1966 Class Notes for 2018
Diane Tarantino North (Hendersonville, NC) teaches upper division history classes, especially World War I and American West online at U. of Maryland University College and has written “California at War: the State and People During World War I,” due out in June 2018.
Barbara Drygulski Wright (Willimantic, CT) traveled to Riyadh to participate in accreditation of a private university there. She and Pat hope to move to California to be closer to family but the fires prevented a “look and see” trip.
Peggy Harrington MacNeill (Red Bank, NJ) downsized from New Providence, NJ, to help with her daughter’s family. Peggy continues on the Board of Trustees for her alma mater Benedictine Academy, now urban college prep for girls, in Elizabeth, NJ. She and Jay also have a son and family in Longmeadow, MA. Peggy is “almost” a gold through her friendship with Boodie Christian (’67) and her group.
Jeanne Schuerholz Rosenwald (Savannah, GA) and Bob volunteer in groups preserving quality of life in the tourist mecca of the Landmark District. Jeanne also works with the local police department to advance the principles of Intelligence Led Policing. Jeanne and Bob celebrated their 50th anniversary and have a special trip planned to visit Germany. A historian there has published a book about Bob’s mother’s family and town. She escaped Nazism in the late ’30s but her family did not.
Carol Tobin (Charlotte NC) enjoyed Reunion and keeps active with her husband at the local Y and in their community association.
Coral Schneck Gubler (Jacksonville, FL) loves FL but travels nationwide to visit her own children and family members (Coral was one of 10).
Another of 10 is Sally O’Neill Meyer (Verona, NJ) so those folks, her own five and grandchildren keep Ted and her busy. They, too, celebrated their 50th with family and enjoy visits to FL.
Kathy Carey (Nichols Hills, OK) works part-time teaching at Oklahoma City University master’s program in Montessori education and teaches 2 ½- to 5-year-olds involved in that program. She spent three weeks in 2017 in Taiwan and will go again this summer as the program was approved there. She co-edits “Montessori Life” magazine with her daughter in CA. Her son and family live near Kathy.
Christine Donovan (NYC) continues her community efforts for better services and quality of life in an “over-burdened, over-developed and under-served NYC.” She enjoyed trips to China in ’09 and ’14 and the Dordogne region in ’16 and ’17, “land of castles, caves and culinary delights.” Christine has discovered the “mindfulness meditation method,” a fine way “to accept and let go, thwart anxiety and arthritis.”
Eileen Davis (DC) wishes everyone “a year of real, personal, individual peace and insight.” Eileen attended the very sad funeral of Kathleen Mary Murphy Battle in January 2018. Kathleen, a Trinity Belle, was “a lively soul, full of personal kindness and charity, with a fun spirit.”
Aikya Param (Eunice Diehl, Oakland, CA) writes of the northern CA fires that raged, but missed her home. In June she will graduate from Holmes Institute for Consciousness Studies. She will then be a licensed minister with Centers for Spiritual Living. She looks forward to ordination in 2021. She loves her church community in Vallejo and serves prison inmates nationwide via an affirmative newsletter and correspondence from 200 helpers.
Jane Hetherington (Davis, CA) volunteers as a hospital chaplain and teaches an ESL conversation class for adults. She sings with the Threshold Choir, whose ministry is to sing at the thresholds of life. Her grandsons and “finally” a granddaughter keep her busy as well.
Jane Dammen McAuliffe (DC) and Dennis remain busy at work with Georgetown University and the Library of Congress. She recently published a book on the Qur’an. She sees Patti Magee Vaughan, a new docent at the Library. One of Jane’s granddaughters will be performing with the Chautauqua Festival Dancers this summer.
Evie Sweeney Naranjo (Silver Spring, MD) has moved to an Erickson retirement community and enjoys various classes and activities there. Her son and family will return to the US from two years in London with NATO. Son Brian returns from Caracas and will be at the US Embassy in Ottawa. She is happy to have all her family on one continent.
Catherine Kirby (Provence, France) has “one husband, two girls, four grandchildren” all within 20 miles. Reunion sparked interest to film the Belles singing and surrounded by classmates. The idea was good but distribution difficult. Cathy’s history major was revived when she found that old newspapers are being scanned and worked over with OCR software so they can be searched easily. Family secrets are revealed. Cathy wonders if someone could write the story of the experiences of black women at Trinity. A history major then or today?
Jeanne Dupont Dutra (South Dartmouth, MA) counts her week as swimming day, gym day, Friday with Ann Marie’s children, Ruby and Conor, and is very happy that “in the morning she feels good to go and face a fine new day.”
Elsa Schwarz Labonski shares, “I taught middle school science in Broward County public schools for several years. With weekly science experiments, the Hazmat team interceded only once.” She retired to help care for her mom, who recently passed away. Elsa tutors several children and volunteers twice weekly in the local public school. She also attended the Women’s March and the Science March in 2017 with family members. She and Dick have been married for almost 52 years. He plays violin in a string quartet. They plan to leave South FL and will soon move back north to be closer to their children. Their son Rich is the sales director for eastern US and the UK, doing gigabit optical networks. Peter is a partner in a NY law firm and Zuberu is a master chef in DC. “We have 11 grandchildren – altogether a great family,” she says.
Virginia Lopez Begg (Andover, MA) enjoys her seven grandchildren and is still “deeply immersed in historical research and writing.”
No pay raise and no politics either for your scribe. I continue volunteer work at our parish kindergarten, my book club readings and the various tasks of “life” and “living.” Joe and I enjoyed a wonderful 50th anniversary celebration with sons, their wives and 10 grandchildren and my 94-year-old mother. On vacation in FL, Joe and I visited Barbara Custer in St. Petersburg. Barbara Ballentine Sinnott came from her home just around the corner and it seemed like 50 years ago was yesterday. I hope everyone enjoyed these small but certainly varied stories of our lives. I close with Jane Hetherington’s words: “I truly have a grateful heart for the many riches in my life, one of the most important being a Trinity woman – and a ‘green’ one at that.” May our lives continue to embrace and reflect our Trinity heritage.
Love,
Valerie Quandt Sperber