1984 Class Notes for 2019

Red Class of 1984

Ellen Sonosky Carey has been living and working in Stamford, CT for 10 years now. Ellen works at Gartner Inc. For the last few years, her full-time focus has been on usability and UX research and she loves her work. It allows her to make use of her journalism training, website production, and IT experience all at the same time. In 2017, Gartner acquired CEB, another business research and advisory firm, so she occasionally has the opportunity to work in Arlington, VA where the former CEB is based. This gives her opportunities to combine work with a chance to see her siblings Paul, Mary Sonosky McCullough (’83) and Colleen Sonosky (’86). Luckily they stayed just ahead of Hurricane Florence last September while vacationing as usual in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Ellen was looking forward to another fun St. Patrick’s Weekend at the Dubliner and to seeing everyone at Reunion in June.

Mary Barton writes that since our last reunion she was named a Community Superintendent by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) for Community School District 27 in Queens, NY in July 2014. She has since retired after serving as superintendent for four plus years and after a 32 plus year career with the NYCDOE in September 2018. In her last position, she was responsible for the overall operation of the district including overseeing a team who assisted her in doing this work.  Her specific work included principal development and evaluation, and increasing school quality for 51 schools, three of which opened under her leadership since 2014.  Her recent work also included her overseeing the inauguration of the nationally touted 3K for All program, a full day school program for three year old students, which opened in District 27 in 2018, one of the first districts to do so in New York City.

Mary had some health issues since an accident in May 2017.  In the aftermath of the accident, she needed to have two surgeries, one of which was a wrist reconstruction.  She has been undergoing intensive physical therapy for the last year and a half and is nearly done with the therapy thankfully.  Mary is currently working as an educational consultant on a part-time basis, doing some traveling and enjoying her home at the beach in Breezy Point, NY.   Unfortunately, she will not be able to attend reunion this year as her niece is graduating from high school on June 1st but she sends her best regards to everyone. She is hoping to see everyone at the 40th!

Ryan, Caroline, Chris, Suzanne (Suzy) Brown van Dijk and her husband, Alex

Suzanne Brown van Dijk writes that she has enjoyed a successful 30 year career as a Managing Director with Marsh USA in multiple roles within corporate liability, risk management and operations in London, Atlanta, New York City, and Austin.  She left the company five years ago to enjoy her children’s high school years.  She and her husband Alex live in Bernardsville, NJ and are the proud parents of triplets, now 20, Ryan, Christopher, and Caroline each sophomores in college (Lafayette College, ELON, and Bucknell). In between risk management consulting opportunities, tennis continues to be a passion along with yoga, volunteering, spending time on Martha’s Vineyard and expanding her knowledge of wines!  Sadly, her mother Eileen O. Brown (1952) passed away this January at the age of 88.  She has been remiss in staying connected with fellow classmates but has enjoyed touching base with Marie Rexer-Monde over the years and recently received a lovely note from Donna Parkinson who was also her flat mate in London from1984-1986.

Isabel (Mimi) Fitzer Sullivan writes in that her son John is local and has a new association job and is doing well. Her husband Chris is busy with investments and taking cyber security courses. Mimi wrote of a funny “it really is a small world story” – Her daughter, Megan who graduated in December 2017 in only three and a half years wanted to move to Philadelphia where she didn’t know more than one person who was an acquaintance/friend from high school.  Megan talked with a local Arlington, VA friend Mary and told her she got a job and needed a roommate in Philly. Ironically, that night, Mary had dinner with a college friend who just got accepted to Temple grad school named Julia. Julia and Megan connect and Megan and Mimi find an apartment for the two of them. Mimi was in the process of putting some furniture together when they met all of Julia’s family.  Julia’s mother looks at Mimi and said “I know you- we went to school together”.  Lo and behold it turned out to be that Julia’s mother was none other than Laura DeSilverio Mead and her daughter is Julia. Mimi is looking forward to reunion and hopes to talk Laura and her husband Rob into coming. Mimi writes also that sadly after 15+ years, both of their rescue dogs (Chase and Maxwell) passed away.

Katie, Connor and Karen Devine O’Brien

Karen Devine O’Brien writes in that she and the kids are doing well all things considered.  Connor graduated last May from Cornell and he’s currently working at Deloitte in NYC and living with some friends from college in Chelsea.  Katie is still living in LA and working for 3 Arts Entertainment and luckily she gets to visit quite often so it’s not so bad having her live so far away.

Karen was able to do quite a bit of traveling in 2018. She spent a good amount of time in Ireland and England in June visiting family and amazingly the weather was fabulous in both places after an awful spring in CT.  Then in the fall she traveled to Greece with Katie for an amazing family wedding (a cousin on Richard’s side).  She and the kids decided to spend Thanksgiving in California again rather than be home on their own.  They went to England to spend Christmas at her Uncle’s house with all her cousins (19 all together for five days!) From there she and the kids went to Vienna for a few days after Christmas and it was really beautiful.  Then Karen travelled to Florida for a couple of weeks over the winter to help her Dad. She feels it was really good to get away though, and it was nice to be able to spend time with the kids after such a terrible year in 2017.  They all miss Richard terribly but think he’d be proud that they are all doing well and making the best of it.

As for me, Elissa Felix Woodall, I’m entering my eighth year at Cherry Bekaert LLP in Tysons Corner, VA.  Our firm moved offices across the street into a brand new building back in November.  I love our new office but I’m hoping not to have to ever move again, it’s amazing how much you accumulate over the years. Mark and I did our usual travel to Hilton Head, SC for vacation and visits with the in-laws in nearby Bluffton. Once again we managed to avoid a hurricane (Florence) unfortunately we were not able to extend our trip as planned to visit family in Pawley’s Island, SC and Wilmington, NC.  We continue to love the daily entertainment provided by our cats Pebbles and Bam Bam. I’m looking forward as well to seeing everyone at reunion.

Note: Our 35th reunion class party was held on June 1 at Matchbox in Washington, D.C.  A great time was held by all who attended and a special thanks goes to Karen Devine O’Brien for planning it.  I hope we get an even bigger turnout for our 40th!

Elissa Felix Woodall