Academic EXCELLENCE | Personal ACHIEVEMENT | WINTER 2016
A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNAE, PARENTS AND FRIENDS
In this issue: Guiding Principles | Purpose Not Perfection | Alumnae Class News | and more!
Purpose
Not Perfection
Board of Trustees 2015-2016 Theodore D. Bratton, Chair Martin H. Brinkley, Vice Chair Gloria Taft Becker ’92HS, Secretary William C. Monk Jr., Treasurer Members At-Large Gloria Taft Becker ’92HS, Raleigh, N.C. Anna Neal Blanchard ’76HS, Raleigh, N.C. Martin M. Boney, Raleigh, N.C. Theodore D. Bratton, Raleigh, N.C. Martin H. Brinkley, Raleigh, N.C. Barbara Eagleson Cain ’65C, Wilmington, N.C. Caren Threshie Camp ’71HS, Alexandria, Va. Eric W. Evans, Raleigh, N.C. Carter Warren Franke ’75HS ’77C, Owings Mills, Md. Sallie Harris Glover ’81HS ’83C, Raleigh, N.C.
Mission Statement Saint Mary’s School, a community dedicated to academic excellence and personal achievement, prepares young women for college and life. Founded in 1842 in the Episcopal tradition, Saint Mary’s School is an independent, college-preparatory, girls boarding and day school dedicated to academic excellence and personal achievement for grades 9-12. Saint Mary’s School admits high school girls of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin. Administration Monica M. Gillespie, Ph.D., Head of School Laura Novia, Director of Strategic Marketing and Communication Scott Orvis, Interim Dean of Teaching and Learning Julie Ricciardi, Director of Development Jennifer Rundles, Interim Dean of Students Kim Slade, Director of Admission Sally Woods, Chief Financial Officer
R. Gordon Grubb, Raleigh, N.C. Hubert B. Haywood III, Raleigh, N.C. Kenneth B. Howard, Raleigh, N.C. Lynn Cowell Ives ’85HS ’87C, Rocky Mount, N.C. Burns Jones, Greensboro, N.C. W. Scott Mahoney, Raleigh, N.C. William C. Monk Jr., Greenville, N.C. Lane Turner Nash ’72HS ’74C, Raleigh, N.C. Elizabeth Rasberry Pitts ’79C, Charlotte, N.C. Sallie Shuping Russell ’75C, Chapel Hill, N.C. F. Jefferson Stocks, Raleigh, N.C. Gray Clark Stoughton ’78HS ’80C, Greenville, N.C. Jeffrey M. Szyperski, Irvington, Va. Nancy Kerr Thomason ’73HS ’75C, Dunwoody, Ga. Margaret Longley White ’79C, Greensboro, N.C. Student Representative to the Board Andy Gassaway-Smithey ’16, SGA President
Saint Mary’s School Magazine Published by Saint Mary’s School 900 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27603-1689 919-424-4000 www.sms.edu Editor Mary Virginia Swain ’77C Director of Public Relations and Publications mvswain@sms.edu Class News Editor Emory Rogers Church ’74C Contributors: Monica M. Gillespie, Ph.D.; Heath Hilliker; Margaret McGlohon ’81C; Jeannie Norris; Laura Novia; Mary Virginia Swain ’77C Design Heath Hilliker, Senior Marketing Coordinator Printing Metro Productions, Raleigh, N.C.
WINTER 2016 | VOLUME 101, NUMBER 1
CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS Head of School Message
On the cover: Gabrielle Fougerousse ’16 reflects on the concept of “purpose, not perfection,” in the mirror in the Mary Smedes Poyner York Dance Studio, as this magazine explores the theme of girls and women defining success for themselves.
FEATURES
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Personal Achievement
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Granddaughters Club
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Calendar of Events
20
Event Photos
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Milestones
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Class News
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Purpose Not Perfection
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(Cover photo by Evan Pike Photography)
Saint Mary's Guiding Principles
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In Their Words: Alumnae On Purpose and Success 12
“When you hold back, you miss the chance,” says Kendall, varsity soccer captain. We are asking about failure, and she has a clear opinion: “Not trying sticks with you longer. So, in fact, not trying is worse than failure.” Years of soccer (both club and at Saint Mary’s) have taught this Senior Athlete of the Year to push beyond what she thinks is her limit and to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gain. Being recruited to play soccer for Howard University, a Division 1 NCAA program, confirms her strategy. “In the end,” Kendall says with confidence, “commitment pays off.” Kendall has learned other life lessons from sport, like time management. Practice leaves her with precious few hours for study. “I can’t dilly-dally,” she says with a smile.
“Not trying sticks with you longer. So, in fact, not trying is worse than failure.”
Kendall Hamilton, CLASS OF 2015
It is when she starts to talk about leading her team that we begin to understand more about what a “wise teacher” sport has been. “We’re all coming from different backgrounds and have different skills and experience,” Kendall explains. But she has figured out that when she discovers how best to engage and motivate others, “the team just clicks.” How would other players describe her? “Dedicated, aggressive, and caring.” She adds, “We have all grown together. We have learned many skills, but we have also learned patience and to stay close.” As for future plans? “After going on COMPASS Week and interning at the ABC Network in New York, I’ve decided to work in the corporate side of television,” Kendall explains, adding that she likes the “fast pace!” Although the specific type of job is still unclear, she knows there’s time to decide.
WHATEVER YOU DECIDE, KENDALL, WE KNOW YOU’LL BE A GAME CHANGER. To make your gift today, go to www.sms.edu. 2 Saint Mary’s School | www.sms.edu
MESSAGE from the Head of School
Achieving Authentic Success By Monica M. Gillespie, Ph.D., Head of School
Failures, repeated failures, are finger posts on the road to achievement. One fails forward toward success. ~ C.S. Lewis As the pages in this magazine reflect, our students are learning to see their worth, understand their value, and embrace their potential. Like generations of Saint Mary’s girls before them, also reflected in this magazine, they know that perfection is not the goal. They are becoming healthy adults who will achieve authentic success. They are creating robust visions for their futures and lives of their own making. They are transforming the world in The irony is not lost on our students. That’s why at Saint which they live and continuing the legacy that is Saint Mary’s School, we are committed to giving girls the tools Mary’s School. and experiences they need to confront this contradiction and the notion of perfectionism it contains. Teenage girls live in a world of contradictory messages. On the one hand, they are told by parents, teachers, and others to embrace failure because it is how they learn and grow. On the other hand, colleges and universities send the clear message that applicants need to demonstrate perfection— and by the way, “effortless” achievement is preferred—in order to be “acceptable” to their institutions.
Our challenge is acute. Our girls receive a barrage of messages that tell them they are not good enough, smart enough, attractive enough, and likeable enough. We must be vigilant in helping girls who struggle with perfectionism and believe, as Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg writes in Building Resilience in Children and Teens, that they are “unacceptable unless they meet impossibly high self-imposed standards.”
Monica M. Gillespie, Ph.D. Head of School
At Saint Mary’s School, we address this very real challenge with confidence and determination. Using our Guiding Principles to help frame our work, we foster the skills our girls need to create an authentic definition of success for themselves. Our job is to challenge those “impossibly high” standards with positive words, actions, and experiences that enable our students to recognize their unique value and build their resilience. “The most essential ingredient in raising resilient children,” says Dr. Ginsburg, “is an adult who loves or accepts them unconditionally and holds them to high but reasonable standards.” He continues, “High expectations are not about grades or performance. They’re about integrity, generosity, empathy, and the traits our children need if they are also to contribute to the world.” 3
Saint Mary’s Guiding Principles – What is Best for Girls Throughout the summer of 2015, Saint Mary’s Student Experience Taskforce, comprised of faculty and staff from every part of school life, spent time researching, discussing, and drawing on decades of combined experience working with girls to craft belief statements about what it is we know and believe about girls. These are Saint Mary’s Guiding Principles, and they reflect the school’s 174-year commitment to doing what is best for girls. Informed by our mission to prepare girls for college and life, these principles are another lens through which Saint Mary’s School can evaluate and assess every aspect of a student’s experience to ensure the school is giving girls what they need to learn, grow, and thrive. In short, these principles, 12 in number, guide the school in the fulfillment of the mission to help students grow as young women of intellect, integrity, and purpose. This edition of the Saint Mary’s School alumnae magazine illustrates some of the ways these Guiding Principles are reflected in the experiences of students.
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SAINT MARY’S GUIDING PRINCIPLES What is Best for Girls
We believe when girls are empowered to see their value and worth, they create robust visions for their future and lives of their own making. We believe girls learn best when they invest in their own intellectual growth and in lifelong learning. We believe girls thrive in an environment where they are physically, emotionally, and spiritually safe. We believe girls can and should build their own definition of success. We believe girls need an environment where they are inspired to explore and to discover their authentic selves and where their uniqueness is accepted and celebrated. We believe in the worth and dignity of all. We believe girls are eager to engage with the world around them when they expand their boundaries, embrace failure, and recover from setback. We believe girls learning to serve and shape their world begins with developing and practicing the skills required to manage their own lives. We believe the development of self-reliance and resilience is an essential aspect of maturation and preparation for adulthood. We believe in girls dedicating time and resources to cultivating an inner sense of self. We believe girls value peer relationships and learn about themselves through healthy interaction with others. We believe girls need wise, resilient, caring, intelligent, honest, and authentic adults who model boundary setting, healthy relationships, and appropriate risk taking as they guide girls on their journey to adulthood. 5
Success for me is when you try your best. Success is when you feel accomplished. Suiter Ragland ’18
Purpose Not
Perfection Empowering girls to define success for themselves By Jeannie Norris 6
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For me, success is the positive feeling you get when you know you did something and gave it 110 percent. Success is doing something positive when no one else is watching. Success is falling short the first time, learning from my mistakes, and knocking it out of the park the next time. I know that I have succeeded when I am proud of myself and feel as though I have accomplished something that truly matters. Hope Voelkel ’17
Success for me is more of
a process or experience rather than an outcome...if I have learned something that is going to be helpful to me later on, I define that as success for myself. Na Hyun Kim ’18
W
e often use the phrase “preparing girls to serve and shape their world” when we describe the mission of Saint Mary’s. In other words, we believe our purpose is to teach young women the skills they need not only to contribute now to this community but also to have influence and affect outcomes as they move beyond the gates of this school.
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I have always been a perfectionist. If it wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t right. This was something that I struggled with as I have taken challenging courses, where I have earned less than perfect tests and papers. Whenever I received a less than perfect grade, I would think to myself that I just needed to improve on the next test to have success.
If I improved, that meant I learned from my mistakes and tried my best. For me, that was success. But, success doesn’t just happen in the classroom. Success can come from sports when you accomplish your goal or acquire a new skill. Even if you have a less than perfect season, you can have success from the many lessons learned. Tori Hester ’15
We envision fulfilling and purposeful lives for girls, and our goal as teachers is to make certain each girl catches a glimpse of her greatness before we hand her a diploma and send her on her way. It makes sense, therefore, that we ask girls to define success for themselves and coach them through the process.
girl is expected to chart her own course she learns that she begins by taking stock of her strengths and her passions. What interests her? Where is she noticing that she has talent? What is beginning to look like a focus for college work? What fills her with energy? How does it all fit with her most expansive thoughts about her future?
Our approach is designed to ensure that the locus of control for a girl’s life is securely within her and that she is thinking seriously about what matters to her. A young woman will struggle to engage in productive ways with the world if she must constantly look to others for direction and if she is always trying to fulfill others’ dreams for her life. When a
Having asked these questions, she is ready to set goals she wants to achieve, goals that are aligned not only with emerging competencies and interests that she has noted in herself but also with reaching a destination that has meaning for her. Success is now more likely to be about achieving goals that will move her closer to where she
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is working hard for something. Success Success is putting in my best effort and having that reflected in the outcome, whether it’s a paper for history, a cross country race, or developing a new friendship. Success is a feeling of accomplishment that you get when you feel that your time was well spent. Mary Hunter Russell ’18
I define success for myself as doing the very best I can and completing the goals I set for myself. Grace Battle Thompson ’18
At Saint Mary’s, we do not just learn something with the intent of passing a test or completing a paper, but with the purpose of enriching our lives and futures. My basic definition of success is accomplishing my goals and being happy with myself and my life. Dorothy Fuqua ’18
wants to go. That is, achievement is connected to purpose and direction. A student captured this concept in her description of how she defines success: “Success for me is learning something that is going to be helpful to me later on.” Another student broadened the definition when she wrote that success is “having the courage to pursue my dreams and enjoying the ride to get there.” The school’s commitment to teaching girls how to define success for themselves is also about helping them understand what can be learned from failing. Girls can easily receive messages from the broader culture that failure is unacceptable, which invites them to think that
perfection must then be the goal. At Saint Mary’s, we encourage girls to take healthy risks knowing that they are required components of success. Further, we coach girls in how to manage setback and persevere in pushing forward. Girls embrace these ideas. One girl says, “Success is when you fail at something, like running for class officer. You put yourself out there [and] even though you didn’t get the best outcome you grew as a person.” Another student summed up her comfort with overcoming challenges this way: “Success is falling short the first time, learning from my mistakes, and knocking it out of the park the next time.” 9
I define success for myself as achieving the goals I have set for myself. I have high expectations for myself both in sports and academics, and my teachers and friends support me through the highs and lows. I strive to have a successful future, and Saint Mary’s has taught me how to be able to do so after I graduate. Mary Hannah Sigmon ’17
For me, success comes when I know I pushed myself, challenged myself, and worked hard, no matter the outcome. Lindsay Schneider '17
I define success as the ability to learn from an experience and
grow from that.
Caroline Sar ’17
When girls are skilled in defining success for themselves, when they understand where talent and passion intersect, and when they are unafraid to risk failure, they are well on their way not only to knocking it out of the park but also to serving and shaping their world. With 33 years of experience in independent school education for girls, including 16 years as the head of Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Jeannie Norris is a respected leader and advocate in the area of all-girls education. Norris has served Saint Mary’s as interim director of development during the past year, 10
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and is continuing her work as a consultant for the school. She speaks and writes extensively about the education and parenting of girls, the role of women in philanthropy, and the effective management of independent schools. She is the author of "Parenting Great Girls: Giving Our Daughters the Courage to Live Authentic and Confident Lives." Norris grew up in Joplin, Missouri, where her parents raised her with the steadiness and confidence she espouses for today’s parents. She and her husband, Peter, have between them four children and five grandchildren and make their home in North Carolina.
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In Their Words:
Alumnae on Purpose and Success In a culture that often seems to define success in terms of money, fame, social status, career position, perfection, and “having it all,” Saint Mary’s School strives to inspire its students to become women who define their own success and find their own purpose in life. We asked several alumnae how they have found and define purpose and success in their lives. Their answers support Saint Mary’s belief that those who chart their own goals and measures of accomplishment achieve personal success while contributing to the fabric of the world around them.
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Allison Dorr Daniel ’76HS Peace Corps Community Health Volunteer, Aus, Namibia Saint Mary’s taught me that helping others brought meaning to my life. After raising my children and realizing it was time to stretch my wings, I embarked upon my current endeavor as a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia. My career as a school counselor was very successful, but I wanted to stretch my wings, live in a new culture, and help people who have very few resources. So far, I’ve learned a new language, started a reading group with third-fifth graders, given out food and clothing to children and elderly people, distributed condoms, and given TB and HIV education all over this little community. Most importantly, I’ve made friends, I’ve integrated, and I’ve already made a difference in the lives of many people. This is success to me! If you are interested in following my journey, follow my blog at www.allisonsadventures.org. Thank you, Saint Mary’s, for starting me on this road! Allison Dorr Daniel ’76HS is a community health volunteer with the Peace Corps in Aus, Namibia. She was previously a school counselor at Halifax Academy and director of college counseling at Rocky Mount Academy. She is the mother of three adult children, Alan, Andrew, and Saint Mary’s alumna Abby Daniel ’11. Allison earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and earned her certification as a college admission counselor from the University of California–San Diego.
Kim NorFleet Collie ’88C Homemaker, Mother, Wife, Community Volunteer I have had many great joys and a few great sorrows in my life. Together, they co-exist and give me perspective and a thankful heart, as I hope to help others. As a homemaker, community volunteer, and friend, I believe my calling and purpose is to be an encourager. I like to think my work is to love, listen, and share a kind word. Most often, it is kind encouragement that pushes us to finish what we started, to strongly lead others, to believe in ourselves, to love one another unconditionally, and to always try and do the right thing. As a student at Saint Mary's, I was blessed with leadership opportunities, caring teachers and mentors, lifelong dear friends, and meaningful chapel services, all of which nurtured and challenged me to grow and stretch myself so that I may in turn care for others. I look back on those years with a smile, as I know Saint Mary's had a profound influence on how I am able to come along side others in all that I do today as I serve my family, church, and community. Saint Mary's School still remains an inspiration in my life. I am grateful that both my daughters are there receiving the same wonderful gift of encouragement that is shaping their character and equipping them to find their own purpose, path, and success in life. Kim Norfleet Collie ’88C is a homemaker in Raleigh, wife, mother of three, and community volunteer. She was Saint Mary’s Auction Gala co-chair in 2015, is president-elect of the Saint Mary’s Parents Association, is a Stephen Minister at her church, and has served in many other volunteer roles in the community. 13
Ruth T. Dobson-Torres ’89HS Marketing Specialist, SAS I’m somewhat unique, because I was graced in life with an identical twin sister. When I started high school as a boarding student at Saint Mary’s, I was separated from my twin, who was attending boarding school at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, for the first lengthy time period in my life. Never before that time had I experienced what it was like to be an individual walking in the world, and I was forced to look inward to define my individual educational goals and personal aspirations. So, the physical separation and the act of boarding itself was the first way that Saint Mary’s spurred me to define myself and my sense of success. Equally important in helping me carve out my own goals and success definitions were my Saint Mary’s teachers. All of my instructors were top-notch, and I can close my eyes today and still see them and hear their words. Madame Nicole Hagan, my French professor, is the one who stands out the most in my mind, because she helped me see how I could expand myself into other languages, cultures, and worlds. In a time before the Internet existed and before the world was so connected, she opened my eyes to a world of new possibilities and helped me redraw the preset definitions I had in my mind about personal achievements. Most importantly, she taught me that being my own person and being “très différente” is “formidable” and that an Eastern North Carolina girl like me had limitless possibilities for learning, growth, and success in the broader world. I hope all of today’s Saint Mary’s girls similarly learn what I learned when I attended: look inward and listen outward to determine your own course, and you’ll make it, your way. Ruth Dobson-Torres ’89HS is an experienced marketing specialist with more than 20 years of corporate and marketing communications experience working in both technology and life sciences sectors. She earned a B.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ruth is a graduate of the 2012-2013 Capital Leadership Initiative women’s leadership program, and, in 2012, was awarded the Sustainer Legacy Award by the Junior League of Raleigh for her volunteer marketing work to support the League’s “A Shopping Spree!” fundraiser. In her leisure time, Ruth can be found defining success on the tennis court as an avid competitive player. She lives with her husband in Cary, N.C.
Sarah Blake ’10 Ensign, U.S. Navy Saint Mary’s encourages girls to define their own success by creating opportunities for them to discover who they want to be. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the athletic fields, or through community service, every day is a chance to build their self-confidence which helps them create their own personal definition of success. While my path was not a traditional one, I know the support and encouragement I received from the faculty was unique to Saint Mary’s because of its commitment to wanting girls to achieve any dream they may have. Ensign Sarah Blake ’10 graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2014 and is currently in Texas training as a Navy pilot.
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Christina Nasuti Phillips ’08 Law Clerk, U.S. District Court Perfectionism is a struggle. It can be motivating, pushing you to try your best and not settle for a half-hearted effort, but it can also be stifling, as you never feel truly up to the task or that you can be proud of what you have done. Over my four years at Saint Mary's, I found it to be a place where I felt free to be myself and to learn who that was, what it meant to me, and what it meant to the world around me. At Saint Mary's, the faculty have very high standards for you, personally and academically. However, those high standards were not substitutes for perfection—rather, it was all about a learning and growing process, teaching us how to learn, how to be women of integrity, of intellect, of curiosity, of character, and of faith. Our many role models taught us from class to Chapel to sports teams what it meant to strive and do your best to fulfill who you are as a person and to glorify God. By giving us that perspective, rather than emphasizing a narrow focus on an assignment or a game, Saint Mary's taught us how to look beyond perfecting the particulars to discover who we are and our true purpose. One of my favorite poems by Rudyard Kipling, If, (albeit, about a son and manhood, rather than a daughter and womanhood), has a line that in some ways embodies what we learn at Saint Mary's. Kipling writes, “If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds' worth of distance run, yours is the earth and everything that’s in it, And - which is more - you'll be a man, my son!" This verse sums up what Saint Mary's teaches: not to perfect the minutia, but to do your best and fill each minute you face with 60 seconds of your best effort to fulfill who you are, the character you developed, and your true purpose. If you can do that, then you have truly succeeded. Christina Nasuti Phillips ’08 graduated in May 2015 from the University of North Carolina School of Law with highest honors. She served as a staff member and editor-in-chief of the North Carolina Law Review. She married her fellow Tar Heel, Brian Phillips, in the summer of 2015, and they live in New London, N.C. She was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in the fall of 2015 and began a judicial clerkship in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. She earned a B.A. in History and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Angela Sutton Furniss ’89HS Senior Account Executive, Novo Nordisk, Inc. Saint Mary's provided me with the confidence to further discover what success and purpose meant to me. Saint Mary's strong foundation has offered me the opportunity throughout my personal and professional life to be a leader who has been true to my definition of success. I learned very early at Saint Mary's, and throughout my life, that you have to believe in your abilities and that it's essential to also have a written plan which includes time-bound goals that are specific, measurable and actionable. You can then reflect on your plan which will evolve to measure success as you have defined it. Each person has a unique path in life and therefore one's success should be measured by her own path and plan. I like this quote about success by Anne Sweeney, a former president at Disney, “Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you are proud to live.” Angela Sutton Furniss ’89HS is a senior account executive with Novo Nordisk, Inc. Furniss earned a B.S. in business administration from East Carolina University and an M.B.A. from Saint Joseph’s University, where she finished at the top of her class and was inducted in the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. In 2014 she was the winner of the Novo Nordisk, Inc. DBM Vision Award for Team Commitment. Angela lives with her husband, Hylan, in Wilmington, N.C. 15
PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT Student Achievements Mary Claire Brewer ’16 selected for national scholarship program Mary Claire Brewer ’16 has been selected to participate in the North Carolina Distinguished Young Women's Program. DYW is a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full potential through a transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase. The program is a platform for high school seniors to demonstrate excellence in academic achievement, physical fitness, on-stage performance skills, and the ability to think and communicate clearly. Mary Claire will be participating in the North Carolina state DYW program to be held in Greensboro the weekend of Jan. 29-30, 2016. She will represent Beaufort County. Three Saints named N.C. Field Hockey All-Stars Lizzy Crumpton ’18, pictured left, was selected as a 2015 North Carolina Field Hockey High School All-Star. Grace Battle Thompson ’18 and Bridget Glenn ’19 were selected as alternates. The North Carolina Field Hockey High School AllStar game was played Nov. 8 at Wake Forest University.
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Lillian Liu ’17 performs at Meredith College Saint Mary's junior Lillian Liu ’17 gave a piano solo performance at the 2015 N.C. Music Teachers Association (NCMTA) state conference at Meredith College, Saturday, Oct. 17. Lillian qualified for this invitation by winning top ratings at both the district and state level competitions of the NCMTA piano contests last spring. Molly Paul ’16 honored by Walter Magazine/ Bank of America, Gloria Barron Prize Senior Molly Paul ’16 was among six inspiring women honored Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Walter Magazine/Bank of America 2015 WINnovation event, celebrating women and entrepreneurship. Molly is the founder of Raleigh Aquatic Turtle Adoption. The other women honored were Brooks Bell, founder of Brooks Bell, located across the street from our campus; Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane, founder of MedPro Rx; Guenevere Abernathy, founder of LoMo Market, farmer's market on wheels which visits Saint Mary's every Wednesday; Lauren Whitehurst, co-founder of Soar Triangle;
and Jackie Craig, co-founder of The Green Chair Project and mother of Saint Mary's alumnae Ellee Craig '12 and Gabie Craig '10. Each woman spoke of her personal and professional journey, and it was an inspiring evening. The event was held at the beautiful Angus Barn Pavilion, where owner and Saint Mary's alumna Van Eure ’73HS ’75C welcomed the crowd. Molly has also been chosen as one of 15 national winners of the 2015 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Each year, the Barron Prize celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people from across North America who have made a significant positive difference to people and our planet. The top 15 winners each receive a $5,000 award to support their service work or higher education. Molly Williams ’16 studies with Spoleto Study Abroad Senior Molly Williams ’16 attended the Spoleto Study Abroad 2015 arts and humanities immersion program in the historic town of Spoleto, Italy, this summer. This interdisciplinary program features a dynamic curriculum in the arts and humanities. Molly participated in the drama program. Saint Mary’s School is an active member of the consortium of schools across the country that support the Spoleto Study Abroad program mission. Spoleto Study Abroad is committed to bringing an integrated style of learning to those students interested in pursuing their academic and artistic interests as they explore the rich cultural heritage of central Italy.
Saint Mary’s Chorale chosen to sing in Carnegie Hall Members of the Saint Mary’s Chorale will enjoy the experience of a lifetime when they perform in New York’s Carnegie Hall, March 28, at 8 p.m. The Chorale has been invited to perform in the 2015-2016 Octavo Series, which brings together choral groups from across the globe to perform in venues around the world. There is a famous old joke that poses the question, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?” with the punchline, “Practice!” And, practice will be a big part of the educational experience the Chorale members will enjoy in preparation for the performance. The Chorale will arrive in New York City knowing the music after rehearsing throughout the school year. While in New York, they will participate in workshops and rehearsals for four hours each day, learning from leading choral conductors and educators as they prepare for the culminating event—a huge, combined choir performance for a sold-out house in Carnegie Hall. In between rehearsals, the girls will enjoy organized outings to museums, theatre, and music performances, giving the girls a vibrant arts education experience in New York City, one of the world’s great cultural meccas. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our girls, and I am so proud of them for their commitment to their art,” says Jennifer Moran, director of the Saint Mary’s Chorale. “It was their singing—which I recorded throughout the school year and submitted for consideration—that earned them this opportunity. It is thrilling to envision our girls singing in this prestigious venue.” 17
GRANDDAUGHTERS CLUB 2015-2016
The Granddaughters Club consists of students who are direct descendants of Saint Mary’s alumnae, including mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. The Granddaughters Club is the oldest club on campus, established in 1909 by Kate McKimmon, who was an alumna, teacher, secretary, and treasurer of the Saint Mary’s Alumnae Association. During that first year in 1909, there were 33 members: 11 granddaughters, 27 daughters, and five girls who were the third generation of their family at Saint Mary’s.
Frances Jane Anderson ’18, daughter of Ashley Williamson Anderson ’86C
Mable Elizabeth Blount ’17, daughter of Elizabeth Grine Blount ’85HS ’87C
Jane Williams-Gower Brown ’17, granddaughter of Jane Gower Brown ’48C
Mary Katharine Barker ’16, granddaughter of Eliza Chipley Douglass ’48HS ’50C and greatgranddaughter of Agatha Knox Chipley 1921C
Mary Ann Williamson Borden ’18, daughter of Elizabeth Rouse Borden ’83HS and granddaughter of Ann Robinson Rouse ’57C
Virginia Whitley Barnes ’18, granddaughter of Ann Farmer Barnes ’61HS ’63C and greatgranddaughter of Rachel Ball Ditzle ’39C
Callee Elise Boykin ’16, daughter of Cathy Call Boykin ’80HS ’82C
Anne Patterson Buresh ’19, daughter of Anne Stephenson Buresh ’81HS ’83C, granddaughter of Katherine Boyette Stephenson ’48HS ’50C, and great granddaughter of Anne P. Norman Stephenson 1914.
Ann Yancey Bassett ’19, granddaughter of Pat Exum Bassett ’60HS
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Mary Claire Brewer ’16, daughter Michelle Fountain Brewer ’80HS Charlotte Barker Broadwell ’16, granddaughter of Charlotte Lilly Broadwell ’54C
Kathryn Chandler Cahill ’18, daughter of Sallie Thorpe Cahill ’87HS ’89C and granddaughter of Harriet Dill Thorpe ’70C
Eleanor Roosevelt Carroll ’19, granddaughter of Anne McMullan ’47HS ’49C, and great-greatgreat-granddaughter of Mary Frances Skinner 1870.
Hannah Elizabeth Jones ’16, daughter of Mary Hannah Wyman Jones ’84HS ’86C and granddaughter of Carol Ann Tadlock “Tad” Wyman ’60C
Lucy Downing Church ’17, granddaughter of Virgilia “Gillie” Leggett Church ’63C
Stephanie Bloch Jones ’19, granddaughter of Mary Stella Leak Jones ’63C and greatgranddaughter of Martha Thomas Leak ’30C
Katherine Dare Collie ’19, daughter of Kim Norfleet Collie ’88C Mary McGowan Collie ’17, daughter of Kim Norfleet Collie ’88C Eliza Robeson Cozart ’17, daughter of Valerie Purdie Cozart ’80HS ’82C Elizabeth Grimes Crumpton ’18, daughter of Andrea Kramer Crumpton ’86HS, granddaughter of Charlotte Williams Bridger ’60HS ’62C, great-great-granddaughter of Charlotte Grimes Williams 1868, and great-great-greatgranddaughter of Charlotte Bryan Grimes 1848 Margaret Edmundson Dixon ’18, daughter of Elizabeth Patteson Dixon ’80HS and granddaughter of Margaret Bridgers Edmundson (1951-52) Jane Courtney Dodge ’16, daughter of Beth Wilson ’78C and granddaughter of Mary Tuder Hudson Harris ’39C Grace Muriel Dohner ’18, great-granddaughter of Nancy Croom Murchison 1930’s Caroline Whitehurst Fountain ’16, granddaughter of Margaret Uzzell Bowen Vanderberry ’59C Margaret Burton Fountain ’18, granddaughter of Margaret Uzzle Bowen Vanderberry ’59C Dorothy Isabel Fuqua ’18, daughter of Duvall Schultz Fuqua ’79HS and granddaughter of Ruth Clark ’48HS Harriet Lucile Glover ’18, granddaughter of Harriet Conger Glover ’52HS ’54C and greatgranddaughter of Nellie Cooper Rose 1917C Bailey Elizabeth Griffin ’17, daughter of Kim Goines Griffin ’89HS ’91C Cameron Elizabeth Griffin ’19, daughter of Kim Goines Griffin ’89HS ’91C Elizabeth Darden Grubb ’16, granddaughter of Lucile Best Jones ’48HS ’50C Zella Dailey Hanson ’19, granddaughter of Jane Thurlow Ferdon ’66C Shelby Hardee Holmes ’16, granddaughter of Frances Spain Holmes ’54C and Louise Cheatham Holmes ’57C Jane Gregory Ives ’17, daughter of Lynn Cowell Ives ’85HS ’87C Jane Lewis Zollicoffer Jackson ’19, daughter of Ellen Zollicoffer Jackson ’84HS, granddaughter of Jane Lewis Zollicoffer ’46HS, greatgranddaughter of Fannie Cooper Zollicoffer 1913, and great-great-great-granddaughter of Ellen Wilkins Lewis 1850.
Emily Holding Kerr ’19, great-granddaughter of Elizabeth Hunt Holding ’39C Franny Cooper Lail ’17, daughter of Fanny Peel Lail ’85C and granddaughter of Frances Perry Peel ’52HS ’54C Elizabeth Cole Lanier ’17, granddaughter of Mimsie Roberts Lanier ’68HS Kennon Chester Later ’18, great,-greatgranddaughter of Mary Bryan Griswold 19111913 Mary Chandler Lilly ’19, great-greatgranddaughter of Mary Lindsey Battle Cobb 1883 Mary Ashburn Mann ’17, daughter of Kathy Sawyer Mann ’78HS ’80C and granddaughter of Lois Perry Sawyer ’52C Virginia Thorne Pace ’17, daughter of Anne Gregory Pace ’81HS ’83C Lillian Geiger Parker ’18, daughter of Betsy Joyner Parker ’83HS, granddaughter of Georgia Cobb Joyner ’59C, great-granddaughter of Sarah Elizabeth Borden Cobb 1914, great-greatgranddaughter of Sallie Smith Jones Borden, and great-great-great-granddaughter of Georgia Whitfield Borden Ruby Gail Orton ’18, daughter of Charlotte McCall Orton ’87C Sarah Grace Patton ’19, daughter of Susan Gattis Patton ’83HS Patricia Vaughan Poole ’17, granddaughter of Pat Exum Bassett ’60HS Emma-Claire Wood Purdie ’17, granddaughter of Claire Lynn Boyce Purdie Brennan ’62C Margaret Addison Quattlebaum ’17, daughter of Margaret Lea Quattlebaum ’86HS ’88C and granddaughter of Gene Hines Johnson ’46HS ’48C Mary Suiter Ragland ’18, granddaughter of Anna Wood Ragland ’41C, great-granddaughter of Alice McKenzie Ragland 1913, and great-greatgreat-granddaughter of Alice Caldwell McKenzie (attended during the civil war) Katherine Granbery Rascoe ’17, daughter of Kathy Keel ’83HS ’85C, granddaughter of Nancy Dawson Rascoe ’52C, great-granddaughter of Edna Jones Nixon Dawson ’26C, great-greatgreat-granddaughter of Cornelia Townsend Nixon (pre-1870), and great-great-great-granddaughter of Isa Benedicta Gordon Granbery (pre-1870)
Jacquelin Grace Rogers ’17, daughter of Hunter Grogan Rogers ’89HS ’91C and granddaughter of Jackie Baublitz Woolfolk ’60HS ’62C Mary Helena Shapard ’19, great-granddaughter of Sally Louise Doar 1925-26 Mary Hannah Sigmon ’17, granddaughter of Mary Hannah Finch Taft ’58C and Martha Anne Olsen Sigmon ’47HS Louise Dibrell Sloan ’17, granddaughter of Louise Ficklen Folger ’60HS Lindley MacRae Spears ’18, daughter of Mandy Johnson Spears ’84HS ’86C Katherine Porter Stallings ’18, daughter of Jennifer Jones Stallings ’90C Bridget Clare Sullivan ’19, daughter of Maura Moylan Sullivan ’87HS Allie Elizabeth Swanson ’16, daughter of Carolyn Thornton Swanson ’83HS ’85C Grace Battle Thompson ’18, daughter of Heather Moore Thompson ’88HS ’90C and granddaughter of Sue Battle Moore ’63C Ashton Radcliffe Vermillion ’17, greatgranddaughter of Margaret Banes Gold Borden 1918C Elizabeth Hope Voelkel ’17, daughter of Marcy Whitehurst Everett Voelkel ’87C, granddaughter of Bettie Ann Whitehurst Everett ’59C, greatgranddaughter of Esther Bernice Stearn Whitehurst ’23C, and great-great-granddaughter of Bettie Ebourn Marsh (early 1900’s) Beverly Elizabeth Watson ’18, daughter of Leigh Ann Corter Watson ’85C Emma Riley Whitford ’18, granddaughter of Jeanne Moye Whitford ‘59C Susan Serpell Williamson ’18, granddaughter of Blanche Robertson Bacon ’53HS ’55C Sarah Perryman Winborne ’16, daughter of Jane Dowdy Winborne ’86HS, granddaughter of Corinne Grimsley Donkle ’45HS and Ann Smith Winborne ’52C, and great-great-granddaughter of Fannie Sharp (early 1800s) Kimberly Cameron Wood ’17, granddaughter of Janie Stronach Wood ’62HS ’64C Clare Maddison Wooten ’19, daughter of Sally Maddison Wooten ’85HS, granddaughter of Clare Garden Maddison ’64C and Lytle Batchelor Wooten ’51C, and great-granddaughter of Jane Purrington Maddison ’31C Lucy York Wyche ’17, daughter of Susan Grady Wyche ’84C
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2015 - 2016 CALENDAR of events
2016
Save the dates and join us for these special spring semester! events for the JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
St. Genesius’s Players When Shakespeare’s Ladies Meet Pittman Auditorium
February 5
March 4-5, 7 p.m.
January 18-19
Granddaughters Club Luncheon
January 14, 7 p.m.
Admission Winter Overnight Visitation January 26, 8 p.m., Free
Smedes Parlor Concert Series An Evening with Melanie Wilsden and Friends Works by Schumann, Ponchielli, Dutillex
Alumnae Council Winter Meeting February 19
February 23, 8 p.m., Free
Smedes Parlor Concert Series Songs of Southern Composers February 25
San Francisco Area Alumnae Event
January 31
NYC Young Alumnae Event
Reunion Weekend 2016 Classes ending in “1” and “6”
April 29-30 Register February 1 at www.sms.edu/alumnae
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Spring Musical Legally Blonde March 16
Durham-Chapel Hill Area Alumnae Event March 18, 7 p.m. March 19, 2 p.m.
Orchesis Dance Theatre Spring Concert Pittman Auditorium
Commencement for the 174th session May 22 10:30 a.m. In the Grove
March 20-21
Admission Special Invitation Event
April 20
New Orleans Area Alumnae Event
May 10 April 28, 7:30 p.m.
Greenville, NC Area Alumnae Event
Chorale Spring Concert The Nature of Music Smedes-Emory Parlor
March 28, 8 p.m.
April 29
March 23
Chorale performs in Carnegie Hall, New York City APRIL April 12
Easter Eucharist April 15
MAY
Alumnae Council Spring Meeting April 29-30
Reunion Weekend 2016 Classes ending in “1” and “6”
Closing Eucharist May 12
Saint Mary’s 174th birthday May 22, 10:30 a.m.
Commencement for the 174th session For a complete calendar of events throughout the school year, visit www. sms.edu. Regional alumnae events will be added to the Alumnae web page, as they are scheduled. Events are subject to change due to weather and other unforeseen circumstances, and changes will be announced as soon as possible.
Grandparents and Grandfriends Day
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EVENTS
ASHEVILLE October 25, 2015 Home of Cathy Fletcher Himan '89C
Emilie Lamb Freeman '78C, Cathy Fletcher Himan '89C, Meg Sparger Westall '02, Sally Pridgen Spiegel '89HS, Janet Burhoe Jones '71HS, Betsy Smyth Bramley '03
Cissy Lofton Elmer '80C, Dillon Robinson Manley '78C, Emilie Lamb Freeman '78C, Mary Hollinshed Smitherman '81C
UNC-Chapel Hill November 17, 2015 Home of Hailey Hart '12HS First row: Hayley Scialdone '15, Abigail Ueland '15, Frances Clayton '14, Middle row: Ann Evans '12, Standing: Hutter Black '12, Berry Williamson '12, Marion Brown '13, Eliza Stoughton '12, Catherine Blair '13, Hailey Hart '12, Mary Gordon Utt '13, Lindsay Nevitt '14, Kaitlin Harlow '14, Meredith Burke '14
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ATLANTA October 20, 2015 Home of Duvall Schultz Fuqua '79HS
Dorothy Fuqua '18, Duvall Schultz Fuqua '79HS, Head of School Monica Gillespie
Julia Walker Barge '82HS '84C, Angela Patrick '82C, Anne Morgan Miller '84C
Katie Matthews '08, Lea Dickinson '11, Sara Bailey Stocks '09
Dorothy Fuqua '18, Ann Brady Carr '68C, Susan Davis Virgin '66HS '68C, Melanie Hardy Hardin '80HS '82C, Laura Weddington Matthews '83C
John and Bowen Eagleson, Jean Redding '72HS, Suzanne Owens Logan '73HS '75C, Carol Malcolm Phillips '68C
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EVENTS
BLOWING ROCK July 10, 2015 Blowing Rock Country Club
Lynn Purdie Brennan '62C, Ginny Simons Shew '62C, Gene Hunter Arnold '62C, Missy Underwood Miller '80C, Nancy Scott Grantham '80C
Amanda Adams Williamson '81C, Shawn Purdie, Emma Purdie '17, Elizabeth Carson '11, Anna Boyce Rankin '11
Martha Best Yorke Lawson '47C, Emma Purdie '17
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Nelson Blount Crisp '56HS, Barbara Hauser Bryan '58C, Margaret McGlohon '81C, Carol Biggers Dabbs '55HS '57C
Margaret McGlohon '81C, Terry Dabbs Lewis '80C, Nancy Scott Grantham '80C, Amanda Adams Williamson '81C, Missy Underwood Miller '80C
BOSTON December 3, 2015 Back Bay Social Club
Lindsey Johnson '11, Emily deRedon, Ruth Ann White deRedon '72HS, Mathilde Duffy '67HS '69C, Mary Jane Given Devins '76HS
Monica Gillespie, Woody Bobbitt Lawson '70C, Hannah Cheney '15, Grayson Rodriguez '15
Wimberley Burton '78C, Margaret McGlohon '81C, Mathilde Duffy '67HS '69C, Mary Jane Given Devins '76HS
Meg Duncan '02, Katie Bradbury, Jamie Cathel Dunaway '03, Carolyn Coughenour Taylor '70C, Janie Moore Hynson '05
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EVENTS
CHARLESTON September 30, 2015 Ibu
Cornelia Hines Pelzer '62C, Amey Parsons Lewis '64HS '66C, Lea Milstead Clement '84C, Anne Foreman Barnes '65HS, Caroline Ragsdale '82HS
Gigi Wallace '82C, Rhett Willcox Dotterer '84HS '86C, Virginia Gayle Grimball '73C, Marsee Edwards Lee '78C
Morgan Seidel '15, Julia Nutt '15, Emily Smith '01, Sarah Staton Nash '08, Ashby Bonds '13, Anna Lane Mayo '13
Whitney Currin '10, Allie McDonald '10
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CHARLOTTE October 29, 2015 Home of Margaret Williams Williams '78HS '80C
Ashley Richardson Allen '81C, Dudley Hanes Faison '81C, Mary McLean Russell '81C, Suzy Dunaway Riley '81C, Margaret McGlohon '81C, Murray Smith Parker '81C, Virginia Smith Ellison '81C
Cameron Cutting Wilkinson '71HS '73C, Ashley Richardson Allen '81C, Lee Archibald Taylor '78C, Margaret Williams Williams '78HS '80C, Kee Hood Marshall '75HS, Charlotte Hill Wickham '82HS, Olga McCoy Faison '88C, Sophie Peden Allen '79HS
Fred and Lila Laxton Brown '60C, Cynde Wright Farriss '61HS '63C, Mary Peyton Cortright '62C
Sam and Susan Creech Rankin '74HS, Carl and Gayle McConnell Tallardy '76C
Gaye Harris Law '64C, Stewart Howie Gordon '63C, Mary-Bryan Cummings Rasberry '49C
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EVENTS
COLUMBIA September 29, 2015 Home of Scotty Grine Frantz '81HS '83C
Bev Tuller '86C, Mardy Gray Choate '67HS '69C, Timmy Timmons Dorn '52HS '54C
Meredith Maynard Chase '67C, Scotty Grine Frantz '81HS '83C, Clara Howell Weston '83C
Timmy Timmons Dorn '52HS '54C, Lucy Shand Edmunds '62C, Constance Shaner Parramore '54C, Mary Ann Simmons Heath '56HS
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Kathy Dorman Crosswell '72C, Sally Exum Cauthen '72C, Martha Murphy '76HS '78C, Vicki Barnhill '72C
Nielson Smith '12, Emma Rizer '12, Suzi Peak '13, Lauren Gosse '12, Elise McKinney '13, Grace Dudley '12, Margaret Blincow '12
GREENSBORO November 5, 2015 Home of Alice Dockery Preyer '73HS
Lynn Purdie Brennan '62C, Pat Haley, Margaret Longley White '79C, Gail Conrad Stanley '75C
Katie Jo Lawrence Redhead '71HS '73C, Margo Hammond Cunningham '55C, Beth Coltrane Harrington '70C, Pat White Copeland '68HS
Kathryn Scott Long '73HS '75C, Grey Watkins Lineweaver '60C, Aurelia Fulton Stafford '48HS '50C
Elizabeth Jernigan Andrews '72C, Elizabeth Andrews Preyer '01, Alice Dockery Preyer '73HS
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EVENTS
NAGS HEAD July 10, 2015 Home of Georgia Worthington Sullivan '77HS
Dow Perry Crowder '91HS '93C, Jaquelin Jenkins Perry '73HS, Tra Jennette Perry '62C, Nancy Gillam Spruill '74C, Brim Spruill Silver '94HS
Joann Nance Small '73HS '75C, Hannah Small '05
Bobbie Murray, Claire Murray '08, Hannah Small '05, Dara Evans Brownlow '87HS '89C, Becky Gordon Hoggard '51HS '53C, Leigh Gaither Jones '75HS '77C, Jaquelin Jenkins Perry '73HS, Nancy Gillam Spruill '74C, Nancy Dawson Rascoe '52C, Anne Townsend Overman '47HS '49C, Lois Perry Sawyer '52C, Gwyn Cooley Pearce '79HS '81C
Brim Spruill Silver '94HS, Dow Perry Crowder '91HS '93C
Bobbie Woodall Perry '65C, Georgia Worthington Sullivan '77HS, Joann Nance Small '62C, Margie Berry '78C
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NASHVILLE October 12, 2015 Home of Allison Kerr '75C
Mary England Proctor '67C, Mary Crenshaw Spalding '78C
Alexandra Speros '06, Katie Stuart Power '02
Esther Taati '13, Loftin Johnson '08, Mary Stuart Smart '10
Margaret McGlohon '81C, Allison Kerr, Amy Woodson '80HS '82C
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EVENTS
RICHMOND November 18, 2015 Home of Stephanie Bishop Williams '90HS
Kathy Graham Wood '70HS, Sara Coleman Cann '71HS, Nella Fulton Timmons '77HS
Stephanie Bishop Williams '90HS, Rhyne Andrews Callens '07
Betsy Duke Seaman '55HS, Anne Bailey Lewis '53C, Betsy Wood Jackson Parrish '50HS, Nancy Tucker Thompson '82C
Kathy Reynolds Phillips '78C, Sheri Wilkie Tew '78HS Stephanie Bishop Williams '90HS, Alice Boggs Schroeder '89HS, Claudia Bishop Stubbs '93HS
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WAKE COUNTY October 14, 2015 Saint Mary's School
Emory Rogers Church '74C, Betsy Church '09, Margaret McGlohon '81C, Josie Rawl Hall '74C, Mary Virginia Swain '77C Mary Cates Gravley '81C, Margaret McGlohon '81C, Gwyn Cooley Pearce '79HS '81C, Coles Hines Jones '79HS '81C, Elizabeth Hardy Hogan '81C, Allison Gilbert Holmes '81C
Elizabeth Hardy Hogan '81C, Coles Hines Jones '79HS '81C, Kim Norfleet Collie '88C
Rebecca Pace '85C, Maura Moylan Sullivan '87HS, Josie Rawl Hall '74C, Sallie Thorpe Cahill '87HS '89C, Dan Cahill
Elizabeth Rasberry Pitts '79C, Martha Evans, Margaret Longley White '79C
Luke Hill Page '50C, Eve Hargrave Smith '53HS
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EVENTS
WINSTON-SALEM November 12, 2015 Home of Leesa Lybrook Goodson '76C
Leesa Lybrook Goodson '76C, Winborne Shaffer Chandler '63HS
Angel Archer Moore '82HS '84C, Margaret Gibson Arnett '03, Nancy Scott Grantham '80C
Winborne Shaffer Chandler '63HS, Perry Grimes VanDyke '63HS '65C, Gene Grantham Foster '63HS
Kate Yandell Reese '03HS, Susan Johnson Hedgpeth '67HS '69C, Ashley Mawyer Byrd '69C
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WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH June 27, 2015 Home of Sam and Laurie Sugg
Annie Gray Calhoun Lane '58C, Emily Smith '01, William Taylor
Mandy Johnson Spears '84HS '86C, Kathy Sawyer Mann '78HS '80C, Lois Perry Sawyer '52C
Elizabeth Stewart Long '78C, Margaret Longley White '79C, Lee Archibald Taylor '78C, Lee White
Amanda Adams Williamson '81C, Susan Wilson Snider '77HS '79C, Chip Williamson, Larry Snider
Marsha Dodson Bonner '81C, Blanche Robertson Bacon '53HS '55C, Mary Virginia Swain '77C, Lee Lee Kirkland King '86HS '88C
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MILESTONES
IN MEMORIAM Nancy “Teeny” Clark Stronach ’35C, June 18, 2015
Priscilla Ford Tennent ’46HS, August 31, 2015
Mary Hundley Harper Turner ’71C, August 11, 2015
Elizabeth Kearns Lowman ’38C, August 1, 2015
Athalia Alligood Howiern ’46C, September 20, 2015
Billie Leigh Holding Vaughn ’71C, November 24, 2015
Mary Lynn White Neal ’39HS August 30, 2015
Armecia Eure Black ’48C, October 21, 2015
Anne Louise Harer ’72HS, September 5, 2015
Phyllis Gaitling Monroe ’40C, June 6, 2015
Page Parrish Wright ’48C, November 7, 2015
Marcia Neely Gilbert ’72HS ’74C, October 4, 2015
Laura Gordon Williams ’40C, October 7, 2015
Mary Frances “Franky” Allen Fanjoy ’49HS ’51C, November 26, 2015
Alice Roberts Donaldson ’75C, November 28, 2015
Henriette Dargan Hampton Morris ’41HS ’43C, November 25, 2015
Elizabeth “Betty” Winfree Mauck ’49C, October 4, 2015
Jean Meyers, former staff member, May 31, 2015
Elizabeth Peal Edwards ’41C, October 17, 2015
Shirley Austin Larsen ’50HS, Date unknown
Lee Stevens Gravely ’42HS, October 12, 2015
JoAnn Stewart Trollinger ’50C, July 25, 2015
Bobbie Hall Ward, former staff member, June 25, 2015
Eugenia Cox Harris ’42C, April 12, 2014
Allein “Al” White Ward ’51C, September 4, 2015
Virginia “Jenny” Woodard Cutchin ’43HS, August, 3, 2015
Jane Hirst Bogle ’53C, August 18, 2015
Mary Yount Fagan ’43HS, May 20, 2013
Sylvia Colemore deMurias ’56HS, April 20, 2015
Elizabeth “Betty” Michaux Graham ’43C, August 21, 2015
Jane Irby Grant ’57C, July 7, 2015
Margaret Huske deRosset McLean ’44C, October 5, 2015
Mary Ann Powell Everett ’59C, October 26, 2015
Molly Mitchell Putnam ’44C, June 9, 2015
Frances Louise Douglass ’60HS, September 28, 2015
Barbara “Bobbie” Brockwell Smith ’45C, October 25, 2015
Pamela “Pam” Wilder Huffman Liles ’61C, September 30, 2015
Sallie Dixon Suter ’45C, May 19, 2015
Loretta Loyd Banner ’63C, February 24, 2015
Jean Campbell Taylor ’45C, July 8, 2015
Jaye Lineberger Bux ’63C, July 29, 2015
Luck Flanders Gambrell ’46HS ’48C, former alumnae secretary, June 29, 2015
Sally Means Quantz-Ellerbe ’66C, August 9, 2015
Anita Buck Osborn ’46HS ’48C, October 28, 2015
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Jane Starke Semple ’70C, September 15, 2015
Alice Zawadski, professor emerita of science, June 30, 2015 Ann Culley, former faculty member, August 3, 2015 Helen Godwin, former staff member, November 29, 2015
Camille Merriweather Mulé, daughter of Merriweather Raidle Mulé
Ryan Anthony '04 married Bobby Marston, July 18. 2015.
MARRIAGES Jane Teague Allred ’60C to Pete Cornish, October 10, 2015 Kirke Hooper ’89HS ’91C to Chris Hazelton, October 24, 2015 Tatyana Sharoubim ’03 to Chad Stewart, November 2. 2015
*Lauren Robbins ’06 to Seavy Dickson, November 21, 2015 Caroline Ward ’06 to Hampton Manning IV, August 29, 2015 Mary Katherine Perry ’07 to Chip Phillips, June 11, 2015
NEW BABIES Liz Knox Bottoms ’96HS ’98C, a son, July 24, 2015 Karen Edmundson Dann ’96C, a son, July 1, 2015 Stuart Small Beaumont ’99HS, a son, June 24, 2015
Aaron Sermons ’07 to Dr. Aria Ghaffari, September 12, 2015
Katie Newell Leach ’01, a son, September 8, 2015
Greyson Kane ’08 to John Reid Sidebotham, November 14, 2015
Suzanne Prak Bostwick ’03, a daughter, September 24, 2015 Ashley Williams Gale ’03, a daughter, October 16, 2015
Ryan Anthony ’04 to Bobby Marston, July 18, 2015
Elizabeth Mills ’08 to Stewart Michael Grantham, November 14, 2015
Katie Whitmore ’04 to Ryan Allred, October 31, 2015
Aly Stanley ’08 to Alan Hethcoat, September 5, 2015
Marguerite Chappas ’05 to David Snead, November 21, 2015
Dorothy Matteson Pierce ’04, a son, December 5, 2015
Becca Vinson ’09 to John Hamilton, November 7, 2015
Ellie Gilbert ’05 to Frank Daniel IV, August 29, 2015
Margie Hicks ’06, a daughter, September 24, 2015
Sallie Bailey ’11 to Charles Stephen Plumley, September 26, 2015
Julia Corker Spickart ’06, a son, September 27, 2015
Kristin Yates ’05 to John Wesley Umstead V, September 19, 2015 *Alex Bielec ’06 to Joe Hovland, October 10, 2015 Kate Horney ’06 to Wylie Gibson Hutchison, September 26, 2015 *Married in the Saint Mary's Chapel
Laura Shelby Dameron ’13 to Stewart Dalton, November 28, 2015
Cassie Gilbert Rice ’03, a son, June 22, 2015
Merriweather Raidle Mulé ’04, a daughter, September 26, 2015 Katherine Jackson, staff member, a son, November 3, 2015
These milestones were compiled based on information received by the school by December 4, 2015. Every effort is made to include everyone for whom we have official confirmation by press time. If we missed you or your loved one, please send an official announcement to mvswain@sms.edu, or mail to Mary Virginia Swain ’77C, Saint Mary’s School, 900 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27603, for inclusion in the summer 2016 magazine.
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CLASS news Class News It’s all here – the latest and greatest news from alumnae in even-year classes. Saint Mary’s extends a special thanks to the dedicated class secretaries who compiled and crafted these class newsletters, many who have served for decades. Odd-year classes will be featured in the summer 2016 magazine. Alumnae in these classes will receive information to facilitate the reporting of news to class secretaries or directly to the school.
Class News Policies Due to the uncertain nature of certain types of news, Saint Mary’s does not publish news of wedding engagements or pregnancies. We publish news of marriages, births, adoptions or deaths, based on published news reports or direct phone or email contact with the Alumnae Office from the parties or immediate families. Please remember to include Saint Mary’s in your wedding announcement in the newspaper and please send birth announcements to the Alumnae Office for inclusion in the milestones section. Saint Mary’s Class Notes are published for each class once each year. Due to the extended nature of the production schedule for the magazine, class news is meant to be a once-a-year general update of your news for the previous year. We cannot guarantee the exact timeliness of your news, so please keep our advance deadlines in mind when submitting news. Saint Mary’s School reserves the right to edit class news for content, length and timeliness. Photographs may be submitted for consideration for the class news to mvswain@sms.edu or Mary Virginia Swain, 900 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27603. Photos must be high-quality prints or digital .jpeg photo files of at least 300 dpi. Group shots should include Saint Mary’s alumnae (and spouses and children) only and must include a detailed listing of everyone pictured, including full names and class years.
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1940 Catherine Gant Powell ’40HS writes from Washington, N.C., “Don’t stop moving! Here I am, still busy every day. It’s a shock to be so old! Twenty-six of my Powell clan went on an Alaskan cruise in August. We saw everything from glaciers to tundra to whales, bears and sea lions. There was kayaking, dog sledding, hiking and helicoptering. Everyone should do it! Now, a family wedding looms in Charleston. How blessed can a girl be?”
1944 COLLEGE Mary Lynn Lewis DeLany Dear Class of 1944 - Are you kidding me? I bet this letter will be the first one in the Bulletin this year. We are certainly getting closer, right? I just hope there are plenty of you out there reading my letter, and enjoying the news from your classmates. Unfortunately, not many of you responded to the school’s mailings, but I did get a few. Mainly from my old standbys, God bless them. There are still quite a few of us around that I have never heard from, some you probably would like to know about. First of all, let me say again how much I appreciated the lovely dinner given to our group when we last met in April 2014. Lolly White Holt and her daughter, Laura Norris Raynor ’69HS ’71C, had all five of us at her home for such a nice dinner and camaraderie that rainy night. Bettie Gaither Stokes, Mary Pierce Johnson White, Olive Camp Johnson, Lynn Johnson Titchener ’73C, and her own daughter, Laura. Soup to nuts, just perfect. Brent Woodson Elmore was due and expected, but the weather was too rough to fly all the way from Florida. We can come to the school every year for reunions now, since we are past our 50th year. A nice opportunity for us as we get older, and see others we knew then, not necessarily in our class. Charlotte Crawford Arrendell always responds. Her news wasn’t so happy as she tells us that her husband died last January after so many wonderful years together. She is still in Black Mountain at Highland Farms. I treasure our correspondence through the years, more commonality in our later years. And here comes Rebecca Drane Warren. She is still travelling, last time to Charleston, in her group was Elizabeth Matheson, an SMS high schooler. Rebecca had a great 90th birthday – we are all having those big milestone birthdays, right? Ruth Moore Glass lost her Johnny B. in September, after 64 years. He had been in declining health for a number of years. She promises me she will come to the reunion in April 2016. I have another high schooler of our year who lives in Anchorage, Alaska, but winters in LaQuinta, Calif. Lucy Woodruff Groh ’44HS and I have struck up a great email friendship. So nice, so much fun. I have an ongoing telephone chat with Chinkie Martin Goodale, who lives in Burlington but at another retirement place, The Village at Brookwood. She
had to give up her car a year or so ago, and now uses a walker, but is still in her own apartment. I am still enjoying my life here at Twin Lakes Community in Burlington. My first roommate at Saint Mary’s lives here now, Betsy Thompson Severage. She has become quite the duplicate bridge player, winning most of the time. It is so good to have her here. Back in September, I went to Morehead for a weekend with daughter Lynn Johnson Titchener ’73C and her good friend from Raleigh, Mary Legg Moore ’73C, Foxie Clark Legg’s daughter. We had a great time, as usual. Lynn now has both daughters getting married in the next year or two. She will be busy for sure! My other daughter, Carter Johnson Overton ’76C, is in Greensboro, and both sons out on their own. Lewis is an intern/surgery at UNC Hospitals, and Marshall is in real estate in Mount Pleasant, S.C. It is getting harder and harder to get them all together at the same time, hopefully this Christmas. Thank you for your attention to my pleadings for news. Please keep it up. And do try to come back to Raleigh the end of April – you will be rewarded! I love you all very much. Mary Lynn
1946
HIGH SCHOOL Anna Lee Smith Dorsett writes that she is enjoying life at Cypress of Raleigh. “Bridge is very popular here. There are so many activities here to keep us busy. I enjoy seeing Raleigh and Saint Mary’s friends here and there.”
1948
COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL Grace Jones Fishel ’48HS writes, “Amazingly, Harry and I are still living in our two-story house in Roanoke Rapids at the tender ages of 85- and 92-years-old. Harry had a bad fall three months ago, so I have been “chief cook and bottle washer, nursemaid, driver and bar tender” ever since, but he’s getting better! Young Harry has retired from W.R. Grace Co. in Aiken, S.C., and Fred is still a professor at the University of Florida. Lucile Best Jones ’48HS ’50C says, “We live in Raleigh now, where four of our seven children live. There are four grandgirls I hope will come to Saint Mary’s. We have one granddaughter, Darden Grubb ’16, graduating this year. We are hanging in there! Saint Mary’s is so important to me!” Jane Gower Brown ’48C writes, “Walter and I are very happy at Springmoor Life Care Community in Raleigh. He will be 90 in February and he can hear and think! Other Saint Mary’s girls are here: Kitty Sigmon Hunter ’40C, Martha Olsen Sigmon ’47HS and Mary Leah Thorne Williamson ’47C. My granddaughter Jane Brown ’17 is a junior at Saint Mary’s and loves it!”
1950 COLLEGE
Betty Ray McCain '50C Dear classmates, I am writing this on a glorious fall day, and send best wishes and love to each of you. Our ranks are thinning, so take good care and keep me informed about yourself and your dear family. This year marks the 65th since our graduation. All of us are fine. We have one granddaughter in the MBA program at UNC- Chapel Hill. One in a master's program in classical archaeology at Oxford (the English one). One who will graduate in mechanical engineering in December 2015 from N.C. State. One who works in Washington, D.C., for the Bipartisan Policy Center, and our sole grandson
is a freshman at N.C. State. Saint Mary's School has initiated a Board of Visitors program, and I briefly saw Sally Jones Grubb there this fall. She is one of Lucile Best Jones ’48HS ’50C children and is a delightful young lady (like her mother). Lucile writes that she now lives in Raleigh and has a grandchild, Darden Grubb ’16, who will graduate this year from Saint Mary’s. She also says that she hopes three more grandchildren and a great- grandchild will attend Saint Mary’s. She reports that she and her husband are hanging in there and send you much love. Anne Cahoon Stratton still lives in Wayne, Penn., and writes that she and Jack are the happy great-grandparents of four adorable children with two more on the way! My dear Saint Mary’s roommate, Olivia Lynch Hardin, is still working to complete the book-work on her husband Gene's estate. Gene passed away in 2014. Our kudos and love go to Frankie Strosnider DuBose, who received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Saint Mary’s last spring at the Reunion Weekend luncheon. We are so proud of Frankie and so thrilled that Saint Mary’s honored her! Her entire life has been one of generosity and service. Patty Willis Starr, her roommate at Saint Mary’s, was there for the great event. Frankie's daughters were also present. Frankie's husband has passed away after several years of poor health. I was privileged to see Luke Hill Page, who looks wonderful. She and Bob seem to be doing fine. It was great to see Scotty Kent Galloway at the alumnae luncheon this year, and she is just as much fun, as always. Her health is good, and she is still going strong. She lives in Charlotte. Please keep up your letters about what you are doing, and please accept my love and all my good wishes to each of you. Betty Ray McCain
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CLASS news
1952
from Sanford, “Just added two more greatgrandchildren. That makes seven!”
COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL
1954
Isabel Masterton Brown ’52HS ’54C writes from Columbus, Ohio, “I’m finally blessed with grandchildren. The Brooklyn, N.Y., grandchildren have taken me to five of their favorite playgrounds and my Ontario, Canada, grandchild has taken me to Niagara Falls.” Emilie Patton deLuca ’52HS writes, “After many years of living all over the world, I am living in Chapel Hill in the same house in which I grew up. I sing in the Chapel of the Cross choir, am on the Foundation Board of UNC-TV and pitch on UNC-TV during the fund-raising drives. I am also the chief judge in my Orange County voting precinct. I hope all of you exercise your right to vote in all elections. Too many people don’t bother. I spend lots of time in Charleston, where I have an old family house downtown. All in all, I keep busy, but at 81, I am slowing down a bit. My children are Anne deLuca Lucht ’74HS of Columbia, S.C., and Jim, who lives in Charleston. Their respective children are scattered from Charleston to Eugene, Org. I keep up with Anne Stewart Harris ’52C, who (at least at last phone call) was doing well.” Betsy Clarke Lane ’52C taught at New Hanover High School in Wilmington for 40 years. She taught 12th grade Honors English. She and husband Calvin have been married for 60 years and have two children and three grandchildren. Daughter Beth is a nurse practitioner in OB-GYN in Greensboro, and son Lee is vice president at a national company in Charlotte. “Calvin and I live in Wilmington and enjoy Wrightsville Beach, golf, eating out and friends. Send me your news, please!” Mary Patricia Boesser Bell Paparazo ’52C writes from Goldsboro. Her son, Dr. James Andrew Bell, and his wife Beth are planning to visit Israel for a week in the spring. Laura Holoman Murphy ’52C writes
Trissy Holt Lomax '54C
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COLLEGE
Once again, I have the honor of writing news of our classmates. I wish more of you had responded, but it is such a pleasure to be able to impart the news of the few of you who took a minute to e-mail me. Frances Stubinger Daugherty reports that her favorite activity this year was to take a Greek island cruise with three friends to celebrate their big 80th birthdays. She said they were still able-bodied enough to climb among the ruins and to hear the tour guides. She also said the ship was wonderful and always nice to get back to it at the end of a hot day. They are already making plans for 2016. Martha Barber Dosher is still working some - helping daughter Nancy Dosher run her (Martha's) insurance business a little. She enjoys going to her house in Banner Elk as much as she can. Her view from there of Grandfather Mountain is so pretty all times of the year. She even likes being there when it is snowing. She uses a cane all the time, but finds it to be no problem getting around up there. Both of her grandsons have graduated from college - one from UNC-Chapel Hill and one from East Carolina. The oldest lives in Charlotte and works for Phillip Morris, having just completed his MBA. The youngest is working in Raleigh for City Electric Supply. They are both sons of her older daughter Anne. Susan Hayes Dunlevy reports that she and her husband Harvey still live in Durham. They enjoy visits with their son and three grandchildren from Charlotte, and their daughter in Grand Forks, N.D. They like to visit with the daughter on Sanibel Island, Fla., in February. Pat Perry Moser said she sat with Frances Stubinger Daugherty at the reunion last year and they talked about
getting a round-robin letter going with phone numbers and e-mail addresses. I am sure the school would provide them with the information. What a great idea! Pat and her "significant other," Monroe, are biting the bullet and downsizing into a condo in their local retirement complex. They haven't set a date for the move since the unit that suits them is not available now. They were going to Sanibel for two weeks at Thanksgiving, which is an ongoing thing with them, as well as going to the beach for three weeks in June. She also has a short cruise booked, and says she'd live on a cruise ship if she could. Isabel Masterton Brown ’52HS ’54C writes from Columbus, Ohio, “I’m finally blessed with grandchildren. The Brooklyn, N.Y., grandchildren have taken me to five of their favorite playgrounds, and my Ontario, Canada, grandchild has taken me to Niagara Falls.” Sharlene Whisnant Vainright's husband, Julian, wrote on her behalf. Sadly, Sharlene has had a memory problem for several years and about three months ago the family agreed with her doctor that she needed more care than what she was receiving at home. She is in Spring Harbor in Greenville, N.C. She is adjusting to her new life, but still wants to come home. Julian says that they are fortunate that both of their sons live in Greenville and that they, their wives and children, give Sharlene excellent attention and love. Her sister and husband live there also, and are very supportive, as well as friends. Julian says Saint Mary's will always have a special place in his heart. He remembers Mrs. Hornback. Julian and Sharlene were married in the Chapel a few days after our graduation on June 6, 1954. Henry and I still live in Florida most of the year. We are not far from Sanibel, for you gals who come here. Our address is Placida, which is near Boca Grande, on Gasparilla Island just north of Sanibel. Please let me know when you come, and I will make every effort to get up with you. Henry and I both walk with canes, but we have the very best medical support here in Southwest Florida, so we manage
very well. We sold our home of 44 years on Lake Norman more than a year ago, as we couldn't navigate the three acres of hills and the four-level A-frame house with our multiple infirmities. We are in a townhouse about five miles away when we're in North Carolina. Our oldest granddaughter is in her last year of med school here in Tampa, and we get to see her some. This year, she is busy interviewing for residencies and is traveling all over the country. She has been so focused on becoming a doctor ever since she was a little girl. She's drop-dead gorgeous also. Our daughter's daughter graduated from Brevard a year ago. She just completed a course with Outward Bound, learning to be a trainer. It was a rugged experience, but she loved it. They teach medical training, such as setting broken bones with sticks and such. She works at the White Water Center in Charlotte and is going to be doing something with Outward Bound in the future. Our last grandchild is a freshman at the University of Kentucky, and did very well on his first report, so we're proud grandparents. We're hoping that he will spend two years there and then transfer to UNC-Chapel Hill, where we all graduated. Trissy
1954
HIGH SCHOOL Reba White Williams writes that she is standing in for Ruth Watkins Barber ’54HS ’56C, collecting updates from classmates. Susan Remling Day ’54HS ’56C writes, “I have been back in Raleigh (from Wilmington) for the last two years and having fun with former bridge friends, my paintings, and I'm newly addicted to pickleball - great exercise and competition. Life is GOOD!” Ruth Watkins Barber reports, “Milton and I have moved into the Cedars, 713 Cedar Club Circle, Chapel Hill, NC 27517. We love our new home, but the move was tough. (We all know how exhausting moving can be.) We are grateful
for our four children who helped with the move, and divided our excess belongings.” Ruth is looking forward to a very special family gathering in Linville in June. MaryBern Wolfe Decker writes from Charleston, “Recently, South Carolina has suffered from too much rain. I was personally fortunate to escape damage, just cabin fever. My trips to Raleigh are rare, so I rely on my Charleston friends for news of Saint Mary’s—a long-ago experience I still treasure. Our two sons each have one child and live in Brooklyn, N.Y., and New Bedford, Mass. Both are great places to visit.” Martha Brooks Bricio writes, “I still enjoy trips to Mexico and Seattle, but I don't go by myself anymore. I had a great trip in March to central Mexico-Guanajuato, gorgeous small city in a time warp; and to Seattle in late September/early October. It was gloriously sunny on the Puget Sound while Raleigh was stuck in one of our many soggy spells this year. Sister Heath Wimberly writes, "I have two great-grand babies, six-months and three-months-old. Love snuggling again." I bet those babies love your snuggling. Great to hear from you! Reba White Williams is still writing, working on a sequel to “Angels.” She and Dave continue to travel, both in and out of the U.S. They planned to spend Christmas in London, following a cruise visiting holiday markets down the Rhine River and Thanksgiving at the Greenbrier in West Virginia.
1956 COLLEGE
Martha Brooks Bricio '54HS '56C Thank you SO much for your response. Many of you emailed your news, which of course is as good an option as returning the blue slips. Whatever works! I'm so delighted that many of you took a moment from your busy schedules to check in! Our primary interests continue to be our family and friends, but there are those of us who are still doing a bit of traveling, and I'm absolutely
delighted that you've indicated a healthy interest in our upcoming 60th reunion. Could Mary Louise Bizzell Burress get the farthest afield award this year? She wrote, “John and I have been in Israel for the past 12 days for the trip of a lifetime! Fantastic lectures and sights that will be significant for our lives. The Israelis are so brave, tough, and still so loving. All factions seem to desire peace but are not finding ways to achieve it. It is tiring for all. I return to America with gratitude and with great admiration for those less fortunate. We have felt safe... Jerusalem seems more relaxed today. Wow! What a small nation with such big problems. Shalom!" Costa Rica seems a popular destination these days. Barbara Doar Cooper writes that in addition to still loving her life in her retirement home, Sharon Towers in Charlotte, she was looking forward to a family trip to Costa Rica to celebrate her 80th birthday. Maybe Barbara should check with Marianna Miller Raugh, who wrote an amusing account of her trip to Costa Rica: “I will say that Costa Rica almost killed me! I was much too old and too lazy to take that trip. Caveat. Beware of bus trips through seemingly endless winding roads in Central America.” Old and lazy? I don't think so! Marianna was also planning a trip to Spain with her fluent-in-Spanish granddaughters. She plans to come to our reunion. Marianna also writes that she recently read Margaret Rose's son David Payne's new book, Barefoot to Avalon. All his books have been reviewed by the New York Times and favorably received. Marianna says, "I am just stunned by how wonderful it is." Several of us are traveling in the U.S. these days. Jane Brown Perkinson says, “After visiting 51 countries, I'm burned out on long trips. Visits to Denver; Naples, Fla.; Bethany Beach, Del.; and upstate N.Y. were it this year. I stay busy with book club, antique club, garden club, church activities, etc. It's wonderful to have both sons in Northern Virginia. Life is good." She is also excited about the reunion. “It's been a long time since I've
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CLASS news seen Saint Mary’s.” Sue Warburton Redd has a wonderful excuse to spend time in N.Y.C. and writes about it with great humor, “My husband, Buddy, and I live in Atlanta and have two wonderful children who took themselves to New York City. Sarah is married to Bobby McCain, who is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. Our son, Miles Redd, is an interior designer in N.Y.C. We have three grandsons. Needless to say, Buddy and I trot up to the Big Apple quite frequently. Just like all Saint Mary's girls, I have many treasured memories of my two years in the ‘grove of stately oak trees.’” Traveling to visit classmates were Mott Butler Goff and Carolyn Foy Ragsdale, who had a fun lunch with Ina Gee Ridley Pittman last summer. As for her family, Mott is rightfully proud of her grandchildren: one East Carolina graduate, one who will graduate UNC-Chapel Hill this year, one who will finish at the U.S. Naval Academy, one a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill, one a junior at Meredith, one who will graduate from high school, two in the 10th grade and one each in eighth and fifth grades. They are all great, she says, and she sends good wishes and God's blessings to all! Susan Patman Day writes, "I moved back to Raleigh two years ago after my husband passed away. Staying busy painting, playing bridge and my new addiction, pickleball. Enjoying my daughter and grandchildren." Also checking in to say hello are Patsy Miller Moore and Beth Kemper Wharton. Betty Mixon Daughtry says, “Gerald and I are doing great. He did get a heart pacer last year and is going strong. We both are busy with our three grandchildren - from helping out with pick-ups from school, taking the girls to ballet and their brother to all sports, (football being the favorite), to Boy and Girl scouts. Elizabeth (16) is starting her Gold Project (the highest award or Girl Scouts), and Darden (13) is starting his Eagle project. The youngest, Helen-Anne, is a reader and has a book in her hand most of the time. We all stay busy at our church, and I’m also very involved in our DAR chapter.
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The only traveling that Gerald and I do is to Wrightsville Beach to visit our middle daughter, who has an almost 100-year-old cottage on Lumina Avenue. She had totally remodeled the inside, but the outside must remain as it is. The mayor of Wrightsville Beach is ready to do a 100th birthday in 2017, and we are all excited!” Liz Oden Current and her husband Bill have celebrated their 53rd anniversary and are thrilled to have 11 grandchildren - two girls and nine boys! The oldest grandson is a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill. Liz sends her love to all her classmates. Jane Westbrook Thomason has moved. Daughter Mary Enerson sent her new address and phone number: Jane W. Thomason, 400 Forsythe Street, #118, Fayetteville, NC, 28303. Her phone is 910-829-7118. Jane's daughter manages Jane's email and says, "Mom loves keeping up with her Saint Mary's friends, and the 60th reunion date next April is on her calendar." Mary Enerson's email address is: mary.enerson@gmail. com. Pearla Ann Revelle Lowe still loves living at The Cypress in Raleigh. “All my children and grandchildren are in Raleigh, three grandchildren in college and four at Broughton High.” Fairfax Crow Randall reports, “Feeling blessed that my family is doing well. Our 12 grandchildren are growing up so quickly. One is working in Chicago, one is working in N.Y.C., and the other 10 are still climbing their way through the academic process.” Fairfax was expecting almost 100 percent attendance for the Thanksgiving celebration at their family farm. She says, “I wish all our classmates the very best. I am convinced that with the help of God, everything will eventually work out well.” Helen Walker Webb writes, “My husband, Thomas C. Webb, died last July 5 after a 10-month battle with cancer. I am involving myself in variety of activities and doing well. The good news is that after having hepatitis C for 39 years, I took a new drug, and all indications are that the hepatic C virus is gone! That means now
I can participate in wine tasting parties (ha! ha!)! I do send a hello to my classmates.” Checking in with fond memories of Saint Mary’s friends, Laura James Bettes Schomberg says her family is focusing on February 2016, when they will gather for a special event. Joan Culbreth Greer writes from Jasper, Ga., “The Greers are doing well, staying busy with church, volunteering, and with family get-togethers. Hope to take another Viking riverboat cruise soon. Hard to believe 60 years have gone by. We feel very blessed to be healthy and still sharing our journey together.” Nancy Mallon Towe is another classmate who has a new address: 6603 W 3rd Street, Unit 1721, Greeley, CO 80634. Her new phone is 970-888-3668. Nancy writes, “As most 'old' folks do, I moved to be near my family. For once in my life all my immediate family is within an hour’s drive, including my 19-month-old great-granddaughter...Colorado is absolutely great. I traded riverfront living for snowcovered mountains, and I love it! Glenn Norman Dickens and I plan to attend our 60th reunion at Saint Mary's in April 2016, and hope you all will make every effort to be there.” Glenn reinforces that, “Nancy Mallon Towe spent several days with me and several friends in Highlands and we had a wonderful time. I keep up with Ina Gee Ridley Pittman through my Episcopal priest, who serves Halifax.” Glenn and Nancy are planning to make a special effort to be in touch with our classmates to encourage us all to put the reunion on our calendars! I still love to travel, but if I go very far, I don't go alone these days. We had a great family trip to Central Mexico last spring, and my son accompanied me to Seattle to check on my friends from the ’50s and ’60s out there. It’s wonderful that we seem to know just how wonderful our families are, and that so many of us know that Saint Mary’s is our family, too, and plan to celebrate in Raleigh next spring. Love and best wishes to all, Martha
1956
HIGH SCHOOL Jessie Allen Ogburn of Greensboro spent the month of May 2015 in Florence, Italy, with the UNC-Chapel Hill Italian immersion program. She highly recommends it. “I was then lucky enough to go to Oxford for two weeks to study “The Court of Elizabeth I. We are never too old to learn!” Peg Finlay Averyt writes from Columbia, S.C., where she continues to operate Finleaf Gallery. She wrote and illustrated a children’s book, Willowbel’s Wagon, in 2013. She has spent many years working on various art projects including the Twigs and Leaves collection of objects found in nature.
1958 COLLEGE
Barbara Hauser Bryan ’58C Writing our annual update while eyeballing a Carolina Panthers game is tricky, but here goes. No surprise that travel, grandchildren and health are major topics. Dot Ricks Lind concluded her three-year term as South Carolina DAR State Regent (president) and remains busy volunteering. Ginger Vann King and Bill moved only a half-mile away into a Durham townhouse with the quick sale of their home kicking off a stressful but now relaxed move. She enjoys hearing of SMS activities from the very happy daughter of a friend. Ann Rountree Lineweaver visited Budapest, Vienna, and Prague in early summer. She mentioned the beauty of the SMS campus during her fall Board of Visitors meeting. Harriett Lang Hornthal reports a busy life with seven grandchildren (ages 2-15). Lots of sports events with the six grandsons. The Hornthals were headed for Cuba in January, “trying to get there before McDonald’s.” Millie Fary Coleman is happy that daughter Melissa and family are in Knoxville, Tenn., after seven years in Duluth, Minn., following three before
that in Yakima, Wash. Family reunions are much easier. Ann (Shep) Shepherd Engel “added one more hip” and grandbaby boys moved two doors away. “Adorable, but I've learned parenthood is so for the young!” Shep noted, “We will all miss Marianna Sink Stoner and know she’s gone to a better place...we can live better lives remembering hers.” Sterling Chadwick Heller, from her Rockport, Texas, home, announces her retirement from Ducks Unlimited but one more year for Fulton Mansion. She’s caretaker for her husband. Son Joe remains in Houston. Emily (Emmy) McNeill Sconyers included no news, but did let us know she's responding from Durham. Lou Johnson Johanson continues on the board for The Gregg Museum at N. C. State University. In late spring, Dickie Robinson Tyler, Annie Gray Calhoun Lane, and Jenny Whitehurst Hawkins visited for an Oxford University reunion luncheon and then their 55th UNC-Chapel Hill reunion. Lou and Jenny studied at Oxford on a UNC/Duke program a few years ago. Lou stayed in touch with Jessie Allen Ogburn while she studied there in September. Jessie shared news "happier than last year" because she decided to “stretch” herself and did so by going to Florence, Italy, with UNC-Chapel Hill for “Italian Life Styles” and then to Oxford to study “The Court of Elizabeth I.” She sends love to all and concludes with, “It was great to spend some time in those two lovely cities and always good to get the brain working again.” In addition to news of Dickie from Lou, we have word from Dickie herself that Edenton is a really fun place to live. Annie Gray, Nellie Holmes Ballou Smoot ’59C, Janie Stronach Wood ’62HS ’64C, Nancy Dawson Rascoe ’52C and Dickie's sister Boo Robinson Beasley ’54HS ’56C are among the Saint Mary's alums she sees. Dickie is busy with volunteering, golf, bridge, and other activities. Over the summer she had a mastectomy, is doing well now, and back to normal activities. Son Dawson lives in Edenton, and she
enjoys being near him. Daughter Blair, her husband, and their four children live outside San Francisco, where Dickie and Dawson visit them. Annie Gray and Charlie have moved permanently to the Wrightsville Beach home they've owned since 1984 while also enjoying their apartment in Edenton, where they visit her daughter. At the memorial service for Mary Ann Powell Everett ’59C in the fall, Annie Gray saw Holmes Ballou Smoot and had just heard from Jenny in California when I called. Kit Tiedeman Mason says that her visit to her cousin in Southport, accompanied by natives Brooks Newton Preik and Jean Thompson Poole, should have been filmed. Kit and Emeline Elmore Keith are secretaries in the same guild at St. James Episcopal Church. Kit volunteers at the hospital (as son Will does at the Cape Fear branch), and she and Will visit daughter/ sister Catie and family in California. Dinner with Peggy Withers Allen and Bill is a joy, especially for Will, an admirer of Bill. Brooks, by the way, is in her new Wilmington home and hard at work in her nephew's law firm. Susan Hardin Flynn sees Jean and Phiney Huntt Rhinehart ’58HS ’60C in Wilmington at a weekly lunch and remains busy volunteering. Sara Barber Weatherman still plays some golf, works out at the Y, delivers Meals on Wheels, assists at church, occasionally answers calls to work at the WFUBMC Library, her old haunt, AND she claims she's not doing anything “interesting.” She and her daughter, also living in Lewisville, “do a lot together.” Mary-Hannah Finch Taft’s granddaughter, Rachel Cecil ’15, graduated from SMS in May. Another granddaughter, Mary Hannah Sigmon ’17, is a junior. She loves seeing friends who were at school with her. Judy Scott Sanders is probably stunning the world with her art; but her only news was of grandchildren: Sara, an architecture student at Clemson, studied in Italy this past fall; and Bradley and Kelley are running track at their Mt. Pleasant school. Pat Watson Ambrose and
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CLASS news Don enjoyed travel to Italy and Sicily in the summer, and she is still volunteering. Becky Walters Taylor and Bobby moved in late summer to WellSpring, a retirement home in Greensboro. Becky was still recovering from effects of a stroke but had been driving a bit when Bobby's lung condition made it wise to join their many friends awaiting them at WellSpring. Carole Barber Fauth enjoyed a lovely summer on Lake Michigan's shores. She visited daughter Taylor and husband Aaron Taylor (“yes, she’s Taylor Taylor”) in Pound Ridge, N. Y., from which all three went to Vermont and New Hampshire. It was at their final stop that they visited her grandson Kemp for family weekend at St. Paul's. After spectacular foliage there, Carole spent time in Charlottesville, Va., with son Carson and his four children prior to another warm and wonderful winter in the Key West compound. My second and third Smedes roommate Lucy Wooten Wofford has good news that all is well for daughter Ann following a double mastectomy, chemo treatments, and reconstructive surgery. Great outcome after a scary time. Charlotte Hunt Pennell and George were my always gracious Raleigh hosts for one of several Saint Mary's activities I enjoyed last year: No surprise, I was probably the “oldest” former employee (alumnae secretary right after we graduated) at the Frances Vann ’34C Club summer gathering at Player's Retreat. Then there was the alumnae luncheon in Blowing Rock, where I loved seeing both Anne Wright Steele ’59C and Nelson Blount Crisp ’56HS. Not that I shouldn't have found a way to see our second Smedes hall counselor Carol Biggers Dabbs ’55HS ’57C sometime before 57 years passed (since she's in Charlotte, and I've been in Davidson since 2003); but, I decided Blowing Rock finally was the time, and it was. Great to sit with Carol and her daughter Terry Dabbs Lewis ’80C there and to see Carol again at the Charlotte cocktail party in the fall. Not only is Saint Mary’s Head of School Monica Gillespie amazing, we also were introduced
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to Saint Mary’s new dynamic Development Director Julie Ricciardi in Charlotte. Our school remains in terrific hands heading toward its 175th anniversary. Barbara
1958
HIGH SCHOOL Helen Jones Kerby lives in Halstenbek, Germany. She and husband Bill received media attention in 2014 for their solar module and electric car. “We installed solar panels on the roofs of our house and garage and bought an electric VW Golf which can be loaded with the solar energy we generate. We also installed batteries that store the sun’s energy for a number of hours,” she writes. In April, Helen’s poem (in English), photo and recipe were published in a local new paper. “The reaction was awesome. People that I didn’t even know called me to talk about the English poem. Aunt Martha Dabney would be proud, I think!”
1960 COLLEGE
Peggy Pegues Kinney ’60C Our 55th reunion has come and gone and it must be said that although our annual giving is excellent, our attendance and interest in alumnae affairs is sadly extremely low. It was a lovely, fun time for those who attended with their classmates but only Joanna Watkins Averett of Raleigh and I represented our class. It was especially disappointing more were not present, as our own dear Carol “Tad” Tadlock Wyman was honored posthumously as the 2015 Outstanding Alumnae Award winner. She was lovingly and warmly remembered. Bill and I had a great overnight visit with Jo and Dan. The Averetts enjoy their Topsail Beach home in the summer and spend much of the cold winter in Boynton Beach, Fla., with daughters and families visiting while taking full advantage of being in the retirement mode. Nancy Siegling Fortiere
of Sullivan’s Island, S.C., emails often with news of her and Dave and their travels. On land, they enjoy visits with family, especially grandchildren, and friends in California and Washington. During the warm months, they enjoy sailing in the Chesapeake Bay area, where they docked and visited last summer several times with Blanche Bonner Stevens and husband Walker of Greensboro, who have a vacation home nearby on the bay. The Stevens had a fall trip to southern Italy and Sicily. The Fortieres also made a spring trip to Massachusetts to visit Dave’s sister and friends before settling in on their sailboat in Maryland. They made their usual trek to Guthrie, Okla., for the Christmas festival. A highlight of the summer was a visit from son Chris and wife Karen of Seattle to the Tides Inn in Irvington, Va. It was great having a long phone visit with Lucy Milward deMovellan ’58HS ’60C of Mount Pleasant, S.C., in the fall and catching up on her activities in the Charleston area. Mary Cameron Phillips Dillingham ’58 HS ’60 C of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and I Facebook occasionally -she’s busy and doing great! Lila Laxton Brown of Charlotte writes that she and Fred celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary by returning to Las Vegas, where they spent part of their wedding trip. They visited with friends who live there, so they saw parts of Vegas that most tourists don’t get to see. “Except for the additions of plush hotels, Vegas hasn’t changed much. Had a great time,” she said. It’s been fun the past few years to see Arrington Johnston Walker ’58HS of Camden, S.C., at Colonial Dames events in South Carolina (she was recently state president). Ann Smiley Gillman of Baker, Fla., bravely fights (and WINS!) daily battles with health problems. Her wit, humor and stamina are inspirational! Jane Teague Allred writes, “On October 10, 2015, I married a wonderful man named Pete Cornish. We went through junior high and high school together. We met again at our 55th high school reunion. We are now
ALUMNAE IN THE NEWS
JUDEE METCALFE VON SELDENECK ’60C TO RECEIVE 2015 WILLIAM PENN AWARD The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Diversified Search Founder and Chairman Judith Metcalfe von Seldeneck ’60C will receive the 2015 William Penn Award and will be honored at a gala on April 15, 2016, at the Hyatt at the Bellevue. Mrs. von Seldeneck is a member of Saint Mary’s College Class of 1960 and is a past member of Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees. The William Penn Award is the highest honor bestowed upon a business executive in greater Philadelphia. Awarded annually since 1949, recipients are chosen for their outstanding contributions toward the betterment of the region, their professional accomplishments, and their commitment to charity as well as to the community. The selection committee is comprised of past honorees. Judith M. von Seldeneck is a prominent civic leader within the Greater Philadelphia business community. For forty years, she has been a pioneer in the search industry and a leader in placing senior level executive talent. “I am honored to be selected as the 2015 recipient of the William Penn Award from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, an organization that has meant so much to me, has done so much for our community, and has allowed our organization over the past 40 years to serve regional, national and international clients in their leadership challenges,” said Ms. von Seldeneck. “I am both humbled and honored to join the ranks of the inspirational leaders who have received this Award in the past.” “I am thrilled Judee has been selected as the 2015 William Penn Award honoree,” said Denis O’Brien, Senior Executive Vice President of Exelon, CEO of Exelon Utilities, and Chairman of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. “Her commitment and tireless dedication to breaking old barriers and setting new standards is unmatched.” Ms. von Seldeneck has received many industry and community awards and has been recognized by the executive search industry as setting the standard for retained executive search. She has been active for many years on numerous public, private, and not-for-profit Boards of Directors. She previously served on the Board of Directors of Citizens Financial Group, Tasty Baking Company, Teleflex, Inc., CoreStates Financial Group, Meridian Bancorp, and AAA MidAtlantic. She was recently named to the Comcast and NBC Universal Joint Diversity Council and is Chairperson of the Women’s Advisory Council.
Some of her not-for-profit Boards include the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (former Chair), Global Philadelphia Association, Moyer Foundation, Executive Committee of The Committee of Seventy, Committee of 200, Jefferson President’s Leadership Council and National Association of Corporate Directors, Philadelphia Chapter (Chair). Previous Boards include Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees, Hyde School (former Chair), Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC) Chair, The Caron Foundation, CEO Council for Growth, WHYY, International Women’s Forum, Zoological Society, BLOCS, Urban Affairs Partnership, Glaucoma Foundation and Private Sector Outreach Board (Chair). She was a founder of the Forum of Executive Women, the largest association of women business leaders in the Philadelphia area. Prior to starting Diversified, Mrs. von Seldeneck served in Washington, D.C., as executive assistant to Vice President Walter F. Mondale. Her professional activities and achievements include: the Hope Award, National MS Society, Greater Delaware Valley Woman of Distinction Civic Leadership Award; Hall of Fame Award, Junior Achievement; Paradigm Award Winner from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; Philadelphia Business Journal 30 MVPs Award Trailblazer Award Winner; Eleanor Raynolds Award for Excellence in Executive Search League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia Business Hall of Fame Eagles Fly For Leukemia; Heart of Philadelphia Award, American Heart Association; BusinessWeek, Top 50 Most Influential Executives; Gardner W. Heidrick Award for Excellence in Executive Search Recruiters in the World; Women in Natural Sciences (WINS) Award; and the Academy Philadelphia Business Journal Most Admired CEO of Natural Sciences.
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CLASS news splitting our time between Little Rock and Boston/ New York, where his children and grandchildren live. Traveling will be a part of our lives, as we are currently changing location every three months. Kitty Aliff Roche lives in Jarvisburg, N.C., which is on the mainland side of the Outer Banks. She says her family continues to grow, with granddaughter Mara Lynn Roche, daughter of Kitty’s son John, and great-granddaughter Stella Diane, son Frank’s granddaughter, both in Roanoke, Va. Daughter Katherine Irby’s sons are scattered as young men on the go. Sara Jane Griffin Bostick sent a precious photo of grandson Luc Bostick-Valero at Christmas, when he was a second-grader. Sara Jane and Welch are doing well in Greenville, S.C. Bill and I see Florie McLeod Ervin and Octavia Phillips McLeod ’57HS ’59C of Florence, S.C., fairly often during the year. Both are happily busy with grandchildren. I love getting the photo collage each year from Rebecca Hines Sherrill in Greenwood, S.C. - a busy lady who flies (no joke!) around! Great fun to be with Francis LaMotte Robinson and husband Frank of Columbia, S.C., when we all are at our homes on Pawley’s Island and or visiting in Columbia. Neat that their children, Frank and Katherine, and Dorothy and Bo, are friends of our Elisabeth and Danny too! As for our family, we are all so proud of my husband Bill, who received the Order of the Palmetto Award in October from Gov. Nikki Haley (who could not attend, partly because of the catastrophic flooding in South Carolina) at an impressive ceremony here in Bennettsville, S.C. Bill was honored with the state’s highest civilian award as a lifelong newspaper publisher and editor, historian, historic preservationist, and civic servant and leader locally, statewide, and nationally. Friends and family from near and far joined with us in the celebration. Bill is now emeritus at the Herald-Advocate, and daughter Elisabeth is publisher, while her husband Dan McNiel is editor. Otherwise, it’s been a low-key year: sending grandson Lee (21) back to Clemson for his senior year
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and granddaughter Margaret Jane (19) to Clemson as a freshman. We’re so happy to have grandson Light (13) still at home so we can enjoy him almost daily a while longer. Please stay in touch with me - a phone call, email or visit will help me keep us all connected and remembering wonderful years at Saint Mary’s.
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HIGH SCHOOL Dabney Johnston Mann writes, “Tift and I are enjoying our retirement. We are spending spring and fall in Wilmington and winter and summer in Sun Valley, Idaho. Our son and his family live in Sun Valley. Our Atlanta crowd came to Sun Valley for six weeks this summer. Our oldest grandchild, Tift Hollis, worked as a counselor at a day camp. So it was a great summer! Nothing else of interest, just getting old. Still playing some tennis and bridge.” Tricia Armstrong Foy ’60HS ’62C writes from Oak Island, “I am having a great time with my seven beautiful grandchildren, two boys and five girls ranging from two to 14. Henry and I are enjoying a lot of travel to Panama, Ireland, and Cuba. I’ve also been taking classes in belly dancing and Arabic. Both classes are fun and humbling. I had a little ‘lump’ in the road with breast cancer, but I’m doing fine with that. Life is good and my door is always open for visits to the beach on Oak Island.”
1962 COLLEGE
Mary Larsen Jordan ’62C Lynn Boyce Purdie-Brennor writes that being involved in Saint Mary’s once again is keeping her very busy. Her granddaughter, Emma Purdie ’17 is now a junior and has received her Saint Mary’s class ring at the banquet for the junior class. They all continue to enjoy the Granddaughters Club. Lynn feels that the school is doing great
things! Malinda Swineford Roberts and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June. To celebrate, they traveled to Dublin, Ireland, for a month-long trip. Daughter Amanda had been in a town 30 miles northwest of Dublin, doing an archeological dig on an abbey. This location was where the movie “Braveheart” was filmed. Malinda and her husband have been living in Anchorage, Alaska, for 41 years! Nothing too exciting has taken place over the past year for me. My twin grandsons now have a two-year-old brother. I love being a grandma! Not too many responses this time. I hope that means everyone was too busy to write. Take care of yourselves. Mary
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Janie Stronach Wood ’62HS ’64C Susan Ehringhaus is married to Stuart Bondurant, emeritus dean and emeritus professor of medicine at the UNC-Chapel Hill, where they reside. Susan is still involved in the practice of law and always tries to make an effort to come to Raleigh for a Christmas luncheon with her old friends. Clare Garden Maddison and husband Larry live in Raleigh, where all three children are located. Clare’s son, Bo, and wife Sara, who is Martha Daniel's daughter, have two children. Sally Maddison Wooten ’85HS and husband Louis have two sons and a daughter Maddison, who is a freshman at Saint Mary's. John Maddison and his wife are the parents of Anna Prather (5), Bos (3), and Margaret (1). Clare writes that granddaughter Maddison Wooten ’19 was instrumental in recruiting a Camp Illahee friend, Stephanie Jones ’19 of Greensboro, to Saint Mary’s. Stephanie's grandmother
was reading her Saint Mary’s magazine and noticed in class notes that Clare’s granddaughter would be attending SMS. Mary Stella Leak Jones '63C put it all together and realized that her mother and Maddison's great-grandmother were the best of friends and in each other’s weddings. Maddison's dad was at UNC-Chapel Hill with Mary Stella. “We all reconnected at the induction into the Granddaughters Club on November 4,” recalls Clare. “Great illustration of the importance of responding to requests from our class secretary and how the Saint Mary’s connection goes on for generations, making SMS so special.” Clare loves to play bridge and has also been very generous with her time volunteering for Haywood Hall and Joel Lane house, two of Raleigh's 18th century houses. Inez Coke Tudor lives in Raleigh and is married to Caulton Tudor, longtime sports editor for the News and Observer. Inez has sold her company, The Core Group, and is able to spend more time playing tennis and has recently taken up playing golf. Elizabeth Ponton Manning lives in Raleigh and is married to former Superior Court Judge Howard (Howdy) Manning. "Ibis" and Howdy enjoy visits from daughter Ana and grandson Boyd, who live in Charleston, where Ana is married to James Lee, a journalist. The Mannings made their annual trip in July to Nags Head, where they had such a wonderful visit with old friends, Boo Robinson Beasley ’54HS ’56C and husband Wood. Ibis is often seen at the bridge table, playing a game of duplicate. I always look forward to a third Thursday game in Raleigh with Ibis and six other ladies. Martha Weeks Daniel and Curt live in Rocky Mount. Martha enjoys trips to Raleigh to visit grandchildren, which she shares with Clare Maddison. Both grandchildren are involved in lacrosse, gymnastics, and other sports. Her Charlotte family has a daughter who is a freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill, and they enjoy visiting her there are often! The other two grandchildren are in high school. Curt has retired and is helping Martha with
her advertising business and documentary filmmaking. Be sure to see Martha's film on Nancy Dawson Rascoe '52C and her camp, 1812 on the Perquimans. It is such a treat! Sharon Floyd Jones ’64C writes, “Even at our age, I have developed a partnership with another psychotherapist, a Christian counseling agency in downtown Orlando, and have enjoyed being its executive director. However, I am slowing down my practice to make room for vacations and cruises. This year, we took our daughter and son and their families on a cruise on the Disney Dream. I was so sorry to miss our 50th reunion because of family obligations, but hope to see everyone at another reunion.” Alexandra Draxler ’62HS ’64C writes that she and her husband still live in France, dividing their time between their apartment in Paris and their house in Normandy. “My husband is long-retired and has kept up his lifelong interest in writing literature and poetry. I retired from salaried work some time ago and have kept up consulting and writing activities around issues of education in developing countries. My husband's son is currently living in Mayotte as the French government representative for a two-year assignment. Our daughter is married with children and lives in Sydney, Australia. She and her husband are both on the faculty of the University of New South Wales. Our son is married and lives in New York, where he is an analyst for renewable energy finance, including electric cars. We keep up with all of them through Skype, Google talk and picture exchange. One of our favorite annual activities has been to attend the opera in Glyndebourne in the southern part of England. Nancy Gray Baker ’62HS ’64C writes that she is still living in Richmond and is involved in Nature's Nurture, which is an edible herb and fig business. As a member of the Scuffletown community garden in the Fan District, and also Bryan Park, Nancy spends much of her time as a volunteer for these causes and is also an advocate for several issues involving parks
and environment. Jean Winborne Boyles ’62HS lives in Raleigh, where she still practices law. She has recently taken a fabulous trip cruising the Danube. Her son, Benjamin, is married and is a dentist in Raleigh. Winborne holds a MBA-JD and works for a large corporation in Cincinnati. He is married and has two children. Kate Smoot Sefcik ’64C and husband Frank are still living in Asheboro and enjoying their trips to Richmond, Matthews and Greenville, where their children and six grandchildren are living. One of her granddaughters, who is the daughter of Rosy Farrell, graduated from Saint Mary's. Kate and Frank also enjoy seeing Lola Kearney Hines ’62HS at Pawley's Island. Kate and Frank have spent much of their life visiting “The Old Country,” in particular, Prague, where Frank has a home. Tay Ashford Roberts ’62HS ’64C and husband Sunny still live in New Bern and are fortunate to have son Dan, his wife Cathy, and their two children in New Bern, as well as their daughter, Ashley Carpenter, her husband, Buddy, and their three children. Marilyn Stadler Gideon ’62HS ’64C says, “No real news except my youngest son Griffin (40), got married in May to a darling girl from Buffalo, N.Y. The daughter of Gene Grantham Foster ’63HS (Tate) is a good friend of Griff's and was a reader in the wedding. Gene and I had fun catching up and we both think we’re as cute as we ever were! Still playing a lot of bridge and read when I have time - the days aren't long enough!” Roses Watson Taylor ’62HS ’64C reports that she is well and enjoying life with her husband of 35 years, Viston Taylor. They are grandparents of seven and parents of four. (Their youngest son was killed in an automobile accident 20 years ago.) Roses continue her painting and sculpting, but these loves have taken a back-burner to her practice as a professional counselor and marriage and family therapist, which she says is her true calling. She adds that she is forever grateful for her friends and experiences at Saint Mary's and hopes
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CLASS news that you all are thriving. Susan Spangler Hendricks ’64C writes from Columbia, S.C., “After 20 years studying dream work, I am teaching an online class, Finding your Heart-Soul Messages at the Intersection of Dreams and Poetry, for the Therapeutic Writing Institute based in Denver. In October, I spent a week in Scotland with 18 fellow TWI student-teachers form around the world. Please visit www.Susanhendricks. com.” Meg Graham Campbell ’64C writes, “Bill and I are still ensconced in Virginia Beach. Both boys are in Northern Virginia and gainfully employed. Bill is in his second career as a painter, and I just opened our garden for a GCA tour. Our beautiful live oaks are very old and always the stars of the garden.” As for me, Janie Stronach Wood ’62HS ’64C, I have, once again loved hearing from so many classmates from high school and college. My husband Tom and I are still operating our Mulberry Hill Inn on the Albemarle Sound and have had fun with visits from Saint Mary's girls: Sterling Talley Wheeless ’83HS and Claire Bryant, just recently! It is a joy to have our son, Thomas, his wife Adrian, and their four children living nearby, in town. Thomas is an attorney, and their children are Thomas (9), Russell (7), Blair (6) and Amos (2.) Our granddaughter, Kimberly Wood ’17, whose mom, Caroline Wood, is a registered nurse in Charlotte, loves being a boarding student at Saint Mary's. I cannot say enough wonderful things about her experiences in this exceptional academic and spiritually uplifting environment! I see a number of Saint Mary’s girls here: Amelia Yancey Bond ’59HS, Dickie Robinson Tyler ’56HS ’58C, Debbie Ellis Boyle ’64HS ’66C, Nancy Dawson Rascoe ’52HS, and Boo Robinson Beasley ’54HS ’56C. My sister, Anne Stronach Genter ’53HS ’55C, visited in May, and it was fun having lunch at Midtown with her classmates, Betsy Williams Tyler ’53HS, Blanche Robertson Bacon ’53HS ’55C, Eve Hargrave Smith ’53HS and Nancy Cobb Lilly, whose
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granddaughter is at Saint Mary's. Nancy Wood Mordecai ’45C and I attended a summer luncheon at Nags Head at the Outlaw cottage in Nags Head – beach cottage of the family of Georgia Worthington Sullivan ’77HS and Margie Worthington ’71HS ’73C. It’s a fabulous early cottage and we had a wonderful time!
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Skinner Anderson McGee ’64HS ’66C So good to hear from all of you! I hope our class response is an indication that many of you plan to attend our 50th class reunion April 29-30. Where has the time gone? Sally Borden Worrell and Tony enjoy living in Morehead City, although Tony remains active in Wayco Ham Co. in Goldsboro. Two grandchildren live in Beaufort. Sally keeps the home fires (or AC) going. She says, “All is well, as I hope each of you are!” Marie Colton Woodard sends greetings from Fairview, N.C. Marie Kirksey Riggs says she is very excited about our reunion. Marie finds joy in her 46-year marriage, five grandchildren, travel, and caring for her mother, sister and daughter Ashley, who is fighting brain cancer. Marie, our prayers are with you and your family. Susan Spiller Burnette has five grandchildren, and reports that they “make old age bearable.” She spends winters in Key West and the remainder of the year in Raleigh and Topsail Beach. She says she is in each of the local phone books and invites everyone to call. Lynn Yelton Groth and her husband spend as much time as possible with their five grandchildren – three in Key Biscayne and two in Charlotte. The Groths are enjoying semi-retirement, traveling, and Charlotte and Wrightsville Beach. Mary Block Levine’s daughter, Rosie, was married at Wrightsville
Beach on September 26, escaping the big storm the following weekend. Rosie is an MBA student at Georgetown University, and husband Roman is a Washington attorney. We received a wonderful love story from Renie Xepolis Harwood! Her husband, Mike, passed away in May 2015, after 49 years of marriage. Renie says she and Mike had been in love since she was 14. How many of our class knew that Renie and Mike eloped in April 1966 while in New York on a trip with Mr. Tate’s English class? Renie says she thinks she is the only bride who spent half her wedding night with her groom and the other half at the designated Saint Mary’s hotel due to curfew check-ins. Renie writes she has received “immeasurable support” from her two daughters and four grandchildren, and reminds us all to “cherish our time with our loved ones.” Renie, we send you and your family our thoughts and much love. Susie Soper taught a fall continuing education class on obituary writing at Emory, and had a number of other workshops as well. Susie and Bo hope to do the cross-England hike next September, from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. Susie and Bo have also hiked the Amalfi Coast and Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with friends. Susie says, “I am very much looking forward to the reunion and hope we will have a good turnout as we did five years ago when we sat looking at the women on the cusp of 70, wondering what it would be like to be in their chairs. Well, here we are! Let’s not miss an opportunity to stay connected!” Lesley Wharton Marcello writes from Thibodaux, La. She is looking forward to a big 50th reunion in the spring and hopes many of our classmates are also making plans to attend. “When people ask if I'm retired, I tell them I'm in ‘family management,’ keeping track of my family and visiting them. When I read SMJC news, it seems as if I'm not the only one!” One daughter has recently moved from Kansas to Fayetteville, N.C., so Lesley has been up to visit a few times and is excited that her daughter is back to the area where Lesley
ALUMNAE BOOK CORNER grew up. The previous year was even busier, “Just after I decided not to do another national college workshop, I learned that one daughter was going to have Baby No. 2 in March and that her twin sister, who had just returned to Germany from her tour in Afghanistan, was engaged! Caroline Elizabeth Fabrega was born March 23 in Lawton, Okla. We were there for about a week and then returned home to finish plans for the wedding of our daughter Maj. Margaret Marcello to CPT Tim Petersen April 20 in New Orleans. Family and friends came in from Germany, California, Connecticut, and all places in between. Her sister, Elizabeth, flew in with her husband, 4-week-old, and 21-month-old to be the matron of honor. And everybody was here for Christmas for the first time in five years! A great year overall.” As for me, I am retiring on January 1, 2016, and look forward to having more time with family, including three precious grandsons, a little more time to volunteer, and hopefully, some travel. I am looking forward to attending our reunion, and hope all of you will be there. ‘Til then, I send each of you much love. Skinner
Nipper of Drayton Hall
Amey Parsons Lewis ’64HS ’66C
Illustrated by Gerry McElroy, Foreword by Stephanie Meeks Nipper of Drayton Hall is the just-about-true story of real-life characters who loved a grand old house and the natural beauty of its surroundings on the Ashley River of Charleston, S.C. Join Nipper, an energetic little dog, and his beloved Charlotta Drayton as they travel from Charleston's Battery to historic Drayton Hall and spend a spring day in 1916. At Drayton Hall, Nipper plays with his friend, eight-year-old Richmond Bowens. Both Charlotta and Richmond have family ties to Drayton Hall going back many generations, and both do their part to preserve the history and spirit of their families' homes. With his ever-present red ball, Nipper lets his curiosity—and Charlotta's and Richmond's lessons—guide his adventures as he explores the house and grounds. As the story unfolds, he has a close call with an alligator, but he makes it home to dream his way to the stars. The story by Amey Parsons Lewis and the watercolor illustrations by Gerry McElroy give readers of any age an informative and engaging look into the past of Drayton Hall, a historic house museum operated by the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust and owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Drayton Hall is the oldest surviving example of Georgian-Palladian architecture in the United States and one of just a few pre–Revolutionary War homes still in near-original condition today. Seven generations of the Drayton family are tied to the history of the home and its grounds, from John Drayton, who established the plantation in 1738, to Charles and Frank Drayton, who transferred the property to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the State of South Carolina in 1974 to ensure its preservation. Seven generations of African-Americans are connected to Drayton Hall as well, most notably the Bowens family, including Richmond Bowens (1908–1998), who would become Drayton Hall's oral historian, its greatest resource on African American history at Drayton Hall, and the inspiration for its Connections: From Africa to America program, which continues to this day. "A graceful, episodic story set in 1916 about South Carolina's Drayton Hall Plantation, told through the eyes of a lively black-and-white dog, Nipper, who really lived there. Lewis tells a compelling story, accompanied by McElroy's exquisite watercolor illustrations, of this old plantation house and the last generation of the Drayton family who inhabited it. . . . Between nipping, yipping, and escaping from an alligator, Nipper tells a great story of a long-ago time but of a place that still stands." Kirkus Reviews Nipper of Drayton Hall includes a foreword by Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Royalties benefit the Drayton Hall Preservation Trust. Amey Parsons Lewis ’64HS ’66C is a former teacher living with her husband on Wadmalaw Island near Charleston, S.C. After graduating from Saint Mary’s high school and junior college programs, she earned a B.A. in English from Francis Marion University and holds dear her 40-year association with Drayton Hall and the Drayton family. A mother of three and grandmother of seven, Lewis has a lifelong love of reading and teaching, which led her to write Nipper of Drayton Hall, her first book. Artist Gerry McElroy is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design and a former New York fashion designer. A freelance artist and art instructor, McElroy is the mother of three and now lives at Edisto Beach, S.C. CHILDREN'S LITERATURE | SOUTH CAROLINA (2015) 10 x 11, 48 pages, 24 color illustrations, ISBN 978-1-61117-625-4, Hardcover: $19.95, ISBN 978-1-61117-626-1, paperback, $14.95, ISBN 978-1-61117-627-8, Ebook: $14.95, Young Palmetto Books
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CLASS news garden were both featured in two separate issues of Southern Living magazine this spring. Bettie “Flake” Kellogg and Laura Walter Hearn visited her in North Carolina this summer. Becky gets to see Leighton Holmes Tesche ’68C and Lenora Kendrick Clontz ’68C say that it was a “happy day” when they reconnected after Ramsay Owens discovering they lived less than a mile apart in Jacksonville, Fla. Jones at her They get together regularly with each other and with their families for lunches, dinners, beach outings, and local events. Read more grandchildren’s about them in the 1968 College class news. school in Tampa, where Ramsay is the librarian. Duffy Beasley Gibbs writes that she guesses her life is rocking along. COLLEGE She and Ken had a new grandson born in Paula Johnson Stewart ’68C May. So they have a 2-year-old Arabella Nash Hubbard writes from Vermont granddaughter, boy/girl twins who just that she and Buck had almost everybody home turned one and an infant boy, all living in for an extended visit recently, and it was so New Bern. You know what the song says, great to have them all home, and to see the “Somewhere in my youth and childhood, I four cousins running around and enjoying each must have done something good!” Blessings other’s company. Very special. Tennie Ham galore. She is enjoying playing duplicate Skladsnowski writes that she can’t believe she and still doing payroll for Gibbs Dentistry. has been retired for 10 years. She stays busy She sends her love to all and says, "We need visiting her three grandsons (6, 9, and 12) who another reunion!" Mabel Broadhurst live in Lexington, Ky. She has just returned Lassiter ’66HS ’68C writes from Rocky from what she said was a “trip of a lifetime.” Mount, ”Will and I celebrated our 46th She was on a 50-foot sailboat for 10 days, with anniversary this year. Son Will is a fishing eight people, into Glacier Bay, Alaska. She guide in Livingston, Mont. Son Reynolds is often sees Jane Causey Gibson when she also in Livingston, where he is a chef. He is comes up to Greensboro from sunny Beaufort, married and has three children. We spend the S.C. Molly Richardson Swan is still selling summers in Livingston, playing with the real estate but makes time for her nine grandkids and fly fishing.” Jessica grandchildren. She and Bill have identical twin Gammon Gillespie spent almost all summer granddaughters born to one of their identical at her house in Blowing Rock. She sees twin sons! The twins are one year old. They Kaye Lasater Culp on the golf course there feel very blessed! Lu Dixon Manekin is busy and in Raleigh. She also sees her three with her two grandchildren, the Baltimore grands in Charlotte as much as possible and Women's Giving Circle and tennis. Two kids continues to care for her almost 92-year-old married and three to go! Becky Bell Savitz mother in Raleigh. She has great writes that her life is full with grandchildren, determination to get back into more of her parents, gardening, and mosaicing. Her North volunteer work, but just has not gotten there Carolina mountain garden and her Tampa yet. She says, “I am boring!” (I do not
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believe that at all, Jessica!) "Nothing ‘earth shattering’ to report here," says Patsy Slater Holsher. With grandchildren ranging in age from three to 15, life is very active. She is still working at her art and just had a couple of paintings accepted in shows in China. She is also still working at her golf game. Hopefully, she doesn't see an end in sight for either of those two interests. She sees right much of Flake, Beth Rodman Oden, Sallie Mann Scales and hears from Molly Richardson Swan, Cantey Tomlinson Tanner ’66HS and a few others. She says she probably is one of the very few who doesn’t do Facebook, as she doesn't have the time to do a bunch of social media communication. She is looking forward to the next reunion and catching up with everyone. Molly Urquhart Mears was full of news. She and Bill are still busy with their nonprofits, “trying” to slow down. Bill teaches tennis to young kids, and they still run the Raleigh Junior Bridge program, teaching the game they love to the younger generation via classes and summer camps. They are pursuing a class at Saint Mary's in 2016. Molly still has her hands in a few preservation projects. “I need to retire from my retirement,” she writes. One of the many benefits of competitive bridge has been reconnecting, after divergent paths for decades, with her great childhood friend and cousin, Frances Garriss Jilcott, and her husband Rupert. They all grew up in Bertie County. They have loved their travels with her and the Kinston, Wilson, Morehead, Greenville players, including a March bridge cruise. Yes, there are bridge cruises where junkies learn from world experts, then play day and night, never leaving the ship. These seminars and tournaments have also brought her in touch with other Saint Mary’s bridge players. She ran into Barbara Kelly Jones at a tournament, and Diane Stockard Wade and Duffy Beasley Gibbs in Morehead in June. She says it is always a treat to see Katherine Hunter Bratton ’69C at the table, and Sarah Barbee Hanner ’46HS ’48C and Janie Stronach Wood ’62HS
’64C, when they can untangle their busy lives. If she can convince Bettie Kellogg to resume playing, she'll be the superior player her mother was. Molly and Bill don’t see their four grandchildren (3 months to 5 years) in Colorado and Connecticut as much as they'd like, but they are grateful for many Facetime/Skype conversations. They have managed for the past 13 summers to overcome geography and schedules to all be together at Nags Head for at least a week. She relishes reading her Saint Mary’s Facebook friends' news, “keep it up - and friend me, if you haven't.” All three of Beth Harris Isenhour's children have gotten married in the last 18 months. Beth, Carla Heaton Bailey and Frances Garriss Jilcott attended Cathy Swain Crossett's son's wedding in April. Beth took a cruise to Canada and New England with her two daughters in June. She always looks forward to her annual trip to the beach to Frances’s beach house in Pine Knoll Shores. She, Carla, Cathy and Mary Pearshall Maxwell always enjoy being at "Camp Frances!" Carla and Frances did the rehearsal fiesta for Beth Harris Isenhour's daughter Whitney, who was married last fall. Cathy Swain Crossett and Ed also were there. Frances and Rupert took a 40th anniversary trip in September to the Amalfi Coast and Florence, Italy, which Frances says was delightful! Playing duplicate and traveling to tournaments is a large part of Frances’ life right now. She did a bridge cruise with Molly Urquhart Mears and Bill in March. Carla Heaton Bailey has moved from Atlanta to Hillsborough. She is enjoying visits with Beth Harris Isenhour (weddings) and Frances Garriss Jilcott (at the beach) and would love to reconnect with anyone else! She is having a blast with new grandson Mackey, who lives in Durham, and of course is the “cutest, smartest kid ever!” She hopes everyone is happy, healthy and wise, and says, “Come see me!” Leighton Holmes Tesche wrote from Jacksonville, Fla., that it was a happy day when she and Lenora Kendrick Clontz got together
about three years ago when they discovered they lived less than a mile from each other! Since then, they have gotten together regularly, with each other and their families, at the beach, lunches, dinners and local events in the city. Lenora's son, Bryan, daughter-in-law Kim and two precious granddaughters, Zoey and Olivia, live close by. Leighton has two grown children: Leighton and her husband, Matt, and daughters Tallulah and Lockie, live in Charleston. Son Will lives in Jacksonville. Lenora is a happy grandmother who spends a lot of time with her grandchildren. Leighton works as a residential Realtor for Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in the historic district and visits her grandchildren often as much as she can. Georgia Henry Gates writes from Oklahoma that she and Bob are on the board of their local farmer's market. They enjoy photography and both won ribbons at the county fair again this year! They also serve as diocesan cochaplains to retired clergy, spouses and widows. In that role, they plan two retreats a year for the group, try to keep up with all of them, and get out newsletters to former Oklahoma clergy all over the U.S. and in four foreign countries. This summer, they went to Alabama to see some relatives she hadn’t seen in 20 years, and also to do some family history research. It was a wonderful trip. They also continue to take trips around Oklahoma, where they have seen beautiful and varied scenery and learned a lot. Late spring found them in the panhandle area. Cece May Scott was about to see Duffy Beasley Gibbs and Patsy Slater Holsher with a group of New Bern girls when she wrote me. She said she wishes she had something exciting to report but everything with her was fine and she had no news - just hello to everyone. Kaye Lasater Culp is doing freelance work, which has freed her up to play golf and spend more time in the mountains. Martha Vaughan and I went and spent a long weekend with her there in August. We had a laugh or two while we were there! The three of us, along with
Mary Clarke Whittle German also went to the “rivah” to visit Peabody - Beverly Randolph for a long weekend in February. I have finally joined the "grandmother's club!" My first grandson, Harris Ligon Stewart, named for his two great-grandfathers, was born in January 2015. I was there the week he was born and spent three weeks when Ellie returned to work at the end of April. Thanks to the technology of smart phones and FaceTime, I am watching him grow up before my very eyes! I plan to see him again at Christmas, when we will all be in Henderson with my parents. Phillip and Robert are living about 10 minutes from each other in New Haven, Conn. Robert is relocating with his job to the San Francisco area the first of the year. I am going to really miss being able to see them both on the same trip! Enjoyed hearing from so many of you - wish it had been more! I now have email addresses for the class, so if you need one, let me know! Sending this with thoughts of you and much Saint Mary’s love, Paula
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Jane Weaver Rigby writes from Atlanta, “I am still working with husband Tim on a daily basis and am grateful for the time we can share together. Our son Michael has two children with wife Lauren: Carolyn (5) and Turner (2), who bring great joy to our lives. They live in Greensboro, and Michael is a sports medicine fellow at Moses Cone Family Practice and Piedmont Orthopedics. Daughter Katie lives in Atlanta, and is working with KIPP Metro Atlanta as their chief academic officer and continues to keep life interesting for us! Life continues to rock and roll and we are grateful for our good health and good friends.” Peaches Rankin ’70HS ’72C
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CLASS news writes from Charlotte. She is serving as chair of the Mecklenburg Committee of the NSCCDA-NC. She has seen or heard from several classmates: Lynn Dawson James ’72C, Emily Dockery Carlson ’70HS ’72C, Martha Blalock Mebane ’72C, Anne “Merit” Justice ’72C, Dell Parker Paschal ’70HS ’72C, Ann Highsmith ’70HS and Melanie Beall Williams ’70HS. Marguerite Morrow ’70HS ’72C writes, “I am still living in Baldwin Park, Cailf. I love California—the hot weather and the earthquakes don’t bother me. I plan to attend my next reunion at Saint Mary’s!” Sue Barham Moore writes from Stoneville, N.C., saying that she is enjoying her retirement from teaching by keeping up with her six grandchildren. Her husband, Don, is still practicing medicine. “I had a nice visit with my college roommate Lynne Johnson Fischer in Vero Beach, Fla., last April. Lynn Jonakin Royal came to stay with me for a few days in June and we had a great time relaxing and catching up.”
1974 COLLEGE
Melrose Whitfield Fisher ’72HS ’74C Boy oh boy! This has been an active year for a lot of our classmates. Some happy and some sad. Fortunately or unfortunately, we are at that stage of life. What keeps me emotionally sane is I keep telling myself, “It is the cycle of life and the circle will not be broken.” How’s that for a little philosophical input? So on that note, I will start with Marcia Neely Gilbert. Marcia passed away October 4, 2015, from recurrent breast cancer. Marcia was such a trouper and an inspiration to all of us. Marcia and Jamie were expecting their first grandchild, due to arrive early in 2016. Fortunately, Marcia was able to see her grandchild on ultrasound and knew it is going to be a boy. So, as Marcia’s physical life ended here on earth in October, her life will continue through her grandchildren and family as well as the impact she has had on so many people. That, my friends will keep that circle
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of life going. Many of you mentioned your memories of Marcia when you wrote in, and I noted it along the way. Beth Ellington Owen and husband Rob are moving to Raleigh in December 2015 after years in Virginia. Realtor extraordinaire Josie Rawl Hall helped them find their new Raleigh home. Josie says this is her 28th year as a realtor. She is with Berkshire Hathaway York Simpson Underwood. Remember that folks. Julie Parker Funkhouser reports in from Raleigh that John and Julie’s daughter, Parker, and husband have moved to Nashville, Tenn., after living in N.Y.C. and London. Son Paul is living and working in N.Y.C. and Sam is in Raleigh. Now for the classmate with the most grandchildren - Libba Barbour Shelton. Libba and husband Scott are like many of us, still working. Libba continues teaching kindergarten in Morehead City and when she’s not being paid to teach little ones, she is busy enjoying her six grandchildren, ages one to 11. Fortunately, Scott and Libba have both daughters and their families living in the Morehead City area. Amongst all the grand kids and work, Libba and Scott managed to carve out enough time to join Sukoshi Williamson Roberts and husband Paul for a week last fall in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Paul and Sukoshi have a time-share there and believe it or not, all four of them climbed to the top of the Mayan pyramid. Both Libba and Sukoshi said they all had a blast! Sukoshi and Paul continue living in Cary, where Sukoshi is living the good life of retirement from 20+ years at the N. C. Department of Transportation. Italy in the fall. Oh yes, that’s where Greyson Gates Kuhn and her husband enjoyed visiting in fall of 2015. They managed the Italy trip in between the birth of their first grandchild to daughter Warren and husband Chris Hicks, Margaret Douglas Hicks, and son Charlie’s wedding to Kara Wheeler. Of course, granddaughter Margaret is a “peach” according to Greyson. Son Charlie’s wedding to Kara took place September 19, 2015, at Church of the
Ascension, founded in 1884 in Saranac Inn, N.Y., which is near the Kuhns’ camp in the Adirondacks. We can all just imagine how beautiful that setting was in the fall. Congrats, Greyson, on all fronts. Emory Rogers Church and husband John also enjoyed a wonderful trip to Italy in the fall, followed by a week in Switzerland. John is retired, and Emory is happy to do a little contract work at SMS—editing this section of the Saint Mary’s magazine and coordinating weddings in the Chapel. All three of their grown children are living and working in Raleigh. “Well, don’t faint!” That’s how Margaret Ann Fraley began her email to me. Faint, is just about what I did. Haven’t heard from “MA” in decades. Yes, decades. It is my extreme pleasure to catch everyone up on MA’s life since graduating from Saint Mary’s and heading south to Charleston, which has been home for her over these 40 years. While reading MA’s email, I realized why she’s never responded. She’s been busy! Specifically, MA is currently managing all of the breast centers and ultrasound services in the system. MA switched from nuclear medicine to mammography in the late ‘90s and has totally found her calling. Not only has it been a rewarding career change, but it has allowed MA to step outside her comfort zone and step into the world of designing and building breast centers. As MA said, it keeps her brain challenged. Genius 3D mammogram with c-view is what MA says we all need to have…yes m’am! A woman of the 20th century for sure, MA maintained her maiden name after marrying her South Carolina husband, Bob. They celebrated their 30th anniversary this year and are the proud grandparents of Brooks (4), who is the son of MA and Bob’s son. In a moment of melancholy, MA recalled coming to Saint Mary’s on weekends during high school to visit her best friend from home, Marcia Neely Gilbert and meeting all of us wonderful gals. MA says she fast made friends (of course you did, honey) with the Saint Mary’s high schoolers and that was her
first glimpse and love for Saint Mary’s, which she’s never lost. MA gives a big shout out to Anna DuBose Doughton and wants Anna to know that “whatca’ mean” is still kicking and alive and fears that Ms. Noe would rise up from her grave if she saw all of her “run-on” sentences. It was so good to hear from MA. I thought she needed extra time here because she’s been off our radar for way too many years. What is SMS going to do when our classmate Lane Turner Nash completes her official work on the Saint Mary’s Board of Trustees in July 2016? Lane says she’s really going to “retire this time.” As we all know, Lane has contributed years of hard work, dedication and love as chair of the Board of Trustees, board member, alumna and parent. It’s all been nothing short of a miracle and so much appreciated by all of us. Now, Lane and husband John are going to enjoy the fact that two of their three children are back in Raleigh. Daughter Austin Nash Coley ’01HS has gifted John and Lane with their first grandbaby and as Lane says, “The role of grandmother to grandson Nash Coley is the best compensation for old age” she can think of. Rachael Holmes, Ellen Henson and Laura Grimes Smith all wrote in about their recent mini-reunion at Rachael’s mother’s home. This group has been so diligent about getting together annually -good for you all. They all congregated to celebrate Mrs. Holmes’s 90th birthday, which will occur in January 2016. She is still living alone and is in good health. They also celebrated Laura’s birthday a couple of days early as well. Margaret Stevens Mauney also joined these ladies, and they all said they so enjoy catching up. They missed Mebane Ham, who was traveling in Ecuador (really Mebane - get your priorities in order) and Susan Robinson Meares (“Sweetheart”) who had prior “social duties to perform.” Ellen Henson also wrote that she and her partner Sandy are doing great and love their new home that’s still near and around Winston-Salem/Tobaccoville. Ellen enjoyed and loved those many years of
having the farm and the farmhouse, but she quickly confesses that scaling back and having a low-maintenance home is so nice at this point in their lives. Gracing us from Charlotte with her news is Gail Goforth! Here’s where I get a little jealous reading about all of these wonderful things our classmates are doing. Gail writes that she and husband Ward recently retired and bought an RV. Not an Airstreamer but not a humongous RV, Gail says. They plan to travel around the U.S., taking a few big trips a year with spurts of small, sweet ones closer to home. Gail says they will be so happy to “cut loose” from the working world. The name of the RV is Ivy. Gail will blog while on their travels and her blog’s website is named Ivyadventures.com. Let us know when you’re blogging, Gail, so we can see the country through your eyes. Safe travels! Reporting in from New Bern is Tonia (Sugar) Rowe Vary. Tonia and husband Dennis vacationed in Nassau in the fall and experienced the perfect weather along with the Atlantis Resort - can you say “spring break and Flavia?” After 20 years with Century 21 real estate, Tonia and Dennis moved their real estate office to New Bern and are now affiliated with Keller Williams Realty. Although they live in New Bern, Tonia continues to serve the Morehead City, Emerald Isle area. If you’re ever in need of real estate assistance “Down East,” remember Tonia and other realtor classmates. Between Tonia and Dennis, they have eight grandchildren, including twins (1) all under six years of age. Tonia can’t express just how happy and blessed they feel. Life is good! Staying with classmates Down East, Jane Abernathy Hahn continues to enjoy life in Beaufort-by-theSea (North Carolina Beaufort that is). If anyone is in need of an Airbnb while vacationing or visiting the Beaufort area, call Jane. Jane is now providing Airbnb accommodations in addition to her interior design business, Interiors by the Sea. The interior design industry has been Jane’s life for 40 years. How does that happen? In
November, Jane visited both sons in Florida, celebrating each of their birthdays. All the way from Augusta, Ga., and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, is Susan Byers Muir. Husband George continues to be the interim rector there and they love it so much that they bought a house last summer so they’re going to remain in Augusta after George’s interim term expires. They welcome visitors at any time except Masters week, Byers says. On the family home front, daughter Martha and husband Morgan have two girls, Maley (4) and Byers (yeah!) born in October 2015. Both of Byers’ daughters, Martha and Sara, live in Winston-Salem. Sara is currently an Emergency Department nurse at Forsyth, I do believe. Son George is living in Asheville but may not stay there much longer. Byers is another classmate feeling sentimental this time around and says, “There’s not a day that goes by that something pertaining to Saint Mary’s doesn’t come up.” Byers sends her thanks “to all of you for the memories. So glad to have connected with you, CC Capehart. Love to all!” Nice words, Byers. Back up the coastline of North Carolina, Susan Dotterer Dixon chimes in from Nags Head. As most of us know, Susan’s latest hobby, and talent I must say, has been photography. Susan has so enjoyed taking photos of all the life and beauty of the ocean and surrounding life in that part of our state. If you’re reading the News and Observer, keep an eye out for Susan’s photos she sometimes submits to the paper. Dillard and Susan’s son Richard is living in Montana, where he is the marketing coordinator for Sotheby’s Glacier International in Whitefish, Bigfork and Missoula. Richard loves life in Whitefish, which is close to the Glacier National Park - gorgeous country! Susan’s daughter, Elizabeth, has not had the best of luck this past year, but then again, you can say she’s been very lucky. In late summer, Elizabeth suffered a serious neck injury, but she has made a full recovery. Yeah! Of course, Susan was at her side every step of the way. Susan has special memories of Marcia as
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CLASS news well. Susan remembers Marcia as a best friend, bridesmaid in Susan’s wedding and travel partner. Reflecting on Marcia’s 20-year, off-again/ on-again battle against breast cancer, Susan reminds us that Marcia was such a strong, beautiful person but it was her deep faith that kept her even stronger. Gail Shackelford Narron reports in just in the nick of time. You never know where Gaily Sue is living, Smithfield during the off-season (baseball) or in gosh, is it Milwaukee? Heck, I can’t remember. Anyway, wherever it is that husband Johnny is a baseball coach. Sorry, Gail. Gail and Johnny celebrated the marriage of their daughter, Jane Royall, to Andrew Yarborough in November 2015. Jane and Andrew are living in Durham, and I was fortunate enough to get to see Jane and Gail before the big day. I also was called upon to round up a babysitter for a niece, which I was so happy to do. Gail’s other two daughters, Julia and Holden Royall ’00 are both doing well and working and living in the area. As for moi, our main news I guess is that our sons are both in the U.S.A. Our Peace Corps son Robbie (Rob as we are now suppose to call him) is relocating from Boston to good old North Carolina as I type. Soccer is his passion, so Robbie has been working in various capacities of soccer, hoping to land a scouting position within an upper level soccer organization. Davis finished his MBA in the spring of 2015, while being a graduate assistant for the Lincoln Memorial University men’s basketball team in Harrogate, Tenn. (don’t ask me, Google it). Davis has now been promoted to “first” assistant coach, which comes with full-time benefits. PTL! I love keeping in touch with all of my peeps from Saint Mary’s. Life is still good in Chapel Hill/Chatham County. I continue to use laughter as my medicine for old age and depression - a little wine helps too. No daughters-in-law and no grandkids as of yet, but I will shout from the rooftop when that does happen for Rob and me. Until then, I’ll keep enjoying life, loving my family and
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friends and being eternally grateful for this special place we all have had the privilege of being a part of - Saint Mary’s. Love, Melrose
1974
HIGH SCHOOL Catherine Blankenship ’74HS ’76C Janie Cameron Wagstaff is still running back and forth from Durham (Monday through Friday) to their Person County farm on weekends. She is president and founder of Issues Confronting Our Nation (ICON) lecture series in Durham and Chapel Hill, a non-profit 501(c)3 which is now planning a fourth season. She invites anyone in the triangle area: www. iconlectureseries.com. Son Jack (John Jr.) is a College of Charleston 2015 magna cum laude graduate with a double major in business administration and Spanish. He is currently in the Durham Police Department academy. (Cue proud mom!) Husband John, a CPA, is now working for Cherry Beckaert and Holland LLP in Durham. Serendipity: Lindy Edwards Muse has moved into Janie’s neighborhood. She loves seeing her! Beverly Stoney Johnson lives in Charleston and writes, “I would love to catch up with friends if you are in the Flat Rock area during the summer months.”
1976 COLLEGE
Bess Knotts Walker ’76C Jill Ciccone Pike writes that she is enjoying being a grandmother to Liam (2) and is excited about what the future will hold with more! She is still enjoying her art business, Ciccone Art. She tries to see Beth Justesen VanNortwick whenever possible. Laura Frazier Norman has all of her family on the east coast and is happy about that! Daughter Sally is in Boston, and son Dean is still in New York City. On a sad note, Laura and husband Dean both lost their mothers within four months of each other. Laura's
mother was a Saint Mary's girl, Laura Hays Frazier ’50HS ’52C. Laura and Dean have recently purchased a “lock and leave” condo in Wrightsville Beach. Laura still plays a lot of golf and duplicate bridge. She sends happy birthday wishes to all turning that big 60 this year. Sandy Sherrill Womble checked off a biggie on her bucket list. She visited Australia and New Zealand in 2015. Sandy is very active in historic preservation in her hometown. Working on her art, Sandy has begun a painting project of the historic properties listed in her town. Catherine Joyner Hoft writes that she and Randy are enjoying having all three girls living and working in Raleigh. They spend a lot of time with them and their two grandchildren. Catherine and Randy celebrated 35 years of marriage in November. Gayle McConnell Tallardy writes that she is coming home! She and husband Carl are building a house in Charlotte, where Gayle's sister, Coco McConnell Killian '72HS, lives. Her dad is still living in her hometown of Davidson and her brother is in Huntersville. Welcome back to North Carolina! Susan Bridger Ricks had a great September vacation in Greece! Said she gained weight (I doubt it) from all the delicious food! Her son, Hunter, lives in Philadelphia, and they recently visited and attended an Philadelphia Eagles football game. Jane Johnson Brady writes with happy news! Her daughter Trina married Cahill Hooker on Jan. 2 in Raleigh. Cahill is from Dallas, Texas, and they met at Fordham University. They will live in Fort Worth. Jane says it is awesome being a MOB! Leesa Lybrook Goodson is a grandmother of twins, Louise and Jim, and she is having so much fun. She and husband Tom are traveling more. They have just recently returned from a threeweek trip to Africa that she said was the “best trip ever.” Mazie Swindell Smith is enjoying retirement on their farm in Swan Quarter. She spends a lot of time caring for her 93-year-old father, pursuing her hobbies of crafting, photography, and traveling with her husband. Next year will be spent
ALUMNAE BOOK CORNER building a new home at Lake Waccamaw. Beth Dalton Neale is having fun babysitting her first granddaughter, Kinsley, born February 2015. They all live in Charlotte. Beth also sees Charlotte classmates Civil Adams McGowan, Kate Taylor Hill, Betsy Hardwick Dawson and Susan Raymer Fanjoy. Lou White is still working and has been with Alfred Williams & Company for 28 years. She has been spending time caring for her mother while she is in Hospice. Lou expressed that the peace she has discovered on this journey with her mother comes from her mother's joy of knowing she will meet Jesus. Lou has a cat, Zoe, and a sweet dog, Cooper. Janie Cameron Wagstaff is still running back and forth from Durham (Monday through Friday) to their Person County farm on weekends. She is president and founder of Issues Confronting Our Nation (ICON) lecture series in Durham and Chapel Hill, a non-profit 501(c)3 which is now planning a fourth season. She invites anyone in the triangle area: www. iconlectureseries.com. Son Jack (John Jr.) is a College of Charleston 2015 magna cum laude graduate with a double major in business administration and Spanish. He is currently in the Durham Police Department academy. (Cue proud mom!) Husband John, a CPA, is now working for Cherry Beckaert and Holland LLP in Durham. Serendipity: Lindy Edwards Muse has moved into Janie’s neighborhood. She loves seeing her! Betsy Bomar Littlejohn has news of a granddaughter, Bett (2). She says they are enjoying this first grandchild. Betsy's youngest son Ben was married last summer to a Mobile, Ala., girl, Caitland Walton. The newlyweds live in Greenville, S.C. Kate Taylor Hill has retired after a 30-year career with Bank of America and says everyday feels like a vacation. She stays busy in Charlotte with the day-to-day things of exercise, bridge, church volunteer, classroom tutor, and having a booth at an antique mall. Kate and her husband bought a house last spring on Lake Tillery and love lake living. Jean Walston Neese is having
The Bee Cottage Story How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness Frances Schultz ’76HS ’78C Photographs by Trevor Tondro, Foreword by Newell Turner Inspired by Frances Schultz’s popular House Beautiful magazine series on the makeover of her East Hampton house, The Bee Cottage Story began as a decorating book and evolved into a memoir combining the best elements of both: beautiful photos and a compelling personal story. Schultz taps into what she learned during her renovations of Bee Cottage—determining how each area in the house and garden would be used and furnished—to unravel the question of how a mature, intelligent, successful woman could have made such a mess of her personal life. As she figures out each room over a period of years, Schultz finds a new path in life, also a continual process. She comes to learn that, like decorating a home, our lives must adapt to who we are and what we need at different points along the way. The Bee Cottage Story is part memoir, part home decorating guide. Schultz discusses the kinds of useful, commonsense design issues professionals take for granted and the rest of us just may not think of, prompting the reader to examine and discover her own “truth” in decorating—and in her life. "The Bee Cottage Story by Frances Schultz is a true delight,” says Fannie Flagg, author of Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. Every woman in America will love this witty, wise, and wonderful book. Absolutely charming from start to finish." Journalist, tastemaker, world traveler, hostess, Southerner, Sunday painter, and outdoors lover, Frances Schultz is an enthusiast on decoration and design, food and entertaining, travel and style. She is author and co-author of several books, including The Bee Cottage Story—How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness. A contributing editor to House Beautiful magazine and former editor-at-large for Veranda, she has written also for The Wall Street Journal, Town & Country, Indagare, and The New York Social Diary. She was for six years on-air host of the award-winning cable television show Southern Living Presents and has appeared on The Today Show, The Nate Berkus Show, CNN’s Open House, and many others. Born and raised in Tarboro, N.C., Schultz graduated from Saint Mary’s School with honors and from the University of Virginia with distinction. She is a member of the National Arts Club and serves on the boards of the Horticultural Society of New York and the Empowers Africa Foundation. With husband Tom Dittmer, dog Stella, assorted horses and critters, she lives in the Santa Ynez Valley of California with visits to Manhattan and summers at Bee Cottage, in East Hampton. See more at: http://www.francesschultz.com Hardcover: 160 pages, Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing (July 7, 2015), ISBN-10: 1632204959, ISBN-13: 978-1632204950
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CLASS news our 40th REUNION PARTY! She hopes to see everyone there! Her husband, Johnny, is still working hard with his real estate appraisal and investment company. Son Jack graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and has joined Johnny in the business. Henry is in his third year of Campbell Law School and daughter Martha, a recent graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, is doing catering. Jean stays busy and frequently travels to Wilson to visit her parents, still living in their home at the ages of 97 and 93. As for me, I seem to stay on the road a lot. I travel between my parents' home, the beach, and Clemson University. Ila Walker Bitner ’05, my SMS daughter, lives in Morehead City and works for an insurance company. Son Locke is an engineer, living and working in Raleigh. My youngest son, Carr, is a junior at Clemson and spent his Maymester in Europe. Win and I went to Italy for two fabulous weeks last summer. We were with friends and stayed in Tuscan villas outside of Florence. My 59th birthday fell while we were on our trip, so I celebrated at a beautiful winery called Castello Di Verrazzano. Class of 1976C - it's our 40th reunion! Mark your calendars for April 29-30! I would love to have your latest emails, so if you didn’t get a reminder from me to send news, the school either doesn't have your email or the one they have is wrong. Send me an updated one and I'll pass it along to the school. Looking forward to seeing you in April. Bess
1976
HIGH SCHOOL and
1978 COLLEGE
BeBee Bason Lee '76HS '78C I love hearing from my ’76HS and ’78C classmates – thanks to those who had a minute to share their news! Grandbabies and weddings - how exciting! Jan Stewart Atkins ’76HS ’78C writes from Burlington
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that she is so happy to be back in North Carolina and really wants to connect with her Saint Mary’s buddies! She gets to see Lisa Lofton Tomlinson ’78C and Anne Martin Cochrane ’78C often. Jan loves life in Burlington. I am hoping to plan a quick getaway to Burlington to catch up with Jan. Speaking of Anne Martin Cochrane ’78C, she writes that she has just published her second book and launched it in September 2015. The book, Project 120, chronicles some of the encounters she had while giving away 120 Chick-fil-A gift cards in 2014 - all about acts of kindness and hearing God’s voice in the midst. Anne’s children are now 18 and 20 and both live in Australia. Hallie is there for a semester abroad and son Rob is on a gap semester trip. Anne is learning what life is like as an empty-nester. More news of publishing books from Frances Schultz Dittmer ’76HS ’78C, who is enjoying life between California and New York with husband Tom Dittmer and a new granddaughter. Her book, The Bee Cottage Story – How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness, came out last summer and is in fifth printing —how exciting! Liza Lamm Gauss ’76HS ’78C writes that she and Harry are proud grandparents of Bill Stallworth. Bill is the son of their daughter, Mary Riddick Gauss Stallworth, and husband William. The Stallworths live in Atlanta, so I am guessing Liza is burning up the road between Wilson and Atlanta. Liza says there is nothing like being a grandmother. I’m happy to say I occasionally run into Liza walking on Atlantic Beach, and it is always great to catch up with her. Beth Kirkland Peters writes from Wilson, where she is still teaching at Greenfield School. Emilie Lamb Freeman ’78C sends news that they are doing well in Asheville and that 2015 was a great year for the Freeman family. Daughter Emilie married in April and is living in Raleigh, working for the Mariposa School. Their son, Kurt, is continuing to live at Stewart Home School in Kentucky and loves all the great opportunities that are available
to him. Emilie is currently taking up some new volunteer opportunities with Mission Hospital and Eblen Charities. Husband Ron continues as CFO of Ingles-Markets, and they still take their annual beach trip to Caswell Beach but hope to get in a trip to Europe in 2016 to celebrate their 35th anniversary. Nancy Welby Cheek ’76HS writes that she and Jeff are still in Lexington. Nancy continues practicing as a perinatal nurse at the local hospital a few shifts a month. They are proud grandparents to Barrett (2) and Henry Allen (1) who live in Canadian, Texas. Their daughter, Sydne, and husband Travis Allen are co-pastors at First Presbyterian Church in Canadian. Son Joe is serving in the Navy and currently stationed in Pearl Harbor. Their youngest daughter Meredith graduated from N.C. State in May 2015 and is currently job hunting and filling in her time with several part-time jobs. They love spending vacations in Texas or at the beach and hope to make it to Hawaii soon to see Joe. Nancy says come visit and eat some Lexington barbecue! Mary Jane Given Devins ’76HS writes, “All is well in Dedham, Mass. Our oldest daughter, Sloan, graduated from University of South Carolina and Sarah Jane is a senior there now. Molly, our high school senior, is applying to colleges in North and South Carolina. Our girls are all heading south!” Susan Myers Twyman ’76HS lives in Bermuda Run with her husband of 33 years. She retired in July 2015 after 24 years as a school counselor. She is a licensed professional counselor, registered play therapist, and National Certified Counselor and now has a part-time private practice as a child and adolescent counselor. Daughter Sara is a behavioral health nurse and son Joseph is a senior at Appalachian State University. If anyone is in or visits the Winston-Salem/ Bermuda Run area, Susan would like to get in touch. Lisa Lofton Tomlinson ’78C writes that son Buch married Blair Strandberg in November 2014. Blair is daughter of Beth Gardner Strandberg ’79C. Buch and Blair were married at Rose
Hill Farm in Rocky Mount and live in Charlotte. Lisa and John’s oldest daughter, Elizabeth, and husband Jacob Boone have presented them their first grandchild, Mattie Ann Boone, who was born in March of 2015. They live in San Diego, where Jacob is an urologist. I was excited to hear from Allison Dorr Daniel ’76H, who writes that she is currently serving as a volunteer in the Peace Corps. “I’ve been in Namibia (just above South Africa) since April 2015. I am a community health volunteer in a small settlement called Aus in the southern part of Namibia. I do things like health education workshops (HIV, TB, family planning, alcohol addiction, etc), teach reading to primary school children, distribute clothes and shoes to children, and participate on planning committees for World AIDS Day and community improvement and youth groups, to name a few. I will head back to North Carolina in June of 2017. I’m staying busy, enjoying my time here while missing my three grown children. I have no grandchildren yet, so this was the perfect time to volunteer!” Cards and packages are wonderful treats if anyone is inspired! Allison Daniel/ Peace Corps Volunteer/ P.O. Box 13/Aus, Namibia. For those of you who are not aware, a film, House of Love, showcasing the life of Liz Wright James ’78C and her family, premiered in November at the Carolina Theater in Greensboro. Liz was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1991 and her twin boys were diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy in 1993. The film is a documentary on the life of the James Family and, in particular, Alex James, Liz’s husband and full time caregiver of Liz and their boys. Attending the premiere were Donna Sherrill Steele ’78C, Sally Dillard Cohen ’78C, Jane Bratton Fleming ’76HS ’78C, Kappy Carr Black ’78C, Dillon Robinson Manly ’78C, Lee Archibald Taylor ’78C, Elizabeth Stewart Long ’78C, Elaine Bridger Mebane ’78C, Elizabeth Kerr Agnew ’78C, Wimberley Burton ’78C, and Libby Holding ’78C. It was a very emotional night for everyone
and so wonderful to finally see this family's amazing story being told in such an indepth and compassionate way. The film was produced to bring awareness to both MS and MD, and much needed funding in finding a cure for these two debilitating illnesses. For more information go to: houseoflovefilm.com. As for me, I still live outside of Clayton, and we too have an empty nest. Son Sam is loving life on the west coast, living in San Diego where he is a project engineer with KPFF. Daughter Anna O’Neal ’05 is in Raleigh working for Red Hat. In April 2015 son Will was married to Hunter Narron – they met in high school and had dated for eight years. We are all so excited to have Hunter in the family. I got to spend some time with Jane Bratton Fleming ’76HS ’78C this spring at the Wake Stone family day celebration. My husband David has worked with Wake Stone for 25+ years, so getting to see Jane and her family is always a treat. I get together with Libby Holding ’78C and Elaine Bridger Mebane ’78C often to catch up and finalize the ’78C memorial gift to SMS – hoping to share more info on that soon! BeBee
1978
HIGH SCHOOL Kathy Sawyer Mann ’78HS ’80C writes, “My most exciting update is my daughter, Mary Ashburn Mann ’17 is a new junior at Saint Mary’s. She is doing great! And I’m loving being at school again. It looks great.”
1980 COLLEGE
Cissy Lofton Elmer ’80C So nice to hear from a few of you, but out of our class of about 150, I didn’t hear from many - I even tried begging via email. I realize that most of us think that our news is boring and mundane, but your classmates would be very interested in hearing about where you’re living and what you’re up to,
so please consider sending in even a simple one sentence update next time around. Tricia McLean is in Atlanta and going strong with her interior design business, Patricia McLean Interiors, Inc. I’m happy to report that among her many awards, Tricia’s St. Regis Residences model home won a 2015 International Property Award. You will also see her 2015 Atlanta Symphony Show House in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles as well as in upcoming Traditional Home magazines. Tricia’s 2013 show house living room is featured in a book entitled, Scalamandre Haute Décor. Sara Vestal Morgan and husband Tim have moved to Rolesville, N.C. They love being in the small town and are enjoying having both children close by – Melissa and Daniel live in Wake Forest with their daughter (1), and James and Kimberly live in Raleigh with their infant daughter. Sara and Tim love being grandparents and spend a lot of time with the grandbabies. Sara is also the volunteer coordinator for Lacy Elementary School in Raleigh. Kathy Sawyer Mann ’78HS ’80C writes, “My most exciting update is my daughter, Mary Ashburn Mann ’17 is a new junior at Saint Mary’s. She is doing great! And, I’m loving being at school again. It looks great.” Missy Underwood Miller is in Charlotte and is able to zip to Blowing Rock and to Atlantic Beach every once in a while. On the kid front, Missy reports that son Rob works in Charleston and daughter Liza works in Atlanta. Stepdaughter Katie is a senior at St. Andrews in Delaware and in the midst of applying to colleges. Missy attended a Saint Mary’s luncheon with Nancy Scott Grantham in Blowing Rock this past summer and got to see Terry Dabbs Lewis. Danny and I are still in Asheville and love living in these beautiful mountains. I caught up with a group of Saint Mary’s girls for a beach trip (which included many laughs) and an NYC trip (which included even more laughter) a few months back, so I can give an update on some of their whereabouts. Jill Turner Kearse is a licensed insurance agent and says that the best news she has is
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CLASS news that she’s still alive at 55! She has moved back to Spartanburg, S.C., from Columbia, recently purchased a home and is busy getting settled. Jill’s daughter, Rachel, is 15, and since she now has her driving permit, Jill has realized that she does not have the patience that she had in younger years. Jill’s son Drew (28) is doing well with Milliken, traveling the southeast. Terry McLennan Whitney is in Charlotte working with Reid’s Fine Foods and escaping to Charleston as often as possible. Colleen Smith Turner is also in Charlotte and sent her first away to college this year. Jean Stephenson Sandlin is in Wrightsville Beach, selling real estate and is also in college mode. Kelly Crouch has been in Texas, buying for a large western store, but is in the process of moving back to this side of the country, hopefully to the Charlotte area. Elizabeth Kelly Hoeffer is in Columbia, S.C., enjoying her horse, and she still tries to fit in a few mortgage transactions when she’s not holding her grandbabies. I was thrilled to receive a Facebook message this year from a dear old Saint Mary’s friend, Susan Bozarth Lenzen. She lives in St. Louis, and I hope to connect with her before this year is over to catch up on many years of news. Stay in touch, and I hope you all have a wonderful year! Cissy
1980
HIGH SCHOOL Kaky McCabe Bowden Marty Hundley Bowlin lives in Skipwith, Va. She works in guidance and is a soccer coach at Bluestone Middle School. Cathy Call Boykin writes that “all is well.” Her son, Laughton (28), married in May. Son Parke (26) works in Charlotte, and daughter Callee Boykin ’16 (18) will graduate from Saint Mary’s in May. Cathy and husband Duke will soon be empty nesters.
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1982 COLLEGE
Sallie Plumlee Close writes from Charlotte to say that she is “enjoying the empty nest phase of life.” Gina Ellis Minton writes from Raleigh, “I am coaching tennis at Saint Mary’s and having a ball!” Cathy Call Boykin writes that “all is well.” Her son, Laughton (28), married in May. Son Parke (26) works in Charlotte, and daughter Callee Boykin ’16 (18) will graduate from Saint Mary’s in May. Cathy and husband Duke will soon be empty nesters.
1982
HIGH SCHOOL And
1984 COLLEGE
Beth Morris Gobble ’82HS ’84C Katherine White Messenger ’84C Hello everyone! We have combined our class letters again so here are some updates for our 1982 High School and 1984 College friends. Caroline Nisbet Hewitt ‘82HS ’84C is preparing to send their third child off to college and plans to downsize their empty nest. She works part-time for a veterinarian and spends as much time as possible at Litchfield Beach. Marion Farrah Dalgleish ’82HS stays busy with travel and taking care of her son. He keeps her going, especially when her husband is out of town. Their family travels this year included Capetown and the Garden Route in South Africa, Scotland, Kiawah Island and regular trips to Atlanta to see family. She had a lovely girls’ day of lunch and shopping with Beth Howard ’82HS in Charleston in September. Beth keeps busy appraising jewelry and enjoys living on Sullivan's Island, S.C. Marion stays in close contact with Katy Lynn Draper Garber ’82HS. Katy Lynn's son spent a week visiting Marion’s son at their home in Wilmington
last summer. Marion says, “It’s so much fun watching the boys grow up and share the same interests in sports and in summer sleep-away camp.” Catherine Davidson Cooke ’82HS ’84C writes that she and husband Marty continue to serve as public officials after eight years. He is a county commissioner, and she is on the school board in Brunswick County, N.C. Their oldest daughters, Katie (23) and MaryLou (20) are in school at UNC-Greensboro. They are fortunate to be in Catherine’s hometown, where their grandparents and aunt and uncle live. The youngest children, John (17) and Annabelle (15) are both in high school. The Cookes continue to provide great vacations for folks at Ocean Isle Beach through Cooke Realty. Give them a call if you are ready for a short stay or need a place to call your own. They felt blessed to have been spared from any damage or loss from the recent storms that have been in their area. She says she does not see too many Saint Mary’s girls but hopes to catch up at a reunion soon. Meredith Casey Bourne ’82HS recently celebrated 25 years with BB&T! Her son Austin just returned from Outward Bound in north Minnesota, where he met and became friends with Jack Legg, the son of Neil Stack Legg ’82HS ’84C. What are the chances of that? All is well in Tarboro and they enjoy getting away to their favorite place of all - Bald Head Island. “The more things change the more they stay the same,” says Katherine White Messenger ‘84C. She and Bill spend as much time as they can at their little place in Stella, near Swansboro. Most of the school year she’s in Raleigh, carpooling for swimming, soccer, and gymnastics, although Jack is now 16 and can get himself to the pool. He is in the IB program at Broughton High School. Hank (14) and Stewart (11) keep her busy at Daniels Middle School. She sees her mom Kay Shipman Schoellhorn ’61C almost every day and keeps up with sisters Eleanor White Hunter ’87C and Allison White Sullivan ’87HS in Raleigh. Katherine was thrilled to connect with
ALUMNAE BOOK CORNER Elizabeth Curtis ’84C this summer. She says Elizabeth lives in Georgia with son Evan, owns her own landscape company, and looks like she's 21! Katherine and I have often found ourselves catching up at the natatorium in Greensboro where her son Jack occasionally has a swim meet. That is also where I get to visit with Virginia White Pou ’84C and her husband, Wilson. They take lots of road trips to see their three children swim either for East Carolina (Sara Morgan), Gardner-Webb (Cameron), or Cary’s club team. They were fortunate to get to include Annapolis, Md., on one of those trips. Virginia is still teaching and Wilson has his own engineering firm in Greenville, N.C. Laurie Riley Dean ’82HS ’84C is the senior surgical technician at ENTI Surgical Center in Alpharetta, Ga. She loves her job and keeping up with her (all grown up) children: Meredith, who lives in N.Y.C., and Harrison, who is almost out of college! Dan and I finally feel settled in Greensboro. We love to kayak on local rivers, lakes, and at Wrightsville Beach (sound side only!). We thoroughly enjoyed the National Folk Music Festival hosted in Greensboro and look forward to its return next year! Peace to you all! Beth and Katherine
1984
HIGH SCHOOL Annabelle Brandeaux Robertson ’84HS Ellen Zollicoffer Jackson is excited to have her youngest daughter, Janie Jackson ’19, at Saint Mary’s! Her other daughter is a high school senior and is “going through the college process.” Ellen still sees Mary Hannah Wyman Jones ’84HS ’86C, Marty Worthy and Sally Maddison Wooten ’85HS.
Wil Lou Gray: The Making of a Southern Progressive from New South to New Deal Mary Macdonald Ogden ’85HS The biography of a pioneering advocate for literacy and adult education in South Carolina In Wil Lou Gray: The Making of a Southern Progressive from New South to New Deal, Mary Macdonald Ogden ’85HS examines the first fifty years of the life and work of South Carolina's Wil Lou Gray (1883–1984), an uncompromising advocate of public and private programs to improve education, health, citizen participation, and culture in the Palmetto State. Motivated by the educational reform crusade of the early twentieth century, her own excellent education, and the rampant illiteracy she observed in South Carolina, Gray capitalized on the emergent field of adult education to battle the racism, illiteracy, sexism, and political lethargy commonplace in her native state. As state superintendent of adult schools from 1919 to 1946, one of only two such superintendents in the nation, and through opportunity schools, adult night schools, pilgrimages, and media campaigns—all of which she pioneered—Gray transformed South Carolina's anti-illiteracy campaign from a plan of eradication to a comprehensive program of adult education. Ogden's biography reveals how Gray successfully secured small but meaningful advances for both black and white adults in the face of harsh economic conditions, pernicious white supremacy attitudes, and racial violence. Gray's socially progressive politics brought change in the first decades of the twentieth century. Gray was a sophisticated upper-class South Carolinian who played Canasta, loved tomato aspic, and served meals at the South Carolina Opportunity School on china with cloth napkins. She was also a lifelong Democrat, a passionate supporter of equality of opportunity, a masterful politician, a workaholic, and in her last years a vociferous supporter of government programs such as Medicare and nonprofits such as Planned Parenthood. She had a remarkable grasp of the problems that plagued her state and, with deep faith in the power of government to foster social justice, developed innovative ways to address those problems despite financial, political, and social barriers to progress. Her life is an example of how one person's bravery, tenacity, and faith in humanity can harness the power of government to improve society. Mary Macdonald Ogden is a guardian ad litem and a freelance writer in Asheville. She is a 1985 high school graduate of Saint Mary’s, and has a bachelor's degree in history from Presbyterian College and a doctorate in history from the University of South Carolina. SOUTH CAROLINA | BIOGRAPHY, (2015) December, 6 x 9, 216 pages, 19 b&w illustrations, ISBN 978-1-61117-568-4, Hardcover: $34.95, ISBN 978-1-61117-569-1, Ebook: $34.95
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CLASS news
1986
1992
Susan Langston ’84HS ’86C
Michelle McLaughlin Cheshire ’92C
Winston Glascock Pierce writes, “I continue to love my work as principal of an International Baccalaureate Magnet elementary school in Wake County. Because of work travel that took me to The Netherlands, Trevor and I got extra time to visit where he grew up in England. What a special opportunity for him to go back, and for me, too. Our two boys are almost grown, with one in college and one graduating high school this year. Our emptying nest is being filled with fur babies (three for now) as we have been rescuing dogs from a local rescue organization and are particularly fond of the senior dogs that need support. Looking forward to celebrating our class 30th!
Gray Williams Carlin and Kevin celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in September. “We are doing our best to raise our three boys (15, 13, and 11). Hard to believe that I have a child driving and starting to think about college! I still love my Saint Mary's memories and friends. We live right down the street and there are so many young girls I know who go or are going to Saint Mary's for high school. Still love keeping up with Debbie Goldstone Horwitz, Weldon Jackson Byrtus (my ole roomie) and the Bull (Robin Stanfield). Parker Dawson York is my friend and across-the-street neighbor and Heather Clarke Warren lives around the corner and they both have three boys as well! Love to all!” Weldon Jackson Byrtus writes, “I love being at Saint Mary’s School; I just started my 19th year.” Weldon’s daughter Liza has just started kindergarten.
COLLEGE
1988
HIGH SCHOOL Melissa Morrisette Tillman ’88HS Caroline Kelley Holt has been appointed chair of the board of trustees at Charleston Day School, a coed, independent school for children in grades one through eight. Her daughter, Leslie, is a sixth-grader there. Caroline and husband Edward also have a son, Edward. They live in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Jennifer Walker Barwick ’88HS ’90C and husband Ben just celebrated their 16th anniversary. “We have two kids, May and Walker, who are in the seventh and fifth grades at the Montessori School of Raleigh.”
1990 COLLEGE
Barbara Bryant Palmer ’88HS ’90C Jennifer Walker Barwick ’88HS ’90C and husband Ben just celebrated their 16th anniversary. “We have two kids, May and Walker, who are in the seventh and fifth grades at the Montessori School of Raleigh.”
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COLLEGE
1994 COLLEGE
Andrea Staunch Green ’94C Adrienne Skarzynski Beauchamp and husband William reside in Lewisville (just outside of Winston-Salem). Adrienne enjoys her career working as the operations analyst for Monkee's Franchising, LLC. William’s banking career continues with BB&T. Adrienne and William stay busy with their kids, Will (15) and Maggie (10). Church involvement and sports, such as lacrosse, swimming. and basketball, also keep them busy. When time allows, William and Adrienne try to catch all the good concerts they can. Grayson Hux Chase and husband Jeff were married in Maui in 2010 and lived in Southern California for five years. After starting a family, they moved back to Raleigh and love being closer to family and friends. Grayson is a stay-at-home mom to
Carter (4) and Jackson (3). Margery Knott Clifton and husband Ben bought a house in Raleigh in August of 2014 and completed a renovation in time to celebrate the birth of twin boys, Frank and Walker, in January. While still somewhat sleep deprived, they love being parents. The boys are growing like crazy, keeping them on their toes and making them laugh daily. Margery went back to work as a law firm administrator and feels lucky to work with great firm. In August, she said goodbye to her first love, George, her sweet 14- year-old Cocker spaniel. She loves keeping up with many SMC friends online and especially at gettogethers. She says the fun never changes, it just gets better. I enjoyed meeting her precious boys at the Gail Perkins Ovarian Cancer Walk in September. Sally Howell Donaldson owns a nanny agency in Raleigh called Trio. Her husband Sean accepted a new position working at Mitel, which has proven to be a great fit. They rescued a handful of a dog this past spring that continues to be in training. They traveled to Punta Cana in May and split their weekends this summer between Lake Gaston and Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. Sally has had a lot of SMC girl time this year. Being a seven-year ovarian cancer survivor, many friends came to the annual walk this year. She is thankful they make the trip almost every year. Ann Green Floyd, Margery Knott Clifton, Hillary McGee Lacouture, Mary Pat Phillips Radford, Heather Gibson, Robin White Mangum, and me, Andrea Staunch Green, all attended this year. Meredith Toomes Gibbs is still in sunny Florida. She started an amazing program where she teaches called COMPASS. She has fun teaching children to think creatively and critically. Her twins are in second grade and go with her to work each day. Her husband landed his dream job at Florida Hospital. They are all healthy and happy, and have a cute puppy running around the house. Hillary McGee Lacouture is vice president of The Jewell Agency, an advertising agency in Charlotte.
Barrett is in first grade and loving it. She enjoys seeing her SMC friends whenever possible. My children go to the same school as Barrett, so I enjoy seeing Hillary at Selwyn Elementary and around Charlotte. Amy Kilgore Mangus has lived in the Cape Fear region for 11 years, four years with Cape Fear Museum and three years as Mrs. Mangus. She and her husband spend their time working, traveling, and boating. Amy enjoys catching up with classmates on Facebook. Elisa Esposito Persinger lives in Darien, Conn., with husband Clay and three children: Carrington (12), George (8) and Wade (5). She is a stay-at-home mom (a.k.a. taxi driver). Nina Cavallaro DePugh has moved close by, so they have reconnected. Mary Pat Phillips Radford lives in Sarasota, Fla., with husband Kevin and daughters Isabelle (12) and Eliza (9). They love spending as much time as possible on the water and enjoying the Florida weather. Mary Pat has been managing a local jewelry store for the past three years but recently resigned so she can be at home with the girls and manage their crazy schedule of activities. Anne Glenn Rettiger had a baby girl, a little redhead, and those two precious brothers love her so much. They are so happy with a little girl and feel their family is complete. They don't stray far from home, of course, but do a lot of camping in the backyard. They hope to get to the beach next summer (Pawley's Island) and enjoy the water. They were planning to get a puppy for the New Year so their golden, Sofia, can have a playmate. Stacey Stallard Shaughnessy has a daughter, now 13 and a seventh-grader at Cary Academy. Her son Drew (10) is a fifth- grader at Oak Grove Elementary. They moved a couple of years ago but still reside in Cary. Caren Shoop, her husband and son (8) moved to Sydney, Australia, in January of 2015. Her husband was offered a job there, but he is also a dual citizen and has lots of family in Australia, so it’s an exciting move. Their son is in second grade, and Caren teaches pre-school. Kendy Allen Smith, husband Bryan and son Henry
(9) are enjoying their eighth year living in Seattle. The Smiths will be celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in May. Being parents to a third-grader keeps them busy. Austin Staunch lives in San Francisco and hasn't been forced out of her rentcontrolled apartment by a tech exec...yet. San Francisco has changed a lot in the last few years, but she still really enjoys being there and loves California. She writes for San Francisco Weekly and has different jobs that she does here and there that keep things interesting. She’s been working for Burning Man for 10 years and got a promotion this year to assistant manage their largest construction site. She has been volunteering for an organization that assists woman who have been freed from trafficking and would love to do more with that cause. She loves getting on stage for storytelling events around the city. Alison Britt White has been selling real estate with Beverly-Hanks & Associates in Asheville for more than two years. Her husband, Tilden, owns his own consulting engineering firm. Sara Grace is 14 and Sailor Rose is 9. They are all healthy and well. I, Andrea Staunch Green, am still in Charlotte. Caroline is a third-grader and my baby, Alex, started kindergarten this year. I thought I would have so much extra time now that the kids are in full-time school, but then I had to mess that up by over-extending myself at their school. What was I thinking? I’m Alex’s room mom and also running the K-2 science lab, which is like having an unpaid, part- time job. I picked up another stray dog this past year, my first small dog. He’s a rat terrier-ish ball of energy, and exactly what my geriatric dog didn’t need. I recently walked on Sally Howell Donaldson’s team for the Gail Perkins Ovarian Cancer Walk with several classmates and enjoyed getting caught up with some of my girls.
1996 COLLEGE
Phebe Hubbard Mott ’96C Karen Edmundson Dann was married to Adam Dann on October 4, 2014, and they just welcomed their son, Sterling Edward Dann on July 1, 2015. Karen, Adam, and Sterling live in Charlotte and in Nassau, Bahamas. I'm still living in the Burlington, Vt., area with my husband Brent, daughter Ruby (6) and son Ezra (2). I recently started a business making jewelry from vintage items, and leather bags and other leather accessories www.maandpembum.com. I'm also currently studying for my personal training certification, so wish me luck on the test! Much love to you all! Phebe
1996
HIGH SCHOOL Christina Lind Overby ’96HS and Courtney Weill Doi ’96HS Elizabeth Davis Baker writes, “My husband Brian and I still live in Smithfield, where I teach English at Johnston Community College. I am thrilled to have my nieces, Margaret Murray Hollowell '17 and Camille Hollowell '19, at Saint Mary’s together this year. Looking forward to seeing everyone at our reunion!
1998 COLLEGE
Liz Knox Bottoms ’96HS ’98C Hey y’all! I hope you are well in your busy lives. I love being able to write our class news. It allows me to catch up with so many of you. It seems that every year life gets more and more hectic but it’s always nice to get that piece of home, our Saint Mary’s alumnae magazine. I hope to see you at our next family reunion! My husband Tommy and I welcomed our son, Brewer Thomas Bottoms on July 24, 2015. His sister Emma
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CLASS news
Katie Whitmore ’04 married Ryan Allred in New Bern on October 31, 2015. Included in this wedding party were classmates Merriweather Raidle Mulé ’04 and Anne Futrell Farless '04 and sister Annie Whitmore ’08.
Reese is 14 months older than him – so you can imagine how busy we are. We are loving every minute of our babies! I am still teaching first grade and enjoy spending as much time as possible with my sister, Laura Knox Yarbrough. Laura is one of the top 25 real estate agents for Remax in North Carolina! This year she was faced with cancer and she kicked its butt! Laura and her husband Jody live in Lillington with their wild kids: Ashton (6) and Cash (4). Blair Key Carter lives in Clemmons with her two kids, Ella (9) and Benjamin (6). Blair comes to Raleigh as often as possible to see her besties from Saint Mary’s. Jennifer Davis Salley lives in Richmond, Va., with husband Eric and their sweet rescue dog, Frannie. Jen makes frequent trips to Raleigh, as it will always be “home.” She recently began teaching first grade; she loves working with the little ones! She and
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Eric are currently in the process to adopt. They know this can be a lengthy process, but are excited to eventually have a child of their own! Leslie Allred Yates and husband Kevin are happy to be living back in North Hills and finally having a yard for their two standard poodles, Mabel and Weezie. They are completely obsessed with their daughter, Vivian, who will be the Saint Mary’s class of 2032 and will be rooming with Emma Reese Bottoms (daughter of Liz Knox Bottoms). Leslie continues to run the catering department at K&W cafeterias. Holly Bowen Reardon is the assistant principal, head of early childhood education at the Western Academy of Beijing in Beijing, China. She and husband Derick have three children: Lee (6), Hensley (4) and Ann Bowen (5 months). They enjoy traveling all over the world. This year, they went to one of their favorites – Bali! Laura
Burke Davis Kerr works part time as a speech pathologist at several assistive living facilities, working mostly with stroke and dementia patients. Laura Burke, John, and her girls, Grace (8) and Ellie (4), live in Raleigh. Leslie Allred Yates’ daughter and Laura Burke’s youngest go to the same preschool, so they see each other just about every day, which is fun! Lane Stevenson Rouse and husband Chris moved to Moncks Corner, S.C., three years ago. It’s a small town outside of Charleston. Lane is a high school social studies teacher. This is her 10th year teaching. Her husband works for Pepsi, and they enjoy spending time with their 13-year-old dog. Lynn Sholtz Roberts lives in Asheville with their three kids: Zoe (8), Whitten (6), and Hannah Kate (4). Her husband has joined Asheville Head, Neck and Ear Surgeons. Lynn still runs her business zoelynnandco.com – check out her website of adorable headbands! Last year, Tommy and I joined St. Michaels Episcopal church here in Raleigh. I was excited to learn that Leslie Allred Yates is a member I see frequently, and that the Rev. Meta Ellington is a deacon there as well. Each Sunday that she presents the Gospel I am taken back to my Saint Mary’s Chapel days such sweet memories! Take care, hope to see y’all soon. xoxo Liz
1998
HIGH SCHOOL Suzanne Parker Bulakowski is thrilled to announce the birth of a son, Dean Parker Bulakowski on April 4. Big brother Beau Brooks Bulakowski is 1-year-old, and Suzanne is practicing optometry at Digby Eye Associates in Greensboro and High Point. Lisa Wagoner Carlton writes from Raleigh that they moved in May and they are enjoying their new home. Lisa started a new job as occupancy planner for JLL.
2000
Katherine Cvetko McElroy ’00 Katherine Kemp Robbins writes that she and husband Matt are still living in Raleigh with daughter Sarah Leighton (2). “I love seeing SMS girls around town, and staying busy as the lower school librarian at St. David’s School.”
2002 Joie Emerick Austin and her husband live in Hillsborough in a house they built themselves. They have two wonderful children. Daisy (3) and Sam (1) “I am currently working full time as a veterinary assistant while going to school to become a registered veterinary technician. Life is a little crazy right now, but I am loving every minute!” Liz Allran Whitley lives in Raleigh and is a designer at Design Works Studio in Cary. She finished the interior design program at Meredith College in 2010.
2004
Katie Whitmore ’04 With our 10-year reunion behind us and our 30s in front of us, the class of 2004 has lots of exciting news to report! I, Katie Whitmore Allred, married Ryan Allred on October 31, 2015, in New Bern. Ryan is a dentist and a Captain in the U.S. Army. After a year at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo., we have recently moved to West Point, N.Y., where Ryan works in the United States Military Academy’s dental clinic. While North Carolina holds a special place in my heart, I am enjoying our adventures and look forward to defrosting after my first Northeastern winter. Ryan Anthony has left work and is traveling around the world with her new husband, Bobby Martson. They are currently hitched, homeless, and happy! You can follow their adventures on their blog www.hitchedhomelesshappy.wordpress. com. Hannah Barker just celebrated her third anniversary working at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. She is still enjoying west coast life in L.A., especially the weather. Britt Carl is
enjoying her third year as a “student success coach” at High Point University. She also serves as a co-coordinator for the freshman summer program. Anne Futrell Farless and husband Elliott welcomed to the world on October 8, 2015, a daughter, Sallie Ridley. She was seven pounds, 11 ounces, and perfect! They live in Merry Hill, N.C., where Anne is the owner of Summerhouse of Edenton boutique and Summerhouse Design Studio. Nia Triantis Gillespie lives in Santa Fe, N.M., and works at a bilingual middle school. Jenna Nash Hollmeyer is living in New York with her husband Joe. She works as North American PR manager for advertising agency TBWA, and gets home to Raleigh as much as possible to visit her new nephew, Nash (son of Austin Nash Coley '01 and grandson of Lane Turner Nash ’72HS ’74C). Susan James lives in New York City and works in development and fundraising events for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Susan and Laura Fanjoy ’03 went to Italy for their 30th birthdays and ran into a family at dinner whose daughters go to Saint Mary’s. They recognized the Saint Mary’s rings and struck up a conversation. Small world! Cameron Moss is forging ahead at Barnhill Contracting Company as the marketing coordinator of the building division. This spring is Cameron’s fourth year coaching girls’ slow pitch softball for the Raleigh Parks and Recreation, and she is enjoying the recent addition of her precious niece, Margaret. Merriweather Raidle Mulé and husband Michael left Charlotte and moved back to Charleston in January 2015. Since the move, Merriweather has devoted her time as co-owner and designer of Chez Blanc, which designs and sells elegant, lacetrimmed, dressing robes for bridal parties and everyday wear. On September 26, 2015, with love and gratitude, Merriweather and Michael welcomed their beautiful daughter, Camille Merriweather, into the world, and their lives have been all the better since. Jennifer Mandeville Schneller lives in Columbia, Mo., and works as a buyer/
planner at Schneider Electric. She and her husband have two daughters, Juliet who was born in February 2015 and Jacqueline (3). Charlotte Smith lives in Raleigh. She has opened Union Camp Collective, a vintage and antique furniture shop and event space located at 1109 N. West Street in downtown Raleigh. Union Camp Collective is an off-shoot of its sister shop, Seaboard Studio 123. Stop by and say hello! Sarah Simons Team lives in Winston-Salem with husband Coleman, and she is a full-time mom to their daughter, Milly.
2006
Caroline Ward Manning ’06 Tori Collier completed her nurses aid certification at Southeastern Community College in the fall. She's looking forward to furthering her education in the nursing field. Erin Coughlin just moved back to Raleigh. Sara DeLuca graduated with her master’s in elementary education from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia in May 2015. After graduating, she moved back to Washington, D.C., and is currently teaching fourth grade in Bethesda, Md. Paige Nelson Grimball just bought a new house in Charleston. After spending some time back in North Carolina this summer, Leigh Habbeger moved back to D.C. and is now an associate with Pike Associates, a boutique lobbying firm that specializes in marine and fisheries policy issues. She is looking forward to reconnecting with the SMS community in D.C. Margie Hicks is still living in Dallas, Texas, working for Baylor Healthcare and enjoying her new role as mom to Camden Steele Sasser, who was born on September 24. Alex Bielec
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CLASS news Hovland and Joseph Luke Hovland were married at Saint Mary’s Chapel on October 10, 2015. The ceremony was officiated by the Rev. Ed Koffenberger. Victoria Collier was in attendance. Joseph and Alex currently reside in Minneapolis, Minn., where she is completing her third year as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines. This summer, she was proud to accept a special position through Delta as a dedicated charter flight attendant for the Minnesota Vikings. Kate Horney Hutchison was married on September 26, 2015, in High Point to Wylie Hutchison. They are living in Raleigh, where she has started her own interior design business. Lauren Robbins Dickson married Seavy Dickson in the Saint Mary’s Chapel on November 21, 2015. They reside in Raleigh, where she works as an elementary school teacher. Julia Corker Spickard and her husband Justin had a baby boy, Burchfield "Field" Douglas Spickard, in September. They live in Nashville, Tenn., where Julia is a multi-million dollar producing realtor with Worth Properties. In her free time, she has taken up golf and tennis. Virginia Claire Tharrington graduated from Campbell Law School in May and has passed the North Carolina Bar Exam. She works for the legal department of the Wake County Sherriff’s Office as well as continuing with her own jewelry company called Waccamaw Pearls. Lizzy Custer Wilson reports that the Wilson family expanded by one on July 1, 2015! They welcomed Ella Louise into the world, weighing eight pounds, nine ounces. She is healthy and happy - but ready to move to North Carolina in May. Chapel Hill will become their new home after more than three years in Hawaii with the Navy. They are excited to reconnect with friends and be close to family. Until then, they will continue to enjoy the sun and beaches in Kailua. I got married in Greensboro on August 29, 2015, to James Hampton Manning IV. Bridesmaids included Ila Walker Bittner '05 and Canaday Hubbard Green. Our greeter was Jennifer O'Neill
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'07, and Leigh Habegger was a reader. I am still living in Augusta, Ga., where my job has allowed me travel to Hong Kong and the Dominican Republic last year. As always, I absolutely love hearing from each of my classmates and cannot wait to see everyone at the ten-year reunion in April. Caroline
2008
Annie Whitmore ’08 Diane Tyndall planned to complete her master’s of divinity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in December. She is excited to implement and share the truths she has learned in every aspect of life. Catherine Early is in her third year of the ecology and evolutionary biology Ph.D. program at Ohio University. “I have been awarded a National Science Foundation graduate research fellowship, which will fund my dissertation work on avian brain evolution for three years. In the past two years, I traveled to Germany and Texas to present my research, as well as back to North Carolina for the wedding of my dear friend Christina Nasuti.” Christina writes, “In May, I graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law with highest honors. Over the summer, I married my college sweetheart and fellow Tar Heel, Brian Phillips. This fall, I was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar and began a judicial clerkship in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina.” Lauren Worthy Barker writes that she is living in Wilson.
2010
Emma Powell ’10 The class of 2010 has had a busy year! I enjoyed being with everyone at our firstever reunion! We enjoyed the SMS cocktail party on Friday night, then all met up at Clouds Brewing on Saturday night to share lots of Saint Mary's memories. I am working in Raleigh as a recruiter, and am
still enjoying every nice weekend on the river in Washington, N.C. Libby Farrell Ducey married her husband, Zach, on May 2 with lots of Saints in attendance. Carrie Coleman '12 was Libby and Zach's photographer for the special occasion. Libby and Zach are busy raising their sweet baby girl, Emma. Gates Killian is the director of marketing and research for a commercial real estate company in Atlanta that represents local and national restaurant chains. She has joined the High Museum, and will help plan its annual gala at the Shepard's Center. Lisa Michelson started work on her master’s in bioethics and medical humanities at the University of Louisville in August. She loves Kentucky and wants everyone to visit for the Derby! Caitlin Monahan finished her bachelor’s of architecture at Northeastern University in May. She is taking time off to travel before she returns to graduate school. She will move east from Morocco to end up in South Africa over three months. Over the summer, Tory Daley participated in a grant from the U.S. Department of Education investigating cross-linguistic/cross-cultural components of speech-language pathology and audiology. She and four others from her program traveled to Brazil for two months. They presented their research in Denver, Colo., at the ASHA convention. Tory expects to complete her master's degree in speech language pathology this May from East Tennessee State University. Sarah Blake is a Navy pilot! How cool is that? She moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, to start the next phase of flight school. She will be there for six months learning how to fly the T-6B. In the spring she will select which specific plane she will fly over the next eight years. KK Vinson will finish her two-year master's program in biomedical science in May at East Carolina. She is researching stem cell signaling in colorectal cancer. She is also applying to medical school, and ran into Lisa Michelson while taking the MCAT. Rachel Finney is still living in Charleston and working on her
master’s in the arts of teaching, focusing on early childhood, at College of Charleston. She plans to finish in the spring. Elizabeth Grigg is working as a clinical specialist for Medtronic in Greenville, N.C. Louise Orr lives in Raleigh, and is promoting the state of North Carolina doing communications for the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. She enjoys spending time with her puppy, Bear. Kacie Thompson is living in Washington, D.C., planning events, and marketing for the Alliance to Save Energy. Peron Graeber is in her third semester of veterinary school at Ross University in St. Kitts. Ashley Flynn graduated from Meredith College with a B.S. in exercise and sports science in December. She is nannying, taking pre-requisite courses at Wake Tech, and applying to nursing school. Cassie Helda is living in Los Angeles, working as a personal assistant to Nicole Richie. Catherine Doyle is working as a research assistant at N.C. State, studying Cassava mosaic disease. She is in the process of applying to graduate school for her Ph.D. Griffin Hewett played lacrosse for Meredith for the last two years, where her team won two conference championships, which qualified them to go to the NCAA tournament both years. She graduated with a B.S. in biology, and is now at Appalachian State majoring in chemistry and finishing her last three pre-requisite classes before she applies to vet school. Keji Omotoso is living Lagos, Nigeria, and working at the Ministry of Health in the office of the commissioner. She volunteers for a behavioral change campaign, and is also helping develop new NGO's that tackle social issues in Nigeria. She will return to the U.S. for graduate school in August. Morgan Edrington lives in New York City, and is a fashion publicist at Alison Brod Public Relations. She also loves visitors!
2012 Hailey Hart ’12
Hello! I am excited to be the new class secretary for the Class of 2012! I am a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, double majoring in public policy and political science. This past summer I had the privilege of interning for the U.S. House of Representatives in Congressman George Holding's office and for the U.S. Senate in Senator Thom Tillis' office and absolutely loved D.C.! I currently am an active member and rush chair of Delta Delta Delta and the public relations chair for UNC College Republicans. I can't believe we are all seniors once again and am so happy to still have such close amazing SMS friends! Marwah Alzer- Marwah is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, with an anthropology major and a chemistry minor. She was in the Netherlands from January to July and loved traveling. She is hoping to apply to pharmacy school in the next year. Sophie Bird was on the leadership team at the Alexander Family YMCA's Summer Camp, focusing specifically on overseeing the inclusion program. She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma at Ole Miss. Sophie is currently teaching a class of adorable fourth-grade students and is an active member of Teachers for Tomorrow. Margaret Blincow planned to graduate from the University of South Carolina in the fall and then pursue an accelerated bachelor of science in nursing at MUSC starting January. She is hoping to be a traveling nurse one day. Catherine Bryant is a senior at Meredith College. She is an English major and competes on the college’s tennis team. Catherine was in charge of the tennis and golf program at Camp Seafarer last summer. Phenix Byrd is a senior at Duke University, majoring in public policy studies with minors in French and music. Phenix has studied abroad three times and also spent a summer volunteering in Cape Town, South Africa. Last summer, she worked as a government affairs intern with
Saint Mary’s alumnae Megan Meighan ’03, left, and Anastasia Blackman ’11, right, met while horseback riding in Panama in the summer of 2015. Meg says, “It’s a small world when two Saint Mary’s graduates come together, never having met before, in another country. We could have walked side by side on our horses for hours reminiscing about our Saint Mary’s experiences and love for our school. There is definitely a sisterly bond that no one but a Saint Mary’s girl can appreciate. We will be lifelong friends, thanks to Saint Mary’s!”
Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C. After graduation, Phenix plans to move to New York City and work as a strategy analyst with Accenture Consulting. Carrie Coleman is a professional lifestyle and wedding photographer, and is honored to have had her work featured on some of the country's top wedding blogs. In May 2015, she had the privilege of photographing the wedding of alumna Libby Farrell Ducey '10. Carrie currently resides in Charlottesville, Va. Taylor Currin was excited to be graduating a semester early from the College of Charleston in December, with a major in history and a double minor in environmental
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CLASS news ALUMNAE IN THE NEWS
Kendall Hamilton ’15 excels with Howard University soccer In this magazine last summer, we reported that Saint Mary’s soccer star Kendall Hamilton ’15 had signed to play soccer at Howard University. Since that report, Hamilton and the Howard Bison soccer team accomplished great things during their fall 2015 season. Howard won the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) 2015 tournament Kendall Hamilton ’15, right, celebrates with a teammate with the 2015 SWAC championship championship, advancing soccer trophy. to the NCAA Division I tournament where they faced the University of Virginia. In the semifinal game of the SWAC tournament, Hamilton scored the winning goal, a winning penalty kick that advanced Howard to the championship game, where the Bison defeated Alabama State for the SWAC title. Hamilton was named to the SWAC All-Tournament Team, and was also named to the 2015 SWAC All-Conference first team.
studies and political science. She plans to take a gap year and then possibly go to law school. Mary Davis plans to graduate from East Carolina University in May with a double major in Spanish and communications, with a concentration in public relations. Last summer she studied in Argentina and Peru and had an internship at Buzzadelic Production Company as the PR assistant for an independent film. She has an amazing photography/travel/style blog that she hopes to continue in the future (and Carrie Coleman takes the photos for the blog - so fun!). Writing her blog has sparked an interest in the fashion and merchandising world for Mary. She is also a part of the fashion merchandising program at ECU and went to N.YC. last fall to meet with
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designers about their spring lines and visit showrooms. Mary is still trying to pick a destination for post graduation and is missing SMS all the time! Grace Dudley is a senior retail management major at USC and a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Last summer she had a fashion merchandising internship at Belk Corporate Headquarters in Charlotte. Darby Fallon is a senior at Ole Miss University. She spent her summer as an intern with Cathead Vodka and is currently a personal stylist for a men's custom clothing company, J. Hilburn, based out of Italy. She is looking forward to graduating this May. Madison Haliloglu attends Gardner-Webb University, where she will graduate in May with her B.S. in nursing. She is the president of her university's chapter of Student Nurses
Association. During the summer of 2015, Madison completed an internship at Duke University Hospital in Durham, working on a hematology oncology floor. She plans to return to this floor to work as a registered nurse this summer after graduation. Christian Lail is a public relations and political science major at UNC-Chapel Hill. She currently works at “free people” and is an intern at All American Entertainment. Christian spent the spring of her junior year studying in London. She hopes to do something exciting in the public relations world after graduation. Olivia Lanier is majoring in business journalism with a minor in entrepreneurship at UNC-Chapel Hill. She spent her summer interning for a startup company “Leighdeux.” She is blogging again, traveling with the UNC varsity cheerleading team and writing for “Synapse Magazine.” Cate Lyle is a senior at the University of Alabama, majoring in communications, and is a member of Kappa Delta sorority. Cate interned last summer in N.Y.C. for Place Showroom. She is looking forward to living in New York after graduation, becoming Instagram famous and continuing as CEO of "yolkswagyolk." Jane Lyle is a senior at the University of Alabama, majoring in marketing and public relations, and is a member of Kappa Delta sorority. She spent the spring of her junior year studying in Barcelona, Spain, and the summer in N.Y.C. as a marketing intern for Jena Weir Sales. Elizabeth Martin is senior at the University of Tennessee, majoring in psychology. She is excited to graduate this spring and then hopes to go to occupational therapy school in Memphis. Jeannette Oakes is a business major with a dance minor, graduating from Boulder in the spring. She studied international business and Spanish in Seville, Spain, during the spring of her junior year. She is currently a development and communications intern with a non-profit called Educate, based in Uganda. Caroline Pinney is a senior at the University of Alabama, majoring in studio art with a painting concentration. She is a
member of Kappa Delta sorority and spends her free time making and selling original paintings. Corinne Rixey is a senior at Presbyterian College, majoring in psychology, and is a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority. Corinne interned last summer with Ronald McDonald house charities as an event planning intern. As a senior at Clemson University, Mia Schneider is anxiously entering the daunting post-grad job hunt. Mia is a communication studies major, with a public relations emphasis, looking to find a job in either PR or sales in New York City. She spent time last summer in Manhattan, working in wholesale for the Olsen twin's high fashion line, The Row. She is an active member and officer of Delta Delta Delta, a member of Order of Omega, one of seven ambassadors for her major and a tutor for the athletic department. She can't believe graduation is only months away, and is savoring every moment she has left! Hayes Snipes is a senior at East Carolina University, planning to graduate in May. Her major is business finance with a minor in risk management and insurance. Last summer, she had an internship with Cincinnati Insurance Company, traveled to Greece for two weeks with her family and then finished out the summer working at the beach. Hayes currently works five days a week at McGlohon and Company Insurance Agency. She plans to work for an insurance agency after graduation or in sales for a company. Hayes is in Alpha Delta Pi sorority and she is a panhellenic delegate. She is very involved in intramural sports with her sorority and goes to all the events she can. She says that time has flown after graduation at Saint Mary’s. Hannah Smith is at UNC-Chapel Hill, focusing on journalism and Spanish. She is a reporter for the weekly UNC sports show, Sports Xtra. She hopes to continue following the sports journalism path in the future. Eliza Stoughton is a management and society major with a minor is art history at the UNC-Chapel Hill. Eliza interned last summer at an interior design showroom in
Atlanta called “Travis and Company,” and wants to go into the interior design business after she graduates. Jean Turlington is graduating in May from Washington and Lee University, with a degree in accounting and business administration and a poverty and human capabilities major. She interned last summer at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte and is excited to return to work for Wells Fargo after she graduates. Bailey Warren is senior at N.C. State, majoring in communications with an emphasis on business management. Duncan Weaver spent her spring semester of her junior year in Rome, Italy, studying art history and Italian. She spent her summer as an intern for Ann Wagoner Interiors. Duncan is currently a senior at Wofford College, completing a bachelor’s degree with a major in art history and a minor in business. Kassi Wehbi is a senior at N.C. State, where she is a textiles major with a medical concentration, a student ambassador for the College of Textiles, and is enjoying working on undergraduate research. She spent her summer working at Lululemon and has also enjoyed working at Rex Hospital. She hopes to work in research and development for a medical textiles company after graduation. Berry Williamson has loved reconnecting with familiar North Carolina faces and SMS friends since transferring to UNC-Chapel Hill, but is grateful for the continuous love and support of her Alabama friends! Berry spent the spring of her junior year studying in Barcelona, Spain, and traveling Europe. Berry was a marketing intern in Charleston last summer with Striped Pig Distillery. She hopes to pursue a marketing career in the spirits/ beverage industry. Sarah Scott Worth spent her summer interning at a marketing firm in Dallas, Texas, and is currently interning at Eckel & Vaughan in downtown Raleigh, right next to Saint Mary's! She will graduate from UNCChapel Hill with a dual degree in public relations and political science in May. Love, Hailey
2014
Mary Stuart Fountain ’14 Hey, friends! Hope you all are well and getting ready for the holiday season! It sounds like everyone is busy and thriving as we approach the second “anniversary” of our SMS graduation this spring. It was great to hear from so many of you; thank you to everyone who submitted news. Frances Cayton writes that she is still loving UNCChapel Hill, where she is a history and strategic communications double major and is very involved in the Campus Y. Meanwhile, Meg Cooksey is enjoying her time at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. She is in the pre-med program and working in an Alzheimer’s research lab. She is also a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and a new member educator for the freshman pledge class. Emily Evans is enjoying her sophomore year at UNC-Chapel Hill after a busy summer studying abroad in Spain. Anna Gardner attends Elon University, where she studies business. She recently started a most interesting business venture: read on to learn more! Yeon Mi Hwang continues to enjoy her time at the University of California at Berkley. After taking a gap year, Anna Claire Stark has begun her tenure at UNCChapel Hill, where she is studying nursing with a minor in French. She is also a certified yoga instructor and a member of several clubs. Holden Stanley continues to enjoy her time at Wake Forest University after a busy summer working at Camp Seafarer. Florrie McCard writes, “I transferred to Georgia College in Milledgeville, Ga., last January, and I have really started to find my place here this fall. I'm a community advisor (an RA) on a mostly-freshman hall and it is so rewarding. I was accepted into the honors program at Georgia College, and have recently declared a double major in French and rhetoric. I was able to team up with Clementine McCard ’17 over her fall break, and we loved sharing about Saint Mary's with prospective eighth graders at St. Martin's School, as well as attending the Atlanta SMS alumnae event!
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CLASS news As for me, after a fun visit last spring from some Saint Mary’s friends and the addition of another Saint Mary’s girl, Grace Wayne ’15, to the University of St. Andrews, I am continuing to love my experience across the pond. I am especially enjoying my role as the charities coordinator for the Lumsden Club, a female charity club on campus. I love hearing about everything that is happening at Saint Mary’s through my sisters, Caroline Fountain ’16, and Margaret Fountain ’18. I hope everyone had a safe and blessed holiday season. Thank you again to everyone who sent in class news. Until next time, “Go Saints!” Much love to you all, Mary Stuart
New Trustees Saint Mary's School welcomed three new members to the Board of Trustees this year. Pictured from left to right are: Anna Neal Blanchard ’76HS, Caren Threshie Camp ’71HS, and Sallie Shuping Russell ’75C. Thanks to these alumnae and all members of the Saint Mary's Board of Trustees for serving our alma mater with loyalty and distinction. A complete list of trustees and officers is located on the inside cover. June 20 - July 29
AGES K-12 GRADE PROGRAMS
Day and Residential Programs
Contact Kirsten Monroe, Summer Program Director
at 919-424-4028 or visit sms.edu
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The Heritage Society Blanche Williamson ’76HS gives back to her beloved alma mater To that end, Blanche has been a loyal and generous supporter of the Annual Fund each year, as well as an auction donor, and major donor to the Beyond Imagination Capital Campaign. While this generous support during her lifetime is making an immediate impact, she has also chosen to leave a legacy for the school by making provisions for Saint Mary’s in her will. A Raleigh native, Blanche has recently returned home to live in Raleigh after residing for many years in New York. She was a photo editor at People Magazine in New York for 16 years before launching her photography business, Blanche Williamson Photography, in New York City, Southampton, and now, Raleigh. Blanche Williamson ’76HS wants to make a difference at Saint Mary’s, the school that meant so much to her as a young woman. Blanche wants to support excellence in education for young women of this and future generations. She believes that an investment in the students is an investment in the future of the communities they will serve and impact.
Since moving back to Raleigh to be near family and friends, she has become active in the life of two institutions near and dear to her heart, serving on the Alumnae Council at Saint Mary’s and the board of the Episcopal Church Women at Christ Church. Blanche is inspired to support Saint Mary’s by her gratitude for the impact the school
has had on her life, by her love of her Saint Mary’s friends, by a belief in philanthropy instilled in her by role models in her family, and by the great things she sees happening at the school today, including the emphasis on spiritual development and the focus on service and leadership that are common threads across generations. Blanche’s fondest memories of Saint Mary’s include Saint Mary’s friends, especially her classmates in the High School Class of 1976; chapel services; singing in the Chorale; and dorm life in Smedes Hall. Blanche is proud that Saint Mary’s is now a three-generation tradition in her family, as her mother, Blanche Robertson Bacon ’53HS ’55C attended before her, and her niece, Pell Williamson ’18, is a sophomore this year. Blanche’s foresight and thoughtfulness in making a planned gift to Saint Mary’s in her will, as a member of the Heritage Society, will help ensure that the school’s future is bright and that the tradition of excellence in girls’ education that meant so much to her will thrive for generations to come.
If you are interested in leaving a legacy at Saint Mary’s through a planned gift, contact Margaret McGlohon ’81C, director of alumnae relations, at memcglohon@sms.edu or 919-424-4171, to learn about becoming a Heritage Society member.
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Scenes of Saint Mary’s More than 600 luminaries lined the circle drive for the 35th annual Christmas Lighting O’ the Grove, Dec. 6, 2015. (Photo by Mary Virginia Swain ’77C)
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