On The Go: 1992 and prior

10/17/2018

ON THE GO: 1992 and prior

Videos: There are 7 sets of Family pictures containing only background music, whereas the 2 sets of the 1962 Annual Actuarial Meeting contains full Audio.

Pre 1962 Family Pictures (Tom Kullgren placed on U Tube)(music only).

Sondergeld Disc 1 Video 1 Family (Don & Mary: Skiing plus the first 3 children) https://www.youtube.com/watch bcHQDJJB0 Sondergeld Disc 1 Video 1 - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXbcHQDJJB0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXbcHQDJJB0&app=desktop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXbcHQDJJB0

Sondergeld Disc 1 Video 2 Family (Including Charles and Lorreta Towne)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LACEkMWwqj0&t=25s

Sondergeld Disc 1 Video 3 Family 3 Horse back riding, Loretta Towne, Bob & Shirley Vose, neighbor at Hancocl Pond in Maine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiebiDQ5cPo&t=8s

Sondergeld Disc 1 Video 4 Family 4 Find Loretta & Charles Towne in VT, Family in CT, Find Ellisabeth Vaillancourt and Walter Sondergeld in Vermont. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI_avwwGH8E

Sondergeld Disc 1 Family 5 Connecticut plus Hancock Pond in Maine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca356uR7QMI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqL1tG2aX ??

Sondergeld Disc 1 Family 6 Misc. Find Mary's father: CharlesTowne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qslh4zeETFM

Sondergeld Disc 1 Family 7 Misc. Find Don's mother: Marie Sondergeld. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4VzUDPhPlI

Pre 1962 Actuarial Annual Meeting Both documents contain full Audio and Video.

SOA Speech Part 1 Don Sondergeld President and others. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0iOXyhRHoo&t=166s

SOA Speech Part 2 Don Sondergeld President and others (President Elect Walt Rugland, Past President Daphne Bartlet, and Mary Sondergeld).
https://youtu.be/bIdEo_WxOFc

Camping Background Don and his brother Ralph went camping with their parents many summer weekends at State Parks in Ohio and Michigan and elsewhere. So, after Don and Mary were married in 1957 they bought a 7 foot by 7 foot wall tent, put a tarp on the floor and were in the camping business. A few years later we took a week long trip in Maine, trailering Mary's father's large power boat. We spent a couple of days on an island owned by John and Pam Burleigh in Lake Cobboseecontee near Augusta, Maine. The last trip with that tent was in 1965 when they camped at Lake Bomoseen with Bob and Shirley Vose while looking for lakefront property. That weekend they bought one half acre with 150 feet of lake frontage on Beebe Pond in Hubbardton, Vermont. The property was part of Senior Hill on Camp Awanee, a recently closed girl's camp owned by June Sherline. The campfire circle was on the property next to our property. Later they had great family camping on various islands in Lake George with Alan and Eva Breckenridge and their family.

Connecticut Massachusetts New Jersey and Vermont & Florida Locations:

Jun 1955	Don's actuarial career began at Connecticut General in Connecticut.
Fall 1956	Don met Mary Towne who moved into his apartment building in Hartford.
Aug 1957	Don and Mary were married in Waterville, Maine.
Sep 1959	Karen was born in Hartford. We moved into first home in Bloomfield CT.
Nov 1960	David was born in Hartford.
Aprl 1962	Eric was born in Hartford.
May 1962	Don became a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries.
Oct 1963	Don joins Hartford Life Insurance in Boston and we move to a home in Canton, Massachusetts.
Aprl 1965	Amy is born in Norwood, Massachusetts.
Nov 1965	We purchase property on Beebe Pond in Hubbardton, Vermont
Jun 1967	We sell our home in Canton, MA. Don starts working in Connecticut
Sep 1967	We move to Farm hill Road in West Hartford, Connecticut.
Feb 1989	Don resigns as Sr VP & Chief Actuary and Director of Hartford Life's Worldwide Life Insurance Companies and becomes Executive Vice President of Mutual Benefit in Newark, New Jersey.
Oct 1990	Don becomes President Elect of the Society of Actuaries.
Mid 1991	Don retires from Mutual Benefit.
Oct 1991	Don becomes President of the Society of Actuaries.
Nov 1989	We moved into a home in Upper Montclair, New Jersey.
Nov 1992	We sold our home in Upper Montclair, New Jersey
Jan 1993	We purchased a condo at Naples Bath and Tennis in Naples, Florida

Family Travel After we had a camp (house) on a Vermont lake, we could not afford to travel, and spent about 40 weekends each year in Vermont, with season ski passes at Pico. Here is our original "camp" in June and in December 1966. We did rent our camp three different years and spent a week somewhere else: 1971 at Wood's Causeway Motel in Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard (Amy & Karla , Karen Amy & Karla , all of the Family) in 1972 thru Williamsburg, Virginia to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and 1973 with Don's parents at Lake Keuka, one of the Finger Lakes in New York.

Vermont Skiing Don got hooked on skiing the first year he worked in Connecticut. He went skiing with his roommate, Bob Goode in 1956 at Stowe and stayed at the Round Hearth Lodge. That weekend Don broke two pairs of skis. A few weeks later we returned and Don broke two more pairs. He was hooked! He and his roommate Bob Goode joined the Hartford Ski Club which owned a lodge near the lift at Mad River Glen in northern Vermont. After Don and Mary were married, trips to Mad River became the exception due to: its distance from Connecticut, Don's need to study for the actuarial exams, and the arrival of our children. For many years, we would get a babysitter and drive to Mt Snow and ski only on Sundays. After we had a house in Vermont we started skiing with the children: first at High Pond Ski Area in Hubbardton, then at the Middlebury Snow Bowl, and then at Pico where we met Stan and Harriet Joseph and their family. We then had season passes at Pico for many years, where all of our children became amateur ski instructors. David also was professionally certified. Some years Don skied over 50 days.

Other Skiing Don finished the actuarial exams in 1962. In 1963 Don and Mary flew to Munich to ski for over three weeks: Kitzbuhel and St Anton in Austria, and Davos in Switzerland. (We also spent a weekend in Vienna between sking in Kitzbuhel and St Anton. We attended the opera in Vienna. It was not in English. How gross. Don was unique with a blue corduroy sport jacket with horizontal and vertical yellow stripes. A librettist sat next to us and explained the plot.) We took a VW bus from Davos to Zurich and stayed there 3 days before flying to Connecticut. One day we drove up to Lucerne. The next day we were wined and dined at Swiss Reinsurance Company and had dinner at the home of a young actuary and his wife. Another day we had lunch with a tour guide in a lovely restaurant overlooking Lake Zurich which was unique: It was frozen which only occurs about once every 7 years.

Since then our family skied numerous areas in New England and we have skied together many times at Tahoe. Also, Don skied areas in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California with Mary or in conjunction with business travel. See below.

MANY SKI AREAS

Don got hooked on Skiing in early 1956 by skiing at Stowe a few weekends where he managed to break four pairs of skis the first two weekends. He then joined the Hartford Ski Club which had a lodge close to the single chairlift at Mad River Glen. He skied there but it was a long trip from Hartford CT and Don needed to study for the Actuarial Exams.

When Don and Mary were married in 1957 he still needed to study on weekends so his skiing was limited to one day trips to Mount Snow in Southern Vermont. When we moved to Canton MA we usually skied at Gunstock and Waterville Valley in NH.

We moved back to West Hartford CT in 1963. In 1965 we purchased property at Lake Beebe in Hubbardton VT about a 40 minute drive from Pico, a ski area now part of Killington. We had family ski passes there for many years. All of our children became amateur ski instructors there and got to ski free by teaching at noon on Sundays. . David however, also got professionally certified. David and Eric also taught skiing at Pico on weekends.

Whenever Don traveled on business he would take some extra time to ski in Western US. A buddy at Pico, Stan Joseph, bought a small condo, then a larger one, and subsequently property on which he built a spectacular home at Sun Valley ID. We were invited to stay at their home many times. Sun Valley is Don’s favorite ski area. Below is a list of many ski areas where Don has skied.

Name	State	Name	State	Name	State	Name
Mowhawk	CT	Whiteface	NY	Sun Valley	ID	Three Valleys	France
Sundown	CT					Val d Isere	France

Bousquet	MA	Mt Washington	NH	Aspen	CO	Gray Rocks	Quebec
Bershire East	MA	Waterville Valley	NH	Vail	CO	Mount Tremblant	Quebec
Blue Hills	MA	Cranmore	NH	Arapahoe Basin	CO	Jay Peak	Quebec
Jimminy Peak	MA	Gunstock	NH	Loveland	CO

Mount Snow	VT	Arapahoe Basin	CO	Squaw Valley	CA	Kitzbuehel	Austria
Mad River Glen	VT	Loveland	CO	Alpine Meadows	CA	St Anton	Austria
Stowe	VT	Copper	CO	Heavenly Valley	CA	Zurs	Austria
Glen Ellen	VT	Breckenridge	CO	Kirkwood	CA	Lech	Austria
Stratton	VT	Keystone	CO	Mammouth	CA	Innsbruck	Austria
Killington	VT	Winter Park	CO	Homewood	CA
Okemo	VT	Steamboat	CO	North Star	CA	Garmisch-	Germany
Bromley	VT
Magic Mountain	VT	Santa Fe	NM	Snowbird	UT	Cortina	Italy
Middlebury	VT	Taos	NM	Alta	UT
High Pond	VT	Las Alamos	NM	Park City	UT
				Deer Valley	UT
				Brighton	UT

Around 1981 we were invited to visit the Josephs who had a condo at Elkhorn in Sun Valley and have skied there many many times. Sun Valley is Don's favorite.

Tennis Don played doubles for many years in two men's groups in Hartford, Connecticut. These included Bob Andrews, Jan Pollnow, and Steve Martin. Steve Martin, a lawyer in Government Relations at The Hartford told Don he had purchased a condo at Naples Bath and Tennis Club in Naples, Florida. We did likewise in January 1993.

To satisfy our desire to play tennis in Vermont, we formed a corporation (Eagle Rock Racquet Club, Inc) in 1978 and bought property a mile from our lake, and built two beautiful hard surface tennis courts with 12 stockholder members. However, we play much more tennis in Florida than in Vermont.

Beebe Pond As mentioned above, we bought one half of an acre with 150 feet of lake frontage on Beebe Pond in Hubbardton, Vermont in the Fall of 1965 for $5000. We had a two story 24x 38 foot "camp" built for $5000 the next spring. We then began using this house on weekends. Mary and the children would spend the summers there, as Mary was in education and had school vacation. As the lakefront is ledge, the initial water supply was a pipe from the lake to the camp in the summer...but until a well was drilled, we lugged water up from the lake in the winter. Over the years, we made many changes to our "camp". Here are the major ones:

Year	Cost	Reason
1966	$1,100	Hot air propane fired Furnace
1970	$1,000	A 200 foot deep Well, which made life easier in the winter.
1978	$4,000	Glassed in the Screen Porch, doubling the size of the Living Room and added a new Screen Porch to the north end of the camp.
1986	$13,000	Rearranged the Kitchen, added a Pantry, and replaced the Cabinets
1989	$135,000	Added a Library/Master Bedroom addition to the south end of camp.
1992	$50,000	Built a two car Garage with a Rec Room above it.
1994	$11,000	New Kitchen Cabinets
1995	$16,000	Added a Sunroom to the west.
1999	$12,000	Installed Hardwood floors in the first floor of the original camp.
2005	$13,000	Larger Kitchen (stole space from bathroom) plus new Kitchen Cabinets.

Lake Beebe Property Owners Association June Sherline, who owned the non Route 30 property around Beebe Pond, closed Camp Awanee and sold lots to people like Mary and me. In 1968 she asked me to start a Lake Association. It was unfortunate she did not do that before she started selling property, as then she could have made it a legal requirement that a property owner be a member and pay all assessments. In any event, we developed our first By Laws which are dated September 1, 1968. The first year the membership consisted of owners of 22 properties. I was President, Joe Wolons was Vice President, Gerry Ebbesen was Secretary, and Frank Lane was Treasurer. The four Directors were Lou Ranhofer, June Sherline, Al Tillman, and Sam Wilson.

Travel Don and Mary were invited to many nice places each year where The Hartford had Sales Conventions. Also, Don traveled in conjunction with committee work and Mary joined him in traveling to Board Meetings of the Society of Actuaries. We both got addicted to traveling which we continue to do in retirement.

1973 and 1974 Visited Salt Lake City, and three National Parks: Brice, Zion, and Mesa Verde. Also skied at Lake Tahoe and traveled to London, England. Also went to Tucson, Arizona and Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida. In June, Mary's father (Charles Towne) married Evelyn Hanscomb in Waterville, Maine.

Later in June 1974, Don's brother Ralph visited us in Connecticut with Sandra Sue, Mark, and Cynthia. Here are some pictures.

1975 and 1976 Camped on Lake George, went to New Orleans and Key Biscayne, Skied Santa Fe and Taos in New Mexico. Drove the Skyline Drive and the Blue ridge Parkway. Went to the 1976 Montreal Olympics and drove to Toledo, Ohio. Visited San Diego Zoo and Tijuana, Mexico. Went to a convention in Tarpon Springs, Florida

1975 Ella Grasso Roast

Mary Sondergeld with Rhoda Babcock as Ella. (15 minutes before the roast, Jean Blair said Rhoda's hair was too long and gave Rhoda the Ella Grasso "cut" seen above. .

Read about CT's 83rd Governor:

Ella T. Grasso (May 10, 1919 – February 5, 1981) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 83rd Governor of Connecticut from 1975 to 1980. She was the first woman elected to this office and the first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state without having been married to a former governor. . Ella Rose Tambussi was born in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, to Italian immigrant parents Maria (née Oliva) and Giacomo Tambussi, a mill worker.After attending St. Mary's School, Windsor Locks, and the Chaffee School, Windsor, she attended Mount Holyoke College, in South Hadley, MA, where she earned her B.A. in 1940, and her M.A. two years later. After graduation, she served as assistant director of research for the War Manpower Commission of Connecticut.

1977 and 1978 Went to a Sales Convention at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Dave and Lois Mc Donald and 3 of their 4 kids visited us for a memorable weekend the summer of 1977, as did Don's parents one other time. Visited San Francisco. Drove around Mount Hood and stayed at Timberline Lodge. Went to a convention at The Greenbrier in West Virginia and one in Palm Springs, California.

1979 and 1980 Skied Keystone, Vail, and Loveland attended a Sales convention at Hilton Head. Don and David went to an actuarial conference in Banff and went to Lake Louise and Jasper in June 1979. Canadian Rockies Pictures. Don and Mary drove around the beautiful Olympic Peninsula and to Mt Rainier. Also went to St Thomas in the Bahamas and to a meeting in Houston, Texas. Kirsten Ronnau, from Marburg, Germany, stayed with us for a month of her junior or senior year and has invited us to visit Marburg.

1981 Ralph and Sandra Sue Sondergeld visited us in VT a Beebe Pond. Ttwo pictures: the family at Beebe Pond and one of Sandra and Harry Chapin at the Pico Ski Club. Club. Club.

1981 Skied Sun Valley. Went to a meeting at The Pointe in Scottsdale, Arizona and skied Taos and visited Albuquerque. Stayed at the Biltmore in Phoenix, toured the Grand Canyon, and visited Flagstaff, Arizona.

Walter Sondergeld May 1981 On May 22, 1981 Don, Mary, Amy, and Karla drove to Toledo, Ohio to visit for three days with Don's father who had come home from the hospital. We stayed with Ralph and June in Sandusky. We learned that he died on May 29, 1981. He was born on November 10, 1901, so he was 79.5 years old. We went to Karen's graduation from Colby in Waterville, Maine on Sunday May 31, 1981. Don flew to Toledo, Ohio and Mary, David, Karla, and Amy flew out the next day. Visiting hours were at the Worth Clegg Funeral Home and burial was on Tuesday June 2, 1981 at the cemetery in Elliston, Ohio.

Marie Kinsel Sondergeld February 1982 We were skiing in Sun Valley when Don's mother died in the Good Samaritan Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio on February 20, 1982. She was born on February 2, 1901, so was 81 years old. Don flew from Boise, Idaho to Toledo, Ohio on the 21st whereas Mary flew to Hartford, Connecticut. Then Mary, Amy, and Karla flew to Cleveland, Ohio on the 23rd. We all attended the 11 am funeral on Wednesday the 24th at the Robinson Funeral Home in Oak Harbor, Ohio. She was buried beside her husband Walter Sondergeld in Elliston, Ohio. The four of us flew back to Connecticut that evening.

1982 and 1983 Skied Sun Valley. Attended another Sales Convention at Kiawah Island, South Carolina and sailed with Ron and Nan Streeter on the Bohicket River. The incoming tide was so strong we were sailing backwards, so had to sail in the direction away from the ocean. Toured the beautiful city of Charleston. Skied Loveland, went up in a glider at Colorado Springs, and took a ride up Pikes Peak in Colorado. Went to a meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada and one at the Del Coronado in San Diego, California. Karla went with Don to an actuarial meeting in Vancouver and we took the train through the Canadian Rockies to Calgary. We went camping on Lake George.

July 1983 Sailing on Lake Champlain. We rented a 28 foot sloop at Charlotte, VT. A lovely day with Don, Mary, Karla and two of Karla's friends (Jenny Breckenridge and Clair Burns). A storm came up and Don tried to get the mainsail down, but it was stuck. We had an outboard motor that helped, but the storm pushed us to the west side of the lake where we docked at Essex, NY.. Someone then helped get the mainsail unjammed. Some nervous moments. At the end of the day, we stopped at the Dog Team for dinner north of Middlebury, VT. Here are some pics. Here is Don in September 1983.

(Note: In July 2012, Don and Mary took the Ticonderoga Ferry to Rt 22 and then drove to Essex, NY. We had a nice lunch at the Dock Restaurant and observed the dock where we docked 29 years ago. The man that owned of the Marina in Charlotte for 40 years was also having lunch. We took the ferry to Charlotte and drove back to Beebe.) See below.

1984 We skied Sun Valley. Went to New Orleans. Don went to a Board meeting at Abby Life in Bournemouth, England and visited Stonehenge. We climbed and skied Tuckerman's Ravine on Mt Washington, New Hampshire. Don, Mary, and Karla flew to England in late June so Don could attend a tax meeting. We toured London. Then met Eric in London and the four of us drove to Bournemouth and Stonehenge. Returned to London, attended a tax meeting, and went to Wimbledon. The four of us then stopped in Bath on our way to Newport Wales where we dropped Eric off with Andrew Knorz and his family. Andrew had stayed with us in 1979. Don, Mary, and Karla then toured Wales for a few days, picked Eric up in Newport and drove to Heathrow. Eric then flew to Germany and the rest of us to Boston. Some pictures of England and Wales. Hiked the Monroe Skyline in Vermont. Attended another actuarial meeting in New Orleans.

A major event was Karen married Duncan Whitney in Hartford CT on August 18, 1984. Event locations The Rehearsal Dinner was at Town & County.The pre Wedding afternoon festivities were at the home of Bill & Nora Harris in West Hartford. The Wedding was at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Hartford, with the Reception at the Old State House.

1985 Visited David and family in San Francisco. Skied in Utah. Went to Bournemouth, England for a Board meeting. Rented a houseboat on Lake Champlain. In September 1985 Don went to Bournemouth, England for a Board meeting and then to Marburg, Germany to visit the Ronnau's, and on to Unterhaun. On September 10, 1985 Don found his German ancestral home and slept in the room in which his great grandfather was born. See these pictures

Returned and went to Eva Breckenridge's 50th Birthday party at her home at 638 Beverly Road in Teaneck NJ in September. See pictures here.

In late September 1985 we flew to Hawaii for 8 days to an actuarial meeting. Darrel and Hellen Croot were there. See below.

We stayed at the Hyatt Regency at Waikiiki Beach on Oahu from 9/28 -10/2. Went snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, had dinner with PA (Linda Contant's sister) & Harry Siegmund, took a ride in a glider at Dillingham Airfield, and visited the Arizona. On 10/2 flew to the Big Island, rented a Mustang convertible and stayed at the Volcano House on the crater's edge and hiked down into the crater. On 10/3 we flew from Hilo to Maui where we took a 4 hour snorkeling trip on the Prince Kuhio to Molokini a small volcano. Then visited the Seven Sacred Pools and the grave of CharlesLindberg. On 10/5 we flew back to CT, arriving the next day.

We also visited New Orleans in October. Then drove to in Sandusky Ohio and attended the wedding of Ralph Sondergeld and June Bodi Soule on October 19.. Nick Chase was his Best Man.

In December Don piggybacked off an actuarial meeting in Reno and skied Squaw Valley and Kirkwood and North Star. Needed chains to get into Kirkwood.

Read about Mary and West Hartford TV.

1986 In late January, Don went to Abbey Life in Bournemouth, England. On 1/29 Don flew from Heathrow England to Munich Germany and visited Peter Sondergeld (and Lilo in nearby Ottobrun). On January 31 Don and Peter Sondergeld drove to to see Peter's mother who lives with Heini Schott in Oberhaun and Eugen Sondergeld in Unterhaun. Don helped install the radiators for a hot water oil burning furnace at Heirich Schott's home in Oberhaun. . Don and his father installed a similar system many years ago at Don's home in Northwood Ohio. On 2/3 Don took a 2 hour train from Bad Hersfeld to Frankfurt and flew to Boston. Had dinner with Karen and Duncan at Anthony's Pier 4. A limo picked Don up at 7 pm and drove him to Hartford, CT. See England & Germany 1986.

On April 12, 1986 Don & Karla flew to Reno, toured MGM Grand Circus Circus then skied Heavenly Valley on April 13 with Stan Joseph as Peter is having a knee operation in South Lake Tahoe. Don and Karla then drove to Mammouth Mt in CA for a few days of skiing. We then drove thru Death Valley to Palm Springs and took the tram to the top for a short hike. We next drove to San Diego to attend an Actuarial Meeting at the "Del". Did some shopping in Tijuana Mexico and went sailing near the Del Coronado hotel. Drove to La Jolla for dinner. On April 19, 1986 Don & Karla flew to Hartford. Met Mary who just returned from a week in Naples visiting her father.

In June 1986 David sold his Toyota and bought a 1985 white Cheve cargo van . He and Shelley Wargo are driving to San Francisco to find jobs and make their fortunes. We visited Hartford Life's new building in Simsbury, CT where Don will work. In early August we spent a long weekend at Lake George (8 Sondergelds and friends, 13 Breckenridges and friends and 5 Sterns and friends.) Paul Barker and Barry Smith remodeled our Kitchen/Dining area in VT in August. In August many of us (Earls, Contants, F Mason, Breckenridges, Morans, Josephs, Taubers, and Stones.) went to the Volvo Tennis Tournament at Stratton. George Goodwin, age 83, died on 8/30.

In November 1986 the new Route 4 opened between Rutland and West Rutland.

1987 Went to an actuarial convention on Sanibel Island. In March Don and Walt Rugland gave two actuarial seminars on "profitability" at Snowbird ski area outside Salt Lake City in Utah. David came out for the week and we also skied Alta. In late April Don skied A Basin and Copper Mt in Colorado. Then Don attended an actuarial convention in Colorado Springs and Don went up again in a glider at the Black Forest Glider Port. .

Amy Graduated from Smith College on May 16. Eric did not attend as he was studying for his last SoA Associate exam. Gary Trudeau, who spoke at Karen's graduation, was the speaker. We then attended the wedding of Jeff Andrews in Holyoke, MA.

Amy flew from Boston to Heathrow England on May 26 and spent a week with Michelle a girlfriend from Smith College who is taking her junior year at the University of Sussex near Brighton England on the south coast. Also on May 26 Don flew to Amsterdam and visited Zwolshe Life, an insurance subsidiary in the Netherlands near Utrecht. On 5/28 Don flew to Gatwick for a luncheon meeting in London with an ITT subsidiary, Excess Ins Co. He then took a one hour train south to Brighton to meet Amy and Michelle. Don then rented a car for three days. We toured Chichester, Arundel Castle, Rye, Battle Abbey, Folkstone, Canterbury, and the Cathedral in Maidenstone. They dropped Don off at Gatwick on 5/31 so Don could fly to Boston to attend Duncan's PhD graduation party at his sister's home in Waterbury, MA. See Sussex & Kent England in May 1987.

Amy flew from England to Paris on Tuesday 6/2. On 6/4 she spent the night with a friend of Lara Pollnow outside of Paris. On 6/5 Amy went to Basel Switzerland. On 6/7 she went to Interlochen Switzerland and stayed a few days. On 6/11 Amy took a train to Munich staying with Peter Sondergeld until June 19. She eventually took a train to Hamburg where Transatlantishe, an ITT subsidiary, is located. As a favor they loaned Don a Mercedes that Amy then drove to the airport in Frankfurt on June 26 to pick up Don Mary Karla & Megan. Karla hadjust graduated from Conard High in West Hartford, CT.

On June 25 Don Mary & Karla and Megan Donahue were driven in The Hartford's limo to Boston, and we flew to Frankfurt. Amy picked us up in Frankfurt on June 26. Amy will tour with us the first 10 days of our 25 day visit to Germany Austria and Switzerland. We visited friends and relatives in Unterhaun, Kassel, Marburg and Heidelberg. Had a nice time at the Lorelei and in Rudesheim where Megan turned 18. Also visited Mannheim, Freiburg, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Zugspitze, King Ludwig's Castles, Innsbruck, Igls, Berchtesgaden, Konigsee, Salzburg, and Peter Sondergeld in Munich. On July 20, 1987Don dropped the Mercedes that Transatlantishe loaned to Amy at the airport in Frankfurt . See Europe 19877.

Also visited Don's favorite and former boss Jim Bruce in Tucson, Arizona.

Dr. Charles E Towne 1988 Mary's father died in Naples, Florida on February 22,1988, where he and Evelyn had a winter home, . He was 81.7 years old, as he was born on June 29, 1906. We drove to Waterville, Maine on February 26, 1988 with Eric and Cindy and David and Shelley (who we met at Bradley Field), with a stop in Portland, Maine to pick up Karla (who flew in from Syracuse, New York). Karen and Duncan drove up from Beverly, Massachusetts. Visiting hours were from 7:30 - 9:30 pm, with a Masonic ceremony. The funeral was the next day at the Pleasant Street Methodist Church, where both Don and Mary and Charles and Evelyn were married. That evening we celebrated Mary's brother's 52nd birthday at John and Connie's home in Winslow, Maine. The next day we stopped at 5 Highland Avenue in Waterville to say goodbye to Evelyn and headed back to Connecticut. Charles and Evelyn had been married almost 14 years.

1988 We skied Sun Valley in Idaho and Sugarloaf in Maine. Don also skied in New Mexico. Went to Ohio for Rob Soule's wedding. (Rob is brother Ralph's step son). Visited David and family in San Francisco and went to Napa Valley. Eric & Cindy were married in 1988, see Eric's Wedding

1989 Attended a terrific ITT Conference in Hawaii. Skied at Squaw Valley with David. Don and Karla went to an actuarial meeting in Vancouver which Eric and Cindy also attended .Job Change in 1989 Don retired from The Hartford in February 1989 to work for Mutual Benefit in Newark, New Jersey. A luncheon on his last day in Connecticut was attended by Jan Pollnow, Len Odell and Dave McDonald.

Our first grand child, Ryan Whitney was born in May.

Mary had been President of the West Hartford League of Women Voters, the largest League in Connecticut. They gave Mary a going away roast and a poem at Sue "Flash" Gordon's home in June 1989.

Amy & Lou were married in June 1989 Amy's Wedding

1990 Skied Sun Valley. Visited David and family in San Francisco and went again to Napa Valley and to Yosemite.

1990 German Invasion On Wednesday June 27, 1990 Heinrich Schott and Sophie Sondergeld arrived on Hapag Lloyd Flight 3611 at 3:10 pm in Newark, New Jersey. Don worked the next two days while Mary showed Heini and Sophie a bit of New York City.

We drove to Vermont the next day, stopping in Saratoga Springs and Lake George. They even joined us in the Hot Tub. The next few days at camp were relaxing, but we did drive up the auto road on Mt Mansfield, taught the Germans how to play "Oh Hell", went to the Vermont Symphony in Georgetti Park in Rutland, almost climbed Eagle Rock. Sixteen of us took a houseboat trip from Plunder Bay on Lake Champlain (Don, Mary, Karla, Amy, Lou, Sophie, Heini, Mousy Krakauer, Steve Sandy, David, and Mary Earl, plus John and Betty Moran). Also visited the Hubbardton Battlefield.

We then drove to Karen's in Beverly, Massachusetts. There we visited Omi Stern's house in Gloucester, Rockport. The next day Heini and Sophie went to Boston to see Paul Revere's House that is newer than the one they live in, Quincy Market, and the Aquarium. Back to Cambridge and Boston the next day to visit museums. On July 12, 1990 they flew from Boston to San Francisco to visit David, returning July 16, 1990 to Newark. While in SF they toured the City, Napa Valley, and went to Monterey.

Two days after they returned from California we drove them to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, Franklin Institute, and Rodin Museum and spent the night with Mike and Florence Mason in Monkton, Maryland. We then visited Washington DC and the National Gallery before arriving at Doris Bell's (Don's cousin) house in Clifton, Virginia.. The next day we were back in DC for more sightseeing. The next day we drove to New Castle, Delaware and spent the night. The next day we toured Longwood Gardens, Brandywine River Museum, and Winterthur. Arrived back at our home in Upper Montclair, New Jersey at 7 pm. The next day we visited Soho. The following day Don worked and others relaxed,. The following day, July 25, 1990, Heini and Sophie flew back to Germany at 4 pm from Newark. A nice visit...just under a month. 1990 Invasion

1990 Fall In the fall we attended the actuarial meeting in Disneyland California. Don became President Elect of the Society of Actuaries. He will be on the SoA Board for four years as President Elect, President, Past President, and Penultimate Past President. The SoA had an oil painting made of Don to hang in their office while he was President and then gave it to Don as gift which he hung in the library of his home in Vermont.

In November 1990 Don celebrated his 60th birthday with family and friends at home in Upper Montclair, N J See 60th Celebration

1991 Skied Tahoe with David and his family in March. Went to meetings at the Del Coronado in San Diego and in New Orleans in April. Attended an actuarial meeting in Colorado Springs and visited Aspen, Royal Gorge, and Pikes Peak. Also attended an actuarial meeting in Vancouver and went to Victoria on Vancouver Island..

Retirement in the summer of 1991 Don retired from Mutual Benefit in the summer of 1991 and we started traveling. We use our condo at Naples Bath & Tennis Club in Naples, Florida in January, April, and November. In February and March we stay in Vermont part of the time and also spend time skiing out West or in Europe, and traveling. We are usually at Lake Beebe in Hubbardton, Vermont in the six summer months ( May through October) and also in December. Beginning in 2011 we spent more time in Florida: the first four months of the year and six weeks before Thanksgiving. (Florida condo pictures: One Two Three Four Five Six)

1991 Fall Went to an actuarial meeting at Niagara on The Lake and also visited Niagara Falls.

1991 Canada and England 1991 in November Don became President of the Society of Actuaries at the annual meeting in Toronto. This honorary position involved extensive travel for both Don and Mary. Don and Mary with Colin Powell

Later in November we visited the Cooleys in England attended the biennial meeting of the Institute of Actuaries held at Grosvenor House in London. See Slide Show.

Don with British Actuaries Don with British Actuary Paul Seymour

We then took the jet foil from Dover to Bruges in November 1991 and visited an international actuarial organization in Brussels. Andre Lamens, its president and his wife, hosted a dinner at The Swan, a fantastic restaurant in the old city. As we were in Europe we went on our own to Paris, Chartres, Versailles, Fontainebleau & Loire Valley. See Slide Show.

Phoenician 1992 In January and March of 1992 we had Executive Committee meetings at Boca Raton in Florida and the beautiful Phoenician in Arizona.

Skiing in Sun Valley and Mammoth 1992 In late February and March of 1992 we enjoyed two weeks skiing with Stan and Harriet Joseph at our favorite ski area: Sun Valley. In March we were in CA so we found time to ski at Mammoth Mountain.

March 1992 in Ohio Don flew to Toledo, Ohio on his way home from Chicago, rented a car and met 85 year old Uncle Carl Kinsel and 93.5 year old Aunt Anna Hetrick at Anna's in Port Clinton. Don then spent the night with brother Ralph and June. The next day he visited 83 year old Uncle Otto Kinsel in Bellevue and then visited Uncle Lester Sondergeld in Genoa. Ralph and June treated Don to dinner at the Bay Harbor Club. The next morning Don drove to Oberlin and visited his college roommate, George Andrews and wife Marlene (Pete) before flying out of Cleveland. Anna Hetrick is 100 Anna and Otto

Asia 1992 Then in April and May we spent a month in Asia with Don speaking to actuaries in Tokyo, Singapore, Indonesia (Jakarta and Bali) and Hong Kong. We then went to China (Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai), and Hong Kong before ending our trip in Taiwan. The Terra Cotta Soldiers in Xian were fantastic. We had a nice trip to the Taroko Gorge south of Taipei.

Don at Nankai University Mary in Beijing

Chicago and Western Canada 1992 In the spring of 1992 we went to an actuarial meeting in Chicago (where we took a very interesting architectural tour on the Chicago River), then flew to Edmonton and took the overnight train thru the Canadian Rockies to Vancouver where we attended the annual meeting of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA). Did manage to visit Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Van Dusen Botanical Gardens, Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park, Stanley Park, Grouse Mountain, and of course Butchart Gardens and Victoria on Vancouver Island.

Don and Mary in Chicago Don with SoA President's Medal of Office

Montreal, late May 1992 We next attended the International Congress of Actuaries in Montreal and rafted on the Red River.

Disneyland, mid June 1992 We attended a Society of Actuaries meeting here. David drove down from San Francisco and a day later Shelley flew in from Hartford, CT. We then spent the next day with David and Shelley at Disneyland.

August 1992: 35th Wedding Anniversary Party Our kids surprised us with a square dance and line dance party at the Hubbardton Grange.

Mexico City and Canada: September 1992 We went to an actuarial meeting in Mexico City. Later that month Don and Mary flew to Calgary, visited Banff, followed by a Council of Presidents meeting at Lake Louise.

October 1992 The annual meeting of the Society of Actuaries in late October was in Washington DC and Don passed the gavel to his good friend Walt Rugland. Don enjoyed attending a birthday party for Cecil J Nesbitt the head of the Actuarial Department at the University of Michigan. I presented some pictures of fractals and some background at the Annual Meeting of the Society of Actuaries when I was president in 1992. I may have used Robert Devaney to develop the script. See Chaos video, but start about 40% of the way through. (OOPs is copywrite protected so will only play on my computer) If interested, read Don's Presidential Address.

SOA 1992 Speech Part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0iOXyhRHoo&t=166s

SOA 1992 Speech Part 2 https://youtu.be/bIdEo_WxOFc

We then drove back to our home at 14 Heller Drive in Upper Montclair, NJ after stopping at Joseph Shipley's mansion "Rockwood" and Alfred Du Pont's even larger mansion "Nemours" in Wilmington, DE.

In Mexico City with Barry Watson, Mo Chambers, and Pablo Noriega.

With actuarial roommates (Summer of 1955) in 1992: Dave Wakely and George Andrews

Boca Raton, Mid November 1992 Don and Mary attended the Casualty Actuarial Society's annual meeting. After the meeting at Boca we looked at condos in Ft Myers and Naples. In Naples we visited Don's lawyer friend from The Hartford (Steve and wife Betty Martin) at Naples Bath & Tennis Club. Decided to make an offer on a condo at 1518B Oyster Catcher Point. It was accepted. (We had finally sold our house at 14 Heller Drive in Upper Montclair, NJ).

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This site was last updated 10/17/18