jim continues his career in energy infrastructure development with Sempra LNG), he reports, “Over the past decade in Houston we continued to feel a strong pull back to the Atlantic beaches. So this past spring we purchased a beach house just a few steps from the beach on 82nd Avenue in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Little did we know our next door neighbor is another WPI alum, Bob Purple, Class of 1957!Bob retired to Myrtle Beach almost 20 years ago after a long career with GE.”
1984
Keith MacNeal writes of a busy 2019 in the MacNeal family. “Son Gavin MacNeal graduated from WPI in May with bachelor’s degrees in Robotics Engineering and Computer Science. Daughter Samantha (MacNeal) Cornwell completed her master’s degree in Mathematics Education at WPI. Our first grandson arrived in October, born to daughter Annie (MacNeal) Baker-Streevy and her husband, John Baker-Streevy, who was commissioned a pastor in the United Methodist Church in May.” Keith traveled to West Virginia in July with 26 Scouts and 3 leaders from Central Massachusetts and the Cape & Islands to attend the World Scout Jamboree. He was inducted into the Worcester Rugby Hall of Fame in October during Worcester Rugby’s 40th anniversary celebrations.
1986
John Joseph and Greg McHale ’07, co-founders of Datanomix, announced a recent funding round for their manufacturing analytics start-up. They write, “Our Fusion platform delivers quick and impactful productivity wins for discrete manufacturers using a production scoring technology known as Fusion Factor. The company is located in Nashua, N.H., and has a broad set of customers deploying the technology across their production floors.” Learn more at datanomix.io.
1987
Eric Wolff is associate director, engineering business operations, for Collins Aerospace, a supplier of engine nacelle and aerostructures in Chula Vista, Calif.
1988
David Picarillo is a board member of the Clay Soper Memorial Fund, a Winchester, Mass., nonprofit dedicated to honoring the life of Clay Soper and raising awareness of the dangers of mixing prescription drugs and alcohol. Through the Fund, David has focused his time on its documentary, “If They Had Known,” an account of Soper’s death, through the eyes of his friends.
“I knew Clay from the day he was born,” says David. “His untimely death really shook me to the core as I had children around the same age as Clay, and I was one of those parents that thought I had a finger on the pulse on my kids and their life. I think that it is so important to get the word out about mixing prescription drugs and alcohol. I am very proud and honored to be able to serve on the board of this foundation. If we can just have one set of kids understand and perhaps make different decisions, I feel that we are a success.” The film is traveling to high schools and colleges across the U.S to educate adolescents about the fatal dangers of recreationally mixing drugs and alcohol. Learn more at claysopermemorialfund.com.
1989
“Reliving our days of watching college football,” writes Kay O’Sullivan, of a Midwestern reunion of three WPI friends. “Allison (Moran) Pelosi was attending the BC vs. Notre Dame game on the same day that Anne (Mannarelli) Gregory and I were there to visit her son and see the game. Always so great to see friends from WPI, no matter where it happens to be!”
1990
At the 92nd Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference of the Water Environment Federation in Chicago, Paul Dombrowski was recognized with the Ralph Furman Medal for Outstanding Water Quality Academic-Practice Collaboration for his contributions to advancements in the science and application of biological phosphorus removal.
Pennie Turgeron (MBA), former director of academic technology and distance learning at WPI, joined New York Institute of Technology in October 2019 as vice president for information technology and chief information officer. She previously held the same position at Clark University. “What attracted me to New York Tech is its focus on student outcomes, an ongoing commitment to the long-term success of its graduates, and President Foley’s strategic vision,” she said. “Working in collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and alumni, I am eager to reposition IT at New York Tech as a strategic partner and an agent of institutional transformation.”
1992
“Hi to all my fellow friends from WPI ’91/’92,” writes Kamal Zamli.
Jeff Mathieu was been promoted to senior vice president, operations manager at Tetra Tech, based in Santa Maria, Calif. He leads an operation that includes engineers, master planners, and scientists working with Department of Defense clients nationwide and internationally.
Stephanie O’Brien (MS CE) joined Consigli Construction as a project executive, where she is responsible for team management and delivery of projects from pre-construction to closeout and assist, for business development projects in the healthcare market. She brings more than 25 years of industry experience and expertise in serving as the primary contact for all project procurement, subcontract administration, and scheduling, as well as ensuring overall jobsite safety and quality control.
1995
On July 3, 2019, Roy and Lisa (Cigal) Schletzbaum and their two sons watched the Red Sox play the Toronto Blue Jays in the Rogers Centre, Toronto. The game marked the 30th and final MLB Ballpark on their five-year quest to visit them all. Roy is quick to point out that a park in Atlanta has opened since their visit, and a new park in Arlington, Texas, is opening soon.
Spence Cocanour recently retired from the Air Force after more than 24 years of service. He went out in style, executing one last military free fall jump during his retirement ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., before being pinned by wife, Amy. According to an Air Forces Special Tactics press release, he served for six years as an electrical engineer, then “felt drawn to the idea of doing ‘cool things,’ such as jumping out of aircraft, combat diving and bringing the fight to the enemy from the ground.” He then cross-trained into the elite field of Special Tactics. In the words of Brig. Gen. Claude K. Tudor, “He’s served in war and in peace, and no matter what the challenge, no matter how high the mountain, no matter how wide the river—Spence has managed to cross it every single time.”
“To the men and women of Air Force Special Operations Command and Special Tactics—it has been an absolute honor to work with you,” Cocanour said. “Former Secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson, said it very simply and it resonated with me—‘Always leave the wood pile taller than you found it.’ I hope I have lived up to that simple proverb.”
In a note to his WPI friends, he adds, “I need to thank WPI swim team and coach Whit [Griffith] who helped me get into swimming shape so I could try out for Special Operations (that is a longer story). This also led to my love of racing triathlons. I raced on the Air Force Team from 1997 to 2011 and coached the team from 2000 to 2019. In October I traveled to China for the CISM World Military Games, where I am on the technical committee for the sport of triathlon. This was my last official function in uniform.”
Tucker Griffith joined the Boston office of Lathrop Gage as a partner in the Intellectual Property Transactions group, where he focuses on highly technical mechanical and electro-mechanical systems and products. He received his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1998; he earned an M.A. in Liberal Studies at Wesleyan University in 2010.
1996
Doug Borden (MME) retired from federal service after five years at the U.S. Department of Labor. His previous employment included nearly nine years as a management consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton supporting a variety of federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, FBI, Federal Highway Administration, and the U.S. Army Installation Management Command. Before that, he was with several small consulting after completing a nearly 22-year career with the U.S. Coast Guard. Doug continues to serve WPI in his second term as a member of the Advisory Board for Arts and Sciences.
Mike Caprio writes, “After five years of consulting with scientists and staff at the American Museum of Natural History on new applications of bleeding edge technology for its research, I am now employed full-time as a senior software engineer with Discovery, LLC, ‘the new global leader in real life entertainment.’ My role includes the launch of its direct-to-consumer streaming service and other digital innovations.” Mike and his wife, Diana, celebrated their second wedding anniversary Dec. 16. They continue to live in Brooklyn, N.Y., with their beloved cat, Gau Underfoot.
2002
Todd BenDor is professor of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
2005
Adam Daniels was appointed a shareholder of national law firm Polsinelli, in the firm’s Los Angeles office. His practice involves all aspects of intellectual property, representing clients on matters involving patent portfolio development (domestic and foreign), intellectual property litigation, license agreement negotiations, and due diligence in the context of new product releases, mergers and acquisitions, and investments.
2006
Christopher Sweeny joined Cozen O’Connor as a construction law attorney in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. He initially used his WPI degree as a design-build engineer and project manager for a structural steel and concrete subcontractor. After earning his J.D. at the University of Maryland School of Law, he now leverages that experience in claims involving breach of contract, design and latent defect issues, differing site conditions and delay claims, payment and performance bond disputes, mechanic’s liens, and claims for equitable adjustment. He has represented clients on projects ranging from home renovation and repair to the design and construction of multibillion-dollar structures and facilities. The cases have involved a nuclear power plant, as well as hospitals, data centers, transit facilities, and museums. He has been identified by Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star” for the past two years.
2011
Linnea Palmer Paton continues to play an active role in the development of energy policy in New York City and in building awareness of the importance of energy efficiency in her community. Her work detailing strategies for energy managers to improve their building’s EnergyStar scores was published in the Mann Report, a commercial real estate magazine, and she was a leader in 350NYC’s successful campaign to divest $5 billion of New York City pension funds from fossil fuels. An energy manager at Jones Lang LaSalle, she was named 2019 International Young Energy Professional of the Year by the Association of Energy Engineers.
Brad Richards is product manager of Powders for AMETEK SMP Eighty Four, one of the six metallurgical businesses comprising AMETEK Specialty Metal Products (SMP), in Collegeville, Pa. His role includes growing the company’s portfolio of water-atomised and specialty metal powders, as well as developing differentiated products for the automotive, industrial, and defense markets. He holds a master’s and a PhD in materials science and engineering from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
Michael Riggieri writes, “I have started a new position at Knight-Dik Insurance Agency in Worcester, as a client services manager.”
2015
Lina and Chris Xia share news of a very special wedding. “We met during our freshman year at WPI in A-Term Chemistry lab. We’ve had no troubling ‘bonding’ since then. We recently got married in Cancun, Mexico, with our closest friends and family in attendance. We are so lucky to have such an amazing group of friends from WPI who came all that way to celebrate our special day with us. It was a blast to reunite and catch up with our friends in paradise!”
2016
Thomas Buonomano and Vanessa Beutel ’18 celebrated their wedding on Oct. 5, 2019, in Leominster, Mass. The newlyweds met as undergrads at WPI and were engaged in 2018 at Earle Bridge. They say they’re thankful for their WPI family in supporting them as they begin their new journey together with their 3-year-old black lab, Luna.
2019
Marc Printz, CEO of Growbox, made BostInno’s Hall of Fame innovators list of 25 Under 25. His citation noted that the start-up he’s launching with classmate Nathan Rosenberg began with Marc’s high school experiments with hydroponic and vermicomposting systems. He grew plants and distributed the food he made at home to friends and neighbors. Growbox leases semi-automated container farms to small farmers to help them keep crop yield consistent and compete with larger, commercial producers. “We want to support farmers so they can produce veggies year-round,” Marc says, “which helps money go back into the local economy.”