Class Notes
Correspondents are needed for the following class: 1966. If you are interested in being a correspondent for your class, please contact the Alumnae Relations Office at bulletin@danahall.org to learn more. Being a Class Correspondent is a wonderful way to keep in touch with your classmates and help share news and announcements with the Dana Hall community.
Please share your news with your Class Correspondent by October 16, 2023, for inclusion in the next issue of the Bulletin. If your class does not have a correspondent, please email your notes to bulletin@danahall.org or mail them to Class Notes, Alumnae Relations, Dana Hall School, 45 Dana Rd., Wellesley, MA 02482. All notes are due to the Alumnae Relations Office no later than October 30, 2023. Photograph submissions are welcome; however, in order to run a photo, it must be high resolution. That is, it must be at least 300 dpi at a 4x6 inch print size. If it takes up more than 1 MB of memory, it is probably high enough resolution. Please do not embed pictures in text.
Please note Dana Hall reserves the right to edit, format and select all materials for publication to accommodate news from nine decades of classes. This includes photos that do not appear because of their small size or low resolution. Due to the long lead time for the Bulletin, we refrain from publishing news about pregnancies.
Class of 1948
Collette Johnson Taylor 20252 Millbrook Drive Abingdon, VA 24211-6868
(207) 967-2352
Joan Landers O’Connell writes, “Found this photo of a mini-reunion of four classmates at Julie Hovey Slimmon’s and wanted to share it with the other members of the Class of 1948.”
Class of 1949
Virginia (Ginger) O’Hearn
Broadbent P81
88 Notch Hill Road #157
North Branford, CT 06471-1848
(203) 208-1475
virginiabroadbent@frontier.com
Connecticut had a very mild winter this year with very little snow and a few days of very cold weather. The daffodils bloomed early and were numerous. Our campus was beautiful. We didn’t have many tulips, but I (Ginger O’Hearn Broadbent) was told the rabbits love them. All is well with my
family. Pete, Deb and two kids are fine. Peter is happily retired and once his knee is replaced, he will be back on the golf course. Eric and Susie are very happy to be in their new house. All three boys are married and busy at work. Michael and Rhonda are fine and living in North Carolina. SusanMary Broadbent Redinger ’81 and Charles and two girls are doing well. Maggie is finishing her first year at UMass Amherst and Allison is looking forward to entering the University of Vermont this fall. Now for the class news:
Sarah (Sally) Hartley Sneve writes, “I keep track of Virginia (Ginnie) Starkey Thompson who lives in Rochester, Minn., but haven’t seen another Dana classmate for years. My sister, Lisa Hartley Hutchinson ’48, died in 2019, just a month after my Peter died. I am still in our home, still driving and just turned 91. Who would ever have thought of being so old. I spend a lot of time reading. My kids are all good. And good to me. Love to you.”
Nancy Redway Ford says “The only significant news is of two of my granddaughters. My son’s daughter, Alexa, received her master’s degree and is now working in a Florida school as a guidance counselor. My daughter Kathy’s second daughter, who is a high school senior, has chosen Providence College for her entrance as a freshman next year. She had a number of choices, but wanted their program for physical therapy. It sure is a struggle to just keep the old body moving, but we are all doing our best. Love to you all.”
Jennifer (Jenna) Hardy Speer writes that she is still in Maine and plans to “wait until Memorial Day to plant tomatoes in my
Earth Box. That is my ‘no-kneel’ garden! I’m still enjoying living with my son’s family with my own room on the first floor and feeling lucky. Life is good. Hi to everyone.”
Claire Burgin Allen writes, “As of last August, we are located in the assisted living part of our retirement community. Although still quite active, we made the decision to move before someone made the decision for us! We both play golf croquet about three times a week; still attend the Charleston Symphony and Pops concerts (with the help of buses from our community to take many of us); Jim sold his pickup truck to our oldest son and bought a golf cart to use around our lovely campus; sadly, sold our Vermont farm; and have three granddaughters getting married within a year of each other! Our progeny now includes: three sons, three daughtersin-laws, eight granddaughters, one grandson, two great-granddaughters, and two grandsons-in-law (with more to come)! Our current address is: 5 Bishop Gadsden Way, Unit 2006, Charleston, S.C., 29412. Cheers to all of us who are still here and to those wonderful memories of those who have gone.”
Roberta (Bobbie) Brown Mosher who lives in a facility in Stamford, Conn., is back from spending the month of January visiting her daughter Dottie and son-in-law in Salt Lake City, Utah. She then went to Santa Barbara, Calif., to visit her other daughter, Annie. She plans to visit Keyser Lake, a fishing camp in Maine where she, Charlie and family have gone for many years. Her son Chuck and his wife Ellen live nearby, which is so nice for Bobbie. They, too, will also go to Maine.”
Virginia (Vee) Henry Achey writes, “I am
44 Summer 2023
Helen Temple Baker Woolworth, Frances Waterman
Seymour, Julie Hovey Slimmon and Maizie Cameron Sanford
happily living in Greensboro, N.C., in a wonderful long-term care facility called Well-Spring in assisted living so they can handle my medications for me. I have free range of the campus and can participate in all activities and eat in any dining room I want, so all is well. My address is 3540 Wildflower Drive, Unit 523, Greensboro, N.C., 27410. My family all live in Florida and Colorado, but I have decades-long friends here. My love to all my classmates.”
Louise (Petey) Berke Wulff and Kurt are still living on Grove Street in Wellesley, Mass., and are watching the new Dana Classroom Building being built; Petey says it is beautiful. Petey fell and broke her hip and injured her femur last November. She is home from the hospital and rehab and doing well. Both she and Kurt are having great fun watching the wild turkeys, raccoons, squirrels, etc., who come to their backyard every day to feed. Petey says they are hysterical to watch. They have such a fun time playing together.”
Joan Tarlow Haldenstein writes, “We retired to an active adult community in Pennington, N.J. It is a lovely rural community next to Princeton and close to New York City and Philadelphia. We have a son in D.C. and another in Texas. And eight great-grandchildren! My husband John K. (Yale class of 1948) died in 2015. I am working on a book — not too easy at my age. Hope all is well. If anyone is visiting Princeton with grandchildren, my phone is (609) 818-1680. Leave a message. Best to all.”
I heard from Woody Mansergh that his mom Ruth Geisel-Mansergh had passed. He writes,“I need to report that my mom passed away on January 21. Thank you for all your concern and keeping track of her throughout the years. The nurse said she went peacefully in hospice at the skilled nursing home. I know she held you in very high regard. She was cremated and we hope to have a service in the future, jointly, with my father’s ashes at Stanford University Memorial Church; they met at Stanford! My mom told me several years ago that she had a good life and that she did everything she wanted to do. So it was a life well-lived, in part to her great start at Dana Hall. She did make it to 90; I knew I could get her there.”
Katy Phillips called me with the very sad news that Deborah (Debby) Phillips died peacefully on April 26, listening to Frank Sinatra on the radio. Three years ago,
Debby had a stroke and moved into a facility in Woodstock, Vt. I remained in touch with her until she stopped taking phone calls. Debby, Emmy Eckart Ogden, Ruthie Daniels Metcalf and I roomed together our senior year at Dana and lived in a suite on Fifth Avenue in Dana Main. We had a ball. Ruthie, Emmy and I were in each other’s weddings. We all remained in touch with each other until the end.
Class of 1951
Elizabeth (Betsy) Anne Cogswell Smith passed away on December 29, 2022, in Middlebury, Vt. Betsy’s sister, Margaret (Peggy) Smith Pratt ’46 predeceased her on February 10, 2022. Betsy’s seven nephews and nieces, including Karen Pratt ’72, were grateful to spend such wonderful times with her during her later years, and were with her during her final weeks. Betsy led a magnificent, purposeful life. In 1955, Betsy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College. Betsy played the piano beautifully, and throughout her life composed theatrical songs in the classic Broadway tradition. After college, Betsy was drawn to Cambridge, Mass., with its wealth of intellectual opportunities, international diversity and proximity to her family living in Vermont. For more than three decades, from 1957-1993, she made significant contributions at Harvard University. Betsy delighted in staying in touch with friends from Dana Hall, Sarah Lawrence, and sustained lifelong relationships with faculty, staff and students in Harvard’s History of Science Department. Along with other women friends who worked at Harvard, Betsy engaged in monthly get-togethers that they affectionately dubbed “Chat and Chew,” a chance to share stories about their lives and work experiences over tea and treats. Betsy cherished time with her seven nieces and nephews and 12 grandnieces/nephews. Reflecting on the importance of friends and family in her life, Betsy mused, “I know now that Mrs. Johnston
was right: The increase in knowledge, experience and friends generated by each advancing year indeed provide unparalleled enrichment to one’s life.”
Class of 1953
Juliet (Bami) Bourne Sherwood 4205 East 10th Avenue, Apt. 508 Denver, CO 80220-3785 (303) 282-9077 coloradojule@gmail.com
Class of 1954
Phoebe Cory 188 Jones Ave Portsmouth, NH 03801-5516 (603) 778-2875 feebcory@gmail.com
Anne Pike Rugh 105 Pine Street Portland, ME 04102-5127 (207) 317-0125 asprugh@gmail.com
Hi! As of this writing, it’s a raw drizzly April day on The Rock, as my grandson calls this island where he and his family live, in Casco Bay near Portland, Maine. I (Anne Pike Rugh) can’t see across the bay. It’s all white and fog bound. Perfect weather for collecting your heartwarming notes and sending them off to the Dana Bulletin editor. Thank you all. I see daffodils peeking out here and there, but not much else. No leaves on the trees yet. Even Wally, the spirited red Australian shepherd I’m tending while the family is away, has no use today for the outdoors.
While reading Mrs. Johnston’s memoir of her years in China when she was in her mid-twenties, I learned that her summers as a child were spent here on Chebeague
Summer 2023 45
Ginger O’Hearn Broadbent and Debby Phillips
Elizabeth (Betsy) Anne Cogswell Smith
Island. Also that she came very close to spending her adult years on the stage, and not at Dana Hall. It is a very different picture of the middle-aged woman I knew as Dana’s headmistress. And somehow the book, “The Footprint of the Pheasant in the Snow” (1976), manages to present the vast history of China in a comprehensive fascinating way that until now I have never been able to grasp. Perhaps some of you were aware of her deep connection to China when we were at Dana, but it certainly escaped me, and I regret it.
Vivienne Lee Tooman kicked this report off by emailing a photo of her and Patronella (Patty) Sykes Treadwell meeting for lunch somewhere in Hawaii. It took them 60 years to discover they lived near one another. See what you can learn if you read the Bulletin? Patty was plotting a May tour of the various East Coast schools her grandchildren are in, finishing with granddaughter Francie’s graduation from Colby. I will track her down coming or going. Right now, the plan was to get together at the Lyme Inn in New Hampshire and include a mutual grad school friend.
had two eye surgeries which have kept me off of cross-country skis, but I just started driving again so I consider myself lucky. Yay.” Knowing I (Anne) spend part of the winter in Florida, she adds, “I do hear from Eleanor (Babbie) Churchman Smyth’s daughter at Christmas. Babbie was a great supporter of manatee conservation before she died. Our daughter now lives in Bluff, Utah, on the San Juan River. It is a great community and can be our escape place in winter.”
Judith (Judy) Hofer Hersey is still happy with her move from Maine to North Carolina. She writes, “I enjoy reading about our class in the Bulletin. I still love living in Wilmington, N.C., with my granddaughter and her family. Never a dull moment around here with two boys, ages 9 and 6.”
From Beedy Tatlow Neiner, after I asked her about paradise: “Paradise (aka Palm Desert, Calif.) remains just that: a fabulous place to be, although the winter was a bit chilly this year — many days of 60 degrees and below. Yikes! All’s well with us, thankfully. I welcomed a new granddaughter on March 2: Eleanor Scott Ritchie. Her father is my son Chad Ritchie who is 61! Amazing. She joins her two big brothers, Charles (4) and William (nearly 2). That’s a lot of energy in one home in Darien, Conn.! My other grandchild is Laura Ritchie’s daughter, AJ, age 8, who lives in Beverly Hills. Yes, everyone else’s grandchildren may be getting married, but mine are just arriving! Fun for me!”
“Also, my 11-year-old cat, Toby, is sick. I’m finding out (at the usual expense) what’s up.” “Sorry it’s taken me so long to get a note off to you,” writes Ann Jones Dunipace. “You know how busy ‘retirement’ can be. Our news is similar to that of so many folks at this phase of our lives. Ken and I are happily living at Hoosier Village retirement center here in Indianapolis: enjoying the friendships of, and activities with, other ‘old’ people. Our children and grandchildren (all grown) live nearby, and our times with them are, of course, special. We still treasure our summers in Maine, but are finding those times somewhat limited, thanks to the ‘perks’ of our mature age. I am blessed with good health and so look forward to monthly Zoom meetings with several Vassar classmates. What fun we have remembering our antics and sharing our college memories!”
Marian (Marni) Thomas Wood is kicking for real: “I’m currently teaching a couple of classes related to my dance years. The first (at the Graham School) is a special historical exploration into Martha Graham’s creative years. The second is with a senior citizens’ group that meets weekly to keep stretching whatever can continue to stretch and is sponsored to perform in the New York City parks during summer weekends. Things are still kicking for sure!”
Eva Chittenden Patten writes, “We have had a cold snowy winter in Montana. Our family is well. We are lucky. This year, I’ve
Speaking of fun, when I (Anne) contacted her for a lunch date, Lynn Jenkins Brown assured me she would be “waiting, in my beige golf dress, tie shoes and circle pin at the collar, for your call. Will be sitting by the phone with no food ‘til then…” Don’t you just know we’ll have a good time. I’ll tell you about it in October when the next issue is put together. This gives you plenty of notice to send something, too.
Carol Reeves Parke updated me on life in Richmond, Va. A few years ago, I stopped by, so I’m familiar with her references. Richmond is a very livable city. Like others, it is adapting to change. At the time of this writing, she had just finished 24 hours of Easter church activity. After church, she and two grandsons (22 and 17) tidied up their mother’s (her daughter Amy’s) front porch and yard while mom worked a 15-hour RN shift. She writes,
Eva thanked me for keeping up Class Notes, as have others. “I am totally out of touch with Dana,” she added. Eva is not alone. We’ve all moved on. But her remark made me think about why I do it. It began when Susan (Sue) Smith Pratt very casually handed the job over on our third trip to the bar one Reunion long, long ago, and I said, “Sure.” Well, I don’t know what I was thinking then — probably not much— but now that we are sliding towards 90 (quite to my surprise), I am keenly aware not only of age’s physical limitations, but also what a great deal of history our generation has lived through. I want to know what others whom I knew as teenagers 70 years ago are doing now. That means you. Actually, for whatever reason, I still remember each of you deeply. Just the way I’m built. Community is the key to happiness for the elderly, they say. Please keep the connections coming!
Class of 1955
Susan (Sue) Bartow Christie PO Box 945 East Orleans, MA 02643-0945 (508) 255-0712
schristi.christie11@gmail.com
Sheila Slawsby Kowal writes, “The big news for our class is that of our remaining 50-some alumnae, 14 members have joined us, at one time or another, on our monthly Zoom calls. Hosted by Dale Miller Frehse (New York) and Jean MacDonald Riseman (California), these technologyenabled visits give us the opportunity to
46 Summer 2023
Patty Sykes Treadwell and Vivienne Lee Tooman
catch up with each other as we live our lives in the ninth decade. Who could have imagined this possibility when we graduated nearly 68 years ago? We now have correct email addresses for our class, and each member for whom we have an email will receive monthly Zoom invitations. As you know, we all benefit so much from your presence on the call, sharing news about your life, your challenges, your health and what inspires you. Please join us!”
Speaking of inspiration, Dale is enjoying bridge twice a week with friends in person. She also plays duplicate bridge in the summer with a longtime partner. She is still active on boards, such as Young Audiences. She participates in the Zoom board meetings of the New York Philharmonic, where she’s an emeritus member. Another civic activity is her involvement in an organization called Coming Home, which supports recently released incarcerated citizens as they re-enter society outside prison. Dale’s family includes two 8-year-olds and two 9-year-olds. On a recent weekend, when she was hosting them sans parents, the quartet found an abandoned makeup kit and liberally painted bruises on their faces, then turned and applied the treatment to Dale herself. When parents came to pick them up, the children alleged that Dale had tried to break up a fight among them and what they witnessed was the result! Dale, they have inherited your quirky sense of humor, for sure.
Caroline (Sukie) Campbell Knott (Maine) was vacationing in Arizona with her husband Bob in the spring. Unfortunately, Bob contracted pneumonia, requiring an extended stay in the Grand Canyon State. Their two sons have been enormously helpful in overseeing the more challenging parts of their stay, and one will return to Maine with them to assist further. When in Maine, Sukie pursues her volunteer work with the Yarmouth Historical Society — history being one of her lifetime interests. She has written a biography of her father whose Horatio Alger story will be of interest to her family, as well as others. In recent years, Sukie has spent time teaching ESL to African immigrants who have come to Maine. She said that many of them had government roles in their home countries and now are very motivated to learn English. She may pivot slightly to tutoring ESL in the public
schools, since this activity inspires her. Sue Bartow Christie (Massachusetts) has had serious health issues earlier in the year and was hoping that recent surgeries will remediate her condition. She looks forward to resuming her work as Class Correspondent. Way to go, Sue! It has been a busy year for Sue. Her middle grandson Andrew was married last July in a wonderful ceremony, and his older brother Christian became engaged to his partner of eight years, Rose. Sue continues to serve on the Orleans Community Preservation Committee, which contributes to the affordable housing crisis on the Cape for the younger members of her community.
Nancy Newton West (Ohio) took a quick trip to Florida in January and, in April, traveled to Florence for the 19th stay in a local apartment. Nancy reports that relatives and friends spent some time with her there this spring. She found that the recent pandemic took a toll on several shops she had frequented over the years and things just didn’t seem the same. She has been in touch with Judy Beals, now living in Montpelier, Vt. Judy is renting a house about a half hour from her daughter and still enjoys painting while at her new address. Nancy has also been in touch with Cathie Crawford Pike (Connecticut), who continues to write poetry and relishes staying in her home of many years. Many of us can certainly identify with this sentiment!
Gail Nicholas Schneider (Connecticut) continues to travel back and forth between two residences — her own and her partner’s — each week. They have different sets of friends in each location and unique social lives as well. We are looking forward to welcoming her back on our Zoom calls!
Linda Keady Boyd (Florida) spent some time with Nancy during Nancy’s brief visit to Florida earlier this year. Linda is a prolific painter and at that time was preparing some of her work for a major show.
Catharine (Dixie) Wilder Guiles (Maine), in addition to monthly Zoom calls with the rest of our class, maintains regular calls one-on-one with me (Sheila). They exchange book titles and discuss topics of interest to them. Dixie reads constantly, despite her problems with eyesight. Tapes provided by Reading for the Blind enable her to select titles on a variety of topics. Recently, she read Ron Chernow’s “The
House of Morgan.” According to the book (and Dixie), J.P. Morgan bought railroads like we would buy cookies! Our conversations are lively and informative, as you can tell.
Anne Rodman Jacobs (Massachusetts) sent me an email; she reported that there have been some significant events affecting her family. Her former husband, living at an assisted residence nearby, passed away recently. She and their children took care of him in his final years. Her grandson will be getting married in the coming months, and her granddaughter Kayla Dines ’19, who graduated from Dana Hall, graduated from college in May. Anne writes, “She loved and still loves Dana.” We can identify with this statement, too! Anne continues to run her real estate business, now accompanied by her daughter who helps part-time in the office. Maintaining her health is a priority, so Anne is finding time to attend Pilates sessions and work with a trainer. She recommends both courses of action to us!
Anne Bates Linden (Virgnia) is living in Charlottesville, recovering from a stroke. She maintains friendships with Ukrainians formed in the early ’90s when she served there in the Peace Corps. Anne, thank you for supporting our friends and allies!
Cornelia (Connie) Alden Bates (Colorado) and her husband Buddy have listed their Aspen home for sale. Between them, prior to their marriage several years ago, they owned several properties, the Aspen location one of them. They have enjoyed living there, participating in the four-season outdoor life, as well as the cultural features that have made Aspen a mecca during the summer. Skiing has somewhat dimmed as an attraction, and the couple figure that they can more conveniently rent a place for their winter vacations. They will be re-locating to homes in Massachusetts and Maine, as part of the process of re-ordering their lives.
Linda Schwartz Rosenbaum (Florida) and husband Mac sold their home in Massachusetts this past year, deciding to simplify their lives by remaining yearround in their (previously winter) home in Boca Raton, Fla. This brings them closer to some of their family and provides a more compatible environment for Linda, who has experienced health challenges for several years. We wish both well.
Summer 2023 47
Class of 1956
Carol Creighton Hadley
2736 N. W. 77th Blvd., #264
Gainesville, FL 32606-8710 (352) 377-4721
cjhadley@aol.com
Class of 1957
Judith (Judy) O’Connell Perkins P89 830 Swallow Pt. Naples, FL 34105-7426 (781) 329-1622
judyoperk@aol.com
Judy O’Connell Perkins writes, “It’s been a crazy year! We sold our house in Dedham, Mass., in January. We are in now in our Florida house waiting for a place to become available at Fox Hill Village in Westwood, Mass. We plan to go back to Massachusetts in June, but stay with our daughter Edie Perkins ’89 in Burlington, Vt., before going to our family place in Sugar Hill, N.H., to visit family and friends while we wait to hear from Fox Hill.”
Class of 1958
Mary (Ty) Wyatt Forbush
1211 S.W. Shoreline Drive #2206 Palm City, FL 34990-4553 (561) 747-4332
tyforbush4@gmail.com
apartment in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Happy returnees were: Marilyn Carey Allen, Mary Covington, Ty Wyatt Forbush, Tamsen Evans George, Carol Alpert Herscot, Anne Steele Hummel, Ann Hurd Fralix, Betsy Kamborian, Mimi Lawrence, Sharon Burdge Lockwood, Elspeth Stewart McLaughlin, Janet Barton Mostafa, Peggy Mahaney Rhoades, Joan Sigel Schuman, and Marjorie Jacobs Yashar. Yes, we were recognized as the eldest Reunion class and the largest contributing class to this year’s Dana Fund! Over the years, we have distinguished ourselves as one of the most spirited and dedicated alumnae classes.
See page 34 for a photo of the Class of 1958 at the Friday night Reunion dinner.
difficult years of my life. First of all, I’d like to express my admiration and gratitude for Dana Hall School. It was the place that had the most profound impact upon my life. Perhaps, the most significant way that Dana Hall impacted me was by giving me the encouragement and opportunity to use my brain. It was there that I first enjoyed having my mind stretched and exploring different ways of thinking. It was at Dana Hall that I first understood how to learn the various ways to learn, and how important it was. But the finest of all Dana Hall’s gifts is the one of friendship. Some of the people I knew there are still the people I know and care about more than 60 years on.”
Some ’58ers enjoying the Alumnae Art Show during Reunion Weekend
“Go girls” and that is exactly what fifteen 1958 classmates did at our 65th Reunion April 28 & 29 on the current, expansive Dana Hall campus! I (Ty Wyatt Forbush) am devoting this entire Bulletin column to this event, because of its magnitude in scale and tremendous joy all of us there felt in seeing and being together once again. First of all, let me tell you who came to at least one if not all the events on campus or at our wonderful, private dinner party the last night at Joan Sigel Schuman’s beautiful
Many thanks to the warm welcome we all received by Head of School Katherine Bradley and all of the Advancement Office staff who served as our guides throughout Reunion. There was a plethora of activities, but of particular note was this year’s inspiring Wannamaker speaker, Atia Abawi, back in beloved Bardwell Auditorium with the whole student body in attendance. Atia, who is of Afghanistan heritage, is a successful journalist and published author, who advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s society. Dana Hall is definitely committed to doing so in its present student population. She Sails on Saturday of Reunion Weekend had an array of panels, conducted by accomplished Dana Hall graduates, on a wide range of topics including STEM applications, health care advocacy, etc. It was also great fun to visit the Archives and be reunited with class photos, programs of events and see once again an old button-down shirtwaist uniform! And most enjoyable was a guided tour through the new reconstruction project of the Classroom Building we knew so well. It’s an enormous project and will be an amazing asset for learning for all Dana students upon completion.
Holly Gebelein Hobart continues to live aboard her boat, Sea Bear, and has recently returned to her slip in Seattle, Wash., having spent this past winter in Friday Harbor, Wash. Unable to attend Reunion, she wrote a poignant message that I shared with fellow classmates and was encouraged to include segments of it in the Bulletin Holly says, “You are all my friends with whom I lived among for two of the most
That says it all. Please keep your news and pictures coming by sending it to either tyforbush4@gmail.com or bulletin@ danahall.org, indicating it’s for the Class of 1958. And be sure to keep Dana Hall and me up to date with your changes of addresses and phone numbers. Next deadline for information is October 15.
Class of 1959
Jill Spiller
45 Sutton Place South, Apartment 1B New York, NY 10022-2445 (212) 421-0932
jillspille1@aol.com
Class of 1960
Sallie Off Sadler sallies1941@att.net
Sallie Off Sadler writes, “Guess it’s safe to say that we all have experienced the BIG 80! In my earlier years, I thought only my/ our parents reach this age, but reality really interfered with that delusion! Took a while to make the mental adjustment, but now have settled into this decade with a positive outlook — for the most part! While we are in Oakland, Calif., I run a big homeless outreach program. We are now up to providing around 300 nourishing lunch bags per week to this population, as well as holding warm outerwear, shoes, socks, blanket and monetary drives throughout the year. We currently have about 55 volunteers from our community who support this mission. I am always aware and grateful, being born into a family of privilege. This is my very, very minor way of trying to give back to that initial
48 Summer 2023
unbalanced equation. Bill, my husband, is still skiing at Squaw Valley, albeit no longer double black diamonds, and I still do psychiatric consultations for crisis/emergency situations. Also keeping us busy is our new mini cockapoo puppy, Pillow. She is precious, keeps us active and provides a welcome youthful, wiggling bundle of energy in this 80-something household! Thank you all for your contributions to the Bulletin. Love hearing from you.”
Pamela Perez Sexton writes, “Just returned from three weeks in Asia — a COVID-19 delayed tour. Highlight was a food and drink night tour via a Vespa in Saigon. A club of antique Vespa owners provided the ride and drove. We were nine people. The tour is called The Vespa Hipster Food and Drink Tour. One person drove each Vespa; each one of us on the back of the motorcycle. We stopped at five places for food or drink. In between, we went through alleys and markets and saw the real Saigon! My Vespa was turquoise with a leopard-print seat! We left our hotel at 7 p.m. and were back at 11 p.m. Definitely a highlight of the trip. If you want a good laugh, just imagine this 80-year-old body on the back of a Vespa whizzing through traffic! After returning from Asia, I left for New York City the next day. Our youngest granddaughter, with her Texas high school orchestra, was playing at Carnegie Hall! How could I miss that? Met Judy Carter Wisner for lunch. It was great fun catching up! My daughter Pia and son-in-law delivered a wonderful 80th birthday party for me with lemon cake and a sparkler 80 candle! However, I embraced 80 by riding on that Vespa in Saigon.”
Marty Horton Gecek writes, “I feel very lucky to live in beautiful Salzburg. It’s hard to believe I have lived here since 1966! My two girls, Heidi and Sandy, and their families (including three grandsons) are not far away. I’m grateful I don’t have to get on a plane to see them. Still involved with the Salzburg Global Seminar on a consultant basis, and I’m happy to stay involved with this wonderful institution. Travel these days isn’t much fun, but I do try to get back to the U.S. at least once a year. I’m hoping to hear about many classmates.”
Renee Brezniak Glazier writes, “I lived most of my life in Newton, Mass., but 10 years ago, my husband and I relocated to San Antonio, Texas. My husband Irwin had two cancers in Boston and his oncologist suggested he think of retiring, so he left his law practice and we moved to be close to our youngest daughter; she and her husband are both doctors. Irwin had a good 1 1/2 years, then got a third cancer and passed away. It’s been eight years now. I decided to stay here and made a life for myself meeting new people playing maj jong, volunteering as a leader for two support groups (one dealing with grief and the other for caregivers, as I am a former geriatric care manager), and being involved in my synagogue. I get to see my local children and their three sons regularly. My oldest daughter lives in Massachusetts as does my youngest child and only son. I typically spend five weeks in the summer visiting with them and their children — my daughter’s son and my son’s daughter and son. My second daughter, who lives in North Carolina and also has one son, usually visits with me there. Last year for my 80th, they all came to Texas to celebrate me; that was so nice. It has been a little difficult to put my head around being 80, but I think I have finally gained some perspective and outlook on what I can do and can experience instead of the losses that come as the years pass. I think fondly of my Dana days and of many of you — mostly how the shy person that I felt I was then has, over the years, become confident and more outspoken, and those accomplishments bring me a sense of pride. I wish you all well.”
Cathy Parker Patel writes, “My mind has been searching for some significant news and is coming up empty. However, I think I’ll be a little contrarian here (not very helpful to Sallie and her efforts) and have come to the conclusion at this age that ‘no news is good news.’ Wishing each of you peace at whatever point you are on this journey.”
Natalie Gribbel Thomas writes, “In the spring, we returned back to Pennsylvania, which is ‘home,’ having sold our house at the Ford Plantation in Georgia. We were given four days’ notice that it was sold, so we immediately cleaned out drawers, closets, cupboards, garage, Jeep shed and house. Oh boy. Downsizing for the third time is not fun, so I suggest to everybody you start purging your stuff. We still have our house in New Hampshire, so as you can tell, three was one too many. Oh yes my hair is white, and a few extra pounds keep me warm and padded! Getting out of bed is a sight, so no watching! Otherwise I am okay and thankful I still have Wayne! Yup, 60 years this June! Hope you are all in the same boat!”
Karen Wagner Sanchez writes, “I am still in Houston; Naples, Fla.; and some in Santa Fe, N.M. If anyone is around these places, reach out. Trying to get permanent in Naples. My daughter and granddaughter live here. It’s pretty and there’s lots of us older folk, but they are all quite active. Love adventures, friends, art and my dog. It’s time to enjoy our less busy lives. All take care and enjoy yourselves and what you love!”
Ana Esteves writes, “As some of you know, Juan (my Spanish husband) and I lived in Madrid for more than 45 years, but when the pandemic broke out, we decided to move to Puerto Rico because our children live here. As we become older, we want to be near family. So here we are, in a lovely apartment in the Condado area, with a frontline view of ocean and palm trees. We travel very little these days, although we planned a short trip to Boston for my granddaughter’s graduation from Boston College in May. My daughter also went to Boston College and went to Dana Hall: Ana (Fia) Camara ’83. Maybe the only classmate daughter who studied at Dana? If any of you come down to Puerto Rico, do let me know, as I would love to see you and chat about old times. Please take care. Much love to all.”
Susu Jeffrey writes, “This getting older is getting to be serious. Like the fossil fuel economy, I am in decline. I am slowing down, getting shorter and more hug-able, eating less but not losing weight, although losing patience with all the computer ‘improvements’ that are advertised as making life easier. Politically — what a mess. There are fewer and fewer candidates I want to vote for, but at least Ilhan Omar is in Congress speaking out for me. She is very popular here in progressive
Summer 2023 49
Pamela Perez Sexton at Halong Bay, Vietnam Pamela and her daughter at her 80th birthday party
Minneapolis. Maybe it’s safer to talk about the weather: uh oh, climate change. Our generation was born into the nuclear age now being revived as the answer to clean energy (except what do you do with the waste?). I am trying to finish one more poetry manuscript, but by the time I get done with new emails, it’s time for a nap. Meanwhile, I’m doing my water activist work, especially trying to save the last major accessible spring (‘raw’ water source) in Minnesota, frequented by folks from Fargo, N.D., to Iowa, trying to save it from development. The ‘mi-ni’ in Minneapolis and Minnesota is the Dakota word for water. Check out www.FriendsofColdwater. org. We’ve held a walk to the spring every month on the day of the full moon since the year 2000.”
Barbara (Barbie) Fulton Loughman writes, “Such a treat to hear from old (and we are old — or at least I am!) classmates. Ana I remember all the way back to Dana Jr. I don’t have anything new to report. Bob and I still live in Wolfeboro, N.H., on Lake Winnipesaukee, which is beautiful all year round. We have four children and six grandchildren in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Florida and England. I am still practicing law but have managed to cut back my schedule a bit. I represent New Hampshire public schools, which is generally pretty interesting and why I have not retired yet. My assistant and I are a branch office for my law firm. Since my office is in Wolfeboro, my commute is less than three miles and there is not much traffic except when the summer people are here. Wolfeboro does not even have a traffic light, except for one yellow blinker, and we roll up the sidewalks early even during the summer. We usually go to England a couple of times a year to see our youngest daughter and grandson, and then on to the rest of Europe because, in spite of their great hospitality, a few days is long enough to have grandparents underfoot. We used to spend all our winters skiing, but haven’t skied for a few years. I kept telling myself this year I will get out for a couple of day trips because we have good skiing nearby, but somehow just didn’t seem to get around to it. We visited
Gwendolyn (Wendy) Wood Holt ’59 this winter in Florida and managed, in spite of all our shots, to give her and her husband COVID-19. They are both okay, but we may not be so welcome next time. I am the only one who did not get it. If any classmates should happen to be in this area, let me know. It would be fun to get together.”
Kathleen (Kathy) Knudson Wattles writes, “I still live at Dancing Oaks Farm, named after a visit from Ann Poten Martin when she saw our paired oak tree and said, ‘It looks like they are dancing.’ I always loved that. I have been so lucky to be active and busy with the farm that Gurdon and I put together over 20 years ago. Losing Gurdon two years ago was devastating; however, because he took care of everything so well, I am able to keep up so far. We have eight horses who board here and four of my own. That means I have wonderful company around me along with the challenges and support they provide. I don’t think I will ever have nothing to do. The Little Compton Garden Club and New Bedford Star Kids Scholarship Program are constant opportunities for participation along with offering some small programs for horses and kids here. I am always learning and thank Dana for inspiring that in me. Learning, teaching and watching an idea grow is what keeps me happy.”
Class of 1961
Susan (Gibbsie) Gibbs gibbsie65@hotmail.com
I (Sue Gibbs) remember reading in the last Bulletin that the Class of 1960 was in the process of turning 80 and thinking yikes. Now it’s our turn. Happy birthday to all of you who have already passed that milestone and happy birthday to the rest who soon will go over that threshold. Remember: Age is just a number and it really doesn’t matter unless you’re a cheese.
We had a wonderful class Zoom session on April 26. There were 21 of us there and we were from Oslo to Alaska, spanning 12 hours’ time difference. There were some who couldn’t make it and there were also three whom we hadn’t seen or heard from in many years. Thanks for joining and great seeing you. It functioned better this time, so we’re learning. There was no more everybody talking at the same time. The one glitch was that Mary Wilson-Tauson joined us, but something was wrong with her computer, so we neither heard nor saw her (saw her name), but she heard everything that was said. We’ll do it again! The day before the Zoom, it had snowed in Alaska; Golden, Colo.; and here in Oslo.
Susan (Sue) Steele Isbell turned 80 in February and was celebrated greatly at a party arranged for her by Bob and their
three daughters at the yacht club in Tampa. All the girls and their husbands were there and Sue says it’s not very often that they can manage everyone together at the same time, so it was very special. The girls talked about humorous family times. They also had made a life-sized cut out, which had been used at family parties before and which Sue loved. The celebrations went on for three days. Sue and Bob are otherwise on the go all the time going to graduations, engagement parties and weddings of their clan of grandchildren, who are 11 strong. Guess they have no time to be bored.
Tucker Massey Clark is busy with her grandchildren who have been uprooted from their home in Moscow because of the Ukrainian war. The oldest is in her first year at Smith and her 16-year-old grandson is living with her on Cape Cod. He will soon be looking at colleges for himself and has just gotten a learner’s permit for his driver’s license. Tucky is back in the role of teenager’s mom. The other granddaughter is back in Moscow with her father and Tucky’s daughter is in Dubai at the moment. What an upheaval! You are doing a terrific job.
Our Zoom was a bit confusing as there was Cindy (Clark Cunningham), Cindy (Childs Over) and Dindy (Evans), so they had trouble figuring out which one of them was being spoken to.
Cynthia (Cindy) Clark Cunningham in Boulder, Colo., had been taking a lot of care of their two little grandchildren after
50 Summer 2023
Sue Steele Isbell with husband Bob and sons-in-law
The cutout of Sue along with her daughters
preschool. Both she and her husband have been sick most of the winter with a whole array of diseases the children have brought home with them from their preschool germ pool. She writes, “One very special project I did this winter was to take an online Tibetan calligraphy class in the Tibetan Uchen script with Tashi Mannox through Wisdom Publications. This was one of the most satisfying experiences I’ve ever had. Tashi is a wonderful teacher. Forming the letters felt like touching the heart of their meaning.”
Cynthia (Cindy) Childs Over, our super-mover, really surprised me on the Zoom when I kiddingly asked her if she was planning another move soon. Yes! She and Dick are now thinking of moving to a senior community. No real plans yet, so stay tuned for the next news.
Dorinda (Dindy) Evans has now finished her latest book, “William Rimmer: Champion of Imagination in American Art,” which was published at the end of November. This winter, she and two other art historians were asked to go to New York City to examine a privately owned portrait of Thomas Jefferson and decide if it was painted by Gilbert Stuart. It turned out not to be and was most likely a copy done by a Chinese artist. So we have a real art history expert in our class, but we knew that she is also an excellent sleuth.
Carole Morrisey Jaffa is still enjoying living in her little town of Moose Pass, Ala. She is about to hand over her family construction business to their son. Now she’s beginning to take up her drawing and painting again. They’ve always been big interests, but she hasn’t had time for them in years while being busy with her company. She wrote after the Zoom, “It was great seeing you all again. I am struck by how vibrant we all are and with so many interesting things going on. Hope to meet again soon.”
Jane Chittick is in the process of having a new house built right near where she now lives on Amelia Island, Fla., and is feeling the crunch as the builders aren’t keeping to their schedule. She thought it would be nice if Carole’s construction company came and helped her out, but it isn’t that kind of construction they deal with. Good luck, Jane.
Wendy McCobb has had to move to a new home in Ojai, Calif., and is finding the change quite an adjustment. It’s strange to
have neighbors nearby when she’s been used to having an orange grove for a neighbor for many years. She says, “For years, I’ve lived where having a garden was close to impossible. Just too many raccoons and critters to deal with, plus lousy soil. But, quite some time ago, I think it was Melissa Bradley who suggested Earthboxes. She had used them somewhere outside of Denver, if I remember correctly. I thought they sounded useful so I saved the website.” There’s been a lot of extreme weather in Ojai this winter, first with a huge fire during the drought that caused her to grab her cats and get out of there. She didn’t have any damage. After that, there has been lots of rain, so that a formerly dry river bed was transformed into a roaring river again. She was to have met Patty Vance this spring on the Central Coast to see the spectacular wildflowers brought out by the rain.
Linda Marsh is still working on renovating the old house in Auburndale, Mass., that I wrote about last time. It’s taking a long time. It’s called Whittemore’s Tavern, was built in 1724 as a home, was used as a tavern in the 1760s and made into a two-family dwelling in 1969. Now Linda is having it redone as a one-family home again. This is where Sheila Carter Benger and her husband lived when they were first married and she had often driven past it with her grandchildren to show them where they once lived. Now Linda and Sheila have connected and Linda is going to show Sheila what’s happening now.
While on the subject of Sheila, she was more or less coerced by her sister, Judy Carter Wisner ’60, and her husband to move out of her home in Salem, Mass., to Brooksby Village Senior Living in Peabody, Mass.. Sheila was skeptical at first, but now loves being there and says there’s so much to do, she can’t keep up with it all. She loves the people, activities and has a wonderful minister who has a most ecumenical congregation. She is still riding her bike and nannying for the family she’s been with for years. She looks great!
Susan (Sue) Pratt Sherman was sorry not to be able to join our Zoom, but on the day we had it the back-to-back-for-almost-twoweeks visits from her son and Rick’s son, full of activity, had just ended and she needed time to come up for air and charge her batteries. We all understand that. She sends her best to all.
Kathleen (Kelly) Cabell Hildreth in
Golden, Colo., has just retired from being a real estate agent and is enjoying not working. She is another with a slew of grandchildren — 12 of them — from her three sons and her husband’s three. They are busy! They planned to have a big family reunion at their old camp on Squam Lake in N.H. this summer. It’s a beautiful place and right next door to the camp that was used in the movie “On Golden Pond.” I visited them there several years ago and it was unique and unspoiled. So good seeing Kathy/Keenie/Kelly again.
Another treat was that Susan (Sue) Farrell, who was only with us for senior year, joined our chat. In a nutshell, she married and worked in advertising in the Berkshires for many years, then remarried and moved to New York City, where she now lives and which she loves. She volunteers at the ASPCA and has adopted a dog and a cat who are not wild about each other, but live in peaceful coexistence and love her. She also volunteers at a soup kitchen.
Bettina (Nicki) Batterson Hall could only be with us a short time because she had to go out and plant some trees. She, her partner and their two lovely dogs are planning a long road trip in their outfitted van to northwest Canada above the Arctic Circle this summer. Too bad it’ll be so light so they won’t get to see the Aurora Borealis. We can expect a report next time.
Tucky Smith Harrison in Arizona has had a tough winter. Husband Brandon started chemo for his Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the end of November. He developed complications and had two very rough weeks in the hospital. She writes, “All three girls were with us and their 24-hour presence worked wonders on his emotional well-being. He is back in chemo, weak as a kitten and frustrated by his lack of stamina. Just like a man, he has a hard time understanding that he has aged past his 40-year-old self! Six weeks later, I had a total hysterectomy and am now waiting for another test to check out my gall bladder. When it rains, it pours. It’s been an interesting six months! The love and support of family and friends has made such a difference. We’ll be in Scottsdale, Ariz., until just after Brandon’s last chemo on June 6. Then hopefully to Idaho in time for our oldest granddaughter’s high school graduation and the rest of the summer.”
Barbara Vaughan Koun and Neil spent time this winter in West Africa, which was
Summer 2023 51
new territory for them. She was quite taken aback and writes, “Impression in one word: poverty.” She is more aware than ever of how fortunate we are.
I guess that about wraps it up. I haven’t been up to very much exciting this winter, but in case anyone’s interested, Oslo has had a lot of snow so our water-saving rules are out of effect. When all the snow melts, there’s going to be no dearth of water. I am spitting tacks at this point because when I went to send this blurb to Dana, I had somehow managed to make it disappear off the face of the earth (grrr) and had to start again from scratch, so my apologies for having left out what I did.
Carolyn (Terre) Grande Harder spent the winter as usual in Rancho Mirage, Calif., to avoid the Boston weather. She visited her daughter who lives in Phoenix and continues her real estate development business focusing on historic preservation in downtown Phoenix. She served as interim executive director to “Preserve Phoenix,” a nonprofit advocacy group and works closely with the city’s Historic Preservation Office. The whole family flew to Phoenix in April to celebrate her daughter Ashley’s 40th birthday. Terre also had visits from Ashley while she was there. Terre had shipped her car out west on a carrier in early January, but it didn’t arrive until February 14, having been vandalized along the way. So a cheerful winter started out as a nightmare, having to attend to insurance and repairs. Ugh. Terre is planning a trip to the Umbria area of Italy this summer. Her forebears are from this part of the country and she’s looking forward to exploring a lot of the towns and villages there.
Karen Slawsby Stone thoroughly enjoying going to the winter season of the Naples Philharmonic, which she says is a wonderful orchestra. She is trying to get herself in gear to taking up her painting again.
Allison White has also joined the 80s club and hosted a delightful lunch for a lot of her friends at her home in West Falmouth, Mass. She had not told them the reason for the party as she didn’t want them to bring presents, but it leaked out after a while.
Phyllis (Phyl) Jansen and Tucky Massey Clark were there. She was given a surprise birthday party on Martha’s Vineyard by friends in one of her French groups. She is busy with two or three French groups, gardening and volunteering at a local secondhand shop in addition to visiting or having visits from her children and grandson.
Class of 1962
Bev Holmes Prevost P92 bevhprevost@gmail.com
Susan (Suzy) Lees Pullen writes, “I (like you, Bev) have had some health issues — two melanomas removed from my wrist — but all is well there at the moment. I’m sure you are aware that melanomas are scary things and I’m glad I found both of
them myself! Really, I am fine, doing well in all other aspects of my life. But COVID-19 was brutal if one was single. Couldn’t see my sister for 14 months (we live 100 miles from each other), so the word lonely wasn’t how it was; it was just awful. After about four months, I was very sad, frustrated and scared about getting sick. I went over the top so I wouldn’t get it. Never did, at least so far! It was very interesting to read the Bulletin and find out how everyone else fared. I’m glad to see that life goes on with old friends, like you Bev, Susan Selden Egan and Diana Cunningham Bunting. And news from Ardie Harrison Hansen, Kathy Walker Denis… wow, so good to hear. I found my class ring the other day and put it on. It’s very handsome still after all these years!”
Suzy’s up-to-date info for classmates: 132 Chrisfield Circle, Winston-Salem, NC, 27104; (336) 486-0514 (cell); slpullen13@ gmail.com.
Maria Isabel Loperena Carreras writes, “I am quite busy with my work at church. I am blessed to be able to contribute full-time with my music activity for the glory of God and my wonderful community. Hope you all are doing well!” Then a further phone call from Isabel when she was visiting one son in Park City with this very sad news especially for her, but for all of us: Betsy English Maltby was out to dinner with friends in April in Connecticut and had a sudden, fatal heart attack. One of Betsy’s friends at dinner was a doctor, but was unable to revive her. Isabel is devastated. Prayers for Betsy’s two children and for Isabel who considered Betsy her dearest friend from Dana onward.
Julie Braucher Pierce writes, “I really get a kick out of reading news of our classmates and their families. It activates the process of going down memory lane, which is more and more fun as the years go by. My life as a nomad ground to a halt with COVID-19, but has started picking up now that most places are open to travel. My travel has changed dramatically from the not-so-distant days when I went into Myanmar by dog cart to these days when I check my bags and certainly check out accommodations ahead of time. This aging business is good and bad for me (for all of us?). I find myself spending more time reflecting and less time as an activist. I am reading a lot about the decline of empires past; seems somehow relevant and yet sad. Buen viaje, amigas.”
52 Summer 2023
Barbara Vaughan Koun and husband Neil in Benin next to houses on stilts
Nobuko (Enn) Shimizu Matsushita
Enn with her husband Kazuyuki and daughter Kiwa Matsushita ’90
Enn and Carolyn Grande Harder in Tokyo in October 2022
Arden Harrison Hansen writes, “True to my name (if you just add a G!), I have been crazy gardening now that the winter is over. Since I cannot have babies any more, this satisfies my urge to plant seeds and produce interesting and beautiful things. Getting more interesting and beautiful pictures from my granddaughter who is touring Europe on her own. Helped my South American neighbor get baptized at 78 after losing her husband. It saved her life. I have plans to visit Israel in the fall. I salute you classmates who are carrying on with faith and optimism. It may get rocky, but don’t jump ship. The best is yet to come!”
Deborah (Debbie) Dana Callahan writes, “Quick update: Long winter with some significant health concerns for Dick, but spring is here, so life improves remarkably! Pickleball is the best find ever — definitely keeps me going! We have 10 grandkids, with the oldest graduating from Macalester College in May. And two more graduate from high school this spring: one from Phillips Exeter and one from Brooks School. Next year we have a somewhat flipped situation with two graduating from college (Carleton College and Connecticut College) and one from high school (Gonzaga Prep). Phew… The next four are currently in grades 10, 8 and 7 (twin granddaughters)! Never a dull moment — and thank heavens for FaceTime, texts and emails! Warm regards to everyone in Class of 1962!”
Jensine (Sine) Dodge Allyn writes, “We have just spent our 20th winter here in Green Valley, Ariz. I have to say, we don’t have any regrets about missing snow, cold, winter clothing, etc. Every year, we have driven back and forth to Vermont to see friends and family. Denny has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, so I don’t know how much longer we will be able to make the trip. We’ll take each day as it comes and be grateful for all the wonderful things we’ve done the last 58 years. Our last grandchild, Emmy, is graduating high school this year and will study engineering at WPI in Bev’s neck of the woods. She has also been recruited for their basketball team. Our other grandchildren are all working in fields of cybersecurity, nutrition and body health, music industry in Los Angeles, and a budding chef. Glad they’re all individuals!”
Kathy Walker Denis wrote mentioning health issues for her dear husband Jean, and said she would write in more detail
another time. I think it would be appropriate if we all kept her and Jean in our thoughts and prayers.
Kendra Gunn Nedjar writes, “I have been enjoying what I do in spite of COVID-19 changing things so much. I haven’t been in a grocery store or shopping mall since March 20, 2020. I go to my daughter’s house, my grandchild’s gymnastic meets, the pharmacy for COVID-19 shots, doctor’s offices, and the genealogy room of a local library where I do volunteer work with the Essex Society of Genealogists. Amazon is a lifesaver. My husband likes to do our grocery shopping and goes to the gym often, as well as the gymnastic meets, and our daughter’s house. As a Christmas gift to our daughter, we go to her house once a week and fold her laundry for her. We did visit my brother in Nova Scotia last fall and enjoyed it; planning another visit soon. I have become part of the hard-ofhearing group. The audiologist several years ago had said there was some hearing loss, but I wasn’t ready for an apparatus at that time. But that has changed. So do we spend the big bucks or go to Walgreens? I guess I am fortunate that that kind of decision is all I am having to deal with at this moment, other than the osteoarthritis in my knees. I am enjoying watching my grandson grow up. I love seeing how creative he is with his Legos, and how he enjoys explaining about the things he has created. And he still is very determined on becoming an Olympic gymnast. But he is 8 years old and things can change fast at that age. He is into Pokémon and explains about creatures (whose names sound very strange) and what powers they have and what creatures can defeat them. Very beyond me. Anyway, muddling along and enjoying myself for the most part.”
Elisabeth (Betsy) Gagliardi Tobin and I (Bev) had a nice long chat and she confirmed that she and Tod love their new place in Simsbury, Conn., where, she says, the people and the activities and the food are all good! In the spring, she and Tod were about to go on a river cruise and she promised she would write a catch up for our next issue!
Lorel Nazzaro writes, “I spent January cross-country skiing out my back door and then making pesto in Costa Rica. I love the extremes! If anyone happens to be in Portland, Maine, please let me know. I’m in Brunswick, 25 miles north (10 miles north of L.L.Bean). The Portsmouth, N.H., area is a good choice for me as my
younger daughter lives in Exeter. Hope to see you as well as others in 2023!” When I (Bev) wrote back to Lorel to say she doesn’t seem to have aged like some of the rest of us, she replied to me, “Dear Denise Bacon kept me playing the violin and fabulous Helen Burley kept me dancing. I owe it all to Dana!”
Kristin Bergfeld writes, “I want to share my last conversation with Virginia (Ginny) Eddy Keyser a couple of months before she died. My eyes tear up just remembering her, whom I treasure like all of us. I still sigh when I walk past Martha Grinnell’s watercolor of mountains near where she lived in Canada. That painting is on my front hall table. Next to an oil painting by my college roommate. How remarkable we all are.”
Diana (Lee) Corbin writes, “This is probably the first time since we graduated in 1962 that I have written anything. In the spring, I drove through Dana with my nephew who lives in the area. I was shocked. I could not recognize it! Two, not just one, indoor horse arenas surround what I think was called Bard Hall or something like that? He was amazed that I lived in that building my senior year. How time flies.”
Carol Cookman Ruffo writes, “I continue to spend October-April in Naples, Fla. I just can’t take those cold, gloomy New England winters. Happily my health
Summer 2023 53
Lorel Nazzaro with her cross-country skis
Lorel in Costa Rica
continues to be good, so I still enjoy 18 holes of golf and stay involved with committees and boards at my winter home: Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club. I am so enjoying watching my seven grandchildren grow into adulthood. Best of all, I became a great-grandmother this winter to two precious little boys! I am so lucky to have a great guy to share my life with. We plan to travel to Italy for the month of July. I am hopeful we will somehow get back to Upper Michigan this fall to see Victoria (Vicki) Moore Fuger and David!”
Pam Pearsall writes, “Not much has changed in my life. Still working with Stepping Stones Clean & Sober. Nineteen years and ever busy. Three houses with 35 beds. Fentanyl is unfortunately prevalent in our community, as it appears to be around the country. Unfortunately deaths have hit too close to home. Still living in my Victorian-style Painted Lady — 41 years thus far. Life in Bellingham, Wash., has changed significantly; however, I am in no position to make any changes to my lifestyle. Vertigo visited me in January. It’s a fun challenge as I never know when it will hit. Have not been driving and am starting physical therapy to get those ear crystals moved out of their current position to some other spot and leave me alone. Aging is so much fun. My four kitties keep me company and there is rarely a dull moment being able to ’talk/visit with’ people anywhere with the help of technology. It’s baseball season and I follow the Seattle Mariners. Hoping everyone is well and can’t wait to read your updates.” I (Bev) couldn’t get actual news from Diana Cunningham Bunting, but I do know that she and Si spent the winter months away from Newport in Southern Pines, N.C., where/when she saw her horse Gloria in Virginia. I also know Si’s new book was at the printer!
Diana Cunningham Bunting with Si and her horse Gloria
So many of you have said how much you love hearing about classmates, as do I (Bev Holmes Prevost), so keep that news coming, no matter the time of year, how good or bad you think the news is; I can always save it for the next issue! Thank you to all of you who sent news this time! My news has been mixed. Best is: I’m still here! I told you in the last Bulletin about my saga last Sept in the ICU with a large pulmonary embolism on each lung and in my legs due to being on Tamoxifen. In April, I had an echocardiogram to check on my heart, which had been adversely affected by the embolisms on the lungs pushing into the heart. Well, they found my heart is healing so well that they reduced my Eliquis (blood thinner) and if all continues well, they will take me off Eliquis in September once a year has passed! They also removed the IVC filter/ sieve a month or two ago. It was to keep clots from climbing from the legs upwards to the lungs while the Eliquis was working to dissolve the clots! After a wonderful Christmas with our Iowa daughter Elizabeth Prevost ’92 and family all here, along with our other daughter Marnie and family who live nearby now, I then moved on to have both cataracts removed two weeks apart, which was my fun in January and February! I now have nearly 20/20 vision with just readers! Meanwhile, all winter we had house issues, which we thought was a leaky roof but turned out after many visits from experts to be a furnace steam pipe that had a hole in it. Not only did that cause the whole ceiling in the family room to start peeling, but the bedroom above it to also be affected. Ned and I were watching TV and heard this loud crash above us and went upstairs to find the bedroom ceiling had caved in! I will spare you the extensive details, but it has been quite the saga of medical and house! Ned and I are grateful to still have each other and be able to laugh about life’s little challenges! Now I am greatly looking forward to heading to Cuttyhunk for the summer (with both girls’ families, including their dogs also in residence). The sea views and the sea air are so therapeutic. As Marnie said during the tedium of the cataract surgeries and endless eye drops, “Just think how beautiful the views in Cuttyhunk will be next summer, Mommy!” I wish you all health, healing if needed, joy, laughter and love, with thanksgiving to and for each of you until we meet again, when you, I know, will send me lots of news!”
Class of 1963
Barbara Berger Opotowsky bopotowsky@gmail.com
Class of 1964
Susan Belmer Kollet-Harris P90 skharris@rcn.com
Class of 1965
Susan West Ayres warren.ayres@verizon.net
Nancy Conant Blackburn is excited that her daughter Jennifer recently got engaged. Also exciting is news that her son Jonathan is the new senior minister of the Wellesley Hills Congregational Church! Nancy writes, “Life has come full circle for him as this was the church we all attended as a family. He is so happy to have returned to his roots. Pretty amazing!”
Carlotta Gordon Gladding writes, “Met up with Julie Tennant Sargent for lunch on Cape Cod in March. She continues to do a lot of dog sitting in Vermont where she still lives, but also back in Marion, Mass., and Rhode Island. Enjoyed visiting a friend in Amelia Island, Fla., and luckily missed the extreme 3-foot snowstorm in Vermont.”
Class of 1966
Correspondent needed
Tracy Sutro Horter Whitman and Rebecca (Becky) Winslow Pringle had a mini-reunion in San Francisco in January. Both were celebrating new grandchildren: Tracy’s 4-month-old Bea and Becky’s 2-month-old Jack.
54 Summer 2023
Tracy Sutro Horter Whitman and Becky Winslow Pringle
Lael Montgomery sends greetings from San Diego, Calif., “as we are emerging from the plague and celebrating this year’s shocking birthdays. All’s well. We’re healthy and busy keeping ourselves, our critters and the old homestead together. We’re looking forward to going back to Boothbay, Maine, this summer after being grounded at home for such a long spell. I withdrew from super spicy local land use politics a bunch of years ago and dove into family history research and writing where I now spend most of my available time. Wish we had more class news in the Bulletin! C’mon, ladies! What’s up?”
Class of 1967
Lucy Haward Sur lhsur@aol.com
Hi, all! Can’t believe we are going on our 56th reunion! Not a biggie, but still — a lot of years. So for the news and updates:
Leslie Friend Belliveau now splits her time between winters in Savannah, Ga., and the cottage they bought a few years ago in Prince Edward Island for the summer. Sounds wonderful! On the drive back up north, Leslie and Paul visit with their three children and six grands. Leslie planned to say hi to Susan (Suzy) Homer. She and sister Patti bought and run a lovely inn, the Inn on West Liberty in Savannah, so definitely worth a stop if you are driving south! Anne Converse did just that and had a nice visit with Suzy.
Gael O’Brien is a seasoned and well known executive, culture and speech coach, having grown her business which includes writing, a podcast and judging in the International Business Ethics Case Competitions as an “uber judge” for more than 10 years. Very impressive! You can check out her website at www.gaelobrien.com.
There are a couple of Lindas in Vero Beach, Fla.: Linda McIntosh and Lynda Corcoran Surdam are practically neighbors! I (Lucy Haward Sur) had planned to visit there in March, but COVID-19 intervened for both my husband and me, so it was a very abbreviated Florida stay! I’m keeping busy painting. In the spring, I was getting ready for three different shows at once. It’s more landscapes than botanical work right now, and oils and acrylic instead of watercolor! My best news: Steve and I have a second grandchild — Abigail Joy Sur, born in December to Matt and Betsy, and joining her brother Harrison who is almost 4! We’re overjoyed!
Class of 1968
Laura (Pots) Potsubay Pucher laurap.riverdale@gmail.com
Nancy Carter sent us a charming photo with her French friend Dominique, both of them dressed in traditional Provençal costumes. Nancy writes, “About 18 months ago, I moved to Bargemon, France, a small hilltop village about 80 kilometers west of Nice. My husband of nearly 20 years and I had been visiting the area since 2012 and decided to relocate permanently in early 2020, but the pandemic put those plans on hold for a while. These days, Ed keeps busy cycling along the twisty (translation: terrifying) mountain roads and remodeling our new home, and I volunteer at the 400-year-old community olive mill, where I give tours in both English and French. Our friends are an eclectic mix from across Europe and Scandinavia, some of whom live here full-time and others who visit as often as they can. The villagers have been extremely welcoming and we especially appreciate the French emphasis on politess and civility, although all that goes right out the window the minute they get behind the wheel of a car. Yes, the French bureaucracy really is every bit as dreadful as reported, but we received our residency cards with
minimal bloodletting and gnashing of teeth. Best of all, we are enrolled in the superb (and laughably inexpensive) national healthcare system. We miss our children and grandchildren, and visit them when we can; in between, there’s always Zoom and WhatsApp. For now, though, we have no plans to move back to the U.S. It’s certainly been a long, strange trip — from New Jersey to Colorado to Maine to France — but I’m finally home.”
Our 55th Reunion passed in the spring, with a small but smiley trio from our class. Wendie (Beans) Franks Howland, Jennifer (Jenn) Oakes and Nancy Wills Keteku posed on the Grove House staircase for a Reunion class photo. Unable to go to Wellesley this time, I was thrilled to join June Lovelace Davis and husband Glenn on their recent train trip to New York City. We’re grateful for these enduring Dana friendships, strengthened in the last dozen years by regular contact on Facebook and mini-reunions on Cape Cod and points north. Until next time, best wishes to all 1968-ers for a happy summer.
The Class of 1968 at Reunion Weekend: Wendie (Beans) Howland, Jennifer Oakes and Nancy Wills Keteku
Summer 2023 55
Lael Montgomery and husband Jonathan Vick
Abigail and Harrison, grands of Lucy Haward Sur and Steve Sur
Nancy Carter in Bargemon, France
Class of 1969
Susan (Susie) Clatworthy susiedh1969@gmail.com
Anne Maxwell Dewez afmdewez@gmail.com
Anne and I (Susie Clatworthy) are excited to share the submissions from our classmates, including two individuals submitting for the first time! How nice it is to hear about life adventures and what everyone is “up to.” Now, let’s get started.
What a great surprise to hear from Joan (Joanie) Stoddard Perry and learn about her adventurous life! She was always such an amazing athlete, and that seems to be continuing with gusto! Joanie shares, “I am very happy. I spend four months on the big island paddling, cycling, swimming, etc. We spend six months on a mountain lake in Montana. I took up mountain biking at age 69! Bill (my new beau as of September 2019) and I travel two to three times a year. My family is well and life is sweet. Meditation and dance have been integral to my existence. Last May, I did an Ayahuasca retreat, which was huge and intense. The journey continues.”
Brava, Joanie! We can all feel “fit” vicariously. Please stay in touch.
Such fun to hear from Sarah (Sally) Bullard Steck. Many of us had the chance to spend time with her at our 50th Reunion, and now more of us can catch up with her life. Sarah shares the new world that she is living and navigating: “I continue to live in Wisconsin so that I can frequently visit my daughter Nicole and her husband Ben. I also stay in New England for a few months in the summer to see my other daughter Vanessa, my three siblings and my grandchildren. I love swimming in the ocean and try to do so
every day while I am staying in Dartmouth, Mass. My step-daughter Ashley has moved out to Los Angeles, along with her son and daughter. I rarely see them, but we try to FaceTime and send photos back and forth. My husband Bob was a philosopher and we enjoyed our lives together until his death in 2015. I retired from my career as a therapist, career counselor and employee assistance consultant a few years ago. I would enjoy hearing from classmates and I can be reached at sbsteck@gmail.com. I send best wishes to all my classmates.”
Thanks, Sally, for your contribution to our Class Notes! We hope it will continue.
opportunity to befriend the local wine merchants, discovering some very fine and reasonably priced wines. Our conversations went from rudimentary French of ‘bonjour’ and ‘au revoir’ to ‘see you soon!’ My regret is not having left space for a few bottles in my luggage. I really enjoyed the last Dana Bulletin, with so many of our classmates writing in, and eagerly look forward to the next one.”
This trip sounds like a “festival” of all things fabulous!
Deborah (Deb) Yard Mello Orazem enjoyed her first adventure to Europe. Below she tells us about her amazing experience with wine, food and so much more! “Finally, I made my first trip to Europe, traveling to Aix-en-Provence for two weeks at Christmas, in order to share the holiday and visit with my maid of honor from 1971! I highly recommend December, as there were no crowds. We enjoyed hearing the Messiah with a German choir singing in English for a French audience, using medieval instruments. It was the best I have ever heard. I met many French and ex-pats, but saw very few tourists. My red beret apparently helped me blend in, as I was frequently asked for directions. The weather was splendid with 50 degrees on average, blue skies and lots of sunshine. Highlights were visiting Cezanne’s atelier and his Mont Sainte-Victoire, trips to the Luberon and hilltop villages of Roussillon, Gordes and Lourmarin. We used the efficient transit system traveling to La Rotonde and Cours Mirabeau daily in order to shop for our produce in the marketplace. The Algerian dates were sold by the branch, and the clementines were so fresh that they still had their green leaves attached. The photo shows me opening sea scallops in preparation for making Coquilles St. Jacques. I had the
J. Mara Dellipriscoli shares all the changes in her life. A new world lies ahead with lots of excitement. As you all can see from her photo, there is no lack of fun times for Mara. Below she shares her world of transition and a wonderful recognition. She writes, “Having spent three decades plus on Mandorla Ranch in St. Ignatius, Mont., I sold it this year and am on the journey to find a smaller homestead in northern Montana as well as a few investment properties in St. Augustine, Fla. Also after founding and leading the Educational Travel Consortium and ETC conferences for 34 years, and having the privilege to facilitate the growth of a lifelong learning through travel international community furthering the professional development, strategic business partnerships and business-tobusiness networking of those in the field of alumni, museum, conservation and affinity group travel (travel planners, U.S. and foreign tour operators, suppliers and international destinations), I find myself now in the process of transitioning ETC to younger colleagues full of new ideas, passion and energy — exciting indeed, but a lot of career memories there for me. I got a truly unexpected surprise in April: I was honored and indeed humbled to receive from my graduate school alma mater, the George Washington University, the GW School of Business MSTHEM Outstanding Alumni of Industry Leadership Award for 2023. Now looking forward to pursuing full-time work in documentary photography and writing. Much already compiled after shooting in more than 90+ countries and more in the upcoming year. Of course, there is always time for just fun crazy pursuits, like riding with the Orpheus Krewe in Mardi Gras in New Orleans for the past two years. Hats off to Susie and Anne who are doing such a great job in keeping the communication alive and vibrant for the classmates of ’69. With gratitude, thank you!”
56 Summer 2023
Glenn and June Lovelace Davis with Laura Potsubay Pucher enjoying Thai food in New York City
Deb Yard Mello Orazem opening sea scallops in preparation for making Coquilles St. Jacques
Your new world sounds exciting, Mara. We will look forward to hearing more.
Anne Maxwell Dewez continues the wedding preparations for her exciting upcoming family celebration. She shares, “As previewed last time, my son Theo’s wedding is coming up on June 3. Thanks to Elizabeth Cannon’s note for that edition, we reconnected and here we are in her atelier on West 24th Street in New York. She is making my mother-of-thegroom dress!”
Class of 1970
Ann Elisabeth (Betsy) Bass betsybass52@gmail.com
Emily Ecker eecker@gmail.com
Hi Classmates, As always, we’ve enjoyed getting your news and photos. If you read Durinda Wood’s note, you’ll learn of a special connection that occurred because she used her class list. If you want a list, please write to Emily. I do want to extend our sympathies to Claudia (Coco) Ward, whose husband died in February. We now know of five classmates who have lost their longtime loves: Margaret (Peggy) Scott Griswold, Judith Mattoon, Audrey Appleby, Jennifer Lovejoy Craddock and Coco. Such a hard change in one’s life. Please reach out to us anytime, Emily and Betsy.
college beginning in the 8th grade — similar to the program that provided me the opportunity to attend Dana Hall. Chester is the lowest performing school in the state with the lowest college attendance rate. The original center was relocated shortly after my retirement into the downtown area of Chester, expanded and named after my mother and myself: The Marie and Cynthia Jetter College and Career Center also referred to as The Jetter Center. A local nonprofit established this independently of my involvement as a way of permanently filling a need. Most humbling is the honor bestowed on me and my mother, my commitment to social justice and my deceased mother’s love of children and Chester. All services are free of charge and available to anyone.”
What fun, Anne, that a classmate is a part of your joyful occasion! Elizabeth, I am so sorry to hear about your bicycle mishap, but even with your “unwanted” crutches as an accessory, you, Anne and your beautiful creation look amazing!
My husband and I (Susie Clatworthy) are getting ready to enjoy the New England coast with a few boating trips planned. Weather permitting, we will get to Nantucket and have a chance to see Anne.
In the spring, we learned the sad news that our classmate Dr. Amy Barmeier Dru passed away on December 3, 2021. Rest in peace, Amy.
Signing off for now. Thank you all for helping us stay connected.
Andrea Higgins Bierce writes, “I am somewhat reducing my workload, so I have started tutoring reading to first graders in our local public school every week. The children are terrific! The need is greater than ever, and it is so rewarding. I also launched with some friends a career closet for seniors at Queens University, which has been a big success. It’s remarkable how many suits, dresses, shirts, shoes, purses, etc., we collected and are now put to great use.”
Gwendolen (Gwen) Hamlin writes, “Still sailing, still trying to paint, planned to head to North Carolina for the summer in mid-May.”
Cynthia Jetter writes, “Prior to my retirement from Swarthmore College, in my position as director of Community Planning and Partnerships, I had been instrumental in creating a College Access Center in my hometown of Chester, Pa. Chester is only three miles down the road from Swarthmore College. The mission of the center is to comprehensively support students and their families with attending
Patricia (Patty) McMillen writes, “I completed a driving trip to the West Coast and back last winter — got to talk to Judith Mattoon (Watsonville, Calif.) and have dinner with Anne Wilson Cannon (Pasadena, Calif.) during my two months’ sojourn in California. Joebiden (Joey) the Bernedoodle rode in the back seat all 4,600 miles, which took us across several remnants of old Route 66, through Native lands and desert, and to visits with many old and new friends along the way, and from Albuquerque, N.M., west, included my first ex-husband Jack Nagy, with whom I’ve now reconnected after a 23+ year ‘trial separation’ and much personal growth on both sides. I’m now back in Chicago for a few months, but sold on the advantages of getting out of here in the winter, and eventually, perhaps, year-round. (Jack and I are looking for senior supportive housing together, with hopes for either southern California or Chicago, where we spent our 11+ years of married life before divorcing in 1999.) My first full-length book of poetry, “Running Wild,” will publish in March 2024, after which I hope to do a little book tour including stops in South Carolina, New England and the Midwest/ West, where the poems are mostly or all sited (and all were written).”
Summer 2023 57
J. Mara Dellipriscoli riding with the Orpheus Krewe in Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Anne Maxwell Dewez and Elizabeth Cannon in Elizabeth’s atelier in New York City
Betsy Bass and with her daughters Katie and Meaghan
Cindy Jetter photographed for an article in the Swarthmore College Alumni Bulletin
Claudia (Coco) Ward writes, “Sadly, I lost my husband and best friend of 35 years, after a long hard battle with illness, on February 25.”
Durinda Wood writes, “I discovered a few years ago while looking at our classes addresses that Serena lived within a 1/2 mile from our old family Farm in Holliston, Mass. In May 2022, when I was on the East Coast, I invited her over to the farm house and we had a lovely tea time together. It’s so great having her nearby when I’m there.”
Class of 1971
Barbara (Barb) Lee Monahan
barbmonahan52@comcast.net
Toddy Torrance Turrentine
toddyturrentine@gmail.com
Victoria (Tory) Jackson shared, “I have sad news. Stephanie Bernd passed away on March 30, just 18 days before her 70th birthday. I have known her since nursery school, age 4. We were close neighbors until fourth grade but remained the closest of friends. Steph was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer which had metastasized rapidly with almost no symptoms. My thoughts are with her husband Pell.”
Kathleen Kelley writes, “Stephanie was part of the original class of 18 girls at Dana in 7th grade. Very sad.”
From Catherine Hunt Sprague, “I still have a very clear picture in my mind of the 18 of us in the 7th grade, sitting in Miss Larkin’s room (our homeroom) as well as our English teacher. Most of the original 18 stayed through the 12th grade, but a few of us left Dana in their junior year or so to attend co-ed public schools in the Newton area: Laurie Gass and Janet Harris, I believe. Both were good friends of mine. Glad I stayed until the 12th grade. I am so sorry to hear about Stephanie.”
to build trust with these little people! I’d love to connect with anyone that’s here on the East Coast. Contact info is sallytorneo@yahoo.com and my number is (214) 629-0553.”
Serena Davis Hall writes, “I was visiting Durinda in her family’s wonderful historic family home near where I live. It was built in the late 1700s and is a beautiful example of an early home of that age. We had a lovely time catching up over tea. She was celebrating her 70th birthday… and now I have, too!”
At the time she sent in notes, Andrea (Andy) Hoadley Nix was with Jonathan at Boston Logan Airport waiting to board a flight to Amsterdam — for 10 days, to look at Rembrandt and tulips and architecture. She writes, “In October, we traded life in the country for a brownstone house in downtown Albany: closer to children and grandkids, and a life where we can walk to just about everything we need. However it’s a house with four stories and three steep staircases, which will hopefully keep us healthy. We’re grateful for our freedom and blessings. Cheers.”
Sally Norton Turner says her life has taken a radical turn since last October. She writes, “My husband and I sold our house in Seattle, packed up our lives and moved to Hoboken, N.J., to live near our two daughters and two grandsons in the New York City area. Seemed like a leap of faith, but although we left 40 years of friends and familiarity behind, we are finally with all our family. It’s been so great to be with our grandsons. Today, for one of the first times, my 3-year-old grandson looked me in the eye and told me he loved me! It takes time
Jenny Clark writes, “I am well, making my life in a good community with friends and projects we take on together: some are environmental, some are purely fun/ artistic. I’m making a little more artwork, but not near what I want; time management is the big deal as time and opportunity all feel so precious. I’ve started a new instrument — so much fun — the little tin whistle. Although I enjoyed my piano last year with lessons and a newfound affinity for making things up (also called composing), I’m yearning to jam with others, and it’s hard to lug a piano around. One day I awoke and realized that my love for contradance music, much of which emanates from Ireland, would be within reach with this little whistle. What else? I’m planning to travel to Virginia and perhaps cross country on Amtrak. I attempt to exercise daily (well, at least stretch) to stay vertical and fend off the ravages of time. My heart did a couple back flips this past winter over a guy who I thought was marvelous. He bowed out, and I’m still at a loss for understanding. Hope is the thing. And here’s some fun Dana Hall news: Libby Jones Mueller and I planned to visit Matt and Martha Stackpole on the Vineyard. Photos to come! Like Sally, I, too, would love to connect with you all. Remember, I have a cool little guest house; everyone welcome.”
From Gail O’Neill Caulkins, “This was the year of travel for Chuck and me. It started in January with a quick trip to London to see friends, followed by two weeks in February visiting Ecuador with one of those weeks spent in the Galapagos Islands. For anyone who has not been to the Galapagos, I highly recommend making a visit. The animals are very relaxed, and you can walk right up to them. If you are a photographer, it is ideal for taking animal photos because they practically pose for you! We also swam with sea lions, penguins, a multitude of fish and of course a few sharks who seem indifferent to humans. The terrain varies from island to island as does the vegetation. We both felt this was one of our favorite places we have visited. At the end of March, we flew to Paris where my husband had organized a small surprise 70th birthday party for me at a favorite restaurant. The next stop was Egypt for a week with another couple to continue the celebration. Egypt is a country rich in
58 Summer 2023
Patty McMillan and Jack in a retro diner on Pismo Beach, Calif., having root beer floats
Serena Davis Hall in Durinda Wood’s family farmhouse
Serena Davis Hall with Brent celebrating her 70th birthday on the Cape Cod National Seashore
history and historic sites. It is hard to get your head around how they built the pyramids with only stone and copper tools. And as if that was not enough, in April, we had just returned from a few days in Carmel, Calif., where we had the privilege of playing Cypress Point golf course. Fortunately, we are staying put for the next few months. We feel blessed with good health and a supportive family.”
From Lisa Orr, “Like many of us, I am quickly approaching my 70th birthday (how did this happen?). To keep me in denial, and as part of my personal effort to combat climate change, I celebrated (and physically challenging myself!) by participating in the Green Fondo Virginia Climate Ride on April 28-30 in the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley. Climate Ride is a 2-day charitable biking adventure in which 100+ riders from all corners of the sustainability world come together to raise public awareness and critical financial support for more than 100 impactful organizations that are leading the nation in climate change, clean energy, active transportation, sustainability, and public health. With my ride, I was supporting the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), a very effective, grassroots nonprofit organization working exclusively to combat global warming in the Maryland, Virginia and D.C. region. Best wishes to you all!”
As for me, Toddy Torrance Turrentine, I had three Dana social happenings in the first part of the year. The first was in Hilton Head, S.C., where we went for the month of February. It turns out a friend’s sister went to Dana, graduating well before us, and we had dinner with her. Then I had lunch and a walk in Beaufort, S.C., with Paula Templeton Simmons, who looks exactly like she did at Dana. She is still teaching, and loving living in Aiken, S.C. Finally, I had lunch with my cocorrespondent Barbara Lee Monahan and Catherine Williams in Madison, Conn. We caught up, shopped for books and took a long walk along the shore. Catherine is still practicing law in Bridgeport, Conn., in the Children at Risk Unit of Connecticut Legal Services. Much needed work; Catherine should be applauded.
Class of 1972
Linda Smith Janoff lindaDHS72@gmail.com
Cynthia (Cyndy) Dietel Krieger writes, “While out in Denver over Thanksgiving, I met up with Barbara Tomlinson Harman and Marian Dines for lunch. Barb and I both have children and grandchildren in Colorado and, of course, Dines lives there! We had a great time catching up, got to see Dines’s home and meet her wife. And we cracked ourselves up singing songs from ‘A Horse Named Sonic Boom’! Wonderful reminiscing!”
Kate Lawlor writes, “We finally downsized from our large Victorian in Alameda, Calif., over the summer to a spacious condo in nearby Montclair, so we are still in the beautiful San Francisco Bay Area. At the same time, our two sons joined a friend in a townhouse about 20 minutes away. It has all the utilities except laundry, so we have the pleasure of their company pretty much every week. The packing and move were the final demands on my old joints. I had a shoulder replacement scheduled in April (think six weeks in a sling 24/7 and sleeping in a recliner chair) and a hip replacement in the fall, with two family weddings in Massachusetts in between. Not waking up until December seems very attractive. I’m two years retired as a faculty member at UCSF and am looking for meaningful volunteer work in our new location. I’ve offered my time at a nearby health sciences university to teach Physical Assessment Skills and lead case conferences with graduate students. Feels like I’ve graduated once again to a new stage in life!”
Susan (Susie) Mead Dorsey and Pamela (Pam) Swift met up at the Wenham Tea House in early April and “had a wonderful reunion!”
Sharon Gray Hvizdak writes, “I’ve settled into life in Hilton Head, S.C. I play pickleball a couple times a week, am in three cooking clubs, two gardening clubs and three book clubs, so I am keeping busy. I spent Easter with my daughter Meredith’s family. Easter with a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old is a candy explosion. It was so much fun. My son and his wife spent the weekend with me after that; no grandkids there. They’re having too much fun, but I keep hinting. I’d love to hear from Dana White Reeves, Cynthia (Cindy) Merritt and Hannah Harrington Graziano ’73 Best wishes to all.”
Leslie Grove writes, “We had a very cold and rainy spring here in Portland, Ore., yet flowers were blooming merrily in the yard (daffodils, tulips, anemone and grape hyacinth). I was very honored to receive a Volunteer of the Year 2022 award at my local humane society. Three times a week, I love to go there to do behind-the-scenes work: washing dishes, doing laundry, and being a cat socializer and visitor. I love all the sweet furry friends. I’m currently preparing for a celebration of life for my husband who died two years ago amid COVID-19 times. This is finally the chance to unite family and friends in a spacious outdoor setting up at the Hoyt Arboretum. Life is precious.”
Hollis (Hollie) Sutherland writes, “I have a new job! I am teaching interior design in the master’s program, full-time at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., starting this September. I am very excited for this change. The program is taught remotely, and I am looking to move to Florida within the year. I need to live with palm trees and sunshine! Hope everyone is doing well.”
My emails to Betsy Brown and Donna Scolnik both bounced back. Please send me your corrected contact information!
Yours truly, Linda Smith Janoff, and husband David made up for lost travel time during the pandemic with a long Viking cruise from Santiago, Chile, to Buenos Aires, Argentina, over Christmas and New Year’s. With extra days in Santiago and Buenos Aires, we were gone for almost a month! There were lots of penguin expeditions as well as sea days filled with interesting lectures and good food. We did come home with COVID-19, but it was so mild we didn’t even think to test until a couple we traveled with came up positive. If we had to get it, I’m so glad it was in 2023 instead of 2020, and after our
Summer 2023 59
Susie Mead Dorsey and Pam Swift
vaccinations! Next trip: Quito and the Galapagos, in September!
Class of 1973
Judith (Judy) Luke judy.luke@comcast.net
Cheers to FIFTY. The Class of ’73 is looking great. We are indeed: Fabulous. Inspiring. Fun. Talented. Young (at heart)! A special thanks to the Reunion Committee. It was so great to see so many familiar faces, some for the first time in 50 years! The lyrics of our class song — “We’re seniors at last” — was oddly appropriate. And yes, we did shout it loudly. We rocked our 50th, with classmates traveling from as far away as Switzerland and Italy as well as from the West Coast, southern states, the Midwest, Southwest and of course, New England. It goes without saying that for those unable to attend, we missed all of you and hope you can join us next time.
The weekend kicked off Friday afternoon with a cocktail reception for our class. Up next was the Alumnae Art Show featuring works by Susan Dowley, Holly Harnischfeger, Lisa Maxwell, Karin Baldwin Quayle, Nancy Everts
Rodriquez and Leslie Bragdon Vieth So. Much. Talent. Dinner for all Reunion classes followed in the Dining Hall. Not only did our class win the coveted Dana Fund Giving Participation trophy, but we broke the Reunion attendance record, too. Insert cheers here.
Saturday started early with She Sails 2023. Margaret Boles Fitzgerald kicked off the event as the keynote speaker. Our class had lots of insights and stories to share: Priscilla (Perky) Francis Nellissen, a puppy raiser and trainer for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, was a panelist in a session titled: “At Your Service: Dogs Changing Lives for the Better.” Rebecca Rasmussen
Grunwald, entrepreneur and owner of Rasmussen Architects, was a panelist in the “Building Blocks of Architecture” session. Lisa and Karin, both artists, were panelists on the topic “Careers in Chapters: A Discussion on Embracing Nonlinear Careers.” And Joan Haffenreffer Bartsch, current chief administrative officer, Enterprise Services and Public Affairs at Citi, was a panelist in a session titled “How to Navigate the Working World in the 2020s and Beyond.” Along the way, we were joined by former faculty including Jim Aisner, Deanna Douglas, Jean McCarthy, Gene Scattergood, Matt Stackpole and John Schuler.
On Saturday, many of us attended a memorial service in honor of the far too many classmates no longer with us, including Susan Sturdy Englander, Jennifer Gates, Anne Lindsay, Nancy Ryan Lowitt, Susan Pritchard, Addis (Muffie) Spurge, Margie Suttenberg, Sondra Duncanson Vastine, Deborah Wight and Mona Wong. All are forever in our hearts. Saturday evening, we gathered again in the tent behind Grove House and the fun continued. We wrapped up the night with remarks from Susan Dowley Her poem/ode to our class made us all laugh and was yet another highlight in our weekend of reconnecting, Dana Hall style.
More news from our class: Grace Nelson departed Vermont in March on a car tour of the U.S. southeast and beyond with her partner Luke. Grace and Luke had a great start, visiting with Dana Cole and husband Bob near Asheville, N.C. Dana pulled out classic photos of her post-college backpack tour of Europe with Susan Dowley. Luke and Grace continued onto Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, followed by a stop at Big Bend National Park in Texas. After hiking, enjoying dark skies and a day trip to Boquillas, Mexico, they headed north to New Mexico and Colorado. In Louisville, Colo., they spent time with Grace’s son Zak, his wife Jane and 1-yearold daughter Adelaide. In Denver, Grace crossed paths with Virginia (Ginger) Gamage — reminiscing about Dana Hall days, and going way back to summer camp time in Maine with Nancy Ryan Lowitt Their trip wrapped up with a stop at the Canadian side of Niagara Falls for a first-time visit and were back safely to Vermont in April!
Judy Luke writes, “Great fun seeing so many familiar faces at Reunion. 2023 has indeed been a year of reconnecting. In March, I had back-to-back weekends reuniting with friends from the ’80s in
New York City. Weekend No. 1 took me to Florida to meet up with former banking pals. Lots of catching up, a little art, an afternoon of kayaking, evenings with music and plenty of good food and wine. Weekend No. 2 took me to New Orleans with another group of New York City friends from back in the day. Lesley Nonkin Seymour ’74 was our host and tour guide — just so much fun. We picked right up where we left off 25+ years ago. I’m still in Boston, working at athenahealth as creative director. A good mix of on-site and remote work. Looking forward to warmer temps and summers at nearby beaches.”
Elizabeth (Beth) Hall Johnson writes, “I’m sending in my notes while on a wonderful church trip to Israel! We’ve had a hectic couple of years. I retired during COVID-19 and we moved, just 20 minutes away, still suburbs of Milwaukee, to be closer to our two grandkids. Our second daughter was married last October in Kansas City and our youngest (son) will be married in Wisconsin in July. Our oldest daughter gave us a third grandchild in mid-March and we are deep into grandparenting. We haven’t traveled to the East Coast in several years, but we hope to come more often following Reunion!”
Lucy Franks LaPier is still living in the San Francisco Bay Area, and really enjoying it. Two of their kids live in the Bay Area and one is in Chicago. Lucy volunteers quite a bit at nearby Stanford University, helping the international grad students get acclimated to their new life in the U.S., writing, “It’s fun to meet them and get to learn about different countries, cultures and the experiences of the students. And to show them fun things like the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Bay, which always amaze them. If you ever want to visit, let me know!”
Susan (Susie) Foster Wilson writes “It was so much fun to see all who came to our 50th. There were lots of old friends to catch up with and some to go visit after reconnecting. We all looked great and we still know how to have fun. Other news: A mild winter here on Cape Cod. I am still busy with house renovations and my work with a nonprofit called Protect our Past — www.protectourpast.org. We are working to educate people on options they have when they buy an old house. Tearing it down to rebuild is not the only choice.” Susie adds, “I am having fun with my two granddaughters who live in Marblehead, Mass., with our son Sam and his wife Brooke!”
60 Summer 2023
Linda Smith Janoff and husband David on board the Viking Jupiter
Class of 1974
Katharine (Kate) Hirsch Koller katehkoller@gmail.com
Lesley Nonkin Seymour writes, “I’m doing great in NOLA. Having a blast as a new marcher in Mardi Gras parades as what’s called an Amelia EarHawt. We dress up in silly airline hostess costumes and dance down the streets in the big parades. If you told me I’d be doing this five years ago, I would have said you’re crazy. But this is NOLA. And that’s what it does for you. My son JJ is living in Portland, Maine, as a remote software designer and my daughter Lake is graduating as a dentist from UPenn and off to doing her residency up at Harvard for orthodontics. So I will be heading back up to Boston to visit for the next few years. Hope to see some of you there. Let me know if you get down to New Orleans. Everyone does come through here and I’ll take you to lunch!”
Laurie Goldstein writes, “Hey Class of ’74! No big headlines. Hubby got over a nasty round of COVID-19, which surprisingly I didn’t get! We’ve been handling his mom’s estate (she passed last fall at 99 years old), and now that her house looks like it’s selling, we’re contemplating some adventure travels and potentially a move. Hope you’re all well!”
Amy Short Nicholson writes, “Thanks to Kate for keeping us looped in. I don’t usually write a blurb, since I never think I have anything exciting to add, but I always enjoy reading everyone else’s journey, so here’s my latest: I love living in Florida and have been married to Bob for 29 years (not my original Bob, but guess I stick with the name)! My daughter Tracey lives in South Carolina and enjoys multiple jobs in real estate and retail, most of them remote so she can manage the kids’ activities. I have four bonus children who all live in Florida and lead busy and exciting lives. Between them all, we have 13 grandchildren and a 7-month-old great-grandson! It is exciting to share in all they do, but it sure makes me feel old (and achy, too)! I’m still working as an RN, but now after 40 years at a hospital in surgical services, I’ve been at an ambulatory surgical center for six years and recently cut back to only 2-3 days per week and still loving it. My husband has been retired and last year got through a rough road of radiation and hormone treatment for prostate cancer, and all seems to be well now, thank goodness. He is back to the ‘honey-do’ list and has almost completed construction of a new addition of a porch/ three-season room that we’ve wanted for years. ‘Tis the season for nieces getting married and grandchildren starting colleges next year. My goal is to stay healthy, keep the aches and groans at bay, continue hosting family visits and enjoying our beautiful west coast of Florida life. I join my siblings in Maine for a week at the beach in the summers, and try to get back to New England every other Christmas. We hope to have more time for some travels now. 1974 seems sooo long ago. Hugs to all!”
Amanda North writes, “I always love reading our Class Notes. A huge shout out to Kate for keeping us in touch! In April, it was a week of reflection for me: the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing. So many of you were hugely supportive of me in the aftermath, for which I’m truly grateful. Luckily, my injuries healed except for my hearing (thank goodness for hearing aids)! The more enduring impact was my decision to leave the tech world and pursue areas of social impact. For the past four years, I have been leading a climate consulting firm working with board directors to help them understand and act on the impacts of climate change on their companies. I feel uplifted by the people I work with, though the subject matter is daunting — in a word, we are totally screwed unless all of us, in every way we can, work to change the
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The Class of 1973 at the Saturday night Grove House dinner
Becky Rasmussen Grunwald and Dana Cole
Beth Hall Johnson, Nancy Everts Rodriquez, Judy Luke
Carol Camp Shepard and Hope Shand
Lisa Maxwell and Karin Baldwin Quayle
Lucy Franks LaPier, Connie Cough Graft, Trudy Harder Briggs, Amy Dickenson German
Polly Arnoff and Lynn Nathanson
course of our climate disaster. Loving life in San Francisco in a gorgeous neighborhood next to the Presidio and just uphill from the bay. My son lives in one of the three units, and it’s great having him nearby — when he’s in town, that is. He works for a fintech company based in Amsterdam and is always on the go. My daughter is a China/climate reporter based in D.C. We all are healthy and well, and trying to live life to the fullest! Come visit whenever you are out this direction.”
Class of 1975
Kyle Fake Seydler kylewfake@gmail.com
Anne Baker writes, “This year has been an interesting year to say the least. My three brothers and I decided to sell our family home in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod. We bought this house in 1960, so this sale was bittersweet. There are so many memories attached to our home, from me sitting in President Kennedy’s lap when I was 5 years old to working for Ethel Kennedy as her personal maid and smuggling black hash in her suitcase on the private plane headed back from Canada where we attended the Olympics. Being her maid was the only job in my lifetime that I was fired from and it was not related to the hash smuggling! Lots of stories to tell about growing up next door to the Kennedys. Some of you visited this wonderful home years ago. My mother is still hanging in there, but not doing well enough to stay in the Cape house anymore. She is turning 99 this year and lives in an assisted living community in Florida. Because of the sale of the Cape house, I am able to remodel my Santa Fe home. I am currently renting a casita close to the plaza downtown since the project will last three months. This project delayed my plans to retire since I could not deal with having no income while spending so much! My work is headed for a big change in that my adult clinic and the children’s clinic will be merging and moving into a large brand-new, state-of-the-art clinic (44,000 square feet) where we will be adding dental services. This is an organizational nightmare that I love handling, so I will stay through this move in September, get staff settled in, and then retire in January or February 2024. I am looking forward to the 2025 Reunion!”
Rebecca Armen Lyman writes, “Last year, I sold my marketing and advertising agency, the Garrigan Lyman Group
(GLG), to a larger company, DCG ONE, a marketing services and solutions company to triple the size of their in-house agency within the company. I am currently chief marketing officer of DCG ONE as I transition the company after nearly 30 years of running and growing GLG. It is a much different role, but I am enjoying it as I figure out my transition. I have two daughters who I happily inherited when I married my husband Jeff, and they are both married. We have four grandchildren evenly split between families, and boys and girls. We live in Seattle; one family lives here and the other in Westchester County, N.Y. We have lots of travel plans coming up to Scotland, Egypt and Morocco, so I think that means the transition to retirement is on its way! Very best wishes to you all.”
Donna Hall Bradford writes, “I have finally decided to retire in February 2024. The word is out and the board of directors is aware. My company is a social service agency and I am the CFO. I am counting the months. I have seven grands across the country. The kids are all working, and my husband and I are looking forward to some downtime. I had COVID-19 before the vaccine was available — scary! We are fully vaccinated with everything: shingles, COVID-19, flu. Makes me laugh. Planned to head to Lisbon, Portugal, in June. We live in Kansas City and fly often to visit kids in Los Angeles; Tampa, Fla.; Chicago; and Marblehead, Mass. Love reading the updates from everyone. Stay well.”
Jennifer Cross Peterson writes, “I just read Donna’s email saying that she is finally retiring. I am still working but always wondering when I should retire! How many among us are still working? I just can’t seem to make the break, even though I would love to have more free time. No news here really, but I love to hear what everyone else is up to, thinking about, etc.”
Hillary Bailey Smith writes, “I have retired as well! Collecting pensions and all signed up for Medicare! Woo hoo! Living in the Florida Keys and playing lots of golf. Loving it! Two grandkids in New Jersey with my son and daughter-in-law. My daughter got married last summer and has moved to Doha, Qatar! So Thanksgiving was in Doha going to the World Cup games. Really fun! Love hearing about what everyone is doing. Will be back in Maine this summer hoping to catch Amelia (Amy) Wilson Demers!”
Nancy Alexander writes, “We’re moving back to Massachusetts after almost 30 years in Maryland (near Bethesda). We bought a place on Cape Cod two years ago and quickly realized that it didn’t make sense to hold onto the family home when we were north three-quarters of the year. The kids are scattered with only one in Boston. Two are in Denver and one will remain in Maryland. My mom (93) is still living alone in Millis, Mass., and I have a sister in Groton, Mass., so it’ll be nice to be nearer to them. We’ve always intended to move back, so here we go. I feel that cold winter months are easier to take than the swampy summer heat in Maryland. I am in touch daily with Nancy MacDonald via Instagram as we are comically addicted to sharing stupid reels. Also hope to see Laura (Dodo) Ellis when she visits her daughter and family in Baltimore before we move. Lunches with Eunice Murray ’74 are treasured dates with my friend of more than 50 years. Stay well, all.”
Holley (Jolley) Skoglund Frank writes, “I actually tested positive for COVID-19 on April 1, 2020 — right at the beginning of this crazy deal. Because of the media I was pretty nervous, but after a couple of days, I was fine. I actually had my antibodies tested every four months and they remained consistently high, so I waited more than eight months to get vaccinated. The only reason I finally did was to be in the hospital to visit my third granddaughter right after her birth. If we only knew then what we know now… It’s so interesting to hear about everyone’s family and work experiences. I am an interior designer and not retiring any time soon. I love what I do, but have a few too many projects going on right now (10-12). Traveling for those (California, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut) doesn’t allow for much free time, but I did see Hillary Bailey Smith down in Key Largo, Fla., this past January when playing in a member/guest golf tournament. I have three kids, all married, and four granddaughters. I try to spend as much time as I can with them, but it’s not easy since one family is in Houston, Texas, and the other two are in Arlington, Va. (I’m in Wilton, Conn.) Someday I will have more time to play golf and catch up on the pile of books on my nightstand, but it won’t be any time soon.”
Maryfrances Galligan writes, “As of this writing, I am sitting on the beautiful porch of Mary (Cort) Holden Atkinson and John Atkinson in Savannah, Ga. — always
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a wonderful and welcoming spot on my annual drive from Wellesley, Mass., to Vero Beach, Fla. We have kept in close touch for all these years, and it has been so fun to share good times and birth of children. MC has three girls and five grandchildren, while I am further behind with twin 25-year-olds and no grandchildren on the horizon. However, my daughter Sarah Galligan ’16 — who lives in Boston — recently adopted a St. Bernard and I am now a full-time babysitter. We are all systems go enjoying boating, golf, pickle ball (MF), gardening (MC), cooking, cocktailing, quilting, reading, home renovation and decorating, etc. We are about to look at Jolley’s website and admire her work. Please let us know what else we should be looking into! Love hearing from everyone.”
Norma Fay writes, “After almost 50 years, it’s time I sent you an update on my life since Dana Hall. I graduated from Ithaca College as a communications major and spent some time on the air as a DJ. Shifted gears and decided that selling cars would be more fun. I was told in my interview at the local Porsche/Audi dealership that women didn’t sell cars and, if they did, they didn’t do it well. I thought that was a ridiculous statement and commented that if he hired me, he would see a change. I became the No. 1 salesperson in the country for both manufacturers. I left to become sales manager of a helicopter shuttle service, HubExpress Airlines, operating out of Boston Logan Airport and flew to work every day. After HubExpress, I worked as the regional manager of BriteLine Industries, a pavement marking company. About that time, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Thankfully, I’m healthy now! Shifted gears once again to become a certified personal trainer, nutrition consultant, life coach and aerobics instructor. A few years later, I was certified as a ski instructor and taught skiing for 15 years along with becoming certified as a motorcycle safety instructor, which I did for 20 years. I took up pole dancing 10 years ago to help combat the beginning stages of osteoporosis by lifting my body weight instead of free weights at the gym. That led to me becoming a certified pole dance instructor. Most of my students are half my age or younger. Just before I turned 60, I decided it was time to pursue my childhood dream of playing in a band. So I learned how to play bass and am currently in my third pop/rock/country band. I am a 5th Degree Black Belt in Shaolin/Kempo Karate after studying Martial Arts for 20 years. Married and
divorced a few times before finding my partner, Ron. We’ve been together for 13 years traveling the world, riding elephants in Thailand, camels in the Sahara, swimming with dolphins, stingrays and sharks in Bora Bora, and more. We both ride and have our horses at home with us in Blackstone, Mass. Summers are spent at our house on the Cape and waterskiing off our boat, Wicked Fun, and having fun with friends. I have absolutely no intention of slowing down. I hope to see you all at the next Reunion!”
Margaret (Margi) Hoar Hopkins writes, “During the pandemic, I retired from a 100-year career as a veterinary assistant. Recently I’ve been focusing on my art biz and a portrait series for a solo show. My last bone scan wasn’t great, so I joined the Y. Strengthening classes and yoga have paid off. My legs and core are strong. My arms are just beginning to show definition (crepey skin remains). The part I didn’t expect is the comradery amongst other agers. Ha! Who would’ve thought working out would be fun? Last September, we moved to Ohio farm country. Absolutely love waking up to birds instead of car doors and engines starting up first thing in the morning. Ahhh, the smell of cow manure!”
Catherine (Cathy) Hosley Vouwie writes, “Can’t wait to join the ranks of the retirees, but it seems our business plan when my husband and I started our small medical publishing company 36 years ago fell short when it came to an exit plan. So here I am sending this from a medical conference in Philadelphia when I would much rather be playing tennis, volunteering and spending time with my three young grandchildren (two live five minutes away in Manchester, Mass., and the youngest is in Charleston, S.C. — trips to Charleston always include a visit with Melissa Garvan). The good news is I think I’ve finally convinced my other half, who turns 74 next month, that there is a path to retirement and we need to get on it soon! Will keep you posted. In the meantime, love hearing everybody’s news and send my best to all.”
Laura (Dodo) Ellis writes, “We were delighted to welcome a lovely new granddaughter in January. She joins her brother and parents in Baltimore, Md. I’ve recently built a new art studio on our property in a rural village outside of Santa Fe, N.M. Looking forward to walking out the kitchen door with my morning tea to paint. I return to Mt. Desert Island, Maine, each summer to spend time with family and show my work in nearby galleries. This summer, I plan to also travel to London where my daughter and her husband live. It’s fun to hear everyone’s news.”
Margi
painting entitled “Chicken Sniffin’”
Susan Orban Eichler writes, “Okay, my friends. I don’t write in much, but I do love to hear what everyone is up to. Thank you for sharing with us.”
Julia Warner writes, “I went back to college in 1991 and got a second bachelor’s — this time, in nursing. My highlight was starting a charity with my favorite ortho guy going to Central and South America and doing hip and knee replacements. Saw some amazing places and we helped a lot of people. I met Barbara Baitel Dickinson’s family when in Panama. I just happened to ask our host if he knew the Baitels and he picked up his phone and called right then and there! The charity is still going, but Dr. Jerry and I stepped down from the board. I moved to the eastern shore of Virginia where I discovered teaching… nursing! Who knew I would love it? Living in the house of my dreams; couldn’t ask for more.”
Nancy MacDonald writes, “I’ve been a freelance copy editor and proofreader for the past decade or so. I started out in healthcare management, but after marrying (a Nobles boy) and moving to Maine to buy a bookstore, I gradually switched to the literary world. I have no plans to retire, because I love my work and the flexible hours, but I suppose I’ll have to give it up
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Norma Fay during one of her pole dancing classes
Hopkins’
when my brain or hands no longer work. My marriage ended 20 years ago, and I had the pleasure (and occasional pain) of raising three great kids, although my youngest says she raised herself (she’s not wrong). My oldest, Lucy, is a health teacher in Montpelier, Vt. Henry is a computer coder in Denver and newly married to a wonderful woman. Sophie is an ICU nurse at Boston Children’s. I see the girls fairly often since we’re all in New England. No grandkids yet, just grand dogs and grand cats. (Psst, I’m not getting any younger, kids.) I live a mile from Elizabeth Simonds, text with Nancy Alexander most days, and stay in touch with Dodo, too. Life is pretty quiet, and that’s fine with me. I had a scheduled thyroid cancer surgery in the spring, but I’m not overly concerned and just want to put it behind me. If anyone has experience with thyroid hormone replacement, feel free to shoot me a personal email.”
Abigail Strauss writes, “My Dana Hall days were definitely some of the best of my life. After a tour of Wellesley and Brandeis, I graduated from Hampshire College with a degree in cultural anthropology/ musicology. Next, I moved to New York City; became a songwriter, recording engineer and producer; and met my practice husband, Carl, also an engineer and musician. We had a wondrous daughter, Anni, who is now 31 and lives near me in western Massachusetts, where she is — among other things — a musician, master engineer and designer of the most amazing recording gear. Fast forward through a major life transformation — including a divorce — out of which I emerged with a master’s degree in divinity based in energy work, consciousness studies and spiritual counseling. I soon found, however, that my ‘ministry’ is in organizations where for well over a decade I’ve been facilitating strategic planning and learning in leadership and mindfulness. Supporting people in building conscious awareness and finding the most joyful, productive ways to work together is the thing I will do ‘til my last breath, and possibly beyond. The other thing I’ll always make is music. I’ve made two albums in the last 20 years (I’m on Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp, etc.), one of them with Anni, which was awesome! I live in Ashfield, Mass., on an apple orchard with my for-real husband, Alan, and our Goldendoodle, LC (short for Love Child). We enjoy pampering guests, so if any of y’all are out this way, please look us up. Deep appreciation to Susan Orban Eichler for being a wonderful roommate
and for letting me keep dirty saddle pads in our closet.”
Martha (Mo) Bragdon writes, “I have a dual career as counselor/coach, mainly working with adolescents, but that often entailed working with adults: parents, teachers, coaches, administrators, doctors, etc. One of my specialties was substance abuse (prevention/early intervention/ treatment). It was hard, very hard, but very worthwhile. I loved coaching, building strong teams and helping kids who were not confident see that they could become athletes and contribute (a lot) to a team, teaching skills and showing groups of kids that hard work could actually be ‘fun’ and that the results could be amazing. My mom (Dale Doran Bragdon ’45) died just before COVID-19 in 2020. That was difficult and painful. I had taken care of/ managed the care of my father and then my mother for a total of almost 15 years. During that time, I felt like I was living in a bubble. And when I got out of the bubble, it wasn’t easy like I thought it might be. My family right now is Uno, a 13-year-old yellow lab/golden retriever cross; Harry, a 4-year-old yellow lab; and Chum, a 3-year-old female yellow lab. All three dogs have done agility with me. Harry and I and Chummie and I are certified therapy dog teams. We have had a goal of visiting local police and fire departments and other first responders to give them some support and a few chuckles. Here’s some bad news: Harry was just recently diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. He’s only 4! Probably will have to have some radiation and I do not know how long he will be around. Could be years, or not. Learning to navigate this situation. Wishing you all good health and some simple good times.”
Mo
Bragdon’s dogs Chum, Harry and Uno
E. Laura Foley Coleman writes, “I still live in Palo Alto, Calif., and just was certified as a psychoanalyst through the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. It has been a lot of work and years, not only
building knowledge and skill, but developing a love for the City of San Francisco and a much wider group of colleagues. The conferences in Chicago, Boston, New York City and London always keep me learning and growing, so I’m grateful for that. What I appreciate most about Dana Hall, beyond friendships and amazing Boston, is how the teachers and the times strengthened a love of learning, independent thinking, giving back, a civic sense (refurbishing old homes in South Boston and the recycling program our history teacher started) — and community, too — so I’ve tried to keep that going no matter the circumstances or adventure. On the personal side, I have lived in the same bungalow for 40 years where we have been leisurely working on a colorful and bird/ butterfly/bee-friendly garden for being with friends outdoors and for the plus of enjoying a few fence-lining, privacyenhancing edibles like fig, lemon and persimmon. So different from the forsythia, myrtle and bluebells I grew up with, but still dream-friendly and fun! Gerry and I have been married 25 years and are still best friends. We have a daughter, Lila, who is 23. Gerry owns and runs his own business, Deaf Services of Palo Alto, which keeps growing and helps a lot of people, strengthening accessibility in tech companies and in universities. There is a lot of interest in the ASL classes taught within his programs, which improve social connection between more and more people in the hearing and deaf communities. Our daughter Lila has responded to the pandemic by taking two gap years, this last one in Bogotá, Colombia. She is studying Venezuelan migration, comparing policies there and in Peru. She’ll be home this fall to start her last year of college and then on to the NGO working world of New York City or D.C. I have a home office with a steady flow of patients. They are all women: students, educators, researchers — a wonderful fit for me. Alongside the gifts, it has been a year of many losses. We’ve said good-bye to my mother-in-law Nancy, sister Kitty, a very dear cousin Sarah, and a best friend Larry with Parkinson’s. It hurts and I work hard to stay present, focused, accepting… and still savoring life in all the moments, too. I’m glad we still have each other’s 16-year-old selves in mind and heart! I recently spoke with Lizette Rexach in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and she and Manolo are doing well. They have a daughter and son: one went to Northwestern and the other to Brown, and both are living near Lizette and Manolo again to work as attorneys and raise their families. Lizette has five grandchildren and
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loves playing ‘school’ with the youngest one, 3 years old.”
me fully masked in public until the risk has eased the past few months. As the horror and challenge of dodging crutches, boots, chemo and demise stare us down, the history we have of sharing insane adolescent times and a place is worth something. Our Remember Strong Women bench is waiting for us to show up in 2025.”
Elizabeth (Liz) Flory Williamson writes, “This is a big year and I celebrate everyone who is lucky enough to be contemplating retirement vs. the alternative of our classmates who have been lost along the way. I think I will join the retirement ranks in June. At least I am giving up my veterinary position at a practice where I have enjoyed solid employment and veterinary medicine with a soul for 32 years. I have been less than impressed with the new corporate owners of the past four years and it has been a struggle in so many ways. I am truly sorry to all pet owners who feel the loss of the local private practice. The shortage of qualified personnel is debilitating for those of us who have been hanging on. The good news is the level of medical care available to pets has soared and I hope that will make a difference for Mo and Harry. I am proud to say my replacement graduated from vet school in the spring when my niece Savannah becomes the next Flory, DVM. Jim turned 78 this spring and it is time to spend that summer on Cape Cod in his happy place of Truro. Neither of us have had COVID-19, but I came close to losing my brother along the way. We are still wearing masks at work when we are with clients and not wanting long COVID-19 or to be the one that infected Jim has kept
Polly Attwood writes, “It’s been a long time since I checked in. It feels important to recognize that different ones of us had very different experiences of Dana. I have not been involved as an alum on Dana’s journey to bring needed changes to more fully include and support students from a wider range of backgrounds and social identities. I respect all those efforts. I am well, living in a co-housing community in North Cambridge (Cambridge Choosing) with my spouse Wendy Sanford and our aging dog, Rory. We have three adult (in their 20s) granddaughters whom we enjoy and don’t see as much as we would like. They live in New York City and Miami. I retired from Northeastern University (Boston) in June 2020 after 34 years in education, the last 11 at NU teaching undergrads and grads in the education/ teacher education program. I know my engaging experiences with learning and teaching at Dana, the commitment of our many teachers, is part of what inspired me to go into education. Prior to that, I taught history/social studies at Brookline High and had a brief time in Lesley University’s undergrad education/teacher education program before pivoting to Northeastern. Overall, teaching and teacher education brought many rewarding years with young people in their learning and growth and with those wanting to become teachers. Wendy’s main lifework has been as a women’s health activist. Most notably she is one of the core authors of the book “Our Bodies, Ourselves.” As much as I loved teaching, with Wendy being 13 years my senior, I did not want to be grading papers at night and on weekends into her/our later years together. Life has brought many joys and sorrows. The sorrows include early losses of my mom (breast cancer) and brother (autoimmune hepatitis, cause unknown) and seeing my dad through Alzheimer’s into his 90s. I faced challenges as a teacher choosing to come out as gay, though in the end was supported. I feel the struggles of young LGTBTQ people today in a climate that has opened up more room for homophobia/transphobia and harmful ‘othering.’ I have felt the joy of meaningful work, living in community, and am grateful for overall good health. I am engaged with
my local Cambridge and New Englandwide Quaker community in a variety of ways, have done work pushing back against voter suppression and enjoy a slower pace that allows more time with Wendy, other family and friends. Our special place is a year-round second home in Sunapee, N.H., on a small lake near Lake Sunapee where we have yet another circle of friends. I wish you all the very best in this time of transition and change that comes with being in our mid-60s.
Cheryl Yung Rousseau writes, “Wow, do we ever have fascinating women in our class! I wish I had gotten to know many of you better while I was at Dana. I ended up graduating from Colgate and then went onto IBM in New York City. I discovered that I didn’t like computers and headed off to business school at Northwestern (Kellogg) in Chicago. From there, I went into investment banking and loved it, but in the late ’80s, I was the only professional woman in the Boston office, and it was a toxic, sexually harassing and discriminating environment for women. Emotionally battered and at my lowest low, I left there, too, and started my own interior plantscaping business in Cambridge, Mass., wherein I combined my passions for botany and art. I eventually dropped that, too, because I missed having those passions as hobbies. Lost, I took myself to an industrial psychologist who conducted all manner of testing and learned I should be a career coach. At the time, it seemed to be a perfectly good waste of my MBA, yet when I started on the path, things fell into place at lightning speed. Over the past 23 years, I have had the privilege of working full time with C-suite level executives for clients of LHH, a global consulting company, and part-time for alumni of Harvard Business School. I am fortunate to love my work and have no plan to fully retire, though I will shrink it to only one or two days a week. As with many of us, I faced what has felt like enough challenges in my familial and
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Laura Foley Coleman with daughter Lila and husband Gerry on her brother Tom’s boat in Nantucket Harbor
Laura’s dog Jasper, a Maltipoo
Wendy Sanford and Polly Attwood with dog Rory
personal life, including an excruciating spine injury that caused me to be a shut-in for two years during my 40s. Looking back, I marvel at the curve balls life gives us that we somehow get past. Recently, with loving kindness, I left my husband after spending 20 years with him in a charming coastal community on the north shore of Boston. He had joint custody of his two children and I was an involved bonus parent to them from the ages of eight and 10. Maybe, as with Abby Straus, he was my ‘practice husband’ because I feel increasingly open to meeting someone new. As part of this life change, I moved to Tampa, Fla., and am reveling in the sunshine — no more shoveling snow for me! If any of you live in the general area or happen to pass through, please let me know as I would love to see or hear from you! Thanks for the memories and cheers to all that remains in each of our wild and precious lives.”
Calista Harder writes, “I’m still living in Shelburne, Vt., where my husband and I moved from Waltham about 29 years ago. The house was a real wreck: a brick house from 1840, moved in with a 4- and 1-year-old… What were we thinking? Lots of renovating over the years and living around dust and debris. Now it’s a pleasure to see the house returned to a solid family place. Much like the house journey, our marriage went through many renovations and there were a few junctures where I was almost ready to quit. Somehow we kept at it (i.e. therapy) and now I’m glad that, almost 41 years married, we are having fun and working together to be good support to our grown kids and family and friends. During COVID-19, we were quite content and very lucky to keep each other company while in lockdown. I’m still practicing a bit of massage therapy — the work I’ve been doing for 40 years — now from home. I left my office in Shelburne during COVID-19 and eventually started working a little from home, which has been great. (I also have Osteoporosis and broke a vertebra in 2020 after my swing hammock chair came out of the ceiling.) While it’s taken all this time to feel much more able walking and just doing lots of regular activities, it’s been a valuable time to realize even though my back isn’t going to be what it was before, I’m so fortunate to be as healthy and vital as I am and live in a place where people value ‘letting people be who they are.’”
Melissa Garvan writes, “Being a dog walker at age 65 presents its challenges for the old body these days! No matter how much I swim and walk, etc., it’s wearing me
down! Life is good, but the knee surgery is taking a bit longer than expected to heal without going back in. Not sure why, but it is still very painful and not up to that old range of motion they want you to have before they release you. I am on the fourth P.T. person and so far, so good. I am ready to retire and go to Australia, but 14+ hours on a plane… ugh, not ready for that! I finally rescued a 5-year-old male Welsh Corgi from a ‘bad breeder’ in lower South Carolina. She did not have him on heartworm preventative meds, which can kill a dog. Hopefully we can clear him, but it takes about 6-8 weeks of being quiet and not overdoing exercises. How do you keep a Corgi quiet? Congrats to ya’ll retiring. I am jealous!”
Class of 1976
Lisa Maini lmaini@mymarketingmanager.com
love getting the Dana Bulletin with updates on my classmates! I haven’t yet updated y’all on my neck of the woods so here goes. Been very fortunate to have lived in the most beautiful parts of the country: Scottsdale, Ariz; Boerne, Texas; Boulder, Colo.; The Greenbrier (Lewisburg, W. Va.); and most recently Sarasota, Fla. I’m a software trainer for Apple, a fine art professional and stage homes on the side. I have three amazing children (Taylor, Chance and Nicolas), one son-in-law (Buck) and two precious grandsons, Finny (3) and Felix (2). My grandchildren live in Seattle, so currently figuring out logistics to live much closer and be a bigger part of their lives. Last but certainly not least, I have two small pound puppies, Lilly and Winston, and one great big golden doodle named Lido, who are always by my side. Most recent drama: After getting over a big bout of COVID-19 last summer, compliments of a trip to Disneyland, I fell in the debris from Hurricane Ian and broke my ankle. Two surgeries later, I am on the mend! Looking forward to finishing a series of paintings and planning the next big adventure with Finny and Felix and the rest of the fam! Take care, everyone! Can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to and would love nothing more than to reconnect. You can reach me at suzaines@ gmail.com.”
The Varsity Tennis team in 1975-76
Lisa Maini writes, “Oh boy, did I blow it! I didn’t see the email that Class Notes were due and I had to scramble to let everyone know. Please accept my apologies for this oversight. What’s new with me? Well, Ross (my prime mate - get it, lol?) and I went skiing in beautiful North Lake Tahoe, and there was so much snow that the mountain, restaurants, etc., closed down for a couple of days! (Who remembers Dana’s freestyle/ ski club at Blue Hills?) I still have my business myMarketingManager.com, and I am thinking about a lot of things: traveling, taking classes, Medicare/Medicaid, working vs. retiring — it can be overwhelming, especially at 5:45 a.m.! I try to fill my days with things that make me happy: physical exercise, social interaction, intellectual stimulation and small acts of kindness. Is this asking too much? I don’t think so, because I see it in my classmates. Intrepid, persevering, philanthropic, motivated, spirited, caring and more! Keep on truckin’, ladies! Wishing you all the best and continued success.”
Susan (Suzaine) Smith Wilcott writes, “I
Mary Gannett Crowell writes, “Still enjoying retirement in Meredith, N.H., and Grand Junction, Colo. Splitting time between the two as one daughter is in New Hampshire and the other is in Colorado! Best of both worlds. We are traveling as much as we can with trips planned to Alaska and South Africa coming up in the next 12 months. We purchased a small campervan during COVID-19 and have made great use of it as well. My husband’s goal is to visit all the National Parks. Our fun adventure this winter was getting snowed in at the Grand Canyon. We are enjoying exploring this beautiful country of
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Suzaine Smith Wilcott’s family: Taylor, Finny, Felix, Buck, Suzaine, Chance and Nicolas at Disneyland in 2022
ours. All is well and I look forward to the next adventure!”
Class of 1977
Elly Phillips Cyr ellycyr@comcast.net
Linda Perry Kimbrell ’82 and Sue Perry with Sue’s book
illustrations are on every few pages.” The book is available on Amazon or by emailing Sue at sue.perry@charter.net. Sue continues, “Thank you, Dana Hall School, for teaching us to ride horses and write books!”
Class of 1978
Lisa Aronson Altman P11, 16 laltmn@comcast.net
Susan Anderson Peterson, Carol Craig Rohall, Lauren Henderson Bak and Ellen Meisel Barrett had a delicious lunch at East Bay Grill in Plymouth, Mass. They were gathering for a New Year’s get-together.
Lauren lives in Marshfield, Mass., and is enjoying her retirement from State Street Bank. She has two part-time jobs: as a retail associate at a local boutique general/gift store in Marshfield Hills and as a bookkeeping assistant for a local interior design company. She is thrilled to be an involved grandmother to her daughter’s daughter, who lives nearby. Lauren and her husband split their time between Marshfield and Harwich Port on Cape Cod.
Ellen is busy raising her 16-year-old daughter Sophia with her husband John. She also enjoys her two dogs and one rescued cat. She is exploring opportunities doing reading tutoring part-time in Duxbury, Mass.
Susan (Sue) Perry recently wrote a children’s book, “The Adventures of BB, the Wonder Pony,” at the encouraging of her sister Linda Perry Kimbrell ’82. One of Linda’s middle school students, Thea Han, lent a hand by illustrating the book. Sue writes, “Last August when I was at my family’s summer home in Deer Isle, Maine, with my horses, my pony BB and I fell while trotting in the riding field behind the barn. I got quite bashed up, with severe bruising of my left hip/pelvis and a fractured left collarbone. BB was unhurt. I had surgery to repair the fracture: a 4” bone plate and 8 screws. Linda came along from Maine, staying with me in Upton, Mass., until the end of September. In the beginning, I needed a lot of help in the house. Linda and several newly-hired barn workers took care of the three horses as my equines live with me on my small farm. One day Linda casually said, ‘Sue, I know that you need something more than puzzles and reading to fill up your days. I think that you should write a children’s book about BB. The two of you do so many fun things together. I am sure that kids would like to read about all of your adventures. You could write it using BB’s voice so that he is the one actually telling the story.’ I went outside for my daily 4-mile fitness walk. I soon found myself pondering the children’s book idea, turning over topics and wordings in my head. When I returned to the house an hour later, I said to Linda, ‘I’m going to do it; I will write BB’s life story, as told by him to kids.’ The story follows BB throughout his life, starting with being a foal at the Connemara Pony breeding farm and ending with today. BB ‘talks’ about life on the farm, competing in horse shows and going on adventures with his big brother Cody. Thea’s cute
Susan has recently moved to East Sandwich on Cape Cod after spending almost 10 glorious years enjoying island life on Nantucket with her husband, Rick. Susan has spent many years in the retail industry as a manager and in other roles. She is enjoying retirement with her husband, two labs and is looking for new opportunities as a volunteer at the local humane society. She enjoys time with her grandson Sebastian in upstate New York and on Cape Cod with her daughter and son in law. Susan’s daughter works in the retail industry in New York.
Carol is enjoying her family in their beautiful home in Weston, Mass. Both her daughters, Ashley Rohall ’14 and Hailey Rohall ’17, graduated from Dana. Carol was actively involved in her daughters’ pursuits while they were at Dana Hall. Carol is also president of Weston Scouts Inc., that maintains the Town of Weston Scout House and supports all Girl Scout and Boy Scout activities in town. Carol enjoys traveling with her husband, Douglas, and their daughters. Carol’s daughter Ashley works as a nurse at Newton Wellesley Hospital. Her daughter Hailey works in the finance industry in Manhattan, N.Y.
Julia Blagden, Marcia Crumley, Grace Keller Wurtz and Supida (Jieb) Chaixanien had a fabulous dinner together in November in San Francisco. They had a great time catching up.
Vail Cart Tyler is doing great and is proud to say that her daughter will be attending Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, in the fall.
Wendy Scullin Teplow had a granddaughter, Charlotte, on February 25.
In April, we celebrated our 45th Reunion in conjunction with She Sails at Dana. So great! The All-Alumnae Reunion Dinner was held on Friday evening on campus in the Dining Hall. Lisa Aronson Altman, Carol Craig Rohall, Nancy Barnet Adams, Philippa Budding Condakes, Julia Blagden, Dana Peters Frizzell, Katie Bliss Fagan, Peggy Smith Liversidge and Ann Holton Jenne were there, and we did justice to the class song!
On Saturday at She Sails, our classmate Jill Crowley Fraser was a speaker on a panel called “How to Navigate the Working World in the 2020’s and Beyond.” Dana was on the panel “Careers in Storytelling: Communicating with Purpose, Power and Passion.” Marcia Crumley showed a piece in the Alumnae Art Show. Saturday night
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Carol Craig Rohall, Susan Anderson Peterson, Ellen Meisel Barrett and Lauren Henderson Bak at lunch in Plymouth, Mass.
Members of the Class of 1978 at the Friday night dinner during Reunion Weekend
we got together and Vail joined. It really was a great time and was wonderful to see everyone and reminisce about our time at Dana. Some had not been back on campus in quite a while and were surprised to see the changes! We all agreed how fast the time had passed and how fun it was to be back.
Class of 1979
Lynn Phillips Hernandez lynn.hernandez@comcast.net
Lynn Phillips Hernandez writes, “Our third grandbaby (second granddaughter) Madeleine Isla Slowik was born on November 1. The Hernandez crew just keeps on growing, and I’m so thankful that they live nearby as I love being their babysitter when they need one and cheering for them at their soccer, lacrosse and baseball games. It’s so much less stressful to watch as a grandparent than a parent! In some sad news to add to the Bulletin, my aunt Debby Phillips ’49 passed away on April 23.”
Susan Coulter writes, “I am living in Sandwich, N.H., with my wife Kay and our two dogs, Lulu and Blueberry. I moved up here six years ago from Philadelphia to take a job as medical director of a new pediatric group at Lakes Region General Hospital. The practice is thriving (a euphemism for crazy busy). The work here is quite different from my previous practice in Camden, N.J., where I had worked for 25 years. My four kids — Max, Charlotte, Madeleine and Tess — are grown and scattered around the country, but I see them often. Feeling pretty lucky to be where I am right now. I’d love to hear from former classmates, and anyone traveling to the white mountains, stop in and say hi!”
Susan Coulter with her wife
Kay
Two weeks on the white continent, hiking on glaciers, riding in the zodiac through the icebergs, and sailing through the Drake Passage twice, both times a Drake Shake. We saw loads of penguins, seals and were too close to a pod of whales. I also very bravely did the polar plunge. Truly magnificent. Words cannot describe how incredibly spectacular Antarctica is.”
Elizabeth (Beth) Leahy writes, “ I spent my first winter in 10 years here in Rockport, Mass., as my home in Bonita Springs, Fla., was flooded from Hurricane Ian. It’s been torn down and I am trying to decide what to do: either rebuild or sell and buy elsewhere. Life sure can change quickly. I actually was homeless for two months as my house was already rented for the winter. It was a disconcerting and humbling experience.”
Class of 1980
Melissa Brown Moore mbm@ibl.bm
Melissa Brown Moore writes, “Hi Classmates, A few notes to share! Hoping all’s well in your worlds!”
Suzanne (Suzy) Harris Verchick writes, “I’m still holding down the fort in New Jersey, but we expanded our wings a bit (with retirement far away but within sight) and bought a place in Delray Beach, Fla. Let me know if you’re passing through and we can meet up!”
members, friends and colleagues from various points in her career. As age has crept up on me, I am reminded that loss of loved ones is something we cannot escape. These past couple of years have been challenging with the loss of a dear brother and my father. A source of comfort has been that two other Dana graduates, my older sisters, have exhibited the true meaning of Amor Caritas. One sister’s profession is as a behavioral health clinician to many, including those suffering from serious and chronic mental illness. Another sister has dedicated most of her life to taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves, including my father in the last two years of his life when he entered in-home hospice. During these times, I am reminded of how precious our days were at Dana and how inspirational many of the women with whom we were classmates or who taught us have been. The Dana Hall roots we have shared are formidable ones.”
Karen Shapiro writes, “I hope this message finds everyone well. I had a lovely first part of the year. I finally fulfilled the dream of a lifetime: I was in Antarctica!
Carla Salas Sachs writes, “As Anne Morton August ’82 wrote in our last Bulletin, our beloved teacher of Latin and ancient history, Virginia Simpson Aisner, passed away in May 2022. I share here a photo taken at the time of our Class of ’80 graduation. The photo includes Jim Aisner, who continues to share generously with others his intellect, active sponsorship of the arts, and sense of humor. In keeping with his incomparable ability to organize meaningful and personal experiences (e.g., the lecture we received on Ancient Roman city planning and construction by David Macaulay, whose books I eagerly have collected over the years), Jim planned a remarkable and intimate memorial service for Virginia. This brought together many Dana alumnae including Anne, Krystyna von Henneberg ’78, and our own Class of ’80 members Margot Singer, Tracy Sotir Ramsey and myself. It was an honor to have helped share memories and to celebrate Virginia’s life with her family
Carla’s visit to Virginia and Jim’s home in December 2021
Heather Hodgson DePaola writes, “Last summer, our family took two incredible road trips. For two weeks around July 4th, we visited the Adirondacks: Lake Placid and Saratoga. While in Lake Placid, we cheered on Team Dana equestrians at the annual summer horse show! My daughter Mckinlee spent most of her time helping the Stento sisters manage the show (Kate Stento ’11 and Julia Stento ’17). My birthday road trip (three weeks in August) took us to all five Great Lakes and the
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Jim Aisner, Carla Salas Sachs and Virginia Simpson Aisner at the Class of 1980 graduation
Finger Lakes, towing Big Red, our Winnebago travel trailer. The Great Lakes were amazing and yet all a little different. Our favorite area was northern Michigan, especially the Upper Peninsula and Mackinac Island. Lake Superior was our favorite lake. I celebrated my big 60 in Watkins Glen on Lake Seneca, N.Y. The Finger Lakes area is gorgeous, too, plus we loved exploring New York State Parks and the Corning Glass Museum. Last fall, Mckinlee continued competing on Dana’s AEL Team and also joined the IEA Team! She qualified for the IEA Zone Finals at the Big E by winning her class at the Regionals held at Dana Hall in February. She also qualified for the AEL Finals at Mount Holyoke. Our first road trip this summer will be two weeks in Westhampton. Mckinlee will be a day student at UMass attending a pre-college pre-vet course. She aspires to be an equine veterinarian! Mid-July she plans to participate in Dana’s training academy. In August, we plan to spend two weeks in Manchester, Vt. Mckinlee will cheer on and help out Team Dana at the Vermont Summer Festival. So we will be staying close to home and horses this summer!”
Mckinlee and George after winning the IEA Regionals in February
Class of 1982
Anne Morton August guinvere@hotmail.com
Linda Perry Kimbrell writes, “Last fall, feeling woefully unfit due to living on a sailboat, dealing with COVID-19, and caring for aging parents, I decided to set myself a training goal: The 50K trail race by Zion National Park in Utah. Seven months after setting this intention, I ran the race (well, mostly jogging and fast walking rather than all out running) on April 16. The weather was perfect: a nippy 39 degrees when we started at 6 a.m. in the dark, and a comfortable 71 degrees when I finished that same afternoon. The terrain at this race was quite challenging. I am happy to report that I beat my own estimated time and finished the race in 7:51:07, earning first place in the 55-59 age group! I’m hoping my knees hold out for more trail ultras in the years to come! Best wishes to all DH alumnae!
Class of 1983
Laura Lavit Elmore lauralelmore@yahoo.com
See the 1960 Class Notes for news about Ana (Fia) Camara
Class of 1984
Leah Morris jmorrisfamily@comcast.net
Class of 1985
Christina Whiting Dougherty cswdougherty@comcast.net
Lisa Iagatta liagatta@yahoo.com
Class of 1986
Katherine (Kathy) Koumantzelis Copeland P18, 20, 23 copelandkk@gmail.com
Belkis Suazo deCastro belkisdecastro@gmail.com
Class of 1987
Lauren Karp Kinghorn lkkinghorn29@gmail.com
Class of 1981
E. Fraser Demetree Benzal
efbenzal@gmail.com
Laurie Switzer’s daughter Phoebe is in high school. In addition to working at the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, Laurie has been volunteering at her local farm (supplies our local public schools!). If anyone is inclined, she’d be happy to have a visitor for a couple nights!
In the spring, Elisa Bass Bauman was on vacation with her boys/men in St. Martin. She writes, “We have been going since I
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Heather Hodgson DePaola’s family on Lake Superior in Marquette, M.I.
Linda Perry Kimbrell at the finish line for the Zion 50K Ultra Marathon
Jennifer Beecher Cooper and Heather Cameron Ploen in Gloucester last summer. Jennifer’s dog Audrey called shotgun.
Jennifer Beecher Cooper and Tina Gross Kruczynski attended Revels 2022 and reminisced about their roles.
Jennifer Beecher Cooper and her husband Gordon traveled through Portugal in the spring.
was a kid. I even went there with Kristin Thomson one year and we met up with Abigail Brooks. Crazy!” Her youngest was in Barcelona for the spring semester and her oldest is heading back to Nashville to finish his second year of law school. Since her house is “less full,” she started coaching with Total Health, a lifestyle program that has changed her life, and she is blessed to be able to pay it forward. She actually heard from an old Dana friend and they are working together on this program. Nice work, Elisa! We are so glad that you look and feel fabulous! Her home is always open if anyone comes to the D.C. area. She misses all you beautiful ladies.
Jacqueline (Jacquie) Heller Jacques has so much to report: Job changes, move, empty nesting, etc. She writes, “On the home front, I am also an empty nester now! My older son graduated from the University of Denver last summer and is working for Shea Homes in Denver. My younger is a professional musician (the band is Greer, if you are interested) and is working on the side for a non-profit that brings music and theater programs to local schools. My long-time partner and I (and our three dogs) are bouncing between California and Montana — and with all the kids elsewhere, we have plenty of room for guests! On the work front, I’m in the process of leaving my longtime role at Thorne HealthTech to go back to the world of consulting and entrepreneurship. I have several exciting projects in women’s health, cannabis and psychedelics that are brewing. I expect to be working a lot on what the products and supply chains of the future look like. To that end, I just returned from Costa Rica where one thing I did was spend time on a regenerative agriculture farm — magical. This is my year that I have recommitted myself to reading (things that aren’t scientific papers), yoga and non-work travel. Ask me next year how that all worked out.”
Constance (Connie) White had some significant health issues in 2021 and once on the other side, she decided with her husband Steve that being near water was super important. They sold their home in Scottsdale, Ariz., and moved to the west coast of Florida. They are living in a small town called Englewood (yes, where they experienced the devastation of Hurricane Ian). Most importantly, their home is 2.8 miles from doorstep to beach! They love the sunsets. Connie has always found solace at the water’s edge and is starting a new chapter. She wishes good health and happiness for all of her Dana Hall classmates.
Cynthia (Cindy) Hybels Johnson and Kelly Shea Lyden saw each other last October. From the photo, it appears they haven’t aged. Kelly was in town for the Annapolis Power Boat Show. She was there for business, but they were able to squeeze in a bit of quality time.
Cindy Hybels Johnson and Kelly Shea Lyden
Class of 1988
Dana Tannenbaum Cahoon cahoond@gmail.com
Nicole (Nikki) Hickman James nicolejames228@gmail.com
Heather McPhee hmmcphee@yahoo.com
Class of 1989
Sarah Burgess Gregorian sbgregorian@gmail.com
Greetings, faithful reader(s)! The notes are slim; I (Sarah Burgess Gregorian) guess people are too busy or not busy enough!
As for me (Lauren Karp Kinghorn), I am now officially empty nesting, which I call “open nesting,” because with COVID-19, the kids came home with friends in tow. Happy to have them launched again with one working for McKinsey and living in New York City and the other finishing up her junior year at Harvard. My mother was with me for 10 years suffering from dementia, but is now living in D.C. in memory care near my brother. I do visit often, and look forward to dinners and excursions with my D.C. Dana friends. Work for me has been fulfilling and busy. You can view some of my pieces on my website at www.charlesriverart.com. My free time is spent hanging with my husband of 27 years, volunteering with refugees, managing some real estate, and then playing games like pickleball, tennis, canasta and mah jongg.
Sarah Jane O’Leary writes, “I attended the International Conference on Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism in Las Vegas and worked the Boston Marathon at the HSOC (Homeland Security Operations Center).”
Erin Weinberg Oatley writes, “It’s been weird since COVID-19. I’m slowly rebuilding my blues music gigs and getting way more dog walking/boarding engagements. Suddenly in the spring, I was a runner for four ZZ Top busses! Husband is one of the top guitar repair guys in the world. His shop is in our backyard. Happily, he’s quit the road life, but even 15 years into our marriage, I enjoy the stories! Not quite the future that Judith Solar would have imagined when she advised me to go to Vassar, but it doesn’t suck! The website is www.reverbnation.com/ erinjaimesband, if you’re so inclined. Music can take you anywhere!”
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Karen Erdlen Grip’s family at daughter Melissa Grip ’12’s wedding in December: Doug Grip P12, 15, Megan Grip ’15, groom Benjamin Giust, bride Melissa, Margaret (Peg) Costello Erdlen ’59, P86, 87, G12, 15, 22, Karen
Edie Perkins on her handcycle in the 2023 Boston Marathon where she came in second for women
Edie Perkins headed up the annual Kelly Brush Foundation fundraiser at the Artists for Humanity Center in the Seaport this past March. Hally Mix Mundel and Emily Williams ’88 were in attendance as was I
(Sarah). It was a fantastic night and they raised quite a bit of money for adaptive sport equipment for people with spinal cord injuries. Check out for yourself the great work the foundation does at kellybrushfoundation.org.
I (Sarah) continue to see Hally on a regular basis — for dinner or lunch whenever we can squeeze it in. We haven’t been booted from our favorite pub yet, but they all know us (even when we don’t remember them, lol).
I’ve recently been back in touch with T. Julianne (Julie) Barnes Webb, who lives outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two kids (oldest of whom, Lily, is in college). She was instrumental in helping me with my latest book about a young gay diver with his eye on the Olympics and I can’t thank her enough! She connected me with two Olympic divers and gave me tremendous feedback on an early draft. She’s still teaching, music and singing I think, but it could be interpretive dance, since she’s just had knee surgery.
I have had lunch a few times with former Performing Arts Department Head Kevin Groppe P06; always such a pleasure! My husband and I caught him in his recent production of “Urinetown.” He was hilarious, and the cast was great.
I went to Orlando in January to visit Gretchen Lind and to see my cousins. Gretchen lives in a fantastic little community near Winter Park — also a fantastic little community — and we had a lot of fun touring around in the sunshine. Her daughter Anna is loving college life and being a part of her sorority, and graced us with her presence at dinner one night.
Gretchen Lind and Sarah Burgess Gregorian in Orlando, Fla.
Jamie McIver and I went to the House of Blues to see Parliament (great show!) and she’s been helping me with marketing ideas for my book. She still lives in the area and would no doubt like to catch up with people.
That’s all I got! Send me your notes next time, ladies, and if I forgot to mention some outing you and I had… well then, it must’ve been a really fun outing indeed! Until next time, my faithful reader(s).
Class of 1990
Elizabeth (Liz) Record Svedlund P22, 24 ersvedlund@gmail.com
See the 1961 Class Notes for a photo of Kiwa Matsushita.
Class of 1991
Robin Crowder Durawa rcdurawa@msn.com
Junyi (June) Zhou planned to together with Anjum Ali and Anjum’s older sister, Saadiah Ali ’90, for a long overdue lunch in April. In the past year, she also met up with Mina Connor in Honolulu, Minjung Kim ’90 in D.C., and Dawn York Anderson ’90 in Wellesley. June writes, “It’s been so fun and wonderful to meet our former Dana friends. And I hope to reconnect with more classmates in the coming year!”
Adina (Dina) Stonberg checked in from just outside of Philadelphia where she has a thriving consulting practice raising money for nonprofit organizations. Her daughter Miriam just became a bat mitzvah in October; she and Rich are so proud of her!
I (Robin Crowder Durawa) continue to hold down the fort — solo — in New Hampshire. Molly (20) is at Barnard College in New York City and Will (18) is off to Georgetown in the fall. I got my invitation to AARP this past summer and I have reading glasses stashed in every corner of every room. If any of you have found the secret to slowing down time, please pass that along. Wish we could have heard from more of you this issue! Love to all.
Class of 1992
Rachel Bebchick Naggar rnaggar@gmail.com
Hi friends! This time last year, we were catching up at our 30th Reunion. Miss you all. Time is flying. I’m finishing up my 20th year at Kent Place School. My daughter Mia is a sophomore at KPS and she just got her class ring. Their ring tradition is VERY different from Dana’s, but I had fun sharing a little bit about what we had to do to get ours!
Celena Evans shared, “I was the 2023 recipient of the Alumni Service Award from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University, where I graduated the full-time MBA program in 2002. I received the award at a ceremony on April 27 and was joined by my family, including sister Vanzetta Evens ’96.” We are so proud of you, Celena!
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Sarah Burgess Gregorian at a book signing at The Woo bar in Worcester, Mass., in February
Dina Stonberg with daughter Miriam and husband Rich
Celena Evans and her family when she received the Alumni Service Award from Goizueta Business School at Emory University
Nicole Rutberg DiResta writes, “I’m proud to announce that my son Andrew will be attending Virginia Tech at the Pamplin School of Business studying finance and real estate in the fall. The college process has certainly changed a lot since I was at Dana, and it’s been great to hear from a number of Dana friends whose children also attend Virginia Tech about their amazing experiences.”
A special milestone birthday shout-out to Isabel De Antuñano! She says, “I’d love to say hi from Mexico, to remind all Dana community to stay in touch. The 1992 class reunion was a blessing for me. Celebrating my birthday with you all was the best of all times. I have you in my heart. The new thing for me is that I’m now giving motivational lectures about health issues and taking leadership about medical routes and decisions from your intuitive perspective for Lyme, fibromyalgia and other autoimmune patients. Love you all. Wishing you health and joy forever.”
Class of 1993
Amelia (Amie) Margolis Haddad silogram7@gmail.com
Zoë Timms zoevjtimms@gmail.com
Class of 1994
Elisabeth Morray morray@gmail.com
Class of 1995
Caryn Byrnes Anderson carebear102106@gmail.com
Dustina (Dusty) Bennett dustinabennett@gmail.com
Amelia R. Brown writes, “I have just been awarded the Gertrude Smith Professorship at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. I will teach a group of post-grad students in Greece for six weeks in the summer of 2024. I also spent a lovely weekend at Surfers Paradise Baseball Club in Australia competing in the state masters or over-35 baseball championships with the Diamond Dynamites. I got a few hits and runs; great time!”
Class of 1996
Tracy Spiegel Fox tracy.foxcraft@gmail.com
Katharine (Kate) Sidell Morton mortonkam@gmail.com
Class of 1997
Kristin O’Donnell Bedard kristinbedard@gmail.com
Lisa Brown lmclennanb@gmail.com
Heather Cochrane Russo heatherjean23@hotmail.com
Class of 1998
Ruchira (Ruchi) Kumar ruch.kumar@gmail.com
Guida Estrela Mattison guidaemattison@gmail.com
Jane Monti Young chaseyounggallery@gmail.com
were not alone: dining with former faculty Linda Samuels and Marie Dunell as well as current photography teacher Mary Ann McQuillan. Other faculty highlights were Alexandra Siemon and Jean McCarthy!
Saturday was the wonderful return of a fully in-person She Sails conference, with Lisabeth, Katharine (Kate) Ives and I all sitting on panels during the event. That was followed by a tour of the new incredible Classroom Building and then our class dinner where we were joined by Wyley Proctor, Katlyn Stillings Morris, Leah MacLeod, Michelle Kohanloo, Ruchi Kumar, Laura Huebner, Sadaf Farooqui, Abby Lifter Hochberg, Tai Casagrande and Kate, with a special appearance by Rob and Heather Mather. It was a fun evening of listening to ’90s music, reminiscing and laughing at our shared (and not shared) memories: Our overnight trip to L.L.Bean, our prom on the boat! Does anyone else in our class remember the Dating Game?! We hope that many more of you are able to attend our 30th in 2028.
Finally, in personal news, I was officially announced as the incoming president of the Alumnae Council, following in the footsteps of Lee Ferguson Frechette ’81, P16, 22. I will also be joining the Board of Trustees. I am very excited about this new leadership role and how I can continue to have a positive impact on the Dana Hall community. (*
See page 33 for the Class of 1998 on Saturday night of Reunion Weekend.
Class of 1999
Kelly Fenton writes, “I can’t believe that it’s been 25 years since our graduation! My wife Nicole and I live in Barrington, R.I. We have two children: Lucy (who is 5) and Oliver (who is 1). We are very busy parenting most days. I work part-time for Gunness Financial Services and Nicole is in healthcare. We love family bikes rides on the bike path near our home and walks to the beach. Sending everyone a big hello!
I (Guida Estrela Mattison) am writing this letter the day after our whirlwind weekend of She Sails and our 25th Reunion. Paula Rosenof, Lisabeth Jorgensen and I represented the class at the Friday night all-alumnae dinner. There were class songs! There was ring tapping! Though we were small in numbers, we
Amanda Coyle Fitzgerald afitzgerald@coylecompany.com
Brooke Anderson Murota Brooke.Murota@gmail.com
Class of 2000
Erica Wyner Cooley ericawyner@gmail.com
Caroline Dale cwdale@gmail.com
Jillian Riley jillianmriley@gmail.com
72 Summer 2023
Kelly Fenton with wife Nicole and children Lucy and Oliver
Class of 2001
Renee Towler Clayton renee.clayton82@gmail.com
Class of 2002
Bettina Chiu bettinalchiu@gmail.com
Courtney Tipping Brady and her husband Joe welcomed their second child, Callum Scott Brady, on March 18. Big sister Colette thinks “he’s soo tiny,” but loves him.
Class of 2004
Jazmin Kirby jazminlechekirby@gmail.com
Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka tlubicznawrocka@gmail.com
Elise Valerio O’Hara elise586@gmail.com
Class of 2005
Caroline Ross rosscae@gmail.com
Class of 2006
Gemma Leghorn gemma.leghorn@gmail.com
Abby Wheeler McCash and family
Abby Wheeler McCash writes, “Hello from Montana! I am excited to share that our family wrapped our first ski season with all four of us on skis, and started our camping season in mid-April! Despite the snow, we are excited for all of the fun recreation that Montana provides! Please note the enthusiasm because it is HARD to camp with toddlers. Mind over matter! In other works, I am currently in the midst of a mid-life crisis and I am so motivated! After years of teaching in the classroom, I’m pursuing an expertise in dyslexia. I’m learning how to support classroom teachers to adjust our practices to support all learners. According to the data, 1 in 5 students have some version of dyslexia and I’m leading the charge to better support these learners. If anyone is headed to Yellowstone, please get in touch! I live a few miles from the Bozeman airport and would love to see my silver sisters!”
Class of 2003
Donna DiDomenico djdidome@gmail.com
Elizabeth (Beth) Stuka Rose elizabeth.stuka@gmail.com
Madeleine MacNeil Kinney writes, “We welcomed our son Samuel on March 18, who joins his big sister Margaret (2 years old). At the end of April, we moved from Brooklyn, N.Y., to Portsmouth, N.H. If anyone finds themselves in the Portsmouth area, I’d love to meet up!”
Big sister Margaret with little brother Samuel
me throughout the year including a Summer Solstice event. During this event, I will lead the guests through art therapy exercises to help them find the healing answers within themselves through art.”
Summer Sterling writes, “I moved to Colorado in January and got married in February. I still teach middle school and am enjoying being close to the mountains.”
Christin Collins Caplan writes, “I live in Burlington, Mass., with my husband and two young sons. I currently teach dance classes in Burlington, Lexington, Sudbury and at MIT for ages 1-101. I also cofounded a nonprofit Mosaic Dance Inc., which provides an inclusive dance experience for all. Time seems to be flying by! My older son will be going to kindergarten in the fall. I hope to make it to the next Reunion!”
Class of 2007
Agnes Beckmann beckmann.agnes@gmail.com
Hilary O’Haire hilaryeo@gmail.com
Devin Cole writes, “I was invited to take part in a residency and be a guest curator for the Fitchburg Art Museum. We are working in conjunction with Where Are All the Black People At to create an exhibition that will open on October 21. Because I’m the only painter and I have so much work, the curators have given me an entire hallway where I’ll be creating a mural on the ceiling. I’ll also be performing an Egùngùn masquerade dance at the opening of the exhibition. I will be creating a pop-up shop full of limited edition merchandise as well. In addition, I’ve also become a brand ambassador for Party City. They will be sponsoring several events for
Emily Moeller Stearns writes “Since my last update, Dave and I have been busy! In 2021, we packed up our life into a 38-foot motorhome, great danes included, and spent the summer in rural Colorado helping friends produce a small film. ‘All Men are Wicked’ premiered at the Boston Independent Film Festival in Somerville, Mass., at the end of April. When we returned back to Massachusetts at the end of the summer, we sold our house in Wilmington, spent a year renting back on the Cape as we looked for our next place, and finally in May 2022 purchased an 80-acre old sheep farm in Epping, N.H. We’ve spent the last year bringing the horses home, fixing up the farm, and getting ready to bring sheep back to the property. For work, I have migrated roles within the American Horse Council and now am the Health, Welfare and Regulatory Affairs Liaison and spend my time working with various federal agencies on behalf of the equine industry. In October, we had a Halloween mini-reunion at Erin Murtagh’s wedding in D.C.”
Summer 2023 73
As for this Class Correspondent, I (Agnes Beckmann) am still living in Vienna, Austria, working as a psychotherapist in private practice as well as for a nonprofit that does support work for individuals with mental illness. I started playing soccer again a year ago, which has been wonderful, and enjoyed spring’s slow return to the city. If any silver sisters are passing through this way, I would love to get together!”
Class of 2008
Jacquelyn (Jacquie) Maggiore jemaggiore@gmail.com
Jacqueline (Jackie) O’Leary jacqueline.oleary2@gmail.com
Yin Ling (Nicole) Suen nicolesuen0119@gmail.com
Hello, Dana Hall! Nicole Suen here. These past six months has been filled with love and happiness at weddings with Dana Hall girls. I traveled with Dana girls to Florence, Italy, for Lisa Dominguez ’07’s wedding in September 2022, then we went to Wanaka, New Zealand, for Carol Chu’s weddings. Sail on, sail far!
Class of 2012
Eleanor (Ellie) Giovanetti ellie.giovanetti@me.com
Savannah Raiten tinydancer628@gmail.com
See Notes from the Class of 1987 for news about Melissa Grip.
Class of 2013
Samantha (Sam) Ngo writes, “I got a chance to hang out with some Dana friends for Memorial Day Weekend: Eleftheria (Lea) Tzigizis, Sara Remsen and Catherine Lafferty.”
Class of 2009
Emily Soukas emily.soukas@gmail.com
Emaline Surgenor emaline.surgenor@gmail.com
Candace Taylor cltaylor1019@gmail.com
Class of 2010
Catherine (Cat) Blakelock blakelockc@gmail.com
Paige Walker walkerp.10@gmail.com
Class of 2011
Katie Jones katiejadejones@aol.com
Emily Knebel knebele@mail.missouri.edu
Madeline (Maddie) Schneider madjulsch@gmail.com
Class of 2014
Emily Kelman emilykelman@gmail.com
Emily Martin emartin2495@gmail.com
Gabriela (Gaby) Reichlin greichlin@suffolk.edu
Ashley Rohall aer@rohall.com
Stephanie Wolf stephaniewolf96@gmail.com
See the 1978 Class Notes for news about Ashley Rohall
Class of 2015
Luyang (Grace) Liu luyangliusx@gmail.com
Rebecca (Becky) Ohman becky.ohman@verizon.net
Haley Present haleybpresent@gmail.com
Ning (Jessica) Xie jessicaunique21@hotmail.com
Class of 2016
Abigail (Abby) Frechette abbysfrechette@gmail.com
See the 1975 Class Notes for news about Sarah Galligan
74 Summer 2023
Abby Steele, a non-Dana friend, Emily Moeller Stearns, Erin Murtagh, Cassie Newburg Mackey
Jasmine Chang ’07, Jessica Cheng ’11, Yan Yin Lai ’07, Lina Chan ’06, Sylvia Cheung ’05, Lesley Suen ’10, groom Darryl Wan, bride Carol Chu, Nina Lan ’09, Renee Wong, Nicole Suen, Hazel Cheng, Melissa Lin
Lina Chan ’06, Melissa Lin, Kristin Chun, Nicole Suen, bride Lisa Dominguez ’07, Annie Yang ’05, Yu-Yu Lin ’06, Yan Yin Lai ’07, Carol Chu
Lea Tzigizis with her two kids, Sam Ngo with Zoe, Sara Remsen with her daughter, and Catherine Lafferty
Class of 2017
Julia Moynihan juliamoynihan10@gmail.com
See the 1978 Class Notes for news about Hailey Rohall.
Class of 2018
Caroline Cohen ccohen926@gmail.com
Jennifer (Jenny) Jung jennyhyjung@gmail.com
Ryland Rich richryla@grinnell.edu
Class of 2019
Panipuck (Pani) Bhengsri pani.bheng@gmail.com
Saida Canales scanales2001@gmail.com
Audrey Lee audreyyelee@gmail.com
See the 1955 Class Notes for news about Kayla Dines
Class of 2020
Maya Darville mayadarville4559@gmail.com
Allison (Alli) Sibold allison.sibold@yahoo.com
Yang (Annie) Xu xuyangannie2001@gmail.com
Class of 2021
Ainsley Bonang ainsleybonang@gmail.com
Chloe Franco chloenicole223@gmail.com
Shadan Khalid shadankh23@gmail.com
Charlotte Sullivan ccsullivan36@gmail.com
Class of 2022
Huiyuan (Nicole) Chen chenhuiyuan0519@gmail.com
Dania Sofia Flores Lopez danias.floreslopez@gmail.com
Class of 2023
Ashleigh Burns ashleighmaeb@gmail.com
Veda (V) Ramaswamy v.ramaswamy18@gmail.com
Former Faculty
The Wells College Association of Alumnae and Alumni honored former Head of School Blair Jenkins H08 with one of the two 2023 WCA Awards in recognition of her distinction in the field of education. After a class reunion, two of Blair’s classmates were so impressed with her accomplishments that they nominated her for the award. One nominator cited Blair as a leader in young women’s education. The other nominator highlighted both Blair’s talent for nurturing students and her fundraising skills, which have led to the construction of major facilities at two independent schools.
Former faculty member Matthew Stackpole and wife Martha welcomed their first grandchild, Esme Martha Elisabeth Stackpole-Smith, born to their daughter Kate and her partner James Smith on December 16, 2022, in Birmingham, England, where Kate is a high school history teacher.
Summer 2023 75
1941
Cathleen Clare Esleeck 7/2/2022
1943
Mary Kunz Lonnquest 11/25/2022
1946
Frances Beekley Haviland
2/7/2023
1947
Frances Wells Magee 1/1/2023
1948
Ann Hunneman Cutting 5/6/23
Mary Canfield Falk
2/19/2023
Julie Hovey Slimmon 4/20/2023
1949
Anne Johnson Davis 1/29/2023
Norma Fisher
12/10/2022
Nancy Redway Ford 5/14/23
Ruth Geisel-Mansergh
1/21/2023
Deborah Phillips 4/26/2023
GSEP participants visited The Weissman Foundry at Babson College. Photo courtesy of Babson College.
Varsity Fencing won the Massachusetts State Championships.
Zoe Sun ’23
The AEL Equestrian Team was named National Champions.
Varsity Squash came in 3rd at the U.S. High School National Championships.
Varsity Swimming was named EIL Champions.
Allie Morvillo ’25, Hannah Haddadi ’24, Nyla Sharif ’24, Ilyssa Yan ’23, Ava Morvillo ’23
Nia Orr ’23, V Ramaswamy ’23, Claire Oh ’24, Nabiha Chowdhury ’24
Puckni Bhengsri ’24
Anastasia Sedunova ’24
Sura Zhang ’23
The Dana Hall Flute Choir: Ella Lindstrom ’25, Lisa Sun ’25, Mary Haferd ’23, Maya Teschke ’23, Ivy Wellington ’24, Soomin Kim ’24
Sophie Carey ’25 and Caroline Lagarde ’23
