Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

Mary Washington

Class Notes Spring 2024

UMW alumni and students cheer on the Eagles at Homecoming in October 2023. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

If you have family, friends, or neighbors who might be interested in Mary Washington, please pass along the alumni Refer an Eagle code: UMW51, which waives the application fee for those potential students.

Front cover, from left: Ryan Harris ’18, Tiffany Lower ’18, Robyn Huffman ’18, Sloane Smith ’19, Sarah Jordan ’19, and guest Antonio Jackson-McNeil at Homecoming in October 2023.

Photo by Karen Pearlman.

Right: 2003 graduates during Homecoming in October 2023. Front row, from left: Caroline Otto Lamire, Rebecca Griffith, Tommy Rogers, Sarah Sedaghatfar Little, and Catherine Keane. Back row: Jessica Brandes, Katie Helldoerfer Lunne, Bonnie Ryan Lefkowitz, Emily Ruesch, Jeff Howard, and Ryan Quinn.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Brandes.

Greetings, alumni: We are pleased to share the latest edition of Class Notes with you. The publication is thanks in large part to our loyal and dedicated class agents, many of whom have been in the role for decades. If you have not reached out to your class agent lately, please take a moment to do so, if only to thank them for their service to your class and to Mary Washington.

As always, I encourage you to stay connected and engaged with your alma mater. We have regional networks, affinity groups, and many volunteer opportunities. If you prefer to engage from home, consider attending one of our virtual Mary Talks

and hear from a current professor. And join us for Reunion Weekend, May 30 to June 2, 2024. The event is open to all alumni, not just those who are celebrating their milestone reunions. With over 60 individual events and programs throughout the weekend, there is something for everyone.

We hope to see you soon.

Warm regards,

Mark Thaden ’02 Executive Director of Alumni Engagement

Class Notes No class agent? No problem. Send your news to classnotes@umw.edu.

If you prefer to submit Class Notes by mail, send to: UMW Office of Alumni Engagement, 1119 Hanover St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401.

1940s

There are no Class Notes from the 1940s.

If you graduated during this decade, please write to the Office of Alumni Engagement at the above address. We’d love to hear from you!

1950

Marcy Weatherly Morris classnotes@umw.edu Nan Riley Pointer shared that Joe, her husband of 71 years, passed away on Oct. 6, 2023. Our love and condolences are with her at this sad time!

Five of the six babies due in the Morris family have arrived: two greatgranddaughters (identical twins) on June 30, one great-grandson on Dec. 1 (Tip and Laura’s first grandchildren), and two great-great-grandsons (our first) on Sept.

11 and Dec. 13. Another baby girl is due on April 11, 2024. Quite an exciting year!

Juney turned 100 on Feb. 12, and I’ll be 95 on Sept. 1! We are so blessed and thankful!

Beverly Youngs Robinson passed away on Nov. 27, 2023. Growing up in Arlington, Virginia, Beverly enjoyed sailing in her youth. After graduating from Mary Washington, she earned a master’s degree in education from Old Dominion University and taught in Hampton, Virginia, for 22 years.

She enjoyed reading, playing bridge, watching Jeopardy, doing crossword puzzles, knitting, quilting, and birdwatching. Beverly was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, J.C., and their son, Thomas. She is survived by her four children, a brother, eight grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and other loved ones.

Jonander Sainz ’27, Cayla White ’25, Megan Williams ’27, and Zoey Young ’25 received the Class of 1950 Arrington Scholarship, an honorary award given from the Arabelle Laws Arrington ’41 Scholarship.

1951

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

Claire Sindlinger de Groot recently had an upbeat chat with Charlotte Adams Harrell, who lives at Westminster Canterbury, Virginia Beach. Claire enjoys her home in Arlington but is lonely without Ward.

Carolyn Arrington Smith has moved to an assisted living unit at the Colonnades in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she has a variety of activities and exercise. Her sister lives in the same facility.

1952

Rita Morgan Stone rita.stone7@aol.com Maryanne Heatwole Cox, a Fredericksburg resident, reached that magic age earlier this year, as did many of our classmates. She anticipates her 14th great-grandchild in April. As she looks through Mary Washington yearbooks, she will come upon those pages that feature the classiest drum major ever.

Ginny Orkney Philbrick sends news from Bedford, Virginia. Her adopted daughter, Betsy, has had many disappointing searches for information about her birth parents over the years, until 2020, when she located a half-sister living in Raleigh, North Carolina, through Ancestry!

The two met in Bedford to become acquainted. Both their appearances and personalities are amazingly similar. Betsy and Amy have grown close, and Amy relocated to the Tampa Bay area to be near Betsy and her husband, a happy event for two adoptees who needed to find their roots.

Mary Lou Finney Boyd enjoys her attached apartment and the nightly

dinners provided by her daughter. In her spare time, she helps her daughter prepare thank you notes for mailing to metastatic breast cancer patients.

Betty Montgomery Handy loves living in her apartment attached to the family home for many reasons. For one, she is near her daughter, who hosts exciting family gatherings, including a recent family dinner for 30-plus guests. Now that son Tommy and his wife have moved from Florida, Betty lives close to all four of her children.

Suzanne Branner Kessler marvels at her carefree life in a retirement home in Richmond, Virginia. Having sold her car, she hopes to see more of her son, who also lives in Richmond.

Maxine Haley Hazelgrove is proud of her grandson, a medical doctor who will be working in Virginia Beach.

Shirley King Buchanan is grateful for having her daughters nearby while she deals with significant health problems.

Susan Hutcheson Jurgens is a champion in Scrabble games with her neighbor. She remains diligent with her physical therapy after her knee replacement.

I, Rita Morgan Stone, appreciate hearing from you when you answer my call. It’s

Please share your news by July 1, our next publication deadline! Write to me, Marcy Weatherly Morris, P.O. Box 1, King George, VA 22485, or call or text (540) 604-2534.

Analisa Ayala ’24, Marina Davies ’26, Elena Dugan ’26, Edmund Gable ’27, Jayden Harrington ’25, Ellie Hebling ’25, Leda Hinkle ’24, Erin Machande ’25, Christina Rawlings ’27, Hailey Rivas ’27,

Ann Strickler Doumas ’55 (left) and Florence Overly Ridderhof ’50 at the Celebration of Giving in December 2023. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

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Class Notes

disheartening when I learn that numbers have been disconnected. I still like living at Lakewood Retirement Community in Richmond, Virginia, and attending University of Richmond Spider basketball games and the Richmond Symphony. I’m also back in a classroom, working with another resident to help housekeepers who work in my community with learning English.

1953

Betsy Dickinson Surles surles@infionline.net Doris Lindsey Whitfield lives in a quiet community in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she enjoys swimming to keep moving and active. Her two daughters visit regularly and help keep her focused.

Growing up in Fredericksburg, Doris spent her days at Mary Washington, where her father taught history. She joined the women’s marching band in college, which gave her wonderful memories she still cherishes to this day.

Joan “Honey” Kerrins Friel reported that Anne Gorman Mattingly passed away on Jan. 15, 2024. Honey received a call from Anne’s son, Frank, who was unable to furnish any particulars at that time. Honey and Anne had been friends since first grade. They both graduated from St. Mary’s Academy and went on to Mary Washington. Anne left MWC in the fall of 1952 to get married. At the time of her death, she was living in Annapolis, Maryland. Honey lives in Novato, California, as do her two sons, Greg and Chris. “Ciao to all my classmates!”

1954

Mary Ann Dorsey Judy ack915@gmail.com

1955

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

1956

Ann Chilton Power anncpower1@gmail.com I, Ann Chilton Power, have lived at The Virginian in Fairfax County for six years.

I recently realized that Elizabeth “Libby” Smith Eckert, who also lives here and is frequently my bridge partner, is a fellow 1956 MWC alumna from Waynesboro, Virginia. She was a social worker in Fairfax County, completed graduate work in California, married Gary Eckert, lived in Oakton for 40 years, and raised three children before moving here with Gary. Libby is also an accomplished

artist whose works have been shown in Virginia and North Carolina galleries.

1957

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu Marlene Bost Braun passed away on Oct. 7, 2023, in Chesapeake, Virginia, reported Joyce Bristow Wrestler.

Molded by her small hometown of Rockwell, North Carolina, Marlene was the personification of southern grace, hospitality, and charm. Her musical talent on the piano flourished at a young age.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in music at Mary Washington and taught in Norfolk Public Schools. She agreed to a blind date with a midshipman from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1954, which turned into a 65-year journey of love with Carl Braun, who preceded her in death by four months. Marlene loved their travels and connecting with new communities before they settled in Chesapeake. Throughout her life, she combined her love of music with community service, participating in the music ministry at her church for 50 years and serving in organizations that promoted music. Marlene is survived by a daughter, two sons, a sister, three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and other loving family.

1958

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu Mary Ruth “Ruthie” Griggs Ridge passed away in January at her home in Hillsville, Virginia, reported her grandson.

She was a proud Mary Washington alumna throughout her life.

1959

Beth Shochat Cole bethcole75@gmail.com We want to herald the impressive news that our late classmate, Irene Piscopo Rodgers, made an estate gift to Mary Washington, which is the largest donation that the University has ever received. Irene passed away on July 18, 2022, leaving $30 million, which will be used to exponentially grow UMW’s undergraduate science research program and will create four new Alvey Scholarships, providing full tuition, fees, and room and board for outof-state students in addition to the eight scholarships that Irene created during her lifetime. You can learn more about all the incredible details at giving.umw.edu.

I, Beth Shochat Cole, have always known that the years I spent with my wonderful

2 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

classmates were significant in molding my interests and influences. Each of you is ambitious, thoughtful, and generous.

Those we lived with, drank coffee with, and laughed and cried with are or have been simply extraordinary.

I first learned about Irene’s gift from Ann Brooks Coutsoubinas, who said that it had been mentioned at an October 2023 event with UMW President Troy Paino in New York City. Ann was the oldest attendee there by two years.

Can you relate? She recently spoke to Edna Gooch Trudeau, who is still living in New Kent, Virginia.

Some of us do move. I love living in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the vision that I had for myself. Christine Nickels Powick recently moved from her home of over 60 years in Bethesda, Maryland, back to Glen Allen, Virginia, near Richmond, where she grew up. She thought it was time since she turned 85. Christine is still well and fit but wanted to move before getting to a bad stage, since she doesn’t have children to look after her. She has a great twobedroom home 10 minutes from where she grew up and near her brother. She keeps in touch with Billie Lee Woods Jarrett and her sister, Sally, who are both fine.

Billie, or Sis, as Christine calls her, lost her husband, Don, several years ago, so she lives alone near her three children in Roanoke, Virginia. Christine and her husband always spent Thanksgiving with them before driving to Florida for a vacation. She hopes that everyone is doing as well as can be expected.

Kay Rowe Hayes sent a darling picture of herself and her precious cat, Theo.

She spoke to Dodie Reeder Hruby, who shared news about the funeral service for Dianna Trischman Lee in Williamsburg, Virginia. Dianna passed away peacefully on Sept. 19, 2023. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education at Mary Washington and taught elementary school in Mathews County, Virginia. She also earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Old Dominion University and served as principal of Cobbs Creek Elementary School until her retirement in 1999. Dianna was married to the late Edwin Eugene Lee Jr. for 55 years. She was active in her church and served as a Sunday school teacher, was a great cook, and enjoyed playing bridge, sewing, knitting, quilting, birdwatching, and volunteering in the gift shop at Walter Reed Hospital. Dianna was a beautiful woman, a loving wife, and an amazing mother and grandmother. She is survived by her daughter, two sons, five grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and other loved ones.

I have texted with Nikki Forchas Alexiou and Sandy Quarles Cockrell. Both are still in their houses and enjoying their lives with friends and family. Sandy keeps busy with her five great-grandchildren!

Last April was difficult for Barbara “Babs” White Ellis, whose horse-riding partner, Stirling, passed away at age 28 after many years of riding together. Then, her granddaughter, Megan, had a stroke that month at age 33. After many prayers, a feeding tube, intensive care, and physical therapy, Megan is on the road to recovery and delivered a healthy baby girl in October.

Babs’ grandson and his wife also delivered a healthy baby boy in September. Their families are truly blessed, Babs said, and she hopes that you and yours are well, too!

While some of us have meaningful endings to full lives, others are contributing when they can. Please fill us in on your circumstances as we prepare for our 65th reunion.

1960

Karen Larsen Nelson karenlarsennelson60@gmail.com Greetings from your class agent, Karen Larsen Nelson. The Class of 1960 is busily engaged in celebrating being 85 years old! A momentous occasion in our lives. When we recover, we’ll share news.

Bayla Goldberg Manis passed away on Nov. 29, 2023, reported her daughter, Terri. Born in Newport News, Virginia, Bayla grew up in Suffolk and graduated from Mary Washington. She taught school before marrying Arnold Asher Manis and moving to Memphis in 1962.

Her life was dedicated to caring for her family, especially daughter Jennifer, who passed away in 1987. Bayla was active in the Memphis Jewish Community Center’s fitness classes for 30 years and enjoyed taking her grandchildren to ballet classes and dance recitals there. She loved to knit and was an avid sports enthusiast, playing basketball in high school and attending games at the University of Memphis, later following the team on television up until the time she died. Bayla was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, her daughter, and other loved ones. She is survived by her daughter, two granddaughters, two brothers, and other loving family.

Carmen McKinney Williams spent two great years at Mary Washington and then graduated from UVA’s nursing program in 1960. She worked for a large nursing home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, followed by a home care program. In 1985, she became the home

care director of Memorial Hospital, now CHI. She ended her career as a consultant working with the department she established. At Mary Washington, Carmen enjoyed orchestra and continued to play violin with orchestras in Chattanooga. Retirement has been a joy, and she appreciates the doors that Mary Washington and UVA opened for her.

1961

Renee Levinson Laurents arjle@aol.com

Sue Wilson Sproul and Dave enjoy winters in Tucson with endless sunshine.

They loved visiting last summer with her MWC roomie, Bette Marchant George, who is still full of smiles. The Sprouls hope to take a river cruise in Europe soon and plan to return to Virginia to see friends.

Madeleine Contis Marken is still in Cape Cod, where she enjoys hiking, friends, biking, grandchildren, and travels. She loves working as a medical social worker for two facilities owned by Cape Cod Healthcare. Very admirable.

Marcy Trembath Pitkin has plans to move to independent living about 30 minutes from her current Philadelphia apartment in January. Her son and daughter-in-law will help her!

Lynne Williams Neave (A – P) lyneave@aol.com Lloyd Tilton Backstrom (Q – Z) Ltbackstrom39@gmail.com From Lloyd: It’s that time again! I emailed a few of our classmates asking what has been happening in their lives. I love that a few responses came back.

Carolyn Crum Pannu enjoys activities in her Chattanooga residence, including chair or standing Zumba with the old classics, pop music, and bus trips for shopping and appointments. Every Sunday she goes to church with brother Tom and sister-in-law Marj, and then to a restaurant for lunch. It’s a good life!

Elizabeth “Bitsy” Wright Coxe, who was with our class in the early years, lives in Phoenix, Maryland. She has good memories of her fellow Army brats, as she met Dee Doran Cairns when they were 12 and Connie Booth Logothetis when they were 14. We hope Dee and Connie’s husbands, Doug and Andy, are doing well.

Pat Scott Peck drove to Calais, Maine, in June and had an active summer, living three blocks from the Canadian border. Many businesses and restaurants there were negatively affected by the pandemic. Her return trip in October had a stop in historic Sturbridge, Massachusetts. She groans when she looks at the unpacked boxes that followed her from Florida and Texas.

Art and I, Lloyd Tilton Backstrom, are content living with our two dogs. We took a trip by train and ship to Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto, and Montréal, and then spent a week on the Queen Mary 2. I want to live on the QM2!

From Lynne: I, Lynne Williams Neave, am always excited to get responses to our requests for news! I have nothing to report, except that I’m still kicking and enjoying NYC and Connecticut.

Janie Riles enjoys painting and playing bridge and mahjong.

Patti Cairns Hourin and Jim are alive and well! They keep in touch online through Words with Friends.

Jerri Barden Perkins, MD, wrote: “We all have a story to tell. I decided to share mine in my memoir, Pushing Your Boundaries, with all proceeds going to fund scholarships at UMW. I’m planning book signings in South Carolina, Georgia, and Richmond, Virginia. It’s not how I planned to spend the year but hopefully, it will bring funding for some students. In the book, I don’t shy away from discrimination of women in college and medical school during the 1960s, nor the ups and downs in my careers at the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and in the corporate world. I embrace my travel and sport escapades.”

The last several months have been sad for Clara Sue Durden Ashley. Her husband, Clarence, moved into a memory care and assisted living facility in McLean, Virginia, in June. The next month, Clara Sue moved into an apartment in McLean, and they sold their wonderful house in Great Falls after living there for 44 years.

Clarence suffered a bad stroke on Aug. 27 and spent four days in the hospital before returning to memory care, where he died three weeks later. On Nov. 27, Clarence’s brother died. At the time, Clara Sue and son Andrew were returning from St. Augustine, Florida, where they spent Thanksgiving with her other son, Dennis, and his family. After Christmas, Clara Sue and Andrew planned to fly to Fort Lauderdale, where she will visit with Janie Riles. She can hardly wait!

Eleanore Saunders Sunderland is doing well and feeling healthy. She spent Thanksgiving and Christmas with her family. Son Willard sailed from Boston to Helsinki, Finland, in early fall, spending 56 days in his sailboat with two other men.

Daughter Jude lives in Italy and is busy with the Human Rights Watch in Europe.

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Class Notes

1962

I spoke to Myrtle Lee Dean France, who is so thankful for the prayers for her daughter, Rebecca, who continues to live with her during cancer treatment.

memoriam information.

Winter storms cause cold chaos across U.S.! This was the headline in The Free Lance-Star on Jan. 21, 2024! The temperature was 13 degrees! This brought back memories of winters at MWC for our class! At least exams at UMW these days fall before January!

Some of us can vividly recall sitting on our legs to help cut the wind, cold, and snow, as the rules read: “No slacks on campus grounds!” in 1962. It was a challenge to lumber from the dorms to duPont but truly a pretty sight!

My former roommate, Joyce Wilborn Lacy, recuperating from a broken hip, spent Christmas holidays in the hospital with pneumonia. Her daughters, Lynne Lacy Esslinger ’90 and Cammy, stay in touch since Lou died.

Ashley Coleman ’27 received the Class of 1962 Scholarship.

Kathleen Sprenkle Lisagor classnotes@umw.edu

Togetherness during the holidays has always been one of the historical themes in Fredericksburg. In 2023, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve both fell on Sundays! In a neighborhood popular for student teachers, on Rt. 3 sits George Washington’s restored boyhood home and Ferry Farm Baptist Church. I, Kathleen Sprenkle Lisagor, am proud that my oldest daughter, Amy, is the minister of music there. After 65 years of performing, I gathered with family, friends, and grandkids to sit and listen to lovely musical programs. Perhaps life can begin at 80! On New Year’s Eve, the Scotch-Irish lyrics (written by Robert Burns in the 1700s) still warm the spirits as we sing: “Should auld acquaintance be forgot…

We’ll take a cup of kindness yet— For Auld—Lang—Syne.”

After chasing a ball team of sons for years, Pat Mackey Taylor’s youngest son, Daniel, and his wife presented her with a holiday gift, a granddaughter named Isabelle!

Congratulations also go to Louise Couch Girvin and John for a greatgrandson named Leo, born to Michele on Thanksgiving in Kentucky.

Peggy Downs Gerber and John are enjoying a great-granddaughter named Gianna living in Delaware. Peggy, Louise, and I (a grandmother of eight) were those freshman roommates tucked away in the busy front hall of Willard. Their families are still great visitors.

Joan Akers Rothgeb, Donna Floyd Parker, Mary Lott Haglund, Gale Taylor Drew, and Sue Grandy Farrar gathered for a funfilled mountain visit.

Blessings to Georgianne Maloy Hull and her husband who recently celebrated their 61st anniversary!

Jane Walshe McCracken and her husband have moved from California to Washington state to be with family.

It seems the hot and cold weather in Fredericksburg has made headlines.

Sept. 23 was the wedding of my grandson, Brett Burcher, and his bride, Kaitlyn. It was scheduled to take place in the lovely garden outside of the Jepson Alumni Executive Center on Hanover Street, facing the beautiful Brompton.

This was also a very special gathering for the couples, families, and me as his grandmother. By noon that Saturday, Tropical Storm Ophelia came roaring through! With muscle, umbrellas, and wet outfits, the UMW staff moved over 150 chairs and equipment for the ceremony, seated dinner, and dancing! With smiles and “God-winks,” the grand ballroom turned into a Cinderella fairy tale, despite the flooding and storm surge! A million thanks to the Jepsons and UMW staff!

Congratulations to Edie Gilbert Smith, who was given the National Military Family Association’s 2023 Support for Military Families Award. When she had her first testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Personnel in 1998, Edie called herself a “citizen advocate.” She has volunteered with NMFA since 1990, first advocating for her husband, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps, whose benefits had been terminated a year earlier. Following his death, her focus became passionate advocacy for surviving families. Her work helped eliminate the Social Security offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan and the Widow’s Tax, and she has trained hundreds of military family members to be advocates. In the past two years, she has helped a group of Virginia spouses reverse a decision on property taxes and helped organize surviving spouses to increase the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

If you would like to receive the new Class Notes magazine, please call or write the UMW Alumni Office, 1119 Hanover St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Phone: (540) 654-1011. Even a handwritten note is acceptable to share personal news or for

4 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

Spring is just around the corner. “Friends are flowers that can never fade.” Health, happiness, and Auld Lang Syne!

1963

Betsy Lydle Smith betsylydlesmith@gmail.com Nancy Slonim Aronie still teaches writing workshops on Martha’s Vineyard, at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts, and in California. I, Betsy Lydle Smith, love reading her newsletters, filled with poignant and humorous stories. Nancy and Joel will have lived on Martha’s Vineyard for 58 years in August, and they enjoy visiting son Josh’s food truck with their 13-yearold grandson. Nancy’s new book, Seven Secrets to Writing the Perfect Personal Essay: Crafting the Story Only YOU Can Write, is coming out in October 2024!

Karen Vandevanter Chapman and husband Kent have moved from Rhode Island to Seattle, Washington.

My big news is the road trip that Pete and I took last summer. We left our home in southern Arizona in May and drove over 11,000 miles through 20 states and three Canadian provinces before returning home in August. The first destination was our 60th Mary Washington reunion, which was fabulous!

On the way, we stopped at the Smokey Bear Museum in New Mexico, walked along the Mississippi River, and ate delicious barbecue in Memphis. We visited an old-fashioned spa in Hot Springs, Arkansas, had family reunions in Delmarva and D.C., and visited friends and family in New York, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. We sped along in our trusty Honda, marveling at the beauty of the U.S. and friendliness of people all along the way. We loved the Dignity of Earth and Sky sculpture and learned a lot at St. Joseph’s Indian School, both in Chamberlain, South Dakota, and at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in Montana. We were stunned by the beauty of the Badlands and Mt. Rushmore and saw hundreds of bison in the Black Hills of South Dakota. We headed west, until we reached family and friends in the Seattle area, where we stayed in July and August. Not wanting the trip to end, Pete and I drove through the Mt. Rainier and Bryce Canyon national parks on the way home. So, for any of you who think you’re too old for

this kind of trip, I say do it! It was fabulous and gave us a great appreciation for the people and beauty of the U.S. and Canada. I love facilitating workshops, courses on Zoom, and weekend retreats.

Please send me your news!

1964

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

1965

Evie King Cox coanriver@gmail.com Herb and I, Evie King Cox, moved to Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg, Virginia, in June. It was hard to move from our home in the Northern Neck, but we know we have made the right decision.

We are so happy here and have renewed friendships from our previous time in Lynchburg. We lived here from 1968 to 1988, and our sons graduated from high school here. We thought we had a good social life previously, but it cannot compare to the social life here. Many say it’s like living on a cruise ship.

I’d love to hear from my classmates.

My address is 501 V.E.S. Rd. r406, Lynchburg, VA 24503. My email is coanriver@gmail.com.

1966

Katharine Rogers Lavery hlavery1@cox.net Barbara Bishop Mann sends her best regards to everyone while keeping quiet at home. After an uneventful holiday season, Bobbi looks forward to her twin great-nephews’ graduation from Appalachian State in the spring.

Lee Enos Kelley shared an appreciative letter from the UMW senior who received the Class of 1966 Scholarship. Because of losing her mother and brother in a bad accident, she said that she would have been unable to finish her senior year without the help of our class scholarship.

Her gratitude has inspired several of us to contribute more to that fund in hopes of benefiting other deserving students.

Diana Hamilton Cowell started a scholarship at UMW and was interviewed

by Donna Harter in the Office of University Advancement about a second scholarship and her special memories of MWC Theatre. Diana had an eventful year, with the mayor and 12 other citizens from her town of Bethany Beach, Delaware, accompanying her and son Dana to Periers, France, for a five-day Sister City

celebration in May. After the event, Diana and Dana went to Mayenne, France.

Dana is fluent and translated for Diana as she spoke about her father, Edward D. Hamilton, who was awarded a Silver Star – which Diana donated to the town – for his actions saving the lone remaining bridge in town during World War II. Diana also applied to become a refugee sponsor in November 2022. She and Dan welcomed Raisa and her daughter, Anzhelika, who are both Deaf. They lived with them from June through October.

Jewish Family Services helped the family in their rental and job search. They had help from over 40 different people in Diana’s area with the initial cost of their flight here, new glasses, hearing aids, clothing, a computer, and much support from their large local Deaf community.

Finally, Diana and Dan bought a small camping trailer and are looking forward to new adventures in 2024!

Joan Cuccias Patton and Lee Enos Kelley traveled to Staunton, Virginia, with their gentlemen friends to take a memorable ride on the Scenic Railway. Joan plays golf in her senior community, where many golfers are over 80 and are great players.

Joan’s children are planning an 80th birthday journey in June to Bermuda with children, grandchildren, and siblings – what a blessing! In February, Joan will return to Florida for a visit, where she hopes to see Sally Souder and Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner. This fall, Joan attended a UMW dinner in Manassas, Virginia, to meet President Troy Paino and his lovely wife, Kelly.

Joan was impressed with the excellent presentation and enjoyed visiting with both hosts. She spoke with many younger alumni who often asked about her years at MWC. Joan noticed that she was the eldest attendee, including some parents of alumni. She recommends that we attend similar events in the future.

Caroline Hogeland Ruppar and Allan spent a delightful evening at a cocktail reception with Dr. Paino at Lightfoot Restaurant in Leesburg, Virginia. She remarked that the Painos are a wonderful couple. She was the only one there from our class and enjoyed meeting many grads from other years and hearing about what’s happening at UMW. Caroline and Allan took an awesome family safari in South Africa in August – three generations together, spending five days at a private game reserve with two three-hour game drives each day, plus other activities in the savannah facilities. Caroline proudly reported that Allan served as a poll chief for the Fairfax County Board of Elections. After numerous training sessions involving a

Class of 1966 graduates and twins Eileen Goddard Albrigo (left) and Kathy Goddard Moss. Photo courtesy of the Goddard twins.

huge manual, Allan was ready to pick up his poll chief “suitcase,” set up the day before, and report for duty at 4:30 a.m. on Election Day. Most voters don’t realize what a major service poll volunteers provide during that very long day.

Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner and her sister-in-law spent two weeks in England last summer visiting the Horner families in Colchester and touring the Cotswolds and London. Mary Kathryn asked for mobility assist in airports, making gate entrances and customs much easier. She keeps in touch with Sally Souder and plans to visit her in Florida this winter.

They reminisced about all the hours they spent knitting and playing bridge in Willard, wondering how they ever managed to study.

Anne Powell Young, who moved back to the Fredericksburg area, decided to take a trip down memory lane with her three grandkids, who were largely uninformed of Anne’s early life. Ryan (age 20), Kevin (age 18), and Rachel (age 16) joined Anne in the family van on a discovery mission, visiting cemeteries, farms, and the location of the original Powell home, which was displaced by eminent domain to build I-95 through Falmouth. Anne narrated an oral history of rural life in the 1950s and pointed out the road marker for Powell Lane, a tribute to her grandfather.

Susan Roth Nurin spent her 79th birthday packing up her NYC apartment to move to a smaller one in the same complex. She will miss her lovely view of Central Park but will be able to continue her favorite activities in the same neighborhood – no assisted living for her!

Ambler Carter has lived in the same Philadelphia apartment building as her daughter. Now that her daughter’s family

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has moved into a new home, Ambler is investigating places for a possible move to a senior living facility.

Kitty Downs Gregg has retired from her volunteer positions and enjoys the absence of incessant phone calls and the peaceful existence of being a housewife. She has devoted her time and energy to caring for husband Don after he suffered a bad fall, a concussion, and several weeks of hospital and rehab. Kitty discovered DoorDash and is amazed at the convenience. Daughter Cindy, who lives nearby, was very helpful. Cindy and her husband both work for Accenture in Denver; son Chris is an economics and finance whiz at the Federal Aviation Administration in Springfield, Virginia.

He and his wife traveled to Denver to celebrate Kitty’s 80th birthday. After losing their beloved 17-year-old Lhasa apso, Kitty and Don decided against adopting any more pets. They took a Florida vacation in November 2022 and spent Thanksgiving in North Carolina with Terry Caruthers and her husband. In May, Kitty and Don splurged on a Mediterranean cruise, which they highly recommend.

Kathleen Goddard Moss said that her August family reunion in California was a great success. The children loved being together after being scattered from Spain to Ohio to California. The grandchildren were excited to get acquainted and share some Bay Area activities. The youngsters visited San Francisco, climbed Mt. Diablo, and toured the Oakland Zoo and the Berkeley Botanical Garden. Twin sister Eileen Goddard Albrigo traveled from Virginia to join them. She, Kathy, and Tom spent hours catching up on each other’s news and basking in how wonderful their grandchildren are! Kathy and Tom have been taking physical therapy, him for balance, her for recuperating from shoulder replacement surgery. They both enjoy the chorus at their senior residence. They recently sang “Jamaica Farewell,” which reminded Kathy of an MWC talent show in which she and Eileen sang that song, wearing straw hats and playing guitar.

Eileen Goddard Albrigo enjoyed the trip to visit with her sister and her family and loves having her grandson living with her while working at a new job nearby. After he finds a place of his own, Eileen plans to sell the Falls Church house and move to a senior independent and assisted living complex in Ashburn, Virginia, near her son and his family.

Pam Kearney Patrick and husband TaB finally unpacked all the boxes in their new

home in California and were able to have Thanksgiving with their son, Sandoer, for the first time in a long while. Although they miss their East Coast friends, they have joined a great racket club, are meeting many neighbors, have taken up ballroom dancing again, and are settling in nicely. Pam is finding wonderful inspiration for her painting as well. She invites us all to visit.

Betsy Chappelear Tryon traveled in October from Redondo Beach, California, to Charleston, South Carolina, to see granddaughter Maddy play volleyball on the Citadel team for her last season.

As a post-graduate student, Maddy was eligible to continue competing.

In January, she expects to play professionally on an Italian or Croatian team. Betsy will miss having Maddy stateside but hopes for some European travel to see her again.

Betty Birckhead Vickers and her husband traveled in June with their son, daughterin-law, and grandson, Ben, to England.

Ben had a weeklong internship in London.

While he and his mother stayed there, Betty, Copley, and their son searched for the Copley ancestral home in West Yorkshire. They found the town of Copley near the River Calder in Halifax, where a librarian produced a book that described the founding of the town by Sir Copley, a distant relative. Back in London, they visited all the sights and then Stonehenge.

The family then traveled to Reykjavík, Iceland. While Ben and his dad joined a Boy Scout four-day hike in the mountains, his mom drove Betty and Copley through the national parks to see breathtaking waterfalls, thermal springs, geysers, and deep crevices caused by shifting tectonic plates. Betty’s favorite spot was the Blue Lagoon, where she would have loved to stay, except for the earth tremors.

Mary Parsons Black traveled with her husband, sister, and gentleman friend to France in May, beginning with a river cruise from Normandy to Paris. They flew to Nice for Mary’s niece’s wedding and spent a wonderful week there in a villa with their two sons, daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren. They attended a wedding party in the Fitzgerald Bar in Hôtel Belles Rives, then went boating on the Mediterranean the next day, followed by a welcoming party, and finally the incredible wedding at the Bastide du Roy – a memorable three weeks of travel!

Barbi Barriga Rowe lives in the quaint village of Unionville, Pennsylvania, near Kennett Square. Family and friends love her historic 1827 Temperance Inn home and visit often. Barbi joined husband Gordon in 1969 during the Vietnam War

6 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

to teach in the tiny Air American School on the Laotian border, then spent 35 years in Quaker education, as the head of Fairville Friends School for 10 years and as the director of admissions at West Chester Friends School since 2001. Two sons and three grands live nearby; one grandson is at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. In September, Barbi and her family had a front seat to the Pennsylvania escapee drama, with U.S. Marshals and media swarming their neighborhood. In November, she hosted 25 family and friends at a family fall festival for her “almost 80th” birthday and Thanksgiving, then traveled to Switzerland to visit her daughter’s family and frequent French Christmas markets. After her U.S. family celebrated Christmas in January, Barbi turned her attention to watching for her big garden to reawaken in the spring.

Sandra Hutchison Schanné enjoyed a houseful of family in November. She hosted her sister-in-law and her family, then son Brandon from Texas, followed by a weeklong trip to Denver to visit daughter Amy and her family. Sandra keeps busy at home, assisting the altar guild at church, participating in a bridge club, and exercising in a weekly yoga class.

Our condolences to Carolyn Perry Grow.

After 11 years in an assisted living facility in Charlottesville, Virginia, her husband, Dave, passed away on Sept. 24, 2023.

They planned a Navy burial at sea.

Although she misses him terribly, Carolyn is relieved to have some freedom.

She lives in a golfing community in the “forever home” they built in 1993 after retiring and moving away from Rochester, New York. Carolyn is not a golfer but enjoys the activities offered there, including a bridge club with several other widows. Carolyn serves on the board of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State (Dave’s alma mater) and became an honorary graduate in 2020. She has learned to love football and is pleased to be associated with a large university. Before COVID, Carolyn traveled frequently to Penn State, but now she communicates via Zoom. She also keeps up with UMW happenings through President Paino’s communications and enjoys an occasional visit from Jan Clarke in the Office of University Advancement.

Carolyn Eldred is a homebody but offers some reflections on MWC life as she knew it. Unlike our classmates who mostly moved through college living in traditional dorms, Carolyn chose multi-class dorms after freshman year, living in Marshall and then Russell,

limiting her interaction with classmates of our year, which in turn, limited her long-term friendships within our class.

Now, Marshall and Russell are set to be demolished in preparation for the exciting new theatre, and Carolyn is eager to participate in the new theatrical events. She vividly recalls the memory of reaching the top of the hill by Marshall one fall afternoon and hearing the news from a senior’s car radio that President Kennedy had been shot!

Anne Meade Clagett also confesses to being a homebody, perhaps a “Debby Downer” or even Winnie the Pooh’s friend, Eeyore. She offers a few tragic memories: JFK’s assassination, the Cuban missile crisis, the disaster of disappointing Saturday classes, and terrible professors in a couple of other classes. Yet, she also has happy memories of learning that she would graduate with our class and be employed by “The Agency.”

Genie McClellan Hobson recalled “the wonderful people of MWC whose perspectives, talents, and generosity had a profound effect on who I am today.”

That includes her great roommates, Sandy Hutchison Schanné and Cathe Cantwell Luria; band members Jana Privette Usry (an excellent clarinetist) and Katharine Rogers Lavery (an outstanding cornet player who still plays regularly); our brilliant math professor and Episcopal priest, Dr. Shaw; and quiet Dr. Parrish, a generous biology and genetics professor who definitely shaped Genie’s future.

Terry Caruthers displays her artistic talent by creating paintings for friends and family from photographs they provide. She generously sent a surprise painting of the former E. Lee Trinkle Hall library to me, Katharine Rogers Lavery, in appreciation for my years of devotion as our alumni class agent. The painting can be viewed on our MWC 1966 Facebook page. Terry also enjoys decoupage and making creative and greatly appreciated centerpieces and decorations for community events.

My husband, Hank, and I keep quite busy with our bowling league, Fort Myer senior fitness classes, Hank’s “job” as an office building manager, church activities, and my math tutoring. This is my 50th year of playing services at historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, Virginia. One of my favorite MWC memories is of Dr. Shaw composing descants for me to play at Trinity Episcopal Church near campus. I thank all of you for keeping us informed of your well-being. Our class is amazing!

1967

Mary Beth Bush Dore mbeth1945@gmail.com Christine Brooks had a heart attack in January and is in cardiac rehab. She has adopted a new kitten who is very affectionate. Christine still goes for daily walks around the Reston lakes to take pictures to send to friends. Her condo is next to the woods, so she sees all the wildlife. People in her condo and church are helpful, and her life is good.

Donna Lorance Porcaro and Tony are still hale and hearty. They visited Portugal in the spring and doctors in the summer.

They are now renovating the house.

Their granddaughter is following in the footsteps of Donna and her daughter by applying to UMW. Donna gave her granddaughter her old mug that says Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia. Cool!

I, Mary Beth Bush Dore, was in rehab for over two months for a blood infection.

Casey became a great cook. The daughter of Ginger Dore Marshall ’94, had a cute baby girl in October. I can’t believe we are great-grandparents!

1968

Meg Livingston Asensio meglala46@gmail.com Susan Wagner Buelow now lives in Iowa, after many years in Rhode Island.

She volunteers at the local veterans facility, is working on getting a library started, and is a docent at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. She returned to Rhode Island in September for her oldest granddaughter’s wedding.

Leneice Wu is sorry that more of our classmates didn’t make it to the reunion, as they missed a wonderful time. Her husband moved into assisted living in their continuing care community in August to deal with the latest progression of Parkinson’s disease. Leneice will spend winter in Vermont to ski as much as she can with her 7-year-old grandson and his parents. She is also trying to make some sense out of having too many possessions, even after downsizing four years ago. Memories of our time at MWC keep her warm.

Lynn Belcher Fox had a lovely Thanksgiving with her kids and grandkids. She traveled to Des Moines with her brother to her son’s home for the feast, to which she “contributed nothing other than my queenly presence.” She said she could get used

to that! Lynn took a nostalgic tour of Dallas Center, visited the cemetery to tell Jim the latest, and lunched at one of her favorite spots. The kids seemed uninterested in her reminiscing, but they’ll wish they’d asked more questions when she is gone, just like she does about her own parents.

Lynn Shelby Kickingbird’s daughter and her family spent four months living with them last summer while their house was remodeled. They christened the new kitchen, dining room, and living room at Thanksgiving with a delicious meal, great conversation, and cranberry margaritas.

Best of all, no cleanup for Lynn!

Betty Dobbins Talley headed to Virginia to check on her farm and visit her cousins in December. She was in Iceland prior to the volcano scare and planned to spend most of the winter in Florida.

Pam Tompkins Huggins was excited that her daughter offered to host Thanksgiving for the first time, noting that we are all reaching the time in life where we’re “gavel-passing” to the next generation. She and Jim will celebrate their 50th anniversary this summer.

Mel Wittig Neale has received numerous awards and accolades for her art. While she and her family lived on a sailboat for several years, she painted local scenery and numerous commissioned paintings of yachts, homes, islands, and other scenes, mostly in acrylics and watercolor.

Mel is a member and exhibiting artist of the Rappahannock Art League (RAL) Art Center; a member of the St. Augustine Art Association, the Mid-Atlantic Pastel Society, the Pastel Society of North Carolina, and the American Impressionist Society; and a signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society. She was juried into the Pastel Society of America as an associate member. She is also a photographer and illustrator for boating publications.

Morgan Golladay was excited to see the Solstice 3, an anthology publication featuring her short story, several sketches, and the cover illustration.

Stevie Danahy Larson and husband Peter attended UMW’s Celebration of Giving at the Jepson Alumni Executive Center in December. It was packed with alumni, student science scholarship recipients, and staff. Stevie said that it was fabulous, with delicious food, music, and a STEM theme with chemistry inspired décor.

The event celebrated generous gifts, especially in the sciences, including the one that Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 left Mary Washington.

University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

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Class Notes

Judy Boyce Perry was excited that her granddaughter – who is enrolled in a high school pre-law course and plays in the band – visited and applied to UMW. Encouragement without pressure was Judy’s strategy. Her fingers are crossed, but she knows there are other college choices.

Brenda Quick Caricofe planned to meet her siblings in Staunton, Virginia, in December and take the children and grandchildren on a tour of her childhood home and school. She was skeptical that they would be as excited as she was.

Katelyn Gueci ’25 received the Merrilyn Sawyer Dodson/Class of 1968 Scholarship.

1969

Marianne deBlois Zentz MdeBZ@verizon.net Anne Hoskot Kreutzer annekreutzer@hotmail.com From Marianne: Linda Eadie Hood plans to come from Alaska to our reunion in May – guess we better have a great prize for the longest distance traveled! She has found it difficult to get a driver’s license in Alaska, so she gave her transportation needs over to her husband and Uber! Linda is waiting for a visit from CeCe Smith Riffer, who might head that way someday to visit her son.

Cynthia Lowdermilk has had a difficult time after hip replacement surgery, hobbling along with a walker or cane, but she sends her best. We hope physical therapy will get you back to a comfortable level, Cynthia, if not on the dance floor!

Nancy Gleason hosted a mini-reunion, which included Ann Ruff Smith, Cathy Allen Hughes, and Kitty Culhane Rogers. I’m sure it was a festive time in Goochland, Virginia!

Carol Abell Brauninger looks forward to seeing all of us at the reunion in May. Iris Harrell and Ann have enjoyed traveling across the Canadian Rockies and touring four presidential libraries in the Midwest. They’re delighted to be performing to live (and large!) audiences with their More Joy Americana folk group.

We can hear more at the 55th reunion – maybe they’ll bring their instruments?

Pam Hogan Baynard and her husband donated their plane, which he built and flew for many years, to an aviation school in Currituck, North Carolina. The Wright Brothers would be thrilled! Their son works at Mattel with Barbie, so they

quite enjoyed that cultural phenomenon.

Their daughter, a member of Mary Washington’s Class of 1994, has a career in branding and is behind the names of many of the pharmaceuticals we take.

Pam enjoys making quilts for Lutheran World Relief, a wonderful cause.

I, Marianne deBlois Zentz, enjoyed a beautiful Danube cruise this spring with Betsy Crews Neilson. I also love hopping to Houston and Ventura, California, to see my five grands. I’m amazed that so many of us have grands who are married, some even great-grands, while mine are all five and under!

Anne Hoskot Kreutzer has had some wonderful family gatherings – one at the Trailing of the Sheep festival in Idaho. She and Tom enjoy spending time with their kids in Richmond, Virginia, and California.

I have also been in touch with Christie Wineholt, Barbara Burton Micou, Betty Wade Miles Perry, Linda Gattis Shull, Patti Boise Kemp, Martha Wilbourne Cummings, and Barbie Hopta Reid.

We’re sending prayers for better health to Barbara for her son’s recovery from a bad fall that caused brain issues, and to our dearest Patti, who had a stroke and is fighting to regain her former vitality!

Betty Wade Miles Perry and husband Boyd celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on a wonderful cruise along the Danube from Hungary to Germany. It was the perfect way to celebrate!

Jeanine Zavrel Fearns, Toni Sue Turner, Suzy Bender Winterble, and Anne Witham Kilpatrick spent a few days together at Anne’s home in Easley, South Carolina. Their annual reunion is a highlight of their many years of friendship after graduation. Anne and Roger are about to become great-grandparents in January! They had a great trip to Montana and Glacier National Park. Toni had a great trip to Italy, and spends time between Austin and Santa Fe. Jeanine spends time at the Outer Banks and her son’s cabin in West Virginia. She also had a wonderful trip to Rome. Suzy and Charlie love their new home in Aiken, South Carolina, and spending time on their boat and on the golf course.

Chris Phillips Farhood still works in NYC as a psychotherapist, alongside her trusty therapy dog, Enzo. She is lucky to have her son living three miles away, up in the Heights. Chris stays in close contact with her former roommate, Betty Olander Adams, who, along with her husband, sponsors one of UMW’s scholarship funds. They’re planning to attend our 55th reunion, for the

8 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

camaraderie and because Chris hopes to replenish the cabernet franc wine that she found at the wine tasting at our 50th!

An “honorary” member of the Class of 1969, Martha Pickard Zink looks forward to the reunion. It’s been a busy year with her granddaughter graduating from high school and starting college at Denison University. Martha and husband Rip took two cruises this summer – one from Barcelona to Lisbon, including the Canary Islands, and one a month later to Alaska – to celebrate their 75th birthdays and their 50th anniversary, as their trip in March 2020 was canceled because of COVID. Martha and Rip spend most of their time at home on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, but still have their home of 46 years in Maryland.

My sister, Lynn deBlois ’64, lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and is still going strong and running her own business, Pretzelphoria. If you go to craft shows from Pennsylvania to Virginia, especially Ocean City, Maryland, and Rehoboth, Delaware, stop by and say hi!

We hope to have a huge crowd at our 55th reunion in May. Anne and I have already made our reservations. See you there!

Zachary Heske ’25 and Brianna Kenealy ’24 received the Class of 1969 Laura V. Sumner Memorial Scholarship, endowed by the Class of 1969 for the occasion of their 25th reunion.

Wagma Zaki ’25 received the Class of 1969 50th Reunion Scholarship.

1970

Anne Sommervold LeDoux ledouxanne@yahoo.com

1971

Karen Laino Giannuzzi kapitankL11@yahoo.com Sharon Ferjanec Kruse-Werner returned to New Jersey after graduation, where she worked for New Jersey Bell and then AT&T after divestiture of the Bell System in 1984. She then moved to California and took a golden-parachute early retirement in 1998. Jumping from corporate communications to private school teacher, Sharon said she could finally relax from corporate craziness. She then spent a decade teaching in private schools in Madrid, California, and Morocco. Now happily retired, Sharon lives with son Aaron in a peaceful semi-rural area of South Jersey. Please feel free to contact her at sharonishome@me.com.

1972

Sherry Rutherford Myers sherryhon2011@gmail.com Betty Lewis Wenner and husband Charles stay active. He is quite the gardener, maintaining four greenhouses and many gardens on their property near Charleston, South Carolina. Betty completed a century ride on her beloved Dutch warmblood, Star, at a U.S. Dressage Federation show in February.

The combined age of the horse and rider must be 100 years old to compete.

Sadly, in October, Star died suddenly from an apparent stroke at age 28. She misses him terribly but is glad to have an up-and-coming dressage horse that she imported as a foal from Canada.

Ziggy is also a Dutch warmblood from impressive lines, and he takes away some of the sadness of losing Star. Betty also sails her Cape Dory 36, which is a second home for her in Charleston Harbor. She loves anchoring up for several days on the coastal rivers. She is also a licensed American Kennel Club judge of labradors and Weimaraners.

She plans to judge a labrador specialty in California in February. Betty started painting in oils again after a hiatus during the pandemic. She loves her small studio and enjoys painting still life arrangements, horses, and lowcountry landscapes.

Nancy Mahone Miller had a memorable year. She still gets together with her Mary Washington friends. They had another mountain vacation in Nelson County, Virginia, this year. Her fatherin-law had his 101st birthday, and there were other family gatherings. Her goddaughter, Molly, got married, and Nancy and her husband enjoyed the arrival of a new great-nephew. They also met up with Nancy’s nephew, his wife, and their family from California at the Outer Banks this past summer. Nancy enjoys Daughters of the American Revolution activities and Scottish activities. She attended the annual St. Andrew’s Burns Night Supper and went to the Grandfather Mountain and Richmond highland games.

Dennis and I, Sherry Rutherford Myers, enjoy Roanoke, Virginia. Cheryl Prietz Childress and husband Dave visited us this fall for the annual Giving Back Society brunch, and we had a great time together. We hope to get together again with them soon. Their daughter, Thea, and her family might move closer to Richmond from the Atlanta area and are looking at property. My women’s club and the Giving Back Society had

From left: Denise Mattingly Luck ’74, Nancy Brown Jones ’74, Anne Reynolds Guest ’76, and Bettiann Aylor ’74. Photo courtesy of Bettiann Aylor.

a banner year for fundraising, and my experiences with substitute teaching are rewarding. Happy springtime!

1973

Joyce Hines Molina joycemolina1951@gmail.com I, Joyce Hines Molina, had a great summer. It began with a family trip with all our children, their children, and extended family to Nags Head, North Carolina. A week at the beach is always a good time, especially when surrounded by family.

They surprised us with a 40th wedding anniversary celebration, which included a display of pictures of our family over the years. Yes, we all have changed! I’m grateful that Rod’s chemo is done and that his hair is growing back. The two of us took a great trip to the Canadian Rockies and Glacier Park in Montana in August. We were amazed once again by the beauty of our national parks.

Janet Hedrick has both happy and sad news. First, she was honored to receive the Distinguished Alumni Award at our 50th reunion. She was accompanied by two special people: her partner, Ed Bennett, and Catherine Janis, daughter of Sharon Richmond Janis. Sadly, Ed died on Oct. 31, 2023. Janet thanks the members of the Class of 1973 who have been in touch since Ed’s death, those who attended his Celebration of Life, and for the many cards, calls, and messages.

She and Ed were building their dream house in Fredericksburg and were scheduled to move on Oct. 28. Instead, she found Ed in great pain, got him to the

hospital, and spent the next four days by his bedside, staying with him until the end. She has now moved into the new house but without her love. She will not be fully settled in until the rest of the new furniture is delivered in 2024.

Janet also met Gayle Franklin Hawkins ’71, Mary Basnight Donovan ’67, and Kathy Schmidt, mother of Melissa Schmidt Estevez ’00, on the UMW Alumni trip to Northern Italy in 2022. The four took a trip to Switzerland and Austria in September 2023 and will go on the UMW Alumni trip to Ireland together next June. They’d love a trip to Greece next!

Keep the news coming. Our reunion was a great time to renew friendships.

I hope you have stayed in touch with classmates. Please let us know about it and what you’re doing. Send your news to me anytime, and I’ll include it in the next Class Notes.

Alexis Hoffman ’27 received the Class of 1973 50th Reunion Scholarship.

1974

Sidnia “Sid” Baker Etherington sidleexx@yahoo.com Suzy Passarello Quenzer suzyquenzer@gmail.com Jane Annette Inge passed away at her home at Lake Monticello, Virginia, on Oct. 7, 2023, reported her husband, Matthew Witkowski. He and their son, Jesse Mathias Inge Witkowski, were by her side. Ushering her out of this life was a spectacular sunset that shined upon her and the lake outside as blue as the sky.

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Class Notes

Born in Farmville, Virginia, Jane earned a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Mary Washington. She worked as a writer and an editor for several organizations, loved gardening, and was an avid home chef. She left behind countless friends and family who dearly loved her for her grace and kindness.

Pamela J. White retired from active service as a trial judge on the circuit court for Baltimore City. She previously practiced civil law, especially employment and business litigation in federal courts, for 30 years with Ober|Kaler (now Baker Donelson) law firm in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and New York. Pam was an active member of local, state, and national bar associations, and served as president of the Maryland State Bar Association and the Women’s Bar Association of Maryland. On the bench, Judge White tried cases on civil dockets, in business and technology matters, on criminal and family dockets, and was supervisory judge for civil ADR (alternative dispute resolution) programs.

Off the bench, she has served on several bench and bar committees and received the Chief Judge Robert M. Bell Access to Justice Judge of the Year Award in 2014. As a senior judge, Pam tries civil cases across the state, and serves as a mediator and pretrial settlement judge.

She is a distinguished alumna of both Mary Washington and Washington and Lee University School of Law, has served on the boards of both universities, and proudly received W&L’s honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 2013. Pam is happily married to her partner of 29 years. They are planning their travels to national parks throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Bettiann Aylor, Nancy Brown Jones, Denise Mattingly Luck, and Anne Reynolds Guest ’76 took a road trip to Canada in October, visiting Clifton Park, a small town near Albany, as well as Montréal, Québec City, and Ottawa.

On the way to Northern Virginia, they stopped in the Thousand Islands area of New York. The foliage was beautiful in upstate New York and Canada that time of year, and they had many memorable adventures, including having tea at the Château Frontenac in Québec City and walking above Montmorency Falls in the rain! They were even able to sit in on a session of the Canadian Parliament while in Ottawa. Many fabulous memories were made, and they’ll soon plan their 2024 adventure. They also hope to see lots of people at the reunion.

From the 50th reunion planning committee: We hope this will be our biggest and best reunion ever! See you in May!

1975

1976

I, Armecia Spivey Medlock, would like to share that our daughter, Taylor; her husband, Rafi; and their son, Ryder (age 3) welcomed baby Everly to their family on Sept. 3, 2023. With three granddaughters in California, and Ryder and Everly in Kansas, I’m always more than happy to fly my North Carolina-Nana hat and myself whenever I’m needed!

Kathleen Chapman wrote: “Am I really turning 70 years old on March 3? This is hard to believe – yet, I am so grateful for life.” Kathleen and her family rented a beach house in Mission Beach, San Diego, for a week. She said it was such a dream vacation, being able to open the patio door and step into the sand, with the Pacific Ocean right there. She and husband Michael had been to the beach with daughter Emily and her boyfriend of 10 years, Adam, but they finally got son Nick, daughter-in-law Allie, and their two adorable grandchildren, Connor (age 9) and Maddie (age 6), to come.

Kathleen and Michael will celebrate 42 years of marriage in March. That’s many years together, being witnesses to each other’s lives. They are so grateful for all of it, especially for their children and grandchildren! However, her mother-inlaw passed away almost a year ago at age 96. Much planning went into creating a memorial service and luncheon afterwards, and many family members and friends attended, which warmed their hearts. Michael had major back surgery, so he has been recuperating, but it will be months before he is 100 percent. Kathleen has been retired for six years after working as a speech and language pathologist assistant for Mesa Public Schools in Arizona for 11 years.

She enjoys every minute of retirement, especially not having to get up at 6:30 a.m.! She wishes she has been doing more other than meeting with friends and her kids but has no complaints.

Her activities haven’t picked up since the pandemic, and she hasn’t been motivated to jump back into the intense pace of life. Kathleen has not been home to Virginia since her mother was interred at Arlington National Cemetery with her father 12 years ago, so she feels homesick and wants to plan a trip soon!

Armecia Spivey Medlock vagirl805@msn.com

Jan Hausrath and husband David Seddelmeyer enjoyed a romantic holiday in Europe this past April. They visited Jan’s sister, Jill Hausrath Zobel ’71, and her husband, Konrad, in Vienna, as well as niece Laura Zobel Jennings and her family in England, and had a four-day stay in Venice. Following this trip, Jan and David celebrated daughter Jinny’s May graduation, when she earned a B.A. in psychology from Christopher Newport University. Jinny is a behavioral therapist working with autistic children and is considering graduate school in mental health counseling.

Val Walters retired from the National Institutes of Health over two years ago after a 30-year career in risk management. She and wife Kathy moved to southern Delaware from Silver Spring, Maryland, a year ago. Delaware took a little bit of getting used to as it’s somewhat country, but they’re having a wonderful time with new friends and lots of kayaking and fishing. Boredom is not an issue. Val planned to make the 1973 reunion but had to have back surgery for spinal stenosis at that time. That was no fun, but things are working out well, and she is improving. Before surgery, Val and Kathy went on an awesome crosscountry trip for eight weeks during the summers of 2021 and 2022, traveling to Wyoming, Utah, Montana, the Dakotas, and Idaho, where they fished and hiked.

They’ve also spent time in Florida, Wisconsin, and New England. What a treat! In addition, Val just completed her master gardener certification, which was an involved process, but she’s glad she did it. She can now play in the garden with some direction and good information and has volunteer options in the county. She hopes to hear from other classmates soon!

Please take a moment and send me your news so I can share it in the next Class Notes publication. Our 50th Reunion Weekend will be in 2025. It will only come around once, so make plans to be there!

1 0 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

Janis Biermann biermannjanis@gmail.com

Madelin Jones Barratt of Falls Church, Virginia, passed away peacefully at her home on Sept. 29, 2023. Madelin was born in Houston. Her father was a Marine Corps officer, and their family was stationed in several locations during her childhood, including Annapolis, Quantico, Camp Lejeune, and Pearl Harbor. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Mary Washington before becoming an elementary school music teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia. She married Henry D. Barratt Jr. in 1978 and raised three children during their 45 years of

marriage. Madelin often unified her family and guests with song, artfully playing the piano or strumming the ukulele in lively accompaniment. She was active in her church – volunteering with the women’s ministry, as a Sunday school teacher, and with the children’s choir – and as a music teacher. She is survived by her husband, a son, two daughters, six grandchildren, and other loving family and friends.

1977

Anne Robinson Hallerman annehallerman@gmail.com Patti Jo Anderson is twice retired. First in 2013 from Verizon, where she spent 35 years as an international project manager, and now from the York County School Division, where she spent a decade as a telecommunications manager. She is finally able to spend her time chasing her grandchildren, 3-yearold Evelyn and 18-month-old Owen. Patti Jo is also part of a book club of Mary Washington alumni and friends, who have been meeting for three years on Zoom. She and her yellow lab love the beach, and she also has a furry family of four cats. She and her husband enjoy music and restaurants in the Coastal Virginia area. She still freelances with her home-based floral business and does event planning.

For most of us in the Class of 1977, 2023 was the year for our 50th high school reunions. Phyllis Quinn traveled back to Virginia for her reunion and a family visit. She was glad to see Kathy Haffey and Nancy Dolan again. Julie Mansfield Wilhelm was also a high school classmate but was unable to attend.

In Virginia, Phyllis had a fun lunch in downtown Fredericksburg with her MWC junior counselor, Pat Powers Gaske ’75, who lives in a great historical house in Fredericksburg and looks fabulous.

I, Anne Robinson Hallerman, also celebrated my 50th high school reunion in Richmond, Virginia. As I have for just about every high school reunion, I participated on the reunion committee and manned the registration table at the event. I enjoyed seeing MWC classmate Karen Charles Gattuso, but certainly missed Kathy Bolton Massie and Cindy Yancey Sanford.

Leaping ahead to our 50th reunion and entrance into the 1908 Society (the group formerly known as the “Golden Club”), Phyllis and I both hope to see all 1977 classmates on campus in 2027!

1978

Egypt, with an extension to Jordan. In October, she participated in the tour to Vietnam, noting both trips were great fun.

Janet Place Fuller janetpfuller@gmail.com Sadly, Ruth Carter Pritchard passed away on May 7, 2023, following a brief illness. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Ruth was a graduate of Brunswick Academy and Mary Washington. She loved singing, participating in theatre, history, and all animals. She is survived by her brother and many loving cousins and friends.

1979

Barbara Goliash Emerson emers3@msn.com Jennifer Boyd Ross was honored to have an essay published in the book So God Made a Mother. It debuted in April 2023 and made Amazon’s bestseller list. In May 2022, she and Paul started building a house on the water in Weems, Virginia, and moved last June. They love living in the Northern Neck. Jennifer and Paul also celebrated their 44th anniversary that month, right after the last Grill on the Hill for Marshall Hall, where they met in September 1977. It was fun to catch up with Nena Lee Kobayashi and her Mary Wash roommate, Betsy Balderson Garland. Two of Jennifer and Paul’s three children live in Fredericksburg, so she tries to stop by and take in the beautiful campus.

They have six grandchildren who are all teenagers, including grandson Nick Alves, who plays soccer for Old Dominion University. But she is trying to convince the other five to give Mary Washington a try! Since the Northern Neck is the birthplace of George Washington, she is frequently on Mary Ball Road or Jessie Ball duPont Highway. Things have a way of coming full circle.

Judy Kemp Allard had wonderful news.

Her son, Jacob, married his fiancée, Sarah, in a beautiful ceremony officiated

by Judy’s husband, Randy, at Fairmount Christian Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia, on Dec. 2, 2023. All three of their children are now married.

We always knew Gayle Weinberger Petro was the hippest person around.

Now we know she’s titanium-reinforced after undergoing successful hip surgery in October 2023. Before her surgery, she and Jim enjoyed her favorite musical, Funny Girl, in New York City.

Lorenza Amico has been doing quite a bit of traveling over the past few years.

In October 2022, she went on the Mary Washington Alumni on the Road tour to

Unfortunately, there is some sad news to report. We lost one of our beloved classmates, Bernard “Skib” Skibinski, to brain cancer on Nov. 14, 2023. Skib was a longtime physical therapist in Northern Virginia. He is survived by wife Denise, son Matthew, and daughter Mia. Life goes by so quickly so we all need to treasure family and friends while we can. Please be sure to put May 31 to June 2, 2024, on your calendars to come to Fredericksburg for our 45th reunion to enjoy good times with good friends.

1980

Susan Garter skgarter@gmail.com Thanks to Sandy Slusher Smallwood for submitting our Class Notes last time!

My husband, Larry, and I, Susan Garter, spent most of July in the U.K., visiting Edinburgh, Inverness, Isle of Skye, York, and London. We had a fabulous time sightseeing, and the food was excellent, even for me as a vegan. We were not surprised that we came home with COVID-19 (first infections for us), despite being boosted in June, but at least we didn’t have symptoms while away from home.

Jan Stankiewicz McCarthy and husband Mike spent a few days with us in November. We showed them around the Brandywine Valley and the former DuPont family estates, including the Longwood Gardens, Winterthur, and the Hagley Museum. After 40-plus years in healthcare management, Jan retired in June. Daughter Maggie has completed Level 1 CrossFit trainer certification.

Barbara Gant Kinner wrote from a vacation in beautiful Sedona, Arizona. For her 65th birthday, she and husband Greg took a 12-day Mediterranean cruise, then went to Venice, Munich, and Paris.

Beth Murray Patterson and her husband travel to Virginia and Montana and visit her mother in Arizona. They camp and hike while enjoying the cooler mountain summers in Montana. Beth occasionally meets up with Vicki Prescott and Martha Williams Locke for a meal and shopping at Tysons Corner, Virginia. Martha plans to retire in 2024 and looks forward to spending more time with her family, including her new granddaughter. Beth also traveled with Amy Meyers Becker to Sedona in April, and together they called Karen Peterson Dahmer, who now lives in Seattle.

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Vicki and Anne Miller traveled to Venice, Florida, during the summer to assist Alison Roedy Mack with preparing to sell her Florida house after her husband, Tom, passed away last year. Alison is still determining her relocation destination, but she looks forward to a place where she can continue her hobby of birding.

She traveled to Ohio in the spring to see the migration of warblers. Anne volunteers at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains, New Jersey, and enjoys backpacking with a group called Fit Pack. Vicki has embraced retirement, while continuing to play the cello and volunteering in a riding program for disabled people.

Beth, Martha, Vicki, Anne, and Alison have booked a trip to Montréal, Québec, in May 2024. They have tried to take a group trip every five years or so and agreed that it’s time to pick up the pace! Their last get-together was the 2022 reunion, followed by a trip to Shenandoah.

Lisa Langenbach, who majored in philosophy and political science at Mary Washington, decided at age 60 that she wanted to speak German. She enrolled in college classes and traveled to Germany during summers to study the language. In May 2020, she received a B.A. in German language and literature from Middle Tennessee State University and passed the B2 European framework language test given by the Goethe-Institut in Frankfurt, Germany. In 2022, Lisa bought a nice apartment in Berlin, where she now spends five months each year. If you are ever in Berlin, she is happy to give free tours covering the history, politics, and culture of the German capital.

1981

Lori Foster Turley lorifturley@gmail.com Lori Roche Davis has lived in the Charlottesville, Virginia, area for the last 30 years. Her husband was the county attorney there. They’ve both retired and built a villa in Crozet, a little hamlet in Albemarle County. Their son and daughter left D.C. and Richmond during the pandemic and now they all live within walking distance, including Lori’s 89-year-old mother, who moved to the area from Williamsburg in March, and now resides in an apartment complex in their planned community. Lori and her husband have four grandchildren and are blessed to see them all the time.

Lori and Audrey Komito Thomson Lynch spent four days together in June. They gathered in Wintergreen, Virginia, with

1980 and 1981 friends reunited in Wintergreen, Virginia. Front row, from left: Lori Roche Davis, Kathy Snyder Dooling, Katy Hayman Sommers, and Leslie Zehmer Campbell. Back row: Sandy Jones Adams, Lynn Honeycutt Wagner, Audrey Komito Thomson Lynch, Holly Kelley Rison, and Terri Moynihan Snidow. Photo courtesy of Lori Roche Davis.

seven close friends from the Class of 1980: Lynn Honeycutt Wagner, Katy Hayman Sommers, Holly Kelley Rison, Leslie Zehmer Campbell, Terri Moynihan Snidow, Sandy Jones Adams, and Kathy Snyder Dooling. They had a wonderful visit, reminiscing about their time at Mary Wash and celebrating such long-standing friendships.

They have seen each other through weddings, childbirth, and moves all over the country, and now retirement and grandparenthood! They try to get together every couple of years and have prioritized that despite their busy lives.

Another group that has stayed in touch over the years lived together freshman year in Willard Hall, second back. Those who live in the D.C, Maryland, and Virginia area meet in person regularly. In June, August, and November 2023, they met for lunch. Ellen Stanley Booth, Elisa Devorshak Harvey, Bobbie Dwyer Leon, Colleen McCahill Turley, Patty Churchill Shippee, and Nancy McEntyre Kenefick shared news about family, work, and life in general. Their lunches always go for a few hours and are filled with laughter and memories! Colleen, Ellen, and Elisa went to Cape Cod in July to spend a weekend at Pam Clapp Hinkle’s house. They had a fantastic time exploring Plymouth, Woods Hole, and driving to the Cape. They ate lobster rolls and clam chowder and had a spectacular time whale watching near Provincetown. Bad weather shut down Logan Airport, canceling Colleen’s flight home, so she went back to Pam’s to ride home with Ellen and Elisa the next morning. They relived the college road trip vibes for the 10-hour drive. Colleen

1 2 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

and husband David Turley took a twoweek pilgrimage to Italy in September, visiting Rome, Naples, Pompeii, Monte Sant’Angelo, Assisi, and more. They celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary in Lanciano with their companions, enjoying beautiful sights, great food, and daily gelato!

Tammy Clark Carr and husband Steve moved to Rosemary Beach, Florida.

Steve recently retired from a career in radiology; he still works part time for his group in Tallahassee, so they have a small apartment there. They travel to Atlanta frequently to visit their son, daughter-inlaw, and twin 7-year-old grandsons, to babysit and watch the boys’ many sports games. Tammy and Steve also visit their daughter, son-in-law, grandson (age 5), and granddaughter (age 3) in New Jersey, outside New York City, where they enjoy a little cooler weather. Tammy keeps in touch with Charlene Jordan Smith and her family in Houston.

1982

Tara Corrigall corrigallt@gmail.com Hello and happy 2024! In early December, I, Tara Corrigall, ran into Catherine Miller Canty, who is retired but still a substitute teacher. She was looking forward to busy holiday celebrations with children and grandchildren but is thrilled everyone lives on the East Coast and in the same time zone. She and her hubby recently returned from a European adventure that included several itinerary changes because of rivers too high for safe passage.

In another travel update, two-year Russell Hall second floor roomies Vicki Haynes Morris and Carla Richardson Barrell shared great insights and memories from their UMW Alumni trip to Vietnam. Vicki said the trip was the most immersive experience she’s had abroad. From the impressive bays and rivers to the affluent streets of Saigon and everything in between, it was an adventure! They visited Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and the Hanoi Hilton. There were temples and graves of three of the 13 former kings of Vietnam. They visited markets both on and off the water. They took a cooking class at a restaurant in the Mekong Delta, saw a water puppet show, and enjoyed traditional Vietnamese music. They visited the Cu Chi tunnels to see where the Viet Cong hid during the Vietnam War and museums to learn more about the history of the country.

Carla also enjoyed a “cook your own Pho” experience with UMW Associate Professor Nora Hui-Jung Kim and her husband. Vicki and Carla found orchids everywhere, and the people were all incredibly friendly. A special shout-out to their guide, Phong. He was patient with their many questions and truthful about the realities of living in a Communist country. He had a great smile and seemed to enjoy getting to know the group and learning about their lives in America. According to Phong, they visited during the hot season, but he was quick to add that the other season was hotter. A UMW trip would not be complete without a small world experience. Vicki reconnected with Sallie Schools ’81, who remembered Vicki’s love of the front row and class participation in their economics classes.

Nancy Kaiser and wife Mary McElhone were also busy with travel. They traveled around Italy for three weeks, seeing Venice, Florence, Cinque Terre, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and Rome. In Rome, they boarded a transatlantic cruise bound for Fort Lauderdale.

I’d love to share more news from the Class of 1982. We are all either retired or approaching it, so new adventures and travel are on the horizon.

1983

Marcia Anne Guida marcia.g.james@gmail.com Scott Harris published articles in two consecutive issues of White House History Quarterly, the journal of the White House Historical Association: “The New York City Death and Burial of James Monroe” (WHHQ #69) and “President William Howard Taft’s Wild Ride from Washington,

D.C., to the Manassas Peace Jubilee” (WHHQ #70, Summer 2023). Scott was also appointed to the Accreditation Commission of the American Alliance of Museums, capping more than 30 years as a peer reviewer in AAM’s assessment and accreditation programs. Learn more at www.aam-us.org.

Susan Leavitt completed the Ironman in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, in June 2023, which was the “swan song” for her left hip! She often sees Karen Day in Alexandria, Virginia, and communicates with Estie Corey Thomas and Susan Jones Hollister, who are local, and Monica Rastallis Cashin, who is in New Hampshire. Susan also became a step-grandma this year and sells real estate for COMPASS in the DMV. She encourages alumni to start a scholarship at UMW or contribute to the Fund for Mary Washington. It’s nice to see how your legacy creates a strong impact on our future leaders.

David and Nelly Castano Garza celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Nov. 19, 2023. Their eldest son, Matthew, and his wife, Elisa, have three little girls, ages 4, 2, and 13 months. Their youngest son, Andrew, has moved in the last two years from San Antonio to Nashville to Ogden, Utah, and back to San Antonio, with mom and dad helping with each move!

David has been with Spurs Sports & Entertainment for nine years in their audio and visual department. Nelly has been a bookkeeper at a local ocularist office for 12 years. She has also worked for Spurs Sports & Entertainment for the last six years, initially as an usher, and then became usher lead two years ago.

Kathleen Enfield Jerow, after spending over 40 years in the travel industry and as a world language teacher, began a new chapter. She moved to Québec City in June to live with her husband of two years, Marc. Submitting her paperwork, she awaits her work permit and residency in the beautiful Canadian city, where she hopes to return to the classroom. Kathleen teaches students and adults online in French and English, across the U.S. and Canada. She also serves as an activity leader for a local English conversation group and volunteers at a senior center, creating holiday crafts. Her Facebook page showcases her Christmas creations, and she’ll explore other themes as the seasons arrive.

Cheryl Whittaker married Greg May in 1987. They have one daughter, Anna Selah. After a five-year separation, they reunited, and Cheryl became a follower of Christ. She received an M.A. in arts management from American University,

where her final project was a flamenco dance-drama about salvation, performed in U.S. and in Mexico.

Kathy Walters Along’s daughter, Gina, had enough of Florida, and took a nursing job in Minneapolis, moving there in January 2023. She has welcomed experiencing four seasons again, learned to drive in snow, and even saw the aurora borealis in the fall. After 25 years of non-stop academia, son Joe shifted gears and accepted a job offer from a Korean company, ServeOne, which has a location in the Nashville area. He lives downtown and reverse commutes to suburban Lebanon. He speaks Korean all day, every day. Husband Jim has recently taken up wild boar hunting. Feral boars are destructive and invasive, but their meat is high in protein, low in fat, and eco-friendly. Kathy and Jim eat it often, since the one Jim shot in August weighed nearly 300 lbs.! They both attended the reunion at UMW, where Kathy hung out with former roomie Lisa Harris Coleman and her husband. Kathy and Jim visited Denver in September, hiking the Rockies by day and attending the Great American Beer Festival all three nights. Activities that spark joy for them include fitness, hiking, target shooting at three local ranges, attending sporting events, road trips, and visiting craft breweries. Since 2019, they have been to 125 different breweries in 13 states!

I, Marcia Anne Guida, got married in August 2023 to my fiancé, Keith Sherry.

Since June 2023, we’ve traveled to Milan a couple of times to attend fashion events and the United Kingdom, Belgium, Costa Rica, and the south of France. I’m still at Humana as regional vice president for the Florida market. No plans to retire any time soon!

1984

Christine Waller Manca christine.manca@att.net Katherine Knightly Mulholland wrote: “True story – circa 1986, I boldly stated that I’d never live in Texas or California!

Well, I ended up residing in California for 8.5 years and the past 22 years in Texas! I now declare, ‘I’ll never win the lottery!’” Katherine and her husband took the trip of a lifetime in early 2023. They boarded a ship in Florida, sailed through the Caribbean, traversed the Panama Canal, watched Panama hats being woven in Ecuador, circumnavigated South America, explored Antarctica, walked through the largest Magellanic penguin colony in the world, played polo, and visited Eva Perón’s grave in Buenos Aires. They also reunited with a grammar/

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Class Notes

high school friend – whom Katherine hadn’t seen in 43 years – aboard the ship, stood at the foot of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, celebrated Carnivale in Rio de Janeiro, cruised the Amazon River where they spotted rare pink dolphins, spent a day on Devil’s Island in French Guiana, and then sailed the Caribbean back to Florida! It was a 77-day adventure. Life is good, and she feels so blessed. Best wishes to all!

Karen Warren Beall earned a graduate certificate in forensic genetic genealogy from the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at the University of New Haven.

1985

Joanne Bartholomew Lamm jlamm88@verizon.net I, Joanne Bartholomew Lamm, retired on Oct. 31, 2023, from the federal government after 20 years of civilian service. I worked for five years for the National Archives in downtown D.C., then stayed home with our three children for 18 years. In 2008, I went back to federal service at the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I hope this new era will allow me more time to visit Fredericksburg and the campus – and Carl’s! I hope you all are well. Please write to me anytime!

1986

Lisa A. Harvey lisharvey@msn.com Danielle Bernstein Haberman looks forward to the 2024 wedding of her oldest son, Cole, and his beautiful fiancée, Sydney! Danielle semi-retired two years ago and enjoys substitute teaching in primary and elementary schools.

1987

Kemetia Foley kmkfoley@gmail.com

1988

Jay Bradshaw jaybradshaw747@aol.com Beverly Newman bevnewmn@yahoo.com From Jay: Everyone was grateful to have one last Grill on the Hill. Many alumni were unable to attend but were still appreciative!

Thank you again to Bev Newman for

chairing the Class of 1988 reunion and holding the class dinner in Marshall Hall, one of the largest to date. Funding for the demolition of Marshall Hall has been approved, but we do not have a firm date on when the bulldozers will start their work. Despite the delay, Russell and Marshall halls are still slated to be razed.

Don Appiarius recently became vice president of Pitt Community College in Greenville, North Carolina. He is excited to move back to the East Coast.

1989

Jim Czarnecki jimczarnecki@yahoo.com Andrea Schwalm Stolz had such a fun time saying goodbye to Russell and Marshall at last year’s reunion, meeting new friends, and reconnecting with old ones, so she volunteered to help organize our class party this June. She has lived in Patchogue, New York, for the past 20 years, where she and her husband have raised their two kids, so she feels a bit out of touch with the Mary Wash loop. If you’d like to help with planning or outreach for our class party, feel free to email her at andrea.schwalmstolz@gmail.com or hit her up on Facebook.

Andrea has been a credentialed family peer advocate, helping parents of children with social, emotional, behavioral, and learning differences access school and medical supports for the last 15 years.

A couple of years ago, she became the executive director of Long Island Families Together, a family-led not-forprofit that provides advocacy training and support to families who want to see improvements to New York’s statewide children’s mental health system. She also works closely with the Healthy Minds Healthy Kids Stakeholder Council to advocate for necessary improvements to mental health policy across the state.

She was recently accepted into the University of Pennsylvania’s Digital Media for Social Impact program through the Annenberg School of Communication and its Nonprofit Executive Development program, so she has no plans to retire anytime soon! When she’s not working, Andrea loves seeing live local music, serves as secretary for her Lions Club chapter, and sits on a couple of not-forprofit boards. She also texts almost daily with Beth Gilkey ’90, who regales her with vegan recipes and stories about her dogs.

Supposed to Feel Better, was released in October 2023, and her debut novel, Without You Here, is forthcoming in November 2024. Jody teaches at WriterHouse in Charlottesville, Virginia, and reads for The Los Angeles Review.

She is a regular contributor to several prestigious journals and copy editor of the popular magazine, Virginia Wine & Country Life.

1991

Shannon Eadie Niemeyer sfniemeyer@comcast.net Janet Nestlerode had the honor of spending June in Virginia at the Federal Executive Institute (FEI) in Charlottesville as a member of the Leadership for a Democratic Society Program’s class #503. FEI offers learning and ongoing leadership development for public sector senior leaders to improve the performance of government agencies.

Janet is a branch supervisor at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development’s Gulf Ecosystem Measurement and Modeling Division in Gulf Breeze, Florida.

William, son of Lisa Meadows Foulds and Eric Foulds ’89, married his high school sweetheart in August. Lisa and Eric’s daughter, Grace, will graduate from UVA with a nursing degree in May. Ken Lopez suffered a brain aneurysm in March 2020. He had to learn to walk and talk again. It has been a long journey, but he has recovered over 90 percent at this point. After trying to get a museumrelated start-up going, Ken is back to his former litigation consulting business, which is going well. His triplets are sophomores in high school. Ken is happy to hear from anyone and would love to chat at ken@persuadius.com.

1990

Lori Klugman chose a pet assistance charity for a music fundraiser in November. She organized the event, chose musicians, and sang and played guitar at a popular local bar where the event was held. The fundraiser raised over $2,000 for the charity, which provides a pet pantry, spay and neuter services, and education for shelter employees in the Trenton, New Jersey, area. Lori gave an informal lecture on brain health through exercise at Princeton University in December, emphasizing how exercise, especially dance and actions like playing instruments, improve the brain. Lori chose the right fields of work and study to suit her interests.

Jody Hobbs Hesler’s debut story collection, What Makes You Think You’re

Frank and I, Shannon Eadie Niemeyer, have enjoyed getting together with friends to watch the Rabble Rousers play

Susan Crytzer Marchant march66358@verizon.net

1 4 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

a couple of times recently, at Water’s End Brewery in Fredericksburg in May and again at Kindred Spirits Brewing Company in Richmond, Virginia, in November. The band always puts on a great show! Follow on social media to learn about upcoming dates.

Please keep your updates coming! It is always wonderful to hear from you!

1992

Courtney Hall Harjung charjung@hotmail.com Marci Morgan, who majored in political science at Mary Washington, now lives in Tucson, Arizona, with her fiancé, Chad.

She earned an M.S. in rehabilitation counseling from VCU in 1999 and works at a psychiatric crisis center. Her dad, Bob, and her mom, Sherry, who worked in HR at MWC for almost 30 years, joined them in 2018. Marci and Chad spend most of their free time with their three horses.

Courtney Moates Paulk, who serves as the first female president of the Hirschler construction law firm in Richmond, Virginia, was inducted into the International Marathon Swimmers Hall of Fame. Courtney, who majored in theatre and philosophy at Mary Washington, is also an accomplished and recordbreaking open-water swimmer. In 2013, she joined an elite group of athletes who have earned the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, completing a 28.5-mile swim around the island of Manhattan, a 21-mile stretch between Catalina Island and mainland California, and the 21-mile expanse across the English Channel.

A year later, she became the seventh person to swim across Cape Cod Bay from Plymouth to Provincetown, breaking a course record by nearly 40 minutes.

As a lawyer, Courtney earned a J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law and has been named a fellow of the American Bar Association. She has been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” in construction litigation by Virginia Super Lawyers and as a member of the “Legal Elite” in construction law by Virginia Business.

Rachael Schmeller Crout’s daughter, Anna, is earning her education degree while working as a teacher. Daughter Heather went on a mission trip to Africa and has more planned for 2024.

Nellie King, immediate past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, earned the League of Women Voters of Florida’s David King Defender of Democracy Award, for forming a task force to protect the voting

rights of individuals with past felony convictions.

on his family, friends, colleagues, and community.

My husband, Tom, and I, Courtney Hall Harjung, celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary in Curaçao in October 2023.

We’re planning a January trip to Grenada for more scuba diving and returning home to the Gulf Coast in time to celebrate the Mardi Gras season. Wishing you all a wonderful 2024!

In November 2023, Kathy Opiela King joined the National Association of Corporate Directors as associate director of communications and brand. Since her role is new, she’s able to test and learn while trying out new ideas, and she’s been having fun with her new challenge.

Last year, she and her husband took a river cruise from Basel to Amsterdam.

This year, she is planning a trip to the Grand Canyon for stargazing and hiking.

She and her husband also became firsttime grandparents last summer and are relishing this new adventure.

1993

J. Suzanne Horsley jshorsley@ua.edu Allison Griffin Mitchell lives in Barboursville, Virginia, and has two sons, one graduating from high school this year looking to pursue architecture and the other contracted with the U.S. Army at Texas A&M, majoring in leadership with minors in military science and sociology.

She has two adorable double doodles and enjoys skiing, hiking and camping, Bible study, puzzles, and reading. She works at UVA as a certified wound, ostomy, and continence nurse in urology.

Jennifer Williams England lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, and is director of the Isle of Wight County Museum. She enjoys her work preserving the history of the county and being in charge of the World’s Oldest Ham! 2023 was the year of anniversaries for John Anstey. His advertising firm celebrated its 20th anniversary – the firm has three offices and clients nationwide.

He and his wife, Dr. Kara Lee Matala ’94, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They have two daughters, Anna, a sophomore at Wake Forest, and Charlotte, a sophomore in high school.

John was named to the UMW Board of Visitors in July and enjoys returning to campus for meetings.

Bethany Zecher Sutton just completed her first year serving as an elected member of the Arlington School Board.

After working for 25 years in higher education, pivoting into K-12 leadership is a new and different endeavor. Luna (12th grade) and Cara (9th grade) are disappointed that Bethany won’t give them advance notice about snow days, but they are learning to deal with it.

Bethany does leadership development and coaching for women in higher education as a companion to her K-12 work. Bethany, Luna, and Cara are deeply mourning the loss of their husband and dad, Ben Sutton ’95, in March 2023, following a two-year battle with cancer. They also are celebrating the extraordinary impact that he had

Rachel Abrajano Beattie has been in Warrenton, Virginia, for the last 15 years with her husband, Rob, and three daughters. Her twins will graduate high school in May and her youngest will enter high school in the fall. Rachel made a career shift in 2021 to work for Cisco Systems (after spending 18 years in management consulting with Booz Allen Hamilton) and is enjoying the flexibility her new position provides. She has had some great run-ins with other Mary Washington alumni at the UMW alumni event in Manassas with the North Central Virginia regional network and enjoyed catching up with Allyson Dieck and Cindy Terry before Christmas.

Lisa Kay Howard has been a government contractor supporting the FAA in the Air Traffic Engineering division in D.C. for the last 10 years, but she’s most excited to share her work as a mandolinist and singer with two nationally touring bluegrass bands. Last year, in addition to playing all over the U.S., she performed in Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Ireland. She lives in Loudoun County, Virginia, with her husband, Wally, who plays in both bands.

They married in 2013, and he has two wonderful grown children.

I, J. Suzanne Horsley, was appointed associate dean of communication and advancement for the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama.

I also published my second textbook, The Media Relations Training Handbook, in 2023. I had a blast seeing friends and visiting old haunts during the 30th reunion at Mary Washington last summer.

A highlight was staying in my old dorm, Willard Hall, with my former roommate, Diane Newcomb Easter – a full-circle moment! I also enjoy cruising every chance I get and fostering dogs with local rescue groups. I’ve taken on the role as the 1993 class agent, so please send your news to me at jshorsley@ua.edu.

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Class Notes

1994

Jennifer Dockeray Muniz jennifermuniz1@gmail.com Becky Miller Duff works at the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Innovation in the UVA Darden School of Business. As director of thought leadership, she translates and promotes faculty research, which has included co-authoring a book titled The Decarbonization Imperative: Transforming the Global Economy by 2050. She is also helping to lead school sustainability efforts. Her family of four, including kids ages 10 and 14, enjoys all the great things Charlottesville offers: the Shenandoah mountains, proximity to the Chesapeake Bay, college sports, Virginia wine and beer, and the occasional visit from Brian Ranney when he returns home to visit family. She is also back on the pitch, assistant coaching her 10-yearold daughter’s travel team, and she loves being close to soccer again. Her knees are happy she isn’t playing it.

Cheryl Fenner Brown moved back to the East Coast after 15 years in the Bay Area with husband Bob. They now live in North Carolina with their spirited dachshund, Ava. Cheryl works as a yoga therapist, specializing in cancer and working with older adults. She published the Yoga Encyclopedia app last year; it is the culmination of 18 years of intense study of the philosophy and practice of yoga and offers memberships for both

practitioners and teachers. She was a presenter and panelist this summer for the International Association of Yoga Therapists Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research and contributed to the new book, Yoga Therapy Across the Cancer Care Continuum. She is also helping to plan the 1994 class party at this year’s reunion.

I also had the pleasure of a November lunch on a lovely fall day in Williamsburg, Virginia, with Maureen Thompson Brand and Jennifer Moore Swisher. We enjoyed catching up in person after a long stretch of virtual happy hours. Both are doing well, and all three of us look forward to meeting up more now that we’re within a couple of hours of each other.

Eric Nolan’s poetry was recently selected for anthologies by Scars Publications and Local Gems Press. His writing was published by the Eunoia Review in Singapore, impspired in Great Britain, and The Galway Review in Ireland. Eric still hangs out in Roanoke, Virginia, with Russell Painter ’91, with occasional visits

by Janet Walbroehl Winston ’91.

Director and storyteller Aaron Straight is working with actor Nick Offerman on a short film about the return of the Western Flyer, after the ship was lost for 75 years – and sunk twice. The ship was famously chartered by author John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts to sail to Mexico on a groundbreaking science research (and beer-drinking) expedition, which was the inspiration for Steinbeck’s masterpiece, The Log from the Sea of Cortez. Straight also wrote and directed a short conservation film in Ireland, created a new brand anthem for an ancient liquor from Peru, and had a new film selected for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in California. Learn more about his work on soulcraftallstars.com.

We’re looking forward to celebrating our 30th reunion this spring and hope to see a lot of our fellow 1994 alums!

1995

Matt and Shandie Covington mattandshandie95@gmail.com Matt and I, Shandie Covington, had the pleasure of attending my cousin’s wedding in December. We were thrilled to learn that the couple’s reception was held at UMW in the Cedric Rucker University Center’s Chandler Ballroom.

Quite a change from old Chandler Hall!

We loved taking an evening stroll around Ball Circle and a photo at the fountain to remember the occasion!

From left: Joe Shepherd, Megan Carter Shepherd ’94, Jill Marmo, and Lou Marmo ’94 at the Celebration of Giving in December 2023. Photo by Karen Pearlman.

1 6 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

Otherwise, our group has been quiet. Our class section was dormant for so long!

Let’s keep the news and updates flowing.

Bennett “Ben” Warburton Sutton passed away on March 26, 2023, after a two-year battle with lung cancer, reported his wife, Bethany Zecher Sutton ’93.

Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Ben grew up in Northern Virginia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Mary Washington, as well as a master’s degree in economics from George Washington University. He was a senior research officer for the International Monetary Fund, where he cultivated a global network of friends and colleagues, worked to promote a respectful workplace, and served as a mentor and a team builder. Ben and Bethany made their home in Arlington, Virginia, but also loved vacationing in the Outer Banks, North Carolina, as well as New England.

Together, they introduced their children to domestic and international travel, making many memories together abroad.

Ben was passionate about cooking and playing and watching soccer, but above all, he loved being a father to his daughters, Luna and Cara. In addition to his wife, children, and parents, Ben is survived by his three brothers and other loving family and friends.

1996

Jennifer Rudalf Gates teamgates17@gmail.com

1997

Michelle Trombetta michelletrombetta@gmail.com Kate Lulfs Ehrle and Richard Ehrle ’85 celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in October. They took a nice trip up to the Adirondacks. They had lots of travel this past year, especially with two kids in college; one attends the University of Alabama, and one is currently at Wingate University and transferring to VCU in the spring. To keep them extra busy, they still have a 9-yearold at home! Kate serves as president of Cask Technologies, while Richard is rounding out over two decades with the federal government. They stay connected with quite a few alumni, mostly through Facebook, but have had a few visitors from the classes of 1997 and 1998.

Myronee Simpson is in her second year at Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida, as director of college counseling. In September, she was elected to serve on the board of directors for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, based in Arlington, Virginia. Congrats, Myra!

Refugee One, the center in Chicago where Steph Rooney worked after college, opened a new building, with a section named for Steph. She primarily worked with refugee children, so that was the area dedicated to her.

Mai Trinh spent Thanksgiving in Key West with her brood. Unfortunately, Mai and I, Michelle Trombetta, missed each other by a hair! However, that did not stop the holiday island fun. My husband and I arrived right before Thanksgiving and spent December ringing in the holidays at our southernmost home. Mai trekked to colder climates to ring in the holidays in the Big Apple. Mai celebrated in New York City with her eldest daughter, Anais, who received her acceptance to Dartmouth College for the fall. Kirsten Franklin-Temple offered Mai and her family an open invitation to stay with her parents for visits to Dartmouth. The Mary Wash alumni network is going strong.

I was in D.C. for a work event and extended my stay, giving me the opportunity to attend the Vienna Oktoberfest with Julie Newell Leslie, Jason Terril, and Sye Smith ’96. Jason was one day away from flying to the United Kingdom to live and work in Cambridgeshire. I also had a fall work event in San Antonio, where I got to spend an extra night getting into shenanigans with my college roomie, Kira Stchur Villarreal. I love these

serendipitous meetings with classmates. I hope to run into more of you in 2024.

1998

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu David Modzeleski serves as senior vice president and global head of intellectual property for Warner Bros. Discovery.

He previously managed the intellectual property and litigation departments at Discovery before it merged with WarnerMedia. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his husband, also an intellectual property lawyer, and their two young daughters, Mary Mae (age 8) and Isabelle (age 3).

1999

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu Chris Fines, now a managing partner at Community Financial Group, placed 47th on AdvisorHub’s 2023 list of 100 Advisors to Watch (Under $1B). Advisors on this nationwide list are ranked based on scope, growth, and professionalism.

This award is a testament to Chris’ commitment to his clients over his 20-year career, as well as the high level of service and professionalism his team provides to their clients.

Congratulations, Chris!

2000

Virginia Green Bartlett ’01 and Preston Robinson ’99 and their blended family. Photo courtesy of Virginia Green Bartlett.

their two children, ages 2.5 and 4.5.

Their eldest started school this year.

2002

Travis Jones tljones8@gmail.com

Jennifer Burger Thomas jenntec14@gmail.com

Carolyn Murray Spencer turtlecjm@yahoo.com

2001

2003

Annie Johnston anniebatesjohnston@gmail.com As an unexpected bright spot during the pandemic, Virginia Green Bartlett and Preston Robinson ’99 reconnected as friends on Facebook, decided they might be good as partners, and eventually combined forces and their collective total of five kids, three dogs, and five cats into a blended family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Virginia serves as a healthcare ethics consultant and recently published a book on clinical ethics, while Preston works in political consulting and government affairs locally, statewide, and nationally.

Caroline Jarvis Gee started a new job at Evelyn Partners as head of charity business development in March 2023.

She and her husband live in Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom, with

Jessica Brandes jessbrandes@yahoo.com I, Jessica Brandes, participated in UMW’s Homecoming celebration in October and was joined by my fellow 2003 classmates, including Katie Helldoerfer Lunne, Bonnie Ryan Lefkowitz, Emily Ruesch, Jeff Howard, Ryan Quinn, Caroline Otto Lemire, Rebecca Griffith, Tommy Rogers, Sarah Sedaghatfar Little, and Catherine Keane. Wild times were had by all!

2004

Sameer Vaswani svaswani54@gmail.com Aaron Layman is an analyst for civil engineering firm Gannett Fleming, specializing in strategic communications

University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

17

Class Notes

and support for water utilities on both coasts. He volunteers as a marketing coordinator for Local Colors, southwest Virginia’s largest multicultural festival.

Whenever possible during the year, he treks up to Washington, D.C., to catch up with Matthew Guderian over platters of Ethiopian food.

2008

LoriAnn Maresca Solano recently became a full-time licensed behavior specialist at a local elementary school.

This is a shift from her previous role as a consultant to numerous districts in the area. She enjoys working with school-aged children, staff, and families to develop and implement behavior strategies. She is looking forward to being able to provide more consistent and comprehensive support to those she works with. LoriAnn lives on Long Island with her husband, daughter (age 10), and son (age 7).

Abbie Steele graduated in May 2023 with an M.S. in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is now a licensed professional counselor-associate in Texas and a national certified counselor, or NCC. She completed her internship during her program in South Texas Veterans Affairs in primary care mental health. After graduation, she began work in an area of the VA called the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) for veterans who have serious mental illness diagnoses.

Amanda Davis McClellan shared that the law firm where she works, Saxton & Stump, opened its seventh office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. A government relations advisor, Amanda earned a B.A. in historic preservation from Mary Washington, an M.S. in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania, and a certificate in real estate design and development from the Wharton School.

I, Alyssa Lee, enjoyed seeing old and new faces at Reunion Weekend but was dismayed to see my freshman dorm room in Virginia Hall had been converted into a hall bathroom. Just two weeks later, I eloped with my partner, Kim Haynes, on a beach in Puerto Rico, followed by a threeweek honeymoon to Europe in October.

2005

Allyson “Ally” V. Lee Marzan allyvlee@gmail.com

2006

Shana Muhammad shana.muhammad@gmail.com

2007

Jay Sinha jay.sinha9@gmail.com Daniel Clendenin daniel.clendenin@gmail.com Sarah Eckman sarahje@gmail.com Jay Sinha completed two years at the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Privacy & Civil Liberties, where his legal work focuses on privacy, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence and automation.

He traveled to India, Germany, Spain, and Puerto Rico in 2023. He hopes his 2007 classmates will send Class Notes updates so they can reconnect and celebrate their accolades.

Trish Lauck Cerulli trish.cerulli@gmail.com Alyssa Lee alyssa.linda.lee@gmail.com From Alyssa:

Ron. She still owns her own dementia care consulting firm and looks for ways to expand and grow the business. She returns to UMW about once a year to speak in the psychology department’s adult development class.

2012

Mandi Solomon msolomon211@gmail.com

2013

Amanda Buckner McVicker amanda.l.mcvicker@gmail.com Andrew Hogan andrew.hogan819@gmail.com

2014

Elizabeth Storey estorey@mail.usf.edu

2015

Evan Smallwood esmallwood15@gmail.com Moira McAvoy moira.jo.mcavoy@gmail.com

2009

Maggie Lovitt was accepted into the Critics Choice Association.

Alexandra Meier alexandra.m.meier@gmail.com

Quinn Doyle quinnmdoyle@gmail.com

Elizabeth Jennings Haden elizabethsjennings@gmail.com

Jessica Dalrymple started a new position as director of advancement services at Eckerd College in November.

2010

Kelly Caldwell kellyecaldwell@gmail.com Kelly Landau Garman, James Garman, and their three sons are living in Guadalajara, Mexico, for one more year before they move to Peru for a few years.

They’ve missed Fredericksburg and UMW events and hope to be back in town around 2027.

2011

Hannah Hopkins hannahlhopkins@me.com Kira Lanewala klanewala@gmail.com Rachael Wonderlin had her first baby, Sawyer, in May 2023, with her husband,

1 8 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

2016

Katie Fago has been accepted into the physician assistant program starting this fall at South College-Nashville as part of the Class of 2025, where she’ll pursue a Master of Health Science in physician assistant studies.

2017

Samantha Litchford slitchfo@gmail.com

2018

Brittany McBride bmcbride2128@gmail.com

2019

Sarah Hampton sarah.g.hampton@gmail.com Jolie Richards married Michael Marson ’17 on June 3, 2023, at the Westwood Country Club. Bridesmaids included Maddy Kelly and Sam Adams.

Casey Spanitz married Trey Ritter on Aug. 23, 2023, in Norfolk, Virginia.

Bridesmaids included Nicolette Vallee, Madison Pons, Hope Lockwood, and Mackenzie Maguire.

Savannah Boyd married Craig Chick on Sept. 23, 2023, in Prince Frederick, Maryland. Bridesmaids included Hope Lockwood, Julia Albert, Colleen Salazar, Jenny Bosserman ’20, and Paige Haskins ’20.

Shelby Sencindiver and Joseph “Joey” Sebesky got married on Nov. 3, 2023, at Wintergreen Resort in Virginia.

Shelby and Joey met at freshman orientation. The maid of honor was Kendall Parker ’18. Bridesmaids included Natalie Johns and Alli Harnois.

Groomsmen included Adam Schoene ’20 and James Smith ’20.

Alannah Miller married Jeremy Rhodes on Nov. 11, 2023, in Mount Crawford, Virginia. Bridesmaids included Jordan Pamlanye and Meghan Comer Gauldin.

Lisa McKinley and Matt Allocca got engaged in August.

Lily Van Horn graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Science in Geospatial Analysis from UMW. Christine Mears started a new position as a proposal architect at Booz Allen Hamilton.

Kelcie Macomber started a new position as senior contract administrator at BAE Systems Inc. Natalie LeMay was promoted to state and local contracts manager at Carahsoft.

Julia Albert started a new position as account executive at Coefficient.

2020

Nathaniel Holic nholic2020@gmail.com Gretchen Showalter moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to work for the College of Charleston as the assistant director of annual giving direct marketing.

Jason Ford ran for Virginia State Senate for District 28 and received over 19,000 votes.

Alec Biles leads the ocean mapping industry. He also conducted a one-onone interview with Sam Bankman-Fried.

Reid Merritt and Michael Gilchrist joined the UMW Young Alumni Council.

2021

privilege of hosting UMW Admissions representatives at the high school where she works, and many of her students were granted admission and even committed to UMW! Her job is rewarding, and as a first-generation student herself, it’s a privilege to guide her students through their post-secondary education journeys.

No Class Agent classnotes@umw.edu

2022

Carson Berrier cberrier@umw.edu Haylie Stevenson haylie5800@gmail.com

Cecilia “CeCe” Chianese earned a master’s degree in elementary education from UMW, then started a new chapter in Raleigh, North Carolina. She enjoys teaching third grade and is learning so much!

After graduation, I, Ryan Meek, accepted a job at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. As a clinical research coordinator (CRC), I enroll patients into research studies and follow up with them through the process. It’s rewarding to contribute to the wound care field and the expanding knowledge of diabetic foot ulcers, specifically to help advance the standard of care. I’m also serving as the 2023 class agent for Class Notes, so please send any updates or exciting news you’d like to share to me at ryan.meek.31@gmail.com.

Audrey Flavin received an MBA from UMW and went on to work in inside sales in the space industry. She has been able to travel to some fun places like Colorado, St. Louis, and even Paris for work! Audrey is looking forward to traveling more for work and seeing where life takes her next.

In Memoriam

Haley Magee completed a master’s degree in elementary education from UMW and then moved to North Carolina to begin her first year of teaching. She is enjoying her new home and all that teaching brings!

Alumni and Former Students

2023

Lucille Cutchin Winton ’42

After graduating with a business administration and cybersecurity undergraduate degree, Michael Marsh has returned to UMW to earn an MBA. He volunteers his time in the College of Education’s Makerspace to help future teachers learn how to integrate technology into their classrooms along with hosting local schools for STEMrelated field trips. He plans to work for the U.S. government to lead a team that utilizes his cybersecurity and management skills.

Ruth Parks Crockett ’45

Helen Louise Tracy Totura ’43

Ryan Meek ryan.meek.31@gmail.com

Elizabeth “Betty” Sowers Majeske ’44

Stephen Case received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in May 2023 and has officially started his first post-graduate job in Arlington, Virginia, as a chemistry consultant for AECOM, an infrastructure consulting firm.

Mehak Shah works for Virginia College Advising Corps through the University of Virginia. As a college advisor, she advocates for low-income, firstgeneration, and underrepresented students by helping them access higher education. Mehak recently had the

Frances Mae Bishop Johnson ’46 Margaret “Peg” Elsasser Moring ’48 Lois Blake Tankersley ’48 Harriet Scott Brockenbrough ’49 Kathryn Sue Wright Drake ’49 Agnes “Aggie” Landers Painter ’49 Beverly Youngs Robinson ’50 Lucy Hunter Smith Cardwell ’51 Viola N. Iacozza Fettuccia ’51 Dorothy Alice Culpepper Wingfield ’51 Mary Edwina Moss Apostle ’52 Phyllis Webb Pegram ’52 Mary Louella Dodge ’53 Caroline Mueller Griffin ’53 Mary-Nelson Coleman Campbell Hoornstra ’53 Anne Gorman Mattingly ’53 Ruth Allene Glaettli Russell Cobb ’54 Virginia Ann Johnston LeDuke ’54 Molly Myrus Swain ’54

University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

19

In Memoriam

Obituaries Forrest Anthony Parker, founding director of the James Farmer Multicultural Center and co-creator of the Multicultural Fair, passed away Jan. 1, 2024.

Parker earned a bachelor’s degree from Ferrum College and an M.A. in counseling education from James Madison University, where he served as the first recruiter of minority students as part of Virginia’s revised college desegregation plan. At JMU, he established two groups for African American students, Brothers of a New Direction (BOND) and Women of Color. He brought these groups to Mary Washington College in 1989, when he was hired as associate dean for admissions.

Parker became the founding director of the Multicultural Center in 1990, later named for civil rights pioneer James Farmer, and implemented the first Multicultural Fair in 1991.

In 1993, Parker was promoted to vice president for multicultural affairs. He continued serving the Fredericksburg area as CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of the Rappahannock Region and founder of mentoring programs at the Rappahannock Regional Uplift and Scholarship Foundation.

“The JFMC is deeply saddened by the passing of Forrest and very grateful for the legacy and commitment he gave to our ongoing mission and purpose,” said Marion Sanford, assistant vice president for student affairs and director of multicultural affairs at Mary Washington.

He is survived by his son, his mother, two brothers, nephews and nieces, and other loved ones.

Stephen Leon Lipscomb, professor emeritus of mathematics, passed away Dec. 30, 2023, due to complications of Alzheimer’s.

Born in West Virginia, Dr. Lipscomb earned a bachelor’s degree at Fairmont State College, a master’s degree in mathematics at West Virginia University, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Virginia.

Dr. Lipscomb served as the Department of Mathematics chair for two decades until his retirement in 2003, amassing 40 years of professional service at Mary Washington and additional research and educational positions.

He frequently contributed to professional journals and translated several books related to the American Mathematical Society and numerous U.S. Navy reports. His published books include Fractals and Universal Spaces in Dimension Theory, Incipit, Art Meets Mathematics in the Fourth Dimension, and A Life of Mathematics. He invented and named Lipscomb’s Topological Space and pioneered several mathematical concepts, including the first thrust integral programs for the Navy. Among his accomplishments are leadership of the tiger team in the Tomahawk Missile System prior to the operational evaluation in 1983, several patents for web structures and methods, and the discovery of a novel geometry, the 4web, used to create high-strength, lightweight web structures, such as medical spinal cages.

His survivors include his wife, Patty; two sons; four grandchildren; and other loving family and friends.

2 0 University of Mary Washington Class Notes Spring 2024

Connie Gallahan, UMW’s longtime women’s basketball and volleyball coach, passed away Dec. 3, 2023.

A Fredericksburg native and Longwood University graduate, Gallahan played a myriad of sports as an undergraduate. She served for two years as the tennis professional at Fredericksburg Country Club before coming to Mary Washington. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Tennessee.

Gallahan was one of the first full-time coaching hires in the Department of Athletics under longtime Director of Athletics Dr. Edward Hegmann, in 1977. She coached both volleyball and basketball for 10 years, compiling 215 victories in 10 seasons in volleyball, with two state championships, and two ECAC South titles, before focusing solely on basketball in 1986. In 24 years as women’s basketball coach, Gallahan won 306 games, leading the Eagles to three state championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances, in 1994 and 1998. She was valued as a tremendous colleague and mentor to generations of studentathletes, known for her knowledge, determination, desire to win, and wonderful sense of humor.

Following her coaching career, Gallahan remained with the University for another 15 years, as the assistant dean of advising services at the graduate Stafford Campus, where she positively influenced generations of learners.

She is survived by her sister, her niece and nephew, and other loving family.

James “Jim” E. Baker, distinguished professor emeritus of music, passed away Nov. 6, 2023.

Born in Pennsylvania, Dr. Baker earned a bachelor’s degree and M.Ed. in music at Penn State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Catholic University of America.

He joined the teaching faculty at Mary Washington in 1965, advancing to full professor, department chair, and symphony conductor. He was the founder of the College Community Symphony in 1971, which exists today as the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra. He also established the Friends of the Orchestra to buy instruments and music and fund Mary Washington student scholarships. A highlight of his tenure was a performance of the Mary Washington College Community-Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York City, along with decades of inspiring students, colleagues, and concert-goers, until his retirement in 2002.

His students appreciated his practical approach and belief that music should be heard. He transcended instrumental and voice performance to include Mary Washington’s first electronic music program. An accomplished musician himself, Dr. Baker and his wife, Joan, a vocalist, took their talents to Europe for many performances. He also studied with the National Symphony and several well-known conductors. As a teacher, he is noted for bringing musical performance to the public.

Dr. Baker leaves behind his wife of 65 years, Joan; three children, Brian Baker ’84 MBA ’89, Erin Baker Sniffin ’84, and Jonathan Baker ’90; five grandchildren; and other loving family and friends.

Janet Young Bradshaw ’55

Cynthia Vaughan Jarvis ’75

Anne Roberta Wilson Sandvig

Sally Watson Castle ’55

Madelin Jones Barratt ’76

Cynthia Claire Scott Cozewith

Jean Byrd Steelman ’55

Rebecca D. Cintron ’76

Martha Coleman Carpenter Scroggs

Frieda Anne Headley Byrd ’56

Natalie Carole Suter Davis ’76

Anne Holland Seymour

Mary Anne Baldwin Campbell ’56

Ruth Carter Pritchard ’78

Audrey Geiger Smith

Sally Ann Jackson Doyle ’56

Bernard Skibinski III ’79

Judith “Judy” K. Smith

Lucy Huger Coates Moise ’56

Barbara McAllister ’81

Patricia McDowell Smith

Anne Ryland Walker Skinner ’56

Pamela Paull Sklut ’81

Antoinette Culler Smith Suiter

Priscilla Braden Ripple Baysinger ’57

Duke Stableford ’81

Carolyn Hopkins Walton

Anne Marlene Bost Braun ’57

Carolyn Synan Childress ’82

Gail Weeden Yates

Sandra Dianne Holland Howe ’57

Sue Ann Tillery ’82

Elia Eminet Villanueva Corretjer ’58

Jean Wakeman Jones ’83

Faculty

Nancy Ann Andrews Jocylen Dankel ’58

Marian Elsie Shick Brookins ’85

James Baker

Virginia Brett Garland ’58

Billy Eyles ’85

Charles Cameron Ballard

Elizabeth “Betty Fay” King Lewis ’58

Susan Holly Zaenglein Parker ’87

Walter Houghton Bishop

Madeleine Smith Moss ’58

Dawn Suzanne Rigby ’90

Donald T. Edwards

Mary Ruth “Ruthie” Griggs Ridge ’58

Carolyn Jean Guinn ’92

Constance Ann “Connie” Gallahan

Martha Moore Wilson ’58

Leri Melissa Thomas ’92

Stephen L. Lipscomb

Barbara Connell Hunter Kellogg ’59

John Franklin Fox ’93

Paul B. Nickens Jr.

Dianna Trischman Lee ’59

Margaret B. Scolaro ’94

Forrest Parker

Lona Wharton Roberts ’59

Bennett “Ben” Warburton Sutton ’95

Lavona Suppes

Bayla Goldberg Manis ’60

Peggy Ann Hendricks James ’97

Linda Bowen Phillips ’60

Patricia Ann Castelar ’05

Mary Norman “Normie” Davis Dickerson ’61

Joshua Lynn Hodges ’11

Evelyn Riley Barley Kiczales ’62

Linda Lou Schweikart Asafaylo

Judith “Judy” Kane Moore ’62

Anne Elizabeth Phalen Barr

Sally Abbott Pomputius ’62

Lyndall Gene Beamer II

Betty Pritchard Wood ’62 Ann Arehart Coyle ’63 Cary Randolph Howard ’64 Catherine Puskas ’64 Barbara Jackson Wyatt Wood ’64

Sheila Sullivan Bilfelt Laura Anne Hughes Bishop

Calendar of Events

www.umw.edu/events

Betty Lou Jones Bristow Kathryn “Kay” Pruitt Burgess Barbara Jean Ball Comer

Carole Turner Floyd ’65

Elizabeth Reaney Dunlap

Farrand “Randy” Wilson McDonald O’Donoghue ’65

Rachel Packett Edwards Virginia White Foot

Charlotte Ruth Hansley Chappel ’66

Lois Leota Whiteman Frick

Donna Drake Smith ’66

Margaret Isabel Peery Cover Harman

Elizabeth Lowry Andrews ’67

Harriet Crumbley Head

Laurie Newman DiPadova-Stocks ’67

Audrey Lorraine Smith Herring

Nancy Ann McCarthy Rambeau ’67

Janice Gregory Johnson

Carolyn Monti Turnbull ’68

Maclyn Thérèse LeDoux LeBourgeois

Celia Wyatt Worsham Zirin ’68

Mary Jane Peter Means

Juliana Daffron Hendrick ’69

Ellen Van Os

Elizabeth Ayling Keith ’71

Teresa Alice Palmer

Jan McNiel ’71

Charles Wayne Payne Sr.

Donna Carol Bull ’72

Barbara Anspach Ramsey

Jane Annette Inge ’74

Barbara Lamar Marshall Roberts

Patricia “Trish” King Thompson Burke ’75

Irene Taylor Robertson

Commencement & 1908 Society Processional May 11, 2024 UMW Athletics 2024 Hall of Fame Induction May 18, 2024 Reunion Weekend May 30-June 2, 2024 Gari Melchers Home & Studio Visit www.garimelchers.org James Monroe Museum Visit jamesmonroemuseum.umw.edu

1119 Hanover Street Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401

Save the date!

Please make plans to join us for Reunion Weekend, May 30-June 2, 2024.

Visit alumni.umw.edu/reunionweekend to learn more.

Mary Washington classes that end in 4 and 9!