Class Notes

Our recent news was dominated by last fall’s Hurricane Sandy. We tried to express concern to all classmates who may have been affected but still haven’t heard from some and hope they’re OK. We got positive responses from several, like Mona Allen Spilo and Carol Dixon Yonan, who moved before Sandy hit – Mona from New York to Connecticut, and Carol to State College, Pa., where her oldest daughter lives. Many of Carol’s friends and neighbors’ Connecticut homes weren’t spared, and she said the beautiful Merritt Parkway will never be the same.

We learned that we recently lost Beth Gill Daniel and Margaret Wright Lewis, and that Jo Lister Jacobs’ husband, Frank, passed away last August.

We sent condolences to Sue Whidden Frisch, who lost her father, Reginald Whidden, UMW professor emeritus of English and former dean of the college. Jody Campbell Close reminisced about the lovely times she had as a guest in Sue’s parents’ home and at Sue’s home in Frederick, Md. Syd Collson Chichester called Dean Whidden handsome, dignified, and a monumental man for us while we were at MWC. She remembered him putting up with her when she wore her PJs and trench coat to his 8:30 a.m. class on Shakespeare. Sarah Forsyth Donnelly, a med tech student who had only one elective, is glad she chose the Shakespeare class. She called it a highlight of her Mary Washington experience and Dean Whidden a gentleman, scholar, and wonderful teacher who treated us as adults. When Sue took her father’s Shakespeare class in the summer, she remembers sneaking in the back door of the room at what she thought was the start of class, only to discover she’d misread the clock by an hour, and everyone bursting into laughter. As Syd so eloquently said, “Another legendary figure from our past is gone.”

Syd went to Florida for the winter and expected to be there until June. She volunteers at the Environmental Learning Center, does the touch tank for elementary school field trips, canoes and kayaks around the Indian River Lagoon, and hoped to volunteer at the nearby Fort Pierce chimpanzee sanctuary.

This year Joan Scarritt Reynolds visited friends on Cape Cod, her brother in Connecticut, and many places in Spain with her daughter-in-law, traveling mostly by train. Joan returned to the states for two weeks, then traveled to Prague in the Czech Republic with her Cape Cod friends. She planned another trip after New Year’s.

Pat Whittaker Donnell attended a November University of Houston symposium on the 25th anniversary of modern research on superconductors, led by Nobel Prize recipients and researchers from around the world. Pat was especially interested in the research for future military and commercial uses. An avid traveler, she took a September trip to Massachusetts, visiting historic spots and stopping at Niagara Falls. She plans more trips with friends.

Liz Hill Heaney and Bob decided to delay selling their North Carolina home and planned to move closer to the kids until the real estate market improved. In February, they got a husky puppy and took their annual trip to Park City, Utah, to visit friends and so Bob could ski. Their daughter, who had a total hip replacement but is skiing again, joined them.

Jane Denslow McCrohan and Ed bought a home on the Puget Sound in Washington State, where they see more of their only son, daughter-in-law, and two teenage grandchildren. Because of Ed’s structural work, their longtime family beachfront home on the Jersey Shore survived Sandy with little damage, and they sold it last year.

Joyce Jeffries Kendall trained for 12 weeks and won first place in the 70- to 74-year-old division of her first 5K race, with more than 500 participants. After 22 years of nursing, Mamie Sue Howlett Scott had a spinal fusion this past year to stop severe pain. She spent the holidays with family and hoped to travel more now that she can.

Sandy Poole considered changing her name because of teasing after Hurricane Sandy. Several of Gray Schaefer Dodson’s paintings are in Sunday Drives: Cruising the Back Roads of Amherst & Nelson Counties, and one is on the cover. The book, designed to encourage touring of the scenic mountainous area, includes maps and interesting sites to visit.

Iris Newton was recovering nicely from congestive heart failure this winter, her fourth since 2001. Sue Smith Goodrick took the trip of a lifetime, a Christmas cruise to Thailand, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Sue travels extensively, so her accolades make this trip one to put on our bucket lists.

I (Karen Larsen Nelson) had a delightful Christmas week at our daughter’s in the Las Vegas area. All three granddaughters – and various boyfriends – were there. Ellen’s twins, our 2.-year-old great-grandbabies, were a delight; we loved being with them for short periods but were grateful to be able to escape to our RV when things got hectic. Ellen’s boyfriend gave her an engagement ring. Our son in Florida earned an associate’s degree, is pursuing a degree in education, and hopes to teach high school history. In two years, we hope to travel to Florida, where he and his oldest daughter are to graduate together from the same college. We visited Florida in May for the high school graduation of our youngest grandson, a Marine.

My (Jody Campbell Close) son David is home from Afghanistan, and both sons are preparing to retire. How can we be old enough for our children to retire? Our eight grandchildren are proving to be overachievers. I completed a three-year genealogy commission to supplement an 1882 family Bible at my local library. It weighs 13 pounds, and I think my report does too.

As we wrote this submission for the summer 2013 issue of UMW Magazine, we realized that our 55th class reunion is two years away. By this time next year, we’ll be starting to plan. Mark your calendars now for May-June 2015. We hope you’re enjoying summer and look forward to hearing from you. Many will hear from us monthly via email newsletters and birthday greetings.