Sweet Briar College Magazine - Spring 2018

CLASS NOTES
sbc.edu
“foxes?” From whence did that collective
terminology emerge?!!?) I
had trip in mid-February to India, a
country that I’ve visited many times
and find endlessly fascinating: This
trip was with WAFA (World Association
of Flower Arrangers). A
trip to Paris and the Loire to visit
chateaux and gardens on the calendar
for May. Quotidian existence “at
home” includes book clubs, concerts,
theater and study groups; I’ve just
completed years as a Stephen Minister
and several community involvements
but continue as a GCA Floral
Design judge and lecturer. I couldn’t
believe the number of octogenarians
celebrating in our last class notes —
that’s us, babes, and let’s “go like 60”
until we gather for our reunion!!
Lizora Miller Yonce (A Christmas
card from Lizora and family):
We were at the Intrepid Sea, Air &
Space Museum in New York City
for a black-tie dinner last June. The
George C. Marshall Foundation
presented the inaugural GCMF
Humanitarian Award to Michael
Bloomberg, recognizing his extraordinary
philanthropy and the effects
of his generosity on the lives of
countless individuals and numerous
organizations that have benefitted
from his largess. Dr. Kissinger was
recognized for a lifetime dedicated
to supporting free enterprise and
democracy throughout the globe and
for his skilled statesmanship in solving
tough problems. Son Cliff was
co-chairman.
Jane (Puss) Moore Banks: Retirement
is treating me well. Taking
classes at Towson University. Trying
to stay healthy and happy. Love
working in my garden.
Judy Nevins LeHardy: Our
biggest news is that granddaughter
Annie LeHardy (25) is now Melania
Trump’s communications aide
— she has been a press aide in the
White House for a year in the West
Wing. Annie’s brother Barrett has
left for nine months in Kuwait with
the Army Dive Unit he commands.
We still spend time at Kiawah Island,
SC We have become South
Carolina residents but still live in
Virginia for now. We recently took
care of our three youngest grandsons
— redheads 2, 3, and 4 years old,
who live in Annapolis.
Ann Pegram Howington: I got
to go to the Amazon jungle last fall,
scary, interesting, and am home now.
I enjoyed Sweet Briar Alumnae’s Living
Room Learning lectures, superb,
about 400 people (assorted) once a
week for several weeks — really good
lectures — this time about 1950’s
period, and I hope terrific PR for
Sweet Briar — these have grown up
out of lectures in alum living rooms,
which grew bigger and bigger, and I
am really proud of them.
Polly Space Dunn: Had a bout
of a-fib but after a few weeks of meds
and the electric shock thingy. I seem
to be ok…. Scary, but I plan to play
some golf. Getting old is no fun.
Tabb Thornton Farinholt: Our
only granddaughter, Ida Farinholt,
was written up in Lacrosse Magazine
toward the end of January for her
amazing return to the Cornell women’s
lacrosse team after two surgeries,
and a whole year off; she’s back in
fine form, one of the senior captains.
Hard not to cheer that one on.
Julia Watts Buchanan: The biggest
news is that after 58 years at
Johns Hopkins I retired in July 2017.
My life quite different now — some
things great and others taking time
to make necessary adjustments.
Jane Wheeler Garcia: Hi, Everyone!
Looking forward to my 80th
birthday along with all of you! A
word of encouragement: let’s finish
strong in the Lord!
Ali Wood Thompson: October
brought our 5th wonderful trip
to Africa (Botswana, Zambia and
Zimbabwe). We met many fascinating
couples from all over the world
in the 4 different bush camps we
visited, and of course, the animals
were such a treat to see. So, I think
it is time to explore other parts of the
world now. Well-l-l, as long as we are
healthy enough to travel. Aloha.
1961
Julie O’Neil Arnheim
41 Pitt Street
Charleston, SC 29401
jarnheim@princeton.edu
Bette Hutchins Sharland
1724 Aberdeen Circle
Crofton, MD 21114-1628
besssharland@verizon.net
Rue Wallace Judd is moving
from Houston back to Washington,
DC, at the end of March where she
and Ardon lived for more than 44
years. She will be closer to her two
daughters, who live in NYC and in
Portland, ME. While in Maine last
summer, she caught up with Nancy
Coppedge Lynn through a very long
phone conversation. I know that she
visited Monet’s Giverny in France
last May because she commented on
my (Julie O’Neil Arnheim’s) summer
2017 Instagram collage photo of
the gardens. Willia Fales Eckerberg
and I visited in May ’17 in the rain
while in Paris May 1-4, and it was as
strikingly beautiful as ever. We old
girls still get around the world as well
as around on social media! Rue reports
that Donna Pearson Chapman
’64 hosted a lovely lunch for five alums
in Houston for President Woo,
on her birthday, that also included
Betsy Pearson Griffin ’62. Rue expresses
great confidence in President
Woo’s leadership and concomitant
high hopes for the future of SBC.
Nancy claims that she leads a “very
ordinary life” keeping her mind sharp
by playing Mah Jong and Hand and
Foot, a card game, and participating
in book clubs in Atlanta and Maine.
[ JOA notes : Keeping one’s mind
sharp is getting to be more than just
ordinary. ]
Faith Bullis Mace, now a permanent
resident of Florida, stays on the
move, and that includes more than
just playing tennis. Her Carribean
cruise was cut in half due to Hurricane
Irma but she and her former
Gray suitemate, Mary Hannah ’62,
are booked to cruise from Fort Lauderdale
to Rome, April 12-27. Faith’s
oldest grandchild of seven will enter
Savannah College of Art and Design
in GA this fall. It was the only college
he applied to, so one can guess at
the level of his talent. It’s tough to get
into SCAD. She will drive to Pennsylvania
for his high school graduation
on her way to visit sister Starr
’60, Faith visited with Deeda Hill
Bradford and Reed at their home in
Coalmont, TN, close to Monteagle.
She sent a photo of Deeda and Reed
who will have been happily married
for 58 years on June 10, the date of
the civil ceremony (as required in
Germany where they married while
Reed was in the U.S. Army). This
was prior to a Church ceremony,
which took place on June 11. They
generally celebrate on June 11.
Laura Conway Nason, back in
Hosted at a luncheon by Donna
Pearson Chapman ‘64, Rue
Wallace Judd ‘61 sends this photo
pf President Woo celebrating her
birthday in Houston. The group of
five alumnae also included Better
Pearson Griffin ‘62
Sophomore class song form
spring 1959 Step Singing
Deeda Hill Bradford and husband
Reed in TN
Sedona, is finally physically close
enough to the boxes of “stuff ”she has
moved from state to state over all the
years and is disciplined enough to
go through them. She sent me some
SBC memorabilia that she kept over
the years. I am sending in a photo of
a page from a Sophomore Step Singing
mimeographed sheet.
Catherine Caldwell Cabaniss
remembers fondly the dinner she
and husband Bill shared with Bee
Newman Thayer and her husband,
Brad, and several other classmates of
’61 at the University Club in NYC
in Dec. 2016. Our class was so fond
of Brad, who passed away on Feb. 17
in NH. Julie, your co-secretary, was
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