called Torch Song. Alycia Levy Fortin and Fabrice (fifth grade math teacher at DA) welcomed their daughter, Alaina Sylvie, on April 1. She was born at UNC, weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces. Her parents and big brother Avery are so excited to have her here. After a six-year break, Blake Teer Ellis is returning to teaching 2-year-olds at a preschool where her kids went to school, and they are growing up fast. Hamilton is 12 and Carter and Tyler are 7. Blake and Bret (Ellis ’92) have a niece and a cousin graduating from DA this year — Emma Ellis ’18 and Tatum Teer-Barutio ’18 — and they are looking forward to connecting with former teachers and colleagues at the graduation ceremony. I continue to teach Asian religions at UNC-Wilmington, and for the past two years I have directed the university’s general education program. I hope that all my classmates are doing well professionally and personally. Feel free to email me anytime with news.
Class of 1996 Kimberly Judge Sandridge kjsandridge@gmail.com For this round of class notes, in addition to the customary announcements, I asked classmates to answer the question, “What hobby have you kept up with or taken up since our time at DA?” Here’s what I learned. Mary Huber Cooley writes, “I’m still in Durham. Most of the time I’m pretty busy with work (still a pediatrician at Chapel Hill Peds) and kids (now 8 and 11, we spend a fair number of weekends at their lax games and dive meets). When I do find a lazy afternoon, I’ve been dabbling in a bit of soap making. It’s surprisingly fun and easy and takes me back to chemistry class!” Claire Barber Fenton writes, “My family and I are avid skiers and snowboarders. We have three skiers and three snowboarders in our family and spend as much time on the mountain as possible — last year
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Durham Academy // Summer 2018
we skied on the Fourth of July.” Heather Foulks Kolakowski writes, “This past year has been a busy one for me and my family. We moved to a new home near Ithaca and are lucky enough to have a stocked pond on the property. I get to practice my fly fishing, and I look forward to teaching my son, who is 3.5 years old, the art of fly tying. We also welcomed our second child, Madeleine, to our family on January 25, 2018. She was a whopping 12 pounds 9 ounces and 22 inches long at birth so I think she will be a tall girl! I am still teaching at the Hotel School at Cornell. One of my new elective classes addresses food insecurity and nonprofit food service management (focusing on school food access).” Amanda Teer Lloyd writes, “I am thrilled to announce the birth of our fourth child. Merritt Croft was born in June 2017. He joins big brothers Cooper and Truett and our daughter Reagan. It seems that I am in good company with a few other alumni also having children in the last year. Who know we would be turning 40 as well as having babies. It was a big year!” Doug MacIntyre writes, “The MacIntyre family has had a whirlwind of a year with a temporary move from St. Petersburg, Florida, to Lakeland, Florida, (home of NOAA’s new Aircraft Operations Center) where Doug flew in command of Gonzo, NOAA’s high altitude hurricane hunter aircraft, in and around hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, Maria and Nate. He showcased the jet at the annual Hurricane Awareness Tour last May, which made a familiar stop at RDU. More recently he has taken an assignment at NOAA Operations headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, which will afford him more time at home with his wife, Kalyn, and their twins, Malcolm and Helen (now 3 years old). “For those who are following Mal’s Facebook page MalcolmStrong, know that he continues to inspire us all with his spirit as he makes progress on his road to recovery. Helen, of course, cheers him on at every moment
and never ceases to make us all smile.” Now that Doug has arrived in the DC metro area, he has taken up biking as a hobby to eliminate traffic headaches (and save on parking!) — a far cry from his days in the pool. As for me, Kimberly Judge Sandridge, I continue to live in Silver Spring, Maryland, with my husband, daughter and cat where we all enjoy gardening (except for our cat, who enjoys napping). This summer I will complete my Montessori primary teacher training (for ages 3–6) at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies and will begin a lead teacher position in the upcoming school year.
Class of 1997 Kadi Thompson
Durham Academy in December to be inducted into the Durham Academy Athletic Hall of Fame. He joined Brock Hilpert, who was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in December 2015. Julia Hamner Cheatwood still lives in Charlotte with her husband and three children. Ashley Horton Freedman lives in Durham with her three kids, two of whom attend Durham Academy as rising second- and rising fifth-graders. She says having a child heading into Middle School at DA is crazy and brings back lots of fun memories. Ashley co-chaired the Durham Academy Benefit Auction this past year. Wildly enough, one of their fundraisers was a raffle to attend the Country Music Awards and Kendra Burlington Hobbs, who lives in Wilmington,
kadithompson@gmail.com Brooke Staton is back living in the U.S. She came to work on a master’s in early childhood education and has loved being back in Colorado. The program ends this summer and it seems likely that she will remain in the U.S. working. But she wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up abroad again somewhere down the line. Josh Lewis, his wife (Laurel), and daughter (Jordan) are currently living in Chapel Hill. Jordan ’30 is in kindergarten at DA and enjoying it. Laurel and Josh both work for a Danish pharmaceutical engineering company. He is the lead architect for U.S. projects and Laurel is an accountant. Meghan Hansing MacNabb recently shifted careers and is thrilled to now be working in Raleigh with a national IT services and cloud provider. Her 18-year-old stepdaughter has flown the coop this past year and they have Olivia, 7, left at home keeping them busy. Meghan is “looking forward to traveling some this year and enjoying our annual fishing trip to Canada.” Brett Winton is living in Venice, California, with his wife, two kids and dog. He reports that “Life is a circus with some time on the high wire and sometimes the juggling clown.” Hunter Henry, who lives in Dallas, came back to
Josh Lewis ’97 and family
sweetly bought a ticket and WON the raffle! Kendra had an exciting spring when she also had a baby girl, Charlotte Victoria Hobbs, in March. She had better find a sitter for the CMA’s in the fall! Also in fifth grade with Ashley’s daughter is Morgan Edwards Whaley’s son. Morgan works in the Development Office at Durham Academy. Morgan, Ashley and Sara Mayes Kaplan got to reunite with some fellow alumni at our 20-year reunion this past fall. Last summer, I, Kadi Thompson made a list of all the things I had wanted to do but never had the time due to the corporate grind.