70s

Steve Rankin ’75 wins Drama Desk award for Fight Choreography for “Carousel.” Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York City theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway compete against each other in the same category. What sets Drama Desk Awards apart is that they are voted on and bestowed by theater critics, journalists, editors and publishers covering theater, without any vested interest in the results. Steve is currently working as fight director for the stage production of “Henry IV,” starring Tom Hanks. Previous credits include, “Guys and Dolls” and “Jersey Boys.”

 80s

Brenda White Wright ’87 and Rep. David Hawk ’89 are among those named to the inaugural Certificate of Public Advantage Local Advisory Council. The State of Tennessee issued a Certificate of Public Advantage on January 31, allowing the merger of Wellmont Health System and Mountain States Health Alliance. The new entity is known as Ballad Health. TDH is required by law to actively supervise Ballad Health to ensure the continuation of the public benefit of the merger. A Terms of Certification document was created as part of the COPA process and outlines the procedure for active supervision by the state of Ballad Health. This active supervision structure includes a local advisory council that will facilitate input from residents of the geographic area served by Ballad Health. The Terms of Certification require the council be comprised of eight to 10 community leaders and be supported by the TDH Division of Health Planning.

Local advisory council responsibilities include:
• Recommending to TDH how funds in the Population Health Initiatives Fund should be spent
• In coordination with TDH, hosting an annual public hearing to allow a formal process for the public to comment on annual reports from Ballad Health and the COPA Compliance Office  and the ongoing performance of Ballad Health
• Publishing the Local Advisory Council Annual Report that incorporates community feedback for review by the COPA monitor and TDH after the annual public hearing

90s

Patricia McKoy ’95 has been named to the Hamilton County Partnership Network Advisory Board. The Tennessee Department of Education stated that the advisory board will review the progress of the five schools in the Partnership Network – which have been deemed to be Priority schools by the state – and make recommendations to the Hamilton County Board of Education and Network leadership to support students’ growth and development. The Advisory Board includes a variety of community leaders, including those who have attended or who had family attend the schools in the Partnership Network. In addition to their passion for serving all kids, the diversity of the members’ backgrounds and experience will help to ensure the Partnership Network focuses on serving students’ needs both in and out of the classroom. Patricia is a retired educator, who served most of her career in the Hamilton County Department of Education. She helped to launch the Paideia model at Chattanooga School of Arts and Sciences, the school from which she retired in 2015. She was part of the Public Education Foundation/HCDE Leadership Fellows, Cohort 12. She earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. In addition, she was awarded a master’s degree from Tusculum College and education specialist degree from Tennessee Technological University.

 00s

Lauren Baes ’02 received the Tennessee Athletic Trainer’s Backbone of the Year Award in January. Lauren is currently the head athletic trainer at Father Ryan High School with STAR Physical Therapy in Nashville, TN.

10s

Persistence. A little luck. And some good hearted people. It all came together recently for LaFollette Middle School 8th grade math teacher, Olivia Lobertini ’16. Through a written request to DonorsChoose.org, she was able to receive two iPads. And that was great. But she needed 26 more to have one for every one of her students. Lobertini figured if she could at least come up with half of the 28, it would be a step in the right direction. When retired United Airline Pilot Dale Bruskotter closed on his Sugar Hollow Lake home this spring, he sent word to Olivia to come to the closing. He presented the young woman he calls an angel with a check for a thousand dollars. Lobertini told him the money was going toward buying two more iPads for her classroom and explained her plan and progress. Bruskotter surmised that from here, it was a long, long way to 28 iPads. He quietly went to work calling in a few favors from some of his old United Airlines contacts and securing help from United’s “United in the Community” charitable partnership arm. In the end, he came away with 24 more iPads. Needless to say, life and learning will be dramatically different in Classroom 406 come August.

1950s

Robert Jaeger ’59 of Cresskill passed away on June 6. Bob was a teacher at Holdrum School in River Vale, retiring in 1992. He was an avid local high school sports enthusiast and was a long-time supporter of the Tusculum Pioneer Club and athletics. In lieu of flowers donations to the Office of Concern, Englewood would be appreciated.

1960s

Morton Vaughan Plumb Jr. ’65 passed away on February 5, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, after a battle with cancer. His family was by his side. Mort graduated from Delaware Township High School in Cherry Hill, N.J. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history/political science from Tusculum. Mort held a Master of Business Administration in business management from Marymount University. He completed post-graduate studies in project management and systems analysis at American University in Washington, D.C., the Executive Management programs at Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. After college, Mort joined the U.S. Air Force. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1967, and earned his pilot wings in 1968. He married his college sweetheart, and the love of his life, Sydney Anne Hartle. He was then stationed in Vietnam and Thailand with the 1st Air Commando Wing accumulating more than 500 combat hours. Mort’s 27-year Air Force career took his family to many different stateside bases, including Germany, the Pentagon and Alaska. At Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, he was promoted to Colonel in 1989. He was Director of Operations for the Alaskan Command, Chief of Staff of 11th Air Force, and Vice Commander of 11th Air Force. He was an F-4E fighter pilot. His professional military education included Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College. Mort was a command pilot with more than 4,100 flying hours and 515 combat hours. He retired from active duty in 1994. After retiring from the U.S. Air Force as a Colonel, he transitioned into his next role as the Director of Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport from 1995-2008. Mort was honored to be a member of the First National Bank Board of Directors, and in 2008 he became the chief operating officer of the bank. He concluded his service as the director and COO of First National Bank of Alaska. Because he had a passion for helping others, Mort was an active dedicated board member of the Fisher House of Alaska, a “home away from home” for families of patients receiving medical care at military and Veterans Affairs medical centers. He also served proudly on the board of directors for the following organizations: First National Bank of Alaska, Commonwealth North, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, Airports Council International and Armed Services YMCA of Alaska and the Executive Board of the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games, Alaska. Mort was a member of the American Association of Airport Executives, the Downtown Anchorage Rotary and the UAA College of Fellows and a board member of the Gulfstream Condominium in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was a recipient of the Armed Services YMCA Robert B. Atwood Award for Outstanding Civilian of the Year in 2006.

1970s

Barbara Ann Jenks ’74

Mrs. Barbara Ann Jenks ’74 of Forest, VA, passed away suddenly on June 3 at her home. She was born on December 21, 1952, in Butler, New Jersey. She was a graduate of Tusculum College with a bachelor’s degree in education. She devoted more than 35 years as an elementary school special education teacher, as well as a kindergarten teacher at numerous schools throughout the Lynchburg City School System.  She loved her friends, quilting community and her church; Fort Hill United Methodist Church, where she was an active member of the church choir and various church committees. She was incredibly gifted in hand crafts including quilting, embroidering and clothing design. Her passion for quilting was amplified through the trips she organized at Travel Lover’s. Barbara enjoyed working at Travel Lover’s during her retirement years. Barbara will be remembered for her huge smile, positive outlook, love and devotion to her family and friends and her incredible gift of creativity. The family asks in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to Fort Hill United Methodist Church.

Bonnie Bowman Legerski ’75 passed away on May. 10. Bonnie was the sister of Dr. Kenneth A. Bowman ’70, a member of the Tusculum Board of Trustees and past-chair. She attended Tusculum in the 1970-’71 academic year.  Other family members who attended Tusculum include her Dad, Ray L. Bowman ’42 and brother Glenn Bowman ’72.  Following her time at Tusculum Bonnie always lived in the west, primarily Montana and Wyoming. In recent years Bonnie and Don Legerski lived in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Bonnie’s given name was Bonita Susan Bowman. She was 65 when she died.

In Remembrance:

Denis Lavern Simone ’65 of Hawthorne, New Jersey. Simone was born on May 2, 1942. His home of record is Hawthorne, New Jersey. He graduated from Hawthorne High School in 1960. His future goals included graduating from medical school. He was a member of the Bible Club.

Denis L. Simone

Simone graduated in 1965 from Tusculum College and shortly after enlisted in the U.S. Navy. During Navy recruit training he was awarded the “American Spirit Honor Medal,” which was given to only one recruit in 4,000 who displays outstanding qualities of leadership, honor, initiative and high example of comrades-in-arms.

While in Navy Corpsman school Simone married Elizabeth “Betty” Opderbeck of Hawthorne whom he had met in high school. Simone was sent to Navy Corpsman Pharmacy School in San Diego, California, and remained there with his wife after completion of school. On Jan. 26, 1968 their son, Anthony, was born.

Prior to being sent to Vietnam in July of 1968, Simone completed Marine Corps Field Medical School at Camp Pendleton in California. In Vietnam, Simone was stationed at Chu Lai Airbase with a Marine Air Wing. On Oct. 23, 1968, Simone was killed when the rifle of a Marine accidentally discharged. Simone was buried with full military honors at Fair Lawn Cemetery in Fair Lawn on Oct. 31, 1968.

Simone is remembered at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial and Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center located in Holmdel, New Jersey.