You can’t spend much time in the presence of Ivo Meisner without concluding you are in the presence of a unique individual.

It was a long, bleak winter, but weather was the least of our problems. We lost Dale Collinson, Helen Meleny, John Potter, Ruth and Mike Davin, Marty Mard, Russell Clark and Mark Hanschka. For those of you who don’t remember Mark, he was the tennis pro at the East Chop Tennis Club in 1953 and the brother of Carol Traenkle.

An East Chop 1990s Victorian cottage hidden down a tree-lined avenue, this home has been completely remodeled and rebuilt. An original fieldstone fireplace graces the livingroom. The kitchen features Carrera marble countertops and stainless steel appliances and yet maintains its vintage charm. There are many reclaimed items that accentuate the decor of this light-filled antique home. There is a farmer's porch, upstairs deck, a three-season porch, outdoor shower and a separate garage. The property is turnkey. The price without furnishings is $720,000.

Address: 16 Moss Avenue

Have you ever thought about what makes a community special? I researched the subject by rereading my columns for this summer. We lost several longtime community members this year. Graham Dripps, George Sanford, Larry Stewart, Biff Cooper, Kay McMahon Geary and Wally Ross will be sorely missed.

Thirty years ago I read a fascinating article in Forbes Magazine on college endowment funds. In general these portfolios were filled with stocks your grandmother owned — ATT, IBM, Pfizer, Gillette, Mobil, Proctor and Gamble. Not today, according to Jeremy Crigler, the chief investment officer of the Tulane University Endowment.

Last week was a first for me. I Skyped my interview with Abby Williamson in Asuncion, Paraguay. Abby is an ELF, an English Language Fellow, a position funded by the U.S. State Department to train natives, mostly from third world countries, to teach English.

Dorothy and Fletcher Jones had a farm in Wisconsin in the 1940s. When not harvesting his crops, Fletcher taught in the agricultural college at the University of Wisconsin. Dorothy worked as a school teacher. They retired in their mid 50s, threw caution to the wind, and created a new life for themselves in the Near East. Their first assignment was in Amman, Jordan. After a brief stint there, they were reassigned to Kabul in Afghanistan in 1956.

In early May I was talking to a fisherman who from time to time fishes along our bluff. At one point in the conversation he brought up Hurricane Sandy. A day after the storm he was walking the bluff looking for birds. While walking across from Lincoln Park, he felt the entire road shake as a large trash truck drove by. His first thought was that a small earthquake had occurred.

The East Chop Association held its July meeting at the East Chop Beach Club last Saturday. Every time I attend, I am thankful for the ECA. Neighborhoods do not remain special without a great deal of care. Can you imagine East Chop without our parks? Crystal Lake is healthy and vibrant because of ECA work.

Peter Puchner had a distinguished medical career. After graduating from Carleton College, he enrolled in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University. Following residency in urology at Columbia, he joined the faculty in 1970, practicing and teaching urology.