Class Notes

Greetings! I’m Christine Waller Manca, and it’s a pleasure to serve as the new class agent for 1984. To (re-)introduce myself: I have been living in Houston, Texas, since 1990. Before moving to Houston, I enjoyed six post-grad years in Washington, D.C. I work as the senior editor at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and my husband, Joe, is an art history professor at Rice University. My daughter, Camilla, graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio and has returned there for a master’s in education. My son, Marcus, is a junior at Rice and is spending the fall semester in Rome. Last December, I got back to Washington and had a wonderful visit with Nan Stanford McCarry ’83 and her husband, Caleb; they live in Leesburg. I have also kept in touch through the years with my MWC roommate Kathy Key White, who has lived in Calgary, Alberta, since graduation. I am excited to have the chance to reconnect with the class of 1984, and I look forward to our 35th Reunion in 2019. Please be sure to send me your updates for future editions of Class Notes. Thanks go to our previous class correspondent, Auby J. Curtis.

 Freda White wrote with lots of news. She is living in Madison County, Virginia, and following many years of teaching high school biology, she switched careers and is now a hearing specialist. All her children have left the nest, and her youngest just received her BSN and has embarked on a nursing career in Harrisonburg. Fred has two beautiful granddaughters and is awaiting the arrival of a grandson in the fall. Freda is part of a group of eight Mary Washington friends who get together often, most recently for a stay in Nag’s Head. She reports that Cindy Greer Chalkley lives in North Carolina and has three children, one of whom lives in Alaska. Trish Bowdring Gordon lives in Herndon; her son started at Christopher Newport University this fall. Carole Comly Dezii and Marye Driver Downs both have kids living in Hilo, Hawaii. Teresa Negron Louth ’89 lives in Fredericksburg and stays busy with her four children. Lynn Conville Abraham ’83 lives in Richmond and is looking forward to retirement soon. Yvonne Koontz Sening ’85 lives in Centreville and is involved with the Women’s Club of Fairfax while raising three boys.

After 11 years as an attorney, Sarah Kosak Calvert went in a new direction, and she is now a United Methodist pastor serving more than 100 churches in Northern Virginia in the areas of church revitalization and leadership development. Sarah writes, “I live and work out of Fairfax, but my real home is at Lake of the Woods, so I get to Fredericksburg quite a bit. My 24-year-old son is a server at Sedona Taphouse near the campus, and serves a lot of students and faculty from UMW. Stop by and say hi to Matthew next time you are down that way!”

Jessica Woodman Godwin reports that, following moves from Alexandria to Lake Ridge to Montclair, Virginia, she is back in Fredericksburg! She enjoys rediscovering some old haunts and delighting in new establishments. Jessica is working at the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) but would love to work for UMW. She looks forward to spontaneously crossing paths with classmates downtown.

I am very sorry to report that Anne Baber Wallis lost her son Christian Meriwether Kennedy last November. Christian, age 21, was pursuing an equestrian career and was especially accomplished in dressage. He also loved music, and he is remembered for his kind and compassionate nature and his enthusiastic approach to life. Christian was tragically killed as a passenger in a car crash in Wellington, Florida. I know that we all, Anne’s classmates and friends, extend our deepest sympathy to Anne and her family.

I hope that everyone can make it to Reunion on May 31–June 2, 2019. Incredibly, it will be 35 years since our graduation. Many of us have gotten back in touch via Facebook and other electronic means, and I want to give a special shout-out to Blair Howard for running the super-fun Facebook group “Our Mary Washington College Friends.” There is no substitute, however, for actually being together on our much-loved Mary Washington campus and in Fredericksburg. Please make plans now to attend Reunion 2019!