Class Notes

We received much news this time and are delighted to share it with you.

Bayla Goldberg Manis said all was well in Tennessee. Jean Eubanks Holland’s Bethany Beach, Del., cottage was damaged by the superstorm but is repaired and habitable. Pat Garvin Dyke has a granddaughter.

Florida has become Syd Collson Chichester’s second but favorite home. She volunteers at the Environmental Learning Center, mentors at the youth center, and was excited about the new chimpanzee and elephant sanctuaries nearby.

Natalie Robins Lehmann-Haupt visited her daughter and new grandson in California, and spent time with avid surfer Elaine Friedman Horschman, who owns a boutique in Larkspur. Jude Wandell Potter, Gail Mooney Grobe, and others have thanked us for birthday greetings and sharing news. The updates recall MWC memories for Mamie Sue Howlett Scott.

Terry Eagles Dow and Albert were in relatively good health. Terry visited her son and family in Oregon, and they went to Crater Lake National Park. On the other side of the country, her older son and his wife expected their first baby. For 20 years, Terry has been part-time administrative director and sole employee for a medical foundation to support medical education and research that benefits Beverly, Mass.

Gretchen Squires Best has children and grandkids. She and her husband visited their older son and his wife and three grown grandchildren in D.C. Joyce Neill Krost planned to return to Spain and Germany in fall to visit family and paint.

The bishop of the Episcopal Trinity Cathedral in Easton, Md., has worked with Barbara Fisher, Sandy Poole’s partner, on diocesan committees and her counseling ministry. He invited them to have their wedding – the first same-gender wedding in that diocese – there.

Penny Engle Burkhardt and husband of 29 years Brad had a mini-reunion in Florida with her two children from her first marriage. Betty Ditmars Prosser was to fly to L.A. in June for her oldest grandson’s high school graduation and to Dallas in August to celebrate her 29th year with Mary Kay cosmetics.

Through extensive research, Gail Mooney Grobe has found family lines back to the 400s! Gail has a coffee mug that says, “UMW Grandparent,” and she and her husband often visit campus to see the next generation in her line. Son David shares a birthday with Karen Larsen Nelson and exchanged greetings with her.

Sherry Farrington Green discovered sabre fencing and shares her victories at senior competitions with us. She planned to go to the Veterans’ World Cup in Bulgaria in September. She is passionate about maternal health, and her doula/midwife practice is going strong. Sherry did medical volunteer work in Kenya in April, was blessed by a Masai midwife and healer in a mud hut, and had tea with Mama Sarah, President Obama’s grandmother. Sherry speaks Kiswahili but still needed a translator. When husband Alan passed in 1989, she moved to Oregon, away from her four children and nine grandchildren, who live mostly in the Northeast, but she manages to visit them.

Bonnie Davis Hall had cataract surgery, and she and Ross sold one of their homes. They’re still involved with the Revels and were to perform in a couple of concerts. Bonnie’s old roommate, Carlota Muse Rokita, lives in a high-rise condo in Vienna, Austria. Carlota visited Bonnie and Ross in April and May, and they took her to see their 1780s farmhouse in the White Mountains, an Irish pub in Boston, and Longfellow’s home gardens and grave. Carlota attended a family reunion on Cape Cod. When she left Bonnie’s, she planned to visit more relatives in the South.

Jeanette Meyer Juren and Hal traveled to Ashland, Ore., and attended the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. From there, they flew to Minneapolis and toured the city, visiting museums and the Guthrie Theater.

Pat Voelker Donnell planned to travel this fall and said our correspondence renews her love for MWC. As a student, she had to finish college as quickly as possible and missed a lot of fun.

Gaye Roberts Olsen of Boise, Idaho, traded her favorite purple walker for a motorized chair, sold her home, and moved to assisted living, near friends and in-laws. Gaye’s mother, who lived in Texas and suffered from Alzheimer’s for six years, passed away.

Karen Larsen Nelson and Darrell of Mesa, Ariz., traveled to Florida for the high school graduation of their youngest grandson, who was to enter Marine basic training at Parris Island. On the way home, the Nelsons stayed at a South Fork, Colo., RV resort, where they danced nearly a week. Karen had cataract surgery before the trip and enjoyed her new eyesight. They drove to Reno, Nev., in July for the international round dance convention, and explored Oregon and Washington.

Jody Campbell Close does genealogical research. She and others successfully protested the county commissioner’s effort at privatization or outsourcing of the local county libraries for economic reasons. Jody has adjusted to her “new normal,” walking with a brace to avoid pain. She said giving up long daily walks also troubled the dog, and they were both pouting!

Please send us a note. Each of you is part of our memories and tapestry of life. We want to stay in touch with all of you for as long as we can.

Please send news to the designated Class Agent according to the first letter of your maiden name.

From Connie: Betty Meaders-Lynch of Seattle wonders about the whereabouts of Becky Johnson, saying the two of them used to find dates at the Naval Academy. Betty often thinks of roommate Maria Adela Rahola. She was to have been in Maria’s wedding, but there was an airline strike the day she was scheduled to fly to Puerto Rico. Betty has a 2-year-old grandson.

Bev Carlson Shea had 11-year-old grandson Eric with them for the third summer. University of Wisconsin Press was set to publish author/poet Kelly Cherry’s new collection of stories in spring.

Patty Cairns Hourin and Jim were to visit son Scott and family in Stuttgart, Germany, in June. Scott is on active duty with the Marines, and the girls, who still live in Hawaii, joined him for the summer. They all went to USAFA for nephew Jack Hourin’s graduation and Lake Martin, Ala., for a cousin’s wedding, and planned to attend a niece’s Alp-top wedding in Switzerland.

Jerri Barden Perkins sailed around St. Thomas and the British Virgin Islands in June and recalled times there with her husband. She planned to go on an Italian cruise with UMW alumni in October. She works in medical research, protects patients in clinical trials, and was invited to speak in January at two universities in India. Son Jack, a Roanoke, Va., physician, received the emergency department faculty teacher of the year award.

Mary Gilliam Dodson Larson said Joyce Gann Rush had been sick for several months and was recovering at a rehab center in Lynchburg, Va. Joyce and husband Carol celebrated their 50th anniversary last year. Get well, Joyce!

Sarah Leigh Kinberg has been traveling a lot, crossing Croatia, Ephesus, and Pompeii off her bucket list and visiting her daughter in France and two of their exchange students in Finland. She attended her 55th Maury High School reunion in Norfolk, Va., and spent three October weeks in Virginia and North Carolina. She and Tom traveled to France in June.

I continue to recover from my lung transplant last December at Duke. After eight months in Durham, we came home in April, but still travel to Duke about once a month for check-ups. The latest setback was sciatica, which had gone, and left hip pain, due to hairline fractures. I haven’t fallen, so I probably have osteoporosis. Putting weight on it is painful, hence I’m not getting around much anymore. I’m doing physical therapy and trying to gain weight and build stamina and strength. As the surgeon said last summer, the transplant is not a guarantee of perfect health – you’ll trade one problem for a different set of problems, but you will be alive! Andy has been a terrific caregiver, and my family, friends, and you, classmates, have been a great support. Thank you all! I can empathize with those who have been through rough treatments for cancer and other problems.

From Renee:  Mary Hatcher and Bill took a cruise to Alaska from Seattle on the inside passage to Ketchikan, cruising Tracy fjord, seeing the Sawyer glacier, and returning to Seattle via Wrangell, Alaska, and Prince Rupert, B.C. They spent a week in May in Upper Lake, Calif., tasting wines and attending lectures, then traveled to Angel Camp, Calif., to visit Yosemite.

Tomi Lewis Reneau, a Fredericksburg native, lives in Tampa, Fla. She was a day student from 1957 to 1960, but while living on campus, she met a young Marine on a summertime blind date. They eloped six weeks later and were transferred mid-junior year, and Tomi had to say goodbye to MWC. She and Cal were married 52 years and made it through two tours in Vietnam. After Cal retired from service, they moved to Sanford, N.C., where Tomi had her turn, owning a camera store, lab, and studio for 20 years, while Cal worked for Coty. They moved back to Fredericksburg, then eventually to a one-story home in Tampa. Cal passed away two years ago. Tomi enjoys bridge, genealogy, club work, family, and the Bodacious Chicks, a group of 15 gals who have known each other more than 65 years. Tomi counts MWC among the great things in her life.

Becky Paris Spetz of Lynchburg, Va., traveled to Italy in September 2011 and to Kingston, Ontario, in 2012 to visit Wayne’s brother and his family. They returned from that trip to the superstorm, losing a large oak tree and power for six days.

Debbie Phinney Wylie of Cheshire, Conn., had visits this summer from her son, Rob, and grandson. She expected Laura to come from Georgia with her four and planned an August trip to Maine with her sister.

Judy LaRoe Hare said this wet Atlanta summer curtailed her tennis game, but she was able to watch Wimbledon. In June, she attended the French Open in Paris, which had been on her bucket list. She looked forward to their annual family vacation on the Gulf Coast in Seacrest, Fla., where her son rents a place each summer to escape the Phoenix heat.

Sylvia McJilton Woodcock and Stuart want to hear from anyone visiting Williamsburg.

Peggy Howard Hodgkins was awaiting an August visit from Pat Scott Peck and Carolyn Crum Pannu. Peggy enjoyed time at the lake with a new summer book club, boat rides, watching loons and an eagle, and receiving visits from family. She even enjoyed some of the cooking, as well as short hair and being barefoot.

I’ve been feeling quite well. My hair has grown back in curly! I took leave of what’s left of my mind and agreed to participate in a clinical trial for a new breast cancer vaccine designed to prevent recurrences. Of course, I don’t know if I’m getting the vaccine or a placebo, but I thought a 50/50 chance of living longer was worth it. I also feel I might be helping other women. I get four injections each month. One drug is similar to a drug that stimulates production of white cells, which I had while I was on chemo. It made me quite sick, while the chemo did not. I’m also on an estrogen suppressor, which has many unpleasant side effects I could nicely do without.

To combat all this, I’m taking some interesting courses at UCLA Extension. I haven’t the stamina yet for teaching. Thanks to the responding class members. It really is great to hear from you. Keep well, happy, and busy.

From Lynne: Elizabeth “Bitsy” Wright Coxe wrote sentiments we all share, “The best news is that our own dear Connie successfully received a lung transplant. Through a great deal of courage on her part and Andy’s care (along with Duke!), she has weathered many storms and trials…. She is a terrific example to us all!”

Eleanore Saunders Sunderland first wrote that twin sister Judy Saunders Slifer’s multiple myeloma had actively returned, leaving her weak and in home hospice care, but in no pain. However, a few days later Eleanore wrote: “I very sadly must let you know that my crazy, wonderful, full-of-life sister passed away quietly on Saturday evening (July 6) from her most unkind blood cancer, multiple myeloma. She fought it truly well and had five sometimes difficult years. But she was always with a smile and an amazing joie de vivre! We plan a celebration of her life the last part of August. I will truly miss her.” We all will, Eleanore.

Lynne Wilson Rupert wrote that Jim passed away in June, after being diagnosed with lung cancer in April. They celebrated their 50th anniversary and his 80th birthday last year. They had a wonderful life together; memories, as well as her daughters and their families, were keeping Lynne strong. Our deepest sympathy to you, Lynne.

Carolyn Spell Robertson and Jim celebrated their 50th anniversary with a party, attended by all their children and grandkids. They planned a summer cruise around the Maine islands.

Kay Slaughter spent the fall of 2012 traveling and teaching with U.Va.’s Semester at Sea. They sailed the perimeter of the Atlantic − 14 port cities in four months. She traveled the Amazon and heard the Amazon Symphony in the Opera House in Manaus. Kay has two great-grandsons, and she is teaching land use policy, researching family history, and writing a novel.

Jean Ryan Farrell’s Singapore family visited for six weeks this summer. They planned their annual dive trip to Curacao at Thanksgiving. Jean and Frank stopped to see Connie Booth Logothetis and Andy at their Wilmington, N.C., home in April, while making a quick visit to her brother.

Marcy Pitkin has been through so much lately, when she should have been planning her 50th wedding anniversary. Her brother died unexpectedly, her husband was hospitalized for congestive heart surgery, and she had a lump in her breast. After chemotherapy, Marcy planned to go to her hometown in Pennsylvania for a memorial service for her brother and a reunion with family and friends, before returning to Florida for a mastectomy. She hoped for family time in Key West at Christmas. We’re all pulling for you, Marcy.

Sue Wilson Sproul and Dave spent a week in Park City, Utah. He attended a Native American flute camp and she spent time at the LDS Family History Center researching her ancestors. The forest fires had surrounded them in Colorado but had not reached them.

Jane Riles planned an art studio and painting classroom in the new addition to their house in San Diego, and trips to Cannes for her 12th art workshop and to Barcelona to travel by ship to Fort Lauderdale.

Aggie Welsh Eyster was in Berkeley, Calif., welcoming a new grandnephew and visited another grandnephew at Stanford. She shopped for handmade textiles in Guatemala, and in April saw El Anatsui’s monumental metal “tapestries” at the Brooklyn Museum. She visited cousin Jill Cusack Clay’s daughter, Bonnie (who is also my goddaughter!). Aggie had visits from her sister’s (Jane, MWC Class of ’57) kids and celebrated her daughter’s 50th birthday. She also planned to conduct Aggie’s Art Camp for her youngest granddaughter. Her closing statement was, “Life is good.”

Pat Scott Peck drove up from Miami to Calais, Maine, as usual, for the summer and said all test results in April stated she was tumor/cancer-free. Losing 20 pounds quickly during her winter ordeal left her a bit weak (and wrinkled!) so she was working out with a trainer three times a week and eating well. Carolyn Crum Pannu was to visit Pat in Maine for two weeks in August, and they planned to visit Peggy Howard Hodgkins and explore Boston before Carolyn returned to San Francisco. Pat and Carolyn flew to Barcelona last October and took a cruise from there to Nice, with many stops along the Italian coast, and up the coast of Croatia to Venice.

Polly Updegraff Champ enjoyed winter in Florida. They walked a lot, especially at several nature preserves in Delray Beach and Boca Raton. In Connecticut, Polly dressed the male ensemble for Sister Act and Catch Me If You Can, and the two leading ladies in Billy Elliot. Polly shared a bit of nostalgia: “I was recently reminded that the MWC ’61 yearbook’s colored dance picture of me and Beverly Sulpice ’62 and Bonnie Platt was used for the 1964 paperback edition of Agnes de Mille’s autobiography, Dance to the Piper. Not sure anyone else was aware of this. A. Wilson Embrey III was the photographer. I did some modeling for him during college.”

Sandy and I (Lynne) finally sold our condo in Boca Grande, Fla. It’s a relief not having three properties, but I am suffering a bit of seller’s remorse, as we have many friends there. During summer, we visited my sister in Dallas, and went to Cape Cod with friends and Nantucket with kids and grandkids.

Greetings, girls: It is so wonderful to hear your voices! Joan came to Fredericksburg to visit with Kathleen in June, and for a couple of days they had a fabulous response trying to call our classmates while grabbing two phones.

Judy Wolfe Allen and Jack moved out of their La Jolla, Calif., home of 37 years in June and said downsizing is not for sissies! They moved half a block from the ocean − next door to where they lived in the 1960s, when she was teaching high school while Jack was in Vietnam. They were inspired by Betsy Lydle Smith ’63 and husband Pete of Seattle, who also moved out of their family home to a condo and then to an island.

Nancy O’Neal Robinson took a steamboat from Memphis to New Orleans on the Mississippi River. The food and music were great. They headed across the Southeast to visit relatives and saw Jerry and Ann Tench Huml and Asandra McGreggor Craig and her husband. They topped off the trip with a marvelous visit to the UMW campus.

Marilyn Atkinson Kovach is a personal chef but finds time to play tennis. Although she’s not directly involved in the business anymore, she and her family have had a tropical plant nursery in Encinitas, Calif., since the 1980s, and a ranch in Hilo, Hawaii, where they grow palms. Her daughter and family were visiting from France (where they have lived for 10 years), and then they were all off to Hawaii.

Diana Copple Smith still teaches ESL at the Forsyth Tech Community College and lives in Kernersville, N.C. She goes to Richmond to see her dad, who is 98, and to Wilmington, N.C., to visit her daughter, husband, and 4-year-old grandson. Last fall Diana visited Lillian Ann Dix Smith in Warsaw, Va., and saw Faith Moss Prescott ’61 at a rehab center in Kilmarnock. They remembered working together in the dining hall at MWC and attending BSU together.

Life is so precious and so are old friends. Keep us updated on your addresses and phone numbers. Remember, Jane has a three-hour time difference from Virginia. Try to get us news well before the due dates. God bless all!

If you missed our 50th reunion, you missed a wonderful weekend. Over the three days of reunion we had more than 50 classmates present. I (Linkey) have to say, we all look wonderful for 70-year-olds. I have put up a class share site on Shutterfly, where we can post pictures from the reunion or future get-togethers of classmates. If you were not there and would like to be included, please send me your email address. We also have a Mary Washington Class of 1963  Facebook site. On behalf of our class, I want to thank Suellen Grant Knowles and Susan Ramey Robertson for co-chairing our class reunion committee. Both worked countless hours along with the Alumni Office personnel to make our 50th a memorable event.

Barbara Duke Jones wonders what classmates have done in their lives with their UMW degrees. She was an art major and still has a studio and is involved in the art world. So, if you think you don’t have any news for Betsy or me, tell us a bit about what you have done with your degree.

We have quite a long list of “lost” classmates. If you know the whereabouts of any of these people, please let the Alumni Office or me know. A few selected randomly from the list are: Suzanne Blaisdell, Diana Flomp Bryant, Dolores Comandatore, Judy Duval Davis, and Carolyn Grantham.

I (Betsy) loved our reunion and was so impressed with the fabulous organization, classes, and activities planned by our class reunion committee and UMW staff. I especially enjoyed the class dinner on Thursday at Gari Melchers’ beautiful historic Belmont home and art studio. What an elegant and fun cocktail party and dinner. Thanks to Diane Lovewell Melton, whose professional expertise as an event planner shone through.

President Hurley was just as nice in person as he seems in the articles written about him. The cocktail party at Brompton demonstrated his and Mrs. Hurley’s hospitality and friendliness, and their beautiful home. Dr. William B. Crawley Jr. had us all in stitches as he spoke of our time at Mary Washington at our class dinner Friday night.

The reunion committee honored our 52 classmates who have died with a memorial at our class meeting, beginning and ending with a prayer, and reading each woman’s name aloud. A chime was rung after each name was read. I discovered last year that my MWC roommate of three years, Mary “Jo” Dreher, had died two years before. Jo and her husband, Ralph Gibson, and family lived in Northern Virginia.

Also at the class meeting, it was decided a committee would research giving a class gift to UMW. This needs to be with separate monies from our regular contributions to UMW. If you have ideas of how this could be done or a specific gift you would like to see given, please contact Karen Vandevanter Morrison at mms02891@gmail.com.

I loved hearing stories from Suellen Grant Knowles about her adventures at Mary Washington with roommate Jackie Dahloff Bumgardner of going to Austria and driving to Mexico during spring break. How many others remember those wild spring break trips to Florida or Mexico? Jackie is in Bridgeport, Calif., where she raises and rides horses in endurance races.

I wish I could write about everyone who came to the reunion. If I missed you, please write your news for the next issue. Suitemates Eileen Hildebrand Andrews of Florida, Ginger Logie Carr of Maine, and Carol Van Ness Clapp of Florida, and their husbands had a great time catching up. It was fun to see three other Betsys: Betsy Loving Robbins, Betsy Chamberlain Hartz, and Betsy Evans Manchester! Many of us agreed that we were glad we attended Mary Washington in the era we did; we reminisced about the honor code, dates in the parlor, wearing our PJs under trench coats to early morning classes, waitressing at Seacobeck, and being grateful for small classes taught by interesting professors.

Lois Smith McDaniel, a wonderful photographer, took many photos now on the Shutterfly site. Kitty Shannon had us laughing at her self-deprecating, witty remarks about her “boring” life in Richmond. Susan Rutan Joehnk came from La Jolla, Calif., and Bev Sangston has retired and lives in Florida. Gloria Moskowitz Fischel was as enthusiastic and energetic as I remembered her. Barbara Bold Ducker and her husband enjoyed the weekend festivities, as did Barbara Moore Wheeler and Karen Gustafson.

Congratulations to Sally Abbott Pomputius ’62, who received the Mary Washington Distinguished Alumna Award! Janice Coleman honored her friend, Wendy Shadwell, by describing the significant gift Wendy designated in her will to Mary Washington.

Tom and Becky Ryan Dunkenberger celebrated their 50th anniversary around the time of our reunion in North Carolina at their son’s home, and Judy Ross and her husband joined them.

This summer Pete and I moved to Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, and we love island life. Our friends Len and Beth Davitt Eisenhood ’67 plan to move to Bainbridge soon. Karen Vandevanter Morrison lives on neighboring Whidbey Island, Wash., and we planned to have lunch soon.

Please take the time to share what you’ve done with your degree from Mary Washington for our next Class Notes column. I majored in English and have always been grateful for the numerous books I read and for learning how to think critically. I also got my teaching certificate “to fall back on in case I didn’t get married right away” – which I didn’t! Teaching has been my lifelong passion, as a young secondary school teacher in San Diego, Germany, and New York, and as a teacher and facilitator now working with adults and educators in a character education program.

Linkey and Betsy have agreed to share the class agent duties, so feel free to contact one of us at any time with your news. Let’s make sure the Class of 1963 has lots of news in our next newsletter. Please try to get your news to us a couple of weeks before the deadline. Many thanks to Anne Radway for her years of service as class agent.

It is always a pleasure to hear from you. I received a recent email and assume you did too, that next year’s Reunion Weekend – our 50th! – will be May 30 through June 1. Save the date!

Priscilla Weatherby Ryan and Ed moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland after raising their family in the D.C. area. They love their new home, as it is close to the water and not too far from their daughter and her husband and growing family. They live in Grasonville, Md., near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Nancy Booth was awarded the title of professor at Hudson County Community College in New Jersey. She received her Ph.D. in 2009. Congratulations, Nancy!

We send our heartfelt sympathy to Barbara Ioanes, whose mother, Betty, passed away in June at age 96.

Patti Jones Schacht’s family planned to visit Northern Ireland in August “to walk the land of the ancestors,” who came from County Down in 1853. Patti has a majestic bald eagle, a male red fox, and deer on their property. Patti has been recovering from shingles, and she and I urge classmates to speak to their internists about getting the shingles vaccine. It protects for life.

Barbara Kellam Latham and husband Roger moved in January to the Eastern Shore of Virginia, to Cape Charles, where Barbara grew up. Their older daughter had gone to Cape Charles to visit her grandmother and liked it so much she stayed there, so Barbara and Roger decided to move back to family as well. Unfortunately, soon after the move, Barbara’s mother died at age 94. As Barbara writes, “She had had a good, long run.” Our sympathy to you and the whole family, Barbara. Their younger daughter, Sara Latham ’92, lives in London.

Sally Crenshaw Witt stays busy with her fabulous garden and with her and Sam’s 1-year-old grandson, Henry. She said Sue Parker Burton’s new grandson is her eighth, and Barbara Humphries Davenport’s new granddaughter is her eighth! Are there any others of us with eight or more grandchildren?

Beverley Jackson Johnston and husband Jim arrived in Wildwood, N.J., from their home in Texas in the spring. They were thankful that Hurricane Sandy spared their New Jersey home from major damage. Beverley and Jim’s daughter, Anna, and husband Dale gave them their first grandchild last October. The baby is, as Barbara writes, “the love of our lives, of course!” Beverley is an involved and enthusiastic photographer.

Chris Scheuring Kapfer lives near Myrtle Beach, S.C., and has seven grandchildren. They were saddened by the loss of their oldest granddaughter, who passed away at age 20 in January of an illness. Another granddaughter was to begin college. One of Chris’ daughters raises alpacas on her Idaho ranch. An injured goose befriended Chris’ dog, a husky mix, even following them on walks.

As I (Vicky Taylor Allen) write this, I have plans to go to France to again guide a group of teachers and staff on a pilgrimage to the various places in Joigny, Burgundy, and Paris, where our worldwide Convent of the Sacred Heart schools were founded in 1800. I have worked for 27 years in the schools, first in New York City and now in Greenwich, Conn. Much to my astonishment, Ruth Pharr Sayre’s grandchild attends our NYC school on East 91st Street. In other news, thankfully, my home was undamaged in Sandy.

Keep in touch. By the time you read this, summer will be long over, but our activities may make you think back on summer days. Give some thought to our big 50th reunion year.

Not much news this cycle. Please send your updated addresses to the email address above so you can be included.

I still enjoy tennis and traveling to see my kids and grandchildren in California. My son was to go to Germany with his family in December to teach at the NATO Weapons School in Oberammergau, so I will spend time in Europe as well as California the next
few years.

Margaret Cobourn John saw Bill and Trudy Kitchin Kohl in June. Trudy and Bill have moved from their son’s home near Raleigh, N.C., to an apartment closer to her rehab place. For someone who was told she would probably never walk again, Trudy has proven the Baltimore doctors wrong. Going to rehab five days a week, four hours a day, with unbelievable determination, she can walk several steps with a walker.

While in Virginia, Meg and her husband saw Barbara Hagemann Hester and hubby Ben, then headed to the Outer Banks to spend time with family. Phyllis Rodrigues’ daughter in California had a second son this year. They visited Phyllis in Massachusetts in July. Phyllis is winning the bionic award for our class after having had four joint replacements; she needs both shoulders replaced! Ann Moser Garner retired in June after 32 years as secretary at King William High School. She plans to spend more time with her grandchildren, ages 9, 7, and 3, in Alabama; volunteer at Memorial Regional Hospital; and travel. She is also a support volunteer for Cancer Hope Network and the R.A. Bloch Cancer Foundation.

Louise Stevens Robbins lost her sister, Donna Stevens Boyd ’62, in October. She traveled to China in July to help conduct a workshop for the Evergreen Education Foundation and planned to visit Virginia in late summer or early fall. Penny Partridge Booth spent the spring helping her sister, Pam, who has had serious medical issues. Penny also played soccer grandma for a few weeks after daughter Lisa lost her nanny. In August, Penny went to Canada with friends and planned a European river cruise in the spring with her sister.

Barbara Bishop Mann and Jana Privette Usry attended a UMW networking reception at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. Bobbi spoke to UMW President Richard V. Hurley’s wife, Rose, who mentioned seeing Dee Dee Nottingham Ward at a similar reception in San Diego. In April, Bobbi arranged a meeting of the Mary Washington Lunch Bunch at La Petite Auberge in Fredericksburg. Bobbi, Jana, Joan Cuccias Patton, Anne Kales Lindblom, Sheila Denny Young, Ann Meade Clagett, Diane Twiggs Woodworth, Pat Lewars Pace, Ann Enders Hughes, Lois Rucker Scott, and Kathleen Goddard Moss attended.

Dee Dee Nottingham Ward enjoyed the reception with the Hurleys in San Diego, where she lives. She keeps getting emails from Bobbi regarding Mary Washington lunches in Fredericksburg and vows that one day she may surprise everyone and show up!

In June, Nancy Shackelford Jones and Jeff attended a reception at the Virginia Governor’s Mansion in honor of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. They also attended a dedication service at Werowocomoco on the James River in Gloucester, Va., the capital of the Powhatan chiefdom, which had 30 tribes and encompassed much of coastal Virginia.

On Feb. 15, Sally Souder represented the UMW Alumni Association at the Sarasota, Fla., inauguration of the president of New College, Donal O’Shea, formerly of Boston College. In April, Sally and Gerry Sargent Habas met in St. Petersburg, Fla., for their annual mutual birthday lunch. In May, Sally traveled through Alaska and saw Denali and wild animals but only saw fresh grizzly bear tracks, no grizzly bear. She passed through Wasilla, saw Sarah Palin’s house, and marveled at the wide variety of Palin souvenirs available there, some very amusing.

Linda Spangler Berkheimer sent a lovely photo of herself with Mary Parsons Black and Annette Maddra Horner on the balcony at Linda’s condo in the Outer Banks, N.C. The tradition of Linda’s family beach vacation began when she was very young and has transitioned over the years to include kids, grandkids, and friends. Mary and Annette live nearby in Elizabeth City, N.C., have become regulars at the “Spangler retreat,” and enjoy leisurely mini-reunions.

Katharine Rogers Lavery was finishing her third year on the vestry of historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, Va. She still plays cornet regularly in the worship services and honored a request of one small parishioner to teach her how to play the trumpet. Katharine and Hank remain active in two senior bowling leagues and the Pentagon Sailing Club year-round, but Katharine’s favorite pastime is tutoring high school math, mainly to grandkids. The whole Lavery clan gathered at South Nags Head, N.C., for their annual beach vacation. Son Stephen took his boat out into the Gulf Stream about 40 miles away from Oregon Inlet and caught a 233-pound tuna!

Joan Cuccias Patton celebrated her June birthday playing golf and made a personal best score. In July, Joan convened with her family in their favorite beach spot in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and they all continued celebrating.

Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner recovered from her Segway accident and resumed playing golf. She and Charlie spend several winter weeks each year in Naples, Fla., where they have happily hosted friends, including Phil and Linda Spangler Berkheimer. Mary Kathryn, a longtime member of Nellie’s Needlers, is a waitress in March at the Woodlawn needlework exhibit in Alexandria, Va.

Carol Bingley Wiley planned to open a gallery at her home in Maine to add to the exposure she enjoys with two other galleries on an ongoing basis. She did small still-life paintings while she and husband Peter were visiting Pam Hughes Ward and husband Jim. Carol helped her father move into Goodwin House, an assisted living facility in Northern Virginia, where he enjoys the view of the Washington Monument from his window. Carol stayed with Pam Kearney Patrick and TaB in Irvington, Va., where they were preparing for TaB’s retirement. Pam is also a recognized watercolor artist whose miniature paintings are outstanding. Carol also visited Sandy Pearson D’Acunto in Reston, Va.

Winnie Woodson Stribling traveled home to Richmond for her 50th high school reunion in October 2012 and shared some of the festivities with Eleanor McJilton Thompson. Winnie and Brad celebrated daughter Sarah’s graduation from Pacific School of Religion, Graduate Theological Union, in Berkeley, Calif., where she received a master of arts degree. Winnie and Brad are active in their church and were excited about touring next year with their choir in London, Paris, and Rome, performing in various venues, including the Sistine Chapel.

Catherine Cantwell Luria spent a week in June at Lady of the Lake Dance Camp on Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, including two sessions of English dance each day. On some evenings, the group enjoyed country dancing as well. Cathe is “getting brave in her retirement” and had seriously practiced her voice so that, at the festive dinner and closing activity of her camp, she was able to sing A Simple Song from the Bernstein Mass, performed with flute and piano accompaniment.

Yvonne March traveled in Spain, from Granada to Bilbao, and to Tangier in Morocco. She admires the Muslim/Jewish era of Spain, particularly the famous architecture and jewelry. Yvonne stopped in D.C. in June to join her family as they feted her brother for his 70th birthday. Four years ago Yvonne moved from Hollywood, Fla., to Tampa with her significant other, Chris, and she has been renting out her Hollywood apartment. Yvonne spent quality summer time with her grandson.

Kathleen Goddard Moss and husband Tom traveled to Spain and California in the spring to visit kids and grandkids. Their newest grandson, Charlie Moss, was born in California in February. Kathy and Tom still work part time and spend most of their time close to home. This summer they celebrated their 47th anniversary and posted Facebook photos of a warm family gathering.

Eileen Perna Thomason and husband Phil attended the June outdoor wedding of their older son, a chef and restaurant owner. It was a Virginia country wedding on a family farm on the Eastern Shore, using as many Virginia products as possible: wines from Chatham Vineyards, Suffolk peanuts, honey, Smithfield ham, produce from the Shore, Spring Lakes bottled water. The happy couple departed for a grand honeymoon in Scotland and Morocco, and Eileen and “Dr. Phil” turned to recovering after all the festivities and joyous parental duties.

Susan Roth Nurin still lives the dream in NYC, in a small apartment facing Central Park, and posts on Facebook many of her daily adventures. She attends as many ballets, operas, and symphonies as possible and personally talks with the major stars (Mikhail Baryshnikov and Placido Domingo, for example). She is a Metropolitan Opera volunteer, which involves sitting with student groups during performances, allowing her to see every opera for free!

Genie McClellan Hobson sent news about her roommate, Sheri Gates Brindle ’67, and husband Paul, who live in an RV, are traveling the United States, and visited Genie and Don in Newark, Del., for a couple of weeks this spring. There was lots of conversation and reminiscences of the good old MWC days. For several years, Sheri and Paul lived on a boat, traveled, and hosted their friends at various ports. Genie and Don are not so adventuresome but have enjoyed the visits! Their daughter’s family lives a few miles south of Newark, and their son’s family lives a few miles north, making it easy to see the grandchildren. Genie heads the Neurogenetics Research Laboratory at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. They specialize in research on the genetic disease Pelizaeus-Merzbacher (PMD), for which they have developed several models and are working on potential treatments. Genie got a late start on research after teaching school, staying home with her children for nine years, and then getting a Ph.D. at the University of Delaware. Don has been retired from AstraZeneca for 13 years but is fully occupied as chairman of the board for the PMD Foundation and with volunteer jobs.

Robbie James East celebrated the 100th birthday of her mother, Geraldine East, with a huge party. Robbie’s siblings and more than 100 guests attended. Robbie and husband Dennis have decided to downsize from the farm in Loudoun County to their small home in Southport, N.C. Meanwhile, Robbie is her mother’s part-time caregiver and attends their 8- and 9-year-old grandsons’ baseball games.

Yvonne J. Milspaw is almost ready to retire from 40-some years teaching college English and humanities. She plans to teach part time for the next three years, and then go on to full-scale retirement with husband Douglas Evans. They both travel a lot, so for retirement, she thinks they might just loaf and read. And Yvonne will want to knit cool scarves and sweaters. She continues to facilitate a book discussion group that has been together for almost 25 years. Their children are grown, educated, and on their own. They have yet to produce grandchildren but have provided Yvonne and Douglas with two grandcats and access to a small sailboat. Yvonne is senior professor of English and humanities at Harrisburg Area Community College.

Sheryl Gates Brindle was just north of Zion National Park in southwestern Utah, camping in their fifth wheel trailer, which is their home now. They left Florida in April and were making their way to San Diego, where their older son and his family live. Before heading west, they went up the East Coast as far as Pennsylvania, and stopped in the Newark, Del., area to visit Genie “Grace” MacClellan Hobson and husband Don. (Genie, Sheryl’s junior year roommate, started with our class but finished in three years with the Class of ’66.) Their younger son and his family were in Germany but expected to return within nine months and relocate to the desert southwest or California.

Nancy McDonald Legat is retired in Lexington, S.C., and does a little traveling with husband Dan. Their three daughters and sons-in-law, seven grandchildren, and great-grandson live close by. Nancy does a little writing and was learning to garden.

What an amazing reunion weekend! Tiaras were out in force at the lovely class get-together on Friday night; the lawn picnic under the tent on Saturday; the dinner and dancing (lots of dancing!) Saturday night; and the Sunday brunch. With classes, tours, campus walks, dorm visits, bookstore shopping, and most of all, catching up with classmates and talking, talking, talking, it was a special time for those who attended. If you weren’t there this time, don’t miss the next one; we are already planning for a smashing 50th!

The Class of 1968 swept the Race for the Eagle awards, winning all three! We were honored for having the largest class gift and the largest number of classmates participating.

Pam Tompkins Huggins emailed: “As some of you already know, Queen Pam ended up being a no-show at the reunion because I was needed at home to help my sweet hubby, Jim, who was recovering from surgery and other miscellaneous bizarre medical events. Sally Monroe Kelly exploited my absence by reclaiming her title, but we will straighten that out at the 50th!” Pam lives in Staunton, Va., and volunteers for nonprofits and favorite causes. She has a new grandson and son-in-law, and they took their annual beach trip to Hatteras.

Sally Monroe Kelly (who proved while dancing with President Hurley that she can still do a mean “bump”) and husband Pete of California celebrated their 25th anniversary. Six of their eight kids are married, five have children, and they expected their 11th grandbaby in October.

Kris Krstulich Hoyer loved the reunion, seeing members of the Class of ’68, and wearing her tiara all weekend! She said it was interesting visiting Virginia Hall and that the campus looked amazing, but she felt completely lost with all the new buildings. Did we really make it to 8 a.m. classes, walking from Marshall to duPont?

Dale Saunders Kalkofen retired from Chesterfield County, Va., in 2011 after 44 years in public school education. She is pursuing her original interest in art, mostly drawing and painting.

Mel Wittig Neale is an artist in the Northern Neck of Virginia, where she exhibits regularly. She also exhibits in Florida and recently won best in show for one of her watercolors at the juried St. Augustine Spring Membership Show.

Merrilyn Sawyer Dodson retired in September 2012 and enjoys grandchildren Dex, 8, and Taylor, 6, who live in Richmond. Donna Harrison Lile retired from the Bowling Green, Ky., public library. She has two daughters and two grandsons, so she spends a lot of time traveling between Louisville and Lexington!

Susan Morris and her husband, Don Wolford, live in Barrington, Ill., in the Chicago suburbs. She is semiretired from educational consulting and enjoys two granddaughters after raising three sons. Susan wrote: “My latest breaking news is the arrival of my second granddaughter, Ivy Sloane Leflar, on Thursday, July 11. This date is the birthday of my maternal grandmother, my first cousin, and my youngest son, making Ivy our fourth generation born on 7/11.”

Angela Cummings Petro and husband Ray celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. They have two children and two granddaughters and recently moved from Fairfax County to Williamsburg. Rhoda “Dodo” Fisher Roberts still works full time for UBS in Stamford, Conn., but took a new role this year as manager for graduate trainees, interns, and diversity in the Americas. Last year she traveled to Switzerland, Scotland, and England. This spring she visited the homes of the first four Virginia presidents – Montpelier, Ash Lawn, Monticello, and Mount Vernon.

Anne Tooke, a retired psychotherapist, and husband Brooks travel extensively. Judy Henley Beck finished a two-year term as president of her local woman’s club and cares for her mother. She and Gary celebrated their 45th anniversary and have two children and three grandchildren.

Last fall Susan Blosser Wight played in a golf tournament in Virginia Beach. When she got to the fifth hole, there was a brown Lexus hybrid parked by the tee. Susan hit a hole-in-one and won the Lexus – talk about exciting! She was elected to the board of directors of the Garden Club of Virginia and is an avid golfer, flower arranger, and bridge player just 10 points away from her Life Masters. Her husband of 45 years is a golf rules official. They go to lots of golf tournaments and were heading to the U.S. Open right after the reunion.

Jill Robinson Burkert lives in Juneau and works for the University of Alaska, Southeast. She teaches special education teachers, most located in remote native villages, so part of her job requires her to fly out to visit. Jill wrote, “I never thought of this job as an option and would never have thought about Alaska as an option, but it has been an adventure. The state is huge and incredible.” Jill’s family is a bit fragmented, but her son, daughter, and grandson are healthy and happy.

Lynn Belcher Fox was sorry to miss the reunion. Her youngest child completed her master’s degree in cultural arts management, and they were at the ceremony. Lynn was in Minnesota for the summer, enjoying Gull Lake, grandchildren, and three of her four children.

Morgan Golladay and her husband and cats live in Ocean View, Del. She volunteers at the library, sketches in pen and ink, creates acrylic collages on canvas at her studio, and shows her paintings at the Mispillion Art League in Milford and at the Rehoboth Art League.

Jean Eley Thompson and husband Jim are in good health and drove to Fort Lauderdale for their son’s graduation as a physician assistant from Nova Southeastern University. Her son and his wife planned to move back home to live. Jean was sorry to miss the reunion but promises to make the 50th, “the good Lord willing!”

My husband, Ash, retired in June, and we planned to move back to our home in La Quinta, Calif., which was rented out for four years while we both worked in the Northern California Bay Area. I plan to continue working for WestEd, an education service agency based in San Francisco, telecommuting from a home office. We planned a family reunion in September at our niece’s wedding in Austin, which will include a visit from son Todd and his family from Melbourne, Australia. Both our kids and their spouses are well, and we grab any time we can with Denver grandkids Maddy, 15, and Spencer, 11, and Aussie kids Maya, 5, and Flynn, 3, with lots of Skyping! The weekend before the reunion I had brunch with Cindy Long in NYC. She couldn’t attend the reunion due to conflicts with her job as lead attorney for a major bank in New Jersey. We had fun catching up, and I missed dancing with her at the reunion!

Christie Wineholt ’69 had a great time at the reunion and wrote that the fabulous Class of ’68 set the bar high, cast down the gauntlet for ’69 for achievement, had their tiaras on all weekend, and had not changed a bit. “As a tag-along (Deb, Mel, and Dodo were my roomies my junior year), I have had a wonderful time!”

OK, ladies, now you see what it’s like to have class news in the magazine. Let’s try to keep this going!

Once again Patti Boise Kemp has made us proud that she is a member of our class. President of the UMW Alumni Association, she was keynote speaker at the Ring Ceremony for the Class of 2014 last March. Patti reached out to members of our class for remembrances of our Junior Ring Ceremony, the Ring Dance, and festivities surrounding those events. She used many in her speech, which is posted on our Facebook page. I encourage you to read it, as it will bring back many memories from 45 years ago.

Barbara Crickenberger Hall retired after working 43 years full time, 33 in development. She expects to continue working in the field but in a more limited way. She and husband Bob planned to split time between their home in D.C. and Lewes, Del., where they have bought a charming 1850 “money pit.”

Bonnie Page Hoopengardner retired after 23 years as a CPA at Dixon Hughes Goodman and was getting her golf game back. She and husband Roger babysit their grandchildren, which she said is the nicest part of retirement. Bonnie and Roger looked forward to a family beach trip.

After having retired from the Congressional Budget Office, Nina Shepherd and husband Max moved to South Carolina for several years. Nina then took an offer from the U.S. Treasury Department to work in Bucharest, Romania, with several short-term assignments for the USAID in Amman, Jordan. It was formidable to take up a new line of work in a strange country after not working at all for several years, Nina said, but she and Max saw the world and met wonderful people. She is retired again and lives in South Carolina.

Claudia Stell Hawks taught with Kay Barnes Goldberg at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, and they still get together. In July, Claudia’s family, including three children and three grandchildren, gathered in Bermuda. Her children live in Washington state, Minneapolis, and Connecticut.

Anne Witham Kilpatrick of Greenville, N.C., was in D.C. for a DAR convention and got together with roomie Jeanine Zavrel Fearns of Fairfax, Va. Jeanine looked forward to her summer “retreat from reality” trip to the Outer Banks.

Iris Harrell spent her first summer off in 40 years on an extended visit to Italy and France with her partner, Ann. They hiked in the Alps, biked from San Escondido, Italy, to Lienz, Austria, and toured southern France. Today, Iris’ company, Harrell Remodeling, is 37 percent employee-owned; in four years, Iris plans to retire and turn the reins over to her employees, who should by then own 100 percent.

After a year of retirement, Betty Wade Miles Perry went on a pilgrimage to Guatemala in July with 21 others from across the country to build a library in a remote village. She and husband Boyd live in Virginia Beach, as does daughter Ellen Perry ’00 and her husband and 2-year-old daughter. Daughter Suzanne Perry
Wallis ’03 has two little boys
and lives in Richmond, so Betty Wade and Boyd are able to be part of all their grandchildren’s lives.

Ruth Ann Sichol Myers of Scottsdale, Ariz., has taught preschool for several years and would like news of Ellen McGhee Jumper, Susie Turner Johnson, or Frances Smith Armstrong.

Phyllis Newby Thompson of Atherton, Calif., has a home in Hawaii. She spent three weeks in NYC last spring visiting her daughter and helping her move. She also spent a week in South Boston, Va., in July visiting friends and family.

Lyn Howell Gray and husband Jim live in Liberia. On a visit home, they got together with senior roomie Donna Cannon Julian. Lyn hopes to be back for our 45th reunion next year.

Please make an effort to attend our reunion May 30 to June 1, 2014. It is always fun to visit and reminisce with classmates about our time at MWC. Hope to see you then!