Class Notes

I continue to travel, mostly to California now, since both of my children and their families live there. My son, Frank, was to deploy to Afghanistan in July on the USS John C. Stennis as a department head in a squadron of F/A-18 Hornets. He enjoys flying, but being separated from family is hard. My daughter, Ashley, loves being an at-home mom for her 1-year old. If you are in the Atlanta area, please call or visit. And keep those emails coming!

On my annual trip to Virginia Beach in April, I had dinner with Mary Lou Skeeter Murray, whose husband, Mike, is still with the Navy in St. Louis, where she spends long weekends. His assignment will end this summer and he’ll head back to Virginia. I also lunched with Lee Smith Musgrave, who gave me a fabulous Japanese painting she created; I hung it in my front hall. Sue Wooldrige Rosser and I speak frequently on the phone and started Skyping. One of her daughters is moving to Atlanta, where her son already lives, so I expect she’ll get this way more often. In May, I visited Penny Partridge Booth in Holly Springs, N.C., and met her daughter, Trisha, and her family. Like Penny, they are beautiful and smart. We stayed up late reminiscing about college and comparing health issues. Penny was to take care of grandsons in New England for two weeks in July, visit Patty Boyette Taavoste to exchange ideas about winter projects, then head home to do a craft show featuring her amazing handiwork and get ready for the beach with daughters Lisa and Trisha and their families. During her spring trip to Alaska, Patty visited her brother, drove on the Seward Highway, flew in tiny planes, and boated in Prince William Sound, taking in the wildlife and mountains. She and Heino spent a June weekend in Washington, D.C., where she received honors for her teaching. Heino had back surgery in December and, after more than three years fighting Lyme disease, is approaching normal strength and stamina.

Barbara Jones Bailey and husband Wayne are retired but still have a beef cattle farm. They visit their three grown children in Chesterfield County, Va., and Allentown, Pa. Their daughter in Fort Irwin, Calif., was to move to Newport, R.I., in July. Barbara and Wayne have six granddaughters and an infant grandson. Phyllis Cornett Mitchell and Jim, her husband of 46 years, have lived in the Memphis area since 1975 and have two children and eight grandchildren, all nearby. Phyllis has worked part-time in Christian education at a community college, as a contributing writer and seminar leader for a Christian publishing company, as a substitute teacher, and recently as a proud grandmother who loves to babysit. Jim retired in 2001 after 36 years with a national pharmaceutical company and does consulting for a national nursing home corporation. They are active in church and enjoy their country home.

Carol Hamblet Adams, whose husband, Steve, died four years ago, moved this spring from Cape Cod, Mass., to rent in Charlestown for a year on the Boston Harbor. She volunteers at a downtown Boston church, takes acting classes in preparation for commercial auditions, and still writes. Two of her books – her first children’s book, Sammy, the Little Broken Shell, and Waves of God’s Healing, both published by Harvest House – came out this year. Her children, Kristin, Kevin, and Todd, are happily married and have given her four wonderful grandsons. She and her sister, Bobbie Hamblet Wilkinson, were to attend an August family reunion on the Cape.

Phyllis Eure Rodrigues, who has been single for more than 20 years, spent five years each in the San Francisco area and L.A., then moved to the Boston area about 27 years ago and loves life in Massachusetts. She taught for 27 years, every age from nursery to high school, but mostly sixth grade, and has sold fine jewelry. She has arthritis, has had annual surgeries for three years, and had a hip and both knees replaced. Her friends call her the bionic woman. Her daughter is the head makeup and wig person for LA Opera, and her son, who is single, works for Bank of New York Mellon Corp.

Susan Elsom spent 35 hours traveling from Ashland, Ore., to Bali this summer and 57 hours returning; she said the visit was transformational. Last year, she traveled to Greece, the Greek Islands, and Turkey. She retired from private practice seven years ago; spends time reading, deep-water pool swimming, and exercising; is active in AAUW; and chairs the Women in Need project that donates home and personal supplies for domestic and sexual abuse victims leaving their abusers. She is blessed with good health and no chronic disease. Her adopted daughters, Amy, 22, and Elena, 21, both face significant health challenges that have derailed their higher education several times.

Margaret Cobourn John has spent more than two years tracking down classmates for her 50th high school reunion; reconnected with dear friends in Baldwinsville, N.Y., this summer; and is back to the business of retirement and working on her “bucket list.”

Barbara Hagemann Hester and husband Ben live in Manassas, Va., as do daughter Susie and her husband, Jimmy; son Tyler, 17; and daughter Haley, 14. Daughter Bonnie and her husband, Chris; daughter Grace, 9; and son Gavin, 4, live near Greenville, S.C. Daughter Carrie is in Tampa, Fla., and their son, Brad, is in Denver. The family got together when Tyler graduated from high school last June. While vacationing in Rehoboth Beach, Del., they had dinner with Lisa Coder Wharton and husband David, as well as Donna Lingo Rauch and husband Eric. Barbara reconnected with Beverly Boudreau Raphael and Barbara Wohlfeil Weatherall at the reunion. Barbara still enjoys her job at Flower Gallery.

Janet Hess Bello, who retired from nursing in 2009, bought a 43-foot trawler-style powerboat with husband Joe, sold everything that wouldn’t fit on the boat, moved aboard, and cruised to Fort Pierce, Fla., last winter. They love the lifestyle and plan to travel south in the winter and to New England in the summer. Two of their six grandchildren live nearby; the rest are in Atlanta. They are active in organizations related to Janet’s hyperbaric medicine specialty and do consulting. Anne Connell Sneed and husband Lee traveled to the Memorial Day ceremony at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and visited the grave of her father, who was killed in WWII and buried in a military cemetery in Belgium. Ten years ago, they decided to hike at all the national parks and have been to 44 of the 58.

Louise S. Robbins retired in May after 20 years at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. She had rescinded her retirement in 2009, when her husband of 43 years, Robby, was injured in China and later passed away. She still is involved with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and the Nazarbayev University Library in Astana, Kazakhstan. She spends time with sons Patrick and Greg, daughter-in-law Maura, and grandchildren Cole and Harper. Before retiring five years ago, Marion White Ward taught high school English for 25 years, got her doctorate in educational leadership, and went to work in higher education, first at Appalachian State University, then as chair of the education department at a small private North Carolina college. She and Rocky live in Swannanoa, N.C., near Asheville, and spend time at their West Virginia farm. Daughter Kelly and her husband live in South Carolina with their 1-year-old daughter, Lily. Marion took students to Europe annually for years, traveled more recently to Africa and India with Rocky, and spent July with him in Seattle and Alaska.

Karen Marsteller Nash, who does contract work as a project manager, received certification as a Project Management Professional and Six Sigma Black Belt. She went for her first bionic body part, a titanium hip joint, last November; traveled to the Bahamas Out Islands with her family this summer; then tried to get her garden under control. Bobbie Barrett Crisp, who was a day student, as were her five sisters, still lives at the farm where she grew up near Fredericksburg and sees all the wonderful changes in the best liberal arts university. Husband Harry retired from the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Dahlgren and serves as a Stafford County supervisor. Their four children are married with children, and they were expecting their seventh grandchild in September and their eighth in November.

Nancy Coates Wilson of Fredericksburg misses the interaction with her AP and comparative government students after teaching 30 years in Stafford County but enjoys retirement and traveling to places like Russia, China, Australia, Egypt, and South America. She was looking forward to a September trip to Greece, Turkey, and the Aegean Islands. She and husband Don have three granddaughters, are active with Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church, attend as many UMW events as possible, and belong to a couples’ dinner group that includes Nancy Buchanan Perry and Martha Jones Burke.

Seven years ago Betty Cummings McCrowell left Rockbridge County, Va., and a library career of almost 27 years and moved to Chase City, where they have about 20 cows and their calves. She serves on the library board of Southside Regional Library, photographs birds and butterflies for the Southside Virginia Herb Society, gardens, farms, and enjoys two step-children and their families.

Sandy Byrum Smith took a sailing trip to Greece, Turkey, and the Aegean Sea. Martha Jo Dillard Walters of Charlotte, N.C., and roommate Katherine Dodd Hardin keep in touch. Martha Jo taught high school English for 30-plus years and earned a master’s degree in English. She was married for 20 years and has been a widow for 24. Son James, two grandsons, and two granddaughters live in Brevard, N.C. She sings with Carolina Voices and church choirs and plays piano with and directs a unique rhythm band of elderly folks who perform as part of her church’s outreach program. She has visited Kenya, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Greece, the Holy Land, Croatia, Brazil, Aruba, and Costa Rica.

Linda Patterson Hamilton’s daughter-in-law, Rachel, of Denver was diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer in March. She and Linda’s son, Jeff, have two daughters, ages 2 and 4. Linda still writes, and her poem Health Care Solution was scheduled for publication in Mature Living magazine in August. She and Austin celebrated their 44th anniversary in June and spent time with her sister, Liz Patterson Vawter ’72, at a June family reunion in Tennessee.

Ann Moser Garner is a cancer survivor and volunteers for two cancer support organizations. Kathy Burke House retired in June after 26 years as a math teacher or specialist at Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland and one year as a fellow at the National Science Foundation. Husband Bill has retired at least three times. Kathy’s mom, a 1942 Mary Washington graduate, died three years ago. They love to spend time with their eight grandchildren. Two daughters and five of the grandchildren live in nearby Howard County. Their sons live in Houston and New York City.

Linda Parker Golub retired last summer after 33 years as a programmer/analyst at the College of William & Mary. She and husband Bob renovated and sold their family home, where they had lived for more than 30 years; moved in February to a home they built in a Williamsburg retirement community; and then took a month-long trip to Hawaii to recuperate. Their two surviving sons live in the area with their families, so five of their seven grandchildren are close by. Their oldest son passed away in 1995, and they frequently see his two children. The 22-year-old lives in Boston, and the 17-year-old lives in Northern Virginia. Linda’s 92-year-old mother is doing well in a local assisted living facility. Linda sent news that classmate Martha Mitchell died in June after a lifelong battle with rheumatoid arthritis.

Helen Hutton Smith’s oldest daughter, Debby, and grandson John, 15, took a mission trip to Kenya with his school. They planned a summer family vacation on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with both their daughters, four grandchildren, a son-in-law, a boyfriend, and two dogs. Helen retired after 26 years teaching English at Fairfax High School; husband John retired from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. They enjoy traveling, including trips to Alaska and the Baltic.

Alice Funkhouser Flowers was doing research for their centennial book. She still works full time, including summers, nights, and weekends, as publications director, in public relations, and as an archivist for St. Christopher’s School in Richmond. Husband George is on his third career, teaching engineering, math, and electronics at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. They frequently see their children and grandchildren in North Carolina and Maryland. Jim is safely back from Djibouti, Africa, retired as a commander in the Navy Reserve, and working for the state. He and Laurie have Jenna, 10, and Matthew, 7. Engineer Rob and wife Marilyn live in Maryland and work for rival construction firms. Daughter Beth, who is in real estate, and husband Jason, an architect, live in Raleigh, have daughter Alice, 3, and expected another in October.

Pat Hartman Brownlee, Bonnie O’Brien, and Ann Plummer were recruited while still at Mary Washington to teach in San Diego, where Pat met and married Marine John Brownlee. After five years of teaching and obtaining a lifetime credential with California, Pat retired. In less than six years, they had four girls. Today, they all live close by, as do three grandsons, a granddaughter, and a grand-dog. Pat, a sales director for more than 20 years, earned a pink car from Mary Kay Cosmetics. Since John retired last July, they have traveled to Costa Rica, Hawaii, and Egypt and taken a cruise through the Panama Canal. Agnes “Missy” Bush Shives recently visited Turkey and Russia. She sees her two sons, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren; volunteers; and takes Silver Sneakers exercise classes.