Class Notes

I think our 50th reunion awakened the desire to reconnect. I have news from several people we hadn’t heard from in a while.

Kathy Friedman Levinson and husband Sandy winter in Florida, but she returns to Connecticut to meet clients. Susan Rutan Joehnk wants to stay in touch with everyone. Since reunion, Lois Smith McDaniel, Kitty Hearne Shannon, Bev Sangston, and Diane Lovewell Melton have lunched together. In July, Betsy Loving Robbins and husband George spent time in Florida with the McDaniels. Lois and Howie spent a day in the Villages with Bev Sangston and her sister. Betsy and Lois planned to meet again this summer.

Marna Harlow Mayo said Carolyn Grantham moved to Maidens, Va., after storms continually ravaged her waterfront home on the North River off Mobjack Bay. Marna and Carolyn majored in math and worked at NASA Langley Research Center.

Pat Garrison Lindholm and David attended a Lindholm family reunion in Cocoa Beach; took a Baltic cruise, visiting St. Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm; and traveled to Williamsburg for a relative’s 100th birthday, Albuquerque for the International Balloon Fiesta, and Homecoming Weekend at the University of the South (Sewanee).

Janice Coleman, partially responsible for executing Wendy Shadwell’s bequests to UMW’s art history and English departments, goes to Fredericksburg for activities related to Wendy’s endowment and to her own scholarship. She was donating her family’s Campbell, Va., farm for Mary Washington to sell for a financial boost to the Coleman Family Farm Scholarship at UMW, and she has included the scholarship in her will for further funding. Janice plans to rent an apartment in Fredericksburg as a second home when she leaves NYC.

Karen Gustafson of Weston, Conn., lived and worked in Manhattan for 40 years. Karen studied art history at MWC and theater at George Washington University. She was an interior designer, then worked at Arena Stage in D.C., where she met her first husband. After having daughter Amy and moving to NYC, she became a preschool Montessori teacher. She divorced, took Amy to Italy for a year, and studied Montessori teacher training. Karen made friends in Italy and has returned many times. She planned to be in Sicily in May and Bergamo, where she studied, in September. After eight years teaching and becoming a headmistress, she left to edit interior design and architecture magazines and write design books. Later she started a design public relations firm and worked 25 years for architects, interior designers, and furniture manufacturers. She retired two years ago but planned to do creative writing, possibly for children. Karen still studies Italian and visits Amy, her husband, and two grandchildren in nearby Greenwich. In 30 years together, Karen and her second husband, NYC lawyer Marty Munitz, have been to Nepal, Bhutan, India, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China and Japan. They’ve traveled in Africa, Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Karen’s in touch with former suitemate Carol Paige Phillips Spruill of Midlothian, Va. Carol had two knee replacements, but she and Karen planned to meet and tour the Mary Washington campus.

Since Sally Tarrant Bernert couldn’t attend the reunion, roommate Mary Saunders Latimer and suitemates Nancy Gibbs, Russell Hatcher Haggerty, and Beth Lisle Turner visited her in  Richmond. Betsy Chamberlain Hartz arrived as they were leaving and had a picture of the group from Sally’s daughter’s wedding. Mary and Sally’s daughters roomed together in college, live in Richmond, and are still close – as their mothers have been for more than 50 years.

From Linkey: My freshman roomie, Mary A. Settle Johnson of Florida, cruised to Greece, Turkey, Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria. My sophomore roomie, Jeanne Chabot Wallis, enjoys grandchildren and winters in Florida.

David and I are busy as ever. I discovered that Anne Howell Wood ’70 lives across the Yellow Breeches Creek from me. We met during the spring garden tour and take the Strong Women Stay Young fitness class. I’m involved in AAUW, volunteer at the library, train dogs, and am in book groups. Thanks to all who sent news; please keep it coming.

Judy Ross Flora married U.Va. love Ben Flora, who earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry, taught at Old Dominion University for a year, then engaged in research and development with a research lab. They’ve lived in Burlington, N.C., since 1976. When the children were secure in school, Judy started a 32-year real estate career. She and Ben retired and have three grandchildren. Recently, they traveled with Becky Ryan Dunkenberger and husband Tom, and planned a March trip to St. John.

Ginger Logie Carr and Calvin spent March in Hilton Head, S.C., and visited Eileen Hildebrand Andrews and Ray, who have a Naples, Fla., golf-course condo. While there, they had dinner with Carol Van Ness and Dick Clapp. Ginger and Carol lived together in Boston after college, and they all remain close. Carol didn’t realize Bev Sangston played golf at Carol’s club until Bev left for Marco Island. In Naples, they visited the botanical gardens and took a boat trip through the Everglades mangrove.

Susan Marshall Mayes and Bill married after graduation and had sons Rusty and Tommy. Tommy passed away in 2010. Rusty graduated from Duke, married a girl he met while getting his doctorate at U.Va., and has sons ages 12 and 14. Susan earned an MSW from VCU. She did foster care and in-home counseling, retiring in 2005 as a court service unit director at the City of Richmond’s juvenile court. She later was a program director and intensive counselor for in-home social service agencies. She and her husband travel, golf, and fly fish. Susan and MWC roommate Barbara Yancey Williamson remain friends.

Arlene Drescher Wilson graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, spent 17 years in Providence, and moved to Nashville, Tenn., eight years ago. She produced fine and wearable art and church textiles for two decades and now paints. Arlene volunteers as a Centering Prayer facilitator for her church and rehabbed a historic thrift shop exterior, benefitting a community house for needy families. She planned to meet childhood friend Betty Chilton Finkle of Los Gatos, Calif., this summer at their beach house on the Rappahannock, as she’s done periodically since grade school. Arlene’s show at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith featured kimonos as art pieces she made after visiting Japan.

Pat Branstetter Revere is still in remission from ovarian cancer. She and Jim took the family on a river cruise in July through Germany, Austria, and Hungary. In November, they traveled to Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, and cruised on the Mekong River. They looked forward to a rescheduled family trip in August to the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador. Pat was resuming community volunteer work and serving on the UMW Foundation Board.

A visit from a son-in-law and grandson kept Amanda Whichard Cebrowski from the 50th reunion. She and John, married 50 years in April, met when he was in OCS at Quantico. They’ve lived in New Hampshire nearly 10 years, after many moves in the East and Midwest. They have four daughters – in Lake Forest, Ill., Pittsburgh, and San Antonio – and 11 grandchildren. One daughter is with the Nashville Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia and teaches in Woodbridge, Va. Amanda retired as a physician’s office manager when they left Virginia in 2004. John is in his third term as a New Hampshire state representative. Amanda’s sister, Cay Whichard Lewis ’61, died suddenly in January. She will be greatly missed.

Diane Lovewell Melton majored in sociology but had to take typing and shorthand to enter the business world. She’s been a meeting planner for 30 years. Diane plans fun times with Lois Smith McDaniel, Kitty Hearne Shannon, and Bev Sangston. Kathy Levinson Friedman is in much better health, and they hope to have their own spring reunion.

Betty Caudle Marshall and Tom (“Precious Tom”) of Raleigh, N.C., renewed their vows for their 50th. Youngest son Robert, an Episcopal priest, officiated. Their other three children and eight grandchildren participated in the ceremony. Afterward, they visited the Maritime provinces of Canada. Betty is retired and involved with Delta Kappa Gamma, having served as state president. Tom retired early from Barton College, went to Union Theological (Presbyterian) Seminary in Richmond, then served a church in Sanford.

Kay Barret Bilisoly’s sociology/psychology degree and art history courses served her well. She worked for the Fairfax, Va., juvenile court system, stayed home to care for their two children, then became a meeting planner for the Future Homemakers of America headquarters in Reston and an administrative assistant to the South Lakes High School principal. When husband of 50 years Win became self-employed and the kids left 23 years ago, they moved to Wilmington, N.C. There, Kay was administrative assistant to the Cape Fear Academy upper school principal. After retiring, she attended art classes locally and in the American Southwest and Italy. Her work, shown in local galleries, wins the occasional ribbon.

Kay kept in touch with MWC roommate Jo Lynn Howell Savery until she passed away last summer from COPD, complicated by an early Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Kay has visited Barbara Brown Sherrill of San Diego, who left our class to become a nurse, and saw her at their high school reunion. Through Facebook, Kay connected with Violet Olsen Gassman, whose work has appeared in The Artist’s Magazine.

Anne Rasmussen Lyles retired after 32 years teaching but still subs. She’s on the Historic Salisbury Foundation board and, with her two sons and a friend, has restored nine homes in recent years. She had 900 people through her house when it was on an October home show fundraiser.

To see photos on Shutterfly from our 50th reunion, send Linkey your email address. If you have photos of classmates or yourself to share, please put them on our Shutterfly site, “UMW Class of ’63.”

Pete and I (Betsy) still love life on Bainbridge Island, Wash. Karen Vandevanter Chapman took the ferry from Whidbey Island, I took the ferry from “my” island, and we met for lunch at a town in the middle. Let me know if you’re in the Seattle area! It’s wonderful to hear from so many classmates! Keep the cards, letters, and emails coming.