al um n ae now
st.catherine’s now Fall 2015 Vol . 74 No. 1
Looks Like a Girl,
BUT SHE'S A FLAME Girls Innovate Ignites & Inspires Richmond Girls
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In celebration of St. Catherine’s historic milestone, the Bacot Reception Room has been transformed into the 125th Anniversary Exhibit, complete with an historical timeline. Alumnae, students, teachers, parents and guests are invited to step inside to journey through the School’s history when at School or during special events on campus. Carter Augustine Warren ’04 and her first graders recently visited the exhibit. Each fall, first graders study the history of St. Catherine’s School. Visit www.stc125.org for an online School timeline.
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contents now In every issue Britt Childs Staley ’01, who works for WestRock, was one of the female mentors facilitating Innovation Time during Girls Innovate held at St. Catherine’s on Oct. 9. The mentors encouraged Middle School girls from St. Catherine’s and guest schools to explore engineering and technology as they collaborated on their design challenge.
v I S I O N N OW
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Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff explains the inspiration for Girls Innovate.
C A MPu S N OW
6 News 8 Global Experiences 10 St. Catherine’s Hosts
International Conference
11 New Legacy Students, Faculty
and Staff
12 Gatherings 13 Celebrate 125 Family Picnic A lu MN A E N OW
25 New Alumnae Board Members 26 Letter from Ellett-St. Catherine’s
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16 Features
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Traditions
Time-honored traditions celebrated by St. Catherine’s today connect the students to the School, to each other and to the long legacy of alumnae who celebrated the traditions before them.
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Alumnae Association (National Alumnae Board) President, Mary Watson Hayes ’79 Class Notes Spotlight: Rev. Gale Hodkinson Cooper ’63 Spotlight: Katharine Armstrong Herndon ’86 Spotlight: Jackie Parker Taylor ’94 Births and Adoptions Marriages Memorials
B OA RD I N G MEMO RI ES
55 The numbers changed as the
years passed by, but the memory of boarding remains strong today.
On the cover Middle Schoolers Heyden Davis, Sunny Miller and Quin Smith (L to R) work with littleBits during Innovation Time at Girls Innovate.
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Looks Like a Girl, but She’s a Flame
Held in conjunction with the International Day of the Girl and St. Catherine’s 125th celebration, Girls Innovate began with a high-energy speaker event (TEDx-style) for more than 1,000 girls and ended with a hands-on Innovation Time for Middle School students as facilitated by female mentors from around Richmond. 3
vision now Dear Friends, When we entered our 125th anniversary year, we knew that we wanted to reflect on our legacy of excellence and to celebrate our current success, but we also felt a responsibility to envision a new future for our girls and the girls of Richmond and beyond. As we brainstormed ways to develop a girl-centered special event, we focused on the ways to reach girls through relevance, relationships, and role models. Research shows us that too many girls stop 125th Anniversary Co-Chairs Helen Nunley (left) pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Biz Elder Read ’89 (right) with Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff and Mathematics (STEM) in the Middle School years, losing opportunities to further develop their problem-solving skills. We know that tomorrow’s careers demand competency in all disciplines.
St. Catherine’s Now Fall 2015 Vol. 74 No. 1 Head of School
We know that innovation embraces every facet of the creative process, and it is the key to our girls’ futures — the “glue” that connects knowledge and wisdom acquired from all these areas. Girls must be able to read for meaning and understanding, to share their knowledge and opinions in writing, to present their ideas in compelling ways as public speakers, and to collaborate with others on shared goals, all while being girls and women of integrity. When girls have strong skills in the humanities and in STEM, combined with confidence in action, they develop their diverse perspectives and creative solutions to the world’s problems. From these discussions, Girls Innovate was launched under the leadership of 125th Anniversary Co-Chairs Helen Nunley and Biz Elder Read ’89, with support from Girls Innovate Co-Chairs Anne Kenny-Urban ’83, Joe Murillo, Sonali Shetty and Leslie Strickler.
Photography
Girls Innovate has garnered more positive reaction from students, teachers, and parents than any other learning experience that I have witnessed in my years of working in education. Girls have stopped me in the hallways expressing their excitement and sharing their plans for making a difference in the world. I received countless emails and telephone calls from parents and community leaders who said that the girls who attended the event could not stop talking about Girls Innovate and its impact on their thinking and plans. The spirit of Girls Innovate will live on in the attendees and in other work that we do with all of these girls in the coming months and years. Stay tuned! St. Catherine’s is dreaming big. As reflected by a Middle School student who attended Girls Innovate, “Shiza Shahid [Co-Founder of the Malala Foundation] was extremely inspirational and made me want to do great things in the world. She dreamed big and her dreams came true.” Our dreams are coming true, too. Warm regards,
Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff, Ph.D. Head of School Read more about Girls Innovate on page 16.
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Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff, Ph.D. Executive Editor
Theodora Miller Director of Marketing and Communications Editor and Designer
Haley Hollenbach Director of Publications Contributing Writers
Susan T. Burtch Jennifer Harter Judy Carpenter Hawthorne ’75 Sarah Martin Hergüner ’77 Director of Development
Debbie Andrews Dunlap ’70 Assistant Director of Development
Katherine Ferguson
Director of Alumnae Affairs
Laura Spratley Birdsey ’96 Duane Berger Jennifer Harter Haley Hollenbach Matthew Lester Theodora Miller Jim Robb “St. Catherine’s Now” is a publication of St. Catherine’s School, 6001 Grove Ave., Richmond, VA 23226, 804.288.2804; alumnae@st.catherines.org. St. Catherine’s admits students without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to the students at the School. Letters to the editor are welcomed and should include the author’s name, address, email address and daytime phone number. Please send correspondence to: Editor, St. Catherine’s Now, St. Catherine’s School, 6001 Grove Ave., Richmond, VA 23226. Printed letters may be edited for length, content and style. “St. Catherine’s Now” is a bi-annual magazine for the St. Catherine’s community and is published by the Marketing and Communications Office in collaboration with the Alumnae and Development Office. The publication celebrates a legacy of excellence, provides meaningful connections and captures the life of the School through reporting that adheres to high journalistic and literary standards.
Board of Governors 2015-2016 Christopher H. Williams, Chair Anne Howell McElroy ’78 M.D., Vice Chair Jane Hall Armfield ’70 Taruna K. Aurora, M.D. Sharon P. Blount Peter H. Bowles Herbert (Hobie) A. Claiborne III Mary Meade Trice Davenport ’61 Carol Wingo Dickinson ’74 Renee B. Fain Maura Maguire Gaenzle ’82 Melissa (Missy) M. Gullquist George A. Harrison Wayne L. Hunter Elizabeth G. Johnson Allen Brent King Lisa P. Luck Georgina (Gigi) Rawles Miller ’75 Suzanne Wishnack Morris ’89 Jose Luis Murillo, Jr. Donnan Thompson O'Keefe ’89 Frank H. Reichel III Andrew G. Spitzer Michael J. Thorne-Begland
New 2015-2016 Board Members Maura Maguire Gaenzle ’82 – A parent at St. Catherine’s (2014, 2016, 2019), Maura is a graduate of University of Virginia (BA) and New York University (MBA). She served on the EllettSt. Catherine's National Alumnae Board. A board member of the Monument Avenue Preservation Society, a Parent Leadership Council member at Southern Methodist University and a Past President and Programs Chair of the Fan Townhouse and Garden Club, she has also served on the Richmond Symphony Board. Donnan Thompson O’Keefe ’89 – A current parent at St. Catherine’s (2019) and St. Christopher’s (2022), Donnan is a graduate of University of Georgia (BA). She serves on St. Stephen’s Church’s vestry, has co-chaired St. Christopher’s Leadership Symposium and is past Chair of the Bal du Bois and past President of the Junior Board of Sheltering Arms. She worked in the St. Catherine’s Admissions Office and has served on the School's Auction and Inspire Committees.
Ex-Officio: St. Catherine’s School Foundation President Macon Hubard Clarkson ’96
Michael J. Thorne-Begland – A current parent at St. Catherine’s (2023) and St. Christopher’s (2023), Michael is a graduate of the College of William & Mary (BA) and University of Richmond (JD). A Director of Brand Integrity and Assistant General Counsel at Altria, he has served on St. Catherine’s Marketing and Admissions Committee. A member of the Governor’s LGBT Tourism Taskforce, he serves on the Board of Richmond Organization for Sexual Minority Youth, chairing the Communications Committee and chairs Mosaic, Altria’s LGBT Employee Resource Group.
Parents’ Association President Kimberly O. Menges
NEW EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
Governors Emerita/i Anne Whitfield Kenny ’51 Theodore (Ted) W. Price Wesley Wright, Jr.
Alumnae Association President Mary Watson Hayes ’79 President of Church Schools David H. Charlton, Ph.D. Head of St. Catherine’s School Terrie H. Scheckelhoff, Ph.D.
Foundation 2015-2016 Macon Hubard Clarkson ’96, President William J. Armfield IV Brian C. Carney Mary New Dalton ’94 Elizabeth Cabell Jennings ’81 Roger H. W. Kirby Virginia (Ginny) Reynolds Parker ’76 Ex-Officio: Chair of St. Catherine’s Board of Governors Christopher H. Williams Chair of the Finance Committee of St. Catherine’s Board of Governors Herbert (Hobie) A. Claiborne III President of Church Schools David H. Charlton, Ph.D. Head of School Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff, Ph.D.
Macon Hubard Clarkson ’96 – President of the St. Catherine’s School Foundation Board – The parent of a St. Catherine’s student (2029) and a preschool daughter, Macon is a graduate of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia (B.S.). She is a partner at Private Advisors, an alternative investment management firm headquartered in Richmond. Prior to joining Private Advisors, Macon was an analyst and associate in the investment banking division of Lehman Brothers in New York City. She has also served on the Ellett-St. Catherine’s National Alumnae Board. Mary Watson Hayes ’79 – President of the Ellett-St. Catherine’s National Alumnae Board – A graduate of University of Virginia (B.A.) and Duke University (M.B.A.), Mary is a managing director with First Republic Bank in New York where she serves as a senior portfolio manager. She lives in Ho Ho Kus, New Jersey with her husband John and their blended family of four children. Kimberly O. Menges – President of the Parents’ Association – A parent at St. Catherine’s (2014, 2018) and St. Christopher’s (2016), Kim is a graduate of William Smith College. Kim has an organization and space consultant business. She was also Assistant Director of Admissions at Greenwich Country Day School. She has served on various committees at St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s.
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Women’s Junior Time Trials silver medalist Emma White visited St. Catherine’s just two days after she stood on the podium at the UCI World Cycling Championships in Richmond.
Supporting the Worlds in Richmond after raising money the previous year as part Schoolers who attended the Women’s Elite Slowly the sound of the cowbells rang of their Middle School Think Tank project. Time Trial. “I had the opportunity to witlouder and louder. As the cyclists passed Last year biking was introduced to the ness a very special event that is not likely to by in a large whoosh, the cheers compliPhysical Education curriculum. be repeated in Richmond.” mented the loud ringing. The race even came to St. Catherine’s, Attending the races was part of a larger So deafening were the sounds that both literally and figuratively. The elite School effort to support Richmond 2015, people peeked out of buildings in downmen’s race passed by St. Catherine’s campus as the races were referred to locally. Upper town Richmond to see what was the cause and USA cyclist Emma White, of all the excitement. a two-time silver medalists It was fourth graders showat the Richmond event, casing their exuberance for the visited campus to speak with women’s cycling junior road students. The fourthies later race world championship. cheered for White when she For nine days in late — Physical Education Chair Laura Horn ’95 captured her second medal of September, Richmond was the week. the host city for the UCI “Taking students to the races, espeSchool students created a “Beiffel tower” World Cycling Championships. And St. that stood in Carytown in Richmond. It was cially the junior races, was an opportunity Catherine’s students fully engaged in the to have our students see women at the created with used bike parts. Pedaling put event — with three different groups taking top of the cycling sport,” said Physical the tower in motion and illuminated it in field trips to the races downtown to supEducation Chair Laura Albertson Horn red, white and blue. port the female cyclists. St. Christopher’s ’95, who helped spearhead the events for Three bikes were decorated and placed alumnus Tim Miller ’88 served as the Chief St. Catherine’s. “In many cases, when the in front of campus during the race week. Operating Officer for Richmond 2015. cyclists were not in a race, they would stop Upper Schoolers Hannah Ballowe, Grace “It was important for me to support to talk with us. The entire process has been Pitney and Caroline Reinhart delivered five the event because it was such an honor for extremely exciting and invigorating to be a bikes, two trainers, five helmets and equipRichmond to host the world,” said senior part of over the past few years.” ment to St. Andrew's School in Richmond Frances Tyler, who was among the Upper
our students see women at the top of the cycling sport
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campu s now Five National Merit Semifinalists from Class of 2016
College Symposium Sets Students on the Right Track St. Catherine’s hosted the School’s firstever College Symposium in late August. Nearly 700 people, including parents and students in grades 9-12, attended the fullday event in the Kenny Center. The event was sponsored by Harris Williams & Co. Students and parents attended sessions led by admissions experts representing schools around the nation. Topics included understanding the highly selective college admission process, writing the college essay, interviewing skills and changes to the new SAT. St. Catherine’s alumnae Jabria Craft ’11 and Raven Baytops ’12 led a session along with a representative from William & Mary about the interview process. Craft is a recent graduate of William & Mary, where Baytops is a senior. “We felt it was important that our students and parents heard from seasoned college admission professionals from around the country regarding the ever-changing landscape of college admission,” St. Catherine’s Director of College Counseling Mary Jane Green said. “By having the program just before the school year began, we hope the students felt prepared to begin the year in a focused and purposeful way so that they can achieve their college admission goals when the time comes.”
12 College Representatives:
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American University, Tiana Hakimzadeh, Assistant Director of Admission
2 Barnard College, Carolyn Middleton, Director of Admissions 3
University of Chicago, Jim Nondorf, Vice President for Enrollment & Student Advancement and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid
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Davidson College, Christopher Gruber, Vice President/Dean of Admission & Financial Aid
5 Dickinson College, Bethany Parliament-Chevalier, Associate Director of Admission 6 Kenyon College, Sonya Broeren, Director of International Admission 7 UNC-Chapel Hill, Stephen Farmer, Vice Provost for Enrollment & Admission 8 The Princeton Review of NC, SC, VA, Brian Culbreth, Executive Director 9 Randolph-Macon College, Anthony Ambrogi, Director of Admission and Enrollment Research 10 Virginia Tech, Mildred Johnson, Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Director of Undergraduate Admissions
St. Catherine’s boasted a record five National Merit Semifinalists from the Class of 2016. Earning the honor were seniors Isabelle Andrews, Henrietta Clarke, Juliana Jiranek, Abby Villanueva and Seeley Yoo. Semifinalists represent the top one percent of PSAT test takers in their state. The girls will now compete for scholarships and may receive additional awards from colleges and universities. In addition, 10 members of the class were named National Merit Commended Students: Katie Harris, Aniela Macek, Belle Pace, Ashby Poindexter, Sasha Savenko, Tamanna Sohal, Tatum Timmerman, Katie Turner, Frances Tyler and Joanna Yan. The Commended Students represent the top five percent of PSAT test takers in 2014. St. Catherine’s recorded more semifinalists than any other independent school in the area. In addition, Jiranek and Yoo were among the first three honorees for the Lexus of Richmond Pursuit of Perfection Leadership Award Program. Jiranek was honored in week one and Yoo in week three. Each week one Richmond-area student-athlete is selected as a nominee with one winner named at the end of the school year. L to R: Henrietta Clarke, Abby Villanueva, Juliana Jiranek, Isabelle Andrews and Seeley Yoo
11 Washington & Lee, Kenneth P. Ruscio, President 12
College of William & Mary, Rebecca Avison, Assistant Dean of Admission 7
GLOBAL EXPERIENCES Happening In and Out of the Classrooms
The world is becoming increasingly more interconnected every day. Technological advancements enable people to connect with great ease. St. Catherine’s global curriculum, enhanced by international speakers, travel and exchanges, provides meaningful experiences for students of all ages. Global awareness and cultural competencies are woven into the everyday study of history, literature, foreign language, religion and art.
“ Why would we not want to give our students every opportunity to understand other cultures, to appreciate their own culture more deeply and to experience life more fully?” — Gail Heaton, St. Catherine’s
X-Term X-Term is a student enrichment program, coordinated with St. Christopher’s, which takes experiential learning that was a hallmark of Minimester and expands those opportunities throughout the school year. Many students elect to take international and domestic trips that have focused themes of study.
World Languages Chair.
Teachers in all three divisions introduce lessons that expand each student’s world view. This is especially crucial for the World Languages department. Students begin taking Chinese and Spanish in kindergarten and can continue with those languages as well as French and Latin in later years. “It’s impossible to study language without engaging in a subtle and profound study of the cultures where the language is spoken,” Heaton said. “Vocabulary, word order, the usage of pronouns and prepositions, the sounds of poetry, the expression of polite requests — everything about the language echoes the culture in which it lives.” Travel experiences focus on language immersion and cultural exchange, service-based learning, and curricular connections to art, history and literature in the academic program. But travel isn’t always involved for the exchanges to occur. Girls interact with students around the world through Skype. They learn about international events in chapel and they hear from speakers about different cultures.
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Partner School Middle School offers an annual mission trip to Colegio San Esteban, a school affiliated with the Episcopal Diocese, located in San Pedro, Dominican Republic. Upper School works closely with St. Jacques Episcopal School in Les Bayes, Haiti.
Student Engagement Junior Noor Samee was a special invited guest at the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Summit 2015 in New York in late September. She spoke at a press event featuring UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham, shared messages about the event on social media for UNICEF and the UN and was followed for a special behind the scenes film that also features Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-general of the United Nations.
campu s now Study Abroad Students gain a greater degree of intercultural understanding and a higher level of foreign language proficiency Kate Oelkers through study abroad. Some girls elect to spend an entire academic year away from St. Catherine’s while others engage in shorter programs over the summer months. Academic year 2015-16 Kate Oelkers - Spain Isabelle Rhodes - Italy Luisa Vosmik - France
Exchange Student Junior Juli Zelder from Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany is hosted by the McNeill family.
Faculty Experience Middle School Science teacher Katherine Mangum spent two weeks in Germany on a STEM-themed study tour.
Faculty Experience Dr. Jeff Turner, Chair of the History Department, and his family traveled to South Africa to do a comparative investigation of post-apartheid South Africa and the postbellum United States.
Madeleine Burke
Summer 2015 Eryn Carlisle - Italy Madeleine Burke - England
Faculty Experience Abigail Logan Whorley ’04, Middle School Religion teacher, and the Rev. Dr. Dorothy White, School Chaplain, were awarded an Outreach Fund Grant from the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES). They are working to build a relationship with Saviour’s School in Zarka, Jordan. The school is under the auspices of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. Abigail traveled to Jordan this fall to begin establishing the relationship.
Faculty Experience Ashley Stout Miller ’86 visited the Kopila Valley School in Nepal. “Receiving the Lossie T. Noell Grant allowed me to travel to Nepal this summer. I was hoping to strengthen our ties with partner school Kopila Valley School and Home in Surkhet, Nepal, where my former third grader, Caroline Porter ’06, was a teacher and “house mom” for a year. St. Catherine’s Lower School has supported the school for two years, and we also sponsor three children there. “While I was there I was able to meet the precious girls that we sponsor and see the bridge on the new campus that we funded! More importantly though, I was able to meet all of the children, teachers and volunteers who make up the amazing community of Kopila! I lived in the children's home, taught in the school and led teacher workshops as well. Traveling to Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan taught me so much about the country of Nepal; however, the highlight of the two weeks was the time I spent with the children and teachers at Kopila. It was a magical and deeply meaningful time for me that has provided a new lens through which I view the world.”
Classroom Connection Lower School girls Skype with students at Guilin Sunny School Guilin, Guangxi, China.
Exchange Student Junior Mia Blundell from Queensland, Australia is hosted by the Guare Family.
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Faculty Grants To further encourage St. Catherine’s faculty to pursue continued education and innovation, the School awards several $1,000 professional development grants. This is the third year for the grants, which are centered on enhancing teaching and learning. June Lehman — Get Involved RVA Developed a curricular strand for AP Government focused on local government to help students learn how to become more engaged in their local community. Ryan Warren — Blended Learning Statistical Research Course for the Honors Independent Science Research Class Developed a blended instructional course in statistics for girls taking the Honors Independent Science Research class; created online and inclass learning modules to give students a solid foundation in research statistics.
St. Catherine’s Hosts International Conference More than 600 educators, school leaders and researchers from around the world filled the halls of St. Catherine’s for the the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) international conference in late June. The participants engaged in hands-on activities, learned from experts and exchanged ideas and best practices on the topic: “From STEM to STEAM: Girls’ Schools Leading the Way.” The topic of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is a high priority in the nation and even more so for women. “(St. Catherine’s) rolled out the red carpet intentionally, professionally and authentically,” said Trudy E. Hall, President NCGS Board of Trustees, and Head of School at Emma Willard School. “The very best news is that all of those who experienced the magic you created will be singing the praises of St. Catherine’s for decades to come. The conference was a hallmark for NCGS, a new standard of excellence to be sure.” Three Upper Schools students – seniors Regan Ellis, Connor Haynes and Juliana Jiranek – and seven teachers presented at the conference. Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, Head of School Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff, Capital One Chief Information Officer Rob Alexander, Girls Who Code Founder/CEO Reshma Saujani, NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Ellen Stofan and University of Richmond Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Jacque Fetrow all spoke at the event.
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Sherry Oelkers — Honduran Mission Trip Spent nine days in Honduras as part of a summer medical mission team, weaving experiences into the grade 8 Spanish curriculum. Amy Adkins, Mayan Cavallo, Ann Hamilton-Dixon, Sloan Hiscock, Christy Irving, Judy McCallum, Jacque Minarik and Pam Roberts — Cross-Curricular Science Project for Grade 4 Created a year-long interdisciplinary project for fourth grade to introduce students to the design process from conception to production — coding, 3D drawing, 3D printing and record keeping of production costs and product creation. Cindy Beausang, Lisa Foster, Katherine Mangum and Jenn McIntosh — Girls Innovate Planned hands-on activities and organized the training for volunteers and Middle School faculty for the Girls Innovate event.
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New Legacy Students
New Middle School Legacy Students: Anna Flota (left), Andie Flota (right)are great-granddaughters of Lillian Breedlove White’36
New Upper School Legacy Students: L to R: Eleanor Lynch, daughter of Marshall Trow Lynch ’89, granddaughter of Betsy Burke Trow’61, great-granddaughter of Beulah Burke Rennolds ’36, great-greatgranddaughter of Zayde Branch Rennolds ’09; Sarah Clay Wright, daughter of Sallie O’Connor Wright'83, granddaughter of Joan Dunbar O’Connor’50; Brooke Dirom, daughter of Marie Chamblin Dirom’84
New Faculty and Staff
New Lower School Legacy Students: L to R, Front row: Anna Ferguson, granddaughter of Mary Rutherfoord Mercer Ferguson ’59; Libby Clarkson, daughter of Macon Hubard Clarkson ’96 and greatgranddaughter of Mary Knox Hubard ’36; Neena Johnson, granddaughter of Lou Elam Johnson ’55; Second row: Ellie Hager, granddaughter of Maggie Chase Hager ’59; Addi Flota, great-granddaughter of Lillian Breedlove White ’36; Charlotte Nelson, granddaughter of Mary Davenport Nelson ’62, great-granddaughter of Charlotte Purcell Nelson ’25, great-great-granddaughter of Elizabeth Bosher Purcell ’00; Janie Feiler, daughter of Christy Amrhein Feiler ’88; Back row: Caroline Sprenkle, daughter of Beth Silverman Sprenkle ’93; Alice Tigani, granddaughter of Carol Bruner Fleet ’63; Abigail Moore, daughter of Louise Adamson Moore ’88; Molly Fishburne, granddaughter of Eleanor Lane Fishburne ’62 and great-granddaughter of Zoe Powell Lane ’32; Eliza Baker, daughter of Amy Bowmer Baker ’90
New
Legacy Students
Front row, L-R: Brett Golladay Degnan ’97, Middle School Mathematics Teacher; Rita Ashlock, Junior Kindergarten Teacher; Vernice Velez, Lower and Middle School Spanish Teacher; Ingrid Patel Dunn ’04, Middle School Earth Science Teacher; Jean Goodman, Admissions Administrative Coordinator; Second row, L-R: Justin Huppmann, Middle School Music Teacher; William Berry, Middle School Instructional Technology Specialist; Courtney Lewis, Director of Library Services and Innovative Research; Celso Araujo, Systems Network Administrator; Noah Cogan, Upper School Latin Teacher; Rachel Stoller, Middle School History and Thinking Skills Teacher; Jennifer Vermillion, Digital Learning and Innovation Specialist; Alexa Anderson ’10, Lower and Middle School Physical Education; Rob Snead, Security Supervisor; Kate Peters, Upper School English Teacher; Not pictured: Natalie Watt, Part-time Library Assistant; Katy Moore, Lower School Administrative Support Assistant.
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Gatherings
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New York, NY: Bottom row: Carrington Lee ’01, Annie Moore ’08; Top row: Brooke Bates ’98, Kirstine Wilson ’95, Ellen Black Seabring ’61, Caroline Crook Williamson ’79, Jean Grainger ’66, Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff, Amie Rennolds ’75, Larkin Willis Nash ’91, Laura Spratley Birdsey ’96
Westminster Canterbury: Jane Cecil ’49, Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff
Lynchburg, Va.: L to R: Laura Spratley Birdsey ’96, Natalie DuBose Langley ’90, Mary New Dalton ’94
NCGS from STEM to STEAM conference: L to R: Brett Golladay Degnan ’97, Jontille Fowler Ray ’95, Dr. Terrie Scheckelhoff, Mandy Hess Hudson ’97, Jeanette Adkins, Eliza McGehee ’09
Saints Networking Group (Richmond) Planning Committee: L to R: Marlee Crossen ’08, Mercer Ferguson (St. Chris ’01), Willy Flohr (St. Chris ’02), Taylor Brannan (St. Chris ’05), Britt Childs Staley ’01, Ibbie Hedrick ’00, John Cronly (St. Chris ’02)
Greenwich, CT: L to R: Debbie Andrews Dunlap ’70, Anne Noel Jones Dawson ’83, Anne Stephens Harrison ’74, Nancy Broadbent Casserley ’73, Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff, Molly Fergusson Tanaka ’73, Laura Spratley Birdsey ’96, Mary Shaw Halsey Marks ’70
Young Alumnae Richmond Social at Blue Goat: L to R: Karrie Burnham Southall ’94, Randolph Trow (St. Chris ’92), Katherine Clary Angus ’95, Margaret Clary ’09, Hobby Williams Sherman ’96
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Celebrate 125 Family Picnic co-chairs Gail Taylor and Beth Trice Moore ’80 with Dr. Terrie Hale Scheckelhoff
Celebrate 125 Family Picnic
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Cece Parrish (left), Director of Dining Services for Meriwether Godsey and Angela Newman
he rain may have altered plans a bit, but it didn’t keep people away from the Celebrate 125 Family Picnic in early October. Originally planned for outdoors, the event was moved into the Kenny Center and was a great success with more than 1,400 people in attendance. The event included a southern-style supper sponsored by Meriwether Godsey, the School’s dining service partner. Live entertainment was performed by The Mills Family Band and the Censations students joined together for a musical parade to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In.” A photo booth, face painting and a birthday card making station for the children of Celebrate RVA (a non-profit created by Julia Warren ’14) added to the festivities. Many thanks to the countless parent volunteers who made this picnic possible, especially co-chairs Beth Trice Moore ’80 and Gail Taylor. 13
TRADITI
NS
by Judy Carpenter Hawthorne ’75
The present is the quicksilver filament that connects the experiences of the past with the realization of the future. Junior kindergarteners of today are the alumnae of tomorrow; the classrooms in which our teachers inspire St. Catherine’s students stand on foundations built decades ago. Time-honored traditions we observe today connect each of us to our School, to each other, and to our “founding mothers”— Miss Jennie, Miss Bacot, Miss Hannah Washington. The colors and textures of our traditions evolve through the years, creating a rich and intricate tapestry.
June Queen
The “June Queen” has been selected annually since the early days of Miss Jennie’s School. Initially, the June Queen was hand-picked by Miss Jennie and represented her “ideal girl.” Later, she was elected by the vote of her class and the faculty as the senior best representing the School in “attainment, influence and honor.” Early June Queen ceremonies were elaborate affairs with ribbons, heralds, music and processions. Since 1917 the June Queen has been announced at Junior-Senior Banquet and at Commencement the following day. The June Queen of the Class of 1949, Betsy Dale Gayle, wrote and recited the following poem: “I am part of all that I have met,” The Poet says. “So are we all who go, a part of all we leave behind. The gentle bondage of St. Catherine’s Halls will hold us ever, a dwelling place wherein we walk, still young and gay but always growing in wisdom and in truth. The trees in Spring will know us, and drop their radiant leaves upon us at Fall’s quiet settling; Winter’s chill will touch us, and we shall become a soundless echo of voices that come after. We leave, but with us goes the beauty of St. Catherine’s, the love for friend, the chapel’s deep-felt hours; the lessons learned of gracious and unselfish living, of loyalty and duty to one’s best; of storied history and poets’ lore, the thousand wonders of the scientists. All these are ours to take and make – a part of us forever.” Today’s June Queen repeats these timeless words that speak of the mixed emotions she and her classmates feel as they prepare to depart St. Catherine’s.
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St. Catherine's Day
Other beloved traditions:
The first annual St. Catherine’s Day was celebrated on November 25, 1938. Girls wrote poems and prayers, and representatives from the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools were chosen to tell the story of St. Catherine in a theater play. As is the case today, students and faculty elected a senior representative whom they felt best exemplified St. Catherine for her sincerity as a person, scholarly performance, and faith. In 1973, students and faculty decided to change the service from the theatrical presentation to a more religious celebration. As in the days when St. Catherine’s Day was observed as a play in McVey L to R: Lily Damgard ’15, Barbara Blades Burroughs ’50, Carrie Featherstone Hoge ’93, Theater, the name Debbie Andrews Dunlap ’70, this year’s of the senior elected honoree Madison Wilkinson ’16, Dorothy Young ’71, Gussie Johns Bannard ’73, St. Catherine Leigh Bladergroen Glatt ’00, Anne Kennyis kept a secret until Urban ’83, Neely Holt McNulty ’84, Jan Joel Starnes ’80 she is announced. Since 1974, the St. Catherine’s Day worship service has taken place on or around All Saints’ Day at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. In 2015, the service was moved to accommodate renovations at St. Stephen’s. The St. Catherine’s senior, who in the eyes of her teachers and peers, best represents the qualities of our patron saint, delivers a personal speech on how the ideals of St. Catherine have influenced her life. Because she speaks from her personal experience, the modern-day observance is an even more meaningful tradition.
What we keep we lose; only what we give remains our own.
Junior-Senior Banquet (1917) White Dresses at Commencement (1920s) Jerusalem (1920s) Gold/White Tradition (1926) Ring-Candlelight Service (1926) [Service] League (1926) The Honor Code (1928) St. Catherine’s Ring (1929) Daisies at Commencement (1930) Class Reunions (1951) Daisy Days (1977)
School Motto
From 1924 through 1947, Louisa deBerniere Bacot Brackett, the headmistress who worked closely with Miss Jennie, introduced the School hymn and prayer, Gold/White teams, the candlelight and ring services, and perhaps her most enduring legacy, our School Motto. These are the words by which St. Catherine’s students are guided and encouraged to live their lives: “What we keep we lose; only what we give remains our own.” Generations of alumnae have reported using the motto as grace at family dinners, as part of their children’s and their own goodnight prayers, and as a life credo. The motto is perhaps even more relevant to today’s students and alumnae than it was upon its introduction 90 years ago.
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Girls Innovate MC Courtney Page Ferrell ’92 raised the energy level, while providing her own inspiration.
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More than 1,000 girls joined female innovators from around the world for Girls Innovate on Oct. 9 at St. Catherine’s by Susan T. Burtch
t
he energy in the room is electric. Literally. Onto the pitch-black stage pounce three vibrant dancers, twisting to bone-jarring hip-hop as the colored lights on their costumes blink and reappear, bend them backwards, and extend their arms to impossible lengths. The 1,000 girl audience lets out a high-pitched shriek of collective delight. “Girls Innovate” has already made its point. However, the fact that the audience doesn’t yet know what point is key. As it happens, these dynamic iLuminate Performers are the brainchild of young Miral Kotb – both a talented dancer and choreographer AND a creative software engineer and mobile applications developer. The dancers are a hit. They have successfully set the stage for a day-long exploration of STEM skills (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and the way in which they inform the entire creative process. The goal is to show that dance and computers can marry, light up the world, and maybe flip a switch in the heart of some young girl sitting in the audience. Suddenly, “Girl on Fire” makes sense in a different context, and the lyrics to the Alicia Keys song that opened the program begin to take on new shades of meaning.
Little girls with dreams become women of vision Nuggets of inspiration flash on a screen as fifth through twelfth grade girls stream into the gym. “Today is about changing the world for you girls,” says Terrie Scheckelhoff, Head of School. St. Catherine’s students join with the 200 middle school girls who have been invited from other schools throughout the community. The gym is filled. Even Governor Terry McAuliffe is present. “Life can be hard,” he warns the audience. “You need a positive attitude and an entrepreneurial spirit.” “When you get together with others, new things happen,” explains innovation consultant and alumna Courtney Page Ferrell ’92, “not just in terms of what you create, but inside the head of the creator as well.” Five female speakers begin to tell their personal stories. They’re not all scientists, mathematicians or computer programmers, but in one way or the other, they all embraced technology to get them where they wanted to go. “We’ve brought in some pretty extraordinary people,” says Ferrell, who also acts as the program’s MC. “But what I like is that they’re not celebrities. They’re just ordinary people doing something extraordinary with their lives.”
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THE INSPIRATION
Megan Grassell
is the classic case of a girl who saw a problem, had an idea, but wasn’t sure how to proceed until she connected with people who did. She was still in high school when she founded Yellowberry, an apparel company focusing on age-appropriate bras. It all started with the frustration and embarrassment of trying to help a younger sister buy her first bra. Grassell was sure she could make a more natural, comfortable product. But sourcing materials was hard, publicity was nonexistent, and her company was slow to get off the ground. “I think I made the first sale to my dad off the website,” she laughs. That’s when Grassell discovered Kickstarter, the online fund-raising outlet for creative projects. Overnight, she raised $25,000. She then contacted Mom bloggers, who were only too happy to spread the word. And suddenly, before she’d even turned 20, Grassell had taken her original idea from how to wow.
Shiza Shahid
is co-founder and global ambassador for the Malala Fund, which represents the young girl shot by the Taliban for her insistence on female education. When Shahid was a teenager growing up in Islamabad, she was so moved by the plight of girls living under Taliban rule, she brought them out of their village and worked with them herself. Malala, 12 years old at the time, was one of those girls. Shahid eventually went on to college at Stanford. She left her dream job in Dubai when Malala was shot. For the next two years, she poured her energy into the Fund. But this past summer, Shahid decided she needed additional skills to enhance her powers of creativity, so she spent ten weeks at NASA learning to use technology. “Sometimes you may not have a great idea of your own,” she tells her audience, “but what you can do is recognize the brilliance in others. There are no superheroes – it’s just us.”
THere are no superheroes It's just us.
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If you are scared, you are probably poised for great things. Rosalyn Hargraves
has experience in engaging students. She is a VCU professor, engineer, and researcher. Her interest in STEM education, machine learning and biomedical signal and image processing might at first have seemed less alluring to her audience than illuminated dancers on a darkened stage. But it doesn’t take long for Hargraves to establish the link between engineering and creativity. “I’ll tell you the year this particular technology was introduced,” she teases, “and you yell out how long it took to amass 150 million users.” Starting with the telephone in 1876 (89 years), Hargraves’ oral quiz ends with Facebook in 2004 (five years). Answers aren’t always correct, but the audience is energized – and can’t help but be impressed by her final statistic: out of 1.7 million engineers in 2011, only one in every hundred was female.
Danielle Feinberg
says her favorite Pixar character is Merida, the freethinking young heroine from “Brave” who wants to control her own destiny. No surprise there. Now a Director of Photography/Lighting for Pixar Animation Studios, Feinberg fell in love with technology when she programmed her first images at the age of eight. Working on “A Bug’s Life” just 15 years later, she witnessed technology and art come together as magic — the final step of the moviemaking process which brings the story to light. Even with a Harvard degree in Computer Science, Feinberg faced stiff competition in a maledominated field. “But remember that fear just means you’re brave,” she reassures her audience, “because you’re risking something important. So find your story and make it work. If you are scared, you are probably poised for great things.”
+ MOMENT OF CONNECTION
Initially she wanted to be a doctor. But instead, Rosalyn Hargraves became an engineer, dedicated to furthering medical technology which would help doctors solve problems and cure patients. And then, one day, she had a moment of connection. Her first child was born – an impossibly small 1 pound 13 ounce baby girl, so tiny she fit in her mother’s hand. Suddenly, all Hargraves’ neonatal work became personal – and immediately relevant.
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Reshma Saujani
says she “came at coding backwards, as lots of girls do.” In fact, the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code describes herself as a political activist. “I have imposter syndrome,” she grins. “I’m not an expert in the field. I look to coding to solve a problem.” And the problem she has identified is the lack of skills, resources and inspiration young girls need to pursue opportunities in the field of computing. Nobody prepared her for such a future, but along the way, she taught herself. She became a lawyer, then ran for Congress. “I lost,” she confesses ruefully. “I didn’t get more than 19% of the vote. But that doesn’t matter. You can’t worry about being liked. You must build a sisterhood. You must make allies and keep moving forward.”
+ MOMENT OF CONNECTION
You can't worry about being liked. You must build a sisterhood. You must make allies and keep moving forward.
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Khamyra Slaughter is a tenth grader at Southside Baptist Christian School. Her dream is to attend college. She listened intently to the entire presentation, but in the end, it was one speaker’s back-story that resonated most – “You know, the one who was turned down three times and still got in.” That was Reshma Saujani, who was just a pre-teen when she set her sights on Yale Law School. Still determined after her third rejection, she got on a train, knocked on the dean’s door, and talked her way in. “That was pretty cool,” says Slaughter admiringly. “I learned you have to have ideas. You have to communicate well. That’s the key to college.”
WHAT IS LITTLEBITS?
littleBits is a platform of easy-to-use electronic building blocks that empower you to invent anything, from your own remote controlled car to a smart home device. The Bits snap together with magnets; no soldering, no wiring, no programming needed.
Group Design Challenge The teams, made up of St. Catherine's Middle Schoolers and guests from area schools, took the inspiration from earlier in the day and turned it into a unique creation. Led by mentors from littleBits, CapTech Capital One and WestRock, each group of students was given the challenge below. Step 1: With your table team, imagine and design a new place. You might create a park, a playground, a space station or a village. There are no limits! As a team decide what type of place you want to create, and develop a plan to transform your group’s table into this place.
THE APPLICATION Hundreds of girls swarm out into the sunshine to eat and talk and to unwind outside. Then the middle schoolers go back inside for the second half of “Girls Innovate,” a hands-on afternoon challenge involving creative construction using littleBits.
Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try Boxes of the littleBits adaptable modules are spilled out over big tables which now dominate the rear of the gym. There are supplemental boxes of craft materials filled with wire, pipe cleaners and construction paper. Motors, lights, sensors, buttons and switches are color-coded for ease in constructing circuits, and time has been set aside for a preliminary practice session. “Hey, my brother has these!” exclaims one girl in recognition. “They’re cooler than Legos,” announces another. “It worked a minute ago,” mutters one in frustration, already fiddling with a blue power bit.
Step 2: Think about and decide upon what roles each of you could play on your team. You may need designers, architects, engineers, or other roles in order to make your place a reality! Step 3: Once you have decided upon a place and roles, as a team create at least four structures to add to it using the littleBits. Working individually or in small groups, decide what else can you create with the supplies at the table to make your place a happy one. As you are building, share your creations with your neighbors. Step 4: Expect some third and fourth grade visitors who will want to know about what you created and how you did it!
There is a mentor stationed at every table. Students from St. Catherine’s and the guest schools work together to create a scenario and bring it to life. Functioning as architects and engineers, they’re encouraged to let their creativity run wild. “Have fun and dream big” exhorts littleBits lead mentor Erin Mulcahy.
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Collaboration divides the work and multiplies the success
Creativity is intelligence having fun And they’re off. A haunted house, a disco, a village and a playground begin to take shape. One group is debating whether interior lighting works better if the lights are affixed with Velcro then taped to the structure, or whether they hold up better when stuck together the other way around. At one table, there is a serious discussion underway about requirements for a space station. It obviously needs a pool, restaurant, infirmary and game room. But what about a child care center, raised garden for growing vegetables, and maybe even a jail for aliens? At another table, the students decide to make it winter at their scene because they’re most excited about building a light-up snowman. But why a rectangular-shaped igloo when everyone knows they are round? “It’s the first of its kind,” grins Na’vaya Venable, a seventh grader at Albert H. Hill Middle School. “Can’t you see? It’s innovative!” Meanwhile over at the amusement park table, the students have efficiently split up into small groups so each can work on a different ride. The Ferris wheel is coming together, but the roller coaster still faces some challenges. Trial and error, however, is an age-old solution. “My best moment,” reflects seventh grader Emma Galbraith, “was when I couldn’t get something to spin, so I lightened it and it finally worked.”
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In addition to using the littleBits modules, the girls have to become comfortable with each other. Sometimes working with people you just met proves to be a challenge, and it can certainly separate the introverts from the extroverts. At the end of day, however, there are some encouraging realizations. Seventh grader Carrington Sharp feels good about working with girls she didn’t know well. “I recognized some of them because I had played (against) them in sports,” she explains. “It was really cool how someone you were competing against was now your teammate.” Most heartening of all, many girls come to understand the connection between the program’s morning and afternoon sessions. “I liked how they said that girls can be the future, which is true in so many ways,” observes Geanee AtkinsWest, an eighth grader at Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School. “The iLuminate was pretty cool. I like engineering now that I realize what it can do. The end was the most fun. We decided to make a disco ball inspired by iLuminate and have a spinning person dancing.”
+ MOMENT OF CONNECTION
Inspirational maxims can often seem like nothing more than cheerleader bulletin board material. That is until their wisdom actually applies. Seventh grader Jordan Coleman initially confessed, “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to know how to use the littleBits.” But then she gave it a try, and “when we were put in groups and told our challenge, I was surprised how I could figure it out.”
Building Community Girls Innovate would not have been possible without the generous support of these sponsors: Platinum: Luck Companies littleBits WestRock Foundation Gold: Altria CapitalOne Medarva Healthcare NewMarket T. Justin Moore, Jr. Endowment Fund Jeanann Gray Dunlap Foundation Silver: Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley LLC iAccess CapTech Hunton & Williams General: Altron Corporation Towne Bank The Jefferson Hotel
Building Sisterhood St. Catherine’s invited students from area schools to participate in Girls Innovate program: Albert H. Hill Middle School Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School Thomas C. Boushall Middle School Boys and Girls Clubs Franklin Military Academy Henderson Middle School Martin Luther King Middle School Precious Blessings Academy Southside Baptist Christian School
Make it Happen “I really enjoyed today,” says guest student Caliyah Bennet, another eighth grader from Anna Julia Cooper. “I hope you guys intend on hosting another one, so we can snag another invite.” Girls Innovate resonated with the St. Catherine’s student body as well. Tenth grader Aiza Chaudhry reports she had an aha moment “learning how coding can help you do so much.” In fact, she’s considering taking a coding class next year “because it truly seems like the most useful skill for the future as the world becomes more technologically advanced.” And that may be just the spark that’s needed to set a young girl’s mind aflame.
To read more about this event, see pictures and video, please visit www.stc125.org/events.
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It’s Our Turn Growing up with a father who was prominent in the thought to establish a scholarship fund in his memory banking industry and the Richmond community, at St. Catherine’s, his daughters’ school and where he Eleanor Deane Bierbower ’75’s fiscal responsibility served on the Board of Governors. Now it’s my genand ethical compass were ingrained early, and eration’s turn, and I am proud to have my planned reinforced by both of her gift benefit the Deane Fund. parents’ example. Despite Scholarship dollars not only “My planned gift moving away from Richmond help the School keep tuition brings my family for her own banking career, in check, but they open the subsequently marrying and doors to aspiring students great satisfaction raising her family in who may need assistance. My Maryland, Eleanor mainnow, and will benefit planned gift brings my family tained a strong connecgreat satisfaction now, and tion with her alma mater of it will benefit St. Catherine’s St. Catherine’s for 13 years, serving as a class for generations to come.” generations to come.” correspondent, on reunion There are many ways for committees and on the you to include St. Catherine’s — Eleanor Deane Bierbower ’75 Ellet St. Catherine's National in your estate plans. If you Alumnae Board. are interested in a legacy A Charter Member of The Arcade Society Planned gift or have already remembered the School in your Giving Program, Eleanor chose to include St. Catherine’s plans, please contact Debbie Dunlap ’70, Director as a beneficiary in 1996. She recently designated her of Development, or Judy Hawthorne ’75, Senior legacy gift to benefit the Deane Scholarship Fund. Development Officer, at 804.281.7141 or ddunlap@ “My father impressed upon us the importance of a st.catherines.org or jhawthorne@st.catherines.org. strong educational foundation and the moral imperaFor ideas on how you might include St. Catherine’s tive to expand opportunities for others in our commuin your plans, please visit www.st.catherines.org/ nity. After he passed away in 1992, my mother naturally plannedgiving.
Planned Giving Program
alumnae now New Alumnae Board Members
EllETT BOARD — NATIONAl AluMNAE BOARD Ronda “Re Re” Lawrence Bernstein ’87 entered St. Catherine’s in 1984 as a tenth grade boarder from Memphis, Tenn. After attending Vanderbilt University School of Engineering, she received her Master of Architecture from Catholic University. Since 2001, she has worked in various capacities with the National Park Service at the White House and Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. In 2012, she became an historical consultant, serving as Interim Museum Coordinator for the Octagon Museum in Washington. She currently serves as a Board Member for the Washington Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology and Communications Chair and Events Coordinator. She lives in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. Corbin Cowart Bettencourt ’67 was raised in Loudoun County, Va., and entered St. Catherine’s as a tenth grade boarder. From St. Catherine’s she went to Endicott Junior College and received an A.A. She received a B.A. in Education from the University of South Carolina and an M.S. from Hood College. The mother of three sons. Corbin has been married for 46 years to a former career Army Medical Service Corps Officer. Having earned her certified membership in the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators, Corbin is a recently declared Fellow-in-Training and works privately with dyslexic learners as an educational therapist in Charleston, S.C. Julie Betts ’94 is a Managing Director in the Analytics group at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the San Francisco office, where she leads the Strategic Advisory effort. Prior to joining SVB, Julie worked for 10 years at Greenhill & Co LLC, a boutique investment bank, spending time in both their New
York and London offices. Before Greenhill, Julie worked at Prudential Securities in the M&A Group and at J.P. Morgan in the Syndicated Leveraged Finance Group. Julie received an M.B.A. with honors from Columbia Business School and a B.S. from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. Spencer Bowles Broadbent ’82 graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1986 and began work at The Martin Agency. Following Martin, she earned an M.A. in Art Therapy at George Washington University and moved to San Francisco where she resumed her advertising career at J. Walter Thompson and Goldberg Moser O’Neill/Chiat Day San Francisco. In 1998, Spencer received a professional degree from Tante Marie’s Cooking School. For years she created desserts for Bay Area catering companies and managed events. Since returning to Richmond, Spencer has served as a Richmond Ballet trustee and on VMFA’s Canvas group Board and advisory council member. Spencer and her husband Bartholomew are parents to 10-year-old twins, Charlotte (a 4th grader at St. Catherine's) and Henry. Tyler Hetzer Burr ’05 attended St. Catherine’s for 13 years and graduated in 2005. She went on to the University of Virginia where she received a B.A. in French in 2009. She is the Director of Alumni Relations at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School and lives in Alexandria, Va. with her husband William, and their black lab Winston. She currently serves as a 2005 class correspondent and enjoys traveling, cooking, tutoring French and gardening. Carrie Featherstone Hoge ’93, the Richmond Alumnae Board President, received her Bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduation, she worked for
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elected officials at both the federal and state level and ran a campaign for the Virginia House of Delegates. Carrie then decided to change careers and received her Master’s degree in teaching from VCU. She has taught first grade at St. Christopher’s for the past 17 years. Carrie and her husband, Miles, have two children: a 6th grader at St. Catherine’s and a 3rd grader at St. Christopher’s.
RICHMOND AluMNAE BOARD Marshall Beale ’09 was as a thirteen-year day student. Marshall attended the College of Charleston where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. She is currently working as a third grade teacher in Chesterfield County and is coaching Middle School field hockey at St. Catherine’s. She follows in a long line of alumna volunteers including her mother, Beth Irby Beale ’76, who also serves on the Richmond Board. Joy Walton Herod ’04, a four year day student, received her Master of Arts in Teaching from James Madison University. Upon graduation, she continued her education, receiving a Master of Science in Educational Technology Integration and 21st Century Learning from Wilkes University. She then taught 5th grade with Henrico County Public Schools, receiving her Gifted Education Endorsement, and served as technology and global collaboration contact. Joy and her husband Brian (St. Christopher’s ’04) live in Ashland. Joy has recently taken time off from teaching to be home with her one year-old son, Walton. Elizabeth “Lizzie” Harris Oglesby ’99, a thirteen year day student, is the Senior Officer for Public Relations and Marketing at the Virginia Historical Society. Lizzie is an award-winning photographer and a filmmaker. She exhibits her work nationally with an eye towards fundraising for schools and charities. She graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a M.F.A. in Photography. She holds a B.A. in Film and Photography from Hollins University.
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Mary Watson Hayes ’79
President, Ellett-St. Catherine’s National Alumnae Board A regular workday for me in New York is focused on macroeconomics, the equity market and servicing my high-net-worth clients. It is both intellectually fulfilling and challenging; it can be exhilarating and, at other times, it can be fraught with hard decisions. Confidence is the key and the differentiating factor that allows me to be successful and juggle the complications of the workday. As alumnae, we have confidence that we can bring to our adult lives, our careers, and our families that comes from our experiences at St. Catherine’s. We are the beneficiaries of the gift of an outstanding education, a spiritual foundation and a girl-centered environment that helped us to grow into the fullness of ourselves. As a member of the Ellett Board and now its President, I have had the privilege of revisiting the School. It is inspiring to see how St. Catherine’s has continued to grow to ensure that the girls today will be equipped to be strong women of the future. Under
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Former longtime class correspondent Frances Bushnell Forsyth reports with great pride that her grandson is attending Virginia Tech on a four year scholarship.
75th Reunion Audrey Straus Koch, 13310 Oakwood Dr., Rockville, MD 20850 Geline Bowman Williams writes, “I have five wonderful children, 12 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Since not one lives in Virginia, I travel a bit to visit them, take me during the past year to Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Joppa, Md., Murfreesboro, Tenn. and Atlanta, plus across the Atlantic to Prague, Slovakia, Budapest and Vienna. Senior living has great opportunities.”
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Bebe Woolfolk Trice, 506 Tuckahoe Blvd., Richmond, VA 23226; bebetrice@comcast.net
Please send us your news!
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Needs correspondent!
Please send us your news!
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Dr. Terrie Scheckelhoff ’s strong leadership and together with an outstanding faculty, the School continues to impress in every area. One of the most rewarding parts of our recent Ellett Board meetings was to experience firsthand what the School is like today. We got a window into the day of a student by attending classes, and we were able to see athletics and arts in action. We heard from the students about outreach projects and learned from faculty about new innovations and new methods. We even went to Chapel! There are more labs, more research, and more studios at St. Catherine’s today, providing countless opportunities for learning and discovery! When we were there as students years ago, it always felt as if we were standing on the shoulders of giants. Miss Jennie was a giant in her vision of education and in her commitment to girls. Now, the School is developing new giants for the future as the girls today stand on the shoulders of many outstanding leaders, teachers and alumnae. We all carry this legacy with confidence, and we should be so proud of our School. Happy 125th!
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Barbara Evans Davis, 11905 West Briarpatch, Midlothian, VA 23113 Please send us your news!
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Needs correspondent!
Mary Whitley Christian Haycox remembers her years at St. Catherine’s during World War II. “We used to assemble downstairs in case of an air raid.”
70th Reunion Needs correspondent! Please send us your news!
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Needs correspondent!
Ruth Johns Hill received a visit to her lovely home on the Ware River in Gloucester from her niece Gussie Johns Bannard ’73, along with all of Gussie’s kids and grandkids.
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Susan Gravely Wingfield, 556 Lady Slipper Ln., Lynchburg, VA 24502; gunnygose@gmail.com Dear Classmates: Hope this news finds you all well and keeping up! A letter from Janet Horsley Mauck says she is still teaching preschoolers three
times a week and enjoying every minute. She also has five grandchildren and spends as much time with them as possible. In addition, she says both of her brothers as well as two sons live in Richmond which makes her feel so lucky. She also sent a copy of Spencer Robertson Newell’s obituary from June 2014. I know we all remember Spencer so well and her wonderful kind heart. May she rest in peace. A long letter from Mary Vogel Griffith tells us that she is still painting portraits and doing some sculpting as well. She stays active walking her dogs and even swims laps. She is still her ambitious self. Good for you dear Mary. She has four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. All I can say is “WOW.” She says she has a phone and to call her anytime. Another note from Louise Lewis Toms notes that she has moved to Chatham Square and loves seeing her old neighbors. She keeps up with Priscilla Marks Griffith and says that Priscilla is “very active , youthful and beautiful as always.” Sue Peter Jones writes, “Not new but still relatively healthy for being in my mid-eighties: 85 in September to be exact. Bill and I have lived happily and comfortably at the Shenandoah Valley West Canterbury since 1998. We have three grandsons: Tim (25), working on his Ph.D. in English at LSU; Dylan (21) is at Loyola in New Orleans, and Scott in Ocean Springs, Miss. plays the snare drum. Our daughter Robin is head of lighting at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. I don’t visit her as often anymore — a little far to drive on my own.” That is about it for news of us
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but thank you for those who try hard to keep me informed. I remember all of you and look forward to seeing you in 2017. “Keep on keeping on!” Your classmate, Susan Wingfield.
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Peggy Wood Doss, 112 Wynnwood Dr., Wilmington, DE 19810 Jane Cecil, 1600 Westbrook Ave., Apt. 404, Richmond, VA 23227
Please send us your news!
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Ann Reeves Reed, 8603 River Rd., Richmond, VA 23229; 207arr@gmail.com We had a wonderful 65th Reunion Weekend in April. Twelve of us gathered as you saw in the photo in the summer alumnae magazine. Patsy Moncure Sharpe missed the photoshoot as her sister Betsy Moncure Bredrup’s ’55 husband Chris was performing a piano recital. We Richmonders appreciate those who made the effort to come from out of town: Mary Southall Lane, Jane Mathias Noland, Joan Dunbar O’Connor, Margie Morris Powell, and Beth Hutson Turnburke. It makes all the difference. Unfortunately Louise Fowlkes Kegley became ill en route to the dinner with her husband George and we did not get to see them at all. Louise was looking ahead to a heart valve operation, which went well but resulted in a slight stroke. She spent five weeks in rehab and we hope she will improve in the next months. Marion Yantis Schmidt writes that she spent the month of January in Delray, Fla. for the 67th year! She keeps up with classes at Northwestern and enjoys Mah Jong. She hopes to visit Sara Breckenridge Wright in Paris possibly next spring. She has three children - in 2003 one son sadly passed away. The eldest of her six grandchildren, Kate, has a fabulous job in Delhi, speaking Hindi and Urdu. Joan Dunbar O’Connor is truly excited that her granddaughter Sarah Clay Wright (daughter of Sallie O’Connor Wright ’83) is at St. Catherine’s in the ninth grade. Sarah is looking forward to singing in the upcoming Ampersand musical. Sallie and her family have been living in Richmond and Joan comes up from Georgia for holidays. As soon as her house is sold, Jane Mathias Noland is downsizing to a house in Warrenton, Va. that her daughter lived in. Sadly we have lost another classmate, Anne Burwell Gardner, who passed away in March. To those we have not heard from, please send some news for the next issue.
65th Reunion Needs correspondent! Mariah Chisholm Hasker and husband Bill celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at a family reunion at their daughter’s home in Aspen, Colo.
Their sons came from Houston and LA with their respective families, complete with six granddaughters in attendance! Martha Erwin Uzzle has enjoyed the past two years as a resident of The Forest at Duke in Durham, N.C.
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Nancy Deupree Parker, 420 East Fair Harbor Lane, Houston, Texas, 77079; nancyparker361@gmail Nancy Snowden Deupree Parker, your temporary new correspondent for the Class of ’52, was disappointed when there was no 1952 news in the last issue. I have been at a loss to find any old friends and classmates due to our not having had the luxury of computers, cell phones, or Facebook when we graduated. A lot of us took our husbands’ names, sometimes 2nd and 3rd husband’s names and unless you live in a region near Richmond and hear about fellow classmates, all is lost except for the St Catherine’s news of ’52. Therefore, please write me some of your news for our next issue so our “I wonder whatever happened to…” questions about each other will be answered. In “retirement” I think many of us continue to be just about as busy as we were in our multi-tasking days, but take 10 minutes’ time (10 minutes!) to let the rest of your classmates know you’re still out there doing your journey. Rose Montgomery Johnston is a practicing psychologist and has four daughters. Her attorney husband died about two years ago. She has lived in Memphis, Tenn. a long time. She keeps busy, busy, busy with numerous activities and has a personal trainer to help keep her flexible and healthy. Catherine Lotterhos Mills married a doctor so they moved quite a bit before he started practicing, and she keeps up with as many St. Catherine’s friends that she can find near Hendersonville, N.C. or near their summer home... more in next issue. Nancy Burress Pinkard is alive and well in Salem, Va… more in next issue. Marcia Ballou Turner lost her Ob/Gyn husband of 50 years last summer. Luckily she has three children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren to help her cope with the grief process. She’s lived in Danville, Va. for a long, long time. Helen Turner Murphy’s daughter Anne Brumley works at St. Catherine’s, and her granddaughter Grayson Brumley is in 5th grade. “It’s nice to have continuing connections!” Susan Satterfield Jackson lives in scenic Kingsport, Tenn., has three grown children and nine grandchildren ranging in age from 17-31. In the past she has lived in Mississippi, N.C, and Alabama. We reminisced about a time when we were 16-17, traveling with our parents on St. John’s Island, Virgin Is. We were sailing by ourselves and had to be rescued from going out of the safe harbor into the big, wild ocean. Aah, those good ole simple days. As for me, Nancy Snowden Deupree Parker is my Facebook name. I turned into an artist, married twice, am now
widowed and while “still looking at 81,” have been on three African safaris, gone hunting as a photographer with camera, checked on the rainforests of Borneo, and live in Houston, TX. Let me hear you’re still alive and send me news for the next issue. Email me at nancyparker361@gmail. com or call or text my cell phone at 832.524.8442, message via Facebook, or write me this fall BEFORE we get caught up in all the holidays.
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Jane Southall Bowles, 2 North 5th St., Richmond, VA 23219; jane.m.s.bowles@gmail.com
Kenny Darling Garbee wrote about her fabulous trip to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Capetown with her children, their wives and grandchildren. “We survived a charging hippo, had lions march sedately by three feet from my truck where I was sitting holding my breath. I bravely went ‘zip lining’ over the Gorge at Victoria Falls, while the children and grandchildren did the ‘Swing’ which involves free fall of hundreds of feet before being swung wildly to and fro above rushing waters, rapids and a glorious rainbow.” Judy Hill Lawes writes that in May “I went on a wonderful art tour with the New Britain Museum of Art to Berlin and Dresden. Wonderful what they have done in the rebuilding of those bombed out cities. The museums and palaces are spectacular. I have particularly enjoyed the tour of the Meissen porcelain factory and the unspoiled medieval town there.” Peggy Thomas Bird writes that she plays golf occasionally and bridge weekly. She spent Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia. Her grandson Campbell (Lloyd’s son) was married there. Nancy Brogden Booker, Rosemary French Wood, Dorothy Parker Hale, Eva Martin Bryson and I (class correspondent Jane Southall Bowles) had lunch at Cafe Caturra in Richmond in July and enjoyed catching up. The same group with the additions of Jo Jackson Miller and Tibby Moore Garner ’54 met at Rosie’s house on Labor Day. Vienna Cobb Anderson has returned from a journey from Barcelona to Rome, along the French and Italian Riviera. “It was fascinating to see the radical changes that have taken place since I was last in the area in 1958. I was the oldest in our group of 20, and in the larger passenger group which totalled 60. One of the daily challenges was keeping up with the group as we walked through the old parts of a city, over uneven cobblestones, or pebbly surfaces.” Remarkable as she is, we are sure she kept up more and more. Maryanne Saunders McElroy’s granddaughter Ellie McElroy ’12, who attended St. Catherine’s until she moved to Staunton, Va., graduated from Sweet Briar College last May. “It was a beautiful and sad ceremony.” Maryanne has two other granddaughters at St. Catherine’s (Gigi Rhodes ’26 and Ann Claiborne Rhodes ’21) and they love it. Her
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grandsons attend Woodberry Forest, St. Christopher’s, The Steward School, and VMI. “They are so happy in their schools. We are very proud grandparents.” Maryanne and Randolph live in Goochland, Va. where they farm and raise cattle. “Crazy at our age!” Thanks for your news and please email, call or write for the Spring magazine.
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Needs correspondent!
Please send us your news!
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Caro Short Beebe, 3115 Stony Point Rd., Unit B, Richmond, VA 23235; jbeebejr@aol.com Susan King French writes in, “son Turner Hunt has invented and patented an oceanfront turbine which, when placed low in the gulf stream, would generate a steady flow of electricity and is not subject to lapses as are wind turbines in calm weather conditions. Turner has a degree in aerospace engineering from University of Kansas.” Condolences to Anne Findlay Dorsey who lost her husband Bill in January. “We had been married for almost 58 years! My classmates will remember him walking around the campus with me on weekends when he would come over from UVA.”
60th Reunion Penny deBordenave Saffer, 1500 Westbrook Ct., #3131, Richmond, VA 23227; Penelope1845@gmail.com The class extends its sympathy to Betty Rains Grymes whose husband, Peyton, died at the end of September. Maria Hall Temple writes, “I am currently serving as a warden at St. James Episcopal Church in Keene, N.H. This year we are remembering our native son Jonathan Daniels, a young seminarian, who answered the call from The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. early in 1965 to come to Alabama working for voting rights. Jon was murdered in August, a few weeks after Selma, by an off duty sheriff in Hayneville, Ala. As I write this, I remember and honor Susanna Pleasants Turner, the Head of School at St. Catherine’s in 1956. She, in her own way, was a defender of social justice.” Patty Redfearn Bush writes from St. Louis that she had a “quick and thoughtful visit” from Jo Powell Smith, who lives with her husband, Richard, in Houston. They had a nice catch up, remembering St. Cat’s friends and “the coconut cake Jo’s mother always served at their beautiful house overlooking the river.” They went through the yearbook, with not enough time to compare notes about all the pictures, but remembering happy times. Patty has enjoyed seeing Sue Walden Wieland’s extraordinary art collection on the High Museum’s website and she saw Margaret Davidson Bethea in Atlanta last year. Patty
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reported that Margaret still has her irresistible dimples. Janet Jamison Rose, Sophie Martin Wood, and Ann Reynolds Scott had a roommate reunion in Charlotte, N.C, in the fall and are planning to come to our 60th reunion in 2016. Dorothy Rowlett Colburn and Bob were headed to Paris to visit their son and family, thence to London where they once lived. They also planned a visit to St. Louis shortly afterward. She, too, hopes to get to our reunion. Susie Totten Peters and John visited the Baltic and St. Petersburg last summer and then watched their son Ross be installed as Head of School at St. George’s Independent School in Memphis. Living in the heart of the city they anticipated being pretty much “shut in” during the international bike races held in Richmond in September. Isabel Ware Burch is now able to see more of her grandson, George Hall, who is a freshman at the University of Richmond. She, too, is looking forward to our 60th reunion when we will also be celebrating St. Catherine’s 125 years! After heading an extraordinary year of celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Bruton Parish Church building she is anticipating having Michael Curry, the newly elected Presiding Bishop, as the final preacher in December. Pie Pinckney Friendly and Alfred spent time visiting son Christopher and his wife in Arles during one of the many (she says!) vacations he seems to have from his teaching in Paris. Jean Ann Lowry Raymer has six grandchildren, all in Atlanta, and feels lucky to be so close which means they probably will never be able to move to a smaller house! They had to decamp to their children’s house for nine months after their house on the Chattahoochee river flooded in 2013. The younger grandchildren ask when they can move back in with them so it must have had a bright side. Richard is retired from practicing law so they can now travel when they want to, but are somewhat limited by health and stamina. I, too, love living near my two youngest grandchildren (the oldest is away finishing college) and they love roaming the halls at Westminster-Canterbury as much as I love having them here. Many classmates commented on how many have died, and others are dealing with various challenging of aging. Please stay strong and plan to come to our 60th!
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Ceci Christison Manley, 3907 Foxfield Ter., Richmond, VA 23233; cecilawson@aol.com Ellen Michaux Gower, 786 Drift Rd., Westport, MA 02790; egower4549@aol.com
We’ve had reports on broken bones, replacement parts, hospitalizations and treatises on aging throughout the year. Some of us also have older parents in their late 90’s or early 100’s who are occupying our time, which is contributing to our graying, thinning hair. Still we march on. So, here’s
to a gentle old age to all of us. Peter and I spent the summer living on our newly acquired old cruising boat, a 1980’s 30ft. Carver with “aft cabin.” When the electronics had been either replaced or fixed, we joined the last part of a cruise with our Virtual Yacht Club, Baldwin, from Mystic, Conn., to Watch Hill, Dutch Harbor, East Greenwich, and Wickford, R.I. in the Narragansett Bay area. We thought about Ellen Michaux Gower as we cruised around her neck of the woods. We “waved” to Mary Denny Scott Wray as we passed Fisher’s Island on our way out and back from Mystic Shipyard, where we keep our boat, After Five. Our class lunches have drawn more people’s attention as they either want to get away from where they are for a while or just visit someone or something near Richmond. Our latest was in August when Jeanne Bounds Hamilton was “at the river” from NYC; Norma Brawley Dugger came from Md.; Caroline Hunton High from N.C.; and, Polly Taylor Watson from Virginia Beach. There were 10 of us but I missed it because I was floating around somewhere in Long Island Sound. Norma hopes to bring Lelia Gibson Hendren with her for our Christmas lunch at TJ’s at the Jefferson. It’ll be early in December so as not to conflict with other Christmas activities. Again, please send me a note or call anytime you’re going to be in the area on the third Tuesday of any month. It is always a fun time with our classmates.
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Susan Judd Cunningham Ellis, 217 Crossing Cove Way, White Stone, VA 22578; sweetsue@vabb.com
Louise Frazer Mooney and her longtime “beau” of 24 years, John Gabel had a “surprise” popup wedding as part of his birthday celebration in 2012. Cary White Baber was quite pleased about her two-week river cruise last summer from Prague to Budapest having a great time with some girlfriends. Ginny Cone has had a rough time this year health-wise with three surgeries and major rehab but reports that she is recovering well now and improving every day. She sends best wishes to all of us. Page Elliott Murray reports that her three sons, three grandsons and three granddaughters are keeping her quite busy with soccer and basketball games and she enjoyed traveling with some great trips abroad. Jean Hill Davenport reported on her pride on how well her three St. C granddaughters are doing. Lyn Dillard O’Ferrall serves as a chaplain’s assistant at St. Mary’s and also keeps busy with her progeny including two at UVA this year and one continuing at West Point. Suzanne Sulzer Powers spent a week in Disney World with six of the grandchildren and also attended the International Conference for Dup15q Syndrome on behalf of their little granddaughter, Madison. This condition causes developmental problems for little ones. Alice Horsley Siegel was
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anticipating another great visit with Page Moncure Scarselli in October when Page comes from Italy for her niece’s wedding. Adelaide Shinberger Smith is thankful for her good health and her ability to pursue her two passions – tennis for pleasure and competition, and psychotherapy using state of the art neurobiological research to work with many alternative approaches based on the neuroplasticity of our brains. The website is emdria.org if you are curious. Letitia Lavender Sweitzer reported that her book The Elephant in the ADHD Room won the Georgia Author of the Year Award for 2014 and she is continuing to speak and coach on this subject as she enjoys her new home outside of Atlanta after many years in the city. Douglas Laughon Wallace, the dedicated and busy realtor, reports that all the family was together with her and her husband Ray at Virginia Beach for two weeks this summer. Her grandson Vaden is driving and also a successful golfer with two recent holes in one, and Latane at 13 is quite the hockey player. On a serious note, I have heard from Russ Roberts, husband of Martha Young Roberts, who informed me that Marty is now residing at Spring Arbor, an assisted living facility, as she battles a form of dementia. He indicated that cards might please Marty and can be sent to Room 403, Spring Arbor, 5308 River Road, Fredericksburg, Va., 22407. He said we should know that Marty most likely will not reply. Gary and I are visiting Dallas to see daughter #1 and San Francisco to see daughter #3 and don’t plan on taking any other trips until we go south this winter. We travel back and forth to Luray to our house in the mountains so we have the water in White Stone and the mountains in Luray. Hope you all are doing well and PLEASE send me news anytime. WE LOVE NEWS!
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Linkey Booth Green, 32 Chelsea Ln., Carlisle, PA 17015; Nancy Moss Hahn, 1305 Rye St., Houston, TX 77029; nhmh@aol.com
Rhetta Fair Wilson writes, “Harold and I had a nice trip to Spain in May. I’m still taking care of our three granddaughters three days a week in Hampton. I had long days in the summer, but now it’s just two or three hours of taking them to activities after school. Meanwhile I’m trying to get serious about clearing out 46 years of accumulation in our big house in hopes of moving to something smaller, probably in Hampton near them.” Leezee Scott Porter writes that she is still spending time in Washington, Portland, Ore. and Salt Spring Island, B.C. She would love to connect with anyone else in the Portland area. Katherine Parrish Shelburne is still as busy as ever having moved to The Forest at Duke. She played in a national tennis tournament and has played on 15
USTA teams this year. She is still teaching in the Durham public schools working on year 50. Katherine also says that she lost 23 lbs this summer on Atkins and loves playing Pickleball. Her granddaughter has been invited to national dance training in California. Her husband retired from the V.A. after 42 years and started a new job the next day! Betsy Chambers Shindlebower and Wolf spent the Christmas holidays cruising from Miami through the Panama Canal to San Francisco. From there they boarded a train to New Orleans, a three day, two night trip. (Bet Betsy was remembering some of our train rides from Ky. to Richmond back in the day.) They spent five delightful days in N.O. then flew home. Patsy Davis is traveling with Greta Gibson in Bhutan and Ladakh. After that trip she will return to Lucknow where she taught three years ago. In May she experienced a remarkable week and a half in Lebanon and Syria. Katherine Haskell Subramanian had a peaceful, beautiful summer at home enjoying her wildlife habitat, tending to her organic vegetable garden, and making sure their 15-year-old dog (child!) is happy and comfortable. She is rehearsing the Brahms Requiem and the Messiah for her choral group’s two concerts before Christmas. Plus she is still doing medicinal aromatherapy, Reiki, and Reconnective Healing. Jane Gregory Loving is practicing law and in court every day and loves it! She says Baltimore is a challenge these days with the recent riots but she has a carry permit and does take her gun with her at all times since she is in a bad neighborhood. Anne Pinckney Gay expresses what we all feel when she says “I hate writing these notes, but since I love reading about each and every one of my classmates, it is only fair that I do my part every once in awhile.” Anne says that Jim retired Jan 1, and so far it has been good. They have had lovely trips to Portugal, Italy and France in May and another one to NYC and Massachusetts in September. They also enjoyed having a 17 year-old French girl spend three weeks with them in July. She is the granddaughter of her French “sister” with whom she lived when on The Experiment in International Living in 1959. Anne feels very blessed to have two of their four children living within a mile of her and another in Louisville, which is only an hour away. Her son lives in California but comes to Kentucky often as he works for Churchill Downs. Anne and Jim thoroughly enjoy their 10 grandchildren, whose ages range from 21 to under a year. She planned to visit Richmond in November to celebrate her sister’s birthday. Harriet Dick Brown writes that she is enjoying her children and grandchildren. Granddaughter Katherine Grace is taking piano lessons and Caroline is taking riding lessons. Harriet is spending a lot of time in church helping with their food ministry and has learned all sorts of new tricks and recipes. Harriet is also taking
Betsy Stevens Prioleau ’60 and her husband, Dr. Philip Prioleau vacationing in France
piano lessons and is having fun. After she has her lesson they open the bar and have dinner. Martha Cole Glenn spent three weeks in Peru in June, from Lima south through Lake Titikaka then north to Macchu Picchu. She and her Golden Retriever, Chase (Trifecta's Steeplechase Bet, QAA, MH, WCX) competed in the Master National (national event for retrievers) in October. She is so proud to report that Alina Abuzyarova ’03 (who Martha introduced to St. Catherine's and who has changed her name to Alina Zarr) has a new job as Founding Managing Partner for Terra de Promissio, her sister and brother in law's vineyard, specializing in Pinot Noir in Petaluma in Sonoma County, Calif. For the last six years Alina worked on Capitol Hill as a lobbyist for Grant Thornton accounting firm. As for your class correspondent for this issue, Nancy Moss Hahn, life continues to roll on in the same routine. I still work full time in the family chemical business and spend any spare time needlepointing and doing a little bit of gardening. Several times a year I go on long weekends with “the girls” for stitching retreats. Daughter Laura is a captain with United Airlines and her son, William, is becoming a very good baseball player as a junior in high school this year. George, Jr. works with me every day along with his wife Tasca. Their four children are doing well. Mark is a freshman at LSU this year, Morgan graduated last year from University of Houston and the twins started junior high. Like Anne Gay, I am very fortunate that they all live close and I get to see them frequently.
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Kate Roy Massie Christian, 101 Maple Ave., Richmond, VA 23226; kateroy@earthlink.net Marilyn Sheffield Savery reports, “Nine years ago I married a college sweetheart, forty-three years after he asked me to marry him the first time. Between us we have six children, twelve grandchildren, spend winters in Florida and summers between N.C. and Va. Life is good!” Betsy Stevens Prioleau writes “We have moved apartments to 1025 Fifth Avenue, and Phoebe still loves medicine
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An April gathering of classmates, class of 1961, in Richmond. L to R, bottom row: Susan Luck, Mary Meade Trice Davenport, Sarah Kent Parrish, Kitty Anderson Carling; top row: Alice Funkhouser Flowers, Anne Pole, Virginia Hunton Totten, Sarah Rand Braddock, Dabney Williams McCoy, Betsy Burke Trow
and is in her third year at Mt. Sinai. I’m working on a new book, a 19th-century biography.” (www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkAVyg6hjpQ. and www.youtube.com/watch?v=txffQhhQ_k4) Dottie Norris Schipper’s “…ballroom dance group has increased to 50 students (from eight seven years ago). Our Gold Star Youth program won the Volunteer of the Year award for our non-profit organization which teaches children from six to eighteen Ballroom Dance at no charge to the families of low income...We have entered the students in local and regional competitions, and are training them in International Standard and Latin as well. Watch ‘Take the Lead’ which is the Hollywood version of the true story (or the documentary ‘Mad Hot Ballroom.’)” Archer Dodson Heinzen and Jim “are currently camping around the country with a theme of learning about Native Americans. The first time we did this we focused on Lewis and Clark. Back at the end of September.” Archer adds, “Anybody interested in doing volunteer work with children or youth in Guatemala? Please contact Frances. (fleevandell @gmail.com).” Frances Johnson Lee-Vandell explains that Archer will lead a Class of ’60 mission trip to Chichicastenego, Guatemala, beginning with a week in Antiqua for Spanish training. Frances Bailey Broaddus Crutchfield writes, “Bacone College in Oklahoma awarded me an honorary…Doctor of Humane Letters, at its graduation ceremony last May…Also received awards from Virginia Professional Communicators (formerly Virginia Press Women): Two First Place Awards for a poem and a speech…three Second Place Awards for a poem, a feature story and an editorial/opinion piece…The speech…received a Second Place Award from the National Federation of Press Women.” Sallie McPherson Duell writes, Townsend Daniel Kent and her husband, Bob, stayed with Charlie and me following a week at Kiawah…This has become a yearly visit. Townsend and I …went to lunch with Susu Woodward Ravenel ’61 who is one of my dearest friends. I see
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True Gregory Applegate ’62, Panny Gregory Rhodes’ younger sister, and Dottie Norris Schipper and Kitsy Rose Small… I wish more…classmates would let me know when they are in Charleston…I am involved with Middleton Place, a National Historic Landmark, home to a Signer of the Declaration and the oldest landscaped gardens in America. Members of the class of ’63 celebrated turning 70 in St. Augustine, Fla. L to R: Since the massacre Robin Rosborough Webster, Amanda Schuster Frei, Betty Lee Miller Payne, Anne at Mother Emanuel Warren Holland, Maggie Myers Morris, Frances Williams Twiss, Nancy McLean Church in June in Jenkins and Kay Ferriday Blossom. Charleston…. Susu and newest grandson. Casa continues to paint and I…have been working care for four wonderful dogs on Ladys’ Island, S.C. for Gun Sense SC…I have thirteen wonderful Isabel Rawlings Cohen reports she and her grandchildren and step-grandchildren…My husband shifted gears this past summer and had second, Peter Pritchard…is working at Harris a great time taking care of two of their grandchilWilliams in Richmond...” Kate Roy Massie dren, ages 6 and 13, for son Josh. Dabney Williams Christian and Dixon are fine and still focused on McCoy spent much of the summer in Maine with St. Stephen’s and St. Catherine’s, respectively. family. Fall brings transitions for four grandsons. Becky Powell sends “URGENT BULLETIN about One off to St. Andrew’s Episcopal Boarding hip replacement: ANTERIOR APPROACH surgery School in Delaware, two entering Middle School WITHOUT GENERAL ANESTHESIA a MUST for (St. Christopher’s in Richmond and Trinity painless, 4-week TOTAL recovery! Episcopal in Charlotte) and one starting kindergarten at St. Michael’s in Richmond! After spend55th Reunion ing a cool summer in California Jane Edmunds Sara Riley Gibson, 1318 Loch Lomond Ln., Novak has returned to hot Florida. She hopes to Richmond, VA 23221; join a great turnout for our 55th reunion. Page sarargibson@verizon.net Harrison Pragoff and husband moved to an old house built in 1890 along the Brandywine River. Betsy Burke Trow, 415 Somerset Ave., A fall trip to Venice, then Paris to be with old Richmond, VA 23226; betsytrow@gmail.com friends was planned. Page is also looking forward Mary Meade Trice Davenport reminds us that 2016 to our reunion. Patsy Jamerson Williamson and is a BIG year, not only St. Cat’s 125th celebration her husband traveled on the Queen Mary II and but our 55th reunion! St. C. guests attending the spent four fun filled days in London this past June. wedding of Sarah Kent Parrish’s daughter Clair A beautiful wedding of close family friends at the Parrish Winston ’94 in Wyoming were Clair’s Chalfont Inn in Cape May, N.J. was also a summer classmates Mary New Dalton ’94, Mary Price Ellis highlight. Patsy’s oldest grandson is off to Rollins ’94, Whitney Zimmerman Edwards ’94, Caroline College. After a memorable 57 years on Banbury Totten Gary ’94, Armpie Talman Ramsey ’94, and Road Susu Rowe has moved to a condo in Nina Luxmoore ’94, plus Martha Kent ’64, Anne Richmond’s Locke Lane community where she Gordon Goodykoontz Grissom ’95, Sallie Cecil is very happy being on one floor with no mainteStillwell ’81, and Janie Stillwell ’18. In November, nance worries. Susu still enjoys going to horse Kitty Anderson Carling and husband Dick are shows and volunteering for the Virginia Pony celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Breeders Association. Torrence McClure Harman the west coast of Florida, and will host daughter is getting ready to retire after nine years as rector Lucy’s family at the Homestead for Thanksgiving. of two churches in Lancaster, Va. — St. Mary’s Christmas will be spent with son Scott’s family Whitechapel, built in the 1660’s, and its younger in Lexington, Ky. Kitty sends her love to all. Casa sister, Trinity (1884) at Lancaster Courthouse. Haskins Bacot, with numerous cousins and grandShe will continue to teach religion courses at children, celebrated an August christening of her
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Rappahannock Community College, serve as a Spiritual Director for individuals, and lead groups and retreats, and, for a while, will continue as Dean of Region ll (21 churches) for the Diocese of Virginia. Torrence and husband Buff hope to travel some and try to keep up with their 13 grandchildren; three are in college and the youngest is 3 years old. Torrence is really looking forward to our upcoming reunion. Please put April 15-16, 2016 on your calendars for our 55th ST. C Reunion. Sara and I thank those of you who shared your news with us. Happy fall!
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Gwen Brannon Weeks, 164 River Bluff Ln., King and Queen Court House, VA 23085; nauticalgourmet67@verizon.net Jenny Lee Flowers Strother has updated us on her life for the past 35 years. She married in 1980 and has a wonderful stepdaughter 15 years older than her son. She has granddaughters ranging from 26 to six months old and a great grandson one year old. Her son lives in Alpharetta, Ga. after graduating with honors from Kellogg in 2014. One granddaughter and family live in Huntsville, Ala. as her husband is with NASA and the rest of family live in Memphis close to Jenny Lee. Jenny Lee
loves being a grandmother and has achieved the nickname “Titanium Tess” after having two knees and two hips replaced and three screws in her cervical vertebra from a fall when she was sleep walking. Nan Seaton Hall and Polly have moved to Westminster Canterbury in Richmond. Unfortunately in the midst of the move, Nan experienced chest pain and had stents inserted to relieve the blockage. Kenzie Sinnickson Hubard and Happy enjoyed a wonderful trip to Alaska and Canada this summer. Kenzie stays very active serving as Chairman of the Entertainment Committee for the Colonial Dames, playing bridge and helping with the Fishing Bay Sailing Camp. Marty Rogers Brown is thrilled to have a new grandson, Tanner Lennox Brown. Our prayers and condolences are with Ann Gregory Reiss. Her beloved husband Bruce of 35 years passed away from Stage 4 lung cancer in April.
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Ann Dennison Murray, 312 Landing Ln., Chestertown, MD 21620; admurray@ksu.edu Susan Klaus, 1 John Christopher Ct., 23226; slklaus@verizon.net
Another summer flew by…could it possibly be age? Most of us have, are, or about to turn 70! Betty Lee Miller Payne reports further on the birthday celebration hosted by Robin Rosborough Webster in Ponte Verdra, Fla. for nine St. Catherine’s friends, adding “we did not stop laughing about old memories from Bacot II and beyond.” Betty Lee and husband Steve also celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Steve’s 50th Yale reunion, AND welcomed eighth grandchild, Beatrix Payne. She closes: “Blessings abound…. Lots of love to precious friends from St. Catherine’s days.” Susan Whitfield Sawyer has also been reflecting; “It is really true that as we get older, life gets better…but also, it seems to me, time becomes more precious.” She and husband Dave continue to work with a new church in Albany, N.Y. and she is gratified that “the inner city ministries we assist are beginning to bear fruit.” Frances Williams Twiss visits daughter Louise in Bermuda and delights in grandchildren Oliver, almost four, and year-old twins Isabel and Caroline. She had a wonderful visit with Edwin and Zayde Dotts Child at their stone house in Provence. Frances and Jane Moody Galbraith enjoy meeting at the VMFA. Frances still found
SPOTLIGHT
Rev. Gale Hodkinson Cooper ’63 Retired is a peculiar way to define the current scenario for the Rev. Gale Hodkinson Cooper ’63. In her retire-
ment from St. John’s Episcopal Church in Charlotte, N.C., Cooper is on call 24/7. As a volunteer Coastal Crisis Chaplain in Charleston, S.C., Cooper ministers to first responders and provides comfort to citizens on the scene of a crisis, such as school tragedy, fatal
traffic accident, suicide, or homicide, as well as in the aftermath of such crises. “Elliott [my husband] and I moved to Charleston 5 1/2 years ago,” says Cooper. “I really did think I would be retired; and that was a bit sad, because I love to work. Lo and behold! — our God is a God of wonderful surprises.” The Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy has established itself as one of the best programs of its kind in the country. The organization responds to regular requests for training to establish similar programs elsewhere and to respond to natural disasters such as the devastating October flooding in S.C. that left many citizens and first responders traumatized. The website for the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy states that it serves more than 30 local, state and federal government agencies, primarily helping first responders both on and off scene, allowing them to thrive personally and professionally
amid continuously challenging circumstances. All Chaplains are ordained ministers and must meet rigid requirements for selection and training in the program. They assist the Coroner in notifying individuals who have lost a family member in an unexpected manner, assist the Mobile Crisis Unit and SWAT teams in hostage negotiations and other local emergency situations; and to provide follow-up visitations in the home or in the hospital for victims of crimes and their families. The Survivor Follow Up program helps connect survivors to long term care, an element that can be overlooked once the floodwaters have receded or the embers cool. “Serving with our police, fire and rescue personnel is an honor,” Cooper attests. “They are angels. Truly, they are. We encounter some of the worst heartaches daily, but we also are so very privileged to see and feel the power of love to heal.”
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Keithley Rose Miller ’65 with her granddaughter Emma Louise Casey.
Roz Kemper McLean ’65 and Barbara Montgomery O’Connell ’65 in front of the harbor in Camden, Maine.
Ann Babcock ’65 with 3 of her 4 grandchildren near Mt. Mitchell, N.C.
time to take a class on the 19th century novel at VCU. Sue Morck Perrin also sends happy birthday wishes to all. She ran into Laura Burks Logan ’64 at Pawley’s Island, who recalled that our headmistress, Susanna P. Turner, was the Head of School at an elementary school in Roanoke after her retirement from St. Catherine’s. Once again, Miss Turner is setting us an example for finding the next chapter in our lives. Ann Dennison Murray is getting ready for second son Ian’s wedding in California to “Mei Li, a lovely girl who just graduated from Stanford Law School. [Husband] John will officiate as he did two years ago for Jonathan’s wedding.” Happily, Ann reports she is recovering well from a benign brain tumor discovered in March and will be back to teaching online for Kansas State University this fall. Anne Stuart Brown Swann also is recovering from medical challenges, but getting great joy from five grandchildren and their parents. She has fond memories of St. Catherine’s days: “coming from a small town, it was wonderful….I still feel like the young girl I was at St. Catherine’s—it’s just my body that isn’t quite the same!” Barbara Bassett Rittner and husband Peter spent eleven days discovering London. She writes that when visiting Chaucer's gravesite she could hear “echoes of Ms. Trimmer’s voice” at Westminster Abbey and remembered “Mrs. Morgan reading Chaucer to us, so we would know what middle English sounded like.” I (Susan) don’t remember much, but I can still recite the first 14 lines of the Canterbury Tales Prologue!
reconnect and have fun together. The trips that Annabel Morgan Edge organized to the garden and the museum were wonderful. Lastly, I am very impressed with the fine education the school is offering today.”
Peyton. Husband Drew retired from the US Naval Academy.” Susan Williams Treitz wrote: “Oh, how I missed you all.” Weezie Firth reports that her daughter, Firth, married Matt Martin in Crested Butte, Colo. on July 31. Keithley Rose Miller wrote that she has seen Cathy Hall Stopher and Weezie Firth. She is living in Palm Beach and designing with Kemble Interiors. “Coastal Living featured a Hobe Sound guest house of mine in their March/ April issue.” Margaret Eppes Curtis wrote that the reunion was great. “I only wish we had full attendance.” Carolyn Mapp Hewes reports that she and Lem share six children and 10 grandchildren from 2 to 19 years. They are very involved in health charities in Atlanta, including Alzheimer’s and Autism. Sally Cooke Newcomb has been married to Luke for 37 years, has two daughters, Sarah and Molly. Mary McKinstry Marriner and her husband, David, of 47 years, live north of Atlanta. She occupies her “time creating painting: large horse paintings, and smaller, pastel pet portraits and wildlife paintings. My website is marymarriner. com. Check it out!” Buff Hanes Thomas and husband, Ritchie, went on “the trip of a lifetime, a safari in Botswana at the end of June. Elizabeth LeSueur also had an “absolutely amazing trip to South Africa.” She stays busy on St Simons Island, Ga., “especially with the Glynn Visual Arts, which is this area’s oldest art organization.” Melinda White writes that she is living in Dunedin, Fla. where she has been since 2001. She recently retired after eight years as a high school French teacher and nineteen years as an elementary school librarian. Molly McPherson Dewey has been “married 26 years to Steele Dewey, we have six married adult children and 16 grandchildren so far!” Betty Davenport Wright lives in “Richmond in the same neighborhood that was my childhood home.” She has been married since 1969 to Buster, has two daughters who were 13 year gals from St. Catherine’s. Jane Wright Hunter ’89 is in Charlotte with 3 kids and Stewart Wright Hilbert ’93 is in Richmond with four kids, including a set of
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Cathy Hayden, 3011 Libby Ter., Richmond, VA 23223; libbyterrace@gmail.com
We were sad to hear of the death of Barbara Tyler Frickel’s mother. However Barbara is fine otherwise and sends greetings to classmates. Lindsey Massie Huddle writes, “I enjoyed our 50th Reunion tremendously. The class members from Richmond were so hospitable. They provided wonderful dinner parties where we could
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Lillian Young, 1180 Courtyard Dr., Charlottesville, VA 22903; lillgyoung@aol.com
Barbara Montgomery O’Connell writes, “Jack and I have been touring Maine and met up with Roz Kemper McClean! She lives one hour south of here and picked us up at our B&B in Rockland. We toured Camden and Rockland ending with two hours at The Farnsworth Museum which has a fabulous collection of the three generations of Wyeths. It was great to see her! We had a wonderful 50th reunion. We missed all of you who could not be there and enjoyed reconnecting with all who were there.” Roz also saw Charlotte Moore Davenport and Fran Davis Ward in N.H. She has three daughters and five grandchildren. She taught for 30 years. She is “living in my dream house, gardening, grandmothering, and traveling but excited to see what else is out there.” Charlotte adds that she spent time this summer camping in Acadia National Park. Ann Rawlings Colby launched a new business, Willie Byrd Chocolate Sauces, named for her dad. They have four flavors, gift baskets etc. It is in a store near you or you can find it online at williebyrdsauce. com or on Facebook. Susan Manson Newell wrote that she missed seeing everyone and loved the pictures taken at reunion by Polly Bozorth. Polly enjoyed seeing and taking pictures. She adds “I think we look great and young! Whatever you are doing keep up the good work!” Sarah Lambeth Sinnickson wrote: “Happily retired in 2008 after serving as President of Pardoe Real Estate in Washington, D.C. and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Baltimore Region. I have two daughters, two grandsons, and a granddaughter,
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triplets. Carter Miles writes “I am now retired after teaching for 41 years. Love being retired. I still tutor two days a week but love not being responsible for state tests. Have two grandchildren, Lauren and Aubrey. They live in Erie, Pa. so naturally I spend a lot of time there. My daughter’s name is Marti and her husband is Rick. Have a houseboat and float boat at the lake so spend time there also. Life is good.” Dianne Buckle Jefferson wrote: “My world is fashion. I have been blessed with two careers in my life. Freelance runway model from the age of 18 to 40 years old. After I turned 40 years old, I started a new career as a Designer Consultant for two small boutiques.” She now works for Saks Fifth Avenue. Jackie Spencer wrote that she was sad to miss the reunion, but she “was in the midst of putting together the first Thomas Nelson Science Summer Camp for 36 Middle School students” in Hampton, Va. When Ann Babcock moved to North Carolina after 7th grade, her classmates gave her a silver engraved charm which she still has. She lives in Asheville, N.C. Cathy Hall Stopher wrote that she met Ed on a blind date at Sweet Briar while he was at UVA Law School. They have been married since 1970. They have two children, Marshall who is married and lives in Chevy Chase, D.C. and has a son, and Charles who lives nearby in Louisville, is married and has a daughter and a son. She loves “playing ‘at’ golf, bridge and reading.” Lillian Young’s news is “after 43 years in Charlotte, N.C., I bought a house with the love of my life in Charlottesville, Va. in 2013.” Beth Herring Baylor wrote that she is retired, but still maintains active Real Estate Broker and Registered Nurse licenses. She has been working through hundreds of family letters, boxes and papers handed down from generations to compile a book. It has been a “labor of love” but she notes that the Virginia Historical Society has committed to keeping the originals that she has diligently cataloged, sorted and indexed. Abigail Norfleet James wrote that she “went back to graduate school at age 50 and started a whole new career! I’m still teaching, but now I work with teachers in single gender schools around the world. Several years ago, I worked with the math department in the middle and upper school at St C’s and you guys would be blown away by the differences between what we were taught and what the girls now are expected to be able to do.” Janie Pickard Hahn lives in Frederick, Md., and loves competing in her local county fair with her pickles, jams, jellies and baked goods. She often wins awards. Ann Lambdin Young wrote “Jimmy and I have been married 43 years and we live in the Jackson, Miss. neighborhood where I grew up! We have three married children and six grandchildren! Jimmy still practices law full-time and has been planting an Anglican church in metro-Jackson. It has been and continues to be a
blessing.” Gretchen Buis wrote that she “retired from 30 years teaching in Richmond, but am assisting part time in a college preschool. The pride and joy of my life are my daughter, Windsor Jones Betts ’97 and son, Hamill, a 2000 St. Christopher's graduate.” Holmes Bridgers Ramsay and Lillian Young stayed with Sally Archer Williams Christiansen during the reunion. Sally came to visit your class correspondent, Lillian, in Charlottesville for a night later in April. We went to Montpelier and a vineyard. If any of you are coming this way, give me a call. I would love to see you.
50th Reunion Louise Hayman, 1 Cumberland Ct., Annapolis, MD 21401; louise.lake.hayman@gmail.com You should have April 15-16, 2016, on your calendar circled in red with glitter and gold stars, ‘cause that’s when we will be reuning. We’ll have our traditional class party Friday evening and enjoy the all-alumnae “Party Through the Decades” the following evening. Yes, the day we thought could never possibly come….the 50th anniversary of our class’s Daisy Chain… is upon us! Miraculously, we have been transformed from carefree, exuberant youth into responsible, remarkable contributors to society. Besides the priceless opportunity to be together again, we will have the extra treat of doing so at the culmination of the school’s yearlong 125th anniversary celebration. Your mailbox and inbox will begin to fill with information and requests for information. Wallis Wickham Raemer and I are co-editing a publication designed to summarize our lives since school with both serious and entertaining information. Part of which will be the results of a survey we will take to create a fascinating profile of our class. Stay tuned…and don’t make us pester you, because we will stop at little to collect the goodies we need for this publication. And, now, we bring you the news: Oops, there seem to be some technical difficulties, interrupting the transmission of the news, as I have heard from only a few of you since I last reported! Katie Harris wrote from LA that she was closely following the demise of Sweet Briar College, along with so many of us former residents of the Briar Patch. Happily, the Vixens pulled it out in the end, and there is a future for our alma mater. Bromby Luck Earle reports that she is reviving her real estate practice in Richmond (Is she the only realtor in our class?) and that life is good. She begins a trip to Mexico on our reunion weekend. Kitty Moss Bayliss’ daughters Crandall Bayliss Thompson ’94 and Tucker Bayliss Deal ’99 (who was married in April) both live in Richmond. Crandall’s children are all Saints and Kitty predicts, “Looks like we’ll have more Saints coming.” Cindy Parke Beukema and husband John were headed
for a cruise to Alaska. Cindy writes, “I’m looking forward to my 50th reunion next year.” Evelyn Ragland Zink writes, “A lot of water over the dam in the many years since I left Richmond in Middle School, but my St. Catherine’s experience was the foundation of my life in so many ways... As I anticipate capping off my 27 years in Development next year, I hope that I will be able to join the Class of 1966 in April 2016 to celebrate such a milestone and reconnect with friends who have lived so long in my memory. For now, seven grandchildren age 4 and under are keeping me busy in what cannot accurately be described as Free Time. Ha ha!” Mary Bray, who lives in Atlanta, was planning to be in Washington and New York in late September for the opening of the opera seasons in those two cities. She does a lot of traveling for opera and plays duplicate bridge, at which I know her to be a wizard. Though there might not be time for opera or bridge at our reunion, she plans to attend. Alas, I can fill you in on the doings of Emily Borden Ragsdale (travel and more travel) and Lynn Hornor Keith (ditto) but that is unfair to the rest of you who surely must be up to something you feel comfortable relaying to your faithful class correspondent. Are you trying to work me out of a job? Modesty and a keen sense of what bores readers prevent me from droning on about myself. Briefly: lots of volunteer work, moderate physical activity and observing one of the cutest threeyear-olds ever. Can’t wait to hear all about each of you and counting the days ’til I see you.
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Flossie VanMeter Barnhart, 2248 Potter St., Eugene, OR 97405; florence@barnhart.us Holly Flint, 4952 Sentinel Dr., #102, Bethesda, MD 20816; hfcats@gmail.com Janie Hanes Lambeth, 2809 Shandy Ln., Wilmington, NC 28409; janehlambeth@gmail.com
Blair Barrett Curdts’ daughter Sophie was married at Tuckahoe Plantation last May. Blair reports, “It was beautiful! One down and two more to go!”
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Ginger Harrison Adamson, 4607 Leonard Pkwy., Richmond, VA 23226; adamsong@stcva.org Elsie Dickinson Hovis, 500 Cedarbrooke Ln., Richmond, VA 23229; elsie.hovis@gmail.com Helen Harrison Tripp, 5810 Three Chopt Rd., Richmond, VA 23226; hhtripp@aol.com
From our friend, Mary Tompkins Miller: “I am sad to report that I lost my dear husband, Jim, in early August to advanced prostate cancer after a valiant struggle to beat it. My wonderful St. C classmates were right there to support and strengthen me. I
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Debbie Andrews Dunlap ’70 with granddaughter Lily (daughter of Blair Dunlap Edwards ’01) at the 125th Family Picnic.
Members of the class of ’69 at the wedding of Melinda Williams Davis’ daughter Emory. L to R: Laura Leake Brown, Molly Parker Farnsworth, Betsy Moore Tompkins, Lacy Williams, Holly Materne Antrim, Melinda Williams Davis, the groom, Anthony O’Donnell, the bride, Emory Davis, Lucy McCullough Schneider, Jane Potts, Nancy Robertson McAteer, Susan Dabney Smith, Andy Harrison Bennett, Lisa Wickham
am so lucky to have such a fabulous group of friends! Thanks for all the flowers, dinners, visits and cards! You’re the best!” Marilyn Muhleman Rausch writes that she is spending her time riding her horse, stitching quilts, lunching with friends, visiting hospitals with her dogs, and planning visits to see her son, Kent, in NYC. And from Ann Souder: “I am currently at my house in Dornoch, Scotland enjoying some time away and lots of golf...for two weeks and then head down to London for a few days there. The summer in Newport has been really busy, starting with the U.S. stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race in May, then I had a week in Maine with Mother, Basil and sister Marshall Souder Lawson ’71.”
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Holly Materne Antrim, 411 South Mooreland Rd., Richmond, VA 23229; chelma23229@yahoo.com Tassie Bosher, 222 East Hickory St., Hinsdale, IL 60521; tassbosher@yahoo.com
The members of the class of ’69 all share a love of life- whether travelling, volunteering, hosting a wedding or enjoying the wonderful moments of “GRANDparenthood!” Nancy Hasselback Hames and husband are pursuing a lifelong dream of “sailing the seas” on their 46' sailboat, Mandela. Imagine the places to which they might travel! Melinda Williams Davis, Jane Potts, Lacy Williams, Andy Harrison Bennett, Tassie Bosher, and Lisa Wickham all had a fabulous time staying with Nancy Robertson McAteer in San Francisco, taking in ALL the sights with the best of hostesses. The latest travel of our group is a hiking/exploring
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trip around Cornwall, England by a few of these same ladies, Nancy McAteer, Tassie Bosher, Lisa Wickham and Susan Smith. Holly Materne Antrim, while visiting family in Darien, Conn., saw Dupie Cates Cochran, who is just back from a relaxing vacation at Pawley’s Island, S.C. She was especially glad to have spent time with Harriette Elmore Gause and Dorothy Reber. Helen Holt and Elizabeth Lewis Abernathy enjoyed visiting Betsy Brackett Tilghman at her home near Cashiers, N.C., where Harriet Broughton Holliday joined them for a wonderful dinner. Lisa Montgomery Wells, still in the New Canaan, Conn. area, spends time volunteering at her church and is also quite involved in a non-profit that organizes college degree programs for the N.Y. state prison system. Somehow, she still finds time to travel and she particularly enjoyed seeing Robin Upchurch Allen ’71 when in Savannah, Ga. Lucy McCullough Schneider writes, “Retirement in Irvington is great fun. We’ve done lots of Americana-themed road trips in the south and midwest. I am volunteering at the RFA (Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts) helping with grants. Cary is an occasional docent at Historic Christ Church, and we’re both in training to take on the Farmer’s Market during first Saturdays of the growing months. Enjoy seeing Leslie Reed ’68 and Leah Waller Golden ’68 from time to time, and new part-time resident Ashton Williams Harrison ’71 when sister Lacy comes (and their fun spouses!) Never know who you'll find down here.” Durbin Gill Emerson continues her volunteer work in Charleston, S.C. on a project she and her husband founded. After completion, she looks forward to spending more time in
Montana where they have a place near Big Sky. “Guests are always welcome!” Anne Gant has completed her term on the Ellett Board, which our own Lacy chaired! Many thanks to you girls for such continued dedication to our school! Mary Willson Pinder Schill visits Richmond often, seeing, most importantly, her mother as well as getting some of us together. Elizabeth Lewis Abernathy enjoys spending time on the Eastern Shore when not busy volunteering in D.C. She loves to garden and has really enjoyed Suzanne Buttles McIntire’s book An American Cutting Garden! Kudos to Doris Blackwell Stimpson and Melinda Davis, both of whom hosted weddings for their babes in Vermont and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, respectively. Lauren Gilmer Rigby started a law firm with her husband in August 2014; Rigby, Rigby & Cavers. Page Murrell Woltz, writes, “Living mostly in the mountains...playing lots of golf and bridge...working on Stratford Hall stuff.” From Betsy Meyer Anderson: “I am retired from my job as school librarian and Gifted and Talented coordinator here in Va. After 30 years in the educational system, it's an adjustment. I think my granddaughter in Texas (Meg, 3 years) will be seeing me more often!” Laura Leake Brown, Betsy Moore Tompkins, Susan Dabney Smith, Molly Preston Farnsworth, Andy Bennett, Holly Antrim, Durbin Emerson, Helen Holt, and Page Wolz, just to name a few, all write to say how much they adore being grandmothers! We all have crazy new GRAND names and thank goodness for Internet picture sharing! I am sure there is much more wedding news amongst us so PLEASE share!
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Frere Sands French, 4052 Coal Spring Ln., Apt. 2A, Glen Allen, VA 23060; fsfren7@gmail.com Bitsy Marshall Hillsman, 1113 Hyde Ln., Richmond, VA 23229; bitsymarshall@gmail.com
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1970 classmates Kristin Rehder and Betsy Dennis spent some time together in the San Juan Islands north of Seattle last summer
Hello hot flashers, we hope you have had a great year. Debbie Andrews Dunlap welcomed her third grandchild: her daughter Blair Dunlap Edwards ’01 had a second daughter in June. Debbie’s whole family enjoyed a week’s vacation at the beach in August. Mary Palmer Trice Legare writes that in addition to a move to Tappahannock, Va. and a new job at Essex County Intermediate School, she has successfully completed her dissertation for her Ph.D. and is now Dr. Legare. Wow, two classmates in Tappahannock! Edie McRee Bowles, who now resides on the weekends in the Tappahannock neighborhood of Gwynfield, spends her weeks in Richmond working at VCU. Mimi Hill Wilk writes that she accompanied her daughter Liz on a business trip to Histon, England and they thoroughly enjoyed the countryside squeezing in trips to Paris and London. Mimi’s grandson Georgie and parents visited after their trip to Alaska. Molly Moncure and husband Charlie still enjoy life out in the country in Montpelier, Va. Her son Trip continues to travel with his photojournalism career while her other son Conway continues to live and work in Richmond. Kristin Rehder’s next photo documentary will be on refugees resettling in Lancaster Pa., with collaboration from the regional hospital and Church World Service. Jeanne Johns Cassin writes that her first grandchild was born in June to son Vern, who is a lawyer in D.C. Jeanne’s daughter Alice attends Darden and daughter Page is still at AMEX. Jeanne is hoping to put her house (in Groton, Mass.) on the market and move to northern Virginia, enabling her to see her grandson and his parents more frequently and get to Richmond more often. The Richmond Times Dispatch featured an article on Peggy Spilman Crowley’s business, Three Sisters Cheese Straws, which she owns with her two sisters, Isabel Bates and Alice Spilman Frankovitch ’74. Visit their website at www.threesisters3.com. Willis Lathrop O’Brien and husband Jim had a two week vacation bicycling in the Alsace region of France. They had fun
going through lots of villages and then touring the Champagne region for recuperation. Jean Wetzel Nance’s first grandchild has turned one and lives in Wilmington, N.C. “We are enjoying time with her — she has already been to the River as a newborn and a toddler. My daughters are now located in Wilmington, N.C. and Santa Monica, Calif. so I enjoy visiting both coasts.” Please keep in touch and send us news when you can...our 50th is right around the corner.
45th Reunion Christine Kjellstrom Douglas, 14 Lynacres Blvd., Fayetteville, NY 13066; ckdouglas@verizon.net When not at home with their two labrador retrievers in Rhode Island, Pete and Marshall Souder Lawson help organize and run sailing events in Europe. Virginia Drewry writes, “Anita Lippitt Rogers and I met up in Maine when she and husband Mike came to my husband’s funeral, and I was fortunate to have my cousin Julia Moncure Boysen ’64, her husband Bill and daughter Catherine with me as well. Both such wonderful, kind, accomplished women, those two St. C alumnae!” Ashton Williams Harrison “is enjoying retirement, going from the rivah to the mountains and getting ready to downsize the Richmond home! Having a ball!” Elizabeth Small Lipscomb wrote, “How many are looking to retire? At 62, I sure am! As a guidance counselor, I am enjoying my high school senior class of 2016. But oh boy! I hope when they graduate, I can too! I have enjoyed some wonderful vacations in the mountains, Green Turtle Cay, and exploring my lovely state. I’m looking forward to our reunion! My students of 2016 would DIE knowing how long ago high school graduation was for me!” Preston Lee Gomer’s daughter Charlotte ’10 is living in Richmond and working for the Virginia Capitol Foundation. Preston is busy working full time in her interiors business and serves as president of
her garden club. Nine from our class, Martha Ware Stone Bryan, Dorothy Young, Betsy Rawles, Eleanor Smith Wellford, Julie Johns Saunders, Mary Ellett Harrison, Carol Wood, Hilary Heistand Long, and Preston Gomer play bridge every other week. Always great fun! Betsy Rawles’ summer was consumed helping her niece, Caitlin Rawles, prepare for her wedding. The big event came off without a hitch on a beautiful evening with our own Eleanor Wellford officiating. The last of Carrington Pasco Brown’s five sons graduated from UVA in May so now she has three sons in NYC, one in San Fran and one in Richmond. She stays busy painting, leading dream groups, teaching yoga, weeding her vegetable garden and riding horses. Your correspondent Christine Kjellstrom Douglas loves seeing Rosamond Lawson in Charleston, S.C. when visiting her daughter who is in school there. That daughter, Christina, will spend this year in Richmond, Chattanooga, and Wilmington, N.C. on PT clinical rotations. Her other daughter, Edie, has left Birmingham, Ala. and is presently travelling in New Zealand. Christine and Rosamond are teachers yet another year! Save April 15-16, 2016: Our 45th Reunion!
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Holly Eason Holden, 130 Main St., Farmington, CT 06032; HollyHoldenLtd@aol.com Jane Blanton Stout, 140 Meadowlark, Princeton, WV 24740; jbgar831@aol.com Hello Girls! Lovely to hear from you! My co-correspondent, Jane Blanton Stout wrote that she seems to have become a professional volunteer, juggling rather mundane responsibilities for various community events. Primarily she is teaching classes at church on Wednesday nights, event planning and grant writing for our local Rotary Club, and mostly administrative and accounting work for Heaven Sent Ministries, a Christian non-profit organization committed to feeding hungry children. She travels as much as possible! Margy Priddy shared that she enjoyed the wedding of Rae Ann Lindberg Puff’s son at their house in New Hampshire. Margy told me that she had just walked back home from attending The Festival of Yesteryear at the Museum of the Cape Fear, where she ran into Belle Long who was there with her museum’s exhibit... a fun surprise, and nice to catch up! Margy’s other news is that her daughter Morgan graduated with her BS in Chemistry Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa on May 17, then gave her a new grandson June 3! She visits her son’s family in Augusta, Ga., where he and his wife work for Club Car. The twins are almost 6, and already loving golf and tennis. Rae Ann said, “Here’s my news in a nutshell: Our daughter, Tori, just got engaged to a great
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Holly Eason Holden’s ’72 daughter Caroline K. Holden's wedding to Edward R.B. Lewis at Marble House, Newport, Rhode Island. The date was September 13, the same day as Holly’s anniversary!
Irishman named Kevin. We are already heavily into planning:) And we will be grandparents for the first time in January! We are so excited! Our son, Adam, and his wife, the lovely Jessica, are expecting a girl at the end of January — woohoo!” Leigh MacDougall Gage reported that she and Jon visited their son Jesse in Myanmar for the holidays in December 2014. They traveled around the country and enjoyed getting to know where their son has decided to settle. It’s changing rapidly so she is sure it will be different on their next visit. Leigh stays in touch with Molly Long Macauley who lives in nearby Wilton, CT. Liz Kern Nance recently visited her daughter, Caroline, in Baton Rouge for a baby shower. Caroline and her husband, Joe, plan to relocate back to Virginia next summer after he completes his Ph.D. at LSU. Daughter Mary Page is going strong on Broadway in “Finding Neverland.” It sells over a million in tickets each week and will run indefinitely. The cast album came out this summer. Liz is still doing music. She began her section leader choir job in September, and plays and sings in a duo as well as Oak Lane bluegrass/ Americana band. Munsie Davis accompanies yoga classes by playing the tanpura (a string instrument used in Indian music) at her favorite local studio, Heart of Yoga, in Carrboro, N.C. Bev Talbott reports that she is “working with nerds and words at Apple, which is a lot of fun (most days). My art has appeared in several juried shows in California. www.beverleytalbott.com.” Anne Edmunds has worked at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center since 1987 and “thinks retirement is right around the corner.” My news (Holly) is that my husband, Stuart and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary with a big fete! Our son, Stuart and wife just had a darling baby girl, Charlotte, named before the other Princess was born! I was just in
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London because our daughter, Alexandra moved from Berlin, Germany to Winchester, UK, where her husband will be a Head Professor at the University. Our granddaughter Felicity started 2nd grade at St. Swithun’s Girl’s School which reminded me immensely of St. Cat’s. My pilot television show “You are Cordially Invited” will air on PBS this fall and will go nationally, and we will be filming four more in the series... let me know if you happen to view it! It is such a JOY to hear from you, and as always, it feels like no time has passed since we were all together. Thank you for contributing to the class news, Jane and I appreciate it immensely. Sending my best wishes to all, Holly.
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Jennifer Wright Fitzgerald, P.O. Box 70667, Henrico, VA 23255; jenn73stc@gmail.com Tiane Mitchell-Gordon, 10702 Milkweed Dr., Great Falls, VA 22066; btiane@aol.com
Hello Class of ’73! Just want to give a shout out to all who are celebrating their 60th birthdays! Our class is unique in that we have a three year span of birthdays and birth years. The first of us celebrated her 60th in December 2013; the last will do so in November 2016; quite a spread! What a milestone! What a victory! Entering our 7th decade of life and all of us still going strong! We happen to be just slightly over the halfway mark now! Join me in wishing each other many happy, productive and healthy years ahead. Sally Vitsky Ucci writes, “Am teaching two art classes at VCU this fall while also taking one towards my Masters in Art Education. The quality of the VCU teachers continues to amaze me; I feel honored to be adjunct staff. It’s been a very long time since I had homework but I’m a MUCH better student this go
‘round! Am juggling work, classes and details for my son’s upcoming wedding while pretending I have the energy of a 30 year old!” Woods Garland Potts writes, “We just got back from vacationing in British Columbia with our daughter, Garland Potts ’06. She drove up from Seattle to meet us in Vancouver. We also celebrated the big 6-0 for Kathryn Tanner George on October 15.” Mary Baylor writes, “Rented my house in Richmond, Va. and moved to Los Angeles, Calif. this year! Am loving living, traveling and exploring the west coast!” Mary has also contacted fellow classmate Stacey Arnold Cox who resides in Grover Beach, Calif. They plan to meet up soon. Jane Hart Lewis writes, “I have been elected as a trustee for Sewanee: The University of the South through October 2017. My fourth grandchild (first granddaughter) was born in September ’14. I visited my daughter Anne last February in Vienna where she has been working as an au pair. We traveled to Prague together and had a marvelous time (until I broke my right ankle). Everything is healed and I hope to be traveling again soon but not as often nor as luxuriously as Jean Newman Glock!” Meredith Allen writes, “We recently celebrated my mother’s 98th birthday! The whole family was there including my sister, Beth Allen Cuthbert ’60.” Jennifer Wright Fitzgerald writes “I took my first public book reading challenge this summer via Henrico County Libraries and met my goal! One of my great summer reads was Southern Fried Fiction written by none other than our St. Christopher’s brother Stuart Hotchkiss ’73! It is a telling, engaging and self-effacing memoir! Couldn’t put it down! Read it in one short weekend! Can’t wait until Stuart’s sequel is unveiled!” Gussie Johns Bannard writes, “Last March, while venturing south for vacation, I stopped to spend the night with Susan Greenlee White in Columbia, S.C. Guess who came for dinner? Our former St. Cat’s Chaplain, Philip Whitehead and his wife Eleanor! He is STILL teaching (a class in Anglican studies). Eleanor is the founder of Columbia’s volunteer training program for hospice volunteering, a hugely, important undertaking. When I asked Philip what he was reading, he recommended ‘The Sunflower’ by Simon Wiesenthal. Online book chat anyone?” Gussie adds, “It has mostly been a quiet summer at home with grandkids but I did manage to travel up to East Hampton a few times to work on my mother’s house. I also enjoyed a great long stay at my Aunt Ruth Johns Hill’s ’47 lovely home on the Ware River in Gloucester which included having all my kids and grandkids for a late surprise 60th for me!” Emmett Boney Haywood writes, “I am still working as an attorney doing eminent domain work, representing clients whose property is being taken by the government. I am on the vestry at Christ Church Raleigh and am the chair of the outreach ministry
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Molly Fowler, 120 West 70th St., 5C, New York, NY 10023; mollymfowler@mac.com
L to R: Susie Goodale, Betsy Bryan Franz and Mary Gray Gilchrist Sachtjen warming up before a field hockey game in 1975.
committee. I also volunteer as a partner with the Step-Up Ministry program. Additionally, I am managing my 90 year old mother’s care. My husband is working part-time as an infectious disease doctor. My son started medical school at Carolina this fall. It was a long and winding road getting him to this point as he was a history major at Davidson and then worked in finance in N.Y. He will be the 6th generation medical doctor in my husband’s family- no pressure there! My daughter is also a doctor (a horse veterinarian) in Lexington, Ky. This year she is living on a horse farm, working for Rood & Riddle and taking care of horses owned by a Sheik from Dubai. I saw Mitzi Sproul Cheever last February. She has a new job and is doing great! Her son is now a doctor! I also saw Molly Long Macauley ’72 this summer at the beach. She was with her mother, children and grandson! What a great family she has! Turning 60 wasn’t so bad, but I am a little tired!”
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Needs correspondent!
Pamela Port Wylly’s daughter Virginia married Braxton Lee Patton on May 31, 2014 in Nashville, Tenn. and is living in Richmond. Beverley Jones Upshur is almost retired - one more school year left! She moved from Maryland to the Northern Neck of Virginia in June 2014. “Unfortunately I lost my dad in January of 2014 and my mom in March 2015. But they are happily reunited once again.” Bev's daughter Kate works with a private counseling practice in St. Louis, and son Will works for Booz Allen Hamilton in DC. Cyane Gresham moved from a small apartment to a little house. She notes, “Rehabbing this mid-century modern just north of Philadelphia.” Constance McKoy has begun her 17th year teaching in the music education department in the UNCG School of Music, Theatre and Dance.
The good news is as a class, we are givers — in lots of ways, but the one that matters at 6001 Grove Ave. happened this year for the annual campaign. We blew the other classes away with a participation rate of 80%. That is huge, so a big shout-out to all of our classmates, and to Eleanor Deane Bierbower and Posey Bryan Hemenway who led the charge as co-chairs of reunion giving. Judy Carpenter Hawthorne reports that during our Reunion Weekend, “quite a few classmates ventured over to our new house at 102 Libbie (which had belonged to longtime Upper School English teacher Mimi Oppenhimer) to sit on the screen porch — the only place with furniture — and sip a little refreshment. We sold my home in Glenburnie shortly thereafter. Frenetic packing ensued, and movers ferried most of our worldly goods into storage, since husband Dean and I are in the midst of a major renovation at Libbie. Architect Amie Rennolds really captured in the rennovation what we wanted and honored the age and character of our 90-year old home.“Four days after putting their lives in storage, Judy and Dean left for Maine where her daughter Melinda ’08 was married on June 27. No rest for the weary, less than a week after the wedding, they returned to Richmond to close on her home of 28 years, and a week after that, Judy relocated from her office in Miss Jennie’s House to the new St. C Alumnae and Development office on Cary Street. Whew. Susan Chitwood and husband Henry have just moved into a new townhouse on Grand Bahama island, and Susan continues to work as a wedding designer. You’d think living there you’d stay put but travel this year included Brazil, the south of France and Argentina! Janie Stafford Sellers is a (new) grandmother to Mary Margaret Sellers. Her son (a resident!) and family live in Birmingham, Ala. and Janie doesn’t like the distance but is grateful that daughter Annie has moved back from New York and is working in Charlotte. Janie ended a six year career at the Belk corporate office managing the 300 stores bridal departments. “Was all prepared to retire but was approached about handling the events and affairs for a local philanthropist and so a new adventure begins.” Joyce Thompson is back in Singapore after spending two months stateside in Pennsylvania: “the longest stretch I have been in the US for 6 years,” she says. “Highlights included reunion, a weekend in NYC, a visit to Stella Sotos Ross in Conn., seeing Carter Jones Meyer in N.J. and Kim Miller Howard in Virginia. Charlotte Fox is “just chilling in Telluride, Colo. — raising and training a black Lab pup and prepping a movie about the Telluride and Tigne, France ski patrols with a fellow retired ski patroller. I (Molly Fowler)
The Class of ’75 was out in force at the 125th Picnic. Front Row from L to R: Lucy Leake DeJarnette, Judy Carpenter Hawthorne. Back Row from L to R: Drury Wellford, Katherine Dameron McCormick, Martha Bedinger Holt, Suzanne Johnson McCusty, Ceya Lowry Stevenson.
joined Ginny Short Wolfe for the 2105 Women in the World Conference in NYC. I have a series in development at PBS. “Peel Hawthorne visited New York and it was great to see her!”
40th Reunion Lisa Pratt, 1431 Q St. NW, Washington, DC 20009; lpratt@gmail.com The great class of ’76 is actively engaged with each other via email and any classmate who would like to be included should send her email to me (lpratt@gmail.com). We routinely share stories, memories, laughs and more in this way and would love to include all classmates. Peyton Buford Valentine is a grandmother courtesy of daughter Emily Valentine Schutt ’01. She’s been in Alexandria helping out with the new addition to the family. Cary Brown Crabtree is also a new grandmother but for the second time in January! Her first grandchild, Savannah, is four. They live in Richmond and enjoy frequent get-togethers. Ginny Reynolds Parker lives in Connecticut running an energy hedge fund. She also supports St. Cats as a member of its Foundation Board. Ginny is an avid golfer and hopes to find a foursome during our upcoming reunion. Ann Rachal Toll is still enjoying government work while living in Maryland and like Eda Martin Joyce and yours truly, spent some time in Italy this past summer. Beautiful countryside, Renaissance art, olive oil and chianti were highlights. Charlotte Gay Gerhardt enjoyed travels to Vail last spring and Jackson Hole this past summer all while recovering from rotator cuff surgery. Indy Burke enjoyed her annual fall hunting trip in Wyoming. She is the Director of the Haub School of Environmental and Natural Resources at University of Wyoming. Indy is also a Fellow in the American Association for
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the Advancement of Sciences. In Lynn Davis’s spare time she works with silver to make very attractive original jewelry. Beth Irby Beale still lives in Richmond. Beth’s daughter, Thornton Beale ’06, will be celebrating her 10th St. C reunion while all of us will be celebrating our 40th. Don’t miss it!
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Becky Pugh, 2 Eagle Ridge Ct., Bethesda, MD 20817; becky@bonejour.com
The class of ’77 has all kinds of things going on. Lots of us still have children in school. Leezie Paul Ott’s daughter Catie Ott made the Penn State Equestrian Team. Jane Byrd Paxton’s daughter Clare is a freshman at UVA. Mary Stuart Bolling Smith’s daughter Lucy Gordon transferred from the University of South Carolina to UVA this year. Lucy Gordon and Lizzie Stallings ’12, daughter of Beth McCree Stallings ’78 both made their debut at the Bal du Bois in May. Nell Stephens Heneghan and her husband Dan are living in Wilmington, N.C. They are grandparents to two beautiful grandsons who they love playing with at the beach and at their barn with loads of animals. They are active in their faith community and visit Richmond often to see their daughter Bridget. This summer Nell connected with Buffy Woods Anderson at Wrightsville Beach for a little St. C’s nostalgia. Judge Ginny Munoz is still slugging away at crime from her perch in the Supreme Court of Virginia. In her spare time she is busy participating in local theater, travelling with husband Rick Fowler and finding homes for dogs and cats! Their goal is to one day retire to NYC or Paris. Lynda Wornom Wright has been on the library faculty at Randolph Macon College since 2005. She is the curator of an oral history project called Macon Memories and recently has focused the project on the desegregation of RMC. Suzanne French Keesler and her husband Carl celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary. On a somber note, we were all so sorry to hear about Andrew and Elizabeth Craig Parkinson’s loss of their son William in May. It is a loss that no parent should experience. Our thoughts have been and will continue to be with them and their family. Happy Martin Willis has a new facebook page Happy Martin Interior Design. Go on Facebook and give her a LIKE! Ellen Langford Hayes attended an Episcopal Church Conference in February and took a yoga class from classmate Frances Murchison. Ellen says “it was great to catch up!” Lynda Richardson reports, “This year is my 5th year of teaching Commercial Photography & Digital Arts at the Chesterfield Technical Center. I am still a professional photographer during my summer breaks from teaching. This past summer I shot an ad campaign for the Southern Environmental Law Center against off-shore drilling along the East Coast. My husband, Mike
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Ostrander is a full-time fishing and tour guide on the James River. He offers fantastic bald eagle and sturgeon tours (which are only in the fall) which everyone should check out at www.discoverthejames.com.” Your correspondent still has a 4th grader! Wren just started the Diener School. Our son Connor Jabs is now a graduate of UGA in finance and daughter Hilary Jabs is a second year law student at Lewis and Clark. Like many of you, I experienced a big loss this year. My father, George L. Pugh, passed away from complications due to cancer in July. So hold yours near and dear! Please send me your news at becky@bonejour. com! If you don’t, I’ll make it up!
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Meredith Owen Holbrook, 6 Ridgewood Rd., St. Louis, MO 63124; meredithholbrook@hotmail.com
Our condolences to Margaret Burlee Hazelgrove whose brother Billy Burlee passed away in July. Virginia Schenck’s work with vocal improvisation in the therapeutic setting was published in the International Dictionary of Music Therapy. Her 2015 Jazz Vocal Release “Interior Notions” is receiving global airplay, and Virginia’s work is ranked once again on the JazzWeek charts! Elaine Powell Cook has a rising high school senior, a daughter McKenzie (named after her mom, Christy McKenzie Williamson ’53) and a rising 8th grader, son Jack. “I’m doing college road trips, packing school lunches and whipping out my AARP card at the same. Life is HILARIOUS!” On April 29 several alumnae gathered at the home of Dede Clinger Andrews. Attendees included Eliana Makhlouf Thacher (who was in Richmond visiting her father), Kathleen Will Mackey, Beth McRee Stallings, Marjorie Perrin, Liz Williams Bisset, Anne Howell McElroy, Debbie Cosby Kelley, Marty Pollard Easton, Mary Spratley Doss, Missy Way Goode, Joy Todd Calkins, and Dede’s sister Shelly Clinger Akers ’80. Dede reports, “Life is good for the Andrews’ family. Forrest is a second year at UVA, Gracie is a Physical Therapy Assistant here in Richmond. Hobie and I are celebrating our 30th anniversary this September. We are so fortunate to have all the Clinger family here in Richmond Shelly ’80, Sarah Clinger Ruffin ’82 and brother Chad (St. Chris ’82) and I along with our father
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Dave and his wife Alice.” Eliana reports, “I got married for first time on May 23, 2014 to Hugh Auchincloss Thacher, originally of Riverdale, N.Y. and long time resident of San Francisco. Hugh founded the San Francisco Wine Exchange, a wine marketing and distribution company, which he ran for over 40 years until he sold the business and retired at the end of last year. I decided to retire as well from my 25-year career as an environmental engineer and consultant. It’s been a busy a year for both of us with the sale of building and a 14-month remodel and addition to our home in San Francisco, including installing an elevator and other retrofits that will allow us to age-in-place — we refer to it as ‘geezering the house.’ Fortunately, we were able to move into to one of our apartments so as not to endure living in a construction site. We are happy to be back in our home with the remodel behind us and know we can live here until we die. We are still trying to figure out how we will spend the next 50 years and are excited by the prospect of having the time and energy to give back to our local and global communities. We also plan to do quite a bit of traveling and fly fishing around the world, which started with our delayed honeymoon to New Zealand last February. I made a last minute trip to Santa Fe, N.M. to see one of my closest Richmond friends, Maxine McCowan (Collegiate ’80) and neighbors in the Fan, and mentioned what a wonderful time I had catching up with St. Catherine’s classmates.”
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Needs correspondent!
Cecelia Barksdale married Olin Leo Purvis III on September 18, 2015.
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Madeline Hutcheson Mayhood, 7441 Hill Dr., Richmond, VA 23225; madeline7@gmail.com
Please send us your news!
35th Reunion Maria Williams Swindell, 414 Alabama Rd., Baltimore, MD 21204; mtntm@msn.com Margaret Coker Hungerford has become a Style Ambassador for India Hicks new line
We inadvertently ran the wrong photo with a spotlight on Ann Hardy ’80 in the summer issue of “St. Catherine's Now.” Ann was instrumental in raising awareness for women cyclists during the UCI World Cycling Championships in Richmond this past September. We sincerely regret the error.
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engineering, which is a five-year haul. Each brother has a sister at ‘his school,’ so it’s fun for them. It’s a great new chapter thus far, and I will look forward to April’s reunion.” Finally, Elizabeth Morgan Harlfinger Paldron ’81 with her children, Zayden and Zealia. Jones just might make a cameo appearance at (www.indiahicks.com/rep/margaret). Morgan our reunion! I certainly hope you will ALL consider Harlfinger Paldron wasn’t sure what news had or making plans to join us in Richmond the weekend hadn’t been shared because… “there’s been a lot of April 15-17, 2016. I look forward to seeing going on in the past few years! My son Zayden you then! turned four this Halloween. I received my doctorate in Counseling Psychology last summer, and Catherine Helderman Markwalter, gave birth to a beautiful little girl, Zealia, last 1796 Meadowdale Ave., NE, Atlanta, GA November (2014), and she is now nine months 30306; cmarkwalter@gmail.com old! The kids are the best of friends and such a joy to be around! They laugh all the time, and Zealia It is always such fun to hear about classmates gettook her first step last night!” Well done and ting together and staying in touch. You all have congrats, Morgan! Lots of news and best wishes done a fabulous job of remaining connected to St. for Roberta Keller…“After nine years together, Catherine’s and to each other. Maura Maguire Robert Gambill and I got married this past August. Gaenzle, Annette Williamson McLaughlin, and We had a small wedding in Philadelphia (near McKenzie Reed van Meel all convened waterside where he grew up), and a lovely honeymoon with in Stamford, Conn., this summer for their annual our dog in the Shenandoah Mountains! Sadly, my get together. These three met at St. Catherine’s, mum died a year ago September 10. That said, I lived in New York after college, and stayed in was so glad to be living close by so I could support touch even after they left the Big Apple. McKenzie her — and get to know her on a whole different says they have no photo to share...they were level. Finally, my business, Alexis Advisors, is too busy talking! McKenzie also writes that she doing very well. I started my investment advisory now has two high schoolers; Mercer, a freshman, and financial planning firm in 2013 with the goal of and Madison, a junior at Greenwich High School. leveraging my years in institutional money manMadison went as a legacy kid on the Grand agement on Wall Street, Connecticut and London. Western Tour, a guided teen sightseeing bus trip My business focuses on working with women and across the country for four and a half weeks this their families. Mary Margaret Smithers Kastelberg past summer. McKenzie loves being a soccer/ and I have had a lot of fun reconnecting given she orchestra mom for Mercer, and a crew/band mom works with another advisory firm in town. I’ve for Madison. Along with her home Reiki/energy been a bit ‘under a rock’ given all that has been practice, they keep her very busy. Cassell Barnard going on these past few years, but look forward to Fitzhugh’s oldest daughter attends Thacher, a seeing you all in April.” Emily Irby Grimes had a boarding school in Ojai, Calif. Cassell spent a few fun visit with Sallie Cecil Stillwell and Elizabeth days with Mary Wagstaff ’83, at the LA Food and Covington at the river this summer. Emily’s boys, Wine Festival. What fun! Margaret Campbell both now in high school, “keep me hopping as Ullrich says she had mixed emotions when she they are at two different schools! I am really, really dropped her oldest off at UNC Chapel Hill this fall. looking forward to our reunion in April — it’s my While Margaret was sad to see her leave home, it niece and sister’s too!” Elizabeth Cabell Jennings was fun to watch her connect with girls from St. reported, “Grace ’15 graduated from St. C in May Catherine’s. Anne Cooper Godwin reports that and is a Vocal Performance major at SMU. MacNair she has a house full of competitive swimmers. Her ’13 is in her junior year at W&M on a pre-med track, oldest, Tyler, swims for Hampden-Sydney College. and Anne Gamble is in 8th grade. I left Thompson, Her daughter, Peyton, is a junior in high school and Siegel and Walmsley after 28+ years in March, and a year-round swimmer. Peyton competed in her am about halfway through an Executive MBA at first 5K open water meet this summer. Anne's Brown University while I ponder my next steps. youngest, Drew, is in 7th grade and competes as It looks like I will be playing some tennis with well. Anne has spent so much time at swim meets, Carter Williams Foster ’87, which will be fun.” she has become a high school and USA swimming Esten Mason Walker checked in, “All my ‘kids’ are stroke and turn judge. She says she is not even now in college as of this fall...two at UNC and two close to the level to officiate an NCAA or Olympic at NYU. My oldest is getting a degree in computer meet, but it is a great way to volunteer. Sounds
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exciting. Nadja Reger Young writes that she will be spending more time in Richmond now that her mother has moved back to town. Nadja would love to reconnect with St. Catherine’s classmates who are still in Richmond. Finally, our gloriously talented and creative Dana Gibson Longenderfer has launched a new upholstery and furniture line that is just coming to stores now. She has collaborated with The MT Company, a North Carolina based furniture company to showcase her wonderful fabrics for Stroheim. Be on the lookout! Thank you to all who shared your news.
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Betsy Macon Dotterer, 7003 University Dr., Richmond, VA 23229; betsydot@verizon.net
Jean Lane Ballentine writes, “We are moving to Rowaton, Conn., which is a small community next to where we live now. We are “empty nesting,” with 1 3rd year at UVa, a Senior at EHS and a Freshman at EHS. Hopefully, we’ll be getting down to Virginia a little more often with all 3 down there!” Lynn Broos Grassell says, “I have so enjoyed seeing more of Carolyn Anthony Shiverick ’82 in Atlanta and Page Munford Kolligian ’82 in Boston. Who knew that at 49, I would be working for my daughter at Yellowberry, but I am LOVING it! If anyone is out in Jackson Hole, we would love to see all!” Her daughter Meghan was one of the featured speakers at Girls Innovate (read more on page 16).
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Heather Hettrick Brugh, 4103 Exeter Rd., Richmond, VA 23221; hhb4103@gmail.com Loved seeing so many St. Catherine’s classmates over the summer months! Alice Kirby Taylor and husband, Jim, are now into their fifth year in Washington, D.C. and it’s taken that long for Alice to learn how to navigate the busy streets of our nation’s capitol – but she did a beautiful job as we managed to get her daughter, Mary Lyle and a friend safely to the Taylor Swift concert! Alice's oldest daughter, Gracie, is a senior this year and seems to know the nearby Georgetown neighborhood perfectly. Many of you have been busy sending children off to school. I enjoyed catching up with Kendrick Cleveland Fentress in July in Nags Head. Her oldest son, Will, is attending VES and is playing football and studying Chinese. Kendrick keeps up with Margaret Jonas Harman with whom she visited while the Harman girls attended UNC Lax camp. Margaret had a surprise birthday visit from Farish Percy. Farish made the first college drop-off with her son, Grady, who is a first year at UVA. Also making the big send-off of an eldest child is Beth Tompkins Neal. Her daughter, Townley ’15 is a freshman at JMU. We had a great reunion of 1984 classmates at graduation as Ashby Jennings Hatch was in town for niece Grace
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Catherine Watkins Olmert '86 and family
Berry Glover Shults ’86 and husband
Jennings’ ’15 St. C graduation and Hedley Hines Davey joined the festivities on the Green. It was a beautiful May day and wonderful to see the Daisy Chain is still part of the ceremony. Ashby and her husband, Ian, had their first send-off as daughter MacKenzie is a ninth grader at Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass. I visited with Angela Houlihan Tafel and her husband, Dan while in Louisville, Ky. Angela stays busy with their two boys and keeps up with Missy Muncie Clifton. Missy and her husband, Jim, live in Lexington, Ky. and just dropped off their eldest daughter, Margaret, at Furman. I am sure many more of you have made the send-off; either to boarding school or college. Please share your news with us!
Richmond and started Skipjack Global Capital Management. Congratulations to both of them! Brooke Sydnor Curran and her RunningBrooke charity continue to do great things! I am so happy to be involved, and really enjoyed working with Brooke (and 80 other volunteers) to rehabilitate a playground in Alexandria this fall. I hope we keep finding the chance to be together. Mark your calendars now for our 30th reunion in April!
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Windy Campbell, 6 Partridge Hill Rd., Richmond, VA 23238; windycampbell@mindspring.com
Please send us your news!
30th Reunion Sally Yowell Barbour, 10346 Nash, Chapel Hill, NC 27517; sallybarbour@yahoo.com Ashley Power O’Connor, 207 South Lee St., Alexandria, VA 22314; abpoconnor@yahoo.com The Class of 1986 has been busy with kids, school, pets, travel and vacations! Thank you to everyone who sent in news. I, Ashley Power O’Connor, am so happy that so many of us have been able to keep in touch and get together throughout the year. I was lucky enough to spend the 4th of July at the river with Jeanne Martin MacDonald and her family, which was great fun! Catherine Watkins Olmert spent the 4th with Berry Glover Shults and her husband. As for continuing the connections into the next generation, Catherine’s daughter, Lucy Catherine, and Berry’s daughter, Graham, went to UNC-W marine science camp together - how great is that? We have entrepreneurs among us! Stephanie Rosanelli Faul is celebrating one year of her firm, based in Los Angeles, which advises retail development clients. Gibboney Huske has moved back to
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ReRe Lawrence Bernstein, 3010 Cambridge Pl., N.W., Washington, DC 20007; r_r_bernstein@msn.com Copeland Sakowski Casati, 1941 Tower Rd., Pamplin, VA 23958; copeland@copelandcasati.com
Copeland Sakowski Casati reports that a lonely stray kitten was found in her barn. Fortunately, after being bottle fed by Copeland, the itty-bitty kitty was adopted by Clai Ewing Yarbrough and her twin girls who are now high school freshman. Not only was Clai in touch with Copeland, but she also had several fun nights out over the summer with Scottie Hoppe Phillips and Carter Williams Foster. Also meeting up recently were Jane Anne McJunkin Randolph and Mary Deane Davis. Liza Betts Wallace is attempting to get her dog, Otis, to lose weight. Any of us who have been in a similar situation wish Liza all the best with her challenge. Wizzie Liles Broach is doing very well with her Norfolk-based interior design company. Last fall she had two successful art shows including one in Richmond hosted by Andrea Rahal ’88. Crystal Cochrane Stephen celebrated the third anniversary of her upscale Denver consignment store, Plum Good. You can even buy from her shop online, allowing you to support our former classmate from anywhere. Elizabeth Peters Aldridge is living in Durham and is practically neighbors with Cooper Smith Biersach who lives in Chapel Hill. She reports that their daughters have become best friends. Elizabeth also happens to be the new member buddy for Re Re Lawrence Bernstein who joined the Ellett Alumnae Board in the fall. Re Re follows in the footsteps of Elizabeth and Amy Bice de
Lucy Catherine, daughter of Catherine Watkins Olmert ’86 and Graham, daughter of Berry Glover Schults ’86 went to UNC-W marine science camp together.
Venoge as Ellett Board members from the Class of 1987. From Laurie Hooker McCarthy, “It is hard to believe that I have a senior and a freshman in high school this year. Where does the time go? Over the summer, I competed in my second half marathon with Michelle Briere Finn ’85. This event was napa to Sonoma with a wine tasting at mile 10!”
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Susan Grymes Lafferty, 608 Beverley Dr., Alexandria, VA 22305; susan.lafferty@sutherland.com
Susan Smith Stuart reported that she visited her cousins, Mary Corpening Barber ’87 and Sara Corpening Whiteford ’87 in San Francisco on the way to Maui this summer, and she went to a dude ranch in Colorado with them this fall. Susan also was in Seattle and spent the day with Catty Scott Colee in May, and really enjoyed her awesome waterside house. Susan reports that Jill Davenport Plageman also visited Catty this summer. Heath Hardage Lee moved to Roanoke, Va. from Des Moines Iowa. She says, “We are happy to be back in the Commonwealth!” Margaret Siewers Hunter is heading up the JK program at St. Christopher’s, which has been a lot of fun and a lot of work. Christy Amrhein Feiler reported that her oldest son Jack is driving, while her youngest Janie is at St. Catherine’s in kindergarten. Francie Armstrong Ladd was in Jackson Hole, Wyo. and got together with Anne Bell Osler. Jennifer Willis wrote that Raven Quest, the fourth volume in her Valhalla urban fantasy series, is due out this November. Jen is also editing the short fiction anthology of the Northwest Independent Writers Association again this year, with a November release as well — all while writing her regular “Northwest Love Stories” series for The Oregonian and being a panelist again at Orycon this year, so Jen is really busy these days. Finally, Susan Grymes Lafferty enjoyed celebrating Andrea Rahal’s birthday with a dinner out in Richmond in July.
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Laurie Hooker McCarthy ’87 and Michelle Briere Finn ’85 at a half marathon in California.
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Cindy Levinson Lefkoff, 3034 Seventh St., Boulder, CO 80304; cindy_lefkoff@hotmail.com Suzanne Wishnack Morris, 402 Henri Rd., Richmond, VA 23226; morrissuzanne@yahoo.com
Congratulations to Kristen Vilsek White who was married in October 2014. Kristen told us, “Chris and I have two adorable and loving dogs and are getting ready to build our first home. Right after our marriage, I was promoted to a Title I Math Specialist. I have a Master’s degree in Math and endorsement as Math Specialist K-8th grades. A LOT happened in 2014! In 2015, Chris and I enjoyed
A mini-reunion of ’87 classmates, Jane Anne McJunkin Randolph and Mary Deane Davis.
a fun summer with a few beach trips in North Carolina and relaxing weekends at our river cottage in Bon Harbors. I am hoping to get to a reunion in the near future.” Liz Cain Hassan finished graduate school, passed her boards and is now a certified and licensed APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) in Connecticut. Liz reports that she and Brian took fourth grader Annabel, and second grader Abby, on their first trip to Disney this summer, and they had a blast. The Richmond crowd is thrilled to have Marshall Trow Lynch and her family back in town. Daughter Eleanor joined the St. Catherine’s class of 2019! It was a treat to hear from Maria Jones Malacina. Maria says, “I’m still in the Chicagoland area, where my husband and I enjoy golfing and
bowling with friends and family. I am working in Chicago as a domestic relations attorney, as well as an independent contractor with other attorneys. Living in the Chicagoland area has caused me to really appreciate spring and summer!” Come back for a visit anytime, Maria! Leslie Abercrombie Noland enjoyed time this summer touring colleges with her oldest son, William. While en route south they had a terrific visit in Greensboro, N.C. with Mary Birgel Dehnert and Meghan McAuley Davis ’90. She also had a great time catching up with Mallory Wood Norvell and her family in Charleston, S.C. Leslie’s daughter went to boarding school at St. George’s this fall. Mallory also got together with Mary Michaels Orr Estrada and her family this summer at Sullivan’s Island, S.C. Bacot II roommates Catherine Hudson Clark and Biz Elder Read enjoyed catching up at a Member-Guest golf tournament in Charlotte. It’s hard to believe both of their oldest also headed off to boarding school this year. She and Pete enjoy Winston-Salem North Carolina And their 8 year old Mary Elizabeth. Lydia Jones Johnson is still in Richmond, treating skin disease and skin cancer. She ran into Simone Harris Pratt on Martha's Vineyard this summer. When not working, she spends a lot of time at St. Christopher's, where her boys are in 2nd and 3rd grades. Lydia says she enjoys seeing Blair Whitley, who teaches in Extended Day at St. Chris, and Elizabeth Davenport Edmonds whose youngest is in class
SPOTLIGHT
Katharine Armstrong Herndon ’86
As she contemplated her 13 years at St. Catherine’s, Katharine Armstrong Herndon selected for a senior quote in the Quair, “Someday they’re going to say ‘This is where it all began.’ ” Those prescient words reflected a lifelong love of writing that first manifested itself in work with the Arcadian, the poetry club, and on Atelier (creative writing magazine) as well as her own creative work. It comes therefore as no surprise that Herndon was selected to be Executive Director of James River Writers (JRW) in Richmond. Established in 2002, James River Writers builds community by connecting and inspiring writers and readers in central Virginia. “Richmond has an incredible nonprofit community, and I’m lucky to have found the organization that best fits my passion,” Herndon said. “Every day, I get to hang out with amazingly creative people who inspire me both personally and professionally.” According to the JRW website, the “multi-faceted non-profit… serves as central Virginia’s literary hub and a welcoming home for anyone who loves the written word.
“Aspiring and professional writers and passionate readers in all genres benefit from a variety of programs, services, and events, often presented in partnership with other cultural organizations. We are supported by government grants, foundations, corporate partners, and the generosity of our members.” Prior to her appointment as Executive Director in 2014, Herndon served on JRW’s board for several years in a variety of roles, including executive secretary, co-chair of the 2011 conference committee and membership chair. Longtime former English and creative writing teacher Buffy Morgan recalls, “Katharine Armstrong is the only high school student I ever taught who had completed a novel when I first met her.” While at St. Catherine’s, Herndon was inducted into in the Cum Laude Society, and was the recipient of the 1986 Bishop Brown/Ellett English Award. After attending Davidson College and University of Central Florida, Katharine taught middle school language arts for 13 years. More recently her work won second place in the Style Magazine fiction contest and has been published in The Great Richmond Zombie Book and in the anthology River Town.
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Susanna Giles Holt ’91 and Larkin Willis Nash ’91 with their kids in San Francisco.
1991 group girl’s weekend in Virginia Beach with Morgan Hardage Engel, Liz Ross Fitzgerald, Betsy Trible Reid, Duval Reams Fisher, Angier Johnston Miller, Melissa Kennedy Whitley, Banner Adams and Larkin Willis Nash.
with Lydia’s 2nd grader. This summer was a great one for the Taylor family, reports world traveler Jennifer Toone Taylor. “We took the kids overseas for a week in Italy, and another week in Scotland, Wales and England. My son and I also got to go spend a week in Destin, Fla., visiting my dad. It was a great summer and went by too quickly!” Elizabeth Jowaisas Short and Tucker Andrews Winter got together with their families in the Outer Banks this summer and had a great time trying to paddle board in the waves. Kennon Stout Ibbeken and family had a great summer of beach trips and visiting family and friends. Her girls are getting big — Avery is in 3rd grade, Reid is in 2nd, and Hamilton is off to UVA for her 1st year. Go Hoos! Kennon is busy planning and executing weddings in and around Virginia, including the Homestead, Aspen, Colo. and Montenegro. She is gearing up for more, but is keeping her calendar clear for the 125th anniversary in April where she hopes to see lots of familiar faces. Can’t wait to see you there, Kennon! Monica Feldmann Blacker spent a weekend with Happy Frable Menard in New Orleans for Jazz Fest. Monica braved record crowds to see Lenny Kravitz. Monica’s son is in 8th grade and her daughter is in 4th in Dallas. Heather Morgan Zifchak has taken her big smile to the front of the class. She is now teaching Jazzercise aerobics in Winston Salem, N.C. and loves it. She adds, “I stay busy with my 8 year old daughter Mary Elizabeth and am about to celebrate our twelfth wedding anniversary with Pete.”
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Sallie Smith Sweeney, 409 Chestnut Ave., Towson, MD 21204; ssweeney@apprioinc.com Please send us your news!
25th Reunion New Correspondents: Liz Ross Fitzgerald, 7300 Bluntleaf Cove, Austin, TX 78750; rob.liz@live.com Betsy Trible Reid, 7407 Three Chopt Rd., Richmond, Va., 23226; betsytreid@gmail.com Hello from Austin, Texas! I, Liz Ross Fitzgerald, am thrilled to be the new class co-correspondent. I had a wonderful girl’s weekend in Virginia Beach with Morgan Hardage Engel, Duval Reams Fisher, Angier Johnston Miller, Banner Adams, Betsy Trible Reid, Melissa Kennedy Whitley and Larkin Willis Nash. This summer my family went to Virginia Beach with the Engel family and then had the pleasure of going to NYC with Morgan and Larkin. Duval’s education business Tailored Enrichment Kids is booming. She and Zelle Reams Dunn ’94 love having their parents closer in Pinehurst, N.C. Betsy enjoys teaching 10th graders and AP 12th graders at Trinity Episcopal School. Angier received the Martha S. Ferman Spirit Award from The Junior League of Tampa for her leadership and service. Larkin had a busy summer visiting family in the Northwest and was able to catch up with Susanna Giles Holt in San Francisco.
Paula Barlow Gatti shared that she and her husband moved to Warrenton, Va. She is teaching at Kettle Run High School in Fauquier County. Elizabeth Few Maguire and family moved to Richmond from Los Angeles. She had a show at the Page Bond Gallery in Richmond and had many St. Catherine’s alumnae attend the opening of the show. She did the costume and production design on a film “The True Life Story of Eleanor Greene” that was shot in Charleston, S.C. last fall. Jenifer Ramler Spisak is living in Richmond and is a school librarian. She has started in a Ph.D. program at VCU in Research and Evaluation. She also has written a professional book for school librarians called Multimedia Learning Stations. Sloan Smith is the Mobile Art Director at the Weather Channel in Atlanta. Her boys are now 4th and 5th graders. She celebrated her mom’s 70th birthday in the Bahamas with Mary Price Wick Reath, Ann Gillespie Sullivan and Foster Witt (St. Chris ’91). Katherine Moseley shares that in addition to their flooring company, she has now launched a turf business (tourgreenssouthflorida.com). Her beautiful girls attend Sea Star, a Waldorf School in Boca Raton, Fla. Brooke Buckley Cason is in Staunton raising her two boys. She is the head registered nurse for Staunton City Schools. She attended a leadership institute for school health at Rutgers. Laura Crittenden Kellogg is working as a civilian for the Navy at an urgent care clinic on base at Naval Station Norfolk. Her daughter is in her third year of college. We were so sorry to hear of the death of Laura’s father in October. Naomi Weinberg Berk is working as a college admissions consultant helping British students who want to attend University in the U.S. She is helping build a new obstetrics research charity, concentrating on pre-term birth. Katherine Hardy Connell has a thriving interior design business. Her boys are in 5th and 6th grade. She tries to have monthly dinners with Cameron Hardy Ellerbe ’88, Morgan
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Daughters of Katherine Moseley ’91
Sloane Smith ’91’s sons
Hines Crawford ’88, Katherine Boyette Griffith ’90, Shade Elam Maret ’90, Jennifer Cleveland Elam ’87, Mary Michaels Orr Estrada ’89, Walker Armfield Wilson ’88 and Barbara Harris Bond ’88. Deborah Bedford Roberts’ daughter is in college to study theatrical makeup and her stepson has completed his 4th year at med school. She and her husband planned a visit to Virginia in November. Maysam Ziadeh had a great summer in Amman, Jordan and enjoyed a family vacation to Barcelona. Her kids are doing well. She loves working as a speech-language pathologist in Amman. Kate Hilburn Allgood moved to Atlanta in August. She says everyone is adjusting well to school, apartment living as they look for a house, and to the new normal of city traffic. Joy Abercrombie Robertson is teaching 4th grade math and science. She had a wonderful summer spent at the beach. Lee Harney Harris says that her kids are doing well. She loves playing tennis and is involved with a committee and board at UNC. Allysun Fairman/Birhane Webster is studying at Berkeley. She is a professional artist and recently had a solo show with Capital One and Guichard Galleries. She has a mural company called Dark Theory Project.
little beach get-together. Somehow, it never feels like time has passed when we get together. Especially fun for us was the fact that our daughters, Mae and Mary Gaughan, hit it off wonderfully. As for class news, Ciara Torres-Spelliscy is a law professor in Florida and is writing her first book for the legal publisher Lexis. The book is about the rights and responsibilities of corporations. Lindsay Bowen Adamson has taken a job at a preschool working with four year olds. Lucky four year olds! Congratulations and thank you to Carrie Featherstone Hoge for serving as President of the Richmond Alumnae Board at St. Catherine’s. She is serving a two-year term. Please remember to send your news and pictures to Nell and me throughout the year. We love hearing from you!
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Liz Booker Staub, 300 Booty Ln., Virginia Beach, VA 23451; lizbstaub@gmail.com Please send us your news!
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Page Boyette Curtin, 700 Oak Knoll Ln., Menlo Park, CA 94025; pagebcurtin@gmail.com Nell Pittman Sutlive, 951 Dean Dr., NW, Atlanta, GA 30318; npittman@alumni.wfu.edu
Happy Fall, Class of ’93! Well, we officially made it through the year of our 40th’s! On to many new adventures in the next decade I’m sure. This past summer, your class correspondents worked in a
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Rachel Easterly Gagen, 1507 Langhorne Rd., Lynchburg, VA 24503; fortun8@comcast.net Julie Ann Raymer Wash, 4106 Park Ave., Richmond, VA 23221; julieann.wash@kikicollection.com
The class of ’94 knows how to walk the line. This summer in her hometown of Lynchburg, Va, Mary New Dalton gave a tremendous performance with cello and fiddle in “Ring of Fire,” a show featuring the music of Johnny Cash. Several classmates were proud to support her on opening night including: Whitney Parker Kestner, Whitney Dalton Melton, and Rachel Easterly Gagen. In 2015 few classmates fell into a ring of fire! Kimberly Lichtenberg got married in June with bagpipes, flowers and Shakespeare! Kimberly and her husband live in Pasadena, Calif. Sarah Coffey Odom got married in February and a ’94 posse was there to help celebrate: Kristie Hartman Calvillo, Priscilla Jones Stanzel, Jessica Bobbitt, Christian Swiers Miller, Martha Shaw Tate and Darlington Easterly Ridgway! The happy couple
1993 get together. L to R, Top: Page Boyette Curtin, Nell Pittman Sutlive; Bottom: Mae Sutlive, Mary Gaughan Curtin
Classmates from ’94 went to Lynchburg to support Mary New Dalton’s cello performance in “Ring of Fire.” L to R: Whitney Parker Kestner, Whitney Dalton Melton, Mary, Rachel Easterly Gagen.
moved to Big Sky, Mont. in June. In August, Clair Parrish Smith got married outside a log cabin near Jackson, Wyo. officiated by none other than our own Whitney Zimmerman Edwards. Mary Price Ellis was the best woman, and Mary Dalton and Chris Edwards (Whitney’s husband) were the musicians. Other St.Cats alumnae in attendance included: Nina Luxmoore Lenz, Armpie Talman Ramsey, Caroline Totten Gary, Sallie Cecil Stillwell ’81, Janie Stillwell ’18, plus Charley Stillwell (headmaster of St.Chris), Sarah Kent Parrish ’61 (mother of the bride) and Anne Gordon Goodykoontz Grissom ’95. Christian Swiers Miller didn’t have a boy named Sue, but a girl, Kellum Elizabeth Miller, in May. Kyle Dunlap loves living in Chapel Hill with her son Jude-Edward. He is a rising 4th grader at the Waldorf-School, where Kyle is part of the faculty. I’ve got the Folsom Prison Blues cause that’s all the news I have. Please join the St. Cats Class of ’94 Facebook page for more up to date news and fewer puns.
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SPOTLIGHT
Jackie Parker Taylor ’94
Jackie Parker Taylor ’94 boasts a skill set that is a blend of technology and old fashioned “people skills.” And for that she was celebrated in the 10th annual NJBIZ Best 50 Women in Business program, which recognizes women who are influential in their companies, industries and communities, and who are shaping New Jersey’s economic future. Taylor’s personal credo was shaped by St. Catherine’s School Motto, “What we keep we lose; only what we give remains our own” combined with her passion for her field. “I truly love technology and the field of human resources,” Taylor said. “I actually get excited about helping a global organization transform their business processes. But, I also realize there is more to life than business. It's important to give back.” Taylor is Executive Director at Ernst & Young, serving as a key leader in HR Performance Improvement/HR Technology practice. She is the Founder of Success Ladder Academy, an academic coaching center for students located in Hillsborough, N.J.
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Sophie Milam, 1324 N. Bosworth Ave. Apt 2R Chicago, IL 60642; smilam@mindspring.com
Vanessa Conlin was accepted into the Master of Wine program, which will be a three year minimum commitment, but it takes most people five or six years to pass. If Vanessa passes (which we know she will!), she will be one of just a few hundred people in the world to achieve this certification, which is the highest in the wine business. Congratulations on being accepted into the program Vanessa - we know you’ll do great! Lorraine Sanders has launched a new podcast called the “Spirit of 608.” The podcast features interviews with women at the forefront of fashion, entrepreneurship, sustainability and technology. The aim of the show is to inspire, entertain and inform women building businesses and those who want to shop from brands pushing fashion into a better place. While there’s a fashion focus, the stories and advice from guests can be useful no matter what industry you’re in. She hopes you’ll listen in and tell her what you think. You can find the show on iTunes and online at www.spiritof608.com Caroline Ewing Burd and new hubby are doing well in northwest Arkansas. Arpie Parker Starke and family are still living in Singapore. Daughter Mary Mac is in 2nd grade at Stamford American International School, and son Thomas is in kindergarten. The family is looking forward to spending
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Taylor has been a strong advocate for diversity and work/life balance in the workplace. As part of Women’s Affinity Group, she advocates for corporate women to help them achieve their full career potential and helps to develop a pipeline of female and minority talent in the organization through succession planning systems and processes. Previously, Taylor worked for PVH Corp., the global apparel company that owns Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Izod and other leading brands. As Senior Director of Global HR Systems, she led the rollout of domestic and global HR systems along with supporting several major mergers and acquisitions. Prior to PVH, she worked for global Human Capital software vendor Sapien, and won awards as the only female lead in the organization, overseeing two profit centers. Taylor is the author of “Meet CABEAR” for youth readers, featuring an animated character whose name is an acronym for character traits (Complete, Achieve, Believe, Enhance, Attract and Receive); and “Super Power Parenting: Strategies for Motivating Today’s Youth.” She has spoken on TV and radio on parenting strategies. Taylor was also the recipient of the 2015 Outstanding Women in Somerset (County, N.J.) Award and the NJ Monthly magazine’s “Leading Women in NJ” recognition.
thanksgiving with Arpie’s parents in the Margaret River region of Australia. Arpie wanted to remind everyone that, as always, their guest rooms are ready and waiting for friends to visit!
20th Reunion Anne Stokes Bowman, 1900 Shoreham Dr, Charlotte, NC 28211; annesbowman@gmail.com; and
Party at Katherine Peace Fleck’s house! That’s right; her custom home, which has been featured in architecture magazines, is the place to be during our 20th Reunion. She’s hosting our class party on April 15 ahead of the St.C 125th event on April 16. We are hoping to see everyone there; make your plans now! A big thanks to Victoria McMakin Wei and Katherine Austin Vest Smith for helping with the planning, and of course, Katherine for hosting! Make sure our insider Laura Spratley Birdsey has your most current contact info so you will receive updates on the 20th reunion (lbirdsey@st.catherines.org). In April, we can celebrate with Jessica Smith Bright and Anna Noyes Kutcher who both wed this summer. Jessica had a gorgeous beach wedding with many ’96 classmates in attendance. Not only did she find her dream man, she now has three fantastic stepsons. Anna married her college boyfriend
and will finish her graduate degree at VCU this spring. Babies, babies, lots of babies. No joke, between Heather Pergrossi Collins and Anne Stokes Bowman there are TEN children. Heather welcomed baby #6 via adoption. It’s a boy! Gavin joins his five older sisters in keeping them young. It’s a girl for Anne, Jane Stokes Bowman (Janie) was born on August 3 and weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces. If anyone needs baby advice, see these two supermoms. Ashton Anderson Skoblar reports that life is good and BUSY with two young ones in Wilmington, N.C. Louise Irwin Welch’s family is growing, thanks to a puppy named Dixie. She loves her job in product management at Google. Anna Martin Maas started a new job at Thunderbird Archaeology as their first in-house architectural historian. Very impressive Anna! Betsy Robbins Michau is happy and settled in Wayne, PA. Although her two boys lost their British accents after only six months, they love being back in the States and reconnecting with everyone. Betsy is starting her photography business this fall. Lynne Fogarty Rhode moved to Jacksonville, Fla., and lives right on the Intercoastal Waterway. Let’s go visit! She is working remotely as Section Chief of the Environmental Law Section for the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. Sarah Hovis Dickinson finished her first Sprint Triathlon at the U.S. Military Academy. Not surprising, she was the first female out of the water, and came in 4th for her age group! Go Hovis. She hopes to do it again next
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Renee Charity Price ’96 at her graduation from Columbia University.
year and wants marathon sprinter Rendall Harris by her side. Her business sarahsbookshelves.com is very successful and inspires us all to read. Erin McKittrick Shaw launched a business, Swimming to Erin! She is an outstanding swim coach to nonswimmers starting at 17 months. I love watching the videos of the excited little ones so proud that they swam all the way to Erin. Hopefully, she can teach your class correspondent Robyn Melzig Broughton's Liam how to swim before next summer. He is going to need some extra attention now that his little brother Caleb has arrived (born 7 pounds 9 ounces)! Keep the news coming!
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Lile Trice Benaicha, 4611 Bromley Lane, Richmond, VA; liletrice@gmail.com
Cameron Miller Rivinus is “busy working at content/commerce start up Brit + Co as we grow and expand our offering.” Kent and Whitney Dunlap McLeod bought an 1890 historic farmhouse in Cary, N.C. that they are completely renovating. “It’s our own ‘fixer upper.’ We’ll keep you posted once it’s done in 2016!” On June 4, 2015, Emily Moss welcomed a son, Marshall Shane Madden into the world. He weighed 6.4 pounds and was 17” long.
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Sarah Redmond, 39 E, Bellefonte Ave. Alexandria, Va. 22301; sarah.d.redmond@gmail.com
Hey there, Class of 1998. We’ve got some great updates from folks. Brookie Bates is living in Brooklyn and has started working in the Development Department of the Metropolitan Museum, where she focuses on donor management and relations. Allison Nugent Powers had a
child, Sydney Sanna Powers, on June 23; she and Ken “are being put through our paces, but she’s so much fun.” Ashley Holmes lives in Raleigh with her boyfriend and dog; she continues to practice law and stays connected on social media. Yuna Lee moved to Bentonville, Ariz., in October. She is the morning anchor at KHBS/KHOG and was nominated for a regional Emmy. Yuna is also on the political beat. She has covered Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Ben Carson, and the GOP debate in Cleveland; she also had one-on-one interviews with Mike Huckabee and Ted Cruz. Tovia Martirosian Smith has loved living in Richmond. She is still with the Virginia Women’s Center and she finds it a very special place to work. Steven is at MCV/VCU as a pathologist and is very happy. Baby Tovia turned 2 and loves getting her nails painted by “granny.” Lee turned 4 and has started JK at St. Chris with lots of former classmates’ children. As Tovia said, “Very exciting to come full circle in a sense.” Lauren Fegely Huneke was able to spend the month of July in Paris with her family because of Mike’s job. She took the boys sightseeing all over the city and put in some hours for work after they went to bed. Highlights included celebrating Bastille Day, watching Tour de France, and catching pre-August summer sales. Brooke Ford Barnard reports, "I have completed my GRI and SRS in Real Estate - fancy acronyms for I can serve my clients even better! I also just had my third child - Linley Kate Jennings. Born February 5, Linley Kate joins her big brother Ford (4) and big sister Ritchie (2).” Rebekah Curry and her husband spent an exciting 3 weeks traveling around Asia. She now works as a writer and online media consultant. In her free time she still plays violin, piano, sings and dances. We look forward to hearing more stories in the next edition.
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Lindley Harding Stakem, 505 Park Hill, Charlottesville, VA 22902; lindleyhs@gmail.com
Ann Chandler Pastore started her own interior design firm, Archetype Studio, in Charleston, S.C. Miranda Balister Yost is busy with twin toddlers Cora and Julian. Tucker Bayliss was married to Wyatt Deal on April 11, 2015 with a beautiful ceremony and reception in Richmond. Many, many of their classmates were there to celebrate. Tucker and Wyatt remain living in Richmond. Molly Trice, after several years teaching in Henrico County. She has a new job as a Kindergarten teacher at St. Christopher’s and is getting adjusted to being back! In a small, private ceremony Katie Logsdon married James Sheets on August 14th, 2015. Additionally, she will graduate from VCU with a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in accounting in December, and is planning to sit for her CPA in early 2016. Best of luck to you! Tyler Henley Walters and her husband welcomed a baby boy,
Ann Whitham Cundy ’99 and family
Ballard Anderson Walters on March 15, 2015. Ann Whitham Cundy and her family had a great summer with her new road cycling obsession. They enjoyed cheering her husband Steve on in the Shenandoah Mountain 100 mountain biking race. They also celebrated their son Ford’s 4th birthday with the youngest, Eleanor, now 19 months old. “She has a mind of her own!” Sarah White Chawla married on June 13, 2015. She recently left her job in public diplomacy at the State Department to teach 4th grade in Henrico. Ashley Gordon Bawol added lead singer to her list of talents! She and a friend started playing music two years ago as a hobby and stress relief from the routine of parenting and jobs. They formed the band Wood Face about a year ago and play alternative rock, with some jazz, metal, and classic rock around Richmond. Chrystal Russell continues to maintain her busy travel schedule in college admissions at Rhodes, but she did add a plant to her family — his name is Patrick! Congrats Chrystal. Kathryn Williams writes, “Very excited to share that I married Greg Renna on October 4, 2014, at my father’s cabin outside of Lexington, Va. We celebrated later with friends and family (including St. C alumnae) on Peaks Island, near Portland, Maine. We now live in Cumberland, Maine, outside of Portland. In addition to writing, editing, and completing my MFA at the Sewanee School of Letters, I have been teaching at The Telling Room, a really cool non-profit creative writing organization for kids and teens.” Abi Huitt Mackenzie is living in New Zealand. She made a visit back to the states and had a mini-reunion with some classmates in May, including Julia Ogden, Lizzie Ellen Holtan, Sarah Gillespie Levine, and Evie Grosenick. As for your correspondent Lindley, my family is doing well in Charlottesville and have made the move to
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Children of Leigh Bladergroen Glatt ’00 and sister Erin Bladergroen Phillips ’99
Classmates from ’99 in San Francisco. L to R: Julia Ogden, Lizzie Ellen Holtan, Sarah Gillespie Levine, Abi Huitt Mackenzie, and Evie Grosenick.
Ivy and enjoying taking in everything Albemarle has to offer! Additionally, I’m taking classes at UVA’s McIntire Business Institute — feels so crazy to be back in school!
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Elizabeth Irwin, 314 East 9th St., Apt. 6, New York, NY 10003; esirwin@gmail.com
Our 15th Reunion was a great weekend, especially our class dinner hosted by Ann Robertson Vaughters and deliciously catered by Lindsay Cowles Arrington’s extremely talented husband! Since then, the Class of 2000 has been hustling and bustling all over the place! London-based Becca Logue Thomson, hubby Ben, and daughter Georgia went to Tuscany with family in August. They were in Siena for the famous horse races and stayed on the Arno River in Florence! Down under, Elizabeth Terrell is still rocking out in Sydney since moving there in March 2014! She joined Deloitte Australia’s cloud services team after a year in their strategy practice – no real surprise there, given she was a computer lab aide at St. Catherine’s for three years! Catherine Mason Hammer and her husband are taking their show on the road: they moved to Saudi Arabia in late September! Headed to Dammam on the Gulf, Catherine hopes to find a job teaching at an international middle school. Mara Smith spent her summer traveling and getting ready for her second year teaching in Hanover County Public Schools. Leigh Bladergroen Glatt is excited to be working at St. Christopher’s Early Enrichment and Extended Day programs teaching drama. She spent a week on the Outer Banks with sister Erin Bladergroen Phillips ’99 and their parents; never a dull moment with four kids under the age of four! Up in NYC, Elizabeth Clinard Voulgarakis started a new job at Added Value, a strategic marketing consultancy, while still serving as Junior Board chair for Rosie’s Theater Kids. It’s not all work for Elizabeth though – she and hubby Michael spent time in Amagansett this summer, taking their cocker spaniel Lady for long walks on the beach. (Rumor has it that while Lady does in fact enjoy piña
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Maggie Temple Bailey ’00’s twins Madison and Carter
coladas, getting caught in the rain is NOT her thing.) As if having twin toddlers (Madison and Carter) doesn’t keep her busy enough, Maggie Temple Bailey plans to run the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans in February 2016. She’s raising money in honor of her sister-in-law and her fiancé, both tragically killed in a plane crash — any support is welcomed! As for me, Elizabeth Irwin, I participated in the annual Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football fundraiser. With my sister Louise Irwin Welch ’96 and Alexandra Ellen Ebrahim ’96 cheering us on, Team Blonde took home the trophy and helped raise nearly $200k for the Alzheimer’s Association! A week later I headed to Beijing for a two week family adventure in connection with the Richmond Ballet’s cultural ambassadorship to China. (I finally got to see the Terracotta Army we learned about in Lower School!) Later in the summer, a wedding in Vermont had me tearing up the dancefloor with my mom Dede Deane Irwin ’68 and my aunt Eleanor Deane Bierbower ’75! As for the rest of you, I know you’re doing amazing things, so why won’t you tell me about them!? (Nicole Dicharry Jordan, for example, claims to lead a boring, uneventful life… but secretly I think she’s off saving the whales and fighting crime and giving unparalleled karaoke performances. Alas, I have no proof… YET.) Until next time…
15th Reunion Evan Garrison, 303 S Blvd., Apt. 10, Richmond, VA 23220; garrison.evan@gmail.com Ida Trice Vaclavik, 2111 Wisconsin Ave. NW, #602, Washington, DC 20007; idatrice@gmail.com A lot has been happening with the class of 2001: marriages, babies, new jobs and fun trips! Mary Mason Williams Foukal is still in Charlottesville and welcomed a baby boy, Carrington Williams Foukal, on April 7, 2015. Emily Valentine Schutt
also had a visit from the stork in Arlington, Va., welcoming a baby girl, Peyton Valentine Schutt, on August 21, 2015. Both Mary Mason and Emily report that they are absolutely in love and managing to get a bit of sleep too! Alexis Martirosian continues to live in Washington, D.C.,where she works as a lawyer by day, salsa dancer by night and a world traveler on the weekends. After 10 years of working in law firms, Carrington Lee made a switch and joined the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. where she manages “professional development for consults in the healthcare practice in New York.” I am sure that keeps her busy during the week and I know she has a cute dog who keeps her busy on the weekends. The girls on the west coast are keeping busy too. Claire Williams is teaching yoga in the Bay Area and had a fall trip planned to hike and explore Australia and New Zealand for a month. Natalie Martirosian Mason is living in San Francisco, but journeyed back east to tie the knot on May 9, 2015 in Richmond. Lots of classmates were in attendance and it was quite the party! Julie Griffith also tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony in Bear Mountain, N.Y. The wedding party sang a song from Les Mis and the dessert table was not to be missed — cheesecake, chocolate cake and bananas foster. Melissa Britt Mitchell made the journey from Atlanta to New York to attend. Melissa also completed a cross country road trip this summer traveling from California to Atlanta. When not traveling, she is taking care of her two furry babies Pickles and Porkchop. Blair Dunlap Edwards had her second daughter June 5, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce, 18.75 inches. Coventry “Covey” Neal Edwards was welcomed with love by Blair, Chris and big sister Lily! As each year passes, it seems more girls make their way back to Richmond. Grey Gibson Martin and her husband are thrilled to be back in town. Grey is currently working for a management consulting firm and Seth is teaching Upper School English at St. Catherine's. Ann Kamps Kramer Taliaferro and her husband Michael are in Richmond as well and welcomed a little girl Adele to their mix. Evan Garrison
Ashley Hoover Rhoades ’02 and family
continues to work hard in dental school at VCU while Holly Dew Roper pursues her degree in Christian counseling through Liberty University. Berkeley Blanchard Martin is working as a physiatrist at Sheltering Arms and is keeping busy chasing her two year old Blake. Your class correspondent, Ida Trice Vaclavik, and my husband also made the move back to Richmond in January after welcoming our daughter Libbie in November. Alex is working for Virginia Women’s Center and I am working at Virginia Breast Center. I am excited to see everyone at our reunion in April. Can you believe that it has been 15 years since we sat on the portico in white dresses?!
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Keriann Boone, 1202 Southways, Delray Beach, FL 33483; heykeriann@gmail.com Margaret Norfleet Weismiller, 124 Longvale Road, Bronxville, NY 10708; margaret.weismiller@gmail.com Corbin Dunlap Page has accepted a new job with the Federal Reserve in Richmond as a Test Manager for their IT Infrastructure team. Bevin Lawson Irby and her husband Claiborne (St. Chris ’01) welcomed their second daughter, Emma Frances, in April. Their house in Arlington, Va. is now happily filled with girls as she joins big sister Charlotte! Ashley Hoover Rhoades is working as a psychiatric nurse practitioner at the Henrico jail and her husband just started as an anesthesiologist at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital. Her son Bert is two and daughter Rosella is one. Kristin Ash has moved to Ventura County, Calif., and would be happy to hear from any Saints who are living nearby! I, Margaret Norfleet Weismiller, am still living in London and enjoyed a beach trip with Susan Hock Sobay in August, where future Saints Mary and Caroline got to play together. Jenny Sauer Holladay and her husband Whit still live in Chicago and welcomed a baby girl, Mary Katherine “Kate” Holladay, on February 26, 2015. Please keep in touch!
2002 classmates Margaret Norfleet Weismiller (left) with daughter Mary Winston and Susan Hock Sobay (right) with daughter Caroline.
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Whitney Adams, 3318 Fait Ave., Baltimore MD 21224; whitneycolvinadams@gmail.com
Congratulations to Emily Jumet Horne who married on May 23, 2015! Millie Graham Taylor is living in Blacksburg, Va. with daughter Virginia Louise “Ginny.” Her husband Robbie attends VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine and Millie works as a nurse in the local ER. Megan Johnson is working with the DC Department of Health as a Sanitarian which she says is a “fancy name for Health Inspector.” Martha Cole Glenn '59 who introduced Alina Abuzyarova to St. Catherine's is proud to report that Alina, who has changed her name to Alina Zarr, has a new job as Founding Managing Partner for Terra de Promissio, her sister and brother in law's vineyard (specializing in Pinot Noir) in Petaluma (Sonoma County, Calif.). For the last six years Alina worked on Capitol Hill as a lobbyist for Grant Thornton accounting firm.
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Carter Augustine Warren, 6113 Bremo Rd., Richmond, VA 23226; carterpaugustine@gmail.com Mimi Kennedy Harris, 15 Sheridan Sq., Apt. 1A, NYC 10014; mimi.k.harris1@gmail.com Ann Tripp Carlson, 1007-H North Hamilton St., Richmond, VA 23221; attripp@gmail.com
The Class of 2004 has been busy this year. Sara Seward McGlothlin and Polly Marshall Taylor opened a local boutique barre studio called BarReVA in the Libbie Place shopping center (barreva.com). Elizabeth Johnson moved from NYC to Charleston, S.C. and is now Art Director at Garden & Gun magazine. She loved catching up with Brooke Barnhardt, Ginny McClinton, Sarah Hite Kennedy and Mimi Kennedy Harris in Linville, N.C. in August. Conner and Mimi moved back to Charlotte, N.C. from NYC and had a son, William ‘Banks’ Harris on March 23, 2015. Joan Barnard is living in San Francisco where she pens the weekly
Alina Zarr ’03 at her sister’s vineyard in Sonoma, Calif.
Joan Actually, a dating advice column for Zoosk, the online dating website. She also answers reader questions in a weekly dating advice series on YouTube. Becky Cooper bought a house in the Church Hill neighborhood in Richmond and is working as the Prestige Manager for Treasury Wine Estates. Jessica Snead Tate and her husband Kevin had a baby June 12, 2015, Owen Riley Tate. Carter Augustine Warren and her husband JR welcomed Alfred Spotswood Warren June 1, 2015. Carter is teaching first grade at St. Catherine’s. Caroline Galeski is in graduate school in Maine for a masters in Occupational Therapy. Greta Staat reports that she was married in July and started a new job in September. Congrats! Katelyn Jenkins has a new job at Cambridge University Press. She is responsible for representing all foreign language schools in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, DC, and Maryland. She is very excited about this position!
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Tyler Hetzer Burr, 2300 Valley Dr., Alexandria, VA 22302; tylerhburr@gmail.com Anne Porter, 1812 35th Street NW, #210 Washington, DC 20007; anneporter87@gmail.com Catherine Purdy is living in Monterey, Calif. working towards an MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Anne Flatin is still teaching Latin and French at St. Anne’sBelfield School in Charlottesville, Va. She also is the chair of the Prom Committee and helps out with the theater program. Angie Thomas is entering her 10th year living in South Carolina. She serves as an economic development representative for a statewide power company and travels the country to recruit business to the Palmetto State. Elizabeth Redford Howley is still working in the field of special education. She is starting a new nonprofit in RVA to provide vocational education and job training to graduating high school students with special needs. Aubrey Lawrence Moore is still living in Richmond and working in corporate
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sure you go check it out! She also recently completed a half marathon in Atlanta. Go Tiffany! What a busy lady you are! Can’t wait for more updates from the class of 2006! XOXO
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Eliza Blackwell Conrad, 6700 Hanover Ave., Richmond, VA 23226; eblackw@g.clemson.edu
Two generations of Saints take their expertise to the Anna Julia Cooper School. L to R: Anna Starnes ’05, Mary Szymendera ’09 and Gussie Johns Bannard ’73. Anna and Mary are teachers, and Gussie is Mary’s assistant!
real estate. She still coaches at St. Catherine’s in her spare time and loves it. Kelly Lawson is transitioning from New York City to Stockholm, Sweden this fall. She had been working part-time as a recruiter and a yoga teacher and hopes to pursue teaching yoga full time once settled in Sweden. Elizabeth Gay DeMatos is living in Charlotte, N.C. She and her husband Nick are enjoying their 6 month-old baby boy named Oliver. Elizabeth Jeffress Thorsteinson completed her doctoral work in December and is now teaching biology at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta while continuing her post-doctoral work in Science Education. Brittny Smith works at the Food Marketing Institute in the areas of Health & Wellness and Food Safety. She was married on July 4, 2015, and lives in Alexandria, Va. Sami-Beth Cohen is entering her sixth year in NYC. She currently lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend and just started teaching 4th grade at Global Community Charter School in Harlem. She received her Masters in Education from Mercy College in May. Catie Finley is entering her sixth year living in D.C. and works in the Senate as the Scheduler/Executive Assistant for Senator Barbara Mikulski. Alexandra Bassett Musto and her husband Chris just recently celebrated living in Bristol, England for a full year that involved a lot of traveling and hosting quite a bit of family and friends! Mead McCormick lives in Los Angeles and is now working at Deluxe Digital Studios, a post production house, where she localizes content for Sony, Disney, and Netflix. She is one of the “Mars 100” or the 100 remaining competing candidates for a one way ticket to Mars. Kate Chewning Atwood joined RiverFront Investment Group in April of this year as the Western Regional Sales Consultant after working at Wells Fargo Advisors for over five years. She married Daniel Atwood (St. Chris ‘05) on June 20, 2015 at the Inn at Warner Hall in Gloucester, Va. Dani Hoover, Emily Miller, and Anna Starnes were bridesmaids. Mary Kathryn Perkinson graduated from Campbell University School of Law in May, and just passed the North Carolina bar exam. Leslie Elmore and Jordan Schaeufele went to Burning Man in the Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Your correspondents Anne Porter and Tyler Hetzer Burr are enjoying life in D.C. and Alexandria
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Margaret Shaia Peixoto, 196 Old River Rd., Apt. 310, Lincoln, RI 02865; margaret.shaia@gmail.com
Tiffany Jones ’06 finishing her half marathon in Atlanta
and love hearing from everyone. Thank you for sharing your news!
10th Reunion Janie Coleman, 3815 Garfield St. NW, Washington, DC 20007; janeanncoleman@gmail.com Preston Wright, 1701 Park Ave., Richmond, VA 23222; elizabeth.p.wright@gmail.com Exciting updates from the class of 2006! Katie Doswell Born married Andrew in June and they are living in Chapel Hill with their golden retriever puppy, Cammie. Elizabeth Bartosic Zarzour married Matt Zarzour in June. Beth Thomasson Bright married Austin in May at her family’s farm and Emily Bruner, Moffett Priddy and Sydney Whitaker Hurley were all there celebrating. Emily recently moved to New York City to work in development at The Hewitt School and is LOVING it. Berry Bland, Janie Coleman, Nancy Gottwald, Eugenie Valentine, Sazshy Valentine and Preston Wright spent a beautiful Labor Day Weekend in Austin, Texas celebrating the marriage of Margaret Reynolds Jones and husband Will. Many saints were also in attendance for Juliet Barnard Louthan’s wedding to Michael in Richmond in September. Katie Fletcher McGinley, husband Brandon, and big sister Teresa welcomed baby Ambrose in April. If you want to see cute pictures of her kids, go to her Facebook page — her captions are perfect! Tiffany Jones is still living in Atlanta working for Spanx as a Technical Designer. She recently started a Design Studio, 726 SQFT, where she offers various design services: photography, web + graphic design, watercolor paintings/ stationery, etc!. The site doubles as a lifestyle blog where she shares recipes, travels, and more. Make
Big things are going on for the class of ’07. Congratulations to Amanda Garnett who graduated from physical therapy school where she received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Eliza Brooke graduated from Wake Forest this past May with her Masters in Medical Science. She is now a Certified Physician Assistant working for a family medicine practice in Winston Salem, N.C. Rachel Beamer Harvey and her husband celebrated their five year wedding anniversary this year. They live in Christiansburg, Va. with their beautiful one-year-old baby girl! Nancy Brown has returned stateside after four years in Barcelona. She is living in San Francisco with ST.C. classmate, Allie Svirsky. Allie started a new job as a 5th grade Humanities teacher at Town School for Boys. Don’t forget to follow Kathy Akey’s adventures during her Arctic Circle residency at svalbardbysea.com. Your class correspondents are doing well thanks for asking. Eliza Blackwell Conrad married Matthew Conrad (St. Chris ’05) last May. Eliza is the daughter of Missy Paca Blackwell ’74 and Matthew is the son of Kathy Barger Conrad ’70. Margaret Shaia Peixoto and her husband Nick bought a house in North Smithfield, R.I. and are enjoying the “land of perpetual debt” that is homeownership! Blakeley Sisk is currently living in Bangalore, India for a year doing a fellowship with International Justice Mission (IJM). Keep on keepin’ on ’07 and don’t forget to send us your news!
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Caroline Kasper, 412 South 15th St., Apt 2F, Philadelphia PA 19102; carolinekasper212@gmail.com
Katherine Hetzer is in nursing school at UNC Chapel Hill. Katherine Shaia graduated from UVA Law School, class of 2015, and moved to D.C. to work at the law firm Morrison & Foerster as a corporate attorney. Helen Lanier Reveley is coming back to Richmond for a few months between finishing up a health certificate program at Columbia and applying to P.A. School. Melinda Carpenter Bronson married in Biddeford Pool, Maine on June 27th. She said it was a great time with lots of St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s friends in attendance. We are all so saddened about the untimely and tragic death of our
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Sarah Davenport ’09 led a biking team from Charleston, S.C. to San Francisco this summer. At the end, she dipped her bike wheel into the Pacific Ocean to celebrate.
classmate, Carrie Wortham. There was an outpouring of love for her and in her memory. Melinda wrote “I am so saddened by the loss of such an amazing person. I spent time running track with Carrie and was able to witness her amazing leadership. She was always such a selfless leader and helped her teammates when they needed her. She was so kind to all and had the biggest heart. She will be missed greatly.” Margaret Meredith also commented, “Every memory that I have with Carrie is sweet. Carrie was one of the most positive and good-spirited individuals that I have ever had the privilege to meet. Her energy was contagious, such a happy spirit. She always made you see the brighter side of things, and it was infectious. Of course even on a bad day, she was so wonderful to be around. We will forever remember your classy style and kind heart on a daily basis, Carrie. I, like others of the class of ‘08, feel so honored to have studied beside you for 13 years. You are one of many lost too soon, but we will look up to you with hopes that you can pass along your strength to us. Bless your family everyday, and thanks for being such a perfect role model for all you’ve met.” Carrie will be dearly missed by all.
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Allie Gullquist, One Columbus Pl., Apt. N-21-B, New York, NY 10019; agullquist@me.com Liz Carleton, 102 Penshurst Rd., Richmond, VA 23221; ehc9pb@gmail.com; and Parks Daniel, 4106 Dover Rd., Richmond, VA 23221; parkshewitt@gmail.com Carrington Jones is starting her second year as a 3rd grade teacher in Richmond Public Schools. Phoebe Hankins is celebrating her two-year anniversary in Austin, Texas working with Oracle. Paula Yust recently moved to Durham, N.C., with her cat, Georgiana Darcy, to start a Ph.D. program in Developmental Psychology at Duke. She spent the summer as a nanny in Paris and is now an expert in French language and Paris geography. In August, Sarah Davenport completed her second trip biking across the country as a leader with Overland Summers. Christie Jennison is the
Phoebe ’09 and Virginia Hankins ’08 in Austin, Texas.
Carrington Jones ’09 and her 3rd grade students.
Program Coordinator for Membership and Stewardship at the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, a 7,000 member Episcopal parish in the heart of Buckhead. Leanna Helton has relocated to Brisbane, Australia, to work in software engineering and explore the country’s many wonders. Corinne Downs Kenney married college sweetheart Wesley Kenney this summer. Mr. and Mrs. Kenney spent their honeymoon traveling through Europe and are now happily settled in Burlington, Vt. Eliza McGehee lives in Raleigh, N.C., and works for the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, a leading advocate for girls’ education. Over 600 educators attended NCGS’ 2015 Conference “From STEM to STEAM: Girls’ Schools Leading the Way” at St. Catherine’s this past June (see page 10 to read more about the conference). Erinn Larson is living in New Hampshire. Jennifer Rose is working with Acquavella Galleries in New York City. Parks Daniel moved to Charlottesville, Va., this summer, and plans to complete a Masters program in Public Policy and Business Administration at UVA. Taylor Jones also recently moved to Charlottesville, where she is a student at the School of Medicine at UVA.
Leanna Helton ’09 exploring Australia.
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Mamie Robertson, 16 Bridgeway Rd., Richmond, VA 23226; robertsonm14@mail.wlu.edu Jane Taylor, 4207 Sulgrave Rd., Richmond, VA 23221; janedorseytaylor@gmail.com Please send us your news!
5th Reunion Cabell Doswell, 2100 Twyman Rd., Charlottesville, VA 22903; cdoswell2@elon.edu Polly Ukrop, 640 N. Church St. Apt. 203 Charlotte, NC 28202; polly.ukrop@gmail.com The Class of 2011 is coming up on our five year reunion in the spring and we are excited to
celebrate how far we’ve all come. We’ve been busy over the past year, many of us finishing up our undergraduate degrees and continuing our education or beginning our careers. Madeline Alderman spent the summer working on a large game preserve in South Africa through the Virginia Tech Pamplin School of Business. Sarah Katz is applying to PT school. Lissie Baker is back in Richmond interning at the Anna Julia Cooper School through the Grace-On-the-Hill program. Dana Gullquist has also returned home to Richmond and is working at Dominion as an Energy Market Analyst. Not far away in Charlottesville are Kristen Wolenberg, working at Merkle|RKG as a Display Advertising Analyst, Cabell Doswell is working at Easton Events as a marketing and event coordinator, and Kari Roynesdal is working for Gregg Bleam Landscape Architects. Paige Gay and Emily Hardy are also in Charlottesville pursuing MS degrees in Commerce at UVA’s McIntyre School. In the opposite corner of the state, Madeline Lebar is in graduate school at Eastern Virginia Medical School working towards a medical degree. Kara Williams is also furthering her education at the University of Kentucky where she is pursuing a Masters in Social Work. We have a number of peers two hours north of home in D.C. as well. Margaret Catherine Southall is a Consultant with CapTech
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Ventures, Mary Stuart Nelsen works in the financial department of George Mason, and Emily Johnson works at George Washington hospital while she applies to graduate programs to become a nurse practitioner. Further south, Mary Frances Buoyer is a project coordinator at AKQA in Atlanta and Polly Ukrop is a business associate at Red Ventures in Charlotte. Up in the Big Apple, Mary Lowman will be performing with Mosaic Dance Theatre in December and is doing freelance production work in the meantime. We also have some fellow 2011 grads who have taken their Saints spirit abroad! Marie Belt is in the United Kingdom interning at the Dogwood Veterinary Surgical and Emergency Center while she applies to veterinary schools there. On the other side of the world Liza Doswell has taken her love for animals and volunteered with rescued elephants in Thailand for a month while she applied to be a lab assistant in genetics research. Katherine Bassett is living in LA and working for a talent agency in Beverly Hills. She says that Audrey Fain has recently moved there and they get together to hike and have brunch. We are excited to see everyone at Reunion this spring!
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Marshall Moore, Box 870, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244; marshallmoore93@gmail.com Emily O’Connell, CSU 5047, PO Box 8793, Williamsburg, VA 23187; evoconnell@verizon.net St. Catherine’s class of 2012 was busy over the summer interning, traveling and studying. Lizzie Stallings worked as the Education Associate at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival. Amanda Kim worked locally for The Arcady Group and also spent a few weeks shadowing doctors at Duke Hospital. Mary Elizabeth Moore traveled with Wilderness Adventure leading their Spanish Language program. Callie Wright interned in Charlottesville editing for the The Scout Guide. As she prepared for professional school, Barrett Haynes worked as a Clinical Nursing Assistant gaining lots of experience and clinical hours. Savannah Salter traveled all the way to Amsterdam for an international teaching conference where she collaborated with teachers from all over the globe. Audrey Scruggs headed to our nation’s capitol where she took part in an academic summer institute based on “new media.”
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Ann Prideaux, Peddrew-Yates Room 122, 610 Washington St., SW, Blacksburg, VA 24060; abp@vt.edu Franny Blanchard, Campus Box 28280, Wake Forest University, 1834 Wake Forest Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27106; blanfh13@wfu.edu
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William & Mary graduate Jabria Craft ’11 (far left) and William & Mary senior Raven Baytops ’12 (far right) led a session on the interview process with a William & Mary representative at St. Catherine’s College Symposium.
Meredith Doswell spent the summer conducting research with VCU on the impact of saltwater intrusion on tidal wetlands, while Alex Najarian took her talents to the stage performing in Carrie: The Musical in Cape Cod. Noel Fauntleroy continues to excel in horseback riding winning team gold and individual bronze in the FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships. The class of 2013 took their studies all over the world this past year including Alex McEachin in France, Hayley Foster in Denmark, Heather Schumacher in Ireland, Courtney Robinson in Austria, Lizzie Wallace and Camille Peeples in London, Anna Dorsey and Ann Pearman Blanchard in Spain, and Randall Ackerly, Franny Blanchard, Jane McGehee, Allie Murillo, Morgan Powell, Eleanor Siff, and Coco Van der Wolk in Italy.
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Fraser Mayberry, 201 College Ave. Ashland, Virginia 23005; frasermayberry@go.rmc.edu Ellie Wallace, 333 E Rosemary St., Apt. 611, Chapel Hill, NC 27516; elliewallace@verizon.net
The Class of 2014 finished up their first year of college and had a very exciting summer! Skyler Mang worked on a film set in Los Angeles while Sydney DeBoer was a peer assistant with the William and Mary cross-cultural collaboration with Japanese students from Keio University. Page Bowers programmed robots in the Autonomous Systems Lab at Cornell while Carmen Camp worked in the Vanderbilt Institute for Integrated Software in Systems. Many classmates took opportunities to study abroad over the summer: Hannah O’Neil in Scotland, Liza Blackburn in Ireland, and Margaret Luck and Caroline Vath in London! Catherine Simpson worked as an au pair in Madrid, Spain, and Ellie Wallace had a medical internship through the Atlantis Project shadowing and teaching English in a hospital in Albacete, Spain. Augusta Moss had
an internship with the social media team at Collared Greens. Shelby Herzog lives in the Alpha Phi sorority house at East Carolina University. Shelby writes, “Love ECU and thankful for the great St. Catherine’s education!” The class of 2014 has been keeping busy since graduation, and we look forward to sharing more news about all our experiences soon!
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Lily Damgard; 18 Clarke Rd., Richmond, VA 23226; lilymead@live.unc.edu Lily Gray; 5202 Kenmore Rd., Richmond, VA 23226; lilygray@gmail.com The Class of 2015 is off to an incredible start in our freshman year of college! We have girls all across the country including Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, New York, Georgia, Virginia, and even abroad in Scotland. We seemed to all have great summers. Virginia Hamilton summited Mount Rainier in Washington on a Moondance trip in July. Bentley Logue also went on a Moondance trip this summer in Africa and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. We seem to all be super busy adjusting to new college life. BB Vozenilek, attending VCU, became the manager for the VCU women’s basketball team. Haley Tucker, attending Washington and Lee University, is playing field hockey and her season is off to a good start. Haley just came off a great win against Washington College in which she scored all goals in the game. We also have other college athletes including Virginia playing field hockey and lacrosse at Denison University and Libby Parrish running cross-country at Wake Forest University. Annabel O’Hagan also is doing a novice crew program at Harvard University and is performing in the musical Nine for the Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club. Although we are loving our new lives in college, the class of 2015 misses St. Catherine’s so much. We look forward to hearing more from the current senior class and cannot wait until Christmas and Thanksgiving breaks to reunite with our class!
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Peyton Valentine Schutt was born August 21 at Georgetown Hospital, daughter of Frederick and Emily Valentine Schutt ’01. Jenny Sauer Holladay ’02 and her husband Whit welcomed baby girl Mary Katherine,“Kate.” Jeremy and Tyler Lamb Walters ’99 son Ballard Anderson Walters
Alfred Spottswood, the son of J.R. and Carter Augustine Warren ’04.
Bevin Lawson Irby’s ’02 daughters: Emma Frances Irby with big sister Charlotte James.
Births & Adoptions 1988
Children of Brooke Ford Barnard ’98. L to R: Ritchie, Linley Kate and Ford
1999
Stephanie White and Joe Lawson, a daughter, Nora Gail Lawson
Tyler Henley Lamb and Jeremy Walters, a son, Ballard Anderson Walters
1994
2001
Christian Swiers and Justin Miller, a daughter, Kellum Elizabeth Miller
1995
Carrie Roach and Gordon Rush, a son, Gordon McCormick Rush
1996
Alexandra Ellen and Jeremy Ebrahim, a son, Carter Williamson Ebrahim Robyn Melzig and Michael Broughton, a son, Caleb Broughton Heather Pergrossi and Randy Collins, a son, Gavin Collins Anne Stokes and Brent Bowman, a daughter, Jane Stokes Bowman
1997
Carter Hancock and Claiborne Johnston, a daughter, Jane Spotswood Johnston Emily Moss and Shane Madden, a son, Marshall Shane Madden
1998
Brooke Ford and Hayden Barnard, a daughter, Linley Kate Barnard Allison Nugent and Ken Powers, a daughter, Sydney Sanna Powers
Blair Dunlap and Chris Edwards, a daughter, Coventry Neal Edwards Ann Kamps Kramer and Michael Taliaferro, a daughter, Adele Kamps Taliaferro Emily Valentine and Fred Schutt, a daughter, Peyton Valentine Schutt
2002
Bevin Lawson and Claiborne Irby, a daughter, Emma Frances Irby Jenny Sauer and Whit Holladay, a daughter, Mary Katherine Holladay
2003
Kate Christian and Whit Wall, Jr., a son, Coleman Whitfield Wall III
2004
Carter Augustine and J.R. Warren, a son, Alfred Spotswood Warren Mimi Kennedy and Conner Harris, a son, William Banks Harris Jessica Snead and Kevin Tate, a son, Owen Riley Tate
2006
Katie Fletcher and Brandon McGinley, a daughter, Ambrose McGinley
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Eliza Blackwell Conrad ’07 married Matthew Conrad (St. Christopher’s ’05) this past May. Eliza is the daughter of Missy Paca Blackwell ’74 and Matthew is the son of Kathy Barger Conrad ’70.
Katie Doswell’s ’06 wedding to Andrew Born
Marriages 1978
Eliana Makhlouf to Hugh Auchincloss Thacher
1979
Mary Cecelia Barksdale to Olin Leo Purvis III
1981
Roberta Keller to Robert Gambill
1989
Kristen Vilseck to Chris White
1994
Sarah Coffey to Shannon Odom Clair Parrish to Steve Smith Kimberly Lichtenberg to Scott Maxwell
1996
Anna Noyes to Joseph Kutcher Jessica Smith to Larry Bright
1999
Mary Butler Eggleston to David Thomas Usher
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Katie Logsdon ’99 and husband James Sheets
Katie Logsdon to James Sheets Kathryn Williams to Greg Renna Sarah White to Mark Chawla
2000
Stephanie Erin Sharer to Garrett Nathaniel Traub
2001
Julie Griffith to Leo Goodman Natalie Martirosian to Daniel Mason
2002
Hunter Hardage Marth to David McCord Smythe
2003
Emily Louise Jumet to Berkeley Horne Jane Ellen Turnbull Moss to Logan Douglas Tinder
2004
Sara Baker McDowell to Wallace Lyndon Wright II Virginia McClinton to Wyn Bowden Greta Staat to Michael Halusek
Natalie Martirosian’s ’01 wedding to Daniel Mason. Clockwise from the left: Eliza Hickey Heyward ’01, Ginny Sutton Turner ’01, Kendall Priddy SmithHarrison ’01, Claire Williams ’01, Winston Blair Schroeder ’01, Ann Kamps Kramer Taliaferro ’01, Emily Valentine Schutt ’01, Susanna Taylor ’01, Alexis Martirosian ’01, Kittredge Murphy Zuk ’01, Holly Dew Rope r’01, Tovia Martirosian Smith ’98, Ginger Tripp McAdams ’01; Not pictured: Sue Baldwin, Liza Bance ’01, Kate Nicholson ’15, Ann Nicholson ’15, Lang Robertson Liebman ’98, Dee Dee Butler Sutton ’76, and Coach Don Warner
Clair Parrish ’94 married Steve Smith outside of Jackson, Wyoming on August 15, 2015
2005
Kate Chewning to Daniel Atwood Brittny Smith to Richard Potter
2006
Katie Doswell to Andrew Born Juliet Barnard to Michael Louthan Elizabeth Bartosic to Matt Zarzour Beth Thomasson to Austin Bright
2007
Eliza Blackwell to Matthew Conrad Grace Tulloh Flatin to Michael Patrick Golden
2008
Melinda Carpenter to Eric Bronson Joyce Fain to Steven James Glendon
2009
Corinne Downs to Wesley Kenney
Memorials Alumnae 1934
Jane Pratt Bayley Hollenbeck
The wedding of Tucker Bayliss ’99 to Wyatt Deal. Saints spanning classes 1966-2009 were in attendance including the bride’s sister, Crandall Bayliss Thompson ’94, mother, Kitty Moss Bayliss ’66, aunt, Jane Moss Lambert ’72 and her nieces who are current students, McKinley Thompson ’25 and Claiborne Thompson ’27.
1937
Delia Carrington Blake
1939
Bliss Street Brown Julia Fisher Folan
1941
Gertrude Johnson McKee Marion Pearson Turner Willis Adams Winfrey
1942
Frances Robertson Gill Legare Thompson Robertson
1943
Maude Leigh Giles Mann
1945 Melinda Carpenter Bronson 08’s wedding in Maine. Bridesmaids included Katherine Skilling ’08, Annie Mackey ’08, Carrington Jones ’09, Margaret Meredith ’08, and Jessie Sauer ’08
Jane Catlett Ballard Mary Lee Fulghum Smith
1946
Caroline Tillett Bailey Mary Lee Fletcher Louise Green Larus
1948
Mitzi Perry-Miller
1949
Mary-Muriel MacArthur
1952
Katherine Mixson Campagna
1953
Terrell Sydnor Lovering
1958 Mary Butler Eggleston ’99 married David Thomas Usher in Kilmarnock, Va.
Drusilla McEachern Martin Evelyn Blackford O'Brien
1962
Anne de Coligny-Davis
1969
Carolyn Brown Papai
1979
Martha Ann Jackson
2008
Caroline Dawn Wortham
Formal Faculty
Caroline Norfleet Church Mary Thomas Wedding of Brittny Marie Smith ’05 to Richard Potter on July 4, 2015
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Ways your support shapes our girls No.
1
Girl-centered since 1890
No.
119
Global studies in all divisions
No.
125
We’re not just a school— we’re a family
Your gifts to St. Catherine’s have helped shape Saints for 125 years. Thank you for your support of Annual Giving. There are many ways to give: check, credit card, stock or matching gift. You may use the enclosed envelope or give online at www.st.catherines.org/giving (Visa and MasterCard) or call the Development Office at 804.281.7141.
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To see all 125 reasons visit www.stc125.org/reasons-to-give
2015-2016 ANNUAL GIVING
boarding memories A Glimpse into Boarding Life through the 2016 Reunion Class Years — by Sarah Martin Hergüner ’77, School Archivist
T
he founding of the St. Catherine’s boarding department traces back to the leadership of Rosalie
Noland (Ball), who served as headmistress of St. Catherine’s School from 192023. Noland oversaw the purchase of the Virginia Randolph Ellett School for Girls (V.R.E.S.) by the Diocese of Virginia in 1920. Noland and founder Virginia Randolph Ellett persuaded the Board to build a dormitory on the new campus in Westhampton. In 1922, ground was broken for Ellett Hall. This began a boarding history at St. Catherine’s School that lasted 85 years.
1921 — Our first six boarders live at “St. Catherine’s House” at 503 West Franklin Street with their housemother Muddie Grymes and three teachers. The charge for the pupils apart from tuition fees is $550.
1941 — The 147 boarding students are eating meals in the dining arcade (1938). Boarding uniforms are introduced in the fall; there are no uniforms for day students.
1986 — Boarders from 21 states and four foreign countries comprise the 146 resident student body. There are 719 students on campus in kindergarten through grade 12.
1946 — Nearly half of the resident department comes from northern families. There are 156 resident students in the total of 483 girls on campus.
1991 — The 98 boarders represent 14 states and nine countries. There are 188 day students in the Upper School, and 711 students overall, including the very first Junior Kindergarten class. This is also the first year of the Boarding Parents’ Advisory.
1951 — A total of 130 girls in grades 5-12 are part of the boarding program. Resident students in grade 7 and below live in Jeffrey Hall and are not allowed to have dates, wear makeup, or keep extra food, radios and victrolas in their rooms. 1956 — This is the first year that St. Catherine’s did not accept fifth grade students in the boarding program. Boarding students enjoy special field trips to the symphony, opera, theater and ballet (as long as they donned a hat and gloves, of course).
1926 — The 45 boarders are under the care of a direct descendant of George Washington. Hannah Washington was hired in January 1924 to assist Miss Jennie and oversee the resident department, and did so for 28 years. Her resident students initiated the first Candlelight Service in 1926.
1961 — The 145 boarding students enjoy the boarding tradition of the “Old Girl-New Girl” Party, which began in the 1930s.
1931 — Bacot Hall, known then as the “Center Building,” opens its west wing, housing a dormitory and study hall. There are 64 resident students (ages 10 to 19) and boarding tuition is $950. Total enrollment at the school is 276 students.
1971 — Tuition for the 147 boarding students is $2,750 for the year. Day student tuition ranges from $490 to $980 annually, according to grade level and activities.
1936 — The Boarding department is limited to 70 resident pupils. Meals are served in Ellett Hall because the dining arcade won’t be built for another two years.
1996 — Of the 286 Upper School students, there are 78 boarding students from 17 states and four foreign countries. 2001 — The 60 boarders represent 12 states and three countries. 2006 — Bacot Hall is home away from home for 44 boarders. In the face of steadily dwindling boarder enrollment, the difficult decision is made to close the Boarding Program. Two years later the final four boarders graduate with the class of 2008.
1976 — A total of 131 boarding students inhabit 65 dorm rooms on campus.
2016 — More than just a number, our boarding alumnae opened the world of our campus community to life and times beyond Richmond, developing lasting friendship with classmates and loyalty to their alma mater. As noted by Nancy Conkle Swann ’62, “It’s not about where I laid my head; it’s about what I took away with me.” You continue to enrich our lives at St. Catherine’s with gifts of resources and artifacts, voluntary work and talent. Please plan on returning to your “home away from home” for the 125th celebration Party Through the Decades April 16, 2016!
1981 — The 146 boarding students represent 17 states and five foreign countries. Campus enrollment grows to 709 students.
Learn even more about the storied history of St. Catherine’s School with the interactive timeline at stc125.org.
1966 — This is the peak year for the boarding program, with 161 residents in Upper School among 640 total students ages 5-18.
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Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Richmond, Virginia Permit No. 1750
6001 Grove Ave., Richmond, Virginia 23226 www.st.catherines.org
Save the Date January 29-30, 2015 Athletic Hall of Fame
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Visit www.stc125.org for more details. April 15-16, 2016 Reunion Weekend & Upper School Career Day
April 16, 2016 Party Through the Decades