Class Notes

Martha Veasey Sawyer and husband Roger vacationed in the Smoky Mountains last August at the Buckhorn Inn in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. They hiked on the Porter’s Creek and Ramsey Cascades/Falls trails and encountered a Copperhead snake and a Rattlesnake along the way, giving them a wide berth! Gaye Gregory Elliott and husband Steve are enjoying retirement in Richmond, Virginia, and plan on staying there.

Ellen Smythe Grosskurth retired from teaching ESL to elementary students last June and she now volunteers teaching ESL to adults. Last July she visited her 91 year-old mother in Georgia, her sister in Charlottesville, Virginia, and friends in North Carolina. Her son Alex is an ESL teacher in college, and her daughter Veronica designs jewelry.

Jan Sullivan-Chalmers and husband Tony moved to Florida from the United Kingdom when Jan retired from American Express. Having retired after 34 years as an Ombudsman for American Express in Europe, Jan trained as a Florida Supreme Court Mediator for county and circuit civil work in the county. Jan and Tony live on an eight acre farm in Melbourne, Florida, where they keep busy with cycling, Border Collie sheep herding, and elderly parents. Their daughter Hannah is in the University of Florida Physicians Assistant program, and their son Josiah attends Marian University in Indianapolis on a cycling scholarship; he and his teammates won the 2014 USA Collegiate Track Championship.

Ted and I continue to enjoy all the activities here in our community. However, as I write this, I am preparing for low back surgery on 25 November. Hopefully, by the time you read this I will be completely healed and back to my regular schedule. Please send me your news.

Hi there everyone. It’s hard to believe that 2014 is almost over. This year has gone fast. Hope it has been a good one for all of you.

A lovely note arrived from Mary Forte Hayes. She and husband Jim welcomed two MWC friends to Rockport, Massachusetts, this summer. First was her hall mate from Mary Ball Hall in 1969, Maryanne Fields Cherry, who is a third grade teacher in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Later came roommate Kay Smith Davis (a retired nurse educator) and her husband, Rob, from Hampton, Virginia. Even after decades apart, conversation never waned. Mary is a retired high school principal and consultant. She and Jim circled the globe last year and happily spend winters in California to be closer to three of their six grandchildren. For those of you who have not been in touch, please follow Mary’s example and tell us your news. It’s always a pleasure to hear from individuals for the first time.

Brenda Franklin reported a mini reunion with her dear friends, Terri Hall Alford, Nancy Mahone Miller, Kathryn Ray, Anne Toms Richardson, Shirley Harris Sutton and Mary Saunders Williams. They met in Fredericksburg October 1. President Hurley and his wife, Rose, hosted them for a tour of Brompton. President Hurley led the tour and spent time pointing out the significance of the art and furniture. Mr. Torre Meringolo showed them artist renderings and visual representations of the plans for the restoration of the Amphitheater. Then Brenda and crew brought him up-to-date on the Beanie Yells and the Devils and Goats. The old amphitheater probably still echoes from those events. Dr. Bill Crawley also was on hand to add to the amphitheater legends. After lunch hosted by the Hurleys in Seacobeck dining hall, our class sponsor Dr. Mike Bass and his wife gave the girls a tour of the Jepson Science Building. Of course their visit could not be complete without a journey to Carl’s ice cream. Nancy Mahone Miller posted some wonderful pictures on Facebook and they were a nostalgic reminder of how important those friendships formed during our college years have stood the test of time. This group is such a delightful addition at all of our reunions. It just proves what so many say, “Old friends are the best!”

Cheryl Prietz Childress and daughter, Thea, visited Baltimore in September. We had a terrific girls’ night out and caught up on everything. Thea and husband Eric enjoy living in St. Louis and Thea manages a theater there. Cheryl and Dave had a good season with the colonial re-enactments and Cheryl continues to do well with the buttons she makes. Son Alex still loves working for the radio station in Richmond. Cheryl and Thea remain avid equestriennes. We will probably get together Thanksgiving weekend. Even after so many years, it still feels like we just met yesterday.

Congratulations to Julie Obarski Simpson and Kathy Duley on their work anniversaries. Julie celebrated three years at Managed Travel Consulting and Kathy had her 26th anniversary at the Phoenix Art Museum. Come to think of it, my fifth anniversary with the law firm is coming up in February. It still keeps me busy as ever as well, as learning something new practically every day. Dennis and I had a wonderful vacation in Bristol, Virginia, at the Rhythm and Roots Reunion this past September. There was no shortage of fabulous music and this will probably become an annual tradition.

That’s about it for now but hope to hear from more of you in the future.

Greetings to all! This fall we enjoyed an incredible tour of Italy, visiting as many of the historic sites as possible as well as basking in the beauty of the countryside and shoreline. We confirmed there is no bad wine in Italy! In August we visited friends at their summer home on Lake Michigan near Traverse City. Michigan is awesome in August! My honey bees are settled in for the winter. I’ll give you an update in the spring.

From a good and reliable source I understand MarySue Warner Weimer continues to travel throughout the world. We’d love to hear from you, Mary Sue. Her roommate for all four years at MWC, Virginia Davey Addison, has a new grandson, born in August. That makes three grandchildren for proud grandparents, Virginia and Will.

Debra Coffey writes that she has the best memories of MWC. “It was a place that allowed me to thrive. And I will always be thankful for that gift into my life.” She is still weathering the pangs of the empty nest, as her ‘baby’ daughter is getting her philosophy degree out in the great Northwest. These days she finds herself busy with Republican politics, working on grass roots conservatism. She also helps with a worship service Thursday mornings at the local nursing home, which is very gratifying. One thing she would like to ask of fellow graduates: she never bought a class ring, and would love to have one. She recalls a flat top onyx pinky ring. She would be happy with one from the 60s or 70s. Anyone with one they care to part with, feel free to email her at equity@moonstar.com.

Hope to see some of you at the Richmond alumni gathering in November. Keep sending your news. It’s fun to learn what keeps you busy and gives you joy.

Lina Scott Woodall provided the following update on the past May 24, 2014, wedding of her and Jon’s daughter, Sarah, to Andrew Vessels at Fat Cat Farm in Scottsville, Virginia. Fat Cat Farm is special to Sarah, since it is the home of the event planning company, Beehive Events, a company where Sarah worked for over a year starting in October 2010. Sarah and Andrew traveled on their honeymoon to New Zealand and Tahiti. They now reside in Arlington, Virginia. This past June, Sarah returned for consulting work in Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland, for three and one half months. She has truly found her niche consulting for Visit Greenland, the national tourist council for Greenland. She also consults for the North Atlantic Tourism Association, which includes Greenland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.

Make sure you keep a lookout for news about our 40th Class Reunion in 2015! Keep in touch with your classmates by keeping the news coming!

Isabel Garcia has been named the dean of the University of Florida, College of Dentistry in Gainesville. She is currently the deputy director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, a part of the NIH. Isabel received her doctorate in dental surgery in 1980 at VCU. She later earned a master’s degree in public health at the University of Michigan. She and her husband Dr. Ric Bothwell have a son Adam who is in the twelfth grade. Isabel’s sister Ana Garcia Chichester is on her 21st academic term at UMW as Professor of Spanish and Director of the Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree program. Bonnie Clarke Powell wrote that she still gets together quite often with a few classmates in the Richmond area. She and her husband Tony have retired and despite several “getting older” medical issues, they have managed a few trips in the U.S. and Europe. She retired in January 2014 from a career in communications and marketing with the Department of Defense in Northern Virginia. They are busy playing golf, downsizing and planning a move south to warmer winter climates.

Beverly Hudnall Simons also retired from DOD in 2010 after 33 years. She continued working part-time a few more years. Then she and her husband Rick decided to sell their home in Herndon, Virginia, and move to Williamsburg. They are an easy drive to her parents and her brother and sister. She is still trying to get Rick fully extracted from his job in Tysons Corner. Their older son, Matthew, UVA ’07, received his PhD in Molecular, Optical and Quantum Physics at William & Mary. He has accepted a postdoctoral offer from NIST in Boulder, Colorado. They are looking forward to some awesome ski trips. Beverly was a physics major at Mary Washington and remembers Dr. Atalay fondly. She mentioned burning the midnight oil studying for his tests with Teresa Smith Houser. Their younger son Michael graduated from VCU in 2012 with a BS in Psychology and Philosophy. He works for UPS and lives in the Fan District in Richmond and loves it. Beverly enjoyed having lunch with Yolande Long in Williamsburg. She hears from Karen Miller Clark at Christmas and is glad to have reconnected with her, Yolande and Teresa via Facebook. She saw Mary Bess Booth Price at their Northumberland High School reunion. Mary Bess has been teaching elementary school since graduating from MWC.

Melissa Mann retired from teaching in 2014 and is now going to serve on an 18 month mission at the Guayaquil Temple in Guayaquil, Ecuador. She is excited and has been trading out her New Hampshire wardrobe for one more suitable to a country on the equator. She is looking forward to experiencing a whole new world. She spends two hours or more daily studying Spanish. Lundy Baker Updike attended the Legacy Breakfast at UMW’s Family Weekend with her husband of 32 years, Jim, and son Tom Updike ’17. They sat with Kathy Sydnor ’76 and her two sisters who also graduated from MWC. She encouraged all of us to visit the Jepson Alumni Executive Center which is attached to Trench Hill-now called the Kalnen Inn. They have been enjoying the Saturday rugby games and will be sad for the season to end, mostly because they have had fun trying out all the new restaurants around town.

Barbara Bryant Zingg lives in West Virginia near Harper’s Ferry with Rob, her husband of 38 years. They met on the first weekend of freshman year on the front porch of Marshall Hall. He is a special education teacher at one high school in the county and Barbara is a math teacher at the other. She has her master’s degree in Curriculum Design from Capella University and is currently pursuing another master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University, with dual concentrations in Common Core State Standards Leadership and E-Learning. They have two grown sons. Jason is married to Tammy and lives in West Virginia, and Joshua and his wife Reyna live in Columbus, Ohio.

Wendy Francis has been living in Banff, Alberta, Canada since 2007. She is the Program Director for Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, a non-profit organization that works to protect wildlife in western North America. Her work takes her to some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world. She enjoys hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, running, biking and swimming. She goes to Utah in the spring and fall to camp and hike in the canyons. She has been single for the past nine years and as she nears the big 6-0 she is thinking of moving towards “semi-retirement.”

Barbara Bryant Zingg lives in West Virginia near Harper’s Ferry with Rob, her husband of 38 years. They met on the first weekend of freshman year on the front porch of Marshall Hall. He is a special education teacher at one high school in the county and Barbara is a math teacher at the other. She has her master’s degree in Curriculum Design from Capella University and is currently pursuing another master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University with dual concentrations in Common Core State Standards Leadership and E-Learning. They have two grown sons. Jason is married to Tammy and lives in WV, and Joshua and his wife Reyna live in Columbus, OH.

Madelin Jones Barratt and Sue Sendlein Luscomb enjoyed lunch together in Arlington in August 2014. Sue was in D.C. with her husband Rich, who was attending a conference. Afterward, they visited Madelin’s daughter Anna at Artisan Confections where she makes chocolates to indulge in some chocolate candy. Madelin and Henry’s older daughter Ellen gave birth to a son, Timothy Edward, in September 2014.

Please send me your news. It’s great keeping our class connected!

On the weekend of October 10 a mini-reunion of Russell Second North was held in Fredericksburg. Carol Mills, Allen Nicholls Scott, Martha Weaver Campbell and Janet Place Fuller met. During the time they had together they attempted to visit Mr. Russell’s portrait at the Ridderhof-Martin Gallery, but unfortunately the gallery was closed. Carol is celebrating her retirement from Prince William County Public Schools. Allen is currently teaching school in Maryland influencing young minds in the world of science. Martha operates her own company Trinity Title in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Janet is pursuing a second career in consulting after a 35 year career in DoD Government Acquisitions. This group met last year along with Mary Jane Ford Johnston and Joni Joseph Owens and plan to meet in October of next year. If others would care to join we would love it.

Thanks to those who sent in news. Our classmate Bonnie Berry has a very interesting job with the Smithsonian Institution. In October, she assisted Seth Myers as part of the Mark Twain Awards at the Kennedy Center to honor Jay Leno. She also worked the Memorial Day show at the Capitol in May and the Christmas in D.C. special.

Lisa Bratton Soltis and Lisa Carle Shields attended a UMW gathering in Roanoke in October. President Hurley was there to discuss the Mary Washington First Campaign and all the new buildings and activities at Mary Washington – lots of things going on. Gayle Harrison Cleary and Vickie Nichols Shertz ’78 also attended.

When she’s not going to Fredericksburg for her work on the UMW Foundation Board, Lisa Soltis stays busy with all kinds of other travel. She visited Nancy Quaintance Nelles in Delaware in October. Earlier in the summer, she joined Karin Hedberg, Donna Anaya, Gayle Weinberger Petro and Gayle’s friend Jim for a few fun days in Wilmington, Delaware, when they went to Nancy’s daughter’s wedding at the Hotel Dupont, followed by a potato chip factory tour the day after.

In August, most of the same group, as well as Lisa Shields, were in Roanoke to see Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and Sheryl Crow. Gayle said it was a fun trip down memory lane and they loved it.

Donna Anaya and Lisa Soltis traveled to France in October, while Gayle Petro and Jim went to Florida to visit Gayle’s family and her high school French teacher. It’s amazing that Gayle has stayed in touch with her high school teacher after all these years!

Lisa Shields is still working at Sun Trust as a mortgage broker and lives at Smith Mountain Lake. Her son, Jonathan Shields ’09, works for a nonprofit organization associated with the Affordable Care Act in Washington D.C.

In November Lisa Roberts Jett (Abingdon), Sally Hart Morgan (Emory) and Christine Resele-Tiden Cardoza (Lynchburg) visited Lisa Soltis for some fun in Roanoke. Shelley Roberts Havnoonian did a Walk for the Heart Association.

My sister, Patricia Goliash Andril ’80, had one of her drawings, At Rest, accepted for a book on colored pencil art that will be out later this year. If you’re ever in Crystal City’s Underground mall and stop by the Art Underground Gallery, you may see Patty or some of her work there. She and her similarly talented daughter, Katie, occasionally have pieces on display at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria.

I am still working for Fairfax County in the Office of Public Affairs. I occasionally run into classmates Mary Regan McMahon and Carolyn Bess Pantzer, who also work for the county, as well as Fatima Allibhai Khaja ’80. I hope to hear from more of you for the next Class Notes!