Class Notes

Let us know what you are up to! We love to have information for the Class Notes section of The Oaks. Submit your updates and photos online through the Mercy website at www.mercyhsb.com/alumnae/submit-news. If you prefer to email us, you can send your news to alumnae@mercyhsb.com. We can’t wait to hear from you! — Jamila Sinlao Zanette ‘04, Alumnae Relations Manager

1941 Ruth Curran Dolim turned 95 on February 6, 2019. The whole family came home on the weekend of February 2, 2019, including Steve and Margie Dolim, Michael and Stephanie Dolim, Clare Dolim, Judy Dolim Shafer ‘77 and Lily Shafer, as well as Greg Dolim and Terry Timmons Dillon. They celebrated with a wonderfully delicious lunch at Mezzaluna in Half Moon Bay. A good time was had by all!

1947 Joan Lorentz Del Secco enjoyed a fun lunch with Sr. Marilyn Gouailhardou ‘47, RSM, Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan ‘02, and Mary Lund. Motel restaurant in Millbrae. We dwindled from 30 to three and this year only Mary Monast Carvalho and Roberta still hope to have lunch there before the year is out. Joan Retchless Lawson died this year and Pat Morton Butler is unable to travel. I wish I could tell all our stories, the joys and sorrows of 69 years! We will never forget our four years at Mercy that gave us a wonderful, educated start to our Future!”

1949 Kathleen Morgan Hatthorn now lives in Helena, MT with her husband Marv, near their daughter Siobhan.

1950 Roberta Pinn Craig writes, “It has been 69 years since our Class of 35 young women graduated from Mercy High School, Burlingame. Our stories are varied and remarkable as we are. We started meeting every April, ten years after Graduation. Three of our classmates had died and we felt it necessary to keep in touch. First our Reunions took place in someone’s home and then in various restaurants and finally for years, at the El Rancho

1953 Lois Daly Bonvicino, JoAnn Lyons Quadt, Kathleen Doherty Moran, and Nancy Conway DeSmedt got together at Kinkaid’s in Burlingame for lunch on August 6th. They can’t believe it’s been 66 years since they graduated. Lois writes that the gathering was filled with “lots of laughs and lasting friendship!”

1955 Carol Ann Bocci Nulk and her husband Bob celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with family and friends on June 13, 2019. Subsequently they took an adventurous land and sea cruise tour to Alaska seeing breaching whales, eagles, sea otters, puffins, bears and lots of ice! Many beautiful scenes, glaciers and mountains where the culture for many is to live off the grid. Absolutely fascinating! They traveled by train, bus, plane and ship from the Inside Passage to the Yukon, Barrow on the Arctic Coast, Mt. Denali, Anchorage, Homer and Kodiak. A wonderful way to celebrate many years of love and happiness. Carol writes, “We have been truly blessed.”

1956 Ann Duffy Meuser has moved with her husband Bill to Denver, North Carolina a little over a year ago to be near their daughter, Jeanette, and her family. It took them awhile to get use to the new area and weather. So far they have lived through two hurricanes, falling trees and being snowed in. It’s a lot different from California! They have had a busy year, including the marriages of three grandsons, and the birth of twin great-grandchildren. Ann and Bill now have 13 great-grandchildren and feel so blessed. 1958 Jeanne Bergquam Doerr became a widow in 2007. Since then she has made several trips to Italy and China teaching English as a second language. She retired from Franchise Tax and completed her BS in Gerontology. Jeanne has 3 children and 6 grandsons, and is presently living in Indio, CA. 1959 Janice Pelfini Marshall just got back from Calistoga, where she had a wonderful time with her family. Calistoga has wonderful food, wine, and sunshine, the perfect place to relax. Janice has two grandsons: Colin is a senior this year, and majoring in film at Loyola Marymount, and Justin will be a freshman at Cal Poly. 1960 Patricia Conway Putkey and Mary McCarrick ’64 are traveling together again, this time on another Jesuit pilgrimage in Paris. 1961 Sister Philip (Sharon) Ellenberger had a busy year. In May she was able to attend the graduation of her great nephew, Bijan Varjavand, from John Hopkins University with honors. He is the grandson of her sister, Susan Varjavand ‘59, deceased last September. He is a fine young man, and staying over there to get his masters. Sister Philip came home to have her left shoulder replaced (due to arthritic changes) and the healing has been amazing. Then she directed two Sisters’ 30 day retreats in preparation for their final vows. (PHOTO above Sr. Phillip, second from right, at the community’s August birthday party.) 1962 Maureen Murphy Jenkins just welcomed her fifth grandchild, little Beckett Leroy Jenkins-Brown, into the family, a most beautiful baby. The entire family is delighted and grateful to God!

Liz Emrey, Diana Gaul Cull, Maureen “Muffy” Murphy Jenkins, and Sister Joan Burke met together for lunch on July 1st. Joan is on medical leave from her mission work in Kenya. Liz is a pastor in Charlottesville. Diana and Muffy are both retired now. They have kept up their friendship for over 60 years! 1963 Maureen Marconi and her husband just returned from a relaxing trip sailing along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers aboard the American Queen steamboat. It was like stepping back in time to the early-to-mid 1800s when steamboating was the only way to travel along America’s rivers. They visited the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park and the Abe Lincolm museum in Hodgenville, KY. 1964 Peggy Cosgrave still lives in New York City and will mark 50 years as a professional actor next year. Earlier this year, she won the 2019 Connecticut Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her performance in “Ripcord.” She will be appearing in “Over the River and Through the Woods” and “Kalamazoo” this fall. In November, Peggy will spend two weeks in Venice, Italy along with her niece Heather Cassell ‘91.

1966 Ginny Derby Williamson had lunch with several alums from the Class of 1966 at the home of Barbara Rouse Young ‘66 in Foster City including (seated, L to R) Lynn Whelan, Karen O’Rourke Romero, Ginny Derby Williamson, Linda Fulvio, (standing, L to R) Anna Epstein (Mills HS alum), Marianne Calegari, Sister Sharon McMillan SND, and Mary Hustedt Milton. Ginny writes, “We had a great time! We all went to Our Lady of Angels starting in Kindergarten!”

1967 Jan Pariani Caron and her husband Joey celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with their two sons, their wives, and four granddaughters in Lago Maggiore, Italy this summer. They made lots of memories which included tons of laughs and even more gelato! Jan writes, “We might go a little slower at 70 but we keep going and are enjoying every minute.”

Karen Ringue Fear and her husband Douglas celebrated 50 years of marriage with their f amily in Cabo San Lucas, Me xico.

Featuring classic and unique designs in both fine and fine fashion jewelry, the store also carries colored gemstones and is a diamond broker. One of the store’s specialties is helping clients find that special item and offers both quality and value in a friendly environment. Mercy graduates and their families are given special pricing, and Christine loves catching up with former classmates and meeting fellow Mercy Girls.

1969 Class Update: The Class of 1969’s 50th reunion celebration spanned two days, with a Saturday night dinner at the Crowne Plaza in Foster City and Sunday activities at Mercy. Both events attracted over 40 classmates for a total of 53 different participants, coming from Connecticut, New York, Alaska and Oregon as well as throughout California. Lynne Rosaia was the masterful instigator and organizer, Janice Cappa Rodondi the adroit decorator (who included a poignant memorial for the 10 classmates who have passed on), and Kitty Burns-Nasrow the trivia contest creator. Lori Breining Gelvin showed the 60th birthday class video and Val Armento set up a school and P.E. uniform display both days. For roughly 20 hours, “The Majestics” reigned, and a good time was had by all.

Inspired by the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics to do more than just the occasional recreational swim, Val Armento (PHOTO at left) recently completed 10,000 miles. She started with only one-quarter to one-half mile at a time, then worked up to one mile or more. For the past decade, she has swum at least 365 miles a year. 1972 Christine Carrere Thoresen is busy, busy after inheriting the family jewelry business. The fourth generation of her family to be a jeweler, Christine’s store, Gordon Aatlo Designs, celebrating 42 years in San Carlos, provides services on all types of jewelry including repairs, custom designs, re-styling and restoration of family heirloom pieces.

1973 Class Update: Classmates from 1973 shared dinner, memories & laughs at Sapore in Burlingame in July. Any ‘73 alumnae that would like to attend the next dinner please contac t Melanie Meisel-Cirigliano at Melcie2@aol.com. Pictured from L to R: Janet Gilmore, Sharon Raffaelli, Mary Cullen, Lynn Aubright, Barbara Campi, Patty O’Leary, Melanie Meisel, Joanne Lawler, Dorothy Brown, and Kathy Morgan.

1974 Janine Mignault Greenwald is feeling forever grateful that she had the opportunity to attend Mercy events honoring two women who had significant impacts on her life: Mrs. Genevieve Rollins (pictured with Anne Armento Dunn ‘74) and Sr. Suzanne Toolan (pictured with members of the Class of ‘74 at Making A Difference 2019).

Mary Ann Toschi Walker retired in November 2017 after 39 years in teaching. 30 of those years were dedicated to Catholic Schools. Now she reaps the “benefits” of her “reward being in heaven” instead of in retirement! Nevertheless, she is abundantly blessed! She has 4 grandsons (in one family) spanning ages 6 years to 6 months old, and 1 granddaughter who is 18 months old. They are the true treasures in her life. Mary Ann’s daughters are strong, independent, successful women who constantly make her proud. She is now a Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay where she gets her “fix” for teaching. She loves the products, people connections, and is thrilled that several of her Mercy sisters are in the MK organization with her. In August, she and her husband celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary. Mary Ann writes, “I owe by confidence and focus in life to my Mercy experience. Happy 45th Homecoming to my 1974 classmates!” 1975 Since graduation from Mercy, Jean Marie Kelly Buckley has been busy with her work in education while raising her family. She has been married to Tom for 33 years and has two sons, Nick (32) and Ryan (30). Jean Marie raised her sons in the town she was raised in, Burlingame. Professionally, after working in the public school system for over 23 years, Jean Marie created resources and businesses to support education including her Educational Consulting practice, Buckley Education; a school platform, Your School Profile; a relocation business, Golden Gate Relocation (McGuire Real Estate); and keeps busy writing and teaching. While not working, Jean Marie travels to her Tahoe home with her husband and friends/family. Jean Marie regularly shares and reflects on her years at Mercy High School as being transformative. Her education at Mercy created a belief that anything is possible. Many of Jean Marie’s friends and relatives are Mercy alummae and stories are often shared of the days of reflecting and learning throughout the halls and grounds of Mercy.

Judith “Judy” Gumba Keating met her husband K evin at USF in 1977 and they have been married for 39 years. They just celebrated their anniversary on August 3, 2019. Their older son, Casey Keating, M.D. finished his residency at Stanford with a specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, specializing in Interventional procedures of the spine/joints and pain management. He is practicing at Renown Medical Center in Reno, Nevada, and was married to Christine last October. Judy and Kevin’s second son, Nicholas, has been in the US Air Force for 10 1/2 years. He is married t o Lisa, and they have two children, Tyson 4 1/2 years and Sonya 1 1/2 years old. Judy has been an R.N. for 38 years. Kevin is retired and is happiest being a grandpa.

1977 Caroline Connolly Bottoms celebrated her 60th birthday in Ireland, a gift from her daughter Lauren Bottoms ‘05 and son Bradley Bottoms (Serra ‘10). They treated Caroline to a magical trip to Ireland, including Dublin, Galway, Clifden, Killarney, Kilkenny, Cliffs of Moher and Inis Mor, the largest of the Aran Islands where they visited her grandfather’s home and enjoyed time with relatives.

Nora Sotelo Kury (PHOTO at right) and her husband F elix celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows at the same chapel where they were married on July 14, 19 79!

1978 Moira Cue Friedland became a certified massage therapist in 2005, and retired from United Airlines in 2008. She has been the owner of the California Center for Therapeutic Massage in Redding, CA since 2015.

Mary Adkins Nicholson and her husband Nick just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on June 16th. They took a short, romantic vacation to San Luis Obispo, and stayed at the Madonna Inn. A drienne, their oldest daughter, turned 34, and their youngest, Elaine, turned 29. Their beautiful granddaughter, Anabelle, is 9 years old, a Junior Girl Scout, and will begin 4th gr ade in the fall. “Time has flown,” Mary writes. “We are so blessed!”

Katherine Lacunza Pompili joyfully celebrated the first wedding in her family of her oldest son, Stephen, to Jordan Baxter on June 29 at the Presidio of San Francisco. Jordan, originally from Atlanta, GA, has recently completed her MBA from Berkeley and will be working at McKinsey. Stephen is a Senior Director at Hinge Health. Her daughter Francesca’s ‘12 new company, Festa by Francesca, planned a beautiful Italianthemed rehearsal dinner at Del Popolo in SF. The bride and the groom joined Kathy and her husband Mario in Rome the following week for a reception to meet Mario’s family. Viva i sposi!

1979 Michele Barranti Parres celebrated the wedding of her daughter, Jaime Parres Cheney ‘06 , to Andrew Cheney on September 8th, 2018. Jaime’s sister, Lindsay Parres ‘09 , was her maid of honor.

1983 Dava Kotta Sheehan has marked many milestones this year, including her mother-in-law’s 95th birthday, which was celebrated with a large family get-together. She also celebrated her daughter’s 18th

Paula Bove Sedgley and her husband Mark are expecting their youngest son Jake to graduate from UC Davis in the spring. His major is environmental science and policy with a second degree in economics. Her oldest son Cole has married and is living in Davis, where the family has lived since 1997. The family just celebrated Paula’s mom’s 89th birthday and Mark’s father’s 89th birthday in August, and they are hoping to plan something really big next year. Paula and Mark celebrated their 28th anniversary in Italy last September.

Lisa Raddie Simmonds was very excited to see everyone in September at the Homecoming reunion. She continues in the medical device industry as Director of Supply Chain and Customer Service at Pulmonx Corporation in Redwood City, a manufacturer of devices to treat lung disease. Lisa loves to travel and hike in her spare time. Her daughter is a junior at Notre Dame Belmont.

1980 Eileen Gilsdorf Delzell has been in private practice as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Consultant and Expert Witness for over 25 years. In February, 2019, Eileen achieved a PhD in Forensic Psychology and has expanded her practice to working with emerging young adults in developing career identities, as a means for avoiding negative life trajectories and achieving healthy and successful adult roles. Dr. Delzell has 3 adult children, 1 granddaughter, a senior Toy Aussie dog, and a 9 week old Decker Terrier puppy. She lives in rural and beautiful Crooked River Ranch, Oregon with her husband, Thom. 1981 Lynn Schuette works for CORA, San Mateo County’s domestic violence organization, as their Assistant Director of Programs. Lynn would love to hear from Mercy alums who have rental properties. CORA has a terrific program for landlords willing to rent their properties to survivors of domestic violence.

46 MERCY HIGH SCHOOL BURLINGAME birthday, first job working as a party princess, graduation from Woodside High School, and acceptance to Chapman University in Orange, CA where she is going for her BFA in Screenwriting. Dava and her family are SO PROUD of her, although the house is very empty & quiet now!

1985 Deanna Pritchard Bleidistel and her husband Mike are now experiencing life as empty nesters! Their oldest daughter, Amanda, graduated in 2018 from UCCS and was married this past July at The Broadmoor in Colorado. Deanna and Mike have twins, Andrew and Amber. Andrew is in the Air Force serving in Japan while Amber is completing her degree at Sonoma State to become a teacher! She writes, “We are so blessed and thankful to be enjoying this season in life.”

1986 AnaGloria Rodriguez Wilkinson has recently made the transition into professional art. Trained by Art Renewal Center Living Master Ali Ghassan in classical art, she has been exhibiting in local venues. AnaGloria, along with a group of artists who belong to a collective she founded, the Artistic Edge Collective, recently completed a commission of 6 large paintings for a sports/fitness center, including “Weightlifter,” shown on the left.

1987 Maggie de Vera has been in the healing and helping profession for 30 years as a psychotherapist (Licensed Marriage Family Therapist), Holistic Practitioner, Hypnotherapist, Certified Life Coach, Educator, Founder and CEO of a nonprofit organization for disadvantaged and high-risk youth and families, Certified Etiquette Consultant, Clinical Supervisor and Trainer, Speaker, Film Producer, and soon-to-be-published author. In 2019, Maggie began two exciting projects: 1) the invention, creation and development of Charm Cards ™ and 2) her production of a documentary film, “KIDS SAY THE WISEST THINGS.” The Charm Cards ™ are a first-of-its-kind- Therapeutic Playing Cards Game which are the most simple yet powerful deck of cards that can help transform your life and relationships. While working on this venture, Maggie has also been producing and directing her documentary film, “KIDS SAY THE WISEST THINGS” which is set to premiere next year. This is a light-hearted and touching documentary discussing important life issues with a number of young children. For more info on Maggie’s projects, please visit www. deveratecs.com.

1988 Tracy Nabonnè Clemente completed her first Aids LifeCycle, 545 miles from SF to LA over 7 days. It was an experience of a lifetime.

Cynthia Gonzalez Morton celebrated her 29th wedding anniversary with her high school sweetheart, Brian Morton, in January 2019. Unfortunately, three months later Brian succumbed to complications from a Hepatitis B infection. Her Mercy Sisters came together and started a GoFundMe. With the support of friends and family rallying together, they raised enough funds to help with expenses and fly her and her children back to her hometown of South San Francisco; Brian’s last wish was to show his children his old stomping grounds and re-introduce them to the glory and beauty of the great Lake Tahoe. It was the first time their children had been back to California since their departure, almost 23 year ago, to San Antonio, Texas. There they raised four children together: Kyle (29), Victoria (25), Cassidy (Rabago, 23) and Nathan (19) and have two grandchildren: Hazel (5) and Silas (3) Morton, with a third on the way. She would like to thank all of her Mercy Sisters, friends and families who have been so supportive during this difficult time. She and her family hope to make visiting California an annual tradition.

Kimberley Garrett Paulus and her husband Dan were blessed to celebrate 25 years of marriage on July 30 with a getaway to beautiful Mendocino. They fondly remember having their treasured engagement pictures photographed on the beautiful Mercy grounds way back in 1994. This past summer Kimberley returned to work as an R.N. after many years at home raising her three sons. She is a Nurse Care Manager with Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Stockton, working within their Senior Services department. The program provides case management and outreach to at-risk and medically frail seniors in their homes. Kimberley and her family has resided in Oakdale, CA since 2001.

Silvia Wheatley Young is the founder of FemTruth, a movement for empowerment. In this past legislative session, she helped lead the California coalition to end the tax on menstrual hygiene products (AB31), winning support from Governor Gavin Newsome. Currently, Silvia is mobilizing support for three new bills supporting keeping girls informed, educated and financially independent. She is also the author of My FemTruth: Scandalous Survival Stories, FemTruth – Endometriosis Edition: A Collection of Stories from Courageous Women, and the three-act play, GASLIT. Learn more about Silvia’s work at www.silviayoung.com.

1989 After 15 years at Apple, countless trips to China, and endless hours of conference calls, Angela Conde Barton has retired! She’s left the Bay Area and has settled in Celebration, Florida. Angela is just minutes from Disneyworld, looking forward to traveling for pleasure, and hosting friends and family.

1992 Class Update: Members of the class of 1992 show off their Mercy sweatshirts during an annual girls’ trip to Seattle, WA. Pictured are (Top, L to R) Liz Milian, Sheila Garcia, Bernadette David Tuason, Beverly Buhain Cruz, (Bottom, L to R) Narimel Tulawan Tarver, Denise Almendral (mother of Zhari Malig ‘21), Evelyn Eng Sue, and Ardees Rabang.

Beverly Buhain Cruz and Chariss Ilarina Wong ‘00 (pictured with Bernadette David Tuason ‘92) performed with the Likha Pilipino Folk Ensemble at the inaugural performance of Kaisahan Unidad, a show that explored the story of shared history told through the folkloric dance of the Philippines and Mexico.

1993 Katherine Parodi traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with her daughter Alyssa Parodi ‘17, and fellow alum Kim Magni ‘93.

1998 After graduating from SJSU in 2007 with a degree in Industrial Design, Cotille Carlson Davis worked at a startup incubator and a venture capital firm before joining thenunknown fashion startup Stitch Fix. Five and a half years later, Cotille proudly attended the opening bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange as the company she helped build went public. In July ‘18, Cotille left Stitch Fix to go back to her roots in design and founded Piece Out (pieceout.co), a jigsaw puzzle company that marries her passion for puzzling with Instagram-worthy design. Cotille currently lives in San Francisco with her hot husband. Find her at @Cotille & @pieceoutpuzzles.

2004 Dr. Jessica Kareff Garibaldi, Psy.D. earned a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, with dual emphases in Marriage and Family Therapy and Gerontology in 2014. In 2019, she earned a doctorate degree in Clinical Psychology. Jessica is a psychologist and is currently working toward completing her remaining hours for licensure. Jessica married her husband, Shahin, in 2016. In 2018, the couple welcomed their son, Dylan. In 2019, they completed their family by welcoming their daughter, Alexia. Jessica resides in San Francisco with her family and is involved in local fundraising and advocacy.

2007 Since graduating from Mercy Burlingame in 2007, Masako Le graduated from UC Davis with a BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a BA in Japanese in 2011 and then a MSc in Forensic Science in 2014. Shortly after that, she studied medicine for four years in Poznan, Poland, and as of June 2019, she earned her MD to become a forensic pathologist (pictured with her grandmother, Junko; her mother, June; and her sister, Midori Le ‘11). On a sad note, Masako and her family have gone through various tragedies in the last few years: her father, grandmother, and grandfather passed away. Her mother was also diagnosed with cancer in early 2016, and treatments have been ongoing since. Masako and family have appreciated all the love and support from the community. While still an expert Disneyland navigator and a lover of languages, Masako has also become a very active member in Toastmasters International, earning her CC, CL, and ALB and now working on her Pathways projects in Dynamic Leadership. She has also been active in her newfound hobby: escape rooms; she is the president and founder of The Escape Room Docs (@escaperoomdocs) and joined the “100 Escape Rooms Club” in May 2019.

2008 On May 25th, 2019, Kristin Donovan, married Adam Silva in Davis, California. The wedding took place at the Alumni Center on the UC Davis Campus where they met in 2010. It was a beautiful day filled with friends, family, great food, and love. Kristin was honored to have her best friend from high school, Jamie Hazelton ‘08, as a bridesmaid. Kristin and Adam now live in Davis with their 2 Springer Spaniels, Patches and Mabel.

2009 On June 1st, 2019 Victoria Leroux married Nicholas Brown in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at Wine & Roses in Lodi, CA. Victoria and Nick met while both a ttending San Jose State University. Mos t of Victoria’s bridal party consisted of friends who have since turned into sisters who she met at Mercy B.

In June 20 19, Maria Tañedo graduated from Palo Alto University with her Masters of Arts in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage, Child, and Family Therapy. Maria will continue on her professional journey as an elementary school resilience counselor as well as an associate supporting children and families in the community. Maria celebrates this milestone with the support of her loved ones who include her dearest Mercy sisters and best friends: Amalee Wong ‘09, Sharon Chan ‘09, and Kristine Ortiz ‘09.

2010 After graduating from Mercy, Lisa Marie Montgomery (pictured with Gail Anderson of the School of Visual Arts) studied art, photography, and graphic design at College of San Mateo, graduating with Cum Laude with an Associate of Art degree. This fall, she begins her BFA in Design, with a minor in Photography, from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Her dream job title is Creative Director and Fashion AD Panelist for seasonal apparel and design.

2011 Melissa Healey married Rory Coveney on June 21, 2019 at Palm Event Center in the Vineyard in Pleasanton. Fellow alumnae Erica Maldonado ‘11 (middle) and Caroline Kowalski ‘11 (right) served as Bridesmaids, while Chrystelle Azcona ‘11 (left) served as Maid of Honor.

Amaré Silva returned to the Mercy Burlingame campus as the Advancement Event and Parent Coordinator in Fall of 2018, and she graduated with honors with a Master of Science in Organizational Development from USF in May 2019. Her heart has always been devoted to educating the whole person, especially supporting the next generation of female leaders. She loves that her role is to foster and enrich the Mercy community!”