Class Notes

Update from Jane Tucker Broadbooks: She and John arrived on June 24, 2015, in Chatham, Illinois, just south of Springfield, with much help from son, Jon Karl, and grandson, Tucker, who will be attending a Missouri school in the fall. The best benefit of their location is a fifteen minute drive to Jon Karl and family. Jon Karl is the Director of Commissions of the Illinois Association of Realtors, and he travels frequently. Catherine is wife, mom, cook, and English as a second language teacher at Lincoln Land Community College. Tucker (17) is a senior and a family chauffeur who plays baritone horn in the marching band and wing ensemble and is active in scholastic Bowl competitions. Anna (15) is a freshman who runs cross country, plays softball, takes piano, and participates in dramatics. Virginia (13) is a seventh-grader and likes architecture, excels in construction courses in middle school, and plays saxophone in the jazz band. T.J. (12) is a fifth-grader and is their resident foster child, and he loves math.

Jane and John celebrated their 55th anniversary. Jane has joined a post-polio support group, with a new physical therapist who is helping her improve her mobility with less pain. With shopping areas five to 15 minutes from home and medical facilities about eight miles away­­­­­­, it’s been a good move. She sent news that Molly Bradshaw Clark is in Florida and spent Christmas with her family.

Charlotte “Charlie” Wohlnick Wiggs and Archie celebrated their 55th in Hawaii. They had much fun at a luau and circled the island on a dinner cruise. They surprised their son, Alan, with a 50th birthday party. Daughter, Tracey, and her husband, Andy, are fine. Tracey’s youngest daughter, Anna, is in 10th grade and has been bitten by the acting bug. She has been in three plays this year. Tracey’s oldest daughter, Molly, graduated from MIT and is engaged. Charlie and Archie also took a cruise to eastern Australia, Java, Bali, and Singapore during the year.

Mary Massey sent the sad news of Priscilla “Pete” Brown Wardlaw passing in her sleep in October, 2015. She died peacefully of natural causes according to her youngest son, Robbie. It was quite unexpected, for her health was good, he wrote. Pete was one of my regulars. She wrote a lovely Christmas letter every year—so very sweet.

Mary also emailed the news of the death of Jack Meiners, her husband, in April of this year. She wrote that during the year they enjoyed many family get-togethers, took computer, health, and music classes, went dancing, and even shoveled snow together. Jack died quickly and painlessly of pneumonia. She wrote that he had an amazing, long (96 years), active, healthy, and fulfilling life. They had over 30 happy years. Now she and her dog, Gigi, will carry on. She is staying busy and is in good health.

Another update—they are never too late. Mary Fredman Downing and Glenn have done a lot of traveling over the years. They have toured all seven continents, all fifty states, and all Canadian provinces except the Northwest Territories. Volunteering is also their thing. Mary for twelve years has volunteered with Traveler’s Aid at Dulles Airport, served on the UMW Alumni Association Board, volunteered for local charity FISH, and is a member of the Gourmet Luncheon Club. Mary worked for Piedmont (American Airlines) and United for many years, which gave her the opportunity for low-cost flying when space was available. What a perk! Glenn has been on several boards, including the Connection newspapers, the Reston Association, and a number of small but full sized railroads—Westar Institute (Oregon), and the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad (Maine). This year he is doing economic consulting work for a small railroad in Wisconsin and Michigan, the Escobar and Lake Superior since 1980. (Check Virginia shops on EBay.)

Their daughter, Allison, is married to Justin Fox. They live in Manhattan. She has set aside her law practice and has developed a website called Laud-it. You use it to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, etc., by asking friends to write notes and take pictures, all of which are released to the individual on the celebration day. She is also the Chancellor of St. Micheal’s Church on West 95th. Justin left Harvard Business Review, Fortune, and Times. He is now writing for Bloomburg, is still on TV, and is traveling around the world for stories. He wrote the book The Myth of the Rational Market which was very well received. Now he is contemplating a second book. Their son Joseph is a 16-year-old H.S. junior. He has studied in an immersion Spanish program, has several years of Mandarin Chinese, and is now taking Latin. He sings in St. Michael’s choir and plays the harmonica well.

Mary and Glenn’s son, Stefan, lives in Madison, Wisconsin. After completing his studies at the University he decided to stay. He bikes all over Wisconsin, Utah, Colorado, Virginia, and other places. He left Trek Bicycle and changed to a pharmaceutical company. They were bought out so he is now working with a friend in real estate rentals. He still has an active bicycle apparel website, silvercog.com Wow! What a busy family.

Beth Slocat Cole sent a lot of news. Her daughter, Cindy, still resides in Denver. She had been working for DISH network but changed to a happier job. Her husband, George, owns his own business and is the Facilities Manager for a Charter school. Their daughter, Alex, is a senior in the Denver School for the Arts. She sings in the Denver Jazz Program and the jazz program in her school. She is applying to colleges with jazz as a prominent part of their music department. Beth’s daughter, Debbie, is still in Southern Maryland. She and husband, Jim, are now empty-nesters. Their daughter, Teri, is the assistant gymnastics coach at Rutgers. She will be pursuing a master’s at Rutgers next year. She still teaches gym at a small club. Beth’s daughter Julie’s ranch is extremely successful. She and her husband, Tom, have 20 acres, 25 horses, give riding lessons, and train ponies. It is very productive. Tom is the administrator for a large electrical contracting firm and helps Julie do everything around the ranch. Their son, Nick, is 30 and lives nearby; daughter Tanya is a business analyst for the local electrical company and has a house near Nick. Julie’s youngest daughter, Charlie, is in the third year of a five-year program at Colorado State where she is double-majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering. Beth manages a few interests and projects and does some business/personal coaching. For the last six years she has taught a course at the local library for job seekers. It is very successful. She is now planning to become a certified yoga instructor. Yeah Beth!

Martha Hoffman Wood retired after 22 years of teaching is Stafford County, Fairfax County, and Albemarle County. Since 1962, she has been very active in local, state (VEA), and national (NEA) education associations and now the retired association. She is still working on cyber-lobbying and trips to the Georgia capital and Capitol Hill in D.C. to lobby on Social Security, public employee pensions, and education issues. She is also involved with a local non-profit that manages the benevolent funds of the congregations from four faith groups. They assist working folks who need help when an event puts them in crisis. She also volunteers for Friends of the Library and public radio, and does water aerobics and gym machines, too. Her daughter, Elizabeth, lives with her and works for the local newspaper, writing on the popular music scene. She sees her five grandchildren frequently.

Martha “Marty” Spilman Clark and Paul had a little sad news. Their ship, the Amazon Hope, part of the Vint Trust medical mission, sank. They lost the ship and residences for 40 children, but friends from Virginia are trying to secure funds. Health Bridges International is assisting in rebuilding their medical work and VOSH International (Volunteer Optometric Service to Humans) are planning to send teams to help. They are facing a difficult decision. There has been a drop on donations which has forced them to reduce the school ministry staff and close the Home for Abandoned Boys in Kimo. Paul left the leadership of Scripture Union Peru in 2011. The board took on another General Director. Paul has been asked to be his mentor. This takes much time and travel. Marty is preparing this spring for the new Women’s Fellowship and her Community Bible Study Group. Her most time-consuming task is the preparation for the weekly lecture at their church. On a personal note, Marty and Paul attended the wedding of their granddaughter, Ashley, in Dallas.

Celeste “Pug” Shepman Kaufman and I talked in June. She is still traveling when she wants. Her kids are great, and Smylie (grandson) is still on the golf circuit. Most of her grandchildren are on their own. She told me Edie Weber Staub lost her husband, Al. (We’re getting older, girls, hate to tell the sad news these days.) Alan is helping out in the cleaning and cooking department. Good job, Pug.

Pug and family took their annual trip to Nassau and Vero Beach, then to San Diego to see Smylie (grandson) golfing, and off for four days to Carmel, California. From there they traveled to south Florida to see Smylie play in the Honda Classic. They walked 18 holes of golf for three days. Pug is now having, as she wrote, a bump in the road in an ovarian cancer diagnosis. She wrote she has an excellent healthcare team and has been doing her chemo. The prognosis is good. Hang in there, Pug.

Dorothea “Dodie” Reeder Hruby invited a group for a get together in Williamsburg. In attendance were Carol Kowalski Rudy, Barbara London McNamee, Nancy Gwaltney Gillette, Diane Trishman Lee and her daughter, Linda, Kay Rowe Hayes, Christa Hutchchausen Mueller, Dodie, and myself. We had a lovely lunch and kept the noon humming! Yea! Dodie!

Lucas happily passed to second grade. Losing teeth and growing height! Swimming is his new love.