Mary WashingtonClass Notes
Fall 2024
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Dear Mary Washington alumni,
We hope you enjoy the fall edition of Class Notes. It is amazing to read about the accomplishments and life events of so many alumni and their families.
As you know, the friendships and bonds formed at Mary Washington are everlasting. While we celebrate milestone reunions on campus, there are hundreds of gatherings and informal reunions that happen throughout the year across the globe. Please check the event calendar at the back of the publication for upcoming events planned by the Office of Alumni Engagement.
As always, we extend our thanks to the dedicated class agents who collect information and keep classes connected. They are the unsung heroes of this publication.
We hope to see you at a campus, regional, or virtual alumni event soon!
Mark Thaden ’02 Executive Director of Alumni Engagement
The Class of 1994 on the Lee Hall steps at Reunion Weekend in June. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Front cover: Mary Washington graduates across the generations posed for a photo on Campus Walk during Reunion Weekend in June. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Right: 1970s alumni and friends enjoyed the annual bay bash held at the home of Bill and Terrie Young Crawley ’77. Photo courtesy of Anne Robinson Hallerman.
Class Notes
No class agent? No problem. Send your news to classnotes@umw.edu
If you prefer to submit Class Notes by mail, send to: UMW Office of Alumni Engagement, 1119 Hanover St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401.
1940s
There are no Class Notes from the 1940s. If you graduated during this decade, please write to the Office of Alumni Engagement at the above address. We’d love to hear from you!
1950
Marcy Weatherly Morris classnotes@umw.edu
Greetings to the Class of 1950! I, Marcy Weatherly Morris, come with a heavy heart as I lost my precious husband, Elmer “Juney” Morris Jr., who most of you knew during our college days. He celebrated his 100th birthday on Feb. 12 and passed away on March 2. It’s been a difficult time for me and our family and friends. We all count our many blessings for being able to know and love him for such a long time, but that doesn’t make it easier to be without him. We met on Feb. 5, 1947, and would have celebrated 74 years of marriage on Aug. 5., having married two months after our class graduated on June 5, 1950. Grieve with me because so many of our memories involve all of you. We rejoiced over the birth of six new babies in our family: three great-grands (Kathryn, Clara, and Bennett) and three great-great-grands (Bentley, Chance, and Millie). Juney got to meet all but Millie! I will hopefully celebrate my 95th birthday on Sept. 1. Please send me a card with your news for the next publication: P.O. Box 1, King George, VA 22485, or call or text 540-604-2534.
1951
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
1952
Rita Morgan Stone rita.stone7@aol.com
Kay Showker was preparing to depart Sarasota, Florida, before a hurricane arrived. She usually spends summers in New York at her other home. Kay, a
history major, was a travel writer for 50 years, visiting over 100 countries during her career.
Barbara Campbell lives in a retirement home in Asheville, North Carolina, an enticing place to visit because the Biltmore is nearby. A devoted niece, who is a retired geriatric nurse practitioner, visits often.
Susan Hutcheson Jurgens lives in Gordonsville, Virginia, and rarely misses an opportunity for a Scrabble game. She has made many trips recently to Charlottesville for radiation treatments after surgery for a lesion under her eye. As we spoke, one of Louise Sakakini Summs’ tapes provided background music.
Peggy Sherman Capers remains at her home in Georgia. That southern accent hasn’t changed a bit. She enjoys 13 great-grands and one great-great-grand.
Suzanne Branner Kessler enjoys her life in the Westminster Canterbury retirement community in Richmond. Her children provide nearby support.
Maryanne Heatwole Cox of Fredericksburg, Virginia, is happy in an attached apartment at her daughter’s home. She continues to sew, and unlike many of us, loves to cook. One could almost taste the lobster pasta dish being prepared for dinner.
Mary Lou Finney Boyd shares an attached apartment to her daughter’s home. A plus is having dinner with the family. Her grandchildren are involved in exciting and varied activities like night bike riding, acting, and taekwondo.
Catherine Jones Shepherd is in an assisted living facility in Birmingham, Alabama, but her supportive daughter who sees her often provided an update.
Claire Sindlinger de Groot was preparing for a cool three-week visit to her family home in New Jersey, where she will be joined by her family.
Ann Staylor Johnson provided one of the most upbeat reports. Still in the same home for the last 60 years, she enjoys weekend visits from her daughter. Amazingly, Ann cuts the grass on that four-acre lot, albeit over several days.
Selma Friedman Fink sent a submission that arrived too late to be included in the last edition. She had just celebrated a special birthday dinner with flowers and homemade cake, and said she was too happy to be scared of the future. She still sculpts stone two afternoons a week at a famous old art school in New York and works in a studio for all ages and abilities.
Ginny Orkney Philbrick received exciting news that her granddaughter is expecting a long-awaited IVF baby boy.
Betty Montgomery Handy enjoys having all four of her children nearby, providing frequent contact with her grandchildren. A big family wedding was the highlight of the year.
I, Rita Morgan Stone, eagerly anticipate the virtual cocktail hour with Betty, my Mary Washington roommate, who lives nearby in Powhatan, Virginia. Lively discussions ensue covering myriad topics. Politics is certainly included; fortunately, we cheer for the same team. On a personal note, a recent achievement was the renewal of my driver’s license for five more years. We shall see how that goes.
1953
Betsy Dickinson Surles surles@infionline.net
Our condolences to Betsy Dickinson Surles on the passing of her younger son, Stephen, on Jan. 13 at age 55. Her husband, Jesse, died three days later, on Jan. 16, after 70 years of marriage. Two weeks later, their elder son, David, had a paralyzing stroke. Now in a wheelchair, he lives in the basement. Betsy’s brother, Raleigh, has lived with them for 37 years. Betsy wrote: “I am well, baking Cakes by Betsy and growing and selling irises, peonies, and other flowers. My leisure evenings are once again filled with crocheting, knitting, quilting, and other needlework. I still drive to church and
Betty Fischer Gore ’49 celebrated her 75th reunion in June. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Class Notes
to buy essentials once a week. Peggy Hopkins Johnson moved to a nursing home in Alexandria, Virginia, near her daughter.
Doris Lindsey Whitfield lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her husband taught mechanical engineering at N.C. State University and died in August 1992. She has two daughters in Austin, Texas, and Easton, Maryland, as well as two granddaughters and two greatgrandsons. She does not drive but enjoys swimming and working out at the gym, reading, and participating in environmental and conservation organizations. She has also been active at Mary Washington, previously serving in the Alumni Association and as a reunion committee member, and is in the Trench Hill Society.
1954
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
Beth Judy, daughter of Mary Ann Dorsey Judy, said her mother is stepping down from her role as class agent. Our condolences to Mary Ann and her family on the passing of her husband, Paul, on Feb. 24, 2024.
1955
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
Anne Rohrbach Culwell worked until she was 86 at her family’s millwork company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Her husband started the company to build furnishings for Price Tower, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. After Anne’s husband passed, her stepson and then her three grandsons ran the company until it closed last year. Her family has grown to one stepson, four grandchildren, 17 great-grands, and 45 great-great-grands, with two more due in 2024. Life is fulfilling and busy!
1956
Ann Chilton Power anncpower1@gmail.com
Ann Mitchell Wood lives in Lake of the Woods, near Fredericksburg. Mary Lou Fiala Crocker resides in Rolling Hills, California. Susan Ayers Warters is in Houston. Jeanetta Bishop Patane lives in Daleville, Virginia. Connie Crigler is still listed as a realtor in Arlington, Virginia. Nanalou West Sauder is a resident at Kendal, a retirement community in Lexington, Virginia. Angela Walton Barksdale plays duplicate bridge at Westminster Canterbury in Richmond and joins Connie Hook Felvey for social bridge at Beth Poteet Pollard’s house
in Petersburg, Virginia. Connie spends occasional weekends at her former home in Kilmarnock. I, Ann Chilton Power, hope other classmates will contact me and share their news.
1957
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
Our condolences to Jean Durham Busboso, whose husband, Ernest “Buz” Busboso, passed away on May 31, 2024. Buz retired from NASA, where he spent many years as an electronic engineer.
1958
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
Sadly, 1958 class agent Susannah Godlove passed away on March 4, 2024, at her nursing home in Winchester, Virginia. Our condolences to her family and friends.
Judy Townsend Bainbridge’s new book, A Short History of Greenville, was published by the University of South Carolina Press in May. It’s been fun for a New Jersey girl to find herself an exper t on upstate South Carolina history.
1959
Beth Shochat Cole bethcole75@gmail.com
As you know, this year was our 65th reunion. Three stalwarts were in Fredericksburg to represent our class. Ann Brooks Coutsoubinas was one of 11 members of the 1908 Society who processed in the 113th Commencement on May 11, 2024. They received applause by the Board of Visitors while marching in and by the nearly 1,000 graduates after the ceremony. May 30 through
June 2 was Reunion Weekend. Ann and Edna “Eddie” Gooch Trudeau began their visit with Thursday’s 1908 Society dinner and left after Sunday’s farewell breakfast. Dodie Reeder Hruby and husband Dale joined them Saturday and Sunday, so there were three 1959 attendees! They assumed they were the oldest, only to be outdone by a 1949 alumna! The Alumni Association personnel were so gracious that they felt like royalty. The campus is as beautiful as ever, even with many changes in the renovated or new buildings. Ann is in New York, overlooking the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge, and volunteers at church.
I love chronicling accolades for our classmates who have received kudos from years of achievements. During a phone call with Kay Rowe Hayes, I learned that she received a tribute for her impressive and effective years of work for Fauquier County, Virginia, which is just about the most magnificent countryside in the U.S. It has not been overdeveloped by theme parks and other public venues in great part because of Kay’s efforts, along with a dedicated team. Kay and two other women were honored for their commitment to keeping overdevelopment from spoiling that open land.
Babs White Ellis announced the arrival of two great-grandbabies in 2023, a boy born in September and a girl born in October. She is enjoying them and feels so grateful.
Mary Massey is content living at Riderwood Village, a continuing care retirement community. She serves on the grounds and habitat committee. A current project is replacing most non-native plants with natives. She is a sales ambassador, attending events for prospective residents, touring
From left: 1959 alumnae Edna Gooch Trudeau, Ann Brooks Coutsoubinas, and Dodie Reeder Hruby celebrate their 65th reunion. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
apartments, and enjoying lunch while sharing information and answering questions. Mary is still a volunteer at Nature Forward (formerly the Audubon Naturalist Society) after 30-plus years. She enjoys reading, exercising, and the company of friends on and off campus. Her little dog, Gigi, is a precious pet who needs lots of physical therapy and TLC to keep her comfortable, despite arthritis, so that takes quite a bit of time.
I, Beth Shochat Cole , still teach weekly yoga classes on Zoom. I serve on the board of my wonderful neighborhood association in Baltimore and attend many concerts of the brilliant Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, which is a short walk up the hill. Please call or text me at 240-687-1717 or email bethcole75@gmail.com.
1960
Karen Larsen Nelson karenlarsennelson60@gmail.com
The Class of 1960 was asked to reflect on and respond to the following question: “How did your years at MWC, rather than attending a large state university, help you become the woman you are today?” Our class was truly on the cusp of new roles for women. I look forward to your answers.
1961
Lynne Williams Neave lyneave@aol.com
Lloyd Tilton Backstrom Ltbackstrom39@gmail.com
From Lynne:
Greetings! I, Lynne Williams Neave, have no travels other than the back and forth to Litchfield, Connecticut, which I enjoy. Despite what the news tells you, my wonderful NYC is rebounding from COVID and dealing well with an immigrant influx. I feel great, although I’ve been told that I have a heart condition, which we are dealing with, but it will take a while. But I’m still kicking.
Clara Sue Durden Ashley spent the first weekend of May in Greenville, South Carolina, for the senior recital of granddaughter Anwyn (the third of seven children), who played flute and piccolo with the orchestra at Bob Jones University. In May, Clara Sue visited Anwyn’s father, Park, and his family for Caleb’s (the fifth child) high school graduation. Caleb played piano and viola with his siblings, friends, and music teacher. Clara Sue enjoys quilting and is making one for her great-granddaughter, due in September. This keeps her busy!
Barbara Steen Paulman and Roger are both well and celebrated their
56th anniversary last November. They continue to travel, visiting family in England with a side trip to Ireland. They have grandkids attending Berkeley, Louisiana State University, University of Tennessee, University of Colorado, and the University of Bath and Edinburgh University in the UK.
Janie Riles happily is in good health and able to enjoy her garden and friends.
Madeleine Contis Marken still works in hospitals and finds she has little time for other responsibilities.
Pat Scott Peck is back in her summer home in Calais, Maine, coming from D.C. She endured a few days of 96-plus temperatures without AC and slept in the first-floor guest room. When cooler weather returned, she participated in many potluck suppers with old friends and frequently flitted across the river for a Canadian ice cream cone! She welcomes guests if any of you are up that way.
Marcia Minton Keech and Bill live at the Shenandoah Valley Westminster Canterbury in Winchester, Virginia, enjoying the wonderful folks and fantastic classes there. Their kids have settled in Northern Virginia, so they see more of them than when they lived in Savannah. Marcia and Bill keep active and are thankful for the remaining joys of life.
As I said in my email, this is my final term as class agent. I received lovely responses from Nancy Woolfolk Agee, Polly Updegraff Champ, and Jerri Barden Perkins, MD. If you would like to serve as class agent with Lloyd, please let us know!
From Lloyd:
While I was tracking down Ellen Gotwalt Willing, I called Sue Shafer McGurk in West Chester, Pennsylvania. After Bill Willing died on June 16, 2018, Ellen moved to The Blake in Charlottesville, Virginia. Please call her at 717-318-6532 if you’d like to chat.
Carolyn Crum Pannu is enjoying southern living in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Renee Levinson Laurents has moved to Palm Desert, California, and loves her dog, Bogie.
Sue Wilson Sproul moved to the Brandermill area of Richmond but will go to Arizona for the winters.
Jerri Barden Perkins, MD, gave an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute lecture at the University of Richmond in April. The subject was how her mother encouraged her to challenge herself.
Art and I live with our dogs, Skipper and Sugar. Life is good. We anticipate Alaska in early August. Ah, to be cool!
Our condolences to the families of Lynne Wilson Rupert , who passed away on July 15, 2022, and Cary Tilton Doyle ’60, who passed away on Feb. 28, 2024.
1962
Kathleen Sprenkle Lisagor classnotes@umw.edu
Pat Barrack Gibson and Merv drove from Charleston, South Carolina, to Kentucky in May for grandson Jefferson’s high school graduation. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and will attend the University of Seattle. He is doing an internship for a second summer in Louisville, Kentucky. Grandson Charlie, who lives in Charleston, had a family vacation to Antigua in June before returning to the University School of the Lowcountry in August. They hope to see more of him as he and Pat love Monopoly challenges. She and Merv are doing relatively well with twice weekly physical therapy sessions. Serious back problems have kept her from resuming master gardener activities, but she maintains a small veggie and herb garden and two rose gardens, so her green thumb stays active. She mails a monthly gardening tip flyer to the master gardeners. Merv continues voice lessons and sings in their church choir. Pat and Merv celebrated their 61st anniversary in April 2024. They are still involved in the Trident Literacy Association, which Pat founded 52 years ago: www.tridentlit.org. She looks forward to seeing 1962 friends on Zoom.
Our condolences to the family and friends of Pat Rucker Sampson, who passed away on March 18, 2024.
1963
Betsy Lydle Smith betsylydlesmith@gmail.com
1964
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
Barbara Kellam Latham and Roger moved to Harbor’s Edge, a continuing care retirement community in Norfolk, Virginia, in July 2021. They love their apartment and new friends they’ve made. They have a lovely view of the Elizabeth River and downtown Norfolk and watch the cruise ships in the Port of Norfolk. Barbara and Roger are not without creaks and groans, with five new joints between them. She was scheduled to receive a new aortic valve in June and is grateful that medical science has advanced so that an artificial valve can be deployed with little cutting. She hasn’t seen any classmates but welcomes visits. Their eldest daughter, Kate Latham, lives with her two teenagers on
Class Notes
the Eastern Shore, where Barbara grew up. Kate has her own business, Modern Hoopla, manufacturing needlework frames for most embroidery hoops. She ships her products all over the world. Her work is on Instagram (Modern Hoopla) and on Modernhoopla.co. She has been featured in a couple of needlework magazines. Their younger daughter, Sara Latham ’92 , has lived and worked in London for the last 25 years. She has her own PR consultancy, and her clients include the late Queen Elizabeth II, whose Platinum Jubilee she planned. Sara received a Royal Victorian Order from King Charles III at Windsor Palace last year for her service to the Royal Family.
1965
Evie King Cox Coanriver@gmail.com
1966
Katharine Rogers Lavery hlavery1@cox.net
Our spring Lunch Bunch included Joan Cuccias Patton, Caroline Hogeland Ruppar, Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner, Ann Kales Lindblom, and Susanne Landerghini Boehm Pat Lewars Pace had just returned home from Spain and Portugal with Linda Glynn Hutchinson. Sandra Hutchison Schanné was at her daughter’s home in Denver. Lee Enos Kelley, Eileen Goddard Albrigo, Genie McClellan Hobson, and Anne Powell Young had medical appointments.
Pam Kearney Patrick was in her new home near Sacramento, California, but “was with us all the while.” She and TaB installed a pool and planted a succulent garden, Mediterranean style. Pam had a mild COVID case for her 80th birthday and is grateful that running and gym routines have kept her in good health. She is thankful that Facebook allows her to follow us all and “sends love and good wishes as we follow the path of life together as the sisters we have become.”
Anne Meade Clagett had a prior commitment but sent clever cartoons. She remarked on her 80th birthday by quoting a friend: “I lived through the night. So far 80 is OK!” Anne later met a Cambodian American friend at a noted French restaurant and enjoyed delicious food and delightful conversation.
Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner, now an octogenarian, is grateful for spellcheck! Her 80th birthday celebration was an August cruise from Budapest to Prague
with her sister and sister-in-law. Mary Kathryn keeps in touch with Sally Souder and Gerry Sargent Habas, whom she visits when wintering in Florida.
Ann Kales Lindblom spent the weekend of her 80th with the whole family in her hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, enjoying dinners, activities, sights, and a festive birthday party. Ann said, “Being 80 is a big OK!”
Susanne Landerghini Boehm celebrated her 80th in April with family fun and dinner at a favorite Arlington restaurant. Her husband, sons, and daughter-in-law provided flowers and a magnificent cake. Instead of feeling elderly, Susanne feels “grateful and blessed with family, faith, friendship, and good health.”
Genie McClellan Hobson planned an RV vacation to include our luncheon, visiting Lake Fairfax, Glen Echo, Great Falls, and family in Warrenton. During their Florida travels, she and husband Don visited Bill and Ginny Bateman Brinkley, enjoying a leisurely lunch and congenial conversation. Ginny gave Genie an autographed copy of her book, Earth Quest.
Anne Powell Young and her husband, kids, and grandkids celebrated her lowkey 80th with dinner out and gifts. Her favorite was a nostalgic painting of a small girl by her friend, Marcia Covert Chaves, a noted local artist. Marcia, a longtime resident of old Falmouth, celebrated her 80th at Belmont, home of the early 20th century painter and sculptor, Gari Melchers.
Joan Cuccias Patton spent her “21st birthday” in Lynchburg, as a bridesmaid for her college roommate, Emily Cosby Dieter. Joan sailed through shoulder replacement surgery in April and was ready for a family trip to Bermuda in June, where she celebrated her 80th with all her children, grandchildren, and siblings and their spouses and significant others – a dream come true!
Lee Enos Kelley and three friends took an 11-day train trip in January from Toronto to Vancouver, Canada, with a four-day stop in Jasper, a small town in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. In May, Lee and nine neighbors in her senior community took a river cruise from Paris to Normandy. Lee’s sons rented houses in Cape Cod and organized an 80th birthday family reunion in June.
Pat Lewars Pace and her daughter celebrated turning 80 and 50 together with a big party in July. Pat and Linda Glynn Hutchinson planned a November
tour of Central America from Guatemala to Panama, their second adventure this year and 14th overall. And they’re still friends!
Mary Parsons Black traveled in April with friends to the Dominican Republic, staying in their lovely villa paradise, reading, enjoying the pool, walking beside the ocean, and dining lavishly. Her children helped celebrate her 80th with family and friends at her son’s home in Leesburg. She spent a summer week in Hilton Head, South Carolina, followed by a cruise along the Columbia River. Living in North Carolina, Mary misses our lunches in Northern Virginia.
Elaine Gerlach McKelly turned 80 in February at a fun-filled weekend with kids, spouses, and grandkids in Wilmington, North Carolina. There were dinners, products labeled “80” (lest she forget!), 1944 T-shirts for everyone, and a great evening of games and stories in the apartment’s clubhouse. Elaine and Tim have aged out of traveling overseas and now stay in the U.S. Last fall, they took a music and horse tour through Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee. This year, they are following the Freedom Trail through Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry, Williamsburg, and Richmond. Their youngest grandchild is a UMW 2023 graduate and is now in law school in Rhode Island. Elaine sends love to all of us “old” classmates as we enter our next decade.
Winnie Woodson Stribling invited all her 1944 church friends to a special happy hour, served retro appetizers, and shared significant events and memories. Goodbye to her 70s! Winnie continues her afterschool program, MusicMakers, for elementary aged children, improvising with Orff instruments, singing, learning music notation, and celebrating the joys of music.
Marty Spigel Sedoff and husband Bob drove to Indianapolis to watch the total solar eclipse at son Jim’s house, which was a big party! Marty has recovered from knee surgery last summer and can return to her tap-dancing group, performing at assisted living facilities, which has proved therapeutic for both performers and audiences. Marty’s friend in Minneapolis wrote the book and lyrics for Lempicka, a Broadway show, which Marty, friends, and relatives attended in NYC to celebrate her 80th birthday!
Eileen Goddard Albrigo’s activities remain the same – keeping busy with kids and grandkids. She had two 80th birthday parties to accommodate
everyone’s complicated schedules. After 48 years in the same house, Eileen dreads clearing it out for sale before moving to a retirement community halfway between two of her children.
Twin sister Kathy Goddard Moss, who lives in Oakland, California, was surprised by her family on an international Zoom call with almost all the children and grandchildren in Spain, Ohio, and California, followed by an 80th birthday dinner at a local Italian restaurant.
Jana Privette Usry had her birthday party catered by the service in her senior facility, complete with 45 guests and a deejay. In October, Jana will move to a smaller apartment in the next building, where she can have full meal service and a 24-hour aide. Jana discovered Lynn Smithey Campbell and several other MWC graduates are residents in the same facility.
Yvonne Hutchinson March and daughter Margarita flew to Budapest in April to join a river cruise as Margarita’s birthday treat. In June, Yvonne visited Susan Roth Nurin in her NYC apartment on her way to meet Connecticut friends for an excursion to Letchworth State Park in upstate New York. Her visit was brief because Susana had opera tickets that night. Yvonne loves living in St. Augustine, Florida, and invites us all to visit.
Barbi Barriga Rowe, still a Quaker school administrator, was quite busy with yearend activities but managed to attend her grandson’s high school graduation. 80th birthday plans are still in the works!
Betsy Chappelear Tryon considered taking the family to Mackinac Island, Michigan, or Deadwood, South Dakota, for her 80th birthday but settled on driving to the beautiful mission in Riverside, California, then to Santa Barbara, stopping to visit Meghan and Harry, then taking the train home. Granddaughter Maddy is a pro volleyball player in Europe, so Betsy is dreaming of a trip overseas to watch her play.
Betty Birckhead Vickers’ birthday highlight was attending her twin grandsons’ graduation from the Webb School of Knoxville. Both were National Merit finalists. Eli, a National Merit Scholar, will attend Vanderbilt University. Zach, a Citizenship and Academics Award recipient, will attend Rice University. Betty’s elder grandson is a junior history major at UCLA.
Katie Winn Green’s 80th birthday celebration was a September trip to Sydney, Australia, to visit her son’s
family. Katie, her daughter-in-law, and her granddaughter all have September birthdays, making this one special event. Diana Hamilton Cowell and husband Dan took a cruise around Ireland in June to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary, her 80th birthday, and Dan’s 90th. In July, they hosted two of the 20 people visiting from Périers, France, for the Bethany Beach sister city celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Périers liberation. Diana’s father was instrumental in that WWII operation. Our condolences to Diana and her family on the loss of daughter Kelly in April.
Carolyn Eldred is not quite 80 but plans to celebrate quietly with a longtime gentleman friend. Carolyn continues her involvement with Mary Washington ElderStudy, which celebrated its 30th anniversary with a luncheon at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center, special T-shirts, and the planting of a tree near Seacobeck Hall. COVID caused ElderStudy to go digital, but the membership has rebounded with nearly 300 members, many still preferring virtual presentations offered à la carte from Elderstudy.com, along with some live sessions.
I, Katharine Rogers Lavery, enjoyed a windy June beach vacation at Nags Head, North Carolina, with my husband, Hank, and a few family members. It was wonderful to hear the young adult grandkids reminisce about the times they had spent together in previous years. I was unable to make my annual visit with Muriel Haley Montgomery, a local resident, because she recently suffered a debilitating stroke and passed away. Her memorial service was held at St. Andrew’s By-the-Sea in June. Our condolences to her friends and family.
Carolyn Perry Grow attended a gathering for Charlottesville UMW alumni at the home of neighbors Rob Strassheim ’96 and Sarah Gildersleeve Strassheim ’01 last February. The Painos, Katie Turcotte, Jan Clarke, and Charlotte Shelton ’68 also attended. Carolyn and Charlotte used to share DAR activities. In January, Carolyn attended husband Dave’s burial at sea and received a box in March containing a DVD of the service plus a beautiful letter from the captain of the USS Porter, describing Dave’s service and the tradition of burial at sea. Carolyn has framed the flag that was flown in Dave’s honor. Our condolences to Carolyn and her family.
Robbie James East spent the past few years as caregiver for husband Dennis, who passed away in February. Our
condolences to Robbie and her family, who gathered in May for a celebration of his life held at his beloved Loudoun Golf and Country Club. Robbie lives in North Carolina, where she and Dennis moved after closing the Loudoun Flower Farm, with her devoted daughter living nearby.
Robbie lauds the kindness and support of her local hospice organization, wonderful friends and neighbors, and the continuing therapy of maintaining her flower gardens. She keeps in touch with Gerry Jenkins Woodward and former roomie Kay Smith Majeski. Gerry lives near Culpeper, Virginia, and Kay and her husband are in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kitty Downs Gregg and husband
Don celebrated a quiet 80th birthday in Denver with daughter Cindy and her husband, and son Chris and his wife from Virginia. Kitty and Don were looking forward to their 50th wedding anniversary when, unfortunately, Don suffered a bad fall from which he never recovered, passing away in April. Our condolences to Kitty and her family.
1967
Mary Beth Bush Dore mbeth1945@gmail.com
Carol Verell Soter and husband David enjoy living in Greensboro, North Carolina. She still plays her piano. They have two children.
Sarah P. Nabstedt Barnes became a widow in April, when her husband, Robert, an architect, passed away. She lives in San Diego, where she moderates a men’s and women’s book group. She also works on Japanese and Chinese brush painting and calligraphy.
I, Mary Beth Bush Dore, stay inside away from the heat, between appointments and physical therapy. I am starting to climb steps. We see our granddaughter every three months and connect with her over FaceTime in between, as she grows to nine months.
1968
Meg Livingston Asensio meglala46@gmail.com
Susan Wagner Buelow lives in Iowa and always enjoys going home to Providence, Rhode Island, where she lived for many years. She visited in June when her twin granddaughters graduated from college. One will begin graduate school; the other has begun the job search. A retired teacher, Susan helps with the homeschooling of her grandson in Iowa.
Class Notes
Betty Dobbins Talley lives in Florida but returns to Virginia to visit family. Her recent travels include a small ship adventure from Copenhagen to the Normandy beaches, which was very meaningful. A July trip to Scotland is also planned.
Mel Wittig Neale continues to receive accolades for her art. One of her pastels was accepted by the Pastel Society of America for inclusion in its 52nd annual exhibition, Enduring Brilliance! The show is due to open after Labor Day.
Brenda Quick Caricofe wrote that it seems like ages since we were all together at our reunion last year. In April, she and her daughter took a river cruise with her daughter’s college, William & Mary, through Belgium and the Netherlands. There were huge crowds all throughout Europe. Brenda also met a former MWC history professor, Carter Hudgins, who earned a doctorate from William & Mary. Brenda found him and his wife delightful and enjoyed swapping stories, including some hilarious ones, and reminiscing about MWC.
Helaine Patterson relocated from Hamden, Connecticut, to Niceville, Florida, in April to live in a singlestory house five doors down from her niece, Melissa Ann. Downsizing, donating, packing and unpacking, and selling her Connecticut home have occupied Helaine’s time. She enjoys the Choctawhatchee Bay three blocks away and the Gulf of Mexico with its white sand beaches five miles south in Destin. She has traded wonderful Italian cuisine for abundant seafood. Helaine plans to learn Spanish and about the Choctaw Indians and the history of the Emerald Coast/Panhandle. New adventures ahead!
Jane Bradley and her husband spend summers in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, where they have noticed the effects of climate change on their lake.
Jim and Pam Tompkins Huggins are “holding our own health-wise and becoming a little more serene about the aging speed bumps, grateful to be still circling the drain!” In May, daughter KT and her husband treated them to an amazing two-week adventure to visit them in Tokyo, where the family will be living for three years. Their kids are thriving in the American School in Japan (more than half the students are Japanese, and the rest are from all over the globe). “Tokyo is the cleanest huge city I’ve ever visited,” Pam wrote. “The people are very respectful of their environment and gracious to other
people, especially those with white hair!”
In August, Jim and Pam will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with their entire tribe, including six grands and a few more fur-grands. “Love to all of you – the most fabulous women I have ever known!”
Sally Monroe Kelly said there’s not much to report from California. She and husband Pete love where they live, despite wildfires, earthquakes, and taxes, so they will stay. Her eldest daughter has three sons in college this year, but the eldest, Dylan, just graduated from UC Santa Barbara. He missed his high school graduation due to COVID, so this day was special for all. His twin brothers finished their first year of college, with Nicky at Purdue University and Sean at the University of Oregon –two out-of-state tuitions! The Kellys will have granddaughter Sidney living with them this summer while she participates in the junior lifeguard program at a local beach. Sally looks forward to going every day with her and promises to try to remember sunscreen. She wrote, “Looking forward to our next reunion, where we will once again support Pam in her queenly fantasy!”
Morgan Golladay was awarded first prize in short stories by the Delaware Press Association Communications Contest in May for Under the Rhododendrons The contest was open to all professional communicators who had published in print, podcast, blog, radio, or TV during the previous year. As a first prize winner, the story was forwarded to the National Federation of Press Women, where it was awarded second prize in its contest. The DPA also awarded her a second prize for a short story, Second Christmas, which was published in Solstice 3, an anthology of short stories, poetry, and art. Morgan illustrated 12 interior sketches and the cover. A poem she submitted, “Starfire,” received an honorable mention. Morgan’s first book of poetry, The Song of North Mountain, which she illustrated, was also published in May. The book features 55 short poems described by the Midwest Review of Books as having “no better way of appreciating the beauty, impact, and presence over the eons than through The Song of North Mountain.”
Ash and I, Meg Livingston Asensio, had a busy spring and early summer. We took a two-week trip to France, where I finally crossed #1 off my bucket list – visiting Monet’s home and garden in Giverny – and we enjoyed a 10-day cruise from Bordeaux to Amsterdam. In June, we attended our grandson’s graduation
from Marine Corps recruit training in San Diego. Spencer saluting his Marine grandfather, Ash, was a moment none of us will ever forget! In July, we celebrated Ash’s 80th birthday with friends and family in a suite at a Colorado Rockies game, followed by fabulous fireworks. Condolences to our classmates who suffered losses in the past year. Jane Bradley’s brother, Wylie, passed away in February 2023. Wylie was married to Pam Toppin Bradley, who lives in Atlanta and is close to their granddaughters. One will soon graduate from college, and the other is starting her freshman year. Both girls are sailing instructors on a lake near where Pam lives. Pam MacPhee Gibert’s husband, Paul, passed away in July 2023 and was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
1969
Marianne deBlois Zentz MdeBZ@verizon.net
Anne Hoskot Kreutzer annekreutzer@hotmail.com
From Marianne:
We had a decent turnout in our first reunion as 1908 Society members –although we acted like our 1969 Devil selves! My favorite pin spoke for many of us: “Don’t worry; I can’t remember you either!” Pictures can be seen on the UMW Alumni SmugMug page – we look pretty darn good!
Teri Thibodeaux Cueman and husband Kent have built their retirement home within walking distance of UMW, since Kent is a Fredericksburg native. They also spend time in Lake George and Siesta Key. Teri keeps in touch with Kathleen Hill Marks, Gail Shiflett Astor ’70, and Deborah Blythe Weise ’70
Nancy Yeager Allard and husband Paul are taking a break from their travels – three cruises in 2023 wore them out! They enjoy spending time at their grandchildren’s games and concerts and cheered on the firstborn at his high school graduation. Nancy is trying to pare down her volunteer activities. Virginia Wheaton moved back from Costa Rica to Charlottesville in 2021. Their fixer upper keeps them busy, as does their daughter’s curbside composting business in Guatemala. Ginny is politically active at the grassroots and state level. She keeps up with Jane Touzalin ’71 , Margie Garmey ’71 , and Susan Liebenow ’71 , as well as Susan McCauley, Helen Caldwell, Sharon Dobie, Pat Cox Miller, and Iris Harrell
After retiring as an occupational therapist 10 years ago, Linda Hawkins Brannon enjoys gardening, cards, and her book club in Tallahassee. She also works with a justice ministry, advocating for affordable rental housing, a real challenge in many areas. She and her husband enjoy traveling to Los Angeles County to see their 8- and 5-year-old granddaughters and family.
From Iris Harrell: “For those of you who missed our 55th, it was a wonderful experience. Mary Washington is still magical and growing so well as a leading university in the 21st century.”
Iris and Ann just celebrated their 45th anniversary, are continuing their visits to presidential libraries, and are going strong with their folk music band, More Joy. “Hi to all those from UMW who helped me find my way to becoming myself during those college years.”
Ann Ruff Smith, Cathy Allen Hughes, Kitty Culhane Rogers, and Nancy Andrews got together at Nancy Gleason’s new home in Goochland County in October 2023. They had a great time but couldn’t party as hard they used to.
When she’s not engaged in her private psychotherapy practice, Chris Phillips Farhood enjoys Manhattan life and culture. She loves walking her goldendoodle along the Hudson in Riverside Park and having frequent dinners with her son, who lives three miles north in “The Heights.”
Chris plans to visit former roomie Betty Olander Adams in Hume, Virginia, this summer and hopes to watch one of Betty’s consortium steeplechase horses in a race!
Gloria Shelton Gibson traveled through northern Italy for two weeks in May and
then had a fabulous time at Reunion Weekend. She wrote that the campus was as beautiful as ever, and UMW friendships continue to be strong.
Karen Kilgore Ralston cruised through northern Europe in October and loved seeing our fabulous classmates at our 55th – and thinks we’ll make it to our 60th!
Bonnie Page Hoopengardner and her husband completed their “Yay, you’re 11!” trips with each of their six grandchildren, wrapping it up in Costa Rica and Universal Studios. She and Roger will travel to Hawaii with family in July, after a D-Day anniversary trip to France and London with Linda Marett Disosway, Karen Kilgore Ralston, and Linda Huff Alderson, and their husbands. Bonnie wrote: “Great time at our 55th reunion!”
Martha Pickard Zink enjoyed our reunion and missed those who couldn’t come! “They lumped us in with all the alumni over 50 years but that didn’t stop us from our mantra of ‘forever young,’ and we acted like it! Fun times!”
Jane Jackson Woerner wrote: “Tomorrow!” in my notebook at reunion, but we didn’t connect again. I’ve got no news from her, but she looks great!
Linda Gattis Shull was sorry to miss the 55th because of recent mobility challenges, and especially missed the activities and friends. She wrote: “The Queen City has been re-christened – like the rest of the country – the Hot City!”
Senior suitemates Martha Wilbourne Cummings, Barbie Hopta Reid, and I, Marianne deBlois Zentz , had a great time at our reunion, but missed Anne Hoskot Kreutzer, who came home from a D-Day trip with husband Tom and came down with COVID. Martha and Barbie
taught me how to play pickleball. Fun, but I’ll stick to tennis! We were amazed at all the changes on campus. There was a fun thread afterwards with Iris, Patti, and others about Seacobeck breakfast memories. Do you remember they did donuts for the latecomers?!
Barbara Burton Micou, Christie Wineholt , Betty Wade Miles Perry, Betsy Crews Neilson, and the best surprise of all, Patti Boise Kemp, were there. For those who may not know, Patti had a stroke several months ago and is making a great comeback! Christie remembered to bring our reunion pearls, so they’ll know us when they see us! Barbara was going to Charlotte to celebrate birthdays with Linda. Christie was heading to Angel Fire, New Mexico. And Betsy is working on getting her COPD to behave. We were glad she was able to make it! Betty Wade enjoys life in Virginia Beach and lots of family time with her three grandchildren nearby. Both of her daughters graduated from UMW (2000 and 2003), so they’ve enjoyed sharing some stories, but not all! I’ll let BW speak for all of us: “Being at reunion has inspired my love and appreciation for the Class of ’69 and the rich experience of MWC.”
Lyn Howell Gray and Jim are enjoying life in Blacksburg after a lifetime in Liberia. They were invited to the January inauguration of the new Liberian president, which Jim attended, while poor Lyn had COVID.
Anne Simpson Brackett said that she, Lyn, Cece Smith Riffer, and Donna Cannon Julian hope to get together this fall. Besides enjoying visiting their grands (ages 23, 10, and 18 months – what a range), Anne and John experienced the trip of a lifetime, a safari in Tanzania!
Jeanine Zavrel Fearns, Anne Witham Kilpatrick , Toni Turner Bruseth, and Suzy Bender Winterble had their own reunion – now an annual tradition because “we’re not getting any younger!” – at Toni’s in Texas Hill Country. Jeanine spent a week at OBX in June and looks forward to a family wedding in Maine. Toni and her husband are planning to move from Austin, perhaps to Santa Fe. Suzy and her husband enjoy overseas travel every year. Anne and husband Roger enjoy keeping in touch with family, especially visiting their new great-grandbaby!
See y’all at our 60th! After all, there was a gal from the Class of 1949 there with us in the 1908 Society! Meanwhile, be good and be well!
1969 and 1970 alumnae gathered together in Tucson, Arizona, for a mini reunion. Photo courtesy of Kirsten Mackey Fleisher.
Anne Sommervold LeDoux ledouxanne@yahoo.com
Many thanks to those who submitted news. Please consider sending news in the future so we can keep up with each other.
Barbara Pratt and her husband have moved to a co-op retirement community in Easton, Maryland. They enjoy having a one-level house, so no more pain in the knees! She and Phil would love company.
Susan Duffey DiMaina had a blast at her daughter’s wedding on Dec. 30, 2024. Susan is thrilled that her daughter and son-in-law bought a house less than a mile from where she lives. In April, she went with Barbara Bingley, Karen Anderson Muszynski, and Karen Stifft Carroll to visit Carolyn Woodruff Rogers in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The garden tour in Charlotte, North Carolina, was a highlight of their visit, but the best part was being with cherished friends! Susie looks forward to an Alaskan cruise in August with the two Karens and Barbara. Their motto: “Seize the day!”
Brenda Martin Butler retired in 2016 and has been traveling and volunteering. She has done 13 American Hiking Society trips, where volunteers do trail maintenance in state, federal, and national forests throughout the U.S.
Brenda has traveled to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and New Zealand, where she hiked the Fiordland National Park. She is also a master gardener and lives in Virginia Beach.
1969 and 1970 friends had a wonderful time together in Tucson, Arizona, in May. Carol Greenwood Trejo ’69 (who organized the gathering), Cheryl Ulmer ’69, Loretta Horgan Nagle ’69, Judy Farrell Bechtold ’69, Doralece Lipoli Dullaghan, Kirsten Mackey Fleisher, Tanya Belt Nickson, Anne Howell Wood, and Darlene Greenhalgh Hines enjoyed tours, desert walks, Mariachi music, delicious Sonoran Mexican cuisine, and reminiscing about MWC.
Gretchen Gregory Davis and her husband have lived in the Colorado mountains since his retirement in 2013. In the last three years, Gretchen has played an instrumental role in helping the town of Keystone to incorporate, the first in Colorado to do so in almost 20 years. She co-chaired the petition drive and was then appointed to the election commission and elected to the charter commission, which wrote the town charter. Gretchen was also elected to the town council earlier this year and enjoys
serving the citizens of the newest town in Colorado.
I, Anne Sommervold LeDoux , continue to travel and spend time with my family. Now that I’m in a 55+ community, I’m playing bridge again and loving it. John and I had a fantastic trip to Greece and Turkey in March, and I’m headed to Canada and Sicily this fall. I hope to hear from many of you soon!
1971
Karen Laino Giannuzzi kapitankL11@yahoo.com
I, Karen Laino Giannuzzi, had interesting responses to the news request. A few said another Zoom meeting would be fun, so I’ll see what we can do this fall.
Kim Warren Noe is in touch with Janice Reynolds Cooke, Susan Taylor Frank , Susie Sowers Hill, and Diane Mowrey Jan is in New Orleans, active in her Lambeth House Community. Susan lives in Roanoke, Virginia, but was on an Alaskan cruise and spent time with her cousins near Las Vegas. Susie and Bill celebrated 52 years of married life and returned from a big family reunion in St. Augustine, Florida. Diane continues her travels, most recently in Europe.
Mary Jane Chandler Miller and Fred celebrated their 52nd anniversary in February and are healthy, playing golf and pickleball. They’ve been in “NEK,” or the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont! Their three children are married and live in Vermont, Maine, and New Jersey with their three grandchildren.
Debbie Oja Tuttle lives in Sunset Beach but sold their place in the mountains. Sadly, her husband is not doing well but both love the ocean. Debbie, we all wish you the best. Many of us are facing similar issues with loved ones or our own health.
Penny Falkowitz Goodstein and Dan, who live in Anchorage, visited Belize in February for the ninth time. Caye Caulker, a small island, is a favorite place, along with an ecolodge, and they love birdwatching there. They traveled to Scotland and Panama, both for the third time, and sold their condo in Panama to a former exchange student who is now a doctor. Penny wrote that selling property there takes patience with all the hoops to jump through. They love Anchorage, where their son is the rabbi for the local reform synagogue. Their daughter lives in Seattle. During school holidays, she and her son return to Anchorage to visit
cousins. A Pembroke Welsh corgi, a Canaan dog, and three parrots round out the Goodstein family. Follow Penny’s travels on Facebook, where you can see gorgeous pictures of the Northern Lights and other Alaskan sites.
Alumni on the Road trips have connected Gayle Franklin Hawkins with MWC friends in Italy, Ireland, and other locales. She tripped to Austria and Switzerland and will head to Japan and Greece in the next couple of years with Janet Hedrick ’73 and Mary Basnight Donovan ’67. Gayle is in Houston. Even with the heat, she still runs triathlons, gardens, and spends time with her four grandchildren.
Terry Tucker Young and Phil are in Arlington, Virginia. Terry sold her company, and Phil still works but will retire one day. Not going to work every day has thrown off Terry’s rhythm, but she does ceramics and occasionally shows her work at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria. Children Tracy and Nathan are both in the entertainment business. Tracy won a Grammy in 2020 as a DJ and remixer, and Nathan is a producer. Terry and Phil were in Italy last year and both caught COVID. I personally caught it for the first time in Oslo visiting friends after a trip up the coast of Norway to see the Northern Lights in March 2023.
Nancy Belden and her husband are in Norfolk, Connecticut, to escape the D.C. heat and humidity. Retired from her public opinion polling firm, Nancy is the board chair of the Washington Office on Latin America, defending human rights and combating authoritarianism. She also sits on the board of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and restores old houses. Son Giovanni Russonello writes about jazz and the musical scene for The New York Times
Marjorie McDonald Clagett was the first woman judge in southern Maryland. Formerly on the circuit court bench in Calvert County, Maryland, she is now a senior judge, doing court-ordered mediations. She enjoys pottery, walking, yoga, and golf while working on the CalvertHealth board. The Taylor Anne Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 organization funding research for pediatric brain cancer that Marjorie’s daughter established after her daughter died from an inoperable brain tumor when she was 7. Marjorie’s son, Taylor, was a returning Jeopardy champion, and all his winnings went to the foundation, giving it great publicity. If you live in PA-6, your U.S. representative is Marjorie’s niece, Air Force veteran Chrissy Houlahan. Marjorie and Steve still live on the Chesapeake Bay.
I was pleased to hear from Jan Hempsen Floom, who is on the road to physical recovery after many months in rehab. A horrible car accident killed her husband and Marine friend of mine, Marv Floom. Jan wrote from Coronado, California, where she’s being treated for medical issues. She is with son Chris and daughter-in-law LeAnne. Jan’s case still has not yet been resolved so frustration remains. She managed a river cruise from Amsterdam to Basel for the Christmas markets and saw the solar eclipse in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She bought an apartment in Vinson Hall, McLean, Virginia, so she will be able to spend time on both coasts.
Liz Keith, who lived in San Diego and taught at a university there for decades, has moved back to her home state of Virginia and lives in Stafford in a 55+ community. She wanted to move near Mary Wash so she could get to campus for activities.
Mary “Fred” Bradley MacPherson is enjoying Wilmington, North Carolina. She has had a couple of trips to Slovakia but officially closed the Slovak-American Foundation she led for many years. She received several awards from the Slovakian government for her work.
Thanks to Terry for the following thought. We’re firmly out of the “Age of Aquarius” and into the age of “Repair and Maintenance.” As class agent, I am so impressed with all of us. We are active, working (even if not full time), giving back to our communities, and traveling all over the world.
1972
Sherry Rutherford Myers sherryhon2011@gmail.com
It’s fall again, y’all! I, Sherry Rutherford Myers, hope the summer heat and humidity did not get everyone down. It was beastly in the Roanoke area.
Deb Stanley Leap had an exciting May, exploring Portugal for a week with daughter Amy Leap ’12 . They went with Amy’s “unbiological sister,” Netti – who lived with Deb and Amy during the 2002-03 school year –and her mom. They enjoyed time in Lisbon, Coimbra, and Porto, and with each other. Deb then studied abroad for the second time in Abándames, España. She never thought of studying abroad at Mary Washington but found a passion for it after shepherding her daughter through several experiences at UMW. Studying Spanish is one of her
retirement activities, and she was able to incorporate herself into a small town and only speak Spanish! She advised everyone to keep learning.
Dennis and I continue to get together with Cheryl Prietz Childress and husband Dave, who had wonderful news in August. Daughter Thea and son-in-law Eric bought the home next door and moved from Georgia with their two children, Ellie and Charlie. Cheryl and Dave are excited and even bought an electric golf cart to go from place to place. Son Alex and his wife live in the same area. We look forward to having Cheryl and Dave in Roanoke for their October visit.
Dennis and I are doing well. I enjoy volunteering with both my organizations and substitute teaching is rewarding. I spent time this summer as an instructional aide, working with special education children. I hope to hear from more of you soon.
1973
Joyce Hines Molina joycemolina1951@gmail.com
In 2024, many in the Class of ’73 will turn 73. I asked: “What has happened or is planned? What inspires you to keep going?” Thanks for the thoughtful responses. I feel a renewed connection as we travel together on life’s journey. Hola to Vickie Wilson Watts , who has been married for 51 years and has 10 wonderful grandchildren. She enjoys being a retired Spanish teacher, reading and reviewing books, and appreciating life.
Dianne Friedhoff Blais is inspired by her work with Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. She believes that humans are capable of peacefully solving problems and avoiding wars, so she’s active in WILPF, World Beyond War, Project Enduring Peace, Founding Mothers Movement, and other efforts and welcomes others to join her.
Marianne Schwartz Reid wrote: “Hi! I turned 73 this year! I had a lot of challenges, losses, stress, and health adventures. I feel like that old guy in the movie Up, held up by helium balloons – only the balloons are my loving friends and family! During a dream trip to southern France, when I caught COVID, my travel companions kept me laughing and going. When I feel sad, my crazy dog gets zoomies, runs all over the house, and lands in my lap, making me smile. I would love to see the Stones
live, but a cover band in a local club is actually much better! I can’t work in my garden for eight hours straight, but I’m lucky to have a sweet landscaper with a good crew. I even have a handyman/ friend who does odd jobs. I’m not a social worker anymore, but I try to help my friends and family with their health adventures. And I’ve been blessed with the gift of faith, which keeps hope and love in my heart. I look back at my four years at MWC as an important foundation to my life’s journey. Yes, the education was good, but it was a time of discovery and growth that led to me hearing my own voice. I wasn’t the greatest student, but the impact of my time there has lasted a lifetime.”
Janet Hedrick wrote: “The year 2024 is one for celebrating my new life in Fredericksburg. Having moved to my new home in a 55+ active adult community in November 2023, I have met wonderful people. I attended UMW’s Great Lives from January through March, which featured lectures by the authors of recent biographies. I saw Professors Emeriti William Crawley and Bulent Atalay at gatherings at the Crawleys’ home. I met other wonderful people, including Jack Bales, who was a reference librarian at Mary Washington for 40 years. He has become a dear friend and companion. I will travel with Mary Washington alumni to Ireland in June and Japan in October, along with Gayle Franklin Hawkins ’71 . I have several short weekend trips and a major one with MarySue Warren Wimer to Marco Island after Thanksgiving. I enjoy seeing Debe Biggers Garrison and Nancy Smith Raines, both of whom live in Fredericksburg. We get together for lunch from time to time. I also see Professor Emerita of Chemistry Judith Crissman and Beverly Turney Rawlings at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church.”
Happy retirement to Sandra “Sandy” Byrne Waters, who has lived in Austin, Texas, since 1977 and worked for IBM since graduation. Sandy retired on July 31, 2024, after 51 years. Sandy and Bruce married in 1974 and had two sons, David Edmund Waters in 1977, and Stephen Scott Waters in 1990. She earned a J.D. degree from George Washington University in 1991 and is licensed to practice in Virginia and Texas. Sandy wrote: “Constantly learning new things keeps me going.”
Mary Stevens Portier and Ken are enjoying retirement in Athens, Georgia. They have become busier as they settle into the community. Mary chairs
Class Notes
two interest groups in the University Woman’s Club and has served as the treasurer of the local genealogical society for five years. Ken consults on occasion but spends more time with community affairs as president of their neighborhood civic association. They often travel to Wisconsin and Northern Virginia to visit their children and grandchildren, who are all well. Mary wrote: “We are so blessed!”
Dale Cole Carter returned to France for six weeks. She visited family and friends and went sightseeing, with two weeks in each place, going to Paris, the French countryside and the Alps, and Provence. She said the wonderful people of France are ready to welcome the world to Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
Virginia Davey Addison feels blessed to be one of the ’73 grads turning 73 in 2024. She is also thankful for her 19th anniversary of being a kidney transplant recipient. She said that the 50th reunion was wonderful and looks forward to our next opportunity to be together. Virginia and I met as residents of the Jefferson basement unit. She is an inspiration to me, and truly is thankful for each and every day of her life.
Helen Anne Bryant Ferrell enjoys life in Lynchburg, Virginia, with her hubby. She raised five children and taught AP government for 47 years. She helps her children and grandchild when she can and loves debating the state of our nation and the 2024 election.
I, Joyce Hines Molina, can’t believe I’m 73! This year, I became a volunteer with the Williamsburg, Virginia, chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA), serving as the accompanist to the High Hopes Choir, for those living with Parkinson’s. Music inspires me to keep going as I continue as a member of the Henrico Concert Band and the Richmond Pops Concert Band. We still fly, but it’s harder to climb in and out of our J-3 Cub, which was designed as a training aircraft for WWII. In June, we took our 27th annual flight to Cub Haven’s Sentimental Journey in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, meeting up with Larry Setti ’77, who also flies a J-3 Cub. He contacted me after reading of our mutual interest in Class Notes, and we met for the first time there. We plan to stay in touch and meet up at other flying events. Again, it was wonderful to hear from you. Stay connected, stay inspired, and stay healthy, my friends!
1974
Sidnia “Sid” Baker Etherington sidleexx@yahoo.com
Suzy Passarello Quenzer suzyquenzer@gmail.com
From Sid:
Hey, 1974 classmates! Patti Goodall Strawderman, a reunion committee member, said, “Our once-in-a-lifetime experience has come and gone. How wonderful to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our MWC graduation with 50-plus classmates! I had a tiny role on the planning committee, so kudos go to Peg Hubbard, Suzy Passarello Quenzer, Sid Baker Etherington, Diane Harvey Smith, Pam Smith McGahagin, and Leslie Tilghman! And we can’t leave out Mark Thaden ’02 , who was responsive, accommodating, and ‘on call’ to meet our needs and wishes for the entire weekend! It was fun to stay in the dorms again and felt like no time had passed, except for earlier bedtimes and less alcohol! Everything went smoothly, from the opening Brompton reception to our closing brunch at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center. Even the weather cooperated beautifully. One of my favorite things was touring the dorms and academic buildings. Willard Hall, where many of us lived freshman year, is unrecognizable, but in a good way. It doesn’t look like the old Willard, but they have done an excellent job with this second renovation. (My son
lived in Willard during his freshman year, and the first renovation was universally considered awful.) It now has a clean and modern look, with better technology, making it attractive to incoming students. Walking through the beautiful campus, enjoying the perfect weather, making new friends, bonding with old friends, and sharing our deep nostalgia – every minute was fun! Our small group of nine from Willard and Jefferson 4th West decided at our 35th reunion that we would hold an annual mini reunion in between our campus reunions. We have kept to that commitment (except for 2020, when we started our Zoom group, which still meets monthly).
Boston, Annapolis, Richmond, Northern Virginia, and Washington, D.C. are a few of our annual destinations; our 2025 gathering will be in Nashville. We try to hold our mini reunions near a member of the group, so the host takes the lead in planning meals, accommodations, and activities – museums, Segway tours, duck boat rides, and dolphin watching! It has been a great way to reconnect after raising our kids and getting them launched (although my daughter, who is financially launched, moved back in with us during COVID). Please, get together with your 1974 classmates until we all meet again on campus for our 55th reunion in 2029! Visit our Facebook page, ‘Mary Washington Class of 1974,’ to add photos, posts, and anything MWC related!”
The Class of 1974 celebrates its 50th reunion with a photo on the Lee Hall steps. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Nancy Brown Jones and Bettiann Aylor had an amazing tour of Germany in April, even with three days of snow. At Neuschwanstein Castle, the snow prevented small bus transports from operating, and Nancy and Bettiann had to walk what seemed like straight up for a mile to get there. Another highlight was Berlin. One of their local guides was a boy in East Berlin when the Berlin Wall was built, which brought a unique perspective to his commentary. A tour of Dachau was extremely sobering, guided by a man who grew up in the area during that period. Bettiann and Nancy had lots of fun times, too. The German beer halls were exactly what one would imagine, and one had a fabulous Oompah band. Some of the cathedrals were stunning and seeing the glockenspiel in Munich in the snow was cold but fun.
Jill Katherine Hadden missed our 50th reunion but keeps up with Patricia Barnett Millard. Jill sold her townhouse and moved into a nice apartment inside the I-285 perimeter in Atlanta. She plays board games and trivia once a week. Our condolences to Jill and her family on the loss of her brother, Earl, in April. He was in poor health for several months and would have been 78 years old this year.
Carolyn Kent Morgan Akers passed away peacefully on Feb. 28, 2024, in the loving presence of her daughter, Jessie, and her sister, Beth. A celebration of life was held on March 9 at her home in California, with over 130 close friends and family in attendance. Carolyn was born in Richmond, Virginia, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. She studied speech pathology at Mary Washington, where she competed in collegiate lacrosse. She was also an accomplished pianist. Carolyn married Greg Akers and moved to southern California in 1975. They welcomed son Zachary in 1983 and daughter Jessie in 1986. A gifted educator, Carolyn taught for 25 years in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, and enjoyed skiing, swimming, water skiing, hiking, animals, world travel, and celebrating her faith. She is survived by her husband, daughter, two sisters, and other loving family and friends.
Please keep in touch with your classmates and let us know what you are doing!
1975
Armecia Spivey Medlock vagirl805@msn.com
Jan Hausrath and husband David Seddelmeyer are enjoying retirement
with trips late last year to the United Kingdom, Austria (where Jan’s sister, Jill, also a Mary Washington grad, lives) and Venice, Italy. This summer, David and Jan explored places closer to home and visited family, including Indiana (and the famous Indiana Dunes beaches), and Charleston, South Carolina, where their 23-year-old daughter, Jinny, moved to be near friends and fellow 2023 graduates from Christopher Newport University.
Important information: UMW’s Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) plans to celebrate our classmate, Jean Marie Donovan, in recognition of our upcoming 50th reunion, and is seeking information and resources from friends who knew Jean. She was murdered on Dec. 2, 1980, after being kidnapped, beaten, and raped, along with three other Roman Catholic missionaries, in El Salvador. The goal is to honor Jean and share her important, inspiring, and heartbreaking story with UMW students. The group will spotlight her short life and tragic death with activities this year at the CCM. Please send recollections, photos, or correspondence relating to Jean to:
Fr. Richard Miserendino, Chaplain UMW Catholic Campus Ministry 1614 College Ave. Fredericksburg, VA 22401
You can also contact committee member Kathleen Mahoney at 540-371-2073 or bmah761569@aol.com for more information (her late husband was Dr. Bernard Mahoney of the Department of Chemistry).
Jean’s story is a poignant one. Here’s a letter, often reprinted, that she wrote to a friend about two weeks before her death, with the civil war in El Salvador heating up:
The Peace Corps left today, and my heart sank low. The danger is extreme, and they were right to leave. Now I must assess my own position because I am not up for suicide. Several times I have decided to leave El Salvador. I almost could, except for the children, the poor, bruised victims of this insanity. Who would care for them? Whose heart could be so staunch as to favor the reasonable thing in a sea of their tears and helplessness? Not mine, dear friend, not mine.
In Jean’s honor, there is a brass plaque in front of the former Trinkle Library, which is now James Farmer Hall. There were also two Mary Washington articles about Jean:
Kathleen McCabe Mahoney, “Jean Donovan Remembered,” MWC Today, Summer 1991, Vol. 15, No. 3.
Gregory Stanton, “Alumna’s saintly spirit suffuses Campus Walk,” UMW Today, Spring 2006.
Our 50th reunion is just around the corner, so please come celebrate in 2025!
1976
Janis Biermann biermannjanis@gmail.com
It was so nice to hear from the classmates below. Thank you for sending your updates! I, Janis Biermann, hope to hear from more of you in the future. If you didn’t receive an email from me, your email address may need to be updated on the UMW Alumni website under “Resources.” Until next time, stay well, interested, and active.
Helen Taylor Salter and Myra McCord Lovelace wrote: “Seeking a likeminded community during COVID, a few ’76-ers and friends formed a monthly Saturday Zoom book club. Members gather from four time zones and named it Helen’s Book Club since she started the group. We are lifetime learners, so the club is still going today! Book selections are nominated and voted on, and members choose discussion questions. The only rule is that the books challenge us to think, learn, and discuss, which we do, vigorously! Meetings usually last three to four hours. We sometimes have the book’s author speak to us. In January 2024, Professor Emeritus of Physics Bulent Atalay had an interactive seminar discussion about his new book, Beyond Genius: A Journey Through the Characteristics and Legacies of Transformative Minds, which was riveting and delightful. In April 2024, we were joined by Elizabeth Winkler, who discussed Shakespeare Was a Woman and Other Heresies. This September, Brandeis University’s Kate Clifford Larson will discuss her book, Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter. Both authors were visiting scholars at Mary Washington during the 2024 winter semester. We feel privileged to have them participate!”
1977
Anne Robinson Hallerman annehallerman@gmail.com
Susie Jordan Lavender finally retired July 1, 2024, after 26.5 years with the North Carolina State Laboratory of Public Health, where she managed the cancer cytology unit for 17 years and the
Class Notes
pre-analytical services unit for 9.5 years. She and her husband are planning to travel and spend time with family and friends.
I, Anne Robinson Hallerman, enjoyed an unexpected and wonderful impromptu ’77 reunion in June at the annual bay bash at Bill and Terrie Young Crawley’s lovely home. What a great surprise to see Melinda Peed May, Grace Matheny Lalonde, Kathy Haffey Bova, Terri Navas Slocomb, and Terrie Martin Dort ! Joining in the fun, stories, and laughs, was Pat Powers Gaske ’75, one of the courageous junior counselors who oversaw Virginia 3rd back’s wild and crazy 1973-74 freshmen!
1978
Janet Place Fuller janetpfuller@gmail.com
Barry Surles shared some Mary Wash memories. He and William “Wally” Scott played on the men’s basketball team from 1975-78. He still has a Free LanceStar clipping from when MWC rallied to beat Washington Bible College, with a final score of 77-66. The Eagles were down by 15 points midway in the first half and trailing by five points at halftime but came back in the final 20 minutes to win. He also has an article that ran after Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography Marshall Bowen’s last game as the first men’s basketball coach. After college, Barry pursued a lengthy career in law enforcement and retired from both the U.S. Marshals and as a detective with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office. Wally worked at Radford University.
1979
Barbara Goliash Emerson emers3@msn.com
It was wonderful to see many of you at our 45th reunion! As usual, Mark Thaden ’02 and the wonderful Alumni Engagement staff and volunteers did a fantastic job with activities and even assured picture-perfect weather. If you couldn’t make it, plan to attend our 50th in 2029.
Sue Moore Davis sent greetings from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She wrote, “As a geographer, I set a life goal of visiting all 50 states (completed in 2008) and all seven continents. Our trip to Antarctica and Patagonia in December 2023 completed that goal. Antarctica is amazing and walking on the continent was a unique experience. In 2023, we toured Egypt and Jordan. In 2022,
Mary Washington Alumni on the Road ‘Portrait of Italy’ trip in April 2024.
we visited Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Türkiye, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Germany, Denmark, and Norway. This year, we will tour capitals of Eastern Europe, China, and Mongolia. The biggest news to date was the birth of our grandson, Declan, in December 2023. He has captured my heart and is pure joy!” Sue typed her news with her left hand after surgery to repair the right elbow she broke on a trail. How’s that for dedication?
Lisa Carle Shields is over the moon with her new granddaughter, Emberly Ryan Shields, born in April. Lisa looks forward to visiting son Ryan, daughter-in-law Bree, and their beautiful daughter in Charleston, South Carolina.
I, Barbara Goliash Emerson, finally took advantage of the Mary Washington Alumni on the Road program with an amazing tour of Italy. We started on the Amalfi Coast with a side trip to Pompeii, followed by Rome, Orvieto, Assisi, Siena, Florence, San Gimignano, and Venice in April 2024. Our group of 20 travelers included alumni from 1975 to 2014 and their guests. Professor of Art History Julia DeLancey provided excellent commentary. Several of us had an August 2024 reunion hosted by Vicky Nichols Wilder ’80 and husband Marty Wilder. My son and I reconnected with Clare Thornhill ’75 and Rosalyn Thompson in Asheville for a tremendously fun minor league baseball game. I highly recommend UMW Alumni trips, which are well planned with outstanding guides, accommodations, and activities. I hope to go on another one in 2025. Lorenza Amico went on the Ireland trip in June 2024, which looked wonderful.
Gayle Weinberger Petro was again my co-pilot for the June visit to Asheville. She and her friend, Suzanne, spent time in the River Arts District and beautiful downtown Asheville. My son and I also visited Looking Glass Falls and went to Sliding Rock in Mount Pisgah State Park. The latter was on my bucket list; I’m not as ambitious as Sue, but it was fun. Finally, we have a Class of 1979 page on Facebook for updates. Check it out!
1980
Susan Garter skgarter@gmail.com
Jan Stankiewicz McCarthy had two separate mini reunions with Barbara “Cookie” Pittman Lawson and Sue Garter in May. She caught up with Cookie on their mutual love of softball and celebrated with Sue and husband Larry on their 40th anniversary. Jan attended a wedding in Raleigh, North Carolina, for Liz and Evan, the son of Wendy Prothro Howard ’82 . Jan’s daughter, Maggie, obtained her Olympic weightlifting training certification.
Sandy Slusher Smallwood looks forward to retirement in September after a 37-year career with Northrop Grumman, followed by a position with Assured Consulting Solutions. She plans to volunteer as a Loudoun County master gardener, camp with husband Tom in their B-Van, and spend more time with their granddaughter.
Barbara Gant Kinner and husband Greg continued their cruising adventures with a trip through the Panama Canal. They also took a summer road and camping trip to New England.
Lisa Nichols moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, in July after many years in Arlington, as well as Mali, West Africa, where she lived for a long time. She works in global public health and was happy to relocate to a quieter part of Virginia, where she will be closer to her dear friend, Betsy Haslett Fechteler, a long-term resident of Charlottesville. Lisa looks forward to getting to know the area better.
As for me, Sue Garter, my only child is engaged to be married. My son moved from D.C. to northern New Jersey, after beginning a new job with a NYC law firm. His fiancée is completing her postdoctoral studies in biochemistry at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and plans to join him in the NYC area in 2025. We moved from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to be closer to D.C. Now, instead of driving between Pennsylvania and D.C., I have been traipsing the New Jersey Turnpike. I am still a “Jersey Girl” at heart, so I already know the way! It’s convenient to have a place to stay when we visit Manhattan.
1981
Lori Foster Turley lorifturley@gmail.com
Dan and Audrey Komito Lynch love retirement in beautiful Freeport, Maine. They stay busy with volunteer and board opportunities and with visits from friends and family. When they’re not hosting guests, they’re having fun exploring Europe. Audrey’s son, Nathan, married his preschool sweetheart, Kirsten, in September, after a 20-year break. Daughter Bailey and her husband have returned from South Africa. After a couple years in Atlanta, Bailey is starting medical school at Yale. Audrey has been blessed to meet up annually with her Jefferson suitemates but sadly lost one of her roommates, Holly Kelley Rison ’80, to cancer in April. They are devastated but grateful for the incredible memories they shared with Holly over the years. Our condolences to them and Holly’s family.
Sandy Wise Conran retired in June after a 41-year career as a physical therapist. Professionally, she achieved board certification as a geriatric clinical specialist, focusing on the musculoskeletal concerns of postmenopausal women. Her family has had health whammies this year, with her husband and daughter both having major surgeries, so Sandy spent a lot of time as caregiver. Her plans for the summer were lots of self-care, including “dirt therapy” in the yard, exercise,
playing piano, and visiting her two granddaughters in Richmond. She may teach wellness classes in bone health and balance this fall. She has speaking engagements already scheduled for January 2025.
Katie Kulp Jones retired in June after 25 years as a middle school library media specialist in Roanoke. Bob and Ellen Stanley Booth relocated from Arlington to Roanoke. The last time Ellen officially lived there was the summer of 1981. She and Katie launched their art history careers by lifeguarding at an apartment pool in northwest Roanoke.
Pam Clapp Hinkle retired from Falmouth Academy in Massachusetts in June. She looks forward to her first summer off since she worked at an animal farm at age 9. Other than sprucing up her garden, riding more, reading, and enjoying summer on Cape Cod, she has no immediate plans, though she may do part-time consulting. Husband Greg just returned from work trips to Singapore and Tokyo, so she hopes to travel with him when future opportunities arise.
David Turley retired June 1 after 25 years at the SANS Institute. He and Colleen McCahill Turley are exploring the art of la dolce vita – no deadlines or phone calls! They are taking care of household tasks that have been put off and have several trips planned. David renewed his hobby of growing gesneriads, and they attended the Gesneriad Society annual convention in St. Louis in July. David entered five plants, and each won an award! They’re planning a trip to Minnesota for Colleen’s high school reunion, several Virginia Tech football weekends with their Hokie son and daughter-in-law, and a pilgrimage through Northern Italy this fall. David and Colleen both enjoy the serene lifestyle of doing what they want, when they want!
Our condolences to the family and friends of Tammy Reid Cochran ’81 , who passed away in February 2023.
Tara Corrigall corrigallt@gmail.com
Congratulations to author Betsy Rohaly Smoot , who thought that life might be less busy after her 2017 retirement from the National Security Agency. She went back to work as an NSA historian the next year on a part-time basis to write two books, before leaving NSA for good in November 2018. The first of these books, From the Ground Up: American Cryptology During World
War I, was published in February 2023 and is available for free from the NSA website. It won both the 2023 Norman B. Tomlinson Jr. Prize from the World War I Historical Association and the NSA’s 2023 Cryptologic Literature Award. Betsy’s retirement project, a book entitled Parker Hitt: The Father of American Military Cryptology, was published in 2022 by the University Press of Kentucky and received the 2022 Norman B. Tomlinson Jr. Prize from the World War I Historical Association, the 2022 Book Prize for Biography from the Army History Foundation, and the 2023 Master Corporal Jan Stanislaw Jakobczak Memorial Book Award from the U.S. Military History Group. Betsy stays busy with knitting, genealogical research, and travel. She celebrated her 20th anniversary with husband Andrew Smoot in January 2024.
Several 1982 classmates traveled to Amsterdam in April for a Netherlands and Belgium riverboat cruise: Nancy Kaiser and wife Mary McElhone, Anna Geisler Hogan , Mia McCall , and Linda O’Donnell Vitale and husband Joe. It was an enjoyable opportunity to reconnect and learn about the Netherlands and their constant fight to keep water out and off their lands and to have an agrarian country. A visit to the old but operating windmills at Kinderdijk, a UNESCO heritage site, showed them how the older windmills operate and how the wind “millers” can change the direction of the windmill’s sails to maximize wind energy. The new wind turbines are computerized, and in conjunction with the country’s dike systems, keep their country reasonably dry. Belgium provided more historical insight and the opportunity to explore diamond stores in Antwerp, but the real goal was finding Belgian chocolate shops! A visit to a commercial tulip farm was one of the highlights of the trip. They can dig up, re-pot the tulips, send them out to auction, and have them in NYC in 24 hours. However, the main reason for the trip was seeing the famous Keukenhof Gardens with all the fabulous tulips of Amsterdam. One was more beautiful than the next, and the colors were fantastic!
Caroline Borden Kirchner wrote: “We are serving God in our fourth year in Madagascar on the world’s largest civilian hospital ship with Mercy Ships. We follow Jesus’ 2,000-year-old model to bring hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor.” She is working a “Julie McCoy” role in hospitality (who doesn’t
Class Notes
love a Love Boat reference). Husband
Mike teaches high school science for the onboard academy set up for the children of the doctors, nurses, and ship’s crew. Daughter Beth has volunteered for over seven years with Mercy Ships, sometimes on the same ship. They are always looking for volunteers, medical or not, so reach out to Caroline or visit www.mercyships.org/volunteer.
It’s great to see the 1982 class representing us all over the world. Send me your news, add me to your Christmas letter list, and help me provide a robust update on our class.
1983
Marcia Anne Guida marcia.g.james@gmail.com
Nancy Kaiser ’82 and wife Mary McElhone visited us in Fort Lauderdale in February 2024 on the way to a Caribbean cruise. It was so much fun to catch up with them!
Vince DiBenedetto has a retirement job at Timber Ridge School, where he has been for a decade, and serves as chairman of the Board of Regents for UMW’s James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library. He just finished his Master of Liberal Arts degree at Johns Hopkins University and is researching doctoral programs.
Susan Leavitt received the Frances Liebenow Armstrong ’36 Service Award for post-graduate dedication to the University, scholarship, and service on UMW boards. Everyone who knows Susan knows that this was a well-deserved award for the work she has done tirelessly promoting and supporting Mary Washington! Husband Jon earned the “Most Impactful Graduate Professor” award from George Washington University. Congratulations to both!
Mary Ann Mayer just celebrated 25 years at her Mount Washington Bed & Breakfast in New Hampshire. She has had many Mary Washington professors stay over the years. Mary Ann plans to visit Spain in two years, where she hopes to catch the total solar eclipse. Her father, living in New Hampshire, is 95 years old and doing well. He enjoyed seeing the partial eclipse last April.
Regina Hilleary wrote that after 30 years on Main Street in Marshall, Virginia, she is finally retiring. The Picture Frame Shop and its building are up for sale. Her art history knowledge from her B.A. has paid off, as Regina worked with the conservation and reframing of many
famous pieces of art from Bunny Mellon’s Oak Spring Garden Library collection, the Mars Family Foundation, Ben Dov Foundation, Middleburg’s National Sporting Library & Museum, and Dr. Sheila Crump Johnson’s Salamander Hotel & Resort. Regina plans to retire in Palm Springs, Florida.
Keith and I, Marcia Anne Guida, were in the UK for two family weddings in June 2024. First, the Cotswolds for Keith’s son’s wedding, then the Isle of Wight for his goddaughter’s nuptials. A week later, we flew to San Diego to watch my son, Michael, earn a Ph.D. in computer languages and AI from UC San Diego. He and his boyfriend moved to Brooklyn to start new jobs.
1984
Christine Waller Manca christine.manca@att.net
Our condolences to John Mark Scott , whose mother, Josephine Alfieri Webber, died on April 24, 2024
1985
Joanne Bartholomew Lamm jlamm88@verizon.net
Greetings to the Class of 1985! Chuck Borek shared that all is well with his family.
Monique Gormont Mobley sent greetings from Madison, Wisconsin. Her Navy family moved 12 times over the years. Since 2005, they have called Wisconsin home. Monique retired after working for 15 years with high school English learner students. After his Navy retirement, Scott earned a Ph.D. in history at University of
Wisconsin-Madison and now teaches there. Their daughter teaches 5th grade nearby, and their son works at the Boeing Museum of Flight in Seattle. Life is good, and they look forward to new adventures in the years ahead!
I, Joanne Bartholomew Lamm, am so glad to hear from these classmates and hope more of you reach out soon. I hope to see you next summer at our 40th reunion!
1986
Lisa A. Harvey lisharvey@msn.com
1987
Kemetia Foley kmkfoley@gmail.com
1988
Jay Bradshaw jaybradshaw747@aol.com
Beverly Newman bevnewmn@yahoo.com
1989
Jim Czarnecki jimczarnecki@yahoo.com
1990
Susan Crytzer Marchant march66358@verizon.net
L. Ryan Musgrave, a philosophy professor at Rollins College of Liberal Arts in Winter Park, Florida, earned a three-year appointment to the board of directors of the Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy
1984 grads at the Brompton presidential welcome reception during Reunion Weekend in June. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
and a prestigious senior fellowship from the American Association of Colleges & Universities. She has held a tenured position in Rollins’ Department of Religion and Philosophy for 20 years. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Purdue University and was an adjunct professor at Mary Washington, where her mother, Lee Smith Musgrave ’65, is also an alumna.
Proud dad John Barretta shared that his son, Anders Barretta ’25, a double major in geography and political science at UMW, received the prestigious Marshall E. Bowen Scholarship. This great accomplishment was icing on the cake for Anders, who is working at his third summer internship at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency as a human geographer. Congratulations to Anders and the Barretta family!
Mary Helen Dellinger lives in Fredericksburg and works as curator of the museum and historic sites for the City of Manassas. Her job involves working with interns, and the last two have been UMW students. Mary Helen was elected to serve on the board of directors of the Virginia Association of Museums. Two of her colleagues are also UMW alumni. Bill Backus ’10 and Paige Gibbons Backus ’12 care for Prince William County historic sites, and Mary Helen often partners with them on regional projects. Paige also serves on the VAM. Mary Wash alumni are leading the way in the history field!
Sarah Mitchell Bloedorn teaches in Fairfax County, and Laura Shugrue works for the federal government. Kevin Shirley moved to Racine, Wisconsin, where he works for Compass as a realtor. Karla Saylor Scarzafava lives in Washington, Georgia, with her husband and dogs. She runs The Collective, a fun store that showcases the work of local artists; check it out on Facebook. I hope to see everyone back in Fredericksburg for our 35th Reunion Weekend!
1991
Shannon Eadie Niemeyer sfniemeyer@comcast.net
Hello, Class of ’91! I hope you all are well!
Cito Vanegas, along with two business partners, purchased the iconic Mimslyn Inn, a 58-room resort in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley. This renowned property features a collection of cottages and homes and a historic hotel with 45 guest rooms. Nestled in the rolling hills near Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive, Luray Caverns, New Market Battlefield, and the Shenandoah River, the Mimslyn Inn blends natural
beauty with rich history and is within walking distance to downtown shops in Luray. The inn is a 1.5-hour drive from Northern Virginia, so Cito invites UMW alumni to experience this remarkable destination: www.mimslyninn.com. Cito also leads a national nonprofit (NEW Solutions) that helps experienced workers aged 55+ find meaningful federal sector jobs in all 50 states and U.S. territories. He lives with his wife and two kids in Arlington, Virginia.
Mary Richards reunited with Tina Devorshak , Alanda Crawford ’92 , Heidi Himmelberg ’92, Mona Carole Lampe, and Sandy Psioda Neptune ’90 during 2023’s Reunion Weekend. They had a delightful visit and said goodbye to Russell and Marshall halls, where most of them lived during their sophomore and junior years. Heidi and husband Jon live in Northern Virginia with their gorgeous chow chow, Willow, who could be a show dog. Heidi teaches Pilates and takes phenomenal care of her family. Mona lives with husband Jim and their three children in Northwest Virginia. She is a busy parent and shared stories with her friends about raising teenagers and young adults. Tina works at N.C. State University, where she earned her Ph.D. She lives in that neck of the woods, keeping beautiful horses. She has even got a serious truck to tow her horse trailer that is a worthy successor to her red Chevette. Tina did a stint at the Antarctica research station with a program for women in STEM in 2019. Alanda lives in Northern Virginia, where she works as a GIS specialist – she’s a cartography expert – and runs marathons. Mary lives in Northern Virginia with husband Reuben, who used to hang out with her at Mary Washington when visiting from James Madison University. Mary and Reuben have two kids, and their youngest is in UMW’s Class of 2026. After working in national security and foreign policy circles, Mary began teaching movement science and yoga. Her first book, Teach People, Not Poses, was published by Shambhala Publications in August 2023. She cannot imagine doing anything else and considers herself outrageously blessed to do what she loves.
I, Shannon Eadie Niemeyer, hope to hear from more of you next time!
1992
Courtney Hall Harjung charjung@hotmail.com
Courtney Moates Paulk , president of the Hirschler Law Firm, was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of
Fame in Cancun, Mexico in May. She was the first person in history to complete two-way swims of each location in the Triple Crown of Open Water Marathon Swimming, having completed a two-lap swim around Manhattan, a two-way crossing of the Catalina Channel, and a two-way crossing of the English Channel. She also holds a Guinness World Record as the oldest female to have completed the Catalina swim in 2017, a record that holds today.
Linda Kelly Hadley has worked with Stampin’ Up for the past several years and runs a small custom paper goods business. Her family spent a few weeks in Italy after her son’s high school graduation. Both of her children will be at N.C. State University, with Anna as a senior, completing degrees in Spanish and international studies, and Will as a freshman. After the kids go to college, Linda and husband Jeff will escape to the beach.
Christine Harrison Casey is an invited speaker at the 2024 North Carolina Philanthropy Conference in WinstonSalem in August. Her topic focuses on personal and professional development strategies to help new fundraising staff succeed in their careers. Christine has spoken at this conference in past years and has been an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals Triangle Chapter since 2009 and is a former member of the chapter’s board. She also renewed her Certified Fundraising Professional credential.
My husband, Tom, and I, Courtney Hall Harjung, started 2024 with a vacation in Grenada. I continue to do freelance marketing and volunteer work. In June, Tom’s engineering job with Michael Baker International became remote, so we moved to Pensacola, Florida. Our summer was busy with our birthdays and conferences at great beach locations like Orange Beach, Alabama, and St. Simons Island, Georgia. We’re planning an extensive scuba diving trip for our 25th anniversary in October.
1993
J. Suzanne Horsley jshorsley@ua.edu
Pete Chirico lives in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife and daughter. He has worked at the U.S. Geological Survey for 28 years, starting soon after graduating from MWC. He went back to school to earn a Ph.D. in geography and environmental science several years
Class Notes
ago while employed full time and just finished this year at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He said it’s “a completion of what I started as a geography major all those years ago at MWC.”
Stephen Covert and wife Cara live in Sarasota, Florida. He is in his 12th year as principal at Pine View School and his 32nd year in education. He also teaches as an adjunct for the University of South Florida in its Master of Education program and serves on the board of two amazing nonprofit organizations, Take Stock in Children and CAN Community Health. His wife teaches third grade in the same district. Two of their four children graduated from the University of Florida in May. One is a junior at Florida State University, and the youngest is a junior at Pine View, a public gifted magnet school that had 100% of students graduate and be accepted to the college or university of their choice this year. It was named the #1 school in Florida, #7 magnet school in the U.S., and the #18 high school in the U.S. overall – and earned another National Blue Ribbon this year, a pride point for the entire school community. Stephen went to D.C. to receive the honor from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. Pine View also had one of its student experiments launched from Kennedy Space Center on a Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station. “One of the best highlights this year was reaching out to Cedric Rucker ’81 about two Pine View
students who will attend UVA this fall. He had such an incredible impact on our lives and is doing amazing work there,” Stephen wrote. “I also look forward to bringing my youngest to Fredericksburg next summer as we tour colleges on the East Coast and see if I can talk him into becoming an Eagle! A stop at Parthenon is definitely on the books. Fingers crossed!”
Allyson Dieck learned that her family settled a fort in 1715 at the site of Germanna Community College, when Virginia was still a colony. MWC archaeology students unearthed parts of the fort’s walls back in the early 1990s. Allyson is traveling to Siegen, Germany, this summer to learn more about her Germanna ancestors.
Michael J. Newman is the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for his hometown, Danville, Virginia. He is married with two children. Son Andrew attended UMW, and his daughter is in her last year at James Madison University. His son lives in Richmond and is getting married next April. Michael keeps in touch with Abe Evans and Rob Cerullo, who is also an elected Commonwealth’s Attorney. Michael and his wife love to travel and plan to return to Fredericksburg soon to see the campus.
Nancy Overbey Sheetz and her family were excited to join son Bailey (age 12) at the Hollywood premiere of Unfrosted at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles
on April 30, 2024. Bailey plays “Butchie” in Jerry Seinfeld’s movie, which was released on Netflix on May 3. They had so much fun and are so proud of Bailey! Leann Vernon is director of operations for EO, a nonprofit focused on education, workforce innovation, and well-being. In her free time, she enjoys reading, teaching in the children’s ministry at her church, and spending time with friends and family, including five nieces and nephews who are amazing young adults, and her best friends from Mary Washington, Cindy Dunnavant Easterday and Suzanne Horsley.
Rob Whitt and Dodie Denison Whitt ’95 lived in or around Richmond since 1993. They recently moved to London for a new adventure. Their oldest daughter is in her third year of teaching in Henrico, after graduating from Longwood University in 2021. Their youngest daughter graduated from UMW in May 2023 and is finishing a Master of Accounting degree at William & Mary before beginning her career at EY this fall. Before the move, Dodie taught kindergarten in Henrico County, beginning her career in 1995. Rob has held various roles at Markel Group since 1995, and just accepted a role within the company, leading the expansion of a new business venture in London. They relocated in June 2024, for at least a two-year assignment. Dodie will travel back and forth to help their older daughter prepare for her October wedding. Younger daughter Emily Whitt ’23 is enjoying time with them in London. The family is renting a house in the Knightsbridge area of West London, near Harrods and Hyde Park, and are looking forward to this next adventure in life.
I, J. Suzanne Horsley, have enjoyed hearing from my fellow Eagles and reconnecting with long-lost friends! I’ve become a cruise fanatic since the pandemic. This summer, I’m traveling to an academic conference in England, followed by a cruise from Southampton (the Titanic’s home port) to the Norwegian fjords. I have another planned for New Year’s Eve, which is my NYE birthday tradition. I just completed my 15th year as a professor at the University of Alabama, which has given me a new appreciation for the great professors I had at MWC! Keep sending me your notes. It’s so fun to hear from everyone!
1994 grads reconnect on Campus Walk during Reunion Weekend in June. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
1994
Jennifer Dockeray Muniz jennifermuniz1@gmail.com
Maura Payne Way lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, and teaches ninth and 12th grade at a small Quaker school. MUMMERY, her second poetry collection, was published by Press 53 in November and can be found on Amazon. She has been on a book tour and has had readings at independent bookstores, from Flyleaf Books to Malaprop’s. Find future readings at Mauraway.com/events/.
Fellow Chandler Prize winner Nathan Leslie (for fiction) invited Maura to read at Reston’s Used Book Shop in Northern Virginia. He has coordinated its Sunday reading series since 2016. His most recent collection of short fiction is A Fly in the Ointment (Loyola). In addition to writing, publishing, and running a reading series, Nathan is founding editor of the Maryland Literary Review and an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College. Learn more: Nathanleslie.net.
Journalist and English major Margaret Foster Payne, Maura’s sister-in-law, lives and writes in Takoma Park, Maryland, where she is managing editor of the Beacon Newspapers, which can be found at thebeaconnewspapers.com/staff/.
1995
Matt and Shandie Covington mattandshandie95@gmail.com
We received exciting news from Rob Whitt ’93 and Dodie Denison Whitt , which you can read with the 1993 news!
Melissa “Missie” Plotkin became a fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders at the annual International Conference on Eating Disorders in March. She started a new position as a medical librarian at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in April.
Matt and I, Shandie Hall Covington, are doing well. After ending my time at the American Society of Transplantation, I returned to the United Network for Organ Sharing. I’m fortunate to enjoy a hybrid position, driving to Richmond once a week, and otherwise working at home and enjoying our water view. Let us know what is happening with you! And don’t forget, we have a big reunion coming up in May!
1996
Jennifer Rudalf Gates teamgates17@gmail.com
1997
Michelle Trombetta michelletrombetta@gmail.com
Dave Wrubel checked off a bucket list item this summer when he and a friend drove 3,200 miles across 10 states. He met up with geography classmate Colleen Minion for brunch in Olympia, Washington. Colleen and her husband, Matthew Gill, celebrated their 10-year anniversary and are going to renew their vows in a handfasting ceremony in Scotland in August. She also started a new position as a solid waste analyst for Tukwila, Washington.
Julie Newell Leslie and Nathan Leslie ’94 celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary on June 26. Julie added a few stamps to her passport with trips to Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Jackie Curry Todaro is program coordinator for audiology at Drexel University. Daughter Courtney is also at Drexel, landing top grades in law school. Jackie’s husband, Jim, became a ProChef III at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.
Kathleen Gillikin MacCubbin was promoted to regional vice president at Primerica’s international convention. She and husband Patrick celebrated their 22nd anniversary.
While restoring historic buildings in the Baltimore/Washington region as the shop manager for Worcester Eisenbrandt, Inc., Matt Hankins has been building miniatures of Baltimore in his basement.
Kate Lulfs Ehrle and Richard Ehrle ’85 have more free time to enjoy hobbies, play golf, watch ’ Bama football, and enjoy good wines! Richard just completed his 23rd year of service with the Navy. Kate is a CEO for Cask Government Services and travels extensively for work. Her side business, Blazed LLC, which sells reclaimed blue blazers for fraternity men, is celebrating two years in business. Their oldest son will be a junior at the University of Alabama, and their daughter, a rising sophomore transferred to ’ Bama. Kate and Richard’s youngest is 10 years old and enjoying a fun summer playing golf, tennis, and swimming.
LTC Kevin Adams finished a two-year assignment in South Korea and returned to Northern Virginia for a job at the Pentagon. LTC Katharine Adams, Levi (age 13), and Auggie (age 9) are excited to be back in the D.C. area.
Jennifer Wilson Watson and husband Chris Watson ’96 moved away from Fredericksburg for the first time since marrying in ’98 and are now empty nesters! They live in Kilmarnock on the
Northern Neck of Virginia and look forward to exploring all the “Rivah” towns. Eldest son Aiden joined the Coast Guard and the youngest, Liam, is in college studying engineering.
Friar Patrick Daniel Tobin wants everyone to know he’s still kicking!
1998
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
Andy Brown started a new job with Walt Disney Imagineering as a senior project controls estimator.
Theresa Tempesta was selected as Virginia’s Outstanding Teacher of American History by the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution, accepting the award at the Virginia State Convention in Williamsburg. Theresa teaches at Massaponax High School in Spotsylvania. For the past 20 years, she has taught U.S. history, African American history, world history, and Advanced Placement courses in European history and modern world history. She has also coached the debate team, sponsored the junior class, and was team lead for the U.S. history professional learning circle.
1999
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
2000
Jennifer Burger Thomas jenntec14@gmail.com
Kirsten St. Clair Oliphant has put her English degree to work, publishing romantic comedies. Thomas Nelson Publishers picked up one of her next projects, a rom-com set in the Northern Neck of Virginia, which will be published in summer 2025. Kirsten lives with her husband and five children in Katy, Texas, where everything really is bigger.
Kevin Perry and his wife will be empty nesters this fall when their second child heads off to college. A classics major at Mary Washington, Kevin is in his 10th year teaching Latin at the National Cathedral School in D.C. and was named chair of the world languages department.
2001
Annie Johnston anniebatesjohnston@gmail.com
Marc Gorman has lived close to family in New Hampshire for the past several
Class Notes
years, after a short stint in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area. He keeps busy with his Australian cattle dog, Daisy, who loves hiking in the New Hampshire mountains. Marc looks forward to new travel adventures in the coming months. Rich Speakman lives in Guatemala City with his wife and 1.5-year-old son. Rich teaches middle school STEM in Colegio Americano de Guatemala.
Matt Selwyn and Ariel Hatfield Selwyn will soon be empty nesters, with three kids in college (one at UMW), and one in a welding program. Matt has been with the government for 23 years and works at the Navy Yard. Ariel took a new job with Alexandria Insights, Inc., supporting the U.S. Marine Corps.
Jamie Foster is CEO of the Nantucket Boys & Girls Club. He has been there 17 years and has been involved with designing the current facility, developing an employee housing plan, enhancing program curriculum, and creating collaborative relationships with island organizations. He earned a B.S. from Mary Washington and an M.S. from Western Kentucky University. He serves on several island boards and was awarded the Nantucket Advocate for Children Award in 2011 by the Nantucket Community School. Jamie and wife Courtney, a guidance counselor at Nantucket High School, live with their two sons on Nantucket.
2002
Travis Jones tljones8@gmail.com
Carolyn Murray Spencer turtlecjm@yahoo.com
2003
Jessica Brandes jessbrandes@yahoo.com
Rebecca Romaneski Sneller moved with husband Deric and their three children to Kaiserslautern, Germany, to work with Cadence International among the U.S. military community stationed there. She is pursuing a doctorate in leadership from Denver Seminary.
2004
Sameer Vaswani svaswani54@gmail.com
Patrick Hiltz and wife Lila celebrated the birth of their second child, Thomas Hiltz, in March 2024.
2005
Allyson “Ally” V. Lee Marzan allyvlee@gmail.com
2006
Shana Muhammad shana.muhammad@gmail.com
2007
Jay Sinha jay.sinha9@gmail.com
Daniel Clendenin daniel.clendenin@gmail.com
Sarah Eckman sarahje@gmail.com
Seth Anderson has lived in Santa Barbara, California, since leaving NYC in 2017. He has been married for nine
years and has two boys, ages 8 and 4. If you’re on the West Coast, reach out and organize a beer meetup at one of his Brass Bear restaurants. Matt Marsit has also set up shop in Santa Barbara and would love to see any of you in his kitchen at Validation Ale!
Cindy Abernathy Cisneros owns a therapy practice called Creatively, LLC, which specializes in artist mental health care and treatment. She expanded her practice to include equine-facilitated psychotherapy at locations in Maryland. She also creates and exhibits her own paintings. Cindy resides in Sykesville, Maryland, with her husband, two sons, horses, and dogs.
Alex Fletcher resides in Herndon, Virginia, with his family. Wife Joélle is a classical soprano, traveling domestically and internationally to sing with opera companies and symphonic orchestras. Their amazing daughter, Hazel, is a rising third grader. Their beagle, Willis, is looking for his next snack. Alex has worked as an artist manager for classical musicians since graduation, and his company, Fletcher Artist Management, celebrates 15 years in December 2024. Alex credits UMW’s music department for encouraging his interest in opera and classical music.
Brittany Shankle earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Radford in 2021. She joined Riverbend Integrative Trauma Treatment’s twoyear fellowship program and became a licensed clinical social worker in 2023. She works in RITT’s office in Culpeper, Virginia, and lives in Madison with her four children, who keep her life busy and fulfilled.
Kelly Mann Sienkowski is a freelance reporter and regional editor for Potomac Local News. In November 2022, she and Mike Sienkowski ’06 welcomed Tallulah Jade, who is enthusiastically spoiled by siblings Scarlett and Calvin. Mike was elected treasurer of Stafford County in November 2023.
2008
Trish Lauck Cerulli trish.cerulli@gmail.com
Alyssa Lee alyssa.linda.lee@gmail.com
2009
Elizabeth Jennings Haden elizabethsjennings@gmail.com
Alexandra Meier alexandra.m.meier@gmail.com
Members of the Class of 2004 cool off with ice cream at Carl’s. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
2010
Kelly Caldwell kellyecaldwell@gmail.com
2011
Hannah Hopkins hannahlhopkins@me.com
Kira Lanewala klanewala@gmail.com
Leah Kieff is a nonresident fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where she provides expert analysis on a variety of topics, especially Moldova, where she served as a Peace Corps volunteer. Her bio can be found at csis.org/people/leah-kieff.
2012
Mandi Solomon msolomon211@gmail.com
Erica Gouse Bledsoe serves as president of the Junior League of Northern Virginia, a women’s nonprofit to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact. She was recognized as an Alexandria Chamber of Commerce 40 under 40 for her work with the Junior League and in the community.
2013
Amanda Buckner McVicker amanda.l.mcvicker@gmail.com
Andrew Hogan andrew.hogan819@gmail.com
2014
Elizabeth Storey estorey@mail.usf.edu
2015
Evan Smallwood esmallwood15@gmail.com
Moira McAvoy moira.jo.mcavoy@gmail.com
2016
Quinn Doyle quinnmdoyle@gmail.com
Kacie Waters-Heflin married Jacob Seibert, a Fredericksburg native, on Jan. 20, 2024. Bridesmaids included Peyton Brown Hastings, Katie Brajdic Johnson, Bethany Alley ’15, Erin Waters Willis, Karly Forrest ’17, and Heather Strother ’21
Maura P. Slocum earned a Ph.D. in environmental science from the University of Pennsylvania.
2017
Samantha Litchford slitchfo@gmail.com
2018
Brittany McBride bmcbride2128@gmail.com
Miranda Skinner Davis married Dr. Boyd Davis at The Clifton in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Oct. 7, 2023. The wedding party included Brienne Flanagan Timpson and Makenna Mayflower
Megan Jensen Hambright , Tricia Cole, and Michael Timpson also attended. Miranda’s sister-in-law is Kimberly Fisher Davis ’94, and grandmother-in-law is Maxine Haley Hazelgrove ’52 .
2019
Sarah Hampton sarah.g.hampton@gmail.com
Shelby Press married Joe Giraldi on July 6 in Round Hill, Virginia. Bridesmaids included Amelia Carr, Mackenzie Burnett, Cori Rydgren, and Alaina Shivers Anderson
2020
Nathaniel Holic nholic2020@gmail.com
2021
No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu
2022
Carson Berrier cberrier@umw.edu
Haylie Stevenson haylie5800@gmail.com
Claire Coleman and Peter Little moved to Colorado after graduation and now call it home. They will be getting married this summer – a UMW love story!
Erin Wilson completed her first year of teaching, in the third grade. She was awarded New Teacher of the Year at her school.
Bennet Varghese is in his third year at the George Washington University School of Medicine. He and Natalie Buchanan ’24 got engaged and are excited to see where life takes them next.
Carleigh Rahn was recognized as District Novice Teacher of the Year for Fredericksburg City Schools.
Victoria Percherke Herr married her husband, Jesse, in May. She also started a new job and moved. She is excited to start her next chapter in life.
Sophia Hobbs finished her first year of teaching and was honored to receive Novice Teacher of the Year for her county.
Roger Santiago moved to Boston for a new job with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He is excited to see where his career will take him as he works in affordable housing.
Valentina Leon-Ledezma graduated from Virginia Tech with a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs. She is a transfer coordinator with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County’s admissions team. Valentina is excited for this next chapter in Baltimore and enjoying it with her cat, Ruby.
2023
Ryan Meek ryan.meek.31@gmail.com
2024 grads pose with President Paino at the Senior Toast. Photo by Karen Pearlman.
Class Notes 2024
Grace Lefcourt glefcour@umw.edu
Sofia Taylor will begin a new position at the University of Michigan, as a research assistant for two studies examining acupressure for fatigue and music therapy for pain management in adolescent cancer patients.
Tabitha Robinson married her high school sweetheart on July 19, 2024. They’ll live in downtown Fredericksburg with their dog and will be neighbors with Tabitha’s old roommates, Alison Herrera and Kylie Jackson. She also joined the UMW Young Alumni Council and looks forward to staying connected with her alma mater and encouraging other young alumni to do the same.
Jacob Wolfson graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Obituaries
accounting and has an internship in the Leesburg office of Yount, Hyde, & Barbour this summer.
I, Grace Lefcourt , am excited about my new role as class agent and sharing the news for the Class of 2024.
In Memoriam
Alumni and Former Students
Mary Bowles Hartley ’39
Cynthia Howell Cragin ’42
Ruth Emmeline Henriques Johnson ’43
Ann Middleton Kelly ’43
H. Conrad Warlick , senior vice president emeritus and professor emeritus of education, passed away on July 3, 2024, in Fredericksburg. A North Carolina native, Conrad moved to Fredericksburg with his wife, Anne, in 1974, coming from the University of Virginia to serve as associate dean for admissions, just as Mary Washington College became a separate institution from UVA. He earned an Ed.D. from the University of Virginia, an M.A. from the University of North Carolina, and a B.A. from Wake Forest College. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Navy.
At Mary Washington, Conrad also served as executive assistant to the president for President Wiiliam Anderson and was the first person appointed senior vice president for administrative and student services in 1990, a job that incorporated several duties previously assigned to the executive vice president. In his retirement, he served on the UMW Foundation Board and numerous civic organizations in Fredericksburg.
Conrad is survived by Anne, as well as sons John and James, granddaughter Katherine, grandson Scott, sister Rachel, and other loving family.
Michael Killian, a senior lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences, passed away on May 22, 2024, after a courageous battle with brain cancer.
Michael previously taught biology and chemistry at Courtland High School in Spotsylvania and worked for the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service. He earned a master’s degree in entomology from N.C. State University. He also attended UNCChapel Hill and served in the U.S. Army.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences Joella Killian, who retired from UMW after 34 dedicated years. The two traveled the world together, enjoying nature. Michael also was passionate about musical
Rita Henriques Rummelsburg ’43
Virginia Wells Abbott ’44
Jannie Simone Ornstein-Rood ’44
Virginia Painter Perkins ’44
Marjorie Storms Reddoch ’45
Patricia Mathewson Spring ’46
Naomi Williams Houser ’47
Betty Fardette Drischler Mixson ’47
Anne Barnes Baugh ’48
Betty Trout Marshall ’48
Mary John Moore Payne ’48
Ann Nicholson Gregg Woods ’48
Katherine “Joyce” Hamilton Eisler ’49
Dorothy Desmond Helfrich ’49
Dorothy Booker Pinkham ’49
Charlotte Baylis Rexon ’49
Elizabeth Shaffer Schaadt ’49
Mable Lucille Tate Thacker ’49
theatre, regularly attending local productions and UMW Theatre performances, and established the Killian Theatre Scholarship at Mary Washington.
Jane Huffman, an associate professor of education, passed away on March 19, 2024, in Fredericksburg. She also served as program director for post-baccalaureate initial licensure, advanced, and nondegree programs in the College of Education.
A faculty member at UMW for 17 years, Jane brought a wealth of knowledge to the classroom and encouraged students to be innovative teachers. She always kept an open mind about new and engaging teaching methods, even integrating the use of Lego bricks in her classes, which inspired the creation of the Lego wall in Seacobeck Hall’s makerspace. In 2018, she was recognized with the Graduate Faculty Award, honoring an exceptional full-time faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in graduate teaching and professional leadership in a graduate program.
Jane was actively engaged in leadership at the state level with the Association of Colleges of Teacher Education in Virginia, serving as executive director and president, as well as the Association for Teacher Educators. Locally, she was civically engaged and served on the advisory board at Ferry Farm and gave tours there. She previously was chair and a tenured associate professor at UNC Pembroke, and had a deep love of Virginia Tech, where she earned an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction. She also earned an M.S. in educational media and a B.S. in history and social studies from Radford University.
She is survived by brothers Stan and Frank and their wives, as well as nieces Allison and Jennifer and their partners, and grand-nephew Luke.
Elmer “Juney” Morris Jr. ’50
Lucy Hunter Smith Cardwell ’51
Jocyle Anne Wilson Nolde ’51
Lois Martin Strode ’51
Shirley Jean King Buchanan ’52
Mildred “Jerry” Crouch ’52
Catherine Shepard Burns Foster ’52
Marie “Weege” Attianese Harlow ’52
Jane Scott Knowlton ’52
Ada Patricia Dodrill Cowan ’53
Barbara Hamilton Fraley ’53
Joyce Ann Glascock Lyon ’53
Irene Maliaros Mathas ’53
Elizabeth Roper ’53
Nancy Warner Heese ’54
Susan Powers Moffett ’54
Frances Elizabeth Smith Schoeninger ’55
Jean Byrd Steelman ’55
Carolyn Mabel Jenner Britten-Dalton ’56
Beverly Rogers Whitley ’56
Gayle Chandler Campbell ’57
Nancy Galloway Champlin ’57
Anne Winters Davis Haynie ’57
Mary Lou Fletcher Scott ’57
Mary Victoria “Vickie” Majure Souder ’57
Susannah Godlove ’58
Madeleine Smith Moss ’58
Patsy Eargle Saunders ’58
Jo Ann Hearne Walther ’59
Cary Tilton Stoever Doyle ’60
Travers Moncure Evans ’60
Barbara Greco Miller ’60
Mamie Sue Howlett Scott ’60
Shannah Parks Cooper ’61
Glenda Kathryn “Kay” Skinner Moon ’61
Nancy Edmonds Morris ’61
Margo Walcavich Tate ’61
Susan Deane Tatum ’61
Sharon “Renee” Skinner Wheeler ’61
Sally Brock White ’61
Alexandra “Sandy” Mary Yeffstig Armstrong ’62
Mary Ann Gunn Burdge ’62
Carolyn Cox Ellis ’62
Patricia Rucker Sampson ’62
Betsy Bigelow Seward ’62
Pauline Preston Womack Spencer ’62
Lois Murphy Akin ’63
Natasha Pommerenke Goodman ’63
Betsy Ross Gould ’63
Constance Waterman Lampert ’63
Wendy Lowe Malvin ’63
Wilma Lee Hester ’64
Barbara Onley Hudson ’64
Marilyn Morgan Jorgensen ’64
Pamela Elaine Dickson Miller ’64
Margaret Morgan Tarr ’64
Janet Rourke ’65
Victoria R. Mason Slis ’65
Julia “Judy” Allison Walters ’65
Margaret Emmons Woodard ’65
Carol Lipscomb Ficklen ’66
Shirley Dulaney Gearheart ’66
Muriel Haley Montgomery ’66
Jane Campbell Tamburr ’66
Lucy Dahl Johns Swartz ’67
Patricia Rita Barrett ’68
Barbara P. Black ’69
Janet May Byers ’69
Anne Rowan Evans Conners ’69
Patricia May Callis Jarvis ’69
Emily Sakakini Murray ’69
Ruth Ann Sichol Myers ’69
Sylvia J. Kendall ’70
Louise Josephine “Jo” Harris Townsend ’70
Carolyn Faye Wells Wilfong ’71
Carolyn Morgan Kent Akers ’74
Cathleen Carol Collins ’74
Linda Raflo Raford ’74
Patricia Lail Bennett ’78
Holly Kelley Rison ’80
Tammy Reid Cochran ’81
Vickie Wilhelm ’81
Patricia O'Neill ’82
Doris Jean Peele Hill ’83
Robert Watts ’83
Jayne Marie Collins ’84
Meribeth Howard Taylor Kessick ’85
Kimberly Snyder Shoemaker ’87
Dawn Suzanne Rigby ’90
Susan Margaret Emmott Davis ’92
Carolyn Jean Guinn ’92
Margaret “Peggy” Antoinette Rota Bosket ’93
Ronald Hopkins ’95
Marnie Kathleen Colton ’97
K’ai Smith ’98
Ihor O. Kotlarchuk ’03
Laura Ann Pinkerton ’05
Daniel Begg ’13
Samantha Ann Gross ’13
Mary Jean “Mimi” Hoffman Addison
Eugenia “Jenny” Marie Poppa Anderson
Gisele Murphy Booker
Mary Minor Settle Bowersett
Valecia Milner Bruce
Charlotte Marie Ringler Burton
Dorothy Sutherland Council
Lucile Moore Johnston Griffin
Helen Grant Headley
John T. Hearn
Edith W. Ellis Hirsch
Judith Anna Ingemann
David Irby
Joan Dunston Powell Jones
Linda Carol Samuels Koch
Marian Carol Swartout Oldroyd
Mollie Buxton McGirt
Christa Huchthausen Mueller
Billy Gene Nichols
Diana Beth Schulz Pfannebecker
Dorothy Jean Fry Previc
Robin Jane Carpenter Sabatke
Anne Beverley Wright Swanson
Sheila Anne Terry Trotter
Jean Denny Vorous
Nettie Geneva Owen Woodard
Faculty and Administrators
Dan Dervin
James W. Haley Jr.
Jane Harriman Hall
Jane Huffman
Jane A. Martin James
Weekend. Photo by Karen Pearlman.