Class Notes

These are the unedited class notes as submitted by class agents and other alumni. Edited notes appear in the print edition.

If you prefer to submit Class Notes by mail, send to:

UMW Magazine – Class Notes
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1970s

1970

Anne Summervold LeDoux
ledouxanne@yahoo.com

As we begin the New Year, we are getting much closer to our 50th reunion in 2020! I can’t believe that this very special milestone is approaching so quickly! All of us in the class of 1970 would love to see as many of you as possible make the trip in 2020. Even if you cannot make the trip, please consider contributing to our class gift which is for the mental health center on campus. It is such a worthy cause and is desperately needed! Also, we do have a Facebook page (Mary Washington College Class of ’70).

Barbara Forgione Tansey, who lives in Chesapeake, VA, is very involved with her daughter Lisa and grandson Bodie . In spite of dealing with a health issue earlier in the year, she continues with a busy life, taking care of her grand dog and traveling around NC. She and Lisa stayed in a lovely resort on the Albemarle Sound in Edenton, NC, and then went sightseeing in Asheville.

Lee Howland Hogan has also been traveling. She just got back from the river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. She especially loved Rudesheim and Strasbourg (favorites of mine as well). She hopes that maybe some of us including Donna Accettullo DeNyse and Betty Brooks Reuter can all get together in NYC soon.

Gabby Pagin’s second year of retirement was full of travels, house projects and entertaining—all of her loves. Early in the year, she enjoyed a 10-day tour of the Galapagos, hiking the islands and swimming with sea turtles, sea lions and lots of fish. It was a rigorous but delightful vacation. In the Fall, she joined UMW’s 17-day Portrait of Italy tour, traveling with many alumni and others and enjoying the lectures of art history professor Marjorie Och. Pasta and gelato were the daily food groups! Throughout the year, Gabby met with various classmates for daily excursions, visiting with Tina Kormanski Krause, Kathi O’Neill, Kathy Thiel, Susi Duffey DiMaina, Suzanne Ferguson Buchanan, Jean Botts and Karen Muszynski. They already have a January date to meet again.

Susie Duffy DiMaina is apparently not letting 70 slow her down. She is busier than ever serving on three boards: her neighborhood civic association board, the Fairfax senior center board; and the UMW Alumni Board. She highly recommends the latter board as it is a wonderful experience. She is playing Pickle Ball to keep her body active. She traveled to Iceland in August and fell in love with the country-spectacular waterfalls, geysers, glaciers, lava fields and warm, charming people. Husband John retired after 25 years at the International Monetary Fund so more fun traveling in their future. Daughter Caitlin will be finishing nursing school at Johns Hopkins in May and Susie hopes she will find a job close to home.
I was relieved to get great medical news in Nov. so life is good! In Oct. John and I traveled to the U.K. for 18 days. London is one of my favorite cities, so we did many special sites for a second or third time! We had never been to Wales before and it was wonderful! I was brave and ate haggis twice in Scotland. In Dec. I went to the Christmas Markets on the Rhine river cruise. My most exciting trip is coming up in Feb. when I go to Antarctica. I have been waiting a long time to do this trip. I hope to hear from many more of you in the spring!

1971

Karen Laino Giannuzzi
kapitankL11@yahoo.com

There is not too much news to report and the news I have is pre-Holiday season. We are now in the New Year and snow and frigid temperatures have hit many of us. I managed a 10 day cruise to the southern Caribbean just before Christmas so that certainly helped face the January frigid temperatures. I hope all of you had lovely holidays.
On a rather sad note, our classmate MaryAnn BURNS passed away suddenly late 2017. The University published and sent out the news to our class so hopefully you saw the notice. We will all continue to miss MaryAnn since she did so much for our class over the years, especially for the 40th reunion while I was still overseas. Rest in Peace.
Hearing from Penny GOODSTEIN was a pleasure. She stated she had a great time at our 45th and regretted not having participated in the past but plans to make that long trek from Anchorage once again for our 50th. Penny, after retirement, took on the presidency of two local non-profit groups, the Interfaith Council in Anchorage and the Turnagain Community Arts Alliance. Penny and Dan’s children have decided Anchorage is the place to be since her daughter and grandsons have made their home there and her son, a newly ordained reform Rabbi, and his wife and son have come back to their home synagogue. As Penny wrote, “Life in Anchorage is good.”
One day wandering the streets of York, Pa., I stopped in a lovely gift shop full of unusual items and while talking to the owner, I found out Carolyn SUTTON Morris is a graduate of UMW, Class of ’79. We had a wonderful “get to know you “chat. she has had such a variety of jobs and careers over the years, and now has added teaching a course at York College on business and organization. She has plans eventually to move back home to Fredericksburg. It is always fun to meet former classmates in unusual places.
I hear from others in our class like Liz KEITH, Barbara EXLINE Staller (who lived in Betty Lewis but left to graduate from Ursinus in Pa.) Terry TUCKER (we have promised to get back in touch this year,) Diana “Diney” LIVINGSTON, but all said they had no updates to provide at this time. So I publish their names to encourage all of us to keep up with each other and send news!
Mary McPHERSON (“Fred”) and I still co-chair the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board but will have given that up by the time this is published. For both of us, it has been a great honor to take on that role but there comes a time to let someone else step up to the role.
We have a lot to do to get ready for our 50th reunion. WHAT???? 50 years since graduating??? How can that be?? Where did those decades go? Well I sincerely wish that we have as many as possible from our class come together to celebrate this milestone. You will be hearing from several of us over the next months and years.

1972

Sherry Rutherford Myers
dllmyers@netzero.com

Happy New Year one and all.

My fervent prayer is that you have all been able to survive the catastrophic events which took place in 2017 as well as recently and that your loved ones are safe as well. Probably more than a few of us feel guilty about not having had to cope with what much of our country and world have undergone but thoughts and prayers go out to everyone else in peril.

It is with deep sorrow to report the passing of Robin DesJardin Eckman’s husband, John. They were married for 35 years. On the brighter side, Robin has become reacquainted with classmate, Liz Pully, because of the friendship of their two daughters. Robin’s daughter, Sarah (’07) was married in September to Shaun Sargent (’03). The wedding was held at St. John’s Church in Chester with an outdoor reception at Weston Manor on the Appomattox. The maid of honor was Liz’s daughter, Amy Weiss, and bridesmaids were Emma Interlandi (’07) and Meghan Coyle (’08). John was deeply missed at this happy event but was probably there in spirit. Once again, it is a joy to see how the friendships formed at our alma mater have endured and will go on doing so.

My past year was full of changes. In November I left the law firm having been there for close to eight years. Although my plan is to keep my hand in temporary work as a legal assistant, the task at hand is to downsize the home in Baltimore and finally make the move to my parents’ homestead in the Roanoke area. Both Dennis and I are looking forward to it. Since the reunion, Cheryl Prietz Childress and I have gotten together twice and once the move to Roanoke is complete, we will probably see even more of each other. We were together with Cheryl and Dave plus daughter, Thea and son-in-law, Eric during the Christmas season when the family from both sides gathered at Smith Mountain Lake. It was quite a celebration enjoying Cheryl’s and Dave’s new grandchild, Ellie. The baby is absolutely adorable and already a heart breaker.

In closing, let us hope that 2018 is a great year for all of us with new beginnings for many.
[Editor’s note: See the 2007 Class Notes for a story involving Patricia Barrow Rios ’72.]

1973

Joyce Hines Molina
Joyce.molina@verizon.net

Martha Moyse Pullen continues to work as Social Services Director for Amelia County, Virginia and enjoys bicycle touring with husband Barry. In 2017 they toured the Brittany and Normandy coasts of France, Yellowstone National Park and rural Ohio. Martha also enjoys her work as Parliamentarian for the Virginia League of Social Services Executives and teaches yoga classes in her spare time.

Vivian Wilson Watts has retired after 34 years of teaching in 11 different states. Moving twenty-five times with my husband Harry, a retired U.S. Air Force Captain, was an adventure for sure! I have three children and eight grandchildren, with one more on the way. I live in Virginia now and am enjoying retirement at last.

In January Janet Hedrick begins her new position as Director of Development at American Society for Radiation Oncology.

Facebook postings by Winnie Stalnaker Feldhaus shared what looked like an incredible trip to Alaska.

Our 45th class reunion committee is Deborah Biggers Garrison, Nancy Smith Raines, and Terry Rodgers Woodworth. Mark your calendars now for the weekend of June 1-3, 2018.

I want to thank those who sent submissions this year. It’s always good to hear from you. For myself, after a very active December of musical services and performances, I look forward to time listening to the sound of the surf on a warm beach.

1974

Sid Baker Etherington
sidleexx@yahoo.com

Suzy Passarello Quenzer
sq3878@att.com

Fellow classmates, here is one for the “envy book”…A note from Peg Hubbard and Karen Sunnarborg after their adventure with Mary Wash alumni in Italy….”In October I discovered the perfect way to celebrate a birthday. I spent the occasion in a gorgeous villa surrounded by the spectacular Tuscan countryside. That’s right…Karen Sunnarborg and I signed up for the Portrait of Italy Mary Washington on the Road trip. We spent 17 magnificent days in Italy with a small group of alumni and friends. Our adventure began on the beautiful Amalfi Coast… included Rome, Orvieto, Siena, Florence… and we departed from Venice. Our tour director was unbelievable and Dr. Marjorie Och, Professor of Art History accompanied our group. I cannot say enough good things about our experience. Many, many thanks to Mark Thaden for introducing these fabulous travel opportunities to the Mary Wash community.” Please let us I know about your adventures so we can share them with your 1974 classmates.

1975

Armecia Spivey Medlock
vagirl805@msn.com

The Fauquier County School Board chose Donna R. Grove ’75 to be its new chairwoman; she was vice chairwoman in 2017.

Grove, who represents the Cedar Run district, is a graduate of Fauquier High School and a longtime resident of Somerville, Virginia. She owns and operates White Ridge Farm and manages the Somerville Contract Postal Unit, according to the school division website.

Grove is also a former teacher who previously held positions in Prince William and Stafford County schools. She earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and secondary education from the University of Mary Washington.

1976

Madelin Jones Barratt
madbarratt@aol.com

Lundy Baker Updike and husband Jim went to Europe in November to enjoy the Christmas Markets. They spent three weeks last summer going south to north in England and Scotland. They met up with son Sam in Edinburgh. He was involved with programming lighting for the Pleasance Theater which was part of the 2017 Fringe Festival. Youngest son Tom graduated from UMW in May 2017 with a degree in Economics and a GIS certificate PLUS four years of rugby with no stitches! His plan is to go to the Navy Officer Candidate School. Husband Jim has retired and signed all the papers in time to go with the UMW rugby team to Ireland over spring break. They are looking forward to lots more travel in the next few years.

2017 was a banner year for Janice Gernhart Bogy’s art career. She was juried into the prestigious Society of Animal Artists and several top national shows including Jackson Hole, WY and Sedona, AZ. She is preparing for the Charlie Russell art week in Great Falls, MT in March, which is the largest exhibition of Western art in the US. Check out her art on Facebook and at www.JaniceGBogy. She majored in music at Mary Washington and her harp student will be performing the Ginastera Harp Concerto with the Helena Symphony in February. She is proud of her student and her amazing journey as a professional musician. Hannah Patterson Crew’s younger daughter Emily was married in May 2017 and lives in St. Petersburg, FL. She works for the University of South Florida in the finance office and her husband is an attorney. Hannah and Todd have been married for 39 years!! They hope to retire in 2018. They have been blessed with wonderful children and good health and hope retirement will bring new joys and adventures.
Margo Clifford is retiring from teaching in July 2018 after 41 years! She’s looking forward to having more time with her family and doing some traveling. Lucy Dee Kinsey and husband Carrol moved to Lake Monticello in Palmyra, VA near Charlottesville. This is the first time for both of them to move away from Northern Virginia since college! They are enjoying life on the lake. Daphne Johnston Elliott and husband John are building a new home in Keswick, VA, so will be living near Lucy.

Alison Haworth Regan enjoyed celebrating her mother’s 90th birthday before she passed away a couple of months later. She died in her sleep which was a real blessing. She and husband Don took a trip to Montana where they hiked in Yellowstone National Park, then went to Texas to attend an annual needlepoint retreat and to visit family and friends. Then they went to Colorado to visit more friends and go hiking. Next year they plan to make a 5 week trip to Alaska taking the inside passage. They’ll take their RV, do some ferry trips and drive back via Calgary, Canada to visit friends. They are enjoying traveling experiences in retirement! Alison still enjoys her “paid hobby” of doing custom needlework for a friend who owns a needlepoint shop in Fredericksburg, TX. She sends Alison projects for customers, she stitches them and sends them back. She has 12 Christmas stockings to do next year. She also does embroidered quilt blocks and models for the shop.

Debbie Allan King is semi-retired and does freelance science writing. She recently moved to Mukilteo, WA, with husband Bob King. In addition to writing, she present slideshows to raise awareness of the climate change threat to the local community. She leads an action group to transition Mukilteo to 100% clean energy. Judy Sledge Joyce is preparing for graduations in 2018. Her son Jack will graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising from the School of Media and Journalism. Her twins will graduate from high school and son Jeffrey will be attending Mary Washington in the fall! She is looking forward to visiting him on campus. She is ecstatic about having an empty nest.
Mary Ann Kalafat Wray and husband Tim have relocated to Washington State. They love their new community and are happy to be there. Madelin Jones Barratt traveled to Paris in the spring of 2017 to visit her daughter Anna who was working there. What a thrill to see so much art and old architecture! She stays busy helping out with her four grandchildren who live nearby.

Death Notices:
Mother of Martha Jones, ’73, Molly Jones, ’74 and Madelin Jones Barratt, ‘76
Mother of Alison Haworth Regan, ‘76

1977

Anne Hallerman
arhmwc77@yahoo.com

Congratulations to Robin Dewey, ’77, recipient of the A.G. Brinley Award. This award is given by the city of Davis, California, and recognizes outstanding service in a particular area, such as in the arts, education, or health, or in a major project that benefits the city. Robin is the founder of Team Davis,a non-profit organization established to help enrich the lives of children and adults with developmental, intellectual and/or physical disabilities living in or close to Davis, California. Team Davis sponsors athletic, social, recreational and educational activities that help build physical skills, a sense of camaraderie, and a more fully integrated connection with the Davis community for participants and their families and support staff. Robin is a program coordinator for the Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP) at the University of California at Berkeley’s School of Public Health. She also conducts training programs around the country for employers, job developers, job coaches and high school transition teachers, on how to teach workers with developmental and intellectual disabilities basic occupational safety and health skills using a curriculum she developed for this population called Staying Safe at Work.

1978

Janet Fuller
janetpfuller@aol.com

To the Class of 1978 looking forward to seeing you all at our 40th Reunion in June. What a great time to reconnect. Some of the below information did not make it in to our last Class Notes sections so resubmitting. Enjoy.

It’s been an extremely busy 2017 so far for the Class of 1978. Bobbi ROLLINS Johnson shared the good news that her son, Joseph, completed his PhD in Physics this spring and has accepted a position at Intel in Hillsboro, OR—a real dream come true for him. Bobbi is looking forward to visiting the area!

A little bit of humor from Martha WEAVER Campbell. Martha and husband Dave are on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC with grandsons Hampton, age 7 and Hudson, age 5. Martha is pleased to announce that boys are much easier to deal with than girls. For those of us that know Martha could this possibly be because husband Dave has all of the personal hygiene issues to address with the boys?

Cindy DRURY Clark and her husband Jim have been married and living in Connecticut for 29 years. She works as the Director of Development (fundraising) for the Westport Library which will break ground on a $19.5 million Renovation in August 2017. She had a successful double knee replacement on November 23, 2015 which allowed her to resume many of the sports she had to sideline like tennis, paddleball and volleyball. To celebrate, 11 months after her knee replacements, Cindy and her husband climbed down the Grand Canyon, spent the night at Phantom Ranch, and then climbed back up again the next day. They also did some climbing in Sedona. Both love their jobs, but are starting to ponder a life of retirement or at least semi-retirement.

Congratulations to Beth D. Atkinson who shared that she and her daughter, Virginia Atkinson, class of 2003, enjoyed their first Reunion Weekend together at UMW in June. They were guests of Mary Wash during the weekend and stayed in a lovely room at K. Inn, Jepson Alumni E. Center. Beth’s daughter was honored with the 2017 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award at the All Class Party on Saturday night. Before attending the ceremony with some family and friends who came from Northern Virginia, they showed Beth’s 14-year old niece around campus potentially planting a seed?! Beth is enjoying volunteer docent work with schoolchildren groups at Gunston Hall in Fairfax
County Virginia and also contributes occasional articles and photos to several Northern Virginia area newspapers. Her June article was about she and her husband, an EPA scientist, celebrating 39 years of marriage this summer. To celebrate their anniversary, they will travel to SC to watch the full solar eclipse and their son, Jeremy will travel to NC to camp and see the eclipse.

For Jeannette SMITH Sullivan It’s been a real year of Mary Washington reunions. She shared that thanks to Class Notes, she was able to reunite with Mindy CAMPO Thomas of Wallingford, PA, tracking her down at Thomas Consulting. Jeannette SMITH Sullivan, Susan HAAS Meyer, Kathy KING Wirtala, and Toni SHOWALTER Scott got together in Williamsburg for a mini-reunion last summer, which she hopes will be an annual tradition. Jeannette was also able to see MaryLinn PHILLIPS Fleming in Fremont, California, and Betsy BEAN Fowler at her shop, The Red Feathered Nest, in Newport News. Missing Robyn REED Eustis in Arlington, she is meeting Rob Clairwood in Connecticut this summer and hoping to catch Barbara BACON Mitchell in Florida this fall. She reports that her siblings, Shirley Smith Bekri, Diane Smith, Leslie Smith Brundage, David Smith, Valerie Smith Koenig, and Niki Smith Pemberton are all thriving and are planning their family reunion cruise to celebrate their mother’s 90th this fall. She lives in the sleepy seaside town of Lake Worth, Florida and is a Professor at Palm Beach State College. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Educational Leadership and specializes in studies of personality, happiness and student resilience. Topics she will be presenting at the International Positive Psychology conference in Montreal in July.

Malinda WILLIS who has been teaching Acrylic Painting for about 5 years, she has been drawing for about 2 years and now is certified to teach water colors at Michael’s craft store, where she has been employed since 1999. Malinda was married for 16 years, then divorced. She has two sons who are grown, married and moved away, so now she has the house all to herself. Malinda has 2 beautiful grand daughters, whom she adores!

Beverly WOOD-Holt reached out after having received her UMW Magazine and wishes more graduates from 1978 would let us hear from them. Beverly has retired from Hollywood and now lives at her farm in Southern Virginia, where she grew up. She and her husband are busy building their organic farm, complete with chickens, ducks, pot bellied pigs and lots of veggies and fruits. They are building a new home there and still do a bit of consulting, so retired is a bit of a misnomer. Roseanne GALZARANO Wyatt and her husband Jeff, came for a visit. They too, have retired and live in Ashland, Oregon. They are both planning to come to the reunion in 2018-our 40th!!!! Beverly asks, “So where are the women and men of 1978!!!! Please come, or at least write and let us know where you are?”

1979

Barbara Goliash Emerson
emers3@msn.com

From Barbara Goliash Emerson:
Having brunch in DC with some classmates, Carol Middlebrook, Betsy Larson Kyker, Lisa Jenkins, Jackie DelGallo and Linda McCarthy Milone, I learned that Carol and her husband, John Feldman, had a fabulous trip to the southern hemisphere that included Antarctica via a National Geographic ship (with amazing photos of penguins, killer whales and lots of snow and ice). Lisa’s assistance was acknowledged in her sister, Marie Jenkins Schwartz’ book on first ladies and the enslaved people who served them. If you like history, you’ll find the book, The Ties that Bound – Founding First Ladies and Slaves, fascinating.

A good friend from the Class of 1980, Fatima Allibhai Khaja, who works for Fairfax County with me, earned a much-deserved promotion to Manager of Economic, Demographic and Statistical Research for the county.

Gayle Weinberger Petro is always a great source of information on our classmates. She wrote the following: Sue Moore Davis celebrated her 30th wedding anniversary and 60th birthday in September shortly after she and her husband moved to a new home in Chapel Hill, NC. Lisa Bratton Soltis from Roanoke and Pam Crowley of Williamsburg attended. Pam teaches in Williamsburg and is looking forward to retirement. Sue is an instructional resource teacher, literacy coach and test coordinator. Judy Kemp Allard is over the moon following the birth of her first grandchild, Camden. Lisa Carle Shields is still working for Sun Trust Mortgage and lives at Smith Mountain Lake. Donna Anaya continues to work for the National Cable Television Association and spent Christmas in Montana. Bonnie Berry left her position as Assistant to the Director of the Smithsonian and is now a Special Assistant at American University. She also works on television specials for the Fourth of July and Memorial Day, as well as the Kennedy Center Honors. Gayle herself was the guest of honor in September at a Sassy and Sixty Party in September at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Va. I was honored to attend along with Donna Anaya, Betsy Kyker and Nena Lee Kobayashi. Speaking of Nena, she worked the USO tent at the Military Bowl in Annapolis in December. In lieu of birthday gifts, Gayle asked that we donate to the UMW Alumni Association which was a great idea. She suggested when we donate to UMW, we make it as a general contribution so the Alumni Association gets a portion. Gayle also said she plans to run for President in 2020 or be selected as Secretary of Education. Go Gayle!

Lisa Bratton Soltis added the following news:
Condolences to Sally Hart Morgan who lost her wonderful mother, Carolyn Hart on Jan. 4, 2018 in Roanoke, VA. Carolyn and her husband, Joe, always welcomed the Mary Washington gals to their home in Ferrum, VA where Joe was president of Ferrum College. Sally’s youngest brother, Evan, is a graduate of UMW Class of 1991. Sally is currently the Director of Community Development in Bristol, Virginia.

Nancy Quaintance Nelles, Donna Anaya and Karin Hedberg met at Nancy’s home in Wilmington, DE in mid-April and enjoyed lunch and shopping at Terrain Garden Café in Glen Mills, PA. Nancy’s father, Barton Quaintance passed away April 18, 2017 so it was an opportunity for us to get together and reminisce about our travels with Bart and his generous hospitality. He was a true Southern gentleman.

Nancy, Donna and Vickie Nichols Sheretz, ’78 and I attended the Mount Vernon Wine Festival in October and had so much fun…great people, a great tour of Mount Vernon, fabulous Virginia vineyards represented and a beautiful sunset on the Potomac sipping fine wines. Donna and I also traveled with a group for a week in New Mexico and had an amazing visit. Highly recommend it if you are looking for a vacation spot. Following the Mount Vernon fun, Vickie, Joan Castner Niederlehner, ’77 and I headed to Pawley’s Island, SC for a few days of Low Country living and cuisine.

Gayle Weinberger Petro made her welcomed pilgrimage to Roanoke over the Thanksgiving weekend bearing gifts and fun. We had lots of fun shopping at the historic Roanoke City Market and catching up over turkey and dressing.

Donna and Nancy are planning their next adventure for summer 2018 – a tour of US national parks with Nancy’s brother, Richard. Nancy is also expecting her second grandchild this summer.

Lorenza Amico, who works at UVA, has been on the move, most recently traveling to Turkey for two weeks of sightseeing in September. Check out her amazing photos on Facebook. Lorenza also toured some national parks last year following a fun gathering with Beth Innis Landin (Corning, NY), Leslie Abrams Serenyi (Edison, NJ), Donna Anaya (Washington, DC), Nancy Quaintance Nelles (Wilmington, DE) and I at Lake Seneca on the Finger Lakes. Beth is a retired wealth advisor and is now pursuing her dream as an artist. You can see much of her work on Instagram. Beth’s children are all grown up – Kyle is at the University of Pittsburgh and Lien is in high school.

As for me, I see work for the City of Roanoke’s the Department of Economic Development and spend time chasing my three grandsons, blessings from my two daughters, Annie (31) and Jennifer (36). I still volunteer as a member of the UMW Foundation Board and look forward to our next reunion in 2019…40 years! What? It can’t be!