Archived News for 2008
Check the other years for archived news from that era.

November 16, 2008:  Word from Ron Graves that Joe Cappiello, `40, Rochester, NY, passed away.  Joe's wife had passed away shortly before.  Our condolences to the Cappiello family.

More Reunion 08 pictures to be added to the gallery from the Bentons.  Thanks John and June.

Tom Garno, `59, writes he talked recently with Bob Backer,`57;  Dick Willis, `59; and Bob Bosomworth, `58 (actually to his wife, Teri, `59, Beta Zeta, since Bos was out singing).  He hopes to get together with some of them over the coming months.

This raises the question... Is there any interest in a Potter Florida Winter Reunion?  If so, we need someone on site to do the local work.  We can help from here with emails or a general mailing to permanent residents and to Snow Birds.  What would be needed would be a date and place.  A high school alumni group with which I am familiar holds a gathering of this type at a restaurant (buffet) at a fixed price.  Reservations are made in advance and people register and pay in advance.  Anyone interested in serving as the local committee can contact me for more info.  Meanwhile, listed below are the Pottermen who make up the probable group.  There may be others not listed who may be in the area.  If you know of any, let me know.

Frederick H Stunt 1937 Stuart FL
Richard M Cox 1938 Jacksonville FL
Richard C Lonsdale 1939 St. Augustine FL
Stanley Kullman 1940 McGraw NY
Donald G Demick 1944 Brooksville FL
Douglas H Barnum 1946 Ocala FL
Stanley W Gipp 1947 Port Charlotte FL
Jack Kirby 1949 Sarasota FL
Harold R. Johnson 1951 Akron NY
Robert F Reno 1951 Saint Petersburg FL
Eli Ballin 1952 Tamarac FL
Thomas R. Yole 1952 Hudson Falls NY
Patrick A Carlo 1953 Dunedin FL
Robert R. Giammatteo 1953 Rensselaer NY
Ralph L.  Jerue Jr 1953 University Park FL
Gary L Lagrange 1953 Fort Myers FL
Robert C Taber 1953 Gainesville FL
Charles T Lusk 1954 Orange Park FL
Raymond Murphy 1954 New City NY
John Parsons 1954 Holiday FL
Robert J. Coan 1955 Niskayuna NY
Dewitt Combs 1955 East Lyme CT
P. William Lindberg 1955 The Villages FL
Peter P Gulak 1956 Melbourne FL
Erwin Horwitz 1956 University Park FL
William A.  LaBarr 1956 Boynton Beach FL
David E Stark 1956 Inverness FL
James A. Sweet 1956 Gowanda NY
Austin  Leahy 1957 The Villages FL
James P. McCormack 1957 Stow NY
Mario Scalzi 1957 Crystal River FL
Bernard Theobald 1957 Dunnellon FL
Robert Bosomworth 1958 New Smyrna Beach FL
Ross Dailey 1958 Saranac Lake NY
Henry H (Harry) Millett 1958 West Palm Beach FL
Fran Nencetti 1958 The Villages FL
Jack S Tate 1958 Longboat Key FL
Harold A Garno 1959 Davenport FL
Bruce Pfaff 1959 Fort Pierce FL
Joseph J. Clement Jr 1960 New Smyrna Beach FL
Roger E Quackenbush 1961 Land O Lakes FL
Robert S. Warn 1961 West Palm Beach FL
Donald Warne 1961 Lehigh Acres FL
James C. Greene 1962 Wilton Manors FL
Franz K. Zwicklbauer 1962 Cohoes NY
Richard J Odorizzi 1965 Worcester NY
Udo G Guddat 1966 Melbourne Beach FL
Neil E Tallis 1966 Boynton Beach FL
James G Curley 1967 Orlando FL
Frederick J Bagley 1968 Sarasota FL
David Pashalidis 1968 Wesley Chapel FL
Howard J Hochman 1969 Miami FL
Ronald P Morgan 1969 Brandon FL
Joel M Volinski 1971 Miami Shores FL
Neil A. Schain 1972 North Lauderdale FL
Samuel R Mandelbaum 1973 Tampa FL

October 24, 2008: More pictures arrived from the Pearsons and have been added to the Gallery.  Thanks Judy and Pat.

Note of appreciation from Frank Candito for card from guys at the reunion thinking about his older brother, Joe.  Frank indicated his brother passed away October 2.

Albany Area Potter Luncheon on Tuesday, October 28 at Noon, 76 Diner, Latham.  If you plan to attend please let Claude or Milan know ASAP.

October 1, 2008:  Pictures are being prepared.  All are currently posted, with titles and captions being added.  If you took photos at the Reunion, please let me know and send copies for posting.  Call or email me as to the best method for sending.

If you have questions about the photo gallery, call or email.  We need feedback to make sure everything is working for you.  See the new link at the left, or go to Gallery

Sept 29, 2008:  Reunion a success!!  Final count - 38 Pottermen; total with guests 67.  Many thanks to Ron Graves, Hank Maus, George Schaertl, and Terry Dean our most efficient local committee members.

We will have photos on the web site shortly, but there will be a slight delay.  We are experimenting with a new format for the photos that will present them in a gallery setting.  As such, you will be able to browse each photo and read a caption; do a search to bring up a "hit" list of your search criteria (such as class year, name, etc.). Eventually we will move all of the photos to this new format from the previous reunions.  I think you will find the format  very interesting and useful.

Two alums checked in with updates and recent photos... Bill Hawkins, `53; and Mike Camarata, `63.  Both sent regrets at not being able to be at Canandaigua.

We have updated the Deceased Alumni list.  Several earlier Pottermen have been confirmed as deceased.  If you know of others we have missed, please let me know.

Sept 18, 2008:  Another cancellation.  Numbers now at 39 and 70, including the guest speaker. 

Another past president checked in.  Karl Pelikan, 1981, sent an email and hopes everyone will enjoy the festivities in Canandaigua.

Sept 15, 2008: One week to go!  Two cancellations (see Regrets).  Numbers now at 40 Pottermen and 32 Guests.

In memoriam - John M. Morrissey, 1955, passed away in Saratoga Hospital, Saratoga Springs, NY on September 6, 2008.  His funeral was held September 10, 2008.  Our condolences go out to the Morrissey family.

Sept 5, 2008:  Totals:  41 Pottermen, with guests 73 attending our 2008 Reunion. check out the details at the Reunion 08 link at the left.  Questions that need to be answered at this reunion... When and Where Next Year? 

Aug 25, 2008:  The mail keeps coming in!  Check the latest numbers for registration and the latest regrets.

Aug 22, 2008:  Deadline is here!  We have 38 Pottermen, with spouses and guests, a total of 67 people signed up to attend.  If you have not registered, send in, anyway.  We'll see if we can fit you in.  A great event shaping up!  A few more regrets, and several address changes.  If you see a name in the Address Change list, contact me for the details.

Aug 19, 2008:  Three days to go before registration deadline, Friday August 22, 2008.  Still haven't heard from some regulars.  Will you be there?  If you notice a name missing from the Registration List, give `em a call to see if they are coming.

Aug 15, 2008:  One week to Reunion Registration deadline, August 22, 2008.  Nice party shaping up.  Will you be there?

Aug 6, 2008:  A little more than two weeks to registration deadline (August 22).  Have you sent yours, yet?  See the Reunion08 link at the left for the latest registrations and regrets.

Great reports about the Dedication ceremony in Schenectady.  Kudos to Paul Ward for his efforts.  See details at the History Link at the left, or go to Plaque Dedication.

Gerry Holzman now has a website.  Visit it at: http://www.gerryholzman.com/

Some feedback heard that the Fall date for a reunion may not be convenient for Alums still working.  Do we need to consider picking a different time of year for the Annual Potter Club Alumni Reunion?  Suggestions or Discussion?  Send your thoughts to the webmaster or to any of the Albany Group.

50th Wedding Anniversary coming up for Joe and Pat McCormack, `53.  Send your well wishes to: jocorm@verizon.net

July 25, 2008:  More mail.  More Registrations.  More Regrets.  But, the big news today is that Bill Hawkins, 1953, "checked in from the great beyond."  We had him listed as deceased.  As Twain put it, "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated!."  We will delete Bill from the deceased list and for good measure add him to the Address Change list (although his address and email has never changed.)

And yet another 53er has checked in.. namely Gary LaGrange.  We found him in the UAlbany Online Directory after his original mailing came back undeliverable.

July 22, 2008: Registrations are rolling in along with a number of regrets.  Some regrets are from Pottermen checking in for the first time.  See the list under Reunion08 (Reunion08Regrets), and under Address Changes.

July 9, 2008:  Potter Memorial Plaque to be Dedicated at Union College, August 1, 2008  The invite to you follows:
                  Dedication of Memorial Plaque Honoring
                                1st Lt. Edward Eldred Potter
                            At Union College, Schenectady, NY
                                 Friday, 1 August 2008
     You are cordially invited by Union College and the Edward E. Potter Club Alumni Association to attend a dedicatory ceremony honoring the memory of Lt. Edward E. Potter with the placement of a memorial plaque located at the

                                            Schaffer Memorial Library

 The ceremony will begin at 2:00 P.M. on the third floor of the Schaffer Library.

Parking is available at the Lamont House parking area.  Following the ceremony a reception will be held with light refreshments.
                                       Please R.S.V.P. by Friday, July 25, 2008
                Please call 1-518-477-4529    Or      E-mail robertlanni@msn.com

June 30, 2008: 
September Reunion materials are nearing completion and will be mailed early in July.  The mailing will reach about 390 Pottermen, so keep on the lookout for it.  Everything in the mailing is also at the Reunion08 link at the left.  Check frequently in the event of changes.

June 21, 2008:  Word received from Bob Sage, `55... Gladys passed away on June 15, a result of ovarian cancer.  Diagnosed in April, she underwent several operations in the following period.  The Sages have been in the process of relocating to Virginia Beach, VA, to a retirement community.  The move is scheduled for November, according to Bob in a May message.  Our condolences go out to Bob and all of the Sage family.

Word received from Dick Willis, `59...  William McGrath, `60, passed away June 13, 2008, at his home in Folsom, CA.  Bill joined Potter Club in 1957, but left Albany before graduation.  He reentered the U.S. Air Force and rose to the rank of Lt. Col.  He had a military funeral at National VA Cemetery, Dixon, CA, on June 19, 2008.  Our condolences go out to his wife, Jeanne and their three children.

2008 Reunion Plans:  The drawing board is being heated up and final plans are emerging for our gathering in Canandaigua, September 23-25, 2008.  Keep checking the Reunion08 link at the left for the details as they become available, and watch for a brochure in the mail.

Address/Email Change for Art Weigand.  See link at the left

May 29, 2008:  Peter Telfer, 1953, passed away Tuesday, May 27, 2008.  His wife, Phyllis, thoughtfully sent a note expressing Pete's pride in being a Potterman and how much he enjoyed staying connected with all of "the guys."  For funeral arrangement information go to:  http://www.nyjnews.com/obits/index_full1.php3
Our condolences go out to Phyllis and Pete's family.

May 26, 2008:  Memorial Day -  Let us remember all who sacrificed in service to our country, especially Edward Potter, and all Pottermen who served our country.

Get well wishes are needed for: Pete Telfer, `53; and Gladys Sage, wife of Bob Sage, `55; and continued well wishes to all other ailing Pottermen.  If you know of someone we need to cheer, let us know and we can post it on this page.

We start today a new link at the left, History.  In it we will post contributions from you on your recollections of Potter Club History.  Recently Ben Jackson, `50, set down his recollections, and we have been hearing about the early days of the Club from Carlton Coulter, President, `35, at recent Albany Luncheons.  We are still compiling a summary of Carlton's comments.

April 15, 2008 -  Change of email for Don McGurrin, `65 from Fred Culbert.  Check address changes at the left.

April 8, 2008 -  Albany Area Potter Luncheon was held at the newly refurbished Potter Memorial Room at Alumni House.  Attending (chronologically):  1935, Carlton Coulter; 1939, Ken Doran; 1943, Howard Lynch; 1951, Bob Umholtz; 1952, Bob Lanni; 1953, Tom Benenati; Milan Krchniak; Jim Panton; Paul Ward; 1954, David Brown; Peter McManus; 1957, Jack Higham, Bernie McEvoy; 1965, Fred Culbert; 1982, Lou Peluso.  Check the link at the left for photos of the gathering.

Paul Ward reported progress on a memorial plaque at Union College in honor of Edward Potter.  Thank you letter acknowledged from Garet Livermore, Farmer's Museum, for Potter alumni donation to Empire State Carousel in honor of Gerry Holzman.  Many additional remembrances about the early days of Potter Club from Carlton Coulter.

Tom Benenati still looking for photos of earlier Potter Reunions for Reunion Scrapbook he is preparing (and showed at the luncheon).  Call or email him for more info, and mail photos to him (4x6 on paper preferred).

Late item from the Luncheon:  Paul mentioned a newspaper article about Fred LeBrun, Potter 1967, who retired from his position as a writer for the Albany Times-Union.  To read the text of an article in the paper go to:  Lebrun

February 24, 2008 - 
Email change for John Lilga, `64.  Check addresses changes link.

February 19, 2008 -  Email change for Joe McCormack, `53.  Check addresses changes link.

February 14, 2008 -  Tom Benenati wants your photos from all previous Potter Reunions.  He is putting together an album with a collection of pictures from across the years  Send copies of shots you may have to Tom.  He will not be able to return them, however.  Tom's address and email are:  11 Cherry Hill Road, New Paltz, NY 12561  tomvivian@aol.com

Late day news in the mail...  Spring Albany Potter Luncheon to be held at Noon, April 8, 2008, in Potter Room at Alumni House.  Lunch catered for $12 per.  Send your reservation check to Bob Umholtz, 49 Ramsey Pl., Albany, NY 12208 by March 25.  Menu choices are: Tuna; Turkey; or Ham & Cheese deli subs.  If you have questions contact Bob Lanni at robertlanni@msn.com   Space is limited, reserve early!  A University guest parking pass will be mailed to you after you reserve.

Happy Valentine's Day to all Potter women!

February 11, 2008 -  More address/email changes from Ozzie Leahy, including Fran Nencetti, `58.  Be sure to keep us posted on any changes in your status.  Thanks Ozzie!

January 29, 2008 -  Paul Ward reports Union College has agreed to honor Edward Potter by erecting a plaque.  In a response to Paul from current Union President, President, Stephen C. Ainlay, Ph.D., he says,  "I appreciate the research and work you have done to bring this to the attention of Union College and feel that in recognition of the special letter written to Lt. Potter's family by President Richmond and his service to our country, it is appropriate to honor Lt. Potter in some way at Union."  The plaque will be installed in Shaffer Library.  Paul will assemble a committee of 6 in March to work out wording for the plaque.

Paul also reports the Potter Room at UAlbany Alumni House has been painted and looks quite nice.

Much appreciation to Paul for his efforts on behalf of the Club in the matter of the Union issue; the Potter Memorial Room, and a host of other things he has done.  A true Potter Man!  Thank you, Paul.

Spring Potter Luncheon Announced -  The Albany Area Luncheon will be held April 8, 2008, in the newly refurbished Potter Room.   Claude will be sending the details mid February.  We are asking for the $12 luncheon fee and sandwich choice  reservation be sent ahead of time as it is being catered.

More Pottermen check in.  Joe Clement, `60, checked in to confirm his addresses (Summer and Winter) and sends regards to all.  Steve Freedman, `64, checked in, and has sent an update for the Directory.  Check out the Address Changes link at the left for more info.