Class of 1976

What a truly strange year it has been …………. we have all learned to Zoom if we didn’t know how before, we’ve put plans on hold, we’ve accommodated family in many different ways, and we lost another two classmates – Kathy Devine Hendrickson and Mary Ellen Fitzpatrick Dennard during 2020. We’ve also marked the passing of Sr. Margaret Claydon, Sr. Maura Prendergast, and most recently, Sr. Seton Cunneen in the past year.

Susan Heyer Brunner was the first to respond to the request for class news. Sue reports that she had an extended visit from her dad (age 95) – a planned five-week visit turned into a five month stay to avoid returning to a COVID hotspot. During her dad’s visit, Sue became a grandmother for the fifth time, and her dad became a great grandpa for the first time. Sue’s family is doing well, and Sue and Paul celebrated their 35th Wedding Anniversary on a cruise in January of 2020.

Ann Courtemanche reports that Kathy Devine Hendrickson accompanied her husband Chris to DC in January 2020 when he attended a professional conference, as she had in prior years. Kathy had lunch with Ann and Susan Flood Burk last January, and Ann believes that she may have also seen Karen MacPherson, Mary Lynn Rampolla, and Gail Berger at that time. Ann reports that Kathy looked good and was in good spirits at the time but was feeling tired.  Ann retired from her career with Verizon in March 2019 – after 35 years employment with them. She says she hasn’t looked back, and although it was a “fun ride”, but it was time to close that chapter of her life. She keeps in touch with lots of our classmates, primarily with Zoom lunches now. But in May 2019, she participated in a retirement luncheon for Mary Lynn Rampolla (who was unfortunately ill and unable to attend). Liz Maher, Ann, Karen MacPherson and Kate Duggan Thompson attended that luncheon at Bistro Bis. Ann’s youngest sister sold the family home of 66 years and closed the family business as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maribeth McGarraghy Spitz has rejoined the workforce after a brief retirement in 2018. She retired from Transwestern after 18 years’ service, only to receive an offer she couldn’t refuse from another company, Avison Young. She and Christian travel between Naples, FL and Ocean City, NJ, frequently visiting the kids and grandkids in Northern Virginia. Travel plans have been suspended for now. She reports that she and Chris are soon to receive their second COVID vaccination. In the meantime, they are enjoying golf and the beach.

I heard from Ann Friedmann Schara by way of Facebook. She says she and Charlie are doing fine – and that Charlie is enjoying his retirement (several years ago) from GEICO after a 38-year career.

Janet Rosowski Kruse reports in from Ohio. Dealing with COVID has impacted all of us. As with everyone else, most of her plans were cancelled due to COVID. However, she did manage a few safe trips, including her son’s wedding in Chicago in September (immediate family only) and will do so again when a larger celebration in Chicago can be planned. She also took a brief trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with some former co-workers while maintaining appropriate COVID protocols. She has received her second vaccination and plans an Easter/Christmas celebration with her kids.

Kate Duggan Thompson checked in to say she, Mike, and the family are surviving COVID-19 and thriving. Kate reports that she and Mike enjoyed a trip to Portugal, Spain, and Madeira which they thoroughly enjoyed early last year (BC – before COVID). She had lots of fun being “Grandma”, hosting some family who decided to leave Brooklyn temporarily early in the pandemic as well as being back-up childcare for other grandkids. She also welcomed a new granddaughter in August.

Anne Muir Kelley writes that she was part of a COVID related layoff at her company. Not one to waste time, Anne has volunteered as a mentor for two startup businesses and has also started a company which will provide grant management software. She finds each project both challenging and rewarding. Her son Chris’ family is nearby so Anne can spend time with them in a socially distanced manner, and they were also able to gather as a family at Christmas while maintaining precautions. Anne’s daughter Marie and her family reside in Hawaii – Anne had been planning a March 2020 visit since she hadn’t seen them in 3 years. In the meantime, she’ looking forward to making the trip when possible and “Zooming with family and friends as often as possible.”

Margaret Suzor Dunning reports that she and David have received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine and are cautiously getting back into the swing of things. They enjoyed a dinner party hosted by their neighbors (all guests vaccinated and observing other protocols) recently. They had just returned from a trip to Morocco last February when life came to a halt. Margaret, like so many others, is working from home during the pandemic. She and David were able to make a trip to Martha’s Vineyard in the fall after negative COVID tests.

Judy Quinn reported in after the devastating winter storm that hit Texas. She said she was lucky – “no loss of power, water, Wi-Fi. No damage to the house. A lot of neighbors have burst pipes and went thru loss of power for hours at a time, for four days. What a mess! I was the only house with a shoveled walk…old habits! Been giving out a lot of insurance advise and walk around the ‘hood w/the water cover key to help those w/busted pipes shut off the water.” Judy clearly remembered the lessons learned during winters in central New York.

Robina Cunningham Hogan checked in from North Carolina. She’s still working and expects that some awesome clients will keep it that way into 2023. Her daughter Heidi is still struggling from an illness she caught while in New York City. The other kids and grandkids are doing well; granddaughter Rosemary, who competes in Irish Dance, is eagerly awaiting the time when competitions will again take place. Robina believes her final count on grandkids will be nine!

Carla Goheen Loughlin reports that she and Stephen are currently spending time between Anchorage, AK and Mountainview, CA. Their role – grandparents on call. There are now three families – with seven grandchildren in California and one daughter with four grandchildren in Alaska and the oldest one is nine so there are lots of little ones to spoil. Nancy Schott came to visit in Alaska pre-pandemic- it was a great visit.

Nancy Schott also reported in. Asked what she’d been doing in the past year, her comment was “Zilch. Let me think about that……zilch. Sorry that’s all.” Sorry, Nancy, Carla blew your cover. However, compared to prior years it was probably an accurate statement at that. Before COVID, Nancy frequently traveled to DC and visited with classmates, among them Susan Flood Burk and Ann Courtemanche.

Debbie Eich Zuaro reports in from Vermont where conservation work & enjoying a two-year-old grandson keep her busy. She said that despite having a 20-year career in clinical microbiology she could never have imagined the challenges of this pandemic. She hopes all are well and that the worst is now behind us.

Karen O’Keefe checked in to tell us that she has been spending time during this pandemic working on her first novel which is in its first draft! Her children (3) and grandchildren (5) are well but like everyone else dealing with the trials of the pandemic. She sends her love to all her classmates.

Karen Smith is fine. She had been looking forward to our reunion this year, as many of us have. Last spring, she took a trip to Ireland and England with her sister and some friends. She reports that they had a great time – until they learned that our borders were going to be closed. Thankfully, they were able to return home as planned. She’s been working remote and says that after about a year it is beginning to feel normal. She is waiting her turn for the COVID-19 vaccine. She wonders how long it will be before we feel safe to move around and hug a friend.

Denise Laudebache Thomas returned to her hometown in NC after college. She’s a social worker working with children with emotional/behavioral problems. Three years ago, her husband of 37 years passed away due to cancer. She’s the mom of two children, Jessie & Katie, and has three grandchildren. She reports that she enjoys reading about her classmates’ accomplishments, and she values the impact Trinity and her classmates have had on her life.

Mary Lynn Rampolla reports that although she misses her colleagues and students, she is enjoying having more time to read and hang out with Martin. She retired from teaching at Trinity in 2019. She and Karen MacPherson have been enjoying Zoom lunches during the pandemic, and she’s hoping that they can get together in person now that they are both vaccinated. She wishes that we could have had an in-person 45th reunion because she misses seeing her classmates.

Liz Maher sent a wonderful email. She and Liz are traveling only between Calgary and Palm Springs now that they are fully vaccinated. Last spring, they fostered a lovely but basically feral pregnant Siamese cat. They adopted the two surviving kittens, Fred and Frank. One is all black and the other is a tuxedo. They found a home for Ruby Rose through a rescue because they didn’t believe she would take to flying between Calgary and Palm Springs. Their last cruise was along the Mexican Riviera at the beginning of March 2020 – thankfully, no one became ill on that cruise. Travel is restricted for now, but they plan to get back to traveling in 2022. As we all have, they had plenty of time for reflection, and are grateful for their good health and for the small things in life that we sometimes overlook in our normally busy lives. Liz is looking forward to our next reunion – whenever that may be.

Kathy Bober Sorcinelli (via Ann Courtemanche) reports that shortly after our 40th Reunion she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder which is being treated successfully after a long haul with overwhelming fatigue. As a result, she had to retire from her Oncology practice, but she is teaching, both on Zoom and since she’s fully vaccinated has also returned to teaching in hospital. All three of her children (Elisabeth, Andrea, and Matthew) are married and they have 3 grandchildren (Harlow, Tate, and Madeline), with a fourth to arrive in August. She and Richard still live in CT, outside of New Haven. Kathy has taken up sewing after receiving a new sewing machine from Richard, and she’s been very busy sewing. She was able to rescue her mom from COVID lockdown in a nursing home and return her to her home on Cape Cod where she cared for her in her final weeks of life.

Louise Hallahan Stakelin writes that her family has been fortunate to be COVID-free and has come to the realization how much our health, family and faith play in our lives. Louise enjoyed some visits to grandchildren in Connecticut and Denver. Another grandchild is due to arrive in June. She visited Sr. Margaret Claydon frequently at Mount Notre Dame in Cincinnati and misses those visits. Unfortunately, she was unable to visit Sr. Seton during her time at Mount Notre Dame due to COVID. She continues to serve on charitable boards – fundraising for Catholic Inner-City Education and the SND’s. She reports her faith sustains her and has become even stronger during this incredibly challenging pandemic.

Karen MacPherson is also experiencing the challenges of living in a pandemic “like everyone else”. However, her children and their partners live close by and they have been able to gather – outside, masked, and socially distanced even in winter (with the help of a newly acquired firepit). She and Peter have discovered many different cultural programs online that have kept things interesting. Like many other classmates, she has been working from home as the library is closed. It is scheduled to be demolished soon and a new library building constructed on the site. Because the library will be closed for some time, Karen has decided to retire on June 30. She reports that the decision is bittersweet – she feels she’s just begun her second career. Her daughter Sally will be celebrating her marriage on September 18. Sally and her husband decided to go ahead as originally planned and get married, remotely, in July of 2020. Karen is optimistic that the celebration can take place this fall. She keeps in touch with Gail Berger, who moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina in 2020 and is semi-retired, and with Mary Lynn Rampolla for Zoom lunches. She’s hoping that in-person lunches can resume soon. She wishes she could see other classmates, especially since this year is our 45th reunion year. For now, she sends good wishes to her Trinity classmates. Also, she and Peter celebrated their 39th Anniversary last March.

Tom and Dillon Dalton Costa are living in PA. They also have a home in Alexandria, VA, so Susan Flood Burk and Ann Courtemanche see them a few times a year when they’re in town. Their son Bob is in the DC area, and their son James and his wife Meghan have moved to Philadelphia after many years in Chicago. Their daughter Ellen and her husband Paul and their two daughters, Dillon and Sloane, live in Atlanta. And youngest son Tim is working remotely in Yardley for his New York-based employer. They are all doing well, but 2020 was the first year that a family picture Christmas card was not logistically a viable option. Dillon and Tom spent the first quarter of 2021 in Naples, FL. In addition to getting their daily dose of vitamin D, they were both able to get COVID vaccines while they were there. In the past few years, they have gone to Naples for a month, but this year they escaped the entire Pennsylvania winter and had such a good time that they plan to do it again next year.

Mary Farrell Robinson’s mother, Annemarie Cowhig Farrell ’48, died in January 2020 after a brief illness. She had just celebrated her 93rd birthday. Classmates Ann Courtemanche and Susan Flood Burk traveled to western Massachusetts to attend the wake and funeral. All nine of the Farrell siblings, their spouses, and a majority of the 27 grandchildren, and almost all the great-grandchildren were able to gather for the wake and funeral. Mary has been working from home for the past year due to COVID-19, and it presented a special challenge for her, as Duane Morris has offices in many US cities as well as overseas and navigating all those different human resource regulations kept her busy. She returned to Pittsfield to help clear out her parents’ home (her only “vacation” of the year). Like so many of us, family gatherings were postponed or limited to Zoom. It looks like Zoom has been a Godsend for most of our families this past year. Mary has a Zoom book club with her five sisters – all of whom are Trinity alumnae. She is looking forward to spring for gardening and hopefully less stringent restrictions on gatherings.

After almost thirty-four years residing in Syracuse, my sister Mary and I decided to buy a new home which will better suit our needs now and into the future. We’re moving to a suburb of Syracuse, and the move will probably take place around the time this news is published. We are trading a four-level split on a hillside to a three-bedroom ranch with outside maintenance. We managed to stay safe during the pandemic. However, we lost our beloved Lucy, our 15 ½ year old beagle, just about 10 days before Thanksgiving. Life threw me a curveball right after I retired (and volunteered to take on the job of class scribe). I’m thankful that things have finally settled down and allowed me to get back on track – especially with the class news. Thanks to those classmates who kept in touch and offered both encouragement and condolences when appropriate. My Trinity sisters are the best. Hoping we can get together soon and in person for a forty-something reunion.

Emily M. Herbst