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is ever in Charleston, we’d love to meet up for happy hour!” Blake Ellis reports, “Life is moving along for us. Hamilton turned 10 this year and is finishing up third grade. She continues to amaze us with what she’s accomplished given all the obstacles she’s faced! Carter and Tyler, our 5½-year-old twins will be starting kindergarten in the fall! Now I really don’t know how that has happened! I guess it’s because I turned 40 in September, are we really that old? I’ve been substitute teaching at their preschool and plan to do more of that once they’re back in school. Sunny Durack Maxwell, Ryan Hardaker LaForce and Becca North and I have a 40th birthday, long overdue, girls trip planned for the fall! It’s fun to see Harriet and Garrett Putman often, as well as a few other DA grads. I hope everyone enjoys their big 4-0 birthday, it’s really not that bad!” Likewise for those who find themselves in Wilmington or Wrightsville Beach! It’s my sixth year living here, and I continue to enjoy teaching classes on Asian religions as an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. My children — now ages 2 and 4 — are complete goofballs who keep me sane amid what I find to be an increasingly insane state political environment. I hope that all my fellow classmates of ’94 are doing well!
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Martha Rundles Palmer marthapalmer76@yahoo.com A little light on the news this go around, I (Martha Rundles Palmer) will report what I have seen or heard throughout my travels this year! I couldn’t have
been more thrilled when Jay Tatum and his lovely wife, Meghan, moved to our tiny town of New Canaan, Connecticut, this fall! Before leaving New York City, their daughter Alice (2) became a very proud big sister of James Moore Tatum IV, born on June 23. It’s so fun to run into the Tatum family at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings! In other baby news, Lyle Ross and wife Lizzie became the proud parents of Alexandra Ruth Ross, born July 13 in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the third of their three daughters. Amanda McCoy Sachs and husband, Mike, welcomed their second baby girl, Vivian Margaret, on October 8. “Vivi” joins the Sachs’ daughter Maddie (2½) in their very full and busy life. Amanda is a lawyer for Tory Burch. It is so special to be just a train ride away from my old friend! As for me, my husband, Steve, and I have two children who are growing up fast. Caroline is 6 and Alex is 3. I continue to enjoy my work in development at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as a writer and editor. It was great fun catching up with Selby Conrad in Providence, Rhode Island, this April. Our very active boys — my son, Alex, and Selby’s son, Cape (2) — kept us on our toes during our whirlwind visit! Selby is working as a psychologist, specializing in at-risk adolescents. Summer Lowe Webbink, Matt Webbink and their sons, Joss and Jakob, met up with my family for our annual walk through Duke Gardens this May. The Webbinks have been DA parents for a few years: Joss is wrapping up second grade and Jakob is a rising fifth-grader! Summer is putting her CPA skills to work at Duke University in the office of
Class of 1996
audit risk and consulting with Reunion compliance. CGI Federal, DURHAM ACADEMY Matt is director leading the FALL ALUMNI WEEKEND of marketing SEPT. 23 & 24, 2016 development of at Red Hat. Ian cyber security Spread the word. and Suzanne Register at www.da.org/alumni. and cloud Perreault migration Blakely send love from Houston, strategies for customers. Hannah Texas! Their daughter, Emeline Fortune-Greeley Taukobong Michel Blakely, was born Dec. married Pule Ditau Taukobong 30. Suzanne writes, “I was lucky in a beautiful ceremony on Nov. enough to see several DA buddies 5 in Fransschoek, South Africa. already this year, including Congratulations, Hannah! Heather Rheanna Platt, Elizabeth Bast, Foulks Kolakowski writes, “I Austine Mah Chan and Holly have been teaching at the School Frost Stripling.” Liz Kay, of Hotel Administration at Cornell biology teacher and basketball University for a year now, and am coach extraordinaire, reports: loving being back in Ithaca, New “Jeremy and I will be heading York. While it isn’t the same foodie home for a trip down memory heaven as The Culinary Institute lane to see my little brother Adam of America, it is still inspiring (Class of 2016) graduate from DA to be able to teach students at in a few weeks. He is headed to my collegiate alma mater. I just Boston College next year though, recently had a student in my class so he will actually be relatively that was a lifer as well at DA (and close to us. Hoping to see some was born the year we graduated, so familiar faces and to give my that made me feel really old). We husband a taste of my high school were comparing stories of teachers experience!” It’s always so fun to and it was neat to have a connection hear from fellow classmates, so outside of the classroom. Since keep in close touch! my parents and my sister live in Wilmington, NC, I have been able to hit the beach every once in a while, but hope to come back William vonReichbauer to reunion.” Drew Sharma is william@williamvonr.com busy with his TravelInsurance. com business (among others), and Greetings Class of 1996! Hard is enjoying life in Santa Barbara, to believe another decade has California, with his wife and come and gone, so quickly. Loren daughter and their many pets. As Clemens is working as a sock for me, William vonReichbauer, designer in Winston-Salem. She’s I returned to school in the fall of looking forward to a fun summer 2015, and have been dusting off my full of traveling and outdoor mathematics skills while teaching adventures. Sean Curry and guitar at a small private school his wife, Maggie, reside in Falls here in Houston. I remain an active Church, Virginia. They are having performer and am looking forward a fantastic time raising their first to several album releases this year. child, Isla Grace, who recently I hope to see many of you at the celebrated her first birthday. reunion in September! Sean is a currently a director of
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