1978 Class Notes for 2020

August 4, 2021

Dear Classmates,

As we work on this class letter, we find ourselves in a very different world than last year. Most of us are home-bound, doing our best with social distancing, and trying to keep our spirits up in this time of isolation. It is no surprise that we heard from so many of you this year. We are grateful to all who sought to reach out to friends and renew connections. Kathy and Maria hope you know that the sharing of yourselves and your news are truly great gifts to each of us. It is what makes being a Trinity alum so special. So, pour yourself a glass of wine, sit back in your most comfortable chair, and enjoy a conversation with the Class of 1978!

Let’s get started with Helen Adams Muka. She checked in with a brief note to let us know that she is well and spending a little time contemplating what she would like to do next in life. Good to hear from you, Helen!

Theresa Barker Fachini and her husband John, are both retired and living the good life in Brandford, CT, a neat little town on Long Island Sound not far from New Haven. Beautifully situated on a picturesque pond and easily accessible to NYC and the shore, she spends a lot of time entertaining visitors. Theresa is participating as a healthy control for a couple of brain studies, including one focused on Alzheimer’s, being conducted by Yale University. While hunkering down at home and doing her best to maintain social distance, Theresa enjoys a weekly cocktail hour via Zoom with classmates Elizabeth (Beth) Adams Tonner, Christine Horigan, Kathleen (Kate) Cooke Ryan and Kathleen Keefe. They pass the time drinking wine, catching up and attempting to solve the world’s problems. They always seem, however, to devolve into reminiscing about their 1978 spring break in “Ft. Liquordale!

After a long absence, we got an upbeat note from Margaret (Margy) Brooks Reagan. She reported that since leaving her position in the Alumnae Affairs Office at Trinity, many doors that she never imagined existed were unlocked. Happily, her business and family are flourishing and she has added Rue McClanahan Reagan, a gorgeous pit-bull terrier and “best golden girl”, to her clan. At this stage in her life, Margy is trying to prioritize good health and happiness and that her smile has never been wider. Tragically, her positive email was followed only days later by one with very sad news. On Holy Thursday, her beloved husband, Rex, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at home as the result of a massive heart attack. We can only imagine what a devasting blow this must have been for Margy. She acknowledged that, while her life will never be the same, her and her husband’s love is everlasting and that will help her carry on. Margy, please know that you are in all of our thoughts and prayers at this unthinkably sorrowful time.

Maria practically tripped over her mailbox when she found a green envelope among all the catalogues from Nancy Bucca Miklos! All is well in New Jersey! Nancy lives at the beach where she operates her own interior design firm that does business in New Jersey, New York City and Florida. She has been blessed with two children and two fabulous grandsons who are doing great—all successful and happy!

Not only did we hear from Nancy, we also got a long email from Stephanie Butterworth Fricke! So good to hear from you, Stephanie! Stephanie and her husband, Mark, live in Arizona, about ninety miles north of Phoenix and just a two-hour drive to the Grand Canyon. Although she still works as a medical technologist on an as needed basis in the clinical lab at her local hospital, last July, after forty years in the business, she stepped down from her position as Lab Director. She and Mark love to travel as much as possible and are avid runners. Over the Christmas holidays, they spent two weeks in Cabo followed up by trips to Wisconsin and Texas to participate in running events. (Next time you are in Wisconsin, don’t forget to give Maria a call—she loves WATCHING running events!) This coming summer they are planning an extensive road trip up the California Coast taking their camper to all the National Parks that they have not yet visited. Stephanie was delighted to see Paula Pucillo Schenkel and her husband, David, while they were visiting Arizona.

At Christmas, Maria even got a card with a nice note from Joanne Cappuccilli Fortune! She recalled the fond memories we shared at Trinity and looks forward to many more in the years ahead. Like a lot of us, Joanne is in the process of retiring. She also was elated to report that she became a first-time grandmother on December 18, 2019.

It was great to hear again this year from Barbara Crawley White. This past July she got together with many of her classmates from St. Anthony High School, located in Washington, DC not far from Trinity, to celebrate their fiftieth reunion. She also celebrated her seventh wedding anniversary aboard the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas. Congratulations all around!

After a bit of an absence, it was wonderful to hear once again from Patricia (Pat) Delmer Davis. She and her husband, Mike, live in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Pat has her own business tutoring children from Kindergarten through sixth grade helping them become competent readers and writers. Mike works for the Veterans Administration. Their four children are grown and married with families of their own. Except for one in Florida, they all live locally so that Pat and Mike can spend plenty of time with their thirteen (count ‘em!) grandchildren aged five through sixteen. Pat has been taking advantage of her quarantine time to breath, garden and declutter. She still sees Albine Katial Martin and Anne-Lise Boistard Doordan and keeps up with Regina Laffey Ruocco via Facebook.

After a lapse, it was also wonderful to hear once again from Susan Dunbar. She still lives in the heart of the nation’s capital not far from DuPont Circle and, although she plans on staying put for the time being, has been thinking about relocating. After more than thirty years as a non-profit association meeting planner, she retired seven years ago. Currently she is working part-time for Destination DC, Washington’s convention and visitor bureau. Since retiring she has been bitten by the travel bug and has made trips to Eastern Europe in addition to regular trips to Florida to visit her ninety-three-year-old father. If all goes well with COVID-19, she is planning on touring Israel this spring. In between trips, Susan stays busy keeping track of her thirteen nieces and nephews!

Catherine (Kate) Farrell Mayne checked in as usual but this time had some sad news to share. In January, her mom, one of the bastions of Trinity, passed away following a short illness. Although Kate misses her terribly, she is thankful for her ninety-three years and the legacy she left. As Kate pointed out, “in many ways she was ahead of her time.” Our sympathy to you, Kate, in your moments of sadness.

The day was totally made when we received an email from Mary Feddis! A couple of years ago, Mary and her husband left behind the crowds of Long Beach, California and moved fulltime to serenity of Mammoth Lake, California located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains not far from Yosemite National Park. She and her husband spend the majority of their time skiing, hiking and doing many other outdoor activities. Mary also volunteers for the Community Foundation that supports local kids in athletics, education and community outreach. When she travels, it is usually to spend time with her parents and family in Washington, DC and Nantucket.

Irene Finch Albritton still lives in Washington, DC and has been retired for two years. Her hours are crammed full with volunteering for Reading Partners, practicing Tai Chi, Bollywood dancing and lots and lots of reading. The day she wrote to us she joined a zoom journal writing workshop. Like with the rest of us, the pandemic has put much in her life on hold. She was especially concerned about a dear friend who has been in the hospital fighting the coronavirus for almost a month. While awaiting a return to a new normal, Irene does her best to “stay busy and pray faithfully.”

Kim Frazier sent a news packed email updating us on all the interesting things that she has been doing since she retired last year from forty years of public service in the Federal Government working mainly in the mental health system as a manager in finance and acquisition. Kim volunteers two to three days a week at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. She continues to be involved with the Freestyle Dancers who perform and work to preserve and promote old school dances of the fifties through the nineties. The dance team was schedule to appear in the Cherry Blossom Festival which unfortunately was canceled due to the coronavirus. In January she joined G.O.A.D. (Giving Others A Dream) which provides support to underserved groups in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Her first project involved assembling and distributing care packages and collecting new and gently worn bras for women who are homeless or leaving abusive situations. Kim also is an author and is currently updating her book, D.C. Hand Dance: Capital City Swing which was originally published in 2000. Kim is a core member of the Notre Dame Academy Class of 1974 and is responsible for organizing an annual reunion luncheon. As a part of her post-retirement plan to “redefine myself and live my best life,” Kim works out at the gym three times a week and regularly walks the 5.2-mile Wilson Bridge Trail. This coming December, Kim plans to take a trip to Rome unless it becomes OBC—Overcome by COVID! Kim, I must admit, you are truly my role model for the retirement years!

We are happy to report that Elizabeth (Betsy) Griffith is still a little crazy after all these years! In a New Years card, she wrote that she and her husband, Don, took his side of the family on a trip to France and, on her side of the family, attended a big wedding. Betsy is still writing and is currently working on a book entitled, Venice and Croatia: A Travelers History. We got her real news from Don’s Facebook post pleading that people, “Please be on the lookout for my wife, Bets.1. She has been kidnapped and since the start of the COVID confinement, has been replaced by a clone, Bets.2, who revels in cooking and decluttering. The cognitive dissonance is getting to be too much to take.” Now that sounds more like the Betsy we know!

Susanne Hardy Nolan sent a re-cap on all things Nolan. Susanne continues to work in finance and, since she is still loving every minute of it, has no plans to retire any time soon. She made family trips in August to Cape Hatteras and at Christmas to Williamsburg. She and her husband, Paul, headed off in October for Greece, with a stopover in Paris and a cruise of the Aegean Islands. She wanted to take Paul on an “antiquities tour” in honor of his sixty-fifth birthday—evidently, he somehow wasn’t that amused! This summer Susanne is planning on returning to Mobile to attend her fortieth high school class reunion. Aside from traveling, she is working on constructing a greenhouse and found the time to have lunch with Alexandra (Lexi) Lacetti Byers and Betsy Griffith and their moms who both live in the same assisted living complex! Unfortunately, her annual trip with Maria Zehren to Mobile/Pensacola to visit family and friends and attend the Festival of Flowers in Mobile and the Arts Festival in Ocean Springs, Mississippi was canceled due to COVID-19, or as Kim Frazier would say, it was OBC—Overcome by Covid!

Maria was thrilled to receive a Christmas card and lovely note from Christine Horigan. She continues to work as the Associate Director of the Albany Medical College Alumni Association and plans to hang in there for a few more years. Her three children are all thriving. Her oldest son, Clay, lives in Philadelphia, her middle daughter, Nina, works in Manhattan and “lives in Brooklyn with all the other twenty-somethings”, and her youngest daughter, Sarah, is a freshman at Elon University. Thanks so much, Chris, for checking in with us!

Albine Katial Martin reported that she works at Johns Hopkins University supporting the school’s entrepreneurial efforts and feels fortunate to engage in a wide range of projects all having a positive impact on human health. After many years of being away, her two daughters are back at home from London and New York City riding out the COVID-19 pandemic with their parents. She is treasuring her time with them—no weddings or grandchildren yet in sight! Albine stays in touch with Pat Delmer Davis and Anne-lise Boistard Doordan.

Eva Keating McKendrick, happily writes that all is well with her family. Although she and her husband, Steve, are not retired, they are taking off as much time as possible and having a great time. Her biggest news was the birth of her third grandchild. After five daughters and two granddaughters, Eva was thrilled that her oldest gave birth to a son! Her second daughter is a successful artist who teaches art in New York City and is represented by the Team Gallery in Manhattan. She was planning to be married on April 18, 2020. Hopefully, as the saying goes, her plans weren’t OBC’d. Eva’s third daughter teaches yoga at her own studio in Philadelphia and her fourth daughter works for a hedge fund in Manhattan. Her fifth daughter, Eva’s “special one”, loves being able to live independently and enjoys working at Haverford College. Good job with all those daughters, Eva!

Kathleen (Kathy) Keefe reached out apologizing for her slow response by saying, “Doing nothing all day makes it difficult to do anything.” In these COVID-19 times, we think you can all relate! Kathy wrote about the passing of her beloved aunt, Sister Margaret Claydon. The week before she died, Sister Margaret suffered a fall from which she was unable to recover. In October Kathy underwent rotator cuff surgery making it impossible to travel until January. She did, however, get to visit Sister Margaret two weeks before she died. They had a wonderful time with Kathy chasing behind Sister Margaret and her scooter as she continued to actively participate in her community life until the very end! Kathy said that the funeral, planned by the Sisters of Notre Dame, the college and the family was beautiful and well attended. Two weeks after the Trinity funeral there was a memorial Mass in Cincinnati for the sisters and Ohio alum. Kathy attached a photo of her family, including many Trinity alums, attending the funeral in Washington and a photo of those attending the memorial Mass in Cincinnati including Sister Rose Ann Fleming. Sister Margaret was such a wonderful woman and a great inspiration to us all. We extend our greatest sympathy to you, Kathy, and your family.

Gwendolyn Knighton Williams is an excellent correspondent and it is always fantastic to get her news. After thirty-two years of public service in the Federal Government working as a senior advisor to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Gwen retired. She very frankly states that she doesn’t miss her job and that after all those years it was time to go! Since her husband passed away in 2014, things have been difficult for her but she feels blessed to have her loving thirty-four-year-old son looking out for her. In the coming year, she has plans to travel to Hawaii, Austria and Germany. She is trying to take things one day at a time and doing her best to enjoy her life.

Alexandra (Lexi) Lacetti Beyers and her husband, Jeb have had a good year and are doing fine. In these COVID-19 times, however, Lexi worries constantly about her family members who live in hotspots like Washington, DC, Boston and Atlanta. Thankfully, the assisted living complex where her mother stays was well ahead of the curve in locking down and taking safety precautions and has remained virus free. Lexi and Jeb finished a six-month home restoration project just as the stay-at-home orders went into effect. Jeb is working remotely while Lexi enjoys spending her time painting furniture, gardening, and traveling to visit family—a little taste of what retirement life will be like!

Maria was happy to get a beautiful Christmas card from Lori Leibig. Lori and her husband, Karl, continue living in Minnesota. Maria is wondering how long it will take a girl who grew up a Chicago Bears fan and now lives in Minnesota Vikings territory to come to Green Bay for a Packers game? Like you said, Lori, maybe we just ought to just meet somewhere in between!

Cindy Lingley retired and moved to Florida fulltime two years ago and is loving her southern lifestyle. She has become involved with Best Buddies and is chairing their 2020 Friendship Walk which, as a result of COVID-19, has now become a “Virtual Walk.” Cindy still makes it back to Massachusetts in the summer. While there last year, she ran into Barbara Cumiskey Duncan and her husband, Doug. They all had a fantastic time getting caught up!

Martha Lord emailed the very sad news of the passing of her ninety-seven-year-old mother from complications related to COVID-19 that she contracted in the nursing facility where she had been living for a long time. Martha, your Trinity classmates are thinking about you and praying for you at this difficult time and know that you will have brighter days ahead. Martha followed-up this email with another filling us in on other happenings in her life. Martha and her husband, Manley Fuller, live part-time in Hickory, North Carolina and in the Tallahassee, Florida area. Martha works as the marketing manager for a small virtual company. In her spare time, she likes to paint and has been continuing taking classes and workshops whenever possible. She also enjoys hiking and spending time in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. For the past couple of years, Martha and her husband have been working on restoring his old 1897 family home in Hickory. In the COVID-19 environment, Martha is concerned about her daughter who lives in New York City and, although works from her home most days, is still required to report to her office a couple of times a week.

Pat Madigan is still living in Silver Spring, Maryland. She continues to work for the National Institute of Health. The highlight of the past year was attending her nephew’s, Christopher’s wedding last July in Oak Park, Illinois which is very near Chicago. She had lots of fun and really enjoyed the opportunity to see her family. Always wonderful to get your news, Pat!

Alida Malkus Stroebel and her husband Stephen are living in San Diego, California where they have enjoyed a busy and eventful year. Her older daughter, Emily Renee (now 34) and her husband presented them with their first grandchild, Julien, on March 19, 2019. Her younger daughter, Megan Alida (now 32) is engaged to be married on August 1, 2020. In the middle of all of this, Alida will retire on June 30, 2020. Happy Days

Mary Manning Mallen Badowski also had a lot of really great things to report this year! She and her husband, Adam purchased a new, colonial style home situated on three acres of land in a walkable neighborhood in Loudon County, Virginia that has an amazing view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and a two hundred year old farm whose pastures lead to the ridge where the Appalachian Trial crosses. It also has plenty of room for guests AND a swimming pool! (Just so you know, Mary, Kathy and Maria have packed up their snorkels and fins and are ready to roll!). They also adopted a New Skete German Shepherd puppy named Zoe who weighed in at seventy pounds when only eight months old and who Mary affectionately refers to as “The Holy Terror” for obvious reasons. Mary was pleased to report that her daughter Katie found a job, doing what she loves most, as a figure skating coach at a local ice rink. (It seems like just yesterday Katie was five years old and beating Maria at every game of Candyland they ever played.) Mary tries to get to her hometown, Ipswich, Massachusetts, whenever she can to visit her ninety-two-year-old mother and her sister, Anne Mallen Josephson. On the Mallen side of the house, Mary has gained two grand-nephews and one grand-niece and attended two lovely family weddings.

Nancy McCann Veriker checked in with a brief note. As COVID-19 closed in on New York, Nancy and her husband Joe, along with two of their daughters, Molly and Grace, temporarily relocated to their home in Rhode Island. Like everybody else, Nancy is concerned about what the future holds as we get back to a “new normal.” For now, she is grateful that her family is healthy and safe.

Oh. My. Gosh. At long last Kerry McGrath Grant finally got back to us! Kerry stated that she looks forward to the class letter updates and that she will always feel close to our Trinity experience and the enduring bond with friends we made on our journey. (Well said, Kerry!) For the past thirty years, Kerry has been living in Charleston, West Virginia. Sadly, her husband, Dominic, passed away a number of years ago but she takes comfort in her children. Her son, Alex, lives nearby in Charleston and works as an account representative for a local company and her daughter, Angie, lives in Boston, has a doctorate in microbiology and a law degree and works as a biotech patent attorney. Kerry and Maria reminisced about their days as history majors and remembered how much they enjoyed Dr. Kinnaird’s classes. Kerry challenged Maria to reread the Education of Henry Adams, the book we were assigned as a part of our senior comprehensive examination! (Hey all you history majors—Remember that!!!). Kerry expressed interest in getting together with 78ers—Next time Maria is in Washington, DC, she’ll try to round up the usual suspects.

Molly Messner Lane, wrote that she is looking forward to some exciting time and hoping that COVID-19 will cooperate. Her older son, George, is engaged to be married in late August to a woman that Molly really loves. He younger son, Jeff, is finishing his residency in emergency medicine and “matched” for his first choice in a fellowship in wilderness medicine at the University of Utah. Molly, it is always great to hear from you and Kathy and Maria are so glad that you found our letter while going through a drawer as a part of your “COVID Cleaning!”

All cards and letters mailed to Jane Muldoon Smith were “returned to sender, address unknown” so Maria thought she was lost forever. Not to worry, we were able to track her down. (Jane, you can run but you can’t hide!) As it turned out, Jane and her husband, Peter had just moved into a new house in the same town with a different post office—complicated! First and foremost, Jane sends her prayers, hope and concern to all of our classmates who are struggling in these uncertain times. Jane and her husband, Peter are both doing well. Peter retired a couple of years ago but continues to contribute to their community through volunteer work, studying jazz guitar and performing with Jane and sometimes with their daughter, Joanna. Jane is still working at SAS Montessori preschool and loves her job! Jane was happy to report that all of her children are thriving. Her oldest daughter, Jessica, and her husband, Sean, and their children, Piper (4) and Fletcher (2) live in Alexandria, Virginia. Her second oldest daughter, Rachel, and her husband, Patrick, and their children, Charlie (4) and Theo (1) live a little closer in Raleigh, North Carolina. Her third daughter, Joanna, graduated from law school in the spring passed the bar in the summer and was married to her husband, Ryan, in the fall—way to go, Joanna! The baby, Aiden, graduated from North Carolina State last spring and is spending COVID-19 with his parents. Jane and Peter have started a music series in their neighborhood entitled “Woodstuck.” Every night between 7:00 and 9:00 PM they plug in on their front porch and play music for their neighbors. Jane got it right when she said, “it’s amazing how music crosses the distance between us and we feel so connected and blessed to share ours.”

Sheila Murdock Phelan still lives in Cos Cob, Connecticut. She currently is working for DK, a division of Penguin Random House. During COVID-19 she has been working from home and misses the commute and the hustle and bustle of New York City. She is taking things one step at a time and working on adjusting her expectations. Her son, Kevin, is doing fine and lives nearby in Stamford, Connecticut. Sheila remembered her beloved English professor, Sister Margaret Clayton, recalling her as being “so special.”

Roberta Phippen Collier and her husband, Jeb, are living happily in New Bern, North Carolina. Bert still works in a pediatric dental office but was on paid leave for a while during to COVID-19. This past Christmas, Bert and Jeb spent two weeks in Spain, mainly Madrid and Barcelona. They had been there before but returned because they love the mild climate, the art and history, not to mention the phenomenal food and wine. While they were there, they had the chance to see Sheila Murdock Phelan’s brother Brian, who lives there permanently with his family and is, by all accounts, a wealth of knowledge and a wonderful tour guide.

It is always good to hear from Eileen Preskenis Maguire! This past year the holidays were especially hectic for Eileen and her family—all good things! In November she was in Colorado and Utah for a wedding and tour of the national parks. She got back to Boston just in time for another wedding in early December. As a Christmas present to herself, Eileen took her family on a trip to Tucson, Arizona. He oldest son, Matthew, flew in from Maine, her middle son, Patrick and his girlfriend, Corey, live in in Tucson, and her youngest daughter flew in from South Korea where she has been teaching for the past two years. A very good time was had by all. As Eileen said, “A week of adventure, good food and drink, and of course a bit of family squabbling and laughter.” I loved the picture she attached of all of them happily riding horses in the desert!

Paula Pucillo Schenkel sent in a short but packed note letting us know that she was fine and enjoying life. She and her husband, David still live in Brookville, Maryland in an apartment attached to her son’s home. She feels very blessed to be close to her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. It was especially nice being close by when her newest grandchild, Lucas Andrew, was born in June 2019. Paula and her husband love their retired life and continue to enjoy their travels. Paula plays tennis whenever she can but thinks that she is due for a partial knee replacement soon. Sadly, Paula wrote that her mother passed away in October after struggling with Alzheimer’s for almost ten years. Our hearts go out to you, Paula, as it is really tough to say good bye to a parent who has always been there for you.

Gemma Puglisi still lives in Vienna, Virginia. She continues to teach Public Communications at American University. Gemma was excited to report that she has been accepted on the Board of the National Organization of Italian Women. She also serves on the Commission of Public Relations Board of Directors. Despite the COVID-19 nightmare, Gemma is keeping herself busy!

It was so nice hearing Mayra (May) Rios-Benitez again this year! She and her husband, Ruben, primarily live in the Poconos but also have an apartment in Bayridge, Brooklyn, not too far from Fort Hamilton military base. After working long hours for thirty-five years in the military as a marine recruiter, Ruben is now retired and spending much more time at home. Mayra was pleased to report that, so far, they are both still alive and not getting on each other’s nerves!

Mayra also sent news of her sister, Emma (Maggie) Rios-Benitez. Emma and her husband, recently moved from San Juan to Ponce when her husband, an Episcopalian minister, was transferred. This area in southern Puerto Rico experienced the worst impact of the earthquakes. Mayra and Emma both asked that we keep their beloved island in our prayers.

Christine Ryan Jeffrey, touched base with an abundance of news about her family. Recently, her husband, JJ, has had quite a struggle with a round of rather serious medical issues. At Christmas he took a nasty fall and broke his nose and hand and was otherwise pretty badly bruised up. Maria had to chuckle when Chris added that her daughter-in-law made him a shirt declaring that, “Grandpa got run over by a reindeer!” (Chris, sounds like your daughter-in-law would make a good Zehren!). Just when Chris thought JJ was recovering from his fall, they got the bad news that his mitral valve, which had been replaced in 2015, was failing and needed to be corrected with additional surgery. Although Covid-19 caused anxiety producing delays in finalizing his diagnosis and treatment plan, Chris recently communicated via Facebook that his surgery was completed and that he was beginning the long, difficult road back to recovery. We can only imagine how stressful the whole ordeal has been for Chris and her family. On a happier note, Chris reported that her youngest son, Alex, got married in a celebration of joy and gratitude on September 21, 2019. Chris was also happy to report that her oldest son, Sean and his wife and their two children are active members of her parish. As with all of us, the fear of COVID 19 looms heavily over Chris. She found it especially difficult not being able to attend Mass and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Easter in her usual way. Chris concluded by saying, “So we wait and have patience recognizing that we are not in control. We need to hand over the worry and the stress. We are in this together. We are a Resurrection people!” Thanks so much, Chris, for your inspiring words.

Maria’s favorite response came from Edith Schulz Salamone because she went out of her way to mention how much she liked the picture Maria sent. (Maria has no shame.) Edith still lives in Germantown with her husband of thirty-five years and is happily retired. Edith’s children are on their own and doing fine! Her daughter, just like Edith, is a teacher and they love spending time together. Her son, the rocker, writes his own songs and performs in nearby locations. Good Life! Edith sends her love to the Class of 1978!!

At Christmas, Maria got a nice card and short note from Jane Stenson. Jane explained that she missed our last reunion because she was in Iowa attending her son’s graduation from Grinnell College. Since graduating, he’s been living in Madison, Wisconsin, where he has a great job with Epic Software. A few years back, Jane was in Green Bay on business and she got together with Maria for lunch. Now that she has family here, Maria hopes to see her more often.

Penny Thompson is doing well and had a few changes to report. She and her daughter Erin are both selling their current homes. They plan on new buying a house and moving in together. They are looking around for a place and are checking out some beach properties. Penny and her daughter have two new havanese puppies that are delightful. In her spare time, Penny is taking a class in radio announcing for fun and getting back to her music. She sends her best wishes to all her classmates, especially the Oxford crew.

Maria Zehren is finally beginning to warm up and thaw out. She and her husband, Don, are doing their best to get by in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They remain busy with their consulting firm, The Winston Group, helping not-for-profit organizations raise funds. Maria finds it gratifying to see worthwhile projects completed with her firm’s help. Outside of work, Maria stays busy serving on several non-profit boards and being actively involved in community events. She also dedicates a lot of time caring for her going on ninety-seven-year old father and her youngest brother, Zachary. Maria was very disappointed that her annual trip to the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Mississippi with Susanne Hardy Nolan to attend the Mobile Flower Show and Ocean Springs Arts Festival had to be canceled because of COVID-19. Maria and Don love house guests so make sure you add Wisconsin to your bucket list once the pandemic passes. (Come on, I know that you are all dying to see my famous mailbox!)

Colin and I are fortunate in being able to work from home during this crisis. I normally work from home twice a week, but would welcome working from home full time after this is over. I still work for NEACH, the New England ACH Association, representing member financial institutions in New England and elsewhere. I write content for our website, perform audits and risk assessments for our members, and create on demands and workshops to help educate our financial institutions. It looks like the Governor will likely extend our stay at home through the end of May. As a result, we have done few onsite audits and risk assessments, and are continuing to reach out to our financial institutions to see if they want to reschedule, or have us perform the engagements remotely using a virtual data room. All travel associated with my job has been cancelled for the foreseeable future, and I do miss the travel. I had given some thought to retiring next year, when I am 65, but I don’t think I will be able to. Caitlin is still working hard for a law firm in Boston, and is able to do so from home. She is grateful that there have been no layoffs or furloughs so far, as have happened to other law firms. Maura left teaching high school after eight years, and now works for a think tank near Princeton. Thankfully she is also able to work from home. We are excited that an article she did on Flannery O’Connor was just published in America magazine. Caitlin is living in Cambridge, so we do get to see her, but we look forward to the day we can see Maura again.

That’s all for this year! Thanks to everyone for sending in their news. It’s always good to hear from you, especially during these difficult times. We tried our best to keep everybody’s stories straight. If we messed up, we hope we made you even more interesting than you are already! Don’t forget to update us next year too!

Your Class Scribes,

Kathy and Maria
P.S. Anybody know what happened to:

Anna Berger
Marika Czirjak Beck
Barbara Dolan
Anne Fitzgibbons
Sandra Hawkins Tolson
Luz Rebecca Jaimes
Belynda Jones
Donna Cole Loard Tipotsch
Debra Meehan
Carmen Muniz Rodriquez
Hiroko Keiko Ota
Meredith Patterson
Griselle Romany Siaca
Vera Royster
Ann Comly Russell
Clare Teresa Sunseri
Irza de Lourds Torres Folch
Melinda Vierra Rose
Dilma Zixa Melendex de Viviani
Sharon Wildenhain
Margaret Wooden