Summer 2007 - Hood College

Summer 2007Hood Magazine 27for 44 years. Diane’s son Eric lives in New YorkCity, as does her daughter Beth, a professionalphotographer. Her daughter Lisa is still in Virginiaraising horses. Ann Cummings den Tex volunteersat the Mystic Seaport, transcribing old shiplogs onto a computer for use as reference forresearch, genealogy and history. She is also onthe Community Foundation of SoutheasternConnecticut. Ann enjoys botanical painting classes.Mary Lou Hoffman Huff has served for eightyears on the Highland Hospital Foundationboard, working on fund raising and development.The hospital is part of the Univ. ofRochester system so it has access to its high technology.Mary Lou retired as a treasurer at ScotResources and keeps in touch with AnnCummings den Tex. Sally Weaver Langie stilluses a cane as a result of her fall in February2005, so physical activities are limited but shecares for a disabled friend by organizing bridgesessions and get-togethers. Her daughterRoberta Langie VanWinkle ’83 and 5-year-oldHailey live nearby. Adele works for a New YorkCity firm that plans lectures for CEO types withcommon interests. Lois Vars Mason is serving onthe Dean of the School of Pharmacy’s committeeto study options for a new bio-tech building atthe Univ. of Rhode Island. She also serves on theoversight committee for “Warm Shelter,” a groupaiding the homeless. Lorrie Holland Ashman, asbefits the wife of a physician, has always beenactive in related fields. She served as president ofthe American Medical Association Alliance and iscurrently working with autistic children. She stillvolunteers for fund collections. Though there arethe usual illnesses, Lorrie is fully recovered froman earlier cancer. Two of her children, with theirfamilies, will be living near Virginia Beach, sothere will be more grandchildren in the area.Lorrie and Duffy have both visited Anne TetlowIvey in North Carolina and Lorrie hopes to seeBarbara Henderson Perlman when Barbara is inNags Head in summer 2007. Our condolences tothe family of Carolyn Leedom Ely, who diedMarch 24, 2007, in Newtown, Pa., of cancer.1952Sally Foss Banwart174 Brookside CourtPalm Harbor, FL 34683-5322(727) 787-8583Mary-Lou Springhorn Leidheiser127 Burning Tree LaneFlat Rock, NC 28731(828) 693-0630Lois Eldridge Funsch was first in the class tosend news! While she and Bill were in Florida inFebruary they visited with Jeanne ZimmermanGearey as well as Ellie Knapp Wilson ’49. Loisreported that Elizabeth “Bee Jay” QuillenBrustad and Bill are now in continuing care inCatonsville and Bee Jay is enjoying having mealsserved to her. Ruth Jackson Albert enjoys beinga library trustee and is still playing recorder in anensemble that has been together since 1974,indulging in her love of music as well as travelingand visiting with family. Peg Lewis Christensenis keeping busy with her home in Bermuda andher singing engagements, as well as “medicalstuff” in the States. Betsy Newcomer Payette isbusy volunteering, traveling and enjoying hergrandchildren, now ages 4 and 11. She talksweekly to Carolyn Rusk and sees BarbaraHickman Reynolds at Red Hat meetings whenthey’re not snowed out. Barbara and Bill are contentto stay close to home these days but thecold winter did not delay Barbara’s project totransform the St. John Lutheran’s Archive Centerfor its Open House in March, nor keep themfrom time with their grandchildren. Kay BrownGauffreau said in her e-mail that she feels isolatedfrom Hood in Presque Isle, Maine, where shechose to stay after her husband’s death sevenyears ago. Her activities are centered on ministriesin her church and visits with her family in NewEngland. Both Ann Nygren Greenberg andDody Nygren Wisnom wrote of their visit inTucson. It was a joyous occasion complete withsister Caroline and all the spouses. Ann alsonoted that her trip to Scotland with her daughterand granddaughter was a highlight for her in2006. Joanne Kates Roos sent news, “Bill and Iare fine,” enjoying grandchildren next door andcelebrating a big milestone when grandson Billwill read the Torah for his Bar Mitzvah in June.From Lorraine Smarsch, September found her inNormandy, Britain and Paris. But in January shewas hospitalized. She now lives with a pacemakerand is back to normal, enjoying aquatic classes atthe “Y.” A surprise phone call came from SallyHerman Lunt who was organizing an event atHarvard Univ. to celebrate the women in NewEngland, including Sally, who are listed in“Feminists Who Changed America, 1963-1975.”Carmen Delgado Votaw H ’82, who received anhonorary degree from Hood, was an honoredguest at this event in March 2007. Mary-GraySchofield Davis enjoyed the Hood lunch inBradenton and still creates gift cards and playstennis between chemo trips for Don. MaryMurrie Hardy and Bob live seasonally inSavannah and Pittsburgh, busy with gardeningand their 16 grandchildren (ages 2 to 25), everyone of them different, even the twins! Doris(Dee) Dreller Sosin has started a Santa MonicaConservancy to try to educate and urge residentsnot to destroy the old original houses. She visitedHawaii and retraced her childhood memorieswhen her Navy family was stationed near PearlHarbor in the 1940s. Emma Jones Hann is stillquilting but is just as likely to be off on travelswith her husband Bill to engage in their variedinterests. She eagerly awaits our reunion in June,when she expects to see her Little Sister, PennyHapgood Noepel ’54. Mary Sihler Sauerteigreports she is still active and involved with artsand music, in addition to mentoring a highschool student. Mary Davis Conley is adjustingto single life after the loss of her husband of 53years. She volunteers at church activities andlibrary book sales and plays bridge weekly.Marion Decker McCormick writes that her husband,a nine-year survivor of lung cancer, is wellenough to play golf and enjoy Florida in winterand that is indeed a blessing! They even had aspecial trip to Hawaii this year. Jean Snyderproudly shares her claim as a great aunt to 14children, with more to come. She sends bestregards to all! Evelyn Bischoff Mitchell says theybecame grandparents when a beautiful baby boywas born in December to their son and daughter-in-law.She is grateful her husband Ted hasnow been in remission from his cancer for twoyears and enjoys warm Port St. Lucie, Fla. Evelynand Marilyn Koch Swanson still talk by phoneregularly. Dorothy Handley Ewing said, “Lastyear I sold the house, downsized and moved intoa retirement home in Frederick.” Then to fulfill alifelong dream, she was off to South America tocelebrate her 75th birthday. Now she just wantsto simplify her life. Barbara Hamilton Meyer isenjoying retired life. She’s in two book clubs,plays tennis and volunteers in a soup kitchen. Inthe fall, she went to an Elderhostel in Santa Fe,N.M. and plans to go to South America againnext fall. For Anna Grace Boyd Foster, life hasnever been so busy—doing three choral concerts,two art shows and a synchronized swim show,and she still finds time to travel, write and publishbooks and be a grandma! Our condolences tothe families of Elinor Sutton Evans, who diedOct. 7, 2006; and to Anne Giles Whitman andVirginia Taylor Chmura, who also died in 2006.Our sympathy also to Mary Davis Conley,whose husband Thomas died April 5, 2006; toNancy Campbell Barrett, whose husband Alfreddied Nov. 25, 2005; to Francine DondershineSchwartz, whose husband Elmer died Feb. 24,2006; to Elizabeth Dowling Barclay, whose husbandJoseph died Sept. 13, 2006; and to Mary-Lou Springhorn Rude Leidheiser, whose husbandEdward died Feb. 26, 2007. Ellin BachrachGordon writes from Williamsburg, where she haslived for 23 years. She and Byron have been avidcollectors of American folk art since the 1980sand are building a gallery to house about 300 oftheir pieces in Norfolk, with the grand opening inSeptember. Nancy von der Heyde Needhamsaid she is in her 23rd year of nursing with only abrief time out when she broke her ankle. She stillloves to swim in the ocean and spends a lot oftime on the beach. Your editor, Sally FossBanwart, closes with the good news of a successfulhip replacement, which has allowed me tocontinue traveling and tutoring children, as wellas deciding where the next years will take me.1953Johanna Chait Essex48 Essex RoadGreat Neck, NY 11023(516) 487-1883johalessex@aol.comSince the death of her husband Fred, CarolBrower Joutras has kept herself busy withbridge, golf, swimming and her family in Bostonand Nebraska. A New Year’s letter from NancyBrown Kohlheyer announced that she and anold(?) high school sweetheart met again this pastyear and they have entered into a new relationship,visiting back and forth between Europe andthe U.S. Sounds like the start of a wonderfulyear—we wish them only the best. Betsy CraigBernhard is still active with her dogs, the batteredwomen’s center, town politics and, most ofall, her family, children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.Shirley Dana Few and Ranmoved from their town house to The Forest atDuke, a lifetime full-care community, which goesfrom independent living to care in a skilled nursingfacility, and everything in between. “It iswonderful not to cook (there is a café, diningroom or take out available every day) and itmakes being old a lot easier.” Penny Fradd