November 2013:
Bob - As always, it's great to hear from you. I have a bit of news since we last spoke. At an age when many of us are considering retiring, I began a new career. Last April, I resigned from my law firm where I practiced real estate development for 39 years, and entered a new business - the furniture business to be exact. After being courted by a long-time client, I accepted the position of Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Ethan Allen Global, Inc. the corporate parent of one of the world's premier furniture and home furnishings
manufacturer and seller. Corporate life is quite different from the somewhat academic law firm life. Although I'm enjoying my new role, I'll weigh in again at our 50th.
My maritime license has followed your aviation license. Due to severe hearing loss and worsening eye sight, I was unable to qualify medically for a renewal of my Captain's ticket. The Coast Guard allowed me to obtain a Certificate of Continuity, which authorizes me to continue to use the title Captain, but not to work.
Family life remains good. My daughter, Megan, gave birth to our first grandson. My son, Charlie, was married this past June, and son Alex, our musician, released an album in July. Now if I can convince him to return to grad school! Gloria published her second book. Both are selling well.
That's pretty much it. Please stay on touch, and you have an open invitation to drop on (announced or unannounced) the next time you're parked in my driveway. Best regards. Eric
An addendum: It might have been 2011 or so, Donna and I were in southeast CT, searching out Dann genealogy that is common to both of us. I knew that we would be in Eric's "backyard", but had been reluctant to call him because I had no idea of what our schedule might turn into. At the end of the day, we were literally two miles from his house so we swung by and saw cars in the driveway. I hate to just barge in on unsuspecting folks, so I called him.
He answered, and said he had just got home... When did I think I would arrive? I told him I was at the top of his driveway and would arrive shortly...
February, 2007
No news this year from the usually- entertaining Mr Koster, but I have added a picture of him and Gloria with Sandy Rising at the reunion.
January 2005:
Subj: Re: Meeting House
Date: 12/20/2004 9:29:58 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: CapKoster
To: RTilden
As you observed, there really is not much going on. We blink, and 20 or 30 or 40 years goes by. Two of my children are through their undergraduate years, and are developing lives on their own. My daughter Megan lives in Atlanta, and my son Charlie lives in New York. They are in advertising/public relations and law, respectively.
My youngest son Alex, who is a talented heavy metal musician (yes, I know what an oxymoron is),is a sophomore in high school, and may, if his guitar teacher has his way over my objection, start to play professionally. I'm thrilled at his recognition, but skeptical of the lifestyle. Remember the Paul Simon lyric, "I was underage in a smoky bar . . . stepped outside and smoked myself a J . . . turned my amp up loud and began to play"?
On the opposite side of the cultural divide, my bride of 34 years continues to enthral children with the joys of literature as an elementary school librarian in New Canaan, Connecticut. I continue to plod along practicing law in White Plains...
...However, having now convinced the members of the real estate litigation team of a competitive firm to jump ship and join my firm, I am hoping to pass the reins and start to relax. My greatest source of pride, though, is my reciept earlier this year of a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner license as a commercial captain. I'm not going to use it for anything other than wallpaper, but earning it proved to me that I picked up a few bits and pieces of information and some skills over the course of 50 or so years in, around, and occasionally under the water.
OK. You win. Send me your address and I'll send you a photo. Just don't let Laemmle make any graphic editorial comments where my hair used to be. The idea of a 40th reunion sounds great. I'll be there. Thanks so much for being the glue that holds us together. I really appreciate your efforts. All the best. Merry Christmas and a wonderful new year. Eric
Spring 2004
Eric and I talked on the phone for at least half an hour last November, but I can't recall a single thing
that either of us said. I assume that I wrote a few notes and lost them. Sorry Eric!
He was well though, things were going smoothly for him and the family, and nothing much has changed. He still enjoys work and has no real plans for retirement
It was good to talk after so many years!
Subj: Re: still begging
Date: 4/8/2002 10:03:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: CapKoster
To: RTilden
Bob - I got your e-mail requesting updated information, and haven't been ignoring you. Its just that I have nothing to write. The biggest news, which doesn't really involve me, is that my daugther, Megan, is graduating with honors from Skidmore on May 19th. Actually, I suppose it does involve me in that I won't be paying tuition next year. I'm not so fortunate fiscally with my son, Charlie, who is finishing his sophormore year at Colgate. He landed a fantastic summer job as sailing instructor and racing coach at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire (pronounced, as I have now learned - Dun Leary - as in Timothy), Ireland. Great opportunity - lousy pay. His salary will be sufficient to cover air fare, housing, and he's quick to tell you, an almost unlimited supply of Guinness. Ah, youth!! I'm jealous. My youngest, Alex, has turned out to be quite a guitarist - heavy metal and shred styles - who, having mastered Ozzy Osborne's repertoire, can pass sonically (thank God, not visually) for Ozzy's guitarist, Zack Wylde. It's not intolerable once you get used to the sound of a fully distorted100 watt Marshall stack in the family room. But even that's better than going to one of their concerts, where the sheer volume of amplification causes sympathetic vibrations in various internal organs the names and exact locations of which are known only to gastroenterologists. My poor old dog, Dylan, has now surpassed all expectations of longevity for Labrador Retrievers, and has been nicknamed by his vet as MethusaLab. Absolutely nothing new about me or my perky bride of 31 years. Keep up the efforts. They are greatly apprecicated.
Eric
Subj: Re: Meeting House news
Date: 5/23/2001 6:47:26 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: CapKoster
To: RTilden
Bob - The "Meetinghouse" stuff looks good. Better yet, you might like to know that my wife and I had the pleasure of spending a few delightful hours with Dave Pratt on the evening of May 12th. Our mutual love of sailing created the happenstance for the sharing of a few drinks and lots of memories. Dave is a member of Larchmont Yacht Club. As a flag officer of Norwalk Yacht Club, I attended Larchmont's commissioning ceremony. After the official festivities, Dave came up to me and said "Hi, Eric". After seeing the obvious deer-in-the-headlight look on my face, he graciously introduced himself, generously saving me from even greater embarassment. We had a wonderful time catching up on 35 years plus or minus of history. It turns out that he lives not all that far from me and has raced against me on the water (I'm sure he won, but had the kindness not to mention that). He told me that he had the basic scoop on me through the website. Wow. The world is indeed small. Keep up the good work.
By the way, once again I have forgotten how to gain access to the website. Sorry. I'm technologically challenged. Please e-mail me the correct incantation. Also, please let me know how I go about submitting a photo. You're right. After seeing the picture of you and Jay, I've changed my opinion. I don't look as bad as I thought - especially in a formal photo with the whole family (except the dog) taken at a recent wedding.
Eric03-11-01
Eric replied my E-mail for Meeting House news with details of the things he mentioned earlier. I would have substituted the new for the old,
but I thought that there was enough "other" stuff mixed in with it that it was worth keeping. I wrote him back, bugging for a picture; It doesn't seem fair that
we shouldn't have a picture of the family or the boat just because he has no hair.
Subj: Re: news request.
Date: 3/9/2001 6:07:36 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: CapKoster
To: RTilden
Bob - No pictures of any worth - besides I haven't aged all that well. The intensity of the flash bouncing off my (very) bald skull usually causes the rest of me to be under exposed, a phenomenon which, according to my wife and kids, is of tremendous benefit to anyone looking at the photo. What's news? Calls for updates on the status of my life are depressing as they compel me to search for anything which may of interest to anyone other than me. Usually there isn't anything. By way of biographical info, though, your loyal readers may want any part (or no part) of the following:
1. I have been practicing law since 1974 - ye gods! - and for the past 17 years have been a partner in a mid-sized law firm in White Plains, New York. Although my firm has a general practice, I head our group which concentrates in real estate development and related litigation. This has the advantage of allowing me to work not only in the area of land use law, but also corporate, contract, construction, and muncipal. Over the past few years, I have had the good fortune to become local counsel to a number of foreign developers with projects in New York City and the surrounding northern suburbs.
2. Gloria, my perky bride of 30 years, is an elementary school librarian working in the New Canaan, Connecticut Public Schools. We met while in college, and married after her junior year. Not only is she gorgeous, the love of my life, smarter than anyone has a right to be, and the best mother our 3 kids could possibly want, but also my moral and intellectual compass. At least thats what she tells me.
3. My 3 children, Megan (21), Charlie (19), and Alex (12), are, respectively, a junior at Skidmore (studying abroad in England this year), a freshman at Colgate, and a sixth grader in our local middle school. Great kids! They keep me young. They keep me earning. Not only do I like them, but they tell me that I'm their favorite father. Our yellow Lab, Dylan (13), hasn't yet learned that he's not a puppy, or a lap dog, or that the new couch wasn't purchased just for him. All in all, my family life couldn't be better. I'm truly blessed.
4. Recreation. I sail. I am the Commodore of my yacht club. Although my wife and kids (including my dog) are accomplished sailors, they all (especially my dog) wish I would take up a different recreational activity. It's amazing everything they put up with just to be with me. If everything goes according to plan, next year I'm skippering my C&C 41, "Glory", in the 2002 Bermuda race. That's if everything goes according to plan.
5. I think the web-site you set up is phenomenal, and really appreciate your efforts to bring us all together. Thanks a million. I look forward to hearing news on our classmates.
Eric
Subj: Re: Fall Fair
Date: 10/16/00 5:41:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: CapKoster
To: RTilden
Bob. Thanks for your e-mail note and card. Unfortunately, long- standing plans call for me to sail to Block Island on the homecoming weekend, and therefore I will be unable to visit.
I recently exchanged e-mail updates with Jay and Bill. It was wonderful to hear from them since I have been in touch with no one for + or - 35 years. One exception, though, I bumped into Anne Sykes last spring, and we spent some time catching up. She didn't have much information on the rest of the class.
I'm not certain whether my e-mail to Jay was circulated to everyone who was on his distribution list - and hesitate to bore you with the rather humdrum facts of my life. I am happily married to my bride of 29 years, Gloria. We have three children. My eldest two - daughter Megan (20) and son Charlie (18) - are in college - Skidmore and Colgate, respectively. My youngest son, Alex (11) is in 6th grade. Our only classmate in worse shape than I when it comes to being old when our youngest child graduates from college will be Dave Laemmle, who Jay told me, just got married.
I have been practicing law for about 26 years. For the past 16, I have been a member of a medium sized firm in White Plains concentrating on real estate development, construction, and related litigation. Generally, life's OK. How are you? What are you up to? Where are you? etc. Please drop a line.
All the best,
Eric