Fairfax Hutter celebrated her 60th birthday with a hike up Baldpate Mtn., aka Kuser Mtn., near Lambertville, NJ. They visited Strawberry Hill on Baldpate, which was Olivia’s Kuser’s grandparents’ house, and it’s now preserved and the most beautiful spot in all of Mercer County. Olivia’s father John Kuser ’60, Olivia, and sisters Caryl and Eleanor, PDS ’76, all spent time and holidays there.
Alex Laughlin has offered to host the 45th: “We’ll have fun here next event, our 45th. You can count on it.” Andy Scasserra said she has been digging out of the third big storm to hit southern Maine in the past month!
Alex Laughlin ’72 with Janet
Giaff Ferrante and family have “had an amazing year. Moved down to Bristol, VA after three great months in NYC, during which we saw among others Kip and Lucinda, Susan (Stix), and visited John and Bobbie Gordon up in VT. I’ve been working as a pure vascular surgeon here for the first time in my life and am loving it. The people, the landscape, and the music here in Appalachia are all lovely. Our three kids are doing well. Cam (27) married Rachel Tofel in November after acing the NY and MA bar
and have stellar kids. Alison and I spent a week in Italy with friends and cousins after the wedding. She’s amazing at Italian. Drove back up here for Ann Gips’ funeral — she was a second mother to so many! Saw all the Gipses, who are such wonderful people. We had had our annual college roommate reunion at Rob and Karen’s house in Cape Elizabeth.... Lots of miles this year, but lots of fun. Sixty, right, for most of us? Wow. Wow.”
Hank Bristol wrote, “I am a current seventh and eighth grade history teacher and MS squash coach at PDS. We continue to have mini-weeks, trips to DC, Philly and an extraordinary eighth grade musical at the end of the year. The school that you all knew is doing well, growing in so many ways. My wife and I have parented three graduates: Clark ’06, Rachel ’09, and Benjamin ’13, all squash players/captains in their time here. I transitioned many years ago from architecture into middle school teaching, and eventually ordination (Episcopal Deacon ’12). I am a painter and sailor of sorts. We live in Rocky Hill, now as empty-nesters, traveling when we can during my summers off !”
61 Class Notes
their rooms. I am finding it fascinating to switch fields and roles at this point in my working life. I also enjoy working part-time, four days a week! My mother continues chugging along upstairs in the same nursing home with end-stage dementia, a journey of about 10 years at this point. They call this the long goodbye — sad, but true. In other news, we are enjoying brief living stints with our daughters, 22 and 25, living at home for the past months, as they prepare for their next stages. It’s great to have them back again, however briefly.
Susan Stix Fisher: “Am currently escaping NYC’s blizzards — on a boat in warm weather with 12 others arranged by a friend, and Lucy Whittemore ’74 is one of the others.”
Fairfax Hutter ’72 and friends on her birthday hike
Susan Stix Fisher ’72 and Lucy Whittemore ’74 Nancy Farley O’Donnell enjoyed a fantastic trip to Costa Rica with her family earlier this winter. Also her son, Will, became engaged this month. She is opening a new behavioral health facility in Tucson called Sabino Recovery, Health & Wellness, where she will offer innovative treatment for her clients from around the world.
Karen Turner ’72 standing behind Desmond Tutu
Giaff Ferrante ’72 with his family from left: John, Francesca, Giaff , Alison, and Cam
Karen Turner shared a picture “with Desmond Tutu. It was taken in 2010 when he spoke at a conference I was attending in South Africa during the World Cup. Then in 2013, I led a group of journalism students to Johannesburg. I’m taking a group again this summer to both Johannesburg and CapeTown.”
exams. They’re in DC — she’s working for Uber (no, I don’t get free rides) and he’s at FairVote. John (29) is at Public Consulting Group in Boston and living on the seedy side of Beacon Hill with his lovely girlfriend, Kara. Francesca (31) is at Cone Communications in Boston and living in Southie with (in this order) Rigby, her pup, and Jon, her boyfriend. I judge this because there are way more Instagram pics of Rigby than Jon. We had a family reunion in Brussels for my uncle’s 100th birthday. All Ferrantes look great
Paul Funk and Jean Beckwith Funk are raring to go for the next reunion. “What a blast we had at the last reunion. We need a bigger representation.”
Michael Claggett, after a brief commuting stint back and forth between Pennsylvania and Boston, has returned to a job closer to home and Glenda, enjoying a much more balanced home/work schedule. His daughter, Emily ’13, is thriving as a sophomore, a possible major in English Literature and film, at Columbia University. She has already produced her first film! Michael keeps his creative side active in music (playing lots of guitar) and developing an original software application. Thinking of Cici Morgan Pastuhov, whose dear father, Arthur, passed away in January.
Finally, many thanks to Fred Dalrymple for coming to my rescue when the long thread of communication from many of you disappeared from my email! I wasn’t able to restore all conversations so apologies for any lost information! Spring 2015