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Golden Celebration for Class of 1970
SUBMITTING A CLASS NOTE To submit your class note, email alumni@oswego.edu, call 315-3122258 or complete the class note form online at alumni.oswego.edu. You can also mail submissions to the OSWEGO Alumni Magazine, King Alumni Hall, Oswego, N.Y. 13126.
1960s
Ron Smith ’67 of Sayville, N.Y., is the current statewide political action committee coordinator for New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) after teaching in Sayville Public Schools for 37 years. Ron also serves as an executive vice president for the L.I. Federation of Labor and as a state committee member for the Working Families Party. In his free time, he enjoys sailing both on Long Island and in the Caribbean. Nicholas Nanos ’69 of Bellmore, N.Y., is the owner of and an oriental medical practitioner at Oriental Martial & Healing Arts, providing acupuncture, Chinese herbology, medical massage and AMMA, an Oriental massage modality of Korean derivation as well as acupressure. He is a licensed massage therapist, a licensed acupuncturist and a lifelong martial artist.
1970s
Kathleen Jantschi Callahan ’70 of Fulton, N.Y., retired from teaching in 2010 and enjoys travelling and reading in her retirement. During her time at Oswego, she enjoyed being a part of Pi Delta Chi, serving as a yearbook editor and taking in the beauty that Lake Ontario provided. Donna Osterhout Davenport ’71 of Norman, Okla., is a broker associate for Keller Williams Realty Mulinix, in Norman. William Fisher M’71 is a retired teacher living in Madrid, N.Y. Francine Zolkower Wolf ’71 of Largo, Fla., is a performing artist for ZaZu Productions, LLC. She has been touring the USA with her improv show, “Half-Baked Boomer,” appearing at Fringe Festivals. Currently, she is writing a show that incorporates her life story. John Condon ’72 of Medford, N.J., works as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at the Henderson Group in Media, Pa. John was a part of the Laker Men’s Basketball team.
Celebrating the Class of 1970
Typically, the Oswego Alumni Association (OAA) holds a Golden Alumni Society Induction Ceremony and Luncheon on campus for members of the SUNY Oswego 50th Anniversary class, during Reunion Weekend in June. Although the college had to cancel Reunion Weekend 2020, we recognize the 50th Anniversary via the Class of 1970 Virtual Golden Anniversary Celebration website at alumni.oswego.edu/1970. Let’s journey back to 1970 together:
Remember when ... view photos of Oswego campus life and browse the 1970 Ontarian Remember lost classmates from the Class of 1970
M. Catherine Richardson ’63 received the Syracuse Law Honors Medal, a prestigious award presented by the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association, during the college’s 2020 Virtual Law Alumni Weekend.
Catherine was selected for her dedication to the practice of law and to the Central New York community, where she spent her entire legal career specializing in corporate healthcare law and operations. She was recognized for her commitment to the legal profession and efforts to advance leadership opportunities for women, including serving as the first woman president of the Onondaga County Bar Association and second woman president of the New York State Bar Association. A 2005 recipient of a SUNY honorary doctorate, Catherine is a member of the Sheldon Legacy Society and has also served her alma mater as a member of the College Council, a speaker at Honors Convocation and the chair of the Oswego College Foundation Board of Directors.
Howard Domeseck ’72 of Waco, Texas, retired in December 2016, relocated to Waco from Delaware and is enjoying a “winter-free” life.
Garrett Evans ’73 is a retired teacher living in Gaffney, S.C. Linda Synakowski Iannone ’73 of New Hartford, N.Y., is director of booking and special events at the Stanley Theatre in Utica.
Marcia Guller Collier ’74 of Lake Placid, Fla., works as a utilities professional for National Grid.
Carol Johnson Castiglione ’75 of Walland, Tenn., works at Coco Belle Ridge Retreat Lodge Inc. Mark Metcalfe ’76 taught science for 40 years, with the last 30 years as a chemistry teacher at Fort Defiance High School in Virginia. Mark was Teacher of the Year during his last year of teaching at FDHS, and also for the state American Chemical Society. He has been retired since 2017 and enjoys traveling and gardening around the yard. Frank Murray ’76 of Annapolis, Md., works at the Community College of Baltimore County as a VA certifying official, in Catonsville, Md. Frank was a part of the Laker Men’s Lacrosse team and participated in intramural football. He also is a brother of the fraternity Epsilon Pi Tau. Eric Gottesman ’77 of Oakland Gardens, N.Y., is the president of EMER Partners, an IT project management and telehealth company. Kevin Shumelda ’77 of Viera, Fla., now retired, worked in the Washington, D.C., area for U.S. government intelligence agencies and corporate U.S. government contractors, performing technical recruiting and vetting of candidates in the continental United States.
Douglas Williams ’77 of Schenectady, N.Y., is now retired. He was involved with Sigma Gamma during his time at Oswego. Robert Andrews ’78 of Catonsville, Md., works from home as an IT application administrator for Asurion, a provider of device insurance, warranty and support services for cell phones, consumer electronics and home appliances. Robert and his wife, Lynn, became grandparents for the first time, in March 2016, to their grandson, Henry. David Lenio ’78 of Elizabeth, Colo., is a regional manager at 3M. Keith Parsons ’78 of Beaverton, Ore., is a senior underwriter at the Standard Insurance Company. Leanne Shank ’78 relocated to New Hope, Pa., with her husband and two bernedoodles. She is the senior vice president for legal and corporate affairs and general counsel at the Law School Admissions
Al Roker ’76 Cheers Campus Community via Zoom Session
More than 140 students and employees joined a live virtual session Oct. 1 with NBC Today show weather anchor and cohost, Al Roker ’76. College President Deborah F. Stanley moderated the informal question-and-answer session with the popular weatherman and media icon.
Rory Parker ’21, a broadcasting and mass communication major who was enrolled in a broadcasting course Al co-taught last fall, welcomed attendees to the session and introduced President Stanley. Al fielded questions that covered his time as a student at SUNY Oswego to his advice for students interested in broadcasting careers to his coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. A generous supporter of his alma mater, Al provided SUNY Oswego a gift to name the Al Roker Television Studio, which is operated by the student-run television station (WTOP), and helped to name the annual Media Summit in honor of a mentor, Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell. Al also serves as an Oswego College Foundation board member.
His live national broadcasts from campus and his frequent on-air “plugs” for Oswego provide exposure for the college, most notably during Rokerthon3 in March 2017, and last fall when he co-taught a broadcasting course entitled “Camera Ready: Developing Your On-Air Persona.” He announced on-air in November that he will begin treatments for an aggressive form of prostate cancer that doctors caught in early stages, and he is using his fame to share his experience and raise awareness about early screening and treatments to others.
Counsel in Newton, Pa. She was a member of the Laker Women’s Swimming team. Michael McCrobie ’79 is a retired English teacher for Oswego City Schools, currently living in Oswego, N.Y., with his wife, Sally. During his time teaching at Oswego schools, Mike was elected to the New York State High School Softball Hall of Fame. As a 28year varsity coach at Oswego High School, his teams won over 400 games, including three Section III titles and six league championships. He was named league Coach of the Year seven times, and was New York State Coach of the Year in 1993. Three of his four children are SUNY Oswego graduates (Sarah ’06, Brian ’11 and Eric ’11 M’18). Joseph Priola ’79 of Fairport, N.Y., retired from Brighton Central Schools in Rochester, N.Y., in 2017 after 33 years as a teacher, team leader and department coordinator. He continues to work as an adjunct professor at St. John Fisher, where he has been teaching part time since 1998. He and his wife of 36 years, Theresa, are the proud parents of a son who earned a Ph.D. in biomolecular and chemical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a daughter who earned her biomedical engineering degree at Syracuse University. Dale Wolfield ’79 of Port Ewen, N.Y., works as a trustee at Hudson River Maritime Museum. He was honored for his work in art education by Arts Mid Hudson’s 7th Annual Ulster County Art Awards in June 2019.
Watch a recording of the event at magazine.oswego.edu.
