Class Notes

Sad news first—then the good stuff.  As of January 2019 we have 96 Classmates on our memoriam list.  Since we are all 80 or approaching it, that list is sure to increase, but some of us are still pretty active.

Good news:  Jan Latven Allnutt recently met with Emy Steinberg Hyans and Cathy Lerner Cuttner’61 in New York City to celebrate their significant birthdays and have dinner together. Nancy Rorabaugh spent her birthday in Athens, Greece, and Carol Dixon Yonan visited the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

Deanna Merrill Albright reminded us that turning 80 is like turning 27 in Celsius.

Penny Engle Burkhardt is full of excitement as she turns 80 and watches her family grow and thrive. She celebrated her 80^th birthday with her whole family, attending a “kiddie festival” first, and then dinner after with them all.

Bobbie Garverick Olsen wrote, “First, I don’t know if you’ve been told Mona Allen Spilo died late summer, 2017.  We saw quite a bit of each other in her last years.  She fought ovarian cancer for 20 years and was just amazing

“My husband David died 9 years ago. I live primarily in Vero Beach, FL, but also have an apt in New York and a house in Salisbury, CT. I also rent a house on Spruce Head Island, ME for a month in the summer.  I support many organizations, but my primary focus is theatre. I’ve served on several boards, currently Manhattan Theatre Club and Riverside Theatre in Vero.

“David and I were fortunate to travel the world and there are just two left on my bucket list (which I probably won’t get to for political reasons).

“My son is usually a professor at UC Santa Cruz, but is currently consulting in Bogotá, Colombia.  My daughter and her family live in Glen Ellyn, IL.

“I will spend my 80th in April with my son in Nashville. I love country music!”

Jane Denslow McCrohan and Ed enjoy their home on Puget Sound watching the cruise ships heading to Alaska.  And Syd Collson Chichester, although she enjoys her winter life in Florida, is ready to stay in the north and enjoy the cold and snow.

Pat Garvin Dyke is still somewhat active, having survived 5 hip and back surgeries.  Her husband, John, is takes care of her, and is still involved in the “Trout in the Classroom” program in local schools, for Texas U.  Pat fills her day cleaning out her “accumulated stuff”,  selling the stuff on eBay, and she keeps up with the doings of their daughter and 6-yr-old granddaughter.

Jody Campbell Close had a season of misadventures:  first she broke her foot and hobbled around all summer; suffered a mild heart attack, then was diagnosed with breast cancer, had a lumpectomy and radiation.  She seems to have beaten them all and celebrated her 80^th birthday in January with a big party planned by her daughter.  Although she is no longer chairwoman of two genealogical groups, she is planning to go to Salt Lake City this April to do genealogical research, then on a road trip from there to see old friends.

Karen Larsen Nelson and Darrell made a spring camping trip in our tiny teardrop trailer to parks in New Mexico and west Texas, spent the summer at resort in Show Low, AZ, and in September toured around the Yellowstone area, Telluride and Ouray, CO before returning to Mesa.  We celebrated my 80^th birthday and Thanksgiving with our daughter, 3 granddaughters, 5 great-grandkids.  We stay busy with our church which meets in an assisted living facility, love working with special needs people again.  In April we planned a week of camping in Big Bend National Park—with no hookups! For a couple of 80 year olds, are we crazy or what?

From Connie:  Back in July, Maddie Contis Marken shared tips on her trip to northern Spain & Portugal as we had planned to go.  She closed her message, with this: “I had a laugh this past year when. I took a course at the local college on Jefferson and Washington.  The professor was about our age and a UVA graduate.  We had a few chuckles reminiscing about our college years.  We both remember that the Honor System was a most remarkable part of our college experience.  I might mention that I still am in awe of the spirit of Mary Washington and its goat and devil traditions.”

Carole Grant LeMay wrote: “I have had kind of a rough year physically–Last December had Pancreatitis and then in June had half of my pancreas, my spleen and my gall bladder removed because of a pre-cancerous cyst on my pancreas–Am back to fighting trim now and feel really good, but it was rough for a while.  I thought these years were supposed to be our golden years.  In April I did take a wonderful trip to Richmond for Garden Week, and Tommy Hulcher, my roommate Freshman year, joined us for dinner one night.  I will be going to New York in early June with a group I travel with to see some of the houses in the Hamptons.  Ralph is not interested in this kind of trip so will be travelling with Bee (Stone) Byrnes.  Am still touring and playing a lot of bridge and occasionally give talks on the Civil War.  Ralph is fine–still very active and we often travel to Birmingham to see our daughter and her family.”

Betty Alrich Latta is one busy lady!  Here’s her 2018 news: “I really enjoyed seeing the Graceland mansion in January on the New Year’s Eve trip to Memphis with the Widow & Widowers group.  (WW is a social group for people who have lost their spouse.  There are many fun activities and is a good way to make new friends.)  In March, I was in Puerto Vallarta again at my timeshare having fun with my six grandchildren who live in San Jose, CA (and their parents). In June, I flew to Portland, OR for my grandson, Devin’s high school graduation. Then, in October, I went with a group, from the Methodist church I belong to, to Ashland, OR for the Shakespeare Festival.  After seeing four plays and really enjoying socializing with the people in our group, I flew up to Portland again to see my son and his family.

My health–The chronic lymphoma (SLL) is in remission, though I still take drugs that I think give me joint and muscle pain and increased fatigue.  I’m seeing a chiropractor and also am taking exercise classes and Intermediate yoga–just not doing a lot of walking these days!  I’m trying to stay active.  I’m in my 42nd year of being a volunteer art teacher in our local elementary schools. I also host WW bridge lessons monthly, and I continue to paint oil paintings with a painting club.  And I also enjoy other fun activities with my WW friends.”

Ellen Gotwalt Willing sure misses Bill, as the first year is hard to deal with being alone, etc. She spent the holidays with her daughter Susan in Vienna, VA.  Last August she stopped in to the Vienna Quilt Shop to see Clara Sue Durden Ashley who reported how wonderful and slim she looks!  Ellen is going back to Naples, FL, staying in the same apartment she and Bill used for years.  She took the auto train Jan 1 and will return April 3, 2019.

Carolyn Crum Pannu and Renee get together periodically in CA, the latest being to celebrate daughter Kara’s 50^th birthday on Jan.4.  In June, she and Pat Scott Peck will be on a Viking River cruise on the Rhone to Lyon and Provence – to celebrate their BIG B-days!

Dee Doran Cairns and Doug came up to NC for Thanksgiving with their son’s family in Emerald Isle and we got together for lunch – fun visit.

Jerri Barden Perkins sent Happy New Year greetings with a photo of herself at the Louvre…Belle with me!  Lucky gal who goes to Paris so often!

My news, besides Hurricane Florence (!) was not as planned – we had to cancel our trip to Northern Spain & Portugal because I got sick.  It’s a good thing as we probably wouldn’t have been able to return.  We stayed put and are personally fine, but lots of damage to our back yard, which is still being addressed.  (I have written a summary of our experience at the bottom of this entry.)

Always wonderful to get your news…thanks to all!

From Renee:  SANDY PHILLIPS CONKLYN has been hit with a bout of bronchitis/asthmatic bronchitis.  She says whatever it is, it’s a bear.  Here’s to a speedy return to good, bronchitis-free health!  Both Sandy and her hubby had something similar last year and were glad no holiday plans had been made with family! Here we go again.  Their son and his wife and their 2-year-old twin boys now live in Laguna Niguel, CA, near LA, where he is Sr. VP of design at Speedo. (Sandy and hubby removed themselves from consideration as sample recipients!)  Congrats on their eldest granddaughter’s passing the bar exam this summer and is working in D.C. for an agency that lobbies for health care for the LGBTQ community. Their older twin grandchildren are in college now: Elly at Temple and Ryan a Hokie at VA Tech. Time sure flies!

Sandy sends Best wishes to ’61 classmates for

Happy Holidays and 2019.

JUDY LAROE HARE sent photos of her family.  I do wish we could publish them here, but suffice it to say, they are just beautiful people!  Judy says “I have been so blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren.  Neither of my daughters had children…Tracy is 56 and married to a retired UPS pilot.  She is retired from Delta and has a beautiful farm in Simpsonville, KY.  She shows in Pleasure class Saddlebred.  Mike (54) is a land developer in Phoenix.  Susan (52) is a Shiatsu Therapist and recently opened her own school in Portland, OR. She is very gifted and I only wish I could get her to come here to help me heal.  I am home this week recovering from Anterior Cervical Disectomy (removal of bone spurs from spine) hopefully it will put me back on the tennis court for spring play.”  Atta girl, Judy!  Your positive outlook on this thing is inspiring.

Travel this year included visiting friends in Bonita Springs, FL, Brevard, NC, family vacation in Seaside, Fl, Thanksgiving with family in Phoenix, AZ, and Christmas with family in Simpsonville, KY.

SARAH LEIGH KINBERG sent a lovely Christmas letter.  Sadly, she has lost Tom. She looks upward to ask his forgiveness for complaining that he didn’t do things around the house.  She wondered if she really said that.  But now, Sarah remembers all of the things he did do around the house!  The yard was Tom’s domain and it sorely misses him as much as Sarah does.  In July, she went to visit VA and NC and went by to visit Tom to make sure he was resting peacefully and still missed her.  In NC, she visited her “forever friend”, Nancy Burnett.  They went to see the play, “The Lost Colony”, which she hadn’t seen since childhood.  She has been reading up on it and has learned many interesting things about it she never knew.  In Oct., her son, Tommy, had five stamp shows in CA, so he would spend the week in between in Stockton; her daughter was there, too.  Sarah had one wonderful week with both of her kids; they celebrated a different holiday each day and packed a whole year’s holidays in one week!  She loved having kids, grandkids, and great grandkids scurrying around “doing their thing”.  Her greatest treasure is her wonderful family and awesome friends she couldn’t live or breathe without.  Sarah wishes everyone a great Christmas and New Year.

My news: This year, I went on a wonderful tour of “America’s Magnificent National Parks”.  So said the brochure.  And it was right.  We didn’t get to all of them, of course, but great ones in this region.  It was a beautiful trip.  We started in Rapid City, S. Dakota to see Mt. Rushmore. It was really a thrill to see “the boys” in extra-large size in person!  We covered about 1200 miles: Little Big Horn valley, where Custer bit the dust, Buffalo Bill Cody’s museum in Cody, WY, then to Yellowstone and its incredible beauty.  Old Faithful didn’t disappoint. Then, on to Jackson Hole, Grand Teton, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Antelope Valley slot canyon (look it up…another feat of nature), Bryce and Zion, (breathtakingly beautiful), Durango, CO, and Albuquerque.  Saw lots of wildlife…many bison, elk, horses, prairie dogs, and many more. This country is amazing: Immense.  Wild, tame, vast vistas, mountains that seem to touch the sky.  One highlight of the trip was meeting one of the surviving Navajo Code Talkers of WWII.  He is 90 and one of 9 surviving Code Talkers.  Fascinating.

To other things: I’ve decided not to move to the desert. The money my house would fetch was tempting, but climate change has even hit the deserts.  It reached 117 degrees on some days.  I found myself procrastinating about clearing out this house to get ready to sell it.  It struck me that a I really like my life here, the climate can’t be beat, there is theatre, opera, ballet, and a symphony orchestra available.  And, of course, the Hollywood Bowl!  And TWO pro football teams!  I realized that I really just don’t want to leave it all.  My animals wouldn’t fare well in that heat either.  Air conditioning, of course, but you still have to go outside!  So, here I stay!

By the time you read this, the holidays will have passed.  I hope all of you had wonderful ones and that the new year is bringing all good things your way.

 From Lynne:   I hate to begin this with sad news, but I’m afraid I must.  Sadly, I lost my dear husband of 40+ years in September, Sandy, whom many of you have met at reunions and various other venues.  Fortunately, he did not have to suffer a long sickness.  My family, neighbors and nearby friends have been amazing to me; for that I will be eternally grateful.

And now, let’s move on to some happier and exciting news about our classmates’ lives and adventures:

Pat Scott Peck wrote that she met Art & Lloyd Tilton Backstrom for a delicious lunch at the VA Museum of Art in Sept. She was on her way to Suffolk to spend a week with her daughter in Suffolk before flying home to TX. It was so good just to sit, talk and catch up with Art & Lloyd, who were leaving soon for another foreign destination.

Pat & Carolyn Crum Pannu will be celebrating their birthdays this year on a Viking River Cruise in S. France June 2nd. Pat will be in Maine mid-May, on the Canadian border & will meet Carolyn (NYC?) for the flight to France. (Maybe spend a few days in the city before continuing our return trip.)

Sue Wilson Sproul wrote about their amazing Road Scholar trip to Slovenia and Croatia with an added adventure in Italy.  She described everything so beautifully that I decided I should share it in its entirety.   So here goes:

“Croatia has become a very popular spot lately, and we could see why.  Costs are low, and the country offers both land and coastal attractions.  Our tour began in Slovenia at a beautiful resort. Picture this: from our balcony we looked out on a pristine lake, a charming little island with a monastery, and a castle overlooking it all. It was a postcard view.  From Slovenia we progressed to the coast and boarded a small ship for the remainder of the tour. Every day we visited a new island, and the tour concluded at Split, Croatia, a major port for ferries and transport ships.

Having come so far to join that tour, we and the couple we traveled with decided to extend our time by taking an overnight ferry to Ancona, Italy.  Our friends, Joe and Sheila, were interested in seeing the Italian village where his grandparents had grown up, so off we went.  First stop was a country house near Lake Trasimeno for a few days, then on to Sestola – a small mountain village up in Emilia-Romagna. Joe’s cousins welcomed us with multi-course meals, walks through the village, a climb up to the castle (every town seems to have one!), and everyone’s attempt to converse in the other’s language. The noisy scene at the dinner table was just like a movie!  I love Italians and their language, still.

Summer in Tucson has finally convinced me that I don’t want to spend what’s left of my life here. So, we’re moving. As I write this, it’s uncertain whether we’ll return to Colorado Springs or go back to Virginia.  But by the time you read this, we’ll be there.  Wish us luck.”  We do, Sue; let us know your decision!!!

 Eleanore Saunders Sunderland’s daughter, Jane, spent Thanksgiving in Argentina and Chile, but Willard and Betsy were with her.  Christmas they will all be together, as Jude is coming from Milan with her three boys.  Eleanore rescued an adorable steel gay year-old kitten which has become a good housemate for her.  (I’m jealous.)

Graham Walker Burns accomplished a project which has been on her bucket list for over 20 years, which was to hang glide.  She felt as if she was flying like a bird and went up about 1,800 feet beside Lookout Mountain.

She had some good family visits this past year, with children at her house and also some beach time. She has 14 grandchildren, ranging in age from 2 to 19, plus two adult “bonus” grandchildren. One family has been transferred to London, but she hasn’t been to visit yet.  She is still working full time as a real estate agent with Crye-Leike Realtors. Her website is www.grahamburns.com which has lots of Chattanooga information on it. Chattanooga is a great place to visit and/or to live. Should anybody head this way, please let her know.

From Janie Riles who wrote: “Though I am now officially a resident in Ft. Lauderdale, this has been a year for traveling.  In January I visited high school friends who winter out in Manzanito, Mexico.  In the spring I visited friends in Hendersonville, NC.  Summer months were spent in San Diego where I taught art classes and reconnected with friends.  In September I went to Berlin to see my daughter, Annelise, receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the German government and the Humboldt Foundation.  Thanksgiving was spent with my daughters and their families in Chicago.  In November I went to Salta, in northwest Argentina with my brother and Argentine sister-in-law to see the area that her family came from.   I will spend Christmas here with my husband, Jim, who is getting along well in his place of assisted living.  I am looking forward to some great Margaritas again in Manzanito in February.”

HURRICANE FLORENCE – Connie Booth Logothetis’s Experience

Here is a run-down on our experience with Hurricane “Florence” which hit Wilmington, NC on Sept. 14, 2018.  Life has been busy since, but we are ALIVE by the grace of God, for which we are totally thankful.  So many houses were spared by inches, as in our case, with our huge, double trunk 100- year old laurel oak tree falling away from the house into the back yard, instead of on the house.  Our garden shed, patio, fence, and landscaping all were damaged.  There were people from all over the country here to offer their services (at various prices) for tree removal, roof repair, mold remediation, water damage, etc.  It was nearly impossible to get a roofer, a dumpster for debris, and other needed services as so many people had damage.  We hired a company from Florida to remove the tree, then Duke Energy could restore the power (we were out of electricity for 9 days, land line phone and internet out for 17 days) but we had water and a gas stove so we could cook, with light by battery powered lanterns.  Our next-door neighbor did not lose power so he connected a long orange extension cord from his house to ours so we could run the refrigerator and a couple of lights.  There was lots of rain and cool temps after the eye went through, then it got hot.  Fortunately, neighbors let us stay in their house (they were out of town) which we did for 4 nights enjoying the AC and hot showers.  We had lots of interaction with our neighbors, most of whom stayed, as our neighborhood has weathered hurricanes for over 100 years.  BUT, as my brother Bob wisely said, the houses may be OK, but the old trees are ready to go.  In retrospect, if another hurricane over Category 3 comes, we will probably leave.  People did have trouble getting back home though. There was no mandatory evacuation order for our area as we are on higher ground and flooding is less likely.  It was a very difficult decision as to whether to stay or go, but now that the big tree is down, we can rest a little easier.  Elaine and family had no damage, just part of a fence.  All in all, it was one of those negative life experiences I am glad to “cross off my bucket list”!

It is always good to hear from our classmates. Thank you girls for writing, calling,

and sharing any news, especially in this frigid winter! May this new year keep you

Safe and Well!     Nancy and Kathleen.

SUSY BOOTH THURBER has lived in Alabama for 53 years.  She originally went

there  because of the space program. They were to stay 18 months! They have

now retired and her grandchildren are in high school.  As her husband no longer

travels she and her two sisters are planning a trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

PAT MACKEY TAYLOR continues to enjoy traveling and will be leaving to tour

Scotland and Ireland this summer.  BETTY PRITCHARD WOOD moved from the Peninsula to Georgia two years ago to be closer to her grandchildren. She is now chief driver and has made many new friends.

LOUISE DUNN FUQUA still lives in Louisiana and his finally recovered from her hip

replacement surgery pain when it was discovered she  had a broken femur causing

her so much distress. After therapy, surgery, and help she has gratefully gotten

her life back and flew to Tampa to visit her son Tim and family and two grandsons.

Her younger son lives in Alexander, NC and maintains a huge fruit tree orchard.

DIANA COPPLE SMITH moved to Wilmington, NC in 2017 closer to her  daughter and family. She really enjoys seeing Her grandson Jackson on his swim team.

As she lived in Kernersville near Greensboro almost 30 years, the transition has been rough.  She hopes later to move to Glenaire Retirement Community(Presbyterian) in Cary,NC where Julia Shumaker Bailess wants to move also.

Our hearts and sympathies go out to MYRTLE LEE DEAN FRANCE as her husband

BIlly died Jan. 6.  They were  married for 56 years. He was diagnosed with leukemia

In 2015. They both retired from Naval Surface Warfare in Dahlgren. Since graduation

she and Georgianne Maloy Hull have remained in touch and as couples enjoyed many

dinners out together. Myrtle Lee still lives in Montross.

Does anyone have any information on our sweet classmate Joyce Lyons Terhes?

As a reminder with so many moving and downsizing ,it is a good idea to update our

family and friends of changes, names, and addresses.

KATHLEEN is sad to say her cousin ELAINE (Woodie) WOODSON MARKHAM

passed away on Jan. 17 at age 96. She was from Richmond and Charlottesville.

She attended MWC in the stressful days of WWII and graduated from Nursing

School at UVA.  She even witnessed the change of MWC as the women’ s college

of UVA in 1944. This energetic lovely lady met her future husband Tom there who was returning from the war to enter law school. A very interesting account of male

attendance and big changes is written up in our MWC Bulletin Quarterly Review

Winter 1969 magazine along with the proposal to admit men as nonresidential

students. It is heartwarming to read the very early CLASS NOTES in our Alumni News.

Truly great friends are hard to find and impossible to forget!

KATHLEEN also extends compassion to our UMW

classmates who have lost pets with long histories as loyal friends and companions. She recently lost her red and white ten year old cocker spaniel  from a brain tumor.   He was her buddy and sat on the piano bench quite often as she practiced. She strongly recommends reading the poem

RAINBOW BRIDGE by William Britton.    Even Ralph Waldo Emerson said,

“Sorrow makes us all children again……destroys all differences of intellect.”

Christmas cards brought news from Karen Vandevanter Morrison, Jeanne Chabot Wallis, Mary A. Settle Johnson and Linda Gulnac Steelman.  Karen and Jeanne are enjoying their grandchildren.  Karen’s daughter moved to Portland, Oregon so they see each other much more often.

Mary A. has had quite a year.  The best news is that her cancer check-ups are continuing to be normal after intensive treatment.  Mary A. lives in Panama City, FL so saw Hurricane Michael first hand.  She lives at the beach and did better than those in town, including her son.  As of December, he still had a blue tarp covering his roof area.

Linda wrote that Bill preached his last sermon on May 6th and retired as Associate Minister  Linda retired from the Nantucket Historical Association.  They have decided to move to a life care community and are on the wait list for Kendal/Crosslands in Kennett Square, PA.

Frany Lee Carr writes that life is grand in Huntington Beach.  She says she has been blessed with excellent health, enjoys outdoor activities and lots of friends. Her son Lance lives in Huntington Beach with his wife Kazuko and her daughter Cynthia lives in New York with husband Dave and two sons.

Suellen Grant Knowles calls 2018 her recovery year after getting a pacemaker in 2017.  Ginger Logie Carr wrote that she and her husband planned to see Dick and Carol Van Ness Clapp and Eileen Hildebrand Andrews and Ray in December 2018.  Hope to have some news about this get together for the next issue.  Barbara Grant Knowles and Russell Hatcher Haggerty sent a get well messages to me but no news about themselves.

Susan Woodward Kilborn writes that any day she, “doesn’t hurt and can remember her name is a great day, so the level of definition of top notch health doesn’t have to be thaaaaaat high, just high enough.”  Great attitude Susan!!  Kay Barrett Bilisoly says,”….getting old isn’t for sissies!”

Ethel Thomas Sanford has lived in Long Beach, CA, for 50 years.  Her husband Tom worked there for his entire career, and they raised their two boys there, She taught kindergarten some of the time, plus still volunteered with the Junior League, Symphony, and Episcopal Church. Tom died last May, so she is making her way down a new path. She is blessed to have dear friends and family nearby.

Ethel says, “The only MWC classmate I see out here is Susan Ring Keith who lives in Coronado and is busy with civic and Navy endeavors, plus her grandchildren.”

Arlene Drescher Wilson saw Julie Burch Southall while she was visiting her son.  In September Arlene spent an incredible ten days painting in Valmondois France, Charles DeGaulle’s weekend home northwest of Paris.  His grandniece, Amelie, lives in Nashville. The DeGaulle family has organized ‘FranceWithFriends.com’ to share their remarkable culture of art and food with the world.

Gloria Moskowitz Fischel had a wonderful Alaska trip last summer with her two youngest grandchildren.  Glo has been volunteering in schools reading to “at risk” children, who come from non- English speaking homes and have little to no support at home. What fun to be sort-of teaching again and enjoying their smiles and enthusiasm? 

Betsy Chamberlain Hartz writes, “Mary Saunders Latimer, Eleanor Powell Darden Nancy Lee Leidy and I see Sally Tarrant Bernert and she is a real trooper dealing with her health issues. She is an inspiration to us.

I will be in Richmond in April for my H.S. reunion so hope to get by and see Sally too.

Thanks for all the news and keep it coming.

I was so happy to hear from Barbara Ioanes and to catch up with her. Barbara has been good about keeping up with many of you. I hope you will email me so we can include some of your MWC reminiscences or stories about your life today in our next issue.  Right now (January 13, 2019) I am watching the snow climb up to two feet and itching to put on my cross country skis and roam the beautiful New Hampshire woods. I am so fortunate to live in the small town of Wolfeboro on Lake Winnepesaukee with miles of woods and cross country trails. All I can hear is the sound of my skis shooshing along the snow. Often I will come upon a deer or two who move away from the trail quickly,  I only catch a glimpse of white from their uplifted tails as they leap gracefully away from me. And then others will just stand their ground, stare, and let me pass. I talk softly to them as I glide by and they seem very attentive and then ignore me. The story of my life!  Happy New Year all and please write.

From Barbara Ioanes

I left my job and apartment in Washington DC after the riots here in 1968, which were prompted by the Martin Luther King assassination. I toured Europe by myself and ended up in Athens, Greece, where I taught American English as a second language. I was able to support myself for a year, and lived on the islands of Crete and Corfu in the summer. When I returned to Washington, I continued my career in the Federal government, and retired shortly after I turned 50. I’ve been married, have a son, step-daughters, and grandchildren. Currently, I keep active in community service. However, I enjoy most of all helping my son and his wife with their 3 month old infant and 2 year old toddler. Thanks to all my MW friends who have kept in touch with me.

My best,
Barbara

Bronwyn “Bronnie” Jones Polk spends summers in St. Louis, Missouri, and winters in St. Petersburg, Florida. She would love to get together for lunch with classmates when they’re in either area. She and her husband, married 50 years, have two children and four grandchildren and have lived in six states. They met when Bronnie, a nutrition major, was an Air Force dietitian and second lieutenant in South Dakota soon after graduating from Mary Washington.

Elizabeth (Betsy) Churchman Geary, MWC ‘64.

My husband Ray and I traveled with classmate Margaret (Peggy) Morgan Tarr and four other friends to Iceland and Norway last August for two weeks. Ray and I then extended our travels in Norway on a week-long cruise up Norway’s beautiful western coast. We also visited several of his Norwegian cousins descended from his maternal great-grandparents. This was one of several trips we’ve taken with Peggy to Europe and the US over the past five years. Ray and I will celebrate our 55th anniversary with a nine-day cruise to Cuba in January. We’ve visited 78 countries and six continents the past two decades—our motto: Cover the earth before it covers us

Life in the Atlanta area is still the best! I live in a wonderful community where we enjoy a wine club, a bridge group, a Hand and Foot (great card game) group, a book club, a game night group and plenty of other assorted get togethers with the neighbors…everyone should have a neighborhood like this as we age. My only trip out of the country last year was a small (89 passengers) boat trip last summer around the British Isles, made lots of good friends and enjoyed seeing places my ancestors had inhabited. I continue to play tennis and try to get in a three-mile walk everyday, but like most of us, I’m beginning to feel the effects of 75 years. If you haven’t sent news to me in a while, please do. Also, if you are trying to find a long-lost roommate, I’ll be happy to help. Margaret Cobourn Robinson writes that she and Kenny finished touring all 50 state capitols (his bucket list) in August of 2018. This year they will be touring Scotland (gonna find Nessie) and northern Ireland. she says that her sophomore roommate, Trudy Kitchin Kohl, and Bill moved back to Virginia Beach the end of Nov. ’18 after being in Raleigh area for several years.  She’s anxious to get “home” again. Meg also writes that they were in Manassas in July and had dinner with Barbara Hagemann Hester and Ben and caught up on all their news.  Donna Lingo Rauch keeps in touch with Lisa Corder Wharton and they recently got together with teachers they used to work with. Linda Patterson Hamilton writes that she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, in 2017 and in July 2018 discovered that she had cancer. She is now in remission from cancer, and her Parkinson’s symptoms are well controlled by medication and exercise. She has much to be thankful for! Her sisters, Kay Flanagan and Liz Patterson Vawter ’72, recently took a camping trip from the East coast to visit her husband Austin and herself in Colorado. Rebecca Tebbs Nunn, who was crowned Ms Virginia Senior America in 2016, was crowned Ms Super Senior Virginia USA 2019 in Biloxi, MS on January 2 by Sherry Strother, Ms Senior Universe.  Both the Senior America and the Senior USA pageants seek to honor outstanding senior women and their accomplishments. Nunn had to compete in evening gown, philosophy of life, talent, and a judge interview.  She is the first Ms Super Senior Virginia in the USA/Universe organization which is an affiliate of the Mss Universe Pageant. Nunn will be competing in the MS SUPER SENIOR USA 2019 pageant in Las Vegas in June of 2019. Becky also shared that Lynn Bard Jones moved from the Northern Neck of Virginia to South Carolina in September of 2018. Janet Burnett Morrison writes that she has been missing out on the news and looks forward to hearing from everyone in the future. Janet Yates Berls writes that she and husband Dick spent 2018 much like the past few years – starting off with 3 months at a golf resort in Florida, then returning home to New York where they we continue to enjoy all the wonderful activities and restaurants that Saratoga Springs has to offer as well as the close proximity to their son Bob and his family in Lake George and the Adirondack mountains. They had a great summer at the lake, enjoying their annual family vacation with their children Christy and Bob and their families. The most exciting news from our classmates comes from Carolyn Kennett Barry. She and her husband Dick have been working on a project for the past three years. They have been collecting art for over 40 years. At this time in their lives they decided to share their collection and keep it together.  Since they were both born and raised in Norfolk they gave it back to their home town and Old Dominion University. They built the Barry Art Museum, a 24,000 square feet museum at ODU which opened in November of 2018. It houses their collection combined with some of the the University’s art collection. The sum of the monetary donations and art contributions made by Carolyn and her husband are valued at over $35 million. Suffice it to say, your classmates are VERY proud of you!

Barbara Bishop Mann, along with Annette Maddra Horner, Susan Bogese MacLaughlin, and Pat Lewars Pace, attended an interesting October Richmond reception at Ginter Gardens for our UMW president, Troy Paino. One update item that impressed them was that Seacobeck, our dining hall, will soon be transformed into the College of Education building. Bobbi and Jana Privette Usry later drove to Fredericksburg for a 1908 Society luncheon at the Jepson Center and were joined there by Joan Cuccias Patton and Carolyn Eldred. They attended a cute musical, “Merrily We Roll Along,” at the Klein Theater in DuPont Hall. The play was told in reverse, beginning at the end! Bobbi was glad they had been advised during the luncheon that the play was unusually arranged. For Thanksgiving Bobbi and husband Robert flew to Mesa AZ for a Bishop family gathering at her nephew’s new home. Bobbi reported that Dee Dee Nottingham Ward’s son and family were affected by the Woolsey CA wildfire but survived without injury.

Annette Maddra Horner and husband John are enjoying relocation from Elizabeth City NC to Richmond. Unlike their numerous other moves for professional reasons this move was to be closer to their extended family roots in the Richmond area. They now live and vote there, attend family parties, visit grandchildren and drive cars licensed in Virginia for the first time since 1980.  Annette misses her former neighbors, Ron and Mary Parsons Black, who visited early after the move and have promised faithfully to return regularly.

Carolyn Eldred, now living in Fredericksburg, enjoys the 1908 Society activities, the first of which was processing in the 2018 UMW commencement exercises. Last summer Carolyn traveled to New York City with the UMW Theater and Dance Department to see three Broadway shows in one weekend and has gone with them to performances in the Washington area. In August Carolyn took a lovely cruise around the British Isles.

Joan Cuccias Patton surprised her siblings and families by showing up at a July family reunion in California. In August she and friend Harry traveled to Ireland for her nephew’s wedding then proceeded to Basel, Switzerland, to catch a Rhine River cruise. Joan and Harry spent the week before Christmas in NYC visiting Harry’s daughters and family. After a January retreat in the NC Outer Banks and Florida in February Joan was planning to stay home in Virginia for a while!

Jana Privette Usry has turned 75! It was a shock to realize that milestone. She celebrated by amassing as many of her former students as possible, including two (now 62) who were in the first class Jana ever taught. (One is a great-grandmother already since she first married at 15!) Jana hosted a brunch at a local popular spot with 35 students, family members and close friends. Her favorite “gift” was a plaque from her Richmond City “family” with a photo of six former students, inscribed: “The teacher who never gave up on us – when others did. From your sons who grew up to be Successful Young Men! We love you, Mrs. Ushry! 2018” Jana was even pleased with the misspelling of her name since the students were all dyslexic. In November Jana’s choir had a very well attended gospel concert with guest conductor/composer, Rollo Dilworth, who has arranged over 200 spirituals, and conducted the choir in three of his own compositions. Jana enjoys the activities of the UMW 1908 Society, a growing organization which appreciates our class members’ input, and encourages us to participate also.

Cherie Wells Brumfield and husband Joe escaped the wrath of the Florida hurricanes. They drove from Ormond Beach to Mississippi and back along I-10 and noticed extreme tree damage. Cherie and Joe thought their “vagabond days” were over when they moved to Florida, but since neither is happy living there they are planning to relocate again soon.

Sally Souder also responded to a query that her part of Florida had escaped hurricane damage and she continues to enjoy life and wildlife there.

Ambler Carter maintains her status quo in Philadelphia. She keeps in touch with Carolyn Kirkpatrick, who has for forty years lived in Vienna, Austria, not Vienna, VA, as we had reported.

Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner and husband Charlie retreated to their Florida home in time to celebrate their 50^th wedding anniversary. They were married on  Veterans Day, when 2Lt Horner had an extra day off. Looking at their wedding pictures Mary K thinks they must have been only 15 at that time! She recalls thinking she was smart to buy a Butte knit suit (remember those?) rather than a formal wedding dress she would never wear again but never could bring herself to wear that again, either. Recent research named Butte knits as “vintage clothes” and now Mary K feels old, greatly in need of the Florida sunshine, golf and social life there.

Roberta James East and husband Dennis survived hurricane Florence, though Robbie was stranded away from home and Dennis hunkered down with the cat. They took a December cruise to the Caribbean with friends before returning to northern Virginia to spend Christmas with all three children and families. In NC Robbie was taking two Brunswick Community College courses on local culture, townships, architecture and loves learning about the rice plantations, pirates, slavery and the Civil War there. Nature Conservancy bought land to conserve the historical long leaf pines, the Venus flytrap and Robbie enjoys interesting field trips through the area.  In June Robbie and her sister traveled to their homeland Ireland with Road Scholars then to Cape Cod in September with a seniors group. Other excursions included the Museum of Shenandoah Valley and a future trip to northern Virginia for Garden Week, in which Robbie was always too busy teaching or working the flower farm to participate.

Betsy Chappelear Tryon has been traveling from California with her granddaughter, Maddy, for volleyball tournaments in Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Indianapolis, Reno and Orlando plus a few games overseas. In 2019 Betsy plans to accompany the club team to Kansas City, Spokane and Dallas. If Maddy’s dream of attending the Naval Academy materializes Betsy will be coming east for frequent visits.

Susan Roth Nurin participated in the dedication in her mother’s memory of the newly constructed children’s wing of the Hendrick Hudson Free Library in Montrose NY. Her mother, a beloved elementary school principal and life-long avid reader, was a constant presence in that library. Susan’s brother’s family donated the wing and it bears their mother’s name: the Leonora Roth Children’s Library. Leonora lived to 100 years of age and her family is proud to contribute to the cultural life of children in her New York City suburb.

Ginny Bateman Brinkley has published a second novel, several years in the making. Though “much of the story is based on our days at MWC it is fiction and any similarities to persons living or deceased is purely coincidental.” Ginny claims “to disavow all knowledge of anyone you think you recognize,” even though classmate readers have named two particular math professors and have closely identified with the protagonist, Annie, her life, her feelings, her traumas. The book, “GODDESS—A Child of the Sixties,” is Annie’s story of her first love, something we can all identify with, and is available on Amazon.

Carol Bingley Wiley has created many watercolors while living in Maine with husband Peter and two golden retrievers. She showed paintings at Saltwater Artists Gallery in Pemaquid last summer and also at River Arts in Damariscotta. Carol has a website but keeps most current information on Facebook at Carol Wiley Studio and Instagram. Carol sees Pam Ward Hughes often. She and Peter have traveled to Cuba and Egypt with Pam and Jim and are great friends. Carol also keeps in touch with Pam Kearney Patrick, whom she visits in Alexandria VA when she attends art seminars and classes. In January Carol spent a weekend learning how to add encaustic painting to her repertoire, and is forever grateful for her art history education plus all she learned while modeling/listening in Mr. Binford’s art classes.

Pam Kearney Patrick, also an excellent watercolor artist, exhibited three pieces during the holidays at the Strathmore Museum in Bethesda MD and will have several paintings opening a display in April at the SOMA gallery in Cape May NJ.

Ann Kales Lindblom actively tries to stay “healthy and in reasonably good shape” by attending a Barre3 class three days a week and walking three miles a day! She and Steve enjoy summertime cruising on their boat on the Chesapeake Bay and are eager to meet their 7^th grandchild in March.

Midge Meredith Poyck looks out her back windows in Arizona at a spectacular view of the mountain range where she enjoys hiking routinely. She also belongs to a great book club with very interesting other women and takes a fine arts course to help “keep her mind and intellect stimulated.” Midge’s main focus is her family. Of her six grandchildren, one is a junior at Clemson, two others are applying to California schools. The younger three haven’t decided but no one seems interested in UMW! Midge’s son is in his 4^th year as president of Hubble Lighting in Greenville SC and her daughter, a lawyer, has her own consulting business with her husband there in Tucson. It’s been a wonderful ten years in Arizona!

Anne Meade Clagett has “nothing new, fun or interesting to report” except that she and husband John are still enjoying the country life in northwestern Virginia. Anne joined Barbara Bishop Mann, Jana Privette Usry, Annette Maddra Horner, Carolyn Eldred and Anne Powell Young in Fredericksburg in December for a small MW Lunch gathering and sends her best regards to all of us.

Gloria Langley Parker wrote after a long silence that she retired from medical social work ten years ago to work on her bucket list. She and husband Jim have  made some amazing visits to Italy, France, England, Ireland, Amsterdam, Germany, Mexico, Caribbean islands and have only Greece left on the list. After a close call in Paris (one week before a terrorist attack) and one in London (24 hours before the bridge terror attack) Gloria and Jim have decided to travel through the U.S. for a while. They celebrated their 51^st wedding anniversary this year and attended their only daughter’s graduation, receiving her Masters in Business Accounting. Gloria plays bridge regularly with long-standing friends, two of whom are UMW graduates, Merrilyn Dodson ’68 and Lou Magette Thomas, ‘58. Gloria keeps in touch with her freshman roomie, Evie Tune Shelton, who lives in Chapin SC and keeps busy with quilting and church activities. Evie and Clay have two adult daughters and two granddaughters. Gloria reminisced that many years ago when she was president of a local MWC alumnae chapter they organized a “Phone-a thon” to raise money for the college. She recalls working with Rhonda Ellis Smith, Lou Magette Thomas, Irene Brown and Nancy Sykes. The chapter had a large wooden MWC seal made. It stayed in Nancy’s attic for years before being donated to UMW. This news spurred a hunt to locate it and within only a few days Barbara Bishop Mann and Jana Privette Usry found it in Mark Thaden’s Jepson Center office and posted a picture on our MWC 1966 Facebook page!

Tyla Matteson had a most enjoyable get-together in June with Susanne Landerghini Boehm. She also ran into Barbara Bishop Mann in November at the 2^nd anniversary of Liberal Women of Chesterfield County, to celebrate exciting work by people who “are making a positive difference in the community.” Tyla completed another active year as chair of the York River Group, Sierra Club, with a variety of programs. Some are local endeavors to monitor coal ash sites in York County and to commit public land on the James River in Newport News to parkland. One program featured the documentary, What Lies Upstream, on how pollutants which spread largely unregulated on the land and through our pipes can enter our lives. Another explained rooftop solar, which provides energy independence to the resident as well as curtailing the use of fossil fuels. Tyla and husband Glen have installed 15 solar panels on their house.  In December Tyla took a Road Scholar trip to Martinique, hoping to make good use of her French again.

Cathe Cantwell Luria and husband Eric purchased their rental home in Mexico, near Guadalajara, and are enjoying a very busy retirement there. Cathe studies Spanish and voice and began teaching a level 3 ESL class in December. She and Eric participate in many musical activities and continue their English country dancing hobby. They traveled to Israel and Jordan with a rabbi and an Episcopal priest, visiting many Jewish and Christian sites. They located the Izak Luria temple, named after a famous rabbi who had a large following studying Kabbalah. Petra in Jordan was an amazing experience. Cathe and Eric frequently fly back to Portland OR to visit their daughter, her wife and their three grandchildren.

Yvonne March hosted her son, Sean, and his wife last January so they could escape the Ohio winter. Tampa and Sarasota were very appealing. In June they reunited at an Orlando timeshare to celebrate Sean’s birthday and Father’s Day. Yvonne later flew to Connecticut to visit a childhood friend from Cuba, then traveled to Maryland for her sister’s 70^th birthday plus a visit to Longwood Gardens and Cape May NJ. Yvonne and Chris spent Thanksgiving with his daughter and granddaughter and are happy to report that they all escaped storm damage this fall.

Mary Morris Bishop and husband Dennis are still in their home in Rochester Hills MI but spend summers with friends and family at Lakeside Chautauqua on the Marblehead Peninsula of Lake Erie. The Chautauqua movement started in the late 19^th century and includes programs for entertainment, religious faith, arts and physical activity. Lakeside programming focuses on children’s needs as well as adults’, making it a perfect place for Mary to take her four grandchildren every year. Otherwise, Mary and Dennis travel every few weeks to Ohio to visit their children and grandchildren. Mary is amazed at the comprehensive difference in school children’s programs compared to her own “laid back” experience. At home in Michigan Mary plays bridge regularly, goes to the senior center to “use it or lose it” with cardio and weight bearing exercises while Dennis takes long walks with cameras and lenses for photography, and they are both active in church.

Genie McClellan Hobson retired in 2016 but remains affiliated with Nemours in Wilmington DE as Principal Research Scientist Emeritus and works several days a week. Her big news is that she and Don bought a motor home last year and have been traveling. They went to Charlottesville for Don to attend a meeting of class agents for the Darden School, stayed at an RV park in Madison County, where Genie taught while Don was in school there. Genie and Don spent the month of August at the Aloha Campground on Mullet Lake in Michigan, where their daughter and family were on vacation. They all went to the Headlands International Dark Sky Park to see the Milky Way, four planets and innumerable stars. Next was two weeks on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan touring the Pictured Rocks by boat, finding beautiful waterfalls, touring iron and copper mines, watching sunsets and Northern Lights. Homeward bound, Genie and Don drove through Wisconsin, stopping for a dinner cruise at the Dells and Circus World at Baraboo, then stopped at the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville PA. They still have plans to hike the White Oak Canyon Trail.

Eileen Goddard Albrigo and John welcomed their 14^th grandchild, Margaret Maria, in October. With six brothers and one sister to help spoil her, she is a very contented baby! Parents Carrie and Todd have complex schedules since they home-school their children and transport them to ballet, tap, chorus, exercise classes. They are relieved that their eldest son now has a driver’s license and can help with the driving.  John continues to work as hard as ever, helps care for his 96-year-old mother, and Eileen enjoys being retired so she can visit their three children’s homes and “help” with the grands. Eileen hopes to visit sister Kathy in her new California surroundings this winter.

Kathleen Goddard Moss and husband Tom have settled nicely in their vibrant Oakland CA retirement community. Their fellow residents are a diverse, active group whose mealtime conversations are always stimulating. Kathy and Tom participate in exercise classes, writing classes, interfaith gatherings and attend musical performances every week. They enjoy their new Church of Christ, fondly dubbed “The Jazz and Justice Church.” Two grandsons, ages 8 and 5, live nearby and stayed with Kathy and Tom while their parents traveled to Paris for their 10^th anniversary. Their daughter who lives in Spain brought her family to visit last summer and they all explored the Bay area. Kathy reported that the wildfires did not get close enough to do any damage except to fill the air with smoke, but she was inside reading Ginny Bateman Brinkley’s book and highly recommends it.

Lee Enos Kelley, who has been living with slow-progressing Parkinson’s disease since 2008, sold her home in Washington DC and moved into a retirement community in Bethesda MD in March 2016.  She is surrounded by a pleasant, interesting group of “old folks.” Lee enjoys her independence in her two-bedroom condo with the option of community meals and activities. Lee’s husband, Kevin, died in 2017 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s and her son, William, married in February ’18, making the past two years quite eventful for Lee. This fall she took her first overseas trip in a decade, traveling on a two-week cruise from Venice to Barcelona with nine port stops and enjoyed every minute of it.

Katharine Rogers Lavery and husband Hank skipped their annual OBX beach vacation last summer to drive south to Florida and back. They stopped in NC, SC, Naples FL, and Boynton Beach FL to visit relatives and friends, with a long stay in Gainesville FL for a grand nephew’s wedding. The remainder of the summer was filled with their senior bowling league, twice-weekly senior fitness classes, lawn and garden work, visits to their son’s “river house” on the Northern Neck of Virginia and several other family gatherings at home. Katharine still plays her cornet regularly at historical St. John’s Episcopal Church in Centreville VA and enjoys Arena Stage plays, sewing, knitting and tutoring math students. The family continues to grow with a grand nephew and a second great granddaughter arriving in December.

Condolences to Ryan Stewart Davis on the loss of her husband, Roger, in October 2018 and to Cornelia Bowles Dexter on the loss of her husband, Benson, in August 2018.

Gail Balderson Dise

In August of 2018, I flew to Amsterdam to join friends for a couple of days of exploring Amsterdam before boarding a cruise ship for a 12 day Baltic cruise that included Copenhagen, Stockholm, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki and Skagen Denmark. We hit the European heat wave, meaning that in Amsterdam we “enjoyed” touring when the heat index was 102 degrees.  We found it to be cooler to eat outside than inside with no air-conditioning. All of us still had a great time.  I look forward to seeing if the tulip bulbs I brought back survive my “black thumb” and bloom in the spring.  All of the cruise stops and tours were first time exploring for me, with the most notable being St Petersburg, Russia.  We booked a two day tour with Alla tours and covered the Fabergé Museum (a personal favorite), the Hermitage, Catherine’s  Palace, The Cathedral of the Resurrection, commonly known as “Our Saviour-on the-Spilled-Blood” and best of all, the grand palace and park complex, Peterhof.   When looking at pictures my grandson immediately described it as the Russian Versailles.  In November, over Veteran’s Day weekend, I met roommate Mary Bush Dore and her husband Casey in Fredericksburg for lunch at the alumni house with other 1908 society members followed by a performance of Merrily We roll Along by Stephen Sondheim at the Klein Theater.  Afterward I introduced them to Duck Donuts in Eagle Village.

 Jane Farrar Montague

I was in Arlington, Va. visiting my son who works in D. C.  I kept the home fires burning for my 11 yr. old grandson for most of October while my son and his wife were working long hours in the U.S. State Dept.  It was fun to go to soccer practices and games.  One day I took the bus into D.C. and visited some Smithsonian Museums and generally enjoyed being near the Capitol and Washington Monument.  I also had great fun visiting my 90+ year old twin cousins in Alexandria, Va., who are still on the go.

I also enjoyed hiking with my son to Mary’s Rock in Shenandoah National Park.

 Donna Sinclair Seward

Catherine Wilson, ’67 and Donna Sinclair Seward, ’67 took an exciting trip together in September, 2018 when they joined a National Geographic tour to Africa. After a very long plane ride (19 hours!) they arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. They visited Table Mountain, Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela was held, Cape of Good Hope and other sights. They then went to Kruger National Park and Karongwe, a private game preserve, on a safari where they saw the “big five” lion, elephant, giraffe, hippo and Cape buffalo – among other animals. What a thrill to see so many animals up close! Catherine and Donna ended their trip in Zimbabwe at Victoria Falls which is spectacular. The trip was an experience of a lifetime!

Catherine and Donna are regularly in touch with Sandi Lawhorne Green, Claudia Bischoff Vroman, and Robin Williams Blair all class of ’67. Donna’s daughter-in-law, Kerin Ziobro Seward, is also a UMW alum class of ’96!

 Patsy Monahan Holden

Mike and I celebrated our 50th anniversary by taking our triplets, their spouses and our 4 grandchildren to Hawaii for 2 weeks last summer.  It was a wonderful trip and everyone enjoyed good family time.  Mike’s mobility is a problem and he uses a scooter for long distances.   Our daughter is fighting breast cancer but the rest of us are fine.  I work one day a week as a psychotherapist and enjoy cards, water aerobics and entertaining.

Mary Basnight Donovan

If you haven’t tried a UMW sponsored trip, I can highly recommend them.  In Oct. ’17 I joined the group in Italy and wanted to just stay and live there. The trips are nicely paced with plenty of good food, nice hotels and wonderful scenery.  In Jul.’18 the trip was to Great Britain and once again quite enjoyable. Jo Walters ’65 and her friend, Linda, were on both trips and we managed to keep up with the group and even do some extra excursions.  Since Italy I’ve also done a river cruise in Russia, a Seattle-San Francisco tour, New Orleans & San Antonio, as well as St. Simons and Jekyll Islands.

For the last 30+ years I’ve lived in MD where I got my teaching credentials, taught for 18 years, and raised 2 children. My son is a banker living in Alpharetta, GA with his wife and dog and my daughter is a CPA living in Columbia, MD with her husband, 2 children and their dog. I did get a chance to visit with my roommate, Judy Boyd Colella, in Ashville last summer and catch up on news and we took a tour of Ashville. I also visited campus for the reception for those going on the G. Britain trip and Mark Thaden gave me a very nice tour of the campus.

Nancy McDonald Legat

My husband Dan and I continue to live in Lexington, SC and love being retired very much! Lots of time is spent with their family: 3 daughters and 3 sons-in-laws, 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren plus one more coming in March 2019! They love to travel and especially enjoy the beach.

Amendment to January 2019 Classnotes for Class of 1967

Eleanor Frith Peters

Mike and I celebrated our 50^th anniversary in June with a wonderful cruise from Lisbon to Dublin with good friends.  We’re still enjoying living in NYC but have decided to move closer to our daughter and her family.  We are building a home in Greenville, SC.  They say it will be completed in April but as of mid-December, They have not broken ground so we’re not holding our breath!  In the meantime, we love all that New York has to offer so we’ll continue to enjoy that.  Our kids and grands are doing well.  Daughter Becca (high school social studies teacher) and her family are in Greenville, SC.  Her husband Patrick is a dentist so they will never move away.  Consequently, the decision to move in that direction. Son Mike will retire as a Colonel in the US Army on 1 July.  In August, the family will move to Madrid , Spain.

Mary Bush Dore

Fall was a slow time for travel.  Casey and I did evacuate with the dogs in the RV to Jackonville, FL in case Hurricane Florence hit our corner of SC.  She didn’t. What a relief!.  Later in October, we went to the Missouri-University of South Carolina game.  Casey had not been to a  game since graduation, long, long ago.  In November, we went to UMW for the 1908 Society luncheon and play.  Campus was lovely with all the trees that had turned.  We enjoyed being  with roommate, Gail Dise, at the new Hyatt at Eagle Village. We then made our annual pilgrimage to Williamsburg, Va. and the candy shop.  Gayle and Warren Channel were able to get away from Portsmouth to meet us for lunch.  They look really good even though they are both working hard for the Portsmouth Va. Rotary  Club  As it became colder, we decided it was time to head south

Thank you to all who have sent in their news.  Keep sending it as it happens to mbeth1945@gmail.com.   I will be glad to store and report it .

I am heartbroken to announce the passing of my dear friend and senior year roommate, Lucinda (Cindy) Long. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about two years ago, she collapsed suddenly on November 25, 2018. Dodo Fisher and I attended her memorial service, at which I was privileged to share my memories of her.

At MWC, Cindy served for two years as editor of The Bullet. During her college years, she acted on her sense of injustice, participating in numerous protests and marches. Our third roommate, Jean Eley Thompson, remembers covering for her—telling her parents, should they call, that she was “at the library”!

Following graduation, she earned an MA and a PhD in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University, and a JD from Rutgers University. She taught at Montclair State University, mentored many law students, and was the first woman to serve as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Valley National Bank from 1991 to 2016, when she retired.

Among her many awards and recognitions are the NJ Women Lawyers Association Platinum Award, NJ State Senate Commendation, Partners for Women and Justice Hope Award, and Rutgers Law School Distinguished Alumna Award. She was admitted to the US Supreme Court Bar in 2006.

Those of us who knew her at MWC, and almost all of our class reunions, will remember her outgoing personality and sense of fun, leading the dancing at reunions, and always ready to erupt into that wonderful laugh.

She was a role model to me and so many others—the smartest, most confident, and most fearless woman I have ever known. She fought passionately and tirelessly her entire life for justice and equality. Her passing leaves a huge hole in my heart and in the Class of 1968. To honor her memory, please continue to work toward a more fair and equal world in whatever small way you can. Cindy is survived by her son, Joseph Geschlecht.

Separately, we received this note:

It was so good to reconnect with fellow members of the class of 1968 at our 50th Reunion! My roommate through all 4 years at MWC (Charlotte Shelton) was able to come with me, and we stayed on campus for the weekend. It was amazing to see the changes from the MWC of 1968 to the UMW of 2018. To see air-conditioning in the dorm room, updated bathrooms, and Campus Drive turned into a beautiful pedestrian walkway. Charlotte and I have returned to our “roots” — on either side of Charlottesville, VA, where we went to High School. She owns and manages Albemarle Ciderworks and Vintage Virginia Apples (as well as being a Vice President for the Wells Fargo Financial Management Group), and I have retired from Time-Life Books to take on all kinds of community work, including disaster relief. Both of us stay busier than we’d like to be, and we cherish the times we can spend a weekend together connecting with old friends.
Blessings,
Mary James Wright

We are just $6,145 short of making our class of ’69 scholarship become a $200,000 endowment! Classmate Catherine O’Connor Woteki is matching every dollar that comes in between now and the reunion. If you have not contributed or would like to chip in a little higher pledge, help us crest over the $200,000 endowment line. We can do this, girls!

Ann Simpson Brackett won the Distinguished Alumnus Award last year and attended her first ever Mary Wash reunion then. But she is definitely coming back for our 50th reunion this summer to catch up with some of her dear French major friends, like Lyn Howell Gray, CeCe Riffer and Donna Julian. Those 4 have had a few mini reunions of their own over the decades. Ann was married to her husband, John Brackett for 15 years and has 3 daughters, two in California and one in Boston. She also has two wonderful grandkids. She likes to hike in good weather and snowshoe in the winter. She loves to travel to Italy and  France, where her husband has family. Congrats to Ann for co-founding “Women and Girls Thriving” in Brookline, Mass. This nonprofit is a collective impact program that assists up to 90 women and girls living in poverty.

Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda has published her latest book called “These Flecks of Color” with new and selected poems she has written. Carolyn was named the Virginia Poet in 2008. She sent me a photo of her with the famous poet Mary Oliver, whom she met in person at a writer’s conference in Block Island, Rhode Island in 2008. She continues to write and publish poetry. She does quite a few speaking engagements each year.

Barbara Marks Poppleton reports she left the summer heat of Florida to enjoy cooler weather at their second home on the beach in south New Jersey. They have lots of family in New Jersey.

They stopped  en route at Quantico for her husband’s 50th reunion of his basic school graduating class. I imagine she went back to the heat of Florida this winter to avoid the great snow storms in the northeast this winter.

Dr. Sharon Dobie (one of the 7 American Studies majors in our graduating class ) is coming to her first  Mary Wash reunion! She and I reconnected in Seattle for the first time since graduation last year. She is trying to figure out retirement. She has started traveling in earnest and recently went to Croatia on a bike/boat  trip with 3 friends.

In November she went on a trip to Botswana, Victoria Falls and Capetown, Africa with her son’s former girlfriend and two of her son’s best friends. (Her son Matt passed away from Schlerodoma.) She bought the trip at a fundraiser for the Schlerodoma Research Foundation. Sharon describes the trip and her experiences as stunning…landscape, history, wildlife galore. She is now on the Board of the Schleroderma Research Foundation.

In 2018 she was awarded the Family Medicine Educator of the Year for Washington State.

I think she is getting the hang of retirement!

Betty Wade Miles Perry has been successfully retired for 8 years. She recently went on a pilgrimage in New Mexico called “Listen to the Land”. Four days of hiking in the beautiful Southwest and learning about the history of the land. Santa Fe was the last leg of her trip to tour Georgia O’Keefe’s museum and then 3 days in Taos.

While cleaning out things in her new spare time as a retiree,  she found a list of things she had planned to do in retirement. Some she has completed and others were no longer on the wish list. The list revealed to her that she overcommits to things that are not meaningful. So she has graduated to a higher level of retirement and has decluttered her calendar. She is back to biking again after hip surgery, watching golf tournaments and attending more family events. She is exercising, reading, cooking and playing canasta. She has offered to give Sharon Dobie tips on how to retire successfully!

Bev Holt shared something many of us have gone through with our aging parents. As her mother ages into her ‘90’s, she seems to travel to a past Bev knows nothing about.

Bev and her wife Deb went on a Maine coast cruise and a trip to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. She has also recently revisited Charlottesville and will go on a Viking cruise along the Danube this summer.

She enjoys her beach condo in Wrightsville Beach. Her main residence is still in Cary, NC.

Barbara Black went to Paris for a week to attend a convention about the Spartacus TV series. She got selfies with the TV stars, went to great panel discussions and met new friends. She is learning Mah Jongg for brain sharpening. She loves the game!

I, Iris Harrell have just returned from a 10 day trip to Maui to celebrate my wife’s birthday.

It was sunny and warm with delightful waves hitting the shore from our lanai. We played golf, pickleball and went hiking in the Haleakala National Park to see the bamboo forest….

Bamboo 30 feet high! Whale watching is always on the agenda and a fabulous birthday meal at world famous “Mama’s Restaurant” was a big hit.

I am still working diligently as an owner’s rep for a family who lost their home in the 2017 Santa Rosa fires and we had to stay indoors for 8 days during the Paradise, California fires in 2018 due to horrible air quality from that fire which was 180 miles away.

Needless to say, our entire neighborhood has decided to get more prepared for future fire emergencies and evacuations and finding ways for our own homes to be less vulnerable to flying flaming embers during the high winds of a raging wildfire.

Iris F. Harrell

Class reporter for Mary Wash class of ‘69

We are all in this together…2019

Jean Polk Hanky, Reunion Planning Committee Member, submitted a few items after calling the classmates she agreed to contact:

Laura T. Johnson Atherton suffered a fall in January which resulted in fusion back surgery and inpatient rehab.  Years of being on her feet for her catering business had taken its toll on her mobility but she never missed an event either personal or professional.  A lengthy recovery period is anticipated so she is uncertain about being well enough to travel in time for our reunion.  Ever the optimist and trooper, Tee promises to join us if at all possible.  She still stays in contact with Pam Hogan Baynard.

Janis Purdy Brewer is a retired high school social studies teacher living near Annapolis where she grew up.  Although she travels to Kansas City every spring to read AP European History essays for SAT, she may make an exception this year to attend our 50^th Reunion.  She would like to re-connect with her college roommate, Gloria Holland.   Janis has 2 daughters with one living in Fredericksburg after graduating from UMW around 1994.  She also has 3 granddaughters in Fredericksburg and they all enjoy going as a family to the Multi-Cultural Festival at the University.

Carole Clear Flores majored in physics and worked for NASA at Wallops Island Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore.  After moving to Annapolis, she worked for Commercial Space Transportation in DC.  Issuing launch licenses for the commercial space industry was part of her job and she literally became an aerospace engineer on the job.  Carole attended our 45^th Reunion and enjoyed it.  Although she had not planned to come to our 50^th, she is now considering it.  She has a daughter and 2 grandchildren in Hawaii and a son at home.

Nancy Brittle (art history and studio art) is a retired teacher and successful artist living in Fauquier County, just NW of Fredericksburg.  A landscape and “genre” painter in the impressionist and post-impressionist styles, her work can be viewed in Fredericksburg and surrounding areas.  She is pursuing an art history doctorate and can be “googled” for more information.

Catharine Rossi Mannering used her psychology degree for 5 years as an employment counselor for the Va. Employment Commission working with returning Vietnam veterans.  Ending up in San Antonio, TX, with her marine first husband, she worked as an office manager for a dentist.  After a divorce, she married a 5^th generation Texan who owned and operated his family’s 4^th generation Oldsmobile dealership in nearby McAllen, TX.  Catharine then taught school for 13 years and has been a high school administrator for 13 additional years in Comfort, TX.  Comfort is a charming small town in the Texas hill country minutes from San Antonio and easy driving distance to other well-known area attractions.  To that end, Catharine and her husband owned and operated a B&B for 23 years but just closed it.  Also during this time, Catharine’s husband earned a master’s degree so he could pursue his lifelong dream of teaching history.  He has now retired from 14 years as a history professor at Austin Community College and is currently teaching “content mastery” to students at the middle school.  Catharine noted with regret that her school would still be in session during our reunion and she had to be present for graduation.  She has 2 step-children and 8 grandchildren, all living reasonably close.  She still keeps in touch with Suzanne McCarthy VanNess, Pam Hogan Baynard and Kathleen Hill Marks.

Sudie Bagley Heartwell and husband, Buck, did the Hippie Trail (look it up; I didn’t know what it was either) as newlyweds partly because she really wanted to see India.  Returning from their travels, Buck went to law school at UVa and Sudie resumed her career in social work.  Desiring legal aid work, Buck found a job in Roanoke and they moved to rural Fincastle so Sudie could have her horses.  Buck later went into private practice and served as Commonwealth’s Attorney for Botetourt County for 12 years.  After juggling 2 demanding careers for a long time, they decided Sudie would retire to take care of their property and animals.  A lifelong animal lover, Sudie currently has 3 horses and still enjoys riding.

Lyn Howell Gray and Jim are still living in Liberia but have bought a home in Blacksburg as they transition into retirement.  Currently, she is training and observing K-3 teachers in a new curriculum for the Liberian Schools.  Nevertheless, they plan to spend 5+ months in the States this year which is a great departure from their normal in-country schedule.  In the past couple of years, they have visited South Africa, Zambia, India and Mexico.

Jean Polk Hanky and husband, Jack, sold their river home in the Northern Neck of Virginia this past year.  They really miss the beautiful property, nice people and gorgeous sunsets BUT it was time to leave the maintenance and stress of storms behind.  They now reside permanently in Richmond near most of their family.

Birdie Nuckols grew up in Pittsylvania County and graduated from UMW as a math major.  She was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Army the day after graduation and proceeded to serve in Korea, Belgium and Germany as well as other places.  She met her husband, a United States Military Academy graduate, while serving in the Army and they were happily married until he passed away in 2014.  She enjoyed attending his 50^th Class Reunion at West Point ten years ago.  Birdie retired from the military as a Lt. Colonel in 1992 and retired for good from the Defense Intelligence Agency in 1998.  She likes to travel but has been slowed by various health issues recently.  She keeps up with Ginny Wheaton and Priscilla Geier Munson.