1982 Class Notes for 2019

It was wonderful to read everyone’s emails. I wish I could share every enjoyable detail,
but space is limited. There is a great commonality this year of retirement, travel, empty nests,
and plans for the next phase of life.

Susan Pfeifer Grosko joyfully shares, “Life has been good to me.” Oldest daughter
Mariah was married last January to a very nice young man. However, her nest is not empty yet.
Son Justin (20) is in college and daughter Liana (16) is a high school sophomore.

Travel to India with her church’s youth group was part of Susan’s busy schedule. She and
her two youngest went to the Taj Mahal. They spent time in Delhi which she described as NYC
magnified with crazy traffic which includes dogs, tractors, people, mopeds and cows. In Patna
they visited with Sudha Varghese, a SND. Susan says she is amazing and inspiring with her
boarding schools which educate Musahar girls. A Jesuit priest took the group to visit some of
Mother Theresa’s orphanages and homes. Susan was able to meet her sponsor child in the tribal
village of Rerua where her church sponsors schools for tribal children. Susan says prior to going
to school this student would have been married at the age of 13. She told Susan she wants to be
an engineer.

Susan also visited with Jeanine Konecny during a difficult time. Jeanine’s parents
passed away last year. Please accept our deepest sympathies and heartfelt prayers.

Susan caught up with Lori Ridob-Sine in Morgantown, WV. It had been a long time
since they visited but as Susan says, “It is amazing not to see someone for so many years and
then get taken back to yesterday.” Lori has earned four degrees (one is a PhD and she is pursuing
another.)

Susan has finished homeschooling her children. Her husband is talking about retirement
and she is not sure what she wants to do for the next part of her life but she is certain that she
does not feel the age listed on her driver’s license!

Bernadette Kovacic Fitzsimmons writes it’s hard to believe we graduated 37 years ago,
and how the world has changed! She still lives in Laytonsville, MD with her husband and they
have become empty nesters, like many of us. This has given them time to date again and to take
a few trips for a change of scenery to the Grand Canyon and Arizona area, and to Seattle, WA.
They love going out west.

This spring they look forward to celebrating son Thomas’ graduation from college and
oldest son Matthew’s graduation from graduate school. Their youngest, Juliana is a sophomore
at CUA studying Architecture and Planning.

Bernadette works in research grants and education for The Bladder Cancer Advocacy
Network in Bethesda and does some occasional medical research reports for PinnacleCare
Private Care Advisory. She is also involved with various activities in the DC area Slovenian
community.

This past year Bernadette completed a children’s book translation titled, “The Hill Beyond
Grandpa’s House” for a Slovenian short story written by the Former Ambassador of Slovenia.
The bilingual book was published in Slovenia in October 2018.

Bernadette advises, let’s keep smiling and staying young at heart.

Debbie Rae D’Albora says husband Jim is also ready to retire. However, Debbie says
they are still too young. She and Jim spent two wonderful weeks in France in October. They
enjoyed a week in Paris, then drove to Normandy and toured the D Day Beaches and small
towns. She says it was hard to come back.

Daughters Caitie (32) and Meg (29) work and live nearby in DC and Kensington. Debbie
shares that both have very nice boyfriends, mentioning that for now she has grandcats instead of
grandkids.

Debbie is in touch with Martha Moran Rollins . They met last summer in DC to see a
favorite band at the DC Winery. They try to meet once a year. Debbie also travels frequently to
her hometown of Lewes Delaware to see her mom.

Madeleine Shea McKnight writes that she has become an empty nester as well. Maddy
lives in Baltimore with husband Curt when they are not working on a project at their W. Virginia
cabin. Maddy is kept very busy as a principal with a national healthcare consulting firm where
she continues her career focus on making healthcare work better for vulnerable populations.

Ann Marie Meany Metzger says even more snow is falling in a record February in
Minnesota. She kept very busy in 2018 in working with other Democratic activists, organizers
and candidates in turning Minnesota State Senate District BLUE! She calls it “A very satisfying
election!” She continues to work to support “our values and dreams for our children, our
families, our country and our future as a country.”

Son Samuel will graduate from Northwestern University this Spring. He is seeking
graduate work in Percussion Performance. Ann Marie and her husband have had a great time
traveling these last years to his recitals and concerts in Evanston and Chicago.

Ann says like many in our class, she and Greg are empty nesters and she looks forward to
using her home organizing skills to downsize and think of new paths. She also says she loved our
last reunion and had a blast!

Nancy Walsh Foley also says life in the MidWest is COLD! They are “enjoying”
windchills of -25. Zero actually feels warm!

Nancy’s kids are getting older and finding their way in the world. She says it is fun to
watch them and see where they land. Daughter Katie graduates from College of the Holy Cross
this May and will begin a PhD in Marine Biology program at Lehigh this summer/fall. She is
excited to study and travel the world. Her parents are excited that there is a direct flight from Des
Moines to Philadelphia. It is the little things in life!!!

T.J. is a sophomore at Harvard and seems to be taking advantage of all it has to offer. He
enjoyed a fully funded trip to Israel last spring break and leaves for Egypt for this spring break.
He is likely headed to Geneva, Switzerland this summer to intern with an international justice
organization. Nancy says, for some reason, he thinks that sounds more exciting than coming
home to Des Moines for the summer.

Nancy still teaches gifted and talented kids in grades K-6. She is beginning to see the light
at the end of the tunnel and hopes to retire in 4 years.

Husband Tim is healthy and enjoying the empty nest. They both miss the kids but it is great
to have freedom and time together. They are headed to Hawaii for spring break. More things are
possible when you only have to buy two tickets! She says of course, they would gladly stay put if
the kids came home.

They spent a week in DC last summer where Nancy caught up with Meg, Joanne Spring
Campbell and Pam Graves Day. On the way home they stopped in Cincinnati and had a lovely
dinner with Casey. Nancy echoes Susan’s sentiments, “It seems the older I get, the more I enjoy
rekindling friendships from my youth. In each case, we picked up exactly where we left off many
years ago.”

Casey Wagner continues to enjoy living near downtown Cincinnati and working in
corporate Tax at Cincinnati Bell. The peak highlights of 2018 for her were visits from Nancy
Walsh Foley, with her husband Tim and daughter Katie, and a month or two later from me with
husband Doug. She says, “It was a delightful treat to re-connect here in my hometown with some
of my favorite people!”

Casey also moved to another building that’s just a mile away from where she was renting.
She bought a place with more room, and that’s more open and updated and has a nice river view.
Now that it’s daylight savings time, she tries to get home in time to enjoy the sunset.

Casey shares that her one and only dear daughter, Emily, moved to Oakland, CA the first
week of February. Emily wanted the experience of discovering a city on her own, so she found a
job and a place to live through the internet. She’s settled in and is very happy. Casey misses her
terribly but is also amazed at her guts to make such a move. She drove out there with Emily and
says it was an incredible experience to drive across the country – she will never forget it. Upon
her return, she had to sit down at the laptop and write up a trip summary, to make sure she
preserves such a rich experience.

For Carey Donohue Voth, 2018 was also a life changing year. Husband Charlie retired
after 23 years with WETA as a cameraman. They sold their house in McLean where their
children went to school and they enjoyed some wonderful friends. Carey says it was very
liberating to throw away and give away many things. She and Charlie moved in temporarily with
her sister in her hometown Holyoke, Massachusetts. Although their arrangement lasted longer
than the month they planned – 6 months while they searched for a home – they ended up about
20 minutes away in Belchertown, MA.

Charlie loves retirement and as they adjust to “being around each other 24/7,” Carey says
she is looking into volunteering and/or a part time job so they can each have some space/alone
time!”

Daughter Bligh was in “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Cape Cod Playhouse and is set to
play the lead in “Bright Star” at the Lyric Theater in OKC. She lives in Manhattan with her
boyfriend who has a role in the Tony Award winning play, “The Band’s Visit”.

Son Liam and wife, Aarica also made a big move from Richmond, VA to Portland, OR.
Aarica is a stop motion filmmaker. She hopes to pursue her career in a studio there and Liam
works as a bartender. Carey and Charlie look forward to a visit them in May.

Son Eamon went to Massachusetts to help his parents get settled. He loves his work as a
para-professional with autistic teenagers at a local high school. He found an apartment and has a
new girlfriend, they are thankful he is happy.

Carey was fortunate to see many Trinity friends before she moved. Mary Cichello Beck ,
Susan Brady Meijia , Terri Auchter Byers , and Mary Beck O’Donnell came to Charlie’s
retirement party. Carey also speaks to Liza Freeze Ebeling frequently. and says they are all
amazing women.

She also met up with her “First Friday” group of ‘81 TC’ers: Carol Connelly Hanko,
Maureen Bresnahan McCarty, Beth Dezell McGowan, and Ellen Callinan Fischler. They
surprised Carol for her 60th birthday.

Carey loves being back in Western Massachusetts. She would like everyone to know they
have a guest room and welcome any visitors.

It was good to hear from Meg Heery Murphy as well. Meg’s son Shaun has returned
from his one year assignment in Afghanistan. They are happy he is assigned to the State
Department in Washingon DC. Meg still enjoys her job as the Chief of Protocol for the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. Her office is in the Senate side of the Capitol. Her family just
returned from a quick getaway to Sanibel Island, FL where they had a great time. Meg’s husband
and daughters Kathleen and Megan are all well. Meg is in regular contact with Nancy Walsh
Foley and Casey Wagner and they are both doing well.

Julie Clancy Grady shares happy news that she is a grandmother! She became “Gigi” on
Feb. 15 when daughter Beth and husband Justin had a baby boy. She says after 4 girls, they
hardly know how to change diapers for a boy but she is sure they will learn. Julie’s other
daughters are fine — Caroline is a PT in Asheville, NC; Maggie is a construction engineer in DC;
Colleen is working on political campaigns — first in Dallas, now in Richmond.

Julie is still working. She has a new job as an instructional coach. So, no more grading
essays but she does read a lot of professional books. She is back at the middle school level.
Husband Tim can’t wait to retire. Hopefully that will be in a couple of years.

Paulina Thompson currently works for Syracuse University (go Orange!) as a Program
Coordinator for their Onward to Opportunity program for transitioning military, veterans and
military spouses. She has been with them for almost 2 years now and, although she supports the
local bases in the Hampton Roads area, she predominantly works from home. She loves her work
and supporting our military (which she’s done for nearly 18 years). She and husband Jeff, who
she met senior year at the Naval Academy, love to sail and provide foster homes for unwanted
golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers in their free time.

Paulina says they have reached that stage in life where there’s lots happening with
children and parents/older relatives. They have had a lot of death the past year but are grateful
they were able to spend so much time with those who have passed away over the years. She also
finds it hard to believe they are actually starting to talk about retirement. Paulina, like so many of
us, is in the planning stage of defining what that next chapter looks like.

Doug and I had a lovely visit with Casey in Cincinnati last fall on our way home from a
Schunter family reunion in Iowa. Doug continues to enjoy retirement. His favorite hobby is
planning travel. Last year we took a tour of Morocco, which was fantastic, although I had quite a
bit of trouble on our donkey ride to a desert oasis (the camel was better). This year we visit
Portugal and England. Daughter Rosalie and husband Noah are busy pursuing music careers.
Rosalie recently traveled to Hong Kong to perform in the opera, “Angel’s Bone.” Paxton moved
to northern VA and has been traveling for work quite a bit.

There is something satisfying about watching your children follow their dreams and
enjoy their careers. We don’t get to see them as often as we’d like and sometimes we are all on
the move to different locations – or even different countries.

I continue to write, when I’m not packing for another excursion.

I do have a couple of requests. Please update your emails. My list of workable addresses
seems to have gotten smaller instead of longer. Thanks for sharing yourselves and your families
as we embark on new life adventures.

Sincerely,

Marilou Sheehan Schunter

marilou.schunter@gmail.com