to us all: For age is opportunity no less than youth itself, Though in another dress; And as the evening twilight fades away, The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.
Class of 1949
Class of 1950
Betsy Wilkins McMaster mousamryc@verizon.net As we enjoy what I think is our fourth blizzard of the winter, I fear my notes may be a little out of date when you read them in late spring, but here goes: Since I no longer have family members in Baltimore, I seldom have a reason to visit, but work with a long term colleague of my father on a book about my father gave me an excuse to visit in March 2013. Shirley Wingo Hooper invited me for lunch at her lovely house in Ruxton. She invited Carolyn Smith to join us and we had a delightful mini-reunion of onethird of our surviving classmates! Carolyn is an avid photographer and sent us excellent pictures of ourselves later. She is immersed in studies of Baltimore history and enjoys leading tours of visitors to Homewood. Cordie Lee Moody Wilkinson (Trip) is lucky to have her son and daughter living nearby in the Rehoboth area where she has lived for many years. Her family had a house there where I visited as a child and I think she has always had a home there. She is very active as a volunteer in many local organizations. Trip and Pam Sylvester O’Dowd ran into each other at an RPCS regional gathering on the Eastern Shore last year. A good photograph of them together appeared in last year’s Connections. They overlapped for such a short time in Eighth Main that this was their first chance to get to know each other! I have had several phone conversations with Karen Howard Hamer who has been living for a long time with Bob in a retirement community near Carlisle, PA. The snow made her long for crosscountry skiing, which she did for many years there and in their Vermont days. They still exercise their brains with regular bridge games, as does Pam. The Hamers’ younger daughter, Robbie, has moved from Springfield, MA, to Lebanon, PA, about an hour from them. As their older daughter, Anne, lives in Prince George’s County, MD, it is much easier to have family get-togethers as they did last Christmas. I was distressed recently upon calling Mary Blair Briscoe Shaw’s long term home in Potomac, MD, to learn that she had died in April, 2012. Her husband, Brit, (Wilmer Brinton Shaw) was one of our rare RPCS “small boys.” Are there any others still extant? I don’t know how much longer the school enrolled boys after our class
SPRING 2014
20
(There were four boys and twelve girls in our Fourth Grade class and I think we made their lives miserable.). Brit still lives in Potomac, their son lives in Maryland and their daughter lives in California. As a classmate and neighbor, I remember fondly Mary Blair, her lovely, gentle nature and artistic ability.
Polly Powell Gregory pollygregory2@gmail.com I thought that at our stage in life it might be fun to remember some of the things that went on when we were at RPCS. A few memories came in from classmates. Those first four years at RPCS were the years of blue uniforms, bloomers and the playground. Susie Passano Macfarlane and I were in those classes. As were a few “small boys.” I think that we were the only ones to go through all 13 classes. A photograph of our Kindergarten Christmas pageant. Susie: St. Mary and I as an angel. Ah, the swings and the sandboxes, etc are well remembered. We then progressed on to the Lower Main and through the years added classmates and lost a few. I remember Miss Ingle and her sister who was nicknamed “Miss Single” as she taught music and led us in singing. I think that stayed with us the next years with Glee Club. There was Mrs. Maevers who played piano for all activities. The Upper Main and preparations for college and our lives to be. The fire and the amazing work done during that summer. The first sight for my family was a look out the window and flames in sight. We called the telephone operator to ask what was on fire. (Yes, that was the thing to do back then!) Our summer and School were changed immediately. Many pitched in as best we could, trying to dry out books and support one another, Miss Castle and the faculty. That was June. School opened on time in the fall! Judith Brigstocke Hundertmark reminds us that the annual Holiday Fair was started by her mother. As I remember, those activities were good fun. Jean Wright Wareheim reminds us of summer get-togethers at Carol Lynch Perry’s parents’ farm on the Magothy, an activity that was to go on for many years after School, later at Jean’s home around a wonderful pool in Roland Park. We were a small class (Depression babies) but we have mostly kept up and enjoyed each other through the years. From Susie: One of my favorite memories was marching into the Amanda Lee Norris big Gym for an important assembly with with Mrs. Maevers thumping
Jeane Horst Gore, 1953 and Parker Trostell Gundry, 1953 at the 55th Reunion Luncheon
away on the piano. Just as you would get to the gym door, Lola, our beloved maintenance worker, would hand you two white paper towels and two paper clips so that you could wrap your wrists with the towels and appear to have white cuffs. The heartwarming story many years later is Lola’s granddaughter graduated from RPCS not too many years ago! As to the present: We do report on successful children and grandchildren. RPCS taught us to think well and it looks as though we have passed on the wisdom. Judith also send in news of her family: Andy’s Alexis graduated from University of Maryland at College Park last spring. She initially didn’t want to go to college until working retail for a year or so made her realize she needs a degree. She then worked while going to college. She is now 28 and is with a Head Start program. Andy’s boys are AJ, who will be senior at Gilman next fall, and Martin, who will be freshman at St. Paul’s. Andy and Carol are both working hard.
Class of 1953 60th Reunion Lucy Fallon Otto jrotto2@gmail.com Do you remember “the old roll call?” Selina Baker Martin lives in Tenants Harbor, ME. Stuart Bodine Moore lives in Amelia Island, FL. Ellen Brown Walls lives in Hartly, DE. Beverly Busick Pearson lives in Sonoma, CA. Jean Edgar Goldsmith lives in Ellicott City, MD. Ellen Evans is sadly deceased. Excie Everett Taylor lives at Keswick. Parker Gundry Trostel visited her in the fall and showed her pictures of our student days, which she loved. Lucy Fallon Otto and Rollin are well, busy at church and the beach in the summer. We enjoyed the wonderful reunion, which Jeanie Horst Gore so beautifully arranged last fall. It does not seem possible that sixty years