Dear Kinkaid Community,
Wow! What a remarkable start to our 2022-23 school year, and we are only half way through it. This amazing community feels like an old friend to me, which makes it hard for me to believe that in my third year this is really the first year I am experiencing Kinkaid at full throttle — and what an experience it is!
We were thrilled to welcome our students and families back to campus this past August with the traditional planning and excitement that goes along with a regular new school year. Being with our faculty and staff, new and returning, simply put, felt right and good. It warmed my heart to watch our Lower School students inviting their parents to see their new lockers, to hear our Middle School students asking each other who they were assigned for Advisory, and to greet our Upper School students as they began to plan out their whole year –on Day One! I especially enjoyed spending time with our seniors at Senior Breakfast and am thankful that so many of the special Kinkaid events are once again being enjoyed by our whole community.
Our alumni, our special guest speakers, authors, and lecturers add so much value to our Kinkaid student experience and are always entertaining and informative. Our extended community who fills our stands and our theaters to cheer on our student-athletes and student-artists brings an overwhelming sense of enthusiasm and commitment to our programming. Our volunteers — oh my — our tireless, dedicated volunteers make our Kinkaid community events exceptional and help create memories that we know will last a lifetime.
To cap off our fall, we launched ALL IN, a truly historic commitment by our community to honor our legacy while setting Kinkaid up for continued excellence for generations to come. The creation of new facilities will enable us to bring new curricular programs to life, which will enhance the educational experience of our students and make available even more innovative opportunities to become leaders at Kinkaid and beyond. ALL IN is a critical investment in yesterday’s, today’s, and tomorrow’s Kinkaid students.
You will learn more about all of these incredible moments in the life of our campus in the pages that follow, and I hope you will enjoy this glimpse into the extraordinary School you all know and love.
In Partnership,
In
Jonathan Eades Head of SchoolChair
Edwin H. Frank III ’68
Vice Chair
Steven P. Mach
Trustees
Dr. Annette Brissett
Brandt C. Bowden ’96
Jessica Kilbourne Brazelton
Wm. Leslie Doggett ’75
Michael Hanson ’00
Lisa Helfman ’93
Alicia Lee ’98
Stephanie Cockrell
Kenneth D. Cowan
Robert D. Duncan
Jonathan E. Eades, Ex-Officio
Ashley Morgan Hanna ’93
Boyd Heath
Helena Papadopoulos Johnson ’82
Evan H. Katz
Charles B. Lawrence Jr. ’96
Cecil J. Looke III
Walter G. Mayfield ’81
Billy McCartney
Elisa Stude Pye
Bethel A. Quander
Carlos Solé III
Dr. Asha Jamal Virani
Darryl L. Wilson
Neil A. Wizel
Life Trustees
E.Staman Ogilvie
Tom Simmons
William M. Wheless III
Life Trustees Emeriti
John B. Beckworth
O.Holcombe Crosswell
Stewart Cureton Jr.
Frances Hopper Jeter ’74
Mary Nell Jeffers Lovett ’63
Dr. Stuart Yudofsky
Trustees Emeriti
J. B. Coskey
T.Dan Friedkin
C.Berdon Lawrence
Corbin J. Robertson Jr.
David M. Weekley
Eugene Werlin Jr.
Often depicted in artwork as having one head but two faces; one facing opposite the other, Janus is the mythological Roman god of transitions and duality. And like the month that stems from his name, January and the early part of the new year provides a time both to look back and look forward.
As our campus transitions from one season to the next, it is important to reflect on the successes, joys, and growth of our students since August.
Lower School students created and engaged through their weekly production of KLS, in science classes, and even broke in a brand new playground. The first-ever Lower School Math Mania also took place in the fall, where fourth grade students were given three choices to combine their math and technology skills, and students chose to try their hand at Game Inventor, Architect, and Coding Designer. Lower School students also re-engaged in their partnership with Brighter Bites, where students learned about the organization and facts about food insecurity. That relationship extended itself to allow each fourth grade class to work with volunteers from a local elementary school to organize and pack produce for over 100 at-risk families.
There were carpool redirects, physical and fundraising ground breaking, and more pivots — but this time not for a pandemic, but instead for history making with new buildings whose construction is already underway.
When you take a moment to pause, listen, and look around campus, it’s easy to see that Kinkaid is a place where incredible things continue to happen. And even amid the physical transformations that have begun, the mission of Kinkaid continues to play out in all phases of what we do. Despite the cloudy skies, dreary evenings, and shortened daylight that January and February often bring, the promise of spring is tantalizingly close.
Middle School initiated new themes centered around each grade level as they embarked on their journey this year: Year of Discovery – Year of Exploration, Year of Decisions, and Year of Learning to Lead. Connected to the sixth grade theme of exploration, Middle School students now take a trimester of Latin, in addition to Spanish and French. The annual trip to Camp Olympia also returned to its full glory, while seventh graders will travel to Boston, MA in April for a new annual tradition tied to their study of US History. New leadership opportunities for eighth graders were created for Middle School Athletics and Arts Councils, respectively, while eighth graders also planned and led pep rallies to celebrate HJPC week. The fall gave us the nationally ranked powerhouse of our Varsity Field Hockey team, another win over our cross-town rivals, and with it, a trip to the SPC Championship. Upper School students were also acknowledged for award winning singing, strings, and band playing, not to mention on-stage Swashbuckling and Lard cooking. Oh… and did I mention the Class of 2023 with their 15 National Merit Semifinalists and 17 Commended Scholars?
On the horizon, events like Holi, Field Day, and all of the annual senior celebrations that lead into the summer signal laughter, fun, and celebration. What an extraordinary time to be a Falcon and truly be all in!
My best,
Dr. Matt Rush Assistant Head of School and Head of Middle School"As our campus transitions from one season to the next, it is important to reflect on the successes, joys, and growth of our students since August."
New Family Support, chaired by Huntley Anderson and Heather Lingle in Upper School, Ashley Hanna and Jessica Meyer in Middle School, and Meredith Smith and Casey Hedges in Lower School, welcomed over 175 new Falcons through exciting and engaging events beginning in May and extending through the school year. Current students and entering Falcons were matched and grouped to create teams with diverse interests and backgrounds. The New Family Welcome Event in early May for Middle School and Upper School filled parents with helpful information while new students were introduced to each other. Then, we launched into fun summer gatherings starting with a Snow Cone and Ice Cream Sandwich Social on Falcon Green (sure to become an annual tradition) and a bowling party off campus just a few weeks later. Lower School sponsored a Buddy Family Program where they matched new families with existing families and organized casual playdates over the summer. In the Upper School and Middle School, small, informal gatherings were scattered through the summer, and by Freshman Orientation in August and the 6th Grade Trip in September, our newest Falcons confidently began Kinkaid surrounded by familiar faces. The stellar Falcon Friend teams continue to support the new families through GroupMe chats and text chains so they are kept informed of community events such as Homecoming, Falcon Family Feast, Book Fair, and upcoming performances in Fine Arts. Our new Falcons are flying high!
This past August, in preparation for the upcoming construction, a Clothing Nook Pop-Up Clearance Event was held in the balcony of the Katz PAC. Chairs Stephanie Evans and Louise Rios would like to thank the Kinkaid community for their donations and for coming to shop. It was a huge success.
In lieu of a full Clothing Nook year-round, the Parents’ Association has two “pop-up events” planned for the rest of the school year on the balcony of the Katz PAC: March 7-9 May 22-25
There will be donation bins conveniently located around campus in the weeks leading up to these events.
Thanks to the Kinkaid community for supporting the Clothing Nook!
The Camp Olympia overnight trip offered our sixth grade students a pure escape that made it a memorable and impactful trip for our students. They were able to not just get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of schoolwork, chores, and city life, but they had a chance to truly explore the world and the people around them. They built connections with new friends and took both physical and mental risks as they tackled ropes course obstacles and shared new ideas. They were surrounded by the beauty of nature and took time to soak in the sunlight, dig in the dirt, and detach from electronics. Camp Olympia was truly a hallmark of this year’s sixth grade Year of Exploration.
The beginning of Upper School is an exciting and sometimes anxious time. At Kinkaid, ninth grade students travel on a retreat to foster communication, teamwork, pride, and unity within the class. This outdoor education experience is designed to allow students to become better acquainted with their classmates, their senior peer mentors, the deans, and with many of their ninth grade advisors. Students new to Kinkaid, and those who are just new to Upper School, are welcomed into Kinkaid’s Upper School life.
This three day experience, held on campus and at Stoney Creek Ranch in New Ulm, Texas, had students working together in a team building course, a high ropes course, and other outdoor activities. Led by Kinkaid’s Peer Mentors, a select group of seniors whose mission is to assist the students’ assimilation into the Upper School, these ninth grade students built relationships and memories to last a lifetime.
This fall, in a surprise ceremony led by Head of School
Jonathan Eades and Head of Lower School Krista Babine, first graders earned their Super Reader capes. The school leaders showed the students their own hard earned reading capes and shared with the first graders their love of reading, and how they continue to flex their
reading muscles as adults – offering the students glimpses into their own favorite books. Students were then presented with their very own Super Reader capes. With wonder and total surprise, the first graders received their capes, proudly wearing them for the remainder of the day. Keep reading, Super Readers!
“Every year, Lower School students are building and flexing their reading super powers,” says Head of Lower School Krista Babine. “Strengthening strategies that readers use, such as knowledge of letter-sound correspondence, word chunking, reading pictures, and connecting to background knowledge, helps students grow into independent, thoughtful readers.”
Friday Night Lights has become a community-wide spirit event where students, parents, grandparents, and alumni come together to share and celebrate the spirit and hospitality of Kinkaid. The outpouring of support from community volunteers who staffed the concession stands and welcomed friends and visitors alike for our fall sports competitions was incredible with the true spirit of Kinkaid on display. While our Falcons were playing their hardest on our fields and courts, our committed volunteers, including Monica and Gerald Jefferson, Helena Papadopoulos Johnson ’82, and Thomas Johnson, among many others, were filling sodas, grabbing popcorn, and flipping burgers. Friday Night Lights, started this year by Booster Club presidents Carmen Gomez and Lacy Price, is sure to become a new Kinkaid tradition. We hope to see you all soon under the Lights!
October 18, 2022 marked a momentous step for Kinkaid’s future with members of the Kinkaid community gathering to publicly announce our largest comprehensive fundraising campaign to date, ALL IN — A Historic Plan for the Future of Kinkaid. This plan will position Kinkaid as a leading force in education for generations to come.
Members of the Board of Trustees, the Building Committee, the Campaign Committee, school administration, and student leaders were present as we broke ground on Phase One of a multi-phase construction project that will provide the infrastructure needed to realize our ambitious programming goals.
Phase One is fully funded thanks to our early supporters, and we are confident, with the generous support of our entire community, we will reach our goal to fully fund Phase Two which will begin in early 2024.
The excitement of launching Phase One of this historic plan was apparent across campus – Kinkaid is truly ALL IN.
The Kinkaid sidewalks and hallways were alive with enthusiastic super heroes, favorite pets, spooky creatures, storybook protagonists, princesses, and more on Halloween Day! Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students paraded through the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools, passing administrative offices, dining services, and the facilities crew along the way. Students, faculty, and staff anxiously awaited their arrival to cheer them on and hand out small spooky trinkets much to the delight of everyone. This beloved tradition is such a special event for our youngest students who get to walk past the “big kids,” many of whom are costumed themselves. It is also a highlight for the older students and adults, knowing that each year Kinkaid is building memories that will last a lifetime!
There was much excitement on campus for our 72nd annual Kinkaid Book Fair, November 6, 7, and 8! The Ogilvie Lobby of the Katz Performing Arts Center provided a new and different flow to Book Fair, and we embraced it and the exciting changes happening on campus with the new construction.
Chaired by Allison Wise, Hope Young, and Casey Hedges, this three-day long community event kicked off with Family Night. Families enjoyed dinner catered by Moderno Tacos + Tex Mex as well as dessert graciously donated by CRAVE cupcakes. Tunes from a local mariachi band filled the night, while guests enjoyed special appearances by Gurple, our beloved Book Fair mascot.
The Ogilvie Lobby was converted into a bookstore with a vast selection of over 8,000 books, including new releases and old favorites. Over 100 volunteers, as well as faculty and staff, curated the title recommendations within each section for a well-rounded reading and shopping experience. We were excited to spotlight six authors this year: Darcie Little Badger, Victoria Jamieson, Laura Moore, Mary Moreland, Anna and Sophia Nguyen, and Marcia Smart. Book Fair isn’t only about books, though! We had an amazing Book Fair Boutique, where a variety of custom-designed Kinkaid merchandise items were sold! Our Coffee and Cookies Bar was back in action, which is always a hit!
This year, Book Fair launched an inaugural community service project, “Fill the Shelves,” to support the Faris D. Virani Library at KIPP Connect Houston Primary. A forever Falcon, Faris Virani, passed away in January of 2017 after a courageous battle with Ewing sarcoma. The Virani family, in honor of Faris, opened the library at KIPP Connect in January of 2020. At Book Fair, books requested by the Faris D. Virani Library were available for purchase to be delivered to KIPP Connect after the conclusion of Book Fair. This was a special addition to this year’s Book Fair, which we hope to grow in the years to come.
The Kinkaid Book Fair provides a significant portion of the yearly budget for Kinkaid’s three incredible libraries.
F
alcons celebrated Homecoming 2022 in style with an ode to Hollywood. Students danced down the red carpet filled with paparazzi and posed as flashbulbs lit up the night. Attendees feasted on a candy buffet, popcorn, and fabulous cupcakes created by Chef Mark Harris! Ninth grade students were treated to a wonderful dinner at the Memorial Forest Club prior to arriving on campus for the festivities. Lights, Camera, Action – and action there was as dancers hit the floor to the DJ’s tunes and took party pics in the 360 camera booth! Chairs Liz Dinerstein, April McMayon, and Kate Walters made glitz and glamor shine at this unforgettable Homecoming, the last in the Doggett gym, and helped to create memories for our students that will last a lifetime.
The Homecoming celebration capped off an incredible week of Falcon fun with pep rallies, spirit dress up day, and lots of cheer across the campus.
The 2022 Kinkaid Open Golf tournament was held on Monday, October 3 at The Westwood Golf Club. This year, golfers gathered for a beautiful day on the links with former classmates, current parents, and friends of the Kinkaid community. Over 110 golfers participated in the tournament and enjoyed lunch on the course, followed by a reception after play. The steering committee raised over $69,000 benefiting the John Germann Endowed Scholarship to support students on need-based financial aid. Special thanks to our tournament chair, Andrew Sheedy ’03, and our honorary chair, Charles Sheedy, for their hard work in making the tournament such a success!
The annual Falcon Family Feast was held on Friday, October 28 right before Kinkaid took to the field to play hometown rival St. John’s School at Rice University football stadium. The event, chaired by Caroline Brown and Nicole Katz and co-chaired by Anooshea Taghdisi and Candace Hoelscher, featured tailgating, a DJ, airbrushed tattoos, and delicious Demeris BBQ. The Falcon spirit was alive with cameos from Kinkaid cheerleaders and the Falcon mascot! Happily, the night ended with a 38-28 W-I-N for the Falcons! Another incredible Kinkaid success and a great day to be a Falcon!
On the evening of September 28, Professor Annette Gordon-Reed gave a public presentation in the Brown Auditorium, in which she spoke about her extraordinary life experiences and influential work. The next day, she spoke at an Upper School assembly and spent the day meeting with students in informal discussion groups. The students were thoroughly engaged with her as she described being the first student of color to integrate Conroe ISD in 1964 as a first grader, attending Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, and working at a large Wall Street law firm before turning to a career as a historian and professor. She also spoke at length about her ground-breaking work on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, which transformed the academic interest in their lives and the historiography of slavery. It was an extraordinary pleasure to spend time with one of the most important and influential historians working today.
We were pleased to welcome Professor Gordon-Reed to Kinkaid for the 2022-23 J. Barry Moss Speaker Series. Professor Gordon-Reed holds a unique, dual position at Harvard, teaching in the Law School and the History Department. She won the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award for her book, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. Her most recent New York Times bestseller, Juneteenth – a powerful combination of historical analysis and personal memoir –served as an important catalyst in the drive to create the national holiday commemorating the day and as a powerful corrective to the conventional views of Texas and U.S. history.
The Series is named after Mr. Moss, a beloved former teacher, debate coach, Upper School principal, and Dean of Faculty, who was a prominent part of life at Kinkaid for over 40 years until his death in 2005. The focus of the Series is Civil Discourse in a Democracy, a topic that includes a number of the skills and values so important to Mr. Moss as a teacher: clear and convincing written expression, public speaking and debate, the development of analytical skills, service to others, and the commitment to excellence. The Series features a broad range of speakers, including scholars, journalists, business leaders, and those in public service.
2020 Jon Meacham, Presidential historian, Pulitzer Prize winning author, professor
2017 Mike Feinberg, Co-Founder of KIPP Foundation
2015 Wes Moore, youth advocate, army combat veteran and best selling author of The Other Wes Moore
2014 Larry Temkin, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University
2013 Douglas Brinkley, American author, professor of history at Rice University
2011 J. Pittman McGehee, D.D., Diplomate Jungian analyst and the Director of the Institute for the Advancement of Psychology and Spirituality
2010 Clark Kent Ervin, ’77, Director of The Aspen Institute’s Homeland Security Program
2008 Dick Brass, inventor and technology futurist
2007 Edward Hirsch, author of The New York Times best seller How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry
2006 David Finegold, Ph.D., ’81, Dean of Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations
Ed Harris, Jonathan Eades, Annette Gordon-Reed, and Ted CurryAnnette
By Kacie Horton, Upper School Coordinator of Service Programs
The mission of the Community Service Leadership Council is to encourage the Kinkaid Upper School to give back to the community at large. The Council strives to connect students and faculty with different organizations and communities through a variety of service opportunities, focusing on projects that include face-to-face interaction. The Council leads and facilitates service activities that provide students with fun, rewarding experiences and that inspire students to be more involved in the community.
Upper School students have volunteered at a wide range of events that provide opportunities to engage with members of the community and learn by serving one another. Students have volunteered with organizations such as Combined Arms, Houston’s Asia Society, Urban Harvest, Plant it Forward, Compudopt, Special Olympics, Easter Seals of Greater Houston, SoleAna Stables, The Beacon, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Students have spent time with elementary school students at movie nights, participated in the Afghan Family Festival, mentored refugees about wellness, cleaned MacGregor Park, and socialized with local shelter animals.
Teachers and students brought service to the classroom setting by mentoring Middle School debate students and traveling to Galveston Bay to learn about the local ecology and oyster reef program. Kinkaid provides more than 100 opportunities for service every year and students are encouraged to present their service ideas to the Council. Middle School students work on several service projects that help raise funds for Breast Cancer research and Pulsera, a service project sponsored by the Hispanic Heritage Appreciation Club which benefits Central American communities helping to fund education, build homes, and provide healthcare.
Lower School students at Kinkaid partner with local organizations including The Faris Foundation, Brighter Bites, and The Beacon to help bring much needed assistance to families in need. Our youngest students are out there in our community making a difference in people’s lives.
Desayuno, movie night, Fiesta en la Biblioteca, entertaining and educational assemblies, and guest speakers! All of these events have become staples of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month here at Kinkaid where the students of the Viva la Raza Club, with the support of Hispanic staff and faculty members, showcase their heritage by having an event every week for a month, starting in mid-September and running through mid-October, for all of our community to enjoy and learn.
El Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican tradition combining Catholic beliefs with indigenous customs. The celebration begins on November 1, a day dedicated to the deceased children, “los angelitos”, and continues until November 2 “Día de todos los Santos” (All Saints’ Day). It is believed that during El Día de Muertos, the spirits of loved ones return to visit with their relatives. The celebrations of El Día de Muertos are a festive time to remember those deceased and to spend time with family. It is also a reminder of the infinite power and triumph of love over death, light over darkness, and the celebration and reconciliation of two worlds, the Indigenous and European, that resulted in the rich and diverse Mexican culture and “la raza mestiza” (the mestizo ethnicity).
Kinkaid students, faculty, and staff gathered on October 24 to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, joy, prosperity, and happiness. This traditional five day festival is celebrated by Hindus with great grandeur and enthusiasm and is enjoyed with family, friends, and relatives.
Students at Kinkaid celebrated Rosh Hashanah which in the Jewish community commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement. Eating apples and honey is a traditional way to welcome in a "sweet new year." In December, students also recognized Hanukkah, the eight-day “festival of lights.”
For over 30 years, the Kinkaid Lower School has welcomed wintertime holidays and kicked off winter break with Singing and Sharing, a celebratory and magical musical performance greatly enjoyed by families, friends, faculty, and staff. The students, dressed in festive attire, excitedly took the stage with each grade performing songs that recognize various traditions and uplift the joy of the season. What joy there was as our young singers scanned the crowd for family members and smiled proudly at the enthusiastic applause and standing ovations celebrating their hard work and beautiful, sweet voices. After each performance, the students were thrilled to leave for winter break with their families. Singing and Sharing continues to create special feelings within our community and connects us all through song.
With the generous support of the broader Kinkaid community and in partnership with KIPP, Kinkaid Lower School coordinated another successful holiday gift drive as part of the Faris Strong Giving initiative. On a chilly December morning, students from across all divisions carried bags filled with gifts to the Lower School to be given to children across Houston. They enjoyed seeing their gifts loaded on a truck for transport to KIPP Sharp, knowing they would bring a smile to another child. The truck overflowing with over 300 sets of brightly colored packages was received by KIPP Sharp with great gratitude and much delight.
Lower School is so grateful for the support and generosity of the Kinkaid community, and we look forward to our continued partnership with The Faris Foundation and KIPP.
Faris Strong Giving is an important partnership between The Faris Foundation and The Kinkaid School. The Faris Foundation’s primary goals are to support childhood cancer research, provide creative arts programs at children’s cancer centers, and engage the public to build awareness around childhood cancer. A forever Falcon, Faris Virani ’24 passed away in January of 2017 after a courageous battle with Ewing sarcoma. One of his wishes was for his Kinkaid friends to help children in the broader Houston community. The Foundation places their values – Faris’ words – into action through their work.
The Kinkaid School wishes to thank our volunteer leaders and all of our amazing volunteers for donating your time and talents. You create magic for our School each and every day!
Dee Muir
Anissa Paddock
Kristi Oldham
Kristen Weber
Beth Abramson
Mukta Agrawal
Elva Akin
Huntley Anderson
Jessica Brazelton
Annette Brissett
Caroline Brown
Erin Brown
Kristen Buck
Sylvia Burke
Elena Busa
Ellen Camp
Karoline Carlson
Deirdre Carr
Teresa Chambers
Laura Cureton
Julie Dehan
Viviana Denechaud
Nancy DeWalch
Liz Dinerstein
Tara English
Stephanie Evans
Raine Falik
Ali Farahbod
Amy Ferber
Leslie Fertitta
Elise Ghebremichael
Nicole Gibson
Betsy Goldstein
Teri Gordon
Yuemi Grogan
Debbey Guy
Kim Hankamer
Ashley Hanna
Casey Hedges
Tiffany Herleth
Candace Hoelscher
Sarah Inayatali
Katie Ingram
Melinda Jackson
Julie Jacobson
Jill Josephson
Elyse Kalmans
Nicole Katz
Paula Kekish
Elaine Khalil
Kim Klevenhagen
Jacqui Kneese
Blake Kunetka
Mariam Lakhani
Theresa Le
Aynsley Letzerich
Heather Lingle
Kay Lobb
Blair Loocke
Lanie Massey
Christie McCartney
Kristen McMackin
April McMayon
Helena Mendez
Jessica Meyer
Mona Miles
Carrie Monzon
Jennifer Moore
Amanda Morrow
Denise Moseley
Meg Murray
Kristin Nyveen
Brooke O’Neil
Tennie Ott
Lavannya Pandit
Joslyn Paris
Julie Peacock
Josie Pielop
Nikki Pielop
Vicki Price
Kelly Provine
Lis Purdy
Natalie Reichman
Louise Wiggins Rios
Brooke Robertson
Victoria Roca
Ashley Roseman
Laurel Shaper
Bina Sheth
Meredith Smith
Sandy Sturm
Dawn Swanson
Ann Staley
Anooshea Taghdisi
Rebecca Turner
Kate Walters
Nevine Webster
Mequet Werlin
Kim Wexler
Allison Wise
Jennifer Wizel
Katie Wynn
Sushma Yalamanchili
Hope Young
Jennifer Zach
By Jaisal Kalapatapu ’23 and Shaan Dhutia ’25
It’s 1958.
Dwight Eisenhower is in the Oval Office. Alaska and Hawaii have yet to enter the union. The St. Louis Hawks beat the Minneapolis Lakers in the NBA Finals. And, The Kinkaid School moves from the Richmond campus to its location in Piney Point. Since that relocation, Kinkaid’s Upper Schoolers have been learning in the same building constructed more than 60 years ago. But, that will change.
Recognizing the need for change, Head of School Mr. Jonathan Eades formally announced a plan to rebuild the Upper School as well as improve other facilities on campus.
“The classrooms are from 1957, and the first students moved in in 1958,” Mr. Eades said. “This building is well past its useful life.”
Construction on the new Upper School is expected to be completed by January 2026, as part of a more than three-year project to upgrade facilities.
One of the key qualities of the new Upper School can be summarized in one word: space. Plans for the new building aim to optimize space inside and outside the classroom.
“Square footage will probably be one of the first things people notice,” Mr. Eades said. “The classrooms right now are 425 square feet, which is pretty small — the Upper School population … was about 400. Now, we have 630 students. So when we’re done, the classrooms will be about 650 square feet.”
Mr. Eades said that classrooms will be better equipped to handle the modern style of teaching found in most courses — dynamic and collaborative as opposed to the lecture-based instruction characteristic of the mid-20th century. The classrooms will also be outward-facing, allowing for natural light and views of campus.
Outside of the over 50% increase in classroom square footage, plans include adding more space for leisure, which starts with green spaces in the middle of the campus. “There are going to be two acres of green space,” Mr. Eades said. “In Houston, Texas, that is unheard of.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic years, outdoor tents were installed around campus in an attempt to create more socially distant dining spaces. Unexpectedly, the tents proved to be a popular leisure space for students and faculty, so administrators plan to incorporate a similar concept into the new campus.
“We’re building three structures that are indoor-outdoor structures,” Mr. Eades said, “so these will be good academic structures — classes will meet out there; they’ll be wired with the latest technology, but [students] can also hang out.”
“I am really excited for the added green space because I love hanging out outside, especially after being locked up inside all day,” said freshman Kate St. Julian.
There will be plenty of room for leisure indoors as well. Students stand to gain two separate locations, a new student center and a senior center. The idea is that ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders will spend their time in the student center, while seniors have an area to themselves.
“To my knowledge, we will be the only school in Texas with a student center for seniors and a separate one for ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders,” Mr. Eades said. “There are tons of places for students to gather and collaborate, which y’all just don’t have a lot of right now. Our attitude is that y’all work hard. We want y’all to be able to play hard, too.”
Because students will have spaces for socializing, the library, renamed the learning commons, will be a quiet place for studying and will be “significantly larger” than the current Moran Library, Mr. Eades said. Additionally, a new and improved Upper School office will be constructed to house Upper School administrators. Outside the office will be an Upper School lobby with a large staircase that will function as another leisure space.
The Upper School deans will also be given a suite, uniting all eight deans as well as the two administrative assistants in one location. Finally, an alumni center will be constructed on the south side of campus, overlooking the athletic fields.
“We’re calling it the alumni center because we don’t currently have one, and when we have large gatherings for them, that’s where we’ll do it,” Mr. Eades said. “But all of our organizations are going to use it — student organizations, parents groups, etc.”
The Upper School is not the only division getting an upgrade. Construction will include an expansion of the Lower School into the newly built Harrison House as well as upgrades and additions to athletics and arts facilities.
The hallmark feature of the athletic expansion is the construction of a new fieldhouse after the demolition of the Doggett Gym. The fieldhouse, which will be two stories tall, will have an indoor track as well as standard courts.
In athletics, all indoor facilities will have upgrades, including new locker rooms, coaches’ offices, and a weight room and fitness center. The Melcher and Fondren Gyms will be given a “facelift,” as Mr. Eades put it.
“We’re not talking about the baseball field or Segal Field, but all indoor athletic facilities will either get a facelift or be brand new,” Mr. Eades said.
The Visual and Performing Arts Department will also experience major upgrades as part of the Student Life building will become added space for its programs.
This will be made possible by the expansion, which will allow Upper School faculty currently residing in the Student Life building to move
into the actual school. One major feature of the addition will be a second dance studio that will be located where counselors and other administrators currently have offices.
“The specifics of who’s where and in which classroom is still to be determined, but these will all be additions,” Mr. Eades said. “We aren’t going to lose anything we had.”
The current Upper School student body has mixed emotions. Most students acknowledge that they will have graduated and left by the time that the new campus is fully constructed.
“I’m most excited to see people I know in lower grades be able to see the Kinkaid Upper School in a whole new light,” freshman Irene Pletcher said. “Even if I will only get the school for a short time, I’ll be grateful to witness the process and all the work that goes into making it a whole new experience for future grades.”
Despite barriers such as inflation and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the administration is following through on construction plans, which commenced on Monday, Oct. 10 with the demolition of the Harrison House as part of Phase One.
The first phase is estimated to last approximately 15 months and is set to finish in January 2024.
While replacement of the historic Harrison House with an improved building will eventually house the advancement team and other administrative offices as well as some Lower School classes, first the building will temporarily serve as a site for the Upper School as part of Phase Two.
“We’re going to build 36 to 39 classrooms out there, and it’ll house about 75% of the Upper School classes,” Mr. Eades said. Plans have been set to house all Upper School classes excluding the science department.
“The science department, as well as athletic and coaching offices, will move to temporary buildings on the west side of campus,” Mr. Eades said.
In Phase Two, the new Upper School will be built. This is expected to take between 18 and 24 months. Mr. Eades estimates that this new Upper School will be ready to house students in January 2026.
“It could be done in 18 months, but I think it’ll be two years,” Mr. Eades said. “Rounding up, that takes us to January 2026.”
Upon completion, Phase Three, the shortest phase, will commence: this involves restructuring the newly built Harrison House so that it can serve its original purpose of housing an expanded Lower School and administration.
While the School’s general contractor will undertake this process, the facilities team’s roles will be significantly different than typical over the next few years.
“During the construction process several existing roles will be impacted,” said Mr. Ed Jordan, director of facilities. “These changes include attendance in weekly construction meetings, ensuring school utilities are not negatively impacted, and communicating construction activities to the community.”
All renderings courtesy of Kinkaid’s Advancement Office. This article first appeared in the November 2022 edition of “The Falcon,” Kinkaid’s student magazine.
Go behind the scenes with digital coverage of the making of the ALL IN campaign video at thefalcon.kinkaid.org or by using this QR code:
By John Rovell, Archivist
In my work as school archivist, I often stumble on items in the collections that stick with me. One of these is an image taken by John Wrangle ’94 as a part of a project for his photography class, taught by retired photography teacher David Veselka.
Upper School photography students were asked to capture “A Day in the Life of Kinkaid” by taking photographs on a single day in February 1992. In Wrangle’s photo, a young Kinkaid student is looking through a chain link fence at a construction site, where the current Middle School building would one day stand.
Though one cannot see the boy’s expression, based on the way he grabs the fence and stares at the moved earth and construction materials, one can gather a sense of anticipation and excitement for what will come.
Every time I look at this image, I think of the generations of Kinkaidians who have perhaps done the very same thing as facilities get torn down and rebuilt in time with the shifting needs of Kinkaid’s growing and changing student body. Today, the footprint of The Kinkaid School is worlds away from its founder Mrs. Margaret Kinkaid’s dining room table in 1904.
Each of the steps in this generations-long process have been made possible through the generosity and commitment of individuals and families who were long-range thinkers and visionaries. They saw what The Kinkaid School could be and contributed their time, talents, and treasures as part of our major fundraising efforts, often called capital campaigns, even if their own Kinkaidians would graduate long before their visions came to fruition.
As we start the next chapter in Kinkaid’s history, it is important to take a look back at the strong vision and generosity that have brought us to where we are today.
Photo taken by John Wrangle ’94 in 1992 of "A Day in the Life of Kinkaid"
Fundraising and philanthropy have been a key part of Kinkaid’s expansion and development as a school since its earliest days. When Mrs. Kinkaid realized that she had maximized every inch of usable space at the original campus on San Jacinto and Elgin, she consulted with parents, and it was agreed that a new campus would be necessary for the further growth and development of Kinkaid and its programs.
In 1924, The Board of Trustees was convened to handle the business aspect of raising the capital to build the new school. Trustee
R.L. Blaffer headed the fundraising campaign. Donors were asked to purchase a subscription building bond worth anywhere between $100 and $10,000. According to “Kinkaid and Houston: 75 Years” these bonds ended up totaling $85,000.
It was not only the trustees who were involved in this effort, the first mothers’ committee of the School was hugely effective in driving giving, and were said to have “raised at least as much if not more than the men did.” The campaign was so successful that construction of the beautiful Spanish Renaissance style building designed by William Ward Watkins began that same summer.
As the School grew to include the Upper School in the 1930s and expanded its athletics offerings, fundraising and individual philanthropy led to the building of the Upper School on the site as well as the “Little Gym,” which was partially funded through money raised at Field Day, especially at an alumni basketball game hosted at that time. As the athletics program grew further, an additional gym was also funded through a very short fundraising campaign from March to May in 1949.
By the early 1950s, nearly 30 years after the move from San Jacinto to Richmond, the five acres of the Richmond Campus had also been maximized to its greatest potential in terms of space. With the growth of the student population, the arts program, and interscholastic athletic competition at Kinkaid, the facilities were becoming increasingly insufficient. So, Head of School John Cooper and the Board announced the intention to raise funds to move the school to a new location.
Dreaming of a site that could accommodate a football field, gyms, and a theater, they purchased 27 acres from the Rice Institute in Afton Oaks, a growing yet somewhat sleepy neighborhood at that time. They announced this with a brochure entitled “Challenge and Response at Kinkaid” where the Planning and Development
Committee outlined the various challenges caused by the lack of space as well as the opportunities presented by them:
“For the first time in Houston - and possibly anywhere - a great modern preparatory school can see the entire picture of its needs. Here is a very rare opportunity: to build and equip the ideal independent school. Hindered by no imperfect legacies of the past and limited by no poverty of resources, we can here and now prove ourselves worthy of an almost unique challenge. We propose to meet this challenge by creating a beautiful and functional school which will be an enduring satisfaction to those it serves and a model of the finest school design for generations to come.” - Challenge and Response at Kinkaid
When the Texas Department of Transportation informed the Board that acreage off the front of the Afton Oaks plot would be claimed for the future Southwest Freeway, Kinkaid purchased land from the Crosswell family in Piney Point Village, and School leadership began envisioning what they wanted to see on the new 40-acre site. A pamphlet, “Building for the Future,” articulated the design of the original plot of the Memorial Campus with layouts that both current students and alumni would recognize. This pamphlet and a follow-up brochure seem strikingly similar to later communications connected to capital campaigns in their language of vision and their promise of future opportunity.
After the completion of the final buildings on the Memorial Campus in the summer of 1958, the School began to turn its focus to enhancing the programs offered at Kinkaid, founding the first Endowment Fund in 1962. The Endowment was established to not only help fund the employment of exceptional teachers and provide unique educational experiences to Kinkaid students, it also funded financial assistance to students from outside of Kinkaid’s network of families to attend Kinkaid. This brought socio-economic, ethnic, and religious diversity to Kinkaid at levels not previously seen. Funding this endowment as well as other endowments for curriculum development and student assistance became a key part of the fundraising capital campaigns that were to come.
The 1970s were a time of innovation at Kinkaid. Open classrooms in the Lower School and the completion of the Moran Library in 1971 with its focus on independent learning were just two of the spaces that were impacted by this wave of new thought in curriculum and learning. By 1974, the Administration and the Board were ready to continue to take this to the next step. They decided funding for programs and additional facilities were needed to get Kinkaidians
Memorial Campus 1957-1958
ready for the new century that was fast approaching. To match this innovation, a new and more focused form of fundraising was chosen by the Board, John Cooper, and Bill McKinley, the director of finance at the time. They enlisted fundraising company Ketchum, Inc. to conduct a feasibility study in 1973, and then in 1974, they launched Century 21. To quote John Cooper:
“2000 AD will mark the completing of formal education for many youngsters soon to Kinkaid ...And the beginning of major decision-making for those now graduating. [It] will ask new questions which can be answered only by education. No other institution has the opportunity -- every day, day after day -- to prepare the growing person.”
Century 21 became our first modern capital campaign, and it set a lofty goal for its time of $3,000,000. It was headed by trustee Max R. Lents and was subdivided into five divisions headed by other members of the board. A campaign headquarters was located in rented office space in the (now demolished) Southwest Tower downtown. The campaign chairs introduced several components that would be recognizable to the Kinkaid community today, such as branded mailers and brochures. Most interesting is an audio piece communicating the value of The Kinkaid School’s education to outside donors, as it captures a fascinating snapshot of Kinkaid in 1974. In this, the voices of Head of School John Cooper, Upper School Head Barry Moss, Theatre Arts Director G’Ann Boyd among many others including students, discuss what they like about Kinkaid and what made Kinkaid’s mission important.
Century 21 was completed in March 1975, having raised $3,500,000; $500,000 more than expected. To celebrate, a banquet was held at the Ramada Club where John Cooper thanked the leadership of the campaign and received the door plaque that had been at its downtown headquarters.
Thanks to the success of Century 21, the School got to work building the Blaffer Arts Center, Sterling Science Center, and the Anderson Home Arts Center (now the Anderson Room). These additions were able to assist in the growth of the Middle School and Upper School programs at Kinkaid, if not fully solving some of the School’s issues with space. Many individuals newer to Kinkaid may not know that the building that now houses the Upper School used to be shared between the Middle School and the Upper School. By 1990, it had become unsuitable for housing both. In addition, the Athletics program was now bigger than it had ever been with 80% of the female students and 90% of the male students participating in a sport. The Fondren Gym and “The Little Gym” (now known as the Doggett Gym) had become rapidly inadequate.
So, in 1990, for the first time in 15 years, the School undertook a new capital campaign, dubbed Making a Difference. This campaign had a $12,000,000 goal, including $6,000,000 for new facilities (a separate Middle School Building and a new Gymnasium and athletics complex) and $6,000,000 for an endowment, which would cover the operational expenses of the new buildings as well as student financial aid and professional development for the faculty.
Legendary Director of Development
Phyllis Selber and Campaign
Chair Randall Meyer helped to guide the campaign to an incredibly successful result. Making a Difference was finished in under 20 months and ahead of its initial asking goal. Construction for the new Middle School began the following year and the Middle School students moved into the new school in December 1992. The new gym and athletics complex was completed in 1994 through the generosity of the Melcher family, the Friedkin family, the Fontaine Family, and the Houstoun Family among others, and a series of celebrations were held over a week in November of that year to inaugurate the new space.
Seven years after the successful completion of Making a Difference, the Board of Trustees adopted a long-range plan that was the result of a study of the School’s immediate needs. The expansion of the Upper School and Middle School brought much needed relief to the overcrowding that was happening as a result of the growth of the School, but leadership knew that further steps would need to be taken to continue Kinkaid’s legacy of excellence into the future. So, in 1995, they began to turn their attention to envisioning the next phase of Kinkaid’s story by initiating a long-range planning process that culminated in the publishing of Kinkaid’s “Long Range Plan: Building for the Future,” which was adopted in April 1999.
This plan underlined some of the growth that the School had experienced and the shortfalls of the facilities and programs of the time. After 40 years, the Lower School was facing some serious issues with its buildings, Theater Arts had fully outgrown the Blaffer Center, and the arts in general needed more space. In addition to all of this, a desire for developing Character Education was identified as a priority.
To answer all these challenges and increase endowments for staffing, curriculum, and need-based financial aid, the Board and Administration launched the Building for the Next Century campaign. Board Member David Weekley was chosen as the chair and the campaign got to work raising funds. In September of 1999, a construction wall was built around the site of the new Lower School, which featured artwork from students from all three academic divisions under the direction of Middle and Upper School art teacher
Throughout the campaign, four volumes of a newsletter called “The Inside Scoop” were published with updates about the campaign’s progress and the construction of each of the facilities.
By the end of the campaign in 2004, the School had raised over $46 million, which helped to build not only a new Lower School and Theater complex, but also the Quadrangle and Student Life Building. In addition to the physical assets of Kinkaid, $7.3 million of the amount raised went to new endowment funds. During Building for the Next Century, Phyllis Selber retired and Kinkaid hired Director of Advancement Tom Moore who has been instrumental in the success of Kinkaid’s fundraising up to the current day.
At this time, the Athletics program, much like Academics and the Arts, was again experiencing enormous growth and due to this, the outdoor athletic fields were in need of major upgrades. To bring the outdoor athletics areas into the 21st century, the Board and Administration launched a $4,400,000 initiative in 2008 called Fields and Dreams that would provide turf upgrades to the fields among other outdoor athletics improvements (the “Fields” part of the title) and a needs-based financial aid endowment (the “Dreams”). The main focus of the fields part of the initiative was the re-turfing of the athletics fields, new scoreboards, refurbishing of the Foster Parker track, and the creation of a new softball field. The Fields initiative, which concluded in 2009, generated over $5 million for these improvements, and the Dreams initiative finished in 2010 with $7,677,000 raised.
The 2010s began with exciting news. In summer 2009, longtime Kinkaid neighbor Mrs. Marjorie Milby indicated to Kinkaid that she was interested in selling her land that adjoined the Kinkaid campus. The acquisition of this land would bring the total acreage of Kinkaid from 40 acres to the 66 we have today. The school jumped at the opportunity, as leadership knew that this could assist Kinkaid in attaining much-needed space for a new entrance and parking lot. Beyond this, it would also allow for the visioning of other new buildings, including an Upper School one day. Land committee chair Chip Cureton and past Board Chair John Beckworth led the negotiations. In the end, the property was bought by Kinkaid for $20 million using a bridge loan, and Mrs. Milby was allowed to continue to live on the property for as long as she liked, which meant that there would be some time before Kinkaid could use the land. This delay was something that Head of School Don North discussed in his open letter published in the Fall 2010 special edition of “Kinkaid Magazine.” He saw this time as a positive thing, writing: “It will likely be several years before Kinkaid is fully able to develop the land.
But that will work to the School’s advantage. It will allow us to…think deliberately about the property’s best and highest uses.”
That fall, the Tomorrow’s Promise capital campaign was commissioned. Headed by Tad Mayfield ’81, its purpose was to pay the cost of the loan plus some immediate improvements to the land that were desperately needed. The campaign would also assist in the funding of a new Master Plan that would guide the next phase of development of the School. In October 2011, the campaign kicked off with a Sneak Peek event for the community so that they could see the newly acquired land. It was advertised with invitations resembling movie tickets and posters that featured clever twists on movie titles such as “Westward Go” and “A Bayou Runs Through It.”
After the completion of Tomorrow’s Promise, two major transitions happened in the life of Kinkaid. In 2013, Don North retired after 17 years as Kinkaid’s Head of School. A little more than a year later, in November 2014, Mrs. Milby passed away. At the intersection of these two events, the visioning that had taken place in the years after the purchase of the property began to lead to new changes. With the new land secured, the trustees and administration tackled some issues that had been plaguing Kinkaid for years, namely the cafeteria and the lack of parking. The Kinkaid Cafeteria was original to the 1957 plot and was no longer able to accommodate students and faculty during one lunch period. The parking situation had been dire for quite some time with Upper School students having to park off campus and get shuttled in at the beginning of each school day.
The Building Together capital campaign was called to help with both problems. The total working goal for the campaign was $25 million and with the generosity of many members of the community, the School was able to build the current two-story Dining and Learning Center with increased classroom space for the Middle School on its second floor as well as the multi-level parking garage that has allowed students to park on campus and provides ample parking for visitors.
Upon the completion of Building Together, a smaller $10,850,000 campaign titled Go West helped the School expand westward with the construction of the redesigned campus entrance that had been envisioned in 2010 as well as a new tennis complex, Kel’s Hill, a practice baseball field, an all-purpose practice field, and a large retention pond that has helped Kinkaid to prevent flooding from major storms. By the end of the campaign in 2018, Kinkaid as it is known today was fully realized.
In a pamphlet from the Century 21 campaign in 1974, an unattributed quote stands out: “The wise man is one who sacrifices the moment for the future of the child and the child’s child.” The proof of this guiding
On Monday, October 10, 2022, the Harrison House was torn down after over 60 years serving as a home to two heads of school and then later as the Advancement offices. Below are images of the house and events held there throughout the years:
maxim from over 50 years ago is evident the moment one drives on campus today.
Today’s Kinkaidians benefit from the sweeping green space, the improved parking, a separate and expanded Middle School and Lower School, and a Fine Arts building among many other features that were funded by their forbearers. This chain of concern for the future goes back to the days of Mrs. Kinkaid and the first Board of Trustees.
As Kinkaid turns to its current exciting campaign, ALL IN, students of today are much like the boy in John Wrangle’s photo. They can look at the space where the Harrison House used to be and imagine what is to come.
Many may graduate by the time these buildings are fully constructed and realized, but they and the rest of the Kinkaid community are being called to go all in and be the next link in that chain of concern and sacrifice that will provide for the Kinkaidians of tomorrow.
Century 21: Max R Lents
Making a Difference: Randall Meyer
Building for the Next Century: David Weekley
Fields and Dreams: Ray Childress, Curtis Harrell, and Andrew Segal (Fields)/Ed Frank ’68 and Michael Kuhn ’68 (Dreams)
Tomorrow’s Promise: Tad Mayfield ’81
Building Together: Pam Fullenwider and Bill Montgomery
Go West: Greg Looser and Evan Katz
All In: Leslie Doggett ’75, Evan Katz, and Charles Lawrence ’96
Scan this QR Code to listen to the audio recording from the Century 21 campaign. Take a trip to 1974 and hear John Cooper, Barry Moss, Art Goddard, G’Ann Boyd, Pat Foley, and others talk about what makes Kinkaid special.
For more history, please visit: kinkaid.org/who-we-are/campus-history
Wellness begins at home with healthy family relationships, communication, meals, sleep, community involvement, and learning to set boundaries. Young people listen to and learn from their parents, even when at times it may not feel like they are listening or watching. The school-home partnership is key to supporting healthy students and allowing healthy young people to continue to learn about and practice self-care.
In all three divisions at Kinkaid as well as in our arts and athletics programming, the administration, faculty, and staff value and promote wellness through building relationships, listening, and creating safe classroom and learning environments. Students build connections to mindfulness through homerooms, advisory programming, community groups, and wellness education. When students hear similar messages both at home and at school about the importance of protecting their health and well-being through practicing self-care, it empowers them to make healthier decisions.
Our ongoing partnership with the Parents’ Association is an integral part of communicating the educational mission of helping young people make healthy choices throughout their lifetimes. The goal is that each Kinkaid graduate carries with them through adulthood a toolbox full of skills to help them cope when faced with stress, sustain healthy relationships, follow their core values with moral courage, and understand and practice self-care for their mental, emotional, social, and physical health.
Starting in October, Michele Borba, Ed.D., widely acclaimed author of Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine, joined the Kinkaid community to discuss effective and proven strategies on how to raise resilient, moral, and empathetic children. Lower School Counselor, Dr. Nancy Simpson, then led a book study on Dr. Borba’s book specifically for Lower School parents, discussing ways topics in the book impact elementary aged children with an important focus on encouraging growth mindsets.
In November, internationally renowned psychiatrist, John Rush, M.D., who was recognized as one of the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” by Reuters, joined the Kinkaid community for a valuable conversation on mental health, stigma, and depression. Crime Stoppers representative Jenna Fondren joined the Lower School later in the month to present on Cyber Safety Awareness covering potential online dangers, cybercrime trends, social media and gaming platforms, and online monitoring tools.
During the fall semester, the Health, Wellness, and Parent Education Committee, led by Upper School chairs
Annette Brissett and Jennifer Wizel, Middle School chairs
Betsy Goldstein and Lis Purdy, and Lower School chair Natalie Reichman, hosted several incredible presentations by experts in the field of child psychology and child safety.
Finishing the year in December, Dr. Simpson led another book study discussing Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Yourself and Your Child Thrive by Dr. Marc Brackett, a professor at Yale University’s Child Study Center and founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Simpson guided Lower School parents through a discussion on how families can help children manage anxious feelings.
Kinkaid will continue to support our families as the primary support system for teaching and practicing self-care from our youngest Falcons to those we are soon sending off into the world.
“Partnering with parents is a key component to a successful Wellness program,” says Cheryl Mitchell, Director of Wellness. “At Kinkaid, we support and build upon the lessons learned at home.”
By Scott Lambert, Director of Visual and Performing Arts
Starting our productions in October of 2022, Kinkaid’s Upper School theatre students performed the mainstage fall play, Ken Ludwig’s The Three Musketeers, with the large cast filling the stage in incredible costumes with an amazing set. Their hard work, even before the start of the school year, with a professional stage combat master helped to perfect their sword work and really showed as students soared in the production. Running simultaneously, the KinkADE Underground production of Cooking With Lard featured five actors playing 15 different roles in the hilarious study of a small Texas town and all of its inhabitants.
Our seventh grade choir became our first vocal ensemble to perform this year when they presented several songs at the Arts Parent Coffee and Conversation event. Vocal music followed that performance with the Concert Choir, Encore, and the 8th Grade Choir concert, Together We Sing, at the end of the month. Voices soared as the concert celebrated belonging and ensemble.
Kinkaid’s Band and Orchestra presented the annual Hauntcert with music from Sleepy Hollow, John Williams, and even the Mario Brothers Theme in the middle of October. The exciting end of the performance was the School’s re-introduction to the symphonic orchestra which had not had the opportunity to rehearse or perform together since the start of the pandemic, and it was a compelling performance.
Kinkaid Visual Arts opened the first major exhibit of the year this month as well. With 177 individual pieces displayed, the exhibition was diverse and exciting, featuring work from our photography, drawing and painting, printmaking and mixed media, graphic design, ceramics, and sculpture students. The talent displayed across this exhibit was impressive.
October also witnessed several of our film students receiving laurels for their works, including screenings at The All-American High School Film Festival as well as our Middle School film students premiering their “suspense movie trailers” at a Middle School assembly.
Just getting started, the month of November began with our fall dance concert featuring the Kinkaid Dance Company. Entitled Hooray for Hollywood, the concert featured music from well-known films including Flashdance, The Godfather, Footloose, and Halloween The concert also featured a Bollywood piece choreographed by Kinkaid Alum, Kavita Rao ’01
Children’s Theatre was next with their performance of How to Survive a Fairy Tale. This hilarious and heart-warming story was performed not just for our entire Lower School, but also toured to schools around Houston. Continuing to focus on the service-learning aspect of this course, the class followed each performance working with small groups of students to introduce them to the world of theatre. It was an impactful program for all involved.
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Creative Writing held its annual fall reading where students read poems, short stories, and selections from plays. As always, the works created by our students ran the gamut from personal, funny, sad, and impactful. Most importantly, the readings showcased the remarkable talent that our students hold within.
November also delivered our second issue of The Falcon, Kinkaid’s student-produced magazine. The work our journalism students create is really exceptional. The magazine is filled with incredible investigative journalism, opinion pieces, and interviews. Selections are now featured on the “Campus Life” page of the Kinkaid website, and I encourage everyone to follow our writers.
Not slowing down, December opened with our ninth and tenth graders performing the annual New Faces performance. Featuring music from a variety of musicals including, Newsies, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Tuck Everlasting, and Hamilton, students danced and sang their way through their introduction to our audiences.
Finally, the last month of the year allowed us to return, for the first time since the pandemic, to our amazing Margaret Kinkaid Holiday Celebration of the Arts. With two major concerts, one for Middle School students and one for Upper School students, we witnessed holiday music from all of our bands, choirs, and orchestras – the day featured an astounding 313 student musicians. Our visual arts students exhibited approximately 370 pieces of visual art and our fifth and sixth grade dancers premiered their Dance Down Main Street, which they performed at Disneyland in California.
It has been a terrific fall season in the Arts. We can’t wait to see what the spring brings!
By David Holm, Director of Athletics and Physical Education
It’s a great day to be a Falcon! And, it certainly was a great fall season to be a Falcon as so many of our teams and student-athletes had memorable events and experiences.
Coming off of our summer workouts, our Falcons hit the ground running and never looked back. Upper School pre-season sports started the first of August and several weeks later were joined by our Middle School teams. This was a fall that would see athletic competitions not only throughout the state of Texas, but nationally in the great cities of New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Minneapolis. It was a season of skill development, personal bests, strong conference showings, and SPC Championship competitions.
After exciting and hard fought seasons, our fall varsity athletes represented Kinkaid brilliantly at the Fall SPC Championships here in Houston and turned in impressive final stats and SPC rankings. On a beautiful clear and crisp morning, our Boys and Girls Cross-Country teams ran fast over the course at Spring Creek in Tomball, TX. The Boys finished in sixth place and had six runners record “personal bests” that morning. After a strong performance midway through the season at the Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Girls Cross-Country team finished sixth in the SPC and saw nine runners hit “personal bests” at the Championship Meet. Our Girls Volleyball team played hard throughout the tournament and finished in eighth place. The Boys Volleyball team played well throughout the year and finished the season with a 3-0 sweep over St. John’s to secure fifth place.
The 2022 Cheer team showed incredible skill and power, particularly during Homecoming week and at Rice Stadium hyping up our Falcon fans. Following a great performance at our SPC football championship game, the team headed to Galveston to compete in the Public/Private Large School competition. Competing with over 30 teams, Kinkaid finished fifteenth overall, and finished in first place for private schools. Our nationally ranked Field Hockey team competed at the MaxPreps Field Hockey Invitational in Philadelphia going 3-0 against some of the nation’s best teams and finished second in the SPC Tournament. The Kinkaid Falcon Football team battled throughout the season playing a tough non-conference schedule including a trip to New Orleans to face Archbishop Shaw. The “never-give-up” Falcons culminated their incredible season as the SPC 4A Football Champions.
Our Junior Varsity (JV) athletes put in an extraordinary amount of time and energy to their success this fall season. JV Cheer competed this fall and performed at Rice and the SPC championship game and brought precision and spirit to their performances. JV Football has had two unprecedented years going 20-0-1 in the last 21 games. Look out for the future of Falcon Football! We competed four JV Volleyball teams between the girls and the boys, building a solid foundation to continue to build these two programs. JV Field Hockey made the semi finals of the JV city tournament, and we are excited about continuing field hockey domination.
“We had a fun season and placed pretty well at the SPC tournament! Definitely gonna miss the seniors, but excited for next year. ”
Mason Howes ’24
Our Middle School student-athletes, too, competed with integrity and passion this season. Our cross country teams had outstanding personal records throughout the season and placed six runners in the top 20 at the final HJPC. The boys placed 3rd and Maya Bernal ’27 placed 2nd overall in the girls division. Eighth grade football competed with passion for the HJPC Championship but came up a bit short, placing 2nd. Our volleyball teams grew tremendously through the season with several of our seventh grade athletes going on 14 run serve streaks. Eighth grade field hockey won some epic overtime battles, and seventh grade field hockey went undefeated this year.
With the fall season in the books, the winter season is just getting started. Our teams are showing they continue to be up to the challenge with basketball, soccer, swimming, and wrestling off to a strong start.
Every day is a great day to be a Falcon!
Carmen Gomez
Lacy Price
Kelly Cubbage
Kate Skubisz
AnnaClaire Hankamer
Mona Miles
Andrea Tellepson
Gerald Jefferson
Monica Jefferson
Helena Johnson
Thomas Johnson
April Abello
Jodi Altsuler
Huntley Anderson
Julie Berman
Beth Bernal
Jason Bernal
Jennifer Brown
Deirdre Carr
Wendie Childress
Amanda Davis
Jennifer De la Rosa
Vân Fadulu
Amy Ferber
Kristina Frankel
Amy Goldstein
Cari Griggs
Kim Hankamer
Jen Haynes
Susan Heldebrand
Whitney Hinton
Lindsay Hyman
Katherine Jones
Paula Kekish
Ashley Klaasmeyer
Sarah Liuzzi
Mary Livingstone
Kay Lobb
Melissa Massey
Christie McCartney
Mona Miles
Tennessee Ott
Georgia Piazza
Greta Pliskin
Laura Robertson
Karen Susman
Erin Sweed
Andrea Tellepsen
Karen Vidal
Mequet Werlin
Jennie Zhang
Elva Akin
Jodi Altsuler
Ketti Awad
Kelly Beeler
Julie Berman
Jennifer Blomquist
Nadine Boutros
Deborah Brown
Erin Brown
Shila Bustos
Laura Chiles
Liz Cook
Allison Crosswell
Vicky Donnelly
Elana Evans
Van Fang
Terri Gordon
Jennifer Hanson
Tracey Hull
Lillie Hutcheson
Christine Laskin
Jennifer Leman
Xin Li
Niaz M. Siamak
Amy McCallum
Molly Montgomery
Harper Morrow
Marjory Nigro
Caroline Peters
Georgia Piazza
Lacy Price
Elisabeth Purdy
Natalie Reichman
Brooke Robertson
Laurel Shaper
Betsy Siff
Erin Sweed
Caren Sweetland
Susie Tannery
Amy Walton
Kathaleen Walton
Jennifer Zach
“My cross-country season has been meaningful to me because of my teammates. We work hard together to accomplish challenging things as a team, and I feel like I get stronger physically and mentally throughout the season because of what we do during practice and at meets. I love spending time with my teammates because we have so much fun together and they always radiate good vibes. Cross-country makes me grow as an athlete, a teammate, and a person. I am so thankful for my coaches and my teammates. ”
Maddy Billip ’25
President
Matthew Gordon ’99
Vice-President
Ben Brown ’01
Secretary
Kathy McAnelly Schwartz ’79
Members
Rahul Agrawal ’05
Bruce Bilger ’01
Krystal Carter ’01
Carvana Hicks Cloud ’95
Allison Speed Crosswell ’92
Rod Crowl ’66
Courtney Domercq Daily ’94
Demetri Dale ’94
Marie Fay Evnochides ’59 (Emeritus)
Nicole Nathan Gibson ’88
Laura Byrd Herring ’76
Leslie Ballard Hull ’93
Melissa Lyon Johnson ’74
Palmer Letzerich ’90
Scott Locher ’84
Lance McMillan ’89
Jane Hoffert Moore ’46 (Emeritus)
Michel Miller Mullett ’00
Mary Sommers Burger Pyne ’95
Amy Ragan ’81
Frank Vandiver ’82
Ben Whitman ’92
Ex-officio
Lisa Crosswell Stone ’83
Trustee Liaison
Alicia Lee ’98
Faculty Representative
Sonia Clayton
President
Kenner Smith Francis ’10
Vice President
Chinna O’Suji ’11
Members
Frances Andrews ’15
Kevin Clegg ’08
Campbell Cravens ’12
Marshall Crawford ’09
Madison Deal ’11
Thomas Deskin ’10
Brooks Elias ’15
Nick Fernandez ’16
Carter Guinn ’17
Lexie Heim ’17
Mary Labanowski ’16
Ashley McGaw ’15
Collins Orr ’14
Ricky Perusquia Jr. ’11
Anabelle Reade ’12
Emily Sangalis Senchuk ’09
Benjamin Thomas ’13
Emily Robinson Walter ’13
Elizabeth Clark Waltrip ’14
Ex-officio
Julia Wood Harris ’08
Lane Alexander ’91
Kirby Allison ’08
Christina Wilson Altenau ’97
Steven Arnold ’79
Evans Attwell ’79
Elizabeth Baird ’19
Courtney Dreyer Beauchamp ’93
Amy Parker Beeson ’98
Julie Templin Berman ’86
Katherine Berman ’18
Alice Berry ’79
Jordan Allison Boyce ’04
Tami Fox Brau ’65
Anthony Brown ’83
Erin Jones Brown ’96
Jennifer Wilson Brown ’92
Sally Buck ’20
Homoiselle Sadler Bujosa ’76
Krystal Carter ’01
Antonio Castro ’19
Pat Kidson Fogle Cavanagh ’66
Bonnie German Chandler ’69
Ariana Nizza Chapman ’02
Meredith Riddle Chastang ’95
Wendie Seale Childress ’93
Calanne Koenig Choate ’63
Mason Bashaw Clelland ’08
Emily Mitchell Covey ’96
Maria Semander Crawford ’82
Samuel Crocker ’61
Courtney Domercq Daily ’94
Ellee Dukes ’17
Tom Dunlap ’80
Spencer English ’00
Jackie Fair ’84
Billy Forney ’92
Sarah Deal Frankenfeld ’78
Claudia Wilson Frost ’71
Avery Geisler ’11
John Hagerman ’59
Ashley Morgan Hanna ’93
Harry Hantel ’11
TX Harris ’18
Dejon Banks Hawthorne ’95
Evan Henke ’10
Kate Hinnant ’16
Carolyn Lasater Hodges ’85
Grace Lee Hofer ’05
Daniel Jenkins ’97
Anne Tropoli Kahle ’03
Alyssa Gardner Kilpatrick ’00
Pam Dilworth Kissiah ’73
Leslie Roemer Labanowski ’02
Lucy Lee Lamme ’58
Judy Levin ’75
Ellie Lucke ’19
Lewis Luckenbach III ’72
Elizabeth Evans Mann ’99
Alanna McAuley ’09
John McReynolds ’81
Daryn Mehling ’21
Jane Heyck Gaucher
Montgomery ’53
Jane Hoffert Moore ’46
Michel Miller Mullett ’00
Claire Andreae Murray ’64
Elizabeth Topper Nash ’68
Haley Ebel O’Brien ’14
Annie Owen ’68
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Elizabeth Oxford Pagan ’89
Lauren Lestin Philipson ’07
Allan Port ’60
Stuart Pradia ’01
Jake Reinbolt ’17
Emily Catherine Jeter Riggs ’04
Doug Rosenzweig ’87
Adrian Turner Ross ’62
Seb Seager ’19
John Semander ’88
Kirby Gilbert Shaw ’12
Madeleine Topper Sheehy ’74
Katie Shaffer Silver ’13
Isabel Stallings ’18
Sassy English Stanton ’60
Page Thomson Steele ’54
Skyler Swanson ’21
Allan Tang ’72
Jane Van De Mark ’77
Malcolm Waddell ’70
Amy Stuyck Watson ’92
Casson Wen ’06
This fall, Kinkaid held the 17th Annual Alumni Leadership Day. Fifty-seven alumni from the Classes of 1998 to 2017 returned to campus for this day of mentoring and networking. Demetrios Cokinos ’10 kicked off the event with a keynote address on the importance of perseverance and finishing strong. Panelists included young professionals who are making their marks in various fields from arts and entertainment, to real estate, technology, healthcare, and more. Alumni answered questions from the seniors about what a day in the life of someone in their profession looks like to what classes they wish they had taken in college to help prepare the Class of 2023 for life beyond graduation.
In August, Jim Isaacks ’40, celebrated his 100th birthday. While celebrating this milestone, he shared a few memories of his early years at Kinkaid. He recalled of being at the School, “It was like a great big, wonderful family.” Jim’s fondest memories are of Mrs. Kinkaid. He shared, “Mrs. Kinkaid was the most wonderful thing to me in the world.” He remembered she was “like a mother onsite to the children” but acknowledges that she was still strict and demanded good scholarship.
Jim’s Kinkaid years were spent at the Richmond campus, a property he remembers for its towering cedar trees. He entered in the sixth grade at a time when Kinkaid was starting athletic programs, including the first football team, hoping to be a draw for area boys. In fact, Jim still has his Kinkaid football jersey!
With a laugh, he admits he got into trouble “a number of times”, and Mrs. Kinkaid was there to help him out of any predicament. Jim remembers back to awards day of his senior year; he did not win a single award and shrunk down in his seat as the program went on. At the end, Mrs. Kinkaid stood up to say that she had an award, one that was being given for the first time. She called it her “Loyalty Award” and announced the recipient was Jim Isaacks. She gave him a book by Zane Grey on fishing, which she knew he loved. When he was walking out the door that day, she stopped him to say there will always be a position at Kinkaid for you as a teacher. Mrs. Kinkaid had watched him closely and saw the sympathy and connection he had with the young children. The thought of this interaction and what it meant to him still brings a tear to his eye today.
All male members of the Class of 1940, pictured above, enlisted for World War II and served as aviation officers. Miraculously all came home safely. Following his service, Jim went on to Baylor University in the fall of 1945 where he reconnected with Nancy, a former neighbor he first met when he was eight. Nancy and Jim were married for 70 years and built their life in San Antonio. Together they had five children who continue to, as Jim says, “fill his life with love.”
That is why we are embarking on a first-of-its-kind alumni oral history project entitled Falcon FlashbacksKinkaid Alumni Oral History Project. Alumni will have the opportunity to share their story in their own words for generations of Kinkaid students and alumni to enjoy. Alumni stories will be documented in a book that will preserve and celebrate the impact of Kinkaid.
More information can be found on the Alumni section of the website or by using this QR code:
Jim Isaacks ’40 with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren celebrating his birthday
Jim Isaacks ’40 Winning the Track Cup in 1940
Kinkaid Class of 1940
Every Falcon has a story, and Kinkaid wants to hear yours!
Many people have childhood dreams spurred by the things they love – to drive a race car, live in a faraway place, or play second base for their favorite team. For Krystal Carter ’01, her dream has always been to take her love of cooking to the next level by attending Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. In 2022, despite the pressures of a busy life, she found a way to make her childhood dream a reality.
How did this passion start?
As a child, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen cooking with my mother. I distinctly remember my father telling me, “Anyone can cook as long as you can follow instructions.” I started cooking at a young age. I scrambled my first egg in a microwave at three and progressed to grilling steak at seven. My grandmother passed just before I started sixth grade at Kinkaid. As an homage to her, that year I prepared my first Thanksgiving meal. Since I was in Mariana Schneller’s French class at the time, my mother introduced me to the idea of going to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris if one day I wanted to become an international chef. That spark immediately became my dream. Naturally, I elected to make French my foreign language through high school. Somewhere along the way, I decided against cooking as a profession, largely because it was something I was so passionate about. I did not want to have it tethered to obligation.
What spurred you on to make this dream a reality?
As I made my career in the area of technical consulting, I have become somewhat of a road warrior. Though technology is how I make my living, my passion for cooking never subsided. In late 2021, I found that I was a few short miles away from making Platinum status with United Airlines so I decided to take a mileage run trip to Paris to hit the goal. I had been to France on numerous occasions by this time and wanted to experience it in a different way. So, I decided to spend the week taking French cooking classes: macaroons, the five traditional French sauces, and choux pastries. I reached out to
Lucas Somoza ’00 who lives in Paris. He joined me for the macaron class - we made our macarons purple and gold because duh!
One of the classes was at Le Cordon Bleu, and after that class, I was hooked. I had finally made it and realized the dream of my sixth grade self. Just that one class was everything I had imagined and more! Out of sheer curiosity, I looked into their longer programs. To my surprise, they offer an intensive option for both their cuisine and pastry programs which shrinks a three-month program down to six weeks. Though the pandemic really opened people up to the idea of working remotely, I felt running a consulting firm in the US while living in France for three months would be difficult, but perhaps I could hack it for six weeks. I took the leap and decided I could do six weeks abroad while still working remotely with my US clients. It would be grueling, but I believed it would be worth it. What was the greatest surprise or joy to come from this adventure?
The list is so long. In addition to learning some great techniques, I love the relationships I gained through this process. The day before I left for Paris, I stopped by Kinkaid to see Mrs. Schneller to tell her of the journey upon which I was about to embark. I am glad I did as I learned she would be retiring at the end of that school year. The greatest surprise would be the friendships that I made with the students in my cohort. I went to Le Cordon Bleu planning to learn a lot about technical French cooking and I did; you should see me truss a full yellow chicken!
I never studied abroad while in school, so this experience was like my almost-over-the-hill study abroad. It was enlightening in so many ways. I really came to appreciate the French way of life, the precision of French cuisine, and the quality of French food. I regularly miss exploring the French markets. I was surprised by how much I knew about France from my studies at Kinkaid. I am actually writing this from Paris, and tonight I met someone from Lyon. My mind immediately went to Jane Murdock’s tenth grade French class where she taught us that “the Rhone meets the Saone in Lyon where they make rayon and silk.” I recounted that little rhyme to the woman I met and she goes, “Oh yes, I live right at that juncture!”
As with most things I do, I like to look at how I can take my experience and expose others to those possibilities. Shortly after returning, I was asked by one of my clients if I would consider teaching a culinary arts class to the students attending their summer program. Within weeks, I set up their commercial kitchen to emulate the teaching style we used at Le Cordon Bleu. I explained I am not a “chef” just yet but the students did not care. They were learning cool skills from someone who looks like them who went to school in Paris! Just like when I was in sixth grade and thought going to Le Cordon Bleu seemed like such an elusive dream, these young kids may have had the same thoughts. Now they were being taught by someone who grew up like them who did it. I used some of those trussing skills that I learned at Le Cordon Bleu when making my Thanksgiving meal this year. It is almost full circle since it was my 12-year-old thanksgiving meal that first sparked my interest in going to culinary school.
Any plans for the future?
I am trying to figure out how I make the time to go back and complete the program. I am planning on completing the intermediate segment in the spring of 2023. Then I will figure out when I dedicate the three months to the Superior program in order to be a fully diplomaed chef. While I do not plan on making a career in culinary arts, the experience and the excellence of the program has left me craving more.
November 8, 2022 was a very special day as The Kinkaid School recognized and celebrated the devotion of Francita Stuart Koelsch Ulmer ’49. The School is deeply honored she chose to support Kinkaid in the unique way of naming the Archivist Office, allowing Kinkaid to continually preserve our history.
Mrs. Ulmer has been an integral part of the Kinkaid family and a vital resource to preserving Kinkaid’s history. She received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2005. She was pleased to honor the request of former Head of School John Cooper to write an account of the School’s early days. She personally interviewed students, parents, teachers, and other acquaintances of Mrs. Kinkaid to meticulously account and record the history. It resulted in one of her proudest accomplishments, The Kinkaid School: First Fifty Years, published in 1956. In addition, she attained a Texas Historical Marker in 1981 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the School.
Mrs. Ulmer is a sixth generation Texan and has been a dedicated and selfless servant to the Houston community. As a graduate of Wellesley College, Mrs. Ulmer was chosen to be in the History department’s first graduate studies class at Rice University and has carried her love for history and historic preservation into numerous endeavors, including the Garden Club of Houston, Alley Theatre Board, Houston Symphony Board, and the Junior League of Houston.
Thank you Mrs. Ulmer for your many years of support to our beloved School.
The Moms and Dads of Kinkaid Grads Social is back! Parents who no longer have students at the School were welcomed back for an evening of fun and fellowship in September. The social was held in the Ogilvie Lobby of the Katz Performing Arts Center and provided a wonderful opportunity for folks to reunite and meet our Head of School, Jonathan Eades. The turnout was spectacular, and the School can hardly wait to plan the next one. Thank you to Kathy and Jeff Sangalis for chairing the event along with their committee.
Mrs. Francita Ulmer ’49 and her husband Jim Ulmer Jonathan Eades with Mrs. Francita Ulmer ’49 Erle and Ingrid GoodingShelley MacKay, and Bill and Judy Wheelock
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
On Thursday, October 27, the Alumni Association hosted the second Kinkaid Women’s Professional Networking Breakfast. This event was open to all alumnae and mothers of current students who were interested in networking with other professional women. Over 100 women attended representing a variety of industries from banking to design. Plans are in the works for another networking event in the spring!
Suzie Dyer Bacon ’90, Claire Liedtke Alexander ’76, Jonathan Eades, Josh Zeller ’91, Laura Dyer Mako ’81, and Beth Blackbird Bryan ’81
Jonathan Eades and Jody Ruhl ’58
Sarah Inayatali, Jennifer Moore, Mehgan Wichuk, and Whitney Russell
Through the years, Dee Osborne has supported The Kinkaid School expressing, “my admiration for the outstanding education being taught at the School. The standards of instruction, quality of the teachers, and the wide variety of subjects and activities available are truly impressive.”
He adds, “Over the years, Kinkaid has been an extremely important part of our family. It is the place where our children received an outstanding education and made life-long friends. For us, however, the most important part of our children’s time at Kinkaid was that they entered as children and left as wonderful young adults, well prepared to move on to the next stage of their lives.”
Mr. Osborne is proud his family represents three generations of Kinkaidians - daughters, Cindy Beckham ’78 and Shelly Vester ’80; grandchildren, Ford Beckham ’07 and Emily Beckham ’11; and great-grandson, Sterling Gray ’35, who started Kindergarten this year.
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Washington D.C. area Falcons got together in November for an Alumni Party at local restaurant Centrolina.
Tom Moore, Carolyn Harris, and Clark Ervin ’77Ashley Davis ’15 and Taylor J. Cowan ’16
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Over 160 alumni gathered to reconnect with friends and kick off the holiday season at the Annual Alumni Holiday Party.
Kinkaid alumni enjoy an evening back on campus.
Chris Jones ’73, Maggie Warren Jones ’74, Madeleine Topper Sheehy ’74, and Richard Sheehy
Makeea Grainger, Rebecca Fogle ’93 (fs), Pat Kidson Cavanagh ’66, and George Grainger ’76
Jennifer Roosth ’98, Lisa Wood, Shayna Goldstein Andrews ’84, and Jackie Fair ’84
Jane Hoffert Moore ’46 1620 Calumet Dr. Houston, TX 77004
713-529-9700
Alongside her family, Alice Milliken ’44 celebrated her 96th birthday on November 5, 2022.
Jane Heyck Gaucher Montgomery ’53 3121 Buffalo Speedway, Apt 4104 Houston, TX 77098 713-621-4673
texaschm2@comcast.net
Page Thomson Steele ’54 23714 Cansfield Way Katy, TX 77494 713-504-3792
Dear Alums – I cannot believe we have celebrated over 60 birthdays together in our little birthday group! Our birthday group has remained long term friends and allies! On to more fun and companionship in the next 60 years!
Ann Collette Mengden ’50 says “Happy New Year!” and shares this photo of her in front of the door to her room at The Village.
Nicky Sanborn Minear ’56 sends this update on her and her family, “On October 16th my daughter Devon Laws and Nathan Wilson were married at the Depot in San Marcus. The wedding was held on the Platform, the reception was held in the Station House and our accommodations were cabooses. On January 29th, my oldest granddaughter Shelby Laws was married to Travis Hempel of Victoria. They were married at Beneath the Oaks in Midfield, TX (Bay City area). Shelby is
a chemical engineer and a graduate of Georgia Tech with highest honors. Travis is a mechanical engineer. Both are employed by Dow in Seadrift. On May 12th my youngest granddaughter Chelsie Laws received her degree in Math from Texas State. She will be teaching in the fall.”
Bob Beeley ’56 shares, “At age 84 I have been blessed with good health, a wonderful family, and too much knowledge to keep to myself. It’s a pleasure to help others reach the same plateau with their businesses. And so, I do.”
Lucy Lee Lamme
21 Briar Hollow Lane Unit 803 Houston, TX 77027
713-781-1765
lucylamme@att.net
58ers, we have another milestone in our long lives. Kinkaid is tearing down the last of the "new school", our high school. In 1957, we walked down the airconditioned (!) single aisle to Senior Corner, where we could smoke(!!), past shiny new lockers to begin as seniors. We lost Dorothy to Lamar but gained Kendall Robinson Dighton
and Sue Shaffer Peters. Some events I remember...The newspaper had a Mr. and Miss Falcon contest to sell 5c. papers and the first crowned were Linda Lester Griffin and Frank Foshee, followed by Virginia Joy and John Elias. Alas, those romances didn’t make it past high school. Parker Swanson was the Lord High Admiral in our G&S production. Who knew he could sing? Did he get to kiss Sally Eastham Chapoton? John Webb won the ceremonial stick horse as Top Hand in our first Rodeo Day and our football team LOST to St. John’s. I’ve never forgiven QB Jim Parks, Eddie Gumbert, or cousin Will Lee Kay Christie, gallop back into our lives, and Jimmy Janse, we’re all on the Back Nine so tee up with us. Joe Rollo, surface. Jody Ruhl must be as busy as ever. And Bob Everett, we were prom dates!
John David Hagerman 24800 I-45, Suite 100 The Woodlands, TX 77386 johndhagerman@hotmail.com
The ’59 class lunch bunch is still meeting from time to time after a Covid pause; and if you want information as to getting on the email lunch notice list, contact Glenn Seureau at Star Motor Cars at 713-868-6800 or John David Hagerman at 713-248-5801.
Sassy English Stanton 1404 Potomac Houston, Texas 77057 713-266-9919 sassy@stanton-pinckard.com
Allan Port Houston, Texas allan.port@att.net
Adrian Turner Ross Houston, Texas adrian@rexross.com
Dear 1962 Classmates,
Way back in April 2022, a small but delightful group of us celebrated our 60th Reunion. There was a chilly, but fun barbecue at the Kinkaid campus on Friday evening, and on Saturday we gathered at the home of Rex and Adrian Turner Ross Barry Rose came from Montana. Tony Kupersmith and wife Beecie came from Virginia, and Sandra Provost and husband Bob came from Arizona. The local folks who joined us were Gibson Carothers, George Schudy and wife Judy, Tony Walsh Duperier, Randi Fay Yocum, Carolyn Ferguson Means, Jean Merritt Johnston, Sam Harrison, Chip Stanberry and wife Janet, and Richard Domercq and wife Patrice. Susan Cooper Gaudet and Tim Havens weighed in via Zoom. To those of you who could not join us, you were missed. A good time was had by all. On a sad note, Kathy Freeman Steigerwald passed away recently. If you happen to know of any other classmates that we have lost in the past several years, please let me know and I will note it in the next newsletter.
Happy 2023 to everyone, Adrian Turner Ross
1963
Need Volunteer
Bob Beeley ’56 Ann Collette Mengden ’50Welcome to the age of blossoming infection, as lo and behold we are now being blessed by Flu, RSV, colds and old friends like a myriad of Covid variants. Neglected we are not by varmints of multiple varieties. Hopefully one and all have either escaped or have fully recovered from the more purulent villains afloat in our environs.
I have heard via the grapevine that some of our classmates have resumed travel, retired, moved into senior communities and have made forays into personal reunions with old friends. As the times “they are a changing” such that it is difficult to stay up with all the challenges presented today.
Ed Greacen in sharing, punctuates the dilemmas of our current times ranging from social media overriding parental input to weather change and other environmental consequences evolving over the generations. Despite continued turmoil, both domestic and international, which seems inevitable he extols us all to, “Enjoy today! Encourage future generations!”
If anyone was to take that message to heart it would be Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter and family who have been expanding their horizons from the sparkling waters off the Amalfi Coast to Paris and the Eiffel Tower.
Believe it or not Bonnie’s husband Gary even ventured into paragliding from 10,000 feet. Bonnie confessed, “Still too scary for me—I did it off the coast in California last year, but 400 ft up is way better than 10,000! My tale should have been more entertaining—such as when the nav in Switzerland told us to turn into a field or when we went to return equipment to the ski rental shop the day we left Zermatt and found it was closed or when the boys got stuck on the mountain because the lift closed early and they had to be rescued by a snow groomer, or that the rental cars were so small for 5 people that we had to travel everywhere with suitcases on our laps and under our feet.” Ahh, such are the unforeseen travails of the adventurous.
As for myself, Claire Andreae Murray, I cannot believe how arduous it is to release to the universe a lifetime of memorabilia that strains the little gray cells to recall from whence it actually came. Not to mention the voluminous treasures passed down from four previous generations residing in every crawl space and storage unit about the eastern seaboard…add to that monumental task is dissolving both our practices and offices replete with 35 years of files, books and psych paraphernalia. I now know how hoarding apparently begins with but a single box placed in an attic instead of the Salvation Army.
Here’s hoping that all your sweet memories are at your disposal and that you continue to build new ones with your loved ones. If you have an urge for pay back leave your mountain of goodies for them to sort through...LOL
Tami Fox Brau Austin, Texas tazmazan@gmail.com
Barbara Moses Robertson reports, “Corby and I have two grandchildren that are SENIORS this year at Kinkaid: Hope Morenz ’23, daughter of Shea and Christine Morenz ’92, and Hunter Robertson ’23, son of Brooke and Corby Robertson III.
Hunter was the quarterback of 2022 Varsity Football team. Kinkaid won the 2022 SPC Championship against Episcopal! Jake Robertson ’27 is in 8th Grade, Keen Robertson ’28 and Shea Morenz ’28 are in 7th Grade, and Kaki Robertson is in 4th Grade. All are at Kinkaid. GO FALCONS!
Our two oldest granddaughters, Lillie Morenz ’21 and Bradyn Robertson ’21 are sophomores at The University of Texas. Lillie is a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority and in The School of Nursing. Bradyn is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and in PLAN II. HOOK EM HORNS!
Jay Jorns writes “I moved to a new apartment for active seniors in Seabrook. I have a view of Clear Lake remembering the many water skiing adventures on Clear Lake during my youth.” Jay reports his birthday bash was a great success.
Bonnie Brigance Leadbetter ’64 with husband Gary, their daughter, and two grandsons
Friends,
I’m writing this message in December just after attending Kinkaid’s Alumni Holiday Party. I love that event because I see friends from other classes as well as parents of former students and, big bonus, many former students. Our class was represented by Elizabeth and Jim Tang, Linda and Rod Crowl, and me. I wish more of you would make time for this next year. The food is fabulous, thanks to Chef Mark Harris and his team, the wine is top-shelf, and most of all, the blessings of longtime friendships top the evening.
It was wonderful to hear from Gibb Bauer who loves living in Alpine, TX!
This from Bubba Koenig: I hope this finds you and all our classmates safe and healthy. Well, after almost 3 years Linda and I finally were able to take a cruise. We flew to Naples to catch the ship; made three stops in Croatia at Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik; on to Bari Italy, Corfu, Greece, Taormina and Palermo in Sicily, Naples, and then flew home from Rome. Highlights were Dubrovnik (we’re big Game of Thrones fans and Dubrovnik was the location for King’s Landing in the GOT series) and Naples for a full tour of Pompeii. The cruise was great, but the trip over and back was a nightmare. The logistics of international travel were awful. All-in-all, not a great travel experience but worth it to see everything we saw. Still hoping to make Israel in 2023. Hope everybody is safe and healthy and enjoying our "Golden Years."
David Boldrick writes that he has had a good year, working some, building refrigerated places, working on his old sailboat, volunteering with Meals on Wheels, and having fun with a 12-week-old puppy.
Rob Wilson is proud that three generations of Wilsons won SPC football championships their senior years - Rob in 1966, his son Carson ’98 in 1997, and grandson, Cade Brown ’22, son of Doak ’92 and Jennifer Wilson Brown ’92, in 2021.
Jim Tang has been enjoying retirement for the past two years. His great joy has been keeping busy as a grandfather of two. His oldest granddaughter, Kelly, is three and half, and a photo of Jim holding her was selected to be on the cover of the Royal Oaks Community Magazine for December 2022.
Grandson Rayan Tenzing Tang, son of
Dr. Jeffrey Tang ’05 and wife
Dr. Mehwish Ismaily, is eight months old. They are expecting a daughter in April 2023. Jim and wife Elizabeth enjoyed a very pleasant vacation in October to Vermont and New Hampshire to see the spectacular fall colors.
John Diffy and Martha have enjoyed being with their kids in their locations (CO and U.K.) and all together in Steamboat Springs for the holidays. Their getaways in the Virginia mountains and on the South Carolina coast have been refreshing. They continue to be fortunate in having opportunities for purposeful volunteer work through their church’s food ministry, their local (PA) symphony and history center, and their Virginia chamber music center. Looking ahead, a concert tour in Portugal, and holidays in England and/or Greece, look likely in 2023. John’s message to all: “Best wishes, fellow Falcons, for a healthy and happy 2023.”
Tua Smith Burke’s mother passed away in April, and her older brother passed away in August. Those are two huge losses in one year. But joyfully, she enjoyed another granddaughter’s wedding in Lincoln, NE where she met her great-grandson for the first time. That makes eight grands and one great-grand for Tua!
As for me, a twice-delayed-becauseof COVID Chapelwood UMC Chancel Choir tour of Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy (Venice) was finally completed in October. We had concerts in four beautiful churches with large audiences in attendance. Unlike Bubba’s, our experience was mostly positive with one exception - due to a medical emergency on our flight home from Frankfort, we made an unscheduled stop in Iceland where we were on the ground for two hours. Since we couldn’t deplane, there was only one thing to do - shop on Amazon! Two grandsons will graduate from high school this year. No college choices yet. I continue work in my home with students, most of whom are dyslexic, to stay connected to Kinkaid through PK and Kindergarten Admissions testing in the fall, to ring handbells and sing in the Chancel Choir at Chapelwood UMC, and to spend as much time as I can with my very busy children and grandchildren. I am telling the universe that a trip to Africa in 2024 is on my mind. If any of you have been, please share your insights.
Love and blessings to everyone who reads this news. Stay healthy and happy in 2023!
Need Volunteer
Buddy Trotter reports he and wife Jeanie ventured to Portugal in early November, visiting Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto, along with other towns. They were enchanted with the architecture, cleanliness, and friendliness of the folks there. After retirement, Buddy and Jeanie have developed a new career performing songs for residents of senior living facilities in the Katy, TX area. "There’s been quite a demand, actually, for our performances, and the residents seem to love what we do" Buddy says... "They ask us back, so that’s a good thing!"
The Class of 1968 is sad to share the loss of beloved friend Carl Moody earlier this year. We extend our sympathy to Carl’s family, friends and loved ones. In May 2021, he wrote the letter below to the class correspondents.
From Carl, “Rhonda and I retired to our family home in a lovely neighborhood near Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 2016. Auspiciously, we apparently brought our Texas Mojo, or perhaps it was the leadership of Austin’s Westlake High’s alumnus Nick Foles’ leadership that led to the Eagles going on to win the Super Bowl that season! I’m sure that goody will warm the hearts of many who read this. Lest I sound cocky, I might also note the Eagle’s subsequent return to their accustomed record.
We had been preparing our home in Philadelphia for a decade and after spending frequent long weekends here, Rhonda went from saying she didn’t think those Yankees would like her to finding more friends than you can shake a stick at and encouraging me to pull the trigger so we could live here full time. Next to paying attention to God, marrying Rhonda, and having our family, it was the happiest decision I ever made. I wake up every morning so grateful to be here!
We are having a ball with friends and family. Lots to see, do, and enjoy here. Easy access to New York, the beach, mountains. Our neighborhood is filled
with history, culture, restaurants, and adventure. Easy access to golf and lots of friends to play. Beautiful walks. 15 minutes to the airport. I’m like a salmon who has swum upstream to his birthplace...but hopefully to a more promising outcome.
Our youngest daughter and her husband gave birth to our youngest grandson in April 2020 and left their high-rise apartment in Boston to shelter in place with us in Philadelphia for eight weeks, arriving when our cherry trees were in full bloom and our neighborhood was filled with tulips.
Last Summer, we came to Texas for our youngest son’s wedding. We spent Thanksgiving in Scituate, MA with our oldest daughter and her family. This winter our youngest daughter and son-in-law sent us tickets to join them and little Xavi in Aruba where they were wintering. Our Granddaughter (22) in Louisiana graduated from LSU and her brother is graduating high school and has providentially accepted a scholarship to study nuclear science 30 minutes away from us at Penn State, Brandywine!
Rhonda and I have backpacked the 480-mile Camino de Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage across Northern Spain two more times and the 450-mile Chemin de St. Jacques/ GR65 pilgrimage from Le Puy en Velay to St. Jean Pied de Port in the Pyrenees once with side trips to Lourdes and Fatima. Knocked around with our daughter and son-in-law who lived in Madrid, and had some lovely times in Paris, Porto, Lisbon, Avila, and Toledo.
Before COVID shut down my club, I was swimming a mile once or twice a week. I swam a 10K just before the pandemic struck. Actually, I swam 404 lengths of a 25-meter pool...adding a 100-meter sprint at the end of the 10K to prove I was quitting out of boredom, not exhaustion. I don’t plan on doing that again. Too much chlorine!
In April, our five kids, their spouses, and nine grandchildren surprised us by showing up at our son’s home in Wylie, TX for a surprise family reunion! First time we have all been together in over ten years. Blessed, humbled, and grateful. We returned home to once again enjoy the cherry blossoms and tulips.
A friend who is an accomplished Blacksmith in East Texas wrote me saying he had just turned 71 and was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I told him that turning 71 is like putting on a flip flop, so I look forward to the other flip flop falling so I can slip it on and go to the beach. As I told another friend over lunch at the Fort Worth
Club who was complaining about being practically run over while going 80 MPH on the Sam Houston Toll Road, 80 is the new 60. That is my wish for you.
Not sure how all this came together. I certainly had no idea. Thought I would have to work until 85. Looking back, I see the hand of providence. It has always helped to look up. I am grateful for you and our other dear Kinkaid classmates for so many fond memories and for enduring friendships!”
The Class of ’69 is still going strong. Marcy West, who has more energy than any ten other people, has started a farm-to-table business of raising grass-fed, grass-finished beef. She and daughter Kelley now have a USDA-approved slaughter plant for their beef. “So far, we are selling out of her veterinary clinic on Westheimer and developing a clientele by participating in farmer’s markets in the Houston area. We additionally sell organic free-range eggs, and are exploring selling the organically raised broilers that we are presently using for our own consumption. Since the peach crop last spring was amazingly abundant, I learned how to make jellies, jams, and preserves from our peaches, figs, grapes, and pears. We are on schedule to have 18 calves this year, with a total of 14 steers already in the slaughter pipeline. We butchered our own farm raised turkeys for Easter and Thanksgiving, and plan on another two for Christmas. I got a little too happy using the new incubator that Kelley got me last spring. Do you know anyone who wants ducks? Lots and lots of ducks?” Marcy is also breeding and showing her Kangal dogs and Australian shepherds. She is “still trying to avoid knee surgery, still working two or three full time jobs [including husband David’s tire business], still riding herd on three grandkids, although on weekends, I swear, the number of children at the farm grows exponentially.”
I was holding my breath for Judy Neun as Hurricane Ian approached Florida this fall, but she survived intact. She thanks all her friends who reached out to check on her at ground zero during the storm. “All is good now in paradise. The beaches are opening after two months, but only for walking! No swimming allowed yet.” She explained that there is a lot of pollution and many dangerous pieces of various materials hidden in the sands and under the
water. Since her new house is two miles from the beach in Naples, the storm surge didn’t reach them. “We were lucky that the only damages were my lanai screen door blew off and no power for five days. One block away there were boats in the street, debris, cars abandoned, and tons of furniture just littered everywhere! Even the Ritz Carlton was heavily damaged and will be closed until next spring. I was in Palm Beach in 1992 when Andrew hit as a Category 5 hurricane and had no damage then, either, so I wasn’t worried since all the weather channels expected Ian to go up to Tampa! Instead, the storm was so huge it covered the entire state and the wind blew the power out before it made landfall about twenty miles north of here. Some of my favorite restaurants on the beach were completely gone, and our beautiful pier was destroyed, but they are rebuilding it now.”
Carole Smithwick-Kiebach reports that she and David have put behind them the bad experience of trying to build a dream house on their farm in Willis, TX. “We are now abiding in a ’cozy’ 900-square-foot apartment in our barn. The 64 square miles of timber property that abuts two and half sides of our farm has been sold to a national subdivision development company, so we are not making any more plans for building until we know what will be surrounding us. We have just returned from a month in Brunssum, Netherlands, visiting our grandkids for the first time in three years (way too long; boy, have they grown!) with a family week in Vicenza and Venice, Italy. Son Andrew ’98 (fs) and wife Jen have bought a flat in Vicenza in anticipation of her retiring from US Space Force in 2027. She will continue with the NATO assignment for another 18 months, so we will be heading back for a Carnival visit in February. Thanksgiving in Georgia with family and college friends, and Christmas in Seattle with son Eric and wife L complete our travel itinerary until this summer.”
From Rick Frachtman: “Anne and I recently returned from the Malt Shop Memories cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. These oldies cruises are great fun (the Flower Power cruise being another) for those who enjoy music of the 50’s, 60’s, and early 70’s. Several of the original artists are still performing, now in their late seventies or early eighties. There were plenty of activities and ports of call, and we were bombarded with entertainment. Our trip occurred during the World Series. We were surrounded by obnoxious Philadelphia Phillies fans, but we persevered and had the last laugh. I actually won a couple of small bets on the Astros placed earlier in the year in Las Vegas. However, no one
will mistake me for Mattress Mack.” Don Pickels also wrote with a music memory, this one from 1969: “Jeff Cross and I proudly bought concert tickets for The Temptations, appearing in the old downtown Coliseum. We dressed up ’hippy preppy’ and picked up our girlfriends Kristy and Gloria, excited to see live performances of "My Girl," "Ain’t Too Proud to Beg," etc. but we were shocked walking in we were way under-dressed! On the long walk to our seats, we got verbally assaulted but kept our cool and said nothing. It was intense for about five minutes.Then the music began. After the first song ("The Way You Do the Things You Do"), we were all laughing and dancing together. We obviously loved the music and were accepted by the crowd as fellow Motown fans. That’s the power of great music!”
Peggy Whitmore Douglas is “still busy with my two grandkids here in Pittsburgh. Son Rob just came for a Thanksgiving visit from Florida where he is an attorney for City Group. I still ride my horse as often as I can. My most productive time is spent with visits to rehab and assisted living facilities with my two Therapy Dog International dogs. My older one has clocked more than 700 volunteer hours!”
Jeff Cross retired as of September 2021 “I wonder if I am about the last to make this step in our class? I am stubborn, but finally realized that my clients could get by without me, mostly because all of a sudden, I noticed most were managed by people not too much older than our son. To celebrate retirement, my wife Elise and I took off in April for a six-week road trip from Houston to Sister Bay, Wisconsin and back. We were gone for about six weeks, drove 5,200 miles and played 16 different golf courses in 11 states. We covered 21 different Interstates on the trip. It was a lot of fun to see places we had never seen and also some we wanted to see again. The highlights were getting to attend the Kentucky Derby in Louisville and spending three days at Firestone CC in Akon, Ohio. Not as exotic a trip as I can imagine most in the class have taken, but memorable to us. We are due to get a new SUV in 2023 and may head west to Wyoming next year. I imagine we need to get in road trips while we can still drive!” As for me, Bonnie German Chandler, I can report that John and I see our son and his family most weekends, and my daughter has been living with us since the pandemic. John finally retired from his research position at the Harvard Observatory this past summer, but he is still doing most of the same research at home in consultation with other colleagues who have also “retired.”
I am still raising a lot of our food,
training dogs, riding my horse, and competing in dog and goat shows, but choral singing had to take a hiatus during the pandemic and still hasn’t revived. I’d love to take some road trips like Jeff, but it is hard to find farm sitters who can milk goats!
mwaddell@sba-skincare.com
2022, it’s the end of the year that most of us in the Class of 1970 turned 70, and the year that we finally celebrated our 50th high school reunion, a couple of years late. That April makeup gathering with the Class of 1971 was a blast, but I’ll save those comments for the end of this column. Let’s start with your latest updates.
Once I got her email address corrected, the first news came streaming in from Sheryl Lynn Coles Jones: “Jack and I got married in 2019 in New Orleans, where Jack is from and where my grandmother (dad’s side) was from. New Orleans has always been a special place for both of us. For the most part, we are well, but have noticed that this decade brings additional challenges. Ever notice how easy it is to tweak something that takes weeks to heal? Merging our six kids, and eight grandchildren (two boys born in 2020 and 2021) has been both fun and busy. I finally got one of my three kids back to Texas – the only one not born in Austin, Tyler, now lives in Austin. Son Travis and family live in Virginia, and daughter Elyssa lives in Tucson, so we are still traveling quite a bit to be with them. Being retired means we have more time to go but going is getting a little tougher as the years pass. Still, we love to travel and went to Alaska and Santa Fe, NM this year. Next year we are planning to resume our European travels to France, Spain, Italy, Scotland, and Ireland to explore and continue working on our family history. Jack is still doing a little consulting, and I spend time volunteering as a Master Naturalist, culinary assistant at cooking classes, beekeeper, and soon to be volunteer for both the Daughters of the American Revolution and Daughters of the Republic of Texas. This year I am planning to hang wreaths on veterans’ graves in both San Antonio and Austin. Staying active and continually learning seems to keep us younger, at least at heart. This year we will be in Houston over Christmas and New Years to be with Jack’s family and attend a wedding reception of Warren’s daughter, Lauren. That will be the longest time we have been in Houston
since 2019. I am sorry we couldn’t make the reunion but looking forward to the 55th.”
Next up was a note from Ed Neuhaus: “I have the typical retirement scenario – golf, travel, and even croquet. But the most fun thing I do is drive carpool for four of my grandkids two times a week. The ’bus’ ride is only 15-20 minutes, but I get their update on who likes who (or the other way around), what their favorite music is and even some inside scoop which means what is said on the ’bus’ stays on the ’bus’. I had to be taught this very basic lesson after my first time to drive ’the bus’. One of the kids turned me in to their parents for looking at my phone! Truth be known, I was looking at my phone to play one of their songs, BUT I know I should not be doing that... lesson learned for both me and them!”
Suzanne and I traveled to Scotland this past summer and got to spend a beautiful evening with Lisa Tuttle, her husband Colin and daughter Emily. Our class’s most published author shared: “As for us, we continue as usual, despite all the political turmoil, the scary increase in cost of living, and the more or less usual worries. However, inflation has taken a local toll – the Stonefield Hotel plans to shut down from January 4th until March 4thsomething that has never happened before. I think Emily won’t mind having that break, since she’s been working so long and hard (and has money saved up), but other staff are not so lucky and may not return when the hotel opens again – at least, not if they manage to get other jobs, which might not even be in the area. Since Emily’s birthday is in February, we are thinking of going away somewhere for another break and her birthday treat. Very likely somewhere in Spain. I do have exciting book news! (Well, it is exciting for me.) It looks like I’m going to have not one, not two, but THREE books published in 2023. One is a short story collection titled Riding the Nightmare, from Valancourt Books (in the US), who published my previous collection, The Dead Hours of Night, in 2021. It will be available in hardback, paperback and as an e-book. Another is a new novel, the third in my detective series set in 1890s England, The Curious Affair of the Missing Mummies. It’s being published, like the first two, by Jo Fletcher Books in the UK, but I think it should be available in the US from Amazon and other booksellers. And the third book is a reprint of a short novel, first published in 2004, called My Death. I am very excited that this new edition is being published by New York Review Books in their NYRB Classics list.”
Suzanne and I visited with Linda Dixon quite a few years ago in her
second home at the time, Las Vegas, NV. After living in Santa Fe for quite a few years, she’s back in Vegas and sent: “A quick update on my life: in the summer of 2021, I tripped over my coffee table breaking my right ankle and left toe. I was hospitalized and underwent surgery the next morning. I’m doing much better now, although I have periods of fatigue and slight brain fog. Occasionally, I walk with a cane. Ending on a happy note, Vegas has established the Formula I car races incorporating the STRIP as part of the course. Adele is beginning her residency here, as well as Garth Brooks. We just finished the Professional Bull Riders Rodeo. My adopted niece sang the National Anthem at the T Mobile Arena to kick off the event. She sings for many of the events in Las Vegas and loves it.”
On a recent trip to Austin, I had coffee and spent a morning with Joanne Hankamer, Randy’s widow. She showed me her beautiful new townhome in the Old West Austin Historic District – the same neighborhood where Randy and she had lived. Their two daughters, Kelly and Cheryl, both live in Austin and are doing well. Kelly was working in town, and Cheryl had just recently moved back after leaving a job in the DC area. It was a lovely visit.
I got a wonderful note from Robin Beck about Andy Beck, their children, and her latest news: “We still miss Andy at the holidays. He brought energy, love, and hilarity. Some of our families’ most repeated stories begin with him. Though we were no longer married, we were usually all together for the holidays. That included dear Priscilla with whom Andy found so much happiness in those last few years. Here’s what’s been happening in BeckVille. Older son Jack is in the Bay Area where he has started an organization called Turn Out which matches volunteers with queer organizations. I believe he is in his fifth year and just received a grant from California to scale-up his operation in three additional cities. He was also just awarded a Roddenberry Fellowship/ Grant. He works like his dad (too many hours) and really enjoys living in Oakland where he gets to see many friends from his previous time overseas. Younger son Alec and his wife are mostly on the go. They live about 40 minutes from us. Alec’s wife Amelia Brodka participated in the Olympics this year in Japan as skateboarding and surfing were added as new sports categories. Alec works for the Tony Hawk Foundation which partners with skaters and citizens who want to build a skatepark in their city. They now have over 500 skateparks up and going. Amelia just closed out ’Exposure’, her annual event for
women skateboarders. She is from a small town in Poland that is the hub of the refugees coming from Ukraine. Alec and Amelia met after college, when she moved to a small town in Oceanside, CA, which is where I grew up. I live in Laguna Niguel, a little below Newport, with husband, Mike McCann. The weather has been wonderful for all the gardening I so enjoy except for the outbreak of the Laguna fire which stopped one street above us – pretty scary, and we evacuated for two days. I’m not retired yet. My company, BioBarrier, (safer surgical gloves) survived Covid and is in scale-up overseas. We hope to have product for sale in the coming year. With Covid still in so many factories, we took the time to file new patent applications and execute prototyping for follow-on products.”
Bob Frachtman checked in with his latest news: “We now have three grandkids: Gabriel (4), Levi (1.5), and Lily (4 months). Our daughter Adrienne will be applying to dental school next year at age 31. Anyone with contacts at UT Houston? Older son Julian’s rich media self-serve international ad company is doing very well. His younger brother Brandon is a commercial real estate developer and just finished his first building in downtown Austin and is starting #2. He was also instrumental in the building of a very cool night club downtown called Superstition. I’m getting a great second education in the world of business from these two. My wife Sherrie is enjoying being a Nonna, along with being on two non-profit boards (one of which is Austin PBS). I’m still practicing full-time as a gastroenterologist. Our Austin group of 40 gastroenterologists has joined a national group based out of Dallas, so I now have about 700 partners. We’re very lucky to be in Austin with all our kids and grandchildren.”
Brian Atlas wrote in from his mountain home: “Well a lot is happening with my family. I have three daughters, three sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren. My youngest Angela had a baby in January. My grandkids range from 10 months to 15 years. This past week I took the entire family to Disney World. I have to say it was the best trip, not vacation, that Cindy and I have ever been on. The Disney company creates the best attractions you can imagine. We had a great time. I retired in April, and we bought a home in Silverthorne, CO where we spend most of our time. I sold my development in Austin. We still maintain our home in Houston where the family lives including my 92-year-old mother and her 95-year-old husband. Most of my time is spent golfing, traveling, skiing, hiking, and enjoying my family. Cindy and I were
in Italy in September and had a great time. Other than that, I’m just working on my new house in the mountains and getting ready for ski season.”
Erik Littlejohn shared: “This may be the first time (or at least the first time in a long time) that I’ve written with an update. My daughter Isabella graduates in May from The American University of Paris. We will get a jump on the Christmas season when I visit her in Paris in early December. She will be back in Houston for Christmas and New Year’s before returning for her last semester. Following graduation, we are planning a celebratory European victory lap to favorite spots. It will be a fun and memorable time, and I’m certainly looking forward to it! Best to all my classmates.”
From just up north I got this note from Phil Salvador: “We are all fine here in The Woodlands. I continue to progress my sea kayaking ’career’ through trips and training. My wife Christiane has always got projects on the go. In January she will visit our daughter Carla in South Korea where she is studying. We don’t hear much from our son Lucas. It seems to be because he is either too busy with his job at ASML in Connecticut or having too much fun with his friends.”
Sam Collins was the next to check in: “Hi Class of ’70. At our age we should all be thankful we’re still here to enjoy what for I hope most of us is the time of our lives where it’s all about grandkids, travel, and doing what the hell we want when we want. Our first-born Jordan ’00 got married to Samantha in October in San Juan where they live. She’s a dream, and they’re living the Caribbean good life in Puerto Rico. Daughter Emily Collins Blau ’02 and husband Lance live in Cinco Ranch in Katy with our two grandchildren, Poppy (3) and Bennett (18 months). They’re both a lot of fun, and we’re with them often. Wife Andi and I did three weeks in September in Italy and Portugal with friends – a great trip. Right now, we’re on a plane to Vegas for four days for food and shows and a little gambling. All is well. We’re enjoying this stage of life. Hope y’all are, too.”
Selby Schwend sent an email with a similar sentiment: “We couldn’t make the reunion this year due to a travel conflict with our long-planned trip to Ireland. We had a great time driving all over the country visiting castles, museums, seaside vistas and fabulous pubs along the way. We’re trying to figure out how to go back sooner rather than later. All the kids are doing well and are still spread out across the country. Our oldest grandchild graduated in May from the Citadel, and our youngest just turned two.
We’ve got eight grandkids in all, and they are truly a blessing. Hope all my classmates are doing well and enjoying the golden years.”
Janet Lee Cohen was with family in Bethesda, MD when she wrote: “We’re currently planning a 50th anniversary trip in 2024, hoping to go to Italy. Fingers crossed we’ll be able to celebrate somewhere. It really doesn’t matter where we are. We can’t quite believe we’re old enough to have been married for so long. We lost Rick’s 98-year-old dad in April. He and Rick’s mom were married for almost 76 years. We feel fortunate to have had him in our lives for so long. He was full of wisdom and fun, the best combination. I’m grateful for all of you and for our crackerjack reporter. Malcolm doesn’t sit still for very long but long enough to persuade us to weigh in, whether we have anything exciting to report or not. Thankfully, I have nothing exciting to report, and right now, that suits me fine. These last few years have brought enough ’excitement.’ Sending love to all our classmates for a safe, healthy, peaceful, and joyous holiday.” Janet’s right! I do want you to check in whether you’ve got big news or not.
Like Janet, Frank McGuyer felt he, too, had little to report, but the sale of his successful homebuilding company in 2021 was a big deal and well-timed. Frank updates us: “Post-merger has been much busier than expected. It seems assimilation is more difficult than anticipated. I am still tied in with an earnout for three more years and obligated to provide a lot-and-land bank for a couple more. Our granddaughter is enjoying Kinkaid, so I’m sure that we will be visiting the campus more. Grandson here is also close by at St Francis. Our son Bart ’02 and his family are still in LA, and we don’t see that changing anytime soon.”
Bill Blomdahl reports: “All is well in Tyler. We spent Thanksgiving with our two daughters and their husbands and our four grandchildren in Houston and had a blast with all of them together. They are all coming to our home in Tyler for Christmas, so Nancy is gearing up for that. Nancy and I bought a new farm just outside of Tyler, and I have been working on some timber management and pond work with the idea of stocking the pond for the grandkids. We have lots of deer, so I have been feeding them and trying to get a handle on how many we have. We have a low fence place, so they come and go as they please, but they do really like the corn I feed them. We had such a great time at the Reunion. It was a great turnout and as usual so fun to see and catch up with everyone and their spouses. We need to have one every year if possible since we are not getting any younger! I just turned
70 in August, and Nancy turned 65 this past April. We celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary this past June, so 2022 has been a big year for us.”
Ellen Ginther Reifslager has been on the move in 2022 and has more trips planned: “We seem to have been traveling all year. Besides being in Hawaii for six months, it’s mainly been road trips to some of our favorite places in the west. We just had Thanksgiving with our son Matthew and daughter-in-law in Sedona. Now it’s out to see our daughter Angela and her family in Laguna Beach before Christmas. Our youngest Christen is leaving on a trip to Egypt on Christmas Day, so we will be home to send her off on her big adventure. Wishing everyone a healthy and fulfilling holiday season and new year.”
Like Ellen, we traveled extensively in 2022. Besides the trip to Scotland in mid-summer, we also went abroad to Barbados, South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Australia, and New Zealand. We did a full family trip to Maui in March just before the reunion. It was a great travel year after the Covid lockdown.
Katherine Thomson Jordan (fs) shared her travel story and news of brother Erwin Thompson (fs): “Our cruise trip from Montreal to Fort Lauderdale was very nice although Hurricane Fiona demolished the port and businesses at Prince Edward Island. It kept our ship from docking there, and that was really one big reason for the trip! Years ago, a friend whom I made when Roy was stationed at Columbus Air Force Base said her family had a home on the Island, and it sounded so beautiful. It was fun to see Quebec City, a little of Montreal, the small island of Cap aux Meules, Boston and a little bit of Ft. Lauderdale – overall a worthwhile 10-day trip! I went to see daughter Katie and family last September in New Bern and had a great time celebrating her birthday and grandson Logan’s 8th birthday. We came home to celebrate my youngest grandson Benjy’s 3rd birthday and my 70th! Hard for me to say it! But all here are doing well. Blessed and looking forward to Christmas with my brother Erwin and wife Margaret. They have temporarily relocated to New Braunfels, while they remodel a new home in The Woodlands. Their son Stephen and his wife and two boys now live there also. They haven’t given up on retiring in New B because they still have property there, so I just hope it’s not going to take too many years!
Happy Holidays to all!”
Tom Hale and wife Sherry have also been traveling a lot in 2022: “We went to Banff and Jasper, Canada for hiking and golf – gorgeous mountains and
glaciers. Then we went to Istanbul and Troy with Browne Baker and wife Robin. We went and saw friends in Spain north of Gibraltar in a little town called Jimena de la Frontera. We also visited the ancient Roman towns of Italica, Emerita Augusta, and Baelo Claudia. These sites have wonderful Roman ruins. Sherry is still at the top of her tennis game. Our son Theodore is kicking tail at the Houston DA’s office. My daughter Emily is still traveling the world, and I am doing real estate until I die.”
Speaking of Browne, he, too, sent a quick note: “We’re in Canyon Lake with Tom Hale and Sherry for a quick Thanksgiving holiday getaway.”
Browne, Robin, Tom, Sherry, Suzanne, and I attended a jazz concert at Alta Arts in Bellaire in November. At that gathering, Browne shared the news that our former classmate Dick Colvin (fs) had serious health problems. Browne and Dick were roommates for their first two years together in college at the University of Texas, and they had remained friends over the years. In my first class-notes request, I included the news about Dick’s condition and asked you to share any thoughts or memories about Dick, who left Kinkaid after 8th grade. Many of you were saddened and expressed your hopes for his recovery. Unfortunately, Dick passed away the day after Thanksgiving. He was surrounded by his family. Trish Houck (fs) sent this remembrance: “I want to share a very sweet memory of Dickie. I hadn’t thought of this in ages and ages. Either we were in kindergarten or first grade when Dickie invited me to go to the circus with him, my very first date! My mom was so excited for me! I’m sure I was all dressed up in very scratchy petticoats and patent leather shoes when he came to the door for me. I don’t remember any more specifics, but I do hope you’ll share this story with his wife Nancy and son Richard, Jr. I hope it brings a smile to them both to know that even at six Dick was a ’lover boy.’” I heard from Dick’s cousin, Phil Colvin, who asked that I forward Trish’s email to him to share with the family at Dick’s memorial services in Hunt, TX last week. One other piece of sad news came from Ginger Hamblen Busboom, “My sweet husband Mark Busboom passed away on November 14, 2022, from Lewy Body Dementia. He had a tough time this past year due to aggressive dementia. He was 73.” On behalf of all our class, I extend our deepest sympathies to the Colvin and Busboom families.
Trish and I got to spend an afternoon together the week after Thanksgiving on a charity matter and have caught up on several emails. She lives in Dallas and is doing well. When asked about her holiday plans, she shared:
“My daughter Reilly will be in Dallas for Christmas, so we will be here with her! She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in May 2018 and started working at Baylor, Scott and White in Plano in June. This is the first Christmas since she graduated that she hasn’t been working on Christmas Day! We are, also, planning on having her cousin Emily Hale here with us, too.”
I’ll end as promised with the April 2022 Reunion recap. Despite so many of you being unable to attend due to 70th birthday trips/plans and other pent-up family travel obligations, we had a good turnout for the “Class of ’70 Turns 70 Reunion”. Attendees at one or more of the festivities included Neal Anderson, Browne Baker, Ted Barrow, Bill Blomdahl, Sam Collins, Carolyn Hazelhurst Cullinan, Alan Gerger, Tom Hale, Larry Jacobs, Linda Weingarten Kates, Trey Lander, Erik Littlejohn, Bill Paull, Betsy Mickley Sheets, John Tio Suman, and yours truly. Ron Bernell and Bob Frachtman stopped by, but both had other commitments. Our Saturday night dinner at Caracol was celebrated with friends from the Class of 1971, including Lila Pace Belitz, Laura Hazelhurst Cullinan, Claudia Frost Ford, Frank Pardue, Mike Pearson, Cindi Wilson Ray, Heidi Sheesley, Lisa Morris Simon, and Marisue Dougherty Tallichet. Thanks to all the many spouse attendees who put up with us telling all our old stories. I was supposed to take pictures, but all I did was visit. So many of you who didn’t attend had wanted to, so I think we’ll have enough demand for the 55th. By the time this note is printed that weekend will be just two years away, just one year later than Bill Blomdahl wanted!
Thanks as always for sharing your current happenings and keep those emails coming in.
Louisa Patty Barnes shared the news that her fall on black ice in early February delayed their planned cross-country road trip in April, but they pulled it off, with her husband driving the entire westward leg (5,000 miles one way due to all their side trips to visit family and friends, and to see some sights along the way). On their way back home, somewhere in Minnesota, they made a sudden stop that unknowingly allowed their special cargo (a four inch "pet" tarantula they were transporting back east for their
niece) to escape. When they discovered her loose in the back of the car three days later, they had to completely empty their car in order to capture her, carefully checking every item as they took it out. They finally found her hiding under the console between the front seats! Also, in October she got to serve on a jury for a two-day criminal trial. Fascinating, but exhausting experience. Louisa concluded, saying “so now I am looking forward to a nice, quiet winter at home in New England.”
Darrell Bock reports that he is still engaged in his ministry work around the world. Last year he was in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and Switzerland as well as numerous locales in the USA.
Danny Carroll checked in from Wheaton and shared the news that his newest book was published in August: The Lord Roars: Recovering the Prophetic Voice for Today (http:// bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/thelord-roars/410430)
The Class of 1971 lost a cherished member with the passing of Helen Potter Allison this year. We extend our condolences to Helen’s family, friends and loved ones.
Best wishes to all of you for a safe, and wonderful summer.
ClaudiaLewis Luckenbach reports, “My wife, Kathy, and I drove to Crozet, VA for a nice driving vacation. Ellen Carrington King is the owner of the award-winning King Family Vineyards at Crozet, VA. I have been there a few times. We had a mini 50th class reunion with Ellen Carrington King, George Shackelford, who lives in nearby Culpepper, VA, his grandson Hunter, and myself. Between Ellen, George and myself, we have 20 grandchildren. We had a great time talking about past times as well as our information about our families.
The King Family Vineyards is a wonderful facility and very family friendly in a great setting in the Virginia Appalachians. On the home front one of my grandchildren. Valentina, plays soccer at the Albion Hurricanes Soccer Club on Campbell Road in the academy program. One of her teammates is a third grader at Kinkaid. Valentina attends the St. Constantin School. Small world. Allan Tang will be wintering at his place in Palm Springs, California. Happy holidays to all.”
Mike Frachtman shares that besides practicing law he spends his weekend at his place at Chappell Hill, a few miles east of Brenham.
Thank you to our hard-working host committee: Caroline Jogerst Sabin, Chuck Blanton, Marion Perryman Liedtke, Chris Jones, David Martin, Missy Baker Jones, Lisa Bernell Rostad, and yours truly. If you have not received your invitation, please contact me at pkissiah@gmail.com.
Thank you to those classmates who wrote to me sharing their news. I love hearing from you!
Scott West is excited to announce the arrival of his and Laurie’s first grandchild, Maxine T. West. Maxine was born May 2022 and is the daughter of Zach West ’06 and Liana West. Scott’s wife of 35 years, Laurie Dempsey, is holding baby Maxine.
Jane Staub Towler has a granddaughter! Talia Hetta Sturtz born August 9, 2022. Jane is excited to have timed her retirement quite well from her nursing career. Now she is getting to spend time between Boulder (with her daughter’s growing family) and Bethesda. Janes says she is looking forward to seeing everyone in March! Be there!
Janet Weingarten Battista sent her greetings from Bryce Canyon where she and Tom traveled after a wedding weekend in Houston. Janet is enjoying traveling again and getting back out into the world! She cannot wait to see everyone in March.
her free time cleaning out so much acquired stuff, she is now volunteering for a few causes that are close to her heart. Caroline’s travel has been mostly domestic and focused on family in Oregon and South Carolina, but she hopes to plan some adventures in 2023. Caroline also reports that her three kids are doing well in their various endeavors. Her middle son, Finlay, recently married and started a company focused on providing industrial hemp materials for construction purposes. Her oldest son, Colin, is pursuing acting and screenwriting in Hollywood and her youngest son, Ben, is the founder of a craft brewery in Austin, Friends & Allies Brewing. He has a great tasting room, so if you live in Austin or are just visiting, stop by and taste the brews!
Caddell Liedtke and wife
Marion Perryman Liedtke are still living in Midland. They are both looking forward to seeing their Falcon Classmates at our 50th Reunion. If we miss any of you there, maybe we will see you in the Texas Hill Country where we recently bought a place and plan to spend more time.
Chris Jones ticked two things off his Bucket List! He went to Scotland during the first week of September 2022 and played eight rounds of golf (that’s around 40 miles of walking) in nine days. His body is still recovering! He was also thrilled to attend Game 2 of the World Series in Houston! Hooray for the Astros ~ World Series Champs!
Lewis Luckenbach III Sugar Land, Texas lluckfam@aol.comAllan
Tang Houston, Texas allantang@earthlink.netThe Class of 1973 has a BIG celebration upon us! Our 50th Reunion will be in March 2023, and we are looking forward to having everyone come together for what is sure to be a festive “hippy-dippy” trip down Memory Lane. The early 1970s were crazy years to be in high school!
(But I guess high school years are always crazy!)
DeLinda Fuqua Baker reported that her family has been humming along in 2022 with very few changes. DeLinda’s oldest son is a real estate developer in Seattle, WA, and her daughter is a marketing director for a museum in Houston. Her other son has resigned from the Coast Guard and is pursuing an engineering degree. DeLinda loves spending time with her two granddaughters (2 and 4 years old) who are growing very fast and are incredibly cute! Her husband retired from ExxonMobil and rather than kicking back and traveling, he began teaching at Texas A&M at Galveston. He grew a beard and is enjoying the professorial life.
Bart Brewer and wife Julia are almost empty nesters, with their youngest now off to college out of state and their oldest in his senior year at a local college. Discussions and decisions regarding future plans are just beginning to come to the forefront.
Caroline Jogerst Sabin retired at the end of September 2020 after 18+ years of managing a private foundation in Houston. It was quite an adjustment, but the timing of retirement was fortunate, as it gave her time to care for her mother during those last few months of her life. Besides spending
Missy Baker Jones and husband Scott Jones are finding a bit more time to travel. Although Scott is still working, his schedule has become more flexible. They spend their time between Savannah and Columbus where their kids and grandkids live, and they are also getting away for fun travel with friends. Their favorite recent trip was a return visit to Fogo Island, Newfoundland, CA. Missy and Scott also try to meet their family as often as possible at their place in Western NC. They are looking forward to seeing everyone at our 50th Reunion!
Robert Bradley reports that there is a growing contingent of Kinkaid alumni with homes on the Guadalupe River in Hunt, TX. In addition to Rob, there are three other classmates with homes there and he suggested a future reunion in Hunt! Sounds like fun to me!
And finally, Pam Dilworth Kissiah and husband Gary have just finished remodeling a townhouse in Los Gatos, CA where we raised our kids. We have enjoyed reconnecting with friends there, and I have recently taken up pickleball and cycling (thanks to the invention of e-bikes!). I have accepted that I will never improve my golf game - as I started playing much too late!
But with pickleball, there’s hope! We still spend time at our bay house in Berkeley and are also enjoying hikes with our dog, Clover, who just turned one. I am looking forward to our 50th Reunion in Houston and really hope to see you there!
1974
Madeleine Topper Sheehy Houston, Texas madtop05@gmail.com
1975
Judy Levin Houston, Texas jude118@aol.com
1976
Homoiselle Sadler Bujosa Houston, Texas hbujosa@att.net
1977
Jane VanDeMark Houston, Texas janevandemark@yahoo.com
1978
Sarah Deal Frankenfeld Austin, Texas sarahf422@me.com
No news this issue? Come to our 45th
Reunion March 24-25 to see each other in person and ask your classmates face to face how they are doing! That is a MUCH better way to learn about one another than writing it out!!
Go to kinkaid.org/reunionweekend to learn more about the weekend. Be on the lookout for information coming soon about our Class Party on Saturday, March 25! Look forward to seeing everyone!
1979
Steven Arnold Houston, Texas sda@3lmc.com
Evans Attwell Houston, Texas eattwell@gmail.com
Alice Berry Houston, Texas missformicadinette@yahoo.com
1980
Tom Dunlap San Diego, CA 619-929-1413 td@tomdunlap.com
1981
John McReynolds Houston, Texas j-mcr@comcast.net
1982
Maria Semander Crawford Redondo Beach, California msemander@yahoo.com
Greetings Classmates! The last time I wrote this column we were still looking for a place to host our 40th reunion and I’m happy to report that not only did we find the perfect place, but we all survived the night too! They say “a picture speaks a thousand words” so I decided to send in our group pictures from the reunion for those who didn’t see the pictures and those who didn’t make it. Our theme was “Taking it Back to Old School” and hosting it at El Patio definitely took us back in time. The weekend was a huge success thanks to the event planning expertise of Michelle Rogers Rogers. I was happy to be her “personal assistant” but the reunion truly came together because of her.
Class of 1981 and 1982 at Joint ReunionThe girls of ’82 had an impromptu Girls Night Out the night before our reunion at Emily Wynne Bolin’s house. We pulled out old yearbooks, laughed a lot and talked about how glad we are that we didn’t have social media back then! We did utilize modern technology though and Facetimed Mike Curran in San Diego, who couldn’t make it to the reunion but had sent a video with his best wishes for a successful and fun party.
On the night of the reunion, the Class of ’82 joined forces with the Class of ’81 for a combined Reunion. It proved to be a great move…. double the classmates and double the fun. Passing the door of “Club No Minor” as you walked into El Patio and to the backroom party brought back so many memories! Crazy to think that we all drank margaritas in that same bar over 40 years ago.
It was great seeing everyone from ’81 and ’82! Party goers from our class included; Michelle Rogers Rogers, Emily Wynne Bolin, Eveta Weingarten, Helena Papadopolous Johnson and husband Tom, Baranna Baker, Laura Wynne Cale, Waverly White Gage, Michael Guerriero and wife Hilairy, Heather Harrison, Bruce Phillips and Marilyn Taylor Phillips, Robbie Cox, Ben Eaton and wife Dawn, Carol Attwell Bourne and husband Mike, Bubba Vandiver and wife Courtney, Martin Brock, Cynthia Chambers Ortale, Melisa Billingsley Herring (and a late appearance by hubby Fred!), Susan Schwartz Cornett, Vince Elliott, Annelise Bovet, Caroline Coates, Nelle Gregory and husband Tim, Curt Alfrey and wife Sabine (class of “much younger” lol), Harlan Murphy, Fay Monsen Kirby and husband Don, Greg Kung, Leslie Reid and Duncan Lamme (who isn’t in the picture but I swear I thought he came!) and also Cathy Davis Bell and Cynthia Davis who didn’t make it to the reunion but were at Girls Night Out. Hope I got everyone! I had to go off my memory for spouses (which at our age is definitely hit or miss) so my apologies for missing anyone. And of course…. me, Maria Semander Crawford
I hope everyone has been doing great since the reunion and staying happy and healthy. Be ready to send in updates next time around…you should have plenty to report by then. In the meantime, take it easy and if it’s easy, take it twice!
Will Cravens is still living in Houston and married to his beautiful college sweetheart Janet. They have three kids in college: James at SCAD, Mary getting her MBA at University of San Diego and Stephen, a freshman at University of St. Thomas. Chico and Kay are still doing well and are two of his best friends. He’s working full time for the Scanlan Foundation, a giving foundation that supports the Catholic Church in Texas.
Meg Estes Tapp lives with husband Filson in Houston. She is the plant expert for Houston Public Media / NPR radio station in Houston. She also teaches Classes at Urban Harvest and travels nationally to speak to and conduct workshops for garden clubs.
Malek Bohsali’s son, Laith, started his freshman year at Texas A&M studying engineering, like his dad. Their daughter, Leah, is a freshman at Memorial High. He continues to work on real estate development projects.
Marc Oster joined Lee Majors in the Bionic Man club by getting a new hip. I am already a member! I think my referral will get me an extra IV bag of fluids when I go in for my second knee replacement.
Bobby Briscoe retired as an Army Officer (1991-2011). He started as Private, retired as a Major. He did two tours in Iraq. He is a Union Airline Captain-Boeing 737 with United Airlines. He is the CEO and owner of West Houston Aero, an aircraft maintenance, repair, and parts company. He has been married 21 years. He lives behind St. Thomas High School in Magnolia Grove.
For seven plus years Karen Fillipone Haddock and Bill have been living in Wellesley, MA. Their son William graduates from California Lutheran University December 2022, and will likely stay in LA; their daughter Annabel graduated from TCU in 2022, and lives in Manhattan. Karen is an adjunct faculty member at Boston College supervising student teachers. They have two rescue dogs. Bill loves to kayak, and Karen is running with the kindest group of people New England has to offer.
Kelly and I are empty nesters and are loving life (and freedom)! We have seven children, one in Boston, Chicago, Fort Collins, San Diego, and three in the Houston area. Annie, our youngest, got married in November and Tinsley, the middle daughter, is getting married in May, which will make four married –three daughters and one son. We have five grandchildren all in the Houston area, two girls and three boys.
1984
Jackie Fair Houston, Texas jfair36900@aol.com
1985
Carolyn Lasater Hodges Dripping Springs, Texas carolynhodges@marykay.com
1986
Julie Templin Berman Houston, Texas julie@thelimogeslady.com
1987
Doug Rosenzweig Houston, Texas dougrosez@aol.com
1988
John Semander Redondo Beach, California cperiod@hotmail.com
1989
Elizabeth Oxford Pagan Houston, Texas elizabethpagan@me.com
Hi class of ’89!
I have to start off by saying this job is so fun. I truly love that I get to email back and forth and keep up with so many of you all. As I get older, I realize more and more how lucky we were to all grow up together at Kinkaid. I feel such a connection to each one of you - you are like a second family and it is such a gift.
In that vein, I’ve luckily gotten a chance to see lots of our ’89 crew lately! This past spring, Greer and I went to Walter Weathers’ boys’ Post Oak Little League game! Now that we are empty nesters, we don’t get to do things like that, so it was a real treat! The
Anthony Brown The Woodlands, Texas abrowntex@gmail.comWeathers brothers brought home a win so it was a great day all around! Then in October, Lynn Rothermel Neligan (who lives in Boston) was in town, so Jill Lichtenstein Deutser and I went and met her for coffee. We had SO much fun catching up! Finally, in November a bunch of us flew to Denver to visit Laney Vaughan Pitstick. Jill Lichtenstein Deutser, Bronwyn Burke Tilton, Beth Young Young, Andrea Boone Chapman, Jennifer Deal Rogers, Hillary Jarrett Millikin and Allison Withers Edwards all made the trip. We stayed up way too late laughing, re-telling old stories and catching up on each other’s current lives. Even though we don’t all keep up every day, it was still like we were together just yesterday at Kinkaid. And now for the updates. I loved all the responses I got this time. Thank you!!
Bo Ford: Bo and wife Cassie moved up to the Pacific Northwest in 2018, living on Mercer Island outside Seattle. Raising two characters, Caroline and Alice, who are now in 6th and 7th grade. Come visit in the summer!
Scot Johnson: Many of you have already been thru this experience with your own kids, but our twins Adele and Abby are seniors at Kinkaid and smack in the middle of the college admissions process. That brings back memories of my mom at our typewriter filling out repetitive info on my applications. There are some aspects that make the process easier these days, and some that make it more complicated. I think there are about 12 kids or so working through the process with each dean, and there was only a single person working with all of us! For those who
don’t know, my mom passed away August 5, 2022 after a long battle with complications from dementia. It was sad to say goodbye, but we rejoiced at celebrating her life and knowing she is no longer suffering. My dad is doing well, all things considered, and he has been a real trooper and tremendous role model during our challenging journey. Best to all of you.
Markus Kolber: My legal career appears, finally, to be on track. I had nearly departed from the profession, burnt out, following many years as contract counsel to the Public Defender of New Mexico, when my long-time musical colleague and former radio co-host, Rick De Stefano, turned to me at rehearsal one day and asked if I would consider working for him. Now I’m an associate of the De Stefano Law Firm; we specialize in Real Estate litigation.
For about the same length of time, I have been a member of the Taos Lions Club; they’d been pressing me to join for years but when I learned that my Uncle Reinhard had been elected to the presidency of his Lions chapter in Klosterneuburg, Austria, I finally relented and now I’m on the board of directors. The coolest thing about our club is that we are the stewards of a 19th century flying-jenny carousel; we set it up and operate at various community events and the Abuelitos bring their Hitos to put ’em on the horses and tell us how they themselves rode it when they were their grandchildren’s age.
On Sundays I can be found at the audio-visual console on Santiago Lane
as we broadcast the 10:30 am service from St. James Episcopal where my wife serves on the Vestry. Speaking of Janice, we will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary on the upcoming Summer Solstice. My brother Briton ’93 visited us this past August with his sons (10 & 12) and our mother Jeriann (like Julie Templin, not technically a KHS graduate) and her husband John Reeder. We (all the Kolber boys) rafted the Rio Grande, rode the Cumbres & Toltec scenic railroad and re-visited the original MeowWolf in Santa Fe. Janice and I, who are, both and each, childless do love the opportunity to have fun outings with our nephews but the best part about spending time with other people’s children is that you give them back at the end of the day especially after Uncle Mark has bought and enjoyed with them all the candy they can request.
Robert Liddell: Hello, All! Here’s the news you’ve all been (not at all) wondering about: I’ve finally entered the parenthood game. Patricia Curran Liddell was born on May 29. I imagine all of your kids are in college or headed there at this point. But I’ve been late for everything since 6th grade advisory, so why should this be any different? Patricia is a happy little girl who inherited her father’s tendency to stay up too late. I couldn’t be prouder of her. Her mother Carly is a natural at this, and I just keep telling myself not to break the baby. If all continues to go well, I look forward to explaining to Patricia’s teachers one day soon that I am not, in fact, her grandfather. Otherwise, we live in the Heights, and I’m still teaching literature and medical humanities at the University of Houston.
Lynn Rothermel Neligan: Just wanted to share the news of my beautiful, sweet mother, Jane, passing away suddenly this summer. Mom always said Friday was her favorite day because it was her day for driving carpool in her Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser station wagon! She loved it, and we had so many huge laughs. Oh, how we miss her, but we are blessed with so many happy times.
Jennifer Deal Rogers: Well… life has been very busy for my husband, Joseph, and I for 21+ years and we are about to be empty-nesters! So crazy! Our oldest daughter, Mary Louise (named after my sweet mom!), is a junior at TCU. Our son, Will, is a freshman at Ole Miss. They are both LOVING college! Our youngest, Margaret, just got accepted to TCU for the Fall and we are so excited! As for me, I’m finally spending more time in Texas these days and connecting with our Kinkaid group and my UT friends more! It’s been so fun! I threw my Mary Louise a 21st birthday recently
in Fort Worth and loved having Sarah Wheless Murrin ’90, Jennifer Pruitt Toomey ’90 and Lea Montgomery Payne join us for her party! Joseph and I will have some time on our hands soon when our kids all are gone … so sad to have them out of the house … but if any of you are in Atlanta - call me! We’d love to meet you for lunch or dinner!
Criss Holloway Scruggs: Criss is enjoying life’s wild ride! Besides her work with BMC Software in Houston she’s very active with her husband, Richard, two girls – Samantha (18) enjoying her freshman year at The University of Alabama #RollTide and Ali (12) her 7th grader involved in almost every activity known! She moved just over a year ago to a new home (still in Katy, TX) to add room for her mother-in-law. And, she added two new four-legged family members – white lab, Ruger and black lab, Rett. She’s spent much of the last year traveling, managing household renovations and spending time with family and friends. Life is good, and she hopes everyone is doing well!
Bronwyn Burke Tilton: Bronwyn is still practicing law and is a partner at Litchfield Cavo LLP. The mid-life crisis puppy’s name is Birdie. Burke is a Sophomore at Sewanee, playing lacrosse as a goalie and Connor is a Senior at Memorial and a varsity lacrosse goalie along with Tricia Greenwood Hurley’s son.
Me: Greer and I are enjoying year two of empty nest life. Year one was tough because my sweet dad, who most of you probably remember, passed away in February from complications from Alzheimers. But having all of the extra time to be with him was such a blessing. Thank you to so many of you who reached out - recalling days when he would drive us around blasting the Rolling Stones or Willie Nelson in the car, how he served up hot dogs every year at Field Day, how he made his famous “coffee milk” for us when I had sleepovers, and how he once gave some wise advice about life to some of our guys at a party. Thank you for sharing all of that with me! Other than that, empty nest life has been really fun. So far, I’ve taken up Mahjong and gardening, and we’re doing some traveling. Our son Charlie ’21 is in his sophomore year at Vanderbilt and loves it SO much. Fun ’89 connection is that he has become friends with Wendy and Michael Dalton’s daughter Bailey, who is a junior there. Vandy is just fabulous and Nashville is a blast. We love any chance we get to visit. This past summer it was a treat having him home - he was here to intern for Brad Deutser ’83 (Jill’s husband) at his amazing company, Deutser.
Well, that’s all I’ve got for you this round. Thank you again to all who wrote in. I hope all of you have a happy and healthy 2023!
1990
Need Volunteer
1991
Lane Alexander Danville, California lanealexander@yahoo.com
Amy Mehta Parmar and husband Ashi live outside Philadelphia and both work in the city. Amy is working for the Pennsylvania Public Health Initiative on the finance team.
Kerry Johnson Anthony is doing well and enjoying life in Irvine, CA. Her business providing help to those with food insecurity and dietary restrictions is growing and was just awarded a huge healthcare contract to provide Medically Tailored Meals to the Medi-Cal (state Medicare provider). She shares that “my kids are 12, 13 & 14 now and all growing up to be good humans, so this momma has nothing to complain about. I literally tell them Kinkaid stories every week (my daughter Kenady is obsessed with our yearbooks and what it was like to grow up in the 80’s. She thinks we were all so cool). I’m trying to help their schools in Irvine, where we live, prepare them for learning how to learn. That’s what Kinkaid taught me and I’m still learning!”
1992
Jennifer Wilson Brown Houston, Texas jenniferwilsonbrown@yahoo.com
Billy Forney Houston, Texas billy@f4interests.com
Amy Stuyck Watson Houston, Texas amyswatson@hotmail.com
1993
Courtney Dreyer Beauchamp San Antonio, Texas courtbeauch@gmail.com
Wendie Seale Childress Houston, Texas wendiechildress@gmail.com
Ashley Morgan Hanna Houston, Texas ashleymhanna@gmail.com
The Class of 1993 is excited to celebrate our 30th Reunion March 24-25, 2023! Be on the lookout for an invitation with more details about our Saturday night class party. We hope to see everyone there!
1994
Courtney Domercq Daily Houston, Texas cdomercq@hotmail.com
Meredith Riddle Chastang Houston, Texas meredithchastang@gmail.com
Dejon Banks Hawthorne Pearland, Texas dejonbanks@gmail.com
Rachel Applegate tells us, “In August, I left my five-year post at the Alley Theatre and, alongside my father, moved back to the sunny shores of Naples, FL where I now serve as the Chief Marketing Officer at Gulfshore Playhouse, the newest League of Regional Theatres in the nation (a pretty big deal)! Gulfshore Playhouse is about a year away from opening a new $67 million dollar theatre - which is right in my wheelhouse, having opened new theatres for The Kinkaid Theatre (now Katz Performing Arts Building), Signature Theatre, Arena Stage, and the renovated Alley Theatre. After only about a month here though, Hurricane Ian hit the area hard, but luckily, we were spared, though the Theatre construction did take a beating and is behind a bit. As you’ll recall, I’d only started at the Alley when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston and flooded the Alley. I’m hoping I’m not bringing the
weather forces to all my new theatres! All in all, it’s been a great move and I look forward to visiting when I’m back in Houston sometime soon.”
Deborah Vest Brown “is keeping up with life and her kids! Audrey ’24 is a junior at Kinkaid so we are surviving that and enjoying using college visits as a good excuse to squeeze in some fun travel. Charlotte ’27 is in 8th grade at Kinkaid and we enjoy doing volunteer work together through National Charity League. A highlight of this year was a family trip to London over spring break. All is busy, but good!”
Carvana Hicks Cloud shares the following, “After seeking election for Harris County District Attorney in 2020, I founded and operate The Empowered Survivor, a nonprofit social health collaborative, designed to prevent domestic violence homicides in underserved communities of color. I am serving on the Kinkaid Alumni Board and the Crime Stoppers of Houston Board. Most importantly, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two kids who are my world.”
Aisha Carter Crumbine reports, “After 20 years in education, I’ve finally taken the show on the road as
Jason Dillee ’95, Carvana Hicks Cloud ’95, and Brian Ross ’95 at LEAD’s Mardi Gras Charity Masquerade
an international speaker and leadership coach. In short, I help people be blown away by their lives at home and at work. That I get to travel the world teaching people how to be the gift blows *my* mind. ::insert shimmy here:: Top it off being a mom to two ah-mazing kids and a husband I still like after 20 years together...I’m winning.”
Sam Cruse is still living and working in Houston with his family and ill-behaved dogs. He’s proud to be undefeated in a long-running golf match against fellow ’95ers
Casey Ford and Patrick HadlockAn update on Kelly Kepper Devlin and Eric Devlin, “Eric is still running his digital forensic company, Lone Star Forensic Group, and working on the Oxygen network show, Cold Justice. I’m still teaching preschool. Our oldest Haley will graduate from Houston Christian High School this May and is awaiting college acceptances. Our younger daughter Riley is in 7th grade at Cornerstone Academy.”
Leisa Ladin Dillon, and husband Andy, “have a “Lifer” at Kinkaid Sam ’23 who is living up her senior year! It has been so nostalgic to watch her in action. In addition, they have a freshman girl Cameron ’26 who is very sad to see her sister go to college next year.”
Laura Lawhon Evans shares, “We are going on four and a half years in
Austin now with husband Rian and three boys Vinson (16), Peter(14), and Drew(12). They are at the same school as Julie Barrett Philp’s kids, so I get to see her at all the school events. I have been at Abel Design Group, an architecture and interior design firm for nine years, and have been leading the office here in Austin since I moved here. Excited to be working on designs for several new offices and restaurants in the area.”
Katie Medlen Goodwin says, “I have been living in Denver, CO for over 15 years. I feel lucky to be here with husband Scott, our daughter Elizabeth (12) and son Allan (9). My kids are Colorado natives so, naturally, excellent skiers. We ski on weekends in the winter, hike, bike and fish in the summer. I get together with our classmate Lindsay Tate Yocum as often as possible; reconnecting with her is one of the best things about living here!”
Kathleen Dunwoody Graf reports, “This summer we were road warriors and drove through Colorado and Utah seeing some of the most amazing places in our gorgeous National Parks. Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are not-to-be-missed. And now we have two young men in high school, Charlie and Austin are a sophomore and freshman at Strake Jesuit. The caboose and our redhead Tyler is in third grade at West U Elementary.”
Clay Hackerman remains in Bellville,
WA and enjoys working as a surgeon at Polyclinic. He and wife Grace are busy with their girls who are now six and ten. This year the family enjoyed a trip to Hawaii and a stay in Houston with the family.
Dejon Banks Hawthorne serves as the Executive Director of LEAD (houstonlead. org), a nonprofit that prepares youth for success by providing life skills and exposure to new opportunities. This summer, she accompanied a group of students LEADers to Jackson Hole and experienced the stunning Teton Mountains. She is grateful to Kinkaid and all of her fellow classmates who support her work and attended LEAD’s Mardi Gras Masquerade. Dejon is conducting research regarding positive youth development with the University of Houston and Texas A&M University, and she recently co-authored a paper that was published in the Journal of Experiential Education. Traveling, curling up with a good book, serving, and savoring time with family and friends add joy to her days.
Katherine Howe shares, “My son Charles is three and obsessed with knights, cooking, and doing "a big dance number" a la Gene Kelly. We’ve abandoned NYC to live in Massachusetts, just north of Boston, full time, where I’m working on a novel and two nonfiction books, all of which (oof) are supposedly coming out in fall 2023. In a related story, I finally have smile lines. We will miss our NYC Kinkaid pals Amanda Hulsey, whose
son Burl and daughter Zuzu are good pals of Charles’s, and Rohit Shah whose sons Dev and Ravi are also our good baby friends. (As a baby Charles wore all Burl’s clothes and slept in Dev and Ravi’s bassinet.) Anyone wanting to keep up on my book news can check out katherinehowe.com, and if any Kinkaidians pass through Boston, I hope they’ll let me know.”
Lindsay Wadler Hyman “is looking forward to spending the holidays with my family in Mexico. My daughter Kate ’25 (15) is a sophomore, and son William ’28 (13) is in 7th grade!”
Artie Johnson reports that, “The Staglin-Johnson family is grateful for health, love, and friendship. We were happy to celebrate both grandchildren Arthur III & Sicily spending time with both sets of grandparents.”
J.J. Johnston is thrilled to be helming Classical Theatre Company as it enters its 15th anniversary season. You can purchase tickets or support CTC at http://www.classicaltheatre.org He’s also over the moon to announce his wedding plans to Lindsay Anne Ehrhardt, set for March 2023. Robert Lemus is tapped as Best Man.
Marilyn Bloss Koester continues to teach in the Department of English at Rhodes College in Memphis. Her daughter Mary Lee attends college in Chicago while her sons, George and John, are in high school keeping her and husband Drew busy at home.
Michael Kuntz says, “I am grateful for my two daughters, Hattie (6) and Georgia (2), my wife Jennifer and our life at the foot of Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. And my gratitude for the holidays is family visiting for over a month for some good meals and travels. Wishing you a healthy and heartwarming end of the year and start of 2023.”
Robert Lemus tells us, “There is a lot to be thankful for this year. I joined the law firm of Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP as a litigation partner in July and continue to support the Classical Theatre Company (with JJ Johnston) and sit on its board of directors. Laura’s probate and family law practice continues to grow. Morgana, Alexandra, and Elesha were excited to go to Disney World for the first time this year, and Morgana will be participating in Disney dancing at Disneyland this December.”
Kathryn McCarter Moore shares, “I am a licensed clinical social worker at the VA, working in mental health. Mary Helen (6) is in 1st grade at Roberts Elementary, and Margaret (5) is in Pre-K at St. Luke’s.”
Tim Okabayashi reports, “My family and I have been living in Cambridge, UK since 2018 for my work with SLB. Recently taken on a new position as the Methane Emissions Consulting Manager. I still cannot pass my UK driver’s license test. Recently started learning to be a coxswain for 8-person crew boats along the Cam River. Visited with Pamela Hay who lives in London over the summer.”
Ashley Browning Pfiester shared this update, “I am the Director of Curriculum and Integration at Trinity Episcopal School in Austin, TX. I’ve been working at Trinity since I moved from Houston to Austin in 2011. My two boys, Charlie (4th grade) and Ben (2nd grade), also attend Trinity. I love that we get to experience the community and traditions together. Husband Austin and I are looking forward to a family adventure in the Galapagos Islands in March 2023.”
Therese Roque says, “I’m working as a lead speech-language pathologist in Dallas ISD. We welcomed our daughter, Tailynn, in September of last year and are enjoying watching her grow and learn new things.”
Parker Stanberry continues to live in Miami and to run his travel business Oasis. His loyalty to H-town sports remains intact, and he made it to Minute Maid for three games (including a World Series game) during the Astros playoff run.
Kathryn Wolf Krischer is still in northern California and happily juggling recruiting and kids. “Very grateful for our visits home to Houston to be with our forever friends. Go Gold!”
Erin Jones Brown Houston, Texas erinjonesbrown@gmail.com
Emily Mitchell Covey Houston, Texas emily.covey@gmail.com
Cheryl Auster Freidberg (fs) recently left the Lone Star State to take a position as Associate General Counsel with Oorah/Kars4Kids in Lakewood, NJ. Cheryl relocated with her husband and their two children Yosef (2.5) and Kaleb (2).
Christina Wilson Altenau Houston, Texas Christina.altenau@gmail.com
Daniel Jenkins Houston, Texas Danieljenkinsiv@gmail.com
Amy Parker Beeson Houston, Texas amyparkerbeeson@gmail.com
Elizabeth Evans Mann Houston, Texas elizabeth.e.mann@gmail.com
Spencer English Houston, Texas spencer.english@gmail.com
Alyssa Gardner Kilpatrick Houston, Texas alyssakilpatrick@hotmail.com
Michel Miller Mullett Houston, Texas michelmullett@hotmail.com
Krystal Carter Houston, Texas krystaldcarter@gmail.com
Stuart Pradia Camden, New Jersey stuart31@gmail.com
Chad Roosth shares, “For the Roosth family, we’ve had an exciting couple of years. In 2020, we moved from NYC to Sarasota, FL, where we’re immensely enjoying the white-sand beaches of Siesta Key, bright-orange sunsets, and, of course, the 80-degree winters. Our daughter Eliza Wren Roosth turned two this year, but the big news in 2022 was welcoming our son Scott Rhyland Roosth born in May. Scotty is full of vibrancy, life and energy...especially at 3am when we really, really wish he were sleeping!”
Michael Petranek and his wife welcomed their second son Owen in December of 2021. Henry loves being a big brother. Michael recently took over as Editorial Director of the Graphix Media imprint at Scholastic, overseeing the licensed graphic novel program.
Sarah Lucas says, “Still loving life as a philosophy professor in Exeter, UK! I am pregnant with my second boy, who is due in March 2023. Come visit me.”
Ashleigh Retzloff reports, “I am still working as an R&D Chef for Cosori and have expanded into food styling for commercials and shoots. We relocated to DTLA from Anaheim this year and love it!”
Erin McGowan Forssman says, “I am excited to share that we welcomed our first child Alexander "Xander" Forssman on March 7, 2022. I am still working as the Director of Grants Management for Houston Endowment and supporting the Foundation’s annual distribution of more than $100M in grants to the Greater Houston community.”
Lindsey Boyd Hunt and husband David welcomed Boyd Burnam Hunt last September. Big sister Henley adores her baby brother and he’s pretty smitten with her too. Lindsey still lives in the Clear Lake area and works in communications for Clear Creek ISD.
Eileen Jones reports, “Busy busy out here in LA! I’ve been writing a reimagining of To Catch a Thief for Paramount - and shameless plug time - my husband has the next installment of the Scream franchise coming out in early 2023. So, if you like scary movies, buy those tickets! We were in Montreal while he shot it over the summer, which was fun but incredibly humbling as it seems I’ve forgotten pretty much all my French!”
Kavita Rao shares, “August 2021 Neel and I welcomed our first child Luka Trikha. I am still touring the US on two different dance conventions. This past year I had the pleasure of visiting Kinkaid on more than one occasion. I was honored to speak at the Cum Laude Assembly for the ’22 graduating class and spend a week over the summer as the guest artist in residence for the incoming dance company. My entertainment company Karmagraphy had a very busy 15th year and I continue to work as a choreographer in film and television. My latest work can be seen in season 2 of Little America on Apple TV+. If you want to dance with me, you can catch my dance fitness classes on POPSUGAR.”
Alyson Weaver Nicholas writes, “I’m still living in Santa Monica, CA with husband Evan and our two kiddos August (6) and Rosy (4). Recently, I started a new job writing on the HBO Max show PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: ORIGINAL SIN. Feeling happy, healthy, and grateful!”
Katherine Tropoli Plumb tells us, “2022 has been a fun and busy year in the Plumb house - we have taken some great trips and are enjoying the last year that all three children will be at the same elementary school! Last summer, I went to the San Juan Islands and Olympic National Park with
Mollie Schall and Cabell Walker Wood and we had a great time. I am enjoying celebrating everyone’s 40th birthdays!”
Tyler Scharar is serving as the Director of Facilities for Naval Base Yokosuka, Japan, as a Commander in the Navy.
Mike Constantiner says, “I have two kids now, although I think that’s the same as it was in the last update. Recently I’ve been hyper focused on my new AI company called MATT.AI. It recommends yoga poses based on you inputting different parts of your body you are trying to work on. It’s like an AI powered private yoga instructor. I named it MATT.AI after my old business partner, friend, and yoga guru Matthew Rosenberg.”
Alma Gomez Shields shares that, “Life is very busy, but oh so fulfilling, these days! We welcomed our sweet girl Hallie Shields in August. Older brother Harris is loving having a sibling and is keeping us on our toes himself as a very active toddler (definitely soon-to-be threenager!). I am also still enjoying private practice as a shareholder with the law firm of Liskow & Lewis in Houston focusing on energy litigation.”
Aynsley Armbrust reports, “I’m plugging away at attempting to work the least amount with the most reward. Not sure I’m doing it correctly, but at least I’m enjoying the journey. One of my latest ventures includes luxury beef jerky or "steak-in-a-box" as I lovingly refer to it. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
www.pollardsgentlemanjerky.com
Other than attempting to be an entrepreneur, I spend my days still working in commercial real estate and pretending to be a professional equestrian. LaLa Land treats me well, but now in Houston I have an adorable baby niece with red hair and blue eyes.
Stacy Soefer Gomar is still trying to convince me to move back... Maybe someday she will succeed.”
Stuart Pradia is enjoying the east coast per usual, still coaching at Rutgers-Camden University. “I will be home for Christmas and if you’re ever in Philly, let me know!”
Kate McCormick Heinzer spent the past year prioritizing bug fixes and minor improvements but did not add any new features.
Louise Frank Pennebaker says, “Hi Hi! I am living in Houston and married to Drew Pennebaker ’00 and have four little boys! Also, I am working as an artist. I had my first solo exhibition in December 2022.
My work is represented by Mont Art House. Jennifer Monteleone (wife of Will ’02) has opened a gallery in town, and I am lucky enough to be one of her artists.”
Stacy Soefer Gomar writes, “Hi friends! All is the same with me! Still living in Houston. Fun fact - now neighbors with Alan Falik. I have a 6th grader at Kinkaid. That’s it … and Bruno is a ham sandwich.”
Tripp Fried shares, “I cannot remember the last update I sent, but wife Anne Hoppe Fried ’04 and I are now living in Denver. We moved up here at the end of 2018. Not a lot new to report, but we welcomed a son back in February of 2021 (Ford Fried) and our crew has been spending as much time as possible in the mountains when we can escape the city. We are still making regular trips back to Houston to visit family, all of which still reside in the area. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you come through town, or visit the mountains. We would love to catch up.”
Phillip Winfrey tells us, “Robyn and I are in the thick of being uber drivers for our kids and all their activities. Maya (12), Will (10), and Laura Kate (9) are enjoying riding horses, playing football, climbing and rafting in western Colorado. Hoping to fly my Super Cub project in this 40th year and also finally take our original design airplane to market for the engineering company that I am working for. We’ll see.”
Iman Houston Farrior reports, “The Farriors are keeping busy in Los Angeles! I am working as a business affairs executive at Creative Artists Agency and just helped my kids launch a new brand, Starrior (www.starriorworld. com) aimed at informing kids through fashion. My four kids are also busy with school, soccer, trumpet, volleyball, piano, tennis, and their acting side hustle. One of my twins Marli will be making her big screen debut in the remake of White Men Can’t Jump starring Jack Harlow (coming summer 2023). Husband James is golfing and boxing (for exercise), but mostly chauffeuring kids around LA. In July, we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in the Bahamas with family and friends, including several Kinkaidians!”
2002
Ariana Nizza Chapman
New York, New York
Ariananizzachapman@gmail.com
Leslie Roemer Labanowski Houston, Texas leslielabanowski@gmail.com
2003
Anne Tropoli Kahle Houston, Texas anne.tropoli@gmail.com
2004
Jordan Allison Boyce Houston, Texas jordan.boyce67@gmail.com
Emily Catherine Jeter Riggs Houston, Texas ecjriggs@gmail.com
2005
Grace Lee Hofer Houston, Texas graceleehofer@gmail.com
2006
Casson Wen Missouri City, Texas cassonwen@gmail.com
Katherine Botts married her college boyfriend Jackson Conrad! They were wed in Houston surrounded by family and friends, including bridesmaids Amanda Waddell, Lauren Gaw, and Kimberly Keeney Wood. They killed it on the dance floor, learning the steps to "Cotton-Eyed Joe," "The Git Up," and "Wellerman" (TikTok Sea Shanty)!
Katrina Korhonen married her now husband, César Giralt, in Ravello, Italy on September 25, 2022!
Emily Schreiber had an exciting 2022. After almost 10 years working in non-profit fundraising, Emily started a new job in April at PNC Bank, where she is advising high-net-worth clients and families in their philanthropic giving and impact investing. In November, Emily got married to Sam Stein. They live in Houston with an adorable aging chihuahua, Mr. Flaco.
Megan Altman Walker and husband Blake were excited to welcome their second son, Patrick James Walker, into the world on June 11, 2022. Big brother Benjamin has now gotten used to the idea that Patrick will be sticking around for good!
Kirby Allison Los Angeles, California kallison22@gmail.com
Mason Bashaw Clelland Houston, Texas mason.clelland@gmail.com
Kirby Allison is the Senior Communications Manager at kid’s book company, Literati. She currently lives in Austin and enjoys spending time with her nephews, one niece, and pup Frankie.
Mason Basha Clelland was promoted to Co-Business Unit Manager of Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management offices in Houston and Dallas. She and her husband spend their free time with their fur kids Rocky and Bullwinkle!
Cullen Cone recently finished the Rice Professional MBA program (Class of 2020) Go Owls! He and wife Elizabeth welcomed their first child Catherine “Cate” Holland Cone on January 25, 2022!
Mary Katherine Cummins and husband Jim ’07 recently welcomed their first child, Charlotte Elizabeth “Cece” in March 2022. Their fur baby George is loving big brother life.
Emily Burke Maas and husband Andy welcomed their second daughter Cameron on May 13, 2022. Their oldest Julia loves being a big sister!
Serena Mammen Weber completed her psychiatry residency this past summer and moved back to Houston! She started a faculty position at Baylor College of Medicine and sees patients at The Menninger Clinic. She and husband Max have two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Kruger (5) and their new
9-week-old puppy Okavango (Okie)!
Jessica Messier Beall and husband Charley ’06 are moving to Baltimore this summer with their two kids, George (3) and Philip (1), and dog, Murphy (8), where Jessica will start her neonatology fellowship at Johns Hopkins!
Kevin Anding married Katie Pacholczyk in July 2022. They are expecting a baby boy in April. The couple also welcomed a new Golden Retriever Banks into their family, and Kevin began a new job at Advertising Agency Cheil Worldwide.
Morgan Latin was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in December of 2021. She is now serving as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Houston.
Brittney Quezada Reed is a corporate immigration attorney in Houston. She married Dillon Reed on October 10, 2020. They are currently expecting their first child in December 2022! They also have a sweet beagle puppy together named Mia Reed.
Tracy Konig Bateman and husband Kyle will welcome their second child in December 2022. They also recently moved and live on the same street as fellow Class of 2008 friends Sarah Atnipp Partin and Emma Christopherson Elsenbrook!
Lauren Howell Anderson is a clinical social worker. She and husband Stefan currently live in Lake Orion, MI with their two children, Owen (born Aug 2020) and Evie (born Sept 2022).
In December 2022, Lloyd Rude earned his MBA from University of Houston specializing in the energy transition. He currently works in the oil and gas industry.
Owen Mason recently married wife Genevieve in Oxford, England.
Katherine Bookout Booth lives in Atlanta with husband Will, sons, Harry and Mills, and their beloved dog, Rippy. Katherine is a management consultant and expecting their third child due Spring 2023.
Jared Gooding is living in Chicago and works as a full-time lighting designer. In addition to his work in Chicago, Jared has worked on projects in no less than eight cities including the Kennedy Center in DC, and two shows with STAGE in Houston. He was also voted into the union for theater lighting designers and is a member with United Scenic Artist 829. Jared also DJs regularly.
Audrey Pyle Voss’s daughter, Madison, turned two at the end of July. She has such a joyful personality! She is also currently pursuing her Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.
Andrew Klein is a corporate attorney at Targa Resources in Houston. He enjoys hanging out with all his Kinkaid friends and going on outdoor adventures. His highlight of 2022 was watching the Houston Astros win the World Series in person at Minute Maid Park. Go Astros!
Kristin Wilkinson Wescott joined AKQA in March as Management Supervisor on the Delta Air Lines account. In addition, she is serving as Education Committee Chair for the Atlanta Ad Club. Outside of work, she and husband Ben are staying busy with their active daughter Lane (1.5) who is constantly feeding Nellie, their dog, anything she doesn’t want on her plate.
2009
Alanna McAuley London, England armcauley75@gmail.com
2010
Evan Henke New York, New York henke.evan@gmail.com
2011
Avery Geisler St. Louis, Missouri aag459@gmail.com
Harry Hantel Los Angeles, California hhantel@gmail.com
2012
Kirby Gilbert Shaw Houston, Texas kirbygshaw@gmail.com
Forbes Dumas and wife Maddy were married January 8, 2022 in New Orleans, LA. They currently live in Baltimore, MD.
2013
Katie Shaffer Silver Houston, TX katiershaffer@gmail.com
Julia Shaffer lives in Houston and is engaged to James Mentz. She is a psychotherapist in private practice
at Julia Shaffer Counseling. James is completing his first year of residency in plastic surgery at UT Houston.
Mollie Gaylor is living in NYC and recently left EY after 5 years to join an artificial intelligence tech startup. She lives with Marissa Smith and dachshund Josephine.
Savannah Friedkin lives in London and is currently attending London Business School.
Christina Fondren Thurmond got married last year. Christina and husband Carter live in Austin with their new puppy Honey. She just launched her private practice Christina Thurmond Psychotherapy working with adolescent and young adults.
2014
Haley Ebel O’Brien Edgecombe County, NC hbeobrien@gmail.com
Need volunteer
2016
Kate Hinnant Houston, Texas kathrynhinnant97@gmail.com
Emma Hanan married George Randt ’13 this past June and moved to New York City where she continues to work for Deloitte as an M&A consultant while he pursues his MBA at Columbia.
This summer Christina Oti and Lauren Herring went on a belated post grad trip to Greece with a travel company, visiting Santorini, Naxos, Paros and Athens. Lauren just started as the e-commerce associate working on the marketing team for the fashion brand Hunter Bell in Houston.
Kate Hinnant continues to run her marketing business, Monarch Atelier, while also acquiring the title of Houston’s Owner and Editor of the national franchise publication, The Scout Guide.
Buck Tower moved from working at Robinhood to now working in healthcare tech at Verily, still in San Francisco.
Ellee Dukes Austin, Texas elleedukes@mac.com
Jake Reinbolt Dallas, Texas jakereinbolt@gmail.com
Alexis Johnson shares, “I recently joined the Houston Police Department and now serve the city of Houston as a police officer. I am also currently pursuing my Master’s degree from American University in Terrorism and Homeland Security Policy.”
Katherine Berman Lexington, Virginia katherine@katherineberman.com
TX Harris Salt Lake City, Utah txharris92@gmail.com
Isabel Stallings Orange, California isabel.stallings@gmail.com
Mitchell Roberts is in his last semester at The University of Texas. He will be receiving a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Business Administration. Mitchell (Team Lead) and a team of two other students recently applied for - and won! - a research grant from NASA to study applying space-based estimation techniques to drones in GPS-Denied Environments.
Elizabeth Baird Oxford, Mississippi elizabethbaird2000@gmail.com
Antonio Castro Dallas, Texas antonio.castro0@yahoo.com
Ellie Lucke Austin, Texas ellielucke15@gmail.com
Seb Seager New Haven, Connecticut seb.seager@gmail.com
2020
Sally Buck Nashville, Tennessee sallyhbuck@gmail.com
2021
Daryn Mehling Ithaca, NY darynkmehling@gmail.com
Skyler Swanson Austin, TX skylerswanson@icloud.com
Emma Hanan Randt ’16
Maddy Klimczak & Forbes Dumas
January 8, 2022
Laine Lieberman ’10 & Getty Hall
April 2, 2022
Sarah Powell ’09 & Mike Barnhart
April 2, 2002
Alison Purinai & John Beckworth ’07
April 23, 2022
Camilla Brusenhan & Carter DeWalch ’13
May 7, 2022
Perveen Singh ’06 & Peter Nussbaum
May 7, 2022
Abby Burns ’10 & Philippe Haffner
June 4, 2022
Sophie Williamson & Peter Kokernot ’12
June 18, 2022
Emma Hanan ’16 & George Randt ’13
June 25, 2022
Keri Tiner ’06 & Dan Soltis
July 9, 2022
Clara Brahimy & Andrew Winters ’12
July 9, 2022
Katie Pacholczyk & Kevin Anding ’08
July 9, 2022
Lauren Maguire & Barrett Mize ’13
July 23, 2022
Dani Carter ’10 & Tobi Olorunsola
August 6, 2022
Lauren McGrath & Jamal Dawson ’04
August 6, 2022
Rebecca Harris ’09 & Leah Lewy
August 27, 2022
Emily Robinson ’13 & Trevor Walter
September 10, 2022
Katie Williamson ’08 & Gordon Knutson
September 17, 2022
Katrina Korhonen ’06 & César Giralt
September 25, 2022
Katherine Botts ’06 & Jackson Conrad
October 8, 2022
Elise Mossy ’06 & David Wells
October 15, 2022
Kevin Anding ’08 and wife Katie Carter DeWalch ’13 and wife Camilla Dani Carter Olorunsola ’10 and husband Tobi Laine Lieberman Hall ’10 and husband Getty Peter Kokernot ’12 and wife Sophie Forbes Dumas ’12 and wife Maddy Perveen Singh ’06 and husband Peter Nussbaum
Cynthia Christin "CiCi" Brown
April 13, 2022
Christin Snodgrass Brown ’08 and husband Wilson
Scott Rhyland Roosth
May 2022
Chad Roosth ’01 and wife Amanda Elsbree
Peter Demetri Bludorn
May 5, 2022
Victoria Pappas Bludorn ’07 and husband Aaron
Pierce James Mogavero
May 9, 2022
Whitney Weems Mogavero ’96 and husband Drew
Olivia Rose Evans
May 10, 2022
Matthew Evans ’08 and wife Candice
Cameron Blair Maas
May 13, 2022
Emily Burke Maas ’08 and husband Andy
Hugh Douglas Mackay
May 13, 2022
Blake Mackay ’05 and wife Paige
Amelia Jane Gregory
May 17, 2022
Georgi Andrews Gregory ’14 and husband Jeremy
Edmond Joseph O’Suji III
May 25, 2022
Edmond O’Suji ’09 and wife Mia
Morris Daniel Rose
May 28, 2022
Eryn Schultz ’04 and husband Sam Rose
Patrick James Walker
June 11, 2022
Megan Altman Walker ’06 and husband Blake
Virginia “Gigi” Antonia Xavier McDermott
July 16, 2022
Chelsea Cunningham McDermott’ 02 and husband Christian
Molly Reese Morgan
July 24, 2022
Philip Morgan ’05 and wife Katie
Hallie Shields
August 2022
Alma Gomez Shields ’01 and husband Daniel
Charlotte Sloan Brown
August 13, 2022
Taylor Shingledecker Brown ’11 and husband Wesley
Heath James Cummins
August 15, 2022
Sloan Childress Cummins ’11 and husband William ’10
Knox Daniel Whitfield
August 18, 2022
Stephanie Frishberg Whitfield ’07 and husband Jarrod
Blakely Kerr Fatjo
August 21, 2022
Austin Fatjo ’07 and wife Ally
Iris Kayem
August 25, 2022
Chris Kayem ’97 and wife Hannah
Ricardo Nicholas "Nico" Perusquia
August 26, 2022
Christine Sangalis Perusquia ’11 and husband Ricky ’11
William Joseph Labanowski Jr.
August 30, 2022
William Labanowski ’11 and wife Katie
Evie Anderson
September 2022
Lauren Howell Anderson ’08 and husband Stefan
Madeline Rose Bock
September 22, 2022
Glyn Tower Bock ’09 and husband Matt
Blake Matthew Petry
July 11, 2022
Julie Mackay Petry ’07 and husband Jeff
Brooks Patrick Moffitt
October 2, 2022
Maddy Foxx Moffitt ’06 and husband Patrick
Lewis Nelson White Jr. ’58
March 10, 2022
Carl Moody ’69
April 2, 2022
Deborah Lee Symonds Shouse ’67
April 29, 2022
Kathryn Freeman Steigerwald ’62
May 16, 2022
William Noble "Willie" Carl, Jr. ’55 (fs)
June 3, 2022
Nancy Goldston Herpin ’55
June 3, 2022
Dr. L. Brooke Tucker ’62 (fs)
June 7, 2022
Charlotte Ann Abercrombie ’67
June 19, 2022
Clare Fleming Sprunt ’44 (fs)
June 26, 2022
Vernon "Betsy" Burrows ’45 (fs)
August 3, 2022
Former Music Teacher
Paula Stephenson
August 3, 2022
Joan Marie Jacomini Crosswell ’60
August 23, 2022
Emilie "Mimi" Smith Kilgore ’53
November 24, 2022
Richard Burleson "Dick" Colvin ’70 (fs)
November 25, 2022
Chloe Elise Bailard ’25 December 7, 2022
Christina “Christie” Vaughan ’93 (fs) August 25, 2022
Charles “Trey” Kelso ’95 (fs) September 24, 2022
Retired Middle School Latin Teacher Barbara Williams December 13, 2022
Frances Sterling Thurow ’37 (fs) September 27, 2022
Jimmy J. Younger ’45 (fs) October 14, 2022
Malcolm Little ’17 October 17, 2022
Frances “Judy” Boone Standerwick ’56 (fs) October 23, 2022
Helen Potter Allison ’71
July 14, 2022
Pamela Paukune Wynne ’78
July 26, 2022
Henry Burrell Kirby ’50
November 11, 2022
Richard Lee Doehring ’61 November 17, 2022
Correction: In the 2021-2022 Annual Report, the following names were inadvertently left off the 10 Year Faithful Falcons list. We sincerely apologize for this error.
Faithful Falcons are donors who have given for 10 years consecutively to The Kinkaid Fund. The incredible generosity and loyal support of these donors demonstrate a commitment to excellence. It is an honor to acknowledge their deep dedication to the School.
Ashley and John Adkins
Alice and Jason Ahuero
Susan and Ken Alexander
Caroline and Peter Billipp
Melissa and Jeff Budoff
Debbie and Jeff Cardwell
Brittany and Travis Cassin
Patricia and Russell Chadwick
Pilar Colvin
Richard Colvin
Aline and Josh Copp
Heather and Scott Deiss
Megan and Daniel D’Souza
Carolyn Dyer
Iman and James Farrior
Karen and James Feldman
Joanie and Jude Filippone
Margaret and Ryan Gillentine
Becky and Justin Gregg
Janita and Garney Griggs
Jiejian Lin and Feng He
Isabelle Bedrosian and John Heghinian
Sue and Bob Herman
Rebeca and Greg Huddle
Lillie and JP Hutcheson
Amanda and Steve Johnson
Elise Jones
Shelley and Alex Kaplan
John Keeton
Elizabeth and Corey Kendrick
Sarah Kichline
Paige and Jason Kist
Marla Leyva
Michelle Ludwig
Christie and Billy McCartney
Sara and Duston McFaul
Flo McGee
Helen and Barton McLaughlin
Julie and Jon Meyer
Jennifer and Greg Moore
Harlan Murphy
Robert Murray
Kim and Charlie Nettles
Taseen Tambra and Joe Nguyen
Jennifer Orr
Sureka and Sudhir Pai
Vicki and Ron Patterson
Willis Ann and Edward Plummer
Laquetta and Charles Prince
Candy and Mark Provine
Elisa and Cris Pye
Laura Rathmell
Galen and Stephen Reckling
Ellen Welsh and Martin Reichenthal
Natalie and Gavin Reichman
Emily Catherine and Ben Riggs
Meagan and Duncan Robinson
Lisa and Shawn Rosenzweig
Alysse and Kenneth Rueckert
Sam Sands
Melissa and Eric Schafer
Stacey and Brock Silverstein
Courtnay and Ryan Springmeyer
Caroline Stevenson
Charlotte and Steven Sullivan
Lauren and Daniel Taylor
Shelly and Bob Thomas
Jenny and Rich Tompkins
Laura and Erik Wheeler
Karla and Nicholas Wiedemann
Candy and John Winslow
Jennifer and Neil Wizel
Michelle and Glenn Woo
Cheer alumni at the Kinkaid vs. SJS Pep Rally
201 Kinkaid School Drive
Houston, TX 77024
Parents of Alumni: If this publication is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni Office of the new permanent mailing address.
