Class Notes

As we begin the New Year, we are getting much closer to our 50th reunion in 2020! I can’t believe that this very special milestone is approaching so quickly! All of us in the class of 1970 would love to see as many of you as possible make the trip in 2020. Even if you cannot make the trip, please consider contributing to our class gift which is for the mental health center on campus. It is such a worthy cause and is desperately needed! Also, we do have a Facebook page (Mary Washington College Class of ’70).

Barbara Forgione Tansey, who lives in Chesapeake, VA, is very involved with her daughter Lisa and grandson Bodie . In spite of dealing with a health issue earlier in the year, she continues with a busy life, taking care of her grand dog and traveling around NC. She and Lisa stayed in a lovely resort on the Albemarle Sound in Edenton, NC, and then went sightseeing in Asheville.

Lee Howland Hogan has also been traveling. She just got back from the river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam. She especially loved Rudesheim and Strasbourg (favorites of mine as well). She hopes that maybe some of us including Donna Accettullo DeNyse and Betty Brooks Reuter can all get together in NYC soon.

Gabby Pagin’s second year of retirement was full of travels, house projects and entertaining—all of her loves. Early in the year, she enjoyed a 10-day tour of the Galapagos, hiking the islands and swimming with sea turtles, sea lions and lots of fish. It was a rigorous but delightful vacation. In the Fall, she joined UMW’s 17-day Portrait of Italy tour, traveling with many alumni and others and enjoying the lectures of art history professor Marjorie Och. Pasta and gelato were the daily food groups! Throughout the year, Gabby met with various classmates for daily excursions, visiting with Tina Kormanski Krause, Kathi O’Neill, Kathy Thiel, Susi Duffey DiMaina, Suzanne Ferguson Buchanan, Jean Botts and Karen Muszynski. They already have a January date to meet again.

Susie Duffy DiMaina is apparently not letting 70 slow her down. She is busier than ever serving on three boards: her neighborhood civic association board, the Fairfax senior center board; and the UMW Alumni Board. She highly recommends the latter board as it is a wonderful experience. She is playing Pickle Ball to keep her body active. She traveled to Iceland in August and fell in love with the country-spectacular waterfalls, geysers, glaciers, lava fields and warm, charming people. Husband John retired after 25 years at the International Monetary Fund so more fun traveling in their future. Daughter Caitlin will be finishing nursing school at Johns Hopkins in May and Susie hopes she will find a job close to home.
I was relieved to get great medical news in Nov. so life is good! In Oct. John and I traveled to the U.K. for 18 days. London is one of my favorite cities, so we did many special sites for a second or third time! We had never been to Wales before and it was wonderful! I was brave and ate haggis twice in Scotland. In Dec. I went to the Christmas Markets on the Rhine river cruise. My most exciting trip is coming up in Feb. when I go to Antarctica. I have been waiting a long time to do this trip. I hope to hear from many more of you in the spring!