Theta Chi - Worcester Polytechnic Institute

oxepsilon.org sign where a taxi was stopped waiting, and after about five minutes, Charlie got impatient; he eased forward—up to the bumper of the taxi—gunned it (pun intended) and pushed the taxicab into the intersection. en we turned and sped away. Plenty of yelling ensued! –Bob Whyte '59 I was fortunate enough to have spent a few hours with Pappy in the nursing home before he passed on. He told me that Charlie was in a nursing home. We reminisced about those great years at WPI and some of the crazy antics that we pulled. As I began to write this, I remembered a New Year's Eve party that Darlene and Charlie attended at my parent's home in Clinton. at triggered many memories of the great times at the House. ese days, my long-term memory is great, but I can't remember where I put my glasses or keys. Most of all, Charlie sponsored my acceptance in the IHEE, where I drank a lot of New England brew and solved many of the problems of the world. Believe it or not, those meetings helped me to get over my fear of speaking in front of groups. at ended up being a significant help in my career. –Allen Devault '57 Al Papianou '56 and his wife, Marcia, remained our friends since college days. He was my husband's roommate and best man at our wedding. We also remain friends with Phil Bedard '56 and his wife, Josie, as well as countless other friends. e class of 1956 was indeed special. Charlie lived a life filled with joy, many interests, and service to his community. His final interest was in antique cars. His driver was a '34 Ford that we drove to Oregon—about which he wrote a very interesting article (from the viewpoint of the car) that was published in the V-8 Times Magazine. is picture was taken shortly after we purchased the '34 ("the old gentleman") as Chuck referred to it. is represents the happiest of times for Chuck. He loved caring for his antique cars and especially driving them. Of course, the weather had to be just right—no rain, sleet, or snow—and a comfortable temperature. ere was no radio, heater, nor air conditioning. e crank-out windshield and side windows was the best air movement that we could hope for. Charlie also restored a '46 Ford convertible which was "too good to drive." It received a Dearborn Award—earning 996 points out of 1000. He actually didn't live long enough to drive it. He served on many committees for the National V-8 Club of America , became president, and we enjoyed many trips throughout every state, Canada, and British Columbia. He put his heart and soul into all of his endeavors. He served our town for 34 years as mayor and chairman of many committees. His volunteering was acknowledged in an official "Charlie Gunn Day," and he was honored with a police escort at his funeral. His family was his first love. He knew how to make every day special. Mealtimes were often accompanied with stories of his childhood, school years, and especially the exciting years at WPI. He will live in our memory forever. ank you for allowing me to share these memories. –Darlene Gunn (Charlie's wife) REMEMBERING CHARLES GUNN '56 (Continued from page 1) MEN OF HIGH CALIBER Epsilon Awarded Fraternity of the Year for Second Year in a Row Each year, fraternities and sororities at WPI participate in the university's Chapter Excellence program, an annual report that allows chapters to highlight areas of strength, opportunities for growth, and shared successes. Areas such as chapter management, member development, financials, facilities, health and safety, external partnerships, and innovation are evaluated. For the second year in a row, eta Chi earned the highest score across all fraternities and was named Fraternity of the Year! e chapter was recognized and awarded for Outstanding Alumni Programming, Outstanding Leadership Development, and Outstanding Community Outreach, and Honor Roll for both Outstanding Academic Support and Outstanding Fiscal Management. Congratulations and kudos to former President Jaden Chin '21 and his entire executive board for all of their diligent work! Individual leaders were also recognized for their contributions. Ardavasd Ardhladjian '22 was named Emerging Leader of the Year and Greek Officer of the Year for his contributions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as the Interfraternity Council (IFC) president. Chapter Advisor William Lucas '98 received the Alan Okun Memorial Award for Excellence in Chapter Advising from WPI. Over the summer, four Brothers attended the Justify eta Chi Convention in Lexington, Kentucky. At the convention, Epsilon Chapter was awarded eta Chi's International Headquarters (IHQ) Chapter Excellence Award in the areas of internal cooperation and the integration of the Resolute Man, a premier membership program provided by the International Headquarters through which selected applicants have the opportunity to travel, expand their professional network, and grow as leaders. e chapter promoted their recent awards and accomplishments through an article that was published on the WPI website, which can be found here: www.wpi.edu/news/wpi-theta-chi-chapter-receives- national-award-international-headquarters. Theta Chi at their philanthropy event, Work on Worcester, in late August. Pictured: Joe Calcasola '22, Jack Fredo '23, River Yan '22, Thomas Riviere '22, Alex Hill '23, James Vo '23, Jacob Yurcak '22, Dylan Campbell '24, Henry Sniezek '24, and Ariel Velasquez '24. The three amigos, M. F. "Sully" Sullivan '70, Paul Landino '76, and Peter Stanley '68, after taking a ride around Fort Lauderdale waters in Paul's electric boat. Theta Chi Party at Pax's overlooking Woods Hole. Pictured: Susan Damico, Peter Stanley '68, Pax Gifford '68, Dave Hall '68, Linda Hall, and Gerry "The Worm" Damico '68

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