Winter 2019 News

Liz (Sylvester) Simons checked in last fall after reading the latest news column. She and Bill have lived in Arlington, VA since 1975. Both are retired now, Liz from a career in clinical and community social work, followed by a stint as a jewelry designer. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in March and will mark the occasion with a trip to Egypt in November. Christy (Lundt) Lambertus continues to work full-time as an estates and trust lawyer in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, but can do so at her own pace, leaving plenty of time for travel – most recently to the Basque area of Spain and France. To any classmate embarking on a cruise, Christy will be happy to provide transportation from hotel to port. Val (Dietz) Polansky and Gary follow the philosophy – Do it while you still can! Hence, in the summer they took a 39-day trans-Atlantic cruise from St. Petersburg, FL to St. Petersburg in Russia! They returned home via Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Iceland. In the fall they jumped in their RV and drove to the west coast and back, through 29 states, racking up over 6600 miles. Whew! In December Margaret Dunkle coordinated and emceed a Tribute to (deceased) Arvonne Fraser, an early advocate to end sex discrimination, and international leader for women’s rights, at the Woman’s National Democratic Club in Washington, DC. In addition to Master Gardening, knitting, and participating in two book clubs, Marty (Silcox) Hankins has been politically active since 2016 and quite involved in the 2018 midterm elections, registering voters and serving as an election judge. After a hiatus of over 45 years, Pat (Warren) Carlson has taken up bridge again, playing with members of her local AAUW chapter and bringing back memories of long sessions back in the smoker in Memorial. She also practices yoga with Hood alum, Cookie Bolig, with whom she worked at the Delaware Dept. of Education. Jill Stanley proudly reports that she is finally a grandmother! Daughter Rayna and husband Bill welcomed Emmet Barry Green on Feb. 25, 2018. His baby brother is due in May 2019. Virginia (Pagan) Schragel’s family now includes 18 grandchildren (some “steps”) plus one great-granddaughter and another on the way. Many live near her in the Phoenix area, others in Indiana and North Carolina. Ginny has had to give up horseback riding for now due to health issues, but hopes to be back in the saddle soon. Chris Diehl continues to teach as an adjunct at Gateway Community College. She also dabbles in watercolors and is active in her church. She stays in touch with Marya Rusinak, who is a Pilates instructor and plays in a recorder group which performs in the Cincinnati area. Carole (Downing) Staton and Roy were thrilled to have the entire family gather together for Christmas – the first time in 6 years. Son Andrew was promoted to Major in the Air Force. Carole pinned on his insignia at the ceremony at Ft. Bliss, El Paso, TX in November. They spent Thanksgiving with daughter Jennifer and Craig in their new home, doting on Austin (7) and Quinlynn (18 months). Cindy (Kannapel) Weiss and Glenn have plenty of opportunities to interact with their grandchildren, teenager Bryn and little ones, Will and Amelia. They look forward to their annual escape from the harsh Pennsylvania winter and another stint in Marco Island, FL, this time for 5 weeks of fun in the sun. As for me, Sayre (Roney) Steere, I’m slowly getting acclimated to life in the Pacific Northwest. Turns out moving was a wise choice, judging from what happened to Panama City, FL in the wake of Hurricane Michael. I’ve taken up pickleball and serious hiking – the trails (and views) around Mt. Rainier are breathtaking. In October we made another cross-country Tesla trip to USNA where Dave and the other 68’ers celebrated their 50th reunion. It was fun to see Jane (Ronald) Raglin and Barbara (Hussennetter) Larsh ’70 at the various events. Next for Dave and me – a wedding! Daughter Doris got engaged at Christmas and will be married in July, just a few days shy of our 50th anniversary.