CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES 1951
Mary Stuart Brenaman Cruickshank writes, “I’m busy being a grandmama – went to Charlottesville three times this spring; once for Christian McFall Sesler’s jazz band concert at Monticello High School (he plays the baritone sax), once to hear Jefferson Braxton Sesler play the trombone with the band of Albemarle High School for the school play, “The Addams Family” and again for Braxton’s Court of Honor when he became an Eagle Scout. (The boys are the sons of Sallie Christian (Chris) Cruickshank Sesler ’83.) In Richmond, my sister, Carter Brenaman ’54 and I have been busy trying to keep up with my granddaughter, Reese Brenaman Fleming ’26 (daughter of Evelyn Carter Cruickshank Fleming ’87). Grandparents’ Day at Collegiate, her dance recital and her seventh birthday have all been spring highlights. She is really having a ball at Collegiate! Once again, I am helping to plan special Christmas events at The Jefferson Hotel.”
1953
DIED: Susan Ragland Lewis Abrahamson on May 24, 2015. At Collegiate, Susan played bas‑ ketball and field hockey, was art editor of the Torch and part of the Gold team. She was also a mem‑ ber of the National Honor Society, the Glee Club and the K.K. Club. Susan graduated from Sweet Briar College and was an accomplished author, painter, traveler and French teacher. She was also a fundraiser, public relations specialist and producer, the most notable of which was her development and production of “The Victory of the Human Spirit” at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. She is survived by her husband, James; three children, Jennifer Lewis Remole, James Whittier Lewis, Jr. and Christopher
124 SPARK
Ragland Lewis; two stepchildren, Kelly Abraham‑ son Lewis and James Alan Abrahamson II; and 15 grandchildren.
1956
DIED: Brownie Lee on Apr. 27, 2015 in Benin, Africa. At Col‑ legiate, she played field hockey, was captain of the Gold team and the basketball team and worked on the Torch. She was also a member of Honor Council, French Club, Glee Club and the National Honor Society and was president of Athletic Council. Brownie was a Peace Corps volunteer from 1962–66 and then taught for 20 years in Eastern and Western Africa, the US and Jamaica. In 1984, she returned to the Peace Corps and later joined Africare as a project coordinator. She went on to be a Peace Corps country director in Togo and Benin. Brownie is sur‑ vived by her sister, Eleanor Lee ’60, and an extended family, which includes Haoua, whom she adopted in Niger and foster children from every country in which she lived.
1958
DIED: Peggy Shinnick Federhart on May 19, 2015. At Collegiate, she was president of her class and the French Club, co‑chairman of the Honor Council, and captain of the field hockey team and the Green team. She was also May Queen, a member of the Athletic Council and the National Honor Society and business manager for the Torch. After graduating with honors from Hollins, Peggy worked as a librarian with IBM. She was a member of Wicomico Episcopal Church and a president of the Garden Club of the
Grace Wallace Brown ’48 and her daughter, Catherine Bell, visited the Van Gogh museum earlier this year. They were on a cruise in Holland sponsored by Sweet Briar. Grace writes, “Since one picture is said to be worth a thousand words, I assume that this picture will express just how great it was – a good time was definitely had by us both.”
Northern Neck. She is survived by her husband, John Federhart; sons, Tupper Hyde and William Hyde; and sisters, Frances Shinnick Manderson ’62 and Ki Shinnick Caldwell ’63.
1960
DIED: Mary Lou Laird on June 9, 2015. At Collegiate, she was assistant editor of the Torch, served as secretary of Glee Club, played field hockey, was on the Gold team and was a member of the Science Club and the K.K. Club. Mary Lou gradu‑ ated from Agnes Scott College and Gordon‑Conwell Theological Seminary. She co‑founded New Way Missions, a Christian, interdenominational, adult focused short‑term missions agency dedicated to providing projects that make a difference in the loca‑ tions they visit. Over the course of her career as a missionary, Mary Lou introduced several hundred people to the mission field.