Class Notes

These are the unedited class notes as submitted by class agents and other alumni. Edited notes appear in the print edition.

If you prefer to submit Class Notes by mail, send to:

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1970s

1970

Anne Summervold LeDoux
ledouxanne@yahoo.com

[Editors’ note: Anne Summervold LeDoux prepared these notes for the online-only fall/winter 2020 issue. We republish a shortened version here.] 

The pandemic has changed so much in our world. Most of us are doing many of the same things at home, and nobody’s going anywhere! 

Kathi O’Neill passed along some news from a Zoom get-together: Susan Johnson Gillette is a first-time grandmother to beautiful baby Rebecca. 

I caught up with Loren Lawler Wilee, who has moved from Chesapeake to Northern Virginia. Genie Hamilton Roper ’71 and I met up in Fredericksburg. I also heard from Lucia Smithey Bushway, who has retired from teaching at University of West Florida. She and Jeff have two daughters and two grandchildren. 

I know that many of us recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversaries, including Susan Johnson Gillette and Nancy Buchanan Perry. Happy anniversary to all. 

If you have not contributed to our class gift for the Talley Center, please consider donating to this most worthy cause. 

1971

Karen Laino Giannuzzi
kapitankL11@yahoo.com

[Editors’ note: Karen Laino Giannuzzi prepared these notes for the online-only fall/winter 2020 issue. We republish a shortened version here.] 

We are living in strange times indeed. Last fall, we were all traveling the world. That was cut short just as we were preparing for Founder’s Day in March 2020. Now we wonder, “What next?” 

Sally Reichner Mayor wrote that Switzerland is affected by COVID, but with so many mountainous regions the numbers are low. Social distancing is easy. 

Elizabeth “Betty” Whichard Robinson has been staying close to home in Indiana and trying to support small businesses. She works out, reads, and Zooms with friends. Betty’s is a recurring theme with most of us. 

Along with webinar and Zoom visits to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Lisa Barker hopes for a trip to Ireland, postponed from 2020. 

Bryn Irving Winn Roth missed her children, grandchildren, and a great grandson. She also missed a trip to Canada and a high school reunion. 

Kathy Lewis Newbold was able to keep golfing with new rules in place, but she was sad that the traditional 19th hole had stayed empty. Cam and Kerry were home for the Fourth of July and joined with Kathy’s sister for a family barbecue. Masks were the fashion statement of the day. 

Many of you wrote about the excitement of renaming E. Lee Trinkle to James Farmer Hall. You also praised the Alumni Association and UMW in general for online lectures, classes, and trivia nights. Kim Warren Noe and Bob appreciated the diversions. Her family reunion in Marble Falls, Texas, was canceled, and she had not been able to visit her 97-year-young father in San Antonio. Kim’s daughter and family live near her in South Carolina, and they had drive-by and distant deck visits. She used FaceTime and Zoom with her son in Chicago. 

Kim said Jan Reynolds Cooke, who lives in New Orleans, had recovered from COVID-19. Jan’s large family had supported her from a distance. Jan was also in touch with Frannie Sydnor Cook in North Carolina. Susan Taylor Frank, Kim’s freshman roommate, still works part time at the Presbyterian Community Center in Roanoke, Virginia. 

Susie Sowers Hill passed through South Carolina last year, and she and Kim caught up over dinner. Karen Clark Jones has moved to Marietta, Georgia. Kim, Jan, and Karen were high school buddies in Newport, Rhode Island, and came to Mary Washington together as roommates. 

Laurie McIntosh homeschooled neighbors’ children, which was challenging but fun. With historical parks and trails close by, Laurie treks about five miles a day, meeting interesting people along the way. She finished a novel, set in 1968, and one of the central characters is a rising sophomore at Mary Washington. The pandemic slowed her efforts to find a publisher. 

Diana “Diney” Rupert Livingston lives near Richmond’s Monument Avenue and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, so she was in the thick of the 2020 BLM and Confederate monument protests. Someone threw a rock through the first-floor window of her building and lit up a dumpster in her alleyway. Monument Avenue certainly looks different these days. Diney had been auditing Italian at VCU and continued her studies with a private tutor with the goal of returning to Italy when possible. 

Beth Fleming Skidmore also lives in Richmond. Son Alex and his wife, Alli, finished five-year medical residences in Pittsburgh and, after a year in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, moved to Fredericksburg in July. They have a new son. Beth’s other son was to marry this summer but big plans were reduced to a small, immediate-family-only ceremony. Beth and husband Alex met over 51 years ago at Mary Washington and recently celebrated their 46th anniversary. 

Betty Barnhardt Hume retired from the library in Fredericksburg in 2016 but still works part time. Husband Randy Hume ’75 enjoys playing golf. 

Mona Davis Albertine’s downtown Fredericksburg store, Jabberwocky, was open with almost regular hours. For some time, the nonviolent but loud BLM protesters marched downtown daily. Mona and Jack were seeing relatives but not friends. Mona had gotten to know the wildlife on her property, including a crow family, cardinals, a snake she named Henry, and visiting bears. 

Nancy Belden and her husband run a polling firm in Washington, D.C., focusing on progressive issues such as human, civil, and reproductive rights. Their son, Giovanni Russonello, lives in New York and writes for The New York Times covering politics, jazz, and polling. Nancy had found time to escape to a small house on the Eastern Shore during the pandemic. 

Debbie Oja Tuttle and Ed spend winters in Sunset Beach, North Carolina, and summers in Linville, North Carolina. She said golf courses had remained open, and their club served meals at distanced tables. Debbie said that’s better than her cooking! 

Diane Mowrey was still at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina, in March but she said it was to be her last semester teaching. At that point, classes were moving online. 

Susannah Athey Warner reminded me of two happy events in 2020, the appearance of the comet NEOWISE and the successful launch and recovery of SpaceX. Susannah is in touch with college roommate Karen Murray Wood. Susannah had some lovely mementos of Fredericksburg State Teachers College, which she got from her mother. 

Mary Jane Chandler Miller and Fred feel blessed in Vermont, where COVID cases were low. Her office on the Council of Aging and all schools closed in March, and MJ retired in June. MJ Zooms, reads, golfs, and plays tennis. 

Mary Carson, the grande dame of our class, and Roger have been married 62 years and walk several miles daily. In the past Mary served as alumni director and development officer for Mary Washington. Her daughter is news director of Sinclair News in Washington, Virginia, and Maryland. Her sons are with Verizon and hospital security. 

Mary Weaver Mann reported that Jim has been in a long-term care facility for Alzheimer’s but was doing OK. Son Geoff is out of the Army and working as a pilot for a Richmond hospital. Daughter Emily and family live in Washington state. Son Zeph and daughter-in-law Erin were working remotely for a company in Los Angeles. Mary finally retired from the library and did some house renovations. 

Penny Falkowitz Goodstein wrote that the infection rates were still skyrocketing in Alaska. She misses seeing her grandsons. Her beloved 12-year-old dog passed away in March and her other dog was not well, so she and her husband adopted a puppy Canaan dog. Penny has taken up sourdough baking. She mentioned that after the online COVID-19 class many of us took, she reconnected with Gloria Shelton Gibson ’69, who was a freshman dorm counselor. 

Some of us recently learned that Natalee Spiro Franzyshen was diagnosed with ALS after several years of undetermined symptoms. Her husband also has had health problems, but they celebrated their 48th anniversary in late August. 

1972

Sherry Rutherford Myers
sherryhon2011@gmail.com

[Editors’ note: Sherry Rutherford Myers prepared these notes for the online-only fall/winter 2020 issue. We republish a shortened version here.] 

Salutations to one and all! 

In September 2019, Nancy Mahone Miller and her “traveling sisters” – Kathryn Ray, Mary Saunders Williams, Terri Hall Alford, Shirley Harris Sutton, and Anne Toms Richardson – took their third Rick Steves Tour together. This time it was 14 days in Spain, where they visited Barcelona, Madrid, Granada, Sevilla, Toledo, Segovia, and Ronda. Also in 2019, Nancy was elected state corresponding secretary of Virginia DAR. Since the advent of COVID-19, Nancy and friends have met every other week via Zoom. Martha Stansell Vogel, Kathy Duley, and Sherrie Mitchell Boone have joined them. 

Cheryl Prietz Childress welcomed grandson Charlie, son of daughter Thea and son-in-law Eric. Granddaughter Ellie seems delighted with her new brother. Cheryl and husband Dave were able visit the family in the Atlanta area. They’ve also been catching up on their farm and riding their new horses.

Dennis and I, Sherry Rutherford Myers, have also been catching up on home projects – a gratifying feeling at the end of the day. Life in the Roanoke area has agreed with us. While we have all been disappointed by so many cancellations, my women’s club managed to have some events outdoors in summer. And we have the Blue Ridge Parkway close by to take drives and enjoy the scenery. 

1973

Joyce Hines Molina
joyce.molina@verizon.net 

Save the dates for our 50th reunion, June 2-4, 2023. One plan for the weekend is to meet the student who will be awarded the first scholarship from the Class of 1973 50th Reunion Scholarship Fund. Our urgent need is to have a minimum of $25,000 in the fund by June 30, 2021. We were $15,000 shy of our goal when these notes were prepared in early 2021. There are many ways to support the scholarship for our immediate need as well as growth through planned giving, including by credit card, gifts of stock, a multi-year pledge, or including UMW in your estate plans. When you make a donation, you must designate that it is for the Class of 1973 50th Reunion Scholarship Fund. Your contribution will help create a legacy for our class. 

On Facebook, “like” Mary Washington Class of 1973. Information about the reunion will be shared on this social media page and through email. The Class of ’73 Reunion Committee is MarySue Warren Wimer, Susan Jacobius Davis, Anne Bevans Cooper, Janet Hedrick, Virginia Davey Addison, and me, Joyce Hines Molina. 

I’ve decided to remain our class agent until our 50th reunion. At our reunion we will seek a volunteer to be our next Class Notes representative. Continue to send me your updates. Thanks! 

Cynthia Howk recently reconnected with several classmates who share her concern for Ann Salter, who has been dealing with health issues. Cynthia has been corresponding with Barbara Reynolds Myerson, Debora Olsen Searfoss, Susan Regan, Linda Ann Wray, Clare Nugent, and Betty Snead DeLesDernier. 

Barbara lives in Northern Virginia with husband Jay, an attorney. They have three children. Debora lives in Indianapolis and teaches biology in public schools, while her husband, who is retired, coordinates “at-home” duties. Linda Ann has been a faculty member at Penn State for 20 years. Susan is a retired educator and administrator and lives near Fredericksburg. Clare is also retired and lives near Fredericksburg. Betty, a retired registered nurse in Richmond, Virginia, was at Mary Washington for two years but transferred to complete her nursing degree. Betty’s daughter is Lauren DeLesDernier Glover ’05, M.S. ’06. 

We were sorry to learn of the January 2021 passing of Hazel Moss Putty, one of the first students of color to graduate from Mary Washington. She was a retired math teacher in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, and a member of the local, state, and national education associations. Besides her husband of 43 years, she is survived by three children including Jonathan Moss Putty ’10, and by her sister, Princess Moss ’83.

1974

Sid Baker Etherington
sidleexx@yahoo.com

Suzy Passarello Quenzer
suzyquenzer@gmail.com

Bernice “Bernie” Fain Svedlow retired from her nursing position in March because her husband, a recent heart transplant patient, was immunosuppressed and her floor had become an all COVID unit. 

Margaret “Peg” Hubbard was disappointed that “The Jefferson 4th West gang” had to cancel its annual mini-reunion in June 2020, as the group had gathered every year since our 35th reunion. But they stay connected on Zoom. 

Peg reports the following: Lisa Tyree Sweeney continues to love the beautiful weather in San Diego. Susan McDonald Osborn ’75 is surrounded by family in Spokane, Washington. Karen Sunnarborg sold her Boston house early in 2020 and now lives in Connecticut. Patti Goodall Strawderman has finally retired from the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services and was waiting for husband Dennis to retire. Jonette deButts Hahn and George love to travel to exotic places. Susan Tyler Maguigan’s eldest daughter, Caitlin, lives in Geneva, Switzerland, with her husband and three children. After the passing of her husband, Nancy Pederson Trzcinski has settled in Elkin, North Carolina, closer to daughter Christine. Deb Ryan Howard lives in Charlottesville with her adorable puppy. And Peg herself is happy to be back in her hometown of Virginia Beach. 

1975

Armecia Spivey Medlock
vagirl805@msn.com

I hope everyone is continuing to stay safe and healthy during this crazy time. I also hope, by the time you read this news, that you’ve been able to receive or will shortly receive the COVID vaccine. 

In my prior news, our daughter was expecting her first child mid-December. However, as anyone will tell you who knows anything about babies, babies have their own timetable. Ryder was born a month early on Nov. 16, 2020, but he was strong enough that he never had to spend any time in the NICU. To help our daughter with Ryder and to limit our COVID exposure, my husband and I drove from our North Carolina home to their Kansas home in one very long day. It was so worth it to be there with our daughter and enjoy lots of Ryder-holding time. 

I’d love to hear how you’ve been faring and what you’ve been doing, so I look forward to receiving your news for the next alumni magazine issue. 

1976

Janis Biermann (A-M)
biermannjanis@gmail.com

Debra Smith Reeder (N-Z)
dsmithreeder@gmail.com

1977

Anne Hallerman
arhmwc77@yahoo.com

1978

Janet Place Fuller
janetpfuller@gmail.com

1979

Barbara Goliash Emerson
emers3@msn.com

Despite the pandemic, life goes on. Caroline Corr Newlon and husband Blaine became first-time grandparents when daughter Sarah gave birth to their adorable grandson Levi in 2020. 

Sally Hart Morgan wrote that she retired after 31 years in local government planning and development. Husband John had already retired from teaching at Emory & Henry College. Both were happy to have son Jack, who lives in Washington, D.C., and daughter Jessie, who lives in Denver, visit in December since they were able to work remotely. Sally also added that her freshman-year group from Randolph Third Right had been convening every two weeks on Zoom. She’s enjoyed seeing Lisa Bratton Soltis, Gayle Weinberger Petro, Donna Anaya, Karin Hedberg, Nancy Quaintance Nelles, and Shelley Roberts Havnoonian. 

Lisa Jenkins has arranged for a couple of MWC Zoom get-togethers including Betsy Larson Kyker, Carol Middlebrook, Linda McCarthy Milone, and me. 

Nena Lee Kobayashi is working for defense contractor CACI on a multi-mission surface combatant contract for the Department of the Navy. She also takes care of her 98-year-old father, who lives nearby. 

My sister, Patricia Goliash Andril ’80, had one of her drawings, Floating on Clouds, featured in CP Treasures – Colored Pencil Masterworks From Around the Globe, Volume 7. Her beautiful rowboat drawing was also one of the three highlighted on the book’s cover.