Class Notes

I hope you all plan to attend our 45th reunion, May 30 through June 1. It’s always fun to reconnect with classmates. Our class is in a tight race for the Eagle trophy, based on a combination of the percentage of class participation in giving and the total monetary amount. Be as generous as possible in remembering your alma mater so we can win the Eagle trophy!

Suzanne McCarthy Van Ness is in California’s San Francisco Bay area, after living in England for 10 years. Twin daughters Kristin and Carolyn live near her with their families, including three grandchildren and one on the way. Son Jeff lives in Maryland with his wife and daughter. Suzanne visited them last spring and saw Maureen Murphy McCart ’68. Others from the Class of ’68, Suzanne’s roommates and suitemates, have visited her in the Bay area.

Suzanne said Liz Rampe Edmonds is a Realtor in a Sacramento suburb, specializing in the Craftsman and Victorian homes of historic neighborhoods. Liz and her husband toured Vietnam last November. They have three sons.

Suzanne lives near Phyllis Newby Thompson and Iris Harrell, and the three get together as often as possible. Iris planned to retire from her company, Harrell Remodeling, now almost totally employee owned, in June and remain chair of the board, after more than 30 years as a general contractor. Iris looked forward to more golf, new adventures, and rest.

Regina Sneed has lived in San Francisco since just after graduation. She spent her career as a lawyer, most recently with the U.S. Department of Education, and retired a few years ago. She’s a member of and regularly takes classes at the University of San Francisco’s Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning, and she’s a docent for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Barbara Macon Sacha of Winter Park, Fla., retired from Paychex. She and husband Tom can travel more and spend time with sons Taylor, who lives close by with his wife and daughter, and Brent, who lives in Dallas with his wife and two sons. Catharine Rossi Mannering and husband Jerry operate Cypress Creek B&B in Comfort, Texas. Catharine decorated the rooms with antiques she brought from Virginia.

Jane Jackson Woerner of Florida travels periodically to Bristol, Va., to care for her mother, who is 91 and in assisted living. Jane traveled last fall to Virginia’s Tidewater/Northern Neck area, spending several days with Jean Polk Hanky and husband Jack. They rode on the Rappahannock River and visited the Rappahannock Oyster Co., where Jean and Jack’s grandson is director. Connie Hinson lives in Warsaw, Va., where she grew up, and works part time at the Tides Inn in Irvington, where Jane had lunch and caught up with her. Jane said Connie Cline Bukzin and husband Mitch traveled to Germany last fall. They babysit their two grandsons who live nearby. Jane also said Brenda Hunt Smith married Jon Spitler in Manassas in April 2013. Brenda’s first husband, Fred, passed away in 2006, and Brenda moved from Christiansburg to Manassas to care for her mother, who passed away in February 2012 at 95.

Ann Ruff Smith and husband Tom of Fredericksburg took a 10-day New England cruise from Quebec City to NYC with Nancy Gleason and husband Gary of Richmond, and Cathy Allen Hughes and husband Michael of Round Hill. Ann, Nancy, and Cathy try to get together for a meal at least once a year. They and their husbands planned to join Nancy Andrews and Jay of Vermont, and Kitty Culhane Rogers and John of Burke, Va., for a trip to Virgin Gorda. The girls went there without their guys five years ago and had a ball. Now that most of the group is retired, they hope to travel more together.

Jeanine Zavrel Fearns still works but travels as much as possible. She planned to visit Alaska in June, travel to Anchorage, board a train to Denali National Park, return to Seward, and board a ship for a weeklong cruise. Nina Shepherd and her husband went to Seattle last August to see a production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, 14 hours of opera over four nights. Donna Cannon Julian and husband Gene took a Mediterranean cruise on a small passenger ship with eight friends last August, visiting several islands and flying home from Malta.

Karen Kilgore Ralston and husband Jim visited Portugal for the first time since 1980 last September with friends on Jim’s yearly bike trip. Karen was featured in the last issue of UMW Magazine, telling of her work designing hats for Playhouse on the Square and affiliated theaters in Memphis and with vintage clothing at the Woodruff- Fontaine House. She presented to a sold-out crowd at another Memphis museum on Victorian underwear and was asked to give the same presentation at the Embroiderers’ Guild regional seminar in June 2015. Karen’s daughter, Emily, received a Ph.D. in ocean engineering last May.

Nancy Yeager Allard and husband Paul took a cruise on Portugal’s Douro River last year. They stay closer to home now that they care for Paul’s 96-yearold mother, who lives with them. Nancy is co-president of her library friends group and active in efforts to strengthen Fairfax County libraries despite continuing budget cuts. Marianne DeBlois Zentz went to Italy last summer with daughter Lauren, a University of Houston professor of linguistics who had a conference in Venice. They traveled toVerona and to Cesiomaggiore in the Dolomites. Son David is an independent photographer at Best Coast Photo in Venice, Calif.

Bonnie Page Hoopengardner and husband Roger of Williamsburg have three children and six grandchildren. They took a five-day Road Scholar trip last October to Jekyll Island, Ga. They’ve taken adult education classes through the College of William and Mary. Bonnie does Pilates and Zumba. She plays more bridge since retiring but said her golf had not improved.

Barbara Burt Bowman’s granddaughter is a high school junior looking at colleges and wants to visit UMW after hearing Barbara’s stories of the school for years. Linda Gattis Shull had a retirement party for husband Graeme last October, and Christie Wineholt, Barbara Burton Micou, and husband Chip helped. Linda and Barbara spent a weekend in Nags Head, N.C., last fall with Linda Holt Armstrong ’70 and Conde Palmore Hopkins ’70 at Conde’s oceanfront condo.

Bev Holt of Cary, N.C., is retiredand training to be a NorthCarolina Museum of History docent,returning to her history-majorroots after a sales and marketing career. She traveled in the British Virgin Islands aboard the trimaran Cuan Law.

One more plug for our 45th reunion. Please come. I promise you will have a wonderful time!