Class Notes

Summer greetings one and all.

It was such a joy to see all of you wonderful classmates at our recent reunion. Reunions keep getting better and better. My thanks to both Julie Obarski Simpson and Lona Kardos Tonelson for assisting me with the planning. Great job! As usual, the time together was over too quickly.

Lona retired last year from Norfolk Public Schools after 26 years as a Library Media Specialist. While she misses the kids, she is happy to be able to travel with husband Steve during the school year. She also continues to enjoy mini reunions with Gail Sherwood Cervarich, Shirley Harris Sutton, Terri Hall Alford, Nancy Mahone Miller, Sherrie Mitchell Boone, Mary Saunders Williams and Laurie Clark Crigler. This group is part of a combination from Virginia and Willard Halls that ended up in Madison Hall when they were sophomores. Others include Kathy Duley, Kathy Ray, Mary McFadyen Halliburton, Kathy Bradford Lehman, Anne Toms Richardson and Brenda Franklin. Karen Jenkins and Philo Funk Liedquist also joined this group a little later. Seeing the way these ladies have all stayed together for 45+ years reinforces a belief we all share that the friendships formed at our alma mater really do last a lifetime. My friendships with Cheryl Prietz Childress and Norah Heckman, ‘73 are the same way.

Cheryl and I still see each other several times a year. Dennis and I were so pleased to attend the wedding of their son Alex last fall. Cheryl and husband Dave are pleased to announce the happy news that daughter Thea is expecting a daughter in the fall.

Carol Smith Howland and her husband recently purchased a home in Luray, Virginia. They are in Florida during the winter months where both of them worked and retired.

Our deepest sympathies go out to Kathy Deneke Clatanoff for the loss of her husband, Bud (also a former professor at Mary Washington). She is staying in Annapolis, at least for now.  Bud had grown up there and they moved back because it was his town. Annapolis has proven fun and lively for Kathy and she’s made some good friends.  Even so, she still considers herself “a Virginia girl”. We are hoping to hook up at some point and go to one of her favorite haunts for crab cakes.

Debbie Bradford Stanley lives in Moreno Valley, CA She worked in advertising before returning to Trenton State in NJ for a teaching credential. She retired this year after almost 31 years of teaching in CA, 26 as a certificated teacher librarian at all grade levels. In addition to past writing and several awards in her field, Debbie is currently under contract for a fourth book in a series entitled Practical Steps to the Research Process in a Digital World. For 40 years Debbie has traveled to over 25 countries; the latest being China and Peru. Our sympathies go out to her as well for the loss of her husband, David, after 20 years of marriage. Her son, Jonathan, completed a 5-year surgery residency and will begin a 2-year fellowship at the University of Connecticut for vascular surgery. Her other activities include volunteering at a local library, membership in the American Association of University Women and participation on many committees at her UCC church. She still remains an avid reader and the words of Thomas Jefferson, “I cannot live without books” are her motto.

Dennis and I enjoyed a lengthy holiday in California this past Christmas. It was certainly a different experience from East Coast Christmases but very enjoyable with about eighteen other family members. Another Hon Fest has come and gone but our group continues to remain active in charity ventures all over the Greater Baltimore area. In addition, we are doing some upgrades to our home.

That is all of the news for now but here is hoping more of you will be in touch. I’m already starting to plan our 50^th reunion so please send me your ideas.