Dianne Beebe Barske
907-346-3167
dielbarske@gci.net

Dianne Beebe Barske Our 50th class reunion is coming up this June – June 9 to – June 12! I am turning over most of this class news column to our reunion chair, Ginny Wheeler Jones, and the reunion committee, with hopes that a great many of us will be back on campus for this landmark event. Before I do that, I’m sharing happy news of summer visitors here in Alaska from our class. In June, husband Elliott and I had breakfast with Anna Buhr Cole and her husband Miles, in Anchorage, from their home in Baltimore, their second visit here. Since Anna retired three years ago, she and Miles have become world travelers. In June, we had lunch with Terri Petrillo Connolly and her husband Frank, travelling with another couple from their Connecticut home to Alaska. They took the Inside Passage Cruise along the Alaska coastline, and Terri reports, “It was wonderful. The glaciers are magnificent.” An emailed note came from Josephine (Kandy) Kiefaber-Higinbotam. Kandy and husband Randy are living in Lexington, Virginia where she continues to work as a substitute teacher. She reports that her Hood roommate, Cheryl Carlson Peyton, has recently published a third book in her Alex Trotter mystery series, Murder in Margaritaville. Fun to keep up with classmates? Then please plan to come to our June reunion. Here is our chair, Ginny’s, reunion planning update. Virginia Wheeler Jones Dear ’66 Classmates: Our 50th Class Reunion is fast approaching! How can that be possible? Wasn’t it just our 25th Reunion when we came to campus in our signature YELLOW, displayed in our shirts and memorable balloons?! Our Reunion Committee and the Hood Staff have already been hard at work planning a wonderful weekend of fun from Thursday, June 9th to Sunday, June 12th. We hope everyone has gotten information already from both the college and a personal note from a classmate–all encouraging YOU to come! All of our committee has had the pleasure of being on campus recently, and we can tell you it is both a beautiful and exciting place! Spring was always a lovely time on campus, and this year promises to be especially so as you look at it with eyes filled with 50 years of memories and see the positive changes of the present. Excitement comes with a new president, amazing classroom facilities and new technology, mixed with the excitement you will have of seeing college friends again! We encourage you to come early and stay late! Our initial class gathering on Thursday evening should be great fun to begin our time together, to chat and catch up with each other, spouses and partners. Friday’s “Maryland” dinner, featuring some yummy crab items, was a huge hit in its reunion debut last year! Our Saturday luncheon and special sit-down dinner should both be highlights of our weekend together! Sunday includes our favorite Strawberry Breakfast, complete with ice cream! Our weekend comes to a close with the Chapel Service which will include a memorial piece for our deceased classmates. You will be hearing more details from both the college and our Reunion Committee Chairs in the months to come. Hood will send registration materials in April. Our busy committee members are chairing various aspects of our reunion as follows: Fundraising Chair – Sarah Bruce; Assisting Fundraising – Judy Messina; Commemorative Booklet Chair – Patricia Vozar Bailey; Chapel Service Chair- Susan Worth Fiala. You will be hearing more from each chair with information AND ways to be involved in OUR reunion! We are hoping to exceed an appropriate 66% participation rate in giving toward our class reunion gift, regardless of the amount. We also hope to exceed an appropriate amount of $66,000 as our class 50th reunion gift. Sarah, Fundraising Chair, also reminds everyone to look into “matching gifts”. Pat will be collecting photos and items from our days at Hood for the “Memories” section of our Commemorative Booklet, so look for those special photos among your saved college treasures! Susan is looking for assistance with the Chapel Service led by our class. Please let her know if you would like to help, participate, speak, etc. Remember Shriner Hall is available for your on campus stay. Come and relive some of that fun dorm life again with classmates. Also, the nearby Hampton Inn on Opposumtown Pike is available, as well as other hotels, for your stay. PLEASE come and be part of this very special time! Our 50th Reunion IS a BIG deal…and a great time to reunite with Hood ’66 classmates! I am excited! Looking forward to seeing each of you.

Catherine Beyer Meredith
410-252-1947
alto1cat@aol.com

Catching up with some of the reunion no-shows brought in news from classmates around the country and beyond. Nancy Diefenbach Pearce assures us that she is alive and well and still living in Ocean Pines, Maryland—11 years now. But in early October, she was writing from the South Pacific where she and Lew were on a 28-day cruise from San Francisco to Hawaii, French Polynesia, American Samoa, New Zealand and Australia. “Since the 45th reunion we have been on two African safaris (South Africa in 2010 and Namibia in 2013), visited Egypt (Cairo and down the Nile in 2010) and done some other cruising,” Nancy wrote. “In between I had a partial mastectomy for Stage 2 breast cancer, along with chemotherapy and radiation. I didn’t suffer any horrible side effects from the various treatments and only cut back a bit on my volunteer activities. I send best wishes for good health and happiness to all of our classmates.” Beverly Jones Gibson reported that son Barry now has two sons, Carter, 6 and Zach, 2 1/2, and that daughter Courtney is slowly recovering from her automobile accident that had kept Bev in Richmond almost three weeks last spring, causing her to miss the reunion. “I’m still hawking properties with Long & Foster in Crofton, Maryland,” Bev wrote. “Anyone looking to buy/sell/rent near Washington/Baltimore/Annapolis, give me a call or text. There are still some great buys out there.” Marion (Meg) Griffis Hadley has lived in the smallest state capitol—Montpelier, Vermont—since 1970. During those 45 years, she raised three great sons who are all engineers: one a software engineer, another a mechanical engineer and the third a geological engineer. Meg, retired from a long career as a high school history teacher, and her husband, retired from the federal government, enjoy traveling to faraway places. HannahJane Hurlburt did attend the reunion but wrote to report on classmate Sandy Hickman Lee who couldn’t join our festivities due to family wedding in Colorado. While there, she had dinner with Carol Matthews Smith, of Boulder, for a mini reunion of their own. Sandy splits her time between homes in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, and Sun Valley Idaho, depending on the season and musical and family events. Additionally, since retirement, she has taken up teaching knitting on the Crystal Cruise Line. In that capacity, she and husband Pete have traveled to Singapore, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Italy, England, Canada and the northeast U.S.A. Joan Joice Taylor and husband Rufus also enjoy a mountain retreat in Idaho, where they frequently go to escape the summer heat in their hometown of Henderson, Nevada, and in winter to enjoy riding snow machines. Joan gave up skiing after hip and knee replacements, but she still loves swimming and walking for exercise. This summer, son Charles and his family and son-in-law Ken and youngest grandson Luke joined the Taylors in Idaho, but daughter Cathy, a career military officer, was in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division. Kathryn Kahn Rusk wrote, “so sorry I didn’t make it to the reunion! The Sunday before, I was diagnosed with double pneumonia and I hadn’t even had a cold for five years!” Now recovered in Kirkland, Washington, Kathy is within driving distance of her three children and seven wonderful grandchildren, ages 6 to 16. She works four or five days a month as a nutritional consultant, a health coach and quality control for health facilities. “I love working on my time,” she wrote. “I’ll be going to France this month, to Italy in April, to my children’s homes and to the next reunion!” Susan Nau Steidl attended Hood for just her freshman year with Maureen “Mimi” Flynn as her roommate and then transferred to the University of Florida to study nursing. After graduating in 1965 with a B.S. in nursing, “I returned to my hometown of Cincinnati, where I married my childhood sweetheart Jerry. There, I practiced intensive-care nursing and taught ER nursing at a local hospital. From Cincinnati, we moved to Mansfield, Ohio, where we lived for seven years. Finally we moved to Orlando, where I worked with a large hospital system for 35 years and retired from administration in 2013. Jerry is a minister, and we have three terrific children—two daughters and a son—and five grandchildren. We now live in The Villages, Florida, and I still do special project work for the hospital in Orlando to keep a few brain cells active!

Barbara Maly Fish
919-688-9125
barb2fish@yahoo.com

Returning from Hilton Head, SC, Ann McMillan Shuman was stranded in Charleston for two days during the historic rainstorm in September. ”If you have to be stranded somewhere, Charleston is a great place,” she says. She saw Karen Kuechenmeister Lehrhaupt in early August at their 55th high school reunion in Pittsburgh and again in Hilton Head in late September. Christina Santangelo Blenke and husband Henry love to travel and try to go to a new place each year. This year’s destination was Sicily. The Blenkes have five grandchildren who visit often. “Cape Cod has continued to be a perfect retirement spot,” Chris says. “Our days are filled with lots of outdoor fun, kayaking, tennis, biking, and there are a slew of other retirees to play with here.” In March, the Blenkes get away from the cold in Marco Island, Florida. Chris reconnected with Pamela Wallace Johnson through the Hood magazine and now they get together in Florida and in Massachusetts each year. Susan Sterner recently moved to Flagstaff, Arizona and is now much happier and livelier since she got a pacemaker. She was able to go to Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan in April. “It was truly fascinating,” she says. Elizabeth Speed Rich is a retired RN from the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville; husband Tom is a retired Veterans Administration social worker. Betsy keeps her hand in health care by volunteering at the Kalispell Regional Medical Center. She and Tom moved to Flathead County, MT from Tennessee in 2002 in order to enjoy the benefits of living near a national park. They are the parents of Joseph, who works in international finance at HSBC in New York, and James, an actor, comedian, and writer who lives with his wife Maura in Los Angeles. Tom and Betsy look forward to celebrating their 50th anniversary in November. Betsy says, “The older I get, the more I realize how blessed I have been my whole life. Hood College is certainly a part of that!” Carol (Kelly) Ebert Henderson is enjoying this “passage.” The three Henderson kids have produced five adorable grandchildren, ages 6-11. Kelly volunteers as an historic tour guide at Cairnwood and at the Cathedral in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. She is a member of Questers, teaches two French conversation classes, belongs to two book groups, and practices yoga. In July 2016, they will celebrate their 50th anniversary. Kelly says, “I look back on our reunion with affection for all of you and appreciation to Hood for giving us such a good time that weekend and for a quality education.” Janet Riley Colburn is recovering from a bad auto accident “half a continent from home” and from breast cancer. She is mostly OK now. Bright lights in her life include her five grandchildren, two boys and three girls. Barbara Haun Morris wrote just as she was about to leave for New Hampshire and Vermont to enjoy the fall foliage. She enjoys living in Williamsburg, Virginia and has now visited or lived in all 50 states. All signs of breast cancer are gone, so she feels great and is back to golf and swimming, plus being lots slimmer. Jo Ann Risser Moroz’s husband Pete retired from consulting for Moly-Cop in Chile in April, but they still need him, and October found them back in Santiago. Pete and JoAnn enjoy living in Las Vegas, where their children and three grandchildren live. The oldest two grands are in college, youngest is a sophomore in high school. Daughter Debbie teaches high school and junior college math; daughter-in law-Chary is a special-ed teacher; and son Drew is a computer programmer. JoAnn and Pete volunteer at a local food bank where she does demonstrations and nutrition classes, while he oversees the food distribution. JoAnn had a good visit with Marylou Herrmann Foley in August when Marylou came to Las Vegas for a convention. Judith Coombs Creighton is in the process of downsizing and selling their house. She finds that it is far easier to get rid of her own stuff than the treasures handed down from her mother. Soon she will enjoy a mini-reunion with Eloise Varney Rauth and Susan Sterner. Judi’s son Alex is an orthopedic surgeon at the University of North Carolina. Occasionally, she spots him on TV when he rushes to care for an injured player. Diane McKay Nuner is walking pain free after a hip replacement in February. The Nuner’s celebrated their 50th anniversary on a cruise to Alaska. She and Jim love the sunny Southwest and their home in Deming, NM, but next summer, they plan to make a long RV trip to Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Michigan, and South Dakota. At the end of that trip, they will have visited 48 of the 50 states.

Sara “Sally” Zimmerman
813-971-8390
revsaraz@aol.com

From the 25 responses received, I can report that we love and are proud of our children and grandchildren, we travel, read many books, deal with health crises –our own and those of our loved ones. One of us got engaged; others celebrated long marriages. We exercise, some of us play bridge, paint, and work at mastering new technology. This is not easy; after all, we hand wrote English class papers or used manual typewriters! Marjorie Westergaard, my sophomore year roommate, says she’s trying to figure the ins and outs of Facebook. “Gotta keep up with modern times,” she says. Jane Hoskins Bollman, having computer problems says, “I hate getting used to new technology – anyone else feel that way?” Jane reads a lot and recommends The Boys in the Boat. She also teaches art, paints, plays bridge, and exercises at the Y. Lillian Detrick Blood recommends Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard; Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick; and Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Lillian and Janet McDougall met for an enjoyable lunch in NYC. Penny Misirian Mardoian hosted Nancy Turner Heckscher and Ben at her home in Maine this summer. Penny is looking forward to three weeks of touring Australia and New Zealand with a close friend at the end of January. Phoebe Adams Marshall visited her sister (Shirley Adams Beheler, Hood ’56) and her family. Phoebe plays tennis four days a week and sings with a Masterworks Chorale and church choir. Elizabeth Davis Ackerman greets us from Vancouver. She is now in her 55th year of teaching piano, and has 26 students, the most favorite her eight- year-old granddaughter. She reports many winners at state, regional, and national levels. She currently serves as president for the Clark County (WA) National Federation of Music Clubs. This summer she visited a music friend in the San Juan Islands. Betts says, “If anyone wants to come to the Portland area, I would be happy to show them around. From my house I have views of the Cascades, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams.” Barbara Arthur Pretzsch traveled to San Diego to attend the Knit and Crochet Show, as she tries to do each year. Congratulations to Barbara for the honor of being asked to be a Junior Reviewer for the Crochet Guild of America Master’s program. Judy Hammond Blatchford reports that she and Park had a wonderful trip to South Africa that featured a foremost export on the lemurs of Madagascar, none other than Patricia Chappie Wright, Hood ’66. Judy and Park also traveled to Peru, Chile, and Easter Island. Regina Schlank Pyle successfully bid on a fabulous seven-day safari in Zulu Nyala, an hour north of Durbin. On her return trip, she spent five days in London catching up with friends. “Life is good and I’m fortunate,” Regina says. Dr. Martha Atkinson Meadows reports that she still teaches part time at Hood. Martha travels – most recently to Provence with the Hood alum tour and says: “Excellent and beautiful. I encourage all to consider the next alum sponsored trip.” Susan Shinnick Hossfeld and Carl traveled to London and Scotland this summer with Jane Hoskins Bollman and Roger who joined them in Scotland. Barbara Kirby Stewart and Paul headed west in May, met Paul’s daughters at Crystal Bridges (the Walmart heiress’ art museum), then on to Monument Valley, Moab, Death Valley Furnace Creek Ranch, San Diego to visit Barbara’s daughters and families, then LA, Utah, and home through the Rockies.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Pauley who recently became engaged to Lou. They met in 1959. Beth says, “Two years ago I read about the death of Lou’s wife in the county paper. I sent him a note. He invited me to breakfast. We have been doing things together since, like fly fishing.” The happy couple traveled to England, France and Switzerland in August. Lynn MacDonough Morrow hosted her daughter’s wedding reception at her farm. Lynn says, “Both the 42 year old bride and the 52 year old groom were making their first trip to the altar after 18 years of knowing each other and three years of dating.”
Betty Appel Bailey and Tom celebrated their 50th anniversary in July and took a coach trip up the California coast. They are simplifying their lives by selling their second home in Palm Desert, CA. They enjoy attending the soccer games and swim meets of their three granddaughters. Marjorie Simmons Carlson reports impressive happenings in the lives of her nine grandkids. Some highlights: Christopher passed the W. Virginia Bar and works at the state’s attorney’s office in Charleston, W. Va.; granddaughter Molly got married; Thomas went to Towson U.; and Hannah will graduate next May from High Point Univ. Sarah Enos Karpowitz’s daughter Jennifer and her husband Steve have three children, and Sarah’s son Jim and wife have two teenagers. Sarah goes to water aerobics regularly and says she is “working on staying healthy and productive as time marches on!” She works part time taking care of clients who need help.
Congratulations to Margo Friedman and Sidney whose daughter Dr. Lisa Miller’s book The Spiritual Child: The New Science of Parenting for Health and Lifelong Thriving, was published recently by St. Martin’s Press. Lisa has appeared on the Today Show and in early fall was interviewed by Robin Young on NPR. Lisa is Director of the Clinical Psychology Program and Director of the Mind Body Institute at Columbia U.
Jody Merritt Watson is moving and promises more news next time. Marvia Slade Perreault’s daughter Melanie encouraged her parents to move to Salisbury, MD to be near her, and they did so. Then Melanie was offered the position of Provost at Buffalo State University, part of SUNY. Now Melanie would like them to move to Buffalo. Marvia says, “The idea of moving again is not on our bucket list.” Liz Decker Rogers reports that Bill, who has Lewy Body Dementia, was moved to a memory care facility in Alameda, CA closer to home, easier for her. Liz is “recovering from a dog dust up that ended up with several pelvic fractures and a fractured humerus.” She recovered enough to travel to Baja in early October to celebrate her daughter-in-law’s birthday, her son Matt’s 45th, and her own 75th. Liz says it has been a challenging year and adds: “I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will rise to whatever occasions come my way.” Just before submitting this column, I received a PS from Liz: “I had an absolutely great 75th surprise birthday party” (back home in Alameda).
Linda Keyler White reported trying to help her elderly mother have a peaceful ending to her 98 years of life here on earth and that she is very busy making many decisions. Hugs for you, Linda.
Rusty Papst Hougland: Last fall Rusty and Bill traveled to Portugal and Spain. This summer, she had two melanoma surgeries on her left shin. Rusty says: “Now all is well. In spite of that I managed a wonderful trip to Europe with my daughter, Mary. We were celebrating her 50th birthday. I think I broke my all time reading record: I read 15 books in the three months I had to sit with my leg elevated.”
Judi Simonsen Ziobro describes herself as “a content woman, with a life full of love and good things. My joys are my family and friends, music, and trips to our bay house where we eat great seafood, and watch the water and sunsets. This summer we enjoyed a visit from 20 dolphins who toured our creek and played with the raft we were pulling behind our boat. The grandkids were sooooo impressed with the dolphins. Better than anything at Sea World! Life is so good!”
Sunny Griffin recently wrote a chapter of a newly published book, which has become a number one best seller over the last few days. The book title is One Crazy Broccoli—My Body is Smarter than My Disease.
Sara “Sally” Zimmerman Until I find the fountain of youth here in Florida, I am working out at the New Tampa YMCA four days a week, mostly resistance and balance exercises. Post retirement, I continue to be active as a minister, about six times a year writing and giving sermons as guest speaker on Sunday mornings, and I serve my Unitarian Universalist colleagues in Florida as a volunteer Good Officer. (sort of a trouble shooter, mediator role). I start every day by naming 10 things I am grateful for, and every day this week, I have been grateful to all of you.

Katharine Baum Wolpe
212-677-5469
kwolpe@gmail.com

Phyllis Allegretti Panico is living in a senior community, playing bridge, and writing for a local monthly journal. She sponsors a regular First Aid course for fellow residents. Katharine Baum Wolpe volunteers weekly at a food pantry at her church giving out fresh vegetables and fruit donated by a local farmers’ market. She remains busy with local Democratic politics and escorting frail seniors to shopping and doctor’s appointments. She and friend Philip had a beautiful weekend in August with friends in rural Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Sarah (Sally) Bennett Edwards is still working at a local newspaper, but her hours are flexible. She plays tennis two or three mornings a week and has the summer off. This past summer she took her family of 19 to Bermuda for a week. Her nine grandchildren are all involved in sports and Sally enjoys watching the soccer games of the three who live nearby. Her husband William just had his second hip replacement, but is doing well. Ann Corderman Helton continues to work as the administrator at a UCC church, chairs the local CASA board, and fundraises for the Harford Land Trust. She enjoys her great-granddaughter, her book club, and her garden. Janice Dobbs Pedersen and husband Tom had a family reunion in Ocean City, New Jersey, with their daughters and grandchildren. Their daughter Katie’s oldest child is looking at colleges. Joyce Freedman Diamondstone is the proud grandmother of four grandsons. The oldest does IT training all over the world for his company. The next oldest is a mechanical engineer with Armstrong, the third just graduated from Penn State University and is an acoustic engineer, and the youngest is a sophomore at Indiana University in Bloomington and is in the Soul Revue Music Group. Shirley Garrett Haley and husband Edward are selling their condo on the ocean in Rehoboth Beach and seeking new adventures. They spent a week in Nashville following the music, learning Tennessee history, and observing a different cultural perspective. Carol Handwerk Ziegler enjoyed playing the organ for the Alumni/ae Weekend chapel service last June. Carol and Barbara Sands ‘65 spent a summer morning making jelly for their fall church bazaar. She and husband Jesse keep busy with eight great-grandchildren, gardening, and maintaining 4-1/2 acres. Susan Kaehrle visited Christine Steere Lamb and her family in Maine for a few days in August. Marilyn King Jessen had a wonderful two week trip to Italy with her family this past summer. It was an intergenerational trip with Road Scholar. Hilda Koontz visited her son and daughter and their families in August. Her fifth grandchild is expected in April, 2016. Her Civil War speaking schedule is getting a lot of press coverage, especially by the Frederick News-Post. She and Spencer continue to enjoy re-enactment events in the Mid-Atlantic region. Martha Miller Strickland went on a Quilt Cruise the first week of June with two “quilting buddies.” The group visited the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten and sewed while at sea. Marty visited Carolyn Adams Sprinkle at Sunrise Senior Living in North Chesterfield, Virignia. Lyn is doing well and is happy to be living there. Her children live close by and visit often. Marty is expecting her first great-grandchild in December. Sandra Murphy Schmidt and husband Bob took a Great Lakes cruise in July. The trip extended from Providence, Rhode Island, to Chicago. Doretta Ruggles Allison spent a year painting murals for four reading oases that the Marietta Kiwanis Clubs and Scholastic Book Services have placed in the libraries of three elementary schools and a Boys and Girls Club. She is currently painting murals at a preschool for handicapped children. Her son’s oldest daughter received a grant to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Denver and her younger sister is in the nursing program at Kennesaw State University. Janet Spaulding Nunn and husband Jack attended the International Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the first time in the fall of 2014. Dorothy Willis Rainwater has retired from nursing. She and husband Roger traveled to Quebec City and the Gaspe Peninsula this summer. Children and grandchildren came from California, Seattle, and Alaska to visit them in Florida. She and Roger join the Clean the Beaches group frequently. Martha Kaiser Canner and husband Paul visited friends on the West Coast in September and went to Lassen Volcanic National Park in California for the first time. Lassen has beautiful scenery and interesting geothermal features without the crowds of Yosemite or Yellowstone. Judy Arenson Friedman spent the summer in the Berkshires, going to arts and craft shows, theater festivals, and Tanglewood. She’s back in NYC and just saw the musical “Hamilton” which she highly recommends. They’ll return to Florida in the spring.

Marilyn Garis Kellow
262-334-5782
maggiehood1958@gmail.com

Sue Brown Melech had back surgery this summer to relieve sciatic nerve leg pain (decompressive lumbar laminectomy). Sue and Bob had a short Road Scholar trip to learn about Chesapeake Bay. They plan to be in St. Petersburg, Florida this winter from February 1 until May 1. All of the Mellech Clan, including five grandsons, are doing well.
Sara Lea Callaway Redmon had minor surgery in the spring which resulted in bed rest – lots of reading and scrapbooking……..not a bad deal! Sue’s only sister passed away in June. She had been in a nursing home several years and after 78 years of sharing memories, laughs, and tears, the adjustment has not been easy. Sue and Bob are enjoying their granddaughter.
Anne “Ricky” Merrick Vosti had no “stirring” news other than she is still somewhat sane and functional. Ken and Ricky still live in the same house on the campus at Stanford that they built in 1967. They have 12 grandchildren and now and one great grandchild. Ricky said that somehow it really “hit home” when she realized that her daughter was now a GRANDMOTHER!!! The family is quite a group spread all over the map but still seem to like to “touch base” with Grandma and Grandpa.
Carolyn Patton Meyer said they are finally downsizing. She had no news, but does enjoy reading what other classmates share.
Polly Sherman Leigh was leaving for Long Beach, California for a week of activities with the National Society of Military Widows. When she returns, son John and wife and son will be arriving to celebrate Hayden’s first birthday. It will be a reunion of sorts, since some of the cousins haven’t seen each other in 20 years. Polly still travels quite a bit, mostly between Honolulu and Milwaukee, by way of Vista CA. She keeps active with water aerobics four mornings a week and golf on Thursdays.
I had a pleasant phone conversation with Joan Enterline. She keeps busy with activities in her retirement community. Joanie and Jane Hollister Nicodemus have been invited to represent our class at the Inauguration of the new Hood President on Saturday, October 17th.
Maggie Garis Kellow Summer has been very quiet and enjoyable, but now Wisconsin gets ready for winter and a much slower pace. Three of my four grandchildren are back to college and the youngest is already a high school sophomore. Where does the time go? I keep busy with volunteering, computer classes at the local tech school, condo board, church activities, water aerobics and walking. Anything to keep the brain stimulated and help the body keep moving. Thanks to all of you who responded to my rather short notice for news. Please keep in touch at any time throughout the year and I’ll try to keep updates on the class news website.

Molly Smith Sperandio
727-393-7446
mollymom76@gmail.com

Barbara Thomas Yinger We’re now great grandparents for a 2nd time with a girl born in March, joining great grandson, Callen, who’ll be 5 this Dec. I’ll be representing our class with Sarah Bulin Hanson at the inauguration of Hood’s new President in October. We have a big trip planned for March 2016 – flying to Rio, Brazil and cruising on the Amazon, stopping at other ports along South Africa for three weeks – a celebration of our 60th year of marriage. Other than that we’re just trying to keep the aches and pains of age under control. Carolyn Stevens Amstutz I traveled to Florida in March, where I saw Nancy Tressel Brown and Alice Riddle Metry at a Hood function in Naples. In August, my family celebrated my upcoming birthday with a trip to Europe. I had a wonderful week at a villa in Southern France (near the Mediterranean) with both my daughters and my grandchildren, followed by five days in Italy with just one daughter and her family (the one who lives in England). On my birthday weekend, I spent one night in Cambridge Massachusetts with my Albany daughter, and two days later spent the night in NYC with my England daughter who was there on business. I am now officially 80! I’m looking forward to having lunch with Margaret Hart Kaminer and Ann Copeland Billings in October. I am still playing golf (poorly) and bridge, and am currently on the search committee for a new minister for my church. Susan Winters Smith We moved from our house on Mercer Island where we lived for 52 years and raised all our children just 20 miles east to Issaquah, a nice little city where we already had doctors and shopping I preferred. Our younger son also lives here with his two young children, the youngest of our 5 grandchildren. We live in a retirement community with lots of activities. We live on the ground floor so we have two patios with lots of flowers. We also were asked to fill the big tubs in the inner courtyard. We get many, many comments about our flowers and what we put in the tubs. Also being on the ground floor, we have a little dog we rescued from the Humane Society shelter in Yakima in eastern Washington. Our daughter, Cyndy, teaches 8th grade science and science for teachers in her educational district. Her daughter, Aislinn, our oldest granddaughter, is a senior at Western WA University majoring in Education, the 4th generation of teachers. Our son, Steven, and his wife just moved to Phoenix. Another son, Chris, lives here in Issaquah with his family. His son, Christopher is 10 and in the 5th grade. His daughter, Erica is 6 and in the 1st grade. Our younger daughter, Liz, has bought a house with her partner in Bow, a small community north of here. They have 11 acres and she is busily gardening and maintaining her business as a Massage Therapist. Her older daughter, Brynn, just entered Evergreen College as a freshman and her younger daughter is a junior in Burlington HS. We are well for a couple of old folks, with the usual aches and pains, but nothing major so far. We go to water aerobics and exercise classes. I knit once a week with a group of friends. We call ourselves the KnitWits. Every week we have a showing of the TedTalks on television, which I heartily recommend to anyone who doesn’t know them yet. I walk daily and keep busy. Alice Riddle Metry Our family, 14, ages 8 to 82, got together for 3 1/2 days on Mackinac Island in July. Only means of transportation on the island are horses or bikes, or lots of walking. Good weather and all had a good time. Molly Smith Sperandio I’m writing this column from my sister’s home in Willow Valley, Pennsylvania – up here for our annual sisters/cousins’ reunion, and for me to enjoy the cool weather and see some of the trees in glorious color. I had lovely trips to Pennsylvania in April and June as well. Not much different in my life – happy to report no new surgeries, but as with most of us, arthritis is my constant companion. This report is a quick turn-around, so I am sorry that I will not be rewriting any of those who have not responded via e-mail to my plea for news nor will I be able to call those who have no email addresses. For most of us this is our 80th year – enjoy the life with which we have been blessed. We are awesome!

Muriel Chait Durbin, P’81
310-395-4389
msmuz@aol.com

Katharine Crook Heidelbach In May, I attended the graduation at Hood for my granddaughter, Sarah Wagstaff who is 4th generation at Hood for our family. Sarah has moved from southern Virginia to Ellicott City where she has a teaching job at a day care center in Columbia. So nice to have her nearby. Her sister Amanda is on a Fullbright in Ireland. My son’s two daughters are both in college… Lindsay is a sophomore at Washington College on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and her sister Bailey is a freshman at Wofford College in South Carolina. In August, while we were at Bethany Beach, my daughter-in-law drove me up to Rehoboth Beach to attend a cocktail party to meet Hood’s new president. It was hard to say good-bye to Dr. Volpe, but Dr. Chapdelaine is charming and I am sure will be a great addition to our college. In October, Sarah and I went back to Hood to attend the first Legacy Brunch. It was very special and we enjoyed being with my roommate, Rebecca Eppers Byrd who drove down from Hanover Pennsylvania, Susan Peters Wirths, and Virginia Turnbull Hecklinger and her family. Hope to see many of you at our 60th Reunion in June. Barbara Benchoff Miles writes that she is still living in Brooklyn. Husband Wes died in July after a two-year battle with prostate cancer. “We had 58 good years together beginning at Hood. I volunteer in the Brooklyn Museum in the Archives dept. and have done it for 18 years. Great museum.” Two of her kids live in the metropolitan area so I feel lucky to have their support. Barb’s younger son lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Three grandchildren: 18, 16 and 4. Alison Malloch Curran just got back from California, where she visited her stepchildren and grandchildren and had a wonderful time. She saw Anne Lanoue Weber, her roommate at Hood for the first two years. It was great to get together even if it was for a short time. Had a good time seeing the grandkids and their friends and they sure did put on a spread for Grandma Alison. Everyone seems to be in a good place in their lives. Mary McConnell Milheim and Irv are awaiting the results of a heart muscle biopsy to determine what kind of amyloid has taken up residence in her heart muscle. As a result, Mimi is in atrial fibrillation and has just overcome congestive heart failure by taking off 18 pounds of fluid which was making breathing very difficult. Irv has been a fantastic care-giver during all of this. Other than that, the family is all well. Their oldest grandchild just graduated from Grove City College in May. She is finishing her CPA exams and has a job in Pittsburgh. Her sister graduates in three years in speech therapy at Indiana Univ. of PA. Grandson George is a senior in mechanical engineering at Montana State, and his sister is a freshman at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. Cynthia Sternberg Schein is happy in Venice, Florida. She stopped singing in the St. Mark’s Episcopal Choir in order to devote more time to the Sun Coast Duo Piano Group. All family is well: Jim and Marti in San Francisco busy with their shop of antique maps and books on Grant Street see web site Schein and Schein, also have farm in Glen Ellen with another couple. Chris and Donna are in Annapolis, (my old haunt) Chris is President of HCM. Eldest son Rich and wife Sue are still at U of K in Lexington, Rich is head of geography, his wife has a new job in development for programs of mutual exchange with international students/universities. They have her only grandchildren, twins Betsy and Will who are freshmen in college. Cindy’s happiest news is that she just returned from a Hood College trip to Aix-en-Provence arranged by AHI travel. It was superb, beautifully led by excellent tour guides, outstanding accommodations, food and participants. It rounds out her Hood European experience- as she was on the first Hood European Trip after WWII, led by Herb Heston and his wife, along with roommate BJ Harder, and 15 others in the early 1950s. Evelyn Karsten Petrie is happy to be in Riverside CA. for the past two years. Life is easy, good and fun. We have a beautiful church and lots of activities Evie has one daughter and family that lives close by and teaches second grade, her other daughter and family live in Long Beach. Muriel Chait Durbin, I had a wonderful trip to Cambodia in August, visiting Angkor Wat and then taking an Ama Waterways river cruise on the Mekong River. Once again, my family and I took part in the Komen 3 Day walk to raise money for a breast cancer cure—My son walked his 13th event and grandson, Alexander, his 2nd. The rest of us crewed the event in Philadelphia. Don’t forget to start making plans to attend our Hood Reunion June 10-12, 2016

Jean Baker Leister Weikert
717-243-5364

Betty Remsburg DeColigny is involved in taking her husband, Warren, to the doctors and lab for blood work, Coumadin count, and later, cataract surgery in May. Triplet granddaughters keep them busily aware! Mary Johnston DeMaris reminded us of her attending Moore Institute of Art in Philadelphia, then married Darryl in June 1953. Darryl entered the Navy after being at Drexel and Marymount University. They traveled to Newport, Rhode Island, then to D.C. Two Children: Mike and Laurie. Mari’s hoping to be able to move closer to Darryl who is in rehab at Arleigh Burke Nursing in McLean. Sister Betsy Johnson Schwegman, class of ’55, lives in Missouri. Ann Timanus Erickson’s activity is limited by an old fractured hip, and is living alone in a handicapped house. She enjoys the preservation activities of Princess Anne, Maryland, where she resides. Nancy Good Cleveland and Jack’s daughter kindly wrote to clarify her mother’s passing after a long illness. Anne related that her mother spoke fondly of her many Hood friends and wonderful memories. Jack had preceded Nancy in death. Jack and Nancy also had a son Brian, and three grandchildren: Sarah, Samuel, and Andrew. Parented by Anne and Benjamin Gord of Wellesley, Massachusetts. Her obituary told of her involvement with Meals on Wheels for over 25 years. She was also active with church in Danbury, Connecticut. We also mourn loss during 2015: Joanne Wilcox Goins, Joyce Spencer Bishop, Violet Westerberg Romito, Dolores Rossetti Twaddell, and Betsy Gary Guthridge. Susan Clement Christie tells of her and Ed’s yearly trip to Lake Tahoe, California, celebrating their 61st wedding anniversary. She and Ed relish the extraordinary beauty of the mountains. Four children: Cathy, Beth, Patty and Ted. Ed had quadruple bypass about five years ago. He exercises regularly and weighs less than when they married. Sue has also endured health issues. Marylyn Walters Corey and Eugene sold their greenhouse business. They married after her freshman year, and are celebrating 64 years! Four children, nine grandchildren, five great grandchildren. Marylyn remembers Joan Wagner Tolbert whose granddaughter entered Hood this year. Janet Marra had retired as a child and family therapist and is happily active living in the North Carolina Mountains. Her biggest news is her marriage to Rita Newkirk who she has lived with for 36 years. Janet says it was an unexpected, great, emotional experience. Congratulations Janet, with fond memories of Margaret Rawson’s social work seminar! Mid-August was brightened by Peggy Patterson Sabiston’s letter. Peggy would love to hear from anyone who cares to write. She’s been widowed since ’95, has two sons, four grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, plus one great, great grandchild. A conversation with Amalia (Molly) Heineman Lueder is always delightful. She’s enjoying living in Florida. A beautiful story from Catherine (Kay) Arrington Smith. Kay wrote of earlier contacts with Didi Switzer. Kay worked in a Philadelphia jewelry store before marrying Bertrand Dean Smith, 2nd Lt. U.S. Navy Academy graduate, Class of ’53. They were born in the same town, high school sweethearts, and married in 1953. Dean was commissioned in the Air Force. Parents of four sons: Stewart, a Washington, D.C. architect; Christopher, an army special operations retired pilot decorated with the Silver Star; Matthew, a consultant to industry for fall protection; and Aaron, Army Res. Lt. Colonel pilot now assigned to counter terrorism unit at the state department and also a county police officer. Kay is a grandmother of 15, and a great grandmother of 13. In addition to being a wife, mother and homemaker, she taught history in a private school, then did some county commissioner work. Later she was an office manager for two family businesses. Dean passed away this year. Kay feel the blessing of having three sons live nearby so they may cope together with their loss. She devotedly tells us of their 61 years, with an eternity together in the next life. A touching post-script that Dean distinguished himself finishing his military career with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon. Another great conversation from Marilyn Ogden Heath who is still involved in teaching, riding and dressage, despite a hip replacement. She an Al are also confronting downsizing.

Johanna Chait Essex
516-487-1883
johalessex@gmail.com

Condolences to the family of Elizabeth Nicholson Haywood, who passed away this past August. Congratulations to Rebecca Jackson, class of 2017. She is the recipient of the Andrew G. Truxal scholarship. Nancy Brown Kohlheyer had her left knee replaced while in Brussels this summer. She is now our class “Bionic Woman”—with new knees and hips. She is planning to visit Beth McKim Powell this November. Shirley Dana Few’s grandchildren are keeping her busy—two of the seven granddaughters are in NYC, another is at Duke working towards a B.S. in nursing, one is a flight attendant working towards becoming a pilot, and finally, the youngest is a senior in high school—her grandsons are working and in college—no need to say she is one proud grandmother. She is still living in the retirement community and her children live nearby. Joanne Grahame Wade enjoys playing golf, an occasional horseback ride, and traveling whenever possible. She has lived in the same house for the past 50 years and has no intention of moving. She has 10 grandchildren, and will have three college graduations and one high school graduation this coming year. Nadya Klotz Giusi now has five books that are available on Amazon—she now has a caregiver, walks with a cane, but is able to go to church every Sunday. She has “happy thoughts” when she remembers our days at Hood. Patricia Lloyd Fordham’s daughter has moved in with her—she retired from a job in Kansas, and is relocating to Nevada with a “great new job”. Pat has three dogs and her daughter has two—fortunately there is room for all. Barbara Mayer Werle had a wonderful trip in September to Mackinac Island, Ford Museum/Greenfield Village and Corning Glass Museum. They also had a chance to visit with Margaret Brown Barati and Bill in their new apartment in Pittsburgh, and a quick visit with their grandson who attends Cornell—they still are busy, but “at a slower pace”. Janet Peek Clancy had a heel injury while playing tennis but did win the set. She has had the chance to entertain visitors from China, taking them to see the North Carolina Mountains. She was able to go to Seattle and attend her granddaughter’s wedding. The heel has finally healed and she is back to tennis and, of course, bridge. Marilynn Phillips had an eventful summer to say the least—she spent four days in the hospital after a TIA, but nothing was found; attended the wedding of her grandson Tyler, had steroid injections into her knees enabling her to visit her son Chip in Seattle –this has kept her busy, and happy. Kathryn Redelfs Rott is planning to visit her daughter and their families for Thanksgiving and Christmas in Phoenix and Florida—both nice places to visit in the winter. They would like to move, but she is happy where she is, and plans to stay in Indiana as long as she can drive. Her son Ed, who lives in Sweden plans to be in Florida over the New Year’s holiday and she may extend her stay in Florida. She uses an IPad for reading, and keeps a magnifying glass close by due to macular degeneration (she has received injections for this). Johanna Chait Essex I do thank you all for your response to my sos—it is truly appreciated, and I will try to reach out to everyone I missed when the next issue is due. Hal and I are fine—had a great Tauck tour of “The Hidden Gems of New England” this summer—for Hal one of the highlights was an in depth tour of Wrigley field, including the press box—I enjoyed see Mark Twain’s house, and of course the place where Ken Burns puts his marvelous programs together—we saw mountains, farms, the ocean—and of course we ate well. Our kids and grandkids are all doing their thing—whatever it may be, and keeping us up to date via email and Facebook. Take care of yourselves, and have a happy, healthy New Year.