Thanksgiving Football
The annual Thanksgiving football game is traditionally
played in New Canaan, Connecticut, home of the Stoddards.
The origins of the game are murky, but it started sometime in
the 1960's as a battle of Titans:
Dan Stoddard and
Owen Astrachan
vs. Alex Stoddard and
Josh Astrachan. Older brothers vs. younger
brothers.
Today the game includes any and all interested parties and takes
place on Saturday before the Howell/Lovejoy Relatives and Friends
gather for repast and remembrances.
Participants in the 1995 game
Click on Individual Heads for an "Up-close and Personal" view of
the players.
(Photograph by Betsy Ashton)
Back row, left-to-right
-
Brian Williams, married to Jane Stoddard, father
of Douglas and Allison, cable huckster and
host of MSNBC's nightly news
-
David Underhill, father of
Graeme,
son of Cynthia Lovejoy, brother of Ben
and Kate, married to Linda, media mogul
-
Ben Underhill,
son of Cynthia Lovejoy, married to Debbie Ketchum, step-father
of Jeffrey, Christopher, and Meghan,
brother of David and Kate, insurance
entrepeneur
-
Josh Astrachan, son of Gail Lovejoy Neale, brother
of Owen, renaissance man, bread-baker sans
pareil, man behind Robert Altman.
-
Owen Astrachan, son of Gail Lovejoy Neale, married
to Laura Heyneman, brother of Josh,
professor
of computer science at Duke.
-
Jim Kerwin, married to Kate, father
of Sean and Meaghan, lawyer, ad-man, writer
Middle row, left-to-right.
- Sean Kerwin, son of Kate and
Jim Kerwin, brother
of Meaghan, grandson of Cynthia Lovejoy, interested in
computers
-
Dan Stoddard, son of Patricia Lovejoy Stoddard,
brother of Alex and Jane, non-profit consultant
and guru.
-
Alex Stoddard, son of Patricia Lovejoy Stoddard,
husband of Lisa, brother of Dan and Jane,
Our man in our Nation's Capital.
Bottom Row (left-to-right, sitting and lying down)
- Douglas Williams, son of Brian and Jane, brother of Allison, grandson of
Patricia Lovejoy Stoddard, large baton wielder
- Graeme Underhill, son of
David and Linda, grandson of Cynthia Lovejoy,
skier and ball-player
- Jeffrey John, son of Debbie,
step-son of Ben,
brother of Christopher and Meghan