1982 Class Notes for 2016
Green Class of 1982
It was wonderful to hear from many classmates who are clearly in a nostalgic frame of mind as they shared special Trinity memories. We will have an opportunity to catch up next June on Reunion Weekend which hopefully will bring many of us back to campus.
Susan Pfiefer Grosko and family
Gerianne Smart says things are great in the Green Mountain State of Vermont. She recently accepted a position as Manager of the Marketing and Public Relations office in the state’s largest community hospital, Rutland Regional Medical Center. Though her commute is long by Vermont standards (1 hour and 10 minutes), she works with an incredible team of talented individuals and she feels wonderful about promoting the services offered by the hospital. Daughter Grace (16) has her learner’s permit now and drives her mom around every chance she gets, which Gerianne enjoys. She says sometimes it is the only quality time they have together in a given week. Gerianne is still involved in the Vergennes Opera House as the organization’s president. She delights in working with a stellar all-volunteer team to put together a robust season of events each year.
Madeleine Shea McKnight and family at daughter Maya’s high school graduation
Madeleine Shea McKnight lives in Baltimore with husband Curt and daughter Maya – who both bike to Roland Park Country School each day, Maya as a rising junior and Curt as a teacher. Son Bryan (25) will spend five months in Buenos Aires and Mendoza, Argentina doing a fifth year capstone to study water accessibility and design effects on landscape architecture . Madeleine works in health care policy at the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. As a result, she has been in the thick of health care reform policy with a focus on how these policies impact vulnerable populations. Madeleine says her work traces its roots to her study of economics at Trinity where she can still hear Sr. Martha Julie calling students to study economics to make the world a better place. She also recalls going down to the Mall when the farmers were there, along with their tractors parked between the Capitol and the Washington Monument, protesting agricultural policy. Madeleine wishes all of her fellow alumnae well.
Speaking of memories, Patricia DiVenti Mann has come across some wonderful letters from her Trinity years while helping her mother pack to move from the longtime family home. She says reading them has opened the floodgates recalling terrific times. Letters from freshman year recalling that Kerby Hall was the best dorm, how to get the perfect tan; sophomore letters about going abroad junior year, crew team, and who was cuter – Naval Academy or Washington and Lee guys; and senior year, supportive letters from friends and family on life after graduation. Pattie recommends everyone take a little walk down memory lane with those old boxes of letters. Her current 2016 life is busy as she still works 9 to 5. Her son got his driver’s license and she is happily surprised at how much she loves that he can run a few errands for her.
Karen McGuinness is delighted to report that daughter Emma Kothari (18) will start college this fall at Boston University where she will study theater. This summer has been filled with Trinity mini-reunions for Karen. She looks forward to more frequent visits with her first roommate, Lina Arena DeRosa, who lives nearby in Holliston. She met with Anne Stewart in DC; Anne’s daughter Catherine will start at Scripps College this fall. Lisette Nunez visited Karen in Princeton in May, and in August she was able to catch up with Cynthia Russell ’81 in Philly. Karen says these Trinity bonds are strong after 38 years! She finds it hard to believe she was Emma’s age when these friendships were first forged. Nephews Ramesses (16) and Elijah (15) live with Karen full time now, so she will not have an empty nest for a few more years. She continues to enjoy the challenges of being in higher education nurturing the next generation of public service leaders in the graduate program at Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School.
Karen has been cancer free for more than two years, after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. Chemotherapy forced her to slow down a bit, to try different hair colors (she is now fond of different shades of red) and to appreciate each day and all that she has been given. We are thankful for your cancer free diagnosis Karen and hope you continue to remain in good health. Karen hopes to see everyone in 2017 for our 35th reunion.
Paulina Thompson also writes she has been cancer-free for five years. We are so happy you can share that wonderful milestone with us. Paulina says she feels grateful she has made it, but remembers with a heavy heart, many of those (including Sally Karwowski) who were not so fortunate. Paulina’s job situation has improved. She worked for a defense contractor in the Hampton Roads area that supports our military personnel and family members. As is common in the defense contracting industry, the contractor changed in November and significantly reduced pay/benefits. She opted out and now works 20 hours/week but continues to support military and their families. Paulina facilitates a transition workshop at the Norfolk Naval Base and works one-on-one with transitioners charting their course outside the military. This allows her to stay professionally engaged but leaves enough time to do the community service she so enjoys. Outside work, she volunteers at a local continuing care facility with senior citizens and does pet therapy with her pups at libraries, schools, etc. As Paulina puts it, “Jeff continues to avoid losing his job.” His company seems to downsize at least once per year. He had a great sales year last year and they are enjoying the fruits of his efforts as they just returned from a couple of weeks in Hawaii and plan a trip to Antigua in October. They too are looking forward and have begun to plan their exit from the workforce. They hope to opt out in about five years. They will continue to volunteer and work, but on their own terms. Paulina plans to put reunion on her calendar of events for next June.
Carey Donohue Voth also looks forward to reconnecting at our reunion. She works part-time for an association management group coordinating aspects of continuing education credits. She works with a great group of women and has traveled to the Netherlands for a conference. Husband Charlie is ready for retirement after 20 years at WETA but Carey says he has two more years to go, as the parent of kids who still need health insurance. She says he is too young to retire. He is in good health and retains his great sense of humor. Daughter Bligh (28) lives in Manhattan where she writes her funny blog, “Avocados are for Rich People.” She is currently in the show “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Westchester Playhouse, which then moves to Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine. Carey recommends anyone in Maine to go see the show this fall. Bligh has a great solo and received a review in the online NY Times. Carey admires her tenacity in pursuit of a theater career. Son Liam (26) was recently wed to Aarica North on May 21st at the Voth home. It was a rainy day, believed to be good luck, and son Eamon (21), best “hawk” man, was trained to have a hawk land on his arm to deliver the wedding rings. Liam and Aarica live in Richmond, VA where she is an animator/illustrator at a PR firm and Liam is a musician/bartender (Comaboo on soundcloud). Eamon took a break from University of Montana and also lives and works in Richmond.
Carey felt so lucky to have many Trinity friends show love and support at the wedding. Friends in attendance from ‘82 were Liza Freeze Ebeling, Mary Beck O’Donnell, Susan Brady Meijia, Terri Auchter Byers, and Mary Cichello Beck. Friends from the class of ‘81who joined the party were Carol Connelly Hanko, Maureen Bresnahan McCarty, Beth Dezell McGowan, and Ellen Callinan Fischler. Carey says all are as beautiful and intelligent as ever and she feels so blessed to have these friendships.
Julie Clancy Grady finished her Masters degree in school counseling from George Mason University in May 2015, but so far has not found a job as a counselor. She still teaches high school English and this year she will teach English 12 (British Literature) and IB world literature. She says husband Tim is doing well and oldest daughter Beth was married in Cincinnati in July. She says it was one big event with all the associated wedding events rolled into one – showers, dinners, shopping, planning, etc. Second daughter Caroline is now a doctor of physical therapy. She graduated in May 2016 in Denver, CO and moved to Asheville, NC where she works for a PT practice. Third daughter Maggie just graduated from UVA as an engineer and now works for Clark Construction in Bethesda, MD. Youngest daughter Colleen has just begun her junior year in college. It has been a hectic but wonderful year for the family.
Julie is in touch with Magie Finan (Julie’s daughter visited her in Spain this year), Lana Marr, Carol D’Amico and Nancy Winn.
Deborah Rea D’Albora works in HR at Brooke Grove Retirement Village in Sandy Spring, with a short commute of three minutes. Husband Jim is still with AT&T in VA and has a rougher commute traveling from Olney, MD to VA every day. They are adjusting to their empty nest as both daughters are now out of the house. Meg is in Washington, DC doing administrative work for a law firm and Caitie works for a consulting company employed by the Export Import Bank also in DC. Debbie keeps in touch with Martha Moran Rollins. Martha and husband Chris stayed with her when they went to the Paul McCartney concert at Verizon Center. Debbie visits her mother in Lewes, DE quite often, helping her to clean out the attic and basement. She says it is amazing how much one can accumulate over 40 years. They hope to keep the house which is near the beach as a possible retirement residence. Debbie and Jim have also done some traveling, especially to Lima, Peru where Jim would eventually like to establish some type of small business.
Martha Moran Rollins writes that she and husband Chris packed up and moved to Austin, TX, the Live Music Capital of the World. They live in the “04” where they can walk everywhere to awesome live music events and some of the best food offered. Martha continues to work as a nurse case manager with disabled children during the week and as a hospice nurse on the weekends. She is also in school on a long journey to get an advanced practice degree in nursing as the field is wide open and ever changing. Martha’s sons are doing well. Oldest son Michael is finishing degrees in Biochemistry and Microbiology at Michigan State where longtime girlfriend Katie is in her second year as an attorney with the State Appeals Court. Martha and Chris visited them and saw Dead and Company with John Mayer in concert. Youngest son Matthew is immersed in a six year PhD Biochemistry program at University of Arizona. He is completing medical research and teaching chemistry to undergraduates. Martha had a great time with Debbie in DC and both of them look forward to reunion. She says they hope to get the same historic hotel with awesome Bloody Marys and good company.
Nancy Walsh Foley writes she and her family have survived Caucus season in Iowa! Despite hundreds of phone calls during dinner and frequent campaigns at the front door, she does enjoy the season. She says the process is fascinating and Iowans take their responsibility seriously. Since the general belief is you can’t vote for someone you haven’t met, Nancy says you can imagine the number of house parties, rallies, and meetings that are held. They initially caucused for Martin O’Malley but needed 18 people to stay “viable” and only had 10. They tried to convince Bernie and Hillary voters to join them but eventually joined Hillary’s group and she won their caucus. Nancy says besides enjoying the process, it is a great opportunity to be involved and see neighbors. As far as her family, daughter Katie finished freshman year at College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Nancy says she often serenades Katie with one of our old Smoker songs, “Oh Holy Cross, oh Holy Cross, all they eat is applesauce…” Katie was diagnosed with tuberculosis this past year, then after four months of medication that caused her fingers and toes to go numb, deciding she had been misdiagnosed, she is ready for anything. Nancy and family are praying for a calmer sophomore year. Son T.J. is a high school senior. Nancy says she has no idea how this happened. T.J. spent a week in DC with the Hearst Foundation’s US Senate Youth Program and a week with Boys Nation. He has fallen in love with DC and hopes to attend school there. They now await April 1st and hope for good news. Nancy still teaches, and is beginning to count the years to retirement. Husband Tim is doing well. She says the reality of being empty nesters is now in the near future. She is partially excited and a little sad that part of their life will be over.
Nancy had dinner with Meg Heery Murphy when they were in DC in March on college tours. Meg walked over from the White House St. Patrick’s Day party. They had a wonderful time chatting the evening away. She has also been in touch with Casey Wagner. She, Meg, and Casey hope to get together for a mini-reunion in Cincinnati sometime this fall. Nancy and family celebrated her mom’s 90th birthday in February, and in August Tim’s 95 year old mother bought a new car. Nancy says, is that the definition of optimism or what?
Molly Reynolds Fitzgerald was named an administrative judge for the Sixth Judicial District in NY. She was appointed in May and oversees trial courts in about 10 counties. Molly was elected to the State Supreme Court in the Sixth Judicial District in 2007.
Now, that’s a positive note to end our annual reminiscences. In the Schunter household, all is surprisingly quiet after two years filled with a great deal of travel. Doug enjoys retirement, while I continue to write poetry and prose. I was able to take a nonfiction class at Writer House in Charlottesville last spring and recently attended a workshop at West Virginia University in July where I continued to improve my nonfiction skills.
We went to Norway in June, incredibly beautiful, followed by a short visit with Rosalie and husband Noah in Tanglewood, MA. Noah had received a composer fellowship and we were glad we could be at the concert in which his piece, Mechanizmo, for piano and marimba was performed. They continue to manage their Underwolf recording label and their art rock band Dollshot. Son Paxton lives nearby in Culpeper. He is an IT Systems Specialist at Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services. We see him frequently as we lure him home with promises of pork chops and scalloped potatoes and other enticing dinners. Doug does most of the cooking nowadays which is a wonderful break from the kitchen for me.
I look so forward to catching up with many more of you in June. I hope to gather more addresses and e-mails at that time also. In the meantime, everyone enjoy the fall season and see you next summer.
Marilou and Doug on camels in Morocco
Take care,
Marilou Sheehan Schunter ’82