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Class Notes
Class Notes do not appear in the online edition of Mills Quarterly.
Alumnae are invited to share their news with classmates in the Mills College alumnae community. To submit notes for publication in the next available Quarterly, send your update to classnotes@mills. edu. Class Notes do not appear in the online edition of the Mills Quarterly. Alumnae are invited to share their news with classmates in the Mills College Alumnae Community, alumnae.mills.edu. To submit notes for publication in the next available Quarterly, send your update to classnotes@mills.edu.
Notices of deaths received before July 6, 2020
To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123
Ida “Jiggs” Erlanger Scott ’42, March 30, 2019, in Sebastopol, California. Ida lived in Sebastopol for the last 25 years of her life, though she was born in San Francisco and watched the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. A lifelong volunteer, Ida was a walking encyclopedia who loved sharing knowledge with her family. She is survived by three children and nine grandchildren.
Polly Schwartz Hertz ’42, March 16, in Canoga Park, California. Polly danced with Marian Van Tuyl at Mills, and went on to join the Army during World War II as part of the Women’s Auxiliary Corps. She taught school in Chicago and then worked as a saleswoman in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Polly cherished her Mills education and was strong and proud. She is survived by a son.
Ann Sulzberger Wolff’42, April 21, in Winnetka, Illinois. Ann spent 75 years as a volunteer with the League of Women Voters, and served as a leader in the Citizens Information Service, a founding member of Lakeside Congregation, and a champion of North Shore Senior Center. She was a dedicated member of the Mills College Club of Chicago. Ann is survived by three children and five grandchildren.
Shirley “Kay” Kinspel Manley ’43, December 18, 2019, in New York. Kay was a professional artist and designer with a passion for the opera. Despite health concerns, Kay was able to travel alone to Paris and Salzburg as well as the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall to attend performances. Nothing got in the way of Kay’s love for life. She is survived by two daughters and two granddaughters.
Elizabeth “Betty” Loudon Daugherty ’43, February 22, in Juneau, Alaska. At Mills, she was a champion fencer. She worked as a secretary for a petroleum geologist, and she was credited in a book of his for her knowledge of micropaleontology—a lifelong source of pride. Betty was also a reporter who was passionate about science, hunting, carpentry, and electrical engineering. Betty is survived by six children and nine grandchildren.
Sally Mayock Hartley ’48, May 1, in Union City, California. Sally was senior class president at Mills and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in government. Sally and her husband, Hollis, moved to San Bernardino, where they raised four children, and Sally taught in high schools there for 14 years. At her 70th reunion in 2018, Sally (below, second from right) and her classmates sang the school song to President Elizabeth L. Hillman! Sally is survived by three children and six grandchildren.
Patricia Baillargeon ’49, June 12, in Seattle. As assistant to Eleanor Roosevelt, Pat traveled to all 50 states and many nations in Asia and Europe. Pat later became the assistant to the Consul General of Japan,
Stacey Park Milburn, MBA ’16
A fierce, well-known advocate for people with disabilities, Stacey Park Milburn died on May 19—her 33rd birthday—in Stanford, California. The physical challenges she experienced in her life due to muscular dystrophy led her to organize and galvanize her community and beyond, doing everything from hosting Disability Justice Culture Club and Hidden Army gatherings at her East Oakland home to working on President Barack Obama’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and co-producing the Netflix documentary Crip Camp. More recently, she organized mutual assistance to keep those on ventilators safe as Pacific Gas & Electric shut off electricity in fire-prone areas of the state.
Stacey was also passionate about ensuring that queer BIPOC would not be erased from efforts for disability justice, in California and across the country. She enrolled at Mills in 2012 to continue that work and inspired her classmates and instructors alike. A remembrance from fellow Lokey graduates Sarah Garmisa, MPP/ MBA ’15, and Emily Davis ’06, MBA ’14, touted Stacey’s vibrancy: “She was a hustler who worked harder than even the best of us. Yet she never lost touch with her clever and sarcastic sense of humor that made her approachable and easy to talk to, despite her tremendously powerful presence.” Stacey is survived by her two grandmothers, her parents, and two siblings.
the first woman executive at the Port of Seattle, and a founding board member of the Pilchuck Glass School and the Wing Luke Museum. Well into her 80s, she continued volunteering in homeless communities. She is survived by two brothers, and 13 nieces and nephews.
Lesley Bollenbach Carnes ’49, on December 24, 2019, in Shoreview, Minnesota. Lesley loved to travel, read, entertain, and garden. She had a gift for making people feel welcome and valued. Lesley will be greatly missed and always remembered as a woman of love and grace with a very quick wit. She is survived by three children and five grandchildren.
Caryl Hollender Susman ’52, on April 26, in Winnetka, Illinois. After majoring in psychology at Mills, Caryl volunteered extensively with local charities and in Democratic politics. She worked at the Chicago Department of Welfare and volunteered on the boards of several social services agencies. The Mills College Club of Chicago counted her as a beloved member. She is survived by her husband, Bernie; three children; and five grandchildren.
Benjamin “Ben” Johnston, MA’53, July 21, 2019, in Deerfield, Wisconsin. Ben was a prolific composer who used microtonal tuning systems to create a large and varied catalog of avant-garde chamber works, stage pieces, and music for orchestras, choirs, voice, and solo piano. He studied with Darius Milhaud in 1951 and went on to work with John Cage in New York. He is survived by three children and three grandchildren.
Diane Ferris Whyte ’54, March 2, in Lafayette. Diane was a beloved elementary school teacher and passionate tennis player. She and her husband, Don, loved spending time in Carmel, especially with their family. She is survived by Don, three children, and seven grandchildren.
Patricia “Ann” Hunt Lindeen ’54, March 21, in Simi Valley, California. Ann met her husband, Gordon, at a Mills/Stanford dance. Ann was a founder of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of People-to-People International and served as a docent at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. She is survived by her husband, Gordon; four children, including Janeen Lindeen McBride ’79, and three grandchildren.
Sarah “Sally” Paul Williams ’54, April 29, in Ocala, Florida. She served on the boards for Habitat for Humanity and what later became Meals on Wheels, and she was the first president of Children’s Home Society. Sally was also active in the First Presbyterian Church of Ocala, where she was a devoted member for 62 years. She is survived by her husband, Bo; three children; and seven grandchildren.
Jennifer“Jen” EwingBolton ’56, April 9, in Fresno, California. After Mills, Jen earned master’s degrees in theological studies and clinical psychology. Jen worked for several decades as a marriage and family therapist in San Francisco, as well as a lecturer at Church Divinity School of the Pacific. Jen was an avid player and teacher of piano. She is survived by three children; two step-children, including Jorie Bolton Townsley ’69; and four grandchildren.
Patricia McKenna Taubman ’56, March 13, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After Mills, Patti returned to her home state and graduated from the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren.
Susanna “Su Child” Shreeve ’56, June 25, in Cody, Wyoming. After Mills, Su earned a master’s degree in confluent education to pursue her calling of working for indigenous causes. In her final decade, she focused on adding American Indian curricula to schools and facilitated discussion among those undertaking the work. She is survived by two sisters.
Nancy SterlingBretz ’56, May 15, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She had been an active member of her Grouse Creek Park community, and she founded the Community Health Resource Center at the Yampa Valley Medical Center, where she served as director for 20 years. Nancy was an avid fan of the opera, attending performances throughout the world. She was loved by all who knew her, and is survived by two stepchildren.
Earline Stowe Bush ’56, July 6, in Framingham, Massachusetts. After Mills, she worked primarily as a homemaker while caring for her three children. She was an avid world traveler, counting her trip to Tanzania as a favorite. After moving to Massachusetts, Earline volunteered at the Boston Museum of Science for many years. Earline is survived by two children and two grandchildren.
Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51
After college at San Jose State, Leah served in the United States Navy during World War II and earned a master’s degree in music at Mills. She enjoyed a variety of activities throughout her life, such as producing plays and theatrical events for the Berkeley Repertory Theater, playing piano in concert, and volunteering as the chapter advisor for the Alpha Omicron Phi sorority at the University of California. Her post-WWII stint with the Spamettes, a traveling troupe of female performers that advertised Hormel products, was a favorite story to retell.
For Mills, though, she was a dedicated and longtime volunteer. She served on the AAMC’s Board of Governors for 18 years, spending stints on the Finance and Travel Committees. She was also the co-leader of the East Bay Mills Branch for 14 years and was a frequent presence on AAMC trips with her late husband, Neil.
Gifts in Memory of
Received March 1, 2020 – May 1, 2020 Laura Balas, MA ’92 by Helen Hovdesven KerryLynn Blau-Williams ’65 by Linda Dyer Millard ’65 Frits and Erica “Rita” Weber Brevet ’51, P ’76 by their daughter, Erica Brevet-Stott ’76 William and Mary Butler, P ’85 by their daughter, Kathleen “Kathy” Butler ’85 Mary Copernoll, P ’70, P ’66 by her daughter, Roberta Copernoll Johnson ’70 Richard Croul, spouse ofJane Croul ’52, by Marie Vial Hall ’53 Eleonora “Nora” DeWitt, P ’96 by Kimberlee Garfinkle MacVicar ’95 Seiri Du Pen ’92 by her mother, Carolyn Du Pen, P ’92 Katherine Hu Fan ’57 by Nan Wright Winn ’57 Mary Johnson Foraker ’55 by Anne DeMar David Keeports by Richard “Rick” Grossart, PMC ’06 Jane Cudlip King ’42, P ’80 by Suzette Lalime Davidson ’94 Donaldina “Donnie” Cameron Klingen ’63 by Helen Peterson Brainerd ’64, Lila McCarthy ’61 Margaret Lee, P ’65, P ’71 by her daughters, Lynne Lee Ehlers ’65 and Stephanie Lee ’71 Richard Lee, spouse ofPatricia Taylor Lee ’57, by Judith “Judy” Greenwood Jones ’60, P ’92 Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’08 by Dennis Coll Maureen McGee by Kelsey Lindquist ’10 Glenn Segal Melkonian by Barbara Parsons Sheldon ’56 Mary Tsuda Nakamura ’49 by Pauline “Polly” Royal Langsley ’49, P ’83, P ’78 Ellen Woody Nichols ’57 by Myrna Bostwick Cowman ’57 Georgine Dunlop O’Connor ’81 by The Dobbel Family Trust, Mark Mackler William Owen by his spouse, Linda Zumwalt Owen ’59 Dorothy Pinneo ’62 by Maureen Berman Grinnell ’62 Merrill Provence by Carla Rayacich ’77 Eda Regan by Susan Massotty ’70 Leanne Haney Rhodes ’62, P ’93 by her daughter, Alisha Rhodes ’93 Anne Hummel Sherrill by Abby Everson ’74 Jean Summerville by Martha Sellers ’86 Caryl Hollender Susman ’52 by Linda Cohen Turner ’68 Rebecca “Becky” RuffTepfer’67 by Elinor “Lin” Herod-Vernon ’67 Nancy Thornborrow, P ’93 by Lydia Mann ’83, Catherine Smith Morrow ’92 Bonnie van Oosterom-Craig ’57 by Myrna Bostwick Cowman ’57 Robert and Nancy Warner, P ’63 by their daughter, Nangee Warner Morrison ’63 Yaada Cottington Weber ’47 by Margaret Jepsen Bowles, MA ’65 Ann Sulzberger Wolff’42 by Linda Cohen Turner ’68
Virginia Van Every Morbeck’58, April 17, in Olivia de Havilland Ipswich, Massachusetts. After Mills, Virginia Many news articles that came out after the July 26 passing of Hollywood legend Olivia de studied philosophy at Bristol University in Havilland correctly reported that she received a scholarship to Mills after graduating early from England, later sharing her knowledge of art at high school. Though a beckoning career in Hollywood lured her away from the College, it wasn’t Boston-area museums for more than 50 years. her final encounter with Mills: she mentioned not attending as one of her greatest regrets in a She worked to restore several historical 2016 issue of People magazine, and she received an honorary degree in 2018, which her monuments such as Louisa May Alcott’s daughter Gisèle Galante Chulack accepted on her mother’s behalf at that year’s Commencement. Orchard House. She is survived by her husband, Peter; two daughters; and two grandchildren. And even though Olivia didn’t attend the College, she embodied the true spirit of a Mills woman. Her fight against Warner Brothers in the 1940s led to the establishment of the De Havilland Law, Sally Lampson Kanehe ’64, January 10, in which clarified that studio contracts could not extend beyond seven calendar years rather than Honolulu. Sally moved to Hawaii in 1972 and years of actual service. Those efforts gave more power to performers and effectively ended the obtained a master’s degree in social work Hollywood contract system. Despite the disfavor in which she found herself in Hollywood after before lecturing at the University of Hawaii. that decision, she prevailed and eventually won two Academy Awards. She was inducted into the University of Hawaii Founders Club in 2006 in recognition of her contributions to the school, including the creation of three endowed scholarships. Susan Zimmerman ’70, April 26, in Toronto, Ontario. Despite health She is survived by two daughters. issues that complicated schooling, Susan was able to attend Mills, and Julianne Spears ’64, October 4, 2018, in Portland, Oregon. After Mills, she finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon, later working as an office manager and sales rep for a graphics shop. She is survived by a daughter. later went on to receive a PhD at Northwestern University. She devoted her life to the L’Arche community, an organization dedicated to creating a home for people with intellectual disabilities. This work took Susan to Japan, where she worked to establish a L’Arche community. She was predeceased by her sister, Eileen Zimmerman Granville ’69. Sandra Buehler ’66, February 2, in Oakland. Phyllis Pacin, MFA ’73, April 16, 2019, in Oakland. She operated her Cheryl Ingle Olsen ’68, February 10, in Seattle. own ceramics studio and taught her craft around the Bay Area. Richard Sala, MFA ’82, May 9, in Berkeley. Richard received an MFA in painting from Mills and went on to become a respected artist of comics known for surreal and stylistic art. He created works such as
Jean Sorensen ’68, March 2020, in Emmett, Idaho. She is survived by her husband, Robert; and four children, including Clover Nolan ’88.
Kenneth Conner, MFA ’70, June 6, in Fallbrook, California. After Mills, Kenneth went on to work as an art teacher in Australia, where he staged numerous shows of his work. Upon his return to California in the 1980s, he continued to make art and enjoyed various jobs, such as working as a park aid. Kenneth is survived by his wife, Amy; two children, including Jennifer Conner ’98; and two grandchildren. Anna Skinner Stinson ’73, March 11, 2017, in San Mateo, California. She is survived by a son.
Georgine Dunlop O’Connor ’81, April 17, in Oakland. After Mills, Georgine earned a master’s degree in library science from San Jose State and worked as a law librarian for 26 years. She was active in many school and community organizations, and she was a thoughtful and generous friend known for her holiday gatherings and ability to bring people together. She is survived by two children.
Katherine Zelinsky Westheimer ’42
A key figure in the construction of Reinhardt Alumnae House, Katherine Zelinsky Westheimer was an enthusiastic member of the Mills alumnae community. She graduated from Mills with a degree in biology, yet she spent a great deal of time as a patron of the arts. (Her late husband, Joseph, was an award-winning cinematographer and special effects artist in film and television.) As a longtime board member with the Los Angeles Mills College Association (LAMCA), Katherine helped organize visits to cultural institutions and performances around the area. She was also dear friends with the late Connie Ong ’42, and was always one of Connie’s greatest artistic champions. Seiri Du Pen ’92, May 29, 2019, in Seattle. Seiri was authentic,
LAMCA Co-President Julia Almanzan shared her reflections in an email to fellow Los Angeles-area Millsies in June: “Another board member accurately describes Kay as a woman who was comfortable in her own skin, had strong opinions, and did not have fear of what others thought when she shared them. Though she was opinionated, she shared her and wink in her voice, convincing anyone to agree with her. She was a quintessential classy, knowledgeable, and brilliant Mills woman.”
Katherine died on April 23 in Beverly Hills, California. She is survived by a son and a grandson. “Delphine,” “Cat Burglar Black,” and “Evil Eye,” and also worked in television and animation, beginning with the animated short Invisible Hands for Colossal Pictures.
Marie Christensen Dern, MA ’86, May 22, in Redwood City, California. After receiving her master’s in book art, Marie established Jungle Garden Press, where she specialized in handmade letterpress art books. Her work was exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Fresno Museum of Art, and National Museum of Women in the Arts, among others. She is survived by four children and five grandchildren.
perspective in a way that was never disrespectful, and with a twinkle strong, fun, and an advocate for children. She was a gifted photographer and an avid reader who loved philosophies and psychology. She loved her garden, time spent on Vashon Island, and the ocean. Seiri is survived by her parents, a brother, and three daughters.
Staff
Laura Gobbi, former director of alumnae relations, June 13, in Washington, DC. Laura was instrumental in establishing the Alumnae Relations office during her seven-year tenure at Mills from 2008 to 2015.
MOVING FORWARD!
With heightened international travel restrictions currently in place for United States residents in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) Travel Committee has been hard at work selecting an interesting array of cultural trips for 2021–22 so we will be prepared when the restrictions are eventually lifted.
The new co-chairs, Gwen Jackson Foster ’67 and Debi Wood ’75, are leading a committee that includes AAMC President Viji NakkaCammauf, MA ’82; Sheryl Wooldridge ’77; and Debby Campbell Dittman ’68. Working with the AAMC’s long-standing tour operators, AHI Travel and Gohagan Travel, the committee has put together a slate of international travel opportunities we believe will excite our alums. Information about future tours will soon be posted on the AAMC website at alumnae.mills.edu/travel.
Alumnae, family, and friends will be able to choose from a variety of land excursions and cruises—from the bustling, colorful calles of historic Habana Vieja, the meandering waterways of the Danube River, and the wonders of the 12th-century Khmer Hindu temple at Angkor Wat to the picturesque lavender fields and vineyards of Provence and Burgundy. There are exciting cultural experiences for every interest.
Over the years, many Mills alumnae have joined graduates from other colleges and universities around the country on these trips, making new friends and sharing in the eye-opening experiences that only time spent in new parts of the world can provide.
A snapshot of the wide-ranging 2021–22 travel program includes:
• NordicMagnificence • Cuba and Its People • Paris and the African American
Experience • Morocco, Land ofEnchantment • Inland Sea ofJapan • Alaska’s Glaciers and the Inside Passage
Adding something new, the travel committee is also looking to expand the AAMC’s travel program to include domestic destinations, local weekend getaways, and perhaps specialty trips for foodies, adventure seekers, art lovers, and more.
We invite alumnae to share ideas and opinions by completing a briefonline survey at
bit.ly/AAMCtravelsurvey. If you prefer a hard copy to complete and return, please contact the AAMC at aamc@mills.edu. Please complete the survey by December 4.
The Travel Committee will continue to closely monitor the impact of the pandemic on travel plans. Mills travelers who have signed up for trips scheduled for 2020 and early 2021 have received notice of itinerary changes from their respective travel operators and changed their travel plans accordingly. Every effort is now being made to offer Mills alumnae the best and safest travel experiences in 2021–22.
We wish you well, and when the time is right, let’s travel!
Debi Wood ’75 and Gwen Foster ’67 AAMC Travel Committee Co-Chairs
