ALUMNI NOTES
Christophe von Hohenberg ’ 56 visited Saint David ’ s earlier this year for the first time since he attended the school for a few years in the mid 1950s . He notes that reconnecting with the school “ has given me a warm feeling in having made contact once again in the circle of life . Saint David ’ s is where I started my safari into the world . Now in my 70 ’ s , it feels like I have returned home . I wish I had clear memories in remembering who my friends were . I do have a few friends that I had invited to my birthday party .
Benjamin White ’ 58 writes , “ Bob McGrath made choral music fun , and hinted it could be sublime . He was a great teacher , and we were blessed to have him . After retiring from medical practice in Boston , I returned to work in a rehabilitation center in Long Island .
Several things I learned at Saint David ’ s have helped me , now 78 :
• Dress well
• Be on time
• Get along and obey the rules
• Do your homework / medical notes
• Keep learning
• Be grateful
• Thank you , Saint David ’ s .”
Richard Smith ’ 66 writes “ Greetings . I was in the class of 1966 , but never graduated . I left in the Spring of 1965 and went to Lawrenceville for my eighth grade year . I started at Saint David ’ s in 1959 in the second grade when I moved to NY . My grandmother , Gertrude D . Smith , was one of the co-founders of the school .
In college I took up rowing . I had received a letter from Harvard ’ s crew coach , Harry Parker , telling me that I , too , could become a part of a great tradition of sending crews to the Olympics , Pan-Am Games ,
Richard ( left ) at National Championships
etc . All I had to do was try out . Well , I was never much of an athlete either at Saint David ’ s or Lawrenceville ( 3rd string JV track was my highest achievement !), but I decided to give it a go . Little had I known that Harry sent this letter to about two-thirds of the incoming class .
I joined in enthusiastically on the rigorous training along with some 50 other freshmen and managed to do well . Then , in the fall of 1971 , my sophomore year , an invitation came from the Egyptian government to Harvard , Yale , Cambridge , Oxford and two Egyptian crews to race on the Nile at Cairo and Luxor . Unbelievably , I was selected to row in the Varsity at the seven seat for the two races , which we won . So , in the end , the promise of that letter from Harry Parker came true just 16 months later .
I have kept rowing and racing my whole life and participated last year in the National Championships for “ Masters ” athletes with my pair partner , Jim Millar , from Yale .
The lesson for Saint David ’ s students today ? If you are tenacious , determined , work hard , and stay focused , you can achieve more than you can imagine .”
Frank Hickey ’ 67 writes “ While serving as a detective for the State of New Mexico , I left to help Ukrainian war refugees on the Polish border . Two months of that work felt right . So I went to Israel and continued the same kind of physical work with the Ukrainian refugees . I am still in Israel now after three months . I would gently urge my Saint David ’ s family and all others to speak up and take positive humanitarian action against this invasion .”
John Hale ’ 71 continues to serve on annual medical missions to Haiti via Friends of Haiti . Friends of Haiti is a non-profit organization that provides medical , dental , development , and educational services via teams of volunteer professionals to the people of Haiti . For more information , visit friendsofhaitigb . org
Rob Renner ’ 58 writes , “ Just returned from my very wet cruise to Nassau , Bahamas The ship hit a small hurricane and so we did not stop on the island . Oh well , great food and lots of rest . The world still has lots of adventure .”
Neil Volant and Thomas Calloway , Class of 1972 , enjoyed lunch at Reilly ’ s in Piermont , NY , and watched the USA vs . England match .
64 • Saint David ’ s Magazine