In Memoriam

DOING HER FA MILY PROUD

BY ALLISON ROST

When Theresa “Terry” Loewy Breyer enrolled at Mills in 1933, she was carrying on a family legacy that also saw her mother and aunt attend the College when it was still known as the Young Ladies Seminary. But when she collected her diploma four years later, it was her father who cried. He had never gone to college himself, but he married a Mills alumna and sent two daughters there. (Breyer’s sister Hazel-Clair Loewy Dwoskin graduated in 1943.)

Fast-forward more than 80 years, and Terry Breyer still shares her father’s pride in her Mills degree. In the apartment where she lives mostly on her own, among decades of family photographs, her diploma always sits on a special stand—and not just when a Mills-related visitor is coming by. “Of course I’m proud of it,” she says. “I’ve taken good care of it.”

At Mills, Breyer lived in Orchard Meadow and majored in economics, particularly enjoying classes with Professor Glenn Hoover. “Terry has always had an affinity for numbers,” says her daughter, Barbara Baker.

Despite her family legacy, Breyer did not grow up in the Bay Area—she was born in Stockton, but she spent her childhood in Seattle. Ever since meeting and marrying the late Stan Breyer, a graduate of UC Berkeley and a San Francisco native, she has lived in Northern California. The two wed not long after Breyer’s graduation from Mills and moved to San Francisco, later relocating to Kentfield in Marin County with their three children. There, she co-managed and volunteered at Laurel House Antiques, the consignment store at the Ross Art & Garden Center, for several decades, pairing her economics degree with her love of decorating and helping others find hidden gems for their homes. “Not

only did she know her stuff, but we got to furnish our house!” Baker says. “Antiques Roadshow is still one of her favorite shows.” “I made a good thing out of [Laurel House], and I had lots of fun doing it,” Breyer adds. She’s even given lectures on antiques at San Francisco Towers, the retirement community where she has lived since the facility opened 23 years ago.

At 104, Breyer still shows off her style—she dresses in cardigans and pearls, and the walls of her apartment are decorated with prints from Laurel House. She enjoys playing bridge with other residents and reading the newspaper, and relatives come by frequently; she’s known as Gigi to her seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A recent visit from the newest great-grandchild, at 8 months old, was a popular attraction for many of Breyer’s neighbors.

While neither of Breyer’s two daughters went to Mills—Baker “considered it,” she says—the family connection to the College has lived on. Breyer’s aunt, Rose Loewy Coleman, had a son named Clarence who married Joan Feldman, the daughter of Florence Bloch Feldman ’21. Clarence and Joan sent their two daughters, Barbara Coleman Frey ’68 and Elinor Coleman ’71, to Mills, and several grandchildren attended the Mills Children’s School.

And that strong Mills connection came entirely through her proud papa.

This is the second in a series of stories celebrating the lives of Mills alumnae who have reached the century mark. Are you (or do you know of) someone who we should feature? Tell us about the centenarian Mills graduates in your life at quarterly@mills.edu or 510.430.3312.

The statement of the AAMC’s 2020–23 alumna trustee nominee is printed on page 21.

We offer two ways to vote—online and by paper ballot!

To vote online: • Go to the Mills College Alumnae Community, alumnae.mills.edu/alumna-trustee-ballot

• Alumnae must be registered with the online community in order to cast their vote online.

• Registration is free and easy! Visit alumnae.mills.edu/ alumna-trustee-ballot to register and to vote. Your alumna ID is required to register and can be found at the top of your Quarterly mailing label.

• Online voting will end at 5:00 pm (PDT) on Monday, June 1.

To vote on paper: • Do you approve or disapprove the appointment of Adrienne Foster ’74 as alumna trustee?   Yes, I approve   No, I do not approve

VOTE ONLINE OR ON PAPER BY JUNE 1

• Please mail ballot in a private envelope to: Chair, AAMC Nominating Committee, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd, MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613

• Paper ballots must include the mailing label on the reverse side. To maintain confidentiality, voter names will be inked out before ballots are passed on to the Nominating Committee chair.

• No faxed ballots or call-ins will be accepted.

• Ballots must be received at Reinhardt Alumnae House by 5:00 pm (PDT) on Monday, June 1.

NOTE: Whether you vote online or by paper ballot, only one vote per alumna will be accepted. Any alumna casting multiple votes will invalidate all of her votes. Upon request, the Alumnae Association of Mills College will send a spring Quarterly to replace the one from which you have removed this ballot. Call 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu.

ALUMNAE TRAVEL

Join fellow Mills alumnae on one of our upcoming travel programs. These trips offer exciting destinations, deep dives into history, and camaraderie and fun with alumnae of all ages!

Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and the Passion Play August 31–September 10, 2020 Explore the interconnected history of central Europe starting with a cruise across the glacial Lake Constance, surrounded by its majestic mountain vistas.

Spain’s Andalucía in a Parador September 10–18, 2020 Spend seven nights in a first-class, modern parador in Antequera, and discover Neolithic tombs just outside the city. Book by April 28, 2020 and save $500 on couple’s pricing!

See the AAMC travel website at alumnae.mills.edu/travel for full itineraries of these and other upcoming trips. For reservations or additional information, call the Alumnae Association of Mills College at 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu. Given the current global pandemic ofCOVID-19, the status ofthese trips is unclear. Please be aware ofcurrent travel recommendations and restrictions when booking. Look out for updates and advisories on the AAMC travel website.