Welcome to The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 247.

Help Needed

Elyse Rame Beyer (1974) Writes as follows:

“Please Help My Daughter’s Family Rebuild After a Fire.

Anyone who knows me knows that all my kids and grandkids mean the world to me. I feel blessed they are all OK and safe. That is everything. Nevertheless, as a mom and ‘gaga,’ as I am called, I am hurting so much for all of them.

My daughter, son-in-law, and their three boys (ages 11, 9, and 7) experienced a devastating house fire in New Orleans. In a matter of hours, they lost everything—their home, all their furniture and belongings, clothing, shoes, coats, medications, cell phones, laptops, and all the boys’ toys, including the special gifts I just sent for the holidays. They are now left with nothing and no place to stay, facing the unimaginable right before the holidays.

They had been renting their home. Unfortunately, they did not have renters’ insurance, which means they have no safety net to help them recover from this loss. This is why we are reaching out for help from family, friends, the community and beyond.

The immediate priority is finding them a safe place to live. After that, they will need to replace everything: furniture, beds, a sofa, table and chairs, pots and pans, plates, utensils, clothes, shoes, coats, underwear, pajamas, bedding, pillows, sheets, blankets, food, dog food, a dog bed, toys, towels, and all the daily essentials that make a house a home. The road ahead is overwhelming, but every bit of support will help them rebuild and bring comfort and stability back to the boys’ lives.

My daughter has always dedicated herself to helping others, working in fundraising for community events and schools. She and her family have been beloved members of every community they’ve lived in. Now, they need the kindness and generosity of others to help them through this crisis. Any support you can offer—no matter how small—will make a world of difference as they start over. Unknowing all the actual costs, the amount target was posted as a beginning. We wanted to start immediately so that they can feel some sense of support, as they are frightened and in shock. They are a beautiful and very loving family, and your generosity is one that is an act of love, giving, and kindness.

We all thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion and generosity.

If you would like to donate, please go to the following link:

https://www.freefunder.com/campaign/rebuilding-a-life

California, Here We Come

Rich (Richard) Weissman (1972) writes – “TO ALL WHEATLEY GRADUATES FROM ALL YEARS — YOU’RE INVITED TO A WONDERFUL EVENT IN PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, AT MY HOME ON THE WEEKEND OF MARCH 21/22, 2026. See the invitation below and RSVP. And spread the word to other Wildcats from ALL classes – this event is not just for one class (and if you can, email it to others you know in your class and in other classes). Everyone is invited.

INVITATION

Please join my husband, J.D. Horn, and me at our Palm Springs, California home for a special Wheatley event...

Saturday March 21, 2026 – Dinner Party at 5:00 pm through late evening

Sunday March 22, 2026 – Poolside Party Lunch at 11:00 am thru late afternoon

Saturday evening will be a catered buffet dinner with champagne and wine, live music, and entertainment. The next day, Sunday, will be a poolside party with a catered buffet lunch. Attire will be very casual for both days. If 20 people come, that’s great; if 200 people come, that’s great, too. You are all my guests for both events (my husband and I will pick up all costs for both events at our home; you are responsible for your own travel/accommodations).

To make it easy to RSVP “yes” or “maybe,” simply email me at rweissman@hotmail.com and note the information for each item below (if you can’t make it, there is no need to reply, but if your plans change let me know). Feel free to bring guests, and just note them.

. Your First and Last Name (please include maiden name, too):

. Your Wheatley Graduating Class – Note Year:

. RSVP Attending Saturday Dinner Event – Note “Yes” or “Maybe”:

. RSVP Attending Sunday Lunch Event – Note “Yes” or “Maybe”:

. Best Email Address:

. Best Cell Number:

. # of People, Including Yourself and Your Guest(s) for Saturday Dinner Event – Note Total #:

. # of People, Including Yourself and Your Guest(s) for Sunday Lunch Event – Note Total #:

. If Guests, Names of Your Guest(s) (and if any of your guests are Wheatley graduates, please note their graduating class year):

. If you would like your guest(s) to be on email blasts about the event, please list their email addresses:

. Comments/Questions/Special Needs:

Our home is in the scenic Andreas Hills neighborhood in Palm Springs on Avenida Sevilla (just south of downtown, surrounded by the San Jacinto Mountains). It was designed for large entertaining and can handle sizable events both indoors as well as outdoors by the pool, with functions ranging from 50 to 350+ people. To see some photos of a few of the many events we’ve hosted, you can go to my website and look at my charitable page at www.richweissman.com.

Palm Springs (from Los Angeles, 2-hour drive east) is the iconic Southern California historic (movie/entertainment industry) desert resort destination, designed for people to visit (and live) and enjoy themselves in our beautiful city. Getting around Palm Springs with Lyft/Uber is easy. It’s a small city, and the airport (PSP) is fast and easy (it’s outdoors). The airport is right downtown, and our house is only eight minutes from downtown. If you want information on hotels, etc., just ask me.”

Rich (aka Richard) Weissman

Class of 1972 (but graduated in 1971 and not in the 1972 yearbook)

Attended North Side grades 1-6, and then Junior and Senior High at Wheatley

cell: 503.250.4545

email: rweissman@hotmail.com

website: www.richweissman.com

Palm Springs (Andreas Hills), San Francisco (Nob Hill), Black Butte Ranch (Cascades Mountains Central Oregon)

Class of 1966 Reunion Planning

A group of 1966 graduates, including Beverly Berman Hornick, Amy Gruskin Gerstein, Alison Kent Bermant, Diana Noble Rubinge, Suzanne Stone, and at least one guy, are starting to plan a 60th-Year Reunion. If you would like to help, please contact Suzanne by telephone or text at 917-972-0215.

Wheatley Sports - Girls Lacrosse

Lisa Buxbaum Rouff (1973) Writes - “Hi Art, I enjoyed the article about women’s lacrosse provided by Helen Burns Olsson (1984). The use of the phrase ‘nearly brand new’ jumped out at me. I don’t know the first time women played lacrosse at Wheatley, but enclosed is the list of names of the Varsity team in 1970 from the mother-daughter banquet.

1.      Melanie Artim (1974)

2.      Lisa Buxbaum (1973)

3.      Barbara Cooper (1973)

4.      Ellen Dellis (1970)

5.      Joan Dowdell (1973)

6.      Lisa Goldstein (1972)

7.      Bonnie Greenberg (1973) (graduated in 1972)

8.      Elyse Jaffe (1974)

9.      Jean Kappes (1972)

10.  Rose Louros (1973)

11.  Francesca Pardo (1974)

12.  Nancy Reich (1973)

13.  Kathy Ryan (1971)

14.  Lisa Schilling (1974)

15.  Tina Schilling (1972)

16.  Elizabeth Scuderi (1972)

17.  Diana Vincze (1974)

18.  Alison Walsh (1970)

19.  Jean Walsh (1972)

We were certainly early among Wheatley lacrosse players, also for our first times. You can check out our photographs in some of the yearbooks from the 1970s. We had a fun time learning to play.

Helen’s comments about how ‘taxing’ the practices were made me laugh. Lacrosse practice at Penn (where I also played field hockey for 4 years) was much more strenuous. After practice we had to run anywhere from 1 - 3 miles and then run stadiums.”

Graduates

1965 and 1967 - Robert Halper and Arthur Engoron

L-R - Art Engoron (1967) and Bob Halper (1965) - Inatesso Cafe, 38 Little West Street, New York, NY 10004 - Tuesday, December 16, 2025

1968 - Gary Kenton - “Here’s proof that I graduated from Kindergarten at North Side School.”

(Notice the signatures of Principal Walter Wathey (apparently by the then-current version of autopen) and Teacher Patricia Doxey).

“These two items surfaced in a recent cleanout.”

1974 - Paul Berger - Family Photo

Paul Writes - “After my prolonged absence, I’m now ‘checking in.’

Thank you, Art, and Deb Copeland (1974), for keeping the Wheatley legacy alive. As for myself, after an undistinguished academic tenure at Stony Brook, highlighted by a chance encounter at the beach (when, instead, I should have been studying), I eloped to Mexico. I found my way through Med School there, subsequently having the privilege over the next 35 years to provide G-d’s calling as a newborn intensivist. I’ve long since retired, and I share three beautiful adult kids with Debbie (Louis, Whit, and Ross, who grew up being a lot less trouble than I was back in the day). For the past 25 years, Debbie and I have been living in Gulf Breeze, Florida, just a bike ride over the bridge from Pensacola Beach. To my Wheatley classmates, as to whom I didn’t have the wisdom to get to know you better, please accept my regrets. To my Wheatley classmates who I was blessed to have mutually shared with, but regretfully didn’t stay in touch with, I joyfully reflect on the sung prose of the 1965 Beatles composition “My Life” ( “There are places I remember.......”). Wishing to all a merry and healthy Christmas and New Year. May G-d continue to bless us all!”

The WildCAT Pets Gallery

Fred Basset Cerillo, the soulful basset hound of Andy Cerillo (1962) and Mary Lee Holley Cerillo (1963)

Cleo, Maida Holzman Ingalls’s (1963) very opinionated four-year-old Vizsla (Hungarian hunting dog).

Buddy, Jane Madison’s (1970) Boston Terrier. “He has crossed the bridge but remains in my heart.”

Fan Mail

1961 (John Rigrod) - “I appreciate all you do!”

1965 (Sharon L. Neely Halm) - ❤️

1966 (Bette Spiro Neuman) - “The Wheatley Alumni Newsletter keeps us together.”

1966 (Suzanne Stone) - “Thanks for going above and beyond in all you do for us Wildcats, Art. You and Keith are just extraordinary for all your hard work. And, Happy Holidays to everyone!!”

1973 (Charlie Nash) (Graduated in 1972) - “I love the pictures of the dogs. I am a dog lover!!!”

1974 (Melanie Artim) - “I LOVE the pet gallery! Wonderful to read that the Wheatley Lacrosse Team went on to win great honors. Dr. Audrey Erickson and/or Ms. Loretta Wilson started us on Lacrosse in or shortly before 1970. Thank you, Art and Keith: you are the Best! Roar on, Wildcats.”

1974 (Paul Berger) - “Thanks, Art. I’m certain that keeping the Newsletter going is more work than most of us realize.”

The Official Notices

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the text that pops up, will get you to your on-line destination or will address an email.

The Usual Words of Wisdom

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 244 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at

The Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material.

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof. I cannot and do not vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me, as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker style fact-checking department.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught, worked, and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 247. Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Art

  Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967

  WHEATLEYALUMNI@AOL.COM

  ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

  WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

  646-872-4833