Class Notes

Kay Martin Britto and husband Nelson of North Carolina celebrated their 80th and 75th birthdays with a two-week Baltic cruise. They get back to Virginia to see their four children and four grandchildren. They went to a medical convention in Denver in May with daughter Maria, who spoke there. Kay talked with Bonnie Hatch Bowden, who lives nearby, is busy working with the Democratic Party, is a potter, and is a volunteer usher at a local theater. She took her three grandsons sightseeing in Washington, D.C. Kay saw Anne dePorry McGrath recently in Fredericksburg, and they walked around campus, walked a pedestrian bridge that spans U.S. Route 1, and marveled at the new dorms across the way. Anne took a trip to Africa, has been involved in classes for seniors held at UMW, and enjoys photography. She has six grandsons and one granddaughter.

Martha Kimball Hearn Johnson of Fredericksburg is involved with UMW activities. She was to leave in October with President Richard V. Hurley, wife Rose, and other friends of UMW for a Mediterranean cruise on the Sea Cloud II, which was to include Sicily, Sardinia, and Malta, and Teresa Kennedy of UMW as their lecturer. Martha’s daughter and family returned from living in London several years ago, and her daughter is employed by the Leon Levine Foundation in Charlotte, N.C. They have a daughter at Georgetown University and a son at Charlotte Country Day School. Martha’s son, who has a design-build company in Richmond, has a son at U.Va., another son at VCU, and a daughter at Byrd Middle School.

Martha and her college roommate, Elinor Runge Vitek, visit several times a year in Fredericksburg, where Martha introduces Elinor around town. Elinor’s son is bemoaning current and future college expenses.

Jerry Sample Stocks and husband Ray of Beaufort, S.C., attended an August UMW brunch and program at the Mills House Hotel in Charleston. Irene Goldman Taradash, whose granddaughter is a Mary Washington graduate and whom Jerry had not seen since 1956, was there. Also there was Carol Cobert McGill ’66, a Charleston artist from whom Jerry took an art workshop several years ago. President Hurley sat at their table, and Jerry now has a license tag holder that reads, “University of Mary Washington,” a favor from the brunch.

Jerry and her roommates had their annual reunion in Norfolk, Va., in October at the home of John and Mary McCardell Furr. Jerry and her husband were there, along with Carol Ann Lassalle McMahon Roberts and husband John from New Orleans, and Frances Karins Updike and husband Bud from York, Pa. They started the reunions after our Mary Washington 35th, and this is their 19th. Jerry is a full-time college student pursuing a studio art degree at the University of South Carolina in Beaufort. The school gave her full credit for the courses she took at Mary Washington, so she’s considered a junior, and she hopes to attend our 55th reunion with that four-year degree in hand.

Sara Daly Rothenberger and geologist husband Jay live in the country just south of Charlottesville. She takes classes from the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, many of which are taught by current or former U.Va. faculty, and occasionally Sara acts as coordinator of the theater class. She lives a half hour from son Bruce and his family and enjoys seeing them often. She gets together regularly with her roommate, Fran Ferguson Rowan, who lives three hours away. They meet suitemate Loretta Hitchings Tate for lunch in the Virginia Beach area and exchange photos of friends and family. Sara also is in touch with their fourth suitemate, Mary Virginia Garrett Wadsworth.

Nancy Lunsford Singer has had the good fortune to live her entire adult life in Fair Haven, N.J., a little town that is between two rivers, three miles from the ocean, and home to Bon Jovi and “the Boss.” After her divorce, Nancy became a “blushing bride” in August, marrying Steve Spero. The small wedding included her daughters, Laurie and Allison; granddaughters Bonnie, Jenna, Lilly, and Isabelle; and a few friends. Nancy retired as an assistant to the president of a small local bank, and she and Steve moved to Bonita Springs, Fla., where Nancy misses her longtime New Jersey friends. She would love to hear from any MWC girls in the Naples area. Nancy said her roommate, Patti Yearout Wharton, passed away in the spring. She and Ned had lived in Maine for a number of years, and Sara and Patti had kept in touch.

In April 2011, Joyce Lee Smith, Joyce Corbitt Faison, Peggy Saunders Burroughs, and Charlene Creekmore Wise took their suitemate-roommate, Pat Simmer Bishop, who lives in a retirement home in Farmville, Va., to lunch. Except for Charlene, the group lived together in Mason and Ball halls. Joyce’s husband’s son is with W.M. Jordan Co., which is doing the Mason and Randolph renovations, and they go to Fredericksburg to have lunch and watch the progress of the work

Ruthie Ridge Griggs recalled the autumn leaves at Mary Washington. She enjoyed our 50th reunion in 2008 and looks forward to our 60th. She hears from suitemate Nancy Snook Miller; the two were transfers to Framar their junior year. She was expecting Phyllis Myers Thurm to arrive from Georgia in October. Alicia Ann Cox and Ruthie had a 57th high school reunion. Phyllis was on a cruise

Joyce Butler Allen’s son took Carol Lehmann and her garden club of Ridgewood, N.J., to his home during their garden tour. John Allen has written a book, Uncommon Vernacular: The Early Houses of Jefferson County, West Virginia. Joyce and Carol reconnected at our 50th class reunion in 2008, which started the planning for the tour and visit with John. Cynthia West Benney’s husband, J. Neil Benney Jr., died in February 2011. We send our condolences to Cynthia.

Ebie Breeden McKnight never expected to land in Michigan, but her children talked her into moving north when they relocated to Chicago and were concerned about Ebie’s health. Daughter Meg and her family were in Naperville, Ill., and Ebie was in another Chicago suburb 12 miles south. After nearly seven years in Illinois, they headed to southeastern Michigan, near Ann Arbor, where Meg’s husband, Chip, had taken a marketing management position. Meg and her family are in a small picturesque community steeped in more than 200 years of impressive history, and Ebie purchased a comfortable apartment in the independent living wing of the Silver Maples retirement community, where she loves the food, trips, well-stocked library, weekly housekeeping, and pool. She drives and enjoys programs at the university and the restaurants in the area. Meg stays busy with her eldest, a son who is autistic and very bright; identical twin girls in third grade; teaching Sunday school; and leading Brownie Scouts.

Dot Dalton Crossan spent a September week in Williamsburg, playing golf and taking a schooner down the river from Yorktown. They went to Woodstock, Md., to watch grands play football and soccer, then traveled to Long Island to watch two grands in varsity high school football games. Their kids gave them a Thanksgiving golf trip to Pinehurst, N.C., for their 50th wedding anniversary in 2010, and they planned a March trip through the Panama Canal. Dot is involved with Tai Chi, bridge, book clubs, an investment group, golf, library friends, church, and agility training of their 2-year-old Cairn terrier. She sees Margaret Dunne Zebrowski often and keeps in touch with Harriet Ayres Chamberlain and Martha “Sissy” Collier Scruggs, who all are well.

Julia Harris Porter lost her husband of 41 years, David T. Porter, in July. He was swimming, as he liked to do. He was a 1956 Yale graduate and had a non-stressful technical job that allowed him to run with friends at noon. Julia’s grandson, Alexander, is 2 and lives about an hour away. She has been on the Mystic Area Ecumenical Council for 30 years and enjoys playing bridge.

I want to thank everyone who responded to the postcard and submitted additional information about classmates: great networking!