Class Notes

Barbara “Bobbi” Bishop Mann notified us that our beloved class sponsor, George Van Sant, suffered a stroke and passed away peacefully in January. His wife, Milena, asked Bobbi to relay his gratitude for seeing so many of us at our 45th reunion, one of his many career highlights. His memorial service was at Grace Episcopal Church in Kilmarnock, Va., and his burial was at Quantico. He will be sorely missed.

Kathleen Crawford Hoffman retired as deputy executive director of the Association of Social Work Boards, where she still works as a part-time editor. Kitty Downs Gregg and husband Don of Denver vacationed in Washington, D.C., and Florida in May. Son Chris returned home after a year in Iraq, finished a master’s degree in finance at the University of Colorado, and works for the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Financial Research in D.C., where Kitty worked for several years after leaving MWC.

Linda Mitchell Spiers, an Episcopal priest near Hartford, Conn., had a challenging year because of the Sandy Hook disaster. She’s rededicated her energies toward making a better world for our children. Catherine Cantwell Luria and husband Eric retired the family practice, Harbor Health Associates, in Gig Harbor, Wash., after 35 years. Cathe still works part time at her new mental-health-only practice, Minerva Mental Health. The Lurias had a big retirement party, then flew to St. Croix for a week of English country dancing, their favorite hobby. Eric joined a community college ukulele class. Cathe still plays flute, continues voice lessons, and was thinking of learning the oboe and joining a Spanish immersion program.

Anne Meade Clagett’s husband, John, supported her while she campaigned for six months for Republicans in the November elections. They planned to be homebodies after visiting John’s favorite cousins and Anne’s sister’s family. Their dear cat, Night, is more than 18 years old.

Susan Roth Nurin and family celebrated her mother’s 99th birthday in January. Mrs. Roth, from a Jewish immigrant family, graduated high school at 16 and earned a master’s degree when most women didn’t attend college. She spent decades as a principal and Hebrew schoolteacher, tutor, and instructor to native English speakers who couldn’t read, and traveled to all seven continents. Susana is following in her footsteps with her travels and love of life in New York. She took a fall cruise from Santiago, Chile, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Musician son Justin and his wife moved to Baltimore. Daughter Tamara, a freelance journalist in Philadelphia, has a serious boyfriend but has never married.

Yvonne March and traveling companion Judith planned a May trip to Spain. Genie McClellan Hobson survived a difficult 2012 and hoped for a better 2013. Genie had hip issues, and Don had several surgeries with complications but regained enough strength to resume volunteer work as chairman of the PMD Foundation, which serves those affected by Pelizaeus-Merzbacher, a genetic disease that attacks the central nervous system. Genie and Don attended a March Leukodystrophy Alliance conference in Florida, then canoed the state’s rivers and visited Genie’s stepmother and other relatives. Genie works full time as head of the Neurogenetics Research Lab at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., concentrating on understanding and developing a treatment for PMD, but she dreams of retirement. Genie and Don have a son, a daughter, and two grandsons who live nearby. Son Byron owns and manages Limestone Therapeutic Massage and treats his mother to weekly massages.

Susan Hanes Chaney and Bill of Deltaville, Va., flew to Mobile, Ala., then drove across the Gulf Coast to Biloxi, Miss., and along the Mississippi River to Natchez. In May, Susan and Bill traveled to Ohio to reconnect with relatives, then toured the American Southwest, starting in Durango, Colo., and hiking through Mesa Verde and Monument Valley. They grow vegetables and flowers, tinker with antique cars, volunteer, and socialize. Bill fishes and Susan does yoga.

Lois Rucker Scott and husband Sam, who were in the same class at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Va., had their 50th reunion in October. Lois served on the reunion committee and felt obligated to attend, despite Sam’s recent triple cardiac bypass surgery. He’s back at work and in a cardiac rehab program. Lois and Sam traveled to Los Angeles for Sam’s annual medical conference and to visit nieces and nephews. They visited daughter Holly, who moved to Redlands, Calif., when it became part of her surgical equipment marketing and sales territory. Daughter Melanie and family, including Lois and Sam’s three grandchildren, moved to a house across the street from them. Lois attends knitting and quilting retreats in North Carolina.

Sandra Hutchison Schanné visits daughter Amy’s family in Denver. Layne is 5; twins Alexis and Van are 2. Sandra and Rich hosted them, son Brandon’s five from Texas, and son Ricky’s five from Aldie, Va., at Christmas, then spent a week at Massanutten Resort in Virginia.

Joan Cuccias Patton still travels as much as possible and substitute teaches high school math. She took her first trip to Hawaii this winter with her daughter and son-in-law and spent a week in February in Tampa, Fla., with friends. She’s involved with her children and grandchildren, loves golf, and joined Heritage Hunt Little Theater in Gainesville, Va.

Kathleen Goddard Moss and Eileen Goddard Albrigo lost both their parents. Florence, 91, entered hospice care in August. Glen, 93, developed a fever and passed away in September. Florence died in December. During the summer, most of their family was able to visit and enjoy the 70th wedding anniversary celebrations. Eileen and John’s ninth grandchild, daughter Liz’s first child, was born in July, and they expected another grandson this spring. Eileen and John traveled to Syracuse, N.Y., to celebrate the 90th birthday of John’s mother, Julia, who still lives independently with husband Frank, 91. Kathy works part time supervising young therapists. She and Tom attended the Yorktown High School 50th class reunion in fall. Tom still feeds and comforts distressed patients at the nursing home he trained in after retiring.