Class Notes

[Editors’ note: Kathleen Sprenkle Lisagor prepared notes for the online-only fall/ winter 2020 issue. We republish a shortened version here.] 

Dear classmates. Just how are you doing? Your news is so scarce! 

For our happy 80th birthdays do you often feel like the 1960s era has come again? We were living such a world of events as a vaccine for polio with sugar cubes, the ongoing struggle for civil rights, the Cuban crisis, traumatic assassinations, and Vietnam. At least we were heartened by the Space Age and Neil Armstrong on the moon. 

Let us not forget the invasion of the Beatles singing Yesterday and I Want to Hold Your Hand! Music was a great part of the spirit of the ’60s, and much of it has a haunting revival with our youth today, especially with their technical skills. 

Just think about those folk song lyrics and the emotion in Bridge Over Troubled Water as well as Yesterday, When I Was Young, and Elvis singing “but I can’t help falling in love with you.” Music knows no borders, and it heals also. 

A fascinating message has just arrived by route of Joan Akers Rothgeb and Marcia Kirstein Fitzmaurice. Kathleen Crothers Terrell and her husband live in Stephenville, Texas, and manage a cattle ranch, the Great Southern Ranch. They have three daughters and four grandchildren. One daughter lives on the ranch. As I recall, Kathleen majored in Spanish at Mary Washington and lived in Spain our junior year. I can imagine they are familiar with Eddy Arnold’s Cattle Call. 

Patricia Mackey Taylor was in Philadelphia for the birth of a granddaughter, the child of her youngest son, Daniel, and his wife. 

Pat also shared the news that she lost her sister Martha Mackey deMontpellier ’71 unexpectedly in September 2019, for which we send our heartfelt sympathies. Sympathies also to family and friends of our classmate Carolyn Livingstone, who passed away Sept. 10, 2020. 

As emails and correspondence seem especially tough on us now, I want to reflect on our MWC days. 

I still cherish those seated dinners and can just imagine the beautiful choir and orchestral concerts. The majestic sounds of the great organ pipes in George Washington Hall were just fantastic for the entrance of Dr. Simpson and staff! As a piano and organ music major, I truly appreciate the unique experiences and professors. 

My career has allowed me to share with many, including my talented daughter, Amy, and granddaughter, Kelly Burcher. This spring Kelly was voted the middle school teacher of the year in Manassas, where she has taught for six years while completing her master’s degree. They both have helped me to tackle FaceTime teaching with my students, also. 

I’m looking forward to seeing some ol’ faces and our 60th reunion. 

In the meantime in this crazy world, think on the winning words of Louis Armstrong: 

I see leaves of green, red roses too 

I see them bloom, for me and you 

And I think to myself 

What a wonderful world.