Class Notes

Please send news to the designated class agent according to the first letter of your maiden name.

From Connie:

Jerri Barden Perkins, “I love Paris and traveling there as often as I can.  In May I was with the Harvard group to discover the world Thomas Jefferson encountered during the years he served as diplomat from the newly formed USA.  Although I worked there and visited for over 20 years, I always love leaning more on the history, architecture and culture.  For those of you familiar with the Wheel at Place de la Concorde, it was dismantled on our first day.  The Wheel was fun but the view sans it is spectacular!  Traveling to family wedding in June in Maine.  The bride, granddaughter, accompanied me to Paris and her sister will join me in Paris for the New Year.”

Clara Sue Durden Ashley wrote that she does not need to have more chemo for her recurring ovarian cancer, but is taking a daily hormone pill instead, with no ill effects on her daily life.  So far so good.  She continues to work at the quilt shop in McLean, VA.  She and Clarence have put their house in Great Falls, VA, up for sale, but don’t know where they will go when it sells!  Lots of stuff to sort through and their four sons are helping to take some of it.  Son Dennis and his family left for Guantanamo Bay Cuba on July 6th.  He works with the Navy as a civilian and they will be there 2-3 years.  His wife Maria is of Spanish heritage and speaks the language, but they don’t expect there will be much, if any, contact with the Cubans.  Son Andrew has started a new job working with a Norwegian company that manufactures and markets munitions.  He will remain in Arlington.  Son Park’s daughter Noelle, age 11, has been figure-skating in competitions for a few years and is very serious and conscientious.  She goes to the rink for two hours 3-4 times a week and concentrates on her skating the entire time.  Her teacher used to skate with the Ice Capades.

Carolyn Crum Pannu wrote “I am still teaching adults from all over the world and on June 15 we had our cherished International Day. We had a Parade of Nations, luscious food, and outstanding performances, even made the Chinese Internet News!  In a few weeks, I will visit Renee in L.A. we always have such fun—talking non-stop, dining, seeing movies and theater performances and generally having the best time ever.  Too, I will visit my daughter, Kara, who moved to Marina del Rey last September and is basking in the sunny days and variety of lots to see and do.

So glad to hear that Pat Scott Peck returned safely from her fabulous trip to Scotland.”

Madeleine “Maddie” Contis Marken

“I have had a wonderful year and my password these days is ‘grateful.’  I am still working as a social worker for Cape Cod Health Care and for a Visiting Nurse Company. I tell people I will give up working when I start to lose my way to the office.  I am continuing to run in road races.  I don’t win too many anymore….those young whipper snappers who are 75 are beating me in my age group.  It is still fun to be part of that group of people, however, because they are generally up-beat, healthy and young.

Fortunately, I am still traveling and hiking. This past Fall we hiked through Yosemite and Sequoia, magnificent.  My daughter, one of my running friends, and I just returned from a week’s hike down the coast of Galicia/Spain. The scenery was magnificent. The trails were on the high moors along the coast. We crisscrossed the Camino de Santiago on several of the days which you all know is the Pilgrimage hike, ending up at Cabo Finsterra where the Camino also ends. We do self-guided hikes. We are armed with maps and directions and only have to carry a day pack as our other suitcases are transported to the next night’s lodging.  On one of the days it was a very good idea that we learned to find our way with a compass. The trails through the moors all looked the same, beautiful but confusing.

Cathy Ledner Kuttner and I still get together at least once a year in Mystic, Connecticut, which is half way for each or us.  She looks wonderful and is busy with volunteer projects.

I had a laugh this past year.  I took a course at the local college on Jefferson and Washington. The professor was about our age and a UVA graduate.  We had a few chuckles reminiscing about our college years.  We both remember that the Honor System was a most remarkable part of our college experience.  I might mention that I still am in awe of the spirit of Mary Washington and its goat and devil traditions!”  (Maddie lives in Falmouth, MA)

I received a note from Ellen Gotwalt Willing with the sad news that her husband Bill died on June 16^th at age 95.  They were married for 30 years in May and she can look back at all the wonderful trips, etc. that they had together, and they “sure loved each other and that’s what it’s all about.”  Bill’s mind was so sharp but the body just got worse.  For those of us who attend reunions, Bill was one of the regular husbands, adding his charming personality to the enjoyment of our gatherings.  We will miss him.

CONDOLENCES

Ellen Gotwalt Willing ‘61, who lost her husband

My health and other news is good, so Andy and I have been busy: Lower Mississippi Riverboat cruise in March where we caught up briefly with Carole Grant LeMay and Ralph in Natchez; celebrated daughter Elaine’s 50^th birthday with family in the mountains near Boone, NC in July; did a kitchen upgrade; and made a few trips to Duke for routine check-ups.  Our big trip is coming up in Aug-Sept to Northern Spain & Portugal with OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel)!  I have asked Maddie for her input on the area and here are her comments: “I think you will love Portugal and Spain by the way.  I love Lisbon but it is fast becoming a tourist destination and many of the old neighborhoods by the water are being torn down for condos, etc.  I saw a huge difference between a year and a half ago and three years ago when I spent time there on my way to hiking in Madeira.  Porto was one of the favorite cities however.  It still looks like an old European city.”  Thanks, Maddie, and to all who wrote!  Love, Connie

From Renee:

Sandy Phillips Conklyn sent some news all right…OUCH…she fell, landed on her outstretched hands, thus needing carpal tunnel surgeries.  She still has numbness and poor grip, but says she is hoping for the best to get back to her workshop. Sandy’s oldest granddaughter graduated from law school and is studying for the Bar, (I remember that time well…three days of hell taking the exam!) and will start an internship in DC in September.  The older grand twins graduated from high school, Elly is headed to Temple and Ryan will go to VA Tech.  Sandy tearfully parted with her Tibetan Mastiff puppy due to her diminishing strength and the puppy’s increasing size and power.  But, she has a great new home with lots of love from her new pet parents, fenced in land and a swimming pool!

 Mary Hatcher has had a lot of rain recently [Wilmington, NC]; she is preparing to build an ark!  Weeds have loved the rain, so there is lots of work to do to kill them.  Meanwhile, Mary has traveled to Colonial Williamsburg, Newport, RI, Myrtle Beach, SC, Phoenix, AZ and Florida!  I guess next, she’ll the visit the other 45!

Sylvia McJilton Woodcock and Stuart enjoy being in good shape (at our age) and traveling to see their son, daughter-in-law and 22-month old grandson in Charleston.  At home, Sylvia is kept busy being President of the Residents’ Assoc. at Windsor Meade, Williamsburg, VA.  Stuart held that position three years ago, so she has a good source of information to draw on right in the house!

The UMW (for the purists among us, MWC) Foundation will hold a retreat in August.  Our Class of  ’61 will be well represented by Sylvia, Lynne Williams Neave, and Lloyd Tilton Backstrom.  You go, girls!!

Peggy Howard Hodgkins is feeling stronger now!  Very happy to hear that!  So she actually left Maine for a cousins’ reunion in Hilton Head.  Her last time there was 45 years ago…she said, “my how it has grown.”  Peggy also went to Georgia to see her sisters, brother and sister-in-law and their 89-year old aunt!  Peggy writes sadly that “Cancer is taking my dear brother-in-law, John, who is teaching the family about ‘grace'”.  Peggy sends love and wishes to everyone for good days and lots of joy.

My News: I’m beginning to have second thoughts about moving to the desert.  We had really awful humid and VERY HOT, triple digit, weather here recently.  My plan to rent something in L.A. in the dog days of summer has come upon information of staggeringly high rents in my area.  I dunno, maybe an Air BnB for a few months would be do-able.  Plus, L.A. has been my home since 1975 and I love my life here. What can I say: a quandary.  Classes at UCLA Extension continue.  In Sept., I’m going on a National Parks Tour. We’ll visit Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, Bryce and Zion, and Albuquerque.  I haven’t seen the first three places, so I’m looking forward to that.  I do have a friend in Albuquerque, so that’ll be nice, too.  My wonderful little “faux grandson” is now 9.  He is a terrific kid.  Won a Math Genius award at his school! Happily, I get to see him often.

It was wonderful to hear from the four of you.  Maybe you can nudge the rest of our classmates to get back to sending news to me?  I echo Peggy’s wishes to all of you for good health, good days, and joy.

____

Kay Slaughter wrote: “Sorry I didn’t contribute earlier. I had a horrible spring cold that I couldn’t shake.   X-rays kept finding nothing in lungs. But I suddenly had mobility problems until a friend in a gossip chain heard about it and asked if I was taking drug levaquin, which had paralyzed her adult son. Voila! That was it.  Eventually MDs determined I had ‘walking pneumI receivedonia’ and likely, mono.   I’m trying to write a Wash Post health piece about it — it was a strange and frightening period.  I’m fine now but not overworking and definitely smelling the roses.

We will commemorate Aug 12 in Charlottesville this year with a Community Sing In. And I’ll commemorate it also with rededication to the political process.  In October, I’m traveling to the Veneto area in Italy to see Palladian Architecture with the Center for Palladian Studies, a group for which I do some Newsletter editing and administering.  Daughter Margaret lives nearby and my son and his wife near Franklin in eastern VA, so I’m in C-ville for the duration.

Writing a little, reading A LOT.