AFTER CENTRAL: after preparing at Central for medical school, I made a major switch just before graduation to attend seminary at New Brunswick Theological Seminary on the campus of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. After two marvelous years I chose two years of internship in Kalamazoo, MI that truly formed my career priorities. Graduated seminary in 1968. First parish in N. New Jersey near the George Washington Bridge…. years of Vietnam War, hippies and over 20 policemen in the congregation, pioneer ecumenical involvements, member of Reformed Church in America commission that challenged apartheid in South Africa, inspected hospitals and leper clinics in South India.
In 1974 took on a super challenge to join a staff ministry in Schenectady, NY at a congregation of 1100 adults of General Electric managers, engineers and research scientists (over 200 PHDs and two Nobel Prize winners in the pews on Sunday mornings). Spent thirteen years that stretched me intellectually and emotionally.
On to a new challenge…. moved to central New Jersey… took dying white congregation in an incredibly diverse area and it transformed into one of first multi-cultural, multi-racial congregations in the Reformed Church. For almost 20 years the constant growth of peoples from 23 nations and 4 continents was a mind-blowing experiment of what can happen…enriched by diverse cultures. This could happen across America if folks could believe in “what could be.”
In 2006 I retired from 40 years of pastoral ministry….moved to the Atlantic beaches of southern Delaware (after shoveling snow for a lifetime in Wisc., Iowa, NJ and NY).
Golfing(got pretty good), fishing(never stopped loving it) and botanical endeavors have been a delight in retirement years. Work experience turned into part-time hospital chaplaincy; now approaching ten years.

Family/children: I was not very good at love relationships; my first marriage was a disaster. Ended in the 80’s. Marge and I were married in the late 80’s… finally, 30 years of super, great marriage. Between us four children… daughter Sara in Niskayuna, NY….and Buck in Orlando, FL….and John in Glen Burnie, MD and son Garrett in Seattle, WA. All married… 10 fabulous grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Phi Delta Tau Memories: Some of us approached President Lubbers (youngest college president in the USA at age 29) to request dancing on campus (2nd fl Legion Hall downtown on the square was too small, hot,,no AC). Lubbers asked one year to pull it off… he delivered,,, and the Phi Delts organized the first dances in the dining hall. Randy and Fred created outstanding decorations, Dick’s contacts in Des Moines brought us an all-girls band, and a fabulous buffet…all for $ 2 a head. Wow! Can you beat that !
Randy and Fred created the two years winning floats in Homecoming Parade…Dino the Sinclair dinosaur and stage coach with prancing horses… both times created in secret in vacant water department building somewhere. Creating Phi Delta Tau was a joy and a privilege. The annual ritual of a “Rake” experience matured us all in wonderful, bonding ways. I remember my first “drunk” in a rented secret cabin near Sully. We pissed off the lethargic Beakes so many times I can’t count. Ask Fred about his hitchhiking time with the “Trojan” salesman. Or when we terrorized the campus with Zorro on the borrowed horse. And I am honored and proud of all the Phi Delts that enriched our tradition for many decades.

Known as Lefty David Risseeuw The Man !!!