1982 Class Notes of 2021
Greetings to the Green Class of 1982!
Martha Moran Rollins moved back to Cumberland, MD in September 2020. She is working on her Masters in Nursing with a Public Health concentration and works as part of a grant funded suicide prevention program and also with domestic violence services. Both grants are funded by COVID 19 emergency funds. Both of her sons are working in the cancer research field. Michael is in Chicago and Matthew heads to Pittsburgh after finishing his PhD next month. Martha and crew plan to attend Playing in the Sand in Cancun with Dead and Company next January. She can report on her trip at Reunion next year!
Deborah “Debbie” Rea D’Albora reports a fairly quiet year since no one can go anywhere. Jim has been working at home and Debbie has a 5 minute commute to the nursing home where she works. She was blessed to be one of the first to receive the vaccine which has been a big relief! Debbie lost her wonderful mother-in-law last February, right before lockdown and one year after losing her own mom. She misses them both so much. Debbie, may their memories be a blessing to you and your family. Debbie’s daughter Meg’s wedding was postponed until next December. Daughter Caitie is still living in DC. Despite her year, Debbie is hoping that when we meet again, she will have lots of news about the wedding and travel adventures. Debbie and Martha Moran Rollins got together recently in DC. The picture on FB looked like they were, as always, enjoying themselves. I swear neither of them have aged a day!
Catherine Mary “Casey” Wagner is hanging in there and like many of us has been working from home since March of 2020. She is now in corporate tax for Cincinnati Bell. Her daughter, Emily, is working in San Francisco, and Casey says she very much enjoys visiting her “west coast kid.” Sadly, Casey lost her mom in February. It was quick, peaceful, and Casey and her siblings were with her at the end. Casey, may your many happy memories help to heal the hole in your heart.
Julie Clancy Grady reports that she and Tim are fully vaccinated and are surviving the pandemic. Her family is doing well, despite these challenging times. Daughter Beth and her husband live in Ohio and have blessed Julie with two grandsons, Owen (2) and Luke (6 months) (We will need pictures at Reunion). Caroline was married in March with just the immediate family present and now lives in Asheville, NC. Maggie lives in DC and Colleen is in Richmond, VA. Most of Julie’s limited travels have been to see their kids, after quarantining and testing! Julie’s job was cut last April, but she was fortunate to find a new job and is now back to teaching English at an alternative high school. Tim is retiring in May. Despite the challenges, Julie says “we are blessed and grateful.”
Margaret “Magie” Finan Moreno responded to the call for news from Madrid, where she has been living for over 30 years. She spent her junior year abroad in Madrid and returned in 1986. Daughter Catharine (29), has been living in Germany for the last 5 years, and Patricia is studying to be a vet. Magie met a wonderful man in 2005 and they married in 2009. In 2011, Luis was diagnosed with lung cancer and sadly passed away last August. Luis had no children of his own and treated Magie’s daughters as his own. He was truly the father figure in their lives and leaves a huge hole behind. Luis lived with cancer for a long time and never stopped working. Magie and her family were on holiday last August (the first in 5 years with her girls), when Luis became ill and passed away within 24 hours. While so very sad, Magie believes that his guardian angel chose the perfect moment to take him, when they were all at his side. Magie is grateful to be working as she navigates this new path without Luis. She is looking forward to the pandemic ending so she can once again travel and visit family and friends. Magie, I am so very sorry. I pray that you continue to find comfort in the wonderful memories.
Ann Carey Donohue Voth is riding out the pandemic in Massachusetts where she and Charlie moved in 2018. In 2019, Carey’s son Liam and his wife moved to Portland, OR which gives them an excuse to enjoy another beautiful part of our country. Daughter Bligh and her husband eloped in August while they were on the Broadway tour of The Band’s Visit. Son Eamon is in Vermont. Carey and Charlie have enjoyed visiting their kids, the beaches of Delaware, Cape Cod, and the Maine coast. On a whim, they spent their 35th anniversary in Rome, Florence, and Venice. Congratulations on 35 years! Last year, Carey, like many of us, turned 60. Plans for a party were preempted by COVID. Lockdown, Zoom, masks and gloves. Carey is so thankful that they have stayed COVID free. In October, Carey’s sister, Nina, died suddenly. She had lived with cancer for 13 years and they thought she would go another 13. COVID restrictions precluded all of the funeral rituals that offer us comfort. Carey, may your many memories help you as you navigate life without Nina.
Carey reports that Mary Cichello Beck, Theresa “Terri” Auchter Byers, Susan Brady Mejia, and Mary Beck O’Donnell are all healthy with no new marriages, grandkids, jobs, or retirements. In a year like this, that is perhaps the best news!
Marilou Sheehan Schunter, our esteemed scribe, lost her brother Terry in March. Prayers for you and your family, Marilou, as you mourn his passing. May your tears soon turn to smiles as you remember the happy time you spent together.
Margaret “Meg” Heery Murphy continues serving the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. She was fortunate to be working from home the day of the Capitol riot. She volunteered at the inauguration and was able to wish Joe Biden well as he passed her on his way down the Capitol steps to take the Oath of Office. Meg worked for then Senator Biden right after we graduated and again when she returned to the Senate following her travels around the world with Shaun and the State Department. Meg’s three kids are all currently state-side and employed.
This past year I learned that there is no such thing as an empty nest! Both kids returned home in March after being forced to leave their respective campuses. Katie was home until June when she returned to Lehigh to finish her Masters in Biology. She begins law school in Iowa in the fall. We are looking forward to a two-hour drive to visit, not a two-day drive! TJ returned to Boston in September, but has not been allowed on campus all year. He graduates from Harvard in May in an all-virtual ceremony. I am having a hard time accepting that I will not see my son graduate from college, but your news reminded me that my life could certainly be much worse. Tim and I are both employed, stayed healthy, and are now fully vaccinated. I have been teaching in person since August (except for 6 weeks when we went virtual due to the high positivity rate). While initially nervous about in person teaching, I have enjoyed being around the kids. They are great about wearing masks and it is wonderful to no longer be teaching from the kitchen table!
I, like so many of you, am tired. Tired of the pandemic. Tired of the travel restrictions which keep us safe, but also keep us from seeing our families. Tired of masks, hand sanitizer, Zoom meetings, online everything. Your letters, while often filled with sad news, were also so positive. Your concern for our classmates, your optimism that better days are ahead, and your kind words reminded me once again why I am so proud to be a member of the Green Class of 1982. I miss you all and so look forward to celebrating our 40th Reunion next June. Please stay healthy and make plans to attend.
Nancy Walsh Foley
Beachbums4@q.com