National Park. Their last outing was a New Orleans-to-Memphis cruise on the Mississippi River. No more travel plans until we get a vaccine! Meanwhile they play bridge online and record their church choir pieces individually, to be put together into a virtual performance. Linda Patterson Hamilton has been cancer-free for nearly two years, and she and husband Austin celebrated their 53rd anniversary in June. She’s participated in a weekly Zoom meeting of Tremble Clefs, a Parkinson’s disease singing therapy that strengthens vocal and swallowing functions. She is also writing a novel set in Virginia. Carol Meese continues to paint and exhibit. Her latest body of work was done during the stay-home phase of the pandemic. Margaret Cobourn Robinson and Kenny spent January to March in Vero Beach, Florida. Margaret’s brother passed away June 16, but they were blessed to fly out to Seattle to see him the week before. Kathie Drake Burgess practiced family law for 20 years and specialized in helping victims of domestic violence. Cheryl Gonzales Yancey just retired for the second time. On a sad note, we have lost several classmates recently. Sara Rieger Trub sent news that Phyllis Eure Rodrigues passed away on April 17 due to complications from COVID-19. It was very sudden, and her family was relieved that she did not suffer a prolonged illness. The nursing home director said she was wheeling around and being her funny, warm, and friendly self that very morning, and the staff was shocked and heartbroken. Saralyn Judd Pinson passed away in December 2018. Gertrude “Trudy” Kitchin Kohl passed away Oct. 6, 2019. Margaret Cobourn Robinson and Trudy were roommates sophomore year, and Meg was able to see Trudy a few days before she passed. Ed Amsbury wrote that Carole Dirling Amsbury passed away July 30, 2020.
While hunkered down, Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner ’66 sorted photos from our college days and posted many on the MWC 1966 Facebook page.
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Katharine Rogers Lavery hlavery1@cox.net
Anne Powell Young collects Nativity sets, and the newest addition was a canine Nativity with a miniature Schnauzer like
Barbara Bishop Mann and husband Robert celebrated Last fall, Catherine Cantwell Luria ’66 Christmas quietly at home returned to Mexico, where she can with a carry-out turkey dine outside year-round. dinner from Wegmans. Bobbi has traveled nowhere during the pandemic. Her only outings were trips to the gym to work with her personal trainer, who her doggie, Meg. Anne and Virgil planned has taught her to do a 30-second plank. a quiet, Zoom-only family Christmas in the woods in Stafford, Virginia. Carolyn Eldred has witnessed a burst of creativity and cooperation with ten months of Zooming – ElderStudy sessions, meetings, social events and even an occasional theater performance, all online. Carolyn is a member of The Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, which held its 50th annual Christmas Candlelight House Tour thanks to a cellphone app, digitalized information, and an exterior-only tour of decorated historic homes. Carolyn looked forward to a Zoom-free 2021.
Pam Kearney Patrick had sequestered at home since March and depleted the honey-do list. She and TaB connected with friends and family on FaceTime but had to cancel a surprise 50th birthday party for their son. Two of Pam’s watercolors sold during the limited summer season before all the art shows went digital for the rest of the year. Pam met Ambler Carter at the Philadelphia flower show in March, before everything shut down.
Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner and husband Charlie spent most of 2020 in Florida on COVID lockdown, returning to Alexandria, Virginia, in October. While hunkered down in the condo, Mary Kathryn sorted out old photos from our college days and posted many of them on our MWC 1966 Facebook page. Anne Meade Clagett was going out and about a wee bit more often in Fauquier County, experiencing less stress than last spring. Her two pods of local girlfriends managed outdoor lunches every month. Anne wrote, “I don’t know how to use TikTok, but I can write in cursive, do long division, and tell time on clocks with hands. So there’s that!”
Anne Kales Lindblom and husband Steve sailed their yacht from Northern Virginia through the Chesapeake Bay and along the Intracoastal Waterway to winter lodging down south, returning home in time for the holidays.
Catherine Cantwell Luria spent six months living near her daughter’s family in Portland, Oregon, before she and Eric returned to Mexico at the end of September. The weather in their Mexican village is nice enough for outdoor dining year-round. Daughter Sacha, a teacher, and her three children all did their schooling by Zoom. Sandra Hutchison Schanné had a houseful for Christmas. Son Brandon and his family traveled from Texas to spend the holidays with her, their first visit in two years. Daughter Amy, a nurse practitioner, stayed in Denver and carried on with virtual schooling for her three children.
Elaine Gerlach McKelly and husband Tim returned from two weeks in Key West shortly before the pandemic lockdown began. Their retirement community has walking trails and indoor swimming, but the campus was closed to visitors because of COVID. They got together with their children and grandchildren, masked and distanced, in a nearby park. Two grandchildren graduated from college in May without ceremonies; the other five returned to college with many online classes. Their youngest granddaughter is at Mary Washington and loves it. The staff of Tom and Kathy Goddard Moss’ conscientious California retirement community provides Zoom exercise classes, writing groups, and chorus. Meals are brought to their door; van drivers do their shopping; and they can visit (masked and distanced) or listen to music in the courtyard. They did leave the grounds to drive their presidential election ballots to a dropbox! In September, when sister Eileen Goddard Albrigo broke her hip (no surgery required), Kathy tested negative for COVID then flew to Virginia
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