1971
Mary McMunigal Burland
mburl5@verizon.net

Mindy Laighton Wilcox
mlwilcox3@gmail.com

We are deeply saddened to report that Rev. Carolyn Perry Dukenski passed away on March 6, 2014, from a stroke. Carolyn was an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Connecticut where her gift for pastoral care will be sorely missed. Our sincere condolences to her husband Ron and sons Jay and Stephen. If you would like to read her obituary and see a current picture of Carolyn, please email me at mlwilcox3@gmail.com. Edith Purdie reported that she continues to live at a fast pace doing proposal consulting and a little traveling. May 2013 was a whirlwind of graduations—her niece Alice graduated from high school, her youngest daughter Patty earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College in Maryland, and her oldest daughter Jenny earned a master’s degree from the Univ. of Maryland. Betsy Cooper Pizzolato said she is lucky to have a cousin with a beautiful home in Puerto Vallarta where she and Tom visited to escape the January cold. They have taken a couple of tours to Canada and to the Pacific Northwest. Daughter Jane visited them in San Francisco at the end of the Pacific Northwest tour. Daughter Karen is engaged and Betsy and Tom visited Karen’s future in-laws in Wyoming where Betsy rode ATVs and shot shotguns, both out of character for her! Tom will retire from the Univ. of Delaware at the end of the year after 38 years of teaching. Alice Paul McGinnis continues to enjoy retirement with a lot of traveling and volunteer work. She recently purchased a rebuilt Steinway grand piano and really enjoys practicing on it. Allyson Washburn has lived in San Francisco for 30 years and loves the rich cultural life, the restaurants and the liberal politics. She is currently a psychology/gerontology professor at National Univ. teaching all her classes online. Her son Ben and his wife Christy are both physical therapists and live across the bay with daughters Raya and Olivia. Her daughter Alyssa and husband Ray live in Oakland where Alyssa is a defense attorney and Ray teaches eighth grade history. They are expecting Allyson’s third granddaughter.  Allyson is able to see all of them frequently. Mary McMunigal Burland said that after a horrible winter in Philadelphia she is especially enjoying summer. She and Bill have been to Kiawah, S.C. They spent the fourth of July on Cushing Island, Maine, a private island in Casco Bay where there are no stores, no cars and no golf carts.  It is a beautiful place where you can do absolutely nothing and enjoy it. They are planning another trip to Kiawah in September and a river cruise to France, Germany and Switzerland next year. I, Mindy Laighton Wilcox, and my husband Bill went on a Hood sponsored river cruise in Holland and Belgium in April. There were nine other Hood graduates on the trip including Wilma Diehl Robley ’74. Her sister Chris Diehl ’69 was in our big sister class. It was a great trip and fun to get to know all the other alumni from all different decades. Mary and I were disappointed not to have heard from more of you this time. I know many of our classmates look forward to hearing what everyone has been up to when the Hood Magazine arrives so even if you have never sent news before please drop us a line to check in. You do not need to write volumes, just tell us what is going on with you now. We would love to know.

1970
Karin Ninesling Infuso        
kinfuso@aol.com
45th reunion, June 5-7, 2015

The information for this column arrived via email, telephone conversations and a holiday letter.  A. Karen Blair  retired from her longtime position at Towson Univ. in Maryland. She and her husband George left Maryland and moved to Troy, N.C. in May 2014. They are living in a house she renovated and redecorated while she completes the renovation of a second home. After beginning her college education at Hood, Karen DeLeeuw Noon transferred to Northwestern Univ., but she still keeps in touch with Hood through this magazine. She has three children and six grandchildren and has a “good life” in Raleigh, N.C. Lynne Britt Demers Becker  reported that her two daughters are expecting their second children. Lynne was “honored and delighted” to receive the Association of Advancement Services Professionals’ Lifetime Achievement Award.  She officially retired on her 65th birthday. She married Harry Hogan and they travel to the Netherlands and to Texas to visit Lynne’s daughters and to the British Virgin Islands to sail. She maintains that “life is good.” Martha Hassell retired in June 2014 after 33 years as dean of students at New England School of Photography. Marty plans to continue teaching a course in the history of photography and serving as a member of the program advisory committee at the school. However, she wants to travel while she is still healthy and fit. She celebrated her retirement on a cruise on the largest cruise ship in the world and will travel to Alaska in August.  Shortly thereafter, she will plan a hiking trip in New Hampshire. Ann Lefko Heslin went back to work last year at the Howard County Maryland Department of Social Services. Her daughter Laura has a master’s degree in sociology and works at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Her son John was named Drill Sergeant of the Year in the U.S. Army, completed Ranger School and is stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. Anne’s daughter Sara graduated from Salisbury Univ. and works for a computer science corporation in Texas. Anne also reported that she has four grandchildren. Kimberley Moore Pressler cares for her father who is 94 years old but also makes time to perfect her bridge game. Her husband is busy with his construction business and recently worked on the remodel of LaGuardia Airport in New York. She and her husband traveled to St. Croix, the Galapagos and to India for a tiger safari. Kim’s children and grandchildren live and work in Honolulu and Kailua, Hawaii and St. Croix. Margaret Muncie still enjoys living in Greenville, S.C. She will travel to NYC in November and is “very humbled and excited” to be the 2014 recipient of the General Theological Seminary Distinguished Alumni/ae Award. Donna Newman is working part time with a group of physicians on a nonpharmaceutical solution to the metabolic syndrome. Donna still loves to travel and recently returned from a two-week sailing trip in the British Virgin Islands.  Karin Ninesling Infuso still enjoys retirement in Moore County, N.C. Although not a golfer, she watched with interest the preparations for the men’s and women’s U.S. Open golf tournaments in Pinehurst, N.C., and attended the women’s championship round. Karin’s daughter Kate is certified to teach exceptional children and recently completed a graduate course in teaching reading comprehension and a course in American Sign Language. After a year of successfully managing health concerns, Karin and her husband are traveling again with a family trip to Italy and Paris.  Anne Parkin Pierpont is contending with her husband’s health concerns, but she feels “blessed” by a great job, friends and “a beautiful daughter.” She looks forward to our class reunion in 2015. Mary “Sam” Ryan Reeves and her husband John traveled to Peru and Bolivia; Machu Picchu was on their “bucket list” and it did not disappoint. Sam and Marj Menchey Bernstein will host a cocktail party at Sam’s house during our 45th reunion. Sam, Marj and Ellen Sacks, P’09 are planning a souvenir to commemorate the occasion. Ellen is still working and living in Brooklyn, N.Y., with her husband and her dog. Her children live nearby. She would love the ease of a house on one level, but that type of house does not exist in Brooklyn. Ellen will vacation this summer in Bethany Beach, Del. She rents Sam Ryan’s beach house and enjoys spending some time with Sam. I want to thank the classmates who sent news for this column. I encourage other classmates to update their email addresses and send information for the next column.

The Class of 1968 needs a new class reporter. Please contact the office of alumni relations at alumoffice@hood.edu if you would like to become the reporter.

Margo Melton Nutt has published James Melton: The Tenor of His Times. James Melton was perhaps the first multi-media performer—concerts, recordings, movies, the Metropolitan Opera, radio and television. The book is a daughter’s attempt to rediscover the fascinating man who was her father. Copies of the book may be ordered through Amazon.com or directly from the author at Margo Melton Nutt, 560 Hawk Pine Road, Norwich, VT 05055 or tenorofhistimes@gmail.com.

1967
Patricia Rosner Kearns
kearns.patricia@gmail.com

Angela Milea Mogin asks all members of the class of ’67 who remember Dr. Lewis’ classes if they would like to contribute to the Dr. Virginia E. Lewis Fund (institutional advancement department). Judy Lehman Ballinger is enjoying new places: activities in Berks Co., Pa., getting to a Hood basketball game and meeting local alums. “My silk painting business keeps growing, grandkids have increased to seven. My first-grade teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up and I said, ‘artist.’ I celebrated my 69th birthday and I am finally grown up and an artist! I enjoyed seeing Ginny Munson Hammell last summer in Cape May. I planned my first trip to Europe since 2001 to an art workshop in southern France,” said Judy. Ginny Munson wrote, “I spent a wonderful few days in March-April with Pat Jones VanMater at her and Peter’s digs in Naples and trying to work my way down to Sicily. Daughter Hilary is an attorney, son Davis still not sure about his career.” Ginny lives in Alexandria, Va., and loves it. Not this winter! She is on the board of community lodgings, moving families to independence through transitional housing, job training and education programs. Marianne Kearney has moved to Woodstock to her beloved childhood summer place. The address is 167 Glenford Wittenberg Rd., Glenford, NY 12433; 845-6570-6224. Retired from education in St. Louis, she engages in local activism having joined the hydraulic gas fracking controversy in New York state . Company is always welcome so stop by or stay when traveling near the Hudson River Valley. Kris Campbell Joyce’s 96-year-old mother Ann passed peacefully in her sleep Feb. 8. “The French House triple roomies, Judy Lehman Ballinger, Cheryl Wray Kirk and I have all lost our mothers over the past couple years but have been sharing what an impact these losses are and I am grateful to have this comfort.” Beth Costello Hobby said, “life has had its ‘ups and downs’–the fall tornadoes missed the house but detritus landed all over the yard, a roll of wallpaper, a German hymnal and a bucket  of charcoal briquettes. Among others, I have been doing art work again. My sculpture, assemblages and collages may cause conventional residents to raise a few eyebrows. I lost my mom in February just short of her 91st birthday; not visiting her every week has been one of the ‘downs’. Partner Sandy’s health is not always the best, but I have been blessed, although I do not always recognize the lady in the mirror! The best ‘up’ I have is fabulous 8-month-old great-nephew who plays bongos and dances and goes by the name JAME-O. Who could ask for more in a kid?” Ann Goodhart enjoys retirement and spends time gardening, reading and cooking. She returned to the East Coast in 2010, retiring after 40 years as a librarian, the last 13 years as a library director in Vancouver. Husband James Delgado is director of maritime heritage for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and an underwater archaeologist. They spend their travel time visiting new granddaughter in California. Cynthia Newby is semi-retired and writes for McGraw-Hill––more happily, working in the garden (garden conservancy tour planned for Sept. 7). Cyndi shared a great quote from Margaret Atwood, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” Gail Witham Pohl now has 18 grandchildren! Doug has retired but still teaches at the Univ. in Georgia. They enjoyed a trip to China in December and planned to head to Uganda this summer where their daughter’s family lives, including eight of their grandchildren whom they have not seen for two years. Gail keeps up with Dorrie Macgregor Spurlock who works full-time at the Univ. of Utah in Salt Lake City after teaching first grade. Elly MacHale Szum wrote from Bucolic, N.H. After Hood, Elly headed to Cambridge, Mass., where she met husband Richard and earned a master’s degree in education focused on the emotionally disturbed child. She taught troubled children until twins were born in 1982. She retired this past year as an elementary school librarian. Richard retired after globetrotting for Siemens. Daughter Carolyn works in Beijing, daughter Kate and husband are in Ithaca, N.Y., and her twin brother John is in the U.S. military in California. Elly and Richard enjoy their home and gardens. We are limited to 750 words; apologies for the edits and cuts. Full report is online at http://classnews.hoodmarketing.org.

1966
Dianne Beebe Barske
dielbarske@alaska.com

I am turning over this class column to our 50th reunion committee and an update received from Ginny Wheeler Jones, M.A.’88. Yes, we are nosing up against 50 years since we graduated! Before I quote Ginny, I want to thank the committee members. Along with Ginny, they are Pat Vozar Bailey, Sarah Bruce, Susan Worth Fiala and Judy Messina. Save the dates—June 10 to 12, 2016. Here is Ginny’s update, written at the end of June 2014, “The 50th reunion committee has moved a little farther ahead! Pat Vozar Bailey and I were able to visit Hood and attend the alumni luncheon on June 7. We wanted a look at how things were organized for our big sisters’ 50th reunion! We had a great time and learned quite a few things. We enjoyed the campus and the chatting of ’66 memories between us. One of our highlights was talking with the chair of the 50th reunion for the class of ’63, Bobby Campbell Rickman ’63, M.A.’75, P’96, who was most helpful in planning our 25th! She has already shared a packet of useful details and ideas, making our attendance well worth it. From our visit, we learned there are some things we can begin to do now: 1. Start our own collection of photos and memorabilia from our Hood days, especially if this is a time of down-sizing for you–SAVE these things! 2. Consider if you, someone in your family or a friend would be willing and able to make a DVD to share at the reunion using photos collected from classmates. 3. Consider if you, someone in your family or a friend likes scrapbooking and would be willing and able to put some photos and information about each of us into a booklet to be copied. 4. Consider if you would like to help arrange the chapel service on Sunday morning of our reunion weekend that is led by our class. The College is extremely helpful with the planning of this big reunion! We have researched and it looks as we will be able to have a lovely place on campus for a sit-down dinner as requested as we left our 45th reunion! The committee will plan for another alumni weekend visit in June 2015 to gather final ideas then begin the real effort for our 50th reunion, as fund-raising can officially begin July 1, 2015. Our exciting time to be together again and celebrate our 50th will be here before we know it! If you would like to help in any way mentioned, please contact me at virginia.w.jones@gmail.com and I will share your interest with the committee. With thanks.” Ginny refers to downsizing. That is exactly what we did around Christmas, a few months ago, a drastic downsize! Our little home is about one-third the size of our big, old Anchorage house, home for 35 years. We love the new home, just a few minute walk from a pretty, little lake and a creek down the road, with miles of walking/biking trails. Among our first visitors, this past June, was one of my Hood roommates Jane Dearstyne Veeder and her husband Chuck. It had been 41 years since Janie and I had been together and the years just melted away as we visited and toured around Anchorage together.  Now, I have recently reconnected through Facebook with graduate school roommate Esther Paist who promises to visit next summer (I am putting this in print, Estie, to make it a real plan). Estie and I roomed together at the Univ. of Wisconsin in Madison. In July, we planned to leave for a Big Barske Beach family reunion at the Connecticut shore, and head off on a Prairie Home Companion Cruise to the Baltic––flying to London and sailing from Dover on to Copenhagen into a port in Germany connected to Berlin. Then, travel to Estonia and to St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; then to Stockholm, Sweden. Let me pause there for a minute, since I am very happy about Stockholm. I planned to see Eva Redvall ’67 who was a Swedish exchange student while we were at Hood. I think a lot of you will remember her, very involved in music and now a European opera critic! I could not wait to see her. From Stockholm, we go back to Denmark and on to Dover to fly home! I hope a lot of us will begin planning for our 50th reunion!

1965
Catherine Beyer Meredith
alto1cat@aol.com

Emily Kilby
erk44@verizon.net
50th reunion, June 5-7, 2015

In April, Pixie Fell contacted me, Emily Kilby, from Corvallis, Ore., with the distressing news that classmate Marsha Schmidt was hospitalized in New York City with life-threatening complications after surgery. Pixie continued the updates as Marsha showed some signs of improvement, then finally succumbed to acute pulmonary distress on April 14 in the company of family and friends, including Brooklynite Bonnie Bolway Nuzum. Marsha’s New York Times obituary reported that she “graduated from Tenafly High School in 1961 and from Hood College in Frederick, Md., in 1965 after making lifelong friends at both schools. She excelled at languages and earned several graduate-level teaching certificates, which enabled her to teach Spanish and coach non-English speaking visiting diplomats from the United Nations who were new to New York City. She also had a successful career in marketing and held several executive positions at book publisher Doubleday and Company. It was at Doubleday where Marsha met John O’Donnell, whom she married and with whom she spent 10 happy years before his death in 1993. Since his death Marsha split her time between New York City and Oakdale, Long Island, and enjoyed the loyal companionship of college and career friends. She loved to travel to Europe and especially to Mexico where she had enjoyed many happy vacations with John.” Marsha is survived by her father and her brother Paul and his family. Despite their East Coast/West Coast separation, Pixie and Marsha had renewed their close college friendship in recent years and enjoyed travels together and weekly phone conversations. “We shared the same wry sense of humor about the absurdity of life,” Pixie wrote, “and we both thought cats were often more captivating than humans.” Marsha had been planning to attend our 50th reunion with Pixie, Bonnie and Barb Hyde Sands and her absence will be felt next June. Jamie Barr Gartelmann wrote that she and Peter still move around between their three homes, but when at their New Jersey home their five nearby grandchildren and their garden keep them busy. The last few years have included the loss of both sets of parents, with the sadness offset by the good memories. Last November, the Gartelmanns visited with Ann Fulton Warren, husband Tom and Ann’s father in Potomac during travel between New Jersey and North Carolina. Dr. Fulton recalled in great detail a dad and daughter weekend when he and Jamie’s dad were roomies. Jamie wrote that Ann and she “are very excited about our reunion and hope that many of those who we have not seen for a while will make the effort to come. At our last reunion I had such a good time visiting with classmates that I did not even know that well at our last reunion. There are so many interesting life journeys to share with one another.” The big event of the year for Catherine Beyer Meredith and her family was the marriage of her “baby” Caroline (age 37) on May 25 at the family compound in the northern Baltimore suburbs. Both the bride and the day were beautiful. Meg Knox Marik has been living in Yakama, Wash., for the past 18 years following retirement from a 30-plus year career of fund-raising for higher educational institutions around the country. Yakama is in wine country on the “dry” side of the mountains and Meg really likes the weather and the community. “Starting in September 2012,” Meg wrote, “I spent eight months in four different hospitals until the doctors at Oregon Health Sciences Univ. in Portland finally diagnosed what was wrong with me and began treatment. I am now almost fully recovered and will try to attend the class reunion in 2015.” Carolyn Oldman Gregory remains in Albuquerque, N.M., with her pooch Higgins, although she sometimes considers moving to Columbia, S.C., to be close to her ailing mother and her sister. Sympathies to Chris Plankenhorn Tischer, P’86  whose mother died last December after turning 100 in November. My own mentally capable, physically diminished 96-year-old mother became a permanent resident in my little rancher in June. My next-older brother had been her very obedient companion in the 16-room farm house for many years, but he fractured his first vertebra in a fall after Easter and, following rehab and assisted living, he is now in an apartment of his own. Dismantling Mother’s home of 53 years has been hard. I am amazed at how many of us have living parents even as we prepare for our 50th college reunion.

1963
Dorothy Snyder Engle, P’96
dengle3699@aol.com

Kathie Anderson Houchens reported that she and Dave had a relaxing trip with good weather to England staying out of cities and visiting places like Stonehenge, the Cotswolds, Lake District and Bath. She said that driving on the left took two of them, one to steer and the other to call out directions. They stayed at B and B’s and met lots of interesting people. Big news is Katie has retired! Lin Chait Solomon, M.A.’84, M.A.’95 said she cannot believe it has been more than a year since our 50th reunion. Lin is enjoying having the time to read, lunch, tutor and volunteer at the school where her daughter teaches. Lin’s taken several trips on the Mississippi and a wonderful enlightening trip to Central Europe. She visits grandchildren in Maryland, Virginia and Connecticut. Sue Oster Robinson and Dave have moved from New Windsor, Md., to a retirement community in Pennsylvania. Dottie Hussennetter Ritz and Bob are enjoying their new home that they built to accommodate six children and 12 grandchildren when they all descend at the same time. They stay busy with golf and keep up with their clan. A trip was in the works for Helen Pinckney Schafer and Bill as they spent several days in London before picking up their Princess Cruise for the sail around the British Isles. Mary-Verdella Wagner Nelson  and Paul have a wonderful one-bedroom condo in the north end of Boston not far from the water. They stay busy with their three grandsons and the rest of their family and loads of friends who visit them there and at the cabin retreat in Maine. Paul plays a big role in the management of their condo building. Sue Colton Gibbons traveled to Germany with her church choir to perform concerts, following the steps of Luther, Bach, Handel, Buxtehude and on into what was East Germany. This brings back memories of Sue’s trip with the Hood Choir doing a month of United Service Organizations shows. More military activities for Pat Taylor Santelli as her oldest grandson is off to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Carolyn Matusiewski Cannava, P’87 said the fire in Alaska that burned over an area twice the size of Manhattan was away from her. She visited daughter Tara Cannava ’87 in Seattle and then to Maryland for a visit with her Hood roommate Kathy Roach Hoff  . Carolyn traded Alaskan king crab legs for Maryland crab cakes and found Maryland colder than Alaska! Courtney Womack Pilgrim   reported that Denny, her husband of 52 years, died peacefully at home under Hospice care on April 30, 2014. He fought Myelodysplastic syndrome, a disease of the bone marrow that resulted from previous chemotherapy. As for me, Dottie Snyder Engle, P’96, I’m always busy. Bobby Campbell Rickman, M.A.’75, P’96, Sally Schaeffer Morse and I attended the alumni luncheon to hear that the class of ’64 had raised $87,000. When Dr. Volpe heard this, he said he did not like uneven numbers, so he pledged $13,000. In May Ron and I took a road trip to visit Dottie Hussennetter Ritz and Bob, and experienced their wonderful home and hospitality for several days. We left and arrived at West Point just in time for the last one hour tour of the day. We then traveled to Boston to visit Mary-Verdella and Paul after a great picnic with their daughter’s family and friends. The next trip was a Collette tour in Italy for daughter Robin’s 40th birthday. Heading south, we toured Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri then on to Florence. We visited the Boboli Gardens, the Ponte Vecchio, Gates of Paradise and had a quick trip to Pisa and another short visit to Verona to see the supposed home of Juliet. We loved Venice for the canals and gondola ride and the trip to Murano Island to the glass factory. Our last overnight in Italy was the beautiful Stresa. While there we took a short trip into Switzerland to Locarno and then it was back to reality. To all of our sisters who are suffering from falls, illnesses and other reasons for pain and sadness, we are holding you to our hearts. If I missed any messages you sent, misspelled anything or reported false information, credit me with literary license. We had a suggestion to, perhaps, have an “in between” reunion. I am up for that. Let me know if you are interested.

1961
Katharine Baum Wolpe
kwolpe@gmail.com

Marty Kaiser Canner
plcanner@juno.com

Kathie Baum Wolpe is active with the Village Independent Democrats and St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery in NYC and enjoys her two-year relationship with Philip, an adjunct world literature professor. Highlight of the spring was the Washington, D.C., wedding of niece Judy Umberger and Ryu Suzuki in May. Sally Bennett Edwards still plays tennis indoors in the winter and outdoors in the spring, summer and fall. She works part time at the weekly local newspaper, line dances once a week and plays bridge. In April 2014 she went to Nashville to watch the Univ. of Connecticut compete in the Women’s Final Four Basketball Tournament. She spent much of the summer at her house on Cape Cod. Nancy Brown Braudrick was busy in the summer celebrating the birthdays of her daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, grandson and three granddaughters, all of whom were born in June, July or August. Her son was born in December. Nancy has a new telephone number, 541-373-1527. Suzanne Brown Wellcome and husband Page have traveled to Cambodia, India, Paris, London and Ireland. They planned a trip to Kenya and Tanzania in September. Suzanne does consulting and usually works from three to six months every year. Vivi Bruckel Harvey teaches English to international visitors at Ohio State. She spends every winter in Guatemala teaching English. In October she will lead a group of 19 women to Peru. Ann Coleman Alexander taught public school music 25 years, retiring in 2006. Her husband Gene died in 2010 from cancer. She is now employed by Messiah Lutheran Church in Sykesville, Md., as director of music. Her sons Brian and David and daughter Conni Ann live close by. Her son Jeff lives in San Francisco. We extend our condolences to Ann on the death of her husband. Kit Compton Long wrote that the good news is there is no big news with her. She and husband John enjoy their garden, their town (San Luis Obispo) and the California weather. Ann Corderman Helton said she does not have interesting news right now, but that life is good. Jan Dobbs Pedersen creates watercolor paintings and makes cards from them. She and husband Tom live at Seabrook, a retirement community. She and Tom travel with the Road Scholar group. Mary Anne (Fleet) Fleetwood still lives in Rehoboth, Del. She is writing a book on animals. She invites any classmates who visit Rehoboth to call her so they can get together. Susan Kaehrle planned to visit Christine (Tina) Steere Lamb in Maine in July. Tina’s husband Chuck died earlier this year. We extend our condolences to Tina who was in our class for freshman and sophomore years. Hilda Koontz is doing a series of lectures on Civil War history for regional historical societies. She and Spencer are busy with Civil War re-enactments and she planned to visit her son, daughter and four grandchildren in Iowa and Minnesota this summer. Sandy Murphy Schmidt and husband Bob live at the Charlestown retirement community in Catonsville, Md. They love their independent living apartment on 105 landscaped acres. The chapel’s acoustics are great for concerts. Anita Ranoldo Miner and husband Dick live in a condo in Salt Lake City. She volunteers her time with the Coalition of Religious Communities. As a deacon at her church she handles pastoral care issues. She and Dick will be going to Salamanca, Spain, in September. Brenda Sheaffer Hillard fulfilled a dream this May when she attended a crewel embroidery class taught by the Royal School of Needlework out of Hampton Court Palace in England. Janet Spaulding Nunn, P’06 and husband Jack took a cruise across the Atlantic to Africa. They visited 19 countries. Janet reported that at the recent Hood Board of Trustees meeting, the trustees accepted Dr. Volpe’s resignation with regret. Dorothy Willis Rainwater and husband Roger planned to go to Croatia in June to join an archaeological dig of a Roman villa with some Peace Corps friends. Bev Yarroll Sweetman was semi-retired three years ago when she turned Body Ease, her physical therapy practice, over to another therapist. She will continue to teach and help family and friends with physical therapy. As for the Canners, Paul and I, Marty Kaiser Canner, are still living in the same house in Catonsville, Md., we have lived in for the last 48 years. We hoped to visit our daughter Rebecca and her adopted daughter Kate in Montana in late July. Kathie Baum Wolpe is co-reporter for our class news. We hope to alternate writing the columns.

1960
Barbara Bailey Reinhold
breinhold@charter.net

Karen Nordberg Sanders
knsanders60@yahoo.com
55th reunion, June 5-7, 2015

Best wishes to all my classmates! We are not getting any younger, but we are doing the best we can—right? We were all sad to learn of the March death of Betsy Bennett Wiegand after a short battle with esophageal cancer. Some of you probably attended her funeral. On a lighter note, Gretchen Beckhelm has “delightful memories” from Hood’s cruise through the waterways of Holland and Belgium where she visited with Judy Hodges Weaver ’60 and her little sister Courtney Gurley Sieck ’62. Paul and Marcia Newson White left stormy Massachusetts and spent January to March doing fun activities and visiting Marcia’s brother in Florida. Marcia enjoys Yoga. The Whites spent Easter with their daughter Kristin’s family. In May, Don and I, Karen Nordberg Sanders, enjoyed a visit with John and Maryann Whitehead Scherzo, touring the Seattle area with expert guides! The guys also played golf, while Maryann and I toured museums and much more. I love the Chihuly Glass Museum! The Scherzos had recently returned from a trip to Italy with their daughters. Patti “Cookie” Cook Bingemer and Chuck had a fun trip to Hawaii. Cookie sings in her church choir and also plays the bells. She belongs to a book club and a bridge group. She is also in touch with classmate Mary Jane Sunday Whelan who suffers from Parkinson’s disease and hopefully has been admitted to her choice of an assisted living, First Colonial Inn, after being in rehab following several falls. Sunny’s son Dan looks after her. Ann Sampson Adams and Tom sold their Florida home and bought a villa in Del Webb at Lake Oconee (south of Atlanta), to be close to Ann’s daughter who recently underwent a mastectomy. Ann enjoys the indoor pool and other activities. Tom plays tennis and pickleball. Avery Burns, who lives in the D.C. area, said, “Politics and congress are driving me crazy. I have never seen a more ineffectual do-nothing bunch of people!” Avery enjoyed her family in Michigan over New Year’s. Luckily, she made it out on the last plane to leave Detroit for 10 days! Pam Skells Ladley wrote from her home on the Olympic Peninsula, where she and Art have lived since 1978. Pam stays busy with local community activities, their church and family. When Pam wrote in late March they were about to leave on a 20-day ship and land excursion via the Azores, Lisbon, Gibraltar and Spain. Sounds fun! In October, they hope to see Marty Evans Marcello and Tom Marcello on their way to or from Art’s 60th U.S. Coast Guard Academy reunion. Marty and Tom live in New Hampshire. Helen Price Ballantine, P’83 wrote that she, husband Bob and their daughter Carolyn Ballantine True ’83, M.A.’12 attended the memorial service “of our dear friend and classmate Betsy Wiegand. The service was absolutely beautiful, with lovely tributes by family and friends, among them our Hood President Ron Volpe. My family and Bet’s shared a long history and she will be sorely missed, not only by us, but all who knew her.” Helen is glad their brutal winter has gone! Speaking of President Volpe, I am sure I am not alone in being disappointed by his recent resignation. He has done so much for Hood and he will be hard to replace. Don and I are not as busy as we once were after having spent a little over three years in Golden, Colo., in a 55-plus neighborhood near our youngest son’s family. We looked forward to a trip over the July 4thweekend to visit Don’s three siblings, where we will also see our three children, nine grandchildren and four great-grands! Where has the time gone? We sing in our church choir, a larger Lutheran Chorale (which tours Colorado in August), and Don plays trombone in a community band and subs in a dance band. Having been a travel agent since 1991, Don heads up a cruise each year. In October we fly to Barcelona and then head back to Florida on our first trans-oceanic cruise. Like some of you classmates, we are active in neighborhood activities: luncheons, dinners, picnics, book club and much more. As a nonswimmer, I have exercised in the water for 25 years. Water Zumba is my current favorite! Thanks to each of you who responded to my plea for information. Our doors are open to those who would like to visit the mountains. Our current home is the smallest we have had, but it does have a guest room! Have a great summer!

News updates:

Betsy Paul Crawford wrote, “Richard and I have been married 56 years (miracle, right?). We have two sons, seven grandkids and one great (only 4-months-old) and we’re thrilled! We live in Gwynedd Valley, Pa., for five months and Vero Beach, Fla., the other seven. We have two Christian radio stations that we are still actively running. He does the managerial stuff and I keep the books. I did not think I would still be working at age 76, but it keeps me out of getting into too much trouble. My sister Nancy Paul Stimson ’57 visited a few weeks ago and we attended her granddaughter’s bridal shower. I also recently attended my granddaughter’s wedding in Pittsburgh. So, life goes on and we are thankful for everything!”

Gretchen Beckhelm reported, “In July after a delightful stay with John and Maryann Whitehead Scherzo in Seattle, I cruised the inside passage of Alaska on the 40-passenger Alaskan Dream.  It was a “dream” vacation.  In September I rented a condo in Leland, Michigan for two weeks and visited with family and friends there. Now I intend to plant my feet on home turf for a while.”

1958
Marilyn Garis Kellow
maggiehood@hnet.net

Susanne Smith Evans enjoys a higher energy level after major open-heart surgery more than a year ago. “Being a bionic woman isn’t all bad,” she said. She was about to depart with friends on their boat for a cruise to Maine and said salt air and sailing is the best medicine. Sue Brown Melech and Bob have moved to 69 Cascade Drive ,Apt. 404, Rochester NY 14614. They hope to spend February, March and April in St. Petersburg, Fla. They had a great trip to Tanzania in February. Both enjoy good health except for Sue’s increasing loss of hearing from Meniere’s disease, but she manages just fine. Anne Walton Merriken and husband had trips planned in August to Atlanta to visit their son, daughter-in-law and 20-month-old granddaughter and New York to visit her sister Jane Walton Godfrey. They will visit her brother and his wife Karen Faller Walton ’65. Jeb Bennett Moran is busy traveling and having fun with friend Don. Sara Lea Callaway Redmon wrote, “Our lives are the same! We enjoy fairly good health and continue to be active. Carl services area nursing homes with a mobile dental group and rides his Harley.” Sara Lea has retired from 15 years as a volunteer in a second grade class, but continues scrapbooking, gardening, book club and bridge. Elly Baumgart Ritchie, P’89  spent six weeks remodeling her kitchen. She was preparing for the family gathering at the Jersey Shore and to spend a couple days with Joan Enterline. Penny Adams Rogers is in Hawaii and traveling less for the State Department. Her 25-plus years was enough, but she still loves consular work. Grandchildren, family and friends are the memories they are concentrating on; number one priority is loved ones and government service takes a second seat. Amelia Lauck Rothermel had a long three-plus months of health care. A severe bruise on her left leg led to a deep hematoma that became infected and led to emergency surgery, 13 weeks on a wound vac machine and skin grafting; she is now waiting to heal. “The good news is I have my leg!” said Amelia. Her husband Jim has been a godsend during this difficult time. Gail Shaffer is president of the local historical society and works six days a week as a volunteer. They operate a museum, restored a Victorian house and sponsor walking tours. In July, she planned to run a house and tent tour. The community has more than 100 tents where people live from May to September. In February she had a reunion in Florida with Ginny Lew Horger Grogan and Tookie Voorhees Quodomine. Marthanne Stephens Smith attended grandson Patrick’s high school graduation in Vermont. He will attend the Univ. of Hartford. Two other grandchildren: Allie will be a senior at Elon Univ. in North Carolina and brother Warner will be a sophomore at Johns Hopkins Univ. Grandson Andrew is an eighth grader. Marthanne takes courses at a community college. Nancy Anderson Stearns said,  “All is fine in Quiggleville. Same location and status quo other than a little older and grayer. I’m traveling and seeing the world; Tanzania was the latest. I enjoy being a great-grandmother without the direct care and feeding, just the cuddling and rocking part.” Mary Keener Warfield and husband Ed moved into Fairhaven, a senior community in Sykesville, Md. They enjoy good health; Ed is still an active Episcopal Priest at their church in Baltimore and Mary continues to be the parish/faith community nurse for the congregation. Their 15 grandchildren’s softball games keep them moving. Carole Moore White and Fritz moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Three daughters and families are there; they are happy with the involvement of family and blessed to be together. Jo Olmstead Witherington fits in traveling between singing concerts. She recently had a gospel tour. In August she will sing in a Mozart concert before leaving for Norway. In September her chorus will be performing The Music Man. “After being in hospice care for more than 13 months, my, Marilyn Garis Kellow, husband Dick slowly started having periods of unresponsiveness in early December and quietly passed away Jan. 7, 2014. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 48 and fought courageously for almost 32 years; the last 18 in Cedar Community Health Care Center. It is truly a blessing that he is at last at peace. Our family gathered during the holiday season and we celebrated his 80th birthday on December 23. Thank you for the cards and kind expressions of condolence.”