Class Notes

Happy spring, classmates! It’s hard to believe that in just one year, we will be dusting off our tiaras for our 50^th reunion. Here are some Class of 1968 updates:

Susan Hensley has been a local artist in Blacksburg, VA, for about ten years; last year she was asked to become an International Fashion Designer for the non-profit VIDA. The organization supports Literacy for Life, and helps women in third world countries start and own businesses. Learn more about her work at: http://shopvida.com/collections/voices/susan-hensley

Susan Wight Blosser and her husband left Virginia in mid-December for a three-month adventure driving across the country. Their plans included spending the holidays with old friends in California, golf in Pebble Beach and Oceanside, and a month of skiing in Park City, Utah.

Mary James Wright and Charlotte Shelton, MWC roommates for all four years, remain close friends in the Charlottesville area. Charlotte and her family have a very successful orchard and cidery (see what she’s up to at www.albemarleciderworks.com), and Mary and her husband, Sims, helped out at her annual Apple Harvest Festival in November. Charlotte is still a VP in the Investment Branch of Wells Fargo, and working two demanding jobs keeps her on the run. Mary and Sims are both retired (Mary from Time-Life Education and Children’s Publishing, and Sims from the Department of the Navy). Both are busier as retirees than they ever were as employees—church missions and ministries, disaster relief and Red Cross, community work, and keeping up with their two grown sons (Christopher was UMW Class of ’93) and three granddaughters.

Bobbi Jarrett Gehr wrote that her husband, David, retired for the second time last year, but is still doing a little part time work. They sold their house in Leesburg and downsized to a retirement community in Williamsburg, where they love it and find it easy to stay busy, including taking classes through the Christopher Wren society. Their children and grandchildren are in Idaho and Oregon.

Carol Simmons van der Kieft lives in the Wilmington NC area, and reported that Sheila Spivey Hume moved there last fall and was able to spend Thanksgiving with them. Unfortunately, since her last happy update, Carol’s family has been devastated by the loss of their son, Mike Jr., who died of carbon monoxide poisoning in January 2016 due to a faulty furnace repair. Their family had just had a wonderful Christmas with him and their other son, Todd, who lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two kids. Carol wrote, “He was a good man; he lived a good life, and he was well loved. Not all parents are so fortunate.” It is hard to report such sad news—please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.

Nancy Porter Atakan had just returned from an amazing trip to the Antarctic when she wrote in December. She continues to live in Istanbul with her husband, two sons, two daughters-in-law, and two granddaughters, but comes to the USA every six months. She runs the Istanbul art space, 5533 that she co-founded ten years ago. 2016 was an exciting year for her professionally, as she had a solo exhibition of her work in February at Pi Artworks Gallery in London, accompanied by an English monograph, Passing On, published by Kehrer Verlag Hamburg, Germany, and available on Amazon. She expects to have an exhibition in Stockholm this year.

The family of Pam Tompkins Huggins had a busy 2016. Her oldest granddaughter graduated from high school and is now in college. The California-based kids spent a lot of time in Staunton last summer, and youngest daughter, Jamie, and her family have moved back there. Husband Jim is retired and busy as a Hospice Patient Volunteer and pursuing hobbies now that he is no longer tethered to his beeper. Pam continues to work for various community and church causes. They are planning a trip to Normandy in May, including a river cruise.

Leneice Wu has been retired since 2002 from the Congressional Research Service (Library of Congress), and has stayed in the DC area, which has always been her home. She lost her husband, Royce Wolf, to cancer in 2005, but in 2013 remarried John Thomas, a widower whose wife had been in her book club, and whose two boys were on swim and soccer teams with her children as they grew up. John’s older son lives in the area with his wife and their daughters, ages 5 and 2. Leneice’s son Paul lives in Vermont and had his first child, Lucas Royce Wolf, in March 2016. Her daughter Emily works as a stage manager for live theater in Silicon Valley. Leneice enjoys traveling to visit family, volunteering for Lab Rescue of LRCP and her church, and exercise classes; she also stays busy cooking, gardening, reading, and downhill skiing.

Leia “Pat” Francisco is a Board Certified Coach specializing in transitions, author of Writing Through Transitions, and Founder of The Center for Transition Coaching and Writing. After many rewarding years of working and living in the Washington, DC, area, she and her husband moved to the Hill Country of Texas in 2004. Their son lives in the Denver area, where he works in intelligence.

Jill Robinson Burkert is still in Alaska working with special education teachers in remote Alaska Native villages. She flies to villages in a small plane and helps new teachers learn how to work with children with disabilities. She was appointed to the Governor’s Council for Disabilities, which gives her an opportunity to be involved in statewide policymaking and advocacy initiatives. Grandson Casey is attending the University of Alaska Southeast (where Jill teaches) and is in the Outdoor Studies and Environmental Science program. She reports that everyone in her family is well, and zigzagging along their “paths”.

Georgia Carroll Sherlock is already tiara shopping and looking forward to the 50^th reunion, although she still remains confused about the identity of the ranking May Queen! Her husband of forty years died early in 2009. In July 2013, she became Mrs. James Sherlock. Jim went to UVA with her late husband, John Dinsmore, and was widowed about the same time she was. She wrote that, given the fact that she and Jim argued about politics for years, it is somewhat amazing that they married, but that it has been a joyful second act. Like most of us, they enjoy traveling and keeping up with children and grandchildren. Georgia reported that the third floor Madison suite is alive and well, continuing to laugh and occasionally have drinks together: Fran Rodgers Bryant, Mary Ellen Ashelford, and Linda Hall Palmer. She also sees Barbara Moore McKinnon, who attended MWC from 1964-66.

Susan McCrory Braaten and husband, Tom, settled in New Bern, NC, when he retired from the Marine Corps in 2001 after 36+ years. He became CEO of the local Twin Rivers YMCA and is now the Director of Coastal Carolina Regional Airport. After spending time writing Internet content for military families for NavyWifeline and Military1Source, Susan became the Technology Coordinator and Trainer at Keller Williams Realty in New Bern. After 36 years and 18 moves from coast to coast in the USA, Panama, and England, they’ve now been in one place longer than at any time in their lives. Their daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter live in Raleigh, NC, so they see them often. Susan also sees two MWC grads occasionally in New Bern—Nicole Brooks (graduated in the 70’s), who coordinates events at Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens and the NC History Center, and Christie Wineholt (’69).

Jean Eley Thompson became a grandmother for the first time at the young age of 70! Bennett Bradley Thompson was born on July 13, and she wrote that now she knows how all you who have been grandmas for years feel. After looking at her friends’ grandbaby pictures for 20+ years, it is her turn to drive her friends crazy. Luckily, he and his parents only live 28 miles away.

In November I went on a weeklong cruise in Tahiti with my three sisters—we were born five years apart so all celebrated “BIG” birthdays in the fall of 2016. Son Todd, wife Rebecca, Maya (9) and Flynn (6) visited in September from their home in Melbourne, Australia, where he is an assistant principal. Daughter Anne has returned to school and will become a nurse in June 2017. She lives in Denver with husband Jason and son Spencer (16). Their daughter Madison (18) graduated from high school in June and spent her first college semester at the American University in Paris; she is now attending the University of Denver. Ash and I are looking forward to lots of trips in our Airstream in 2017, including seeing the Northwest this summer.

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From Donna Sheehan Gladis: Judy Henley Beck and her husband enjoyed a trip to Nashville, TN, to visit Donna Harrison Lile in her new home there. While on a trip to Richmond, Judy was surprised by a visit from Barbara Price Wallach, a professor at Missouri. They were joined by Judy Jackson Jones who lives in Richmond and enjoys traveling with her husband. In fall 2016, Judy Henley Beck was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is undergoing treatment and very hopeful about joining the ‘sorority’ of breast cancer survivors.

Susan Wagner Buelow moved to Rhode Island in 2012 to be closer to two of her three daughters (the youngest one lives in Iowa) and five of her nine grandchildren. She lived first in a condo and now is in an older home she’s renovating. Lots of sweat equity involved. Her most recent travels took her to Tuscany, which she loved. Susan teaches a few classes at a community college and volunteers in a hospital emergency room. Susan’s MWC roommate, Exa Mote Grubb, lives in Marietta, Georgia, and is a retired minister.

Lawson Stillman Greenwood married her high school sweetheart four days after our graduation. After his military service in Vietnam, her husband worked for the Secret Service, Lawson did medical research at various hospitals, and they moved 15 times! Lawson stopped working to raise three boys, later becoming a chemistry teacher (inspired by her great MWC chemistry professor) for 26 years, a career she found very rewarding.

Susan Blosser Wight celebrated her 70^th birthday in a BIG way with a party for 200 people in Virginia Beach. Most likely there was some serious dancing involved. Susan and Richard spend much of their time skiing, golfing and traveling.

Remember that our FIFTIETH (yes, 50th) reunion is next year. It’s June 1-3, 2018, to be exact. Please reserve the dates and make plans to come!

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From Georgia Carroll Sherlock: I will be tiara shopping before 2018.  Meanwhile much has happened in the last several years.  My husband of forty years died early in 2009.  In July of 2013 I became Mrs. James Sherlock. Jim went to UVA with my late husband, John Dinsmore, and was widowed about the same time I was.  Given the fact that Jim and I argued about politics for years it is somewhat amazing that we married. This has been a joyful second act.

Our third floor Madison suite is alive and well: all of us continue to laugh and occasionally consume the odd glass of spirits together: Fran Rodgers Bryant, Mary Ellen Ashelford, Linda Hall Palmer. Barbara Moore McKinnon who attended MWC from 1964-1966 occasionally visits.

Jim and I (like most of the Class of ’68) enjoy traveling and keeping up with children and grandchildren. I look forward to the 50th reunion.  Now who is the ranking May Queen again?

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From Carol Simmons van der Kieft: The last time I sent news to you all was well and happy.  To the best of my knowledge, the info did not appear in your column. Actually, I tried to send news one time a number of years ago and the same thing seemed to have happened.

I wish those happy days had been shared last year.  MWC (or rather UMW) has been reaching out to those of us in the coastal Wilmington NC area for the past few years, and it is always my hope to find someone I know who has moved here.  In fact, Sheila Spivey Hume has made the move to Wilmington just a few weeks ago.  Nancy Porter Atakan, who you probably know lives in Turkey and has raised a family there, gave me a heads up about her move, and we were able to include her in Thanksgiving plans just a couple days after her arrival.

Having been placed in an upperclassmen dorm freshman year I don’t have the close ties formed by dorm mates freshman year.  My close friends are one and two years ahead of me.  But there were many people I knew and enjoyed, and I do have some regrets at class reunions that I am a bit out of the loop.

However, since my last “update” we have been devastated by the loss of our son, Mike Jr., who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in early January from a shoddy gas furnace repair at his home in Nashua, NH.  The state Fire Marshall’s office has been conducting an investigation for months, and only very recently there have been arrest warrants on the company owner and the technician. We had just had a wonderful family Christmas with Mike and our other son, Todd, who lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two kids. We have much to be thankful for:  Mike had played golf with his dad in October in our annual Member-Guest golf tournament. They did well and had a great time. We had Thanksgiving together and then Christmas. He had a girlfriend of a year who was the love of his life, and I think he had just had the happiest year of his life.  He was a good man; he lived a good life, and he was well loved.  Not all parents are so fortunate.

So that’s my news this time. It’s difficult being asked to send news when the news is so monstrous, and as I said earlier, there is no context for what a good life it had been before this happened. Do with it, or not, as you wish.