class notes

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1960s

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1961

Charlotte Smiley Read
gig4smile@aol.com

Brenda Giombetti Darcey and husband Dick returned last year from a trip to Italy to see their children. Their Brookline, MA, condo sold in just three weeks, allowing them to move to a nice house in Brunswick, ME, where they will spend the winters. Brenda traveled to California for a roommate reunion attended by Mary Pierce Riney, Kirsten Holst Whitsett, and Anna Jalar Jeanneau. Kris’s children surprised her with a birthday bash timed so that the roomies were able to celebrate with her! “It was a happy, happy time,” she reports.

Now fully retired, Nancy Stevenson enjoys having the time to garden, sing, and take walks. She and husband Neil love their Vermont home. Neil is an educator, writing an environmental curriculum and teaching energy conservation. Daughter Emily lives in Cambridge, MA.

Jacki Jung hosted a great Saratoga Springs mini-reunion and lunch in November that included Marilyn “Sam” Schutrum Coughlin, Hulda Hardman Jowett, and Judy Mutti Grinnell, who traveled from the Berkshires and were eager to see all the changes on Skidmore’s campus. They all enjoyed a terrific gab fest around the table! Jacki, who has spent time with Hulda and Judy over the years, had not seen Sam since graduation—“a special treat to reconnect after almost 48 years!” she says. They plan to keep the lunch tradition going.

Doris Young Kadish is sorry she has been out of the Skidmore loop, in part due to her work as distinguished research professor of French and women’s studies at the University of Georgia (www.rom.uga.edu/dkadish/). She recently spent a wonderful day in Charlotte, NC, with Seena Schmall Levy, who was widowed several years ago and lives in Washington, DC. Doris was impressed with Seena’s memories of Skidmore days together.

Library director Margaret Howe-Soper had an eventful year. A pipe froze in the Westminster (MA) Public Library, resulting in a flood. A quarter of the library’s collection was damaged, and the entire building had to be renovated. Skeet traveled to California and North Carolina to visit her son and daughter. She vacationed in Colorado with a friend whom she dated at the University of Colorado at Boulder 50 years ago. Skeet was snug in her renovated home over the winter. With no plans to retire, she will soon make another visit to Colorado.

Sandy Weisman Sheppard’s 11-year-old grandson Samuel Heath wrote an essay that was selected by the Teachers Union of the State of Indiana, earning him a spot in the presidential inaugural ceremonies in January. Sandy opened her Washington, DC, home to Sam, his proud dad, and his aunt Carole Kaspin Polacsek, who made the trip from Saratoga Springs, NY. Sandy’s cousin from Kansas City, MO, was also on hand to enjoy the festivities.

Bobbie McIlveen Baldwin and Peggy Jo Ratcliffe Kienast lunched with Diann Duffy ’62 in Oradel, NJ. Peggy Jo spent the night with Bobbie, followed by golf the next day at Baltusrol. Peggy Jo, who lives in Virginia, sees her children often; all are well. Bobbie is concerned about one of her four stepsons, whose leukemia has returned. He is at Dana Farber, preparing for his second stem-cell transplant. Bobbie says he is very strong and has a lot of courage.

Margot Folsom O’Neal has been undergoing extended chemotherapy after having a tumor removed from her liver. They are anticipating a full recovery. I talked to Margot and was so impressed with her optimism and good spirits. Jim also had surgery this fall, so it was a great help having Margot’s sister Gerry spend three weeks with them in September. The highlight of the year was an O’Neal get-together at Huntington Lake in California’s Central Sierra Mountains in June. It worked so well, they hope to hold another one this summer.

The class extends its sympathy to Betsy Ewing Lamotte, who lost her husband, Mitch, last summer. Betsy splits her time between Winnetka, IL, and Jupiter, FL.

A few of you have sent me pictures of mini-reunions that we can have posted on our class Web page, . It would be fun to use this site, especially as we approach our 50th in 2011. Any volunteers to help me with the site?