BIOS | lhs67

Linda Mennen Abrams writes:

My husband, Milton, and I have lived in Vermont for 27 years. We have two grown children, Max (30) and Carly ( 26) plus two dogs and one grand dog. Milt is a CPA, I am his computer tech plus have held many volunteer positions through the years. Max is a fraud specialist with Bank America and lives in Newark, DE with his girlfriend, Jen. Carly is a Massage Therapist. She just moved to NYC with her future husband, Alec.

I still love the water and am looking forward to moving to a home on Lake Champlain after Milt retires in May.

Mark Anatole writes:

I am a long time resident of Greenwich, CT and North Egremont, MA, along with my wife Jodi and our two children.

Jodi is without a doubt, my better half: she possesses the patience of a saint, and is a terrific role model for our children, an A-tennis player, and a successful businesswoman and expert in her field...having appeared on TV and participated in Congressional Briefings on numerous occasions, as well being a frequent conference speaker. She works for MetLife in Westport, CT, where she is a VP, responsible for Product Development for Met's Long Term Care Insurance business. We have two wonderful children, Emily...a freshman at Hobart College and my son Carter (at the risk of sounding chauvinistic, he is my pride and joy!) who is in 8th grade. Given a previous marriage, my children are younger than those of many of my contemporaries. However, Carter's USTA tennis tournaments, select travel and school lacrosse, and travel and school basketball, all keep me very young. I love every minute of it!
‘And I can’t forget our nine-year old golden retriever, Ripley. Every night when I return home, I can count on her to greet me at our back door with the local newspaper in her mouth.
After LHS, I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. Western Pennsylvania certainly required an adjustment, for a Long Islander who had never lived outside of the Five Towns. Then on to Cornell University where I earned an MS in Industrial and Labor Relations. I still make it back to Ithaca several times a year, but not for academic reasons. Rather as a benefactor of Cornell's nationally ranked men's lacrosse team.
I've had three distinct, challenging, and rewarding "elements" to my business career, all located in New York City:
-Assistant Executive Director, Writers Guild of America, 1974-1975
-Vice President, Citibank (North American Consumer Bank; Global Information Services), 1975-1989
-President, Louis Hornick & Co. (a consumer products manufacturer and importer), 1990-present
Retirement is just around the corner for me. As it is, regrettably, too much of my time is now spent trying to rehab my left knee after three operations within the last 24 months. For now, I'm still on crutches, as my picture reflects. Too many years of hard court tennis, road races (including one marathon), and basketball.
40 years since graduating LHS…the time seems to have gone by so quickly.

Bobby Baron writes:

I live in San Francisco (in the city itself) with my wife Randie (a grad of Great Neck South HS). We have two daughters, Micki (21) and Haley (18). Randie is a social worker and directs an adoption program in SF at Jewish Family and Children’s Services; Micki is a senior at Wesleyan in Connecticut (but moving back to SF next year to try and go to medical school); and Haley is a senior in high school also hoping to go to Wesleyan.

I am a doctor and professor at UCSF, the only medical school in SF. My job now is mostly administrative, but I still see patients (internal medicine) one day per week. I am an Associate Dean of the Medical School and wear several hats directing educational programs for residents and fellows and in continuing medical education.

My route to medical school was a bit circuitous. I stopped studying science at Princeton almost immediately, and was much more interested in the politics and cultural change of the 60’s. (I graduated from Princeton in protest wearing a tie-dye sheet instead of a cap and gown.) After Princeton, I lived in Boston for a year and then Madison, Wisconsin, studying science (although still mostly interested in the politics and cultural change of the early 70’s). En route I got a masters degree in nutrition, and a lot of my academic work since has been related to nutrition and medicine.

I came to SF for medical school (in ’74) and have been here since. I did my residency here and joined the faculty soon after. Most of my career has been a mix of clinical care, teaching, running educational programs, and doing clinical and educational research. I have never really looked for a job. Once settled in SF and at UCSF, it has been a non-starter to think about elsewhere.

I met Randie in SF. A common acquaintance thought that since we were both from Long Island we might know each other. Actually it turned out we didn’t, but knew many folks in common (through summer camps, college, etc). Meanwhile, we have been together since 1977. We have lived in our same home since 1983 and have both worked at our same jobs since early adulthood.

Luckily, it has been anything but boring. Work is constantly challenging and changing, and, of course, parenting is always humbling. One of my great accomplishments, looking back, is having two daughters who actually like being with their dad (at least some of the time) and will even occasionally seek advice.

My greatest fun has been traveling. We’ve been able to travel (both before kids and with kids) somewhere exciting every year and as you get old it adds up to a lot of places and a lot of fun.

Knock wood.

Lois Bender writes:
Greetings Everyone! . . . I attended the 10th and 20th reunion and the 20th in 1987 has a lot of meaning for me because 1 week after the Aug. reunion I was diagnosed with leukemia. I was in the middle of my art director career at the ad agencies (Godiva Chocolates, etc. etc.). My lifestyle was workaholic and I wasn't really feeling well, had weird symptoms and went for a Dr.s appt., but never expected to have such a serious diagnosis. It was a 3-year battle from 87- 90 filled with interferon shots and transfusions at Sloan-Kettering and I sat there with the AIDS patients ... it was a very rough time. After 9 months of spiralling down, I responded to a splenectomy and began the road to recovery..... At 37, fighting leukemia wasn't in my life plan! And I felt all the effects of a very early mid-life crisis and self-assessment....What would I do after I knew I would survive!...You know in 1990 you couldn't admit to employers that you had a major illness and so much of my experience had to be hidden to prevent unfriendly prejudicial reactions.... Living again was hard. I just tried to do my best.
My art career has had many reincarnations as agency art director and graphic designer, . . . gift industry designer of TeaQuotes and GardenSpirits Stationery Designs (at Takashimaya now), product designer at The New York Botanical Garden and licensor to Fine Art Publishers, Editions Limited...Presently, I sell my art for interior decor/architectural design projects. I love design. I also teach watercolor in the Hamptons and that's been a lot of fun.... But I feel that my real career has been reinvention. Every few years, what I thought I wanted to do seems to evolve into another desire (Floral Design is next!). I hear it's very in to begin new careers and reinvent oneself..... Well, then, I am very in!

So getting 20 more years of life and well-being after that awful time is of course a gift. I remember talking to Lyle Alzado at the 20th, and how sad it is to know he didn't make it. And then I found out through the LHS website how many of our classmates didn't make it. Robin Arum, a dear friend, surcombed to heart surgery at 26. And I cried when I saw that Barbara Zirinsky, then a good friend, didn't make it too...... Meeting all of you again will no doubt bring up sad and happy memories of the past. It's healing to see how well and happy many of you are and I look forward to sharing our stories with each other. It's interesting to see how our lives have lived up to our dreams and how life's surprises have changed us. I'm happy to be around!!! See you on the 7th. www.studioel.com and www.loisbender.com

Michael Blefeld writes:

I graduated and went on to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York graduating in '71. I spent a year at the Children's Hospital in Cincinnati starting a PH.D. but decided to go to medical school instead. I married a girl I met at St. Lawrence, Laurie Baum and finally graduated from Rush Medical School in Chicago in 1977. When I started my pediatric internship at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, N.Y. (Laurie's home town) my nickname was Rabbit. I had my first son in Chicago and then my second son in residency. I have been in Mystic, Ct. for the past 26 years practicing general pediatrics and had two daughters when we got here. All 4 have graduated college, two married, and all happy, successful, healthy and are a joy to me. My wife of 35 years has been doing social work counseling with abused woman and has recently received a degree in spiritual counseling. I look forward to hearing about the rest of the class.

Douglas Brooks writes:

Married to Randy (Bohrer) – LHS Class of ‘70. Have 3 children:

Michael (31) – a radiologist married to Brandy, a PHD in clinical child psychology

Craig (28) – a financial advisor married to Melissa, a merchandise analyst with a children’s manufacturing company

Meredith (25) – a sales executive with a children’s wear manufacturing company

Blaze – our 6 year old Irish Setter

We are expecting our first grandchild from Michael and Brandy the beginning of March.

I am a real estate appraiser specializing in estates and estate planning.

My hobbies are my classic car collection and my Lionel trains.

My memories are: Senior Breakfast Club and Hennings in Atlantic Beach

Nancy Harvey Brawer writes:

I live in Van Nuys California in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles where I manage an apartment building. We moved out here in 1989. My husband worked for A&M Recording and I worked for Nestle. He passed away in 2001 so currently I am the single mother of a 25-year-old daughter named Kathryn who is getting married on January 5th. I collect McCoy China, Fiesta ware, 1939 New York Worlds Fair memorabilia and vintage Disney. I have several tattoos, which don’t show. I have the world’s smartest trilingual dog named Peanut. She understands English, Spanish and Cat. I have a cat named Mouse and a cat named Baby Kitty both of which Peanut raised. My passion is NASCAR and I write adult fiction.

Susan H. Diamond, formerly Susan H. Cohen writes:

I have been married for 30yrs (second time) to my husband David T. Diamond, (formerly of Scarsdale.) We have lived in East Hills New York for the past 30 years. We have 2 daughters, Erin Diamond 26 of New York City, and Damien Cole 32 of Armonk, New York. We also have 3 grandchildren Harrison 4, Emily 2.5, and Zachary 4 months. We are in the real estate business and own property in The Bronx, Westchester, Florida, and North Carolina. We maintain homes in Addison Reserve Country Club as well as Delaire Country Club, both in Delray Beach Florida.

Steve Darter wrties:

I have been married for almost 35 years and have two children. If the picture I am attaching appears you will see my wife Diane, daughter Katie holding her dog Marlow and her husband Mike (Katie is 5’ and Mike is 6’3” - we’ll finally get some height into the family genes, and my son Kevin and his long term girl friend Joanna.

After short stints participating in opening two businesses, one in retail and the other insurance, I went to graduate school and earned advanced degrees in education and counseling. I taught at Saint Joseph College and ran their Career Planning Office. I joined the consulting firm of People Management, eventually becoming president of their Northeast office and company chairman. In 2005 I decided to slow down a bit, leaving the larger organization and opening an individual practicewww.peoplemanagementsmd.com.

I have written a book about identifying and using natural strengths and talents called “Managing Yourself, Managing Others” www.peoplemanagementsmd.com/mymo.htm I have also taught in the MBA program at the University of Hartford, appeared on radio and television talk shows, spoken at seminars and conferences, authored several articles, and was profiled as one of North America’s top retained executive search consultants in the book “The New Career Makers.”

The message of my book and consulting is that we all have natural strengths and talents (Motivated Abilities Pattern – {MAP}) and when we find activity that engages our natural gifts we are likely to be more satisfied, highly motivated, and successful; that we tend to see the world around us through the lens of our MAP and this has lot’s of implications to individual and organizational functioning and success.

Stephen L. Dreyfuss, Esq. writes:

After LHS, I went to Princeton (along with Bobby Baron) and graduated in 1971. I spent my junior year of college in France in 1969-70. That year changed my life, and became the basis for much of my career. I worked for two summers in Paris for Kodak-Pathé, the French subsidiary of Eastman Kodak, and then returned to New York to attend Columbia Law School, where I received my law degree in 1974. After law school, commuting from the Upper West Side, I clerked for a federal judge in Newark for two years and then joined the Manhattan District Attorney's Office (Bob Morgenthau was, and amazingly still is, the District Attorney) where I prosecuted street crime (robberies, homicides, etc.) for three years. At the end of 1979, I left the DA's office and returned to Newark (though still living in NY) as an associate at my present law firm, Hellring Lindeman Goldstein & Siegal LLP, where I became a partner in 1982 and have remained ever since.

Early that same year of 1982, on the way to a vacation at a Club Med in Mexico, I met my wife Lillian Pliner . At the time, Lillian was a medical resident at Boston University, but when we met she already was scheduled to move to NY for her fellowship in medical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which she did later that year.  By coincidence, she grew up in Far Rockaway and later in Baldwin, and French was her first language because her father is French and her mother Belgian. We were married in 1984, and in 1986 we left New York and moved to Short Hills, NJ, where we still live today. Lillian became an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark, and today is the Director of the Division of Medical Oncology there. We have two terrific kids, Kate (15) and Caroline (13), in 10th and 8th grade this year. Both started studying the violin at age 3 and are talented musicians. Kate attends the Pre-College program at Juilliard in New York every Saturday, while Caroline is at the Pre-College program at Manhattan School of Music, so for many years Lillian and I have spent all our Saturdays in New York. Lillian came to one of our earlier LHS reunions (I think we had one in Oceanside?), and I went to one of her Baldwin HS reunions, and based on that experience we agreed that we would never inflict that on each other again . . .   so now each of us goes alone.

My law practice is concentrated in French-American and other transnational business matters, including complex criminal and civil business litigation, corporate counseling, joint ventures and international direct investment. I speak and write French fluently, and spend at least half of my working time in French. Independent of my international work, I also represent doctors and medical practices, many of whom are Lillian's colleagues, with regard to various business issues. In addition to my private practice of law, I am Executive Vice President and Legal Counsel for the French-American Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1896 to promote strong trade relations between the two countries, and also a member of the Executive Committee of the Union Internationale des Avocats, the world's oldest international lawyers' association. I am in Europe (usually in France) at least once every month or two, both for client work and to give seminars and speeches in French on US legal and business issues.  Operating in that bicultural environment is the work I enjoy most. I also serve as Chair of the Advisory Council of the Princeton University Department of French and Italian, where I try to help improve and expand the teaching of foreign languages, literatures and cultures to American students, who unfortunately are far behind their European counterparts in that area. In 2003, the Government of France named me a Chevalier of the French National Order of Merit.

My father died during our junior year of high school, but my mother continued to live in the Five Towns until her death several years ago. I have not been back very often in recent years, but have heard that there have been lots of changes (demographic and otherwise) since we were all at LHS.  I've stayed in touch with only a few of our classmates, particularly Craig Dreilinger, who is a psychologist and strategic business consultant based outside Washington, DC. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again after so many years ------ assuming we can still recognize each other. Here's a [not necessarily] recent photo to give you a head start .

Ed Edelson writes:

I am living with my wife, Christine in Southbury, CT. I am also employed as the Executive Director of a local environmental organization (www.pomperaug.org)

After graduating from LHS, I finally graduated from Cornell U (after a brief hiatus in Vail Colorado). From there I worked at various National Laboratories (JPL) before going to work for Exxon Corporation. I worked mostly in their Latin American organization (Coral Gables, FL) with a focus on Caribbean and Central America. My best assignment was being General Manager of the Bermuda Operation ("put years back on my life"). The photo was taken in Bermuda after a day of tuna fishing.

Ironically, my best boss in all those years was Ed Galante, an LHS graduate of class of '68. He should have become CEO of Exxon but just missed out against the current CEO.

We have 3 children (Justin, Megan, Sarah) and 2 grand-children (Owen, Kasey). We have been very lucky.

Dianne Gelband (now known as Ariella St. Clair) writes:

Guess my life has been somewhat a-typical. I've spent most of my life somewhere between "hippy" and "straight." Music, especially folk music, has been the thread that has run throughout it. Married briefly in the 70s. We ended up moving to the suburbs of Kansas City and had a daughter. When I divorced in 1976, I became part of a collective called The Foolkiller. We produced amateur one-act plays and traveling folk musicians every Friday and Saturday nights. After the performance, we would party and play music until the wee hours of the morning. I was hooked on producing concerts.

After brief periods of living in Lawrence, KS and then Manhattan, KS, where I ran coffee houses with live entertainment, I left for the West Coast. I call my years in Santa Cruz, CA my "holier than thou" years as that is when my spiritual life took center stage. Folk music wasn't spiritual enough and I produced New Age concerts.

I've lived in Ashland, OR for the last 12 years. My life is a little more balanced now, though I am still a practicing Sufi and attend a Jewish Renewal congregation. I produce a concert series from September through May and the Rogue Valley Blues Festival in January. You can check out what I do at www.stclairevents.com. One reason I'm not attending the reunion as I had the opportunity to produce a concert with Country Joe McDonald that night and jumped on it.

I live with 3 dogs and 2 cats and have 1 horse and 2 goats boarded at a friend's place. Oh, you all knew me as Dianne Gelband. St. Clair came from my ex- husband. Ariella is the name I took during my Santa Cruz days.

Steve Feldman writes:

Married to Debbie Slutsky, ’69 grad
Three children: Melissa 31, Evan 30, Alyson 26
Married 34 years (as of January 2010)

Judy Geller-Marlowe writes:

•Married to Glenn Marlowe, teacher/sculptor www.sculpturesnyc.com

•Currently teaching at NYU in the Multicultural-Multilingual Dept. of Steinhardt

•Still a Francophile & bibliophile!

Mike Gleen writes:

I went to University of Buffalo with plans for med school. Got lousy grades, discovered computers, graduated with a degree in Psychology and got a job with Sperry Univac. In 1980 got an assignment in England and now, a wife and two grown daughters later, I'm still in London working for what is now Unisys.

Really, I blame it all on the Senior Play. I was pretty sure that I didn't want to act, but I let Mike Heiss talk me into doing backstage stuff. Well, the first time I laid eyes on the dimmer board, I knew I had found true love. For the next 2-3 years, theatre lighting provided a very convenient excuse to avoid calculus and physics homework. A few semesters of C+ grades convinced me that med school was not going to happen. I was having so much fun with lighting that I switched to Electrical Engineering. By chance I took a Computer Science course which led to spending every waking moment at the computer center. I eventually put together enough credits for a degree (after seven years) and, through a friend, got a job with a major company that today would laugh at my academic qualifications.

It was all luck, of course. There were no unemployed computer programmers in 1975. I started in Buffalo, moved to Albany and then spent about a year in Minneapolis. From there I went on what was supposed to be a two year assignment in London. In 1982 I met the former Carmen Morgan who became Mrs. Gleen in 1983. Next year will be our 25th anniversary.

Since then, I've worked in 23 countries. Some trips have been short, but I've spent more than six months in Beijing, Copenhagen and Brussels. Last year I spent eight months in Sydney, flying back and forth about a half dozen times. Carmen came down once and we had a week's vacation in Cairns on the Coral Sea.

And finally, the thing I am most proud of is something that I was not directly responsible for. All I did was not get in the way. This was putting our daughters Laura and Judy through university. This may not sound like anything special, but one went to Cambridge and the other to Oxford. The picture is of Judy, Carmen, Laura and me at Laura's graduation at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.

So it's been a strange life. I am still a U.S. citizen (still payin' taxes), but London is by most measures home now. I have some minor hobbies, like building models with something called Meccano, but it's mostly on hold until retirement. Probably not too far off, but for the moment I'm still having fun.

Blaine Greenfield writes:

Greetings, y'all. ... I am now living in Fairview, NC (right outside Asheville) with my beautiful bride Cynthia. Our cat Lovely passed recently, but we are in the process of adopting another cat in the near future.
We both enjoy movies and theatre, as well as dining out.
I am a board member on the Dementia Society of America and am active with several non-profits in Western North Carolina. In addition, I publish a weekly blog with jokes, reviews, etc. (that you can subsribe to for free by clicking: https://conta.cc/3KxocFb), and I host a podcast (that you can find out more about and/or possibly join me as a guest by clicking: www.blainesworld.net).
Lastly, I'd love to have you visit Asheville some time. Lots to do here, and if you do, let me know in advance. It would be great if we could meet up. My email address is: bginbc@aol.com, and my phone number is 215.208.0646.

IAvi (Allan) Dobuler writes:
Dear Friends and Fellow Classmates- Hi. Shalom. For the last nearly 20 years my family and I have been living in Israel fulfilling a lifetime dream. I'm known as topguide- one of the country's leading tour guides. Have any of you been to Israel? If anyone is planning a trip- let's get together for coffee and play catch up. If you are interested in a private guide for your family or group- look no further- you will find the highest level of satisfaction using me as your guide. Off season- I am a small arms instructor and have often taken tourist clients shooting. Voted best singer in high school- when I came to Israel -I played the lead role of Emile DeBecque in the classic South Pacific. It had quite a nice run. I'm married to a girl from Adelphi- my university and we are the proud parents of 5 children- 1 girl and 4 boys and the grandparents of 2 granddaughters and one grandson. The grandson is a sabra. See my website http://www.israeldreamtours.com 1-516-394-6169.

Allan Jacobs writes:

Married: Gaye (1968 LHS graduate)

Children: 2 sons – Adam (29); Jeremy (20)

In insurance business since 1970. Son Adam also in the business; he is 4th generation.

Son Jeremy attending Cortland State U.

Sheldon Jacobs writes:

David L. Jacobson writes:

Still enjoy reading, movies and playing basketball.

Susan Lager Jaffe writes:

Looking forward to seeing all my old friends and classmates…..

Presently residing at 200 West 86th St, Apt. 4B, New York, NY 10024. Phone 212-769-2505 (2nd home in Atlantic Beach)

Married 1976. Move to Dallas, TX in 1976. Divorced 1982. No children.

Returned to NYC in 1988.

Director of Guernsey’s Auction House, 2001 to present

Maralyn Lieberman writes:
Hi Y'All!
As you may be able to ascertain from my greeting, I am officially and happily a resident of the South, living in Metro Atlanta, GA, in the only town (so I've been told) that survived the burning of the South during the Civil War, the town of Roswell. In fact, one of the greatest accolades I frequently hear about this area, is being called the NY of the South. My husband Edward Lerner and I, married for almost 8 years, reside here along with our big fat tuxedo pussy cat, Nibbles, Nibby for short. We have 4 children and a darling granddaughter who live in 4 different states. New York, New Jersey, Florida, and MA. As subscribers to the Roundabout Theater in NY, we visit quite often to be with our family and friends. I stayed in Long Island through my college and post college years, and then moved to Scotch Plains, NJ where my children grew up. In NJ, I worked as an early childhood educator in a Jewish Community Center for most of my career and than as a Staffing Recruiter. After 22 years, I moved to Lexington, MA working for 2 fabulous art magazines as a gallery advertiser. In my present locale, I worked as a program coordinator in the Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. Throughout my life, I've have stayed involved in a variety of charitable organizations that I find to be mainstay of life. My husband, Edward is an engineer and we enjoy biking, hiking, tennis and golf. I've been in bookclubs since my 20's and also share a passion for photography. We had a wonderful time at our unimaginable 50th high school reunion. Glad that I saw you all there!