Class Notes

Please send news to the designated Class Agent according to the first letter of your maiden name.

From Connie:

The earliest news I received was from Judi Early Bidwick with the sad news of Lynn McCarthy’s death on October 23, 2015 (more in Renee’s news). Judi also sent news of herself. Since moving to Venice, Florida, about 18 years ago, she and her husband have volunteered for the Coast Guard in many ways. They joined the Auxiliary and taught safe boating classes, inspected vessels, performed their share of search and rescue, and Judi is qualified to cook at the stations when needed. She continues to keep a busy schedule teaching both the Auxiliarists and the Coasties from the station nearby. This is almost like a full time job. She and her husband spend three months in Ocean City, Maryland, in the summer in between traveling in and out of the country. That’s her in a nutshell.

Carolyn Barnette Wright emailed from her home in Pembroke Pines, Florida. Her life is very good, but probably mundane by some standards. She enjoys spending time with her five grandchildren, ages nine to 15, and attending basketball, soccer, and volleyball games. She has many friends and enjoys spending time with them and going to brunch or lunch. In September, she did travel to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and spent a week with two of her childhood friends who came from California and Maryland.  Her plans to travel in her retirement years have been put on the side burner as she expects to have hip replacement surgery in January so she can walk better and hopefully be able to be more mobile. When she reads about all of the wonderful things her classmates are doing, she is so happy for them. Best of luck with the hip replacement…will you consider coming to our 55th?!

Bev Carlson Shea continues to spend lots of time online keeping us up to date on politics, Downton Abbey, etc., and simply says that there’s nothing new in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania…same old, same old!  She took Ecky (Eric, her daughter Heather’s son who lives in California) to her son Dan’s house at the Jersey shore when he was here this summer so that he could say he had been in the Atlantic Ocean. Dan has two elementary school-aged children, Katherine and Jack.

Clara Sue Durden Ashley wrote that she has not done anything lately that would be of particular interest to our classmates, but they may be interested to learn about her son Andrew’s appearance on national TV. As the military legislative assistant to Congresswoman Martha Robey of Alabama, who is on the Ben Ghazi Committee, Andrew was able to sit in on the hearings when Hillary Clinton was questioned. Andrew was seated directly behind Hillary and could sometimes be seen as he leaned to one side or the other. Seeing him was a thrill for his family and friends.

We extend our deepest sympathy to Ellen Grumbly de Gail, whose granddaughter Nicole passed away at age 25 on October 18, 2015.

Dee Doran Cairns and Doug moved in August from Montgomery, Alabama, to San Antonio, Texas, where they are living in the Army Residence Community, which is more than half Air Force! Their new address is 7400 Crestway, Apt 907, San Antonio, Texas 78239 (Email: deecairns61@gmail.com). They plan to come to our reunion in June. Their son Rob and family are now living at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, after 11 years in Naples, Italy. Dee and Doug went there for Thanksgiving and squeezed in a visit with us here in Wilmington, North Carolina, before flying home. It was fun to meet Rob and daughter Katye, a junior in high school, and hear about their son Nathan, a plebe at USMA. Meanwhile, Dee’s roomie and Doug’s sister, Patty Cairns Hourin, and Jim are still in Diamondhead, Mississippi, where Patty continues to remain busy with tennis, golf, and church duties. They did some traveling; in April they buried Patty’s Mom, Doris, at Arlington National Cemetery alongside husbands Bugs, Red, and Neil and they went on a “won’t do that one again” short cruise from New Orleans to Cozumel! They too are planning on being at our 55th.

My news is pretty good, health-wise, except for lower back pain (seems lots of people have this!), but I am hopeful that it will be better by our 55th, which Andy and I plan to attend. We spent a week in the Outer Banks in August and took two trips by car in November to Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, Delaware, for reunions with old friends, including a wonderful lunch with Barbie Upson Welch and Chuck. They keep busy with grandsons and life in the Wilmington community. Barbie is a regular yoga practitioner now. Our daughter Elaine spent three weeks in India in October at a yoga retreat!

A correction in the last UMW Magazine – it was not Kelly Cherry who had the phone chat with Bill Willing (Ellen Gotwalt’s hubby), but me! Please try to join us at our 55th – while we still can!

From Renee:

It is with sadness that we report the passing of our classmate, Lynn McCarthy on Friday, October 23, 2015, in Frankfort, Kentucky. She had suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease over the last several years and recently colon cancer. She was treated with oxygen and so did not travel much outside of her home during that time. She was an avid reader, gardener, bird-watcher, and University of Kentucky basketball fan! She traveled abroad a good bit as well as here in America. For eleven years, Lynn delved into genealogy, so much so that she developed her own genealogy research business after she retired. A most accomplished woman, Lynn retired after thirty years serving the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the Child Welfare Department, Bureau of Social Services, Cabinet for Human Resources, and the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives. She was also a statewide Training Specialist, Training Administrator, Protective Services Consultant, and Grants and Contracts Administrator. Lynn’s parents, brother, and sister predeceased her. She is survived by her niece and nephew, two great nephews, and many cousins. I enjoyed emailing with Lynn to get out our class news. She was witty, kind, and a most dedicated friend. She made her mark in this world and made her classmates proud of the beautiful person she was. Lynn’s close friend and our classmate, Becky Young-Butler Guy, wrote a lovely memoriam of Lynn. Her words are inspiring, as was Lynn herself. (Becky’s piece will be sent separately to classmates along with other remembrances.)

Mary Hatcher has had a busy year with travels far and wide.  She visited London, Amsterdam, and Sonoma Valley, California. In Sonoma, she enjoyed sampling the fine wines. 2016 promises to be no less busy with trips to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in February to go snow shoeing and maybe see Yellowstone in the snow. Mary is hoping to visit her MWC roomie, Kathy Byoram Whaley, in Copperas Cove, Texas, and hopes to have lunch with Connie Booth Logothetis soon. And to the rest of us, Mary said, “Here’s hoping this finds all of you well and healthy.” Right back atcha, Mary.

Marcia Minton Keech and Bill are still enjoying life in Savannah. Her granddaughter, Hallie Spitler ’19, is a freshman at UMW this year. Hallie’s twin, Taylor Elizabeth, hopes to attend UMW in the near future. Another family member, Matt Rowlett ’19, is also a freshman there this year. Nice that they’re keeping our alma mater in the family! Marcia and Bill have been enjoying sharing time with Jerri Barden Perkins, exploring the local history and attending exhibits and lectures at the Telfair Museum. Marcia writes that the Jepsons have been important benefactors in developing this small, but quality museum, along with Gary Melchers who was the second curator in the early half of the 20th century.

Judy LaRoe Hare explains that one of the reasons she continues to work is to keep her from having time to feel old! She started a new position as a designer and flooring specialist at a company called Three Little Dogs Flooring and Interiors earlier this year. She loves what she does and it gives her the opportunity to help people create beautiful living spaces (check them out on Facebook). Judy lives in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Sarah Leigh Kinberg did lots of traveling in 2015 for various events in Norfolk, Annapolis, Seattle, and Europe for five weeks in August and in September she traveled to Wales for a cruise around the British Isles and on to France. Her daughter, Sarah Leigh, lives in Gibles in an old manor house which they have been renovating for years. Sarah enjoyed visits with two of their former exchange students, Delphine in Bordeaux (with a side trip to Carcassonne) and Pekka from Finland who came to Gibles. Sarah writes that on September 24, quite a few pounds heavier, lighter in hearts, and completely contented, they all returned to Stockton, California, to everyday cooking, cleaning, and bill paying. She and Tom plan on coming to our reunion!

As for me, I’ve really been enjoying classes at UCLA Extension. I’m taking Astronomy & Cosmology, Current Events, a writing class, and a class on the Golden Age of Television. All are really excellent, stimulating what’s left of my mind and learning new stuff. The discussions are great; the classes are composed of people over 50 who just enjoy learning and instructors who clearly love their subject matters. I’ve taken the Astronomy and the Current Events classes every quarter for the last three years. I was having lunch with the Astronomy teacher a couple of weeks ago, and after a conversation about my career as a lawyer, she suggested I teach something at UCLA. After much discussion and submitting a class proposal in writing to the powers that be at the Extension, I’m going to start teaching my constitution class in the summer quarter. I’m excited about it. On other fronts, I’m beginning to plan a trip to Australia (I’ve always wanted to go) with a former colleague in the City Attorney’s Office. And, of course, my animals are as precious as ever!”

From Lynne:

Thanks to those of you who took time off during these busy holiday times to share some news with me. Our city life has been pretty active, I’m pleased to report. Sandy and I took a delightful trip to Paris and Normandy in October, then spent two weeks in Florida in November. The only other travel (other than to Connecticut most weekends) was to visit my ailing sister in Dallas for a couple of days. Dick, Ann Hopkins Burroughs’ widower, visited us for a week before Thanksgiving, which was great fun. I hope that those of you visiting New York will be in touch with me.

Janie Riles and hubby Jim Dietz are making their annual migration to Fort Lauderdale from San Diego, planned to leave on a cruise from San Diego on December 18 arriving in Fort Lauderdale on January 5. She has enjoyed teaching art in San Diego.

Eleanore Saunders Sunderland made a few trips in the East, once to visit Linda Taylor Drustrup, her MWC roomie, and another to Mystic, Connecticut, to visit a friend whom she met in Paris. Sadly, her younger sister, Patience, passed away in July, 2015, two years after losing her twin sister Judy. Eleanore remains active, walking often and always to the Farmers Market in Falls Church City, which, she says, is truly a pleasure. She spent Thanksgiving with her entire stateside family at her son’s home in Cincinnati, where he is a Russian History professor. He has written two books and frequently lectures on them.

Pat Scott Peck was to have both knees replaced (December 15 and January 26) in order to be able to enjoy our 55th reunion in June. Her son will be with her during recovery. She expects to drive from San Antonio to D.C. in late May in time to meet Carolyn Crum Pannu, who will be her roomie at the UMW reunion (just like freshman year). Pat is still adjusting to her move to San Antonio, with new doctors, a new city to learn, new friends, and a more active social life. She hopes to spend the summer in Calais, Maine, on the Canadian border (if her knees heal successfully)!

Elizabeth “Bitsy” Wright Coxe had a full year of traveling, from New York City (opera, museums, soaking up art and music) to France in the fall, primarily to the Dordogne region where some of her maternal ancestors began. She writes that it is a lovely area of Romanesque churches, bastide towns, picturesque medieval villages everywhere, massive castles, beautiful winding rivers, forests, walnut groves, strawberries, cows, sheep, painted caves, and traces of human activity that date to prehistoric times–about 2.5 million years of history! They also visited Chartres Cathedral which is being cleaned up after 1,000 years. She and George are planning on coming to our 55th.

Jean Ryan Farrell and Frank sent Christmas greetings from Cozumel, Mexico, where they were spending a relaxing week before their children came for the holidays–Bobby’s family from Singapore and David’s from Madrid. Their eldest son Frank, Jr., lives in Atlanta, and they are grateful to have one at home. Jean had plans to get together with Matte McCeney Campbell in November in Atlanta and Babs Buse Johnson in Florida in February.