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1950s
1970s
Katharine “Kitsie” Converse ‘55 - Joy! BFS memories - I have a lot - my life started out wild and crazy there in 1947. Leaving in 1953. I lived on a farm on Street Road, a dirt road, and walked to school across the fields with my brothers.
Elisabeth (Hamilton) Karotkin ‘70 - I believe this spring is my 50th! anniversary, having gone all the way through from K to 8. Things I value from BFS: learning French which I still use (even if, at times, only in my own head!), the Friends’ philosophies, and most valuable, my lasting friendship with Eleanor (Funk) Schuster ’70 from kindergarten to present day. We’ve talked about possibly coming to this year’s reunion. A couple of years ago, I was able to show the school to my husband—the Meetinghouse was open and brought memories of suppressing giggles and singing Simon & Garfunkel’s “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme” in that building. All in all a good bunch of years!
Memories are vivid - nature walks seeing lady slippers and red winged black birds with Mrs. Haines, hanging upside down and inside out or from my feet on the trapeze after whirling myself sick on the May pole, or setting off the school fire alarm by mistake and hiding in a closet as the whole school evacuated. Or sadly in third grade, when I dreamed of being the perfect Snow White and Chrissy Keene got it… and I was cast as the echo hiding in the well, repeating her lines! But my most humiliating memories were: 1. Peeing in the front window well during recess clueless - and hearing the class laugh inside! 2. Doing my braggart stand-up slide down the board, taunting a crowd to witness my show-off stunt after sprinkling sand and pebbles down the chute for speed, and knocking the wind out of myself so badly I couldn’t cry, move or speak from pain and humiliation. Mrs. Haines to the rescue!
1980s Chris Chandor ‘82 - I’ve stayed in intermittent contact with Bill Dare ’82. He lives outside Phoenix, AZ and we went to a Diamondbacks game last August together. I have also spoken with Chris Brower ’82 within the past year.
I have a ton more - My Bucks County childhood rudely interrupted by a move to the ghastly Main Line and Shipley! Kitsie recently visited with Linda (Root) Kenyon ‘53 to hear David Barry ‘55 play piano. Betsy Todd Uhl ‘56 - I still live in the Perkasie area. Retired Feb. 2018 after 30 years as Literacy Admin. Clerk at Vita Education Svcs(adult ed. agency, Doylestown ofc.). I now volunteer 1 day/wk at Vita & participate in church activities at Good Shepherd Episc., Hilltown, including serving on the Endowment Committee. I’m able do some yard work, but my arthritic neck, back, hips & knees make movement less easy than in my younger days. Looking forward to May 9 celebration at BFS, the day I’ll turn 78. (Ouch!) My sister, Nancy ‘57, is well & living just outside Pasadena, Calif. Fortunately, not affected by the fires.
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SEEDLINGS
Carl King ‘84 - I have been married for 28 years to the love of my life, Amy. We have spent the last 21 years living in Charlotte, NC. I have two wonderful daughters, Mia (16) and Caryn (12). Both were students at Friends School of Charlotte for several years, when I also served on its board. For over 20 years, I have been a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, in Charlotte, where I regularly serve as a sub-deacon. Professionally, I am a senior partner at the tax law firm of Culp, Elliott & Carpenter in Charlotte. Beginning in 2020, I also am a member of the faculty at the University of Miami School of Law in the Heckerling graduate LL.M. program in Estate Planning. Last year, I was honored to be asked by the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) to serve as one of four primary coauthors of an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States for the first big tax case heard by the Court in 11 years (Kaestner).
