1983 Class Notes for 2015
A reflection:
October 2015 is the 30-year anniversary of Meg Connors’ death. Many of us think of her today and wish that we could have had the opportunity to grow old together. She will always be remembered for her fun spirit, sense of adventure and imagination. As with Meg, we will forever cherish the memories of those classmates who have passed. They will live on in our Gold Class.
In the past year and a half, the women of the Class of ’83 faced several blessings and hurdles but have persevered through it all, showing that life really does go on.
Our hearts broke for Sue Sheehan Bassett (Barefoot Bay, FL) when her husband, James “Jimmy” Bassett, lost his battle on August 20, 2014. Sue misses him dearly but is grateful for the 14 years that she spent with him after he received his diagnosis. Sue praises Facebook for enabling her to not only share information with, but also receive comfort from, so many people. Hearing especially from her Trinity classmates meant the world to her. While Jimmy dealt with his illness, Sue also had some health crises. She has since become involved with Breast Friends of Florida fundraisers and their survivorship program. She loves being an admission representative at Everest University. and is grateful for all her coworkers’ understanding during this past year. Looking ahead and leaning on her furry companions for support, Sue remarks, “2015 has to be MY YEAR…My life has been crazy and my new journey has started!”
2014 proved challenging for Jean Campbell (San Diego), who needed to resolve some health issues and move twice, so, to say the least, she’s very glad that it’s a new year. She continues to teach psychodrama to clinicians and consult with organizations providing team building and conflict resolution. Jean’s biggest news is that she’s started a PhD program at San Diego University for integrative studies. She’s only taking one or two classes per quarter so that she doesn’t have to take out any student loans. It may take her 10 years, but when finished, she’ll have a PhD in Psychology with a focus in expressive arts therapy. She looks forward to exploring a variety of modalities, such as music therapy and sand tray therapy, and seeing how she can integrate those into her work. Jean also helped launch a new intervention model called action intervention that integrates psychodrama with the systemic model of intervention. This approach gathers the entire family system together from the start and helps the family change so that everyone moves towards recovery and growth. Lastly, Jean began a blog called Action Insights, where she ties her insights in life to the theory of psychodrama practice. You may read her blog at
actioninsights.wordpress.com.
Annemarie Sheehan Steimel (Jeffersonton, VA) and family also had a tough year. On May 31, 2014, husband Bart’s father, Dr. Robert Steimel, passed away after a long illness. During that same month, Annemarie’s mother, Mary Parker Sheehan, was diagnosed with cancer and died a month later on June 29. Their deaths were a shock, and the families are still grieving their losses. Nevertheless, as Annemarie states, “there is always something that brings joy to us even in sad times.” For Annemarie and Bart, joy arrived in the births of their first granddaughter, Alexandra Erin Howard, to daughter Kimberly and Paul on March 6, 2014, and their first grandson, Owen Michael Wells, to daughter Melissa and Kenyon on October 16, 2014.
Also relishing her role as a grandmother is Mary Mehr Lange (Atlanta, GA). Daughter Kelsey, who works in institutional investment sales for Invesco, gave birth in late January, 2015, to a baby boy named Finn. Meanwhile, son Brett, who plays professional golf on the mini tours, hopes to make the PGA as soon as possible, and with the housing market on the upswing, husband Joe has returned to building high-end homes in Buckhead. Commuting to her job in San Francisco, Mary leads a sales development academy for SAP, recruiting and training recent college graduates from all over the world for a role in sales. She loves working with 21-25 year-olds who are so excited and eager to learn. Lastly, Mary recently moved her octogenarian parents to Atlanta, filling her plate with happy responsibilities.
Retired from the field of education in June, 2014, Elizabeth Kirby Fullerton (Atlantic Beach, FL) is moving into her second passion, wellness for women over 50. Her children are all busy: Kirby is an immigration lawyer in Lexington, KY; Clare is a civil engineer and mother of the two most perfect grandchildren; Avery is at Georgia Tech on an Army ROTC scholarship; and Henry has finished one year at the local state college. In December, Elizabeth and Bill celebrated 32 years of marriage. Last May, Elizabeth’s 89-year-old parents moved down the street from her, and for the first time in her life, she has her parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece, and great-nephew within walking distance of her home, for which she’s grateful beyond measure. Elizabeth loves seeing her Trinity friends on Facebook and thinks that they have grown into a wonderful group of women. She has seen Anne Griffith Hennessy (Atlanta, GA) twice this past year and keeps me in touch with Liz Moss Silva (Little Silver, NJ), Anne Marie Desaulniers (Bethesda, MD) and Lizzie Whelan (NYC).
Another Floridian, Kathy Curran Molino (St. Petersburg Beach) finds her consultant job rewarding and loves the traveling that it entails. Son Justin, a high school senior, has been touring universities, and Kathy and husband Mark eagerly await his decision as to where his future path will take him. Stepdaughter Alyssa graduates from nursing school this June, so the Molinos are looking forward to some “totally awesome” celebrations! Kathy and Mark spend as much time as possible at their cabin in the Adirondacks. They love every season and hope to one day be snow birds, which, Kathy admits, is a definite sign of getting old!
Maureen Kennelly Nolan (Annandale, VA) sent news of her family’s exciting year. Riordan (24) graduated from the Naval Academy in May and is now stationed in San Diego. Bridget (28) became engaged in June and will be married in July 2015. Kiera (26) is a librarian in Fairfax County and Brenna (30) is a Pilates instructor in New York. In December, Maureen received her PhD. in Curriculum and Instruction from Capella U. and continues to teach world geography in Arlington County. She and her husband Joe celebrated 31 years of marriage last October. Maureen exclaims that life is good!
Kathleen Ryan (Highlands Ranch, CO) shared three facts: Her son is a junior at the Air Force Academy; her daughter is a sophomore at Regis University; and she and her husband are well.
Life in Paxton, MA, is cruising along for Laurie Drazek and spouse Kristine. Last February, they took their first cruise to the eastern Caribbean to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary – although they’ve been together for 23 years! Kristine received a promotion where she now oversees five nursing home facilities. Meanwhile, Laurie continues as an adjunct professor at Becker College and Quinsigamond Community College and as a clinician at a mental health clinic for children and families. At home, Laurie and Kristine still have their pet menagerie. Recently Laurie rescued Sophia the horse from going to the slaughter house. Sophia joins another horse, four cocker spaniels, two cats and ten chickens! Laurie is grateful to be happy and healthy and wishes all of her Trinity sisters the same.
The 2014 highlight for Mary Gutowski Schlitzer (Cold Spring, NY) was a trip to Belize with her youngest brother’s wife who’s from that country, so Mary saw the “real” Belize as well as the tourist areas. Mary would return in a heartbeat. Mary has been in touch with Francine Donohue Harrington ’84, and dearest friend Cristy Loza Santiago (Ponce, PR) and had a fun dinner with Cristy’s sister Lizy Loza Diaz ’84 and daughter Isabel in NYC. Since our 30th Reunion, Mary met Anne Marie Desaulnier ’83 for lunch twice on Cape Cod. They hope to make this an annual event.
In August, Sandee Kurtz (DC) will celebrate her 20th anniversary at the Association of American Medical Colleges, which, she exclaimed, “is pretty much a life time.” When not at work, she likes spending time with her dogs and taking a cruise or two. Sandee keeps in touch with Joyce Keane Vorbach (Naples, FL), who, along with husband John, has begun hunting and camping, thanks to a new RV. Joyce has also started Zumba, which she enjoys very much.
Amy Lloyd Cornelius and family have moved to Philadelphia and are having fun acclimating to city life!
2014 brought health challenges to my sister Lyn, my mom and me. We pray that Lyn and Mom will be given clean bills of health for a long time to come. Last summer I participated in cycling and outrigger canoeing sponsored by SportsNet, a program providing sporting activities to people with disabilities in an inclusive community setting. By summer’s end, I was hand-cycling about three miles per week. I felt fit until my last canoe outing when I strained my neck from paddling too much. As of mid-February, I’m almost fully recuperated. I’ll definitely be more careful next summer! On a happier note, a University of Rochester writing project, pairing students with adults with disabilities, made my winter fly by quickly. Over spring semester, the pairs worked on a creative writing piece chosen by the person with a disability. The students not only scribe for the adults but also interview and encourage them to delve deeper into their ideas. My final play entitled Gaining Relevance is a true collaboration between my partner and me. Lastly, after attending a NYS CP Conference in Albany, I crossed the Massachusetts border to meet Ellen Farris (Monterey, MA) for dinner. Ellen continues to teach in special education and was excited about working with students who use assistive communication devices. When not in the classroom, she loves her role as a grandmother, and any fair-weather free time will find Ellen joining husband Mike on their sailboat.
Thanks for writing, ladies! A happy and healthy year to all!
Ann “Krash” Kurz
27 Greig Street
Rochester, NY 14608
(585) 820-2663
kurz.ann@gmail.com