1960
Audrey Heyman Rooney
410.699.1230
Aerooney423@gmail.com

Gretchen Beckhelm writes sister Babs and I just returned to Cedar Rapids from a scenic two-week cruise up the west coast of Norway, sailing as far as North Cape where the midnight sun shone brightly.  After being home for two weeks we drove to Colorado where we rented a house and were joined by 10 other family members for a week of fun, games, and laughter.  Life is good! Sally Fletcher Murray spent a fun weekend in Poughkeepsie for the graduation of grandson Ben from Vassar.  The following week she surprised husband Don with an 85th birthday party at Graves Mountain Lodge, in Syria, VA, with the three Murray children from CA, FL, and AK among 18 relatives in attendance. Several Hood friends participated in a “card shower” for Don; at our age we don’t need more “stuff!” Sally is enjoying having her sister Nancy Fletcher Artlett ’59 back in Virginia permanently after 27 years in Australia. During a conversation with Sally, Anne Kurka Woods summed up her move to The Highlands in Pittsford NY, thus: “I’m loving my senior living apartment, escaped part of winter’s fury at my time share in Coronado, have two great- grandsons and I’m playing too much bridge.” Linda Loring Loveland posts from Piscataway: For 52 years we have lived in the same house on the shores of the lake in New Jersey.  Kids and grands still like to visit; to row, to fish and witness the natural history of our backyard. Catfish, shiners, frogs and turtles and birds galore are with us. Monarch butterflies have been known to visit my milkweed garden. The women’s group I helped found in the ’70’s endures as we move from the consciousness-raising of that decade to today’s poetry of the new century.

Nurturing the life of the mind is as important as walks twice a week in the park to stimulate long used muscles. Brava, Linda! Maryann Whitehead Scherzo writes: “Our daughter Beth, single mom, died of metastatic breast cancer in January.  We were with our grandsons in NYC for a week over the Fourth.”  May Beth’s life be for a blessing.

From your reporter in Lexington, KY: Roommate Grace Elliott and I enjoyed an all-too-brief reunion in June at her airy apartment 10 floors up in Silver Spring.  Beautiful family photos, past and present, books, delicious meals – oh, the meatloaf! – and funny stories of husbands, boyfriends, Messiah weekend memories. Highlights and a big lowlight mark my past year.  The lowlight is concern for grandson Colin Rooney, 24, ill with progressive liver disease.  Computer engineer Colin works at Leidos in Charlottesville and is a patient at the UVa Medical Center.  Colin and his family are on a multitude of prayer and mindfulness lists.  We ask that you add him to yours. A second poetry manuscript “Available Light,” off to publisher for release in the fall.  Granddaughter Katherine Mandzak enjoys her role as Innkeeper at the Red Fox Inn and Tavern in Middleburg, VA, and will debut her novel later this month. Daughter Melinda’s eldest son Ben is running for mayor of Middletown CT, his college town and new hometown. In April our sixth Bach Choir Vocal Competition hosted 10 finalists and three prize-winners: a soprano from DC, a U of Kentucky soprano from Zimbabwe and a countertenor, also at UK.  For info & pictures visit kentuckybachchoir.org.

Next ARVC is set for April 2021. Thank you for these precious updates, dear classmates.

Till next time – Audrey.