Issue link: http://ihouse.uberflip.com/i/1472931
14 International House Times 1950s Rajnikant "Raj" and Helen Desai (IH 1951-53) Helen Desai included this update: "Raj and I met at I-House (Raj from Mumbai, Helen from Santa Ana, CA). We have been married for over 66 years (1954-2021)." Gunnar Engen (IH 1956-59) writes, "My years at I-House were incredibly exciting and rewarding. My great 40-year career had its good start at I-House. e second good reason I love I-House, namely, is that I met and married the love of my life, Maria Sagarna (1956-58), a Fulbright student from Spain who also resided at I-House. is was 61 years ago. I proposed to Maria, and the final 'negotiation' took place on the I-House steps where this photo was taken." Read their I-House love story at ihouse.berkeley.edu/love Mina (Rainès-Lambé) Parsont (IH 1954-56) wrote in a message to I-House, "...is gift comes from my heart and from a 'Hidden Child' of the Holocaust who survived the war due to the kindness of people who took me and my sister in their home, risking their own lives." 1960s Nancy Abell (IH 1962-63) writes that she is working hard to bring end-of-life medical aid to New Mexico, where she has lived for the last 30 years with her husband Bruce Abell (IH 1962-63), whom she met at I-House. Manohar Apte (IH 1961-62) (left) visited I-House along with his wife, Sheila, and daughter, Anjali M. Apte (IH 1992-93) (center), on the 60th anniversary of Manohar's arrival to the U.S. and to I-House. e Apte's met with I-House Executive Director Shaun Carver (right) and shared some of their treasured I-House memories, including when Anjali performed the same traditional cultural dance of India at a Sunday Supper that her father performed at I-House decades before. Manohar's memories of his time here inspired Anjali to live at I-House. Ron Fagin (IH 1967-70 and 1972-73) writes that he does mathematical research at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, where he is one of 100 active IBM Fellows, IBM's highest technical honor among their 350,000 employees. Recently, Ron was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. He is also in the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Valerie Miner (IH 1968-69) writes to let the community know about her 15th book, Bread and Salt. One of the stories, "Under Stars," features scenes from I-House in the days during her senior year at Berkeley. ere is more information at www.valerieminer.com. Lila Rayol (IH 1966) writes, "e greatest news of the semester is that I became a great-grandmother. My daughter, Jacqueline, is a grandmother, and Angella is a lovely mother to Aliyah, a little girl born on February 18, 2021. Lots of pictures keep me posted as I am here in the Amazon, as always, and the happy parents and new baby are in Deerfield, Florida, . . . we are all in constant contact via the internet and telephone calls." John Sharp (IH 1963-65) shares, "My dear wife, Sara Colegrove Sharp (IH 1963-65) arrived at I-House the same year I did, in 1963. I had a roommate from India, and Sara was studying public health, so naturally, her classmates included many from India. We married in 1966 and like to say that we had an arranged marriage since we were often among friendly groups of students from India. e experience of living in I-House was wonderful and transformative for us both, as I know it is for so many who come there." Denis Vanier (IH 1965-66) reflects, "Both Dinoo Jal Vanier (IH 1964- 66) and I, like so many others, fondly remember the years of our stay at I-House, which greatly helped to enrich our friendship, and led to our marriage in Berkeley in 1967. Dinoo and I have now been married for 53 years. Dinoo was from India (Mumbai) and I was from San Diego. We primarily remember and still have rich friendships with I-House residents from all over the world!" Barbara Wagstaff (IH 1968-69) writes, "I have been teaching at UCB since 1988 and am currently on leave to do research and writing." Werner Zimmermann (IH 1965-66) writes, "I recently had a wonderful reunion over Zoom with my I-House friends from the '60s, Roland Wissaert (IH 1965-66), Gavan Butler (IH 1965), Gerard Wrixon (IH 1965-66), Rene Massard (IH 1963-72), and Georges Beauduin. It was great to catch up after more than 50 years!" Alumni News & Notes