Skidmore College - Scope Magazine Fall 2018

37 SKIDMORE COLLEGE In June she and husband Terry took their dream vaca- tion, a French schooner cruise down the west coast of Italy from Nice to Malta. She ob- serves, “It was fabulous and we were well spoiled, with just 59 passengers and 30 crew onboard.” They enjoyed excursions to multiple ports, many of them “places one reads about in books or sees in movies.” They’ve already made reservations to take a trip from Malta to Naples in May 2019. Back at home, they launched into a renovation of their master bedroom. Now complete, the space is “pure luxury.” Mary Kohring Highberger and Faxon Green connected on Skidmore’s campus for three days in August. “Neither of us had seen the ‘new’ cam- pus for many years. We en- joyed staying in the Sussman Village student apartment complex — great accom- modations in or out of racing season, but especially when local hotel prices skyrocket. The campus is beautiful and well designed to maximize the outdoors. Summer-school students were on campus, so we got a little taste of what it might be like in the fall.” Heading off campus, Mary and Faxon enjoyed mineral baths and massages, the racetrack, chamber music at the Performing Arts Center and dinner at the Gideon Put- nam Hotel. “It felt great to be together again in Saratoga,” says Mary. Tamara Wiley informed me that her mother, Carole Moore Wiley , passed away May 8, 2017. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma seven years earlier, Carole died with most of her family by her side. Susan Wilhelm Hands died March 6 in St. Peters- burg, Fla. She is survived by her son Harold III and daughter Marilyn. We send condolences to both families. This spring Glenda Arentzen organized a mini-reunion for New Hampshire classmates J oslin Kimball Frank, Pam Hardy Andrews, and me, Susan Sambrook Berry. With Carolyn Heft, Mollie Klee Heron and Sybil Rhoads Buell ; a few more were unable to attend. A good and noisy time was had by all. Most of us had not seen each other in more than 50 years, so there was lots to talk about, including plans to meet again later this year. I “vacationed” at our sum- mer home on northern Lake George with my five kids, six grandchildren (a girl and four boys, ages 7–14) and five dogs! Susan Sambrook Berry lcdrssberryret@yahoo.com ’63 After the big turnout for our 50th reunion, this year’s 55th drew about two dozen of us, plus a few significant others. But all of our events were a buzz of happy people reconnecting or noticing each other for the first time. We were thorough- ly engaged in our two discussions: the new curriculum and our changing attitudes over time. Both topics sparked thoughtful and interesting dialogue. Our memorial service, although sad and reflective, under- scored the unity and cohesiveness of our class. At the memorial service was Bill Jaenike, widower of Elizabeth Pecoroni Jaenike , my freshman suitemate at Grove. He presented us with the book he had written about her, A Celebration of the Life of Elizabeth Marlene Pecoroni Janaeki, 1941–2015 . Several copies are available from Skidmore’s Develop- ment Office, and Pixie Cram Elsberry has a few as well. We came up with a shar- ing strategy: a classmate requests a copy, reads it and mails it to the next person waiting to read it. I would be happy to participate in its cir- culation. Commenting on our 55th reunion, Pixie observes, “Having time to be just us together and sharing made it special.” Another happy participant was Nancy Crook Rhodes , who enjoyed getting to know a few women she knew only in passing as a student. Following Reunion, Nancy and husband Dusty enjoyed a summer full of family and friends at their great camp on Clay Island in Lake George. Once the seasons change, Nancy will again be flying south to Florida for the winter. Patty Foreman Balbirer shared more great memories of Reunion, dropping me a card on her way to Lago di Garda, Italy, for a few weeks with the family. She sends love and hugs to all. But the final word on Reunion comes from Alex Wilbert Fleischman , who voiced what was in my own heart: “I really loved reconnecting with classmates I had known as a student. But it was equally wonderful mixing it up with the amazing women whom I am now getting to know.” Alex is busy selling two houses in Southampton, N.Y., where her late husband’s family has lived since 1930. Our 55th reunion was a mar- vel, and it broke my heart to leave when it was over. Some of us think it would be nice if we didn’t have to wait until our 60th reunion in 2023 to rejoin, so we are in the early planning stages of a “non- Reunion reunion” in Mystic, Conn., slated for September 2020. We plan to gather over two weekdays and nights sometime between Sept. 7 (Labor Day) and 17. Please try to save those dates. This spe- cial gathering is the brainchild of Sue Weston Marino , who is shepherding it with other volunteers. Susan Altus Rudnick was sorry to miss Reunion, but she was at a family gradua- tion. This particular snowbird spends six months each in New England and Florida every year. While in the Sun- shine State, she frequently lunches with Evelyn Nutman Siegel . Susan recently got together with Linda Maislen Frieze in Boston. Full-time Floridian Carol Brush Nicholson was ac- companied by a friend on a Holland America cruise to Norway. Carol left her hus- band home with the dog and cat because “he can’t see the point of going on a boat that you can’t fish off of.” Carol stopped at several ports and enjoyed two fjord excursions in perfect weather. Back at home, she makes weekly therapy-dog visits. Doris Killenberg Wohlfort moved to New Hampshire around four years ago with husband Bob. They had been vacationing in the White Mountains for over 40 years. She doesn’t say the word “retirement” ever. Bob partici- pated in a 50-mile bike ride in Hanover this summer, and Doris works as a court-ap- pointed advocate for abused and neglected children. Mildred Krips Boyce en- joyed a whirlwind August. Her son and one daughter arrived from South Africa, and another daughter came from the Czech Republic to reunite with family in New York and elsewhere. Although Mildred has sold her farm, she will stay on for two years, until another adventure presents itself. She sends wishes to all for health, happiness and, as always, love. Married to a Greek myself, I took pleasure in a note from Eileen Winters Mann , who married a wonderful Greek gentleman in 2014. They met in a dog park in Manchester, Vt. She says her husband, who grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Cornell in 1956, arrived with (in the order stated) a dog, two daughters, three grandchildren and excel- lent culinary skills. Eileen says, “He makes all our dinners. I just stack the dishwasher.” After Reunion, I attended the bar mitzvah of my last grandson to turn 13 — it was sheer joy. We spent time with friends, including a dinner with Jane Finneman Hochman and her husband, Jack, in Princeton, N.J. Also in attendance was classmate Sabre Gilmartin , whom we remember as Lynda Sable (hey, I was Ida Blum). Since our 50th reunion, I have become friends with Sabre, a British subject who summers in NYC. She hopes to spend more time in the U.S. next year. What an amazing group of women we are! For those of us who missed the reunion memorial service, and for the families and friends of the classmates who passed away this year, I mark the loss of two beloved members of our Skidmore family: Ellen Schwartz Gud- win , who passed away March 25, and Frances Chapman Zuke , who died May 26. They will be greatly missed. Susan Blum Loukedis littperson@optonline.net