class notes

1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | MALS | UWW
People & projects | In Memoriam

1960s

1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969

1960

Gail Bendix Jaffe
gbjaffe@msn.com

MA Hoff Fallon had a busy summer with family and friends visiting. She saw Elaine Perlman Cohen several times. MA, Elaine, and Rosemary Bourne attended the fifth annual Skidmore luncheon at the Devon Yacht Club in August. The college’s Jim Meeker was on hand with the latest Skidmore news.

Deborah Davenport Brooks, Ellie Davies Bowden, and Judy Harmon Miller celebrated a mini-reunion at Marcia Mattson Todd’s in Maine. Debbie says when Marcia’s two grandsons (ages 6 and 8) arrived, her granddaughter Zoe, 8, had the time of her life.

Pat Mulligan Sullivan headed south for the winter to their home in Ponte Vedra, FL, where “the golf course beckons.” She and husband Jack invited Sally Wagner Kilishek and husband George as house guests for a weekend. George was attending an annual reunion of West Point alums, coincidentally, hosted this year by Pat’s neighbor, a fellow West Point grad. Pat and Sally have been in contact but hadn’t seen each other in years. She says, “It was a fun reunion on two fronts.”

Pat also noted that she received an e-mail from Helen Gaffney Brennan, who had just returned from a safari in Africa this summer. Helen said the trip was “so fabulous I hated for it to end.”

Marilee Karins Pellegrini spent a five-day retreat with brother Bud and his wife in the Rocky Mountain National Park at Estes Park, CO, this past summer. The retreat’s guide led them in practicing mindful awareness, with peace as the goal. Marilee described the experience as “profound and made even better with two days of solitary hiking in the Boulder Canyon and Flatirons following the retreat.”

Becky Martin Watson sent special thanks to Marty Miller Spencer “for that terrific class book.” She loved “reading about all the girls.” Becky and her friend Steve attended a four-cylinder Plymouth car rally in Mt. Vernon, OH, this fall. “It was great networking and fun to learn about old Plymouths.” Becky and Leilani Holloway Eells are members of PEO, which promotes women’s education and celebrates the advancement of women to achieve their highest aspirations. Becky’s Vermont bed-and-breakfast donates its proceeds to PEO. She welcomes the opportunity to talk to anyone who is involved with PEO or might like to learn more.

Elie McConihe Cain had a busy year of traveling, plus her daughter’s wedding in June. She and husband Ted spent time in Florida last February, visiting his family and old friends. Elie enjoyed renewing friendships with many classmates at our 45th reunion in June and hopes to see many more at the 50th. She described a magical-sounding horse-drawn carriage trip for 12 days in the Czech Republic.

Barbara Block Zwick was disappointed to have missed our 45th. But she wrote a thank-you to Kathy Adair Coombs, Judy Harmon Miller, and me for giving her “vivid, detailed, and fun accounts” of the weekend. She carries Skidmore with her in various ways, including the attractive Tang bag and Mary Lynn’s book, Make No Small Plans. The granddaughter mentioned in our class memorial book was born last May.

Mary Kelchner Lindner sold her home in Basking Ridge, NJ, and moved to Upper Gwynedd Township, PA. This puts her closer to daughter Krista and her family.

Hadley Sillick Robertson says life in the independent part of the continuing-care community where she and her husband recently moved is “suiting us just fine.” Dinner time there is a definite plus, she says. “It reminds me of my blissful youth when my mother would faithfully cook a nice dinner each night and then say, ‘Dinner is ready,’ and all I would have to do was waddle to the table.”

Both Bonnie Vare Smith and Connie Daloz Gray thank all who contributed to making Reunion such a memorable one. Since then Bonnie has been diligently working on her golf game with some mixed feelings about continuing. Connie says reconnecting with “ol’ PE’s” was an important part of Reunion. She enjoyed reconnecting with Elie McConihe Cain and Ann Davison McDonough; touring the new facilities with Prof. Beverly Becker; and meeting dance professor Isabella Brown, who happens to be married to a childhood friend of Connie and her husband, whom they haven’t seen in 50 years. Connie added that she and Marty Miller Spencer had a fascinating visit with Karuna Kress (Wendy Wyatt) in her home in Bellows Falls, VT. Connie is trying to convince her to come to our 50th.

Ellen VanDusen Guthrie broke her wrist while working for her favorite charity, Habitat for Humanity. She has been working hard on her therapy in order to regain the full use of her hand—“fortunately my left,” she notes.

Nelle Nugent has been commuting between London and NYC. She has a play in rehearsal in London and in out-of-town tryouts in NYC. Her only child, Alexandra, is a freshman at the University of Arizona in Tucson, which she loves. Nelle was sorry to miss Reunion but was sailing with her daughter.

Sarah Couch McQuilkin was disappointed to miss our 45th but is looking forward to our next one. She was also unable to attend a July reunion at the summer home of Marcia Mattson Todd and husband Doug. Sarah’s husband, Rennie, was recuperating from his fall last Memorial Day and unable to travel long distances. Rennie is now doing much better.

On Labor Day Marty Miller Spenser lost husband Dave after a six-year struggle with multiple myeloma. He was up and about until the day before his death from pneumonia. As an advocate of advance directives for end-of-life care, Marty credits her hospice volunteer training for insuring that he died with dignity and “with his loved ones at his side.” The class sends its heartfelt sympathy and condolences to Marty and her family.

I have become involved in the Tucson Skidmore club, finding it a pleasure to work with Linda Brafman Berke ’61 and Joel Bresler ’82. An added delight is working with Mary Monigan in alumni affairs. Skidmore continues to be a sustaining and enriching part of my life. Following reunion, Alan and I spent three glorious weeks traveling the entire circumference of Ireland. We were particularly affected by seeing parts of Northern Ireland. Two visits to Portland, OR, to visit son Michael and his family (including Jordan, 7, and John, 5) rounded out our summer “getaway” from the Tucson heat. We are delighted that Sue Smith and husband Bill Wilkes have returned from their summer visit to Basking Ridge, NJ. Sue and I are on the lookout for Mary Kelchner Lindner to return to Tucson and round out our Skidmore trio. We hope some of you will be traveling to the Tucson area this winter; lovely winter weather and a mini-reunion sounds like a great combination!