Alumnae Class Notes Spring 2025

Alumnae Class Notes

SPRING 2025

ST. MARY’S CLASS NOTES

~ 1963 ~

DONNA LANSING COPP

As we step into our 80s, the class of ’63 finds much to anticipate: time with grandchildren is, of course, a joyful constant — whether we’re spoiling them rotten or letting them teach us (again) how to work the TV remote. Admittedly, aging comes with its share of challenges, but we’ve earned the right to swap war stories about our “procedures.” Through it all, we embrace this stage with humor, gratitude, and even a newfound appreciation for the simple comforts — like elastic waistbands. From gardening and reading to joining senior groups and pursuing lifelong interests, this chapter brims with opportunities to stay inspired and engaged. As Tina Heslep Ciliberto and her husband shared, a recent highlight for them was attending a Chanticleer a cappella choir performance at the historic Carmel Mission — a truly unforgettable experience with its remarkable acoustics, they also find joy in their Anglican Church community. From the Episcopal Bishop Gadsden Retirement Community in Charleston, Asimoula Alissandratos reports, “This will be my third year writing for the monthly newsletter. I also curate monthly opera and ballet replays — a role I deeply enjoy. Life is wonderfully full, balancing family, church, and senior center activities. Charleston’s rich history,

vibrant classical and choral music scene, and incredible cuisine continue to bring me immense joy.” Joyce Wilkerson Kaplan and her husband enjoyed a year of exploration, from eclipse-watching in Texas to adventures in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and a wedding in Taos, NM. Joyce shares, “This year, my resolution is to explore new work in my studio — a different kind of travel. While I’ve run a weaving business for 45 years, I’m curious about new directions. Experimenting with small weave structures and combining textiles with paper and drawing, it is exciting to see where the Muse leads.” In Los Angeles, Sara Sorsby Dennis reflects on recent challenges: “We were under mandatory evacuation due to fires. While the grandchildren stayed with their other grandmother, and our blind daughter found refuge with a friend in a hotel, we’re all safe and back together. Now, we’re focusing on ways to help, knowing some brave firefighters have lost their homes. The Eaton fires came alarmingly close — less than a mile away.” Jenny Emison Ewing, our intrepid traveler, faced a tough year. After a January slip on ice resulted in severe back pain, she’s finally finding relief. Her husband also underwent heart surgery in August, navigating complications with afib and flutter, but both are on the mend. In Long Beach, MS, Carolyn Collier Johnson treasures the peace and contentment of living near the Gulf, finding joy in gardening and connecting with nature. Patty Ozier Riffel delights in playing online bridge with friends from around the globe — some of whom she’s met in person — and finds joy in her beloved book club,

Serendipity. Canon Thomas Hall immerses herself in books and treasures moments with her grandchildren. As a self-proclaimed news junkie, she’s the go-to for the latest scoops. Colorado resident Jackie Whiteleather enjoys a blissful life surrounded by friends and the beauty of the Rocky Mountains. Donna Plumer Copp is happily accompanying her globe-trotting husband, affectionately dubbed “Carmen San Diego.” This year’s adventures included a wedding in Pittsburgh, a Murray Biggs theater workshop in San Diego, visits to family in Madison, WI, eclipse-watching in Pocahontas, AR, delivering a puppy to their son in Utah, two weeks in London and France, a family reunion in Oaxaca, Mexico, Thanksgiving in Texas, a Santa Fe layover, and a memorable trip to NYC, where their grandson, a Yale student, performed the solo clarinet prelude to Rhapsody in Blue ~ 1965 ~

ELLEN RUMSEY BELLENOT

Class Secretary Ellen Rumsey Bellenot, who is Thrilled that she no longer has to pare down everyone’s news to 500 words total. So everyone can speak for themselves now without a merciless editor hacking away at their news. Susan Hoefer Foster: I am writing you from Montana where we now live — ever since the Bobbsey Twins in Winter I have loved snow.  Little did I know!  Just now I am remembering that we got 180 inches of it 2 years ago — and 12 inches yesterday.  It is also cold!  But I still love it.  Reminder to be careful

what we wish for. Elizabeth (Liz) Pryor MacEachran: Not much new here. It’s freakin’ cold and I couldn’t care less if I never saw snow again, but we can’t leave our life here. Edit as needed! I’m still playing lots of tennis and coaching the high school team. I love teenage girls! All 3 sons and their wives are gainfully employed and all 6 grandchildren doing well in school (my only granddaughter will graduate from college in May after only 3 years). They all love sports. Even the 6 year old is ski racing this year. My sister and I took a small boat cruise in Oct. to Turkey and Greece. We both love antiquities so it was a great trip even if there could not be two more different people. Marion West Hammer: We’re having a Friday ‘snow day’ in Charlotte — basically icy streets and sleet, with a few minuscule snowflakes mixed in.Yuck! My four granddaughters (8, almost 5, and 2 1/2 -year-old twins) are out of school, happily driving my daughter crazy because there’s no snow to play in. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying a cup of tea at home. Life is good! I’m really looking forward to a Memphis visit in March for the wedding of my niece Brittain West ’07 of Nashville and Sammy Stalcup of Washington, DC. Brittain is the daughter of my brother Roy and Cheryl Cape West ’74. While I’m in Memphis, I’m also looking forward to visits with my two sons, Al and Dan, and their families, including my grandsons Caleb (15) and Luke (9). It’s hard to believe that December marked my fifth year of living in Charlotte. Although I miss my Memphis family and friends, Charlotte truly feels like home now! I love my life here, which revolves around my Charlotte family, many new friends, and serving as a substitute teacher at a local private high school. And now that the twins are older (relatively speaking!), we’re even

CLASS NOTES

hoping to make it back to the beach in the Outer Banks this summer! Life is indeed good!’ Katherine Sweany Bertram: I had a difficult 2024. I lost my beloved partner of 23 years. I was so lucky to have him. He was loving and intelligent. I miss his commentary on the news. He was a history teacher and always added interesting insights. I’m very fortunate to have such good friends and family to rely on. I am looking forward to our reunion. Hope most of us can make it. Julia Malone: As usual, I have pushed my deadline, partly because there hasn’t been a lot of change for Neill, me and our two wonderful pups over the last year. We still love the home we put together with its fantastic views of the National Cathedral. We both still share a love of photography, and I still play tennis and bridge once a week or so. Of course a lot of change is coming to our home city, a place that I have loved since coming with some of you on our St. Mary’s trip more than six decades ago. I wish everyone

happiness and progress in the new year. And may the sunlight of truth shine through the clouds and bring hope and beauty. Ellen Rumsey Bellenot: I continue to lead a small, happy life in Baja, Georgia. Said life is available in mind-numbing detail on Facebook where I chortle happily about inconsequentials. My friends tell me that I’m an artist and I’ve decided to believe them. Steve and I managed to leave The Plague Years still pleased to be in the same room and that was my singular goal for That merry adventure.

~ 1969 ~

CONNIE LOVELESS FRIEND

Thanks to all who sent in news and updates. Hope everyone is doing well. Our condolences to Olivia Young Fisher on the death of her sister Suzy. Olivia reports she is still dividing her time between Houston and Jackson Hole. She says, if we are ever near either spot, look her up! She is enjoying spending time with her two grandchildren. Grandchildren are the best! Anne Short Born reports from SC that her stepson was made Army Brigadier General this year. Wow! Congrats, General! Anne also reports her son started his own lobbying firm this year. He and his family and Anne’s daughter live in Bluffton, SC, so Anne is enjoying having her grandchildren nearby. Lots of news from Jean Phillips Lorton. Both she and Orlan retired in 2024 and are so far enjoying retirement (it’s the best, isn’t it, Jean!). Her grandson Calin graduated from high school and is a freshman at the University of Georgia. Granddaughter Kyla is a sophomore at University of

Patti Person Ray ’65, Angie Rose ’75, Gigi Gould ’75 in Basal, Switzerland

Tennessee Chattanooga and grandson Quinn is a sophomore in high school. Jean and Orlan are extremely proud of all of them and are impressed with their confidence, kindness and intelligence, both book smart and street smart. In June they traveled to Washington, DC, for sister Katharine’s grandson’s graduation. (PS, Jean, I miss Katharine. CBS is not the same without her). Jean and Orlan moved into a townhouse in late September and celebrated with a cruise up the New England coast, around the islands of Canada, and into the North Atlantic to come down the St. Lawrence Seaway to Quebec. The trip was their 50th anniversary gift to each other. Jean notes the year was filled with many changes but notes as her sweet mom would say, “Life is full of changes and the Lord is already on the other side of them!” Jean, your mom was a wise woman and an incredible teacher. The Bible classes she taught at SMS were among my favorite classes and reconnecting with her as an adult through her leadership of my CBS classes was a great joy! She was a wonderful human and I loved her very much. As for me, I am still just me! In October for my birthday, I traveled with my cousin Beverly and sister Robbie to Fairhope, AL, just for fun! It was a great trip — good weather, great food and lots of shopping. I am still in Community Bible Study. This marks my 18th year and I continue to learn and grow in knowledge and faith. Spend lots of time with my daughter Katie and son Joey and his wife Mary Morgan. Katie continues to work for an educational consulting firm and both Joey and his wife work for Raymond James, but in different divisions. They celebrated their one year anniversary with a trip to NYK. My son chose well. His sweet wife is a delight and I love her dearly. I am planning more trips with my sister

CLASS NOTES

Robbie. We are going to Chicago this spring with one of my sisters-in-law and are working on one more trip to Spain. I’ll keep you posted. Wishing all of you a safe and prosperous 2025. Keep that news rolling in and please remember to share any milestones or news.

1970s

~ 1970 ~

CRISTINA BRESCIA MICHTA

The class of 1970 is happy to report that we will celebrate our 55th class reunion in April 2025. Linda Stratton Hancock and husband Cary are feeling thankful! They have had a busy fall. They enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving trip to the beach with their family and a few weeks before that they had a relaxing visit in the Georgia countryside with sister Christie Stratton Moody ’71 and her family and then celebrated Cary’s 75th  birthday in Hilton Head. They always enjoy time with daughter Heather and her husband and their precious 8 year old, non-verbal grandson Luke. Autism is a challenge and they’re always trying to think of ways to help him.  He really loved his time with his cousins Nathan (16) and Hannah (11). Gigi Gould enjoyed an incredible Riverboat Cruise down the Rhine visiting the gorgeous countries of Germany, Switzerland and France. Group travel is so much fun! Gigi is so looking forward to seeing everyone at our 55th class reunion on April 3-5! Hope it will be a blowout special time

since Covid interfered with our 50th reunion.  It will be fun kicking off the weekend with an art show with works by the talented Mary Hills Baker Powell ’74 (Kathy’s sister) and Katie Dann ’74. Thank you to Susie Hudson and Susan Hall Wilson for getting us organized. Mary Edna Parish enjoyed another successful Crafts Fair this past Fall.  Even more exciting was the birth of her great, great nephew in North Carolina on November 7.  Feeling old these days! Betty Coe Cruzen Manuel writes that she and husband David celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in December 2024 and are excited to welcome their 5th granddaughter in February 2025. Doris Dietrich Muraoka has been enjoying life in the San Francisco Bay Area since moving from Memphis in 1970. Several years after graduating from college, she and Stanford classmate, Stan, married and adopted a daughter and son as infants from Japan. Both

Annelise and Steve live and work in California so they enjoy seeing them often. Doris retired from her position as a special education teacher at her local middle school in Walnut Creek a year ago, mostly due to a rare illness that has caused some memory loss and extreme fatigue. She is on the road to

Christie Moody ’71 with granddaughters Aviva and Jazzy

recovery, mostly thanks to her dedicated family, great medical care, and her Australian Shepherds, Ollie, Charlie, and Betty! Doris often thinks about and dearly misses her Memphis friends and classmates. She hopes that any of you who plan a trip to the SF area will let her know so you can at least meet for a coffee or dinner. Cristina Michta is happy in Bavaria and is enjoying the Christmas markets in the winter. She also enjoyed a wonderful cruise on the River Seine in November 2024.

~ 1971 ~

CAROLYN COCKROFT

Happy New Year to all! The news from our class really poured in this time. It is such a delight to hear from you all and know how you are doing. Deborah Abernathy retired in July. She is in two Bible studies and starting painting classes. Julia Sprunt Grumbles and husband Bill still divide time between Chapel Hill, NC and the NC mountains in Highlands. Julia remains active in the causes she cares about, such as UNC, the environment, support for women and girls, and healing ministry. She says that if anyone in our class is ever close to Chapel Hill or Highlands, PLEASE get in touch. Marietta Canale Haaga had a knee replacement to add to her two other artificial hip replacements. Surgery went well, therapy has brought her almost back to normal, and she hopes to get back into pickleball soon! Marietta and husband Fletcher have been blessed with a grandson, Fletcher Thomas Haaga, born November 29, to oldest son Fletcher and Meg. They are excited to have another healthy grandchild, and her grand girls are thrilled to have a cousin on the Haaga side of the family.

CLASS NOTES

Marietta and Fletcher have several exciting trips planned in the upcoming months because lots of nieces and nephews are getting married. Milly Donelson Huffman and husband Doc celebrated their 50th anniversary in July and both have retired back to Lexington, KY. Ann Vandeventer Ince gave a surprise present at Christmas to her husband, whose favorite movie is Polar Express. The present was a trip with their son and his family on the Polar Express in Lebanon, Ohio. “Getting two adult men into matching pajamas was a challenge,” says Ann. “But  we got a great photo, received our silver bell and golden ticket.” Marty Jones and husband Fred had two fantastic international trips in 2024. In May they traveled to England where they hiked inn to inn along the Northumberland coast and then continued onto Scotland to view the castles and rocky peaks in the Highlands. Marty thought of us reading The Lady of the Lake as they drove past those beautiful lochs. In fact, the Waverly train station in Edinburgh is the world’s only transit station named after a novel. In October they joined their daughter Julia (31) for three weeks in Spain. They planned a busy itinerary of the big cities including the fantastic Miró, Picasso, and other museums. A highlight was a few days in Cadeques, a lovely town on the northeastern coast with great day hikes and restaurants plus Salvatore Dali’s crazy house and museum in Port Lligat a mile away. For the second summer, they stayed in Vermont from June to September, gardening, blueberry picking, hummingbird watching, and enjoying many guests. The flexibility

of Zoom lets Marty keep up her consulting and board work. She asks that our classmates “please come visit. The mountains are wonderful!” Christie Stratton Moody had visits from Linda Stratton Hancock ‘70 and husband Cary at the Moody farm in north Georgia and at their place in Darien, GA, this year as well as a visit from British cousins. Christie is still making glass art and selling on her Etsy shop, ChristieMoodyGlass. She is also still dancing swing, zydeco, and teaching salsa. Christie and husband Michael loved having their daughter, Gwyneth, and family stay with them for five days over Christmas. She says “Granddaughters Aviva and Jazzy make holidays fun!” They have a family trip to Puerto Rico to meet up with son Devin and wife Nicole coming up in February. Christie is looking forward to the tropical weather. Jan Muirhead and husband Larry are moving to a suburb of Philadelphia to be close to their son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old granddaughter, Madeline. Madeline is their only grandchild, and they miss her. Also, they feel the need to be closer to younger family members. Jan and Larry are moving to a new 55+ active adult community about 20 minutes from their son and his family. The small,

Milly Donalson Huffman ’71 and husband Doc’s eight grandchildren on Thanksgiving Day in Panama City, Panama

newly constructed house should be ready in latter May and so they will put their Nashville house on the market around early to mid-March. Jan says, “Moving, especially out of state, is always daunting but a real opportunity to significantly declutter. I have never been a mother, but I love being a grandmother and so look forward to watching Madeline grow up.” Like Marty, my husband Chris and I enjoyed the splendid and magical scenery of the Scottish Isles on our cruise in May. (I reported on this in the last issue of SMS news). Once again, we had a busy fall with our church’s Fall Festival where our band, the Pohick Pickers, played several sets. Chris was Fair Chair and is also on the church vestry. I continue with my pastoral care ministry and play at a service we have at The Fairfax, a retirement community closely connected with our church. I also sing in the adult choir and play bells. Please keep the news coming! We can contribute twice a year now. To quote Julia Grumbles, “I hope your Christmas was filled with much joy, hope and laughter and may 2025 be the best ever!”

CLASS NOTES

~ 1972 ~

ANNE REMMERS PHILLIPS

Peggy Jemison Bodine hosted a birthday party at the Memphis Country Club for Meg Jemison Bartlett’s 70th. Those attending from the Class of ’72 were Musette Sprunt Morgan, Meg Jemison Bartlett, Susan Ossorio, Ashley Moore Remmers, Christine Mayer Todd, Jane Gordon Simmons, Angie King Keesee, Anne Remmers Phillips, and Malinda Allen Lewis. Organized by Denise Dubois Taylor ’69, we played a fun multiple choice trivia game! Dawn Bonner O’Connor’s book, “Florida Hurricane Handbook, New Residents Guide to Weathering Storms” came out just in time for the worst of hurricane season. Again, she is the parent of a former horse who lost her family in a move and eventually returned to “mamma’s house”. Tempe Brown Garriott, also living in Florida, made it through two hurricanes with no damage. Her gift of math keeps her busy with tax season. After three years of planning and building

Ashley Moore Remmers and husband, John finally spent their first nights in their house at the beach. Happy with the results she is looking forward to a ’72 class reunion there! Planning a bike trip in Portugal with her 38-year-old girlfriend she claims, “Thank heavens for a hybrid bike for me!” While maintaining her pickling business and working at Oak Hall, Jane Gordon Simmons makes time to visit her ten grandchildren, seven in Nashville and three in Atlanta. Mandy Richards McCartney also has ten grandchildren. Traveling to city life in Nashville, the countryside of Knoxville, she escapes the cold at Satellite Beach, Florida. She still treasures her old St. Mary’s textbooks, The United States in Literature and Outlooks Through Literature — of-course filled with notes! Congratulations to Musette Sprunt Morgan for the recent birth of grandson, Thomas “Walter” Morgan! That makes three for Musette! Suzanne Hauser Schlittlenhart and hubby Cliff took a 10-day cruise in Italy. “What a beautiful country!” In August they went to Albuquerque, Sante Fe, and Taos to escape the AZ heat. With a quick visit to Memphis at Thanksgiving she marveled at the Pompeii Exhibit with her cousin. Hoping to see the leaves change color, Jackie Pentz Watkins took a bus tour to Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. In the Memphis January snow, she watched at least 30 birds in one day at her feeders. Good luck to Hunter Haizlip Oppenheimer facing the Landmark Commission with a proposal. Since 2019 she has worked to honor Carr Avenue as a historic district. Malinda Allen Lewis reports that she will be in town working at the Waffle Shop during the Calvary’s Lenten Preaching Series. She is starting a French workbook

Members of the class of 1972 gathered to celebrate the 70th birthday of Meg Jemison Bartlett ’72. Alumnae surrounding Peggy Jemison Bodine from left to right: Musette Sprunt Morgan, Meg Jemison Bartlett, Susan Ossorio, Jill Jemison, Ashley Moore Remmers, Christine Mayer Todd, Jane Gordon Simmons, Angie King Keesee, Anne Remmers Phillips, and Malinda Allen Lewis.

to prepare for a trip to Normandy this summer with husband Buck and recommends the book The Boys of Riverside by Thomas Fuller. Lucky for Memphis they bought a second home in Collierville. Susan Ossorio survived a flood in her den from Nov. 4 and was confined to the “concrete bunker” chasing a toddler. Unable to decorate this past Christmas she optimistically promises a doubly festive one in 2025. On Facebook Taylor Boyd continues to enthusiastically lift her granddaughter Elle’s equestrian success. With promise of the great competition at Wellington, Florida, we know she will be amazing. Lee’s photos are stellar. I want to see that bird house in Liberty Hill. But where is Liberty Hill? SC or Austin, TX? Jennifer Wilde Lovejoy was a participant

CLASS NOTES

in a grant at Virginia Tech to measure brain patterns of stone carvers. Carving together has resulted in a show, Carving Out Creativity, from February to May in four Virginia locations. Her brain contributed data with her fellow carvers, Backyard Stone Carvers, and her sculptures will be included at one of the sites, The Taubman Museum in Roanoke. Electrodes collected brain waves that digitally interpret in the interactive exhibit. “This show is about technology geeks on steroids!” Christine Mayer Todd continues to enjoy retirement and now finds time to travel, learn French, Mahjong, and watercolor. The plus is that she has more time to spend with family and friends. Karen Adelson Strauss continues a fun and fulfilling life in Park City, UT. She takes advantage of what the mountain seasons offer, attends classes, volunteers for organizations in the area and enjoys the cultural and music events in Salt Lake City. “Turning 70 was much more of a psychological transition than she anticipated. It has given my Wish List and my To Do list a different sort of energy.” I, Anne Remmers Phillips, say “Amen”! I returned once again to my old stomping ground at Grace Saint Luke’s Episcopal School (close to my grandchildren) to act as an Administrative Assistant and Outdoor Naturalist. Plainly speaking, I joyfully decorate, teach, and dig in the dirt to share the gifts of God. Our class respectfully mourns the passing of Kathy Price Watson, our valedictorian December 17, 2024. As in our years of knowing her at St. Mary’s, her obituary rang so true: Kathy was an avid reader, lover of animals, and a great storyteller.

She will be remembered for her sharp intellect, humor, and strong sense of justice, along with her loyalty and love for her family.

~ 1974 ~ DESI

FRANKLIN

First things first, big thanks to Cindi Acree Marshall and Kathy Bell Adams (and everyone else who helped) for organizing and hosting our 50th reunion party at Cindi’s home. We had a great turnout and a lot of fun catching up — some classmates I’d just seen recently and others, not since 1974. Also in attendance was honorary member of the Class of 1974, Milner M. Stanton ’73. Those who attended chapel on Alumnae Weekend and toured the school were amazed and impressed with all of the growth at the school since fifty years ago. The general theme of the Class of 1974 news is that we all claim not to have anything much to report. Which, to my way of thinking, means that we’ve all been carrying on living life. In my book, given that we’ve all been there, done that, and gotten the prize, living life is significant enough to report on. So… I’m still working, with no plans to retire. In 2024, not being very happy with this ageing situation, I got a brand-new hip, the recovery from which occupied several more months than I had anticipated. But I’m now good as new and ready to keep going full speed, until the next thing gives out. I’m looking forward to a trip to Paris and Provence in August with my son and his family. Cheryl Cape West is also still working; she plans to keep at it as long as possible. Cheryl enjoys her students and gets the opportunity to travel to France every year. In 2025, she will be traveling to

Jan Muirhead ’71 with granddaughter Madeline, and husband Larry

CLASS NOTES

Normandy and Aquitane. Cheryl has a new (fourth) granddaughter born last August, and is helping her daughter Brittain ’07, who is getting married in March, 2025, with her wedding plans. Sue Anne Turpin Davis is retired and is enjoying spending time with her children and grandchildren, including watching her youngest baby granddaughter begin mobilizing and grow enough hair for adorable tiny ponytails. She and her husband won’t be taking their annual trip to France this year due to some work they’re having done on their house. Quel dommage! Sue Anne takes the best France photos. Maybe next year. Donna Osborne Bradley isn’t planning to retire anytime soon. She continues working in higher education and is considering what’s next, which she hopes will include the work she feels truly called to do, helping young people discover their passions and purpose, and working with them to develop their plans. Donna will be cruising to Aruba, Curacao and Grand Turk this spring. She had fun

over the holidays being with her son, Dominic, and his children. Susan Page Tranby now has two grandchildren, her son, Paul’s children. Her daughter, Majken, lives just down the road and stays busy with work and yoga. In addition to coming to Memphis for our big 50th reunion party, Susan spent some time here last summer assisting her brother Hazen in preparing for a move, and she got to see lots of friends, who pitched in to help with the moving prep adventure. Sally Fri and husband Peter are enjoying life in New Zealand. They traveled last year to a tiny unknown island near New Zealand where the waters are some of the clearest in the world, and they saw lots of migrating whales offshore, slapping their tails and frolicking. Sally is retired and also had a joint replacement (knee) in 2024 — seems to be the coming trend — and is looking forward to hiking again once fully recovered. She and Peter continue to help a family of refugees, tutoring them in English and assisting with immigration matters. As Sally says, “it’s overwhelming to think about how to change the world for the better, so helping one person at a time feels like the right approach”. Doris French Jones and husband Ransom are happy living in South Carolina near their children and grandchildren. Doris is retired but still does a bit of writing. She also leads a small online writing group. In 2024, they traveled to Mississippi and then to the beach in Destin with the family, and they are looking forward to traveling back to Memphis for a family reunion this year.

And then, of course, back to the beach. Mary Hills Baker Powell is retired from teaching high school art and is loving her new gig as an artist. She and Katie Dann are having an art show at the Levy Gallery in the Buckman Center at St. Mary’s from January 21 through April 3, “Spirit of ’74: New Works by Mary Hills Baker Powell and Katie Dann”, which will feature Katie’s beautiful ceramic works and Mary Hills’ amazing paintings inspired by water. Mary Hills enjoys living near the beach and being in a book club with Sally Minor Cook, who lives nearby. Sally added in her report that she lives an exceptionally boring life and is very, very happy. Beth Williford Carson continues to teach piano and paint, and recently hosted an art show in East Memphis. I’ll finish with this aside. During one of my online rabbit holes last year, I stumbled upon an interesting episode of a Rhodes College podcast, Lynx to the Past, featuring Beth’s mother and her groundbreaking time as Dean of Women and, later, Dean of Students at Southwestern (now Rhodes). It’s fun to hear Beth and her sister, Susan Williford Montgomery ’71, who are interviewed, talk about her as well as some of her former students. I commend it to you.

~ 1976 ~

ALLISON BROWN COATES

Happy 2025 to everyone! B.J. Fiser Jones is doing well! She is still busy with the young moms and the marriage mentoring groups at church. Their children and grandchildren keep them busy as well. All of their family live within 30 minutes of them. B.J. and her husband have seven grandchildren. The 7th arrived in October, 2024. (ages from 13 years

Jan Lettes Zauzmer ’79 welcomed grandchildren Adam and Ann

to 3 months). Virginia Donelson Curry is enjoying life in Monteagle. Her husband, Ed, enjoys commuting from Monteagle to Memphis to continue practicing law. (Yes, you read that correctly!) Virginia has met many new friends in the creative community by attending weekly knitting, sewing, and painting classes. She is serving on the Beautification Committee for the Town of Monteagle. The committee is a long range planning commission for the growing Monteagle. The Episcopal Church thrives on the Mountain. They attend St. Mark and St. Paul plus All Saints Chapel which is affiliated with the University of the South. The small community of The Monteagle Sunday School Assembly is especially quiet in the winter with less than 20 permanent residents. Please let Virginia know if you are going to be driving through or hitch a ride with Ed! It is a beautiful place to go! Yes, we do have the adorable Camille! Josie McNeely Walker’s granddaughter is in our SMP class at St. Mary’s! What a delight she is! Her oldest granddaughter, Jane, is in first grade this year! Their son Will and his wife, Alex, graduated from med school and married June 1st. He began his residency in Gulfport in internal medicine and Alex is in Mobile working in psychiatry. Josie is staying busy with mahjong, book club, volunteering at Southern Reins, and leading our Room in the Inn team with RP at their church. Josie is a cooperative grandparent in the carpool line too! Theresa Alissandratos Schnepf and her husband, George, enjoyed a bicycle trip in Alsace, the Rhine Valley, and Black Forest in June. They flew out of Vienna where she was able to pay homage to all of her music heroes! Theresa attended a wonderful reunion with her siblings and families in

CLASS NOTES

Smyma, Tennessee. Allison Pitcock Fentress drove four plus hours each way from Asheville to join them as she is family too! It seems the older we get, family reunions mean more than when we were younger. Nancy Muse writes, “I am nearing completion of the paper I’ve been writing with a psychotherapist in Boston on the results of a coding study we did on a sensory motor intervention for kids with developmental trauma and also finishing up some work for the nonverbal behavior researcher I was working for in New York. I also wrapped the certification program I had been doing in Brooklyn in June and am now a certified movement analyst! (If you don’t know what that is, you are not alone.) You are amazing Nancy! We have another SMS granddaughter in our future! Kathy

Lammons Rose is so excited to be a grandmother again. Charlie and her two brothers have a new baby sister, Grace! Thank you for sharing your lives with us! This is a great way to keep us connected! God bless!

1980s

~ 1982 ~

OLIVIA BRUCE HURLOCK

Many of us in the Great Class of 1982 reached a milestone this year with 60th birthdays! Elizabeth Beck Fioravanti celebrated by taking a hiking trip in Banff in July with family and friends. She also

Class of 1982 friends at the wedding of Liza Alrutz ’15. Left to right, back row: Karen Adams, Sally Johnston Spencer, Emily Adams Davis, Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz, Mary Kavanagh Day, Mary Long Merritt, Sarah Willmott Cowens, and Hallie Peyton. Front row: Catherine Robilio Womack, Lee Anne Johnson Roehm, and Andrea Weiss Tomes.

CLASS NOTES

welcomed her first grandson, Elias, on September 1. Two classmates had weddings for their daughters! Emily Adams Davis’s daughter Caroline was married in May, and Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz celebrated the marriage of her daughter, Liza ‘15, in August. Elizabeth Thrasher Kantor writes: “Launching a new freelance editing career wasn’t what I had planned for age sixty, but it’s going well. I’m still working on books by public intellectuals and political figures (former Kansas governor Sam Brownback), as I did in my twenty years at Regnery, but now I’m also helping first-time authors with memoirs and family histories. The young Kantors were with us for two wonderful weeks at Christmas, and my mom was here for a few days.” Burt and I had a very full and exciting year as we entered our seventh decade. Both our daughters graduated in May (Sarah Katharine from Middlebury and Lucy from Penn Vet), we welcomed our first grandchild Beatrice Louise (born June 9), Lucy got engaged, and we got a new puppy!

~ 1983 ~

BONNIE BOLTON LOPEZ

Lela Bellows Simpson speaks well to what all our hearts are feeling as she writes that the loss of Jodie Barringer for her has been one of the hardest things. “For those of us who were close to her, our class will never really be complete again with her not in it. Jodie lit up a room with her passion for things like her family — especially her girls Libby and Leila, her friends, fun, travel, mountains, fashion, feathers, high heels, Jesus, cookie dough, cowboy hats (hats in general), real estate — and life itself — the list could go on and on. I miss her every day and was so glad to be with a big group of SMS friends at her funeral last fall, and the idea that she’s gone still hasn’t fully sunk in.” On a happier note Lela’s family is doing well. Jack is a freshman at Colorado — Boulder, and Max is married to the MOST adorable person, and they are happily settled in Huntsville. Lee and I loved having all of them for a long visit over the holidays. Lela is still running marketing at Buckman going on 17 years now and still hustling Jacko’s pepper jelly on the side! She hopes to see more of everyone in ‘25!” Posey Saunders Cochrane reports that she just passed her 25-year anniversary with Methodist Le Bonheur healthcare. Daughter Lucia is finishing her senior year dancing in Barcelona at Corella, a dance boarding school. Son Hood is working on a NASM personal training certificate and should be starting to work with clients this summer in gyms. She writes that “attending Jodie Barringer’s funeral was heartbreaking, but the turkey spirit shone brightly through a tragic event.” Catherine Trippeer Jameson sends the

following: “as most of us are starting to think about slowing down and taking more time for ourselves, I am making a major life change and starting a new career as a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA) with the USPS! I’m still in training and will be a sub for three other carriers for quite a while until someone retires, quits, or gets fired, but eventually I will have my own, permanent daily route. I will still have a few horses at my place, a small horse boarding facility called The Peaceable Kingdom Farm, where I’ve been boarding horses for 18 years now.

I’m downsizing to just 4 horses, one of them being my almost 2-year-old colt, Frito. My daughter, Aly, and her husband and I were planning a trip to Ireland to ride horses and sightsee in 2025 to celebrate my 60th and her 35th, but we are postponing that until 2026 as any free time I have this year will be spent in Memphis helping my mother pack and move from her lovely home that she and my father built over 25 years ago to The Village of Germantown. Hopefully I will see a lot of SMS friends each time I am in Memphis!” Brandon Garrott Morrison reports that she and Joe celebrated her 60th birthday with a trip to Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas! She highly recommends this adventure! They toasted 60 years on the Hiram Bingham train up and hiked the last portion of it. Her public service, grandchildren, and a new passion for golf are filling up the rest of her time! Kristi Dart Tsakir and husband George downsized in May 2023 to a 100-year-old farmhouse on one acre in “downtown” Clermont, GA, a small town in the north Georgia mountains. They have been busy renovating their old house and are lucky to have a view of Wauka Mountain from the front porch. They are ready to “rock

Elizabeth Beck Fioravanti ’82 celebrated her 60th birthday last April with her husband Mark, daughter Anne, and son John.

and roll” in their rocking chairs in retirement, which is coming soon! She sends God’s blessings to the Class of 1983. Cynthia Hodges Cobb is enjoying a growing family as three children are now married with another to be married in August of this year. There are two grandbabies and another on the way. Holidays are getting even more fun! Bisha Sisk Harrington’s youngest son, Caleb, got married at the end of 2024. He and his bride, Megha, are living in Athens, GA, while she finishes medical school. He is working and getting his MBA. Daughter Lauren ’11 had Bisha’s first granddaughter, Summer Scott Stubblefield, on Memorial Day 2024! If anyone is counting, that makes eight grandchildren for Bisha and Clay! It is with an extra dose of excitement that I share the following update from Kit Crighton-Smith in her own words. “As you might have noticed, I have tried to keep a low profile, but I couldn’t ignore Bonnie’s calling me out to send an update. I live in Memphis and have one daughter, Maddie, who graduated from Rhodes and works at CBU currently. My sister Meg

CLASS NOTES

Crighton ’84 and I traveled to Scotland for my 60th with our kids to research our Crighton family history and then tour/hike and meditate all over the highlands and Inner Hebrides Isles. We also tag team caring for our mother. She has dementia, but still knows she wants to be in her home with her dog. I have taken up adopting wild mustangs and training them to ride, and much to Sylvia Amminger Sehnert’s dismay, I taught her eldest daughter to ride, and we ride together often. I have worked for FEDEX for almost 40 years in many different positions, but now I am the FEDEX project manager responsible for an almost $2 billion Memphis hub modernization program. I am honored to be the first woman to develop and manage such large-scale, industrial construction projects. I recently finished FedEx’s flagship 1.3 million square foot industrial automated facility here in Memphis and have started a second building opening in 2027. Funny enough, Sylvia’s husband, Mark Sehnert, is my architect on the projects. I am thankful every day to be working in a job that I love, which is building better work

environments for the employees of FedEx. In my career development I have been blessed to promote and build sustainable or “green” construction and founded Women Build 901 Too, a grassroots effort to educate and mentor girls in Memphis to join the construction industry.” A quick search online will show you what fabulous attention this endeavor has received. We are so proud of you Kit! Felix and I, Bonnie Bolton Lopez, are still developing some raw land in Middle Tennessee where we finally have an almost-finished little cottage in the woods in which to live. My husband dammed up some springs on the land and created his own waterworks to supply the cottage with fresh water. The whole undertaking has been rather slow since we are doing it almost exclusively by ourselves with help from our sons, Sam and Neal, when they are between terms at Louisiana Tech. Sam will be married this October to a lovely girl from Brazil. They will have a small (mostly family) wedding at The Country Place in Moscow, TN, just outside of Memphis. Some of you may remember going to Young Life functions there in high school. I have five grandchildren living in Missouri and Louisiana, so we stay gone often trying to see everyone’s recitals and ball games when we can. My mother celebrated her 90th birthday in January, and I am so happy to report that she is in great health of body, mind, and spirit. May each of you have peace in your hearts in the days to come. If you need an ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on, call an SMS classmate. As we get older, we are going to need the love and support of others. Let’s be that for each other. May God bless each of you in 2025.

Wedding of Caroline Davis, daughter of Emily Adams Davis ’82, in May 2024

~ 1984 ~

VANESSA ALLEN DOBBINS

Alison Potts Hollewand sends greetings from the Sunshine Coast in Australia. Her daughter, Izzy, moved to London for six months to attend University College London as part of her Economics degree. Alison’s wellbeing/mental health business is thriving, and her husband Mike is a happy investor. Condolences to Alison’s family on the death of her mother who passed away at the age of 91. Sadly, Merri Leigh Masters Johnson also lost her beautiful mother in 2024 at the age of 91. On a brighter note her youngest son, Charlie, started SMU in Dallas as a double major in Music Education and French Horn Performance.  Merri Leigh and Tim attended many of the home games for Charlie’s exciting first year in the marching band. Their oldest son, Jack, will soon graduate from Trinity University and then hopes to enter medical school in the fall of 2026.  Smitha Gollamudi and husband Johnny are happy to be caring for their three parents and even though their adult kids are back home, they

have no complaints. The family loves living in a new city (Arlington, MA) and sends an invitation to anyone who is visiting the area. Ally Burr-Harris will soon be retiring from the Children’s Program where she has been the lead psychologist for their trauma team for many years. She wants to use her free time for camping and hiking, visiting the kids, and spending time with her parents who retired near Mountain Home, AR. Ally plans to start a part-time private practice with adults in 2026, focusing on trauma and attachment work.  Speaking of adults, her son Jonah is a policy analyst for a nonprofit and is also in graduate school at University of Washington. Solomon is working in the field of social media and marketing at Digitas in Chicago. Raechel is saving money to move out and is working as an aesthetician at a very bougie spa. Husband Michael is still at OHSU and is chair of the psychology department. Lacey Frankum Kaiser is spending her free time post-work by attending debate tournaments and leading her community Bible study group. Her two adult daughters have great careers, one son is in college and the youngest son is in junior high school. Peggy Harris writes from Omaha where she is the only known alumna in Nebraska. What a distinction! After 31 years at Union Pacific Railroad, she is developing “the third act” of her life which includes saying yes to friends much more often, not letting the garden grow out of control, and many

more hours volunteering with the local therapeutic riding program.  Next on her list are home improvements and travel. Clare Halle Brown is happy to have both sons, Henry and Elliott back home in Atlanta. Older son, Henry, married his college sweetheart and lives around the corner. She loved having Kelly O’Shields Klinke and her husband Russell at the wedding to celebrate. When the weather is bright, Clare and family spend time at Lake Rabun with her wonderful sister, Laura Halle Nunnally ‘87 and her family. They also enjoy lake-time with Cissy Bruce Jackson ‘83 and her husband Steve. In Richmond, VA Celeste Barzizza Stallings is staying busy with her church, traveling, walking and hanging out with friends and family. Her son Will, 28, and his wife Allison recently celebrated their one-year anniversary. Will is on track to graduate from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and will be working for Boston Consulting Group. After working in Denver as a behavioral therapist for children with Autism, Celeste’s daughter Emily, 26, has decided to pursue graduate school at the Speech Language Pathology Graduate Program at the University of Virginia. Molly Brown is coming up at 35 years at Oregon State University and still loves her role in marketing, communications, and fundraising. She is grateful to have new things to learn and amazing people to learn from. Her son Coby recently graduated from UC Berkeley and moved to San Francisco where he is working at UC San Francisco in a neuroscience research center that explores the use of digital technologies (gaming platforms, virtual reality) to treat neurological disorders and cognitive decline. Molly’s stepson Michael is wrapping up his Ph.D. in education

The Kantor Family at the Baltimore Aquarium on New Year’s Day, from left to right: Eddy, Sarah (with David Jeffrey in utero; he’s expected in February), Jeff, Elizabeth Thrasher Kantor ’82, Billy, and Joey in front.

at Vanderbilt and will be moving this summer to Indianapolis, where he will be an assistant professor of literacy education at Butler University. She loves having her parents nearby in an independent living community not far from her office in Corvallis. After many years in NYC and a few years in Nashville, Leslie Darling (and her mom) have returned to Memphis. We have had an opportunity to reconnect and would love to see more of our old friends and classmates. Martin and I finally made it out of the country to visit friends in a small village in the UK. We then moved on to Paris where we ate our weight in croissants, watched the world go by as we sipped wine in a corner bistro, and created happy memories celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary.

~ 1987 ~

ALLISON TONKIN

After the insane summer of Flip in the hospital for 64 days (!), Kim Justis Eikner says everything else now just seems like gravy. Flip started back to

CLASS NOTES

work in August, teaching just one class at MUS, and has built up his strength over the semester. Stepping down from the Academic Dean job that he did for 13 years was definitely the right thing to do — he belongs in the classroom!! Incredibly, Kim performed in four shows last year, including What the Constitution Means to Me and a remounted production of Parallel Lives with Jenny Odle Madden. Nora Eikner ’22 is a Junior at Northwestern, doing amazing work in playwrighting. Brooks is still working as a video producer in the Senate Democratic Media Center.  Janie Barnett is still living on Bali, being a “Bali cliché” — practicing yoga, rescuing animals, etc. She has finally gotten over her grudge toward an open borders Bali and is enjoying the availability of a very international community. Shearon Barbee Craig is now a “Gigi” to four wonderful grandchildren aged 10 months to 6 years with two girls, two boys  and another granddaughter due in April, all truly a blessing. Still busy as a clinic director for outpatient therapy clinic, Shearon loves spending spare time with grandchildren. Peter and

Courtney Morris Monaghan lived through the empty nest syndrome for only nine months. Courtney says she loves having everyone in her home — never a dull moment! Stuart Monaghan ’18 left Austin and moved back to Memphis, living at home for a few months, now working in the CVICU at Methodist. Tom is also at home while working at Church Health as an intern. He was just accepted to UT medical school and will begin this fall! Ellie Monaghan ’23 is a sophomore at UT and is enjoying exploring her options. Ellie enjoyed a fun New Year’s Eve with my niece Izzie Tonkin ’24, ending with a St. Mary’s reunion sleepover in a suite at the Peabody where the Dalai Lama had stayed! Chip loves everything about 3rd grade and is really thriving. Andras and I couldn’t be happier now both working from home. And we’re all enjoying wintertime here in Utah, the best skiing ever! Robbie and Nancy Moore Dyson are enjoying empty nester life, about to embark on an inaugural trip in their camper The Daisy, headed to the beach just in time for the polar vortex! They have the peace of mind knowing

Kim Justis Eikner ’87 and Nora Eikner ’22 with Brooks and Flip

Beth Levy ’87 and Anne Townes Daw ’87 enjoyed a joyful reunion in NYC after a missed connecting flight from Anne’s home in the UK.

that Nancy’s mother Gayle lives only one mile from Rhodes College where Lilith has done very well so far in her first year. Lilith fell in love with Memphis as a child attending summer camps at Playhouse on the Square along with Kim’s daughter Nora. Lilith is continuing to play the tuba in the Orchestra at Rhodes and will be in the ensemble cast of Alice by Heart at the end of February on campus. She is LOVING her college experience thus far. The family of Virginia Reed Murphy enjoyed a peaceful, low key Christmas in Memphis with both boys, her brother Leighton who came home from San Francisco and her mother, who now lives at Opus. Abel (19, sophomore at University of Vermont) is deep into his studies of wildlife biology and Harlan (17, Junior at CBHS) plays basketball and dreams of coaching. Her husband Joe is very happy as a second career nurse.  Virginia is grateful to continue to lead Playback Memphis, the non-profit she founded in 2008. They have been in a season of purposeful transformation and are excited to be focusing our work on youth. They enjoy the support of the SMS family, especially Fontaine Taylor Albritton and current board chair Meggan Wurzburg Kiel ’98. They are gearing up to host their first annual benefit in April. Playback still brings Virginia so much joy. She is beginning to look towards her next professional horizon, so others can carry the torch of this good work.  After a long hiatus Janelle Zarecor Ranieri is back working in marketing for Superior Beverage Group — a beer and wine distributor.  She helps her boss, her son’s former lacrosse coach, manage a Lacrosse Club with about 15 high school, middle school and youth teams.  My boss is my son’s former lacrosse coach.  She spends a

lot of my free time playing pickleball and just won ladies doubles 3.0 in Cleveland.  John is still building cell phone towers all over the world with Peppertree Capital. Lucy (24) is getting her Master’s in Health Administration in Chapel Hill.  While interning at Cleveland Clinic this summer she will be planning her October 2025 wedding to another John (just to confuse everyone more), also from Chagrin Falls, with the Senior Prom one of their first dates. John Jr. will graduate from University of Colorado at Boulder in May with a degree in Corporate Finance.  He has spent the past four years perfecting his skiing and has mastered the front flip, much to Janelle’s dismay! Hopping the pond from the UK to visit family stateside over the holidays, Anne Townes Daw, Ed, and their son Eli missed their NYC connecting flight to Nashville. Fortuitously, Beth Levy and her family had decided to remain in New York for the holidays this year. The next morning the two families got the opportunity to meet up for perhaps the most joyful breakfast the Hampton Inn JFK has ever hosted, plus a bonus shuttle ride to the airport!

~ 1988 ~

ANNA MCQUISTON

Mary Lacy Bell writes that this year was a busy one. She works at Hope House as a Clinical Art Therapist and Outreach Coordinator. Going out in the community, offering access to sexual, physical, and emotional health education, and facilitating healing through art have all been incredibly fulfilling. She attended an experiential art therapy conference in Hertfordshire, England (just outside of London) in July and learned a lot, made great new

friends, and established promising collaborative partnerships. This fall, she had some health challenges but overcame them with help from some amazing doctors at the West Clinic as well as the support of family and friends. Christy Reed Simpson just reached a milestone of 25 years with AT&T and says “Not sure how that is possible when I still feel 35!” She and Chris travel as much as schedules allow. In 2024 they completed a 3 week trek along the northern Mediterranean with time in Spain, France, and Italy. In January they headed to Norway to ‘search for the Northern Lights’ for 2 weeks. It was a trip they had planned with her sister Candy 1979 before she passed in 2020, so it’s got special meaning to it. Last year they married off two nieces and several friends’ kids and said “we find going to weddings as the ‘olds’ is way more fun without all the obligations!” Amy Weinberg Pearce writes that all is well in Manhattan Beach, CA. Her oldest son, Trey is a sophomore at the University of Georgia and she and Bobby spend as much time at our alma mater as they can having fun reliving their college days through him. Their younger son is a Junior in high school and starting to look at colleges. Frances Coughlin Fenelon enjoys her work as VP & Associate General Counsel at Community Health Systems.  Nev graduated early from the University of Washington with a degree in Communications and is pursuing an internship in Seattle this year. (Any leads on more permanent job openings would be greatly appreciated!) Nora is a sophomore at the University of Colorado and is pursuing a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. France says “It’s so long of a title that I have to ask her repeatedly to remind me what her major is.” She

recently but unsuccessfully tried out for Ralphie Handlers, the students who run with the buffalo.  Nora admitted that she was a bit relieved at not making the roster because she didn’t know how she was going to juggle practices with her class schedule. Emily Ragen Smith has been in Memphis a few times this year and I have enjoyed seeing her more frequently. She is enjoying her job at the Episcopal Conference & Camp Center in Greenville, SC and she and Jason are enjoying empty nesting now that Mateo is happily at Clemson and Becca has graduated from college and is living just north of Atlanta, GA. As for me, Anna McQuiston, I am enjoying empty nesting while Caroline is living her best life as a freshman studying engineering at VaTech. I love my job working at the MidSouth Development District and now that the organization is turned around, we are starting to see early successes at our efforts to win federal grants for our region — we have won over $32 million in the last 6 months. 2025 will be a year of fun travel for me — Utah with Caroline, DC and Seattle for work, and a trip to Italy and Croatia this Fall. I hope this finds all of you in good health and spirits.

CLASS NOTES

Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE). She has been doing a lot of traveling and speaking and was able to represent the United States at the Indian Thyroid Society Meeting in Lucknow, India. Her son Sohan will be attending Tulane University in the fall, and her daughter Nisha is the class president of her 9th grade class at SMS. Congratulations on your exciting professional news, Malini, and congratulations to your children for their accomplishments! On a sad note, it breaks my heart to share that sweet classmate Angela Grice passed away on October 10, 2024. As so many have said and I certainly agree with, she had the deepest and biggest smile that one can imagine! So many of us remember her funny stories—she had the most joyful, infectious laugh. We will always think of you, Angie, and keep you in our hearts. On behalf of our class, I extend my sincere condolences to all of Angela’s family and friends. May the new year bring comfort and peace to all of you. (I have included her obituary at the end of my newsletter.)

drink on her carpet during one of the sleepovers that Nancy had at her house for friends. We had so many good times at your house, Nancy! I could go on and on about your sweet mom. Please accept our sincere condolences. We hope that beautiful memories of your mom bring you, your dad, your brother Michael, and your extended family much comfort in the months and years to come. (I have included her obituary at the end of my newsletter.) I know not everyone has official news for each newsletter and there are a variety of ways for all of us to stay connected, but I always appreciate receiving your emails and texts. Much love to all of you.

Angela’s obituary: https://www.snowfuneral.com/ obituaries/Angela-Grice/#!/ TributeWall

Mrs. Barbara Austin’s (Nancy’s mom) obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/ obituaries/dailymemphian/name/barbara-austin-obituary?id=5676772 6

~ 1991 ~ CAMELLIA KOLEYNI

Hello everyone. I hope that the new year is going well. As always, I love hearing from you. Malini Gupta is the Chair of the Thyroid Disease State Network of the American

On another sad note, Nancy Austin Patterson’s mother passed away on November 9, 2024. I am deeply saddened by this news because I was fortunate to know Nancy’s wonderful mom while I was at SMS. Nancy’s mom was born in Anchorage, Alaska. From there, she moved to Tennessee where she completed high school and then graduated from Vanderbilt University (Molecular Biology degree). She did graduate studies and held a variety of research-related positions at various institutions (Tulane, Emory, University of Arkansas Medical School) and also taught computer science. Not only was Nancy’s mom brilliant, but I will always think of her as the fun, cheerful Mrs. Austin who lovingly “teased” me when I spilled a soft

~ 1994 ~

KATHRYN DEROSSITT

Sigrid Longswoth had a wonderful holiday at home with her mom visiting, who made focaccia 4 times in 5 days! “We ate so much bread!” Daughters Lux and Ava are back up at University of Tennessee for their spring semesters, and Sigrid is teaching Clay I and II and Three-dimensional Design at Cleveland State University. Sigrid is headed to Florida to visit her mother in February and New York City in March and hopefully a trip to Yellowstone this summer! Sarah Cole-Turner Vincent is transitioning from in-person to teletherapy after eleven years of speech pathology practice in public schools,

and is looking forward to increased flexibility and being closer to home. Sarah Lacy reports that life in San Francisco and Palm Springs is going great as their downtown Palm Springs bookstore continues to thrive. Sarah is also working with Silicon Valley authors on five non-fiction books right now. When not busy with work, she is ferrying human and animal children places and writing in the airstream. In August, Sarah appeared in Sarah Ledbetter’s show “Box Fan” in Nashville, and as a bonus got to see Jessica Johnson Webb who came to the show! Sarah’s mother, longtime beloved English teacher Carol Lacy, loves cards or notes from students as she receives care for Parkinsons. Her address is 9293 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN 38138. I am enjoying married life with all of our rescued pets and considering directions for the legal field after almost a decade in criminal defense followed by two years in legal aid representing indigent and low income citizens in housing cases and counseling.

~ 1995 ~ CARRIE SUE CASEY

It’s the year of our 30th reunion! Lo these many years ago, we gallivanted in white dresses and tossed our caps in the courtyard. How can this be? I’ll tell you how: I am growing a wattle. Here are some updates — but don’t think this is a substitute for time together in person in Memphis. Make thy travel plans or hie thee to a nunnery. Why am I talking like this? Fun news! Kathryn Wiseman of the shire of Birmingham, AL, is affianced and shall wed an Irishman this November in Boston. I cannot wait to hear his accent and make weird potato jokes.

CLASS NOTES

(Is this permissible? I am ¼ Irish.) Her betrothed Simon is a doll, and we are delighted for her and her pending nuptials. Plus, she will soon share a last name with Elizabeth Cochran Hill. Speaking of Lizard, she and her family are thriving in the Atlanta area and had a ball in their big snowfall. Their car did get stuck, but I bet the snowy views of the neighborhood were worth it. She still loves working as an oncology nurse and playing rock’n’roll guitar. Daughter Suzie Marie (13) is a star soccer player and son Wally (10) is into heavy metal drumming. This seems on brand! Patricia Graue of the Manhattan Graues and I got to see each other twice in 2024 — once in a fancy hotel in DC and once when I took my son Hank (11) to NYC last spring. She remains confused that wrap skirts are back in fashion. Me, too, friend. (I also lament the return of the low-rise jean and clutch my pearls over what passes for “shorts” these days, so I must be officially geriatric. Further — I remain firmly against the barrel jean, though some who shall remain nameless like them.) Fellow New Yorker Elizabeth Schatz Passarella hosted the NYC SMS Alumnae Gathering at her apartment recently — and was looking forward to seeing Tricia and Barbara Carolino’s sister at that event. My book club is reading It Was An Ugly Couch Anyway and I enjoy their fangirling over my friendship with Elizabeth. I feel semi-famous — like that time I saw Jason Segel in the BKT (before-kids times) at a musical. He said I was pretty in the lobby during intermission, and in a flash, my entire future unfurled before me: we would marry after a brief courtship where he’d quip that it was like we’d always known each other (note: I was already married) and I would move to Hollywood and

start an award-winning blog and look 87% more attractive than I ever had before. My proximity to Elizabeth Passarella is just. like. that. But in all seriousness, my bookclub is loving her book and it is making me so happy. In the TN hills, Alysia Shell Shaver shared that son Jonathan (19) is loving freshman year at UT Knoxville. Wilson is a high school senior heading to Montana State University. Abigail (14) is into travel volleyball, which keeps Alysia traveling all over the country. In middle Tennessee, Sarah Trosper Olivo has settled into her new Nashville home with son Jackson (13) and daughter Mae (11). Her NY-born children loved the big TN snowstorm, taking the opportunity to sled and make snowmen like bosses. During a trip to Memphis, Sarah ran into Simone Kiersky Coyle at that icon of Memphis dining: Houston’s. I am in widow’s weeds over its closing. Lee Davidson Holt shared that she and Kevin bought a house near SMS, where son Charlie’s favorite things continue to be ziplining and chopping with his hatchet (so Huck Finn). Her daughter Dorothy is going full Ghost with her new pottery wheel and Lee reports Dorothy is very patient with her special hobby. Husband Kevin was elected to their realtor association’s board of directors (kudos!) and she reports real estate is going well generally. Lee also shared how much she appreciated the class’s love in the wake of her father’s death. On that note, I wanted to say again that in the wake of the significant losses our classmates experienced this year, we remain tight-knit and generous. This kind of connection across years and time gives me hope even when much appears bleak. The kindness we show one another is a balm to my soul and I’m sure to all who are

on its receiving end. Sonia Torrey shared that Lee tackled her at the Costco tire installation bay. Given Lee’s primacy at prison ball — rivaled only by Paige Stivers’ prowess — this tackling does not surprise me. Ha ha! They had a good visit next to a speed hump, where they watched people lose their purchases while wheeling their flatbed carts over said hump. (Cannot resist: My humps, my humps.) Sonia also visited Natasha Heflin Davis in Philly and saw a 20th anniversary show for Interpol’s album Antics, and I have some stellar selfies of the two of them on gym equipment during that trip, which proves we can be cool and health-conscious. Ebony Welch has relocated to the great state of Michigan — specifically Ann Arbor — to be close to family. Her son Cameron graduated from Ole Miss and moved to College Station, TX. Ebony is still a Pure Barre maven, and loves spending time with her 94 year-old grandmother and Facetiming Cameron. His job sounds awesome: he is with Hawkeye Sports, where he manages the cameras that replay moments to help referees make the right calls. Back in Memphis, Murff Oates Galbreath, like many of us, is firmly in the “sandwich generation” between growing kids and aging parents. I loved our visit this past summer when we got in snippets of conversation between interruptions by children — mostly mine — at the pool. It’s fun to hear that Day ’26, a junior at SMS, is singing in Ms. Millen’s ensemble (squee!). Murff also shared that Gwen McVean Coffey is doing wonderful work as the Ministries Director at St. Michael’s. I get to see Ashley Goldstein Allen during work trips to DC, and took my daughter Isabelle (13) to see her daughter Isla (13) in the leading role of her school’s production: Sponge

CLASS NOTES

Bob the Musical. She was a natural, channeling Ashley’s tap-dancing days (remember that Helen Reddy routine?), and it was a joy to be on the front row. High school senior Carter is in college admissions mode — and so far has gotten into University of Denver — with a scholarship! As for me, I have not had a working oven for 10 months and look forward to our pending kitchen renovation. I began work as an Adjunct at the Institute for Defense Analyses, where I do women, peace, & security projects and use my human-centered design nerd-dom too. Isabelle (13) is in an acapella group, runs cross-country, and is angsty; Hank (11) is into karate (the studio is called Dong’s — that is all), leaping and flipping at all times, and is also angsty; and Bertie (7) has started ballet and is imperious. She was a mouse in The Nutcracker this year. They all play piano and are related to me so our house is very loud. Further, Lucas and I introduced them to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Not only do cries of “Hungry, fella? There you go!” ring out constantly, but weird facial expressions have increased exponentially. Please note there is a very not-kid-appropriate scene at the start of that movie that I’d forgotten — so don’t take parenting lessons from me. See y’all in Memphis! Big love to all.

~ 1996 ~

JAIME NEWSOM

Gwyn Fisher is staying busy as the Chief Economic Development Officer for the Greater Memphis Chamber. Her team was just recognized by a national magazine for deal of the year. She travels a great deal recruiting new companies to Memphis, and hopes to connect with some of my classmates

this year. Bernice Chen Wen met up with Sharlene Sidhu Keithley in Denver last fall while on a business trip. Bernice and her husband Jeff can usually be found in the basketball gyms or soccer fields on the weekends as the kids are keeping them busy playing on multiple teams. My family is still enjoying our lives in Lisbon. We have been traveling as much as possible and attempting to learn Portuguese. We are looking forward to additional travels this spring, including meeting up with Natalie Nussbaum in France in March!

~ 1998 ~

LAURIN MADDUX

Lauren Webb Mitchell writes she and husband Luke are still living on the Upper West Side with their two sons and golden retriever. She is still enjoying her in-house counsel role, recently got back into tennis, and is looking forward to some skiing and travel in 2025. She shared the following memories: I think back on my time at SMS so fondly. It was exciting and mind opening for me, and I’m so grateful for the way it launched me into college. The teachers stand out in my mind — Ms. Quinn and her energy and passion for French, Ms. Trafas and the French Revolution, Ms. Patrick and FDR, Ms. Gill and the Canterbury Tales (“Wan that Aprille with the shurre sote. The droute of March had perced to the rote.” And so on! It is still there burned into my memory!). And of course the friendships — I still remember my first time meeting classmates. I think you and Alynn Jaqua Lowell were the first? Do you remember the trip to France and Spain with Ms. Quinn and Ms. Walker, and going to a Spanish night club? Do you remember when we saw Titanic 7 times in the theatre? Memories

are fuzzy and warm and positive when it comes to SMS. Whitney Jamison Chatterjee writes that she has moved to the curriculum side of education. She is able to work remotely and have flexibility to focus on her girls — now 13 and 8. Meg Kinnard Hardee writes that she is looking forward to seeing everyone at Alumnae Weekend April 3-5.! She’s hoping we can get a gathering together for Friday evening. As for me, I am still loving both my roles—seeing clients in a small private counseling practice and on ministry staff at Second Presbyterian Church. I have also enjoyed teaching embroidery classes to adults at SMS this year — it’s been fun to be back on campus! I hope to see everyone at Alumnae Weekend to celebrate one of our very own classmates as Outstanding Alumna!

~ 1999 ~

KELLY BUCKNER DALLAS

Brittany Blockman Pelletier loves living in Boise, especially all the outdoor activities available. She is busy with her three kids and still working as the Medical Director for St. Luke’s Children’s Integrative Medicine. Brittany recently launched MotherWit Wellness, which has a supplement line called KidWise. It offers clean supplements that provide targeted health benefits for kids, backed by scientific research. Reach out to her if you’d like to try any! Hilary Dinkelspiel Dona is still in Austin leading the in-house employment function with NFP Corp. They were acquired in early 2024 by Aon. Her kids, Wilder and Scout, are really enjoying their Spanish Immersion School.  Coincidentally, Libby Lawson Foster sends her kids to the

CLASS NOTES

same school, and they happen to live in the same neighborhood! Hilary’s husband Tucker has also started a daily finance trivia game (https:// uncoveredshorts.com/) in addition to his day job, which has been a fun development as it has grown in popularity. Courtenay Adams reports that she is still working through completing her new build in Memphis from when a tree fell through her house in February 2022. Crazy! It feels like it has taken ALL of her time. Hopefully, you’re almost there, Courtenay!

2000s

~ 2000 ~

WHITNEY BAER FOSTER

It is always such a joy to start the year with notes from the Class of 2000! This is an especially good year with the excitement of the upcoming reunion in April — a milestone that we mostly missed during COVID, and so we are amplifying 25 and looking to celebrate in style. I hope everyone can come to Memphis! Courtney Routt Worthman is thriving in Connecticut. Her son is turning 9 in February and she is enjoying seeing the world in new ways through his eyes, while continuing to grow and set a high standard at work. Also setting a high standard is Tami Sawyer in Memphis. In 2024, Tami was elected the first woman General Sessions Court Clerk making her the head of the largest court system in Tennessee. Megha Karkera Kanjia is enjoying life in Texas and still loves her job as

a Pediatric Anesthesiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital and her work in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety. Her three kids Kish (10), Kiran (8), and Koel (4) are very busy, but so much fun. Amy Reinhardt Robinson is still working with her dad at his consulting company, and has also taken on a new gig working for a local wedding and event planner. A former classmate, Amy Birdsong Golden, is working with her. Amy’s daughter, Mimi ’31, is in 6th grade at St. Mary’s and her son, James, is in 3rd grade at PDS. Kate Wichlinski recently started her own business as an architectural photographer. She has been working in the field for 10 years, and now it is official! Walton Allen Webster continues to enjoy teaching at St. Mary’s. She is in her fifth year of teaching Pre-K! Her boys are growing quickly with Jack (19) a freshman at the University of Memphis where

Tami Sawyer ’00 and former Memphis Grizzlies player Tony Allen at the General Sessions holiday giveaway

CLASS NOTES

he plays in the band, John Henry is 17 and Walt is 12. Lessie Calhoun Rainey is still serving in the DA’s office in Memphis and is the Chief Prosecutor for Domestic Violence. Her son, James, is in 3rd grade at PDS with Amy’s James! Sarah Montgomery Prudhon is continuing to work as a Nurse Anesthetist at Le Bonheur on trauma call. Her daughter, Etta Louise ’32 (11), is in 5th grade at St. Mary’s and is best friends with Lisa Ansley Clapper’s daughter, Lily ’32. Sarah goes to Moss Hall for lunch and chapel frequently, as she won’t be able to do this next year when they move across the street. Jessie Swanson Fila enjoys life as a stay at home mom in Connecticut, running her twins, Abbey and Wilder (9) to all their activities and volunteering at the kids’ school. Lauren Weinrich Bernstein has moved into a new role as the Chief Partnerships Officer at NationSwell which is an executive membership community for philanthropy, CSR, and impact professionals and their organizations. Currently, she is in the middle of a big home renovation, so she, Justin, Max (7), Jack (3) and Katie

the dog are hoteling through the experience. Katie Garrett Harris has picked up a new gig in organizing after a hiatus from her interior design work. Her husband, Stuart, is also working to restore part of downtown Memphis north of the Redbirds stadium and it is a project the whole family is passionate about doing. She is also currently juggling having three kids — Louise (17), Wilkes (14), and Hill (11) — at three different schools! Kim Fleischhauer Short has been doing some historical consulting work focusing on military projects and local history, as well. Her oldest, Elsa (22), is graduating from Ole Miss with a double major in public policy and finance. Her twins Reese and Tess (16) are thriving at Collierville with Tess in the medical program there to earn her CNA and Reese finishing the work for her private pilot’s license. Kyle is in PK at Woodland. Lauran Glassman Stimac has accepted a new position as the Chair of the Litigation Section at Evans Petree after 12 wonderful years practicing law with her dad. She is also the new President of the Memphis Bar Association. Carrie Lawson Wills has been practicing as an RN ECMO since Fall 2023 taking care of patients on the most advanced life support that exists. She is also working through a house renovation that she, Nathanael, Lela (11) and Poppy (6) are doing themselves! Ellis Dixon is working as a copywriter, content and marketing manager, and web builder focused on the Iberian Peninsula and EU markets. She completed her Masters of Marketing and Strategic Communications from the University of Glasgow in December 2024. She also squeezed in a visit to Amsterdam in January with Liz Palomo. Ellis’ kids, Emma (6)

and Finn (5) keep her stitches most of the time. Mary-Kathryn Milner Herrington is loving life in Oxford and still working in interior design managing her own company. Her kids, Millie, Logan, and Ryn are keeping her busy from the travails of middle school to travel soccer. After seven amazing years, I left my role in operations for St. Jude Global in order to move to the operations team at ALCO Management and serve as the VP of Property Management. I was able to visit Marley Baer Schauer ’02 and her family in Fort Lauderdale first thing in January and loved every minute. I hope everyone stays healthy and happy in 2025 and that in this next report I am sharing tons of stories about seeing all your lovely faces at our 25th class reunion on April 3-5!

~ 2001 ~

LAUREN ANDERSON STONE

Courtney Taylor Humphreys reports that her crew is chugging along, navigating life with a teenager and a toddler and realizing that there are some things that are perhaps the same in those two life phases?? They

Ellis Dixon ’00 celebrates her graduation from the University of Glasgow with her parents Beth and Parks

It’s a happy day for the daughters of Courtney Humphreys ’01, as Heloise ’32 and Annie ’34 celebrate sister Lucy, future Turkey class of ’41!

had a great Christmas break with a highlight being a visit from Nishta Mehra and Shiv. Courtney also got to go to New York with friends before Christmas, including Jenny Maddux Stenberg! Victoria Corder says all is well in New York! Her older son Charles (7) is in first grade and obsessed with all things hockey and lacrosse, as well as decorating their apartment for all holidays big and small. Baby Paul (1 in January) is walking and trying hard to talk (aka scream) over big brother, and other than absolutely hating car rides is the best baby ever. Victoria’s work as a lawyer is busy and challenging, last year alone having brought her three trials on a diverse set of topics from reinsuring rendering facilities, to the contemporary art market, to refrigerator compressor design and manufacturing. In their “spare” time, she and her husband, Tony, are completing a makeover of a little house in Maine. In early January,Victoria enjoyed getting to catch up with Marinda Anderson, Mira Patel, Polly Klyce Pennoyer ‘02 and others at the SMS gathering in NYC!

CLASS NOTES

Anderson, who will graduate from PDS, and our youngest, Mary Evelyn, who will graduate kindergarten at SMS. Thank goodness my third grader, Waring, does not have a graduation this year!

~ 2005 ~

SARAH ATKINSON BALL

LAUREN WIYGUL RILEY

Anna Snyder Rojas reports that her family is settling into their new life in Little Rock, though it still doesn’t feel real yet to not be living in Memphis anymore. Philip is really happy in his new practice, and the kids have found some amazing friends. Ben loves competitive soccer and is following in his mom’s footsteps as a goalkeeper! Jane has started competitive volleyball. They are very busy with sports, but loving it! We are also chugging along in Memphis, anticipating a big spring for our oldest,

Grace Jensen Knight is still working at St. Mary’s in the Admission office. It’s her tenth year which she says “is crazy!” She is also having a VERY surprise fourth baby in June which she also says “is crazy!” She is looking forward to seeing everyone at our 20th reunion on April 3-5. Congratulations to Alison West Pettus on the birth of her third daughter, Catherine “Russell,” born on August 1. Alison reports the following: Big sisters, Brittain and Evans, have been smitten. She’s been the absolute sweetest baby and just so cute. Brittain is in second grade now and is involved in Girl Scouts, tennis, golf, swim team, and basketball as well as in a theater production of 101 Dalmatians this spring. She loves school and playing with her friends. Evans is in Pre-k 4s and will go to kindergarten in August. She does swimming, soccer, tennis, golf, gymnastics, and dance. She loves being outside and being active. I have gotten very into playing tennis and can be very competitive… what’s new!? I’m also still loving being at home with my girls as well as co-owning a paper design business

with my sister, Brittain. Our company, The West Village, creates Christmas/ holiday greeting cards, invitations, stationery, notepads, child placemats, gift tags, etc. Speaking of my sister… she’s getting married March 22, and our family is so excited! Scott continues to excel in residential real estate in Nashville all while coaching the second grade girls’ basketball team.

~ 2006 ~

MAMIE KOSTKA FINCH

The 2024 year wrapped up beautifully for the Class of 2006 with beautiful new arrivals and happy nuptials! Elizabeth Harris married Thomas Stakelin in October on her parents’ farm. Their rehearsal dinner was on a terrace at the Big Cypress Lodge, a welcome bbq at the farm next door, and the ceremony overlooked a valley with the reception following in a tent by the barn. Needless to say, they had an absolute blast and were so overjoyed being surrounded by so many family and friends, including a few Turkeys! Margaret McQuiston ’02 and Mary Grace McQuiston Arehart ’07 and

Catherine Russell Pettus, daughter of Alison West Pettus ’05

Marinda Anderson ’01 and Lauren Ledger ’18 in New York City

CLASS NOTES

Courtney Foreman Guilfoile, Grace Wheeler Davis, Minor Moore, and Rebecca Anderson Eby! That same month, Evie Lyras married Jordan Haddad in Napa, CA. They were also surrounded by a flock of turkeys with Morgan Robbins Paul, Chandler Ford, Kristi Ryan, Jillian Smith ’09, Madeline Pryor ’07, Nora Kahn ’05, and Mary Katherine Thinnes ’07. We also welcomed some new faces to the class with new babies born this year! Katie Camille Friedman and husband Sunny are happy to share the arrival of their baby girl Mira Frances who joined them in November! They’re soaking up all her sweet smiles and enjoying life in Palo Alto, CA. Looking

towards the new year, Neelam Khan Ali is thrilled to be expecting her second baby boy, due spring of 2025. Professionally, she is also officially starting her dermatology private practice in Washington, DC: Neely Dermatology & Aesthetics. Her office will be opening in the fall of 2025, and she would be happy to see any SMSers as patients. Chandler Ford moved back to Los Angeles earlier this year with her partner after spending several years sailing in Mexico. She’s been enjoying oil painting again! They were both thrilled to attend Evie and Jordan’s beautiful wedding in Napa this past October! Lauren Bowden Matteson started a new job at the beginning of 2025 at Ernst and Young - Parthenon as a Director in their Strategy & Transactions division for Digital Infrastructure. Holly Hendrix Vitalis and husband Neal recently moved to Oxford, MS…hotty toddy! She still works out of Memphis and is there often to see her family. And never fear, she’s still proudly cheering on the Memphis Tigers! On the musical side of our class, Morgan Beckford continues to share her vocal talents. She joined the team at Trinity Boston Connects as the Youth Leadership & Development Pathway Director in early December, and is so excited to support Boston youth in the after-school and summer space in this new role. She was thrilled to be featured as a soloist on “The Great Glad Tidings Tell,” with Trinity Church choirs this past holiday season. The album hit the #1

spot on the Classical Billboard charts, and #4 on the Classical crossover charts the week before Christmas 2024. The choir is preparing for their England tour this summer where they’ll do residencies at both Canterbury Cathedral and St. Paul’s Cathedral in London — SO if you’re on that side of the pond, make sure to go see her in action!

~ 2007 ~

CAITLIN COLCOLOUGH WILLIAMS

Melissa Graunke Decosimo and her family welcomed baby girl #4 — Eleanor “Nell” Wills Decosimo was born on September 3, 2024 (also fellow ’07 grad Ann’s bday)! Her big sisters are smitten and mama has been soaking up all the baby snuggles. Jasmine Bolton and Junior got married on December 21st and their ceremony was featured in the New York Times!! They are having a larger ceremony on February 1st in St. Kitts and Nevis! Cory Yandell Lewis had her third baby on November 1- a girl this time! Josephine Lively Lewis, and they’re calling her Sophie. It’s

Anna Snyder Rojas ’01 and Lauren Kennedy Dake ’05

Friends celebrate the wedding of Elizabeth Harris Stakelin ’06 at home on her family farm

Friends at the wedding of Evie Lyras Haddad ’06 and Jordan Haddad in Napa, CA

busy, wild and wonderful for them in Chattanooga! Elizabeth Summit Gordon had her third baby recently (and would sometimes see Cory’s sister Abbie in the doctor’s office!!) Madeline Rosemary was born 12/7 just in time for Christmas, and they are so excited to have another future turkey. Her oldest, Eloise ’38, is in JK at SMS. She goes to chapel as often as she can, and it is really sweet to see them singing the same songs we did and saying the same prayers! Chelsea Cook is rounding out her first year as a representative on the Durham, NC City Council. She is still working as an eviction defense lawyer as well, and balancing both jobs has been quite an adventure! She got engaged last summer, and is excited to host friends and family in Durham for their wedding this June (at a City park, of course!). Allie Stephens Eick has fantastically full days spent hanging with her 3 sons (ages 9, 7, & 5) and her daughter (age 9 mos), and working part time in women’s ministry at Second Presbyterian Church. She loves living in Memphis and her two favorite things to do for fun (in addition to spending time with my family) are going for runs with friends and working in her yard! Hallie Flanagan just finished her first year working at Black McLaren Jones Ryland & Griffee in Memphis, where she practices civil litigation. In December, she was elected to serve on the Memphis Bar Association’s Board of Directors. Her godson, Samuel Margello, (props to baby mama, Suz) was baptized, and she had a hilarious adventure in Ireland with her family last summer. Virginia Dickinson LaSala welcomed her third, Mary Katherine (Mary Kate) LaSala, in February of 2024. She’s named after two SMS alums — her sister and her

CLASS NOTES

mom! Her boys are in love, and she’s at her absolute happiest when she’s surrounded by chaos because that’s all she’s ever known with two feral older brothers! She’s still living in CT and working in asset management. Anna Bearman got married in December 2023 and bought a house in May 2024. Zina Kumok is still living in Indy with her husband, two dogs and rabbit. She is studying for her Series 65 license so she can become an Investment Advisor Representative. She has also launched a speaking business focusing on financial literacy, especially targeting students and young adults. She is also planning on going to the Pacers vs. Grizzlies game next month and is hoping to wear some kind of Griz/Pacers combo outfit. Caitlin Colcolough Williams welcomed her first baby 3 months early in June. Crawford spent 59 days in the NICU and made lots of nurse friends. He is home and thriving!

~ 2008 ~

KATELYN AMMONS BARNETT

MARGARET LIDDON EMLEY

EDIE MILLER

Cristen Garrett Cain continues to enjoy her career as an anesthesiologist at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, GA. Her children Garrett (almost 4) and Rosie (almost 2) made the holidays so magical, and they are all hoping for a little snow this winter down south! Margaret Liddon Emley enjoyed getting to reconnect with St. Mary’s friends Anna Wheeler, Divya Moolchandani Schavio, and Caitlin Smith Bowron at the wedding of Ayana Fletcher-Tyson Brooks last fall in NYC as well as her bachelorette party in Montana

(which included fly fishing!). Katelyn Ammons Barnett went on the trip of a lifetime attending the Opening Ceremony and several events at the Paris Olympics!

~ 2009 ~

BAILEY BETHELL FOUNTAIN

The Class of 2009 is in such a busy phase of life with lots of family and career updates! But we also make time for a little fun — on Labor Day weekend 2024 Rebecca

Ayana Fletcher-Tyson Brooks ’08 married Jonathan Brooks in New York City in October

Ayana Fletcher-Tyson Brooks ’08 loved having friends Alicia Anderson, Anna Wheeler ’08, Margaret Lidon Emley ’08, and Caitlin Smith Bowron ’08 at her fall wedding in NYC

CLASS NOTES

Schaeffer Anthony, Rachel Aiken Daigle, Bailey Bethell Fountain, Brandon O’Brien Jankovsky, Eliza Leatherman, Karen Stein Robbins, Jillian Smith, Wallis Tosi Steiner, and Elizabeth Ansbro Thompson embarked on a much-anticipated girls reunion vacation to Cabo! This trip was a fantastic opportunity to unwind, catch up, and reminisce on SMS memories. One of the highlights of their trip was the custom cups which proudly displayed the fun slogan “Cabo

Gobble.” Turkeys for life! Grace McNatt got engaged to her longtime partner, Ryan Vargo, in September 2024! They are ecstatically planning an October 2025 elopement in the mountains and are looking forward to buying their first home in Denver. Reagan Bugg and husband John Bartholomew welcomed William Leo Bartholomew on October 22, 2024. While Reagan still practices at The Pet Hospitals, she is now medical director of her clinic as well as the Regional Doctor Mentor for 10 hospitals in the Tennessee and Virginia area. Leah Bearman Pinkston is working as a licensed therapist at Clover Counseling in Memphis. Both of her girls have started at SMS in PK and JK and are excited to be turkeys! Bailey Bethell Fountain continues her career at Le Bonheur as a Physician Assistant on the cardiothoracic surgery team. She was honored at the American Heart Association 100 year celebration as a Mid-South and West Tennessee Healthcare Hero. Natalie Jacewicz Kern started as an environmental law professor at the University of San Diego School of Law in the fall of 2024. Alexandra Yawn married Brendan Geoghegan in a small ceremony on October 26, 2024. They celebrated with a big reception weekend in Seaside in November! Sarah Donaldson married Zeno Mercer in September 2024 at a beautiful ceremony in Scopello, Sicily!

Leah Bearman Pinkston, Olivia Lawson, Wallis Tosi Steiner, and Sylvia Brookoff were among the guests at the festive celebration. The Class of 2009 had many reasons to celebrate this year!

2010s

~ 2010 ~

MARY FRANCES STREET

Alex Fountain Crooks recently moved to Nashville, TN and loves exploring her new town. Allison Connell has been enjoying her time in Denver, CO, especially spending time with Elise Heuberger Reecer and Irene Makapugay Liss, in addition to Meg Fowler ’08.

Class of 2009 friends including Eliza Leatherman, Elizabeth Ansbro Thompson, Rachel Aiken Daigle, Bailey Bethell Fountain, Wallis Tosi Steiner, Rebecca Schaeffer Anthony, Jillian Smith, Brandon O’Brien Jankovsky, and Karen Stein Robbins enjoyed girls’ trip to Cabo!

Margaret Liddon Emley ’08, Ayana Fletcher-Tyson Brooks ’08, and Divya Moolchandani Schavio ’08 enjoyed fly fishing in Montana for Ayana’s bachelorette party last fall.

Alexandra Baker ’09 with Gigi Gould ’70 at the reception for “Healing Through Color” at the Buckman

CLASS NOTES

~ 2011 ~ MEG CORNAGHIE

ALLYSON PATTERSON DALTON

Meriweather Adams moved to Bentonville while starting a job with Walmart, and she went to Antarctica over the holidays! Abby McAtee

Gatliff and her husband Cort welcomed their third girl, Nealy Anne Gatliff, on September 18 and she is precious! Mary Peeler finished her Ob/Gyn residency in July and moved to North Carolina to start a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UNC. She married Luke Kortepeter on 9/28/24 in Memphis. Maria Zoccola’s poetry collection Helen of Troy, 1993 was published by Scribner on January 14, 2025. Maria was the 2025 Louise T. Archer Artist in Residence at St. Mary’s, where she explored poetry and creative writing with the girls.

~ 2012 ~ ELLERY AMMONS CHANDLER

ROBERTS CUMMINS

This year Amritha Kanakamedala Sundaresan graduated from Ophthalmology residency at WashU in STL and became a practicing Comprehensive Ophthalmologist in Northern Virginia. She married her husband, Arun Sundaresan, in August of 2024. They both have enjoyed exploring their new city, DC together! Lauren Pate had a blast ringing in a new decade with her bestie

2010 classmates Mary Conway Hungerford, Allie Pryor, Sahar Mohktari Moshref, Alex Fountain Crooks, and Nica Cabigao Graunke celebrating their friend’s wedding in Memphis, TN

2010 classmates Sahar Mohktari Moshref, Emmaline Carrick, Liz Damoc Downey, and Nica Cabigao Graunke at Liz’s baby shower

2010 classmates Sahar Mohktari Moshref, Allison Connell, Mary Frances Street, and Elise Heuberger Reecer in Denver, CO

The families of 2010 classmates Allie Pryor, Mary Conway Hungerford, Sahar Mohktari Moshref, Alex Fountain Crooks, and Nica Cabigao Graunke

2010 classmates Sahar Mohktari Moshref, Irene Makapugay Liss, Allison Connell, Elise Heuberger Reecer, and their children on a hike in Denver, CO

Mary Peeler ’11 with St. Mary’s friends at her wedding to Luke Kortepeter in September

2012 classmates Lauren Pate and Melissa Byrd

CLASS NOTES

Melissa Byrd last spring. Lauren loved catching up with dear friends and classmates attending the wedding of Amritha Kanakamedala Sundararesan in San Francisco in August with Katherine Patronis, Alix deWitt Harte, and Sara Kim. Lauren also started her Executive MBA at the University of Darden school of business in the fall of 2024 set to graduate summer 2026. Carol Elsakr completed her residency program and got into the hospice and palliative medicine fellowship at HCA Grand Strand Hospital in Myrtle Beach that she will start July 2025. Jordan Upton Schieffler welcomed their second baby in January and has also been enjoying her new career in Memphis Real Estate, achieving the Multi-Million Dollar Club award her first year, an exceptional achievement.

~ 2013 ~ EMMA LESS

2024 was a busy year for the Class of 2013, with lots of exciting changes and growth for our class! Anna Taylor Wilhaucks had a baby girl, Lainey, and is living with her husband in East Memphis. She works as a Nurse Practitioner at Baptist. Also working in Memphis, McKenzie McClanahan started a new job as a physical therapist at St. Jude in December. She is learning so

much everyday and loves getting the opportunity to work at such a wonderful place. Mashal Mirza is also starting a new job at St. Jude as a senior strategic planning associate! Anna Utley Cassidy got married in October at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. She and Ian honeymooned in Mexico where they both also celebrated their 30th birthdays! Lucy Newton started a new position as a manager in FedEx’s Properties Project Development department. In addition, she is proud of her current Wordle streak at 149 days! Let’s hope she can keep it going in 2025. Although we all miss her in Memphis, Kim Taylor Freeman moved to Greenville, SC in September to start a position with Palmetto Family Orthodontics. Kim loves exploring Greenville with her husband, Clark, and her daughter, Louise! Grace Bettis Sample is still living in Northwest Arkansas and working at the Walmart Home Office. She and her husband, Zach,

Adeline Rucker Ashby and big sister Adeline, daughters of Alex Buford Ashby ’12

Ellen Mitchell Warnock ’12 with son William Mitchell Warnock

Etta Lee Lipari, daughter of Julia DeVincenzo Lipari ’12

James Hudson Nebel son of Lauren Iskander Nebel ’12

2013 classmates at the wedding of Anna Utley Cassidy ’13 to Ian Cassidy, October 12, 2024

CLASS NOTES

just welcomed a baby boy, Charlie, on New Year’s Eve! After 6 years at UBS working with family offices, Callie Wallace Vann decided to take a career pause to focus on her growing family. Her daughter, Wallace Elizabeth, turned 1 in December, and she and Keaton are expecting a second daughter this spring! Keaton, Wallace and Callie are living in Nashville with their Bernedoodle, Dolly.

~ 2015 ~

MICHELLE CHU

EMMA FARRIS

Abbie Warr is working as a speech language pathologist for Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Abbie also recently made the Grizzlies Claw Crew hype team, channeling her inner Pep Club President. Mary Jane McCaghren was promoted to Senior Associate at ESO Fund and is moving to the Fund’s San Francisco office this

spring. Memphis will miss her! Jane Morrison will be graduating with her JD and MBA degrees from Vanderbilt Law School this May and will be starting her practice in corporate law as an associate attorney at Bass, Berry & Sims in Nashville, TN, in the fall. Emma Farris is a second-year law student at Tulane Law School and will be interning at Norton Rose Fulbright (previously Fulbright & Jaworski) in the firm’s Austin office this summer. Emma will also be published in the Tulane Maritime Law Journal this spring. Hannah Pfrommer is graduating from Tulane Medical School this spring and is currently applying for a residency in urology. Carmen Saab will be graduating with her JD from William & Mary Law School in May. Sam Wischmeyer received her Masters of Design degree and got engaged this past year. Sam is now working at Progressive Trail Design. Mary Thompson is a student at Hunter College in New York City where she is working on her Masters of Arts in Art History. Michelle Chu is working at Bento Box Entertainment in their series development & current department as well as producing their online program A Studio Digital. McKendree Walker, a talented photographer, is the Magazine Art Director at 4Memphis Magazine. Mckendree also runs her own photography business, Mckendree Walker Photography. Kaylan Pugh is currently finishing her third year of law school at Texas Southern and

Anna Utley Cassidy ’13 to Ian Cassidy, October 12, 2024

Amritha Kanakamedala ’12 married Arun Sundaresan on August 18, 2024

Hannah Matthews ’18 and AJ Jamison ’18 at the New York City alumnae gathering

Jenny Madden, Bhavya Jha ’13 Albert Throckmorton, and Gigi Gould ’70 in NYC

Isabelle Yawn ’14 and Adair Smith ’14 at the New York City alumnae gathering

CLASS NOTES

clerking for the Illinois Court of Appeals in the First District. When Kaylan is not clerking and in classes, she is preparing for the July 2025 Bar Exam. Katherine Harwell got a new job! Katherine is making us proud as the Assistant Director of Advancement at the Beauvoir School, the National Cathedral Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Sara Brown has been working at Pilot Company, one of the leading suppliers of fuel and the largest operators of travel centers in North America, in Dallas, TX, for three and a half years. For two years, Sara was an individual contributor in the sales department. Now, she holds a leadership role within the department, where 12 team members report to her and the team brought in over $40,000,000 in gross profit. Sara says she would not be where she is today without the knowledge, skills, and importance of hard work instilled in her by St. Mary’s. Ashton Terry Marceau is working as an Educational Assistant in a high support class at Cochrane High School. She lives in Cochrane, Ontario with her husband Ryan, dog Skadi, and her 2 cats, Sissy and Bastet.

~ 2019 ~

FAITH BRADLEY ARABELLA MCGOWAN

Bella Zafer is living in Denver, Colorado where she works at a creative agency as Chief of Multimedia Production. Currently, she is working on a documentary about a mobile art gallery that travels to different elementary and middle schools. Lily Smith is also in Denver and working in PR. Emily O’Toole is living in Memphis and working at Ernst & Young. Maddie Jenks lives in Houston, Texas, where she serves as the Senior Specialist of Government Affairs for Pilot Company, one of the leading suppliers of fuel and the largest operator of travel centers in North America. She joined Pilot two and a half years ago as a Government Affairs Coordinator in the Knoxville office. Last May, Maddie transitioned to the Pilot Energy office to support the company’s efforts in advancing fuel and energy policy objectives at the federal and state levels. Emily Richards Williams is currently living in Baton

Rouge working at Meaux Tax & Consulting as a CPA focused on tax. Jessie Shutzberg moved to Atlanta to start a new position as a quality engineer at Newell Brands. Also in Atlanta, Joy Jackson adopted a 3 year old pup named Nora Jones from the Atlanta Humane Society. She started doggy daycare this January! Arabella McGowan is working in NYC and ran the St. Jude marathon this past December. She also recently visited Annie Leatherman in the UK and is excited about a hiking trip in Patagonia she has planned in February. Annie is currently living in York, England pursuing her master’s in International Business at the University of York. Emma Harkavy is living in Chicago and will finish getting her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling this summer. She is currently interning at a behavioral health hospital working with children and adolescents with anxiety, ocd, and depression. Sidney Seale graduated from Tulane University in 2023 and from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Memphis Real Estate Diversity Initiative. She is also the Programs

Olivia Bernabe ’15 and Hattie Fogarty ’18 at the New York City alumnae gathering

Class of 2018 classmates celebrated the holidays with their moms. Top row from left: Stuart Monaghan, Claire Daniel, Evelyn Roberts, Hattie Fogarty, Grace Murray, and Allison McCown. Front row from left: Anna Scott, Evie Laney, Olivia House, Elena Hanissian.

Class of 2018 friends at the NYC alumnae gathering: Grace Murray, Elena Hanissian, Hattie Fogarty, AJ Jamison, Evelyn Roberts, and Hannah Matthews

Chair for the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) Memphis Metro Chapter, serves on the Women’s Leadership Initiative Steering Committee for ULI Memphis, and is an active member of LeBonheur Club. Snehi Vaghela is currently a first-year medical student at UTHSC, pursuing her passion for medicine and patient care. She is also working on a research project focused on malignancies of bone marrow cells. Mary La is working as a medical assistant, traveling, and preparing to start med school in the fall. Kennedy Hamblen graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College in the spring of 2024. She won the Feinstein Award for the English Department’s best honors thesis. She is currently enrolled at the Duke University School of Law. Langston Myers is in her first year of a Phd program in human development and family science/marriage and family therapy at Ohio State. Her master thesis focuses on the relationship between couple dynamics and marijuana use. She’s also training for the Chicago half marathon!

CLASS NOTES

2020s

~ 2022 ~

MAGGIE ROSEBLUM ALEXANDRA TOULIATOS

Olivia Feliz is currently serving as Director of Cardinal Sinners A Cappella at Wesleyan University, the longest-running female singing group on campus. She is also the lead singer of her funk band, 123GO!, which performs covers as well as original songs written by Olivia. She has been involved in the writing and production of many Wesleyan student-run plays and films, filling various positions from Dramaturg, Stage Manager, Director of Photography, to actress. Over the summer and in the fall of her junior year, Olivia was the Impact Campaign Intern for the documentary film Juvenile: 5 Stories at True Story Pictures, the production company owned by alumna Joann Self Selvidge ’94. Amal Panjwani is working with the Draganova Lab at the Emory University School of Medicine, where their research is focused on the HSV-1, a neuroinvasive virus that infects 70% of the human population. They investigate critical aspects of the viral life cycle, including capsid assembly, packaging, and nuclear escape to better understand HSV-1 replication and identify therapeutic targets. Amal

has also been working on adolescent cancer survivorship research with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), focusing on improving the long-term physical and emotional outcomes of young cancer survivors. Isabella Littleton will be graduating from George Washington University in May 2025 with a B.A. in Art History and Music. She will begin her graduate studies in Art History in the fall. Maggie Rosenblum began her training for the Guardian Ad Litem program and was sworn in in April of 2023, after which, she was quickly assigned a case. She has been working on her case in Orange County, North Carolina since April of 2023. She has enjoyed taking on the role of volunteer child advocate. Maggie has also continued with North Carolina Mock Trial and served as captain this fall. Sriya Jampana is studying Finance and Global Public Health for the Common Good and is on the pre-med track at Boston College. She is currently serving as the President of the South Asian Student Association, which won the Student Organization of the Year Award. She previously served as Captain of BC Masti, which earned first place in Boston College’s annual dance competition, competing against all the dance groups. Sriya has also furthered her interest in public health by taking a service trip to Jesuit Refugee Services in Cambodia, where she learned how to help rebuild communities and effectively conduct public service initiatives. Alexandra Touliatos spent the summer interning with Truist at their Charlotte, North Carolina headquarters in their Corporate Treasury department. She worked as an Asset Liability Management Summer Analyst, where

Amelia Kreher ’21 and Zoe McMullen ’24 at the New York City alumnae gathering

she analyzed the bank’s balance sheet and compared data consolidation methods to ensure financial modeling accuracy and mitigate risk. Alexandra also served as President of the University of Oklahoma’s Women in Finance organization, where she organized events with industry professionals for members. Mishi Ali will be starting an internship with BMW at their research center in South Carolina, where she will be working in IT Communications. During her tour of BMW’s headquarters, Mishi had the opportunity to participate in their driving experience and race BMW cars. Nora James Eikner is currently in the Advanced Playwriting Sequence at Northwestern University, a year-long class that fosters the development of a full-length play. This summer, she went to the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England, focusing on acting and Shakespeare, where she played Nora in A Doll’s House and King Claudius in a shortened version of Hamlet. She is the President of Vertigo Productions, a theatre board that produces all student-written work, and is planning to be in one of their staged readings this winter. She is also a

CLASS NOTES

dedicated member of TBD, a neofuturist-inspired student performance group. Caroline West has continued her involvement with her music sorority, Nu Kappa Epsilon, and will be serving as secretary this year. She plans on graduating with a psychology degree next spring and getting her Masters in Elementary Education.

~ 2023 ~ CAMERON HART

Sofia Arbelaez is working in a lab in the Yale Cancer Center and was chosen as a First Year Outdoor Trip (FOOT) leader. Georgia Carls is loving Loyola Marymount University, where she is an orientation TA. She is a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and was recently elected Executive Assistant. Grace Ciaramitaro is the DEI chair of Athletes in Business at Vanderbilt. Naisha Gaur is working as a Watershed Coordinator for the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM), and last summer, she completed an internship at the Wolf River Conservancy in Memphis, where she learned about Land Management and Land Trusts. Cameron Hart was elected Spring 2025 Pledge Trainer for her co-ed service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. She is also excited to be selected into a Folger Shakespeare Institute colloquy program through which she will take a funded trip to

Washington, D.C., to see the Folger Library. Kate Prillaman is enjoying her time at Indiana University where she recently declared a double major in English and Psychology, and is working as a peer writing tutor for the Writing Center on campus. She and her grandmother, Nancy Prillaman, visited Camille Smith in France this spring. Kate recently got an adorable cat named Jamie, who is a beautiful Scottish Fold! Erika Ross is serving as director of pledge education for Alpha Kappa Psi and continuous open recruitment for Auburn’s Sigma Kappa chapter. Additionally, she looks forward to working with Highline Warren this summer as a sourcing intern. Camille Smith interned with World Relief, a local refugee resettlement agency in the summer of 2024 and is looking forward to interning with the Assisi Foundation in the summer of 2025. This past school year, Camille attended the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice (IFTJ) conference in Washington D.C. to speak with legislative aides about bills that perpetuate criminal justice reform. In the spring of 2025, Camille is studying abroad in Lyon, France. Reese Suddarth is a proud member of the National Honor Society and a section leader in her upper-level choir. She interned as an administrative assistant at a music program in the summer of 2024 and toured internationally with her choir, including stops in Poland, Slovakia, and Czechia where they won a competition. She has been in two operas and a national singing competition in the fall of 2024 and is excited to continue exploring the world of music!

Kate Prillaman ’23 and her grandmother Nancy Prillaman traveled to France for spring break. They enjoyed catching up with Camille Smith ’23 who is in Lyon this semester.