Class Notes

Elise Strickland and husband Don are retired, sold their Connecticut home of 34 years, and have become snowbirds. Their winter home is in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., near Sarasota, and their summer home is in Jaffrey, N.H. Son Rob works for GE, is married, and has two girls. Daughter Susie is married and has three girls. She and their daughter-in-law stay home with the children. Daughter Betsy works and was finishing her master’s in education at Harvard. They all travel to see Elise and Don, wherever they are. Nancy McDonald Legat of Lexington, S.C., and husband of 45 years Dan, are retired and enjoy their three grown daughters, sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren. Their oldest granddaughter married last year, and Dan and Nancy would love a great-grandchild. They’re active at church, volunteer at a crisis center, and have five grand-dogs.

Sue Spencer Collins has lived in Birmingham Ala., since 1977 and worked with her internist husband, Mike, for 15 years. Their elder daughter studied at U.Va., is a physician’s assistant in a Nashville pediatrician’s office, and has two children, Laura, 4, and Luke, 9 months. She and her husband love to climb in places like Yosemite. Sue and Mike’s younger daughter studied at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. She and her husband work for Blue Cross/ Blue Shield in Birmingham, Ala. They race in triathlons and each has done an Ironman. They have Sue’s grand-dog, Explosion. Mike still works as a geriatrician but has reduced the number of retirement homes he visits. A major surgery two years ago sapped his strength, but he’s regaining it. Sue and Mike have cats Mollie and Ladybug.

Judy Douglass Everett of Houston retired in June as director of donor services at the Greater Houston Community Foundation and was adjusting to making her own schedule. She was to start volunteer work as a computer mentor at a nonprofit that helps women get back in the workforce. She gets to Florida as often as possible to visit daughter Buffy and grandson Aiden, 2 ½. She was helping daughter Jennette get her ticketing company off the ground in Austin and looking forward to visiting daughter Emily next year in Brazil, where she’ll complete her internship for her master’s of divinity degree from Perkins School of Theology. Judy’s husband, Keith, works part time with flexible hours, and they look forward to traveling as much as their budget will allow. Judy stays in touch with Fonda Davis Eyler, Mary Haga Doermann, and Roberta Hatcher Graves, and they hoped to plan a weekend together soon. Judy recently found the audio tape of her 1967 senior voice recital and put it on her iPod. She’d love to touch base with Carol Verell, who was her accompanist, if anyone has her contact information.

Fonda Davis Eyler often recalls our Mary Washington days and friendships. She fully retired in December after 32 years of research, mentoring, and directing an intervention program for special needs children, from birth to age 3, in 10 counties around Gainesville, Fla., where she’s lived since 1974. She became professor emeritus of pediatrics and continues to be involved with the University of Florida Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies and the Children’s Movement of Florida. She and John, who’s also retired, were to celebrate their 45th anniversary in June and work for the Obama campaign. Their children and five grandchildren live in California. Daughter Lisa and husband live in San Diego and have two girls, 10 and 5. Son Jason and wife live in San Francisco and have three boys, 4, 2, and 7 months. Sue and John plan to spend more time visiting the West Coast, traveling, and snorkeling in the Caribbean islands.