"Across the Universe"

 As I recently reached the age of 69, I find it easier to reminisce about the past. When you have lived this long, there are many people that have passed through your life and some, probably all, have made some kind of connection. Those connections always interest me and I like to ponder them. Of course, the top connection is family, and classmates while in school, people on sports teams, co-workers, and just people you meet at the store or who fix your car. All pass through the life that you lead, and across the universe, all these connections make you who you are.

Early Connection

I started to get the Midd Magazine, a Middlebury College alumni periodical. My dad, a Graduate from Middlebury College in 1949, always got the magazine and when he died, so did his subscription. Not being a Middlebury graduate myself, I always enjoyed going through each issue. One day, I took a shot, sending a letter and asking if I could get a subscription. The response was 'we will send you all the issues at no charge'. I usually make an annual donation to the Magazine.

Each issue is full of interesting information including some great stories about what is happening in Middlebury. Of course, there is a Class Notes section, year-by-year updates from members of each class. I am always amazed at how many names I recognize. There is also a section for Obituaries of students and staff. I always check every name, their age, and where they died. One could be a neighbor here in Florida.

Sometimes, I find connections to my life. Here are a few people, all from the Summer 2026 Issue.

Marshall Eddy

Although it was in the class of 1965 section, the notes were announcing that Mr. Eddy had died in September of 2025. It said he was a teacher at Middlebury Union High School (MUHS) for 47 years. That is where we connected.

MUHS 1972 Yearbook (my Freshman year)

In the notes, there were things I did not know about him. He spent a year at Yale and then joined the Army. He was stationed in Germany as a Russian Language Radio Intercept Operator. He then went to Middlebury College as a Russian Major. He then graduated from Michigan Law School cum laude. He came back to Middlebury to practice. I recently became aware of this part when in 2023 I read the book by Middlebury Lawyer Peter Langrock titled "Addison County Justice: Tales from a Vermont Court House." Mr. Eddy was mentioned in some of the cases.

MUHS 1975 Yearbook (my Senior Year)

My Freshmen year I had a Social Studies class with him, and as a Sophomore I had a Psychology class. But it was my Senior Year when I got to know him the best. I joined a Mime Club that he was the leader/teacher. Here is a photo of him in the MUHS theater. Other Mimes in the photo are Mark Covey, Laurie Ross and Gunilla Holma. The great things there were a lot more girls than boys in the club.

Mr. Eddy thought so much of me as a student that he wrote this heartfelt message in my Yearbook.

I have included a photo of my Tiger T-Shirt above in the post, which was also in the 1975 Yearbook.

Mr. Eddy, along with Mr. Forstein (another Marshall), directed our class Senior play Annie Get Your Gun. I played the part of Buffalo Bill. Here I am singing (yeah right) with classmates Ted Panicucci and Bonnie Hunt as Annie Oakley.

Although the news of his death is very sad, my Connection with him was always positive, and definitely made me a better person. RIP Mr. Marshall Eddy.

Alice Perine

To my surprise, a name in the Obituaries section was Mrs., Alice Perine from the class of 1947. It said she was 100 and died in Middlebury. It mentioned that she was an English Teacher at MUHS for 26 years. That is my Connection. She taught me English my Sophomore year.

MUHS 1972 Yearbook

Mrs. Perine was married to Gordie Perine, who worked for Middlebury College when I was still in school. They had four kids together: Perry, Ken, Sue, and Ron.

My main Connection was with Sue, who was in the same class as me all through the years at MUHS. We were good friends but I lost touch with her after graduation in 1975.

Her youngest son Ron was behind me in school, and I played sports with him. My Connection is that we are still friends on Facebook.

I did not know the oldest brother Perry but I have a Connection with Ken. He married Carolyn Leggett who I have known since I was a little kid. I actually talked to both of them when I was last in Middlebury. If I start naming all the Leggett's I know, this post will never end.

Again, I was sad to see that Mrs. Perine had died, but living to 100 is nice. May she Rest in Peace.

Chuck Martin

In the Midd Magazine, they do the obits by graduation year and then they have a special section for Staff. Again, even more surprised, there was Mr. Martin. He was a teacher and Coach at MUHS. He died back in March of 2026 at age 93. Some things I did not know was that he was in the Air Force for four years and reached the level of Staff Sergeant. He got a MS from Syracuse and came to MUHS in 1962 to teach Math and Science. 

My Connection was that Mr. Martin was my Baseball Coach at MUHS. As a Freshman, he brought me  to a few Varsity baseball games in case he needed a reliever which I was. Finally, near the end of the season, I got to pitch against the Varsity South Burlington at their field. I think I pitched one or two innings, but the real interesting Connection was that an All-Star player on SB was Jack Leggett, who I got to pitch against in that game. Five years later I was playing for Jack at UVM on the Baseball team. He did not believe me when I said I had pitched to him in High School, but from Chuck to Jack, what a Connection.

Mr. Martin was also an assistant  football coach. He was coaching when my sister Patsy was a cheerleader and when brother John and Tom both played. I knew him since I was a kid.

The obit said that Mr. Martin joined the College in 1987 as the assistant equipment manager. He remained doing that for 22 years. He was predeceased by Gail Jette, another Connection for me.

Bruce Costello

Another staff obituary was Bruce. He was a contract painter for the college for many years. He was 72 when he died in Salisbury, Vermont back in January of 2026. Things I did not know was that he played a Hammond Organ for many bands around Vermont and New England. Back in the 1980s while playing for the band Katonah, they opened for the Doobie Brothers, Foghat, the Association, and Peter Tork of the Monkees.

My Connection to Bruce was golf. I started playing in the Member-Guest at Neshobe with brother Tom, and played a few times against Bruce. I have some pictures of him from 2015.

Bruce teeing off

Bruce with his partner Albie Cousineau (in blue)

Bruce hitting out of the rough

I think I had heard that he had died, but it was still a surprise to me when I read it in the magazine. RIP Bruce.

Carol Armstrong

I did not immediately recognize this name but what caught my eye was they had her under a special section in the Obituaries called Friend. So I read it and found that she was 105 when she passed in Hanover New Hampshire. Her husband was Jim Armstrong, who was the 12th President of Middlebury College from 1963-1975. My Connection is that her daughter Elizabeth was a classmate of mine in Junior High and Senior High. I don't think she graduated with us.

She was still a classmate in 1972 when we were Freshmen. I am in the front row middle because I was VP of the Freshmen class. Liz is in Row 7.

I tried to zoom in but resolution not to great back in 1972.

Liz is five in from the right in the next to last row

I did find some information on her. Elizabeth Armstrong, associate professor of East Asian studies at Bucknell University, who is married to Erik Lofgren, also an associate professor of East Asian studies at Bucknell, and together they have two daughters, Rebekah and Mariah. And a fairly recent photo...

Liz

Jim Armstrong died in 2013 at 94. I think I met Mrs. Armstrong once when I visited the President's house on South Street in Middlebury. May you Rest in Peace Mrs. Carol Armstrong..

About Title

"Across the Universe" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles. It was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song first appeared on the 1969 various artists' charity compilation album No One's Gonna Change Our World and later, in a different form, on their 1970 album Let It Be, the group's final released studio album. The song has been covered by many artists, including David Bowie on his 1975 album Young Americans, which featured contributions from Lennon.

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