University of
SPRING 2010
Vol. 34 • No. 1
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CONTENT
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12 UMW Designs its Second Century
Strategic plan sets priorities in motion
16 Our Face to the World:
Clothing exhibit unveils lives ofJomes and
Elizabeth Monroe
22 Heart and Soul of UMW's
Education Programs
Vogel's retirement will leave a void - and
a legacy
25 Reading, Writing, and Retiring
A century and a half of institutional knowledge
departs UMW
Departments
3 On Campus
10 Sports
32 Get the Picture?
32 Q&A
34 Book Report
36 Notable & Quotable
38 Alumni Board
39 Class Notes
72 Closing Column
i
Back-to-back snowfalls that blanketed campus and
cancelled classes produced happiness for students,
but headaches for grounds crews.
Photo by Karen Pearlman '00
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING .
^
EDITOR'S DESK
Letter to the Editor
jViafy Washington
V t ) Magazine
SPRING 2010 -VOI Ml I • NO. 1
Dear Editor,
I just wanted you to know I enjoyed the Fall/
Winter 2009 issue of the magazine.
I am a member of the Class of 1958, and we
had several male veterans in our class. In your
article, you stated the Gl Bill was given for
World War II vets. That is true, but I think it
was given for Korean vets, too. The men in
our class were too young to be WWII vets.
I was between 5 and 9 years old during
WWII!
Mary Kay Martin Britto '58
Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
Executive Editor: Anna Barron Billingsley
Managing Editor: Neva S. Trenis '00
Editorial Hoard: lack Bales, Mary Randolph Corbin '71,
William 15. Crawley |r., ( leorge Parrar, Torre Meringolo,
Marty Morrison, and Cynthia I.. Snyder '75
Designer: AJ Newell
Graphic Artist: June Padgett
University of Mary Washington Magazine is published
for the alumni, friends, faculty, and staff of the
University of Mary Washington three limes a year.
Mail letters and address changes to University of
Mary Washington Magazine, University of Mary
Washington, 1301 College Avenue, Fredericksburg,
VA 22401-5300. University of Mary Washington
Magazine welcomes your comments.
University of Mary Washington Magazine
is printed with nonstate funds and is made possible
through private support.
Visit University of Mary Washington Magazine
online: www.umw.edu/umwmagazine
Cover: James Monroe wore this silk suit when on
official business to the Court of Napolean. The
ensemble is part of Our Face to the World: Tlie
Clothing of James and Elizabeth Monroe, an
exhibition at the James Monroe Museum and
Memorial Library in Fredericksburg through April.
Photo by Mark Finkenstadt
.♦V
^ ,% This edition is printed on recycled paper.
University of Mary Washington Magazine welcomes letters to the editor
and other feedback. Please email, call, or write Anna B. Billingsley,
UMW's Director of Publications and Design.
The email address is abilling@umw.edu; the telephone number is 540/654-1686;
and the mailing address is 1301 College Ave., Fredericksburg, VA 22401.
^r,
University of
Mary Washington
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
ON CAMPUS
An open letter to the
University of Mary Washington community
Dear friends,
Spring has finally arrived, and the University of Mary Washington looks forward with
the energizing spirit this season always inspires. Upcoming graduates are beginning to
be excited - and probably a bit nervous - about their future prospects. Members of the
UMW Class of 2014 are finishing their high school studies, eagerly awaiting adventures
at Mary Washington. New deans and faculty members are anticipating the impact they
will make as they begin their tenures on the Fredericksburg and Stafford campuses. The
Fredericksburg community is watching as new shops are readied for opening at Eagle
Village, and upper-class students are enthusiastically planning their moves into the new
apartments at Eagle Landing.
I want you to know that I, too, am excited about the prospects for all of us. The Board
of Visitors will work closely with the administration, faculty, and staff as we implement
the University's strategic plan and prepare for accreditation review in 2013. 1 intend to
continue to engage with as many of you as possible as we meet the challenges that lie
ahead.
It is no news to you that we have experienced some difficult times recently that have caused some to ask if things are OK at
Mary Washington. I assure you that we are in a good place, and that the University community is committed to moving forward
with the proposed changes in structure that will ensure UMW's continuing high standing in the 21st century.
No doubt, there will be challenges - both foreseen and unforeseen - as we work to uphold the agenda before us: maintain
UMW's reputation as a fine liberal arts institution while advancing our service to the Commonwealth in establishing appropriate
structures for our graduate programs and serving other regional needs with a third campus at Dahlgren. Certainly, all of us in
the UMW community will work together to accomplish these goals and will be ready to celebrate the successes together as we
achieve them.
I congratulate Judy Hample on her initiation of the strategic planning process, which resulted in a document developed
by the entire community and ratified by the Board. This strategic plan will be UMW's guide for the coming years. Dr. Hample's
encouragement of the establishment of the College of Business and the College of Education will have lasting impact. Her strong
commitment to diversity has enriched the academic environment for the benefit of all. On behalf of the University community, I
thank her for her accomplishments and wish her the very best in her upcoming endeavors.
As we move forward, I want to assure you that I have complete confidence in the future of this great University and in the
leadership of Rick Hurley as acting president. This is a special place with a rich history and a deep sense of community. I ask all of
you - faculty, students, staff, alumni, parents, and friends - for your continued support of this institution we all hold so dear.
Sincerely,
iUJf^&uJU^
Nanalou West Sauder '56
Rector
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
ON CAMPUS
Hurley Takes the Helm - Again
UMW's Executive Vice President Rick Hurley has postponed his retirement to step into the role of acting president. Hurley enjoys
spending time on campus engaging with students.
The Executive Committee of the
University of Mary Washington Board
of Visitors has appointed Richard V.
Hurley as acting president effective
through June 30, 2010. Hurley, UMW's
executive vice president and chief
financial officer, will succeed Judy
G. Hample, who has stepped down
as president to begin an academic
sabbatical that lasts through June 30.
The Board will continue to work
on the process for choosing a new
president. "I am looking forward to
working with President Hurley as
we continue to move ahead on the
important work of this University,"
said Board Rector Nanalou West
Sauder'56.
Hurley has spent more than
three decades in higher education,
including 10 years at Mary
Washington. From May 1, 2007,
through the time of Hample's arrival
on June 30, 2008, Hurley balanced
multiple duties as both vice president
and acting president. He recently
agreed to postpone his previously
announced May 2010 retirement in
order to serve the institution during
its transition.
While at Mary Washington, Hurley
has made a significant impact. In
addition to serving as UMW's chief
financial officer, he oversees facilities
and capital projects, public safety,
human resources, and business
operations. He also serves as
treasurer of the University of Mary
Washington Foundation, where he
has been instrumental in developing
the University's first public/private
partnership, Eagle Village.
Hurley told the Fredericksburg Free
Lonce-Star that he was invigorated
being in a leadership position at
UMW again. He added, "The president
is one piece of the puzzle, albeit a
little larger than some of the other
pieces. But it's the whole that has
to be considered, and that's still
solid, stable, reputable, and moving
forward."
Hurley came to Mary Washington
in 2000 from Longwood University,
where he had served for 1 5 years
as vice president for administration
and finance. Prior to his service at
Longwood, he spent four years at
the American Association of State
Colleges and Universities and
had stints at several colleges and
universities.
Active in the Fredericksburg
community, Hurley established the
Town and Gown Committee. Through
his efforts, UMW's relationships with
the community have been greatly
strengthened. He serves as chair
of the board of directors of the
Rappahannock United Way, a director
of the Fredericksburg Regional
Chamber of Commerce, a member
of the board of the Fredericksburg
Regional Alliance, and a member of
the local BB&T advisory board.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Mary Jones Barry
Professional
Engineer
Appointed to
UMW Board
As one of his last official acts prior to
leaving office in January, former Gov.
Tim Kaine appointed Mary Jones Berry
of Prince William County to the Board
of Visitors of the University of Mary
Washington.
Berry, a
well known
pioneer among
women in the
engineering
profession, has
J had a long and
I distinguished
career. As the
only woman
in her 1962
graduating
class from Virginia Tech's Department
of Mechanical Engineering, she
became the first female registered
as a professional engineer by the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
Her professional career with Aerojet
General Corp. (formerly Atlantic
Research Corp.) spanned more than
four decades. She began there as a
structural engineer and advanced
to become the executive director
of engineering at the company's
Gainesville, Va., facility from which she
retired in 2007.
Throughout her career, Berry has
been recognized as a role model for
women engineering students and
professionals. In 1 998, the Society of
Women Engineers awarded her the
rank of Fellow for her contributions to
women in engineering.
From 1 984 to 1 988, she served
on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors,
and was President of the Virginia Tech
Alumni Association in 1999. In 2004,
she was inducted into the Academy
of Engineering Excellence at Virginia
Tech, and she was the first woman
to receive her alma mater's highest
alumni honor, the Distinguished
Alumni Achievement Award.
Pedestrian Bridge
Provides Connections
Eagle Village is no longer an island apart
from the Fredericksburg campus. On
Jan. 16, during an elaborate operation
involving massive cranes and traffic
detours, a steel bridge was erected just
north of College Avenue. The 2 1 4-foot
span connects the student apartment
building, Eagle Landing, with the
Fredericksburg campus.
U.S. Route 1, which runs underneath
the pedestrian bridge, had to be closed
for three days while the bridge was
being constructed. Many people in the
community and from the University
came to watch the progress from a
designated viewing area.
In addition to providing safe passage
across the busy highway for students,
faculty, staff, and local neighbors, the
bridge will serve as a gateway to the
city, according to Jeff Rountree '91 ,
CEO of the UMW Foundation, which is
providing the funding for the project.
Erection of the $4.5 million bridge
was a milestone in the months-long
construction project, which began in
March of 2009. The residence hall is
scheduled to open this summer, and
use of the bridge will begin in the fall.
The point at which the span
connects with campus is the current
construction site for the Anderson
Center, a 52,000-square-foot facility
that will provide basketball courts and
seating for 2,000 spectators at UMW
men's and women's varsity games, and
seating for as many as 3,000 for concerts
and other community events. That
venue will open in 201 1 .
The $115 million, seven-acre first
phase of Eagle Village includes the
bridge, Eagle Landing, and a building
that will house a parking garage and
numerous retail and office spaces.
Eagle Landing will have 1 56 two-
bedroom, two-bath student apartments,
each designed to accommodate four
students. A model has been on display
in empty retail space at the former Park
& Shop center. Each apartment features
granite countertops and stainless steel
appliances.
By the end of March, all 624 beds in
Eagle Landing had been booked for the
2010-1011 school year.
"This is a great development for
UMW and our students," said Acting
President Rick Hurley. "It's the beginning
of a new chapter in our history. We are
very pleased that the enthusiasm this
new complex has generated within the
student body led to a sell out the very
first year."
In January, a crane hoisted sections of a
pedestrian overpass above U.S. 1. The
steel came from South Carolina, and
the bridge pieces were assembled in
Richmond.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
ON CAMPUS S
SUNY Geneseo Professor to
Lead College of Arts and Sciences
Richard Finkelstein will join UMW July 1.
The new dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences is trading New York
for Virginia. Richard Finkelstein will
serve as chief academic officer for the
college; he served the last nine years as
chair of the English department at the
State University of New York (SUNY)
at Geneseo. At UMW, he will oversee
matters regarding College of Arts and
Sciences faculty, curriculum, academic
programs, and academic support.
Finkelstein takes over as dean July 1 ,
and will succeed Rosemary Barra, a
biology professor who has served as
acting dean since July 1 , 2004.
During his tenure at SUNY Geneseo,
Finkelstein helped create a major in
creative writing and a minor in film
studies. He assisted in achieving
National Council for Accreditation of
Teacher Education endorsement for
the School of Education. He promoted
courses in Asian-American, African-
American, Native-American, and post-
Colonial literatures while maintaining
the Geneseo English department's
strength in British and American
literatures.
Finkelstein has held leadership
roles in the Rochester, N.Y, community
on several not-for-profit boards that
support young children. A scholar of
Renaissance drama and Shakespeare,
he has published essays and reviews
on a variety of topics, including
Renaissance drama, religion, rhetoric,
and poetry.
Finkelstein received a doctorate in
English from the University of Chicago.
He graduated magna cum laude from
Williams College with a bachelor of arts
degree in English with honors. He is a
member of Phi Beta Kappa.
UMW Polo in Inaugural Parade
UMW Rises
In Peace Corps
Ranking
For the seventh year in a row, the
Peace Corps has named the University
of Mary Washington to its annual
list of "Top Producing Colleges and
Universities."This year, the University
rose to the No. 2 spot among small
colleges and universities, with 23
alumni currently serving as Peace
Corps volunteers.
This is up from UMW's sixth-place
finish last year among small colleges
and universities that have less than
5,000 undergraduates. Since the Peace
Corps' inception in 1961, 199 Mary
Washington alumni have volunteered
for the 27-month commitment.
The greatest number of Peace
Corps volunteers from a small school
came from St. Olaf College, which has
26 alumni. Middlebury College ranked
third with 21 volunteers, and the
University of Portland, the University
of Puget Sound, and Williams College
each had 20 volunteers.
In the category of large colleges
and universities with more than
1 5,000 undergraduates, the University
of Washington retained the highest
ranking with 101 volunteers. George
Washington University ranked
first among medium colleges and
universities with 53 volunteers
currently serving in the Peace Corps.
Since the Peace Corps' founding,
more than 1 90,000 volunteers
have helped promote a better
understanding among America and
the 1 39 countries where volunteers
have served. Volunteers must be U.S.
citizens and at least 1 8 years of age.
Members of the University of Mary Washington's newly formed polo club team
participated in Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's inaugural parade in January.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • FALL/WINTER 2009
A Hand Up,
Not A Hand Out
Students enrolled in a philanthropy
course at the University of Mary
Washington have awarded a total
of $ 1 0,000 to two Fredericksburg-
area organizations - theThurman
Brisben Center, a regional residential
emergency homeless shelter, and the
Rappahannock United Way.
Class representative Dahlia
Ali '1 1 announced the awards at
a check presentation on Dec. 1 at
the UMW Jepson Alumni Executive
Center. The presentation culminated
the semester-long Economics of
Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector
course taught by Robert Rycroft,
professor of economics.
"Both programs, as a class, we felt
gave a hand up rather than a hand
out," said Ali. "And as Professor Rycroft
has said in class, it is better to teach
a man how to fish rather than give
a man a fish. TheThurman Brisben
Center and the Rappahannock United
Way have fully exuded this idea."
The grants were funded by Doris
Buffett's Sunshine Lady Foundation,
which provided the class with $10,000
to award how it saw fit. The class
of 20 students reviewed about 40
applications.
The philanthropy course, in
its fifth year at UMW, is similar to
courses Buffett has created at 1 5
colleges across the country to allow
undergraduates to experience the
pleasure and the responsibilities that
philanthropy entails. Annually, Buffet
gives each class $ 1 0,000 to award
to charitable organizations as the
class deems fit. The student groups
have sole responsibility for creating a
foundation, reviewing the applicants,
and determining which ones should
receive assistance.
UMW names Dean of Admissions
Kimberly Johnston
Kimberly Johnston is the new
University of Mary Washington dean of
admissions. Since beginning work this
month, she has assumed responsibility
for all aspects of student recruitment
and admission processes, and she
leads the Office of Admissions.
Johnston, the former senior
associate director of admissions at
the University of Maine in Orono,
had served the school of nearly
1 2,000 students since 1 987. She also
coordinated the UMaine National
Student Exchange program and served
on a number of campus committees,
including the GLBT Allies Council, the
Barrier Free Access Committee, and the
Minority Recruitment and Retention
Committee. Before joining UMaine,
she worked in Texas as a high school
teacher and chair of her school's
speech and drama department.
Johnston has been highly involved
in regional, national, and international
professional association work. She
recently served as president of the
National Association for College
Admission Counseling, an organization
of more than 1 1 ,000 high school
counselors, independent counselors,
and college admission professionals
from around the nation and the
world who are dedicated to serving
students as they make choices about
pursuing postsecondary education.
Johnston also has served NACAC as
coordinator of the State and Regional
Presidents' Council and is now chair
of its Governance and Nominating
Committee. She won the Maine
Counselor of the Year Award in 2001.
A graduate of the University of
Dallas in Irving, Texas, Johnston earned
a bachelor of arts degree in drama. She
holds a master of arts in theater from
the University of Maine.
Great Lives has had Great Reception
The Department of History and American Studies'Chappell Lecture Series: Great
Lives has been packing Dodd Auditorium on selected Tuesdays and Thursdays the
past several months.
The program, now in its seventh year, examines the lives of intriguing figures
throughout history. The lectures are held at 7:30 p.m.
The remaining lineup includes:
April 1 3 - Robert Oppenheimer
Martin Sherwin, George Mason
University, Co-Author of American
Prometheus: The Triumph and
Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
April 1 5 - Robert E. Lee
Elizabeth Brown Pryor, Author of
Reading the Man: A Portrait
of Robert E. Lee through His
Private Letters
April 20 - Elvis Presley
Gardner Campbell,
Honors College at
Baylor University
April 22 - James Bond
Jeremy Black,
University of Exeter,
Author of A History
of the British Isles
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Author Prods Audience to Action
Poet Nikki Giovanni visited the
University of Mary Washington in
February as part of the commemoration
of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
In three appearances - a luncheon
with campus and community leaders,
a reception with students, and a public
lecture in Dodd Auditorium, Giovanni
offered her frank opinions on many
topics, including television networks
and current movies.
CNN? "Fox News Lite," she said.
Precious the film? "There's nothing
precious about it."
Giovanni interjected her colorful
comments in what was primarily a story
about Rosa Parks. Giovanni, a noted
civil rights activist and lecturer, wrote a
children's book about the woman who
launched the Montgomery, Ala., bus
boycott in 1955.
Parks showed that regular people
can change history, Giovanni said.
"She didn't wake up one morning,
comb her hair and say, 'I'm going to start
a revolution,'" Giovanni said. "But she
was prepared."
And people need to be ready today,
Giovanni said. The landscape of the civil
rights movement has changed. But the
need to stand up has not, she said.
Giovanni, a Virginia Tech professor,
said today's civil rights struggles include
peace, health care, and gay rights.
She said Parks and Martin Luther
King Jr. left a legacy for all of us: Stand
*«
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!V 1 L /
H^yH
Nikki Giovanni speaks to students in the
Red Room at UMW.
up to injustice.
Today, instead of boycotting
segregated buses, Giovanni said, it's
time to speak out for peace, to demand
respect for injured soldiers, and to
require access to health care.
Judy Woodruff
Forum Speakers will Dish Up Culinary and Legal Thrills
Broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff was the featured
speaker in March for the Fredericksburg Forum.
Woodruff has covered politics and other news for
more than three decades at the major television
networks CNN, NBC, and PBS. Currently, she is senior
correspondent for PBS News Hour and was editor of the
show's 2008 election coverage.
The Fredericksburg Forum is a community-
sponsored program at the University that hosts
nationally known speakers.
Next season features Anthony Bourdain, world-
renowned chef, TV host, and author, who will appear
on Sept. 23, 201 0; and Scott Turow, prolific writer of legal thrillers, who will be
on campus March 17, 201 1.
Through his books and TV appearances, Bourdain entertains and educates
with lessons learned from the kitchen trenches. As host of the popular travel
and food series, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, currently in its sixth season
on the Travel Channel, the provocative and often caustic chef traverses the
globe seeking the authentic experiences and food that flavor the world's
cultures. He is also the executive chef at New York's Brasserie Les Halles, which
now has expanded to Washington, D.C., and Miami.
Turow is an attorney and an author. He has written eight best-selling novels,
including Presumed Innocent, The Burden of Proof ', and Reversible Errors. Turow
combines his writing with a legal practice. He has been a partner in the Chicago
office of the national law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal since 1 986. He
concentrates on white collar criminal defense and devotes a substantial part of
his time to pro bono cases.
Please call the Office of University Events and Conferencing at 540/654-1 065
to purchase tickets for the 201 0-201 1 Forum season.
Anthony Bourdain
Scott Turow
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE ■ SPRING 2010
A Banner Year
for Town-Gown
Relations
rhe City of Fredericksburg and the
Jniversity of Mary Washington joined
brces to improve the ambiance of
downtown's Caroline Street.
UMW first installed banners on
.he lampposts to mark its centennial
:elebration in 2008. Those banners
;tayed up long after the anniversary
was over, so city and University leaders
zollaborated on replacements.
They came up with a new set of
Danners that feature both UMW's logo
jnd the city's "Timeless" tourism logo,
rhe banners, designed by UMW's Office
}f Creative Services, depict landmarks
Dn campus and around town.
They include images of the UMW
Dell tower, Monroe Hall, Carl's ice cream
ihop, and the historic train station
Duilding.
Karen Hedelt, the city's acting
economic development director,
laid the project was a good example
}f school and city officials working
ogether.
She said the banners will probably
lang for about 1 8 months. The city
jlready is working on plans for the next
;et of banners to take their place.
Hedelt said the city hopes to launch
i contest this summer that would ask
ocal artists - including UMW students -
o submit designs. The entries would be
udged, and banners would be created
rom the winners.
Belmont is Tops
In Museum World
Gari Melchers Home and Studio at
Belmont is one of only nine accredited
art museums in Virginia, according to
the American Association of Museums
(AAM). AAM accreditation is the
highest national recognition afforded
to museums; of 1 7,500 museums in the
nation, the century-old organization
accredits only 775.
The 28-acre Belmont estate was
the home of American impressionist
Gari Melchers (1 860-1 932), famous
for his many paintings, and his wife
Corinne Melchers. Corinne Melchers
bequeathed the estate to the
Commonwealth of Virginia upon her
death in 1 955. Now a museum, the
home and studio are administered by
the University of Mary Washington.
AAM accreditation brings
national recognition to a museum
for its commitment to excellence,
accountability, high professional
standards, and continued institutional
improvement. It signifies excellence
to the museum community as well
as to governments, funders, outside
agencies, and the museum-going
A view of historic Belmont through a
window of Gari Melchers' studio
public. The AAM granted the status to
Belmont in 1985 and has re-accredited
the museum twice since, in 1998 and
again in January.
The AAM requires a rigorous
examination of a museum's
operations when considering granting
accreditation, including a year-long
self study and a visit and report by
peer reviewers. An independent body
of museum professionals assesses the
outcomes of both. The review process,
which takes about three years to
complete, is done each decade.
The 18th-century house is both a
national and Virginia historic landmark.
The gardens, home, and studio are
open to the public. Learn more at
garimelchers.org.
Film Features Farmer
In February, the University of Mary Washington hosted the
premiere of the documentary film The Good Fight: James
Farmer Remembers the Civil Rights Movement by AMS
Pictures. The exclusive screening of the 65-minute film
was a Black History Month event.
The Good Fight chronicles Farmer's life from his
days as a debater at Wiley College through his time
teaching at UMW. Farmer was a principal founder of
the Congress of Racial Equality and organizer of the
Freedom Rides in the early 1 960s. A colleague of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr., Farmer is considered to be one
of the "Big Four" leaders of the civil rights movement.
The final stage of the film focuses on Farmer's days
teaching at Mary Washington, where he was distinguished
professor of history and American studies from 1 985 to 1 998. His course, "An
Introduction to the Civil Rights Movement," was the most popular class in the
college curriculum, with annual enrollments of more than 500 students. The
documentary, which features many campus scenes, also describes the University's
efforts to preserve Farmer's legacy through audio recordings of his class lectures.
Farmer died in Fredericksburg in 1 999 at age 79.
Poster promoting
The Good Fight
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
SPORTS
M
Passion Propels Eagle Swim Teams
into Championship Waters
UMW's championship swimming teams recognize that they
must be passionate and consistent about practice.
By Clint Often
Three years ago, the University of Mary
Washington swimming programs -
long known as the elite of the Capital
Athletic Conference - began a new
chapter with the arrival of head coach
Matt Sellman. Sellman, from Lewis and
Clark College in Portland, Ore., had
energized the program there, bringing
it from one that consistently finished
last in the conference championships
to one that regularly finished in the top
half of the Northwest Conference.
Sellman's charge at UMW was to
take a pair
of programs
- men's and
women's -
that already
had very high
standards and
continue to
evolve both
programs
into serious
challengers
for the NCAA
Division III
championships.
Coach Sellman
"The opportunity at
Mary Washington was
exciting because of its
history," said Sellman.
"I was ready for a
new challenge and
inheriting a team with
the storied tradition
of UMW was definitely
a challenge."
With six
conference titles in
three years, Sellman's
mission has been
accomplished. To
top it all off, Sellman
gained both the
men's and women's
swimming Coach
of the Year awards from the Capital
Athletic Conference in February.
Both teams swam roughshod
over the competition at the CAC
championships. The women won
an unprecedented 20th straight
conference title, and the team
reigns as the only program in any
sport in the conference to win all 20
championships in the history of the
league. Only two others - Salisbury's
men's lacrosse and UMW's women's
track and field - have won every
league title in any sport, although
men's lacrosse and women's track were
added as conference sports later in the
history of the league.
The men, winners of 1 6 of the 20
all-time CAC championships, extended
their string of league titles to 1 0
straight crowns. Both teams again
rolled to easy victories, with each team
claiming the conference championship
by more than 300 points. "I enjoy the
pressure of expectations. Working
to have UMW swimming reach even
greater benchmarks of success is a
tremendous challenge, but one I enjoy,
because it focuses my work ethic and
sharpens my skills," Sellman said. "It is
so rewarding when you accomplish the
goals you set forth for yourself and the
team."
In addition to Sellman's collection
of CAC Coach of the Year awards,
juniors Stephen Clendenin and
Sarah Crockett - who both advanced
to the NCAA championships a year
ago - were named CAC Swimmers
of the Year, and Eagle freshman Nick
Eckhoff claimed the men's Rookie of
the Year award. According to Sellman,
the thing that distinguishes this
group - along with others, including
seniors Nina Sawyer and Justin
Anderson, junior Adriana Lesiuk and
sophomore Megan DeSmit - is that
they understand success depends on a
passionate and consistent approach to
swimming and training.
"They all love the sport and have
fun almost every day as they train and
spend time with their teammates,"
Sellman said. "That enthusiasm is
infectious and spreads to the entire
team, making what can be a difficult
sport to stay motivated in exciting
on a regular basis." He added, "They
also trust their coach, which, as most
coaches would agree, is a prerequisite
for the type of success they are
enjoying. And when those things
combine in one athlete, one team,
good things happen."
Individual and team success have
long been a tradition of the program,
starting in the early 1 980s with head
coach Miriam Greenberg, who saw
four swimmers advance to the first-
ever NCAA Championships in 1 982.
Through the late '80s and early '90s,
head coach Paul Richards steadily built
the Eagles into a national swimming
powerhouse, as at least four swimmers
advanced to the NCAA Championships
every year from 1 988 to 1 990. In
1991 -the first year of the Capital
Athletic Conference - seven Eagle
swimmers gained All-America honors,
and another gained the status the
following winter.
10
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Megan DeSmit
The 1993 season saw a new high
for the program, as Shannon
Hutcherson '94 won the NCAA
Division III Championship in the
200-yard breaststroke.The Eagles
continued to send multiple athletes to
the NCAA championships each year
through the 1 990s, as Matt Kinney took
the reins of the program and produced
multiple Ail-Americans and conference
titles on a yearly basis.
Under Sellman's guidance, the
programs have continued to flourish,
with both teams gaining their highest
national rankings this winter - the
women were as high as fourth in the
nation, while the men checked in as
high as 21 st among Division III schools.
Highlights of the 2009-10 season
include the men's first-ever dual
meet victory over Washington & Lee
University on homecoming weekend,
a rewarding winter training trip to
Florida that molded the team into a
cohesive unit, and the ultra-successful
performance by both teams at the CAC
Championships.
Eckhoff and Clendenin, along
with women's team members Sawyer,
Crockett, Lesiuk, DeSmit, and freshman
Cameron Figuers, advanced to the
NCAA championships. The Eagle
women collected seven All-America
awards en route to a top-20 team
performance. For the men, Stephen
Clendenin gained All-America status in
two events.
Clint Often is UMW's sports information
director.
UMW Prepares to Host 2010
NCAA Division III Women's Tennis
Championships
The University of Mary Washington will host the 201 0
NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Championships
on May 25 to 30. The Battleground tennis facility
will be the site of competition for an NCAA tennis
championship for the third time in five years, as UMW
hosted the 2006 men's tennis championships as well
as the 2007 women's championships.
Team competition will begin on May 25, with
quarterfinal action followed by semifinal matches on
May 26; the team national championship match will
take place on May 27. Individual singles and doubles
action will begin on May 28 and run through May 30,
when singles and doubles champions will be crowned.
For more information on the championships, please
consult the UMW Athletics website at www.umweagles.com.
Women's Lacrosse, Men's and
Women's Tennis Start Spring
Season Ranked Nationally
The University of Mary Washington women's
lacrosse team opened the spring 201 0 season
ranked nationally by the Intercollegiate Women's
Lacrosse Coaches Association, while both the
Eagle men's and women's tennis teams started the
year ranked inside the top 20 in the nation by the
Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
The women's tennis team started the season
ranked 14th, while the men began the year ranked
1 9th in the nation. The Eagle women's lacrosse
squad, which advanced to the second round of the
NCAA Tournament a year ago, received votes in the
initial IWLCA coaches' poll. Katie Wallis
Wood Nets 200th Career Victory
University of Mary Washington head
men's basketball coach Rod Wood won his
200th career game on February 1 3 at York
College of Pennsylvania. Wood, already the
winningest coach in program history, saw
his Eagles gain a 74-71 overtime victory for
the milestone.
Coach Wood, right, discusses strategy with a player.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
UMW Peei^ne
i-be
Second Century
strategic plan eeie vr\or\t\e,e in motion
At its November meeting, the Board of Visitors of the
University of Mary Washington approved a comprehensive
strategic plan that calls for sweeping initiatives over
the next several years. A key element oi the plan is the
establishment of a College of Business and a College
of Education in addition to strengthening the existing
College of Arts and Sciences.
The strategic plan is aspirational. It is an expression
of UMW's institutional values and mission, and it
identifies strategic goals and objectives for establishing
priorities, guiding resource allocations, and determining
the University's progress over the next five to eight years.
The plan highlights a number of pressing issues
for the University, primarily upcoming accreditation
requirements. A number of implications related to
changing from college to university status in 2004 still
need to be addressed. Other major issues include how
to recruit a more diverse mix of students and faculty,
how to serve distinctly different student populations on
two separate campuses (and a soon-to-be third campus
at Dahlgren), the impact of changing demographics
in Virginia's high schools, and the central role that
the liberal arts will continue to play as the University
moves forward. In addition, the plan calls for UMW
to be a cultural arts center as well as a hub for regional
development and engagement.
Adoption of the plan culminated a year-long process
that engaged hundreds of faculty, staff, students, alumni,
and community members in extensive discussion about
the University's strengths, values, challenges, and
opportunities.
To view the UMW Strategic Plan in its entirety, visit
www.umw.edu/provost/plan.
&oa\ One:
Enhance and promote
academic excellence.
UMW will offer high-quality, rigorous academic programs
that prepare students for advanced study, further their
professional development, and advance their careers. To
achieve this goal, the University must continue to recruit
and support an outstanding, diverse faculty and a high-
achieving and diverse student body. The University must
enhance and enrich the course of study in the liberal arts
as its principal and defining character while expanding
professional educational opportunities in areas responsive
to the population of the region and that meet the strategic
workforce needs of the Commonwealth. To fulfill its role
as a university, UMW will establish two new colleges,
the College of Business and the College of Education,
and develop a University-wide faculty governance system.
&oa\ Two:
Create and evetaw an
integrated and co\\a\?orative
UMW etvdent experience,
Mending cvrricv\ar and co-
cvrricv\ar learning ovwortvnitiee
within a etvdent- centered
environment,
The University will ensure that each student
has a distinctive UMW experience that is
integrated throughout the student's UMW
career and supports the student's continuing
involvement with UMW as an alumnus.
UMW will establish an institutional culture
that is student-centered, collaborative, and
responsive to student needs and expectations.
12
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
&oa\ Three:
fromoke and enhance a
diverge and wc\veive commvmhy.
A diverse and inclusive UMW community will constitute
an essential part of the University's efforts to be fully
effective as an institution and to achieve excellence in its
work. From the leadership of the institution through all of
the members of the University community, a responsibility
exists to ensure that the teaching, learning, working
environment, and relationships with the community and
region support and further UMW's efforts to embrace
diversity, access, and equity, and to foster inclusiveness
and mutual respect. UMW's institutional environment
will promote cultural competencies, establish connections
among students, faculty, and community members from
different backgrounds, and welcome newcomers from
different cultures into the community.
&oa\ ^ovr:
Enhance, e-breng-bhen,
and promote -bhe -fine and
er\orminq arte, mveevme,
iWariee, and other rich cultural
reeovrcee o{ -bhe Umvereity.
The University of Mary Washington will be positioned
as a highly visible, valuable resource for a growing
regional population in search of quality cultural and
fine arts experiences. This will be accomplished by
vigorously promoting and supporting
the University's fine and
performing arts programs,
museums, historic properties,
libraries, lecture series, film
series, visiting speakers, and
other cultural events, while
fostering a national identity for
the University as a place for the
arts, museums, and other distinctive
cultural programs and resources.
\
Create and eue-bain a
etrona eenee o\- institutional
community among -bhe UMW
•fasul-by and s-ba-f-f, and provide
•bhe m\raetruct\)re to advance
•bhe Univereitye mieeion,
enevrmq a productive and
evvportive work, environment,
UMW will become an employer of choice, characterized
by strong employee engagement and commitment; sound
management of the knowledge, talent, dedication, and
skills of the faculty and staff; a positive climate set by the
school's leaders; effective and efficient work processes;
well-maintained buildings and grounds; and high-quality
business, information, and instructional technology
infrastructures. The University of Mary Washington will
also commit to sustainability, managing its resources to
meet the social, economic, and environmental needs of
the present without compromising the ability to meet
the needs of future generations.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
^M
&oa\ Six:
FVomote and enhance regional
engagement, leadership, and
service to the &v\?\\c
UMW will be connected to and engaged with various
partners in the region, the state, and beyond. The
University will exist as a forum where regional partners
can solve problems. UMW's faculty, students, and staff will
serve as professional and business colleagues and resources,
promoting cultural awareness, providing leadership on
quality public education, fostering economic development,
and working to sustain and improve communities and
the environment.
&oal Seven:
Pemonstrate effective
stewardship o-f existing
r&eovrce-e and develop new
revenue, streams to euvworb
strategic plan initiatives.
The University will continue its sound management of
current resources and engage in an aggressive effort to
substantially increase the funding it receives from both
public and private sources, with a strong focus on building
the endowment to a level appropriate to an institution
of UMW's size, quality, and vision. UMW will also seek
the enhanced involvement of its alumni and build new
relationships with corporate and foundation partners.
&oal Eight:
Strengthen the image and
identity o-f the University
o-F Mary Washington and
expand visibility and
recognition o-f the institution.
A comprehensive communications and marketing
plan will be developed and implemented as a means of
supporting effective internal communication, helping
define and enhance the identity and image of the
University, promoting University visibility, and effectively
presenting the University in a compelling, consistent,
and clear manner.
14
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
I
J&Ht
FAQ
A strategic plan with such sweeping changes is bound to generate questions. UMWs new
Associate Vice President for University Relations and Director of Communications George
Farrar has anticipated some of them. His remarks follow.
What changes are being made to the structure of UMW?
Beginning July 1 , 201 0, the University of Mary Washington will consist of three colleges:
College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, and College of Education. Richard
Finklestein has been named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and will join the
University on July 1 . Professor Larry Penwell has been named interim dean for the College
of Business. He will serve in this capacity during the 201 0-201 1 academic year, while a
national search is conducted for a founding dean. A national search for a Dean in the
College of Education is under way, with plans for the position to be filled by July 201 0.
Does this mean the University is changing its mission?
At its core, UMW will remain a public liberal arts university with both undergraduate and
graduate programs. The University will also continue to offer professional programs for
graduate and undergraduate students, and will maintain its commitment to regional
engagement and collaboration.
"iw will these governance changes affect the students of UMW?
ese changes are intended to enhance the academic experiences of students at UMW.
While initially imperceptible, these changes over time are expected to provide exciting
new opportunities for students as the colleges establish new major areas of study and
add programs.
~~That will become of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies?
e College of Graduate and Professional Studies will no longer exist when the two new
colleges are established. Faculty in the College will transfer to the College of Business or
the College of Education, and the degree programs will move to the two new colleges.
The physical entity, which will continue to house faculty and administrative offices and
offer courses, will be referred to as UMW's Stafford campus.
What happens to the adult degree programs currently offered on the
Stafford campus?
Students enrolled in these undergraduate programs will be able to complete their degree
requirements on the Stafford campus. In addition, students in graduate programs on the
Stafford campus will continue to pursue their course work on that campus. The MBA and
MSMIS programs will be offered through the College of Business; the M.Ed, program will
be offered through the College of Education.
Why are we making these changes now? Wasn't the College of Graduate and
Professional Studies a successful operation?
For more than a decade, the College of Graduate and Professional Studies has assessed
the needs of the region and developed five new undergraduate and graduate degree
programs. CGPS has been very successful and was responsible for implementing
graduate programs that are now being transferred to the new colleges. All of these
changes are intended to enhance the focus of each academic unit, to increase
effectiveness and efficiency at UMW, and to provide high levels of support and
educational programming for our students.
*y%
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
15
Clothing exhibit unveils lives of
James and Elizabeth Monroe
By Meghan C. Budinger
" i'i v
Monroe-family lore says that 17-year-old Elizabeth Kortright wore this dress, left, when she wed Continental Congressman James
Monroe, then 27, at Manhattan's Trinity Episcopal Church in 1786. The gown of embroidered silk taffeta was sewn in 1786, but curators
can't say for certain which of the gowns in the collection Elizabeth wore for the wedding. The clothing is part of Our Face to the World:
The Clothing of James and Elizabeth Monroe, on display through April at the James Monroe Museum in Fredericksburg.
in a little building on
Charles Street in downtown
Fredericksburg are items that
comprise one of the most
remarkable presidential
collections in the country.
The James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, which
has been open to the public since 1927, wants to show off
these priceless gems. Our Face to the World: The Clothing
of James and Elizabeth Monroe, an exhibition that opened
last fall and will continue through April, is a nearly-rags to
impressive-riches story.
Included in the exhibition are 42 pieces of clothing owned
and worn by James and Elizabeth Monroe, their daughters, and
their descendants. They are part of the museum's collection
of Monroe-related material amassed by descendants of the
fifth President and his wife.
For years, these costumes were highlights of displays at
the museum, and they captured the attention of hundreds
of visitors every year. By the mid-1980s, however, the rigors
of continuous display and harsh lighting conditions were
taking their toll on the clothing. Once-brilliant colors were
fading, fragile silks were shattering, and delicate embroidery
was falling apart. Many of the pieces were nearing the point
of total loss.
The last of the costumes was removed from display in the
1990s. For nearly 20 years, these clothes remained packed
away in storage, out of the public eye.
In 2005, the staff of the museum embarked on what would
be one of the most ambitious conservation, fundraising, and
research projects in its history - the restoration of the Monroe
Costume Collection. An initial assessment of the condition
of the collection was funded by a grant from the National
Endowment for the Humanities, which named the museum's
effort one of its We the People projects for 2005.
In 2006, the museum was awarded the prestigious Save
Americas Treasures grant from the National Park Service
and the National Trust for Historic Preservation to fund the
conservation of the pieces. Matching funds soon followed
from the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution, the
Rappahannock Colonial Heritage Society, and the Friends
of the James Monroe Museum, as well as many individual
donors who wanted to see the collection restored to its former
grandeur.
In 2007, professional textile conservators Colleen Callahan
and Newbold Richardson began the painstaking process of
treating each garment.
The conservation project allowed the museum staff to
become intimately familiar with the Monroe family. The
costumes are perhaps the most personal objects in the
museum's collection, because in them we can see the choices
that members of the Monroe family made for themselves.
We can see what colors they preferred, what styles they
admired, what impression they wanted to convey. We can
see how physically tiny Elizabeth Monroe was (only four-feet,
11-inches), how the shoulder wound James Monroe suffered
in the Revolutionary War affected his posture for the rest of
his life, and how the Monroe daughters altered their mother's
gowns to keep up with changing trends.
Through their clothes, the Monroes spring to life. They
step out of their roles as one-dimensional characters in history
books and become real people.
The costume collection also helped us understand what it
meant to be a member of the Monroe family. The Monroes
had to be masters of public image, using what they wore to
craft the impression they hoped to give. Early in his career,
James Monroe worked to convey the sense of a serious and
dependable lawyer on whom his clients could rely. His
clothing was subdued, sturdy, and well-made. By contrast,
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
17
young Elizabeth Kortright was a fixture on the social scene
in New York l )ity, so her style ot dress was fashionable and
helming the daughter ot a wealthy merchant.
Later in life, Mr. and Mrs. Monroe would he required
to represent the new American nation on the world scene,
operating in European courts and elite social circles. Their
clothing became tar more expensive anil extravagant, in
keeping with the European standard. Upon their return to
the United States, the entire family would be responsible for
maintaining James Monroe's image as a statesman and public
servant, which required a far less ostentatious style than that
ot the French world they had just left. The Monroe family
knew that it was under public scrutiny all the time. They had
specific parts to play, and clothing was essential to turning in
a successful performance. Throughout their lives, they would
be America's "face to the world."
The culmination of four-and-a-half years of work, Our
Face to the World is intended to familiarize the public with
this new view of James Monroe and his family. The hope
is that visitors to the exhibition will come to know James
and Elizabeth Monroe in a far more personal way than ever
before. Visitors also will see how vital it is to protect national
treasures like the Monroe Costume Collection. Without these
artifacts of our shared past, history is incomplete.
James Monroe was born on Virginia's Northern Neck
in 1758. The Monroe family, including James' four siblings,
lived on a 500-acre farm, and although they did not enjoy
the immense wealth of some of their neighbors, like the Lees
and Carters, they were considered "landed gentry." From an
early age, James Monroe was indoctrinated into the world of
Revolutionary politics.
By 1774, when 16-year-old James left home to attend The
College of William and Mary in the colonial Virginia capital
of Williamsburg, the American colonies were on the brink
of war with Great Britain. James was immediately caught up
in the Revolutionary fervor that fomented in Williamsburg's
taverns and in the classrooms of the college. When war seemed
inevitable in the spring of 1776, Monroe and his classmates
clamored to enlist in the Continental Army, and within
months they were among the infantry in Virginia's Third
Regiment. Monroe was present for Washington's famous
crossing of the Delaware River, he survived a severe gunshot
wound at the Battle of Trenton, and he suffered through the
long winter at Valley Forge.
While Monroe might have dreamed of a long and glorious
career as a military officer, his injury at Trenton combined with
several other factors steered him on another path of service
to his country. After leaving the army, he came under the
Few of the family clothes worn during the Monroe presidency,
1817-1825, have survived, but Portrait of James Monroe, ca. 1829,
left, illustrates Monroe's dress during the period. Pictured right
is a plaster bas relief of Monroe's daughter Maria Hester Monroe,
1820, her hair in the then-popular Grecian style.
Portrait by Thomas Sully, from the collections of the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point. Bas relief by Pietro Cardelli.
tutelage of Thomas Jefferson, who persuaded his young friend
to get involved in the emerging world of national politics. In
1782, Monroe was elected to Congress and moved to New
York City. There, he met and fell in love with the beautiful
Elizabeth Kortright. The couple married in 1786, beginning
a true partnership that would last more than 40 years. They
began their lives together in Fredericksburg, where James
established his first law practice and Elizabeth gave birth to
their first child.
Stt&<V<(~Z&n^ -oyi.
<>A
&i^
James Monroe and his family spent seven years living abroad
during Monroe's diplomatic missions in both the Washington
and Jefferson administrations, 1794-1797 and 1803-1807. It was
then that Monroe gained a reputation as one of the young
nation's foremost diplomats and negotiators. During his first
mission to France, he found himself in conflict with many
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE ■ SPRING 2010
This waistcoat and britches, ca. 1785, date to about the time
Monroe returned to Virginia with his new wife to set up his first
law practice in Fredericksburg. Although well-made and of
good-quality wool, linen, and cotton, the plain style emphasizes
practicality, not fashion. At 28, Monroe needed to be taken
seriously as a lawyer and to convey a sense of stability to
prospective clients.
American politicians who believed he was too favorable toward
the French and who felt he would serve his country better by
focusing more on pleasing the British. Eventually, Washington
would bend to political pressure and recall Monroe. Monroe
never quite recovered from the insult.
During Monroe's second diplomatic mission in the Jefferson
administration, the entire Monroe family returned to their
beloved Paris for some of the happiest years of their lives.
Monroe was there to assist Robert Livingston in negotiations for
the purchase of the Port of New Orleans, but he was surprised
by Napoleon's offer to sell the Americans the entire Louisiana
Territory. Monroe's negotiations resulted in the Louisiana
Purchase, the largest land acquisition in American history.
His abilities as a diplomat were greatly enhanced by his
beautiful and popular wife. Elizabeth Monroe became a
fixture at the French court, and Napoleon himself referred
to her as "la belle Americaine" or "the beautiful American."
Mrs. Monroe was considered highly fashionable, and having
her name on the guest list for a party was a social triumph. In
Paris, social connections were as important to diplomacy as
political connections, and so Elizabeth Monroe's status was
extremely advantageous to her husband.
Although the family would also spend time in London and
Madrid during Monroe's second assignment to Europe, their
years in Paris were the most influential on the rest of their
lives. Back in the United States, the Monroe family spoke
French among themselves and often corresponded in French,
as well. They favored French food and French entertaining
customs, and eventually, when they began their residence in
the President's House, they would furnish the mansion with
French furniture.
However, the style of dress that they adopted while they
were in Paris was one French custom that they had to leave
behind. Elizabeth Monroe's beautiful and elaborate gowns,
her exquisite jewels, and even her husband's elegant court suits
would not be making any public appearances back home in
America. American politicians had an entirely different image
to maintain, and the French style of dress was not part of it.
James Monroe was elected President of the United States
in 1816 and was inaugurated in March of 1817. His two terms
in office, lasting until 1825, would become known as the Era of
Good Feeling. It was a period marked by peace and prosperity
in the United States. The War of 1812 was over, the capital
city was being rebuilt, the nation's economy was stable, and
there was remarkably little political infighting in Washington.
In fact, Monroe ran unopposed for re-election in 1820. His
administration would produce two important political decisions
that would have repercussions for generations to come - the
Missouri Compromise and a statement that would become
known as the Monroe Doctrine. The Missouri Compromise
established the dividing line between Northern free states
and Southern slave states, and was one of the first steps on
the road that would eventually lead to the Civil War. The
Monroe Doctrine was the United States' first statement of
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
19
foreign policy, officially ending the nation's longstanding
position oi isolation from European political affairs. In the
doctrine, Monroe stated that interference in independent
nations in the Western hemisphere by European powers
would be looked upon as acts of aggression against the United
States, and the United States would move to protect those
independent nations with military force.
The Monroe family would he the first residents of the newly
rebuilt President's House following the burning of Washington
during the War of 1812. When they arrived, the house was
completely empty, and they had only a few pieces of their
own furniture to fill the massive rooms. James and Elizabeth
Monroe set about the work of furnishing the mansion and
establishing a presidential style for the house. Congress would
allot them some funds for use on the house, but they spent
much of their own money to accomplish the project. To this
The style and exquisite embroidery of Monroe's silk satin
waistcoat, right, ca. 1803, means it would have been worn only
on very formal occasions, such as visits to the court of Napoleon.
Trimmed with a border of peach velvet, the vest has traditionally
been identified as the one worn by Monroe with his cut velvet
court suit. Pictured above, top, is a detail of a gown, ca. 1875,
probably made for Elizabeth's wedding trousseau. Originally of
bright pink silk taffeta, the dress was too damaged to restore,
conservators deemed. They commissioned an exact replica,
which is in the exhibit. Pictured directly above is the maker's
label from a pair of Elizabeth's shoes.
day, the oldest furnishings on display in the Green Room,
Blue Room, and Red Room of the White House are those
purchased by the Monroes.
Interestingly, the time of Monroe's administration is
the only period in his life that is not represented in the
costume collection at the James Monroe Museum. None of
the clothing that he and his family wore during those eight
years has survived. This odd omission can be attributed to
the fact that any clothes that the family wore during those
years were perfectly suitable to wear after they left the White
House and returned to private life at Oak Hill, their farm in
Loudoun County. Thus, these garments were probably used
until they were simply thrown out or given away.
For the current exhibit, Monroe's presidential years of
1817 to 1825 are represented by two costumes loaned by a
private collector.
?D
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
While the costumes in the Museum's collection have all
been restored to a stable condition, they are still too fragile to
be on constant display. Therefore, Our Face to the World will
be both the first and last time members of the public will be
able to view the entire collection together in one place. Once
the exhibit closes, the costumes will return to storage. They
will be available for research, and individual garments may
be featured as part of future exhibits, but the entire collection
will not be displayed again.
The Museum's staff hopes as many people as possible will
come to see the spectacular results of this priceless collections
conservation and learn how James and Elizabeth Monroe
presented their faces to the world, m
Meghan C. Budinger is curator of the James Monroe Museum
and Memorial Library.
James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library
908 Charles Street | Fredericksburg, Virginia
Our Face to the World will continue through
April 30, 2010.
Hours:
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday
1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday
Admission:
$5 for adults, $1 children and students
Free of charge for UMW students, UMW employees,
and Friends of the James Monroe Museum
540/654-1043
www.umw.edu/jamesmonroemuseum
UMW's Face to the
James Monroe Museum
As a department of the University of Mary
Washington, the James Monroe Museum has
greatly benefitted from student involvement in
its operations through internships, class projects,
and volunteer opportunities.
In 1962, the Bowley Scholarship was established
through the University's Department of Historic
Preservation to award annual scholarships to two
students in exchange for their work at the museum.
Since then, Bowley Scholars have assisted in a
variety of projects, including the development of
exhibitions like Our Face to the World: The Clothing
of James and Elizabeth Monroe and creating
activities for children like the museum's Young
Patriots Corner.
Student volunteers have been responsible for
the ongoing effort to catalog the papers of the
museum's founder, Laurence Hoes, and many
historic preservation classes have researched the
history of objects in the museum's collections.
Bowley Scholars, and the many other students
who have taken part in museum activities over
the years, are vital to the museum's operations.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
21
M
nd a legac
Armed with a doctorate in education from Virginia Tech and a passion for the teaching profession, Brenda Vogel has shaped and
guided thousands of educators in her 33-year career at UMW.
When Brenda Vogel runs errands around Fredericksburg,
she invariably encounters someone who knows hen
When her friends tease her about it, she replies, "Its because
I've been here for so long "
As an education professor at Mary Washington for 33
years, Vogel has taught and advised hundreds of students. She
has served, too, as architect and director of the University's
popular master of education program, influencing legions of
local educators and school administrators.
"There's quite a legacy out there," Vogel said. "There are
a lot of teachers or administrators who have been in Mary
Washington's programs. That's one of the things I'm proud of."
When she retires in May, Vogel should feel proud of many
things. Across the region and the commonwealth, Vogel has
cemented the reputation of UMW education programs by
sharing her wisdom, experience, and love of teaching. Her
outgoing personality and straightforward style have provided
a model for students - and endeared her and the institution
to those who know her.
"Her passion for the teaching profession has been
contagious," said Patty Pitts, assistant superintendent at the
Virginia Department of Education. "Her leadership will leave
a positive mark in this state for many years to come."
Vogel expected a long tenure when she joined the Mary
Washington faculty in 1977, viewing the job as far more than
a stepping stone.
"I knew if things worked out that it was going to be a
good place for me. I was very pleased to be here," said Vogel,
who has a doctorate in education from Virginia Tech. "I have
absolutely loved Mary Washington."
The institution has loved Vogel right back. During her
22 years on the Fredericksburg campus, she was tapped to
wear various hats: professor, coordinator of teacher education
services, director of field experiences, education department
22
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
chair, and interim assistant dean of academic services. She
often juggled multiple duties.
But the classroom gave Vogel some of her fondest
memories. Her courses and good-humored nature were
perennially popular, said Marie Sheckels, chair of the education
department: "Students always came out of her courses excited
about what they had learned and eager to implement their
new knowledge in their own classes."
In Vogel's office on UMW's Stafford campus, children's
hooks fill a shelf, testimony to
the course she most loved to
teach: children's literature. " 'Your
class was like a conversation',"
Vogel said, chuckling as she
remembered a student's remark.
'"You would talk to us about
something, and it felt like a
conversation. But then... we'd
take your test. I couldn't believe
all the stuff we covered, but 1
really could not believe those tests'."
Vogel had two-plus decades
as a professor and administrator
under her belt by 1999 when she was asked to tackle an
ambitious assignment: create and launch education programs
at the campus poised to open in Stafford. "That was a once-
in-a-lifetime offer," Vogel said.
With her can-do spirit, she plunged in, organizing focus
groups with potential students and meeting with education
officials. Combining their input with her creativity and
attention to detail, she crafted post-bachelor's teacher licensure
and master of education (M.Ed.) programs.
Then came the hard part. Vogel helped spearhead the
effort to win approval from Mary Washington, state and
regional officials, and agencies. She went on to lead the drive to
publicize the program, recruit faculty, and interview students.
In August 2000, a little more than a year after Vogel took
on the Stafford position, the first M.Ed, candidates enrolled.
"Brenda deserves special credit for an incredible job that
year," said Meta Braymer, dean of the College of Graduate
and Professional Studies. "Quickly creating and implementing
masterful programs that proved to be extraordinarily successful is
virtually impossible if you are anyone other than Brenda Vogel."
Brenda Vogel is dedicated to her Nigerian dwarf goats
Emilia, left, and Rosalie, sisters that she took in as kids.
In the 10 years since, Vogel has hardly slowed down. Under
her leadership, M.Ed, offerings have grown to encompass seven
core programs. The teacher licensure program features five
major courses of study. Six certificate programs have been
created. Teachers can choose from assorted other learning
opportunities.
As offerings have increased, the expansion has scarcely
occurred in a vacuum. Vogel regularly consults with local
schools to learn their needs. The special education, English
as a Second Language, and
educational leadership programs
exemplify Mary Washington's
responses to community requests.
"Brenda has been a
tremendous partner over the
years," said Andre Nougaret,
deputy superintendent for
Stafford schools. "She has been
a constant in soliciting input
from neighboring school districts.
Brenda's plain talk, pursuit of
quality, and willingness to take
a risk or two have paid off richly
for Stafford schools."
In cultivating state and federal contacts, Vogel has kept
UMW current with changing regulations while bolstering the
University's standing in the teacher-education community. All
the while, she has impacted practicing and future teachers.
About 770 people will have received M.Ed.s by the time
Vogel retires. About 120 will have earned certificates. Many
of these have completed licensure programs.
"Brenda has influenced countless students on both
campuses, and, consequently, has influenced the thousands of
students whom they have gone on to teach," Braymer said. "Her
retirement will leave a huge hole at UMW, but her influence
will continue in the fine programs she has developed and the
many lives she has touched."
Vogel, in her characteristically humble fashion, shares
credit with her fellow faculty. She goes to great lengths to
ensure colleagues can focus on teaching, in part by assuming
extra responsibilities herself. She fills the role of director of
field experiences, placing all student teachers, interns, and
practicum students in local schools.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
23
"Brenda Joes everything she can to smooth out the details
so that we can educate our students," said Norah Hooper,
associate professor of education. "She is hard working and is
sensitive to faculty and student needs. It is hard to overstate the
importance of Brenda's knowledge, wisdom, and personality
on the success of our M.Ed, program. She is its heart and soul."
Vogel spreads her enthusiasm for Mary Washington in other
ways. She has pitched in to help innumerable campus groups,
including the Alumni Association Board and centennial and
inauguration committees.
Colleagues also count on Vogel to be generous with her
light-hearted, often self-effacing humor, especially when the
tedium of a meeting calls for a little levity. Vogel has received
an array of honors, including the 2008 award for Outstanding
Faculty Member at the Stafford campus.
Obstacles have barely slowed her down. She tended to
duties despite a broken fibula in 2009. An earlier diagnosis
of breast cancer led to a long battle. She won the fight, yet
it took a toll. Instead of working until age 70 as she'd long
planned, she decided to retire at 62 - a milestone she reached
in December.
"I don't want to die with my boots on," Vogel said. "I
want to do something on my own schedule." And with this
summer's launch of the College of Education, Vogel believes
2010 provides a good juncture for her departure: "It's time
for some young whippersnappers to have some fun with it."
She deliberately has made no big plans for retirement.
Vogel doesn't lack interests, though. An ardent Hokie football
fan, she expects to see more home games at her alma mater.
She is a nature lover, and she relishes visits to her Fluvanna
County acreage where she feeds the fish in her pond. In
Spotsylvania, where Vogel lives with Nancy Boutchyard, the
pair enjoys a friendly competition to attract the most color to
their yard. Nancy, a retired teacher, cultivates flowers, while
Brenda stocks bird feeders.
Vogel has a special place in her heart for her felines and her
miniature goats, Emilia and Rosalie, who are like family and
"smart, smart animals," she said. In her office, Vogel delights
in showing the framed photo of the Nigerian dwarves attired
in antlers at Christmastime.
She looks forward to more time with the rest of her family.
The youngest of four, Vogel grew up in Cumberland and Prince
William counties. As a first grader, Vogel learned something
Brenda Vogel recently met with Stafford campus education
faculty and staff, including Suzanne G. Houff, center, professor
of education, and Kavatus R. Newell, right, associate professor
of education.
crucial: "I laid eyes on my teacher and after a very short period
of time, I knew that's what I wanted to be."
To get where she wanted to be, she earned a bachelor's in
drama education from Virginia Commonwealth University
and a teaching license in speech, drama, and English. Vogel
began teaching high school students, but she plugged away at
her studies, too, completing her master's degree and doctorate
at Virginia Tech. She realized where she belonged during a one-
year stint as a professor at the University of Virginia at Wise.
"I knew then that I really wanted to teach college," Vogel
said. "I loved it." She taught courses at U.Va., Tech, and
Virginia Union. But by age 29, Vogel had landed at Mary
Washington. And she stayed.
Vogel was preparing congratulatory letters to UMW grads
named teacher-of-the-year for their schools one recent spring
when she made a delightful discovery. About two-thirds of the
Spotsylvania County winners were UMW alumni. Seeing so
many accomplished educators connected to the University
never fails to gratify Vogel.
While it's been difficult to get to know students well in
recent years as Vogel has taken on more administrative duties,
some remain lifelong friends. If Vogel weren't retiring, she'd
want to return to full-time teaching.
"I miss it," she explained. "There's nothing more invigorating.
You might be really tired or really depressed when you go into
class, and you come out rejuvenated and flying high."
For helping Mary Washington's education students and
programs fly high, Brenda Vogel deserves top grades, m
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
■
and Retiring
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UMWs
I ByBrynnBoyei
The week of May 10, several of Mary Washington's most
esteemed faculty members will be cleaning out their desks,
bidding farewells, and trekking down Campus Walk to their
offices one last time.
As those retirees begin new chapters, UMW closes the
book on a combined total of 150 years of classroom lectures
and interchanges with students and colleagues.
These departing faculty members have seen the school
undergo many changes - introduction of males on campus,
construction of new buildings, and a switch from college
to university status. Some have taught generations of Mary
Washington students and others came to the University
later in their careers. But the common thread among them
is that they have made an indelible mark on the institution
and its students.
William 8. Crawley Jr.
Among all the things that distinguish Mary Washington,
one is the school's historic preservation program, a program
that didn't exist when 25-year-old William "Bill" Crawley
came here as an assistant professor of history in 1970.
Crawley said his role in the establishment of the historic
preservation program was one of the most rewarding aspects
of his four-decade tenure at UMW.
But Crawley, distinguished professor of history and official
University historian, has worn countless hats at UMW. He
has become a Mary Washington icon.
In addition to serving as director of the Center for Historic
Preservation for four years during the 1980s, he created the
Great Lives Lecture Series; served with his history colleague
Carter Hudgins as co-chair of the Centennial Celebration;
and worked, with his wife Terrie '77, as co-chair of the
Centennial Campaign. He also had a stint as executive
assistant to former President William M. Anderson Jr., and
he is an unofficial campus photographer.
Crawley and his wife are sponsoring one of UMW's
Afghan students, and they have hosted innumerable student
events in their home, notably their legendary champagne-
dessert reception prior to Grad Ball each year.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
25
Terrie and Bill Crawley love to travel and plan to do more of it
when the history professor leaves the classroom.
Margaret Huber has helped expand the anthropology program
to a full-fledged major. Shown here in Devon, England, she has
a doctorate in philosophy and a bachelor of literature degree,
both from Oxford University.
His historian's role, combined with his love o{ history,
propelled him to write University of Mary Washington:
A Centennial History, 1908-2008, a comprehensive and
compelling look at the first hundred years of the institution.
Crawley received a bachelor's degree in Latin from
Hampden-Sydney College and both master's and doctoral
degrees in history from the University of Virginia.
Crawley said his retirment plans include more time
traveling with his wife. "I also imagine I will try to stay
connected to UMW in some capacity," he said, "as it would
be hard to go 'cold turkey' after 40 years."
Margaret Williamson Huber
Margaret Williamson Huber, distinguished professor of
anthropology, came straight from graduate school to Mary
Washington in 1974, a time when majoring in anthropology
at UMW was not an option.
1 came "to start an anthropology major," she said. "Of
course, it took over 30 years for that to be accomplished,
but I have succeeded."
Huber, who has taught anthropology courses at UMW
for 36 years, has done field research among the Kwoma
people in Papua New Guinea and conducted research on
the Powhatan Indians of Virginia.
She received an undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr
College. She then went to Oxford University, where she
earned a doctorate in philosophy and a bachelor of literature
degree, both in social anthropology.
During her time at UMW, Huber has helped expand the
anthropology program from an option as a special major to
a concentration within sociology to a full-fledged major. She
has increased the faculty to three.
The success of the program "has been rewarding, but so
too have been the many bright, engaging students I have
had the pleasure to know and to be friends with during this
time," Huber said.
After leaving UMW, Huber doesn't plan to slow down
- she has projects in the works including a book on the
Natchez Indians of Mississippi and an immersion Spanish
language program in Guatemala.
'."■
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Craig T. Naylor
In nine years as part of the music department at UMW,
Craig Naylor has premiered 1 5 original compositions, more
than tripled the size of the Wind and Percussion Ensemble,
and conducted a concert on the Kennedy Center stage.
Naylor, an associate professor of music, has certainly
given Mary Washington a new melody.
For the Centennial Celebration, Naylor set six of Pulitzer
Prize-winner Claudia Emerson's poems to music, a project
he considers "a highlight of my time at UMW."
He also received the UMW Presidential Recognition
Award for Native Voices, The Concert: Music of American
Indian Composers, which the Wind and Percussion Ensemble
performed in Washington, D.C., at the National Museum of
the American Indian and the Kennedy Center's Millennium
Stage.
Naylor, who taught music at several elementary schools
and community colleges before joining Mary Washington's
faculty in 2001, received a bachelor's degree in music education
from Humboldt State University and both a master's degree
and a doctorate in music composition from the University
of Southern California.
"I will miss the great UMW students who have challenged
and enlivened me," Naylor said. "And I will deeply miss
spending time and sharing thoughts with my wonderful
UMW colleagues and friends."
Though Naylor plans to continue composing, he also
wants to construct something more tangible - he plans to
build a house on his wife's land in Montana.
Roy H. Smith
Roy Smith has seen first-hand what a difference 40 years
makes.
"I have watched a small, single-sex, second-tier college
with a beautiful campus become a modest-sized, coed, master's
level University with a beautiful campus," said Smith, UMW
distinguished professor of psychology.
When Smith became part of the psychology faculty at
Mary Washington in 1970, he was fresh out of school himself.
He had received his doctorate in physiological psychology
from the University of Pennsylvania earlier that year and
Craig Naylor said he'll miss his students when he heads to
Montana, where this photo of the composer was taken with
friends Hoss and Pearl.
Roy Smith's passion for music - instrumental and vocal - will get
more attention in retirement, as will his three grandchildren.
Here he plays the cello.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
27
Roy and Cathy Strohl will have more time to enjoy their home in Stafford County, their garden, and Roy's home brew after the
university librarian retires in May.
his bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville in 1965.
Since then, he has served as chair of the Department
of Psychology, done research projects alongside countless
UMW students, and served on numerous campus committees.
His research has focused on cognitive neuroscience,
alcohol and drug use, and educational dynamics - topics
he has been able to bring into the classroom with courses
like Psychopharmacology, Physiological Psychology, and the
Psychology of Language.
After spending the majority of his adult life in Chandler
Hall, Smith said after he retires, he will have more time for
music, travel, and horticulture.
"Mary Washington and I have been a good fit," he said.
"Forty years go by quite quickly when you are interested and
involved, and when you are old enough to forget things on
a regular basis!"
LeRoy S. Strohl III
In 1985, Mary Washington's library was in Trinkle Hall,
there were no such thing as 'e-books,' and the card catalog
actually had paper cards in it.
Roy Strohl has seen a lot of changes in 25 years since he
arrived at Mary Washington from Emory & Henry College,
where he had served as college librarian for 11 years.
Here, his title has changed from college librarian to
university librarian, mirroring the name change of Mary
Washington in 2004-
Strohl also helped introduce the Internet to library
operations.
When the College of Graduate and Professional Studies
in Stafford needed a library, Strohl helped develop it.
Strohl was also an integral part of the design and
construction of the Fredericksburg campus' Simpson Library.
"1 was so lucky to have had such a great staff to work
with over the years," Strohl said. "It was their collective hard
work and commitment to quality library service that earned
campus-wide respect and appreciation for the libraries and
their services."
Strohl enlisted in the United States Navy during the
early years of the Vietnam War. After his service, he received
a bachelor's degree in English literature and theology
from Hanover College in Indiana and master's degrees in
library science and English literature from the University
of Kentucky, it
;<8
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2 0 1 (
In addition to Brenda Vogel, two other professors at the Stafford campus had announced
their retirement at the time the magazine went to press.
Ellen M. Folk
Ellen M. Folk
When Ellen Folk came to UMW in 2004, she was greeted
with the task of developing the first-ever undergraduate
and graduate accounting concentrations at the College of
Graduate and Professional Studies.
Within the first year,
and with the help of MBA
Program Director Alan
Heffner, she designed the
concentrations, wrote
the undergraduate and
graduate curricula and
course descriptions, and
obtained the necessary
approvals - no small feat.
"There are so many
people who did not have
the opportunity to finish
their degrees the first
time around," Folk said. "Our program at CGPS was geared
to the person who must work and yet needs a degree
that will provide meaningful and fruitful employment.
An accounting concentration at CGPS met that need for
a lot of students." She added, "I was delighted to be a part
of a group that gave the 'bootstrap' to students to pull
themselves up."
Folk, like many CGPS faculty members, began her
career in the corporate sector. Combining her real-world
experience with a love of law and accounting, she decided
in 1 992 to pursue teaching full time.
Folk has a bachelor's degree in history from the
University of Houston, an MBA from University of
Connecticut with a concentration in finance, and a juris
doctorate from the University of Bridgeport School of Law.
She also holds a post-graduate law degree, an LLM., in
taxation from Quinnipiac University School of Law.
The leadership and management professor is also a
licensed certified public accountant in Texas and Virginia
and a member of the state bars of Texas, New York, and
Connecticut.
Retirement for Folk will be divided among the following:
traveling with her husband in their motor coach throughout
the United States and Canada, spending time on their boat
Sassy, and pursuing her beloved passion of fiber arts.
Rebecca S. Hayes
Rebecca Hayes recently fulfilled one of her lifelong goals:
to hold a koala.
She accomplished this during a recent trip to Australia,
and she plans to continue pursuing her passion for travel
after her upcoming retirement.
"My husband of 40 years and I have always traveled both
in the U.S. and abroad," Hayes said. "We plan to take at least
two major trips abroad each year for the next seven years."
The passion that will carry Hayes through her retirement
also inspired the associate professor of education in her
career at the College of Graduate and Professional Studies.
During her eight-and-a-half years at UMW, Hayes has
taught general education, gifted, and leadership courses;
she also served as coordinator for the Education Leadership
program.
Her true mark,
though, can be found
in the local school
divisions in this region.
Hayes has taught gifted
endorsement courses
forThe Commonwealth
Governor's School
and Mountain Vista
Governor's School, and
she led a commission for
a major revamping of the
gifted program in Manassas City Public Schools.
She was director for the Mary Washington component
of three Teaching American History grants obtained by local
school divisions. Each of these $1 million grants has offered
graduate professional development courses in history and
history education to more than 250 teachers.
Hayes got her start as a high school teacher. Armed
with a bachelor's degree with honors in history from
Westhampton College, she went to Duke University to earn
a master of arts degree in teaching. At the University of
Virginia she also earned a master of arts degree in history
and a doctorate degree in the history of education.
Hayes said she has "thoroughly enjoyed" her colleagues
and the students at UMW.
- Melina Downs
Rebecca S. Hayes
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
29
UMW Magazine editors didn't recognize the "1971 Girl Reading
Bullet," but readers did - and they let us know it in dozens of
emails.
Classmates wrote to identify Liz Vantrease '70 in the
photo, but they had more to say about the remarkable
woman. They told of a bright, witty, well-loved student who
progressed from campus activist to professional journalist
and musician. Mostly, though, they recalled their dear friend's
courage during her eight-year battle with Lou Gehrig's disease,
which ended with her death in 1995. Vantrease was 46.
The photo - "1971 Girl Reading Bullet" - was taken spring
1968 in The Bullet office -then a hallway under Ann Carter Lee
Ballroom, according to Mary Anne Burns '71. Burns worked
with Vantrease on the Mary Washington College newspaper
from 1967 to 1969. Vantrease was a sophomore that year and
had just been named the next year's Bullet editor, Burns said.
In the era of student activism, Vantrease pushed The Bullet to
cover issues important not just to Mary Washington, but to
students across the nation.
"She wanted to take the paper in a new direction, and this
[photo] was her way of saying it," Burns wrote.
In the late '60s, American soldiers were dying in the
Vietnam War; the national draft resistance movement was
growing. Mary Washington women weren't drafted, but their
friends and sweethearts were. The all-women's school was
a "dating magnet for Quantico's Officers Candidate School
nearby," Burns said. "Men we knew from Quantico were being
deployed to Vietnam, some to die."
Vantrease and other campus leaders wanted Mary
Washington to get involved in the student movement
against the war. They headed to national meetings of
student governance and press associations. They erected
four crosses on Ball Circle to honor four students killed by
National Guard troops during an anti-war protest at Kent
State University. Gladys Swanson Furness '70 wrote to say
the only photo UMW Magazine could have printed that would
have pleased Vantrease more would have been "one from the
demonstration that marched across campus and straight into
Chancellor Simpson's office."
Photo Recalls
Courageous
Friend
By Neva Trenis
Liz Vantrease in the early 1990s
To Anne L. "Laurie" Mcintosh '71, the photo was a
statement of her friend's humor, personality, and plans. "Liz
made major changes to the newspaper while serving as
its editor - a reflection of the times in which we lived," she
wrote. "This photo sort of says it all. She shook things up, took
chances, incurred some wrath, but got everyone interested in
reading the publication."
In one of Vantrease's early editorials for The Bullet,
published Nov. 13, 1967, the freshman wrote about conformity
at Mary Washington.
When a student whose ideas are slightly different
from those of the majority has the strength to stand up
for what she believes, is she applauded for her courage
and strong convictions, or is she ostracized and labeled
a 'rabble rouser'l
On a lighter but equally adamant note, the American
studies major adopted the name and persona of freshman
"Nellie Naive" for a Bullet editorial, Open Letter to Mom. In it
"Nellie" writes "Dear Mother," then recounts her first weeks at
Mary Washington:
/ also found out that our male guests are expected to
appear in ties and jackets, so please tell Daddy to dress a
V)
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE ■ SPRING 2010
little more presentable the next time he comes. . ..
So far, we've had two bridal showers and three baby
showers on our hall. The girls here sure are friendly.
Last night I had a blind date with a boy from U.Va.
And we visited the local battlefields. He taught me so
many things that I never knew in high school. Isn't it nice
that everybody here is so interested in the historic spots?
I will call you as soon as the line at the one pay phone
in our dorm gets a little shorter.
Vantrease was a powerful force on the Judicial Review
Board, where she worked for open, balanced, and fair
implementation of college rules. In general, she asserted that
young women had ideas for the future of the country.
After graduation, Vantrease had a successful 11-year
career at The Times-Herald, then a newspaper in the Virginia
Peninsula; she worked as a reporter, city editor, and, finally,
assistant managing editor. She won many journalism awards,
including one for a special report on the life of African
Americans on the Virginia Peninsula 20 years after the passage
of the Civil Rights Act. She won Virginia Press Association
awards. In 1989, the Virginia Press Women named her Press
Woman of the year for the second time. In a 1989 MWC Today
feature, the former assistant managing editor of the Newport
News papers, Myrtle S. Barnes, recalled her former employee
and friend: "Liz tackled the news business as she tackled
everything else, with total concentration and dedication and a
burning drive to master every aspect of the job."
In 1984, Vantrease left journalism and enrolled in a
master's degree program at VCU, studying trumpet and music
composition. Just after she enrolled at VCU, Vantrease was
diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's
disease), an incurable illness that prevents the body's muscles
from receiving brain messages. People with the progressive
degenerative disease lose the ability to move until, in its late
stages, voluntary muscle action ceases and victims become
paralyzed and die. Though ALS crippled Vantrease as she
pursued classes at VCU, she earned the master's degree and
completed a recital of original compositions.
Vantrease didn't succumb to a hopeless prognosis or
waste a minute of life. After finishing the music degree, the
Bernardsville, N.J., native penned an opera she had always
wanted to write. Through music, she told of her great-great
grandmother's struggle to reach a Civil War prison to see
her Confederate captain husband; Vantrease lived to hear it
performed by fellow VCU students. She lobbied for the rights
of the disabled, and she kept careful notes about life with ALS
for a book she would write.
She was intelligent, warm, witty,
and like all of us who worked on The
Bullet, opinionated, passionate, and
somewhat peculiar. I was fortunate
to have known her, and the world
is a little darker since her death.
- Liz Morgan Golladay '68
Vantrease's obituary in the Newport News, Va., Daily Press
quoted VCU Professor of Music Sandra Guerard. Vantrease
"was just universally liked," her teacher said. "She was a very
strong woman but gentle at the same time - and her music
reflected that."
Members of the Mary Washington Class of 1970 wrote
UMW Magazine to say they appreciated seeing "Lizzie's"
photo in the magazine, especially as they approach their
40th reunion in June. Vantrease attended the 20th reunion in
1990 - her last - in a wheelchair, Burns said. "She had lost her
voice, but undaunted, she prepared a small handout of her
biography which enabled people to come up to her and speak
to her easily."
Near the end of her life, Vantrease was completely
paralyzed, communicating only by moving her eyes.
In 1988, Vantrease told the Daily Press that before being
diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease she had traveled in Europe
and Egypt, worked as a newswoman, and studied music.
"That may be one reason why I'm not particularly angry
that I'm sick," she told them. "I've gotten to do everything I
wanted to do."
Thank you to the many classmates and friends who wrote UMW
Magazine about Liz Vantrease and her extraordinary life.
Even as her illness robbed her of mobility and ability to speak,
Vantrease found alternative ways to get around and to
communicate.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE
31
Get the Picture? Give It Your Best Shot!
Editor's note: "Get the Picture?" asks
for your help in identifying people in
vintage UMW images. The photos are
part of UMW's Centennial Digital Image
Archive, an interactive and searchable
database that was established in
conjunction with Mary Washington's
100th birthday.
The collection, which can be viewed
at http://archive.umw.edu, comprises
hundreds of images that chronicle
UMW's visual history. Some of the
images in the archive are identified only
partially or not at all. The archive can
become more complete from the shared
knowledge of UMW friends and family.
This photo is from the 1958 Battlefield. The game-players are not identified;
the caption reads: "Let's see what Ouija has in store for this week end.
Maybe..." Can you identify the students and shed more light on the
photo? Submit information by
emailing abilling@umw.edu
(please put GETTHE PICTURE in
the subject line) or by sending
regular mail to University of
lary Washington Magazine
- Get the Picture, UMW, 1301
College Ave., Fredericksburg,
VA 22401-5300.
Pat Moore
By Jack Bales
Patricia Mary Moore has worked as a cashier in the Mary
Washington dining halls for 20 years. At breakfast, she's as
perky as morning coffee as she greets students at the register
in the Washington Diner. During the lunch hour, she stands
outside the faculty and staff dining room checking in Mary
Washington staff members. After her own lunch, she works in
the kitchens, helping prepare desserts.
Pat, a native of Great Britain, has made countless friends
during her years at UMW, and she is known throughout the
University community for her cheerful demeanor, considerable
charm, and irreverent wit.
Definitely the faculty,
staff, and students. I love to open the doors and see them come up
the steps every day. We usually share a joke or talk about what's
in the news. Of course, I have to be careful about the jokes I tell the
students!
You know, I've
thought about that, and I can't think of a thing. I live in College
Heights, so even before I came to work here, I used to walk my
dogs around the campus and thought to myself how beautiful
everything was. Mary Washington was - and is - my neighbor.
32
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
person!
Definitely a people
I just love to come to work and see the
interesting people I meet every day. They all have so much to tell
me. President Anderson used to come to lunch a lot. He'd talk to
everybody and joke and laugh with them. He always asked for a
cup of coffee and one Sweet'N Low.
When I worked full time with the students, I made lots and lots
of friends. There was one freshman whom I loved the minute he
came on board - Noah Ristau '96. He worked here as a student,
and when he graduated he became the catering manager here.
After several years he left, and now he owns his own catering
business and is the father of twins. We still keep in touch.
Then there was Ben Hernandez '95, who later was on the
Board of Visitors. I knew him really well. He was a sweet guy. Some
of them come back as guests of the faculty and staff, and they'll
say to me, "Oh, I remember you!" And I'll think to myself, "Oh, yes,
I remember you, too. You never could remember to bring your I.D.
card."
I must say that Sodexo has been good to me, and I've worked
with some very fine people. I've worked for them and with them,
and I love my job. It's wonderful when you go home and you know
you've had a good day.
I know this sounds corny, but it's got to
be my husband. This is the second marriage for both of us. We
were married in February of 1969. We came to Virginia from Fort
Leonard Wood, Missouri, with two beat-up old cars, a dog, three
kids, and one thousand dollars between us. We put that money
down on a trailer and we lived in that at Quantico.
My husband was transferred to the Defense Intelligence
Agency in Washington, D.C., and I got a job in the Officers' Club in
Quantico. I worked there for 20 years before I retired. But we saved
our money, and we bought a house here in Fredericksburg. We've
done very well for ourselves. He's taught me a lot; I didn't have
a very fancy education, but he's taught me a lot about history,
politics, and other subjects. We watch the Discovery Channel
and the History Channel. And we're both interested in politics. I
remember how my parents cried in 1945 when Winston Churchill
lost the election as Prime Minister to Clement Attlee. I was just a
child then and was not involved with politics, but I was a Tory as I
grew up.
Snakes. I can't stand snakes.
If I see a picture of a snake, I go to pieces. If I'm watching the
Discovery Channel and there's a snake, I tell my husband, "Turn it
off. Turn it off."
I
finished only the eighth grade. I was a small child during World
War II, growing up in the port city of Liverpool. One day my
brother and I got up to go to school, and the school wasn't there;
the Germans had bombed it. At that young age, we didn't care, so
we went off to play. And then the government evacuated all of us
kids out to the country, to a place called Southport. We thought
we were going a great distance, though it was only 21 miles from
Liverpool. But it got us away from the docks and the bombing.
In fact, our house was damaged during one of the air raids. My
younger brother and I weren't there, of course, but my older sister
and older brother were, as well as my father and mother.
While I was away I got diphtheria, and I had to stay in the
hospital for weeks. Soon after I got over that, I was sick with scarlet
fever, and that turned into pneumatic fever. So as you can see, I
was ill for a long time. By the age of 14, it was time to go out and
get a job. And I've worked ever since.
One of my jobs was at
Vernons Football Pools, a betting pool in Liverpool. Bettors sent
in coupons, which had to arrive by Friday for the matches on
Saturday. We checked the coupons to see if the bettors had won
any money. It was boring work, but it paid well. After a while
someone said, "Let's start a choir," so a bunch of us girls got
together and formed a choir. We had fun; there must have been
about 50 of us. Then, somebody in London heard about us and
came down and checked us out. They liked what they saw and
whittled us down to about 20 members. They then made us get in
shape so we could show our legs and all that. We became backup
singers for the likes of Tom Jones. I met him only once; we would
do the singing in the studio and then they'd merge our music
in with his. Eventually, we performed on The Benny Hill Show,
which was a lot of fun. You couldn't tell from the television show,
but Benny was a very shy man - though not with us girls. It took a
while to get rid of the pinch marks on our bottoms! He liked to do
that, you know, m
Jack Bales is UMW's reference and humanities librarian, and he
frequently eats in the faculty-staff dining room.
Old English movies and television
shows, especially detective programs like Lord Peter Wimsey and
Foyle's War. / love detective shows. I love it when they catch the
bad guy!
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
33
BOOK REPORT t:
Books by Faculty
(These books are available in the UMW Bookstore.)
Compiled by Megan Eichenberg '11
The Economics of Inequality, Discrimination,
Poverty, and Mobility
By Robert S. Rycroft
In this introductory-level textbook, Robert S. Rycroft, UMW
professor of economics, draws on experiences from his
"Poverty, Affluence, and Equality" course to examine the
economic goals of efficiency and equity.
Rather than define the terms with words or mathematical
equations, Rycroft uses the metaphor of "slicing the pie" to
explore the economics of inequality, discrimination, poverty,
and mobility.
Intended primarily for an undergraduate audience, the
book is divided into four parts. It begins with a study of
inequality, followed by a section on discrimination. Next,
Rycroft focuses on poverty, the problem of "a slice too small,"
followed by a section on mobility.
The textbook provides a detailed development of
economic theory. It also includes expanded coverage on
discrimination law, featuring analysis and discussion of
Supreme Court decisions.
- Published by M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2009
Power for Purpose: Your Guide to Getting Grants
By Shauna Brown
Power for Purpose: Your Guide to Getting Grants educates grant-
seekers on the steps involved in preparing to obtain grants,
seeking grants, and receiving grants.
The book specifically outlines how to create a realistic
budget, state and promote a purpose, and locate grants.
Author Shauna Brown, adjunct instructor of English at the
UMW College of Graduate and Professional Studies, also
details elements of effective proposals and explains what
grant reviewers look for in application packages.
The book comprises six chapters that present a
comprehensive guide to successfully obtaining grant funding.
Intended for novice grant-seekers, Power for Purpose also
includes worksheets, charts, and lists to facilitate the grant
application process. Brown concludes the guidebook by
presenting readers with additional resources, a handy glossary
of terms, and a list of cited sources for further reference.
- Published by Infinity Publishing, 2009
The Last Chance: Roads of
Freedom IV
By Jean-Paul Sartre,
translated by Craig Vasey
Craig Vasey, professor of philosophy and chair of the
Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion, provides
readers with the first English translation of French
existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre's The Last Chance:
Roads of Freedom IV.
Roads of Freedom is typically thought of as a trilogy
consisting of The Age of Reason, The Reprieve, and Death in the
Soul. Sartre's fourth volume, consisting of Strange Friendship
and The Last Chance, were published in French after his death.
The Last Chance explores central themes of Sartrean
existentialism, including interrelations of politics,
responsibility, friendship, and freedom.
The book includes an introduction by Vasey, a previously
unpublished interview with Sartre, and supplementary
scholarship and analysis.
According to Adrian van den Hoven, University of Windsor
professor emeritus of French, "Craig Vasey's faithful translation
represents an important contribution to a better and more
complete understanding of Sartre's fictional world."
- Published by Continuum International Publishing Group, 2009
An Anthology of Philosophy
in Persia, Vol. 3: Philosophical
Theology in the Middle Ages
and Beyond
Edited by S. H. Nasrand
Mehdi Aminrazavi
Mehdi Aminrazavi, UMW professor of
philosophy and religion and director of the Middle Eastern
Studies Program, has devoted the third volume of the five-
volume series, An Anthology Of Philosophy In Persia, to Islamic
philosophical theology as it developed in the Middle Ages.
Along with his co-editor, S. H. Nasr, University Professor of
Islamic Studies at George Washington University, he presents
major figures, their works, and distinctive philosophical
schools of theology. Important selections from both Shi'i and
Sunni theological schools, such as Muslim rationalists and
orthodox theologians, are included in the volume, many of
which have never before been available in translation in the
West until now.
- Published by I.B.Tauris Publishers, 2009
'A
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Books by Alumni
The Retreats of Thought
By Kelly Cherry '61
The philosophical domain is the muse
behind Kelly Cherry's latest book
of sonnets, The Retreats of Thought.
Cherry, who studied philosophy as
a graduate student at the University
of Virginia, explores several different
themes in her poems, including the nature of time, the
definitions of goodness and beauty, the aims of art, and our
limited knowledge of the world. According to Louisiana State
University Press, Cherry "retains a deep love of philosophical
inquiry and maintains that our lives are intimately bound to
the philosophical choices we make."
- Published by Louisiana State University Press, 2009
A Westward Adventure
By Melissa Dawn Reedy '02
In A Westward Adventure, protagonist
Elizabeth Prescott moves from
England to America to pursue her
dream of owning a cattle ranch.
Elizabeth and her brother settle in
Colorado Springs, where Elizabeth
encounters adventure, mystery, and
romance against the backdrop of the Colorado Mountains.
Tate Publishing invites readers to "join Elizabeth as she buys
a ranch, embarks on her first cattle drive, and uncovers past
truths that threaten to destroy the life she has begun to build
for herself."
- Published by Tate Publishing, 2009
Calling all budding
authors, geographers,
and mathematicians
Try your hand at writing poetry, fiction, and essays. If you are
a rising high school junior or senior -or if you know someone
who is - learn more about the new UMW Summer Enrichment
Program.
Not only can students develop wordsmithing techniques,
they can investigate the world around them through a
geography course or discover ways to master mathematics -
and have fun doing so.
This program offers a rare opportunity for secondary-
school students to pursue their interests under the guidance
of seasoned instructors who have honed their skills on the
college level.
Classes will take place in June and July. Application deadline
is April 30. Also, the University will offer SAT preparation
workshops in writing and math over two weekends in August.
Applications for those workshops are due June 15.
For more information, contact Professor Teresa Kennedy,
tkennedy@umw.edu. Register online at www.umw.edu/sep.
Once upon a time
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
35
NOTABLE & QUOTABLE
Student is state
standard-bearer
for hearing-impaired
Miss America 2010 is not the
only pageant winner to come
out of Massaponax High School.
UMW sophomore Rosa Evelyn
Herrera '12, the reigning Miss Deaf
Virginia, also graduated from the
Spotsylvania County school.
Since winning her title last
summer, Herrera said she has tried
to serve as a role model for other
deaf students. "I was shocked and
honored to win," Herrera said of the
pageant that took place in Staunton.
She is the first Latino winner.
Herrera, 20, will hold the title
for two years. This July, she
will represent Virginia in the Miss Deaf America contest in
Philadelphia. "I am really nervous," she said.
A computer science major, Herrera spent the past two
summers in Peru. She said that meeting deaf people there
caused her to realize how fortunate she is to have access
to resources. Working with deaf people in another country
"changed my life," she said.
Herrera said she will not let the duties of her title - primarily
delivering speeches about disability awareness - stand in
the way of her UMW work. While she attends classes and
participates in activities on campus, her crown resides safely
in her Spotsylvania home.
Rosa Evelyn Herrera
Harmony
becomes
UMW student
Mary Turner
UMW student Mary Turner
is a rising R&B star. She walked away with the award for Best
R&B artist in Virginia at the 2010 District of Columbia, Virginia,
Maryland (DMV) Music Awards held in Capitol Heights, Md., in
January.
Turner, known professionally as Harmony Muzik, began
performing during down time when she served a five-year
stint in the Marine Corps and was stationed in Okinawa,
Japan. Turner began writing and recording her own music,
mostly demos; the other Marines in her platoon encouraged
her.
In the summer of 2007, Turner and her husband were
transferred to the Marine Base in Quantico, Va. Turner
transferred to UMW in fall of 2008 from Germanna Community
College. By then, she was performing in shows, including one
featuring her own music at the Artmosphere in D.C.
All the while, Turner was working with many artists on
different labels for projects and shows. When the nominations
for the 201 0 DMV Music Awards were announced in
December, Turner was among them.
She performed at the awards ceremony, singing her own
song, Take a Bite, with local independent artists Prhyme and
Divinity, who were also nominated for awards.
Turner is taking a semester off from UMW as she finishes her
first album, The Masquerade, which features all new songs. It
is expected to be released in late spring. She said her musical
influences come from various artists, ranging from Motown to
classic rock groups such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.
Turner, a history major, plans to graduate in 2011.
UMW geography students are out of this world
In keeping with tradition, the Virginia team - led by University
of Mary Washington students - won the World Geography
Bowl competition at the annual meeting of the Southeastern
Division of the Association of American Geographers. Five
Mary Washington geography students and one graduate
student from Virginia Tech defeated teams composed
mostly of graduate students from Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Tennessee. The Virginia team was coordinated by captain
Matthew Holden '11 and coached by faculty members Joe
Nicholas, Dawn Bowen, and Jackie Gallagher.
Teams compete in an /f's/Acoc/e/n/c-style format and answer
very difficult questions on a range of geographic topics.
Holden was the top
scoring undergraduate in
the competition and will be
on a team representing the
Southeast at the Association of
American Geographers Annual
Meeting in Washington, DC,
April 12-17.
The UMW-led Virginia Team again brought home top honors
from the World Geography Bowl. UMW students participating
were, left to right, Brandon Eads '10, Anya Bogdanow '10,
Allyson Thompson '10, Matthew Holden '11, Joey Winters '13,
Ryan Forbes '11, and Zach Wehrmann '11. Forbes and Wehrmann
were alternates.
■/.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • ':, P R I N G 2010
Home Team Advantage
Anderson Center offers boon for
community and opportunities for donors
|i By Donna Harter Raab
The Anderson Center is under construction near Goolrick Hall. When it opens in the summer
of 2011, many people will visit the venue not only for sporting events, but also for arts and community activities.
It soon will be easier to find a seat at UMW's basketball and
volleyball games. The same will be true for convocations
and other large gatherings at Mary Washington. Now under
construction near Goolrick Hall, the new Anderson Center is
projected to hold 2,000 spectators for athletic events and as
many as 3,000 guests for concerts and community events.
The planning for such a facility has been in progress
for nearly two decades. In 2006, the Board of Visitors
approved the construction project and voted to name the
building for President Emeritus William M. Anderson Jr. as
a tribute to his 23 years of service to Mary Washington. The
ceremonial groundbreaking was held in September 2009, and
construction is now under way, with a scheduled completion
date of summer 2011.
"UMW has needed a larger facility for quite some time,"
said Director of Athletics Ed Hegmann. "Our current seating
capacity in the Goolrick Hall gym is about 450, which is
equivalent to the size of a modern-day junior high school
facility. In recent years, we've actually had to turn students
away from some games due to the maximum fire code
capacity." Goolrick Hall was first open to students in 1969.
Plans for the new arena include 500 chairs on the home side
as well as plenty of seating on retractable bleachers for both
home fans and visitors. "I've been here 34 years, and I think the
new Anderson Center will help our efforts in recruiting student
athletes who want and deserve an appropriate venue in which
to practice and compete," Hegmann said. "Our coaches and
our students are ecstatic to see construction under way."
In addition to providing expanded space for athletic
activities, the Anderson Center will be utilized for other events,
including career fairs, lectures, convocations, and concerts.
Space inside the venue presents unprecedented
naming opportunities for donors. "Every year, hundreds
and thousands of students and community members
will pass through the doors of the Anderson Center," said
Vice President for Advancement and University Relations
Torre Meringolo. "It will become a central gathering place,
which I think makes it ideal for alumni, parents, friends, and
businesses to put their names on seats, lobbies, locker rooms,
offices, and other public areas."
Gaynelle Parrish Grizzard '50 recently made a gift that allows
her to put her name on a seat in the Anderson Center. "I read
about this new facility named after President Anderson," she
said. "I liked his philosophy and vision and thought he had
done a great job in helping the University make progress while
keeping true to the things that are most important. I decided
to name a seat to show my support for his legacy."
The Anderson Seat Campaign is actively seeking
participants. For a gift of $2,000 to the Fund for Mary
Washington, a donor may personalize a seat in the Anderson
Center. Visit www.umw.edu/gift/andersoncenter to make a
gift and dedicate a seat plaque to a student, friend, favorite
professor, winning team - or to yourself. You name it! Contact
the Office of University Advancement at 540/654-1024 or
888/692-0004 for information about these and other naming
opportunities, m
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
37
BOARD
mm"-
•&t'&.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
TO: All Alumni
FROM: Sue Bridi '81
I'm writing this message as many of us in the East are digging out from the
historic blizzards of 2010. Here's hoping this finds all of us enjoying spring
weather as you read this!
Speaking of spring, we will be hosting alumni events in Northern Virginia,
Virginia Beach, Baltimore, Richmond, and Fredericksburg. Each event will offer
opportunities to meet UMW's Vice President for Advancement and University
Relations Torre Meringolo and other University administrators. Join us at one or
more of these events for an update on UMW's plans and progress.
Of course, each year at this time we turn our thoughts to Reunion Weekend and
our new Alumni College program. I hope you will mark your calendar for
June 3-4 and plan to attend Alumni College, which features lectures by UMW
faculty and will include such topics as the Music of Leadership, Digital History,
Latin American Politics, Everyday Economics, and the Effects of Lifelong
Learning on Resiliency and Aging. In addition, there will be lectures and
tours at the Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont. Now in its third year,
Alumni College has been enthusiastically received by participants - and you
don't have to be a member of a Reunion class to attend. You can find a complete
schedule and registration information at www.umw.edu/alumni.
Those of you in classes that have reached a milestone this year have undoubtedly
already marked your calendars. You will want to be in Fredericksburg June 4-6
to reconnect with Mary Washington and with each other. This years reunion
schedule includes tours, lectures, book signings, and ample time for reminiscing
with classmates. You can visit the newly- renovated Ann Carter Lee Hall, which
houses the expanded University Bookstore. You can view the site where the
Anderson Center is taking shape, and across Route 1 from campus, you can also
get a glimpse of Eagle Village, the first phase of which is nearing completion.
Most of all, you will be able to marvel at the sense of familiarity as soon as
you set foot back on campus. It's a great time to renew your ties with Mary
Washington; Reunion Weekend details and registration information are also
available on the alumni website.
Alumni often ask how they can become involved with Mary Washington. Its
easy! Attend an alumni event in your area, sponsor an internship for a current
student, visit campus for Homecoming or Reunion Weekend or for no special
reason, submit news for Class Notes, make a donation to the annual fund,
connect with UMW alumni via Facebook, hire a UMW graduate, recommend a
prospective student... no matter where you live, you can connect with your alma
mater. Your involvement enhances our reputation and ensures our bright future!
It has been a pleasure to serve as president of the Alumni Association for the
past two years. My term concludes in June, and although I'll pass the gavel to
incoming president Derek Bottcher '96, you can be sure I'll remain actively
involved with UMW, and I hope you all will as well.
2010
"your </as$ yen,* j
o "0," thU s nds ""'"» o "5» nm
Classmates gathered at the Northern Virginia Alumni
and Friends Social in October. Left to right, above, Scott
Bessette 87, Jennifer Bessom Klaussen '87, Daniel Rice
86, Jacqueline St. Martin '85, and Gerard McGuire '85
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010'
Shana Muhammad '06 and Chad Chadbourn '06
pii.imj.'»ij"wyiM"P<'n— ■ *nwiw».' — -~-~-— w
Class Notes
Reunion Weekend
:elebration scheduled for June 4-E
luby Lee Norris
>0. Box 158
topping, VA 23169
norris@oasisonline.com
,ois Loehr Brown
'523 Little River Turnpike, No. 101
Vnnandale, VA 22003
oislbrown@aol.com
was delighted to be among so
nany UMW alumnae at a wedding
hower for Anne Radway '63, given
>y the mother of Lisa Elizabeth
Jentley Brouelette '85. Anne's
vedding to Jonathan Barber
vas especially beautiful and the
eception at The Barns at Wolf
Tap was superb. In addition to
\.nne and myself, these alumnae
vere photographed there together:
•ally Sutherland '63, Ann Readon
iowe '63, Mary Russell '63, Cindy
Vhitaker Finnelly '63, and Alice
ickenrode Alkire '63. Edith
Dibby" Clark '70 was there but
ras not in the picture.
Lundy Baker Updike '76 and
attended the UMW Northern
/irginia alumni and friends social,
vhich took place at the Clarendon
Jallroom in Arlington on Oct. 29.
Word was received of the death
if Mary Katherine Pappandreou
)avis '43 in Birmingham, Ala.
Gary's father was the godfather of
:va Catafygiotu Topping. Mary's
ister-in-law was Lee Wingate
Ceith Pappandreou '40, who was
ny roommate her senior year and
ny junior year. We were among
he first to occupy the then-new
Westmoreland Hall.
Myra McCormick Cole,
vho has lived in Texas for more
han 55 years, was an officer in
he Navy during World War II
md was recalled for the Korean
:onflict. After leaving her beloved
/irginia, she was at Smith College
n Massachusetts, then lived in New
ersey and Washington (twice). She
pent three years as the first female
lisbursing officer at the Naval
vtedical Center in San Diego, where
he met her husband. They both
vere getting out of the service, and
le brought her to his hometown
)f Temple, Texas. With three-digit
temperatures this summer, instead
of "Heart of Texas," Myra calls the
area "Hot of Texas!" She worked
in the Veterans Affairs hospital for
20 years until her husband, who
long served on the board at Temple
College, asked her to retire so she
could travel to meetings with him.
He passed away last September,
and now Myra,
89, lives alone.
She spends her
time with her two
daughters and three
grandchildren,
making crafts,
watching TV, and
working on her
computer.
Libby Phillips Roe and
husband Bill visit Anna Ware
Roberts often. Libby brought Anna
a ready-to-hang counted cross-
stitch of the Mary Washington
emblem. Anna had a large family
reunion at her home with people
who had their first family farm,
dating back to 171 1, near hers.
1942
Virginia Bennett Skillman
5744 Washington Blvd.
Indianapolis, IN 46220
1943
Lee Hall Archer
112 Barberry Road, No. 41-
Johnson City, TN 37604
huntenlee@charter.net
1944
Phyllis Quimby Anderson
P.O. Box 164
Westminster, VT 05158
pqhndson@myfairpoint.net
Hank and I are slowing down a
bit but perk up for important and
fun times. We went to New York
for the commissioning of the new
USS New York, a huge, magnificent
amphibious landing ship. Seven
and a half tons of steel from the
Twin Towers were melted down
and used in the prow. The crew
of its predecessor, of which Hank
was a part, was able to go aboard.
Hank read the names of those who
had passed away this year, and
another crewmember performed
the customary throwing of a wreath
into the water. Hillary Clinton
was among the dignitaries who
spoke, and we weren't more than 10
feet away. The New York Yankees
parade took place that same day,
so there were thousands of people.
Thank goodness we don't live there,
but it was fun.
Myra McCormick Cole '41 was
the first female disbursing officer
at the Naval Medical Center in
San Diego.
Ruth McDaniel Potts went to
the 65th reunion with her daughter,
Karen, and said the campus is still
the nicest and most beautiful she
has ever seen, with so many new
buildings since we were there.
Ruth's family was going to Duck,
N.C., on the Outer Banks for a
week's vacation with 17 of her 21
immediate family members. She
has seven grandchildren and five
great-grandchildren!
Jane Brownley Thomas saw
in the paper that Emmy Lou Kilby
died but didn't have details. Jane
talks with Nancy Duval Andrews
and Joyce Hovey Madigan. Jane
and husband Jack enjoy their
retirement community condo;
Jack still works in his own security
business. They both love going to
University of Maryland football
games; Jack gets to see those of his
'44 classmates who are left.
Marie Kennedy Robins and
her daughter enjoyed an off-season
week in the sun, without crowds
and traffic, on Anna Marie Island
in Florida. Two weeks before, her
son and his wife took her on her
first visit to San Francisco. She rode
a cable car and saw the redwoods
and traditional tourist attractions.
She knows she's fortunate to have
children who take her on trips.
Isabelle Hilldrup Klein
and Bob still enjoy retirement.
Along with daughter Johanna
and her husband, they spent a
week at their family farm. Many
have heard Isabelle speak of
George Washington, who was the
Hilldrups' farmhand. She said he is
still there all by himself at age 87!
Their granddaughter, Robin, earned
a doctorate at Yale University and
works for the National Institutes
of Health in Bethesda, Md. Her
husband also has a doctorate
from Yale, where they met, and
works with the flu vaccine. Isabelle
and Bob's grandson, Sean, is
the assistant district attorney in
Raleigh, N.C., and his wife, Katie,
works at Duke University Hospital.
Isabelle was mentor for both during
their school days, so she gets a lot of
credit for their success.
Elizabeth Cumby Murray
loves living in Sherburne Commons
in Nantucket, Mass. She sent some
photos of her adorable 1 -year-old
great-granddaughter, Charlotte.
1 n /i r / *' '* -«- - ? "
Frances Watts Barker
P.O. Box 749
Parksley, VA 23421
My apologies for missing several
issues of the magazine. My husband,
Jack, passed away in August,
following a long illness. Life has
changed, but Jack is now at peace,
and I realized the blessing of love
and support from family and
friends at a difficult time. As time
passes, more classmates and spouses
will leave us. We are thankful for the
love, friendship, and experiences
that we have shared.
Betsy Shamberger Smart
found her way to Parksley, Va., in
August. It was good to introduce
her to my family and to meet
her new husband, Gene. The
Shambergers and Barkers were
longtime friends in Richmond.
Betsy is in touch with Adrienne
Herbert, who lives in California,
and sees Ann White Leonard,
who attends the same Ashland,
Va., church.
The weekend of June 4 to 6,
2010, will be an important time
for our class - we will celebrate
our 65th reunion. It doesn't seem
possible that so many years have
passed since we arrived on campus
as teenagers wearing saddle shoes
and penny loafers. We established
lifelong memories and lasting
friendships. Now we can relive
the "good old days" and have fun
reminiscing. There are issues that
prevent traveling, but we must
make the effort to go, if possible.
Our alma mater molded and
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
39
CLASS NOTES
enhanced our lives. Gloria Post
GoodseU plans to trawl from Texas.
What an example, especially for
those of us who do not live as far
away! She has contacted some ot our
class members, which was a labor
of love:
Mildred Savedge, who lives
in a retirement home in Newport
News, Va., has a lung problem
that prevents her from traveling.
Isabelle LeCompte Schulte lives
in Fredericksburg and has the help
and support of her husband and a
caregiver. Ruth Hurley Nicholson
lives with her daughter in Roanoke,
Va., and she also has three sons.
Helen Martha Vest Larkins, who
lives in a retirement community
in Harrisonburg, Va., is receiving
treatment for macular degeneration,
with some progress.
Marie Buchanan Parks, who
lives in Harriman, Tenn., will not
be able to attend the reunion. June
Ellen Minnerly Borden lives in
Frederick, Md., and has seven
children. Kathryn Holman Hovde,
who has attended many of our
reunions, lives in Rockville, Md.
Virginia Edwards Williams lives in
Irvington, Va. Dorothy Arrington
Trivett lives in Grundy, Va.
Mary Lou Conover Miller
passed away in September at her
Palm Desert home in California. We
remember Mary Lou as the 1945
May Queen.
Doris Lanham Einbinder
is happy at her new Alexandria
retirement home, where she enjoys
new friends and multiple activities.
Doris and her Mary Washington
roommate, Nancy Aitcheson
Taylor, maintain a close friendship
and see each other frequently.
Nancy pursues her artistic ability
in her studio and gets pleasure and
support from her family.
Grace Bailey Lindner and
Carl have good and interesting
days at Westminster Canterbury in
Richmond. They recently enjoyed a
cruise and stay active in their church
and as volunteers for The Salvation
Army and at the Virginia Aviation
Museum.
Jean Hudson Inskeep keeps a
full schedule of activities and has
family and friends in Culpeper, Va.,
who help her enjoy her days. Her
husband remains in a healthcare
facility in Front Royal, Va.
Anne Dawideit Dickinson and
Duval regularly meet Bets Roberts
Johnson and Joe for mini-reunions.
Anne writes that "moving is slow,"
but there are lots ot smiles and
happy memories.
Chris Brauer Krausse is doing
well lollowing the death of her
husband last year, with the support
ot her four children and her sisters.
She maintains her riverside home
and visited there last summer when
family could accompany her.
Dorothy "Skip" Potts Taylor
and Wally have encountered
multiple health problems. Wally was
hospitalized in July and November
for an ongoing progressive lung
disease. Both Skip and Wally
are upbeat, and he receives TLC
at home. The Taylors' seventh
great-grandchild, a girl, has arrived.
At this age, we must celebrate the
happy events in our lives.
Marjorie Storms Reddoch
sends greetings to her classmates.
She and Ruskin are doing well in
Tarpon Springs, Fla. Their family
includes three daughters and
their husbands, 13 grandchildren,
and eight great-grandchildren.
Grandson Josh Connor, a West
Point graduate and medevac
helicopter captain, is on his
second deployment to Iraq and
Afghanistan. Daughter Amy
Reddoch Connor and her husband,
attorney Ken Connor of Leesburg,
Va., recently took Marjorie and
Ruskin on a lovely tour of Mary
Washington, Mount Vernon, and
Quantico. Marjorie said it was nice
to see her mural painting, which
depicts the New Jersey state seal,
still on the wall in Monroe Hall.
The couple has slowed their foreign
travel but visits family around the
United States and attends Little
League and horseback riding
activities. "Semper fidelis" is still the
motto at the Reddoch residence!
Marjorie is sad to report the passing
of bridesmaids from her wedding:
Betty Cochrane, Lillie Macheras,
Betty Cook, and Hildy Park.
Patricia Mathewson Spring
160 Butternut Lane
Kensington, CT 06037-1200
springfrnk@aol.com
Betty Moore Drewry Bamman
335 Briarwood Drive
Christiansburg, VA 24073
bdbamman@verizon.net
Last fall, I visited my oldest son
and his son in Davenport, Fla. I
still have 200 pages to read in Dr.
Crawley's book, University of Mary
Washington: A Centennial History,
1908-2008. All alumni should
read it. Ladies, please send me any
updates and happenings in your
Bette Worsham Hawkins Dunford
1500 Westbrook Court, No. 5143
Richmond, VA 23227
awhawlc2@aol.com
I have had a great time writing our
Class Notes for 15 years. Thanks to
you all, there was always something
to pass on to others and to keep us
somewhat in touch. I hope one of
you has volunteered to continue the
job. Try it; you'll like it!
We took a three-day trip to
New York City and, as much as I
love the city and its fantastic pulse, I
came back exhausted. I have a way
of trying to put 10 pounds into a
5-pound bag, and it just isn't as
easy as it used to be, is it? I went
to the opera (Carnegie Hall and
South Pacific), saw my working
granddaughter, walked miles and
miles, and had a gorgeous time.
Mabs Royar Loflin keeps busy
with the usual things: church work,
altar guild, prayer shawl ministry,
and Episcopal Church Women. She
is still active in her garden club,
as well. She visited her sister in
Seattle in September, and then
began preparing for Thanksgiving
with her family. She hopes to hear
from classmates about the latest
project, Memories of Before, During,
and After MWC.
Recollections should
be sent to 608 Carriage
Drive, Beckley, WV
25801.
parts of New York, to Boston
to visit one of her sons, and to
Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada
for a summer festival.
Charlotte Smith Hill, who lives
in Hattiesburg, Miss., is well and
enjoys community activities and
trips to see the children in Ohio and
Nova Scotia.
A note from Jo Webb Worrell
brought the sad news of the passing
of Joyce Wrenn Warren last April.
Nancy Salisbury Ellis and
husband Walt, who celebrated
their 60th wedding anniversary
in September, have a son and a
daughter, who each are married
and have two children. Nancy and
Walt are involved in a New Jersey
farming operation with their son,
Scott, and had completed the corn
and soybean harvest for the year.
Good luck to Frances Bellman
Haddock, who has just moved to a
retirement home in Fredericksburg
that is close to her family.
Nina Giera Schmidt is still
shooting her age on links; not
bad for a '48er! In April, she and
her husband sailed from Fort
Lauderdale on a Holland America
ship, passing through the Panama
Canal and docking in San Diego,
where they stopped for a visit
with their daughter. July found
Nina in Las Vegas, where she
met her Canadian daughter for
a fun fling. She was expecting 16
family members from San Diego,
New York, Toronto for a week
at Christmas.
Mary John
"Johnny" Moore
Payne has entered another
phase of her life. In September,
she moved to Rappahannock
Westminster-Canterbury, where
she has a freestanding house in a
great neighborhood and really loves
it. One of her children has a river
house nearby, and the other three
are within three and a half hours,
so she decided to stay where her
friends are in White Stone, Va. She
has made the change while still
healthy and calling her own shots.
Jane Howard Patrick, who has
lived In Cooperstown, N.Y, since
1972, still misses Virginia and
the Washington, D.C., area. Her
traveling days are pretty much
over, though she does get to other
Ruth McDaniel Potts '44 attended
her 65th reunion and said the
campus is still the nicest and most
beautiful she has ever seen.
The annual Barnes celebration
took place in Virginia Beach
and everybody came to the
reunion. Anne Barnes Baugh said
that, not only do they love each
other, they like each other. In
September, she and a friend had a
great time on an eight-day trip to
Iceland, meeting a guide and eight
other people. Some of them went
swimming in the "blue pool," where
hot water comes from deep in the
earth and cold water is added so
the swimmers don't boil!
40
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
1949
Anna Dulany Lyons
1400 Enterprise Drive, No. N236
Lynchburg, VA 24502
June Davis McCormick
18 Lynnbrook Road
St. Louis, MO 63131-2925
jaynicee@yahoo.com
This spring issue marks our 61st
year as Mary Washington alumni,
and you'll notice our news summary
is slowly but explieably moving
toward the first page of Class Notes.
Anne "Miami" McCaskill Libis
and Claude sold their Baltimore
home of 40 years and moved to
the Glen Meadows retirement
community in the same area where
they lived previously for 10 years.
The move was tiring but with
everything finally in place, Anne
took a long hike to reacquaint
herself with the area. Noting several
suitable hills nearby and having
included her sled in the move, Anne
already had one resident ready
to join her when, and if, there is
enough snow!
With another seasonal venue
at hand, Charlotte "Chot" Baylis
Rexon and Fred spent much of
summer at their beach house in
Delaware. Fred had a slow recovery
from his second knee replacement,
requiring running back and forth to
various doctors. They were greatly
enjoying their first great-grandson,
then 6 months old, and found
it difficult to realize that their
daughter, Joan, is a grandmother
and "little" Amy is a mother. Chot
played mah-jongg all summer and
was ready to resume oil painting
and bridge by fall. The Rexons had
booked another cruise in November
to rest up before the holidays.
Gwen Brubaker Connell and
John anticipated two trips in late
summer and early fall. The first
was to be a family visit, and the
second a vacation in Utah, which
they've enjoyed in recent years.
A change of scene and altitude,
it's a rewarding vista of lofty
mountains and a welcome respite
from Florida humidity. During
their stay there, the Connells were
to celebrate their 63rd wedding
anniversary. Congratulations,
Gwen and Jack!
Having last reported the
brief appearance ot Betty I.ou
Shelhorse Rogers during our
60th reunion, we were delighted
to receive follow-up email
pictures from her sister-in-law in
Fredericksburg, showing our Betty
Lou happily "back in the saddle-
again!" Her brother and his wife
saw to it that she recaptured her
equestrian expertise for a joyful
ride that weekend.
Another picture was emailed
to us, courtesy of Judy Stone
Johnstone, whose husband,
Bob, took a good back-up
photo during our official class
picture. Bob's version, together
with identification of each of
the 25 classmates depicted, was
forwarded to others.
After Three Careers, Alumna Still Has a Song
in Her Heart - and a Heart for Mary Washington
Martha J. Coleman '49 sang her first solo when she was barely a teenager.
Stage fright was not a factor in that performance. "I sang for my father," she said. "I
clearly remember it was Silver Threads Among the Gold. He asked me right then if I wanted
to study voice."
The answer was a resounding yes. For the remainder of her high school years, the
Jacksonville, Fla., native spent her summers in New York with a voice teacher, and her career
as an opera singer began. She later moved to Virginia to attend Mary Washington, where her
passion for opera was reinforced.
"I remember well some of my teachers," Coleman said. "You see, it was the music that I got
at Mary Washington that guided me on."
She returned to New York after graduation and later relocated to Europe to continue
her studies. She is a graduate of the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna, of the
Mozarteum in Salzburg, and the Interpreters Institute of Munich. She was in Vienna at the time
of the occupation by the Russians, British, and Americans just after World War II.
"I lived in the Russian zone because it was close to the big Opera House," she said. "Many
of the famous opera singers who were there at the time helped to dig out the rubble from the
bombed out Opera House. Fortunately, it did not damage the foyer - only the auditorium and
stage were damaged."
Coleman spent about 10 years in Europe, performing in concert and in operas, mostly in
Austria and Germany. She returned to the United States in 1963. "I felt that it was a stressful life,
and such stress I really did not want for the rest of my life," she said.
Martha Coleman performed and studied
voice in Austria and Germany after
graduating from Mary Washington in 1949.
She performed in musicals (summer stock in Saratoga Springs) for about a year before
desiring a change of pace. She settled in Atlantic Beach, Fla., where she got the chance to "be on the other side of the coin" by joining the staff at a new
management company. "Instead of being the performer, I secured engagements," Coleman said.
She covered the southern United States, working with such artists as Vladimir Horowitz, Nathan Milstein, Jerome Hines, and Frederica von Stade.
When she retired, she became the personal representative to Eugene Istomin, an internationally known pianist.
"About five years ago, I retired for the third time and do plan to stay retired," said Coleman, 82. She still, however, has been known to give musical
soirees in her home to spotlight young talent.
And she remains connected to Mary Washington. She keeps in touch with many close friends from her college days. Last year, she attended her
60th reunion at her alma mater.
That was a memorable milestone. "I had never been to a reunion before. . .and I enjoyed very much revisiting the campus, which is the most
beautiful campus," Coleman said. "Mary Washington has, of course, expanded in all these years, but they have kept the beauty intact."
- Janet Showalter
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE ■ SPRING 2010
CLASS NOTES
1
Anna "Audi" Dulany Lyons
had a busy summer in Lynchburg,
\ a., and planned to visit with
family members in early autumn.
She attended the early September
wedding of a Peacock cousin
in Charleston, S.C., one of her
favorite cities. Later that month,
she was joined by three more of
the Peacock clan for a week at her
timeshare at Kill Devil Hills on the
Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Back at The Summit, in addition to
serving on the library committee,
she accepted the chairmanship of
The Shoppe, an in-house gift and
sundries facility, and she takes a
weekly tai chi class. Andi's sons and
their wives and children join her
for dinner several times a month,
and she returns the joy by visiting
their homes frequently.
Also residents of a retirement
complex in Lynchburg, Marion
"Wendy" Selfe Kelly and George
took on a unique charge for
daughter Ann and her new husband,
Tom. As the happy couple departed
from their Northern Virginia home
for a honeymoon in Italy, the Kellys
took up residence in Fairfax to "cat
sit" Ann's cat, Angel. The feline's
name proved to be a misnomer, as
she promptly bit them both! Upon
the couple's return, the cat also bit
her new master, which resulted in
the prompt removal of her incisors
(by the vet, Marion assured, not the
bridegroom.) Angel now deserves
her name and Marion reported
that they renewed her acquaintance
"without even a gumming." Leaving
Fairfax, the Kellys visited the Blue
Ridge for some well-deserved rest at
their cabin in the woods.
Betty Bond "B.B." Heller
Nichols hadn't heard from the other
three BFFs recently, but she was
expecting to at Christmas. They've
told each other that no news is good
news and, at this stage of our lives, an
uneventful year is a good one. B.B.
feels she now is living her lite through
her grandchildren and is sure our
classmates can relate to that. Her
latest joy came trom Sara, 14, who
auditioned for and made the Roanoke
College Children's Choir and was
to sing with them at Carnegie Hall
in March! They were to sing at a
festival with groups from all over the
country, with the St. Olaf conductor
directing them, and were to perform
alone onstage as the featured choir.
Happily, Betty Bond and daughter
Anne, who also is multitalented,
were to go to New York for the grand
event. Considering their family's
musical background, B.B. proudly
observed, "One of us finally made it
to Carnegie Hall!" Ben, 12, just made
third trumpet in an all-area band,
and Chris, who is in fifth grade, was
cast as Will in a version of Oklahoma
and was to sing "Everything's Up to
Date in Kansas City." Young Peyton,
a fourth grader, has been tearing up
records at swim meets.
No stranger to the boards,
Corinne "Conni" Conley Stuart,
at age 80, is taking a class in a
new acting technique developed
by David Mamet and William H.
Macy. The last play reading she
did was Edward Albee's Three Tall
Women, in which her character
was 91. In class, she was working
on a 93-year-old character that
lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains
of Virginia, which was both
funny and poignant. She also
played an old angel summoned
to give advice, including a lot of
technical verbiage, in an episode
for a new Disney series, Angel on
Campus, being shot in Toronto.
Learning such dialogue keeps
the mind active! Conni also
played a snooty neighbor in a TV
pilot for a new series based on
The Beverly Hillbillies, in which
a Newfoundland family wins
the lottery and buys a mansion
in a fashionable Toronto area.
While very funny, she found it of
special interest, as the co-writer
is a woman who taught English
at Radford University; Conni and
Katherine "Kate" Mayo Schmidt
both graduated from Radford High
School. Another acting role cast
Conni as the blind mother of a
leading character in
a dark comedy called
Living in
Your Car.
summer business in Galway,
Ireland, and had many interesting
stories about life there and in
Stockbridge, Mass., with their three
daughters and five grandchildren.
Primm and John are still producing
their beautiful silkscreen calendars
and their daughters, and now
their grandchildren, contribute
to the fabulous artwork, which
is in great demand. The Stuarts
and the ffrenches piled into the
Bultmans' large van and Betsy
drove them to all the quaint New
Hampshire villages to check out
the antiques stores and lobster
restaurants. The fourth suitemate,
Norah Pitts Byrnes, couldn't join
the happy group, as she and Bill
had to attend a wedding and could
only participate in the festivities via
long telephone conversations from
Atlanta. The drive from Toronto
to New Hampshire is 1,500 miles,
roundtrip, and is spectacular with
the fall colors in full array. Conni
opined that it might be their last
long drive, but they always say that
each trip probably is their last.
At the end of
September, Conni
and Bonar drove
from Toronto to New Hampshire
to visit Betsy Thorne Bultman and
Phelps at their summer home and
were joined by Sara-Primm Turner
ffrench and John. The ffrenches
had just returned from their usual
Corinne "Conni" Conley Stuart '49\
played a snooty neighbor in a TV
pilot for a new series based on The
Beverly Hillbillies.
fyfr A PERFECT GIFT
&' FOR MOMS, DADS,
. AND GRADS.
Moments in Time
This beautiful hardbound
coffee-table book of
exquisite photos captures
the essence of UMW past
and present.
$29.95
UMW: A Centennial History,
1908-2008
In this colorful and
compelling narrative,
William B. Crawley Jr.
uses rich detail to tell the
100-year story of UMW.
$34.95
Order online at www.umw.edu/bookstore. Or call 540/654-1017.
With much sorrow, we must
report the sad news just received
from Katherine "Kate" Mayo
Schmidt. In an email, she told
of a tragic automobile accident
involving Kate and her husband,
Bill, in mid-October. Out on a
few errands near their home in
Palestine, Texas, Kate was driving
with Bill in the passenger seat. They
were blindsided by a large pickup
truck and Bill was killed instantly.
Kate's injuries necessitated her being
airlifted to a larger hospital in Tyler,
Texas, where she spent a week. She
was transferred to a rehab center in
Palestine for another week, and then
returned home to recover further
from hip, pelvis, and other injuries.
According to Bill's wishes, he was
cremated and, when Kate could
complete all the arrangements, a
memorial service was planned.
Born and reared in
Indianapolis, Bill enlisted in the
U.S. Navy after graduating from
high school and served four years
during and after World War II. He
and Kate met at Mary Washington
and, following his discharge from
service, Bill graduated from the
University of Houston, where Kate
also earned a master's degree. The
Schmidts made their home in
42
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 20K
Houston, where they reared their
son and pursued their individual
professions. Bill, who retired in 1991
from a long career in the electrical
industry, had varied interests,
including the Confederate Air
Force, clock making, and his ranch.
In 2004, Bill and Kate honored
their respective alma maters with
matching generous scholarships
and endowments and continued
their service to both. On behalf of
the class, our heartfelt sympathy is
offered to Kate, Bill Jr., and their
family members.
May every classmate who
suffered the loss of a loved one
during the past year, or any year,
find comfort and peace. As ever,
love to all of you from both of us.
1950 ^
Dorothy Held Gawley
177McCosh Road
Montclair, NJ 07043
dnigawley@juno.com
Editor's Note: The current class
submission has been combined with
notes from July 2009, which were
inadvertently omitted from the Fall/
Winter issue of University of Mary
Washington Magazine.
By now you should have
received all the information about
our upcoming reunion on the
weekend of June 4-6, 2010. 1 hope
that many of you are planning
to attend, and I look forward to
seeing you. I also hope that you
felt able to contribute something
toward our class gift, which will
help promote the education mission
of Mary Washington. We read in
the University of Mary Washington
Magazine of the new facilities and
of the accomplishments of recent
graduates. Although course choices
and job opportunities were not
as numerous for us in the 1940s,
I am sure we all appreciate the
education we received at that time
and, by contributing to our class gift
whatever we are able, we have an
opportunity to show our gratitude.
I went on another Tauck tour
in May with a friend. Instead of
flying to San Francisco to meet the
tour, we took Amtrak from New
York City to Chicago, where we
stayed two days, and then took the
California Zephyr out. The scenery
from Denver on was spectacular
and can only be seen by train. We
were in San Francisco a few days,
and then went to Yosemite, and
down the coast (Big Sur), ending up
in San Diego. I plan to drive down
to Fredericksburg in June with
Mini Sollows Wieland and her
husband, and 1 hope to see a big
group from our class.
Tammy Clark Carr '8 1 ,
daughter of lean Hughes Clark,
emailed some news of her mother.
Jean is living near Tammy in
Tallahassee, Fla., and enjoys being
active with her grandchildren.
Tammy's two children attend
Washington and Lee University.
Jeans husband, Doug, passed
away last spring, and she is trying to
get back in the swing of things. She
enjoys traveling when possible and
attending her Bible study fellowship
classes. lean's other daughter,
Shawn, lives in Albany, Ga., and
has a 13-year-old daughter and a
4-year-old son.
Shirley Cole Schleter's son,
Chris, wrote a nice letter from
Vancouver, where he was working
on the 2010 Olympic Winter
Games. He is the Omega Swiss
Timing onsite project manager
for timing, scoring, and results.
However, these were his last games
as an onsite participant. He wants
to go to his home in Utah, enjoy the
desert, and play a lot of golf. He also
plans to do some volunteering to
keep him busy.
I'm sorry to report that Marge
Diener Knapp had another fall
during the summer. Nothing was
broken but she was badly bruised,
especially around the ribs, and was
on oxygen for a while. She had a
happy experience
before the
accident, when she
went on a bus trip
to see West Side
Story in New York
City. Before the
show, the group
met with two
young members
of the cast and an
accompanist, who taught them steps
and moves, and they all ended up
singing and dancing in one of the
rehearsal halls.
Barbara Lloyd Hiller and Jim
became great-grandparents last
January, thanks to granddaughter
Jenny and her husband, Darren.
The Hillers' grandson, Air Force
Lt. Kevin Murray, was married in
Indianapolis in November.
Carmen Zeppenfeldt Catoni's
granddaughter is a freshman at
Mary Washington and is fortunate
to be in one of the newest air-
conditioned dorms. She is the third
generation to attend the University,
which makes Carmen very happy.
She sometimes travels home to
Lorton, Va., on weekends. Carmen
says the kids have it so convenient
these days and hopes Ana can
enjoy the same types of friendships
we did. Carmen has difficulty with
arthritis, which is quite painful
at times. After a serious medical
setback, her husband, Luis, seems
to be stable now.
Alicia De Rivera-Cruz and
Carmen had a long overdue but
merry visit. Alicia doesn't drive, so
she had to have someone take her to
Carmen's, and Carmen doesn't drive
much anymore, either, hence the
long-awaited visit.
Carol Bailey Miller had been
experiencing shoulder pain and
had to give up her horse, Buddy,
as she could no longer tend to his
grooming and other needs. She has
been riding less but still is doing
some judging of horse shows and
gets together with her friends at
these events. She finally had surgery
on her shoulder and, after a trying
time with a restrictive sling and
the need of a caregiver, things are
improving. She plans to come to
our reunion.
All is well with Marcy
Weatherly Morris and Juney. He
received a good report following
his medical checkup in Cleveland.
Their children, grandchildren, and
great-grandchildren are all very
active. Grandson Paul plans to
graduate from Mary Washington
in May.
Kitty Garland Obenshain '53 and
husband are in a senior aerobics
class and were challenged to
memorize Thriller as a means of
exercising the brain and the body.
Nan Riley Pointer of Gloucester,
Va., sent a note with an obituary for
Lola Murray Clements. Nan said
Lola suffered a massive stroke and
passed away quickly. Nan is sorry she
will not be able to attend our reunion,
as she plans to attend an international
convention of the International
Order of the Kings Daughters and
Sons, held at the same time.
I had a phone chat with Billie
Mitchell Hanes and am pleased to
report that her daughter is doing
better after the stem cell procedure for
her lymphoma. However, Billie had
a fall in the summer and fractured
a vertebra, requiring hospitalization
and rehab. But she bounced back and
plans to come to the reunion.
Roselyn Bell Morris
907 Conway Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22405
Hello to all my classmates. I hope all is
well with you and your families. I am
quite concerned, as I have not heard
from anyone except Ruth DeMiller
Hill in a year. Sarah Herring Estes
and I get together once in a while. We
have been meeting with Ethel Straw
Beall, our roommate for two years at
Mary Washington.
Please drop me a line. I would
love to hear from you all. I hope to
have some news before our next issue.
Corley Gibson Friesen
P.O. Box 533
Silverthorne, CO 80498
corleyfriesen@comcast.net
Your Class Agent has not been
conscientious for the last year. News
has been hard to find! Now I must
break some of the rules that I have
made. I tried to write only positive
stories, about our travels, our
grandchildren, and our volunteering.
But now I hear that some of us are
in failing health and some have lost
loved ones. So I will candidly relay
all the news I have heard.
My life is great! I don't
ski anymore, but I enjoy
the mountains. My older
grandchildren bring their college
friends to hike and ski. The
younger ones live close by in
Denver, so we see them a lot. I
still teach an intermediate bridge
class and volunteer in a nearby
elementary school. Ernie and I
have been married 57 years! If you
drive out West, please stop by 376
Spring Beauty Drive. Wed love to
see you!
I keep in touch with my sister,
Marjorie Gibson Blaxill, who has
been hospitalized several times
this year but has recovered and
reclaimed her life of family, bridge,
volunteering, and friends.
One of the first email messages
I received was from Jim Rowland,
a son of Betty Ann Holt Rowland,
who is now her caregiver. He wrote
that Betty Ann lost her husband
of 45 years to cancer on Dec. 24,
2005. They built their first house in
Pine Castle, Fla., and subsequently
moved to Rockledge, Fla. They
had three children: Dawn, Jim, and
Jeff. Betty Ann was a housewife her
entire life.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
■;-■
CLASS NOTES
1
Joyce I ong Moore keeps busy
m \\ illiamsburg, working on her
genealogy and doing church work.
She was looking forward to the
birth of her first great-grandchild.
Last April, she had an attack ot
pulmonary blood clots that kept
her in the hospital for five days.
Coumadin has helped. She was to
have hip operations so that she can
go dancing again!
Rita Brahs Hawkins
apologized for a lack of punctuation
in her email. She had a stroke
two years ago and now can only
type with one hand. In January,
she and her husband sailed trom
Los Angeles on the Rotterdam for
their first around-the-world cruise.
They returned in May alter four
wonderful months of learning and
adventure. In January, they planned
to sail around South America for 70
days. Rita wrote, "We are having a
blast in our old age."
Pat Seaton Johnson and
husband Richard, who live in
Florida, have five children, 14
grandchildren, and 2-year-old twin
great-grandchildren. They spend
their summers in the North Carolina
mountains. Richard plays croquet
on the national circuit. They know
Dorothy Davis Craig and husband
Daley, who also play croquet.
Betty Brice Lendian and
husband Armando, who live
near the ocean in New Smyrna
Beach, Fla., took a nostalgic trip
to Virginia in the fall of 2008.
They visited her hometown of
Staunton, as well as Monticello,
Luray Caverns, and the Blue
Ridge Parkway. They enjoyed the
cool Virginia air and noticed that
Virginia has changed and grown.
Nancy Cundey Peacock has
moved from Williamsburg, Va., to
Denville, N.J. They miss their lives
in the college town, but they are
near family and superior medical
facilities. After a second eye surgery,
Nancy is seeing better "with the
aid of some very
sophisticated
glasses." Nancy and
husband Chuck
planned to take two
cruises with local
friends and spend
seven days with
family at an oceanfront resort in
Cape Canaveral, Fla. Their family
has 25 members, including two
great-grandchildren.
Nancy included a newspaper
obituary in her letter. Ruth
Williams Webb's husband of 51
years, noted aerospace scientist
Maurice Webb, died at Morristown
Memorial Hospital last year. Nancy
also sent news of Eleanor Michelet
Mulbry of Saratoga, Calif., whose
husband is now in a nursing home.
Susan Hutcheson Jurgens'
husband has Alzheimer's disease
and requires a great deal of care, but
Susan has lots of help and is able to
keep him at home. She often talks
to Maxine Haley Hazelgrove and
Carol Oliver Headlee, and she also
is in touch with Ginny Orkney
Philbrick, Phyllis Webb Peagram,
Mary Lou Finney Boyd, Elaine
Nader Powell, and Rita Morgan
Stone. Susan still plays lots of
bridge. So do a lot of us!
Anne Hart Martin is in touch
with Ruth Williams Webb, Shirley
Bowman Stotts, and Jane Self Ellis.
Anne has happy memories of our
days at Mary Washington. In July,
they enjoyed driving along Virginia's
Blue Ridge Parkway, through
Shenandoah National Park, and
along Skyline Drive on their way
to a reunion in Northern Virginia
with Marines who had trained
at Quantico all those years ago.
April found them on a ship bound
for Copenhagen, Denmark. They
touched base, as well, at Lisbon,
Portugal; Bilbao, Spain; Rouen,
France; Cambridge, England;
Rotterdam, Netherlands; and the
Azorean islands ot Portugal.
Gwen Amory Cumming and
Rita Morgan Stone are members
of the board of the UMW
Foundation. Gwen is excited
about the new Eagle Village
development, a combination of
shops and student housing. Gwen
lives in Hampton, Va., and is
involved in planning a celebration
marking the 400th anniversary of
the founding of her town. She has
six grandchildren, two in college
and four in elementary school.
Gwen's daughter is a teacher
who also graduated from Mary
Washington.
j Mary Montague Sikes '57 has
written three novels, Secrets by
the Sea, Eagle Rising, and her
latest, Stranger in My Heart.
Rita's husband, Jake, died
last year. Rita writes that she
enjoys exercising her new knees
during her walks with Carol
Oliver Headlee, who is a fellow
resident at Richmond's Lakewood
Manor. Carol recently spoke with
her Mary Washington roommate,
Susan Hutcheson Jurgens, who
lives in Gordonsville, Va. Rita
also wrote about three recent
Fredericksburg trips: one for the
Presidents Council Reception;
another with Betty Montgomery
Handy and her sister, Ann
Montgomery Hogg '50, to attend
the Fredericksburg Forum featuring
Ben Stein; and third to a Foundation
Board meeting. All three of these
events were held at the Jepson
Alumni Executive Center, a true
gem on our campus. Our class is
well represented on the Foundation
Board not only by Rita and Gwen,
but also by Anne Beck Macfarlane.
Mary Eleanor Bruce
McCombie's husband of 55 years,
Bob, died last year. Her health
has not been good, but she is very
brave and enjoys the view from her
retirement apartment.
Nancy Moxley Stone took
a canal tour from Holland to
Hungary. She has seven children,
and her husband now lives near
one of their daughters for health
reasons.
Nancy Parker Richardson is
happy that her son, Rob, and his
wife have moved to Durham, N.C.,
closer to Virginia! Nancy recently
visited a daughter in Denver. They
hiked one-and-a-half miles up a
10,000-foot mountain. (Nancy must
be in shape!) She was planning to
meet Charlotte Adams Harrell,
Gwen Amory Cumming, and Mary
Ann Jones Beard for lunch.
Phyllis Farmer Shaffer,
whom we all knew as "Butch,"
met and married Wally Shaffer in
Charleston, S.C., in 1953. They
had 47 good years together until
he died of cancer. Cancer also took
the life of her daughter in 1959. All
of Butch's time, talents, and energy
have been dedicated to raising
money for cancer research.
She also wrote that her former
roommate, Marty Taylor Holman,
"a blonde who played the drums,"
lives in Kentucky with husband
Earl. Butch had kept in touch
with Nora Lea Hulme Watkins,
who died several years ago. Nora
Lea's husband, Clyde, now lives in
Florida. The Watkins' son, Steve,
is on the faculty at UMW. Butch
wrote that June Thierbach Carroll
is still beautiful and enjoys painting
pictures of her grandchildren.
Peggy Sherman Capers
husband, Jack, died, and Carol
Edgerton Cooper's husband, Lt.
Gen. Charles G. Cooper, passed
away last summer. Charlie wrote
a book, Band of Brothers, after he
retired from the Marine Corps.
1953
Rebecca "Becky" Spitzer Harvill
1058 Wobdmont Drive
Staunton, VA 24401
becbub@earthlink.net
I recently began an AquaLite
exercise class - me, who nearly
failed swimming and would not
have been able to graduate from
Mary Washington. The words "do
not need to be a swimmer" on the
brochure convinced me, and I'm
loving it. Bub and I still travel when
we can. We planned to spend the
first week of December in New
York City and hoped to make it to
the Caribbean in late winter. I'm
really not trying to outdo Kitty
Garland Obenshain's Halloween
story (below) when I tell you that I
was one of the '49 Dancing Dollies
at our high school class's 60th
reunion. I wore a long blond wig,
and a modest but tacky belly dancer
costume, and one spectator was
heard to say as I danced by "You
know, that really takes courage."
Please send me your current
email address. Our news will be
much more interesting. Note my
email address above.
Nancy Melton Miller still
always has a laugh to brighten the
day. When I recently spoke with her,
she had just scheduled her last client
that week, as she's moving a little
more slowly now. Unfortunately, she
couldn't make it to Fredericksburg
early in November when Peg
Hopkins Johnson invited us to the
Saffire Farewell Concert at Dodd
Auditorium. Having never heard of
Saffire, I was pleasantly surprised
to see a dynamite group of "women
of age" from Fredericksburg who
have sung together for more than
20 years, billing themselves as "The
Uppity Blues Women."
Peg lives in an apartment just
behind the huge Eagle Village
complex the University is building.
The center is going up rapidly and
will be accessed by a bridge over
U.S. Route 1. Peg was planning a
two-week trip to Marathon in the
Florida Keys in February with her
sister, Ellen. She's still active in
the Mary Washington ElderStudy,
serving as vice president. She and
I enjoyed a recent 24-hour visit;
however, we were only able to stay
up gabbing until 12:30 a.m.
Our dear Connie Bennett
Elliott lost her brave battle with
M
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
cancer on Aug. 17. Connies
musical talent was only outshone
by her warm friendly personality.
Remember all the times she
answered our requests to sit at the
piano and just play for us? Surely,
my fondest memory is when she
played at our wedding and Shirley
Sinnard Lindell sang. At Connies
service, her children memorialized
her as a "great accompanist," noting
these characteristics: her ability to
listen actively and make changes to
match sounds, being open-minded,
having a great deal of patience.
Sentiments included, "She knew
the true purpose of manners: to
make people feel comfortable and
to smooth over awkward social
moments" and "She never shrank
from playing her part, no matter
how difficult."
Another talented pianist, Kitty
Garland Obenshain, and her
husband are in a senior aerobics
class and recently were challenged
to memorize Thriller as a means
of exercising the brain and body.
At Halloween, the group dressed
in costumes. Ray went as a skinny
pumpkin. Kitty won a prize for
her cat outfit (complete with black
tights and exercise shorts, and
leopard-print ears and tail). She
notes that she's 78 on the outside
and 8 on the inside!
Kitty and Ray recently had
lunch with Ginny Bailes, who
described them as looking "very
young and snappy." Ginny was
planning a relaxing Thanksgiving
and looking forward to putting up
her fiber optic Christmas tree. She
also manages two rental properties.
1954
Ruth Gillespie Simpson
6610 Elgin Lane
Bethesda.MD 20817
regs2000@aol.com
My son and four grandchildren, ages
10, 7, 5, and 2, stayed with me for
two weeks before heading back to
Germany. I hadn't seen them for 14
months, so the visit was especially
wonderful. We've also seen their Air
Force doc mom a couple of times,
since her deployment includes
accompanying ICU patients to
hospitals in the States, including
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
and Navy medical hospitals. She gets
to spend a few days with her family
between flights, instead of the few
hours per week she had with them
during most of the past two years.
While traveling through
Virginia's Shenandoah Valley in
September, 1 visited Ann "Lewie"
Payne Long, who was just home
from rehab after her August back
surgery. She says she's doing fine
and looks it, too. They have such a
lovely spot in the valley.
My sister, Mary Ann Gillespie
Corbett '50, and I spent five days in
October touring Boston, a first visit
there for us both. We still didn't
see everything, so we must go
back. I also visited Telluride, Colo.,
another first, for a few days with my
daughter, Rachel, and her husband.
We returned via their home in
Lincoln, Neb., so I could meet their
three cats.
Please send those promised
notes to me for the next issue.
^
■uamhoI 1
Christine Harper Hovis
1481 Balboa St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
chrishovis@aol.com
OK, did everyone hibernate for
the winter? Either everyone found
a cave and crawled in or flew to
sunnier climes until the economy
changes, because my responses were
few and far between.
I have written that my
granddaughter and granddog
are living with Neil and me. The
granddaughter is a high school
sophomore, and none of us has tried
to kill each other, dog included. She
is really delightful to have around,
and I am gradually coming up to
speed on fashion and language.
Music is another thing entirely. Yes,
I have become both my mother
and my daughter. The big news,
however, is that my granddaughter
is to be an exchange student at
Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium in
Stuttgart, Germany. I'm so proud of
her for being accepted. The private
exchange has gone on for more than
50 years between our high school
and theirs. My son was the exchange
student in 1981/1982, and it truly
changed his life.
Once again, a reminder of
Reunion Weekend, June 4-6 - 55
years. I can hardly believe it! I plan to
go with Charlotte Fisher Klapproth,
who had to get out her trusty
calendar to make sure there was not
a mistake somewhere along the line.
I had a nice talk about the
reunion with Ann Strickler Doumas.
Save the evening of June 4 for a
gathering at her home. By the time
you read this, the exact time should
have been sent to you.
Carol Cooper is recruiting
people to call classmates tor
reunion donations and Bee Melillo
Sli.iiiali.in is handling the reunion
arrangements. She was recovering
from the flu and looking forward
to having an early December
Christmas with the family in
Connecticut, and then having
another Christmas with more family
in Florida, where the Shanahans
planned to stay through April.
Ann says that Jean Byrd
Steelman owns several preschools
in Virginia and that Roberta Linn
Miller has restored another old
house in King of Prussia, Pa. This
time, it is not a B&B.
Betsy Blackwell Fowler has
visited twice with her suitemate Jo
Jane Williams Van Hook. The first
was in Mobile, Ala., for some Mardi
Gras festivities, and the second
was in Northern Virginia, where Jo
Jane and her husband were visiting
her son, who is stationed in the
area. Betsy was looking forward to
seeing her again since they planned
to come up for Thanksgiving. Aside
from a trip last November to Korea,
China, and India, Betsy had no
new big trips planned. Instead, they
have spent time on maintenance
and upkeep of home and health. In
the spring, they replaced their
deck with an all-glass sunroom,
which has allowed them to enjoy
the outdoors without an invasion
of mosquitoes. They hoped for a
nice snowfall this winter to enjoy
from the comfort of their glass
bubble. The Fowlers did manage
a short Elderhostel trip, joining
friends for a three-day Shakespeare
festival in Staunton, Va., where there
is a replica of London's Blackfriars
Theatre. They were treated to three
performances and enjoyed learning
about the choreography of fight
scenes and other behind-the-scenes
activity. Betsy said
returning to the
world of academia
was an uplifting
experience.
in both the Phoenix and Portland,
Ore., phonebooks and would like to
hear from and see college friends.
There were no exotic trips for
Betsy Land Johnson, but she did
go to New York City over Labor
Day with three lady friends from
Green Bay, Wis., two of whom had
never been to "The Big Apple." They
were there tor five days and had
a wonderful time. They saw two
Broadway plays and all the sights,
from Harlem to The Battery.
Barbara Trites Peterson had a
nice chat with Carol Cooper about
the upcoming class reunion. She
hopes to be able to go this time.
Barbara took a class at Columbia
Theological Seminary to help her
teach Bible study to her circle. Her
grandson started college this year
at Old Dominion University. He is
in a brand new dorm and has one
roommate and a private bath.
Nancy Shope Armbruster
of New Mexico moved to Plaza
del Monte, a small faith-based
retirement community in the
heart of downtown Santa Fe. The
Armbrusters love their small
house in a beautiful park-like oasis
peopled with old friends from the
Presbyterian Church two blocks
away. They have rediscovered
gardening as a hobby and are
transforming their backyard into a
beautiful retreat with trees, bushes,
and perennial flowerbeds that
need little water. Their daughter is
an assistant professor at Radford
University. Nancy visited her
last fall and was surprised to
discover how much the campus
layout and architecture matches
Mary Washington's. Their other
children are scattered around the
country in Los Angeles; Boulder,
Colo.; and Indianapolis, where the
Armbrusters planned to spend
Thanksgiving.
Mary Kate Bird
Dellett flew during
the first part of
November from Oregon to Arizona
for the winter. Thanksgiving was to
be spent in Las Vegas watching her
son-in-law auto race, and Christmas
was to be spent in Hawaii, again
with family. Fortunately, she has a
daughter who loves to travel even
more than she does. She planned to
head back to Oregon in January to
move to a new house, then finish
the winter in Arizona, and go back
to Oregon for the summer. She is
Sherry Farrington Green '60
earned the bronze medal at a U.S.
Fencing Association competition
in Texas.
Sally Hanger Moravitz and
Fran enjoyed a beautiful fall, getting
to go out on their little Jon boat.
Both hooked a fish within seconds
of each other and had a time hauling
them in. His was 35 inches. Hers
was 32 inches. She thought she'd
hooked her line on the bottom, and
she put her rod in the holder. A true
"fish story!" Sally looks forward to
seeing classmates at the reunion.
See you all at the reunion!
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
45
CLASS NOTES
1
Ann Chilton Power
7301 Lakota Road
Remington, VA 2273-1
acpowerl@earthlink.net
inn
Polly Smith Nelson
4831 Bay Villa Ave.
Tampa, FL 33611
polhs35@gmail.com
A lovely letter from Grace Vakos
Dragos sets the tone for this issue:
Contentment equals long happy
marriages, beautiful grandchildren,
and a comfortable life. Grace and
husband George have tour daughters,
all living near them in Virginia
Beach. In the winter they enjoy a
home in Gulf Stream, Fla., near Palm
Beach. Grace invites us to visit. One
granddaughter is at Mary Washington
and loves it! Grace frequently sees
Dottie Spence Dederick, as does
Carolyn Ball Baldwin. Carolyn and
her husband have three daughters
living nearby. She enjoys her family
and reading.
Gil Chamblin Wise and her
husband retired in (acksonville,
S.C., and love the area in spite of the
hurricanes. They've survived two of
them! They have three daughters, one
in Jacksonville and two in Oregon,
where the family gets together for
Christmas. They also have four
grandchildren.
Born and raised on a farm,
Mary Armistead Milton continued
the pastoral life with her husband of
50 years. They have raised soybeans,
hay, and dairy cows for many years
and now are raising beef cattle,
too. It's a demanding but rewarding
life. They have two daughters and
six grandchildren, all within easy
visiting distance. Marys life is one
of service. She's active in several
farm organizations, helping children
learn where their food comes
from. She enjoys a quilting party
that makes lap robes for cancer
victims and quilts to be sold at
fundraisers. She is as busy as Mary
Montague "Monti" Sikes!
Monti has written three novels,
Secrets by the Sea, Eagle Rising, and
her latest, Stranger in My Heart.
Secrets by the Sea was nominated
in the fiction category of the 12th
annual Library of Virginia Literary
Awards. A piece of her artwork, Blue
Falls, hangs in the Wolf Law Library
at William & Mary. She recommends
Return from Tomorrow, a book
written by Bruce Ritchie Spain s
brother, George G. Ritchie. It's a
fascinating account ot his near-death
experience. By our next issue, I plan
to have read Monti's books and will
share my impressions.
Love of skiing took Nancy
Hallett Guest and family to Vail,
Colo., where they have wintered for
many years. At age 45, their oldest
son became the father of twin girls.
He has six children now and all are
skillful skiers! The second son has a
successful career in Manhattan.
Sally Strawhand Westphalon
and her husband winter in
Vero Beach, Fla. Sally says its a
paradise - lovely, low-key, and
with no high-rise buildings. After a
successful public relations career in
New York City, Sally now combines
her love of music and ad hoc public
relations. That and tennis keep her
well occupied.
Betsy Jones Ware and
husband Latene have wonderful
adventures with their children
and grandchildren. Last summer,
they vacationed with all the family
in Italy. Their son, Latene Jr.,
and his wife and two daughters
have moved to Argentina for two
years, immersing themselves in
Spanish. Muy bien! This, of course,
requires the family to visit Buenos
Aires often.
Vickie Majure Souder's
daughter, Elizabeth, and family live
in London, and Vickie and family
attended the formal swearing in of
the new ambassador
to the Court of St.
James! Vickie said
that being at this
historic event, with all
its British pomp and
circumstance, was a
thrill and an honor. I
look forward to
seeing Vickie this
winter, as she spends
six weeks on Florida's
east coast.
Susannah Godlove
6 Peyton St., No. E-l
Winchester, VA 22601
sgodlove@valleyhealthlink.com
I am on the board of the
Shenandoah Arts Council in
Winchester, along with new
member Richard W. Pifer Jr. '02.
On Oct. 10, 1 celebrated my
Handley High School 55th Reunion.
Other Handley graduates include
Norma Carter McManis, who
attended Mary Washington for one
year; Carle Germelman, husband
of Donna Pethick '59 and father
ot William E. Germelman '91;
and Jerry Casey, husband of Joyce
Larrick Casey '60.
Joyce Butter Allen, whom
I had not seen since our Mary
Washington 50th Reunion, had been
busy looking for Alice Janklow
Drucker, who attended Mary
Washington for two years. Ahce has
been married to Harold Drucker for
48 years, and their son and daughter
are attorneys. She has worked in her
brother's publishing business for
40 years. Joyce has Googled Alice's
roommate, Martha Kimball, and
was to send information.
Jerry Sample Stocks sent Joyce
a photo of Mary McCardell Furr,
Carol Ann Lasalle Knelling, and
Fran Karins Updike during a recent
get-together.
Dodie Tyrell '60, serves on a
federal disaster response team
and is on call for a month, twice
a year, to travel worldwide to
help in ravaged areas. She never
dreamed she'd be wearing combat
boots and heading off to far-flung
places at 70-plus years old.
I end with a
tribute to Verne Oliver Tyson, who
died in December of 2007 after
a courageous battle with cancer.
According to her obituary, kindly
emailed by Bruce Spain, Verne's
happiest moments were with her
loving husband of 50 years, her
children and grandchildren, and
the many friends she gathered in a
lifetime of helping others.
After reading in University of
Mary Washington Magazine that
Jean Lee Anderson Chapman had
been treated for melanoma, Carolyn
Foy Trela of Santa Fe, N.M., asked
for help contacting her, as Carolyn
also has been in treatment for two
years in a California melanoma
clinic. The treatments were all
clinical trials, and she said the
last one had eliminated the
melanoma. I connected Jean Lee
and Carolyn, and they shared their
experiences. Jean Lee, who has spent
time camping in Florida, frequently
sees Peggy Saunders Burrough and
had a great recent visit with Kay
Ruth McMillan.
Kay Martin Britto and her
family still enjoy living at the beach
in North Carolina. Kay volunteers
as an ESL teacher, reads to local
kindergarteners, and still works
about 10 hours a week at the public
library. She had a wonderful time
traveling in Croatia with their two
daughters. Their granddaughter is
now a college freshman.
Edna Gooch Trudeau
8200 St. Peter's Lane
New Kent, VA 23124
ednanewkent@verizon.net
Thank you so much for all of your
emails and notes. Our 50th reunion
was a team effort; Dodie Reeder
Hruby and her committees were
fantastic. It has always given me
great joy to serve as your Class
Agent. (Your UMW chair is the
first item you see when you enter
my house.)
Little Lucas Adam Rogers is
as cute and smart as any grandson
could possibly be. Aren't I lucky
and blessed? His hobbies include
clapping, reading books with his
parents, jumping, and eating sweet
potatoes and applesauce. He is
always in a good mood.
Not much news this time, girls,
but I know how busy you all are.
Note: When you donate this year,
be sure it goes to the 1959 Class
Endowment Fund.
Irene Piscopo Rodgers was in
Richmond for a July conference,
and we were able to "do lunch." Pat
Gray Proulx attended her high
school reunion in Tappahannock
in June. She talked to Marianne
Carrano Raphaely; she relayed
the news that Marcella Stapor's
sister passed away. Jane Tucker
Broadbooks wrote that John
enjoyed the reunion as much as
she did. In June, they attended a
craft fair in Black Mountain, N.C.
And who did they meet? Celeste
Shipman Kaufman!
Anne Brooks Coutsoubinas
reminisced about the 50th: "We
are all a good-looking bunch of old
broads." She and Speros were in
Greece in July and August and went
to some new museums. They had
a grand time, except for the part
where Speros was knocked down by
a thief who was being chased by the
police. Would you believe he needed
stitches in his elbow?
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 20K
Susan Hughes Whitaker's
husband of 42 years, Hugh, wrote
that Susan was killed in April one
mile from their Maryland home
by a trucker who was speeding on
the wrong side of the road and lost
control. Susan and Hugh have two
sons and tour grandsons, ages 8 to
15. Susan was a substitute teacher
for more than 30 years, and Hugh is
a retired principal.
Madeline Lankford Withers,
who was not feeling well at our 50th,
was diagnosed with colon cancer
upon her return home. But after
surgery in August, she is cancer-
free. Hooray!
Karen Larsen Nelson
2550 S. Ellsworth Road, No. 399
Mesa, AZ 85209
karenlarsen60@alumni.umw.edu
Jody Campbell Close
3653 Kingswood Court
Clermont, FL 34711
jodycampbellclose60@alumni.umw.edu
By the time you receive this news,
our grand and glorious fabulous
50th reunion at Mary Washington
will be upon us. As of this writing
in mid-November, we had close to
50 classmates promising to come!
Hopefully, there will be lots more
by the time the big day arrives. We
want to see all of you!
We have about 10 additions to
our own ever-growing Class of '60
email list, which includes about 180
names. You can still add your email
address (and birthday, if you like)
to receive our monthly News Flash,
including birthdays.
Karen Larsen Nelson and
Darrell spent three months at Senior
Summer Camp and competed in
their own Senior Olympics at their
resort in the White Mountains
of Arizona. It was a busy time,
and they were glad to head off in
September for a week of dancing in
New Mexico. They returned to their
conventional life in Mesa, Ariz., for
the winter. Karen had a short but
very nice visit last fall, reminiscing
about freshman and sophomore
years with Lu Omasta Clark of
Payson, Ariz. They both were in
the pre-nursing program, but Lu
transferred to U.Va. while Karen
chose to stay at Mary Washington
and major in psychology. Karens
winter project with Darrell was to
plan an extensive spring trip east,
heading from Arizona to Florida for
the high school graduation of their
sons oldest daughter in May; then
north for a dance week at Fontana
Dam, N.C.; then to Fredericksburg
for the reunion, with visits to friends
and relatives in the D.C. area, before
returning to Florida for a full-family
get-together tor their own fabulous
50th anniversary party. They should
get back to Senior Summer Camp
by the Fourth of July.
As president of Friends of
the Library in Clermont, Fla.,
Jody Campbell Close completed
a 2V2-year campaign to finance a
$15 million, 50,000-square-foot
modern library and, in September,
she was honored for her hard work
by the local chamber of commerce.
She said it was "a huge surprise
and a pleasant one but, instead of a
plaque, I wish the award had been
a personal assistant for a year!" In
October, their Friends organization
received a locally prestigious
community service award, which
proved to be useful for recruiting
members. Jody says her newfound
passion for genealogy seems a lot
like being Class
Agent: searching for
the lost, trying to
wheedle stories out
of folks on the list,
and relishing the
continuity of long-
term connections to
family (or classmates).
Sue Smith Goodrick spent
a week last summer on a Viking
River Cruise on the Danube,
traveling from Budapest, Hungary,
to Nuremburg, Germany. Record-
setting rains that flooded the river
curtailed the boat trip at Vienna,
Austria, and Sue had to complete
the trip by motor coach. She said the
scenery and the excursions to ancient
palaces and fortresses were awesome.
She also wrote that our monthly
birthday list was the incentive she
needed to get in touch with her Mary
Washington roommate of four years,
Diane Hays Neuman, to reestablish
their connection.
Wearing her Reunion
Committee hat, Sue also talked
to many other classmates. Nancy
Cleaves Blaydes earned a masters
degree in social work at the Medical
College of Virginia; Nancy Cundiff
Moir taught public school for 25
years, taught ESL for many years
and, in 1994, earned a master's
degree in school counseling; and
Bonnie Davis Hall has taught
English, social studies, and Spanish
while pursuing graduate studies,
traveling extensively, living in
Europe, and working for a state
senator in Boston.
Sue also talked to several
classmates we have email addresses
for but have never heard from:
Jane L. Echols transferred to the
University of Virginia School
of Nursing after sophomore
year; art major Jeanette Meyer
Juren taught kindergarten for 30
years, then exercised her artistic
talents in the fields of pottery and
fabrics, especially wall hangings;
Genevieve Poplin Coles, who
majored in chemistry, worked in
a research lab in Richmond; and
Janet Caldwell Fauver, who, like
her twin sister, Nancy Caldwell
Gordon, chose to get married at
the end of freshman year.
In June, Sherry Farrington
Green went to "a great Meeting
of the Clan... all the children and
grandchildren . . . casts of thousands."
In July, she earned the bronze
medal at a U.S. Fencing Association
competition in Texas and was
hoping for even better in August in
San Francisco.
Lloyd Tilton Backstrom '61
traveled to Central America
and went rip-lining through
the rainforest.
Nancy Carruthers Meeker
keeps busy with golf and bridge.
Frequent trips to visit children
and grandchildren in Florida and
California keep them "bicoastal."
In preparation for the reunion
in June, the Reunion Committee
called class members. Page Shafer
Frischkorn talked to Mary Jane
Stevens Taylor, Betsy Hopkins
Hays, Ellen Dunne Bresnahan,
Gretchen Squires Best, Carolyn
Lawrence Jackson, Mollie Watson
Womble, Sharane "Mickey"
McManus Dukatz, Joan Dunn
Diener, Nancy Cundiff Moir, and
Nancy Ball, many of whom have
shared news with us throughout the
last few years.
Karen Larsen Nelson talked
with Dodie Tyrell, who serves on a
federal disaster response team and is
on call for a month, twice a year, to
travel worldwide to help in ravaged
areas. Last fall, she narrowly escaped
going to American Samoa during and
after the flooding. She said that at
70-plus years old, she never dreamed
she'd be wearing combat boots and
heading off to far-flung places.
Syd Collson Chichester
made contact with Joyce Jeffries
Kendall; Hilda Beazley Burcher,
who lives in Alexandria; Manila
Mattox Haas, who works for UMW
and the City of Fredericksburg;
and Nancy Seward Howard, who
joined the Reunion < ommittee to
help with our class reception. (She
and husband Norman recently
sold their wonderful inn in upstate
New York.) Others were Jean
Clark Weatherson, Judy Davidson
Creasy, Mona Allen Spilo, Travers
Moncure Evans, and Bea Cressman
MacLetchie.
In October, Syd went on a
humanitarian trip to Ghana, Africa,
as a 30-year teacher representing
Fredericksburg's Sister Cities. Syd
also shared that Patty Morgan
Connolly has completed a "hunter
pace" on her new horse, involving
eight to nine hours ot grueling
riding over wet terrain and about
35 jumps!
Checking in for the first time,
Betty Oliver Bridgman retired with
Victor, her husband of 48 years,
to Colorado Springs, Colo., from
Wilmington, Del., more than four
years ago to be near their son and
grandsons. Betty taught school for
23 years, was in real estate for 26
years, and took on jobs in choir
directing and organ playing.
We lost contact with Joyce Neill
Krost tor a while, but she emailed last
fall that she was spending the winter
painting in Spain.
Please send us news, ladies.
We're always ready to hear about
your adventures and classmates with
whom you have reconnected.
Connie Booth Logothetis (A-G)
1904 Princess St.
Wilmington, NC 28405
connielogothetis@gmail.com
Renee Levinson Laurents (H-Q)
11906 Beatrice St.
Culver City, CA 90230
Arjle@aol.com
Lynne Williams Neave (R-Z)
530 E. 86th St.
New York, NY 10028
Lyneave@aol.com
[Please send news to the designated
Class Agent according to the first
letter of your MAIDEN name.]
From Connie: It is not too
early to start thinking about our
50th reunion in 201 1 - June 3-5.
Keep your calendars free for that
weekend. Our class has a reputation
for high energy and spirit at
reunions and we want to live up to
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
47
CLASS NOTES
that! Apparently, our sister class of
1959 did a bang-up job of theirs last
year, so we can gel some tips from
them, rhe important thing is tor all
of us to be there!
Andy and I are thrilled to
have moved south to be near our
grandson Leo and his parents! The
economic downturn has not been
kind to Elaine and Mart's new green
business, but they are hanging on
and have received recognition from
the community and state for their
efforts. Elaine was featured on the
cover of the October "green issue"
of a local women's magazine. Andy
and I had a wonderful trip/cruise
down Croatia's Dalmatian Coast
with Overseas Adventure Travel
in September. I began tutoring a
59-year-old woman in an adult
literacy program sponsored by the
local literacy council, and I find it
quite rewarding, so far.
Patty Cairns Hourin writes,
"Can't believe were getting ready
for our 50th! We can't be that old!"
Patty and Jim's son, Scott, was on
active duty with the Marines in
Afghanistan and was due home in
mid-December. His family lives
close by in Diamondhead, Miss.,
and Patty and Jim kept extra busy
helping Lisa with their two girls,
Bay, 6, and Lily, 4.
A most welcome email came
from Eugenia "Gene" England
Simons with news of several
classmates. In October, her
suitemate Peggy Howard Hodgkins
was in the Oxford, N.C., area and
came for a visit. They've stayed in
touch all these years at Christmas
and, years ago, Gene and Harrison
and their two children, George
and Deanna, visited David and
Peggy in Maine on a summer trip
north. Since 1970, the Simons have
lived in Oxford, where Harrison
served as minister at two Episcopal
churches until his 1998 retirement
after congestive heart failure. Since
then, he's continued to work every
weekday at the bookstore he started
while working as a priest. It serves
the Diocese of North Carolina and
furnishes books for three Episcopal
conference centers in North
Carolina and one in Virginia. Their
children are both married. Deanna
and Lane live in Birmingham, Ala.,
and have three boys and three
girls. George and Georgia live in
Salisbury, N.C., and have two boys
and a girl. Gene had a dance studio
in Oxford, N.C., for 28 years, and
two of her former students went
on to pursue careers in dancing.
She still teaches a line dancing
class at the senior center and a
class in music and movement at
the adult daycare center connected
with the local hospital. She also
has a business called "Sew What?
by Gene," which does window
treatments, pillows, and other items.
Peggy also traveled to Gary,
N.C., to visit Beverly Barcley
Weaver, who has retired and works
part time tor the legislature ot North
Carolina. Her husband, Frank,
died three years ago. She has two
married sons and grandchildren.
Gene's roommate, Cindy Scott
Morcott, and husband Woody
celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary, as Gene and Harrison
did this past August. The Morcotts
have two married children and five
grandchildren, ages 7 to 14.
Anne Jinkins Bird and Harry
live in Darnestown, Md., and they
planned to join Gene and Harrison
tor Thanksgiving weekend at their
Westmoreland cottage, east of
Fredericksburg on the Potomac
River. Kitty Lee Davis and Michael
Wade live near Washington, D.C.
Anne and Kitty Lee get together
several times a year to have lunch
and catch up.
Clara Sue Durden Ashley's
son Park, father of seven, returned
safely from Afghanistan on Oct. 22
and was with his family at Tyndall
Air Force Base in
Florida. At the Mary
Washington reunion
last spring, Lloyd
Tilton Backstrom
met Clara Sue's "big
sister," Dodie Reeder
Hruby '59. Lloyd
shared Dodie's email
address, and she and
Clara Sue, who had not seen each
other for more than 30 years, met
on Oct. 3 at the St. Francis Episcopal
Church Country Fair in Great Falls,
Va. They had lunch and enjoyed
the quilt show, chaired by Clara
Sue. Son Andrew, a West Point
graduate, joined them for lunch.
Clara Sue still works at the Vienna
Quilt Shop, where she enjoys seeing
the new quilts come in for sale and
the old ones come in for repair.
Carolyn Barnette Wright has
stayed busy taking adult education
classes in watercolor painting,
jewelry making, guitar, Italian, and
other topics. She has missed the
students she taught for so many
years at Miami Dade College but
hasn't missed grading papers.
She's considering enrolling in a
pastoral counseling course at St.
Thomas University in Miami and/or
taking consulting projects in early
childhood education. Great joys in
her lite are her five grandchildren,
ages 3 to 9.
Carolyn Cruin Pannu wrote,
"Won't it be fun to reunite in 201 1!"
She hopes to meet Pat Scott Peck in
New York in May, when she attends
the 50th reunion at West Point with
the Company K-2 classmates of
her brother, Wally, who was killed
in action in Vietnam in 1968. She
plans to stay at the Marriott in
Westchester, N.Y., and wonders if
Jean Ryan Farrell will be there.
Carolyn lives in San Mateo, Calif.,
and still works three days a week.
She planned to take another cruise
with daughter Kara, this time to
Mexico, in early December. She
feels fortunate to see Kara every
week and to share so much with
her. Her only grandchild, 4-year-old
Alex, son of Carolyn's son, Raj, lives
in Dallas and loves reading and
school. He also loves sports, takes
ice-skating lessons, and adores
baseball, karate, and Halloween!
Carolyn planned to see him on New
Year's Day, when he was to come
for a short visit. She is still walking
and is addicted to knitting. She is
refining her sweater skills and sold
one of her mini-purses, and she
would like to compare notes with
Sue Wilson Sproul.
Janet Bagg Glancy '64 has
received many awards in her
40 years of teaching English,
the most recent being the
Golden Apple Award.
Kelly Cherry's two new books,
Girl in a Library: On Women Writers
& The Writing Life (BkMk Press)
and The Retreats of Thought: Poems
(LSU Press), came out this fall. In
September, with a fellowship from
The Rockefeller Foundation, she
was a resident at Villa Serbelloni in
Bellagio, Italy. Her husband, Burke,
went with her, and they added
some travel afterward, having a
fabulous time in cities like Vienna,
Austria; Cracow, Poland; and Paris.
Congratulations, Kelly, on all your
literary accomplishments!
Polly Updegraff Champ
promised to wave to me from
the Delaware Memorial Bridge
in November on their way from
Connecticut to Ashland, Va. They
planned to stay at the Henry Clay
Inn the first night of the trip and
head to Delray Beach, Fla., for the
season.
Maddie Contis Marken looks
forward to reading Class Notes
and rinding out how lives have
turned out. She and a friend took a
recent 2 10- mile bicycle ride from
Germany to Vienna. Most of the
bike path was along the Danube
River, and it was beautiful! Maddie
still keeps in touch with Kathy
Ledner Kuttner, who also is retired
but still works some, coordinating
conferences for mental health
professionals. They meet each year
midway between Cape Cod, Mass.,
and New York for a girlie weekend.
Maddie still works per diem as a
social worker in local healthcare
facilities, takes courses, and does
"all the tun things retirees do."
From Renee: Hi, all. I'm writing
in order of the responses I received
this time. Thanks to all who stepped
up to the plate and sent news. I'd
thought of publishing a naughty
list of classmates in my "H-Q"
group who haven't responded, but
I decided to be above that fray this
time. So, fair warning, you don't
write, you get on the Naughty List.
I had a lovely summer and fall.
My 70th birthday turned into a
three-day celebration. Bunches of us
at a time celebrated, and it was all a
lot of fun.
Betsy Taggart Ottley retired
from sales with the Qwest (formerly
US West) phone company in
1999 and now has two part-time
jobs, both of which keep her very
involved with the arts: music
director for St. Mark's Episcopal
Church in Cheyenne, Wyo., and
executive director for the Cheyenne
Chamber Singers. She also
performs in a piano trio, directs the
music for the Episcopal Diocese
of Wyoming, serves as a freelance
accompanist, and sings. Her four
children are in Seattle; Ogden, Utah;
Silver Spring, Md.; and Denver.
She has three grandchildren: a
4-year-old in Silver Spring, a college
sophomore in Salt Lake City, and
a high school senior in Ogden.
Of course, they are all brilliant,
says Grandma! "Life is full and
wonderful, with many good and
interesting friends," Betsy said.
Marcia Minton Keech writes
that she did reply last time, but
it seemed not to make it into the
magazine. Marcia and Bill spent
a "grand weekend" with Sylvia
Mcjilton Woodcock and Stuart at
their lovely home. In October, Sylvia
and Stuart spent a couple of weeks
at Hilton Head Island, S.C., and
visited Marcia in Savannah, Ga. The
highlight of their visit was a
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE ■ SPRING 2010
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CLASS NOTES
1
trip to the Telfair Museum of Art
for the Dutch Utopia exhibit, which
included eight paintings by Gari
Melchers. Bill is still doing well and
the Keeches still travel back and
forth to Virginia to see their young
grandson, Connor. As Marcia wrote,
it was 82 degrees and sunny, and she
said they have plenty of room for
anyone who wishes to stop and visit.
Mary Hatcher and Connie
Booth Logothetis talk on the
phone and meet for lunch now
and again, since Connie now lives
in Wilmington, N.C. Mary says
Connie's grandson is "absolutely
enchanting." Mary gets together
with her roomie, Betsey Hueston
Hansen, when they can, and did so
when Mary was in Williamsburg
in mid-September. Mary keeps
busy as chair of the
Library Advisory
Board and treasurer
of the Library
Foundation. This
past summer, Mary
traveled to South
Lake Tahoe, Calif.;
Flagstaff, Ariz.;
and Las Vegas; and
planned a gathering
with Midwest friends in Kansas.
She writes that Kathy Byorum,
who left Mary Washington after
sophomore year to get married, lives
in Copperas Cove, Texas, along with
her four children, and is happily
remarried. Mary, please tell Kathy
I'd love to hear from her and include
her news here.
Becky Paris Spetz and Wayne
enjoyed their UMW-sponsored trip
to England in July, even though
only three graduates participated.
She highly recommends any
trip led by Thomas P. Gohagan
& Co. Becky is getting a head
start in persuasion with plans to
take their granddaughter, a high
school sophomore, to visit Mary
Washington. Becky just finished a
three-year term as president of the
Lynchburg Duplicate Bridge Club.
Impressively, she is a life master! She
sends a "hurrah" for Emyl Jenkins'
(Mary Louise Joslin Jenkins) second
mystery, The Big Steal, and said both
her books are delightful reads.
Debbie Phinney Wylie spent
her 70th birthday in Missouri
with her four children and eight
grandchildren. It was the first time
in four years they'd all been together,
and it was "the best birthday present
I could have asked for."
Peggy Howard Hodgkins
attended an October family wedding
in Virginia and made sure to see
some Mary Washington buddies.
Peggy visited with Lloyd Tilton
Backstrom and Art in Richmond.
After the wedding, Peggy's two
sisters toured with her on Ocracoke
Island, N.C. Then, Peggy went to
Raleigh, N.C, to visit a high school
buddy. She spent a day each with
Gene England Simons and Beverly
Barkley Weaver, roommates and
suitemates from Mason Funnel
days. Gene showed them around her
hometown ot Oxford, N.C. Peggy
writes that Cindy Scott Morcott
still has horses and loves to ride,
and stays in Florida part time, as
the horseshow circuit is there. She
and her husband built a permanent
retirement home in Hobe Sound,
near Jupiter, Fla., and spend
summers at their home in Scotland.
Ilona Dulaski-Williams '64
heads a quartet called the Cantati
Ensemble, which sings opera,
Broadway, and art songs in nine
languages.
Nancy "Pepper" Jacobs
Germer and Hank were traveling
again. In April, they visited Virginia
and had dinner with Lloyd and
Art Backstrom, in May, they went
to Cape Cod, Mass. In June, they
hosted more than 300 guests at a
wedding at their house and danced
barefoot in the grass to a great jazz
band! Their home was featured
again, this time on a tour of old
homes for the Jonesboro, Ark.,
Sesquicentennial Celebration. The
money collected went toward the
Downtown Jonesboro Association.
Next, they flew to Riverside, Calif.,
to spend time with their daughter,
son-in-law, and precious toddler
grandson, Henry. They planned to
see him again for Thanksgiving,
along with their son and daughter.
"We grandmothers are so silly and
crazy about our beautiful babies!"
In October, the Germers took
a fascinating trip to San Miguel
de Allende, Mexico, a charming
400-year-old cobblestoned town,
where many Americans retire.
From Lynne: All is well with
my family, though Sandy and I have
had a couple of procedures this
year. Mine included two cataract
surgeries, but all went well. We
continue to enjoy life in New York
and Connecticut, with a few trips to
Florida in the winter.
Aggie Welsh Eyster, who lost
her husband, Dick, last year, lives
in San Antonio. Aggies's oldest son,
Richard, was married in Sisterdale,
Texas, to a lovely young lady who
has brought a 13-year-old grandson
to Aggie. She also has had work
on display in Houston at an event
called Second Seating. As one of nine
featured artists who breathe life into
recycled materials, her work consists
of four pedestal tables topped with
etched steel, several hanging lamps
encrusted with colored tin "flowers,"
plus a couple of wall pieces. Aggie
has received a lot of support from
Jill Cusack Clay, also widowed and
living in San Antonio. Jill planned to
go to New York City to be with her
daughter (my goddaughter) Bonnie
and her family for Christmas. In
addition to Jill and Aggie, I hope
that Bitsy Glascock Duperior and
Candace Parker Chumney, who also
live in Texas, will consider coming to
our 50th reunion in 2011. Because
most of these folks were not at Mary
Washington very long, they say
nobody will remember them, i think
they will be pleasantly surprised.
Eleanor "Janie" Riles continues
to lead a marvelous and productive
life, dividing her time between Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., and San Diego.
Last September, she led her eighth
annual artists' workshop to France.
They stayed in a chateau in the
Dordogne region and had a great
time visiting the prehistoric caves
and seeing the fine art of early
ancestors. Janie teaches watercolor
at home and enjoys entering juried
shows in Florida and California.
She was looking forward to a cruise
through the Panama Canal and on
to Santiago, Chile, in December, and
to her special birthday treat with her
daughters and their families in Palm
Springs, Calif., at Christmastime.
Both daughters have little boys.
Marguerite, a nurse practitioner
and geriatric specialist, has her
own business, Boutique Care
Management in San Diego. Annelise
is a law professor and heads the
Clarke Program in East Asian Law
and Culture at Cornell University.
Eleanore Saunders Sunderland
and Judy Saunders Slifer took a
wonderful Russian river cruise from
St. Petersburg to Moscow. Sadly,
Eleanore reported that Judy has
multiple myeloma, a form of bone
cancer that is in her spine and is
very painful. She was getting chemo
twice a week, plus steroids, and is
lucky to have Eleanore, who tries
to be with her as much as possible.
Hopefully, by the time you read this,
she will be in better health.
Lloyd Tilton Backstrom and
Art were up to their usual extensive
travels, including a trip to Central
America, where they climbed "every
one of those Mayan ruins! Best
of all was rip-lining through the
rainforest." They also went to
England in October, did all the
wonderful London things, and took
day trips to Stonehenge, Bath, and
Blenheim.
Pat Scott Peck enjoys her
retired life, spending summers
in Maine and winters in Miami,
and making stops in Washington,
D.C., and New York on her trips
back and forth. I'm hopeful that
we can get together this year
when she plans to meet Carolyn
Crum Pannu in the area. She
also was planning a trip with a
photographer friend out West,
where they will drive around for
several weeks filming the last of the
"real cowboys." Pat would enjoy
having classmates visit her, either in
Florida or Maine.
I have noted that several of us
are on Facebook, including Sue
Wilson Sproul and Pepper Jacobs
Germer, so you can look there to
see what we're up to.
Patricia Mackey Taylor
351 Level Green Court
Hampton, VA 23669-1732
PTaylor 5 5 @cox. net
Greetings, Class of 1962. In
early November, I attended a
reception held by the Alumni
Association for the alumni who
live in the southeastern part of
Virginia. Plans were announced
for a college of business to be
established at Mary Washington,
elevating its status to a nationally
recognized public university
known for its strength in the
liberal arts and sciences.
Nancy Powell Sykes and I
thought we were the only ones
there from the Class of 1962, but
we had the nicest surprise when
Sandy MacGregor Craig came
over to greet us. I don't think I
had seen Sandy since graduation.
She looks wonderful and lives in
Virginia Beach. Her husband has
retired, and they travel throughout
the United States.
Mary Lott Haglund and
husband Dave were traveling in
their boat along the southeastern
coast of the United States and
needed to come into port so Dave
could crew for a friend in the
Caribbean. So, Mary was going
to visit her son and his family in
50
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Charlotte, N.C. Mary also looks
wonderful and thoroughly enjoys
boating. She keeps in contact with
Donna Floyd Parker and Sue
Grandy Farrar, and both are doing
well. Mary said that Joan Akers
Rothgeb stays busy in Nelson
County, Va. This visit was short,
but Mary said she and Dave liked
the area and would be back. I look
forward to that visit.
I would very much like to hear
from you. Please email or send a
short note; we need to stay in contact.
1963
Anne Radway
1017 Tapawingo Road, S.W.
Vienna, VA 22180-6257
tiazeldal@verizon.net
To all members of the Class of 1963:
I have enjoyed the conversations
I have had with fellow classmates
I have not seen in years. I wish
that more of you would send
information so that we can broaden
the scope of this column.
In September, I married
Jonathan Barber in Annandale, Va.
It was a real family celebration. My
daughter, Jennifer Lloyd, was
matron of honor and Jonathan's
son, Alex, was his best man. My
oldest son, Dana Atchley, was the
official photographer, and my
two other sons, Garth and Derek
Atchley, were ushers along with
my nephew, David Radway. What
stole the show, however, were my
six granddaughters who were all
flower girls in white dresses with
red sashes. The bride wore a bright
red dress! We had a reception at
Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va., and
another in Jonathans hometown,
Brattleboro, Vt. Not only was this
a family wedding, it was also a
Mary Washington reunion; my
roommates and suitemates Mary
Russell, Alice Eckenrode Alkire,
Sally Sutherland, and Cynthia
Whitaker Finnelly were there, as
was Lois Brown '41. My cousin,
Claire Bentley, mother of Lisa
Bentley '86; Edith Clark '70;
and Betsy Hawley Ramirez, who
attended in the '60s, also were
there. Please see the entry for the
Class of 1941 for information sent
by Lois Loehr Brown '41 about
a photograph from the event. It
was wonderful seeing everyone.
Mary and Alice live nearby, so we
get together frequently, but Cindy
traveled from North Carolina and
Sally from Richmond.
I have spoken recently with
Lou Young Silver, who has
retired after a long career in
teaching for Stafford County
schools and a driving school. In
addition to church activities and
the DAR, Lou is interested in
genealogy and was instrumental
in reconstituting a Potomac
Indian tribe. She is in touch with
Joyce Sheldon Bradshaw and
Margaret Barrett Hymes.
Barbara Yancey Williamson
lives in Lynchburg, Va.
With grandchildren in
Mobile, Ala.; Atlanta; and Dallas,
she and her husband do a lot of
traveling. She also likes Elderhostel
trips and took one last summer to
San Antonio, Texas. Sara White
Tuttle, who spent only two years at
Mary Washington before going on
to nursing school, also attended the
Maryland Institute College of Art
and has done a lot of sculpting. She
and her husband enjoy their RV
and traveled last year to places like
California and the Northeast (Lake
Placid, N.Y.; Montreal; Quebec;
Maine; New Brunswick, N.J.; New
Hampshire; and Vermont), with
an ambitious trip to the Northwest
planned for this year.
I also have heard from my
freshman year roommate, Annette
Klingensmith of Florida, who
attended Mary Washington for only
one semester.
1964
Victoria Taylor Allen
230 Heritage Hills Drive, Unit A
Somers, NY 10589
vallen 1 303@aol.com
By the time you receive these Class
Notes, Thanksgiving, Christmas,
and New Year's Eve will be long
gone. We hope that 2010 brings
each member of our class joy, good
health, and the warmth of family
and old friends. Can you believe
that, in just four years, we will be
celebrating our 50th? Where did
time go?
I live in northern Westchester
County, a suburb northwest of New
York City. My late husband, Ernest
G. Allen, was an attorney, and I was
a French and English teacher. For
many years, I worked in a private
girls' school in New York. I still
work and give lectures on literature
and art history at Barat House
of Manhattanville College, and I
work part time at a girls' school in
Connecticut. Anyone in the New
York/Connecticut/New Jersey area
who is visiting or would like to get
together, please let me know.
Anne Gould Millar continues
to work in the community
psychiatry, adult outpatient program
at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical
Center in Baltimore. Anne said that
there often is a dilemma for working
women our age, in that we need the
structure but not the stress, of a full-
time job, and that it would Lie nice
to have more time to focus on other
things. I've found that a part-time
job (or even two!) is great because
it allows time for other activities
and can be less demanding. I know
Anne would love to hear other
people's solutions, as well.
Stephanie Gilgoff sends an
"aloha" from Hawaii, where she has
lived on Maui since 1977. She works
part time and teaches Ashtanga
yoga, specializing in working with
people with disabilities. She has
many musician friends, so live
music fills her life. She said, "I am
healthy, social, and active."
Susan Orebaugh Nicholson
lives in Atlanta and encourages our
class members to
attend our next
reunion. Those of
us who attended
the 45th last
May had a great
time catching up
and, although
our numbers
weren't large, the
enthusiasm was!
Sally Crenshaw Witt, my
freshman year roommate with
whom I have enjoyed a delight I ul
correspondence during the past
months, moved back to Richmond
after 30 years ot living in Belgium,
England, Minnesota, and North
Carolina. She is retired from
teaching, and her husband, Sam, is
retired from law. Sally is an active
gardener, working in her own
garden and on garden club projects.
Sally and Sam's son Clay, a painter
who teaches at U.Va., married a
wonderful woman in June. Their
other son is a published poet with
two books, Everlasting Quail and
Sunflower Brother, to his credit.
Joanne Crockett Lewis and
Helen Vakos Standing attended
Clay Witt's wedding in Richmond.
They and their husbands and the
Witts try to have mini-reunions
every couple years or so. Also at
the wedding were Diane Dorin
Clark and Barbara Humphries
Davenport.
Susan Miller Briggs '65 is a
full-time associate professor of
surgery at Massachusetts General
Hospital in Boston and is director
of the International Trauma and
Disaster Institute.
L_
Susan traveled to Paris in October
and, in September, she attended the
National Beef Cook-Off in Sonoma,
Calif., as well as the Association of
Food Journalists conference in New
Orleans, La. Susan writes about
food in the syndicated column
"7-Day Menu Planner." Our sincere
sympathy goes to Susan, whose only
brother died this past fall.
Martha Hanks Cooper of
Richmond retired from a career in
human resources in the high-tech
field. She is the proud mother of
three wonderful daughters, who "are
married to great guys," and has four
beautiful grandsons. She earned
a master's degree 28 years after
graduating from Mary Washington
and always tells people that it's never
too late to go back to school!
Martha's former roommate,
Connie Marsh Pollard, lives
in Brookline, Mass., where she
exercises her creative talents.
Martha sees Martha Wangler Ryan
'65 from time to time and would
love to reconnect with other Mary
Washington alums. So, all you
Richmond folks, maybe this is a
good time to plan a get-together.
Janet Bagg Glancy has lived in
Naples, Fla., for 35 years, teaching
Advanced Placement English
literature and serving as her county's
coordinator of the Advanced
Placement Laureate Program in
eight high schools. She has received
many awards in her 40 years of
teaching English, the most recent
being the Golden Apple Award.
She writes, "age is a state of mind;
knowledge, skill, and love transcend
chronological age." Our deep
sympathy goes to Janet, who lost her
husband this past summer, after a
long battle with cancer.
Susan Armistead Evageliou
lives in Coventry, Conn., and
retired in 2008 after 37 years in
the classroom. She enjoys working
around children so much that she
now works as a reading tutor. Susan
performed as a singer and dancer
in a local production of Godspelh
and she and her husband take music
lessons. She also was a volunteer
dorm counselor last summer for 48
young ballet dancers from around
the world who competed in the
New York International Ballet
Competition. Susan and Harrys two
sons keep in close touch. George, a
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
CLASS NOTES
custom cabinet builder, lives with
his wife in New York City. Nick
is a pediatric oncologist at The
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Ilona Dulaski- Williams is also
active in the world of music and
theater. She has played Mrs. Strauss
in a musical production ot Titanic at
Virginia Musical Theatre in Virginia
Beach; Golde in Fiddler on the Roof
at Shenandoah Summer Music
Theatre in Winchester, Va.; and
Hannah in the musical The Spitfire
Grill at Mill Mountain Theatre in
Roanoke, Va. Ilona heads a quartet
called the Cantati Ensemble, which
sings opera, Broadway, and art
songs in nine languages! Her most
recent role was that of Vinny in
the new opera The Books of Daniel,
written and composed by Richard
L. Rose. Because she is fluent in
Spanish, Ilona also does voiceovers
for a variety of products, the most
recent being Verizon.
Sharon Haythorne Stack and
husband Pete live in Yorktown,
Va. They recently planned a large
breakfast for their local hunt club.
They were kind enough to extend
an invitation for the mid-November
weekend but, alas, I had to attend a
meeting in St. Louis. We have had
a great time sharing our memories
and news and keeping in touch.
We send our heartfelt sympathy
to Sharon, whose mother died in
October after a long and loving life,
for which we give thanks.
Sharon keeps in close touch
with Helen Clarke Calhoun of Fort
Campbell, Ky., who, by the time
you read this, was expecting to be
a great-grandmother; Carole Sue
Shelton Lattimer, who lives and
works in Virginia Beach; and Gere
Menegus Lloyd. I have received
emails (one with a photo) from
Jean Klix Luce of Florida. Jeannie,
you still look just like you used to!
Linda Frederickson Boudman
works for Verizon and lives in
Hummelstown, Pa.
Patti lones Schact uses her
French at the Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute in Northern
Virginia. She often sees Beverley
Sulpice Pursell '62, who also was
a French major. Patti works for
a Washington, D.C., inner-city
charity that raises money for
at-risk youth, and she put together
a benefit golf tournament last fall.
Patti and her husband travel a lot
and spend the winter in Bonita
Springs, Fla., where Patti is active
in the DAR. She loves genealogical
work, which she admits can be
"challenging with a maiden name
like lones!" She and her husband,
Richard, both were widowed many
years ago and now, between them,
have 13 grandchildren who live all
around the United States and keep
them on the go. Patti and I had fun
reminiscing about freshman English
with Dr. Griffith!
It is a joy to read your news and
to touch base after so many years.
What an active and intelligent group
we are! Although most of you have
email, don't hesitate to write me a
letter. I would love nothing more
than to run every word you write,
but the University does the final
editing. Also, understand that news
is requested way in advance of the
publication date.
Do keep in touch! It's
wonderful to hear from you, and
it is so moving to rediscover the
people who played important roles
in our youth. Our motto is, "You
may not think anything's new, but
we sure do!"
(y\a//ia^{ / \_ leexaui
Phyllis Cavedo Weisser
5308 Fairfield West
Dunwoody, GA 30338
pcweisser@yahoo.com
Last year was a fun one for me.
Lee Smith Musgrave, Mary Lou
Skeeter Murray, and I got together
for lunch in April while I was in
Virginia Beach, and we had a great
time catching up. I spent almost
the whole month of May touring
China with my brother and his wife
and a bunch of his classmates from
VMI. The first weekend in June,
Carolyn Shockey Moore and I got
together in Indianapolis, where the
Blue Angels performed. She and
husband Bill, who is mostly retired,
still spend lots of time traveling.
In July, my first grandson made an
appearance, and I took my 2-year-
old granddaughter on a trip to San
Jose, Calif., to give my daughter-
in-law a chance to take care of the
baby without distraction. My own
son was on the West Coast and
watched (and coached) the delivery
through a webcam.
Margaret Cobourn John
and Kenny took a cruise out of
Charleston, S.C., to Bermuda with
12 other friends, including Barbara
Hagemann Hester and husband
Ben. They had smooth sailing,
beautiful weather, and a good time
with great friends. Nan Grogan
Orrock is a two-term Georgia
state senator, after 20 years as a
state representative. She lives in an
Atlanta in-town neighborhood and
represents a heart-of- Atlanta Senate
seat. Her two sons, a 32-year-old
who is finishing law school and
a 26-year-old who is finishing
undergraduate
work, live nearby
and are able to stay
closely connected.
(She has no
daughters-in-law
or grandchildren
yet, but she
remains optimistic!) She serves
on philanthropic and public
policy national boards in addition
to working on state policy that
addresses women and children,
working families, health issues, and
civil rights. Nan is a prolific reader
and Scrabble player.
Louise Stevens Robbins retired
in mid- August from her position
as director of and professor at the
School of Library and Information
Studies at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. In July, she and
husband Robby traveled to China
for a workshop with the Evergreen
Education Foundation followed
by a tour in Yunnan Province. In
August, the whole family (three
generations) took an Alaska cruise.
She completed her third book (co-
authored this time), The Librarian
Spies: Philip and Mary Jane Keeney
and Cold War Espionage. Her
garden keeps her limber and keeps
her friends inundated with plants
and flowers.
Joanne Lott Byrne has lived
in Vienna, Va., for 35 years. She
works four days a week as a software
developer/database architect for
Northrop Grumman. She plans
to cut her hours a little more soon
and gradually ease into retirement.
She plays golf once a week with her
significant other, who is an avid
golfer. He has four granddaughters
whom they enjoy visiting. She
has two single sons, Jason and
Douglas. Jason is the director
of athletics marketing at Texas
Christian University in Fort Worth,
and Douglas is the assistant director
of analytical services at Mortgage
Insurance Companies of America in
Washington, D.C. Joanne still keeps
in touch with her roommate from
senior year, Marcia Pexton Peura
'66. She and Ed live in California,
near Los Angeles, and enjoy
camping and skiing at Mammoth
and other areas on the West
Coast. She and Joanne have had fun
visiting each other over the years.
Susan Cutler Oertel's
granddaughter, Julia Caperton
'06, got married Memorial Day
weekend at St. Stephen's Episcopal
Church. The rehearsal party, with
barbecue and bluegrass, and the
wedding reception were held in
her parents' garden in Richmond.
Nan Grogan Orrock '65 is a
two-term Georgia state senator,
after serving 20 years as a state
representative.
Bobby Barrett Crisp writes
that her family holds a record for
the most members attending Mary
Washington, and that was before
men were admitted. Otherwise,
she had three brothers who could
have attended. Six members of
Bobby's family attended Mary
Washington when it was the
women's college of the University
of Virginia, and five of the six
graduated. Graduates from
her family included Florence
Barrett Hall, Mary Ellen Barrett
Spitler, Margaret Barrett Hein
'63, and Grace Barrett Dahmke
'68. Her youngest sister, Judy
Barrett Poulin, attended one
year, then transferred to Auburn
University in Alabama. They
were all teachers and volunteers
in their communities and always
represented their alma mater with
great pride. Bobby and husband
Harry have four children and six
grandchildren. She also has two
nephews who have graduated
from UMW, so the tradition
continues. Bobby, who taught
biology at Stafford High School
in Virginia, also served in many
volunteer jobs, with the PTA, and
as the first woman chairman of the
board of the Tri-County/City Soil
and Water Conservation District.
She worked on Chesapeake Bay
cleanup; on Tributary Strategies
for the York, Potomac, and
Rappahannock rivers; and for
the St. Mary Council of Catholic
Women. She also is a proud
member of the DAR.
Cheryle Comstock Martin
has a new granddaughter, Leah,
born in April. Cheryle splits her
time between Boonville, N.Y.,
where children and grandchildren
live, and New Smyrna Beach,
Fla. She has logged 44 happy
years with husband Ken. Anne
Plummer Linn is happy in
retirement and loves being near
all three of her grandsons. She
and Cheryle attended a UMW
function on the waterfront while
Cheryle was visiting.
Carol Ann Delano Neist, who
retired from teaching two years
ago, lives in Howertons, Va., with
rjl
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
her husband. Their
daughter, Lindsay,
is a fourth-year
equine veterinary
student at Virginia
Tech. Kelly Ellis
taught in Stafford
County for eight
years, then moved to
Danville, Va., to take
care of her parents.
After trying several
different fields of
work, she ended up
in retail and retired from Macy's in
2006. She packed everything she
owned into a rental truck and drove
1,670 miles with her fat cat, Bubba,
to settle in the high desert region
of New Mexico. Retirement has
given her time to read and cook
more, dabble in needlework, write
poetry, do creative work on her
computer, and savor life in general.
Sandra Clay Copier retired
from teaching elementary school
three years ago and enjoys living
in rural Hanover County, Va.,
with husband Tom, with whom
she celebrated a 44th wedding
anniversary last year. They have
traveled to many parts of the world
since Tom retired from the Air
Force after 27 years. They have two
children and three grandchildren.
She still keeps in touch with former
roommates and suitemates Cheryl
Gonzales Yancey, Carol Dunton
Hill, and Anne Connell Snead.
Lee Smith Musgrave retired
from the Norfolk public school
system after 25 years (29 years in
public education) in July of 2001,
and then was an adjunct math
professor at Tidewater Community
College for five years. She plays
bridge at the senior center and
spends time traveling between
Blacksburg, Va., and Minnoeola
and Winter Park, Fla., where her
daughters, Lisa Bonomo and
Sarah Salzberg, and grandchildren
live. Susan Miller Briggs is a
full-time associate professor of
surgery (general and trauma) at
Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston and is director of the
International Trauma and Disaster
Institute, an educational non-profit
dedicated to disaster preparedness
and response. She has spent
time on frequent international
humanitarian and disaster missions
both for nonprofits and for the
U.S. government, as head of their
International Medical Surgical
Response Team, which has provided
aid in places like Ground Zero and
Iran. She has three stepchildren and
four grandchildren.
Tyla Matteson '66 attended
the two-week United Nations
Climate Change Conference, also
called "COP 15," in Copenhagen,
Denmark. Previously, Tyla
attended COPs in Montreal;
Nairobi, Kenya; and Bali,
Indonesia.
Carol Meese retired in
2000, after 32 years as a school
psychologist, and is now a full-
time artist. She is married to Jan
Bantwal Janardanah "Jan" Baliga,
who is from South India and is a
retired chemical engineer. They are
fortunate to travel all over the world
and enjoy good health. They have
three sons, three daughters-in-law,
and seven grandchildren! Linda
Patterson Hamilton and husband
Austin, who is in law enforcement,
began their third 19 years of
marriage last winter. That sounds
strange, but they were divorced
from 1986 to 1989. They recently
bought some helmet liners (aka do-
rags) and are thinking of trailering
the motorcycle up to Michigan to
meet with friends who cycle around
the country. Semi-retirement
brings fun times with their five
grandchildren, most recently at the
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
in Kansas.
Karen Marsteller Nash,
who spent two years at Mary
Washington, taught Latin in the
Hanover County public school
system and tutored private
students, as well. After her husband,
Christian Myers, graduated from
Randolph-Macon College, they
moved to Philadelphia with their
young son, Christian, and daughter
Meredith. She was a reporter and
features writer for a local paper and
a board member for the community
mental health center. Later, they
moved to Newport, R.I., bought
and restored a Victorian gem of
a house, and then divorced. She
became a yacht broker (one of the
first women north of Florida to
do so) and moved into the area's
signature industry, yacht building.
She helped build four America's Cup
contenders, as well as a number of
top-level ocean-racing sailboats. Her
son, Christian, is a senior captain
for the Interstate Navigation Co. He
married Janet Corbin in 2000, and
they have delighted Karen with two
beautiful granddaughters, Julia and
Olivia, who are growing up with the
extraordinary experience of sitting
in Daddy's captain's seat and pulling
the rope to sound the ship's whistle.
Her daughter, Meredith, married the
famous (in Newport) Diesel Mike
LeBlanc of Oldport Marine Services
and pretty much runs the show
there; Mike is the senior mechanic.
Their union gave Karen an instant
grandson, Michael, Diesel's son
from a previous marriage. Meredith
also teaches yoga and does
extraordinary beadwork.
Harriet McGavock Vincent
and husband Tom live outside
Richmond in Glen Allen, Va. Their
son lives in Boulder, Colo., with his
wife and two kids. Their daughter
lives in Richmond with her
husband and two children. Since
retirement, Harriet has enjoyed
taking painting classes.
Anabel Williams Greenlee
lived in Charlottesville for 15 years
but has been in Salt Lake City since
1986. She retired from substitute
teaching a year ago, but her husband
of 44 years, John, still enjoys being
a neurologist at the University of
Utah. He stepped down from being
department chair but still works full
time and then some. Their daughter,
Harriet Greenlee-Herndon '93,
has two children. Their son, John
Wyatt, and his wife, Vanessa, who
live in Bristol, Tenn., had a baby
last spring. Anabel gardens, bikes,
hikes, snowshoes, knits, sews, reads,
teaches Sunday school, and serves
on the vestry of All Saints Episcopal
Church in Salt Lake City.
Carole Kessler Stockberger
married her husband, Lynn,
while still in college. He went on
to medical school and became
a pediatrician. By the time he
finished his internship and
residency, they'd had both of
their children. She worked days
and nights until he became a
doctor. Then, they had a three-year
stint in the Air Force, which took
them to Izmir, Turkey, for two years
and back to Langley Air Force Base
in Hampton, Va., for one year. They
settled there on the peninsula,
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UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
S3
CLASS NOTES
as Lynn found a practice with
Children's Clinic. Carole continued
her education in summer school
at various seminaries and first was
consecrated as a diacona] minister
in the United Methodist
Churchin 1996. She
further was ordained as
a deacon in 1999. She
worked in several
capacities in the church
and, after receiving
her credentials, she
was a hospital chaplain for five
years, a chaplain at a retirement
community for seven years, and
has been an associate minister of
pastoral care for the past six years.
She and Lynn officially retired six
years ago and have done a great
deal of traveling. Their children are
both married, and her daughter has
three children.
Nancy Hamilton Lawrence
retired from a management career
with the U.S. Copyright Office of
the Library of Congress. She and
her husband of 42 years, Richard,
still live in the Washington, D.C.,
area, are active in their church,
and enjoy gardening. They have
two granddaughters and were
expecting a third in November. Pat
Sprenkle Davis and husband Ron
live in Raleigh, N.C. One daughter
lives in the Raleigh area, her twin
brother lives in Massachusetts,
and the oldest daughter lives in
Maine. Between the three, they have
seven wonderful grandchildren,
ages 2 to 11.
Patricia DePriest King worked
for C&P Telephone in Washington,
D.C., for a couple years, leaving to
work as a computer programmer
for IBM's Federal Systems Division
for the next five or so years. She
and her husband of 40 years, Peter,
have four children (Bennett, Brent,
Jessica, and Emily) and seven
grandchildren. After doing all the
usual PTA and other volunteer
activities, Patricia went back to
work in 1983 at George Mason
University, where she retired in 1998
as assistant director of the Kellar
Institute for Human DisAbilities in
the Graduate School of Education.
After retiring, they moved to Shelby,
N.C, to care for her mother.
Mary Aiken Reynolds
and husband Phil have two
grandchildren, Caroline, 4, and
Connor, 5Vi, who live in Austin,
Texas. Phil has been retired from
Exxon-Mobil for five years. Mary
still teaches line dance classes three
mornings a week. Hallie Merriner
Place was a teacher, then a business
owner with her husband of 44 years.
They have two married children, )en
and Chris, and two grandchildren,
who live near enough for frequent
visits and sleepovers with them.
Jana Privette Usry '66 joined the
Richmond One Voice Chorus, a
group designed to involve folks of
varying ethnicities.
Kathy Tuttle Birnbaum is
the widow of Bruce Birnbaum,
a chemical engineer she met
while she was in the nursing
program at U.Va. She has three
daughters (Terri, Becky, and
Robin Birnbaum '97) and
twin 13-year-old grandchildren
(Matthew and Janine). Kathy
avidly continues scuba diving,
a passion she and Bruce shared.
Jere Maupin Graham attended
Mary Washington but received
a bachelor's degree from San
Francisco State University and
a masters degree from the
University of Hawaii, both in
nursing. She works as a women's
health nurse practitioner and as a
psychotherapist/psychiatric nurse
practitioner focusing on children,
adolescents, families, and women.
She is a grandmother, a dancer,
and a yoga teacher, and has been
married to the same man for 43
years.
Marianne Choate Booberg and
her husband of 44 years, Carl, have
two children and five grandchildren,
all of whom live close to them. She
taught for 1 5 years, then got into
the antiques business and retired
from that after 40 years. Janice
Helvey Robinson and husband Rob
are happily retired in the Atlanta
area. Rob was a federal investigator
and Janice was in systems
development. Both kids are close
enough that they get to see them at
least once a week. They enjoy their
time with their two granddaughters
- Katie, 10, and Abby, 2 - and were
looking forward to a third one in
November. Last year, Janice was
diagnosed with breast cancer. She
is doing well and encourages each
of us to keep up with our annual
mammograms.
Ann Moser Garner and
husband Clarence celebrated their
44th anniversary in June. He retired
from his accounting business
in 2007. Ann still works at King
William High School, where she has
been for 28 years. They have two
grandchildren in Alabama, whom
they visit often, and were looking
forward to a third one in March.
Their other daughter, Carolyn,
received a master's degree in library
science several years ago and is the
reference librarian for a new library
in Mechanicsville, Va. She is happily
married and has no children.
Jackie Ward Fulcher retired
and spends her free time in Virginia
Beach and on the Outer Banks of
North Carolina. Florence Daniel
Jamerson and her husband spent
three days sailing with two other
members of the Class of '65 and
their husbands, Helen Simpson Lee
and John, and Janice Reavis Seager
and Ed, who own the sailboat. Lee
Henry Madley married Pete Madley
after her sophomore year. They
had four children and moved 18
times in 24 years! They divorced
in 1987 and Lee began her career
at Morgan Stanley, retiring in 2007
after 22 years. She is fortunate that
three of her children live nearby and
she's able to spend lots of time with
them. She has seven grandchildren
and her youngest daughter was
expecting early this year.
Katharine Rogers Lavery
507 Devonshire Drive, N.E.
Vienna, VA 22180
hlaveryl@cox.net
Hank and I closed out the sailing
season with his participation on
the Pentagon Sailing Club's racing
team, which held weekly races on
the Potomac River, between Ronald
Reagan Washington National
Airport and Boiling Air Force Base.
Our closing annual activity with the
PSC, the Hydrilla Cup competition,
is held in October at Boiling, with
a picnic lunch and races between
the club's boats, including a race
between the women sailors and the
men sailors. (I just watch, cheer,
and help with the lunch these days).
In November, we traveled to Nags
Head, N.C, to support my daughter
and her husband and friends, while
they competed in the annual OBX
Marathon and Half Marathon. It
was a spectacular event, with more
than 6,500 runners and walkers
of all ages, finishing up in the
historic downtown area of Manteo.
Marathons and triathlons are a
new experience for me. Even our
8-year-old granddaughter competed
in a triathlon and won third prize!
Since all of our 16 grandchildren,
ages 4 to 21, are active in sports,
Hank and I attend many events
throughout the year. Our next
planned adventure is a trip to San
Diego to visit relatives and attend a
nephew's wedding.
Barbara "Bobbi" Bishop Mann
wanted something other than a
Medicare card to celebrate her
65th birthday. She decided to "go
blonder and get out of town." She
and husband Robert discovered that
the Emerald Isle is more than 40
shades of green! Their three- week
trip to Ireland included spectacular
vistas; delightful food, drink, and
songs; and lessons in Irish culture
and history. They acquired a deeper
understanding of "The Troubles," the
conflict between Northern Ireland
and the Irish Republic. Highlights
included lunch in Cobh, County
Cork, at home with the mayor's
wife and four other visitors, and
watching the preparation of the huge
bonfires of wood pallets and tires
in Northern Ireland to celebrate the
victory of William of Orange over
the Catholics centuries ago.
Back at home, Bobbi organized
another successful gathering of
the Mary Washington Lunch
Bunch with a luncheon at Brocks
Riverside Grill in Fredericksburg.
The October group included Jana
Privette Usry, Lee Enos Kelly,
Kathleen Goddard Moss, Pat
Lewars Pace, Anne Meade Clagett,
Sandra Hutchison Hoybach,
Joan Cuccias Patton, Anne Kales
Lindblom, Lois Rucker Scott,
Katharine Rogers Lavery, Martha
Young Roberts, and UMW's
director of alumni relations,
Cynthia Snyder '75. They agreed
that Brock's would be an ideal
place for our Reunion Weekend
dinner next June. Dianne Twiggs
Woodworth intended to join the
group but was recuperating from
two surgeries and a month in the
hospital, and she sent her best
regards to everyone.
Kathleen Goddard Moss
has established a Facebook page
exclusively for the Class of 1966. If
you join Facebook and enter "MWC
1966," you will see recent photos
and comments from our classmates
and can contribute more of your
own. Kathy and her husband, Tom,
both work part time to allow time
for traveling to California, Ohio,
and Spain to visit their children and
six grandchildren. The youngest, Joe
and Mira's first - a boy - arrived in
November in Los Angeles.
Lee Enos Kelly still lives in
Washington, D.C, with her 73-year-
old husband, Kevin, who recently
was diagnosed with early-stage
Alzheimer's. She is interested in
sharing information with classmates
who have similar circumstances. Lee
retired from full-time counseling
but continues to operate a small,
private family counseling office.
54
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Jana Privette Usry has taken
a hiatus from teaching at the
community college in Richmond,
after more than 40 years. She
continues to tutor special education
students and remains active
with mediation cases for the
court system. She also teaches a
co-parenting class for divorcing
couples with minor children. Last
winter, she took time to travel to
Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M.,
to visit cousins and discovered
that the Southwest is an artist's
dream. Jana joined the Richmond
One Voice Chorus. The group,
designed to involve folks of varying
ethnicities, already has more than
100 members and was preparing a
concert schedule. At the time of the
Lunch Bunch gathering, Jana was
serving as executor of the estate of a
friend and neighbor who had been
diagnosed with stage-four colorectal
cancer, and she pleaded with us
to get our regular checkups. Jana
planned to travel to Europe in April
to visit nephew Scott in Prague,
Czech Republic, for the birth of his
first child, and she was excited to
become a great aunt!
Anne Meade Clagett, her
husband, John, and beloved
16-year-old kitty, Night, have lived
in Fauquier County, Va., for 15
years and continue to enjoy the
tranquility it offers. Anne stepped
up her activism in local, state,
and national Republican politics
via the Piedmont Republican
Women's Club and found that
organizing fellow Republicans and
conservatives is "similar to herding
cats," even though there are many
delightful women in the group.
Anne and John have foregone
their annual fall excursions to Bar
Harbor, Maine, for three years,
much to the relief of Night. Anne
does manage two trips per year to
Columbia, S.C., to visit her younger
sister, Patricia, and her trial lawyer
husband, college senior daughter,
and high school freshman son. John
travels to Boston and the Carolinas
yearly to visit his family, and Night
revels in having at least one "parent"
at home all the time. Anne also
participates in Virginia's Adopt-
a-Highway program and local
activities on behalf of the Wounded
Warrior Project, while John serves
on the board of directors for the
local Salvation Army.
Joan Cuccias Patton is still
addicted to teaching calculus part
time at Westfields High School in
western Fairfax County, Va., with
a beginners' algebra class added as
a reality check. She teaches every
other day, so she was able to attend
the Lunch Bunch luncheon and
fill us in on the delights of having
live-in relatives while they were
between homes. Joan, also a real
estate agent, was handling the
purchase of their new home.
Lois Rucker Scott continues to
work part time in her brother-in-
law's doctor's office, and husband
Sam still has his medical practice
in Arlington, Va. Since their
grandchildren are in Utah and one
daughter lives in Hawaii, Lois and
Sam allow ample time away from
the office to visit.
Eileen Goddard Albrigo
retired from doing husband John's
medical transcription; daughter-
in-law Molly has very competently
relieved her. Eileen and John were
expecting this year to be a busy
one. Daughter Liz moved to Denver
in August and was to be married
on Hilton Head Island, S.C., in
October, after finishing her studies
at Johnson & Wales University's
College of Culinary Arts. Eldest son,
Todd, and his wife, Carrie, were
expecting their fifth child in May,
and Eileen and John were looking
forward to sharing their trips with
all six grandchildren.
Mary Kathryn Rowell Horner
and Charlie quietly celebrated their
41st anniversary in November, after
a weeklong trip to
Monterey, Calif, in
August for golf and
the Rolex Monterey
Historic Automobile
Races, followed by
a leisurely vacation
in England. They
visited Charlies
aunt and cousins in
Colchester, attended
a christening, played more golf,
and spent two nights in Norfolk
in a delightful farm B&B near the
North Sea. Mary Kathryn planned
to waitress again this March with
Nelly's Needlers, the ladies' auxiliary
group at historic Woodlawn in
Alexandria, Va., during the annual
month-long needlework exhibition.
She invites us all to come for lunch.
Midge Meredith Poyck
continues to delight in the scenery
from her new back door in Oro
Valley, Ariz. She has a spectacular
view of the Santa Catalina
Mountains, which offer many
hiking and biking opportunities.
Midge is only five minutes from her
daughter's family, enabling her to
enjoy the grandchildren regularly.
She laments that she's far from Mary
Washington but hopes to return for
our reunion next year.
Carol Pettigrew Hallman,
along with her Mary Washington
suitemates - Sally Albrecht
Brennan, Julie Bondurant Freeman,
Prentiss Davies Murphy - made it
to Virginia Beach for their annual
gathering. This year, Anita Hening
Stevens, who roomed with Prentiss
and Carol freshman year, joined
them. All five expected to attend
our 45th reunion next June. Anita
arrived for dinner with wonderful
Mary Washington memorabilia,
including a thank you note from
Prentiss for some blue pettipants!
The group toured the Chrysler
Museum and historic homes, and
watched the Neptune Festival Grand
Parade. Next year, they plan to meet
in Pennsylvania to view Frank Lloyd
Wright's Fallingwater home and the
re-installed Cyclorama at Gettysburg,
as well as Harper's Ferry, WVa. Anita
teaches preschool and has lovely
daughters and grandchildren. Her
husband, Ray, is a retired teacher and
Russian Orthodox priest.
Caroline Hogeland Stone
lives and works in Miami and loves
life. She is the full-time admissions
director at Westminster Christian
School and owner of a fitness
company, L.I.F.T Inc., where she
teaches five classes a week. She
is single now, with three married
children and seven wonderful
grandchildren.
CeCe Smith Riffer '69, who
has twins herself, became a
grandmother of twins when
the wife of one of her twins
| gave birth.
Marty Spigel Sedoff retired last
February from Ameriprise Financial
near Minneapolis. In preparation
for her new lifestyle, she took up
tap dancing and worked to improve
her golf game. Her elder son, John
(son of former Mary Washington
professor Roy Riedlinger), recently
bought a foreclosed house in
Minneapolis and is remodeling it.
Her younger son, Jim, attained his
chemical engineering degree last
year and works at Epic Systems in
Madison, Wis. Marty and husband
Bob keep active with the Edina High
School Thespians; Bob designs and
builds theater sets. Marty intends to
travel throughout the United States
and abroad.
Kitty Downs Gregg expressed
excitement and relief, as she and
Don traveled to Kansas last fall
to welcome son Chris, a first
lieutenant, back home from his
tour in Baghdad, Iraq. The families
of all 500 soldiers were housed in
a huge gymnasium-type building
with large screens for viewing the
soldiers as they disembarked from
their transport plane. Kitty and Don
stayed several days to help Chris
get settled in a new apartment, and
then celebrated later in Denver,
where his friends threw a big party
for him just before he reported
back to Fort Riley, Kansas, for duty.
Kitty completed her second year as
president of the Denver Fine Arts
Foundation. She managed a tight
budget and presented 17 rather than
30 debutantes, yet the foundation
received more underwritings than
ever, which enabled it to award
a record of 24 grants to fine arts
organizations. Kitty checked out our
"MWC 1966" Facebook page and
recommends it to everyone.
Tyla Matteson retired after
teaching French and Spanish for 30
years at Kecoughtan High School
in Hampton, Va., and returned
to the Richmond area, where she
keeps busy with her Sierra Club
commitment of many years. In
2008, she flew to San Francisco to
receive the Sierra Club National
Service Award for her 20 years of
environmental work, particularly
for her efforts to save the Mattaponi
River in Virginia. That 13-year
campaign culminated in victory
in 2009 with an end to plans to
build a destructive and unneeded
reservoir in King William County.
Tyla serves as the Sierra Club's
political chair. She missed the
Lunch Bunch luncheon since she
and her husband, Glen Besa, were
traveling to Colorado to attend a
nephew's wedding. In December,
she and Glen attended the two-week
United Nations Climate Change
Conference, also called "COP 15," in
Copenhagen, Denmark, where they
visited renewable energy-supplying
offshore wind farms. Previously,
Tyla attended United Nations COPs
in Montreal; Nairobi, Kenya; and
Bali, Indonesia, where she spoke
first-hand to people from island
nations and coastal lands who have
been experiencing dramatic and
disruptive weather changes. Some of
Tyla and Glen's other travels include
a 50-mile circuit hike in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska,
hiking in the Picos de Europa in
northern Spain, studying the great
leatherneck turtles in Trinidad,
snorkeling in St. John in the U.S.
Virgin Islands; and hiking at home
in the Blue Ridge Mountains of
Virginia. Tyla has enthusiastically
reconnected with Clair Golihew
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
55
CLASS NOTES
Cosby, Susannne Landerghini
Boehm, and Susan Roth Nurin.
Susan took a cruise with her
95-year-old mother last summer to
Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan; anc
Hong Kong, Taiwan
and Shanghai,
China. Shortly
after that, she flew
to Graz, Austria,
while her trumpeter
son, Justin,
performed opera
with his orchestra in several venues,
including some ancient gilded
churches. Susan and Justin took
a private tour of the ancient but
newly reconstructed synagogue,
which housed charred walls from
Kristallnacht, the night Nazis
destroyed many Jews and their
property. On her own, Susan visited
places in Vienna that Mozart
and Beethoven had frequented,
stopped by Central Cemetery to see
Beethoven's grave, then went on to
the nearby ancient Jewish cemetery
to pay homage to two of her great-
grandfathers who lived and died in
Austria. Her trip concluded with a
few days in Prague, Czech Republic.
She stayed in a cozy inn in the old
section and found Prague to be
"stunning beyond belief, so utterly
medieval and awesome to behold
from any angle." She visited the five
famous centuries-old synagogues,
which are now museums; ambled
along the cobblestone streets; and
vividly imagined how life had been
for her ancestors. Her favorite was
the Spanish Synagogue, so named
because of its dramatic Moorish
architecture. Susan reluctantly
returned to New York, where she
spends summers, then home to
Annapolis, Md., to resume teaching
her Spanish classes.
area. In 2008, Marion met Vliet
Matthews Hulse of Arizona and her
sister, Terry Matthews Melichar ot
Maryland, for lunch when they were
in the Alexandria area.
Nancy McDonald Legat
109 Amelia Court
Lexington, SC 29072
dlegatl@sc.rr.com
Marion Brichle Yonce and husband
John live in Alexandria, Va., and
have three sons. David and his wife,
Laura, are in Minnesota and have
two daughters, Veronica and Gillian,
ages 7 and 5. Ben is in Chicago and
planned to marry Stacey in March.
Adam is in California finishing
graduate school. Marion and John
look forward to retirement.
Marion hears from Jane
Wilson Hardy of Maryland at
Christmastime and from Debbie
Talbot, who lives in the Boston
Virginia Crow Acors '72 has
published her first book,
Thoughts of a Country Girl,
and is working on a second.
After 25 years, Yvonne
Milspaw still teaches at Harrisburg
Area Community College in
Pennsylvania, where she is a
professor of English and humanities
and the director of the college
honors program, with which she
runs a small lecture series. She and
her husband, Douglas Evans, have
two grown sons, both out of college
and neither showing much interest
in producing grandchildren for
Yvonne to spoil. Doug is a broadcast
engineer for ESPN and covers major
league baseball games around the
country. Sometimes Yvonne gets to
go with him - good thing she really
enjoys baseball. She loves to read,
and she facilitates a reading group
that's been together for 20-plus
years. She also writes a bit, mostly
folk narrative, and dabbles in fiber
arts, making herself interesting
clothes, often using patchwork and
other quilting techniques. She says
she's very slow and always has more
inspirations than finished projects.
Wilhelmina "Billie" Endicott
Perrine married John E "Fred"
Perrine in 1967, and they have
lived in King George County, Va.,
ever since. Fred was a mechanical
engineer at the Naval Weapons
Laboratory, now the Naval Surface
Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.
Billie has taught fifth grade at
Potomac Elementary School in
Dahlgren, Va.; at a private school
for troubled teenage girls from 1968
to 1981; and at a preschool in the
late '80s and early '90s. She and
Fred have two sons. Chris, 37, is
married, has a little boy, and lives
and works in Singapore, where
Fred and Billie have visited him
several times. Their younger son,
Nick, a CPA who lives and works
in Fredericksburg, is married and
has two children, a girl and a boy.
Fred and Billie are retired and enjoy
their free time. They frequently visit
UMW for concerts, plays, and the
Fredericksburg Forum. One ot the
most exciting things they've ever
done was to build their own house
in 1973 and '74.
Nancy McDonald Legat
continues to enjoy retirement
with husband Dan. They spend
lots ot time with their seven
grandchildren (ages 8 to 20), do
home improvement projects and a
little traveling, and just simply enjoy
being together! Nancy mentors a
girl at a nearby public school, sews,
and does calligraphy. She and Dan
are active in their church.
Meg Livingston Asensio
5300 Ironhorse Parkway, Unit 583
Dublin, CA 94568-7006
meglala@aol.com
Linda Marett Disosway
1031 Troublesome Creek Lane
Greensboro, GA 30642
ldisosway@gmail.com
I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays
and will have a lovely spring. The
deadline for this issue was Nov. 15 so,
unfortunately, I couldn't include the
news I received in Christmas cards,
which will have to wait until the
summer issue. I do have lots of news
from the fall, though.
Our own Iris Harrell has once
again reached new heights with her
business, Harrell Remodeling Inc.
She received the 2009 Fred Case
Remodeling Entrepreneur of the
Year Award at a national remodelers'
convention in Indianapolis in
October. The award recognizes
creative entrepreneurial behavior
in the remodeling industry by
business owners who have started
from the ground up. Fred Case is
one of the heroes of the remodeling
world, as he has one of the most
successful companies nationwide.
This is the third year the award
has been given and the first time a
businesswoman has received it. The
honor landed Iris on the cover of the
largest remodeling trade magazine
in the country. She ended up in the
remodeling business after being a
teacher, musician, and nonprofit
professional. Harrell Remodeling Inc.
was started in Menlo Park, Calif.,
in 1987. Their annual revenue has
grown from $280,000 to more than
$10.1 million. Iris and her partner,
Ann Benson, also have won multiple
awards for a house they remodeled
as a showcase of green and universal
design. Iris, we are so proud ot you!
Jeanine Zavrel Fearns, Anne
Witham Kilpatrick, and Carolyn
"Suzy" Bender Winterble had
a great visit in October at Anne's
lovely retirement home near
Greenville, S.C., where she and
husband Roger have lived for two
years. Jeanine, Anne, and Suzy
enjoyed Greenville for a couple days,
then went to the Biltmore Estate
in Asheville, N.C., and to Harrahs
casino hotel in Cherokee, N.C.
Jeanine sent a picture of the three
of them at the Biltmore. I wish I
could print it - they all look great!
The Great Smoky Mountains were
beautiful, Jeanine said, and they had
a ball visiting and sightseeing. Suzy
and husband Charlie enjoy their
bay- front home on the Chesapeake
in Yorktown, Va., and are avid
golfers. Jeanine and her family were
in Disney World for two weeks last
fall. She had a nice visit with Toni
Turner Bruseth of Austin, Texas,
when Toni was in Tidewater visiting
her parents last fall. The two were
roommates at Mary Washington.
Patti Boise Kemp's son got
married last August, and he and his
wife live 20 minutes from Patti. She
and Linda Eadie Hood were trying
to identify all the members of our
class in the class picture taken at our
40th reunion last May, but Lindas
husband, Rick, had some medical
problems that took priority, so the
project was put on hold. Maybe they
have everyone identified by now
and can bring the picture to our
next reunion, and we can all hope
we have not changed a bit. Patti
is interested in strengthening our
Facebook group. Go to "University
of Mary Washington Class of 1969
alumni" and sign up!
Two of Donna Cannon Julian's
senior suitemates, CeCe Smith
Riffer and Ann Simpson Brackett,
were unable to attend our 40th
reunion, so Donna, CeCe, Ann,
and Lyn Howell Gray had a mini-
reunion at Donna's beach house in
Lewes, Del., a couple weeks after the
reunion. Donna and Lyn filled CeCe
and Ann in on all the news from the
CeCe and husband Bill
retired to Williamsburg and live
in the same community as Joan
Mueller Goertz. Joan was Donna's
roommate in the French House,
along with Linda Eadie Hood. Joan
lost her mother late last summer.
CeCe, who has twins herself,
became a grandmother of twins
when the wife of one of her twins
gave birth. CeCe planned to double
the number of her grandchildren
this year, as her oldest son was
expecting the birth of another child.
Donna also has two new
grandchildren, born early last
ii
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
summer. Her daughter Jennie,
who lives near her in Wilmington,
Del., gave birth to a little girl, Nora.
Donnas daughter, Emily, had a little
boy, Walter, a few weeks later. Last
summer, Donnas husband, Gene,
had a hip replacement, which went
fine, but it was discovered that he
needed a quadruple bypass and
valve-replacement surgery. All went
well, and Donna and Gene went on
a trip to China in October. Donna
stays in touch with Susan Gentry
Roehmer, who went to high school
with her in Charlottesville, Va. Susan
and husband John have a beach
house in Rehoboth Beach, Del, not
far from Donnas beach house.
Ann Simpson Brackett retired
from WestEd, but she seems to be
getting itchy to do something else.
She and her husband, John, live
in the Boston area. Ann lost her
mother soon after her mini-reunion
with Donna, CeCe, and Lyn. Our
condolences go to Joan and Ann on
the loss of their mothers.
Lyn Howell Gray and husband
Jim were still in Liberia working
with the YWCA. Donna and Gene
were able to attend a party in June in
Silver Spring, Md., to celebrate Lyn
and Jim's 40th wedding anniversary.
Sadly, in November, Pidge
Williams Walden lost her battle
with cancer. Pidge was a beautiful,
loving person whom we all greatly
admired. At Mary Washington,
she was president
of Mortar Board
and head freshman
counselor her senior
year. She and her
roommate, Patti
Boise Kemp, were
co- winners of the
Jefferson cup for scholarship and
service. Pidge attended our 40th
reunion in May, and I know we
are all glad we got to see her one
last time. Pidge made the most
of her life and, last October, she
and Gloria Gibson Shelton spent
four days in New York City. The
primary reason for the trip was to
reunite with friends they'd met on a
2007 cruise of the Baltic and North
seas, but they also enjoyed going
to museums and the theater. They
managed to see three shows and
tour The Metropolitan Museum
of Art, The Frick Collection, and
The Museum of Modern Art.
Pidge also spent a long weekend
in her hometown of Marion, Va.,
for a band reunion attended by
her former band director from
the '60s. She was able to complete
the 10-mile portion of the Atlanta
2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer - an
amazing feat! She raised nearly
$1,500 for the campaign. Pidge was
a remarkable woman, and we all will
miss her.
Gloria Shelton Gibson, Linda
Gattis Shull, and Anne Witham
Kilpatrick attended a UMW
reception at the Charlotte City Club
in North Carolina last October.
Although the number of alumni
who attended was small, graduates
from the '60s through the early
2000s were present.
Bonnie Page Hoopengardner
and husband Roger went on a
month-long trip to Australia and
New Zealand last fall. Bonnie said
it was amazing, with wonderful
sights and lots of wildlife in each
country. Bonnie's Mary Washington
roommate, Betty Ferguson Foster,
died of cancer in December. Betty
was active at Mary Washington
and continued in that vein after
graduating. She volunteered for
many worthwhile community
organizations in Richmond and in
Charlottesville, where she and her
husband, Charlie, had lived for the
last couple years. Betty was also a
committed member of the UMW
Board of Visitors. She attended
our 40th reunion in May, and I am
so glad we had that time together.
Betty was truly a generous and
beautiful person. She gave of herself
to family and friends, as well as the
community, wherever she lived. She
will be truly missed by everyone.
Kevin Havens '77 and his praise
band, JC Reigns, released their
second album, What If?
Jane Jackson Woerner of
Florida headed to Virginia to visit
family and friends last fall. She
visited with Connie Hinson, her
Mary Washington roommate, and
had lunch and dinner with Jean
Polk Hanky and her husband, Jack.
Jane and her cousin Steve toured
James Madison's Montpelier, which
has been completely renovated,
and the newly redone Virginia
Capitol Building in Richmond.
Jane's mother will winter with
Jane and her husband, Bill, this
year, as she has done in the past.
Jane reported that Connie Cline
Bukzin and husband Mitch went
on a cruise of the Hawaiian Islands
with another couple last fall. They
enjoyed the trip despite the fact
that it is a long way just to get to
Hawaii, and it is quite expensive
when you do get there!
Please send me an email with
any news you have, and I will
certainly put it in our Class Notes. I
love hearing from everyone!
A> & - 1
C/\a/L/iuM. < I '((/(V
Carole LaMonica Clark
P.O. Box 3136
Boone, NC 28607
clarktjcj@skybest.com
Save the date! Please mark your
calendars for our 40th reunion,
June 4-6. In late October, Kathi
O'Neill Argiropoulos hosted an
enthusiastic band of volunteers
(Anne Sommervold LeDoux,
Gabby Pagin, Kathy Thiel, Elaine
Wilson Maloney, Susie Duffey
DiMaina, Adrienne Whyte, and
Tina Kormanski Krause) at her
home to start the planning for our
reunion activities. Kathy Shepherd
Mehfoud, Carole LaMonica Clark,
Susan Johnson Gillette, and Lee
Howland Hogan offered their
support from afar. Some highlights
of the upcoming weekend include
a Saturday morning campus tour,
followed by our class picnic, and
the Saturday evening banquet on
campus. Kathi's group is working
hard to make the gathering a
particularly memorable one, but the
best way to make that happen is for
everyone to plan to attend. Call your
roommate and make it happen!
Ted and I traveled to the Florida
Panhandle in September for my
niece's wedding. It was great to see
my family, especially my youngest
brother, who flew in from New
Mexico. My mom, 86, and dad, 89,
still live on their own, and attending
Ashley's wedding was another item
checked off on Dad's "bucket list!"
Ellen Grace Jaronczyk and
husband Bob finally moved into
their new home in Williamsburg.
Bob plans to work another year
before retiring. They are both happy
to be a short distance from their
son, Morgan, and his family in
Fredericksburg.
Lynn Amole Horng and
husband Albert live in Hatfield, Pa.,
and have four children. Dunstan
earned his bachelors degree in
English and history from Temple
University last June and was
applying to grad school to pursue
a masters degree in library science.
Debra received a degree in electrical
engineering from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology in 2004,
worked in Boston and Philadelphia,
then enrolled at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a
master's degree in medical physics.
Aidan was pursuing a bachelor's
degree in civil engineering at
community college and planned to
transfer to Drexel University. Abe
earned his bachelor's degree in math
and economics from Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute last June
and works for Prudential. Lynn's
husband, Albert, enjoys piano,
bridge, and being the grand old
man of soccer referees. Lynn taught
high school Spanish for a few years
after getting back to work, but she
didn't enjoy the long commute,
and now she substitute teaches for
the North Penn School District.
She also does volunteer farm work
at a local Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) organic farm and
recently bought a bicycle that gets
her around town easily.
Helen Row Mullins and
husband Mike retired in Jolo,
W.Va., in 2001. Helen still does
some substitute teaching and helps
her husband with Boy Scouts,
honeybees, the American Legion,
church events, and local missions.
She also belongs to the local Lions
Club and the Rebecca Lodge and,
recently, she started volunteering for
the McDowell County Commission
on Aging. She enjoys visiting family,
especially her three grandsons,
Kevin, 11, Eli, 4, and Isaac, 2, who
live in the Fredericksburg area. In
May, Helen and her sister took a
nine-day cruise to Puerto Rico,
the Dominican Republic, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, and Haiti. During the
college semesters, she is a member of
a 70-voice mixed choir at Southwest
Virginia Community College that
travels to sing joint concerts with
the West Virginia University Choir
in Morgantown. Helen relaxes at her
pool and with her little dog, Lucky.
Please send me your news and
make plans now to attend our 40th
reunion in June.
Karen Laino Giannuzzi
CMR 450, Box 632
APO AE 09705
kapitankll l@yahoo.com
Sherry Rutherford Myers
2236 Foxbane Square
Baltimore, MD 21209
dllmyers@netzero.com
Hello one and all, and thank you
for your notes from the past few
months. We still enjoy life in
Baltimore. Even with the rain, it was
one of the most beautiful
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
57
CLASS NOTES
autumns wed soon in a long time.
Being a lover of country music, I
had an exciting April vacation in
Nashville, Tenn. 1 am a soprano
soloist at Mount Vernon Place
United Methodist Church and
continue my hobby of designing
quirky retro costumes. 1 made
the finals again this year in the
Baltimore Honfest and won a
couple of prizes elsewhere for these
creations. Dennis and I continue
to enjoy day trips to historic sites
in several states. We hoped to
spend some time with Cheryl
Prietz Childress and her husband,
Dave, Thanksgiving weekend.
We're always in touch, but it's been
awhile since we've been together.
Cheryl and Dave continue to enjoy
retirement and are constantly on
the go with boating trips, Colonial
reenactments, and equine activities.
Their son, Alex, still works for a
radio station in Richmond. Their
daughter, Thea, is a senior at
Virginia Tech and has announced
her engagement to Eric, who is
working on an MBA. They plan to
marry within the next year.
Debbie Stanley Leaps
daughter, Amy, attends UMW She
is on track to graduate 40 years
after our class and 67 years after
her grandmother Ruth Stanley '45.
Its always such a joy to hear about
UMW being a family tradition.
Amy studied in Spain over the
summer and returned to campus
as an orientation leader in the
fall. Debbie took early retirement
from Merck & Co. a few years
ago but loved staying busy, so she
works part time doing electron
microscopy at JMU and accounting
at RMH Wellness Center.
Kathy Duley wrote that the
art business in Scottsdale, Ariz.,
had been affected by the economic
downturn, but she hoped for an
upswing in travel and consumer
spending with the upcoming season.
Julie Obarski Simpson packed her
daughter, Cara, off to St. Mary's
College of Maryland. Her son, Trey,
started a new job selling Volvos in
Fredericksburg and is doing well.
Julie still lives in Fredericksburg and
works at Caldwell Associates.
Virginia Crow Acors lives in
Partlow, Va., in the home she and
her husband built after graduation.
They have three sons and four
grandchildren. Virginia taught on
and off in Fredericksburg and in
Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.
She received a master's degree from
the Curry School of Education at
U.Va. Her last teaching assignment,
as a reading specialist and
coordinator at lee Hill Elementary
School, lasted nearly 15 years. Not
one to stay idle during retirement,
she has happily been writing. Her
first book, Thoughts oj a Country
Girl, has been published, and she's
working on a second.
Best wishes to all, and I hope
to hear from more of you in the
coming months.
Debby Reynolds Lindner
1433 Sixth St.
Coronado, CA 92118
bdlinder@mac.com
Catherine Alexander Alspaugh
was named 2009 Teacher of the Year
in Frederick County, Md.
Sidnia Baker Etherington
1419 Huntington Crescent
Norfolk, VA 23509-1214
sidleexx@yahoo.com
Susan Passarello Quenzer
1215 Old Woodbine Road, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30319-1037
sq3878@att.com
t/\auu^u l i<
Armecia Spivey Medlock
1605 Fairmount Road
Westlake Village, CA 91362
vagirl805@msn.com
Nancy McClung moved, after her
2008 divorce, to Hendersonville,
N.C., where she's near her sister
and can continue to practice
physical therapy and teach Pilates.
Nancy's older daughter, Katrina,
was scheduled to graduate from
the University of Texas at Austin in
December. Tyler, Nancy's younger
daughter, spent her freshman year
at Reed College in Portland, Ore.,
working and supporting herself.
After visiting in North Carolina,
though, she decided to look into
schools there. Nancy said it's good to
be back on the East Coast, and she
hopes to strike a balance between
part-time work and free time.
Connie Whitmarsh-Tomko
is a proud stay-at-home mom after
two graduate degrees and 20-plus
years in the professional workforce.
She and husband Al adopted their
only children when Connie was 49!
Mei Mei (pronounced "May May") is
almost 8 and in third grade. Jade just
turned 7 and is in first grade. Connie
laughs when she reads about our
classmates' children graduating from
college and getting married. She's just
delighted that their kids are making
them young again and that both
children are now in school. Connie
quit her job as an international
quality manager at Tyco Electronics
after they adopted Mei Mei - too
much travel and too many late-night
international phone
conferences. Connie
is active in politics
and coordinates
volunteers for 16
electoral precincts
south of York, Pa.
She teaches industrial
statistics and other quality- related
classes on a part-time basis, and she
works part time at the local YMCA.
Al is a senior research scientist at The
Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory. Connie and Al
met in graduate school at Penn State
University and just celebrated their
28th wedding anniversary. Connie
writes, "We don't have any free time ...
Thank God we empty nested the first
20 years of marriage!"
Ann Masten Woomert is
in Toronto, where her husband
plays in the symphony. They
have one son who has graduated
from the University of Toronto
and one son studying at Indiana
University, and their youngest son
is at Northwestern University. Ann
teaches seventh-grade classes, as
well as a special program for English
language learners with limited prior
schooling who are new to Canada.
Save the date! Please make
plans to attend our 35th Reunion
Weekend, June 4-6, the weekend
following the Memorial Day holiday.
The new format will provide
enhanced opportunities for classes
to get together, as well as ample
time to tour the campus, attend
faculty lectures, and visit downtown
Fredericksburg. Please join us!
Thanks to everyone who
provided news for this issue. It's
always a lot of fun to hear how
people are doing. If you haven't
thought about submitting your
news, we'd love to hear from you!
Helen Taylor Salter
2494 East Harbor Circle
Grand Junction, CO 81505
ahsalter@bresnan.net
1977
Mary Byrd
754 'A S. Marengo Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91 106
byrdland@charter.net
I continue to teach yoga and sing; I
was a chorus member last fall in my
first opera, Mozart's The Abduction
from the Seraglio.
Patty Churchill Shippee '81 has a
daughter, Clare, who is a fourth-
generation Mary Washington
student.
As of last year, Jeff Hunter and
his wife, Wendy, lived on a 250-acre
former Christmas tree farm in
Bowling Green, Va., surrounded
by white pines, farmland, four
ponds for fishing, and plenty
of room for their 1 -year-old,
Cooper, to grow up! Jeff works at
a private therapeutic healthcare
center outside Fredericksburg but
would like to return to managing
a theater, arena, or convention
center. He has two older children.
Christopher lives between San
Diego and Alaska, fishing for
squid, salmon, and lobster. Lindsey
married in 2008 and lives in
south Florida. Jeff stays in touch
with Ritchie Hasty '76 and his wife,
Barbara Hasty '80, who both work
at Mary Washington Hospital.
Kevin Havens is working
on a second career; he's finishing
seminary and serving as worship
leader for a contemporary praise
team at Mt. Olivet United Methodist
Church in Arlington, Va. He plans
to complete a doctorate in worship
studies in the near future. His oldest
son, Trevor, is a Marine and a 2003
combat veteran of the war in Iraq.
Along with two grandchildren,
Kevin and his wife, Terry, have a
son, Tanner, who is just entering
high school in Fairfax. Recalling his
days with Thunder Bay, Kevin and
his praise band, JC Reigns, recently
released their second album,
What If? Lisa Rae Walker and her
husband, of Glen Allen, Va., enjoy
retirement and travel a lot.
Laurie Fisher Calloway,
who has taught at Fredericksburg
Academy for 16 years, celebrated
her 27th anniversary with Gary.
Last May, daughter Beth graduated
from Duke University with a major
in chemistry and a minor in French.
This year, she's working for Duke
at a medical school they have in
conjunction with the National
University of Singapore. Adam is in
58
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
his third year at the Naval Academy
in Annapolis, Md., and Neil hegan
his sophomore year at Virginia
Wesleyan College last tall. Laurie
enjoys watching all the changes on
the UMW campus. The old Park &
Shop will soon have student housing
and businesses, and there will be a
pedestrian walkway over U.S. Route
1 leading to that complex. Such a
different world!
Kathleen Williams Pyrce
teaches middle school religion and
English at Immaculate Heart of
Mary Catholic School in Atlanta.
She has a teenage daughter, Mariah.
After 1 1 years with Circuit City, as
assistant general counsel of labor
and employment, Teri Craig Miles
now works as a senior assistant
for the Virginia Attorney General
doing employment litigation and
counseling. Being in the public
sector is different and interesting
for Teri, who has been traveling
and spent nearly three weeks
last summer in Italy, Greece, and
Turkey. She looks forward to her
next adventure.
Vicki Sprague Church has
wonderful news that husband
Dick underwent successful
transplant surgery last fall. It was
a rollercoaster ride these last few
years, sustaining Dick while waiting
for a suitable donor, but their
prayers were answered. Vicki sends
love and thanks to all who have
supported her. Their son, Brad,
planned to marry in July and reside
in Nashville, Tenn., with bride
Kim. Vicki has started a "Class of
1977" subgroup under Linkedln's
(www.linkedin.com) UMW/MWC
group, where you can network with
classmates.
As many of you know,
classmates are rediscovering
each other and
making wonderful
connections via
Facebook. This is
another means of
communication
and a way to find
out about those we've known many
years. Connection is good for the
soul! Be well!
Cindy Clark
8 Peaceful Lane
Norwalk.CT 06851-3404
cclarkct@optonline.net
Barbara Goliash Emerson
5412 Hampton Forest Way
Fairfax, VA 22030
emers3@msn.com
It was great being back on campus
for our 30th reunion. The Alumni
Association once again put on an
amazing event. We were also very
grateful to Bill and Terrie Young
Crawley '77 for opening their
lovely home for our class party on
Friday evening. Lisa Bratton Soltis
and Gayle Weinberger Petro were
the party planners with panache
for that fun event. The picnic and
other events on Saturday were a
blast. It was also wonderful to see
some of our former professors - in
addition to Bill Crawley, George
Van Sant, and Bulent Atalay, all
with their latest literary endeavors.
My husband really enjoyed Dr.
Van Sant's book about his military
experiences.
Linda Reynolds Thornton
is working in the IT department
at UMW, where new buildings
are sprouting up on campus and
an incredible transformation is
happening as Park & Shop becomes
Eagle Village. Linda celebrated her
25th anniversary with husband
Bill, who recently started his own
electrical business after retiring
from the Stafford County school
system. Their son, Will, hiked the
Virginia portion of the Appalachian
Trail last summer and plans to hike
the entire trail next year. Linda
recently saw Randy Kirby and
his wife, Barrie Miller Kirby '78,
who were on their way back to
Salisbury, N.C., where they are both
Presbyterian ministers. Their two
daughters are at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Katrina Ray Landis '81 lives in
London, where she is CEO ofBP's
Alternate Energy division.
Frisbee is still alive and well
in Fredericksburg. Several Mary
Washington grads gathered there
for the Virginia State Frisbee
Tournament in April. Regulars
are: Eric Olsen '82, Hugh Lowry
'77, Duke Stableford '81, Kathy
Harrigan '81, Eric Wootten '81,
Bonnie Busking Wootten '81,
Dawn Machonis '77, Ellie Regan
'77, Lewis Wendell '80, Scott
Chilton, and Sonja Garcia Chilton.
A few other alumni Linda
runs into in the Fredericksburg
area are: Mary Heinike Garret '81,
Mark Torgeson '91, Shannon
Elder, Matthew Kelly '82,
Cindi Aller Kelly '84, and Mary
Semann Hodge. In the past few
years, the following alumni have
also been back to Fredericksburg:
Kim Lytton of Alaska, Amy Craft
'77, Tim Bobbitt, Carol Altstatt '81
ot Maryland, and Pamela Brown
'78 of Miami. Linda also keeps
in touch with Jeanne Walker
McKee of Banner Elk, N.C., and
Anne Meaney Leckie '78 of
Canada.
We hope to hear more from all
of you for future Class Notes. Please
contact me at the postal or email
address above.
Suzanne R. Bevan
407 Butternut Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22408
serb@cox.net
Lori Foster Turley
269 El Chico Lane
Coronado,CA92118
turleys@sbcglobal.net
Ten of our classmates got together
at Lake Anna in Virginia in
November to celebrate turning
50 (or "halfway to 100" as
Pam Clapp Hinkle's son Ian
described it). It was an awesome
weekend of laughing and sharing
stories. Pam flew in from Plymouth,
Mass., where she heads up
communications and development
at the Marine Biological Laboratory
in Woods Hole. Karen Snyder Boff
flew in from Atlanta. She is working
on growing her home organization
consulting business while still
maintaining a household with three
teenage girls.
Katrina Ray Landis flew in
from London, where she is CEO
ofBP's Alternate Energy division.
She celebrated 28 years of marriage
in June. Ellen Stanley Booth of
Arlington, Va., is vice president
of communications at National
Geographic. Colleen McCahill
Turley lives in Fredericksburg
with husband David Turley,
and 13-year-old son, Nolan. In
September, the three went to
Italy and Malta on a glorious
two-week pilgrimage, celebrating
their 25th wedding anniversary
in Rome. Charlotte Clare Snyder
of Ellicott City, Md., recently lost
her mother, Wilma Lindsey Clare
'45. Bobbie Dwyer Leon also
lives in Ellicott City and has her
own business tutoring dyslexic
students in math. Her daughter,
Megan, got married in October.
Elisa Devorshak Harvey lives in
the Sandy Spring community of
Montgomery County, Md. She
works as a regulatory consultant
for medical device companies and
practices veterinary medicine part
time, so she can have more time to
play with her horses.
Patty Churchill Shippee,
who lives on the Potomac River
in King George County, Va., does
environmental water quality
analysis. Her daughter, Clare
Shippee '13, is a fourth-generation
Mary Washington student. Nancy
McEntyre Kenefick is in her 28th
year of teaching third grade in the
Fairfax County school system.
Missing from the gathering
were Katie Kulp Jones, a media
specialist who lives in Roanoke, Va.,
with her husband of 27 years and
their three girls; Wendy Brown,
who lives in Spotsylvania County,
Va., with her husband and runs an
assisted living business with her
mother; and me, still living in the
San Diego area with my husband
and two children and working as
the military program director for
United Through Reading. Among
all of us, there are 33 kids, ages 8
to 25!
I had dinner with Jenny
Sharp-Warthan recently when
she was in San Diego. Her older
daughter, Christy, a graduate of
Randolph-Macon College, recently
got married and lives in Gloucester,
Va. Her younger daughter, Morgan,
is a freshman at the College of
Charleston in South Carolina.
Tara Corrigall
212 55th St.
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
tara.corrigall@ubs.com
Marcia Guida James
2005 Long Knife Court
Louisville, KY 40207-1176
MarciaGJ@aol.com
My husband and I continue to be
incredibly busy at work in the era
of payment reform. Our oldest is
a college sophomore, and the two
others are in 10th and 1 1th grade,
so we're starting the college search
once again. My father still lives with
us and cooks dinner, washes clothes,
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
59
CLASS NOTES
and keeps house. Please find me
on Facebook or drop me an email.
My original email list has gotten
outdated.
Susan Leavitt has been very
involved with UMW alumni
activities and tundraising. Real
estate and traveling also continue
to keep her busy. Susan caught up
with Monica Rastallis at Monica's
engagement party.
Meg Bell of Fredericksburg has
been on mission trips in Gulfport,
Miss., and McDowell County,
W.Va. Her 16-year-old daughter,
Meghan, is in 10th grade and is
interested in studying interior design
after high school. Meg has been
the crafts director/instructor at
Wilderness Presidential Resorts in
Spotsylvania County, Va., since 2007,
and she paints murals of the resort
for buildings onsite. She also works
as a tour guide in Washington, D.C.,
during the spring season.
Glen Bell works with Delta
Air Lines in Atlanta and actively
engaged in the merger with
Northwest Airlines. Glen took his
family on a weeklong mission trip
to the Czech Republic to work on
church construction and a youth
sports camp. The summer included
family trips to Phoenix and Los
Cabos, Mexico, along with a quick
trip to Washington, D.C., to help
John Middlebrook celebrate a
significant birthday. Fall brought
floods to Atlanta, and Glen has
been working with the church on
flood relief projects. On weekends,
he still plays soccer, while the boys
have become infatuated with roller
hockey. Over Thanksgiving, Glen
and his family traveled to London to
enjoy the Christmas decorations.
Dave Hardin has connected
with many classmates since
discovering Facebook. Dave spent
10 days team-teaching a public
policy course in Yellowstone
National Park in May, crashed
the Mary Washington Class of
'84 Reunion in June, and made
another 8,000-plus-mile road trip
with wife Elizabeth and son Luke
in July, crossing the southern tier
of states to New Mexico and back
via Kansas City, and hitting a Green
Day concert (Luke's first) along
the way. In October, they saw U2
in Charlottesville, then blink- 182
in Virginia Beach the next day. In
late October, Dave chaperoned
Luke's fourth-grade Held trip
to Jamestown, Va., and made a
presentation on rock types to Luke's
Webelo Scout troop. Dave says he'll
rest at some point.
Princess Moss spent a week
in London in November, touring
on the Big Bus; visiting the British
Museum, the British Library,
Madame Tussaud's wax museum,
Harrods, and Harvey Nichols; and
catching a great view of London
via the London Eye. At the end of
the week, she was hosted by the
National Union ot Teachers and
took a train to Stoke Rochford,
Lincolnshire, to attend their fall
conference, where Princess was
keynote speaker and served on a
panel to discuss education issues.
Nelly Garza's son, Matthew,
graduated from Texas A&M
University with a bachelor's
degree in education for teaching
kinesiology and history. Nelly and
husband David celebrated their 26th
wedding anniversary.
Auby J. Curtis
aubyJ@comcast.net
Tara Kilday Lindhart
4012 14th St.
Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732
taralindhart@hotmail.com
(y\a<nuHi' ( V 'cezaul
Deona Houff
934 Selma Blvd.
Staunton, VA 24401-2078
Deona.houff@gmail.com
First, I hope to see everyone at our
25-year Reunion Weekend, June
4-6. There's a "MWC Class of '85"
Facebook page with details, thanks
to my favorite herb gardener,
Renee Allen Kuntz. The school
will also be updating our reunion
page at www.umw.edu/alumni
with a list of attendees. Friends
from other classes are most
welcome to join us.
I welcome your news and
updates anytime. Send me your
email address so I can add you to
the reminder list. Your classmates
want to hear from you! What's old
news to you is a fun update to the
rest of us, so please stay in touch.
As are many classmates, I am
in the throes of parenting a teenage
boy. We live in Staunton, Va., and I
am a certified pharmacy technician
at the Augusta Regional Free
Clinic, where I get healthy doses
of perspective and compassion.
Cathy "Cuff" Gibbons Kunkel, a
kindergarten teacher in Midlothian,
Va., helped care for me after
surgery last summer. I am in touch
via Facebook with Kim Slayton
White, a prosecutor in South
Boston, Va., and Walt Harper,
a Lutheran pastor in Danbury,
Conn., among others. Though not
all my words tor aging are printable
in the alumni magazine, life is
surprising and happy.
Tammy Shortt Elrod is an area
manager for BB&T in Richmond
and Charlottesville. She has worked
at the bank nearly 25 years and
often listens to audio books during
the drive to Charlottesville from
her home in Mechanicsville, Va.
Husband Bill homeschools their
children, Jordan, Joel, and Tricia
(ages 15, 8, and 6). They are active at
Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church.
Chuck Borek and wife Lori
live in Woodbine, Md., with their
teenagers, Andrew, Joseph, and
Mary Claire, and their 3-year-old,
Jacob. The older boys played
high school football. A lawyer
and CPA, Chuck
recently published
his second book,
Borek's Maryland
Business Planning
Guidebook, for the
Maryland Institute
for Continuing
Professional
Education of
Lawyers. He presents
seminars on tax and
nonprofit issues
throughout the country for the
American Institute ot Certified
Public Accountants. Chuck
occasionally works with Darryl
White '84, the corporate controller
at Fauquier Health System, and
frequently visits Chris Barnett, who
attended Mary Washington from
1981 to '83, in San Francisco.
Jeffrey Coleman, general
manager of Priority Acura in
Chesapeake, Va., is in touch with
Bob Saunders '84, general manager
of Hall Acura in Newport News, Va.
Jeffrey also talks with Jim Hard and
Mickey Houck '84.
Susan Goyette of Alexandria,
Va., has been communications
director at HMSHost, a company
that runs concessions in airports
worldwide, since 2007, and it's been
good for her frequent flyer count.
Glenn Birch is director of
public and media relations and
handles legislative affairs for the
Virginia Credit Union in Richmond.
He and wife Ellen live in Ashland,
Va., where they sing and play
music. Glenn also enjoys vegetable
gardening and canoeing.
Daryl Lease was an opinion
writer for the Sarasota Herald-
Tribune in Florida tor 10 years
before moving with his family to
North Carolina in 2008. He is now
an editorial writer and columnist at
The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk.
Lisa A. Harvey
88 Highwood Drive
Franklin, MA 02083
lisharvey@msn.com
Tracy Greener Hollan enjoys life
in Florida, where she and Ann
Stack Harrison and their families
spent some time together in August.
In June, Tracy and her daughter,
Reagan, had what Tracy calls an
experience she will never forget
when they traveled to Stuttgart,
Germany, to do mission work with
their church.
Since 2007, Susan Goyette '85
of Alexandria, Va., has been
communications director at
HMSHost, a company that
runs concessions in airports
worldwide, and it's been good for
her frequent flyer count.
Julie Evetts Clarke recently
went back to work at the
National Academy of Sciences in
Washington, D.C. In June, I got
together with Jocelyn Piconne,
Mina Holden Horn, Brenda Thier
Evans, Kristi Williams McCune,
and Irene Thomaidis Cimino for
some fun in Baltimore. As usual, the
gang had a blast, and Jocelyn wants
the world to know she won the first
annual bowling tournament (we let
her win!). Jocelyn participates in a
variety of sports and is active with a
group that rescues Chesapeake Bay
retrievers. Brenie Matute continues
her travels between her residence
in Montreal and Tegucigalpa,
Honduras, where much of her
family still resides.
Our class news wouldn't be
much without Donna Metzger
Lantagne, who was planning a
spring trip to Italy with husband
Tony, son Joseph, and daughter
Emma. Donna frequently gets
together with Amy Minnigerode
Knowles, Anna Kelly Hanback,
and Cabell Jones. Donna also
recently got together with Mary
Loose DeViney and noted
./i
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
that Virginia Gov. Timothy
M. Kaine presented Mary, her
sister, and her mother with the
2009 Charlottesville Regional
Chamber of Commerce Small
Businesspersons Award. Mary
spends much of her free time
volunteering with groups as diverse
as the Small Business Development
Center and the Virginia
Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries, and she serves on the
boards of the United Way-Thomas
Jefferson Area and Piedmont
Virginia Community College.
Donna also reports that Sheryl
DeVaun Manspile was to complete
studies to become a nurse this past
December, Cindy Smith Waller
lives in New York City, and Melissa
Haines Sleeth and her husband
were trying to adopt a child.
Edith Dunn, husband Emiko,
and son Jed went through quite
an ordeal when Edie and led were
separated from Emiko after the U.S.
Embassy in Yemen was attacked in
2008. They have since reunited and
live in Tunis, Tunisia.
1987
Kim Jones Isaac
310 NW Compass Drive
Lawton, OK 73505
mwc87@infmityok.com
Rene Thomas-Rizzo
13608 Nubian Court
Herndon, VA 20171
Rene.Thomas-Rizzo@navy.mil
From Kim: My husband, Ken,
and I are busy preparing our son,
Chris, to go to college in the fall,
and we are knee-deep in college
and scholarship applications. We
have entered our 14th year running
our computer services company.
Ken also is pursuing a second
career, taking pictures and video
at radio-control plane and car
competitions, allowing him to see
lots of different cities. I had dinner
with Traci Forrester McGee last
summer when she was in Lawton,
OkJa., on business. Ironically, Traci
and I did not know each other
at Mary Washington, but we've
become acquainted through these
updates and Facebook. We had
a great time getting to know one
and reminiscing about our days in
Fredericksburg. A reminder that I
am now on Facebook under "Kim
Jones Isaac," and I'm finding that it's
the easiest way to get updates. So
send me a friend request, and I'll get
your update in the next edition.
Susan Mulligan Miller lives in
Herndon, Va., with her husband and
their three boys, Nick, 13, Thomas,
10, and Max, 8. Susan works part
time for Fairfax County. In 2008,
she ran the Marine Corps Marathon
for the first time.
Toni Moore Milbourne
and husband Tom have sent her
oldest daughter, Polly, to college
at Fairmont State
University in
West Virginia,
where she plans to
study elementary
education. Toni
continues to work
as a reporter at the
local newspaper
and to be involved
in many community
volunteer efforts.
She and Tom have three additional
children. Allen, 17, focuses on
high school sports and is the
quarterback and punter on his
schools football team. Maggie, 10,
and Samantha, 8, are active in 4-H
and planned to play Softball and
soccer in the spring.
Jane Ellen Brennan Herrin
has been doing lots of print ads,
commercials, on-hold messages,
and videos through the Dan Agency
in Franklin, Tenn. Last year, she was
in the Blake Shelton/Trace Adkins
"Hillbilly Bone" video, dressed in
black and wearing a black pillbox
hat. She was also in "Larry the Cable
Guy's Hula Palooza Christmas
Luau," which can be purchased on
DVD, and she's the voice of many
audio books. Luckily, she already
had a home studio for her podcast,
which can be found on her website.
Search for her under "The Jane
Ellen" (there is no other). Jim loves
his job at the election commission.
He still works part time at the
Cookeville Communications radio
stations and is a freelance magazine
writer. Anna Grace, 5, and Jenna
Marie, 4, are blonde Amazons with
wicked senses of humor, and Jane
Ellen is thrilled to be their mother.
Eda Spivey Price '88 writes
a weekly entertainment column
for Jane Ellen's website. Eda
and husband Don are raising
their daughters, Patricia (6) and
Olivia (4), in Glen Allen, Va.
Eda has worked tor nine years at
Media General, where she's the
employee communications editor,
developing written and web-based
communications to help employees
get the most from their benefits. She
also dabbles in voice-over work. Eda
and Don have been married for nine
years and were looking forward to
renewing their vows this year.
Kelly Aylmer McDonald and
husband Patrick bought Kelly's
childhood home. They have two
children, Max, 6, and Patsy Anne,
5. Kelly is in her 22nd year teaching
at the same Catholic school where
she started. She teaches computer
classes to children in kindergarten
through sixth grade.
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine
presented Mary Loose DeViney '86,
her sister, and her mother with
the 2009 Charlottesville Regional
Chamber of Commerce Small
Businesspersons Award.
Kevin and Linda Milton
Sautter, who celebrated their 22nd
wedding anniversary in December,
live close to Fredericksburg on their
farmette in Sumerduck, Va. Kevin
retired in December of 2007 as a
Marine Corps lieutenant colonel
and has a new career as a police
officer for the city of Warrenton, Va.
Linda is still horsing around and
can often be found at regional horse
shows. Their oldest child, Daniel,
19, finished Army basic training and
is working to become an unmanned
aerial vehicle pilot. Their daughter,
April, 16, is a junior at Liberty
High School and an accomplished
equestrian, like her mother.
From Rene: Cyndi Quann
Toombs moved her daughter,
Tiffany Hobbs '13, into UMW's
Virginia Hall in August. With her
mother and her grandmother,
Martha Jarvis Quann '92,
preceding her, Tiffany becomes a
third-generation Mary Washington
student.
Marsha D. Baker
3103 Scout Trail
Jamestown, NC 27282
RStarr66@msn.com
Beverly J. Newman
1509 Regency Woods Road, No. 302
Richmond, VA 23238
bevnewmn@yahoo.com
Jay Bradshaw
40503 Quail Hill Lane
Leesburg,VA 20175-6464
Jaybradshaw747@aol.com
From Beverly: I am working a lot
(doing payroll for a nationwide
building supply company), playing
volleyball, and hanging out
with my brother and 8-year-old
nephew, who recently moved to
Richmond. Last summer, 1 took a
class and, after many long and hard
hours studying (unlike I ever did
at the Wash!), I am now a certified
payroll professional. I'd love to hear
from y'all, so drop me a line when
you have a chance, even if we never
knew each other!
Adam Smith works with clients
through his management consulting
firm, Adam Smith Executive
Search Consulting, and has started
work on an MBA in organization
development at Johns Hopkins
University. He went scuba diving
in Turks and Caicos during the
summer. Adam planned to conduct
leadership training for a large
corporate client with manufacturing
operations in South America,
hike the Inca Trail and see Machu
Picchu, and complete an advanced
motorcycle riding class at Virginia
International Raceway!
Diane Cardwell Huntington
of Somerville, Va., manages the
programming department of an
information technology company
that supports financial companies.
She's been married to husband
Bill since 1990, has a 16-year-old
daughter and a 14-year-old son,
and said life consists of high school
sports and running kids around.
Chris Zavrel '86 and his wife,
Janet Hall '87, are busy with their
three daughters, Emily, Claire,
and Olivia. Emily is a high school
freshman, Claire is in seventh grade,
and Olivia is in fifth grade. They all
have a million activities that require
a "taxi" service. Chris still works
for Scitor Corp., where he recently
started work on a government-
sponsored study of oceanographic
indicators of climate change. Janet
works in children's publications for
the National Wildlife Federation
and is always training for a 10K
somewhere.
Dawn Odom of Richmond
works for VDOT and completed
two Olympic distance triathlons in
the past year with Team in Training,
raising funds for the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society.
Gregory S. Malakoff celebrated
his 13th wedding anniversary in
October. He and his wife have four
children, ages 2 to 10 - three boys
and one girl. Greg has been at Sprint
tor nine years (five with Nextel) and
has run their e-commerce dealer
sales channel for the past three
years. Two years ago, they bought a
house in the Oak Hill area of Fairfax
County, Va. Greg is still a Deadhead
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING J010
CLASS NOTES
1
and takes every opportunity to
see members ol (he Grateful Dead
perform.
Kelly Gould Stewart is
happily remarried to Bob, with a
very musically talented daughter,
Joie. She is in private practice for
herself (psychology), is a volunteer
firefighter, and is learning to play
the fiddle. They live the Maine life,
doing anything outdoors.
Mary I loll is and Richard Jupe
'87 live in Richmond with their
three active children. The oldest
just got her driver's license. Both
girls are good basketball players (at
6-feet-2 inches and 5-feet-l 1 inches),
and their son, who is 10, is already
planning to become a doctor. MH
volunteers a lot and takes care of the
family and their zoo. Richard travels
all over the world with his job.
Sue Coleman has three
children - Wes, Allie, and F.mma
- and is busy with after-school
activities. They are in Northern
Virginia, along with half our class!
Michelle Martin of Northern
Virginia is a graphic designer and
started her own online jewelry
and card business, Purple Martin
Arts. Colleen Chruney Myers of
Pennsylvania is working hard and
taking care of their six kids (three
are hers and three are her hubby's).
Cheryl Woody Danielson
370 Madeline Drive
St. Leonard, MD 20685
cheryl.danielson@earthlink.net
Shannon Reynolds Torbett
13330 Thornhill Drive
St. Louis, MO 63131
shannon.torbett@gmail.com
Shannon Eadie Niemeyer
36 Scotland Circle
Stafford, VA 22554
sfniemeyer@comcast.net
Hello, Class of 1991! I hope
everyone is doing well. I am happy
to say that I've heard from a lot of
our classmates this time. Here's the
latest news.
Mike Nichols and family
have lived in North Carolina for
six years. Mike works for BB&T.
His wile, Martha, is a Disney
travel consultant. As part of her
training, she got to take trips to
see the Florida resorts and go on a
cruise. Daughter Kate is 9, and son
Christopher is 7.
Laura Hilton English of
Washington was certified as a
life coach through Martha Beck's
program and looks forward to
coaching anyone who would like
a "push" in the right direction. She
continues to dabble in her
photography business and update
her blog, and enjoys spending
time with her children, who are 9
and 7.
Laurie Johnson Chidlow and
husband Carl live in Alexandria, Va.,
with their son, 7, and daughter, 4.
Donald Appiarius and his wife,
Vivian, adopted Na-Lee when she
was 2 years old. Appiarius received
a double lung transplant in 2003.
A Second Chance at Life Brings Alumnus Full Circle
Donald B. Appiarius '88 can't count his blessings enough. He was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at age 5,
and doctors didn't expect him to live past elementary school, much less become a tennis champion and
doctoral candidate with a family and career.
"You should be euphoric every day you wake up," said Appiarius, who received a double lung
transplant in 2003. "You have this incredible gift of life."
Cystic fibrosis, an inherited disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs and
digestive tract, has dug its claws into all aspects of Appiarius' life. The disease denied him a career in
international intelligence, because it could have meant compromising his health by working in disease-
ravaged countries.
But when his body pointed him down a different path, Mary Washington showed him the way. The
overwhelming respect he felt from faculty members opened his eyes to a new career opportunity and
sparked a desire to impact the college experience of others.
"You are able to affect change," said Appiarius, associate vice president for student development at
Shenandoah University, of his current occupation. "You're able to make a difference in peoples' lives."
Early on, he began altering his own life, becoming an athlete because they were the healthiest people
he knew, and he immersed himself in soccer and tennis. He excelled academically, as well, getting into
several colleges. But only Mary Washington seemed "warm and fuzzy."
"There was something unique about [it] that just felt perfect," said Appiarius, who majored in
political science and history and served as student government president.
He continued to beat the odds in college, running lOKs with a lung capacity of just 65 percent.
And he became interested not only in the role played by a certain RA he knew, but also in the opportunity for student interaction that came with that
position. A string of Mary Washington faculty members inspired him, but professor Joanne Beck, then dean of students, sealed the deal.
"I saw the passion she had for supporting student success and that really resonated with me," Appiarius said.
After Mary Washington, he earned a master's degree in conflict resolution at George Mason University and began a career calculated in its diversity.
He's worked from Illinois to Washington, D.C., at schools that are small, large, public, private, historically black, women-only, and faith-based.
"At a small school, I still get to have a lot of direct student interaction," Appiarius said from his office at Shenandoah, where he's pursuing a doctorate
in organizational leadership. "That's very precious to me."
He always worked, even as his lung capacity plummeted to 26 percent. The transplant came just in time, he said. Five years later, he won a silver
medal in men's tennis at the 2008 U.S. Transplant Games.
Appiarius achieved another victory last summer, when he and wife Vivian adopted a 2-year-old daughter, Na-Lee. From wondering if he'd survive
another year as a child to having a child of his own, Appiarius feels he has come full circle. Almost.
As a member of UM W's alumni board, he returns to campus often. What he dreams of is landing a job at his alma mater. "I want to give back to
Mary Washington what it's given to me."
- Lisa Chinn
'.."'
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE ■ SPRING 2010
Laurie works part time for Booz
Allen Hamilton, is a swim coach,
and plays in a master soccer
league. Her son swims on a winter
team and, during the summer, swam
for the Dowden Terrace Dolphins,
coached by Evan Stiles! Laurie said
that Evan is a terrific coach and
enthusiastically theme-dresses (as a
blue-faced superhero or a red, white,
and blue-faced patriotic hippie, for
example) for meets.
Billy Germelman started a new
job with Booz Allen Hamilton. He
is assigned to the Pentagon with the
Office of the Secretary of Defense
for Reserve Affairs' Yellow Ribbon
Program, helping military reservists
and their families cope with
deployments. Billy and his family
(his two boys are teenagers) went
through the home-buying process
in the fall. He loves Facebook as a
way to catch up with everyone and
said that the elusive
Craig Lovett is
alive and well in
Massachusetts.
years, in human resources and as
an instructional technologist. The
family plays sports and games, rides
bikes, watches movies, and does
anything that makes them laugh.
Charlie Gullo has lived in
Singapore for seven years and is an
assistant professor of immunology
and principal research scientist
at the new Duke-NUS graduate
medical school there. Charlie is
also a principal research scientist at
Singapore General Hospital, where
he runs a small cancer immunology
laboratory. He met Yen Gullo- Ho in
Singapore and married her nearly
three years ago. Charlie keeps in
touch with Kelli Miller-Slunt, Mark
Gilliat, Chris Louden, and others,
mostly through Facebook. Charlie
said he misses UMW and wishes
it were easier for him to attend
Jill Grizzard
Fajna works
part time as a
pharmacist, and
husband Timothy
is a farmer. They
have 8-year-old
twins, Joseph and Sarah Paige, and
stay busy with activities, including
Brownies, dance, and baseball. They
all took a trip to Disney last year.
Her family recently adopted two
kittens to join their 16-year-old
cat. Jill keeps in touch with Leigh
Hester and her twin sister, Lynne
Hester Leggett. Jill reconnected
with Lisa Dominic Groff, her
freshman year roommate, a few
years ago, and saw Tammy Watkins
Cox and her family at the mall last
Christmas.
Monnie Huston Wertz of
Tampa, Fla., is the associate dean
of students for the University of
Tampa. She has worked part time
since her first daughter, Susannah, 9,
was born. Their younger daughter,
Ella, is 6. The family enjoys
snorkeling, diving, and working in
their church. Monnie's husband,
Brent, created a not-for-profit
called Three Strand Cord, which
works with short-term missionaries
around the world.
Tiffany Fowler Nickels lives in
Owings, Md., with her husband of
17 years, Rich, and 6-year-old son
Parker. She has worked for Calvert
Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant for nine
Charlie Gullo '91 is an assistant
professor and principal research
scientist at the new Duke-NUS
graduate medical school in
Singapore, where he teaches
immunology.
Molly Brown Phelps has a new
job as a math aide in the computer
lab and in special education classes
at Rappahannock High School. She
also is chairperson of the elementary
PTA enrichment committee. Her
son, Tristan, started kindergarten,
and daughter Mikayla is in fourth
grade. Husband Randy is busy with
work and serving on the Richmond
County Board of Supervisors.
Nicole LaPorte Parker,
husband Carl, and 4-year-old twins,
Chase and Emma, have lived in
Canada since September of 2008.
Carl worked in Cincinnati for
Samuel & Son, a Canadian steel
service center company, and got a
promotion requiring them to move
north. They live in Grimsby, on the
shores of Lake Ontario, halfway
between Toronto and Niagara Falls.
Nicole enjoys visiting Amy Rose
LaPierre, Laurie Johnson Childow,
and Karen Clegg Blocker and
getting their kids together for play
dates when she visits her parents in
Fairfax, Va.
Jennifer Bryant Langdale and
family moved to Eufaula, Ala., this
past summer. Her husband, Jay, took
a job teaching history at Andrew
College in Cuthbert, Ga., but they
chose to buy a house in Eufaula
because it's bigger. Their son,
Alex, is nearly 5. Jennifer reports
that Rhonda Lefever Poff lives in
Waxhaw, N.C., and stays at home
with her three children (ages 10,
7, and 2), and that Gina Dukes
Jones still teaches high school math
in Chesapeake, Va., and has two
daughters (ages 7 and 6).
Mark Micozzi and Wendy
Durst spent more than five weeks
in Kenya and Tanzania last summer.
Highlights included climbing to the
summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, taking
a five-day safari, and exploring
the islands of Zanzibar, the coast
of Kenya, and rural villages in
the mountains of Tanzania. Mark
recently achieved tenure at East
Central University in Ada, Okla.,
where he teaches geography and
earth science. Wendy has a master's
degree in elementary education
and curriculum development and
teaches third grade in Colorado.
Leanne Kinsella of Charlotte,
N.C., is director of new market
development for Continuum, a
consulting firm for Fortune 40
companies. She enjoys spending
time with significant other Frank,
his 15-year-old son, and their
border collie and three cats.
Lisa Williamson Dargay and
family moved to Columbus, Ohio,
last summer for husband Jeff's job
with Nationwide. Lisa described the
move as an unexpected yet amazing
transition for their family. Their
kids, Kayla (sixth grade) and Luke
(fourth grade), have made new
friends and are enjoying all the fun
things to do in their new location.
Jeff Valencia and wife Joanne
of Annapolis, Md., welcomed
their first child, daughter Sarah
Catherine, in May. Jeff is director
of business management for
Telecommunication Systems.
He sees Doug Mashkuri, Ted
Thomason, and Jeff Rountree.
Thanks for the updates. It was
great to hear from so many ot you
this time! Please continue to write
with any news.
1993
1992
Cheryl Roberts
100 Liberty St., Unit 12107
Columbus, OH 43215
chatatcha@yahoo.com
Bethany Zecher Sutton
2416-C S.Walter Reed Drive
Arlington, VA 22206
sutton@aacu.org
Richard A. Russo earned his
doctorate and the O.K. Baker Award
for outstanding performance in
the geography program at the
University of Maryland last year.
1991
Nathan Wade
1265 E. Cambridge Ave.
Phoenix, AR 85006
smileynate72@yahoo.com
Kate Stanford McCown
48 Fairmount Ave.
Chatham, NJ 07928
kate.mccown@live.com
Jane Archer
298 DeKalb Ave., No. 2
Brooklyn, NY 11205-3733
jane@janearcherillustration.com
Megan Concannon Richardson
13150 Tuckaway Drive
Oak Hill, VA 20171
tucked_away@cox.net
Jennifer Rudalf Gates
129 Duff Drive
Yorktown, VA 23692
jsmartypants@cox.net
Jill McDaniel
5808 Chase Commons Court, No. 204
Burke, VA 22015
jill.mcdaniel@fcps.edu
Michelle Trombetta
3109AtwaterSt.
Minnetonka, MN 55305
blondebombchelle@yahoo.com
There is no news I enjoy more than
hearing how many of our classmates
still get together for mini-reunions.
Jorin Botte, Trent Richardson,
Matt Sutter, and their families
spent Labor Day weekend at Dewey
Beach, Del., for a mini-Mercer
reunion. Jorin, wife Karolien, and
their son, Griffin, reside in Gent,
Belgium. Trent, wife Liz, daughter
Lillie, and son Beau live in Fairfax,
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE ■ SPRING 2010
63
CLASS NOTES
■1
\ a Matt, wife Alexis, and son
Ambrose call Alexandria home.
Trent, Scott Estelle of Northern
Virginia, and Steve Smith, who is
serving the State Department in
Baghdad, Iraq, were all on hand
lor a rare Washington victory last
summer at Nationals Park.
Stacie Tarbet Carson married
lames Carson on Sept. 19 in Athens
da., with man\T ot their triends and
family in attendance, including
several of Stacie's fellow Mary
Washington grads. Her brother,
Corie Tarbet '01, and his fiancee,
Becky Erbelding '03, traveled
from Virginia
so Corie could
serve as Stacie's
"man ot honor."
The newlyweds
celebrated the
weekend with Tori
Hillyer Brantley
'96, Chappell
Tyler Tommasi, Jon Gates, Wesley
Huevel '98, and Ailie Byers '98.
Stacie, a fourth-grade teacher,
and James, a manager for Athens
First Bank & Trust, live in Athens
with their dog, Zach. Stacie also
is working on her dissertation for
her doctorate in middle school
education at the University ot
Georgia and plans to graduate
this year.
Catherine Estes married
Jonathan Heinsius last May in
Washington, D.C. Catherine's
triends Rhodaline and Christina
attended with their Mary
Washington husbands, Jason
Tootell and Terry Murphy '93.
Catherine and Jonathan were
expecting a baby boy in March.
Catherine teaches and does
environmental education consultant
work, and Jonathan works for
TerraGo Technologies. Caroline
Danforth, who also was at the
wedding, lives with her husband,
Scott Hutchison, and her 1 -year-old
son, Ronan, in Falls Church, Va.
Caroline works at the National
Let us hear from you!
Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C,
matting and framing master prints
and drawings.
Brooke Molyneux Shepard,
husband Jason, and their
son, Gavyn, visited family in
Fredericksburg and made a trip
to campus. Brooke said it was
great walking around UMW and
seeing all the changes. The family
also visited Maren Valentino in
Richmond. Brooke finished her
residency in emergency medicine in
2008 and is an attending physician
in an emergency department in the
Tampa Bay, Fla., area.
Matt Paxton '97 used his liberal
arts degree gloriously by making
his TV debut on A&E's hit show
Hoarders.
In September, Kim Ranney
married Michael Smith on her
grandparents' property outside
Charlottesville, Va. Mary
Washington alums Krissy Tsantes
Moore and Brian Ranney '94
served as best gal and best man.
Kim and Michael reside in
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Erika Ehland Benowitz gave
birth to a little girl, Lauren Emily,
on March 29. Jonathan Wilkinson
welcomed a baby girl, Corradina,
to his family, and they live in
Ontario, Canada. Cheryl Mote
Chafos is proud to announce the
birth of her third boy, Anthony
James, born on Sept. 15. Anthonys
brothers, Andrew and Zachary,
are 9 and 7. Cheryl's husband,
Timothy, works at the Pentagon
and was promoted early to colonel.
She enjoys being a stay-at-home
mom and a part of the Army
community in Fort Meade, Md.
Ken Stout and Maria Webb
Stout '95 were thrilled to travel to
China at the end of November to
adopt a 7-month-old baby girl after
more than four years of waiting.
Matt Paxton and wife Sarah had
their first son, Cooper, in December.
Last year, Matt used his liberal arts
degree gloriously by making his TV
debut on A&E's hit show Hoarders.
Look for him next time you catch
the show!
Chris Bechtler is an assistant
professor of music at the University
of Southern Mississippi, where he
also directs a choir. He earned a
doctorate in musical arts last May
and lives in Hattiesburg, Miss., with
wife Laura.
Sarah Meyrowitz Meytin
lives in Gaithersburg, Md., with
her wile, Rachel, two children, two
cats, and her in-laws. She recently
changed careers and now teaches
2-year-olds at a Jewish preschool.
Between having her son in the
school and being paid to play on
the playground every day, she
experiences significantly less stress.
She hopes to see Mary Washington
triends soon and keeps in touch
with many of them on Facebook.
Patrick Lohmeyer, Suzette
McLoone Lohmeyer, and their
children, Aidan and Bridget, still
live in Albania. They have traveled
to nearby Montenegro and Greece
and plan to visit Croatia soon. They
recently added to their household two
puppies they found in a trash heap.
Aaron Zielinski and his
wife, Lisa, celebrated their fifth
anniversary in October. They
have a son, Benjamin, who was
approaching his second birthday.
Aaron is having a blast building
his financial advisory practice
in Norfolk, Va. Also building a
business is Amy Brown, who has a
successful Richmond fish store that
specializes in koi.
Amanda Neptune Bridges'
third child, a boy, was due in
January. He was to join his 5-year-
old sister, Kate, and 2-year-old
brother, Nick. The family was living
in South Jersey, but planned to move
back to Tacoma, Wash., after the
baby arrived. Amanda's husband,
Lt. Col. Brad Bridges, was to take
command of a C-17 squadron at
the Air Force base there. They were
excited to return to Washington
after five years and three different
homes - in Korea, Alabama, and
New Jersey. Brahim Asfahani and
Tory Rendon Asfahani '96 were
expecting their third child, a little
brother for sisters Mirah and Lyla,
this spring. Aryn Diggle Blanton
and husband Jeff bought a house
early last year in Arlington, Va.
Colette Strawn Johnson and
husband Mike Johnson '96 bought
a house in Centreville, Va., where
they live with their sons, Alex, 3,
and Zach, 2. Allyson Knudson
Gallup, husband John, son Jack, and
daughter Hannah Irene live in Long
Valley, N.J. In August, Kurt Jensen
moved to Gainesville, Fla., with
his wife, Deborah Hiatt- Jensen.
He is a postdoctoral researcher in
the department of neurology at
the University of Florida, where
he studies Alzheimer's and other
neurodegenerative diseases. Jason
Terril also moved in August for his
job in Hawaii and plans to live in
paradise lor the next few years. Kurt
and Jason shouldn't be surprised
if I show up on their doorsteps to
escape from my ninth winter in
Minnesota!
Erika Giaimo Chapin
70 Princess Drive
Madison, CT 06443
erikagchapin@gmail.com
Fifteen years ago, we were still
freshmen. At that point, we had
met many of the triends who
would eventually travel with us,
congratulate us on our first jobs, and
help celebrate our 30th birthdays.
Now, 15 years later, we are sharing
news about potential UMW Class of
2031 graduates. Yes, several babies
entered the world in recent months,
including my own! My husband,
Deacon Chapin, and I welcomed
our daughter, Eliza Michele, in
October.
Alyson Andrews Ramsey
welcomed her third daughter,
Maegan Elizabeth, born Sept. 5,
joining big sisters Sarah and Claire.
Jayme Morris Vanhorn and Chris
Vanhorn greeted James and Caitlin
last year and have been trying
to keep up with them ever since.
Jayme said that Nicole LeVangie
Bent had a baby boy, Atticus
Joshua, in October. Nicole Gonyo
Throckmorton joined the twins
club, welcoming Abigail Grace and
Michael James on Oct. 2.
Four-fifths of the alumnae from
822 Marye St. celebrated births last
year! In addition to the addition to
my family, Lauren Dwyer Lowther
and husband Brandon added
Thomas William in September.
(Ribs, Paddy, and Marcus are all
thrilled with their new brother!)
Also in September, Alexis Kingham
Fuge and husband Dylan celebrated
the addition of Sofia to their family.
Katie Shea Britton had an eventful
year, marrying husband Craig in
April and being joined later in the
year by their beautiful daughter,
Emma Shea.
Darien Berkowitz Jacobson,
husband Andy, and their twins,
Ben and Alex, were finishing
major renovations to their house in
Arlington, Va.
Michelle Ciarlo-Hayes was to
install her first solo photography
exhibit in Rosemont, Pa., and her
first children's book, Alphabet
Soup! has received rave reviews.
Sean Tuffy was still abroad in
,,.;
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Dublin, Ireland, working by day
at Brown Brothers Harriman and
doing freelance photography of
the Shamrock Rovers soccer club
for The Irish Times. Lee Ann
Reaser received her MBA in public
administration from UMW in May
and continues to work for our alma
mater as director of annual giving.
Amanda Goebel
2039-G Lake Park Drive
Smyrna, GA 30080
goebel_amanda@hotmail.com
I hope all who attended the 10-year
reunion last year enjoyed catching
up. If you haven't been back to
Fredericksburg in a while, you
should make the trip. Things are
changing constantly.
I am still living and teaching
in Atlanta. Maggie (my golden
retriever) and I have made great
friends at the dog park and spend
as much time there as possible. I
welcomed my first niece into my
life in August, and that is the one
negative about living so far from
the family. Please send me emails
and letters! Let me know how you
are doing.
Paul Storer married Katy
Buchanan in lovely Fred Vegas in
September. Their son, Nicholas,
was ring bearer. I was in the bridal
party, along with Kristin Ruhl
Bergstrom, and Geoff Defilippi
'00. Also in attendance from Mary
Washington were Liz Buchanan '76,
John Buchanan '01, Alii Defilippi
'03, Corey Sell, Supapan Kanti,
Scott Lagraize '97, Ken Chitty '96,
and Heidi Buchanan Keohane '98.
A good time was had by all. The
couple honeymooned on a two-
week cruise through Mexico, the
Panama Canal, and Grand Cayman.
Kristin Ruhl Bergstrom
and husband Lee welcomed a
new brother for Abigail. Andrew
arrived on June 12 in Florida. Mina
Karousos and her family moved
to London in July and planned
to be there for the next couple
years. They saw Kate Krukiel and
husband, who also live there. You
can imagine how surprised each was
to randomly run into a former Mary
Washington classmate in St. John's
Wood, London!
Amanda Craddock lives in
Myrtle Beach, S.C., and works at
Coastal Carolina University. She
loves living at the beach with the
sunshine and warm weather! The
Class of 1999 10-year Reunion was
last May, and Amanda wants to
thank her co-chair Denee Lonce
Tuck lor her help and hard work
organizing the activities. About 40
people from our class attended the
reunion, and Amanda wants to give
a special thanks to everyone who
made a gift contribution this year.
After 10 years in Boston, Erin
Higgins moved to Denver in July
and loves it there. She is happy to
be living near the mountains, has
hiked her first 14er, and was looking
forward to a winter of skiing. Lisa
Mueller is living in Scotland on
a yearlong Fulbright teaching
exchange. She would love to have
visitors!
Alex Panek is engaged to
Michelle Makinen and plans to
marry in September. He left the
ADA after several years and now
works at ITT Corp. Martha Smith is
still in New York City and continues
to do costuming. She freelanced
the beginning ol last year on Ugly
Betty and a couple movies. She did
the New York shoot ot the movie,
Get Him to the Greek, a spin-off of
Forgetting Sarah Marshall. She then
started work on Wall Street 2: Money
Never Sleeps, and was dressing Shia
LaBeouf. After that, she planned
to spend six weeks traveling in
London. She also went to a World
Series game - go Yankees!
Brian Straight
moved to Bogota,
Colombia, in August
and planned to stay
until mid-2012. He
works at the U.S.
Embassy. Brian
was with the U.S.
delegation in El Salvador welcoming
the country's final contingent of
soldiers home from Iraq in February.
He was in Honduras for a few weeks
in July, following the coup involving
ousted Honduran President Manuel
Zelaya, and he spent half of last year
in northern Iraq.
Katie Fry Charnoff '00 and
Steve Charnoff bought a house in
Vienna, Va., in August. Steve works
at a law firm in Tysons Corner and
Katie is a printing broker in Fairfax
City. They recently attended the
wedding of Carrie Clark '00 in
Breckenridge, Colo.
Emily Meriwether Home and
husband Stephen, who live and
work in the Fredericksburg area,
welcomed a baby girl, Abigail, to
their family in August. Chandra
Kennet moved from Virginia to New
Hampshire in November of 2008 and
married Kyle Carson in July.
Jenn Junod and husband Paul,
who live outside Richmond, have
two children, Will, 2, and Maddie,
1 . Paul works for Bon Secours
Health System and Jenn teaches in
Hanover County.
Jimmy Rhodes bought his
first home in Falls Church, Va.,
last November and loves being
a homeowner. He recently was
promoted to associate director of
data and financial services for the
American Diabetes Association and
oversees a staff of 40. He attended
the wedding of Matt Baecker
'99 and Ashley, who have a baby,
Quinton.
Martha Smith y99 continues to do
costuming and worked on Wall
Street 2: Money Never Sleeps,
dressing Shia LaBeouf.
Shannon Maguire and her
husband planned to move to
Sarajevo, Bosnia, for two or three
years, where he was to work at the
U.S. Embassy, and she was to work
for USAID. Their last post was
Vietnam, which they loved, but they
were looking forward to the next
adventure! Bernie Bilski and wife
Laurie of Alexandria Va., welcomed
their first child, Maggie, in May.
M. Leigh Carson published
Midnight Reflections, a supernatural
thriller, under the pseudonym
Katrina Michaels. Her book
has been available on Amazon,
com since May. Joanna Bible
Hitzelberger and Chris
Hitzelberger of Alexandria have
three children, Monica, 4, Jude, 2,
and Kolbe, born Oct. 4, 2008. Chris
is a youth minister and teacher, and
Joanna is fortunate enough to be
able to stay home with the children.
<*«
\a>L/iuHil I \) texe/tJi
Joy Barnes
PSC 559 Box 5185
FPO, AP 96377
jbandrt@hotmail.com
Hello, fellow members of the
Class of 2000! It has been nearly
a year since our last Class Notes
submission, so I'm happy to share
this information with you, even if
some of it is a little dated!
My family and I still live in
Okinawa, Japan, although, my
husband, Maj. Roger Thomas,
is on a 10-month deployment
in Afghanistan. While he's been
away, I traveled with my children,
Emily, 4, and Samuel, 1, back to the
United States to visit family and
friends. I was lucky to have a mini-
reunion in Fredericksburg with
my Mary Washington girlfriends
and our children! Jennifer Murray
Greven and her children, Lily, 2,
and Jack, 5, hosted Beth Geiger
Wolly, who was visiting from
San Francisco with son Jake; Erin
Domangue, who was visiting
from New Jersey with son Nicolas,
1 ; Rachael Dorsey McGowen
of Charlottesville; and me. Two
days later, I met with Michelle
Kelly and her husband, Arndt
Schuchardt, who happened to be
visiting Virginia from their home
in Germany.
Reena Desai was planning
a move to Norway to work for
NATO's joint exercise division,
supporting the technical aspects
of exercise scenarios. In 2004,
Reena received a master's degree in
information systems from George
Mason University. Alison Thomas
Flood and husband Chris had their
first baby, James Thomas, named
after his two grandfathers, on Oct. 5.
Emily Atkinson and husband Sam
welcomed their first daughter, Clare
Margaret, on Jan. 22, 2009. Emily
teaches music at Trinity School in
Ellicott City, Md., while her husband
works in athletics at Gallaudet
University in Washington, DC
Daniela Kelly and her husband,
Chris Sicuranza '98, bought a
house in Arlington, Va., and were
settling in to prepare for the birth
of their baby in January. The baby's
gender was to be a surprise!
Ryan Rapp and Jessica Turner
Rapp had their second child, Ava,
on March 3, 2009. Her older sister,
Zoe, 2, adores her! Lauren Rizzi
was living in Washington, D.C.,
last summer and planning an
August wedding to Peter Crawford
in upstate New York. Elizabeth
McKeeby and Valerie Wunder were
to be bridesmaids. Kari McGlamory
Danner and Susan Wolfe also were
to participate.
Brent Bensten '01 and
Christen Masaniello Bensten
welcomed their second
daughter, Fiona Tate, in November
of 2008. Fiona and older sister
Greta were to welcome a new
brother in January. Jennifer Burger
Thomas of Charlotte, N.C., had
a baby girl, Naomi Thomas, on
June 16. She is an at-home mom to
Naomi and brother Liam. Jennifer
attended the summer wedding of
Becky Rink '99. She also saw
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2C
r,S
CLASS NOTES
1
Haiti on Her Mind: Alumna Has
Mountains of Memories and Attachments
Karen Baer spent years serving in Haiti, where she met
husband Altesse Geffrard. Now living in Staunton, they have
two children together, Marc, 3, and baby Luc. Geffrard holds
photos of his two children in Haiti.
When Karen Baer '00 searches for words to help people understand Haiti,
she turns to a proverb she learned during her time there: Deye mon, gen mon.
That's Kreyol for "Beyond mountains, there are mountains."
Even before the January earthquake that devastated the island nation, Baer
knew the challenges facing Haitians - the mountains of the proverb - are endless.
Baer moved to Haiti shortly after graduating from Mary Washington.
Working with the Mennonite Central Committee ("the Mennonite version
of the Peace Corps," as Baer puts it), her focus was not on religion but on
environmental education and basic human needs.
Baer worked in Haiti for two and a half years and visited several times
after moving back to the U.S. Much of what she encountered was hard to
comprehend. "To this day," she said, "I have not gone back to read my journal
entries or my letters home."
She describes her time there as "the best but most difficult experience in
my life so far." She recalls one month during which she lost count of those who
died in her rural community. She saw children perish because their parents
could not afford the full dose of an antibiotic. And she was struck always by the
stark difference between Haiti, where she dealt with life-and-death issues every
day, and UMW, where "I had a ton of friends and lots of support."
Baer still draws upon that support. She graduated cum laude with a B.S.
in environmental science, and she has stayed in contact with Dawn Bowen,
an associate professor of geography who has been to Haiti and has offered
advice and understanding. Baer still feels the profound influence of her advisor,
Michael Bass, and others at the University.
At UMW she found ways to serve her community - as chairman for a
recycling project, as a tutor in an after-school program, as a member of Friends
of the Rappahannock.
Her love for Haiti is palpable, embodied in the man she met there and
married, Altesse Geffrard. He was the Mennonite Central Committee's driver, a
critical job in a country where many of the roads are crude at best and the only
vehicle in a community is sometimes the ambulance service.
Baer and Geffrard were married in August 2004 in Haiti. Now they live in
Staunton, close to where Baer grew up and where she works as vice president
of Terraine Inc., an environmental consulting firm. Baer and Geffrard have two
children - Marc, 3, and Luc, born on Thanksgiving Day 2009. Still living in Haiti
are Geffrard s two children from a previous marriage, Shinay, 15, and Albert, 13.
Before the earthquake, Baer and Geffrard were working to bring the two older
children to the United States to live with them. Those efforts have been accelerated.
The grim news of the earthquake was nearly more than the couple could
bear. After three days of frantic attempts to determine the fate of Geffrard s
children - Baer's stepchildren - they finally got the phone call telling them that
both children and their mother had survived. Geffrard held the phone in his
hand and cried, Baer said. It was the first time she had seen her husband weep.
The important thing now, she says, is to understand that as great a tragedy
as the earthquake is, it is not the sum of Haiti's burdens. The recovery from that
disaster will take years, but there is more to be done, Baer said. Beyond that
mountain lie more mountains.
- Randy Hallman
Andrew Salmon '04, Meredith
Lydon Salmon, and James Cessaro
'04 during a vacation to West
Virginia. Kevin Perry accepted a
position teaching Latin at Courtland
High School in Spotsylvania
County, Va., in August. Sarah
Chase and her husband, Andrew
Rothschild '99, live in Richmond,
where Sarah was working on her
doctorate in developmental biology.
A committee of our classmates
has been making plans for our
10-year reunion. Please be on the
lookout for the
details and, for those
of you on Facebook,
join the "Mary
Washington College
-Class of 2000
Reunion" group. It
might sound trite,
but it really is hard
to believe it has been
10 years since those
great days at Mary
Washington. What
fond memories!
Caroline L. Jarvis
426 N. Armistead St., No. T2
Alexandria, VA 22312-3413
CarolineLJarvis@gmail.com
Teresa Joerger Mannix
12506 Heykens Lane
Bristow,VA 20136
tmm53@georgetown.edu
As always, the Class of 200 1 has
been busy and thriving. Thank you
to all who have sent updates and,
for those who didn't, we encourage
you to do so. Check out the "Mary
Washington College Class of 2001"
group on www.LinkedIn.com,
and don't forget, you can always
email your updates to Caroline or
Teresa at the addresses above or on
Facebook.
Caroline Jarvis received an
MBA from Cass Business School
in London and is in private banker
training at Kleinwort Benson,
also in London. Teresa Joerger
Mannix has settled in at her
new job as the director of media
relations at Georgetown University's
McDonough School of Business.
Jason Nevitt received an
MBA from Duke University in
May. Two weeks later, he married
Elizabeth Kelsey on the coast of
Maine. They were looking forward
to a winter honeymoon in St.
Lucia. Jason is employed by the
U.S. Department of Homeland
Security, where he works with state
and local governments to enhance
their preparedness for potential
terrorism and natural disasters.
Karyn Havas is pursuing
a doctorate in veterinary
epidemiology at Colorado
State University in Fort Collins
through the Army's long-term
health education and training
program. Jessica Johnson
Verrusio and husband welcomed
a son, Hale Norris, in July. Jessica
is a compensation analyst in
Washington, D.C
Shannon Maguire '99 and her
husband planned to move to
Sarajevo, Bosnia, for two or three
years, where he was to work at
the U.S. Embassy, and she was to
work for USAID. Their last post
was Vietnam.
Christina Livesay spent three
years teaching English in Japan
and Korea and the rest of her time
living in Portland, Ore., where she
worked as a preschool teacher and
volunteered as a project leader
for Hands On Greater Portland.
In September, she moved to El
Salvador to be with her fiance
(who is Japanese-Salvadoran)
and recently got married. She was
hoping to start, or at least find work
in, a language school in El Salvador.
Nicole Mclntyre of
Wilmington, N.C., earned a
master's degree in elementary
education from Springfield College
in Massachusetts. After two years
teaching special education in middle
school, she switched to teaching
regular education in elementary
school. She also earned her TEFL
certification in Seville, Spain, and
teaches ESL to adults at Cape Fear
Community College.
Nikki Langston Webb has
worked as a chemist for the City of
Chesapeake, Va., for four years. She
and her husband welcomed their
first child, a girl, on April 28, then
celebrated their seventh anniversary
in June. Kim Winslow was
promoted to senior audit manager
at KPMG. Chris Winslow practices
law in the Midlothian area of
Virginia and is an adjunct professor
in the criminal justice department at
Bryant & Stratton College.
Matt Cliszis and Pam Kirby
Cliszis live in Brooklyn, N.Y. Matt
manages the Long Island territory
for Chartis Insurance, and Pam is
-/.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
a producer for the Spike television
network. They've expanded their
family with the addition of Sedona,
a puppy they rescued from Arizona.
Clifford Hazelton and Rebecca
Bulas were married on Aug. 8
in Sandy Hook, N.J. Many Mary
Washington alumni attended,
including Kasey McNatt, who sang
during the ceremony, and Evan
Carlson '02 and Mike DiSalvo,
who served as Cliff's best men.
The Hazeltons
continue to reside
in Hoboken, N.J.
Rebecca works as
a senior buyer for
MLB.com in New
York City. Cliff is a
software engineer
for Skarven
Enterprises in
Berkeley Heights, N.J.
Anjuli Sherin of Berkeley,
Calif, was working to become
licensed as a marriage and family
therapist, specializing in Asian/
Middle Eastern populations and
somatic trauma counselling. She
recently participated in the Women
Rule! leadership program, a
partnership between 0, The Oprah
Magazine, and The White House
Project. Monica Price Dangerfield
and her husband, Ted Dangerfield
'99, moved from Oakton, Va., to
Richmond in August of 2008 and
greeted their first child, Hudson, on
Feb. 20, 2009.
Andrew Ward was pursuing
a doctorate at Tulane University
by day and carousing as a tour
guide of the French Quarter by
night. He works in New Orleans
media on projects like the TV show
Haunted New Orleans and the film
30 Days in the Bowl. He is the vice
chairman of Voices for International
Business and Education, a nonprofit
he founded, and he supports the
International High School of New
Orleans. He is still the emcee for
the Running of the Bulls and St.
Andrew's Day, and the announcer
for the Big Easy Rollergirls.
Vivian Perez and Josh Mills
married in October and live in
Fredericksburg. Susan Carpenter
received a master's degree in
special education in 2006 and is a
registered nurse in Stafford Hospital
Center's perioperative division. She
continues to play the upright bass
and violin and performs cowboy
melodies and lyrics for her Western
Colorado family.
Theresa Furlong married
Jed Kennedy in May. Laura
Sussman Kassner '03 and Bonnie
Burlingham '03 were bridesmaids.
Emily Patterson Dlugasch and
Kate Webster '99 attended. Theresa
lives in Richmond, where she works
as a project manager. Matt Selwyn
and Ariel Hatfield Selwyn of
King George County, Va., were to
celebrate their eighth anniversary
in January. Matt works at the Naval
Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren
Division and Ariel homeschools
their four children.
Andrew Ward '01 was pursuing
his doctorate at Tulane University
by day and carousing as a tour
guide of the French Quarter by
night.
Virginia Green Bartlett
and husband Shane welcomed
a daughter, Sophia Eleanor, in
April. Linda Simms couldn't get
enough of Mary Washington, so she
completed a master of education
degree at the CGPS in 2004 and is a
special education teacher in Stafford
County, Va. She recently returned
from a trip to Incheon, South Korea,
where her son teaches English.
John Brauer and his wife, Katrina
Brauer '02, celebrated the birth of
their first daughter, Ella Mackinzie,
in September. Everyone is doing
great and learning the value of the
power nap.
Jaimie Donaruma is in her
ninth year teaching 12th-grade
English at Sachem High School
East on Long Island, N.Y. She is in
her sixth year as the head coach
of the varsity cross-country team.
She still runs and has competed in
the New York City Marathon and
the Marine Corps Marathon in
Washington, D.C. She is engaged
to Brian Sison, and the wedding is
scheduled for July.
Gina Han Price was married
in August. She and husband Jimmy
were expecting their first child,
Sarah Elizabeth Price, this February.
They live in Caroline County,
Va., and Gina teaches high school
biology and anatomy in Stafford
County. Gina Clough Leonard
and husband Mike bought their
first home in November and were
expecting their first child this April.
Kelly Turcic gave birth to a son,
Aiden John Baily, on Sept. 9. He
joined big sister Lily, 2. Kelly was to
return to work in December at Thiel
College, where she is director of
annual giving.
In March, Sharon Wilcox
married Andrew Adams in a
sunset ceremony on a beach in
Belize. She was continuing her
work as a doctoral candidate at the
University of Texas and lives in
Austin. Jamie Gahun and husband
Chuck welcomed their first child,
Rachel Elizabeth, in March. They
live in Northern Virginia and
work in Washington, D.C. Lori
Clemons Bridges lives in Raleigh,
N.C., with husband Thomas and
children Lukas, 4, and Ryan, 2.
She is a physician's assistant with a
large internal medicine group. Lori
and Thomas recently completed
their first half marathon and were
looking forward to participating in
another.
Seth Kennard and wife
Kathleen welcomed their first
child, Jack Shea, on Oct. 28. Seth
is the principal of Charles Barrett
Elementary School in Alexandria,
Va. Sara Harney Correll, who
lives in Gainesville, Va., with her
husband and 2-year-old son, is a
high school counselor. They were
expecting their second child at the
end of April.
Irene Schinkel Bristow '00
and David Bristow were taking
classes in preparation for adopting
their second child, who will join
their 2-year-old daughter, Amelia
Hanalei. They also were looking
forward to renovating their kitchen.
Adele Neiburg practices labor
and employment law at Williams
Mullen law firm in Richmond. She
and husband Andrew Neiburg
'00 welcomed their first child,
Isabelle Sylvia, last summer. Greg
Stoner changed jobs in October
of 2008 and now is a librarian for
the Williams Mullen law firm in
Richmond. Jordy Keith lives in
Austin, Texas, and works in the
criminal justice division ot the
Office of the Governor. She went
to Hawaii last summer and had
an amazing time snorkeling and
hiking.
Mike Merker received an MBA
from the University of Baltimore in
2004 and married wife Melissa in
2006. In 2008, he graduated from
Concordia Seminary in St. Louis
Alumni College is scheduled for June 3-4, 2010
University of Mary Washington
Make plans now to attend the third annual
Alumni College. Keynote speakers for special
lunch programs include Chris Kilmartin, UMW
professor of psychology and former Fulbright
distinguished chair, and UMW alumnus Shin
Fujiyama '07, now executive director of Students Helping Honduras. Each will speak about
the value of service to others and how it relates to self- fulfillment and happiness.
ALUMNI
COLLEGE
Scheduled "Classes Without Quizzes" will be taught by knowledgeable UMW faculty
members. Topics for 2010 include orchestral music, economics, finding happiness, digital
history, print making, landscape design, and behind-the-scene tours at Gari Melchers
Home and Studio at Belmont. Visit www.umw.edu/gift/alumni_college for additional
details.
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
67
CLASS NOTES
i
and is now the pastor at Ionian
1 utheran Church in Apex, N.C.
Martine St. Germain earned
her doctorate in physical therapy
from Shenandoah University
last year and practices physical
therapy in Beaufort, S.C. She
recently bought a house in Port
Royal, S.C, and planned to marry
a general contractor from New
York this April.
Jennie Jarvis von Drehle
arrived home from her stint with
the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan in
November of 2008 and married
Ryan von Drehle the following
month. They live in Chicago.
He is an architect, and she is the
assistant director for international
collaborations at DePaul University.
Madelyn Marino finished a rotation
program at American Express, living
in London tor eight months. She
traveled all over Europe and spent
time with Caroline Jarvis. Still
working for American Express,
Madelyn now lives in Manhattan.
Travis Jones
1804A N.Washington St.
Wilmington, DE 19802
tljones8@hotmail.com
Carolyn Murray Spencer
3253 Arrowhead Circle, Apt. H
Fairfax, VA 22030
turtlecjm@yahoo.com
Chris Richter and his wife of
two years, Leslie, have a baby girl,
Charlotte Amaya. Mike Malin
and Cathy Kohler Malin were
expecting their first baby in March.
Ilissa N. Ramm and husband Greg
welcomed a baby girl, Jennifer Lois,
on Feb. 22, 2009. Kristy Kuhns
married Ryan Chewning on Oct.
18, 2008. They bought a house
in Annapolis, Md., where she is
a senior systems analyst in the
technology division of the local
public school system.
Jessica Brandes
123-B S. Roberson St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27516-2320
jessbrandes@yahoo.com
After a long courtship that started
at Mary Washington, Caroline
Otto and Matthew Lemire wed
in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 19.
Many Mary Washington graduates
participated, including bridesmaids
Katie Helldoerfer, Diana Daly, and
Emily Ruesch; groomsmen Bradley
Williams and John Paxton; and
reader Bradley Johnson.
Jessica Ratcliffe Laspino
moved to Pennsylvania with
husband Paul, and she accepted a
position as executive director of
CASA (Court Appointed Special
Advocates) in Lancaster County.
It's a huge change of pace from the
Jersey Shore, but they were enjoying
getting to know the area with their
newly adopted puppy.
Jordan Sydell of Harrisburg,
Pa., is a clinical sales representative
for Intuitive Surgical. Juliette
Gomez married Taylor Ball
'06 on Aug. 8 at Hurkamp Park
in Fredericksburg. They live in
Philadelphia with their dog, Elvis,
and Juliette is in her second year of
law school at Temple University.
Sarah Colona lives and works
in her home state of New Jersey,
where she teaches creative writing
and composition at Burlington
County College.
Please stay connected with
classmates by joining the "Mary
Washington Class of 2003" group
on Facebook. Remember, you can
submit an update anytime and we
will include it in the next Class Notes.
Katharine E. Leesman
730 Fifth St., N.E.
Basement Unit
Washington, DC 20002
katie.leesman@gmail.com
Sarah B. Smith
5804 Merton Court, No. 182
Alexandria, VA 22311
sarahbsmith@gmail.com
Sameer Vaswani
1597 Leeds Castle Drive, No. 102
Vienna, VA 22182
sameervaswani@msn.com
Jason Lancaster earned a
masters degree in history from
the University of Tulsa. Ensign
Lancaster serves aboard the USS
New York, with a home port in
Norfolk, Va.
Kristin Ochsenreiter Cohen is
a labor and delivery registered nurse
and was promoted to patient care
coordinator of her unit last March.
A belated but warm welcome
goes to Wilson Nash, born June
10 to Melanie Mizelle Warriner
and William Andrew Warriner.
Congratulations!
Allyson V. Lee
82 High St.
Butler, NJ 07405
allyvlee@gmail.com
Matthew Paul Casciano met Mary
Osing at Mary Washington in 2005,
and they were married on Oct. 10
in Queenstown, Md., with a large
crowd ot Mary Washington alumni
in attendance.
Shana Muhammad
528 N. Thomas St., No. 1
Arlington, VA 22203
shana.muhammad@gmail.com
Carl Frank Puleo
5407 Heritage Hills Circle
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
cfpuleo@gmail.com
Taylor Hempelman married
Tommy Miller on Oct. 24, with
many Mary Washington alumni in
attendance, including bridesmaids
Shana Muhammad, Julia Rickey,
and Melissa Tirone. Taylor and
Tommy live in the home they
bought in Stafford
County, Va.
and is a licensed clinical social
worker. Julia lives in Boston and
works full time as a residential
therapist tor children, adolescents,
and families.
Mary Beth Baylor teaches first
grade for Fairfax County Public
Schools and lives in Alexandria, Va.
Suzy Kemper married Chris Roche
on Dec. 27 in Gainesville, Fla. She is
working on a doctorate in nursing
practice at the University of Florida.
Marine Corps 1st Lt. Colin
Jones returned home from Iraq in
October. He was awarded the Navy
and Marine Corps Commendation
Medal for services rendered
in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom. He purchased a condo in
Alexandria, Va., and was looking
forward to graduate school.
Jennifer Nash married
Matthew Becker on June 14, 2008.
Both received master's degrees from
JMU Jennifer is an occupational
therapist at Lewis-Gale Medical
Center in Salem, Va., and Matt
was pursuing a doctorate in
biology, with a focus on amphibian
conservation, at Virginia Tech. They
live in Christiansburg, Va., with
their 1 -year-old Lab, Bella.
Todd
Curran has been
running his own
business, HolaOla
Screen Printing, for
the past year and
recently started SAVAGEultimate,
an apparel brand that has received
national recognition. He was living
it up with Erica Jackson '07 in
Charleston, S.C, and trying to catch
as many sunsets on the beach as
possible.
Kristin Larkins Walker
earned a master's degree in
geology at the University of North
Carolina in Chapel Hill in August,
while finishing an internship in
Houston. She was offered a position
and moved to Texas in December.
She married Adam Walker, whom
she met in North Carolina, and they
were looking forward to buying a
house before April.
Joey and Brittany Shankle
Kerlin welcomed their daughter,
Charlotte Mary Claire, on Nov.
4 and were looking forward to
introducing her to their Mary
Washington alumni friends in
Virginia at Christmastime.
Julia Rickey received a master's
degree in social work in May
Todd Curran '06 started
SAVAGEultimate, an apparel
brand that has received national
recognition.
Amy Jessee and John Ridout
of Clemson, S.C, were married
on July 1 1. John earned a master's
degree in city and regional planning
in May of 2008, and Amy received
a master's degree in professional
communication this past May.
She is an outreach and grant
writing coordinator for WorkLink
Workforce Investment Board, and
John was continuing at Clemson in
pursuit of a doctorate in planning,
design, and the built environment.
Julia Haskins received a
master's degree in geography and
environmental planning from
Towson University in May. She
married Adam Rackliffe '04 on
June 1 on her family's Maryland
farm and had a great honeymoon
in Anguilla in the Caribbean. They
live in the Woodley Park area of
Washington, D.C., and love it! Julia is
a planner for the Town of Vienna, Va.
Adam Suleske of Phoenix
is pursuing a master's degree in
alternative energy from Arizona
State University's polytechnic
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
campus. Susanne Mirabello lives
in Colombia, where she was to
teach second grade internationally
for two years. She was exited about
the chance to explore the Amazon,
trek the Galapagos Islands, and see
Easter Island.
Kyle Erdner married
Amy Hamblet on June 13 in
Haddonfield, N.J., where they
purchased and renovated a home.
Rebecca Christ Alwine still lives
in Germany with husband Steven
and her toddler son, Declan. They
were expecting their second child
in April, and Rebecca was finishing
a masters thesis in emergency
management.
Amanda Matthews received a
masters degree in math from VCU
in May. In July, she partied down
with Karen Sturm Grabowski
at Karen's beautiful wedding in
Charleston, S.C. Lauren Romestan
received a doctorate of physical
therapy from Slippery Rock
University in May and married
fellow SRU graduate Ray Gallucci
from Solon, Ohio, on July 18. They
live in Pittsburgh.
Jay Sinha
2133-13 S.Henry St.
Williamsburg, VA 23185
Jay.Sinha9@gmail.com
Daniel Clendenin
5407 Heritage Hills Circle
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
daniel.clendenin@gmail.com
Jay Sinha was in his first year of
law school at William & Mary
and looking for opportunities to
connect with attorneys and legal
professionals! Dan Clendenin lives
and works in the Fredericksburg
area. Stefanie Tait lives in Rockville,
Md., and works in PR and
marketing.
Irene Frankofsky was to receive
a master's degree in archaeological
science from the University ot
Bradford in England in December
and planned to stay in the United
Kingdom to live and work. Megan
Ferguson teaches ninth and 10th
grades at Fredericksburg Christian
High School and was to get married
on Jan. 16. Tempa Klinegores works
in homeless services in Richmond.
Frederick Russe received a master's
degree and licensure in social work
from the University of Texas at
Arlington in May. He planned to
start UTA's doctoral program in
the fall and expected to have two
publications in his research interest
of gender expression last year.
Josh Rutherford is a
medication coordinator in the
Boston area for the Department
of Mental Health. He conducts
research on minority youth violence
at Boston College and plays in
the Parkway Concert Orchestra.
Jennifer Parsick of Orlando,
Fla., graduated with honors last
December from the Florida State
University master's program in
library and information science.
She is the teen services librarian
for the Osceola Library System,
which serves seven public branches.
Chelsea Seachord lives outside
Philadelphia and works for Bimbo
Bakeries USA as brand manager for
Thomas' breakfast products.
Peter Lockinger and Andrea
Jimenez are engaged! After dating
since November of 2004, they
planned to marry on (une 26. Erica
Thorsen married Arne Colberg on
Aug. 15 and changed her name to
Erica Colberg! Stephanie Barnes of
Newport News, Va., was taking pre-
requisite courses toward becoming
a registered nurse. Robert Hughes
and Erin Keegan became engaged
on May 30, when Robert proposed
in front of Mary Washington's
Trinkle Hall. They planned to wed
this July.
Trish Lauck
7801 Halyard Court
Chesterfield, VA 23832
trish.lauck@gmail.com
Alyssa Lee
7202 Flower Tuft Court
Springfield, VA 22153
alyssa.linda.lee@gmail.com
Alyssa Lee completed her
internship with the Avon Walk
for Breast Cancer in July. In
August, she began her yearlong
AmeriCorps VISTA service in
Southeast Washington, D.C. She
works with Communities in Schools
of the Nation's Capital to connect
community resources to students
and families in Ward 8. She also
is a member co-chair on the DC
AmeriCorps Leadership Council.
Trish Lauck and Stan Kennedy
were engaged in August and plan
to marry in Fredericksburg in May
of 2011.
Amanda Bresko works for
an accounting firm in Richmond.
She expected to complete work on
a MBA in accounting at UMW's
Stafford campus in the spring, and
she hoped to take the CPA exam
late this year. Amanda Hill is in
graduate school in U.Va.'s speech-
language pathology program and
planned to graduate this December.
Benjamin Marks is completing
his yearlong AmeriCorps VISTA
position in Montana. While there,
he was able to develop a financial
education curriculum for the region
and form a state asset building
coalition designed to help low- to
moderate- income
families in the
future. He was
applying to graduate
sociology programs
in hopes of acquiring
a doctorate and
becoming a professor
in the discipline.
Alexandria. Brandon is a research
analyst at Nathan Associates,
an economic consulting firm in
Arlington.
Megan Vaughan-Albert is
an associate coordinator tor the
Center for Teaching and Learning
in Shenzhen, China, and planned to
begin pursuing a master's degree in
China development studies in the
tall, preferably in Hong Kong.
Corrie Scheer
got married in
the summer of 2008 and earned
a master's degree in elementary
education from UMW in May. She
teaches kindergarten and lives
in Fredericksburg. Delia Hinn is
in her first semester of graduate
school, pursuing a degree in speech-
language pathology at JMU
James Schroll of Arlington, Va.,
was promoted from staff assistant to
junior legislative associate for labor
policy on the House Committee on
Education and Labor. In March, he
was elected a precinct captain for
the Arlington County Democratic
Committee. Jeremy Jordan was in
his first few months with the Peace
Corps in Mali, along with Jennifer
Davis, who was in her second year
there. Rachel Fellows is just next
door with the Peace Corps in Niger.
Jessica McKenzie lives in the
Czech Republic, where she teaches
high school English. She also is
doing graduate work in graphic
design at Prague College. Julia
Behrmann and Johnny Baker of
Alexandria, Va., were married on
Oct. 10. Julia is pursuing an MPH
in global health epidemiology at
the George Washington University
School of Public Health and Health
Services. Johnny works for the
government at Quantico, Va.
Justin Doyle lives in Richmond
and is pursuing a master's degree
in urban and regional planning at
VCU He recently was hired by the
planning department of Henrico
County, Va.
Brandon Shapiro married
Lisa Blumfelder '07 on Oct. 1 1 in
Fairfax, Va. They live in Alexandria.
Lisa works in accounting at Oliff
& Berridge, a patent law firm in
Marine Corps 1st Lt. Colin Jones
'06 was awarded the Navy and
Marine Corps Commendation
Medal for services rendered
in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom.
Pete Sturke of Richmond
is pursuing a master's degree in
environmental science at VCU.
Rebecca Helsley Meadows married
JMU graduate Jonathan Meadows
in September of 2008. The following
September, they moved from
Fairfax, Va., to Charlottesville.
RoseMarie Hill works at The Way
International, a Biblical research and
teaching ministry in western Ohio,
and plans to enter its four-year
seminary and leadership training
program.
Ross Marshall moved
to New York City to pursue a
master's degree in performing arts
administration at NYU He began
an internship with IMG Artists, a
renowned global artist management
company specializing in classical
music and dance. He lives in Clinton
Hill in Brooklyn and hopes to work
in contemporary performing arts in
the New York area for a few years
after grad school. Ben Uscinski still
lives in Northern Virginia but has
a "sweet job" working in Alaska for
the High Frequency Active Auroral
Research Program. He earned a
second degree in computer science.
Alexandra Meier
1884 Columbia Road, N.W, No. 608
Washington, DC 20009
alexandra.m.meier@gmail.com
Amy Santella married Kevin
Solomita on Aug. 15 in Sea Bright,
N.J. Amy planned to complete the
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
69
CLASS NOTES
J
accelerated bachelor's program
for nursing at the University ot
Medicine and Dentistry ot New
Jersey this December. Kevin is a
corporal in the Marine Corps in
the 31 1 Squadron. He was at the
Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma,
Ariz., and was to deploy at the
beginning of the year. Jessie Hager
married Kevin Bowden on Aug. 1 in
Midlothian, Va., and they bought a
home in Glen Allen. Jessie teaches
social studies at Highland Springs
High School in Henrico County
and Kevin is an active duty Marine
stationed in Jacksonville, N.C.
Frank Puleo '06 proposed
to Christina Ford on Aug. 12 in
front of UMW's Mason Hall, where
they met at the beginning ol her
freshman year. They plan to wed in
Northern Virginia in the fall. Ron
Brooks proposed to Grade Hart
'08 on Aug. 3, while vacationing
with his family in the Outer Banks
of North Carolina. They plan to wed
in Fredericksburg in September.
Ron is pursuing his MESA at UMW's
Stafford campus and studying tor the
CPA exam. He also is an associate
with Keiter, Stephens, Hurst, Gary &
Shreaves, while Gracie is a reporter/
photographer with the Orange
County Review in Virginia.
Ben Miller lives in Richmond,
where he works for Long & Foster
Realty. Court Crenshaw started
a medical scribe program at St.
Mary's Hospital in Richmond.
Rebekah Blackwell Anderson
mewed to Okinawa, Japan, to be
with her husband, Curtis Anderson,
a corporal in the Marine Corps.
Rebekah is an accounting technician
for Marine Corps Community
Services. Lindsay McClelland was
working as an au pair in Milan, Italy.
Brittany Cooney of Colmar, Pa., is
an administrative and marketing
assistant at the Pragma Corp.
outside Philadelphia.
Ali Meier is a special events,
outreach, and development intern
with the American Friends of United
Nations Relief and Works Agency
in Washington, D.C. She also works
full time as an accounting assistant
at a certified organic restaurant.
Trevor Langston is an associate
scientist with the hydro-ecology
of flowing waters project at the
U.S. Geological Survey in Reston,
Va. Caitlin Goldman is a software
development consultant for Booz
Allen Hamilton in Falls Church, Va.
Lauren Bell received the Intramural
Research Training Award from the
National Institutes of Health in
Bethesda, Md., and was participating
in a yearlong fellowship with the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism. Emily Griffith
moved to Norman, Okla., in June
with her longtime boyfriend, Jim
Kurdzo. She is a research technician
at the Oklahoma Medical Research
Foundation in Oklahoma City.
UMW Played Best Supporting Role for Disney Documentary Star
WF usa ^M Racing in the most revered sailing competition on Earth for a Disney documentary may be every sailor's
■r 52007 ^ dream. But earning three credit hours while plunging into your life's passion for eight months? That's the
dream of every student, especially Chris Clark '09.
^ To say Clark is an avid sailor would be an understatement. The Greenwich, Conn., native started
' MW W^^BM^, sailing the East Coast with his parents when he was just two weeks old. In fact, he took his first steps on the
*■ * *^0Mj deck of a sailboat. At age 8, Clark started competing and soon was flying to events throughout the United
States, in Canada, and in Europe. By the time he left for college, Clark was heavily involved in ocean racing,
participating in 15 to 20 events a year.
Recruited by the University of Mary Washington for his All- American high school swimming talents,
Clark left the Connecticut coast for landlocked Fredericksburg in 2004. "Most of the racing venues were far
from home anyway," Clark said. "All that mattered was the location of the nearest international airport."
While there was no college sailing team to join, Clark managed to incorporate his nautical interests into
the classroom by majoring in geography. "For someone with interests ranging from medicine to ocean sailing
to politics, geography made sense," Clark said.
The UMW geography department got on board with Clark when he took a year off to participate in
Morning Light, which documents a group of young people racing a high-performance 52-foot sloop in the
Transpacific Yacht Race (TRANSPAC) from California to Hawaii.
Stephen Hanna, department chair, sponsored Clark's acting-year independent study of how weather
prediction technology helps sailors develop navigation plans.
"It was because of professors like Dr. Hanna that I chose to come to UMW' Clark said. "Dr. Hanna knew
I was a student with atypical interests, and he exhibited a huge degree of faith and flexibility in allowing me to
combine my education with my personal passions."
According to Disney, Morning Light follows 15 highly skilled hand-picked young sailors on the cusp of adulthood as they "match wits and
skills against top professionals in a dramatic 2,300-mile showdown in the unforgiving and unpredictable Pacific Ocean." The participants were
chosen from an applicant pool of thousands.
"The whole experience was somewhat surreal," Clark said. "What I really learned was that having pure skill
isn't enough, and that most things in life require a more dynamic combination of social grace and skill."
Since the making of the documentary, which came out in 2008, and his subsequent graduation, Clark still
finds a way to apply his education to his interests. Working as a paramedic in Westchester County, N.Y., Clark
plans to go to medical school to become an emergency physician and apply his geography education to urban
epidemiology research. He still ardently pursues sailing, and he will provide medical support for an upcoming
event for disabled sailors.
"I explore every application of the things that interest me most and find ways to connect them academically
and professionally," he said.
No matter what's beyond the next wave for Clark, he won't forget that Mary Washington provided him his
first great adventure. "Had the UMW geography department not been as progressive as it was, I may have been
forced to reconsider [doing this] documentary."
- Lorna Webster
70
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
Memoriam
Olive Hall Bristow '25
Margaret Freeman Forrest '32
Dorothy Seay Owens '35
Frances Liebenow Armstrong '36
Lois LaVelle Brown '36
Adelle Mansfield Goodwin '36
Rita M. Miller '36
Kirby Fennel] Nuckols '36
Julia Frances Robinson '36
Zula Ferrara Ware '36
Lucy Walker McKenney '37
Doris Virginia Mills '37
Flossie Annella Ratcliffe '37
Henrietta "Tillie" Burt Keeter '38
Anne Love Roberson '38
Arcelle C. Collier '39
Byrd Wootton Garnett '40
Laura Conlon Jamison '40
Katherine Garrison Liebenow '41
Betty Willoughby Hawthorne '42
Isobel E. Taylor '42
Mary Frances Mundy '43
Betty Louise Ackerman '44
Jean Ford Bates '44
Edna Thompson Howell '44
Marguerite Klenck Lovejoy '44
Ann Witten Van Pelt '44
Jane Ellen Williams '44
Wilma Lindsey Clare '45
Ruth G. Lee '45
Josephine Compton Moss Shulke '45
Eleanor Sanford Spencer '45
Ann Williamson Stuart Floyd '47
Barbara E. Torello '47
Emily Fairchild '48
LaVergne Tuck Woody '48
Jane Robinson Lacy '49
Elinor Piatt Levy '49
Theresa Saunders '49
Nancy Redmon Coen '50
Catherine P. Dickson '51
Patricia W Ritter '5 1
Ruth R. Crouch '52
Nancy Jane Wagner Peachee '52
Dolores Carmen Torralbas '52
Elizabeth H. "Libby" Wilsey '52
Jean Audrey Bennett '53
Jane Oliver Abbot Tyler '53
Catherine Wyvonne Weaver Vance '53
Patricia J. Beck '54
Elizabeth Jane Thompson '54
Mary Davenport '55
Jane Fair Ingersoll '55
Ann Davey Masters '57
Eula Grey Kindley Morton '59
Susan Hughes Whitaker '59
Ann Stinchcomb Harvey '60
Harriet Najar '60
Eizenija Bergman Shera '60
Dorothy "Sue" R. Lay '61
Sue Ann Katz Lieberman '62
Barbara Granger '63
Judith W. Sandelin '64
Mary Anne Burke Graves '65
Sandra Rutter McArtor Hazard '66
Patricia Previte Hill '66
Norma M. McCaig '67
Elizabeth "Betty" Ferguson Foster '69
Mary Page "Pidge" Williams
Walden '69
Karen Marie "Kiki" Brennan '87
Irella Lawson Bloxom '41, who lost
her husband
Frances Houston Layton '49, who
lost her husband
Betty Lou Shelhorse Rogers '49, who
lost her husband
Katherine Mayo Schmidt '49, who
lost her husband
Peggy Sherman Caper '52, who lost
her husband
Mary Eleanor Bruce McCombie '52,
who lost her husband
Ruth Williams Webb '52, who lost
her husband
Martha Kimball 1 learn Johnson '58,
who lost her husband
Mary- Louise Cork Hendrix '59,
who lost her husband
Gail Fallon Neal '59, who lost her
husband
Janet Bagg Clancy '64, who lost her
husband
Susan Orebaugh Nicholson '64, who
lost her brother
Sharon Haythorne Stack '64 , who
lost her mother
Louise Stevens Robbins '65, who
lost her husband
Ann Simpson Brackett '69, who lost
her mother
Joan Mueller Goertz '69, who lost
her mother
Charlotte Clare Snyder '81, who lost
her mother
Monecia Helton Taylor '81, who lost
her mother
Lois Walthall Murdaugh '84, who
lost her sister
Maureen Stinger '94 and Bridget M.
Stinger '97, who lost their father
Rachael E. Dorsey McGowen '00,
who lost her father
In Remembrance
Christina Kakava
The Department of English, Linguistics, and Communication has endured the devastating loss of
Christina Kakava, professor of linguistics, who died on Feb. 20, after a three-year struggle with cancer. She
is survived by her husband of 19 years, Paul Fallon, associate professor of linguistics in the department,
her 12-year-old son, Yanni, and two sisters. Christina had retired due to her illness in August of 2009.
Christina joined the faculty in 1994, after earning a Ph.D. from Georgetown University the previous
year. She published extensively in sociolinguistics, with a special emphasis on cross-cultural linguistics,
issues of language and gender, and intercultural identities among bilingual speakers. Her dedication to her
students and colleagues was legendary. Her commitment to undergraduate research continued during the
early stages of her illness, as she directed individual study from home and worked tirelessly with students
on appropriate research methods for the study of language.
Christina brought excitement and a sense of wonder to everything she encountered. It was her smile;
her pleasure in bright, vivid colors; her love of sharing her experiences in Greece, especially cuisine; her
humor and generous affection - these are what we all remember. It was her boundless energy, as she
embraced the formidable task of accompanying the President's Travel Club on a tour of Greece. It was her
fearlessness in embracing grief as fervently as joy that was perhaps most striking; it was her capacity to
empathize and to share with what can only be termed the true generosity of love.
What I learned to respect the most about Christina were the courage and strength she showed in facing her catastrophic diagnosis. She was
concerned for her colleagues and students, of course, but most of all for Paul and Yanni. Even as she struggled through chemotherapy, radiation, and
surgeries, she took constant pride in their accomplishments. I remember her careful recordkeeping of Yanni's language development as a toddler,
proudly sharing with the department that he had voiced a fricative properly, or later, overcoming her revulsion and wholeheartedly encouraging his
early experiments with entomology that included the capture of various hideous insects.
We will all continue to celebrate Christinas life; maybe Auden's words say it best: "She became her admirers."
- Teresa A. Kennedy, Chair
Department of English, Linguistics, and Communication
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • SPRING 2010
1 CLOSING COLUMN
The Indomitable "Mrs. A":
Frances Liebenow Armstrong, 1917-2010
By William B. Crawley Jr.
The University of Mary Washington community lost one of its
most beloved members with the death of Frances Liebenow
Armstrong '36 on January 27, 2010, at the age of 93.
Born in Fredericksburg, Mrs. Armstrong enjoyed a long
and productive association with Mary Washington, beginning
with her years as a student at what was then Fredericksburg
State Teachers College. Following her graduation at the age of
20, she embarked upon a 45-year career in education, spent
almost entirely in the public schools of her hometown.
It was there,
too, that in 1944
she married
Sidney Armstrong,
a longtime city
councilman;
they remained
inseparable
until his death in
2005. Though the
couple had no
children of their
own, "Mrs. A," as
she was universally
known in the community, exercised parental influence over
generations of Fredericksburg students, mainly at the city's
James Monroe High School.
Ever the epitome of professionalism and always stylish in
appearance, she possessed a no-nonsense countenance in her
history classroom that could quell even the most boisterous
student. "That look," one observed, "could turn even the
beefiest football player into jelly."
Yet the same steely eyes that could make miscreants quiver
could also convey genuine compassion for her students. "She
could sound gruff and look stern," recalled one, "but it didn't
take much to elicit that big smile."
At James Monroe she became legendary outside the
classroom as well, especially for her support of extracurricular
activities. Football was her favorite, and she was a fixture at
games, supplying "her boys" with orange slices at halftime to
renew their energy.
By the time she retired from the public schools in 1981
at the age of 65, Mrs. A. had received numerous honors
'Mrs. A," Frances Armstrong
and tributes for her extraordinary
contributions to education, and to
her church and community as well.
Fredericksburg named a city athletic
field for her, which was one of her
most prized honors.
Yet the end of one career marked
the beginning of another - this
one at Mary Washington. Always devoted to the institution,
she had worked tirelessly over the years in various volunteer
capacities. In recognition of such commitment, the Alumni
Association not only bestowed on her its very first Outstanding
Service Award, but subsequently named the award in her
honor.
Within a month after her retirement, Mrs. Armstrong joined
the Mary Washington staff at the invitation of President Prince
Woodard, who asked her to assist with preparations for the
institution's 75th anniversary to be celebrated in 1983. That
began a quarter century of Mary Washington employment,
during which she worked variously in the President's Office, the
Alumni Office, and the Office of Human Resources.
In the process, she became the ultimate "utility player" -
conducting research, compiling indexes, answering phones,
helping with mailings, and giving campus tours from a golf cart
- in short, doing whatever needed doing, and doing so with
unfailing enthusiasm and infectious good cheer. Although she
was a person of strong views - and, Lord knows, she was not
reluctant to share them - she had the grace to do so in a way
that never offended those who might disagree with her.
It was as my assistant that Mrs. A and I got to know each
other when I served as institutional historian. Over the
years, she helped me immeasurably by assembling reams of
information, a task that she approached with a commitment far
exceeding whatever monetary compensation was involved.
She also performed a valuable, if less tangible, role by
encouraging me, either overtly or subtly, to remain focused on
the project at hand whenever my enthusiasm lagged. Even as
an octogenarian, she seemed to have boundless energy.
Mrs. A. possessed a constitution of iron that never broke
and a character of gold that never tarnished - qualities still
evident when I visited her in her home shortly before this
past Christmas. There I found her weakened in body but still
strong as ever in spirit; she gave no hint of self pity, instead
emphasizing how fortunate she was. During the conversation,
she became most animated, as usual, when discussing the
University, eager for information on old friends and on new
developments, particularly the Eagle Village project.
A few weeks later, she was gone, prompting the frequent
comment that "they just don't make them like her anymore."
Truth be told, they never did make very many. But I - and the
thousands of others whose lives she touched - will forever be
grateful that there was at least one Mrs. A. iH
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON MAGAZINE • FALL/WINTER 20C
Alumni participation and private support
are central to Mary Washington's success !
. I *> • -'
If every person who receives this magazine makes a gift to the
Fund for Mary Washington, that could add up to nearly $1 million
in additional support for UMW students and programs.
There is power in numbers!
University of
Mary Washington
Please make your gift today.
www.umw.edu/onlinegiving • (888) 692-0004
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Darkness falls on
UMW's winter
of discontent
Though beautiful when falling and shortly
thereafter, this winter's record-breaking
snowfalls taxed campus facilities crews as they
dealt with a total of four feet of snow. That
translated into more than 6,000 work hours for
the approximately 100 employees who helped
shovel, plow, and blow; made sure toilet paper
was stocked and trash emptied; and kept the heat
and power on throughout campus.
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11