Skidmore College - Scope Magazine Spring 2019

35 SKIDMORE COLLEGE choir; and volunteering in schools. She’s active in the League of Women Voters and reads voraciously. Carol Geffner Fontani finds Miami a lovely place to spend the winter. She participates in a musical group three days a week, walks four dogs, reads as much as she can and occasion- ally paints. Her four children and five grands are all doing well. Her oldest is applying to colleges: “Weren’t we all just doing that?” Sandra Weisman Sheppard stays busy keeping up with her six grandchildren. Mikayla, 26, recently married a med student at Ohio State, and Elijah graduated from Indiana University, where Lexy is a student. The twins attend Purdue. Three grandkids traveled to Europe last year. Lexy will spend a semester in Seville. Sandra enjoyed a three- week trip to China. In June, Joan Horowitz Behr and her husband left their townhouse in Philly and moved into a retirement community 30 minutes away. They enjoy the new residence. She en- courages classmates to visit her at Cornerstone at Simpson House. Cookie Rapoport Thier recalls receiving a journal from her son when her first grandchild, Dalton, was born. It resurfaced recently — just as Dalton is approaching her 19th birthday. What struck Cookie most is how much she traveled for work and how fortunate her life has been. Cookie commends Skid- more for giving her confidence to manage her life and stretch profes- sionally and personally. Peyton Bibb Evans is well and happy in Key West, Fla., where she is surrounded by good friends. She sees Thea Kharasch Flaum regu- larly at the annual Key West Literary Seminar in January. Peyton has been on the KWLS Board since 2001. After 52 years as a nurse, Anabel Karp Gray decided to retire, prompt- ed by her dislike of the digitalization of patient care. So Anabel sold her house and secured an apartment in a complex in York Harbor, Maine. De- lighted to forego mowing grass and snow shoveling, she is now happily settled in with “three great compan- ions”: two cats and a dog. Linda Brafman Berke’s recent hip replacement surgery was a good opportunity for her to catch up on reading. She is glad to be back in the warm Arizona climate. Linda stays in touch with Joan Horowitz Behr and Sandy Weisman Sheppard. Priscilla Richie Keene died peaceful- ly Sept. 24, 2018. An accomplished nutrition educator, she also was a talented painter and quilter. We extend condolences to her husband Jim, daughter Julie and son Ian. We recently learned that Joanne Connor Jasaitis died Dec. 29, 2015. She launched her nursing career aboard the American Export Cruise Line. We send sympathies to him and their four children. I had a nice Christmas visit with Nancy Stevenson and husband Neil. We gathered at the home of a high school friend in Southport, Conn. It was fun being in Grand Central Sta- tion again! Keep writing! Charlotte Smiley Read gig4smile@aol.com ’62 I hope everyone is healthy and busily traveling or enjoying their kids and grandkids. After selling her Connecticut home, Jackie Buxbaum Cross spends win- ters in Port St. Lucie, Fla., but she’ll continue to summer on Chebeague Island in Maine. When Linda Andrews Sennott-Mill- er ’s husband, Jerry, died two years ago, she began contemplating mov- ing closer to her daughter. A new grandchild arrived in October 2018, tipping the scales toward leaving Tucson, Ariz., for Northampton, Mass. She is welcoming a new chapter that includes extended family. Jacqueline Merriam Paskow sold her house near St. Mary’s College in Maryland and will move into the Riderwood retirement community in Silver Springs on May 1. I would appreciate knowing your contact information so we can stay in touch. I’ll pass along these updates to Skidmore. My college roommate Pat Duckwall Selwood emailed news of her life in Colorado. An active Democrat, she is a library system trustee, local library friend and Pat had a wonderful Christ- mas with family in Colorado. She is hoping for a grandson and some friends to join her in Watkins Glen. Diana Fong Chan joined friends on a Cal Discovery Tour of India in February. She then enjoyed a Viking Homeland Cruise to Scandinavian capitals before heading to attend a centennial celebration for her hus- band Steve’s brother in Costa Rica. Diana and Steve are featured on the cover of the February issue of the Los Altos Hills magazine. Her latest book, “Animal Kingdom: Vertebrates, Animals with Backbones” aims to help children understand the impor- tance of protecting wildlife habitat. Sarasota, Fla., resident Nancy Smith Bushnell recently discovered that she and Laura Stanley have been singing together in a local choral group for several years. They were not acquainted at Skidmore. While attending a Skidmore “Dinner with 12 Strangers,” Nancy met a new neighbor, Donna Kehne ’71 . Nancy enjoyed lunch with Sue Donner Wells and her friend, Woody. Roberta Brandes Gratz is proud to report that her “fabulous” grand- daughter, Stella Piasecki ’23 , will be entering Skidmore this fall! Twila Fleckten Wolfe underwent surgery for a fractured wrist in mid- September, which slowed her down for a bit. Soon she felt well enough to head to Chamonix, France, for skiing. Mollie Klee Heron enjoyed a nice January lunch with Sandy Katz Neiman and Susan Miller Loebs . Sandy was on her way to Sanibel Island, Fla., with husband Richard. The alumnae plan to meet up with a few more Skiddies later this spring. Mollie visited her sister in the Cali- fornia Bay Area in February before heading to Austin, Texas, to see son Will and his family. She journeyed on to connect with a friend in Midland. Mollie and a friend also spent time in Florence, Italy, hosted by a niece and her husband.  Lollie Engel Triebold’s husband Dave experienced a series of health prob- lems. Happily, Dave is one tough guy, as Lollie can attest. “By corn harvest- ing season, he was back up on the combine like a king on his throne,” she quips. The couple enjoyed their annual trip to Spain in February. Linda Lange lives in NYC for six months and the rest on her farm in Hawley, Mass. Sol Lerner, her partner of 47 years, died Nov. 2, 2017. Linda’s daughter, Anna, has two beautiful children, Emma, 4, and Nicolas Soloman, 1. Anna and husband Ben live in NYC. Linda gets lots of grandma time when the family comes to Hawley and during Linda’s stay in NYC. Sue Donner Wells spent the first few months of this year by her wood stove in Greenwood Lake, N.Y. Sue recently warmed up during a trip to Florida, where she enjoyed lunch with Nancy Smith Bushnell . She is a longtime AARP/IRS tax preparation volunteer.