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 April 9

To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123

Maty Smith ’39, December 6, 2019, in Folsom, California. She is survived by two daughters. Shirley Nyman Papé ’44, March 2021, in Portland, Oregon. While her late husband was serving in World War II, Shirley earned her theater degree at the University of Washington, later starring in a local children’s show and interviewing luminaries for a local TV station. In retirement, she established a family foundation. She is survived by three children, 14 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren.

Lillian Yung Ching ’45, September 13, 2015, in Honolulu. She served as the head librarian at Punahou School for nearly 10 years. She is survived by four children, including Jennifer Ching ’79.

Isabelle Hagopian Arabian ’45, October 8, 2020, in Palo Alto, California. She served on the Board of Governors of the Alumnae Association of Mills College, and was a long-time agent and secretary for the Class of 1945. She is survived by three sons.

Beth Larson O’Donohoe ’46, December 14, 2020, in New Hampton, Iowa. During World War II, Beth headed student efforts to prep supplies to go overseas. While raising her family in the Midwest, she taught her two sons to love the theater and volunteered extensively for healthcare and education organizations. She is survived by her sons; three granddaughters, including Jennifer O’Donohoe, PMC ’02; and six great-grandchildren.

Paula Merrix Sporck ’46, March 30, in Los Gatos, California. After Mills, she earned an MA at Radcliffe in Boston, where she met her late husband, Christian. The family settled in Santa Clara in 1971, and after retirement, Paula and Christian loved to travel. She was also a dedicated Mills volunteer for many years, serving as class secretary and class agent for more than two decades. She is survived by three sons and four grandchildren.

Elizabeth “Liz” Hickinbotham Rea ’47, February 21, in Stockton, California. Friends of Dave Brubeck, MA ’51, Liz and late husband David were founding donors of the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific. The couple also loved to fly on their own Cessna, and Liz enjoyed golfing and creating gourmet meals for her family. She is survived by two sons; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and cousin Bonnie Wilkinson Brown ’68.

Edith Jones O’Donnell ’48, November 14, 2020, in Dallas, Texas. After Mills, Edith graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she met husband Peter. The two formed a foundation early in their marriage, and their giving helped transform the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas into a top-tier research hospital. She is survived by Peter and three daughters.

Elisabeth Carr McCarthy ’49, in Oakland. Elisabeth was a French major at Mills. She is survived by cousins Peggy Kiely Harris ’64 and Kathryn Kiely Felix ’71.

Marie Friedman Oberholtz, TCRED ’50, January 3, in Sherwood, Washington. Marie obtained her teaching credential at Mills and taught for 18 years before retiring to Hawaii. She endured much heartbreak— outliving two husbands, and losing her only child to cancer at 49—but she cherished the time she had with the “three great loves” of her life. She is survived by her daughter-in-law, two granddaughters, and six great-grandchildren.

Marcia “Marcie” Moorehead Fast ’50, January 31, in Orcutt, California. As a leap-year baby, Marcie was 23-3/4 years old at the time of her death. She attended Mills with her late twin sister, Martha Moorehead Harding ’50, where they both studied music. Marcie continued singing throughout her life in traveling and church choirs, and she worked as a classroom aide in special education. She is survived by six children, 10 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Ann Burling Scott ’51, March 15, 2020, in San Francisco. Ann met her late husband, Lloyd, on a blind date while she was at Mills and he was studying at Cal. The couple dedicated themselves to the teaching profession. She is survived by three children and three grandchildren.

Rosalyn “Roz” Chen Koo ’51, January 30, in San Mateo, California. Roz worked as the CFO of an architectural firm, but her true passion was service. She helped establish the San Mateo chapter of Self Help for the Elderly and co-founded the 1990 Institute, which is dedicated to fair treatment of Asian Americans and strong ties between the US and China. She is survived by two daughters and one grandchild.

Constance “Jean” Leeman Dowling ’51, November 5, 2020, in Eastsound, Washington. Jean was a mainstay employee at Camp Nor’wester on Lopez Island for years. She settled on nearby Orcas Island in 1983, enjoying her garden and entertaining her family with summers spent fishing and sailing. She is survived by her companion, Tommy; three children; two grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.

Susan “Sue” Tromp Whalen ’51, MA ’53, February 24, in Petaluma, California. She obtained a master’s in chemistry before attending medical school at McGill University in Montreal. She is survived by her husband, William; four children; granddaughter Mary Whalen ’05; and grand-niece Calli Storrs ’19.

Diana O’Hehir

A longtime professor at Mills and the former Aurelia Reinhardt Chair in American Literature, Diana O’Hehir died in San Francisco on January 19.

Though O’Hehir attended UC Berkeley, she did not graduate, instead leaving to work as a labor organizer and activist in Washington, DC. There, she met her first (and third!) husband, Mel Fiske. After their first split, she returned to California and married Irish scholar Brendan O’Hehir. She began teaching at Mills in 1961, despite not holding an undergraduate degree, and eventually finished her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins in 1970.

Thus began her career as a writer. Her first collection of poetry won the Nevins Award in 1975, and her first novel, I Wish This War Were Over, was nominated for a Pulitzer in 1984. In all, she wrote at least nine poetry collections and five novels.

At Mills, her creative writing seminars and courses on Paris during the 1920s were wildly popular. One of her sons, Andrew O’Hehir, spent time in her classroom as a teenager. “For a young man on the verge of adulthood, that offered immensely valuable lessons in the importance of women’s equality and the values of feminism, which added a richness and understanding to my life I might never have gained otherwise,” he said.

Phyllis Merrick Purdum ’52, March 14, in Friday Harbor, Washington. She majored in botany at Mills, bolstering a lifelong love of science. After attending Stanford for graduate school, she worked as a medical technologist in Seattle until retirement. Phyllis was also a woman of faith, attending daughter Beth’s Lutheran Church in the San Juans after moving nearby in her 80s. She is survived by four children.

Ann Noble Brown ’52, April 7, in Oklahoma City. After her father’s death during her sophomore year at Mills, she returned home and graduated from the University of Oklahoma. Ann was a housewife who loved taking her family camping across the Western US and Canada, and she served on numerous museum and foundation boards. She is survived by her husband, David; three children; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Jane Westfall, MA ’52, January 24, in Manhattan, Kansas. After receiving her master’s in zoology at Mills and her PhD at UC Berkeley, she became an assistant professor at Kansas State University. She was promoted to a full professorship in 1976, the first woman to do so in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Jane is survived by a sister, two nephews, and a niece.

Patricia Welch DuRuz Schanzenbach ’53, December 29, 2020, in Camano Island, Washington. Music was Patricia’s life, from performing with the Seattle philharmonic and symphony to teaching music for more than 30 years. She is survived by her husband, Walter; seven children, including Bridget DeRuz ’79 and Catherine DeRuz Kaslan ’85; 15 grandchildren, including Camille Kaslan ’14; and 14 great-grandchildren.

Janet Dinsmore Miller ’54, February 27, in Omaha, Nebraska. After Mills, she graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Among the many organizations she patronized were the Lincoln County Federation of Republican Women, the North Platte Community Concert Association, and the Great Plains Medical Center Foundation. She is survived by two daughters; three grandchildren; and cousin Janet Lorenz ’75.

Mary Jane Frost Koch ’54, January 20, in Brea, California. She was a past president of the American Association of University Women and served as a class secretary. She is survived by two children and sister Judith Frost Stark ’57.

Jane Haas Gillenwaters ’54, August 5, 2017, in Carlsbad, California. Jane’s was a political life, starting with Barry Goldwater’s 1964 presidential campaign through the election of good friend Ronald Reagan to the White House. She and husband Ed shuttled between California and Washington, DC in service to the First Couple. Jane is survived by Ed, three children, seven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Roma Montgomery Porter ’54, March 27, in Lawton, Oklahoma. She followed her late sister, Zelda Montgomery Davis ’53, to Mills, later graduating from the University of Oklahoma. Settling with her family in Lawton, Roma was a prolific volunteer, a teacher, and the co-manager (with Zelda) of her father’s banks in Lawton and at Fort Sill. She is survived by two children, four grandchildren, and one greatgrandchild.

Antonia “Toni” Dickinson MacDonald ’55, February 14, in Port Angeles, Washington. Toni studied music at Mills and the University of Washington after returning to her hometown of Seattle. She and late former husband Brent moved their family all around the western US, returning to Washington to enjoy the opera, knitting, and playing cards in their later years. She is survived by three children, four grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Carol Tucker Trelease ’65

Carol’s daughters, Sarah Tuchler McElvaney and Ada Tuchler Portman, submit these memories of their mother with the assistance of Cynthia Lee Beeman ’66.

Carol Tucker Trelease died on December 9, 2020, of causes unrelated to COVID–19. She was known for her happy disposition, kindness to others, her unwavering drive to fight for social justice and reproductive rights—and polite honesty.

Born in 1943, she grew up in Northern California. The first in her family to attend college, she graduated in 1965 from Mills with a B.A. in Spanish, Phi Beta Kappa, and a Fulbright Scholarship.

Passionate about helping people help themselves, Carol was the CEO of Planned Parenthood Rio Grande (PPNM) for more than 20 years, ensuring women could plan their families and control their destinies. Carol guided PPNM through sustained growth in services offered and the number of clinics opened statewide, emphasizing education. She enabled PPNM to purchase a permanent property for the agency’s offices and establish its first endowment fund. Of her detractors, she told Carrie Seidman of the Albuquerque Journal, “These are not liberal or conservative issues… What I would like to see is a coming together of people who care about children.”

Later in life, Carol became executive director of the Nirvana Manana Institute, a foundation awarding grants to support a sustainable population. According to the founder, Carol became “the true heartbeat.” Highly respected as an effective fundraiser and lobbyist at the New Mexico and Washington, DC legislatures, friends called her a “legend,” remarking on her effective leadership style. She cared about others and gave so much to so many.

Lynn Campbell Spielman ’56, October 20, 2012, in Woodside, California. One of her favorite organizations was the Woodside Garden Club, and she was always in her element tending to her own garden. Her love of travel saw her working at a good friend’s travel agency, planning trips for herself and others. She is survived by her husband, Jeremy; a daughter; and a grandson.

Marilyn “Mary” Wiedman Carlisle Pinsoneault ’57, January 6, in Navarre, Florida. She and her family moved around the US, eventually settling in Florida in 2010. Mary used the Spanish she learned as a young woman in Venezuela to volunteer at Good Samaritan Clinic and the local Catholic church. She is survived by four children, three grandchildren, four step-granddaughters, and a great-granddaughter.

Claire Stevens Conner ’57, February 9, in Vacaville, California. One of the greatest satisfactions in her life was tutoring math for more than 45 years—hearing from her former students was such a pleasure. She had the same enthusiasm for her family, supporting them in their political aspirations and all manner of pursuits. Claire is survived by three children, nine grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Sheila Knipscheer Johnson ’58, March 26, in Cardiff, California. She earned her Ph.D. in anthropology at UC Berkeley, later teaching political science at Cal and UCSD. Her late husband, Chalmers, was also a professor, and the two worked together to run the Japan Policy Research Institute in San Diego and publish three books. In the end, she wrote her own obituary, signing off with several lines from her favorite poet, W.H. Auden.

Gifts in Memory of

Received December 1, 2020 – February 28, 2021 Bernhard Abramowitsch by Barbara-Sue White ’64, MA ’67 Lois Boycott Allbright ’89 by Cecille Caterson, MA ’90 Ralph Elliott Bartera by Diana Bartera ’88 Timanna Bennett ’02 by Emily MacDonald ’03 Marilyn Frye Bettendorf, P ’75 by her daughter, Marilyn “Lyn” Barrett ’75

Fritz and Erica “Rita” Weber Brevet ’51, P ’76 by their daughter, Erica Brevet-Stott ’76

Jacquelyn Braxton Bryson ’68 by Evany Zirul ’68 Marian Cobb Carlson ’42 by her cousin, Deborah “Debby” Campbell Dittman ’68 Willa Wolcott Condon, MA ’32, P ’69 by her daughter, Ann Condon Barbour ’69, P ’13 Sterling Loftin Dorman ’47 by her daughter, Anne Dorman Jessica Feller ’09 by Naomi Janowitz Nadine Dolnick Gelman ’52 by her husband, Charles Gelman Steven Givant by Daniella Smith ’14 Laura Gobbi by Kathleen “Kathy” Miller Janes ’69, Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63 Denyse Gross ’72 by her husband, Kenneth Morrison Robert Hale by his wife, Mary Schratter Hale ’82 Josephine Webber Jepsen ’39, P ’65 by her daughter, Margaret Jepsen Bowles, MA ’65 Neeta Karki, P ’11, mother of Emma Karki ’11, by Kristen Skjonsby ’11 Donaldina “Donnie” Cameron Klingen ’63 by Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63 Ann Stern Kloman ’56 by her husband, Henry “Felix” Kloman Mary Jane “MJ” Frost Koch ’54 by Bernice Koplin Charles Larsen by Dorotha Myers Bradley ’61 Margaret Lee, P ’65, P ’71 by Annette Chan-Norris ’65 Carol Lennox ’61 by Adrienne Bahlke Jardetzky ’80, Lydia Mann ’83 Margot Lewis by Carrie Gotkowitz ’83 Margo Lion ’66 by Abigale Ryan Hensley ’66, Mills College Club of New York

Ofelia Lujan, P ’03 by her daughter, Elizabeth Gomez ’03 Margaret Lyon ’35 by Emily Klion ’80, MA ’85, P ’11 Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51, P ’75 by Kathleen “Kathy” Miller Janes ’69, Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63 Maryann Mangold ’61 by Dorotha Myers Bradley ’61 Barbara Forsch Masur, P ’67 by her daughter, Nancy Masur ’67 Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’08 by Dennis Coll Marcia McElvain ’61 by Ann Gordon Bigler ’61, Mary Doerfler Luhring ’61 Katherine “Kate” McGinity, MA ’13 by her cousin, Claire Adams; Susan Anthony; Robert Bones; Judy Buchenot; Head-Royce School; Kathleen Ray; Meredith Webster Diane McIntyre by Elizabeth “Liz” Kelley Quigg, MA ’89 Christina Miller ’71 by her sister, Kathleen “Kathy” Miller Janes ’69 Barbara Forster Mitchell ’63 by Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63 Elaine Moss ’61, TCRED ’62 by Dorotha Myers Bradley ’61 Doris Mount, MA ’40, P ’64, P ’66, P ’71, by her daughter, Barbara-Sue White ’64, MA ’67

Sharon Graham Niederhaus ’63 by Anita Aragon Kreplin ’63 Georgine Dunlop O’Connor ’81 by her sister, Deborah Dunlop Hayashi

Donna Pastrouich Hardy, MA ’58, February 5, in Santa Rosa, California. With master’s degrees in psychology and counseling, Donna co-developed Angela Center and served as its clinical director and psychotherapist until retiring at age 84. She also wrote and published two books, and was an early board member for Sonoma County YMCA. She is survived by two children and three grandchildren.

Barbara Tobey Childs ’58, February 21, in Lakeland, Florida. After Mills, she was a flight attendant for American Airlines and served on the planning commission in Chico, California. Barbara was proud of her 57 years of sobriety and dedicated herself to helping others through Alcoholics Anonymous. She is survived by four children, 13 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren.

Nancy Aiazzi Wright Judkins ’60, February 19, in Carlin, Nevada. After blending families with former husband Bob Wright, the couple owned and operated the Nevada Club in Carlin, where there was always blackjack and good conversation. Nancy was also a top-tier seamstress, and she loved animals—once raising a cow she named “Steero Agnew.” She is survived by two children and seven grandchildren. Charleen “Cheri” Renshaw Relyea ’60, December 23, 2020, in Mount Vernon, Washington. Cheri left Mills after one year to marry, later finishing up at Western Washington University with a BA and an MA. She taught elementary school until 2000, and she continued with her own education by joining a local ukulele group. She is survived by her husband, Stanley; five children; 14 grandchildren; and one greatgrandchild.

Marcia McElvain ’61, January 11, in Seattle. After Mills, she earned her master’s at the University of Washington and taught in local public schools. She is survived by her partner, Margaret.

Lauretta Battle Davis ’62, January 24, 2019, in Pacifica, California. She finished her degree at San Francisco State, later working as a lab scientist for many years.

Clare Creighton Howell ’62, July 6, 2019, in Brunswick, Maine. Clare’s life revolved around books. She worked in DC politics before becoming a buyer for Saville Books in Georgetown. After relocating to Maine, she opened her own bookshop, Old Books, and her first customer there eventually became her husband. They ran the store together for 30 years. She is survived by two sisters, her stepdaughter, and many cousins.