Don was SUCH a sweetheart; kind, funny, thoughtful . . . a good friend to have. At some point, perhaps after graduation, I remember driving around with him and he would lean out the window at stoplights and ask "questions" of passersby in absolutely unintelligible gibberish. He would look perfectly earnest while doing so and his would-be helpers never realized they were being snookered. My recollection is that he drowned while swimming somewhere overseas a few years later. What a loss. He was a person of faith and I expect to see him again someday.
Don's parents & mine were very good friends, so I knew his family well growing up, even before starting school. He had the best laugh--a "giggle", really--such a book-smart, gentle soul. And a collection of comic books that was stacked to the ceiling! He was attending grad school somewhere out East (American U?) & went to Beirut for summer study just when that region was becoming quite unsettled & violence was starting to break out. I'm sure he naively befriended the "wrong" people and was murdered--found drowned somewhere over there. My uncle Dick Reiser was in the CIA & also over there at the time--did some investigating, but of course, the perpetrators were never brought to justice. A terrible thing for his family to deal with--they were all devastated, of course. He has 3 younger sisters all living in Columbus, one (Bev) lives with his mother Helen who is 86 & has Alzheimers--still living on Cranford Rd. as far as I know. Have tried to get in touch, but Pat (oldest daughter) hasn't responded to my calls or notes--will try again this year.
I'll see if I can contact Pat...we spoke many times about her brother's mystery..thanks to you Jill, maybe she can find some closure, even if it's partial...
At the last reunion, I spoke to Pat Rhodes about Don, remembering his sense of humor and dry wit. I also gave her a pack of letters from Don written the summer after senior year, when Don was working at Camp Miniwanca in Michigan. I think the family knew that Don's death was probably not accidental. Truly a wonderful friend.
Carol J. Gillespie
Don's death in the 70's is still a mystery as far as we know. I have not heard from his sister in a few years.Gary Allen
Don was SUCH a sweetheart; kind, funny, thoughtful . . . a good friend to have. At some point, perhaps after graduation, I remember driving around with him and he would lean out the window at stoplights and ask "questions" of passersby in absolutely unintelligible gibberish. He would look perfectly earnest while doing so and his would-be helpers never realized they were being snookered.My recollection is that he drowned while swimming somewhere overseas a few years later. What a loss. He was a person of faith and I expect to see him again someday.
Jill Reiser (Jill Reiser McDermott)
Don's parents & mine were very good friends, so I knew his family well growing up, even before starting school. He had the best laugh--a "giggle", really--such a book-smart, gentle soul. And a collection of comic books that was stacked to the ceiling! He was attending grad school somewhere out East (American U?) & went to Beirut for summer study just when that region was becoming quite unsettled & violence was starting to break out. I'm sure he naively befriended the "wrong" people and was murdered--found drowned somewhere over there. My uncle Dick Reiser was in the CIA & also over there at the time--did some investigating, but of course, the perpetrators were never brought to justice. A terrible thing for his family to deal with--they were all devastated, of course. He has 3 younger sisters all living in Columbus, one (Bev) lives with his mother Helen who is 86 & has Alzheimers--still living on Cranford Rd. as far as I know. Have tried to get in touch, but Pat (oldest daughter) hasn't responded to my calls or notes--will try again this year.Jim Freeman
I'll see if I can contact Pat...we spoke many times about her brother's mystery..thanks to you Jill, maybe she can find some closure, even if it's partial...Ann Tarbutton (Ann Tarbutton Gerhart)
At the last reunion, I spoke to Pat Rhodes about Don, remembering his sense of humor and dry wit. I also gave her a pack of letters from Don written the summer after senior year, when Don was working at Camp Miniwanca in Michigan. I think the family knew that Don's death was probably not accidental. Truly a wonderful friend.