31 minute read
Alumnae News
Kiss Me Kate, Spring 1980
Each year, performing arts collaborations with Winsor’s brother schools provide opportunities for students to work together and get to know one another. In April 1980, Winsor and Belmont Hill performed Kiss Me Kate in the Winsor Auditorium. Long-time Director of Alumnae Engagement Elisabeth “Beth” Peterson ’80, P’11 was a specialty dancer in this production. After 26 years of service, we bid Beth a fond farewell on page 74 of this issue — see if you can find her in the Kiss Me Kate cast.
Alumnae Board 2022–2023
PRESIDENT Erica Mayer ’91, P’25
VICE-PRESIDENT Ashley Marlenga Herbst ’01
SECRETARY Miwa Watkins ’83
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Armine Afeyan ’08 Desiree Allen ’98 Holly Breuer ’14, Co-Chair, Young Alumnae Committee Hillary S. Brown ’80, P’17 Susan Holzman ’67 Elizabeth Flint Hooker ’95 Jennifer Inker ’83, P’26 Lindsay Mullen Jeanloz ’00 Danielle Johns ’05 Katherine McCord ’02, Co-Chair Alumnae Giving Jillian Campbell McGrath ’02 Johanna Mendillo ’96 Julia Broderick O’Brien ’56, P’87 Jennifer O’Neil ’93 Julie Rockett Paulick ’92 Elizabeth-Anne Finn Payne ’94 Mary Noonan Quirk ’05 Lacey Janet Rose ’06 Nancy Adams Roth ’66 Elizabeth Tillman ’83 Alexis Hasiotis Wintersteen ’91
EX-OFFICIO
PAST PRESIDENT Audrey McAdams Fenton ’93, P’26
CO-CHAIR, ALUMNAE GIVING Caitlin Crowe ’89
CO-CHAIR, ALUMNAE GIVING Julia Livingston ’66, P’85, ’07
CO-CHAIR, ALUMNAE GIVING Katherine McCord ’02
CO-CHAIR, YOUNG ALUMNAE COMMITTEE Holly Breuer ’14
CO-CHAIR, YOUNG ALUMNAE COMMITTEE Anushree Gupta ’13
DIRECTOR OF ENGAGEMENT AND EVENTS Becky Withiam
Marilyn J. Dawson ’71
Class of 1971 Gift in Honor of Marilyn J. Dawson ’71
Following their reunion gathering in 2021, the Class of 1971 considered ways that they could support the BIPOC community at Winsor. The class decided to make a collective donation to honor our classmate Marilyn Dawson, who died of cancer in 2019 after an interesting, full and productive life, working for the United Nations and other organizations, overseas and in the U.S. She had been the last of four Black girls to arrive in our class at Winsor, joining Patricia Elam ’71, Ellen Pinderhughes ’71 and Pam Parks McLaurin ’71.
This gift honors Marilyn’s life of generosity, accomplishment and empathic service. Also implicit in their gift is a recognition of the challenges navigated by our Black+ classmates in integrating Winsor, and as they continued there as students. Taking this on had required considerable courage on their part, something many of us only came to understand years later, in discussions sparked by the 1996 Black Alumnae/Student Panel and by the video documenting it.
As Marilyn’s family requested, the contributions went to the Ana M. Fidalgo P ’07, ’14 Fund, which assists Winsor’s Black students in need with schoolrelated expenses. The class was able to reach 55% class participation by the closing date of the drive, with a total raised of $7200. Classmates are happy that they could honor Marilyn by contributing to this worthy cause. — Sarah Wilson ’71
OVERHEARD “Almost daily I find myself navigating situations while relying on skills I developed at Winsor — specifically critical thinking, considerate and positive communication, and awareness of oneself as part of a community.”
— ARIADNE DASKALAKIS ’87
Alumnae Gather at NYC Reception
In April, Head of School Sarah Pelmas joined Winsor alumnae at The William hotel in Midtown Manhattan for a reception, marking the first in-person regional event since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alumnae from 1969 to 2010 turned out for the gathering to reconnect, share memories, and hear an update from Ms. Pelmas.
“Student enthusiasm for year-end events is palpable,” said Ms. Pelmas, “and seeing that reflected in the alum community at regional gatherings like this one is energizing.” Director of Advancement Erika McMahon added, “we look forward to hosting many more in-person events — and especially to welcoming our alums back to Winsor during Alumnae Weekend in May.”
(l-r): Susan Conant Holden ’49, Jane Hoeffel Otte ’57, Augusta Sparks ’89 and Nell Sparks ’25
CLASS NOTES
1946
Patricia Perrin Lawrence
I was sad to learn that our classmate Jennifer Bevan Lowther ’46 had passed away. Jennifer is someone I have kept in touch with since she entered our class in 1942. Jennifer enriched all our lives with her interest in others and her delightful sense of humor. She returned to England to be with her family in 1945. Fortunately, Bobby and I, along with many members of our family, were able to see Jennifer and her husband, John Lowther, 14 years ago in London. Jennifer was a lady in waiting to Princess Margaret Rose for quite a while, and was extremely tactful about the role she played. I will miss her very much.
Jennifer Bevan Lowther ’46
1949
Susan Conant Holden
Recently my niece, Jane Hoeffel Otte Class of 1957, visited with her daughter, Augusta Sparks class 1989 and her daughter Nell Class 2025. It was special to have so many generations together. My mother,
Gwendolyn Moulton Holden
Conant, Class of 1908, also attended Winsor. She passed away in 1963.
Alums Lead Tufts Lacrosse to Second Straight NESCAC Championship
Congratulations to Caroline Cromwell ’21, Madison Lehan ’18, and Alexa Amorosino ’20 (pictured left to right), who helped lead the Tufts University women’s lacrosse team to win the 2022 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Championship. The Jumbos defeated top-seeded Middlebury to secure their second straight NESCAC title, after claiming the program’s first title in 2021. The team went on to reach the finals in the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship, matching up against Middlebury, and finishing as the NCAA runner-up for the second straight season.
1952
Elizabeth Bragg
In March with Dr. Jody Stanislaw, we presented a workshop, “Accelerate Your Soccer Success with Healthy Food” at the national Urban Soccer Symposium, which focuses on children in underserved communities. As a result, my 10-week Eat to Thrive program received a grant from the Illinois Youth Soccer Association to offer the virtual program to its staff, board of directors, and anyone else interested, which can be you. If interested in learning new recipes and hearing excellent national speakers, register at https://eattothrive.info/product/eat-to-thrive-classes/, “a la carte” Thursdays 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. ET. We also welcome children ages 3 to 6 or 7 to 12 to our free, virtual summer camp programs on Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. ET; register at https:// realkidsrealfood.org/registration/. Kids love to make recipes, exercise, and have fun. Free recipe ingredients are delivered to food-insecure children. Donations are welcome.
Mina Ellis Otis
It was 1948, World War II had been won, my father had returned from the Navy, and I was ready for high school. My wise aunt suggested I apply to Winsor, her own beloved school. It was Winsor that opened the world of learning to my eager mind. In those days, in much of the country, females were usually expected to be wives and mothers, not students or scholars. That was certainly true in the public schools I had attended in Mississippi, Iowa, and California (we had to live with relatives while the war was being fought and finally won). At Winsor I was taught how to read analytically, how to express my own thoughts clearly, and how to enjoy finding and exploring new fields of learning. I loved every minute of classroom learning, of library exploration, and of mind-stretching assignments. With many classmates, I went on to Smith College and Harvard School of Education.
1953
Natascha Simpkins Halpert
My adorable great-grandchild, daughter of Olivia and granddaughter of her mom, Laura, is a year-plus — born in March 2021. My new poetry book, Poems and Prayers, dedicated to my late son, Robin Lorenz, came out this year. Stephen and I are doing all right, though Parkinson’s has slowed me down. Wishing you all every joy.
1955
Sally Withington
After 60-plus years in the workforce, 50 of which were in downtown Boston real estate, I am now an “inactive broker,” and I am still
living in my 200-year-old rowhouse in Boston’s historic Bay Village. 1956
Mary Hill Gilbert Harris
It is June 2022 and England, where I live, is in the throes of jubilee celebrations for the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. The coronation ceremony was a year later. I came to Winsor in the fall of 1953 and one of my first memories from the school is of Sally Murray ’55’s talk on “What I did last summer.” Their family had been to the coronation. I myself had just seen the movie of it, and it must have been even more dramatic in person.
Martha Elwell Thomas
Hello to everyone from Savannah! We are well and happy here and try to get to most of New England once a year. Stay well and in touch! Martie
1958
Pamela Smith Henrikson
I am just back from my 60th reunion at Smith. It was such a pleasure that I am definitely looking forward to my 65th at Winsor next May. Both Suzy White ’58 and Amy Sylvester Katoh ’58 were there too, so our Winsor group was well represented.
Mary Eliot Jackson
What a year! A pandemic, war, antiabortion, severe political upheaval — but Zooms, pleasure that the Boston Athenaeum has a spectacular new librarian and preservation architect, and produced a serendipitous new friend. Because of the Ukraine war, Russian has taught me about that blank swath of Eastern Europe. Seismic shifts in knowledge shake up my Eurocentrism. In The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World, Marie Favereau shows, by knitting in history hidden in peripheral cultures, that the Mongol empire was the largest ever, expertly administrated, and influential despite being nomadic. In The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire, William Dalrymple teaches that the East India Company was savage and similar to current rapacious international corporations. In Roma in the Medieval Islamic World: Literacy, Culture, and Migration, Kristina Richardson presents through the Roma another story about the origin of printing different from ours, which sprouts from Gutenberg.
Julie Roy Jeffrey
I have enjoyed tremendously sharing art-focused Zoom presentations with classmates. I will be working on some new topics (portraits, jewelry, and perhaps some others) that draw on objects from the Walters Art Museum. Hope to see many of you when I start up again in the fall.
Lucy Stone McNeece
Slowly emerging from the endless lockdowns in Paris has made it possible at last to have real contact with people, as well as to return to teaching some classes and attending others, albeit for pleasure. This spring I managed to direct a play in Arabic with French university students, quite a challenge but a wonderful experience. My oldest son, Christopher, came to visit, and after the play we took the train to Toulouse to see friends, then flew to Florence for a week to visit other friends, to revisit museums, and to walk in the Tuscan hills and eat (too) many Italian delights…! The pleasure of having the chance to do things that Covid made impossible is marred nonetheless by the catastrophic state of affairs in so many parts of the world. I remain hopeful only because of individuals I know who see clearly and are courageous enough to speak out against injustices everywhere.
1959
Olivia Hood Parker
In May I had the good fortune to be awarded an honorary doctorate by Lesley University.
1962
Nancy Greep
I am retired and continue to live in Santa Barbara, where my son and his family are. I stay busy with health reform policy and gardening. I attended the 60th reunion and also visited with Betsy Chapin ’62. I survived open heart surgery, where my mitral valve was replaced, in August and am doing pretty well, although I don’t have the stamina I used to.
Sarah Cannon Holden
Our 60th Reunion year! For two years we have “met” once a month via Zoom. Fifteen of us met in May for a picnic and an afternoon of catch-up. Times together have been invigorating and supportive. We are active, retired, caring for others and ourselves, delighting in grandchildren, gardening, reading, and relaxing. We are making new connections with each other and learning each other’s perspectives on Winsor and each other when we were students. I work as a labor arbitrator — lots of writing
NEWSMAKER: MADISON LEHAN ’18
Madison Lehan ’18 Named Division III All-American
In May, Madison Lehan ’18 was selected as a Division III Lacrosse All-American Third Team by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). All-American recognition is an honor awarded annually to the best collegiate lacrosse players in the country. A high-achieving defensive player since joining the Tufts team in fall 2018, Maddie had an outstanding senior season this spring, causing 33 turnovers and 43 ground balls, and helping lead her team to victory in the 2022 NESCAC Championship and to the finals in the NCAA tournament.
While at Winsor, Maddie played on the varsity lacrosse team for four years, and she led the team in goals scored each year. She was the captain of the team in 2017 and 2018 and was awarded the Lacrosse Cup in 2016, 2017, and 2018. A three-season athlete, she also played varsity soccer and varsity hockey, and was the captain of both teams her senior year.
“We are so proud of Madison and are thrilled to see all of her accomplishments,” said Sherren Granese, director of athletics at Winsor. “Madison was always both an outstanding athlete and great teammate at Winsor, and we can’t wait to see what the future may hold for her.”
and sorting facts — and serve as Lincoln’s town moderator. Walking, bike riding, and skiing keep me in pretty good shape. Seven grandchildren and their parents bring great joy. We travel and have taken some wonderful trips with Dartmouth Alumni. I try to remain positive despite the political scene and the Supreme Court. I pray that “We the People” can preserve our Republic.
1964
Cornelia Pratt
I’m thoroughly enjoying my golden years. Nobody expects anything of me so I can watch all the baseball I want. Remember when Francie Tripp Hawkey, also ’64, could recite all the Red Sox stats? Now I cheer on Yastrzemski’s grandson for the San Francisco Giants. I’m happily ensconced in a senior community in the Sun Valley area of San Rafael, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. I have a nice apartment with a sweet view and a little garden. I teach a karaoke class here and have taken up watercolor, which is peaceful and absorbing. I still direct www.youngperformersintl.org, which brings me joy. Children and grands thrive!
1969
Dorian Hastings
My short story “The Music Doctor” is being published in the June 2022 edition of the Silk Road Review. I even got paid! Thanks to classmates who encouraged me at our 50th reunion — an added benefit to our get-together.
1973
Margaret Weaver
Formerly Judy Rappaport and Judy Maloney, after 27 years of marriage and now seven years into a new era I have changed my name to Margaret Joy Weaver. Margaret-greatgrandmother and great-aunt-Margaret Vahey, and my mother’s middle name — has me now fourth-generation Margaret. Life has changed dramatically since claiming my maternal lineage that had been silenced for so many years. Proud mama (co-parent) of Noorul Murshidha Jawaheer from Chennai, India, since 2015. She just graduated from Northern Arizona University in creative media (film) and art, heading to NAU graduate school in sociology to make socially impactful films. Twenty-six years
living in Sedona, Arizona. Chair of Sedona International City of Peace — one of almost 400 around the world — and on an extensive spiritual path for Enlightenment with Ekam (liberating us from all forms of suffering). Producing a four-part ensemble with Adrienne Torf, “The Awesome Difficult Work of Love,” for our 2022 Sedona Arts for Peace Week. Lastly, my dad passed away December 6, 2021 — forever grateful for the life he provided all of us, especially our journey through Winsor.
1974
Daphne Burt
Lisa and I have completed our move to Mashpee Mass (on the Cape). She has a new job while I try to figure out what it means to be retired. We are enjoying being close to the ferry so that we can visit with Nancy Cutler Ignacio ’74 and her family more often. Come and visit — anytime! 1976
Beverly Salhanick
I retired after 35 years of practicing law in Las Vegas (25 years as a solo practitioner). I’m spending lots of time restarting my 9-year-old off the track thoroughbred and doing all the projects that were put off during the years I practiced.
1980
Elisabeth Peterson
After 26 years of service to Winsor my husband and I will spend a majority of our time in Florida. Be assured that our family and New England summers will draw us back frequently. It has been a privilege to assist my fellow alums and Winsor families over the years. I wish each of you health and happiness.
1983
Celia Francis
Hello, classmates. I am in a taxi driving home from teenager clothes shopping with my now 15-year-old daughter here in London. Hanging out with her makes me think about us at that age. Tomorrow I fly to Copenhagen for a board meeting with NREP, the largest urban developer in the Nordics and growing globally. NREP have made a 2028 carbon-zero commitment and inspire me with the way they design buildings and whole city areas for healthy, happy people of all ages and sustainably for the planet. I have come to believe that we must all find a way to be more Danish. After 15 years as a regular tech company CEO I have found myself shifting into climate tech and also naturebased solutions to climate change. I founded an organization in 2020 called The Art of Forests, which is an alliance of the world’s largest, most experienced ecosystem restoration practitioners. As such I spend a lot of time thinking about biodiversity, soil, seeds, water, social impact, and the voluntary carbon market and ways to flow more money into restoring the beautiful biomes that we have destroyed — before it is too late. My son is now off in his first year of university at Cambridge and my daughter is off to an English boarding school in the fall. The empty nest is near! So please look me up to keep me company if any of you are in London. I’m celiafrancis@yahoo.com and would love to hear from you.
Standing (l-r): Vickey Wiseman ’83, Kim Harol ’83, Susan Bryant ’83, Sarah Donahue ’83, Miwa Watkins ’83 Sitting (l-r): Dorrie Paynter ’83, Beth Abate ’83
(l-r): Liddy Manson ’83, Grace White ’83
Miwa Watkins
In June, a small group gathered at our president Beth Abate’s ’83 mother’s house in Winchester, MA. A few of us also enjoyed a small Venice reunion.
1990
Alisa Barrett Zalosh
I’m still living happily in Manchester, Mass., with my husband, Matt, and two daughters, Sophie, 17, and Nina, 15. I started a marketing communications business a few years ago and write long-form marketing content for businesses and academic institutions. In some way, I suppose, my work is like a never-ending Expos
(l–r): Kristen Shea Donahue ’90, Alisa Barrett Zalosh ’90, Janet Feldstein McKillop ’90, and Cara Abdulrazak ’90
class! I treasure the Winsor friendships I have with my 1990 classmates, with Persis Laverack ’45, and with my newfound Manchester neighbors Sarah Minifie Wolfgang ’88 and Elizabeth Skates ’88.
1996
Andrea Cherkerzian Dennigan
I have recently joined the Armenian Museum of America as public programs curator. We love living in Brookline.
1999
Jane Glazer
We have had a very busy year! Our daughter, Lilah, finished her Class I year at Winsor yesterday and had a blast. It’s strange but also great to be back at Winsor. Our son switched to Fessenden this year and had a wonderful seventh grade year, and recently a bar mitzvah. I have recently joined the MGS Group Real Estate Agency in a slight career shift, and I am focusing on Brookline/ Newton and more. And we’ve welcomed a puppy (Netty) into
NEWSMAKER: LISA CARLING ’67
Making Theater More Accessible
Lisa Carling ’67, longtime director of accessibility at the nonprofit TDF (formerly known as the Theatre Development Fund), was among the recipients of the Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Award for excellence in accessibility leadership. The annual LEAD Awards honor arts administrators and organizations whose dedication has resulted in advancing the inclusion of people with disabilities in the cultural arts. The awards were presented at the 2022 LEAD conference on August 5 in Raleigh, NC.
“I am so thrilled to receive this award and have loved the almost four decades I’ve spent at TDF advocating for people with disabilities,” Lisa said in a press release. “I never intended to stay in the field this long but there has always been more to do to make things better and more equitable. In looking back, the most memorable, impactful programs I’ve initiated are TDF Autism Friendly Performances, launched in 2011; open captioning for theater, begun in 1997; and the Interpreting for the Theatre Program (1998–2009), a one-week intensive for sign language interpreters in partnership with the Juilliard School. It has given me such joy to see these programs grow, take root in broader areas, and help create an appetite for more accessible theater. Whatever you do in life, be a catalyst for change!”
Lisa joined TDF Accessibility Programs in 1983 and has been the director since the mid-1990s. She served on the Shubert Organization’s Audience Services Advisory Committee for the implementation of GalaPro, an app that provides on-demand closed captioning and audio description; and she currently serves on Bridge Multimedia’s advisory group. In her previous career, Lisa performed with Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, CT, and Classic Stage Company in New York, and also worked in TV and film.
(l–r): Khoren (6), Levon (8), Andrea Cherkerzian Dennigan ’96 & François
our family.
2005
Amalia Aruda Almada
A big hello to W’05 from the West Coast! We (husband Albert, 4-yearold daughter Adelina, and I) relocated to the Los Angeles area for new job prospects in summer 2020. It was strange to uproot in the middle of a pandemic, but we are enjoying finally emerging to “regular” life and discovering our people and places out here. I’m so happy to be back working in the ocean sciences (extension specialist for NOAA’s Sea Grant Program) and I can’t complain about the weather here either. I think of you all often and hope you are all pursuing what brings you joy!
Rebecca Alper
Rebecca Alper ’05 is the vice chair of the board of trustees of the Icla da Silva Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to save the lives of people with diseases whose only cure is a bone marrow or cord blood transplant by providing emotional, logistical, and financial support to remove barriers to treatment.
2008
Lillian Kivel
After a couple of years of working remotely for Minerva University and living in Oklahoma City, I relocated to Philadelphia in fall 2021 to earn my master’s in education policy from the University of Pennsylvania. It was wonderful to be back at school and deepen my understanding of the educational landscape in the United States. Upon completing the program in July, I began working in the Office of the Superintendent at the School District of Philadelphia. It is an exciting time at the district as we welcome a new superintendent. I am happy to be back on the East Coast and closer to family and friends. I hope you see many of you back at Winsor for our 10th reunion in the spring!
2010
Blair Ballard Markell
Zach and I had our first baby, Camden Markell, on September 25, 2021. We also moved to San Diego this year to be closer to family. Camden is already very stubborn like his mom, and very curious and active like his dad — a very dangerous yet entertaining combination.
Margie Hamlin
Margie Hamlin lives in the South End with her now husband and remotely works for a technology trucking start-up (Leaf Logistics) overseeing customers and operations. She got married to David DeFelice in April at St. Andrews in Wellesley, MA with the reception at Brae Burn Country Club afterward. In her bridal party were two close friends and Winsor classmates, Danielle Waldman ’10 and Maura Kelly ’10.
2016
Talia Ruxin
Hi! After working in Seattle for two years at the VA Center for Limb Loss and Mobility, I’m excited to start medical school at UCSF! I’m also excited to be closer to Brigitte Schmittlein ’16 and Grace Eysenbach ’16, who are also in the Bay Area!
(l–r): Mitzi Peterson ’90, P ’17, ’20, Beth Peterson ’80, P ’11, Haley Nolan ’17, and Caroline Nolan ’20
(l–r): Pamela Mearsheimer ’86, Sally Mabrey Taylor ’65, Francesca Morgan ’86, Elizabeth Kieff ’91, Susan Mabrey Gaud ’64 and Melanie Kahn ’95.
(l–r): Lacey Rose ’06, Anuja Khettry ’04, Mary-Caitlin Ray ’05, Stephanie Brenman ’05, Kate O’Donnell ’05, Dana Miller ’05
(l–r): Top row: Leigh Feldmann ’09, Charlotte Gardiner ’09, Callie Moriarty Cheek ’09, Stephanie Brenman ’05, Kate O’Donnell ’05, Laura Gaylord Resch ’06, Leslie Bernstein ’81 (former head of Lower School), Lacey Rose ’06, Carly Bernstein Rose ’09, Windsor Ferrara ’90, Hillary Lincoln ’02, Katherine McCord ’02, Aneiage Van Bean (former faculty), Kim Ramos (faculty and head of Upper School). Second row: Emily Hyman ’09, Libbey Davis Hunt ’06, Lauren Bornstein ’07, Jodi Kerble (faculty), Kate Grant (faculty), Charlotte Tracy ’12, Rachel Bernstein ’11, Jennifer Cohn ’93. Last row: Sydney Howland ’06, Ainsley Hayes ’95, Vanessa Rose ’00, Lily Bryant, Jennifer Ciccarelli (former head of Lower School), Julian Braxton (faculty, director of community and inclusion), Denise Labieniec (faculty, institutional researcher). (l–r): Maura Kelly ’10, Margie Hamlin ’10, David DeFelice, Danielle Waldman ’10, Annie Fox ’10.
Alumnae Weekend
MAY 12–13, 2023
Ava Marie Foster
(l–r): Liza Weingarten ’08, Sojourner Rivers ’08, Maddy Fleming ’08, and Jasmine Wilder ’08 celebrate Sarah Duncan ’08. Bridal hair & makeup, and photo by Talia Weingarten ’12.
MARRIAGES 2004
Meghan Weeks
and Callum Dickson June 11, 2022 2006 and 2009
Lacey Rose ’06
and Carly Bernstein ’09 August 6, 2022
2008
Armine Afeyan
and John Ringer September 4, 2021 2010
Margie Hamlin
and David DeFelice April 23, 2022
ARRIVALS 2007
Kathleen Nahill Blanchard
and Ridge Blanchard a daughter, Leila Rose Blanchard April 2022
2010
Emily Duffy
and Daniel Foster a daughter, Ava Marie Foster May 2022
Blair Ballard Markell
and Zach Markell a son, Camden Markell September 2021
IN MEMORIAM
1937
Patricia Calkins Lightbody
1940
Rosamond Kent Sprague
1943
Ann Dewey Kent
1944
Sarah Place Carter Mary Wheatland Schley
1945
Isabella Leighton Smyth
1946
Cordelia MacPherson Carroll Dorothy-Lee Jones Ward
1947
Margaret Blodgett Alkema Erica Payson Parra
1948
Amelia Rogers Guise Elizabeth Howe Howard Hope Griswold McCrum
1949
Rosamond Whitney Carr Mary Caner Mehlman
1950
Carol Robb Blount Rita Platt Coney Sarah Sedgwick Ginocchio Joanne Koch Potee
1952
Mary Weld Alexander
1953
Cynthia Carr Rodman Sarah Stevens Heckscher Judith Harmon Puleston
1954
Patty Ely Foster Edith Gross Smith
1957
Emily Preston
1959
Lisa Church King
1960
Pamela Forbes
1961
Susan Contratto Abigail Mason Browne GP’21, ’24 Katharine Wylie
1963
Lillian Balboni Nolan
1979
Sarah Boling Wagner
Alumnae Return to Winsor
On the weekend of May 13, alumnae returned to campus for the first in-person alumnae weekend since 2019. Alumnae gathered to remember and reminisce, and had the opportunity to experience Winsor today on campus tours and in faculty-led classes. From the hallways to the courtyard, the excitement was palpable.
A Fond Farewell to Director of Alumnae Engagement Beth Peterson ’80, P’11
Each spring, Alumnae Weekend provides a welcome opportunity for generations of Winsor graduates to reconnect. This year, alums relished being back on campus in person, and they marked a significant milestone as they bid farewell to longtime Director of Alumnae Engagement Elisabeth “Beth” Peterson ’80, P’11, the creator and driving force behind the hallmark event.
“After 26 years of service to Winsor, our dear friend, colleague, Winsor parent, and fellow alumna Beth Peterson has made the difficult decision to retire at the end of this year,” began President of the Winsor Alumnae Board Erica Mayer ’91, P’25 in a tribute to Beth. “It’s hard to imagine the Winsor Alumnae Association without Beth’s guiding hand. She has an exquisite knowledge of every alumna — where she “This alumnae reunion has been a fitting culmination of all the incredibly hard work you have done for so many years. The appreciation that fell from every corner of the tent onto your well-deserving shoulders was hardly enough for the time, love, and effort you have given again and again over these many years.
— JENNIE SKEELE ’71, P’98, ’02, CAROLYN MCCLINTOCK PETER CHAIR IN ENGLISH
lives, what she is doing, any alumnae sisters, cousins, aunts, and each woman’s connection to the school. She is the behind-the-scenes wizard who magically conjures beautiful events to celebrate the school and, importantly, celebrate the accomplishments and relationships of Winsor women.”
Erica led the presentation of celebratory gifts — including the generous donation by artist Meghan Weeks ’04 of an original plein air oil painting of her favorite view of the campus, to be delivered later this year. She also revealed a tribute that the board had carefully kept under wraps: “As an enduring legacy of Beth’s imprint on the school and the alumnae, I am delighted to be the first to announce the creation of the Elisabeth Peterson, 1980, P’11 Alumnae Mentorship Fund.”
The fund will support alumnae mentorship at Winsor by fostering and sustaining activities and infrastructure that nurture the intergenerational connections and relationships that are so dear to alumnae, and to Beth. The impact of this fund will be reported to Beth to formalize her connection to an element of the Winsor experience in which she believes deeply.
In her farewell remarks honoring Beth, Head of School Sarah Pelmas praised not only her prowess in event planning, but her significant contributions to “the transformation of both the campus and the curriculum.” She also noted Beth’s invaluable ability to communicate “Winsor’s changes and their rationales, “with grace, often under pressure, to graduates as well as retired faculty and staff who at times may not have always understood what turns the school was taking. She is an extraordinary ambassador for the school.”
The weekend was a fitting way to honor and celebrate Beth’s lasting impact on the community. “Winsor is remarkably lucky that Beth came back to work here, and truly blessed that she stayed so long,” said Ms. Pelmas. “I don’t think anyone can imagine this place without her, and I hope she will return often enough that we won’t have to try.”
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Preserving the Art of Art History
Since Winsor’s founding, the study of the arts has enriched students’ worldviews. Decades after graduating many alumnae still recall the impact exposure to forms of artistic expression from around the world and throughout history had on them, personally and professionally.
In a letter to the Winsor Archives in summer 2021, Anne Luther von Rosenberg ’58 recounts, “Come junior year, one of the five weekly history periods was devoted to art history taught by Miss Jenckes. It was the shining light of those three years. I fell in hook, line, and sinker. I minored in art history and have been into art, architecture, and historic preservation more or less since.”
The family of Frances Darling, class of 1913, was so impressed with her 1912–1913 art history notebook that they had it preserved in a hardcover binding embossed with her name and the course title.
Winsor is grateful to Anne, the Darling family, and these alumnae, who have donated their cherished art history notebooks to the Winsor Archives: Rosamond Harris Class IX 1931, Dorothy Wightman Hood ’40, Julia Lawrence ’49, Selena “Sally” Little ’51, Penelope “Penny” Demos Lawrence ’56, Pamela Smith Henrikson ’58, and Carolyn Kimball Tolles ’58.
Each of these artifacts adds to the story of the school’s continuous commitment to broadening students’ understanding of the many and varied ways to see the world.
A Weekend of Engagement
Alumnae Weekend got underway Friday, May 13, with tours of the campus, followed by a memorial service to honor Winsor alumnae who have recently passed. Head of School Sarah Pelmas and Katharine Baker-Carr ’80 both shared remarks. A reception and dinner followed featuring addresses by 25th reunion speaker Janel Forde ’97 and 50th reunion speaker Susan Shelmerdine ’72.
On Saturday, alumnae went back to school, attending one of the following classes: Science Saturday with Reem Hussein-Fricke, science faculty; Reconstruction: A Contested History with Anne-Marie Holland, history faculty; or Ladies’ Night in Wakanda with Samantha Simpson, English faculty.
The archives were open for touring, and a lively panel discussion — Pathways to Resiliency: Where do we go from here? — featured Monica Leitner-Laserna ’03, Maia Monteagudo ’06, and Alix White ’72, moderated by Ashley Marlenga Herbst ’01.
Lunch offered opportunities for connection, including a courtyard barbecue; Reminisce Lunches for the classes of 2010, 2011, 1995, 1996, 1970, and 1971; and Affinity Group luncheons hosted by SISTERS, AsIAm, SOMOS, SASA, MOSAIC, UMMAH, and First Gen.
After lunch, Head Squash Coach Szilvi Szombati offered a squash drop-in session, and the celebration continued on Saturday evening with class parties organized by the reunion committees.
Reunion Class Photos
60th Reunion — Class of 1962: Back row (l–r): Hope Green Arns, Toby Williams Woll, Katharine Cohen Black, Margaret Howland, Anne Hutchinson, Nancy Greep, Frazer Gimber O’Neill, Leslie Foster Rigney, Barbara Abrams Schneider, Dinah Starr | Front row (l–r): Sarah Cannon Holden, Katharine Pickering, Mary Fainsod Katzenstein
50th Reunion — Class of 1972: Back row (l–r): Margery Adams, Berit Pratt, Phoebe Hoyt, Liz Berman Hazen, Katherine Russell McCurdy, Becky Palmer Kirk, Cici Chick Spaulding, Frances Lawrence Keene, Sarah Mead | Front row (l–r): Caroline Berthet Davila, Phyllis Sawyer White, Yuriko Isomura Kawagishi, Susan Shelmerdine, Squeakie Thompson, Barbara Butler Foster, Nancy Motley Walton, Alix White 40th Reunion — Class of 1982: (l–r) Alexandra Coburn, Sara Hamlen, Kirsten Thoft, Christine Swenson Lawrence, Gabriella Browne, Ruth Butler Rogers, Anne Winkler, Jennifer Dalsimer Archer, Lauren Fraser, Catherine Frankl Sarkis, Louisa Burnham, Lisa Simmons
25th Reunion — Class of 1997: Back row (l–r): Rebecca Nixon Laberenne, Marianna Munson Erenhouse, Elizabeth Stanton Rosen | Front row (l–r): Dana Marshall Fisher, Evangeline Choe Lehr, Amanda Stumm Mooradian, Stephanie Shemin Feingold, Lindsey Tucker, Julianna Connolly, Janel Forde, Sally Madsen 30th Reunion — Class of 1992: (l–r): Sabre Kaszynski, Julie Rockett Paulick
15th Reunion — Class of 2007: (l–r): Denee Reaves, Nora Kennedy, Casey Buckley, Lauren Bornstein, Kimmy Ellcock
35th Reunion — Class of 1987: Back row (l–r): Abigail Crozier Nestlehutt, Susannah Baruch, Martha Young DoByns | Front row (l–r): Caroline Williams, Christina Whelton De Castro, Lindsley Lowell, Kimberly Krawshuk, Elizabeth Brown, Elizabeth Friedman, Cynthia Korb Wellington, S. Penny Windle Klein, Elena Wethers Thompson 20th Reunion — Class of 2002: Back row (l–r): Kristen Russell, Grace Faturoti, Katherine McCord | Front row (l–r): Rebecca Shingleton, Jacqueline Fishbein, Heather Stevenson, Elizabeth Pendergast, Jillian Campbell McGrath, Clare Hawthorne, Sarah G. Toce, Danielle Hardoon
