Mimi and Rich Rice ’55 near Sampson Cay, Exumas, Bahamas. paper pressmen’s hats for all. We think the newsboys would have liked that.”
56
NMH
NELSON LEBO 1046 Millers Falls Rd Northfield MA 01360-9622 nlebo@nmhschool.org
DEBBY ADAMS MCKEAN 633 Leyden Ln #203 Claremont CA 91711 deborah_mckean39@gmail.com
From Deborah: One week has passed since my husband Phil McKean ’54 and I returned from my 55th reunion at NMH, enough time for us both to process this memorable experience and for me to hear from a few classmates about their own impressions of the weekend. Before hearing their voices, I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to Dorrie Krakower Susser, reunion cochair with John McClintock, and Benita Pierce, reunion gift chair(we met our reunion goal of $20,000), as well as the following members of the Northfield ’56 reunion committee, of which I was honored to be a member: Sue Chandler, Lynda Gregorian
Christian, Betsy Tanger Eggleston, Jill Ayers Gilbert, Fiona MacKinnon, Judy Fellows Nelson, Caro Woolley Peterson, Joan Hendrickson Rogers, Elaine Tetreault Smith, and Evie Walsh Stevenson. Led by Dorrie and
Benita, in cooperation with the NMH staff, this committee provided us with a wonderful introduction to NMH as it is thriving today, as well as plenty of opportunities to visit with one another. Classmates and their guests (in parentheses) present at reunion were: Deborah Adams McKean (Phil), Ruth Ann Fredenthal, Lynda Gregorian Christian (John), Priscilla Klein Zink, Dorothy Krakower Susser, Benita Pierce, Elaine Tetreault Smith (Bill), Evelyn Walsh Stevenson (David), and Caro Woolley Peterson (Peter). Dorrie reports a “bang-up off-campus Italian dinner” on Thurs evening at a mountaintop restaurant in nearby Bernardston, where 14 Hermonites and their guests joined the Northfield contingent, as well as our honorary classmates
Marggie Slichter ’84, Josie Rigby, and Sue Clough, all members of the NMH alumni and advancement staff. She characterizes the dinner as “a dynamite way to renew old acquaintances and begin bonding with new friends.” Fiona MacKinnon, who lives in Bowling Green OH, was unable to attend but helped with the solicitation of our class gift to the Annual Fund. She reports some welcome improvement in the symptoms of a chronic auto-immune disease known as polymyalgia rhuematica, which has caused her great difficulty in walking in recent years. She was, however, able to travel to Nepal and Bhutan, fortified by pain pills and antibiotics, and enjoyed a rafting trip, an oxcart ride, a flight to see Everest, Fishtail, and the Himalayas, and sightseeing on an elephant, all without walking. She reports that Betsy Tanger Eggleston was in Bhutan at the same time, studying the weaving, fabric, and arts of the Bhutanese. (Betsy, if you read this, we’d love to hear more about your own trip and the study you have been doing there.) Ruth Ann Fredenthal will remember our 55th reunion for the opening-night dinner; a class on “The Middle East Today” given by NMH faculty member Ted Thornton; the Fri evening hymn sing in the chapel; the “wonderful food”; riding to reunion with Priscilla “Kip” Klein Zink; taking a side trip to the Northfield campus with Lynda and John Christian; and hanging out with classmates at meals, receptions, and in the late evenings in the new MacKinnon dormitory, recently constructed along “cottage row” near the chapel and looking out across the valley. Kip reports having traveled extensively with husband Donald in recent years. They have planned 1 major trip a year, to Antarctica, the Amazon, and Africa. Though she feels “traveled out,” she would “still like to see Russia and the British Isles before the money runs out.” Kip visited her children and grandchildren in NJ before reunion, looks forward to returning there in Oct, and “returning to NJ one of these days to stay, as I am a NJ girl at heart.” Elaine Tetreault Smith, who lives in Sarasota FL and summers on Bailey’s Island ME, writes of the opportunity she and Bill had to crew on the Stars and Stripes, one of the retired America’s Cup 12-meter yachts now located in the waters of St Maarten. “Each of us had a job to do for an actual race course, which at times was very exciting, especially when racing to the finish line.” Elaine particularly enjoyed the special luncheon for Northfield girls at our recent reunion, appreciating the recognition for Northfield’s part in the school’s history. Lynda Gregorian Christian and John have recently moved to a condo in Burlington MA. “The house is delightful, but it is challenging to find places for everything.” In June, Lynda gave a talk in San Jose CA on “Lincoln’s Sanitary Commission,” the title of a booklet she has recently written about the commission that was established to provide an improved quality of medical care for the wounded of the Civil War. The occasion was the display of a wax doll with all her dresses and accessories that
sold in 1864 at a Sanitary Fair in NY. Over 100 people attended, and the event raised $18,000 for the Veterans Administration. My own news is that Phil and I have moved from ME to Claremont CA, where we will live at Pilgrim Place, a long-established intentional retirement community for those who had careers in the church or in nonprofit charitable orgs. This spring Phil retired from his job as dir of planned giving at the PenBay Healthcare system, and I retired as deacon in the Episcopal diocese of ME. We moved in late Apr, driving cross country to meet our moving van at our new condo on 5/17. We enjoyed our trip to CA, taking time to visit national parks and monuments and important historical family sites along the way. Son Tom, his partner Marq, and our grandson live in the Santa Barbara area, a 2-hr drive north, and we welcomed them to our new home. We will maintain our home in Cushing ME for the “foreseeable future” and will continue to enjoy summers on the ME coast. This was a big move, as you can imagine, but we look forward to the more forgiving winter climate while still finding winter sports within easy driving distance; the ability to walk year-round and become less dependent on cars; the ability to take classes at the Claremont Colleges and enjoy the offerings of a college community; and the opportunity to explore the western part of our great country. Kristin Kellom ’80, NMH dir of donor relations, reported that during 2010–11 the Class of 1956 scholarship has been helping Casey, a sophomore from NY. Casey’s academic studies have included geometry, French II, world lit, 10th-grade health, world religions, world history, and biology I. She played varsity soccer, hockey, and softball. I am saddened to report news of the deaths of two of our classmates within the past year. Alison Seeley Howard died at home of ovarian cancer in Berkeley CA on 8/16/10. She is survived by her sister Anne Seelye Stoltz ’53 and her daughters Esme Howard ’84 and Keridwen “Kerry” Howard Dahm ’78. Kerry writes: “If anyone does remember my mom, I would love to hear from them.” She can be reached at keridwen@comcast. net or 510-222-6830. Carole Coleman Morning of NYC died 1/10/11 after a long illness. A graduate of Stanford with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering, she moved to NYC in ’64, where she married graphic designer John Morning. Carol became active in engineering affairs, serving as chair of the NY state board for engineering and land surveying, the state licensure agency. Carol earned a second master’s in statistics from Columbia and in ’89 founded a consulting firm, Higher Education Extension Service, to help colleges and universities improve minority representation in engineering. She had 2 children and 5 grandchildren. In closing, I would like to urge you to take advantage of a new service being provided for the NMH alumni community that will facilitate communication among alumni. To check it out, login to the alumni community at community.nmh-
Fall | 2011 CLASS NOTES 61