1983
Mary Townley
804.423.7255
hoodmlt@aol.com

Hello Class of 1983

How did 35 years fly by so quickly? It was wonderful catching up with classmates at our 35th reunion the weekend of June 8-10. I was thrilled to reconnect with classmates. In attendance were Ruth Ravitz Smith, Nancy Hoffman Hennessey, Laura Schauer, Katherine Hax, Jill Feaster LaPan, Sally Seward Sewell, Kim Hall, Barb Smith, Marita del Toro-Sabater, Mary Robert Seidel Fish, Carrie Foulkes Silbernagel, Christine Seiler, Ann Kitson, and Mary Townley. We had such fun reconnecting at dinner and even squeezed in a group picture. Contact me at Hoodmlt@aol.com if you would like a copy of the picture. Personally, I would say it was my best reunion ever!
Onto the class news…
Pam Stamey Inskeep writes,” In February 2018, I received a letter from Kathleen Danielle Arbaiza LeComte, my first roommate at Hood College. She is still working at EG&G, where she has been for several years. She is having fun with a new puppy and sounds like she is doing well. I have been reading a lot and leading three book clubs, going to adult coloring classes at the library, and tutoring kids in math in their homes. I am still crocheting, but not as much, due to the hot, humid weather in Delaware. My husband and I have been enjoying some date nights with dinners out and a movie now and then. We still help out my mom with household chores and drive her around – she will be 80 in October 2018. She is fine but has arthritis in her knees and does not walk very much. My husband and I will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary on August 8, 2018. Our daughter (my stepdaughter) will be 28 in August. She is teaching an extended learning session for kids in her school in Wilmington, Delaware, who have special needs. Her work as an Educational Diagnostician is important and very rewarding. My family’s goal for this summer is to do a major cleanup/out of all the stuff we have accumulated over the last several years. Wish us luck, because we don’t like to let go of anything.” Kim Hall shares, “My parents, Lawrence and Vera Hall, my brother, Reginald L. Hall and my cousin Sandra Faye Mott were able to come up for the reunion luncheon where my family bonded with fellow class of ’83 alums: Laurie Schauer, Nancy Hoffman Hennessey, Katherine Hax, Christine Seiler and Ruth Ravitz Smith. It was wonderful seeing how we all turned out! I was really honored to receive an Alumnae of the Year Award during this anniversary year—and for the event to be presided over by Nancy Gillece ’81 who was a fellow Coblentz resident and a leader in our big sister class of ’81. I’m sending off my book manuscript, The Sweet Taste of Empire: Sugar, Race and Gender in Early Modern England, to the University of Pennsylvania Press. I’m giving a talk for high school teachers at the Folger Shakespeare Library in late June and I’ll head to London to deliver a keynote address at the Globe Theater for the “Shakespeare and Race” Festival in August.”

Shelley Wagar shares,” A couple of things going on- I have officially changed my name back to Wagar. My daughter was married in September- beautiful and fun. She is teaching 4th grade in the fall and I am going to be a grandmother at Christmas time! I started a new job in October as the Director of the Ulster County Office for Aging and I love it. An excellent move on my part. [I am] trying to schedule time for lunch with Beth Barrett who works across the river from me in Dutchess County and also works for the Dutchess County Office for Aging!”

Finally, I heard from Susan Bridgers who shares, “Glad to hear you had a great time at the Hood reunion class of 1983 there! Hope to connect with you all on the next round, hear your new life stories and gather hellos and hugs from all. I’ve been living in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, NC since 2015 and am loving the vistas, the people, the activities, and all that there is. My daughter lives just down the road which makes me a satisfied mom as we’re both happy and healthy, appreciating the daily beauty amidst the daily duties. Here’s wishing all the best to the Hoodlums I’ve known!” Until next time, dear friends.
~Mary

1982
Liz Bastian Chapin
610.823.2172
busybethc@aol.com

The column is a little light this issue…. Meg Brown McGinn spent a June afternoon and lunch with dear Hood roommate, Glynnis Edwards Cowdery, while she was in town visiting her mom. Meg is currently working as a Development Associate for The Arc of Litchfield County. Her husband of almost 36 years is starting his 16th year with TSA (after 25 years in the Navy).
Their son Matthew, 20, is studying Political Science at Roger Williams University – entering his junior year in the Fall.

Joy Miller Beveridge and Elizabeth Bastian Chapin continue to get together throughout the year and are looking forward to spending Labor Day weekend with Elizabeth LePatourel Powell ’50 in Kennett Square, PA. Joy and husband Don often travel to Phoenix and San Francisco to visit children/grandchild. Joy has no plans to retire soon, perhaps another 5-7 years at Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc. (which operates the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research). In May, Dr. Chapdelaine announced the formal, 3-year partnership with the FNL to cohost an annual scientific symposium and to expand research and training opportunities for Hood students… a win-win for these two great Frederick institutions! For the second summer, Joy was a member of a team participating in the Hood/Frederick Memorial Hospital Resource Garden. Last year, the garden produced over 2,000 pounds of fresh vegetables for Frederick seniors.

Jodi Palmer Murphy along with Lisa Bodamer Kida and Suzanne Norris Driscoll are travelling on the Hood sponsored trip to Scotland in August. A good time is sure to be had!

Jacquelyn McDaniel West started off the year with a fabulous trip to Hawaii (Maui and Kauai). Her son moved to Louisville KY in February so there have been numerous visits including help with his new house. Jackie’s daughter graduated from Elon University in May and the family celebrated with a trip to St. Lucia! Travels this year also include Wimbledon with a few tennis girlfriends and Colorado. She plans to coach another season of varsity tennis plus she teaches middle school tennis at CHC in VA Beach. Sadly, Jackie’s mother passed away in April at the age of 86. Her Hood friends have been a tremendous support during a difficult time. Jackie is amazed that after 36 years, the long distance love of friends provided much comfort and strength.

Liz Bastian Chapin and Joy Miller Beveridge had an impromptu gathering in June at her sister’s beach home in Salisbury, DE. Both Liz and husband Chip are working more than ever with their jobs. Both her sons are nearby. The oldest son, Andrew, works in construction and is a DJ on the weekends at various establishments, locally and near Philadelphia. Her youngest son, Ben, just celebrated his 27th birthday. He works for Vanguard in Malvern in the capital markets/investment group. The family all travelled to Austin (live music capital of the world!) for a family wedding in April. Liz spent a week in Portugal early spring and in May, she and Chip spent 12 days in Europe-Vienna, the Danube and Prague! She met up with a friend from her junior year abroad for dinner in Prague one evening! The two had spent time in Prague 38 years ago when the country was under eastern rule. What a wonderful reunion in beautiful Prague!

1977
Elizabeth Anderson Comer
443-463-6437
John Bennett, Elizabeth Frank Bennett’s husband of 37 years, informed us that our classmate Elizabeth Marie Frank Bennett passed away on July 31, 2017 from leukemia. Her obituary follows:
Elizabeth M. (Frank) Bennett, age 62, of Acton died Monday, July 31st at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She is the beloved wife and survived by her husband of 37 years, John Bennett of Acton, MA, her son Michael (also of Acton), and her daughter Katherine of Wallkill, NY. She is survived by her sister, Kathy Robinson of Pittsburgh, PA and her brother, Ken Frank of Ayer, MA and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles around the country.
The daughter of Emma Frank and the late Arthur C. Frank, she was born in Cleveland Ohio and raised and living in multiple states through her life until moving to Acton in 1972. Graduating from Hood College in Frederick, MD with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, she was engaged in biological research for nearly 20 years, resulting in the development of monoclonal antibodies in use around the world today to cure a wide-spread tropical disease.
An energetic, vibrant, passionate and active woman, she loved to sing, singing as a soprano with the Sounds of Stow and the St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church choir for many years. She loved her cats, breeding and showing Maine Coon cats. She loved jigsaw and word puzzles, flowers and gardening, outdoor walks, reading and travel while hating the cold and losing at board games. She loved her church, her church family and especially her own family. Beth touched so many, in so many different roles, and was loved by all.
Burial services will be private. A celebration of her life will be held at 2pm on Saturday, September 9th at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church, 435 Central Street in Acton, MA with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial gift to either The Leukemia Research Foundation (www.allbloodcancers.org/ways-to-give) or to the Mass General Cancer Center (https://giving.massgeneral.org/cancer/)
The family would especially like to thank the doctors, staff and especially the nurses at Mass General Hospital, especially those on Lunder 10 and the Blake Building Intensive Care Unit. They did more than care for her as a patient, they cared for her as a person. We are so grateful for their service.
http://www.actonfuneralhome.com/book-of-memories/3011541/Bennett-Elizabeth/obituary.php
John can be reached at bennettjb@verizon.net.

Ann Kowitski Barber is heading to Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow, Prague, Budapest, and Vienna for 2 weeks very soon. “Trip of a lifetime! Most exciting is my first grandchild is due in July. This should be a great summer! Moved last summer into a 55+ condo community that was about 2 miles from my house. What a joy not to shovel, worry about plowing or mowing. Best decision ever as I am still working – and I love what I am doing.”

Kathleen Weslock “After many years in corporate America, I’m taking time off to figure out how I want my life to look like in the Back 40. So I moved down to the farm in Pennsylvania from Connecticut. I’ve let jobs chose me, not vice versa. So this is a very cool, albeit unnerving time. Stay tuned for news as it will be a new adventure. In the interim, Hood asked and I accepted to serve as a Trustee. I’m honored and humbled. It helped make all of us who we are, and how we have made our mark on society. I’m thrilled to be a part of the planning process and know our new President is world class. I’m an empty nester with both of my grown boys working in NYC. Both are entrepreneurs, one in real estate and the other in food. Good for them. Can’t imagine our reunion was only a year ago. Rubina Patel, we need you to get us organized so we can make our 50th even better, and come up with an amazing gift for the college……Be well, Hoodlums.”
Sharon Thorpe Kourtz retired from Fairfax county in January. She wrote: “My dad died following a stroke in February, and my mom died of a stroke 23 days later. They will be buried Memorial Day.”
Elizabeth Anderson Comer: I am off to New Zealand to visit Anne (our youngest daughter). She just completed a semester studying in Wellington and will begin her senior year at Bard College in September. I am still digging and volunteering at Catoctin Furnace …and trying to keep up with Margaret (28) and Jacob (27)! I enjoy being a member of the Hood Board of Associates! It gives me an excuse to visit the campus and hear about exciting new programs. We had a Hood student intern this past semester at the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society. A history major she was incredibly hard working and talented! Clearly a typical Hood student!

1976
Nancy Ludwick Warrenfeltz
850-995-0051
nlwfeltz@hotmail.com

Jack and Lynn Furtek Eubanks hopped a cruise to Cuba that was absolutely phenomenal! They soaked up so much history …and some culture…that they were on overload. With luck, they will be returning on a slightly different itinerary to enjoy the trip again. Once they returned, Lynn turned around and flew to Vegas for her niece’s wedding…officiated by Elvis! Their eldest granddaughter graduated from college…and youngest from grade school. The Eubanks are looking forward to spending some time with them this summer, the only part they are not looking forward to is the drive up I-81 with all the trucks.

Susan Rivers will be retiring this summer. Her dear mother, Shirley Rivers Dudrow, died in August 2017. She worked at Hood in the Continuing Ed office in the 1980’s. She made many friends among the students and cared for them all. We all send our sympathy and love to Susan.

Deb Huff Nicholson reports that her big news is that she’s written a book. It’s a mystery entitled She Never Knew (by Deb Nicholson) published by Gatekeeper Press. It’s got a 5-star Amazon rating, so she’s happy to say that folks seem to be enjoying it! Book clubs have selected it and she has been making the rounds visiting them as a guest speaker. Remarkably, a local magazine, In the Triangle, has interviewed Deb about the book and the article will be featured in their late summer issue. This little project has turned out to be a huge amount of fun—so much so that she’s started her next book!

Craig and Barbara Woolmington Smith are loving Asheville, NC and loving retirement. They took a two week trip to the Outer Banks of NC in May. Neither Craig nor Barb had been there and they had beautiful weather (all while Asheville was setting record rainfall records). They learned a lot about the 18th and 19th century coastal communities and our maritime history.

Anna Collins Pasqualucci reports that she uncovered silly letters and mementos while she was cleaning out her house, so that her daughter could take ownership. They brought back vivid memories of her best friend and Hood roommate Ann Rhodes Conley, Reading Ann’s notes melted away all the years and it was as if Ann was still speaking to Anna in their dorm room, humorously calling Anna unbecoming, but endearing names. (Ann would have edited this update if she were still with us, just as she used to whittle down Anna’s English papers.) Here’s to you Ann Rhodes! Anna has chosen to live a gypsy life, alternating boarding at her son’s and her daughter’s. She remains engaged in painting folk art—window screen commissions—to be precise. An award from the Maryland State Arts Council Award for Maryland Traditions Folk Arts afforded her an opportunity to train an apprentice this year. They will be presenting at the 2018 National Folk Festival. Art has been a huge 180-turn around from her days in biotech research. She loved both. Life is ever changing and good. Anna wishes happiness and contentment for all.

Neil and Cheryl Kruse Rondorf celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on April 8, 2018. A few weeks later, all their children gathered and surprised them with a beautiful breakfast brunch. They feel so blessed by God! Congratulations Cheryl & Neil!

Please send me your news and I will be sure to include it in our next column. Thanks!

1974
Patricia Kidd
609-737-3656
pat.kidd@hotmail.com

Sally Johnson Leland writes about her travel adventures:
Having watched The Way with Martin Sheen I was intrigued with the idea of
walking the Camino de Santiago across Spain. I trained all summer long
walking anywhere from two to six hours a day wearing a 15-pound backpack plus water.

So…on 8/22/17 I arrived in St. Jean Pied de Port, France. I began my trek on August 23 in the dark…complete with headlamp. Finished on 9/23. Approximately 475 miles. Coastal Maine, where I trained, isn’t known for its elevation, so I got a real taste Day 1 – crossing the Pyrenees!

Met a woman that night at dinner who was also traveling alone and the next morning we set off together each day there-after. Covered 15-18 miles/day for 32 straight days. No injuries, weather was incredibly agreeable for the most part, and the sense of accomplishment was and is still overwhelming.

Beauty abounds in the geographic diversity of Spain. The Spaniards were welcoming and supportive, and the opportunity to meet other pilgrims along the way was particularly special. I met a retired minister from Williamsport who remembered Rev. Phil Lambdin, Marj Lambdin’s dad. Midway through my trek I met Frederick’s very own Joanne McCoy. She was blown over when I shared I was Hood ’74! The next day I received an email from Nancy Gillece ’81 saying, “I understand you ran into a good friend of mine on the Camino!” It’s a smaller world than you think!

Santiago was a bit of a letdown with the Cathedral of St. James shrouded in scaffolding and debris netting, and it was flooded with tourists, but the Mass for Pilgrims was very moving. I took one day off and then took off for Finisterre, the End of the Earth. From there on to Muxia, an additional 85 miles. The last week was the most special heading to the coast, leaving the throngs of humanity and consumerism behind in Santiago.

Sally’s other adventures . . .
In late October Doug and I took a Hurtigruten cruise (working ferry boat, no cars) up the coast of Norway and back. 70 ports of call…many in the middle of the night dropping off stores, equipment, materials and taking on some goods and mail to move up the coast. 100 cabins. No sequins gowns. Jeans and polartec were the order of the day. It’s a pristine country with warm people. I was surprised to see so much development north of the Arctic Circle.

Camino Portuguese is scheduled for 4/1/19. Lisbon to Santiago and back to Lisbon. Any takers?

And this from Dot Herdle Files: Like so many others in our class, I retired last year, and I love not going to the office every day. I can swim in the heat of the day in summer and see sunlight during the week in winter. Eben and I have freedom to visit our granddaughter (and her parents) and other family. I’ve been to the East coast a couple times to see family, especially my granddaughter in Virginia. God is using me in music ministry, but also in less expected ways like disaster recovery (after Hurricane Harvey), substituting for the church secretary, and teaching youth.

Finally from Susan Adams Prevost who shared the first semester with our class at Hood: I married in July 1972 and have three children and seven grandchildren. Lou & I lived in Lausanne, Switzerland for a few years after we were married and I attended the University of Lausanne and then l’Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne. I worked for a privately owned hotel in Wayne, PA for 18 years and then, when our last child entered college (1999), I went back to college myself and ended up finally graduating from WCU in 2002 with a BS in French. I taught French at Strath Haven Middle School for the next 9 years, while studying for and earning a Master’s degree in French and a certificate in TESL. In 2012, I decided to retire.

I am living in a home that we bought in Wellsboro, PA (an hour north of Williamsport and home of the PA Grand Canyon!). We travel a bit to visit with friends from Europe and are planning a Rhine River cruise for the fall of 2019. If any of you who may remember me ever get up to the PA Grand Canyon, which is well worth the drive, please look me up. We love to have visitors!

1973
Sara (Sally) Parkhurst Van Why
814-623-1557
sallyvanwhy@gmail.com

The class of 73 had a wonderful 45th reunion. We had a great time reminiscing and catching up. I brought along the booklet we were given as freshmen from the Hood College Mother’s Club – Sex is Never an Emergency. Some remembered having received it, others did not. Do you? Lots of laughs. Those classmates attending were: Elaine Williams Bielenberg, Susan Rothmann Griffin, Karen Bast Griffith, Leslie A. Hawkins, Lorraine Sharp Kish, Toni D. Lucia, Donna Simmons Maneely, Patricia Henry Montgomery, Alicia Parlatore Payne, Jill Schonek Pollard, Charlotte Miller Ponticelli, Patricia Suydam Ritter, Diana Y. Shih, Lydia N. Smithers, Sally Parkhurst Van Why, Sherry Bronski Waltz, Deborah Christ Zourdo. We were also joined by Francoise Perruchot Catinaud ’72 who was at Hood from France for the 71 -72 school year and Magaly Mauras Green ’74. Leslie Hawkins received the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award. This award is reserved for an alumna or alumnus who has made extraordinary contributions in their professional life along with commitment to Hood. Needless to say, we were and are very proud of her. Patt Henry Montgomery was surprised by a gift from her sister – an actual chair. Patt was told by her sister, Claudia Henry Barkmeier ’78, also a Hood graduate, to look for her birthday gift on campus. We were looking for bricks but another classmate found a big red ribbon on an Adirondack chair. I mention this not only because it was such a fun thing, but also to tell you about this giving opportunity. Hood’s handmade Adirondack chairs are available in blue or grey for $500 with a gold plate on the top with your personalized message. The chairs are scattered around the campus. What a beautiful way to honor someone. Leslie Hawkins has agreed to take over as class columnist for which I am extremely grateful. I have enjoyed doing this for the last 7 and a half years, but now it is someone else’s turn. I have loved hearing from you and will look forward to reading your news in the Hood Magazine so keep sending it to Leslie. Also our 50th will be here before we know it. Those who were at our 45th asked me to encourage everyone to come in 5 years. Elaine Williams Bielenberg and Lorraine Sharp Kish have agreed to chair it. They asked me to let you know that they are planning to set up a private Facebook page so please keep your eyes open for that. It was such fun to see the class of 68 march in with peace rally signs since that was going on the year they graduated. Remember “What will we be in 73?” Well what will we be in 2023? Oh my. Hopefully all in Frederick, MD at HOOD.

1966
Dianne Beebe Barske
eldibarske@gmail.com
907.227.4436

News of various sorts – both happy and sad – has come to me as I write this column. I know Nancy Frederickson Sherlin was smiling when she shared news of the May sales of her stained glass art. “While retirement for many is a glass of wine and a book, I still enjoy creating beautiful glass, even when I am spending most of my spring at work.” Husband Grover had just finished putting her May sales from an arts festival into a database. “He discovered I sold over 500 pieces in the 18 days of the festival. No wonder I am tired and ready for tomorrow’s trip to Hawaii!” Nancy has been selling her stained glass at Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, TX for 26 years. More outstanding, happy news comes from Pat Chapple Wright. Pat, recipient of Hood’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2011, received the President’s Distinguished Alumni Medal from the City University of New York at the Lincoln Center in May. Pat is an internationally known primatologist, anthropologist and conservationist, recognized for her extensive study of lemurs in Madagascar and the preservation of its rainforests. Pat comments about her recent award. “The President and Provost of CUNY hosted a dinner for me on May 29, 2018 in honor of my receiving this award. Dinner was delicious and delightful.” Congratulations, Pat! What an honor for you and for Hood as one of our classmates! On a much more somber note, Harriet Rudman Weiner writes, “My significant news is that my husband Alan passed away in April, 2018. We were lucky enough to have celebrated 50 years of marriage last year. I have been receiving a lot of support from my family – son Jay, daughter-in-law Deb, grandchildren Ben 12, Maya 10, and Jenna almost 5; son Andy, daughter-in-law Emily, grandchildren Ryan13, Jake 10, and Mallory 7. Also thanks to my three sisters.” Looking ahead, Harriet added, “In August, I will be going with Jay’s family on a Northern European Disney cruise. That will be a new experience for me, and I am greatly looking forward to it.” We are very sorry for the passing of your husband Alan, Harriett, and hope the cruise surrounded by family lightened your days. More sad news but a well-deserved tribute, came from Susan Worth Fiala, recognizing her many decades of friendship with her Hood roommate Elizabeth (Beth) Harlow Foster. Beth passed away suddenly on August 19, 2017. After graduation, Beth traveled to Ireland to try her hand at professional steeplechase racing. Susan adds, “Mainly, she ended up mucking out stalls, so she returned to Maryland and became employed at IBM in Hagerstown.” Many years working for IBM followed, involving some international travel. The friendship between Susan and Beth is a testimonial to cherished, longstanding friendships begun at Hood. Beth and Susan traveled together for many years. They went to Key West, FL, each February after Beth moved to Florida. (Through the magic of Facebook, I’ve been able to see happy pictures of them on these jaunts together! I got to visit with Beth a bit at our 50th college reunion, and will never forget her disbelief when I shared that I, who considered myself a professional artist of sorts, did not have a working website. We laughed together loudly about this, and I returned home to Anchorage, compelled by Beth to create that website!) Perhaps this is the place to add that Elliott and I no longer live in Alaska. I still have to pause to recognize the reality of that sentence. After 42 treasured years in that state, which deservedly calls itself the Greatland, in the fall of last year, we moved to McMinnville, OR. Moving was hard. But – and I’m surprised to say this – we are loving our new home. McMinnville is welcoming and friendly, a pretty, small-college town, surrounded by farmlands – and full of wineries and art galleries. (I am now a proud member of the Sketchy Artists of Yamhill County!) Both our son and daughter-in-law graduated from Linfield College here and have settled nearby with our little granddaughter. We have another son and his wife also in the area, along with two adult grandchildren in Portland. The pull of so much Oregonian family just got to be too strong. Our new address is 380 SW Huckleberry Court, McMinnville, OR 97128, and our new email is eldibarske@gmail.com. (You will see us out and about exploring our new home state, especially its coastline and beaches, in our recently purchased RoadTrek.) We welcome visitors!

1965
Emily Kilby
443.485.7443
erkilby44@gmail.com

The Class of ’65 is getting mighty close-mouthed about themselves these days, but I finally wheedled a column’s worth of news out of several cooperative classmates. Jamie Barr Gartelmann, a much-appreciated voluntary reportee, wrote in May from her primary residence in Schooleys Mountain, N.J., “We are still here digging in the dirt on the farm and enjoying our beautiful spring surroundings after a hard winter. We took a break in North Carolina for a couple of months, but it was record-breaking cold there, too, with a very late arrival of warmer temperatures. I was recovering from double knee replacement (not for the faint of heart) and glad for the rest and relaxation. My son’s snowplow bills were awaiting me upon our return to New Jersey. We enjoyed a super trip to New Orleans in April to visit good friends and enjoyed seeing springtime there. It is the 300th anniversary of that city, and we saw the Tall Ships on the Mississippi which Peter especially enjoyed. We are still sailing in Maine in the summer, and I’m hopeful that my knees will cooperate when getting into the boat. Our two sons and their families will join us there for a very chaotic week in July. Even though most are teenagers now, it is still their favorite week. We are thankful that the grandchildren still want to spend time with us and marvel at how well they’re doing. I’m still able to play golf and am active in my garden club and church when I’m not running GiGi’s Uber service for grandchildren. We have three attending Peter’s old high school this year. Granddaughter Cora is our rider and very committed with Interscholastic Equestrian Assoc. She competed for her team this spring at nationals and hopes to become an equine veterinarian. Life is full, and we don’t know the meaning of the term retirement.” Kathleen Davis Dick actually picked up the phone when I called and provided a quick summary of her current life. Widowed now for 15 years, she and her son continue to live in the same Potomac home that the Dicks moved into in 1976. Her son is unmarried, but Kathy enjoys the pleasures of grand parenting and great-grand parenting through her stepson’s offspring. With reasonably good health, as she put it, Kathy keeps busy with mahjong, exercise and volunteering at her synagogue. She lives in the same area of Potomac as Ann Fulton Warren, and their paths occasionally cross. In February, Nancy Hoveman Schultze and I also visited Potomac. I picked up Nancy at her lovely new home in the Marriottsville area north of Ellicott City, and we drove on to visit with Ann and Tom for lunch and much subsequent reminiscing and laughter. The Warrens remain in their home of 40-something years where their local son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter regularly visit and their daughter’s Connecticut family including two grandsons and a granddaughter gather for holidays. Photos sent by Sarah Lane Howell in response to my plea for news show her looking great and reveling in her life as mother of two, grandmother of five in Watsonville, Cal. Also out west is Mary Ann Wilson Birch who married a ’65 USNA graduate 51 years ago. Now settled in Albuquerque, the Birches recently received a most interesting memento of their days in the Navy. At their wedding, Barry had cut the wedding cake with his military sword, which immediately went missing after the event. Its whereabouts remained a mystery until May 26 of this year when a package sent by one of Barry’s shipmates arrived. Now reunited with its rightful owners, the sword had been found at a reunion, but no one knew where it had been for all those intervening years. When at home, Mary Ann, now retired from teaching, volunteers at the Albuquerque Aquarium to keep in touch with sea life and children. The Birches’ frequent travels include visits to North Carolina where their two married children and two grandchildren live and to their off-the-grid cabin in southwest Colorado where Barry is using his master gardener skills to establish an orchard. In Mary Ann’s words, “Life is GOOD!!”

1964
Barbara Maly Fish
919-688-9125
Barb2fish@yahoo.com

I send the sympathy of the class to Debby Parker Hamilton, whose husband Tim died on July 2, 2017 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Debby and Tim had been married for 54 years. Another recent widow in our class, Ann McMillan Shuman, has sold her Pittsburgh area home of 40 years and moved to Delray Beach, FL to be more helpful to her daughter’s family. She enjoys being near her grandchildren, Shane 9 and Sadie 7. Ann’s first social activity in FL was lunch with her sophomore French House roommate, JoAnn Winer Sutton, who lives in Boca Raton. Ann’s lunch with JoAnn was not the only recent mini-reunion. Marta Schneebeli Johnson visited Ruth Fredericks Frey at Ruth’s new home in Cambria, CA; Karen Kuechenmeister Lehrhaupt and Debby Parker Hamilton got together at the beach in NC; and Kate Jenks Powell, Darlene “Cookie” Johnson Bolig, Sandy Borrelli Ricci, and I convened in Bay Head, NJ. All of these should whet your appetite for our big 55th Hood Reunion in June 2019. Traveling to SC recently with her yoga group, Lynn Byers Gorz planned to visit Ellie Berklite Harris. Unfortunately, Ellie and husband Al were on their way to England, but they left behind a pass enabling Lynn’s group to have lunch at the Ocean Club on Kiawah Island. Just before the trip to SC, Lynn and her grandson Aaron visited New York City as guests of her daughter and son-in-law. They attended a performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which Lynn described as “a wonderful theatrical experience.” Back home in KY, Lynn is busy with taking care of her local grand boys one day a week, plus doing lots of quilting. She has had two successful knee surgeries and is ready for more travel, even though husband Ken says no more travel for him. After living in Chesterfield, VA for 20 years, Martha Grove Whiteside persuaded her husband Steve to move close to one of their daughters. They have been in Gettysburg, PA since 2016 and are loving it. The Whitesides now have easy access to their three grandchildren, one of whom is an excellent soccer player. He is trying out for the semi-pro team that plays at Hood and will go to Sweden with the Frederick Traveling Team this summer. Martha and Steve also own a condo in Fort Myers, FL, where they go in the winter and spend time with their other daughter who works in fashion. Congratulations to Carol Hottenstein Parker, an avid bridge player, who recently became an American Contract Bridge League Life Master. Those of you who play bridge know that this is a very big deal! Carol and her husband are very serious about checking items off their bucket lists: they have visited all 50 of the state capitol buildings and now they are visiting presidential birthplaces, homes, or libraries. My request for news caught Susan Lyeth Sternfeld as she was about to leave for England with her son Brian. To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, Susan and husband Joe planned a major family reunion in the New Forest. Their cohousing community in Cambridge, MA will celebrate its 20th year of existence this year, which will involve more festivities. Always working to improve their Spanish, the Sternfelds recently visited Cuba and Mexico. Back home, Susan creates landscape wall quilts, putting to good use that 7th grade sewing class she took just a few years ago. While Susan was headed to the U.K., Judi Coombs Creighton and husband Bob were coming back. They spent a week in Scotland with their son Alex and his son Brooks. Alex, an orthopedic surgeon who cares for the UNC football, basketball, and women’s soccer teams, attended a conference, while Judi and Bob entertained Brooks. Judi says, “What a gift of great worth to have time with your adult child and a grandchild whom you do not see very often.” After Alex and Brooks went home, Judi and Bob spent 10 days touring Ireland to try to locate Bob’s ancestral homes in the areas of Lough Neagh and Coleraine. Judi keeps in regular contact with Susan “Eloise” Varney Rauth, who is fine except for some dental repair work. Judi and Eloise very much miss Sue Sterner, who died more than a year ago. Judi advises, “Keep your loved ones close and tell them how important they are to you.”

1962
Sara Zimmerman
revsaraz@gmail.com

Judi Simonsen Ziobro reports good health, enjoyment at their bay house with grands, singing and playing handbells in church choir, and keeping in touch with Judy Jensen Burgess, Judy Bailey Allison, Betty Wright, Matile “Teal” West Hugo and spouses.
Beth Davis Teletski’s grandchildren range in age from preschool to college graduate. She and Lou plan fishing trips in Montana and Germany. Beth continues quilting activities.
Judy Hammond Blatchford reports they went on National Geographic Expeditions to Belize and Guatemala and produced photo albums to enjoy in their later years.
Penny Misirian Mardoian’s oldest grandson graduated from Trinity College. Travels this year take Penny to Israel and Armenia.
Lynn MacDonough Morrow attended George’s family celebrations in Winnipeg and his 50th class reunion at Dickinson College.
Elizabeth Appel Bailey and Tom cruised from Prague to Budapest. Oldest granddaughter (14) made the National Water Polo Team. Betty and Tom are helping to plan a midterm reunion in San Diego for the USNA class of ’61.
Teal West Hugo’s husband Mike went to Baltimore and D.C. on Honor Flight Maine and was met by Judi Simonsen Ziobro. Tom received honors for service in the Marine Corps and on the staff of the Appropriations Committee in the House of Representatives.
Liz Decker Rogers and family traveled to Australia where daughter-in-law Deepa reports for The World on NPR. Liz says, “Otherwise, same issues on the table, when to make the big move and where.”
Barbara Arthur Pretzsch heads to Portland, OR for her crochet conference in July. She organized a line dancing cruise for Hood friends Linda Martin McManus, Gail Wood Fortin and Marvia Slade Perreault. Marvia enjoys life at the 55+ Mallard Landing Community in Salisbury, MD. She is having left shoulder replacement surgery.
Doris Dalziel Kimball and George’s daughter Marian suffers with blood cancer and needs a stem cell replacement. You are in our prayers.
Phoebe Adams Marshall plays tennis and sings with the Masterworks Chorale at the U of SC-Aiken. Her granddaughter just graduated from high school in Charleston and traveled with her mother to Japan and Korea.
Barbara Kirby Stewart says they appreciated their break from the Maine winter when, courtesy of Jan Zwinck Morrison, they stayed in a New Bern, SC condo and visited Jan and Steve at their beautiful home in Raleigh. Jan and Steve spend their summers in Maine. Their daughter Cheryl served as lead scientist on a NOAA research cruise off our southern coast.
Sarah Enos Karpowitz lives in Wisconsin, works for Rent-a-Daughter as caregiver, has been widowed 33 years, has five grandchildren, 9 – 20. She enjoys bible study, friends and family.
Jody Merritt Watson and Peter “live life in the slower lane and enjoy it!” Jody volunteers at a homeless shelter in Brunswick, enjoys quilting and yoga. She saw Nancy Turner Heckscher and Ben recently.
Gail Dawson Clarke reports from Florida: “nothing earth-shaking going on …sometimes I value that as much as the whoop-de-do-moments. I’m still vertical, planning on trips out west.”
Liz Kovacs Washburn lives in Lake Oswego, OR and visits children and grandchildren in San Diego. Daughter Natasha will teach at Santa Fe Christian where one granddaughter just graduated. Another granddaughter graduated from Boston U.
Sue Shinnick Hossfeld and Carl travel this summer to Luebeck, Hamburg and Berlin, Germany, where they board a river boat to Prague. On return, their family will visit Rehoboth Beach for annual week of fun.
Ann Holmes Flatt recovers from stem cell bone marrow transplant to treat Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She thanks her supporters including hubby Jean-Pierre, her team at UMass Hospital, friends and family. Now Ann resumes hiking, singing and gardening, and traveling with family to Switzerland.
Marjorie Simmons Carlson and Bill celebrated their 55th anniversary. As a retiree from 37 years as ‘library lady’ she volunteers with the school’s book fair and enjoys 11 grandchildren in DC.
Regina Schlank Pyle escapes wintry Boston by visiting friends in Marco Island, FL and Phoenix, AZ. In DC, she checked out the Newseum and recommends it. Both grandchildren graduated from college this year.
Caroline Fischer Giles and Brian enjoyed a month in Tarpon Springs, FL staying at Joy Engle Demas and Bill’s villa. Caroline and Brian volunteer less now and are considering CCRCs in the U of New Hampshire area.
Sara (Sally) Zimmerman- I volunteer for the U South Florida Osher Life Long Learning Institute as instructor and board member and am having the time of my life. Thank you to classmates who contributed to this column. See unedited version online.