Class Notes

Nelly Angela Garza is a part-time bookkeeper for an ocularist, who makes prosthetic eyes. She takes her mother-in-law to doctors’ appointments and works with the church’s adult choir and hostess committee. Oldest son Matthew married Elisa last year in La Ceiba, Honduras, and Nelly helped them celebrate their first anniversary. Matthew teaches technology and coaches sports year-round, and Elisa teaches sixth-grade math and science, both at Castle Hills First Baptist School. Youngest son Andrew, who studies criminal justice at Texas State University in San Marcos, made dean’s list in spring. He hopes to join the San Antonio or Austin police force, and, ultimately, a federal agency.

Susan Bridges Smith, planning manager/floodplain administrator for Franklin County Development Services, and archaeologist husband Jason of Rocky Mount, Va., celebrated their 10th anniversary in March. Their middle daughter is a sophomore at Hollins. Their youngest daughter is a high school senior.

Teresa Childers Peterson and husband Mark of Atlanta spend most of their vacations at their Ormond Beach house in Florida. Teresa is in Kimberly-Clark Corp.’s analytical sciences group. She presented a poster at a June technical conference in Amsterdam, and Mark joined her for some sightseeing.

Vicki Rudacille Davison and her husband own and operate Hidden Springs Senior Living, an assisted living home in Bentonville, Va.

Cathy Cooke earned a Ph.D. from the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology in 2010, then did a fellowship at Eastern Virginia Medical School, conducting clinical trials related to parent-child interaction therapy for children with autism and disruptive behaviors. A licensed clinical psychologist and research scientist at ODU, Cathy is a co-investigator for an NIH-funded clinical trial related to couples’ therapy for substance abuse and its effects on children living in the home. Cathy lives in Newport News, Va., with her husband of 17 years, a park ranger. She’s in touch with Becky Hobbs Shermer and Hope Chenault Martin.

I now live in Philadelphia, where I can walk to everything, including a wonderful Italian market. I travel the country for work and serve on several industry work groups committed to leading health care reform. Tom and I vacation at our Pompano Beach, Fla., condo and recently visited Napa.

Marianna Rixey Scott, who works for a property management company, and husband Mark Scott ’84 live in Charlottesville. Daughter Maggie earned a master’s degree in higher education at the College of William and Mary. Daughter Lauren studies art at a community college. Daughter Kat, a seventh-grader, plays lacrosse. Mark has worked with SunTrust Mortgage for 10 years, volunteers for charities, and is involved with local athletics.

Gayle Greenwood Whitlock of Woodbridge, Va., and her husband of 25 years, Bennett, work at Whitlock Wealth Management. Gayle participated in the spring UMW Career Chats, where she connected with her son’s friends and a former summer intern from UMW. Gayle is on the board of directors for Action in the Community through Service, Lake Ridge Homeowner’s Association, and Leadership Prince William. She enjoys indoor rock climbing with her kids and meeting UMW friends at Wolf Trap.

Catherine “Cuff” Gibbons Kunkel and husband Chris live in Midlothian, Va. Catherine’s mother passed away this year when cancer unexpectedly returned after 10 years. Catherine is thankful for the support of hospice and family, and her mother was pleased to know granddaughter Katy Kunkel ’17 was to attend UMW in the fall. She was to live in Randolph Hall as part of VISION, a living and learning leadership community. Daughter Emily is a high school junior. Catherine has taught kindergarten at Crenshaw Elementary for nine years but was to begin teaching first grade in fall.

My family and I appreciate the beauty and relative ease of living and working in the Madison, Wis., area. I’m in my fourth year working with high school English language learners. My husband is slowly but surely completing his Ph.D. in history. Son Sean works in Seattle, and daughter Lauren plans to start her teaching career next year.

Hello, Class of 1986! I know Class Notes news is falling victim to social media but please, please send me updates. Here is all I have for now:

Sandra Schermerhorn Peterson and husband Don moved in March to San Antonio for Sandra’s dream job, experience officer at Northeast Baptist Hospital. She coaches physicians, leaders, and staff on improving the patient and visitor experience.

From Kim: I still work on our company’s technical side but have moved into a more administrative role. I spend more time marketing, working through social media, and interacting with clients, which I love. On days off, I enjoy exploring with my camera. A wildlife refuge near our city provides lots of photo opportunities. I was excited to get updates from some new people this time. Keep them coming through Facebook or email!

Julie Roehrs Preston lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband of 26 years, Jeff. Julie is in accounting and was able to work from home or part time while raising children Ryan, a high school senior, and Stephanie Preston ’14, UMW SGA president. Julie and Jeff are proud of Stephanie and the positive impact she’s had on UMW life.

Louis Dean started a new career as LeadDyno systems integrator, doing performance tuning for the Motorcycle Center of Maryland. Mark Collings moved south of Myrtle Beach to Murrells Inlet, S.C., and got an English bulldog.

Jennifer Lee Parrish was appointed this year to the Virginia State Bar Judicial Candidate Evaluation Committee, which interviews candidates for open judgeships for the Virginia Supreme Court, the Virginia Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Julie Magness visited brother Charles in Savannah, Ga., where he’s stationed in the Army and has a home that becomes waterfront property at each high tide. Julie spends time with her nieces and her “bonus” nieces from her brother’s new marriage. She and wife Kathy attended Kathy’s family reunion in North Carolina in August.

Thanks to everyone for the great updates. Keep them coming!

From Nee-Cee: The Class of 1988 recently enjoyed its 25th reunion weekend at MWC. (Yes, we still refer to it as Mary Washington College!) A mix of ’88 and ’89 grads attended, including Jennifer Cliff O’Donnell; Jamie Crowley Greenough; Lisa Barker; Jim Conroy; Barbara Anderson; Mary Fringer Dellinger; Kristina Murphy; Annice Hirt van der Sluis; Jay Bradshaw; Anna Wilson Hudson; Amber Chamberlain; Kelly Gould Stewart; Wendy Cowan; Tracy Paner; Michelle Martin; Maria Edelstein; Jose Osegueda, MBA ’88; Beverly Newman; Christina Sipe White; Laurenne Foskett Teachout; Debbie Reep Beach; Eileen Brown Adenan; Kimberly Levenston Walker; Suzanne Comley Seurattan; and me. Former attendee Sharon Dawson Kyne and sister Cathy, and favorite Fredericksburg native Bill Woodard, also came. We had our class party at Ristorante Renato, toured campus, lunched in Ball Circle, and tasted wine in the Great Hall. The best part was catching up with old friends and picking up as if 25 years hadn’t passed. To top it off, the Class of 1988 won the award for most spirit and best tent decoration. Thanks to Jay and Anna for all their hard work. Let’s not go another 25 years before we do it again!

From Beverly: It was neat to catch up at the reunion. (Laurenne, I never got your email, so please send me a note.) Those who weren’t there missed a good time! It’s hard to believe we’ve been out of school for 25 years!

I spoke with Sue Thomasson Coleman, who runs her three kids around and works a lot, and Kim Jones Isaac ’87. I hope to get to Oklahoma soon and really catch up!

From Jay and Anna Wilson Hudson: Reunion Weekend 2013, our 25th, was terrific. The Class of 1988 won first prize for tent decoration, with printed T-shirts, cups, and a banner displaying a copy of our commencement program.  

After 10 years in Rome and as many in Niamey, Niger, James Maurice Morgan, Ph.D., and family live in Fribourg, Switzerland, where he teaches at the university.

Karen Spilman Marmaras, husband Peter, and children Anne, 16, Grace, 15, and John, 11, vacationed on Washington Island in northern Wisconsin, where they generally spend July. They live in eastern Pennsylvania, northeast of Philadelphia, in a restored 1750s Pennsylvania German stone farmhouse. Karen writes, creates historically appropriate gardens, and shuttles the kids around. Peter is a financial adviser. Their eldest is in France.

After Anne Crowe Kroger lost her husband in April, a dear friend flew her to Bozouls, France, in June for a stay in her castle.

Arlene Fierstien Klapproth’s children, Abbey, 21, and Jake, 18, graduated this year. Arlene, who has been an occupational therapist with Erickson Living for 13 years, and husband Chris celebrated their 10th anniversary.

Diane Cardwell Huntington is software services manager for Greystone IT in Warrenton, Va. Children Heather, 20, and Ryan, 18, attend U.Va.’s College at Wise. Diane visited Dawn Sinka for spring break. Diane and Cheryl Ellyson, and their daughters, had lunch at Sammy T’s during Reunion Weekend.

Ernest Delany celebrated 24 years of marriage to Lisa Lyons, a Montgomery County Community College student financial aid administrator, last August. Their daughter, a high school senior, was looking at colleges. Lisa attended a UMW basketball team charity golf outing with some “Willard 102” guys and other basketball players, including Bob Smith ’89, Jay Martin ’89, Brian Hawley, Todd Vecchio, Cab Bennett, Barry McCormick, Tim Brizzolara, Matt D’Ercole, Rob Dickey, Chip Suter, and G. Wood.

Melanie Smith McCarley and husband Phil, a Winchester Hospital Baptist minister and staff chaplain, were preparing to send daughter Hannah to New York’s Bard College. They weren’t looking forward to being empty nesters but anticipated some great trips to the Hudson Valley. Melanie is rector of Zion Episcopal Church in Charles Town, W.Va., where she’s served for 12 years. She celebrated her 20th year of ordination to the Episcopal priesthood in August.

Maria Edelstein congratulated everyone who helped plan and organize the reunion. She and Eileen Simpson Shaffer re-explored campus and said Mason Hall is nothing like when they met there as college freshmen. Maria lives in Stafford, Va., with husband Ray and children Keith, 20, who studied at NOVA and headed to ODU this fall, and Bryan, 17, a high school senior. Maria works for the Government Accountability Office in D.C. They visit West Virginia to hike and bike in summer and snowboard in winter.

Anna Wilson Hudson attended the first annual gathering of the Southwest Virginia Regional Network for UMW alumni, in a suite at a Salem Red Sox (a Boston Red Sox farm team) game. Other attendees were Anna’s son, Drew Hudson ’15; Joan Castner Niederlehner ’77; Vickie Nichols Sherertz ’78; Susan Albert ’84; Carla Richardson Barrell ’82 and daughter Kaitlin Barrell ’13; Kianna Davis ’13; and Melissa Powell Werger ’91.