CLASS of ’69 – SPRING NEWS

Proud grandparents, Nancy Roe Hebdon and Fred announce that grandson Christopher will attend George Washington Law School in September. Barbara Sims retired in 2015 after 30 years with the same executive search firm. She remains in New York doing volunteer work and choral singing. My childhood chum, Karol Bedyk Strang and Bill (whom she met at a Hopkins/Hood mixer) have 2 married sons and a grandbaby on the way. Karol has a doctorate in clinical social work, but is now retired, living in the Asheville, NC area and enjoys quilting and dulcimer playing. Marty Silcox Hankins and Fred will celebrate their 45th anniversary with a trip to the Pittsburgh area and meet up with Libby Miller Jacobs and husband Jack. Marty plans to retire from teaching next year and pursue Master Gardening. Thanks to Facebook Esther Kofod Whitfield managed to reconnect with her roommate, Joanne Fodor. Do consider Esther’s memoir, The Libyan – a fascinating and compelling read. As a result of renewed health, Sarah Jane Snyder Raffety is devoting more time to family and church as well as exercise and painting. She is also about to publish a children’s book. Margaret Dunkle has retired from her position as Lead Research Scientist at the Dept. of Health Policy at G.W. Univ. and now lives full time in Maryland after spending years in the workforce in DC, Boston and LA. She will receive the 2016 W. D. Schaefer Helping People Award for Calvert County in June. After 40+ years in Alaska, Jill Stanley and husband Adam are moving to Greenfield, IN. – via a motorhome! Chris Diehl retired from teaching math in 2007 but remains an adjunct teacher at her local community college. She keeps in touch with former roommate, Marya Rusinak of Cincinnati. Joanne Ingoldsby Peters looks forward to summer trips through New England and a jaunt to Ireland come fall. Meanwhile she quilts, golfs and gardens. Maureen Clancy continues to write her food blog – Matters of Taste. She, husband T, and their sons all enjoy skiing and biking – even completing a couple of bike Centuries (100 miles) each year. Travels to Vienna, Austria and Northern Italy are planned for summer. Maureen recently visited Diane Campbell in Boston. Sharon McDonald Sayles and husband John are completing 18 months of providing care for their grandchildren, ages 12 and 14. Soon the “kiddos” will relocate to Keene, NH. Jan Erbacher Greening checked in from Austin, TX where she cares for her elderly Mom, records texts for the blind, and participates in a French conversation group. Her careers included teaching grades 7 – 12, as well as ESL, and marketing technical software. Boca Raton resident Linda Lam looks forward to spending a month in NC this summer. Carole Downing Staton and Emily Smith Brownson and spouses attended the girls’ 50th high school reunion in Salsibury, MD last summer. Carole loves retirement – and her 4 ½ year old grandson. Jean Swan and husband plan to trace the Lewis and Clark expedition this summer in their RV. Their son will be married in November. Also following the Lewis and Clark route are Meredith Owen Atkinson and husband George. The trip will include Glacier National Park where the couple honeymooned. Despite facing spinal fusion surgery, Peggy Jackson Wyckhouse continues to teach food preparation and nutrition classes. She has a son (and 3 grandsons) in St. Louis and a disabled daughter in Las Vegas. Pat Etzel Parker and her husband found “surprisingly gratifying” their mutual 50th high school reunion. Cynthia Werner Biber continues to work in NY at the Frick Collection. She frequently travels to Maine where her 2 daughters live and to Switzerland, home of her brother. Despite a few family health scares, Ellen Kiel and Russ had a wonderful trip to Barcelona in October. Current projects include a wellness ministry at church and New Story Leadership. Betsy Seele Gotta is still involved in square dancing, “calling” 4 or 5 nights a week. Summer gigs include stops in Des Moines, Toronto, and Regina, Canada. Cheryl Brown Dreiling has two loves – her 2-year-old twin grandsons, and traveling. This year she’s been to India, the Italian Riviera and in July will head to the Baltic Sea. Ginny Monaco Hatfield (a “professional volunteer”) was recently tapped as on the of 5 Inspiring Women of the San Fernando Valley by the United Chambers of Commerce. As new Tesla owners, Dave and I, Sayre Roney Steere are seeing the country “gas free.” We’ve been to South Florida, where we visited with Valerie Dietz Polansky (our husbands are HS and USNA chums), the Hill Country of Texas, western Tennessee, and soon all the way to Seattle to visit our girls – and take an Alaskan cruise.

Sayre Roney Steere
850-233-0238
sayre1126@gmail.com

Patricia Etzel Parker has completed her two-year stint as a District Director within the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland. She is an active Master Gardener and Daffodil Judge. She often sees Ellen Kiel. Linda Israel Lamm and husband are enjoying retirement in Bethany Beach, Florida and recently hosted Mary (Sam) Ryan Reeves (’70). The Lamms have traveled to Spain, Columbia, El Salvador and Ecuador. Jill Stanley’s daughter is now an ordained cantor in Deerfield, Illinois. Jill and Adam went on a square-dancing cruise down the panhandle of Alaska – Elizabeth (Betsy) Seele Gotta was one of the callers! Martha Silcox Hankins continues to teach at the Odyssey School for children with dyslexia, while helping her husband with Shiloh Pottery, and raising sheep, alpacas, peacocks and goats. In September Martha Mulford Gray, Nancy Roe Hebdon and Meredith Owen Atkinson attended the memorial service for Linda Stockdale Warren in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Linda was a part of a mini-reunion group consisting of Marty, Nancy, Sandra Jung Vrem, Nancy vom Eigen Rasmussen, and Linda Walls Bradley (’70). They have ordered a Blazer Brick in her memory. Virginia Monaco Hatfield recently coordinated a five-generational family reunion in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She and her husband enjoy escaping to their vacation home on Lake Tahoe and off to Maui in September. Linda Richards McKnight Hoover married David, an infectious disease doctor in March with Susie Holtzmann Richardson in attendance. Linda and David each have a daughter. Over the summer they traveled to the Congo and Indonesia. Linda and Susie met up again in San Francisco to introduce their grandchildren. After a 46-year career with United Airlines, Deborah Dick Holbert retired on September 29. In addition to managing her husband’s psychiatry office, Kathryn White Lucas is a docent at the University of Missouri’s Museum of Art and Archaeology. She has three children and three granddaughters. Daughter Marya, an attorney, is also a published author of a children’s book dealing with the Chicago Fire. Sarah Jane Snyder Raffety enjoyed her 50th high school reunion, and in October welcomed home all three of her children – together for the first time since 2011. Shahrnaz Safavi Martin checked in from Santa Barbara, California where she and her husband have lived since 2012. Prior to that they were in Vancouver, Houston, New Hampshire, The Netherlands and most recently Zurich, Switzerland. Daughter Mitra runs a Tango School in LA; Melika is a corporate lawyer and mother of Naz’s grandson; son Darius teaches at the American University of Beirut. Susan Oliver Schneider earned her education degree from BU and has taught in Marblehead, Massachusetts for decades – currently 1st grade where she designs STEM projects. From mid-April to Thanksgiving she runs sailing races. Patricia Warren Carlson continues to shepherd doctoral students through their dissertations and teaches a course or two in Educational Leadership at Delaware State University. Her main passion however is golf – plays almost daily, weather permitting, and is helping her six year old granddaughter learn the game. A golfing vacation to Punta Cana in December is planned. Jean Winn Swan’s husband, a retired dentist, volunteers his services to poor villagers in Viet Nam. Jean traveled to Qatar in May as daughter Carolyn (an archaeologist) welcomed baby Hannah. Newly engaged son Matt is a Marine officer. Daughter Kate and family (Josephine, 5 and James, 2) live nearby. Jean has written and illustrated a book which is about to be published. Twin Joan Winn Horman joined Jean at their 50th reunion in Maine. Joanne Ingoldsby Peters spent the summer recovering from foot surgery, but now is back to playing golf. Donna Holst Carr and husband live in Mt. Airy, Maryland. Though retired from teaching, she continues to substitute. Son Ben and wife live in New Jersey; daughter Meredith and husband are in Frederick. Cynthia Kannapel Weiss welcomed granddaughter Amelia (daughter of Charles, sister of Will and cousin of Bree) in July. The whole family joined Cindy and Glenn for a Cape Cod vacation in August. Dave and I, Sayre Roney Steere lived out of suitcases much of the summer. First came a two-week cruise through Northern Europe in June – loved Stockholm and Oslo; in July it was off to Seattle to see our three granddaughters, then drop by Palo Alto, California for a visit with Doris; in August met up with Karol Bedyk Strang in North East, Maryland for our 50th reunion. Finally I must “plug” a book, The Libyan, written by our own Esther Kofod Whitfield. It’s a memoir of her married life in Libya under Ghaddifi’s dictatorship. Her story will captivate you.

Sayre Roney Steere
850-233-0238
sayre1126@gmail.com

Once again, unsolicited, I received an email from Esther Kofod Whitfield, who is practically a neighbor of mine in nearby Tallahassee, Fla. She reminded me that she was one of four “foreign” students at Hood in 1965. She transferred to the Corcoran School of Art in 1967 where she met her future husband, The Libyan, which is the title of her new book. In it she tells of her 5 years in Libya during the horrific years of Ghaddafi’s rule. The book in many ways is a memoir, with actual events, accurately chronicling Libya’s historical and political facts. She has since divorced and is now happily married to Ron Whitfield, a chiropractor. Esther has a son and a daughter and two grandchildren (her time at Hood, by the way, is mentioned in Chapter 2). Another published author is Valerie Dietz Polansky. She recently wrote Quick Review Cards for Medical Laboratory Science as well as updated a previous medical publication. She claims now to be fully retired allowing time for her and Gary to travel in their motorhome. Year 2014 found them visiting the Canadian Maritimes––Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Carolyn “Kip” Cantagalli Dumaresq is also officially retired from the position of secretary of education of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Education–after 45 years in the education system! She and her husband have purchased a new log home on 14+ acres with a pool and a training center for their three Border Collies whom Kip shows in agility. Meredith Owen Atkinson and husband George are both retired allowing them to spend a couple of months each year visiting their daughter and family in Truckee, Calif., and their son in Park City, Utah where the cross-country skiing has been fabulous. Meredith continues to teach a literature class in her hometown of Norwell, Mass. Sue Korff Hammer continues to raise alpacas and drive around in her ’64 GTO convertible! Mary Anne Thune Lasko gets together occasionally with Joy McGinnis, both of whom were stunned at some of the changes on the old college campus. Virginia Pagan Schragel is pleased to announce she has been breast cancer free for five years. Life is good for her and her family. Jill Stanley checked in from Alaska with news that her daughter Rayna Green in her 5th year of studying sacred music at Hebrew Union College will be ordained as a (Jewish) cantor in May. Jill is the director of the local Reform synagogue choir and spends a great deal of time dancing–square dancing, round dancing and Israeli folk dancing. Bettina Smith Tucker has endured a couple of life-changing events recently. She lost her husband Hal almost two years ago and in April 2014 she retired from her 15-year position as a woman’s advocate and court advocate for victims of domestic violence in the midcoast region of Maine. Last summer she managed to coax roomie Sharon MacDonald Sayles from her summer home in the Adirondacks on Gull Pond to visit Tina’s summer home on the Maine coast in Round Pond–a big reunion after 7 years. Speaking of “roomies,” my dear friend Cindy Kannapel Weiss and husband Glenn are about to embark on a cruise through the Hawaiian Islands–a somewhat belated 45th anniversary celebration. Cindy won’t have to wait long upon her return for the birth of her third grandchild! All is well with me, Sayre Roney Steere, here in the Florida Panhandle. I’m winding up my stint as a district director within the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs with one more obligation ahead of me–a convention in Boca Raton in April. Last summer we traveled out west, visiting daughter Joan and family in Seattle – with a camping side-trip to the Orcas Islands, then on to Palo Alto, Calif., to see daughter Doris. The West Coast crowd all came here for Christmas, making this Grandma mighty happy.

Out of the blue, even before sending out my plea for news, I heard from Karen Wagner. I have fond (and not so fond) memories of our days in Mr. Sprigg’s Music 101 class Freshman year – yet she went on to great things in the field while I basically sing in the church choir. In January she retired from a 42-year administrative career in higher education in the performing arts, the last 35 years at The Juilliard School as VP and Dean of Academic Affairs. Karen is amazed at how her career path took shape following our Hood College days. Administration was not something she sought out, however in December she was surprised to receive the Julliard President’s Medal (for service to the arts), reassuring her that it was a worthwhile journey. The question now is where to spend this next chapter of life…east coast or west?” Karen attended our Reunion and was pleased to spend some quality time with Gail (Mullison) Osburn, as well as congratulate Carolyn (Kip Cantagalli) Dumaresq, Secretary of Education for Pennsylvania, on her being chosen the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. Kip writes that “we are an exceptional group of women and we look great.” Also at the reunion was Marty (Silcox) Hankins who regaled over the beauty of the campus. She is 3 years from retiring from her teaching position at Odyssey. She and Ken just celebrated 43 years of marriage and delight in their 4 grandchildren ages 4 to 10. Marty recently reconnected with Libby (Miller) Jacobs during Libby’s trip to Baltimore. Sue (Korff) Hammer and roommate Mary Louise (Wittkowski) O’Brien were pleased to meet up with Sue (Barncord) Rinker and Ellen Kiel at the reunion, and toured the campus, the new sports complex behind Coblentz and parts of Frederick we never appreciated 45 years ago. Also in attendance was Cheryl (Brown) Dreiling who is pleased to report we have fully funded the endowed scholarship we started back at our 40th. Sharon (MacDonald) Sayles checked in from Halfmoon, NY where she and her husband, John, recently built a townhouse, now only 1 hour from their grandchildren, ages 10 and 12. She regularly mentors at their school. The Sayles just returned from a river cruise in France and a reunion with friends in Paris. They spend their summers in the Adirondacks. Chris (Lundt) Lambertus and her husband are “addicted” to river cruises and took one to Portugal in April. Next on their “bucket list” is one from Budapest to Bucharest and Transylvania. On a sad note, John Eaton writes the his wife Audrey (Penny) Karr passed away November 4th following a short illness. Nancy (Roe) Hebdon and her husband, Fred, welcomed a new grandson, Andrew Luksis, on March 9th. A few days later, on March 25th, son Charles and his wife presented Cindy (Kannapel) Weiss with her first grandson, William. Fortunately the little guy lives nearby so Cindy gets lots of snuggle time. Cindy and Glenn make frequent trips to Marco Island, FL and their annual summer vacation to Cape Cod is again on the agenda. Mary Anne (Thune) Lasko and Joel have retired, selling Washington Photocopy after 44 years in business. They will be moving into an apartment in a retirement community with outstanding amenities. Their daughter lives in Aspen, CO and their son and family (3 grandchildren) are in Bethesda, MD. Life is good for Sarah Jane (Snyder) Raffety – no news to report, but she wants to say “a cheerful Hello to all classmates, and wish everyone a happy summer.” Carole (Downing) Staton and Roy took advantage of son Andrew’s brief TDY at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma to visit him. Andrew’s wife remained back at Kadena AFB in Okinawa where they are stationed. Grandson Austin is 2 ½ and lives close by. I, Sayre (Roney) Steere and husband Dave are getting used to the “friendly skies” between here (Panama City Beach, FL) and Seattle, where daughter Joan and her 3 little girls live. We were there at Christmas, with a side trip to a ski resort in Bend, OR. Dave and I were content to observe from the warmth of the chalet while the family hit the slopes. We’ll return again this summer, this time to go camping with them, then stop off to visit daughter Doris in Palo Alto, CA.

Carolyn Cantagalli Dumaresq was recently promoted to Acting Secretary of Education for Pennsylvania, capping off 45 years in education. In her spare time she shows Border Collies in agility. Christine Lundt Lambertus suffered a broken foot in May, but despite the inconvenience of a “boot” managed to travel to Ireland and Scotland with her husband and their church group. Also in Ireland over the summer, meeting with local Ingoldsbys and genealogists, was Joanne Ingoldsby Peters. Penney Weatherby Brown and husband John are involved in a major remodeling of their master BR and bath. In July they attended the Grapehound Wine Festival at Seneca Lake, NY. Sadly she reports that Libby Marckwardt Oliver had a stroke in September. She is now home but faces vascular surgery in the near future. Marty Silcox Hankins continues to teach at the Odyssey School for children with language-based learning difficulties. As a sideline she and her husband have a pottery business in Hampstead – see www.shilohpottery.com. Maureen Clancy is still focused on her website “Matters of Taste” as well as occasional freelancing. Both sons joined her and husband T for a trip to Spain in early summer. From there she and T traveled to Germany and Poland in search of information on his long lost grandparents. See www.maureenclancy.com/2013/06/looking-for-a-good-meal-finding-a-lost-grandpa.html. Jill Stanley, who lives in Alaska, takes the prize for the busiest August. Her daughter was married in Portland, OR on Aug. 4 and her husband’s daughter tied the knot in Savannah, GA a week later! Nancy vom Eigen Rasmussen writes that she and 4 classmates – Sandra Jung Vrem, Nancy Roe Hebdon, Martha Mulford Gray, Linda Stockdale Warren plus Linda Walls Bradley (70), and assorted husbands, including Guy Gray ( ) had a mini- Hood reunion (their 8th) at an historic farmhouse on Whidbey Island, WA. in late August. Despite battling a rare autoimmune disease for which there is no cure Carol Wyman Harris continues working part-time in non-profit fundraising. In addition she and her daughter create handcrafted greeting cards, seasonal décor and gifts. See her website at www.ccuniquecreations.wix.com. Christine Diehl retired from teaching after 37 years and is now an adjunct professor at a community college in New Haven, CT. Punkie Van Wert VanAs had a nice visit with Ginny Williams Confer when she was in Jacksonville for a horse show. Both Libby Markwardt Oliver and Penney Weatherby Brown visited with Sue Korff Hammer at her farm and were quite comfortable around her alpacas. Sue and three other former Terrace House residents – Mary Louise Wittkofski O’Brien, Debbie Dick Holbert, and Barb Hoagland Ziegler got together at Sue Taylor Shoch’s cottage overlooking Swan Pond in Dennisport (Cape Cod.) They were joined by Ruth Conger Crespi (’67). Following retirement Bonnie Martin Plankey and her husband Frank spent 6 weeks in Australia and New Zealand. Then health issues intervened – a cardiac ablation procedure for Bonnie and kidney failure for Frank. He had a kidney transplant in September and is now doing well. Travels can resume. They have great support from their 2 sons and 4 grandchildren. Since Sarah Jane Snyder Raffety’s husband retired, she has been discovering how to manage a serious back problem with therapy, water aerobics and traction. Ginny Monaco Hatfield has turned into a professional volunteer following retirement from political life a decade ago, primarily maintaining a one person immigration consulting firm in LA. She and husband Paul have a vacation home on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore. Daughter Jeni has moved back to LA. Pat Warren Carlson welcomed second granddaughter, Lauren, to the family Oct. 21st. She delights in early morning day-care of big sister Brooke. Though retired, Pat still teaches master’s and doctoral classes at Delaware State Univ. Carol Crofoot Hayes recently had her daughter Lisa and one-year-old twin granddaughters visit with her in Bluffton, SC. Since the spring she’s traveled to the South of France, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, and the Pacific Northwest. Cynthia Werner Biber recently graduated from Seton Hall Univ. and has worked at the Frick Collection in NYC for 9 years. She has 3 children and 2 “greats.” I Sayre Roney Steere am enjoying my new position as Asst. District II Director within the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, although it entails frequent trips to Orlando for meetings. Both daughters and 3 granddaughters flew in for a visit from the West Coast in June. Dave and I had a grand time exploring Steamboat Springs, CO in August.

After years of faithfully sitting at the class of ’69 news desk, Sue Korff Hammer has turned in her pad and pencil and asked me to take over the job. It is big shoes to fill, indeed. Thank you, Sue, for your years of service. I have enjoyed hearing from many of you––all by email. If you did not get a recent nudge from me for news, I do not have your email address. Drop me a note and I will put you on the list. Joanne Ingoldsby Peters is happily retired and keeps busy with golf, quilting and doing research genealogy. She and husband George will head to Ireland in the fall. Linda Israel Lamm and Doug celebrated their 40th anniversary and 65th birthdays in Paris and had a blast. Christy Lundt Lambertus and her husband continue to practice law together in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Traveling is high on their list of activities, with four European River cruises under their belts. They toured the Holy Land last year with a church group.

Fortunately, Sue Barncord Rinker and family escaped damage from Hurricane Sandy at their Rehoboth Beach, Del., home. They planned to travel back to Baltimore in the winter to see the grandchildren. Jill Windisch Peterson and husband Craig retired from their jobs in New Jersey and now live in an adult community in Gainesville, Va., near their daughter and granddaughter, Rebecca. Jill keeps busy with bridge, volunteering and ushering at a performing arts center. Recent travels took the Petersons to Ireland and the Caribbean. Nancy Roe Hebdon and husband announced that their daughter Amanda was married in October. Their grandson Christopher is a freshman at The George Washington Univ. Connie Meek took a trip of a lifetime this summer to Norway. The highlight was a two-week cruise aboard a National Geographic Expedition ship sailing toward the North Pole in search of polar bears, which she saw, in addition to walruses, puffins whales and seals.

Anne Purcell Bagley and her husband Bruce moved to Kansas City, Mo., nine years ago. They travel quite a bit within the U.S. and Europe, and enjoy opera, the symphony and musical theater. They have nine grandchildren under the age of 8. Carol Crofoot Hayes retired from the position of associate general counsel and corporate secretary of the Coca-Cola Company and received a master’s degree in professional counseling. She lives in Bluffton, S.C., and practices in Savannah. Her daughter Lisa recently had twin girls. Punkie Van Wert VanAs and husband Bill live in Jacksonville, Fla., and recently headed north on a Civil War trip and stopped by Hood on the way. Punkie was surprised by the many changes, mainly to Coblentz Dining Hall, after so many years. There is no longer a lovely staircase by the dining hall, or laundry and storage rooms in the basement! In the gym she saw the photo of her sister Susie Van Wert Loustaunau ’72 and her swimming relay team on the Hall of Fame wall.

Mary Ann Thune Lasko has been married for 39 years and has two children and three grandchildren. She works for her husband’s business, Washington Photocopy, as the office manager and “she does everything no one else does.” She occasionally sees Joy McGinnis who lives in Pennsylvania and manages the Berwick United Way. Pat Etzel Parker said, “Gardening and garden club keep me hopping, better said, panting with work overload.” She travels all over the world with her wine advocate husband and just missed seeing Ellen Kiel in Paris by two days. Marty Silcox Hankins continues to teach computer classes at the Odyssey School in Stevenson, Md., a K-8 school for children with dyslexia. She is still busy with pottery and has a Christmas studio show and sale coming up. She has four grandchildren, two live in Baltimore and two live in Houston. She recently saw Lila Wisotski, founder of Lila’s Bisus Beads, at her jewelry show and sale.

Chris Diehl resides in West Haven, Conn., and retired from public school teaching in 2007. She currently teaches as an adjunct instructor at the local community college. She travels when time permits and tends to an organic garden. Margaret Dunkle continues to be lead research scientist with the Department of Health Policy at The George Washington Univ., and lives on the Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. She is also doing work with the national campaign for grade-level reading with a focus on addressing health and developmental issues early and effectively. My old roomie Cindy Kannapel Weiss and I keep up throughout the year by email. Cindy and Glenn’s son Charles was married in May in Philadelphia. Granddaughter Bryn was a junior bridesmaid. The Weiss family travel to Marco Island, Fla., several times a year. I keep prodding them to detour over to the Panhandle one of these days. Carole Downing Staton has settled nicely into retirement. She has “hung up her chalk” after 30 years! She wonders now how she ever found the time to work full time.

Sarah Jane Snyder Raffety and Clyde are adjusting to his recent retirement. They enjoyed having their oldest daughter visit from Saipan where she lives with her husband and two children. Sarah Jane keeps busy with art and church activities. Although she did not graduate with our class, Susie Oliver Schneider has fond memories of her time at Hood. She teaches first grade in Marblehead, Mass., and for fun participates in sailing races. Following their son’s wedding in August, Jean Winn Swan and Bob celebrated 40 years of marriage with a National Geographic trip to the Galapagos and then on to Peru and Machu Pichu. Jean said, “Walking the Inca trail to the Sun Gate was like 2½ hours on the Stairmaster, but it was well worth it.” Daughter Kate planned to return for the holidays after living in Hong Kong for five years, and planned to bring her granddaughter Josie. A little brother is due shortly.

This past year, Jo Ann McManamy moved from Massachusetts to The Villages, Fla. In October, she had open heart surgery to mend a defective aortic valve. She gets better every day. Maureen Clancy has a new blog titled A Blog About Matters of Taste and frequently does speaking engagements describing how a food editor can eat her way around the world and not gain inches or pounds. Since husband T’s retirement from his medical practice, they have been spending more time at their Colorado vacation home and visiting their two sons, one in San Francisco and the other in Philadelphia. They spent the month of June in Europe. Betsy (Seele) Gotta celebrated 50 years of calling square dances in 2012. She received a certificate of recognition from the International Association of Square Dance Callers––CALLERLAB at their convention in April. In June, Betsy was recognized for calling at 50 consecutive national square dance conventions by the governing board of the National Square Dance Conventions, the NEC. The convention in Spokane, Wash., was also attended by Jill Stanley ’69 and her husband Adam Zins. Finally, her home club, Rutgers Promenaders sponsored a square dance party in November, which was called by three internationally known callers and attended by nearly 300 people. It was an amazing day. Betsy planned to see Hood graduates in February 2013, when she will be visiting Anchorage, Alaska, to call for the Mid-Winter Square Dance Festival. She will of course visit Jill Stanley then.

I, Sayre Roney Steere, keep on running at least 10 miles a week, attend fitness classes every day, and hold several positions within my garden club. In May, we flew to Seattle, Wash., to visit daughter Joan and our three granddaughters, then went on to see Doris in Palo Alto, Calif. I wish the girls did not like the West Coast so well! We will head back that way for Christmas with the family.

Class Reporter: