Miranda Kaiser ’89 and her daughterGeneva, daughter and granddaughterof Neva Rockefeller Goodwin ’62Christine Guerlac Tomovich ’62 withher husband Gary and oldestgrandson Sean, in Durango, COAnne Lenox ’63 and her grandchild AmosC O N C O R D A C A D E M Y M A G A Z I N E S P R I N G 2 0 1 048Ramsey, 5, and Leo, 3, lived with us forseven months. It was quite a change forthem after Beirut. Now they are settledin Carrboro, NC, where Reed teaches.Eva is continuing her successful careeras a dialect coach in the Chicago theatreand movie scene. Doug and Britta arerelocating from Australia to Europe.James is assistant admission director atNYU Stern Business School. I am stillteaching ESL part-time, studying Mandarin,and recuperating from a hysterectomy(last fall). My mom is happy andhealthy.” Penny Brown Willing is happyto report she and her family are doingwell. I am blessed to have all three childrenand five grandchildren living withinclose proximity, so they are a big part ofmy life. I have taken up art and volunteeringat Reading for the Blind andDyslexic at my library. I also work severalhours a week at a math tutoring place. Iread When Everything Changed, theAmazing Journey of American Womenfrom 1960 to the Present by Gail Collins,which I thought was totally wonderful —it really described and explained so muchof what has happened in our lifetimes. Ihighly recommend it. I wonder if it wouldbe an interesting book to discuss nextyear at reunion? Caroline Nortonstarted a new job as assistant professorand head of technical services at theMichener Library, University of NorthernColorado. “The work is engaging, andthere’s nothing like the academic atmosphereafter all the years in corporations.Children and grandchildren are scatteredbut the master plan is for me to get backto Boston and lure them back to the generalvicinity.” From Merrie CraftsThorpe we hear how much she is enjoyingson Andrew’s two children who, fortunately,live next door. Her other son,Scott, is in Marin County, CA with hisown graphic design business. Her husbandDooley has had ankle fusion surgery.And from Doozle Page Trotmanwe hear that all is well with her family.Her grandchildren grow older and shelikes to think she is growing younger!1962<strong>Class</strong> Secretaries: Ellen Smith Harde,39MainStreet@gmail.com; Anne BuxtonSobol, anne.sobol@gmail.com<strong>Class</strong>mates sent great letters that wehad to condense, but we can sharethem in their entirety; email either Anneor Ellen and we will forward the documentwe have created.Lawson Prince Allen reports, “Alongwith every other grandmother in theworld, I am reveling, delighting, enjoying,and loving my three little itty bits.”Helen Johnston Beal’s son Chris marriedFanta Soumbounou from NYC/Mali,West Africa last fall, and Helen made100 white pottery Ikebana vases, as wellas sewing wall hangings and runners ofAfrican fabric. Daughter Jenny and herhusband took time off from their jobs toteach in Ireland at an international campfor high school students, and sons Benand Ken Jr. are doing well. Lyn BurrBrignoli was enthroned in Ghana as“Kpatihi Maligu Naa,” Queen of Developmentof the Nantumba, where she isworking to create a girls’ school. “Thevillage elders want to name the schoolthe Brignoli School for Girls!” In Novem-ber 2010, Lyn will be received into theOrder of Malta, an international layCatholic organization. Sarah HedgeElliston still consults and trains at nonprofitsand “for fun I coordinate the volunteersat my Unity church.” Diagnosedwith type II diabetes in September, sheis “madly learning how to eat correctly.”She still likes living in Cincinnati, andloves following her son and granddaughteron Facebook. Sally Newhall Freestoneand Tom are settled “at last” inFoster, RI; daughters Tyler and Story andtheir families live 45 minutes away. Thedeath of Tom’s daughter at 53 means“now, life seems ever more precious tome.” Sally says, “We enjoyed lunch withKaty Rea Schmitt and Tom, who live inWestport, MA — great to be so close!”Liz Davidson Kidder has been on theroad. “Not in retirement mode,so thepace is swift. I had a great trip to HongKong,which was illuminating. The PacificRim is a new adventure for me. Lots tolearn about.” Hannah Norseen McClennenis still in Hubbardsville, NY, “in ahouse that is large for one person, butbarely large enough when children andgrandchildren come.” She sings in anoratorio society and sang Mendelssohn’sElijah last fall. Jane Bunker finds, “Itseems like this is primarily a contemplativetime. I just got back from a spiritualretreat in Brazil and plan to go back. Weseem to be leaning toward half the yearin Santa Fe and the other half in Truro.”Edie Pierce Murphy’s daughter Leilawrote of Edie’s death from cancer lastsummer: “Mom passed away peacefullyat home in her bed, which is just whereshe wanted to be.” Anne Buxton Sobolreports that Edie’s memorial service“was a truly joyous occasion with many,many family members and friendsattending and some who revealed wonderfulsides of Edie I had not known.”From Neva Rockefeller Goodwin, “Mylife is split between wanting to spendtime with my first (and so far only) grandchild— Geneva Hayes, daughter ofMiranda Kaiser ’89 — and needing tocare for an ailing husband. Bruce is 21years older than me, and needs muchtime and attention. Since Geneva andMiranda live in Montana, it’s hard to seeenough of the young folk while caring forthe old. I am also trying (though it’s difficult)to keep up with my work — startingto think about the next edition of myMacroeconomics in Context textbook,and still harassing ExxonMobil about theadvent of the post-carbon economy.Leigh (formerly Cathie) Hibbard Roessigerwrites, “Four years after mydivorce from my first husband, I retiredfrom Saks after a 17-year career, endingas vice president and director of customerrelations, and flew to Switzerlandto marry Peter, who is from Basel.”Leigh and Peter’s daughter Merissa, 22,is “the light in our lives.” Katy ReaSchmitt is in Westport, MA after livingin Pasadena for ten years. “I retiredwhen we came back in 2007. Becausewe had been at least part-time membersof this community for over 25 years, itwasn’t hard to feel a part of it when wereturned to live here full-time.” AnneBuxton Sobol and Deb Taylor andDeb’s son David got together in LosAngeles over Thanksgiving. Anne says,“Our friendship dates back to first grade,but we hadn’t seen each other for atleast 40 years. It was great to be
together again.” Anne and her husbandRichard spent three weeks in a Spanishimmersion program in Quetzaltenango,Guatemala. Susan FarnsworthSpooner writes, “This seems to be aturning point in the lives of so many. Wehave lived on Beacon Hill for 25 years,and love it — great neighbors, proximityto theatre, museums, restaurants, etc.,though the winters are miserable.” Johnis still working and Susan is active on anumber of boards. “We are blessed tohave all of our children living within 45minutes.” Rab Willis Thompson reportsthat after her husband Kirk died of cancer,she remarried and “they split theirtime between George’s home in northernVirginia and my home in Sout Carolina.”Trying to live in two places madeit too difficult to pursue her teachingcareer, so she reluctantly resigned fromBenedict College after more than 25years. Rab visited Carol Johnson deTigny in France and Hilary Long Hullahin England. Her main interests are in conservation,serving on the League of ConservationVoters and the NatureConservancy boards. “We are bothinvolved in efforts to run our farms inenvironmentally appropriate ways—worthwhile, but lots of work.” Christine(formerly Anne) Guerlac Tomovich, is abusy Realtor in Lakewood, a suburb ofDenver. “I like what I do because it isalways changing.” She and Gary are tryingto figure out their “next chapter,”which looks like building a cabin on theirland in Durango, CO and finding a condoin California where she can spend timewith her daughter and family. PhebeVance writes, “It seemed very strangeto be missing my annual ritual of sendingoff a CA mailing.” She is enjoying grandchildren,“marveling at the miracle of littlefolks all over again.” Winter in Floridamade her realize “as much as I love livingon an island in Lake Michigan, it ispure joy to escape the winter cold andice, a quiet existence that I am appreciating,as I am still struggling with allergiesand chemical sensitivities.” Jen OlmstedWages finds the best part of herlife is being with kitty cats, whether it’shelping out at the local feline rescuegroup or at home. Then there is music,“mostly classical but also classic rockhits, sometimes live, mostly on computer,that is a source of joy. And withtime I am somewhat inured to beingwithout Floyd, my best friend, and graduallybecoming accustomed to thestrangeness of aging, then I remindmyself: ‘At least I’m alive; many othersaren’t.’” Susie Shaw Winthrop considersherself “fortunate to have a wonderfullife in a fabulous town. Ipswich is atreasure, and some of my children (andone grandchild) are nearby.” Susie visitedwith Lee Hall Delfausse in Florida.1963<strong>Class</strong> Secretaries: Muffy MyersJohannsen, mjohannsen1030@comcast.net;Sally Fisher Treat, sweetdogs@earthlink.netFaith Andrews Bedford writes, “We donot feel any older, but we have adult childrenand six grandchildren. I am startingto get mail from Medicare.” Faith andBob (now retired) are traveling a lot,including to Istanbul with daughterEleanor, who works for USAID, and herson Ben. A book tour for Faith’s latest,Little Girls in Matching Dresses, alloweda stop on Cape Cod and a walk in thedunes with Anne Daignault Hartman.Faith is writing, lecturing, teaching amemoir-writing course, volunteering, andmaking slow but steady progress towarda degree from Mary Baldwin College.“Having watched three children grow upwith lightning speed, we are trying tospend as much time as possible with thegrandchildren. As we seem to be attendingmore funerals than weddings, wehave realized the importance of treasuringeach day. For all of us, I hope theymay be happy, healthy, and full of discoveryand satisfaction.” From Konstanz,Germany, Kit Murray Boos writes thatshe is still teaching English and enjoyingit. Retirement doesn’t seem to be anoption yet. “We had a lovely Christmaswith our children and gorgeous grandson.He is 3; I had forgotten what acharming age this is. I also metStephanie Roeder in Munich. We had awonderful visit, reminiscing about CAdays and comparing notes about living inGermany.” Kit will be in the U.S. thissummer for her yearly visit with hermother, who will be 88. “If anyone is onthe Maine coast, that’s where I’ll be.”Liz Norseen Boritt writes, “Myyoungest son Daniel and his wife aregoing to give us our first grandchild thissummer, which is exciting. I get to Concordseveral times a year, as my motherlives there now. At 95 she is still goingstrong.” Laura Kennedy de Blank andher husband Paul are semi-retired as of2009 and are figuring out what to dowith their free time. “So far we aren’tbored, but when we are we’ll look fornew adventures.” Laura has two parttimejobs she enjoys, and she and Paulvisit their kids and families as often asthey can: Bas in San Jose, CA, Peter inPhiladelphia, and Gabriel in Boston.Phoebe Best Devenish writes, “Ourperipatetic lives continue between thenorthern (Hancock, ME) and southern(Pigeon Bay, South Island, New Zealand)hemispheres. We have part-time work inthe north (wine business—Philip, operatingroom nurse—me) and outdoor activitiesin the south (gardening, hunting,fishing). I hope that this year I will findThe wedding of Caroline Herrick ’64and Ted Sandspart-time OR work in New Zealand.”They spent time in Colorado in 2009,where Phoebe caught up with friendsfrom 40 years ago. “Our grandsons continueto thrive—Benjamin, 5, and Philip,3—bringing their parents and grandparentsgreat delight.” Aileen Ericksonwrites, “The highlights of last year . . .hmmm. In March, with the alarming dropof the stock market, I thought of startinga dog-walking business, but after a coupleof trial outings with a friend’s extraenergeticdog, I decided dog walking inearnest would require particularly goodfeet and shoulders. Fortunately, thingspicked up somewhat economy-wise.”Another highlight was a trip she and Joetook to Italy, seeing stunning sceneryand works of art, and doing some painting.Marian Ferguson balances her timebetween Barnstable, Boston, and NewBedford, anchored by church and schoolvolunteer work. Last fall she was on aquest to visit all the small museums andhistorical places in New England that shehas passed by all her life. Trips to Fruitlands,the Currier Museum, Fuller Artsand Crafts, and the Danforth have providedgreat opportunities to scoop up afriend and have an adventure. “MaryNicholas—you’re next as I head to NewBritain and New Haven,” Marian says.“All is well with four kids living and gainfullyemployed in the Boston area. Hawkeyeenjoys running his used maritimebookstore (columbiatrading.com). We areblessed.” 2009 was a good year forBetty Glover—as a runner she isranked #5 in the DC/MD/VA regionamong women racers 60–64. From onemile to marathons, Betty competed in 18races in 2009, including the BostonMarathon. “Annie Lenox met me withhugs and laughter and her boundlessenergy during the marathon, just when Ineeded her most!” Betty coaches runnersfor the 4,000-member MontgomeryCounty Road Runners Club and is a candidatefor the club’s female grand masteraward. Her favorite running partner is herdaughter, Maggie. Anne DaignaultHartman reported a good year: sonPeter Campion received the Rome Prizefor his poetry and is now in Rome at theAmerican Academy with his wife Amyand son Jack. “I have already been toRome and am planning a second trip.”Anne’s son, Ned Campion, is working inNYC as a computer engineer. In July,Anne and her business partner bought asmall building in the center of Truro andstarted 3 Harbors Realty, within sixmonths topping the list for sales in thetown. Singing includes the Outer CapeChorale and the annual workshop inHawaii. Curtis continues as a selectman.Sally Stanton Hasted writes, “Therecession has HIT. I left one job foranother in October 2008, and wasn’trehired by the second one. It was a wonderfuljob teaching recovering substanceabusers (girls) in a rehab/residential program.But as I didn’t believe in ‘puttingthem on the ground’ (physical restraint)and was too kind in my methods ofbehavior management, the administrationdidn’t rehire me. A pity —the girls,staff, and my coteacher all loved thetough, CA-type education I insisted ongiving them . . . Wish us luck—I’m supportinga 102 year-old mother.” For me,Muffy Myers Johannsen, 2009 broughtsome nice changes, the best of whichwas the arrival of our first grandson (thirdgrandchild.) Besides relishing being anew father, son Pete continues his interestin making furniture out of steel andwood, sharing studio space with Lily, anewly certified jewelry maker. Rem isstill teaching in Berlin, and we Skypefrequently with granddaughter Ellie, 2.Mary works in finance in Boston. Her18-month-old daughter Alexandra and Ispend Thursdays together because Iretired from Meadowbrook in June.Being director of development was agreat career, but while I very much missmy colleagues, I am happy to have timeto take care of my grandchildren and pursueold and new interests. HusbandPete is practicing law, with no currentplans to retire. Sally Fisher Treat continuesto enjoy her job and family of dogs inFlorida. All the dogs continue to doagility, and more—one has taken up discdoggin’ and another is learning how toherd sheep. It’s like being a soccer mom,minivan and all! Nancy Holst is becominga transplant too, and recentlyadopted a lovely yellow lab to go alongwith her mini schnauzer. Anne GaudTinker writes, “I just sold my house in49C O N C O R D A C A D E M Y. O R G S P R I N G 2 0 1 0
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