1959 Class Notes for 2015
Dear all of ’59,
Thank you for all your emails, notes and generous checks for the Class Fund.
Connie Brown Guild lives in rural Connecticut, halfway between Boston and New York, and spends time in both cities. She has her own art studio and keeps busy with that, volunteer work and grandchildren.
Kathryn Glavin Gagliardi reports a status quo year. Children and grandchildren are well with two more graduating from high school. She plans to meet Sue O’Neil Flink, Mary Kay Wantz Reber, Julie Moran Hall and Bernadette “Bizi” Waters Reidy in NYC in the spring.
Mary Ellen Amberg Graham is hoping to step down as president/executive director of My Place Germantown and is teaching research writing at Philadelphia Community College. She loves it. Sons, daughters and grandchildren are thriving.
Ellen Jo Connolly Langreth has been a little slowed down this year due to health issues. She is still taking care of her summer house and seven grandchildren. The oldest has started college and can always use a little extra book money. The four-year-old at the other end is fun to teach.
Jo Anne Ibanez Yionoulis spent the required number of months to establish residency in Colorado (she still has her condo in Maryland). Interacting with her grandchildren Victoria (2) and Max (4) has been a wonder. Son Tom and his wife are established in their careers and doing well. The five of them took a Disney cruise and loved it so much that they have already planned another. Jo’s condo in Colorado is completed except for hanging all the beautiful pictures Steve took.
Kay Gallagher Lavey convinced Jo to join her and some dear friends on a Mediterranean cruise – a great trip. Jo and Sarah “Sally” Finnegan Harrs continue to hold their Sunday “Board Meetings” at Tysons Corner, where they discuss life and solve the major issues of the day.
Patty Rizk’s health appears to have stabilized. Sam, her older brother, passed away in 2014. Now only sister, Larisse (94), and a niece and nephews are there to support her. Her spirits remain high. Jo commented on our Reunion, “18 of us attended with a couple of husbands. I am again struck by the fact that when we meet time melts away: we are so comfortable with each other talking about our lives and catching up on news of classmates. Of course, no one can tell we are in our 70s by our looks or our enthusiasm.” I’m sure all 18 agree with that.
Sylvia Murray Hutter is moving along exceptionally well on a new knee. She still volunteers at the Museum of Fine Arts and for various local services. She plays golf, tennis and swims. Dolph is fine and working full time. They have 13 grandchildren: two out of college and working and various ages down to a four-year-old. They drastically downsized a year ago but still have rooms to welcome any visitors to Boston.
Mary Ann McNulty D’Adamo got together for a few days in NYC with Martha Bennett Williams and Vivian O’ConnorMalloy. Her oldest grandson just returned from an adventurous junior year of high school in Beijing. While he was there, her mornings started with pictures or an email from him. She and the family felt that they were having an adventure as well.
Bizi Waters Reidy wrote while watching snow fall on the Jersey shore. She likes summers the best as the children and grandchildren take advantage of “chez MaBizi.” Her oldest grandson, Jimmy, is working in New York. His sister, Mary Claire, will graduate in May from Franklin and Marshall College. Ellie is a sophomore at Cornell and is on the swim team. Andy is a high school junior. Annie (10) Jack (7) and Sean (4) live in NYC. Bizi’s sister, Maureen, has moved back to New Jersey after 25 years in Phoenix. Bizi gets to see her cousin, Julie Whelan Considine ’56 often, but not often enough. She has seen Mary Kay, Julie, Kathryn, Sue O’Neill Flink, Sally and JoAnne on some quick visits or lunches. Bizi still does jazzercise every day and walks the boardwalk on the weekends. She plays bridge several times a week and loves her once-a-month book club. Judy Zazzalie Hughes ’61 belongs to the same book club. Bizi also raved about our Reunion and her trip down and back with Jon and Julie Hall.
Eileen “Dugan” Haney Romano’s latest news is the arrival of her new granddaughter, a thrill after two boys. Both Dugan and her kids got started late and she now has four grandchildren under five. Dugan still manages to keep the international airlines in business with travel abroad, most recently Uzbekistan and Italy. She will do an art trip to Brussels and the Netherlands soon. Her US travels focus mostly on NYC, where she plays with Mary-Louise Kissling Flood, making use of her National Gallery of Art ID to get them into museum shows. She is into her 24th year at the National Gallery and has added the Kreeger Museum to her roster of docent duties.
Marjorie Marilley Ransom believes the nicest thing about retirement is having the time to be with family, in her case her three daughters and their families. Her oldest daughter, Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s special friend, Jose, and Marjorie took a really inexpensive eight-day trip to Turkey. They were traveling with a group of 41 people who turned out to be an interesting and dynamic group. They found Turkey to be an easy place to visit with wonderful ancient sites, museums and excellent food. In July, she spent four days in Paris with her youngest daughter, Sarah, and her family. They rented an apartment near the Seine, walked and went to parks, took boat rides and ate well. Then they joined all the rest of the family at a chateau in the Loire Valley to celebrate her middle daughter Katherine’s 20th wedding anniversary. Marjorie admits the most exciting event of 2014 is the final appearance of her book, Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba: Regional Styles of Yemeni Jewelry. By mistake, her publisher sent the first copy to a friend in Baltimore. When Marjorie finally held it in her hands in June, she was relieved and pleased. “It has a wonderful design, good binding, high quality paper and, most important, good quality pictures. It has nine reviews on Amazon if you are curious.”
Mary Ann Revell Alberti’s children are well and successful. She and Paul are fortunate that Karen and Margaret and their families are nearby. Paul Jr. is in Maryland, about two hours away. His son is married and lives in New York. Two of Karen’s children are still in college at Drexel and University of Deleware. Her other son is in grad school at Stanford. Margaret’s daughter is in eighth grade. Retirement has been active with time to travel, volunteer and relax at the beach. Hurricane Sandy was an unwelcome visitor at the Alberti house on Long Beach Island. The entire first floor had to be stripped to the beams and redone. The house was finished in September. Visitors are welcome.
Mary Ann just heard from Margot Schlieckert Titmus that her husband, Wayne, died. Margot is holding up as well as can be expected. Her sons, daughters-in-law and granddaughter are very supportive. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Margot.
Mary Louise Kissling Flood has had several visits with Dugan Haney Romano and they always follow the museum viewing to-do list. Mary Louise had worked in the north tower a few years before the tragedy, so was not sure how she would feel about the 9/11 museum, but she was favorably impressed. She hopes to travel to Europe in June with her sister.
Pat Lynch had foot surgery in February ’14 and could not walk for several weeks. Surgery was followed by months of rehab, and she is now trying to get motivated to start an intense cardio routine at her gym. Bizi’s daily jazzercise is inspiring her to get going while she has the energy and intent. Her family is well after a troubled flu season. They got through Christmas but most were dragging with several verified cases of flu. Pat is still very involved in Annapolis/Anne Arundel County, MD, community service. Her organization was heavily involved in sponsoring several “Candidates’ Nights” and working to support the campaigns of those from both parties who represent the district. Now they are working with council members and state delegates to support local interests and bring the county back to sound fiscal controls. She spoke with Patti Igoe O’Connor who is living in Garden City in an apartment near the street where she and Mike raised the six O’Connor children. Patti is dealing with shoulder problems due to some fractures from a minor accident in her apartment.
Connie Sommer has been in Santa Monica for five years and loves it. Her daughter Kate is in Palo Alto with Beckett (1). Connie’s daughter Anne is in Santa Monica and has three children (9, 7, 5). Connie went back to Africa for the 20th time in November. She loves Botswana.
In June I gave up teaching two math courses a semester at the local community college. I loved doing it, but now love my new freedom. In September I spent several weeks in Italy and Germany with daughter Susan and her husband. In November I visited Tyrell in Cambridge, babysat for BJ’s girls in Seattle and spent turkey time with BJ, his family and his in-laws in FL. In December, Susan, Kurt, their two children and I spent a week in North Conway, NH where they skied and snowboarded. I spent Christmas in Fairfax with Susan, her family and Tyrell. I received a holiday card from Sheila McHugh Barnwell with a picture of her handsome family. Many thanks to Sally for her help with this letter.
Sheila Haberkorn
Shaber4496@carolina.rr.com