Class Notes

[Editors’ note: The Class of ’52 now has two class agents. Rita Morgan Stone has volunteered, and she submitted the following notes for this issue.]

Corley Gibson Friesen writes that she and Ernie, married for sixty-six years, have moved into a new Senior Complex in Colorado, with children living nearby.

Maryanne Heatwole Cox says that the most significant event in her life during the past year was selling her house  and building a new home with her youngest daughter and  son-in-law.  She enjoys a lovely large walk-out space that is her ‘new home’ still in the Fredericksburg area.  Her family has grown with twelve grandchildren and now eight great grandsons–still waiting for that little girl.

Mary Lou Finney Boyd, in Stevensville, MD, enjoys grandchildren nearby.  Along with crafts and sewing, she still swims three times a week to keep the arthritis at bay.  Her daughter, who had breast cancer, now volunteers for MetaVivor, and Mary Lou writes her thank-you notes.

Elaine Nader Powell and husband Jim have a special interest in soccer and watching their grandchildren play.

Ryan plays for William and Mary, and his sister plans to go to Virginia Tech where she has accepted a soccer scholarship.  Jim has a garden, which is ‘shared ‘ with the deer and wildlife.  Elaine and Evelyn Roeder Pammel make an occasional trip to the casino.  Evelyn lives at Ashby Pond, a retirement community in Ashburn, VA.

Susan Hutcheson Jurgens stays busy in Gordonsville, VA and is in contact with many of our classmates.  Her schedule includes a lot of bridge.  She has recovered from a broken arm and is anticipating a trip to Ireland in October with the RoadScholar  tours.

Nancy Stump Motley lives in Roanoke, VA in a townhouse that was designed by her architect husband Ken. Sadly Ken died December, 2017. One of Nancy’s daughters, Sharon Kleinman, an interior decorator, was featured in the Washingtonian Magazine.  The other daughter is Director of Bible Teachers and lives in Williamsburg, and an architect son lives in the Roanoke area.

Nancy Moxley Stone, a music major, taught piano for about fifty years and served as pianist/organist for her church. Her volunteer activities included the Grayson/Wythe Library Board, chair of the School Board Selection Committee, and Sunday School teacher for fifty years.  Before Ernest’s death in 2012, they traveled widely in Europe and enjoyed Florida winters.  Her two daughters live nearby in Elk Creek.  Two grandsons are in CA–one in real estate and the other a producer in Hollywood.  Another is pursuing a Doctorate in Philosophy at University of Arizona, and the fourth is a physician in Charlottesville.

Claire Sindlinger DeGroot and husband Ward live in Arlington, VA and stay young and busy tending their beautiful azalea garden.  They spend much of the summer in New Jersey at Claire’s family home.

Carolyn Arrington Smith lives in Charlottesville, VA and enjoys her bridge clubs and book clubs.  Her real passion is her volunteer work with the SPCA; however, not nearly so active as when she and her husband lived in Bristol.

Virginia Orkney Philbrick writes that she is often reminded of how much Mary Washington has happily influenced  her life professionally and personally.  “I was inspired by history professors whose enthusiasm for their field was not only apparent in the classroom, but also in the planned excursions to Virginia’s historical sites.”  After graduation, Ginny enrolled in a doctoral program in history at Tulane University and then transferred to the West Coast for additional study at U.C. Berkeley and the U. of Oregon.  After teaching at Oregon where she had large classes and was pressured to concentrate on research and writing rather than teaching, she accepted a position at the College of Marin, a smaller school in the San Francisco Bay area where she taught for twenty years. Ginny now lives in Bedford, VA.

Charlotte Adams Harrell lives at Westminster Canterbury – Virginia Beach, with husband Bob. Recently she and Bob were at the Hampton History Museum for the opening of the Hampton One Design exhibit.  Bob Harrell, age 98, was a big winner in the fleet.  There will be a permanent display of a Hampton One Design boat in the museum and many trophies with Bob Harrell’s name.

Gwen Amory Cumming resides in the same home in Hampton, VA where she has lived for the last sixty-two years. Gwen was one of the founders of the Hampton History Museum and received a special honor this year when The Rotunda was named the Gwendolyn Amory Cumming Rotunda. Her four children, who live in Williamsburg, Richmond, and Hampton, were all in attendance for the surprise ceremony.

Mary Mapp Edmonds Bradford lives in a retirement community in Ellicott City, MD.  She stays busy with her duplicate bridge activities.  A daughter lives in PA, and a son is in New Orleans.

Phyllis Webb Pegram lives in Bassett, VA.  She has a busy husband, who organized and developed ” The Greater Bassett Area Community,” and Phyllis plays a supportive role.  They are both in good health and keep busy schedules.

Betty Montgomery Handy retired after thirty-one years as a research chemist and is now back in Powhatan County. Her activities as a Master Gardener and volunteer work with the Free Clinic, her Episcopal Church, and the local political scene keep her busy.  Her three daughters live nearby, thus giving her an opportunity to enjoy the grandchildren.  Son Tommy lives in Florida with his family.

Rita Morgan Stone enjoys her independence at Lakewood Retirement Community in Richmond, VA.  There is a putting green and a rubberized walking track behind her villa; no excuses for not getting the Fitbit steps. She delights in special lunches at the Virginia Museum with her Mary Washington pals Diana Livingston and Lloyd Backstrom; albeit, a bit of an age difference.  The Lakewood bus transports us to the Richmond Spider basketball games, the symphony, and shows so life is as busy as one wishes.  One of the perks in moving to Richmond is that she sees one of her Mary Washington roommates often.  Betty includes Rita in her family gatherings and is a good movie buddy.

Carol Oliver Headlee lives at Lakewood also; however, she is now in Health Care.  Daughter Kathy lives in Richmond.

Two of our classmates have remembered our alma mater in significant ways.  Frances Bold, in leaving her estate to Mary Washington, has enhanced the Kalnan Inn with her beautiful rugs and Wedgewood collections.

Shirley Van Eppes Waple will long be remembered for one of Mary Washington’s largest-ever gifts in support of academics.  Shirley had previously endowed a scholarship for students with financial need.  Her later gift established eight professorships that recognize excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship.  The Professional Achievement Award, established in her honor, recognizes faculty members who have made significant contributions to their scholarly or creative area of expertise.