class notes

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1972

Martha Pantier Tehan
marthvic@aol.com

Sarah Ruth Lundy believes being an art major is a challenge. She encourages us all to look into art for life enrichment. Sarah’s course on museum studies at Massasoit Community College in Massachusetts is “full of tidbits about great artists from Leonardo to Van Gogh.”

Wendy Woodruff McGill and husband Tim have successfully seen their three daughters through braces, first cars, college, graduate school, weddings. “Phew,” says Wendy. The McGills divide their time between their homes in Rochester, NY, and Palm Beach, FL, but since Tim is not yet retired from his law practice, they help keep the airlines in business! Wendy attended Reunion 2007 and looks forward to our 40th.

Susan Patterson Smith and husband Glenn still live near Philadelphia, as he is director of facilities at Bryn Mawr College. Susan is a behavior-specialist consultant. Son Mike Smith ’99 is acting and working in Chicago. Daughter Kathryn is married and lives in Nashville, TN. Daughter Tina is married and lives in Apex, NC, with Susan’s grandson Noah, 18 months. Son Pete is a sophomore in technical theater and acting at Muhlenberg College.

Nancy Conat Cable lives in Sherborn, MA (you may remember she came to Skidmore from Surrey, England), and has been a psychotherapist for almost 30 years. Husband Warren is a professor at MIT, where son Adam is a junior. Son Joseph is a senior in high school. Having sabbaticals every seven years allow the Cables plenty of adventures.

Laurie Lykken returned to her home state of Minnesota and wants us to check out her efolio at www.laurielykken2.efolio2.com. She’s sorry to have missed Reunion 2007 but plans to join the other Union Avenue freshmen at their own mini-reunion in 2008. They are planning long walks and talks, and late-night games of Trivial Pursuit. Laurie still teaches English, both in the classroom and online at Century Community and Technical College. She loves the challenge and the inspiring students. Son Nate is at the New School in NYC, pursuing an MA in media studies. Son Zack just completed an AA in culinary arts.

Betsy Stern Guttag and Bart moved to Ft. Myers, FL, permanently and love it.

Debbie Baum Chapin-Horowitz sends greetings from the Big Apple. She works with the Sucherman management-consulting and executive-search firm, which specializes in media and entertainment. Husband Ed continues as CEO of a satellite communications company. His sons graduated from Duke and are working in Manhattan. Debbie’s son Josh is a junior at Duke, majoring in classics with a certificate in journalism; he recently returned from a semester in Rome.
Anita Kuehl Taylor’s daughter is a junior at Randolph College (formerly Randolph-Macon Women’s College) and is amused that she and her daughter would both start at a women’s college that went co-ed during their college years. She hopes Randolph College makes the transition as successfully as Skidmore did.

Laurel Cohen Olsen’s youngest, Andrew, graduates from SMU this year, having gone only three years. He wanted to finish early since “school’s not his thing,” but has already lined up a job. Oldest son Matthew is working toward a PhD in chemistry at the University of Illinois. Laurel’s husband, Tom, plans to retire at the same time that Laurel’s mother will come from Florida to live with them. Laurel is learning to paint and play bridge and continues decades of yoga to keep life “smooth and peaceful.”

Trish Passmore Alley and staff members of Greensboro Wonder & Wisdom Inc. were presenters at the third North American Conference on the Spirituality of Children and Youth in Chattanooga, TN, in November. Their topic was “Between Wonder & Wisdom: Creating Sacred Space with Children.” Trish founded GW&W, which provides after-school and summer enrichment programs for children ages 6–12 and day trips for seniors. She spends much of her time trying to fund this innovative program in her small, rural community. “Ideas and checks are welcome!” she adds.
Mary O’Bryan Seidman’s youngest daughter, Jennifer, is a senior at Manhattanville College. Mary and husband Steve now own five Thoroughbred horses (two fillies, a mare, and two colts) that race in the Aqueduct-Belmont and Saratoga circuit. They spent last August in Saratoga and plan on going back this summer to see their horses race there. She says the track is “as beautiful as it was when I was at school.”

Judith Etelis Farber and husband Michael of West Hartford, CT, celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in Hawaii last year. They loved the excitement of Honolulu and enjoyed the relaxation and beauty of Maui. Their children and grandson are doing well.

Leslie Hammond Coll continues to find joy in helping people buy and sell their homes in the greater Hartford, CT, area. Husband Ned is an activist helping poor people in Hartford’s inner city. Stepdaughter Beth is producing documentaries about “wise women” of South America; stepson John is a gifted carpenter in Connecticut.

Sue Bartholomew Owings lives in Vermont with husband Ken. She is in her 18th year as a special-ed teacher for a public school. She has completed a two-year certification process to become a relationship-development intervention consultant. Her plan for the next five years is to slowly increase a private practice, consulting with parents of children on the autism spectrum. Her twins are 23.

Rita Jaessing Brauneck spends time in Cleveland and on Florida’s west coast, where she is an executive coach and career coach. She would like to hear from classmates at brauneckrt@sbcglobal.net.

Melissa Fowler Hanno and husband Bruce are looking forward to retiring to their summer home in Brantingham Lake, NY. Daughter Martha is a speech pathologist who owns her own company, Wells Therapy Services, in Utica, NY. The family continues to heal from the death of their oldest daughter and sister, Marin, in 1995.

After being an elementary-school principal for 15 years in Newton, MA, Cynthia MacKay Marchand has taken on the challenge of being assistant superintendent. This new facet of life is only exceeded by her role as grandmother to five (four girls and one boy) under 6 years of age, who truly enrich her. One of her daughters is a teacher, another is a medical assistant working on an RN degree, and her son works in the food and beverage industry.

In October Avis Skinner Medawar took a fabulous trip with Beverly Sanchez and her husband, Joe, to Buenos Aires and on to Patagonia. She made several buying trips to NYC during the winter for her specialty jewelry, clothes, and home décor shop on Nantucket, MA (see visavisnantucket.com).

In New York Jeanne Bresciani, artist-in-residence at the Isadora Duncan International Institute, helped celebrate the organization’s 30th anniversary through benefits and performances in NYC and the Catskills as well as tours to Japan, Taiwan, and Hawaii. Jeanne visited Prof. Mary DiSanto Rose and Skidmore’s dance department to reconstruct works, and the Skidmore Duncan Dancers appeared at Harkness Dance Center of the 92nd Street YMCA in NYC to aid in the celebrations.

Ruth Lundy is still single and enjoys socializing. Her science degree from Skidmore means a lot to her. Ruth sells hybrid flowers and designs floral arrangements at a greenhouse in Massachusetts.
Ann Finn Mayer and family are all well and busy in Greenland, NH. Daughter Jessica ’07 is working two jobs (and, since she graduated, Ann now misses not having a reason to come to Skidmore and Saratoga Springs). Ryan, 21, is studying criminal justice and working his way through school.

I am knitting a prayer shawl and wonder: Marty Gellman Braff and Lindy Franciose, had your needles out lately?