1953 Class Notes for 2018
Dear Friends from TC 1953,
Thank you all for dusting off your devices, pens and telephones in order to communicate with college friends! It’s been such a pleasure to hear from you all!
A warm and affectionate letter arrived from Shonnie Hall Finnegan, whom I had last seen at Leah Stephens Snyder’s funeral in July 2016. She joined Adelene Cowhig Quigley, Pat O’Neal Schmitt, Jan Dempsey Largay and me and it was so meaningful for us all to laugh and cry together. Leah’s loving friendship is sorely missed. Shonnie told us she was moving to a first-floor condo and although it was emotionally wrenching to find a new home for sentimental treasures, she and her three daughters managed to get the job done.
A delightful phone call from Diddy Dreyfus Fleming (whose voice I recognized immediately!) contained so much info that I’m having a problem keeping it all straight! She is looking at retirement locations in both the SC and Atlanta areas, each where she has a daughter living.A lovely note arrived from Joan Payden. Joan lives by the beach in Santa Monica and as she is the CEO of Payden and Rygel, an international money management firm, she travels extensively to their offices in Boston, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Milan. She occasionally sees Elaine de Montigny Donovan and Gerry Shea McVay, all former residents of 3rd North. She would love to see any member of the Class of ’53 who may be traveling in CA.
Christine Kennedy O’Connor wrote that she would try to make our Reunion. She and Dan have moved to Pinehurst, NC. They are active in their community and really enjoy the lifestyle. Betty Harkins Creamer says she still answers “Yes!” to the two most frequent questions: “Are you still in your home,” and “Are you still driving.” She also cuts her own grass – so much for accommodating the wisdom of age!
Mary “Met” Thurin Freeman sent a wonderful photo of her entire family – 25 people and everyone smiling! Met’s husband Dick passed away just before the holidays last year. He had served with the Marines and was given military honors at his funeral Mass. Met sent along her love and good wishes to her classmates.
John and Mary Conboy Rossiter moved back to MA in 2015 and although they do miss their FL life, it has been a good decision. Four of their children are nearby and that has been both a pleasure and blessing. They live a quiet life with old and new friends nearby. Rosemarie Battistelli Altieri and Pat are well and living a quiet life in CT. They have four grandchildren who are doing well in school and looking ahead to college. A brief note from Betsy Staat Romson shared that she had surgery in January and was waiting for permission to resume traveling. Betsy and her husband live in AZ, and they have a Jesuit son who is stationed in the Caribbean.
It has been a quiet year for Mike and Florence Sullivan Christ so they celebrated by fostering a 52 lb. Siberian husky who was rescued from the flood in Houston. He is very active, very strong, very friendly – and always hungry. Florence and Mike challenge themselves with the NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle and the hard level Sudoku puzzle. The Sullivans have one last grandchild in high school. Another granddaughter, Miranda, is a sophomore at Brown, majoring in computer science and is a teacher’s assistant. Two grandchildren are out of college, one working in NY and one in DE. Alice was in Tajikistan last year on a Fulbright Fellowship and afterward she and Mary flew to China and Tibet.
Pat Glunz Spencer sent clippings of the Catholic Charities 2017 Mandatum Award presentation, which was given to the Glunz Family for their living example of fulfilling Christ’s mandate to serve the poor through sustained acts of charity. The mother of eight children, Pat was a founding member of the IL Right to Life Committee and was invited to be in the first class of Dames of the order of Malta.
Julie Cohalan Eichenberger wrote a short note filled with good news. Two of her four sons will retire this year, two of her eight grandchildren (seven of them are girls) will marry in July and two more are engaged. All in the family find their work challenging and productive, including her youngest son John, who is an attorney and carries on that Cohalan tradition.
Just as I was pulling my notes together to type, a great letter arrived from Martha McGill Thornley. Her children (ages 50 to 62) are well and her two grandchildren are a special blessing. Her prison ministry has ended, but she does continue to write to an inmate at a NY maximum prison. Martha had lunch recently with Marie Noonan Sabinand reports that Marie’s new book should be published in February – she is an amazing biblical scholar and friend. Martha had also spoken recently to Betsy Romson and Shonnie Hall and had heard of the death of Yvonne Guertin Christopher – what a gentle and faith-filled person she was. Larry and I would warmly agree.
Pat Schmitt had been driving along peaceably in her almost antique station wagon this past summer when she was hit head-on. Pat’s car was totaled. She has recovered well and she, Corinne O’Neil Wood, Pat Shannon McNally-McDonough, and I, along with all our daughters, convened for a lively and laughter filled lunch in the fall. Sadly, we recently learned that Pat Shannon McNally-McDonough passed away in March 2018.Mary Catherine Elward Halvorsen wondered if anyone from ’53 was planning to attend Reunion this year. She reports that her children are fine and her grandchildren, as well. Sadly, M.C.’s sister, Anne F. Elward, died on Christmas Day last year. During her long life, Anne had won many awards for her teaching activities.
Last January Kerry and I spent some time in FL and were happy to join Pat Schmitt, Adelene Quigley and Jan Largay as guests of Barbara Jenneman Mack and Dick at their club for dinner. It was a delightful time. Imagine our shock to learn then in early May 2017 that Barbara had unexpectedly died and then that Dick (who had not been in good health) had passed away in early June. Their losses were certainly a big blow to the Trinity group in Naples.
This winter, the same TC ladies gathered at Pat Schmitt’s apartment for dinner and they were joined by George Snyder, Leah Snyder’s husband, who could not resist “the call of the wild” and came to join the group for plenty of reminiscing and laughter.
One of my most exciting communications was a phone call from Claartje (Clair) Rathjens Bertaut. Claartje has begun to write the story of her family’s escape from Nazi Germany at the beginning of WWII – the tale is so gripping I could hardly bear to put down the phone!
My own year has been largely uneventful, for which I’m thankful. My daughter Kerry (TC ’80) and I enjoyed our visit to FL last year so much that we spent this January there (with various family members coming and going) and have already reserved another condo for next year. We are also looking forward to the wedding of my other daughter Lauren’s (TC ’84) oldest son in May.
Several letters this year really pleased me a lot – some of which said the writer only wrote (very) sporadically or had not written in decades, but always read the Journal updates with great enjoyment. Thanks to all of you! And for all of you planning to attend Reunion this year – have a wonderful time celebrating the 65 years of friendship and memories we share!
Nancy McCormack O’Connell
Kerryoc1@gmail.com