Current
Beta Theta Alumni Notes

Ken Parsons '89  is retiring from the Air Force in July after more than 21 years of flying the not-so-friendly skies.

"I'm leaving a legacy, though, as my son, Travis, just completed basic training and is joining my squadron as Loadmaster on the same C-5 Galaxy that I've been flying since the Gulf War back in 1991. Travis will be a crewmember on my final flight with the Air Force sometime in June."

"I'll still be flying all over the world in my big brown UPS 747s, so if you need a knock-off watch from Hong Kong, let me know."

Alfredo Martel '87  left the Colonel, the KY Derby, Rick Pitino & his white suit behind, for the Arctic weather of Minneapolis, where he now serves as SVP-Marketing for Caribou Coffee, second largest retail coffeehouse operator in the nation. "

"Family is doing well, girls growing up fast, and I just signed up for my first triathlon to be held in June 2010. ppka!"

ZuLu '86  has been remiss in writing since Homecoming 2008, which was "one of the most inspiring, life-affirming weekends in my life.  It was so great to reconnect with so many Pikes and get their support."

"Christmas Eve 2009 was the 18 month anniversary of my diagnosis with Cholangiocarcinoma — bile duct cancer — which we think is pretty much a miracle considering the doctors only gave me 6 to 12 months to live.  Every day is a wonderful present and I am living life to its fullest.  I have been on chemotherapy continuously since July 2008.  Considering all of that,  I am doing really well physically and emotionally. I am participating in a clinical chemotherapy trial out of Nashville (about a 4 hr drive) that is showing promising results for me with minimal side effects. I am still working a fairly full schedule (about 8:30 to 3PM) each day in between doctors appointments and trips to Nashville."

"I have seen Jeff Lowe several times.  He and Dik Saalfeld met my wife, Coleen, and me for drinks and dinner in Baltimore (while we were up for a consultation at Johns Hopkins) back in November ’08 and we met up again Lowie again this fall in Blatmo.  Lowie also made a trip down to Hotlanta to keep me company while I got 6 hours of IV chemotherapy. To raise money to fight cholangiocarcinoma and to remind me of what a hosebag and a@#hole I really am, friends of mine arranged an open bar 'roast' of yours truly in February 2009.  It got pretty wild and outrageous. Jeff Lowe, Lars Fuchs and Bob Forness ’87 managed to make the trip down to roast my hindparts. And to think I liked those guys . . ."

"This spring, Coleen and I also made a quickie trip to NYC to see the Mets’ new CitiField and managed to get together hastily with Lars Fuchs ’86 and his wife for cocktails at Pete’s. Fortunately, without a napkin on my head, no one recognized me or tried to kick me out of my old watering hole. Warren Kurtzman ’87, Mike Greenberg ‘85 and Joe Kane ’86 all made detours this Summer from previously scheduled trips to make time to visit us in Atlanta. It was great to spend a few hours with some old bros like me reminiscing and laughing about what fools we were and are. I do feel bad that I didn’t feel well enough to see Bill Page ’86 over the 4th of July when he was in town with his studly volleyball playing son, Robbie.  But sometimes,  chemo just kicks your ass and you have to just accept that."

I just appreciate all the support, kindness and other phi phi K A stuff, via email, Facebook, phone calls, text messages and otherwise (special thanks to Chow and Thrax).  It means the world to me and keeps me fighting. If you are ever going to be in Atlanta,  just email me  and let me know.

Huck DeVenzio '69  writes that the summer reception during Reunion Weekend was a welcome gesture that was nicely done. "Thank you for the event, and congratulations on doing it well."

Neil Best '82  had dinner in NYC in November '09 with a bevy of Pikes slightly younger than him, including Casey Sayre '83, Paul Wessel '83, Paul Linskey '84, Ed Conti '83, Mike McCoy '84, Kevin O'Connell '84, Steve Bloom '85, Ed Catto '84, Bob Forness '87, Elliott Dee '84, and one or two others. "Catto convinced a bunch of nubile twenty-something females that it was Conti's batchelor party, so they posed for pictures with him . Highly amusing."