Class Notes

Barbara Bishop Mann and husband Robert celebrated Christmas quietly at home with a carry-out turkey dinner from Wegmans. Bobbi has traveled nowhere during the pandemic. Her only outings were trips to the gym to work with her personal trainer, who has taught her to do a 30-second plank. 

Carolyn Eldred has witnessed a burst of creativity and cooperation with ten months of Zooming – ElderStudy sessions, meetings, social events and even an occasional theater performance, all online. Carolyn is a member of The Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, which held its 50th annual Christmas Candlelight House Tour thanks to a cellphone app, digitalized information, and an exterior-only tour of decorated historic homes. Carolyn looked forward to a Zoom-free 2021. 

Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner and husband Charlie spent most of 2020 in Florida on COVID lockdown, returning to Alexandria, Virginia, in October. While hunkered down in the condo, Mary Kathryn sorted out old photos from our college days and posted many of them on our MWC 1966 Facebook page. Anne Meade Clagett was going out and about a wee bit more often in Fauquier County, experiencing less stress than last spring. Her two pods of local girlfriends managed outdoor lunches every month. Anne wrote, “I don’t know how to use TikTok, but I can write in cursive, do long division, and tell time on clocks with hands. So there’s that!” 

Catherine Cantwell Luria spent six months living near her daughter’s family in Portland, Oregon, before she and Eric returned to Mexico at the end of September. The weather in their Mexican village is nice enough for outdoor dining year-round. Daughter Sacha, a teacher, and her three children all did their schooling by Zoom. 

Sandra Hutchison Schanné had a houseful for Christmas. Son Brandon and his family traveled from Texas to spend the holidays with her, their first visit in two years. Daughter Amy, a nurse practitioner, stayed in Denver and carried on with virtual schooling for her three children. 

Anne Powell Young collects Nativity sets, and the newest addition was a canine Nativity with a miniature Schnauzer like her doggie, Meg. Anne and Virgil planned a quiet, Zoom-only family Christmas in the woods in Stafford, Virginia. 

Pam Kearney Patrick had sequestered at home since March and depleted the honey-do list. She and TaB connected with friends and family on FaceTime but had to cancel a surprise 50th birthday party for their son. Two of Pam’s watercolors sold during the limited summer season before all the art shows went digital for the rest of the year. Pam met Ambler Carter at the Philadelphia flower show in March, before everything shut down. 

Anne Kales Lindblom and husband Steve sailed their yacht from Northern Virginia through the Chesapeake Bay and along the Intracoastal Waterway to winter lodging down south, returning home in time for the holidays. 

Elaine Gerlach McKelly and husband Tim returned from two weeks in Key West shortly before the pandemic lockdown began. Their retirement community has walking trails and indoor swimming, but the campus was closed to visitors because of COVID. They got together with their children and grandchildren, masked and distanced, in a nearby park. Two grandchildren graduated from college in May without ceremonies; the other five returned to college with many online classes. Their youngest granddaughter is at Mary Washington and loves it. 

The staff of Tom and Kathy Goddard Moss’ conscientious California retirement community provides Zoom exercise classes, writing groups, and chorus. Meals are brought to their door; van drivers do their shopping; and they can visit (masked and distanced) or listen to music in the courtyard. They did leave the grounds to drive their presidential election ballots to a dropbox! In September, when sister Eileen Goddard Albrigo broke her hip (no surgery required), Kathy tested negative for COVID then flew to Virginia to help out with the Albrigo clan’s busy schedule and enjoy some “twin time.” 

Susan Hanes Chaney and Bill concentrated on caring for their home, garden, and animals, and focused on all the positive aspects of their quiet life in the Northern Neck of Virginia. For Bill’s birthday they took a sightseeing flight over the area, remarking on how much beautiful water there is, though vulnerable to climate change. When the library closed due to the pandemic, Susan purchased a Kindle and enjoyed reading many good books. 

Annette Maddra Horner used COVID time for her landscaping project of removing and replacing invasive plantings with native trees, shrubs, and perennials. Two nieces started a group text including Annette, two sisters, and adult children. Annette made field trips to visit her sister, a master naturalist who shares her country acres, beaver pond, and knowledge. Annette also participated in Zoom chapel and masked and distanced patio parties with neighbors and family. 

Yvonne March and husband Chris were spending the holidays at home with virtual family connections. Yvonne, Betsy Chappelear Tryon, Katharine Rogers Lavery, and Susan Roth Nurin were saddened to learn of the April 2020 passing of their Spanish House housemate, Carolyn Corwin Thomas ’67. 

Diana Hamilton Cowell had an eventful 2019 and a reflective 2020. In October 2019 she and Dan traveled to The Dalles, Oregon, to which her father’s ancestors had emigrated along the Oregon Trail in 1846. Now that she has hearing aids, Diana has discovered she is no longer surrounded by mumblers. In 2020, she and Dan enjoyed experiences in “the best little beach in Delaware” and looked forward to more joyful times ahead. 

Terry Caruthers had both knees replaced, caught COVID in the hospital and shared it with her sister (both recovered well), and did an oil painting of Don’s saxophone with a sheet music background for his 80th birthday while he was quarantined in their basement. Once COVID-free, Terry flew to Chicago to visit her daughter. Terry self-published Brother Steve Stories, about her older brother’s eventful life, and published Mystical Pieces of Me about her own experiences. 

I, Katharine Rogers Lavery, and family rescheduled our Outer Banks beach vacation to July 2021 and stayed home all of 2020. Hank continued managing a small office building in Falls Church while I tutored geometry, precalculus, and trig on FaceTime and occasionally recorded trumpet music for our church’s online services. We welcomed a new grandnephew in August and a great-grandson in December. Calls, messages, and occasional porch visits with family and friends were great, but we all hope COVID restrictions will be lifted and togetherness can be restored. 

[Editors’ note: Katharine Rogers Lavery also submitted notes for the online-only fall/winter 2020 issue. We republish a shortened version here.] 

After waiting five years for a San Diego retirement community to be completed, Dee Dee Nottingham Ward and Nat finally moved last February. They adjusted to the change from the large house they had for 46 years to a 1,400-square-foot apartment. 

In March 2020 (pre-shutdown) Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner attended a luncheon hosted by Mary Grace Wright Day with President Troy Paino, Kelly Paino, and other Mary Washington alumni. 

Joan Cuccias Patton managed to stay isolated during a kitchen renovation and carefully disinfected everything each evening, per her children’s instructions. 

In May, Midge Meredith Poyck and family conducted a backyard graduation ceremony for a granddaughter who was headed to college last August. Midge wore her academic regalia, awarded a makeshift diploma, and hosted a Zoom party. 

Marty Spigel Sedoff and Bob were staying isolated. They looked after Bob’s mother, who lives nearby in her own home. 

Ginny Bateman Brinkley used her quarantine time to write poems for kids, published in May by BellAire Press. Granddaughter Brittany Hewitt performed her senior recital at Juilliard in February 2020 with 17 family members in attendance – the last performance before the pandemic. 

Judy Wells Clark has continued playing music for church and teaching piano, in person or through FaceTime. 

While working at home, Jana Privette Usry completed at least eight mediation cases via conference calls, fax, and computer. Sally Souder missed her annual lunch meeting with Gerry Sargent Habas, with whom she keeps in close touch. 

Winnie Woodson Stribling researched patterns for face masks and made them before it became a requirement. She and husband Brad sheltered in place. Daughter Sarah lives with them and runs necessary errands. 

Yvonne Hutchinson March managed to visit her son and daughter-in-law in Columbus, Ohio, in March 2020, just before all flights were canceled. Yvonne kept in touch with Susan Roth Nurin, who was feeling restricted in her NYC apartment, missing concerts, arts activities, and bilingual tours. 

Betsy Chappelear Tryon’s son, Frank, shares her townhouse and does the shopping and errands. Daughter Maureen lives nearby with granddaughter Maddy home from college doing online classes.

Kitty Down Gregg and husband Don stayed isolated at home, disappointed that son Chris and his fiancée had to postpone their wedding. 

Pat Lewars Pace and Linda Glynn Hutchinson had planned a trip to Germany to see the once-in-every-10- years Oberammergau passion play. The trip was postponed until 2022. 

Katie Winn Green visited her son and family in Cardiff, Wales, last Christmas before they moved to Sydney, Australia, in February. Unable to visit them in Australia this year, and with her choral group concert canceled, Katie picked up her acoustic guitar and practiced enough to build up finger calluses. 

Caroline Hogeland Ruppar and husband Allan flew to South Africa in February for 10 days including a safari and embarked on a scheduled 28-day cruise up the east coast of Africa and across the Indian Ocean. But the pandemic closed ports, and the 1,000 passengers and crew spent two weeks on the ship. They finally departed from Muscat, Oman, knowing that they were safe because they had been quarantined aboard. Caroline and Allan traveled 38 hours through four international airports to get home. 

Genie McClellan Hobson spent much of her quarantine time sewing masks for the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, writing postcards to voters, and Zooming with family. Genie was able to keep working as a Realtor while she and Don quarantined. 

Linda Mitchell Spiers retired as rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Collinsville, Connecticut, and traveled for the fourth time to Israel and Palestine. In August 2019 Linda was appointed interim priest-in-charge at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex, Connecticut, and continues to serve full time. Worship services continued via livestream, with meetings and programs via Zoom. 

Eileen Goddard Albrigo opened their home pool at the end of May, a welcome antidote for the COVID doldrums. The grandkids visited in shifts and mostly stayed outdoors, social distancing. Husband John continued his medical practice, doing only urgent surgeries and seeing patients who needed his physical presence for treatments. 

I, Katharine Rogers Lavery, spent the summer working on the house, yard, and garden, keeping a close eye on the bird feeders, four fox kits, and twin fawns living in the backyard. A magical huge stand-up Happy Birthday sign appeared in the front yard the morning of my 75th birthday, and Hank and I celebrated our 25th anniversary with a dinner of home-caught crabs from our son’s river house. 

Tyla Matteson and husband Glen stayed home for months. She kept busy with Sierra Club meetings, all virtual, and worked on local races in Hampton and Newport News, helping to elect several environmental champions. Tyla and Susanne Landerghini Boehm stay in touch. Susanne also heard from Kate Ginman, who had spent many years traveling abroad working with the armed forces and is now retired. Kate relayed the sad news of the passing of her roommate, Linda Johnson Williams, from ovarian cancer in May 2020. 

We heard from Cherie Wells Brumfield in the summer and were shocked and saddened to learn that she passed away Sept. 6, 2020. We also remember our classmate Barbara Ann Green, who passed away May 6, 2020. And we send condolences to Sandra Hutchison Schanné on the loss of her husband, Richard, on June 6, 2020.