1962 Class Notes for 2021
As of this writing the snow in Bethlehem PA is almost gone…all 30 inches of it! Perhaps there will be a golf season after all.
My first note came from Barbara Ondercheck Black. 2020 was certainly a year of change for Barbara and Frank. Starting in October 2019 they began a renovation of her parents rambler to make it even more senior friendly than the split level home they had lived in for 50 years. It was finally completed March 28, 2020 and on March 31st , just as everything was shutting down because of the pandemic, they moved across the street along with the rose garden and perennial flowers from the old house. They now have everything on one level and can safely age in place! Barbara has two knee replacements this year and even with that going on is serving as the class rep organizing the 55th Georgetown Medical School reunion that will hopefully take place in October of this year. Frank is doing well after a hip replacement in July of 2020 and is now able to enjoy his new larger vegetable garden. Frank III and Diane, our daughter-in-law, are doing well. Chris, our grandson, is now a sophomore at Virginia Tech studying engineering, and Kate is a sophomore at Bishop O’Connell HS. We all pray that things will return eventually to some sort of normalcy.
A lovely note from Rosemarie Leonardo Frankino who lives in Newtown Square, PA. She enjoys many activities in her community with access to frequent lectures and courses, even with the shutdown, and vaccines for all residents! And, they have their own TV station! She is grateful that her two daughters and two grand-daughters are nearby, and also her son in New York City. Like most of us she misses getting around and seeing people. Unfortunately, a nursing condition with her legs keeps her with a walker but she carries on the good fight for all of us!
2020 has been quiet says Eniko Molnar Basa. The Embassy to bestow the Knight’s cross on her has been postponed until celebrations can be held again. Her other plans, a trip to Hungary for the American Hungarian Educators Association conference in Pécs has been cancelled, but hopefully will take place in 2021 via Zoom. She is looking forward to meeting with collages and presenting her paper. Sadly, family visits and jaunts in the area haven’t been possible due to the pandemic. Otherwise, she is staying close to home and keeping safe and looking forward to a more constructive time in Congress and in the White House after the chaotic times in the last months. She admires our own Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi’s calm and resolute leadership in the government crisis.
All is good in the lives of Carol Murray Hogan and Brian, although Carol’s biggest mental challenge is grappling with the idea that we are in this decade of our lives! Her day-to-day life is not much different than before the pandemic expect for wearing masks when there is grocery shopping to be done! The granddaughters are at Columbia Univ in NYC and Denison in OH. Thankfully the children all seem to be happy and doing well.
It has been a quiet year says SaraLeah Swiggard Hankes. She missed going to Japan with her two daughters as well a trip to Seattle to see the two and three year old grandchildren. She and Lynn have stayed busy with their programs and regular meetings which keeps them busy. A GREAT thing to come out of this though is that they have a weekly Zoom visit with all the kids and grandkids. Speaking of kids…Bill and Lisa are doing well in Seattle, Nancy just got to a new level in her Japanese tea culture and now has a tea name “So Kay”. A BIG DEAL in the Tea world!
Ann O’Hearn has moved to Naples, Florida after 51 years in Palo Alto, CA. She spent the Summer returning to the Bay Area, prepping the house and putting it on the market. The house sold to a lovely young family and she is delighted. Her son, wife and grandchildren live in Thousand Oaks and are tolerating the lockdowns, homeschooling and loss of jobs. Both are working now, but all could change with the next announcement of a firm’s relocation usually to Texas. I will stay with them when I can and stay for longer periods of time than our usual frequent and quick trips from now on. They see the time when they will leave as well but being native Californians, they will stay and hope for the best.
Carole Eisenhauer Updyke has not been doing anything exciting since her doctor recommended quarantine last March. She had been diagnosed with Breast and Lung Cancer four and a half years ago and she is so blessed to still be alive! Her Oncologist says her lungs and immune system are both weakened and that she should avoid being around other people. She has learned to Zoom and has attended numerous sessions of the International Catholic Stewardship Conference in September and October of 2020. She also Zooms locally for Church and Wellsprings Village meetings and even had a Gala fundraiser via computer for the Wellsprings Shelter and family Zooms. I’m sure by now she has received both of the Vaccine shots and looks forward to some light at the end of the tunnel and getting back to normal.
Sheilah Wilson Kenedy and Reid celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year. They have been blessed with four children and 11 grandchildren and soon will be blessed with a great-granddaughter! The youngest grandchildren are 12 and 14 and live in Omaha close to Reid and Sheilah. The rest are tin college, employed, and out in the world! Even with their health issues both Reid and Sheilah are leading “normal” lives in this Covid world. Reid has MS and myasthenia gravis and her with “C” but none of the kids has mentioned the words “retirement community”!
A nice note from Sr. Anne O’Donnell. You may recall both she and Sr. Mary Hayes ‘57 and now Trinity Archivist, live in the Cloisters across the street from Trinity. The pandemic does not affect them very much because they are “busy bees” working with the Archives. We are so grateful that these two ladies are so dedicated to the school.
As for me, all is good. The granddaughter twins are 6 and in Grade 1 in Spanish Immersion here in Bethlehem. And let’s not forget the Ballet, Horseback Riding, and Music lessons! (One plays the Cello, the other the Violin). As you may remember, the other five grands and the one great-grand are in Canada. Thank heavens for Zoom calls!
Stay safe dear friends. Hopefully we will meet again soon.
Love,
Joan
Joanclark62@gmail.com