Class Notes

Hard to believe it, but our 40th reunion was in June! Bill and Terry Crawley ’77 hosted a lovely party in their home. The lunch tent decorations won second place thanks to the efforts of our reunion committee.

Ann Chryssikos McBroom writes that she is still assisting elderly to live independently in a retirement community. Her elder son, Kerry III, and his wife Megan have moved back to the Roanoke area from Arlington and are expecting her first grandson in September!

Eva Grace missed the reunion due to an appendectomy. She is still working at the American College of Cardiology and husband Brett’s with the D.O.D. Their son John recently graduated from the Institute of Massage and Healing Arts and is studying for his national licensure exam. He will work in massage therapy and related modalities and do more college work. Eva’s father sadly passed away this year.

Janice Gernhart Bogy reported that the arts are alive and well in Montana. She has a harp student who was one of seven finalists in the American Harp Society’s national competition. Janice had her art accepted into the Heart of the West art show and auction in Bozeman, Montana, this August.

Becky Adams Mauck is still the director of a small church preschool in Richmond. Husband Newby retired and spends most of his time at the river! They both enjoy going there in the summer and on holidays; it’s a good getaway. They have three grandchildren ages four, three, and nine months; two girls and one boy. They are all in Richmond. Her youngest is getting married next summer.

Lucinda Simpson Simon lives in northeast Pennsylvania with husband Phil who is the director or instrumental music at Wilkes University. When she pulls out her oboe or flute to rehearse with one of the University’s music ensembles, she thinks back to her years as a music student at Mary Washington. Being around 18-23 year olds several days a week keeps her young. She retired from athletic bands when the University pep band turned into a marching band three years ago. They still need her sewing skills for making guard costumes and even a tuba bell cover. She was unable to attend the reunion because she was in New Hampshire meeting her fifth grandchild, Ranger, who was born in May.

Myra McCord Lovelace and her husband Jim had a great time at the reunion. Myra had not been back on campus for 40 years! She enjoyed a lecture by Dr. Atalay, her former physics professor. Dr. Crissman, her advisor, was there looking for former students during the picnic lunch on Saturday. It was wonderful for Myra to see the woman who helped her launch a career in chemical marketing! The All-Class Party on Saturday night had an incredible band and everyone danced. Our class shut the place down. She hopes more ’76ers will come to our next reunion in 2021.

Glenda Burrow Jackson and “sisters” of the Class of 1976 attended the 40th reunion. The group included Esther Adams Artis, Alice Keeve Blackstone, Veronica “Teeny” Burton, Sandra Powell Mitchell, and Marsha Parker Thomas. Deborah Jackson Young joined them for the Sunday brunch. All agreed it was much better than the 30th, and thought the committees did a great job planning. Glenda did a lot of prodding to get them all to attend. The Saturday night All-Class Party with the excellent band was a highlight of the events. It was unanimous; the group had a great time.

They very much enjoyed and appreciated the time Dean Cedric Rucker ’81 spent with them Saturday, bringing them up to speed on all the MW changes. He convinced some of them to attend next year’s Multicultural Fair. He also made it a point to make the proper contact to ensure Alice was removed from the reunion packet list of deceased alumni since she was alive and well at the reunion.

It was good to catch up on each one’s life over the weekend: Esther’s husband Jonathan passed last year, her son is getting married this summer and her daughter embarks on her journey to obtain her Ph.D. at UNC. Esther has worked for the City of Martinsville, Virginia, for over 30 years with no plans for retirement. Alice, also a widow (Terry), has a daughter, Aliceson Phillips ’05, two sons, and is retired from teaching after 38.5 years. She is busy day to day helping with her two grandsons and a granddaughter in Manassas, Virginia. She is looking forward to returning to work in the classroom next year.

Teeny is happily retired after a career with the USPS and is living in Richmond with two of her three daughters. The oldest daughter is an entrepreneur and the middle was recently promoted to 1st Class Petty Officer (E-6).

Sandra lives in Manassas with husband Albert. This June 2016 she celebrates 40 years with the Fauquier County School system, currently as an Assistant Superintendent. She is planning retirement soon and possibly a part time second career in the college system.

Marsha is living and working (over 30 years with IBM) in Pittsburgh with her husband Michael, who is happily retired. Both daughters have graduated college, one from the University of Maryland (B.A. and MBA) and one from Hampton University. Marsha noted from the reunion packet materials, there was no MW alumni group in Pittsburgh and as a result was connected at the Sunday brunch to another ’76er who lives in Pittsburgh.

Deborah is living in Glenn Dale, Maryland, with her husband Steve and daughter.

Glenda worked and lived in Pittsburgh for the first 15 years after MWC. She moved back to Richmond, Virginia, and has been working as a chemist for the state of Virginia for almost 25 years and is anxiously counting down the last 5.5 to retirement. Glenda told the Class of ’76 sisters of the sudden death the previous week of one her very best friends for over 32 years and how in the midst of that grief she realized how important it is to spend time with longtime good friends at events like the reunion. It was unanimous, the sisters of ’76 enjoyed the 2016 reunion so much—10 years is too long between (especially at this age/stage of life) and they will plan to attend the 45th.

Greetings, classmates of 1976 from Helen Thornton Branch! She is still living in Peachtree City, Georgia, and unfortunately did not attend the class reunion activities. However, she is a frequent visitor to Fredericksburg since it is home for her. Retirement continues to be a wonderful experience. She keeps busy with tons of community, church, and volunteer activities. She is blessed to be in great health at age 76, and continues to enjoy so many activities that have been special to her over the years. She loves to travel, and is preparing for a trip to Mexico to visit Mayan ruins. Her grandsons, Avery and CJ, are now 20 and 27, so she only gets sightings of them as they are busy with college and careers. Her dogs Baxter and Joey are her house companions.

My daughter Ellen added twin granddaughters, Margaret and Evelyn, to the family in May. They join their brother, Timothy. Husband Henry and I have enjoyed helping take care of the grandchildren to allow the tired parents a rest. Please send news my way for the next newsletter!