1949 Class Notes for 2019
Mail bag was light this year, but Mildred Carey Hubler continued her custom of being first to respond. Our world traveler now restricts herself to Virginia and Florida, for family reunions. Grandchildren are graduating from colleges all over the country. Milly’s quota is one per year. Her major activity centers on lifelong learning classes at University of Dayton, including Agatha Christie, Viet Nam, Broadway musicals, and World War II. Milly is eclectic as always.
Another lifelong learner, of course, is Joan Williams Dunn-Williams. She is deep in production of plays at Eckard College – the latest one being a complex work based on original documents of the Elizabethan Age (NOT the current Elizabeth!). She and I are optimistically planning to attend our 70th Reunion in May. Milly expects to join us, along with Joan Monagan Clinton and Ann Groschan Murphy. Cristina Muniz Lizzo is thinking about it.
Mail brought a card which announced: “JOY is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.” Teilhard de Chardin. Sister Beth McCormick’s “ quiet but pleasant life” does indeed radiate joy. Last September brought a 90th birthday party with four generations of family, ages 90 to three months. Walks along the Hudson River, weather permitting, are reachable from the apartment she has enjoyed for 15 years.
No one can top the news from Mary Quinn Scolio. Her granddaughter Emily made Mary a great-grandmother (for the first time) of twins, no less. August and Anne were named after Mary’s own twins of years ago. In the understatement of the year, Mary said, “We are all happy about this.”
Another faithful contributor, Marita Rover Frank, wrote that she and Bill are still enjoying their 55-and-over community in Wilmington, with no major health issues at the moment, although Bill is somewhat limited. Daughter Susan and family live nearby and help when needed. Other children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are out of town but visit often. Marita and Bill also join his family yearly for a week at the Jersey Shore.
During a phone visit with Mary Welch Porter, I could almost hear the din connected with destruction of the deck of her long-time residence, which is to be replaced under the direction of her retired son-in-law. Mary did not commit as to whether this means she is considering a move to smaller quarters, rumored for some time. Family lives nearby, including son John. Mary dog-sits John’s pet Ellie (a greyhound-lab mix) from time to time. Just looking after herself consumes most waking hours, to which most of us can relate.
After my deadline came two phone calls. Patricia Herron in Sonoma CA is happily retired from judging and vineyard owning. She is thinking about moving to a house she owns where she might install a hot tub. You probably saw her included in the notable alums featured in Trinity’s recent salute. She asked about Barbara McMahon Sullivan
who by some chance happened to call me the very next day. She reminded me that she met her future husband, Dick, at Joan Williams’ Halloween party in our sophomore year. Dick is home but in hospice care for heart problems, but he is quite lucid. All three of us
reminisced of the good times we had on Fourth South our last two years and what a
lasting gift was our education at Trinity.
Diversity in my extended family continues, to the delight of us all. Piotr from Poland will shortly become a grandson-in law, joining a granddaughter-in-law from Taiwan, a Jewish daughter-in-law, and three Jewish grandchildren. We all gather happily each year in May for the Indianapolis Five Hundred Mile Race Weekend. The tradition was started by my own father, who attended the first race in the early nineteen hundreds.
Best wishes to all of you,
Ellen Wagner Healey