Class of 1979 – 45th Reunion!

Greetings, Class of 1979!

What a year 2020 was. It feels like 10 years, not just two, since we celebrated our 40th reunion. It was great to hear from so many of you. As usual, Kathleen “Kathy” McGowan Capelle (Homosassa, FL) was the first to report in. Here’s her news: “We have indeed been living through interesting times. After enjoying my daughter’s and her family’s presence in FL for these past eight years, they are getting ready to move to the Alexandria, VA area as she accepted a Senior Data Engineer position with Booz Allen. Luckily, my son and his family are staying here in FL so will still have access to three out of five of our grandchildren.” Kathy still has her practice, Citrus Calm Mind Therapy. She stays active in her local community theater, where she is on the Board of Directors at a local community theatre and just finished directing “Mamma Mia!” She and husband Tom are enjoying a low-key life in Florida.

Mary Wolfe Sullivan (Norwood, MA) took the majority of the 2020-2021 school year off from her job as a second-grade teacher, although she was looking forward to returning on April 26, 2021. The time off “has provided me with time to determine that I am not ready to retire and that I miss teaching. I have spent the time with my kids, helping with grandkids (almost eight of them and one is due in November).” She drove out to visit her mother in Chicago twice and has done lots of yoga, walking, reading, cooking and enjoying her time off. All four of her children are fine and doing well. Photo: The extended family of Mary Wolfe Sullivan (directly behind her mother) celebrated her mother’s 90th birthday in 2019.

Elizabeth “Lisa” Mooney Bower (Falls Church, VA) wrote to say that everyone in the Bower household is fine and has received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. “We are beginning to feel a bit of independence finally,” Lisa said. “I have been teaching in person since the start of the school year. I teach at a small private school so keeping the students socially distanced has gone relatively smoothly. Everyone must wear masks, we take temperatures, and the desks are surrounded by plexiglass. For the second year in a row, I have taught a mixed-grade classroom of second through fifth graders. Think one-room schoolhouse and “Little House on the Prairie.” Lisa has no plans for retirement just yet, but her husband Bruce is talking about it. He has been working from home since the start of the pandemic and is happy not to have to jump on the metro each day. The couple lost their beloved dog, Ella, last December and are going to look at rescue Labs this summer. “Let me know if anyone has a line on a dog!” she says.

It was good to hear from Susie Hayes Long (Derwood, MD). “Go figure that a highlight of this year is to celebrate receiving two doses of [the Covid-19] vaccine. Actually, we were pretty lucky to be able to go for groceries and enjoy the outdoors. We were blessed not to have anyone close hospitalized.” Husband Joe is still working, albeit virtually. Susie’s volunteer activities continue, although the larger events like the Salvation Army Fashion Show now have been postponed twice. She’s enjoyed doing little projects around the house. Painting porch wicker was “actually relaxing.” Sons Roland and Braden are well and single. Roland is in Charleston, working as a stone carver on various restoration projects. Braden is doing computer work and helping Joe while living at home and saving to leave the nest. “Thinking of those crazy times we shared and flabbergasted that we are now as old as those little ladies we giggled about seeing at those first reunions,” she adds. “Looking forward to hearing how everyone is doing.”

Marie Murray (Charlestown, MA) had an unfortunate incident in her apartment building earlier this year. An upstairs neighbor’s plumbing went awry and flooded her new bathroom (literally, hours away from completion of a renovation). The damage caused her to move to a nearby Airbnb and she hopes to move back in mid-May. Otherwise, all is well and she hopes to get her second vaccination soon.

Elaine McDermott Carey (Hyannis, MA) is glad to report that her family made it through the year of Covid healthy and now all vaccinated. Her oldest, Alecia, her husband and daughter moved from their Boston apartment to their Cape Cod cottage a year ago and won’t move back to Boston until September 2021. Elaine’s son, John, stayed mostly at his house on the Cape and her youngest son, Patrick, transferred jobs to Miami but spent a lot of time working remotely from Cape Cod. “We had a happy little Covid-free bubble. All of my siblings live near me, so we saw a lot of each other. Alecia’s family, Dave and I rented a house in Miami for February to capture winter-time outdoor living and it was great. I keep in touch with Laureen McDermott, Catherine Foley, Mary Donnellan-Strout and Patricia “Patty” Moore.”

Elaine reached out and got Mary Donnellan-Strout (Chelmsford, MA) to write in. “We felt very blessed to make it through (the last year) health-wise and also to welcome two new granddaughters, born 48 hours apart but worlds away. Bianca was born July 11 in Rome, Italy to our daughter Amanda, and Lucy July 9 in Wenham, MA to our son Alex.” Mary hopes to travel in May after she’s vaccinated to see their Italian family after many attempts to travel were delayed because of Covid and lockdowns. “My design work has kept me very busy during this time as so many of us have felt the need to refresh our surroundings,” she says. “I keep in touch with Elaine, Laureen, Catherine and Patty and I am so looking forward to seeing the girls in the near future!”

Catherine Foley (Bronxville, NY) also got a nudge from Elaine, and wrote to say that, while Covid has been difficult in many ways, it was a blessing for her family. “Our grown-up boys and their families joined us at our house in Wyoming to pass the summer of 2020. We managed to set up remote workstations for all with success! We all shared the cooking and got plenty of exercise fishing, hiking and biking. Our oldest son and wife are still here. They arrived with two children and now have three! Needless to say, we have so enjoyed spending time developing really lovely relationships with our grandchildren.” Photo: Catherine Foley (left) and her family spent the summer of 2020 at their house in Wyoming, where they celebrated many birthdays, including a third grandchild.

Nancy Neufeld Fallone (Arlington, VA) summed it up nicely in her letter: “It has been less than two years since we were all together but it seems much longer than that. The few months after our reunion were fun with visits to family, Joe’s 40th reunion at the Naval Academy and our trip to Europe to hike Mont Blanc. Once the pandemic hit, we only once ventured more than an hour from home. We are so lucky to have our children and grandchildren close by and last summer we welcomed a new member to the family, little Emma Josephine, our daughter, Nicole’s first. We’ve seen lots of Emma since her daddy had to go back to the office and mom is trying to work remotely. Nicole’s “office” is our dining room and Emma is here five days a week. Both Joe and I are still working here from home but since I’m only part-time, there is lots of time to snuggle with Emma. All of us have remained healthy so, despite these difficult times, we all feel quite grateful.” Once Nancy and Joe are fully vaccinated (May 2021), they hope to hit the road and visit her sister and brother-in-law in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

I have to echo my classmates’ sentiments about the past year. I’m grateful everyone in my extended family stayed healthy and that Barry and I are both fully vaccinated (though expecting to need booster shots down the line). Just before the pandemic caused lockdowns, Claire Rabion Laveglia (Wilmington, DE) and I visited Bernadette Preston (Columbia, MD) and her sister Mary Catherine at their condo in Clearwater, FL. It was a great time and good to have some happy memories to look back on as the year dragged on. Our youngest, Fiona, graduated from Catholic University last May, but like most graduates in the Class of 2020, it was remote. (Shout out to Eileen Sergison Vogel’s daughter Annie, who also graduated from CUA last May!) Perhaps because everyone got so used to working remotely, I was able to land a new job this past March (2021) that I’m enjoying thoroughly. Barry doesn’t plan to retire any time soon, so I’m going to keep going, too!

Stay healthy and safe, everyone! We have a reunion in three years!

Gold Class of 1979

Happy 40^th, Gold Classmates! I used to say that as we began to turn 40 years of age. Now it’s different. I received a single response to the letter that was mailed (thank you, Lisa Griffin!) and sent out a call on FB at the last minute. The response was terrific!

Let’s begin with Lisa Griffin (South Yarmouthport, MA), who responded even before the deadline. It’s been a while since she wrote, so she had a lot of news. Five years ago, after her father died, she moved into a townhouse condo next door to her mother.  Sadly, her mother has developed dementia and is no longer mobile. She has full-time help and Lisa is still right next door. On the career front, Lisa was invited to join Sotheby’s International Realty and says it was the best decision she’s ever made—no small part because she had her best year in real estate in her 28-year career.

Last winter she met up with some TC classmates. She sees Mary Wolfe Sullivan a few times, as well as Wendy White Haig and Alex, and Mary Jo Horrigan Dever at Mary’s surprise birthday party last year.

Lisa’s daughter Betsy (35 this summer) is an attorney, but not practicing. She works as a Director for the national trade association of MLS associations and gets to work from home, traveling about six times a year to speak at national conferences. Her son Tim (34) lives in Boston and was recently diagnosed with an “obscure auto-immune disease” that is similar to multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, etc. He’d suffered from a lot of symptoms for a long time, she says, and now they are glad for a diagnosis and a care plan.

Although she says her life is “boring,” she’s glad that things are quiet now. Like many of us, she was saddened to hear of Liza Louden von Clapereade’s death last year. We were all shocked and this is the first year I haven’t received an email from her, almost immediately after I send out the scribe letters.

Kathie Madden Gerecke (various) wrote that “Tom and I are in Charleston SC.  We became official snowbirds last year now that I am retired.

We put our house in Lynn [MA] on the market last spring and bought a condo in neighboring Peabody. While having two condos is convenient and less stressful, we both really miss the house and our neighbors.

Fast-forward to mid-January when we drove to beautiful Charleston SC. We’ve been enjoying our time here and keeping just as busy but on our own schedule.  Trees and flowers are already blooming and I’m always delighted to see the spring colors. The only battle I have is with the pollen!  We plan to be here until mid-June although we are getting pressure from our southern neighbors here to stay full-time.  I don’t think I could stand the summertime heat and humidity here, though!”

Elaine McDermott Carey (Cape Cod) heeded my call for news and wrote to say she keeps in touch with Laureen McDermott Coyne, Catherine Foley (Hartnett), Mary Donnellan Main and Patty Moore Andersen.  She and Dave retired to Cape Cod in 2017. Her kids and siblings have homes there so life is active and happy. Their daughter Alecia and her husband are expecting their first grandchild on May 30th so she will not be able to attend Reunion. “I expect to be raising a glass of bubbly that weekend so I will be sure to think of my Trinity sisters. Blessings of good health to all.”

Still, in the Boston/Cape Cod area, Marie Murray (Charlestown, MA) touched base to say she retired at the end of June 2018 and “its great having time.” She and I had a couple of dinners together when I was in Boston on business or visiting my daughter Cecelia (25), and I can add that Marie is an avid cyclist, riding in charity events and just events. She hopes to see us all at Reunion.

Ruth Baker (formerly of Kennebunkport, ME) wrote in from her home with husband Barry Maddix in Boerne, Texas, 16 miles outside San Antonio. They retired there from Maine several years ago. They’d just returned from daughter Sarah’s wedding in San Francisco and besides the event enjoyed a great week exploring the city and hiking the surrounding area. Kids flew in from everywhere: Nathaniel from Cambodia, Keith from Maine, Ethan from A&M, Emily from San Antonio. Emily got married in June 2017 in Cape Neddick, Maine.

Ruth is pursuing her passion, buying and rehabbing homes and just completed her Realtor class. She was probably inspired after she bought a house on the water up in Hancock, Maine several years ago. If you want to see it, check out DIY Network, Maine Cabin Masters (Season 1, Episode 3). It’s gorgeous and I can see why Ruth calls it “my haven.”

Back in Texas, she says, “San Antonio is quite pleasant. We live in a small community called Fair Oaks Ranch, in the beginning of the Hill Country. Most people here are transplants from other places (large USAA contingent) so it is easy to make friends and as a consequence we have a busy social life, the likes of which we never had before. Of course, the kids are grown so we actually have time to socialize so I guess that is a large part too.”

Retta Boden Rogers (Aston, PA) says life is going well for her and Larry. They have four grandchildren, Kiera (6), Karlie (3), Kelsey (22 months) and Kaden (10 months). Her youngest daughter Lisa is expecting a baby girl in June. “I’m still writing for two newspapers, mostly on a part-time basis. Larry and I spend a lot of time with our grandchildren. He drives the two oldest to and from school and they live close by.” She hopes to make it to reunion, but there’s another grandchild on the way. We’ll toast you and Elaine together, Retta!

Tony Laveglia wrote in for his wife, Claire Rabion Laveglia (Wilmington, DE). She retired six years ago and does volunteer work with the Jewish Community Centers in Cherry Hill, NJ and in Wilmington. “We love it here in our neighborhood (in Wilmington) as opposed to living in the woods (Medford Lakes, NJ) for 30 years.” Claire, Tony and I have met for lunch when I’ve driven through my old hometown, on the way to pick up or drop off one of my daughters at CUA. Claire and Bernadette Preston (Columbia, MD) have spent a lot of time together, and we’re hoping to have a small reunion in Rehoboth Beach, DE with Kim Lamontovich Kazanis (Severna Park, MD) after Labor Day. He and Claire have traveled to Tennessee to help with the grandchildren if their son Joe is piloting a long FedEx or military trip. They plan to visit their villa in Italy three times this year and plan to visit Great Britain, too.

Moving to the DC area, Nancy Neufeld Fallone (Arlington, VA) and Joe aren’t retired yet, but are busy. “Joe and I are so fortunate that both of our children live close by and we spend a lot of time together. Grandchildren Kyra (6) and Liam, almost four, just bring such joy to our lives.  Some will remember at the last reunion I’d suffered a broken collarbone in the weeks before from a bike accident. When that took forever to heal, Joe and I took up hiking and we went from a passion for cycling to one for hiking.  Since then we’ve done a lot of hiking here in the mid-Atlantic, Arizona and in Europe. We’ve done weeklong trips overseas and have another around Mt. Blanc this summer.”

Pat Reid (DC) didn’t make the last reunion, but hopes to be there this year. She lost her job of 24 years in 2014 when the Corcoran folded, but eventually found one at the Smithsonian. “I work for the library that is for the American Art and National Portrait Gallery.  I will have been there for three years in June and I love it.  I feel really blessed to be there.” Unfortunately, her health has been an issue. Anyone who’s experienced sciatica knows.

Mary Jo Cronin Boehner (Lynchburg, VA) posted a note on FB to say that last May she retired from teaching after 36 years and is now enjoying retirement. Her fourth grandchild was born in October and her daughter was married in early November. It’s been a busy year for her family.

In Florida, Kathy McGowan Capelle (Homasassa, FL) sends regrets that she will not be able to attend our Reunion, but will be celebrating her 40^th wedding anniversary with Tom in June. She is still working on her practice and will be adding life coaching as a component this year. She sends her love to everyone.

At the last minute, Nancy McGovern Dries (Morristown, NJ) wrote in. “Wow, 40 years! It just does not seem possible! I had planned to share a few of the fun times I had this year with classmates, starting with a fun brunch in NYC early in the year with Lisa Phillips, Trish Fusto Kanagy, Kitty Ziehm Warkala and Eileeen Sergison Vogel. Or the crafty day I had with Mary Doyle Kenkel and Cecily Roberts at the Baltimore Craft Festival. Or enjoying the Lunar New Year festival at the Metropolitan Museum with Kitty and Eileen, whose daughter was lead drummer.

But, this past week almost changed my life. Bob experienced the classic symptoms of heart disease; chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and pain radiating into his neck and arms. A cardiac catheterization revealed he had a 95% blockage of the left main trunk artery. A stent was not possible and he was well on his way to a heart attack. On March 22 he had bypass surgery and was incredibly lucky that he picked up the symptoms early.

The reality is we almost lost him, and we are so blessed that he is on the mend, and the doctors say he will be better than ever. I want to thank everyone for their love, prayers and support. It makes a big difference! All the more reason I hope that everyone in the great TC Class of ’79 will come to our 40th reunion. Life is short. We have lost some of our own. Let’s come together to remember them, and share our traditions, our past and our future. Drink ‘em down! Can’t wait to see you all!

Guess what? This is only my 30^th year as Class Scribe, and thanks, Kathie Madden Gerecke, for doing it for the first 10! My life is “boring,” too, except for the trip to Rome and Florence in February. Barry’s business as a model maker for Fisher Price/Mattel and other toy inventers took a hit last year when Toys ‘R’ Us folded. His business contacts have scattered to other companies but are slowly getting back in touch. Liam (28), Cecelia (25) and Fiona (21) are all doing well and thriving in their own rights. I’ve been to several conferences since returning from Rome and now the work has piled up and I have to get moving!

Addendum: It was great to see everyone at Reunion, the lunch and the party! See you ALL in 2024!

Sincerely,

Lisa E. Phillips
Lphillips05@optonline.com

Greetings, everyone! It’s been a while, and I’m happy to report the news that’s come in from us ’79ers. Kathleen McGowan Capelle (Homosassa, FL) was the first to get in touch, and from the year she’s had, it’s amazing she’s still with us. We share January birthdays, so I know she was being tongue-in-cheek when she began, “I decided to wring all the juiciness out of turning 60, so decided to just keep celebrating. It started a month early when Tom surprised me by throwing a birthday party. On the actual day, I wandered into a BMW dealership and drove out in a sporty hard-top convertible. I named it Mike, after my brother who passed away in 2015. I imagine that he is smiling about it.”

In March 2017, she had several health issues that resulted in three hospital stays. In April she was let go from her job. It took just the weekend to begin planning to open her own practice, Citrus Calm Mind Therapy, LLC, in June. “I wish I could say it is in the black, but slowly, I am getting more clients. Starting my own business had never, ever, been on my radar, but when the time came, it just seemed to be the thing to do,” she said.
August saw another trip to the hospital, three days before a scheduled cruise (more birthday celebrating). Her year of celebrating her 60th birthday ended with another cruise on Tom’s 67th and her 61st. She’s enjoying being alive and still being with Tom, and loves the fact that both her children and all five grandchildren live nearby. Her next theatre project is directing “The Vagina Monologues” for the local domestic violence program. She adds, “If anyone is in Tampa area, give me a holler.”

I didn’t get many responses this year, but Trish Fusto Kanagy made up for several people. Here is an edited version of her email: “After three years, we have settled into and love our 55+ golf course community in Aurora, CO. I have made some great friends and don’t miss working at all! I have joined a group of women who love to make cards and scrapbook. It’s a lot of fun for me and I have set up a craft room in my basement. Dave is celebrating his 15th year at SME as executive director/CEO. He is still enjoying it and we are still traveling domestically as well as internationally. We met Kitty Ziehm Warkala and husband Mark in Santa Barbara, CA, in July 2017 to celebrate Kit’s and my 60th birthdays. We had a great time exploring the area together, walking the pier, eating at restaurants. We all had a blast!

Dave and I spent a month in Naples, FL, at Christmas and we were lucky enough that Ben was able to fly in from CO, and Andrew and Erin drove down from the St. Petersburg, FL, area to join us and celebrate with family and friends. Ben celebrated 6 years with 24-hour Fitness and loves his job as membership manager. He is hoping to have his own club this year. Andrew graduated #2 from the Police Academy in September and is in the Coast Guard Reserves.

Eileen Sergison Vogel and Kitty were able to spend a few days with me in FL in January. Lisa Griffin (South Yarmouthport, MA) was there at the same time and we were able to get together a couple of times for dinner. I had lunch with her and her mother one day – it was great catching up and spending time together. Dave and I caught up with Kit, Mark, Eileen and Jim later in the month in NYC for Sunday brunch and then football and pizza at Kit and Mark’s new swanky place in Queens. Great views from their balcony! We have a few business trips on the calendar this year: Dubai; Pittsburgh; Moscow; Pray, MT. I am looking forward to all of them.” Happy trails, Trish!

It was a great surprise to hear from Marie Murray (Charlestown, MA), whom I last saw in September 2016 in Boston. She was home on a snow day and happened to see my letter. Great timing! She writes: “In June (2018) I will have completed 39 years in education. Not sure about the next act, as I want to have some down time. I am doing the MS Bike ride again: 150 miles to Cape Cod. It is my fifth ride and most likely my last one, as it gets a little old fundraising.”

Marie saw Kathie Madden Gerecke (Charleston, SC) last summer, and spoke with Nancy Neufeld Fallone(Arlington, VA) on her birthday in July. Marie decided to call Trinity in support of President Pat McGuire last winter. When she did, she said, “Guess who answered her phone? Pat herself.” So Marie gave to Trinity in President McGuire’s name.

In January 2017, Marie and her sister Cecile went to the March for Women in Boston, and to a rally last August after the Charlottesville riot. “Ten neo-Nazis showed up as opposed to the 30,000 of us on the other side. It was a mixed group, but I have to say grey hairs outnumbered Millennials.” She’s planning to attend the march on March 24 with Cecile in Boston.

Speaking of Kathie Madden Gerecke, my letter to her Lynn, MA, address was returned with no forwarding one. She’s always a faithful correspondent, so I’ll pass along some news she shared via her Christmas card. Her big news is that she retired from teaching English as a second language at the local community college. As of December 2017, she said, it still felt as if she was on a long semester break. She misses the students, but not all the meetings and administrative stuff.

She and Tom will be spending winters in a condo in Charleston, SC, and plan to put the Lynn house on the market this spring/summer and downsize to a condo there. They’ve been looking for about three years, but now they’re serious. Don’t try to move in July, Kathie!

Nancy Neufeld Fallone was the last classmate to check in. She and Joe are both doing fine and still living in Arlington, VA. Nancy is still working, doing marketing for a fabric designer. “Both of our children are married, live close by and we have two grandchildren we just adore. Joe and I have really gotten into hiking the last few years. We traveled overseas twice for week-long hiking trips, plus we often hike here in the states in AZ and along the East Coast. I’m hoping to see lots of our classmates for our 40th next year.”

Quick interlude, here: I had lunch with Claire Rabion Laveglia and Tony in January (thank you, Tony!), in my home state of DE. Claire retired from teaching in NJ a few years ago, and they began looking around for a place to retire. So where did they land but Wilmington, DE, and they love it. Claire said she ran into Loretta Boden Rodgers(Ashton, PA) in the local Trader Joe’s, which surprised them both. They also have a place in Italy, near the vineyard that Tony represents here in the states. Claire, Tony and Bernadette Preston (Columbia, MD) have enjoyed some time there.

I don’t have a lot of news, which is good, at this age. I’m still working at a small publishing firm in nearby Norwalk, CT. Barry is still a freelance toy designer, and that probably won’t change for another decade. We’re happy, healthy and looking forward to May 2020 when our youngest, Fiona, graduates from CUA. Then maybe we’ll relax a bit and start traveling beyond the East Coast. Our son Liam will have to stay home and take care of the cat. Cecelia escaped to Boston, where she is in her second year as a “fellow” teacher at a charter school, and is attending Lesley University for her master’s in education.

I’ll echo Nancy’s sentiment and shout out that I hope to see many more of you ’79ers next June at our 40th Reunion! That just means we’re 40, right? See you then and there!

Lisa E. Phillips
Lphillips05@optonline.net

Hello and good health to all who read these notes. My finger had scarcely left the “Send” button to some classmates on Facebook before Kathy McGowan Capelle (Homosassa, FL) responded with her news. Sadly, her mother died last June and her brother, Mike, died the following month.  “It is easier to die than to settle an estate!” Kathy said. “I am very blessed that my other brothers and I were all in agreement over who got what.”

Staring at 60, she said, seemed like a good time to reinvent herself, so she cut back on dialysis social work to once a week and started a private practice twice a week. Tom remains happily retired, and their grandchild count is steady at five, with four girls and one boy, ages four to seven.  At the time she wrote, they were “borrowing” their son Sean’s three children for the weekend. “Fun, but exhausting,” she added. She is keeping busy with community theatre, was elected President of the Board of Directors, and is also directing her first musical. Hope it went well, Kathy!

Claire Rabion Laveglia (Medford Lakes, NJ) also suffered the loss of her mother Polly (Class of 1950) last February. In May, they held a memorial service in her mother’s beloved garden with many friends and family. Her mother was able to meet her namesake, Polly, last year, which just amazed her. Claire’s son Joe and his wife, Julie, are Polly’s parents and live in St. Louis. He now is in the Air Force Reserves, and flies for FedEx. Julie works at Washington University in the study abroad department. Claire and Tony’s two other children remain single. Son Chris is in Montclair, NJ, and Janine is still in her beloved Newport, RI. Both are busy with work, weddings, and traveling. Claire now works part-time, but Tony loves his work, so it’s still a full workweek for him. They go to their home in Italy twice a year and love being part of a small community. Luckily, the recent earthquake did not affect their town, but it was felt. Even more fun, Claire and Bernadette Preston went on an amazing trip last September to South Africa, taking a tour run by friends of Claire’s. They went on safari, visited the Indian Ocean in Durban, flew to Cape Town and visited the Winelands and the Cape of Good Hope. Needless to say, they had a blast!

Kitty Ziehm Warkala (NYC) changed jobs (again!) this past June, to work for a smaller, profitable financial institution after so many years with the “big bracket” companies. She’s happy to say it’s been a very good move, although it’s tough being the “new kid.”

Speaking of kids, her daughter Liz is doing well, back in school at night getting her Masters in Sports Business at NYU.  She really loves the program. During the day she continues to work at her old high school (Marymount) as the assistant to the Athletic Director, managing the office and coaching volleyball and basketball.

Since Kitty just started the new job there have been no major vacations but she and Mark do manage to get away most weekends to places like the Long Island wine country, Jones Beach, Hudson Valley and the Jersey shore. In July they attended the lovely wedding of Trish Fusto Kanagy’s son in St. Petersburg, FL, along with Eileen Sergison Vogel. “Lots of laughs!” she added.

And here is Trish’s news: She and Dave downsized two years ago and moved into a 55+ golf community in Aurora, Colorado, which is much closer to his work and the airport. It has been the best decision, she said, and they are enjoying all the amenities, new neighbors and friends. Thinking about retirement (someday), they bought and renovated a three-bedroom condo in Naples, FL, and enjoy going down when they can. Trish has caught up with Lisa Griffin a couple of times when they’ve been in the area at the same time.  Dave continues in his 14th year as Executive Director of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration and Trish gets to travel with him. On the radar is Vegas for September, Singapore in November, NYC in January and then back to Peru in September. When she’s not traveling and unpacking her suitcases, she is staying busy gardening, playing golf and enjoying the beautiful mountains.  Their youngest, Andrew (31) married Erin Leigh Jones in July. Ben, their oldest, served as best man. “It was a lovely weekend and I was so lucky to be surrounded by the friends and family who came to help us celebrate!” she said.  “Mark, Kitty (Ziehm) and Liz Warkala and Eileen (Sergison) Vogel made the trek and I was so grateful for their presence as they kept me grounded the entire weekend with their love and support and wisdom. There’s something to be said about lifelong friendships.” Trish’s mom (83) has been in assisted living for a little over a year. Her health and mobility were compromised by spending three months in the hospital with pneumonia and this living situation has allowed her to become stronger and more active.

It was great to hear from Marie Murray (Charlestown, MA). The occasion was her recent trip to the New Jersey Meadowlands to see Bruce Springsteen. On her way home through Connecticut, she said she thought of me and Ann Novotnik. When she got home, there was my letter, so she wrote.  Marie has been a school counselor for the past 16 years, and has one year to go. No plans for the next chapter, but she knows it won’t be in a school. She completed her third MS Cape Cod Getaway, a 150-mile bike ride to raise money for multiple sclerosis. She took up riding a few years ago.  I’m hoping to meet her for dinner after Labor Day, when I’m in Boston on business.

Mary Jo Cronin Boehner (Lynchburg, VA) sold her large house and is now in a new home that she loves. She has three grandchildren, Jax (5), Aspen (3) and Rowan (18 months). She’s taking herself on a cruise in the Caribbean before Christmas (and turning 60). She’s still teaching kindergarten, and would love for this to be her last year, but will probably hang in there two more years.

Back to Cape Cod, and Lisa Griffin (Yarmouthport, MA). She’s been enjoying the summer, and working with a new real estate firm, Old Cape Sotheby’s. A quick recap: Her younger brother Stephen died four years ago from colon cancer. At the time, her father was dealing with stroke-induced dementia and the news sent him downhill quickly, and he passed away two years ago. She shared one of his sayings: “Once you’re over the hill, you pick up speed!” We can all appreciate that.  Her mother (82) is very crippled from osteoarthritis, and moved into a townhouse in Yarmouthport. The unit next door came on the market the same day, and Lisa grabbed it. Now she lives next door to her mother, and checks in often, because her office is only five minutes away. Lisa’s daughter Betsy (32) is an attorney, and she works from home for a national trade organization in the real estate arena. She lives locally, having just bought her first home. She has a nice boyfriend, Lisa added, and she’s enjoying life! Her son Tim (31) is living in Naples, FL and is about to get his real estate license. Lisa had lunch with Kitty and her husband last fall, and keeps missing Elaine McDermott Carey (South Hamilton, MA) at the yacht club where they are members.

Susie Hayes Long (Derwood, MD) hates to see summer ending, “because fall means anything and everything is gearing up again.” You will understand her dread when you learn Susie is still running DC Design House, and is on the board of the parent organization, Children’s National Medical Center. She’s in her second year as president of the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary of Washington, and she also chairs the Family Concert Committee at the Kennedy Center. Whew! After two years at Villanova, her son Roland transferred to the American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, SC, the only college in the U.S. that gives a four-year degree in one of the specialty trades, masonry, ironworks or carpentry. Roland is specializing in plastering for historic preservation and spent the summer in Germany working with stone masons, rebuilding a wall at a castle. Brady is a sophomore at Montgomery College, their local community college. Husband Joe is still busy as ever, with no retirement in sight, after 20 years as head of his own company. “Amazing how fast it all goes,” Susie noted.

Charleston, SC came up again when Kathie Madden Gerecke wrote to say she and Tom have moved into an even larger condo in that city. They divide their time between Charleston and Lynn, MA, where Kathie is still teaching English as a Second Language at North Shore Community College, and wondering how the time has flown so quickly. (Come to Reunion 2019, everyone, and we can discuss this in person.) Having a condo in Charleston means having lots of guests, Kathie said, but loves the visits. “On top of being a beautiful area dripping with history, culture, and southern hospitality, the people are super friendly and it’s an absolute foodie’s paradise,” she added.  She and Tom have been quite fortunate this past year keeping busy, enjoying life, meeting new people, and just having fun with family and friends.  Tom has now been retired for three years and Kathie is looking forward to reaching that milestone in the not too distant future.

Karyn Foley Rivara (San Antonio, TX) thought she’d take it slow when she sold her business and her kids went to college, but that hasn’t happened. Her daughter Carolina attends the University of Texas at Austin, pledging TriDelt after an intensive rush week her freshman year.  Then, she became an active TriDelt and a double major while also interning for a family friend, Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House. As a junior, Carolina was on panel this year during rush, so, Karen has “had to drag her [to] spend time at our seaside home in Florida or to Playa Conchal in Costa Rica.”  Danny, Karen’s youngest, suffered a catastrophic injury during his second college basketball game his freshman year at Trinity University.  He recovered in time for a summer international basketball champion tour of Spain, and returns to Trinity Tiger Basketball for his sophomore year as co-captain of his team. This spring, Danny will be Carolina’s escort for her debutante ball.

Life in the Phillips-Morgan (Stamford, CT) household has gotten very quiet recently, as Cecelia (23) moved to Boston to take a teaching fellow position at a not-for-profit charter school. She’s teaching grammar and other things in one of the second-grade classes and is loving it. Last weekend I dropped off Fiona (18) at Catholic University for her freshman year. Little did I know that Eileen Vogel was doing the same with one of her daughters! I’m sure we’ll meet there some time in the next four years.  Liam (26) has a full-time job with great benefits, doing floor plans and more for ComicCon and other big shows at Reed Exhibitions. He still lives at home, but is gone quite a bit of the time. Like other husbands, Barry continues to work, but once Fiona is graduated, that may change quickly. I’m still gainfully employed, and staring hard at age 60. It is staring back at me, even harder, it seems. Hopefully I will drag Barry to Florence, Italy, to celebrate 60, and our 35^th anniversary. It’s about time!

Respectfully submitted,

Lisa E. Phillips

Hello classmates!

August has a way of sneaking up on me and suddenly, the summer seems to be over before it began. I’m usually in GA this time of year but we visited earlier than usual. Now I’m lucky enough to be writing this from my sister’s house (Laura Phillips ’80) in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Thanks to everyone who wrote in this year, and last.

First in was Claire Rabion Laveglia (Medford Lakes, NJ) with the news of the Famiglia Laveglia. Oldest son, Joe (31), is getting married in September 2013. He travels all over the world as a pilot for the USAF and is marrying a girl he actually went to high school with, though he didn’t meet her until three years ago. Younger brother Chris (29) will be the best man and sister Janine (27) will be a bridesmaid. Even though Claire retired from teaching autistic children last year, she found she needed something to do, and is now a part-time job coach for adults with disabilities. “It satisfies the teacher part of me and keeps me challenged and motivated to help improve the lives of some pretty wonderful people.”

She and Tony are currently planning to spend time at their home in Italy every fall and spring. It will eventually be their retirement home, if Tony ever retires! They love the village (pop. 200) and she says her Italian is not too bad and she can shop confidently. Tony can order well in restaurants, so they get by very well. Claire’s mother, Polly Gotfredson Rabion ’50, and her aunt joined her this past spring for a week of Italian country living. Needless to say, everyone had a great time.

Kathy McGowan Capelle (Homosassa, FL) wrote in with news that she and Tom had just taken their first cruise, to the eastern Caribbean. They now have five grandchildren, four girls and a boy, all under the age of 4! Work is going well for her, and she enjoys being a nephrology social worker. She’s had some success with community theater this year, appearing in Sweeney Todd, The Producers and Sex Please, We’re Sixty. She made her bucket list of being a named character, Shirley Markowitz, in the latter. Her mother is still hanging in there, but her memory is definitely diminished. If anyone is heading to the Tampa area, give her a shout.

Liza Louden von Claparede (Saginaw, MI) checked in after returning from summer travels. She and her family were at their Germany house this summer, with side trips to Berlin and then to Prague. As everyone remarks after mentioning Prague, “What a gorgeous city!” She and Wolfgang were there 16 years ago with her parents, but this time the weather was much better. Their son Chris was elected VP of the National Honor Society and will be entering ninth grade this fall, studying at Brasenose College, Oxford U for a high school advanced program in the summer of 2015. Wolfgang’s retirement allows him to go to Germany two-to-three times a year with a May departure and an August return to the US with Chris. Liza is loving the down-time and home alone status. I think all of us know that feeling, Liza.

Downsizing is definitely in the cards for our class. Trish Fusto Kanagy and husband Dave (Littleton, CO) are looking to downsize and move closer to the airport, since it seems they practically live there with all the traveling they do. They’re looking at a 55+ community (yes, you did write that, Trish) with a club house, golf course, pool, tennis and hot tub. And Dave is celebrating his 10th year at the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, and the best thing from Trish is that she gets to travel wherever he does. This past year they visited China and Switzerland, so she’s enjoying her “early retirement” very much. They’ll be spending more time in Naples, FL, where Trish just bought a condo. Dave got to see it after a trip to AK in July, and then the renovation began!

This has been the summer for family, with niece Taylor interning in Dave’s IT department and their nephew Josh visiting for week. He was followed by another niece who was coming to attend the One Direction concert with Trish. She admits its “kind of cheesy, but for some reason I just adore them.” Son Ben has worked at 24-Hour Fitness for two years and loves his job. He and a frat brother from Kent State will be moving into an apartment in Denver this summer. Other son, Andrew’s, stint in the Coast Guard is proving to be the best thing he has ever done. Living in Key West, FL, doesn’t hurt, either.

Trish has had some health issues this year and after many doctor visits, discovered she’d broken her left foot but thought the problem was in her back, knees or hips. She is in a walking boot and healing, though she can’t remember how she sustained the injury. I hear ya, Trish!

It was great to hear from Carol “Casey” Keyes (Chevy Chase, MD), who is now a volunteer docent at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, just across from Trinity’s lovely campus. She also serves at St. Matthew’s Cathedral as an altar server and an EMHC. She runs her own business, teaching piano to children, and is still working part-time at Staples in Bethesda, MD. She’s looking forward to spending part of August on Cape Cod with her brothers and sisters.

Just sayin,’ Nancy Neufeld Fallone (Arlington, VA) wrote in as she traveled the NJ Turnpike with Joe, on their way to Long Island. She was correct to assume her iPad would send the message once she reached a WiFi spot. They’ve done some traveling to other places, such as hiking in AZ and lazing on the beach in Bermuda, thanks to advice from Kathie Madden Gerecke, who spends every anniversary there in January. The big news, though, is the birth of their first grandchild, Kyra Elizabeth Fallone. She says that friends had told her being a grandparent is like nothing else, but until it happened to them, she didn’t understand how wonderful. Son Jonathan (30) and his wife Carmen live only three miles away, and her daughter Nicole is just two miles away.

It’s always good to hear from Kathie Madden Gerecke (Lynn, MA). She and Tom bought a condo in Charleston, SC, where they have been frequent visitors. It’s now furnished and they plan to spend winters there once they retire. And, now that Tom has officially retired from North Shore Community College after 38 years, that just leaves Kathie, who still teaches ESL there. They are both still active on the board of the Lynn Museum and Kathie continues to do genealogy in her spare time. She loves the sleuthing, and works with two cousins to “dig stuff up.” She even fulfills genealogy requests that come in to the museum’s library.

Mary Wolfe Sullivan (Needham, MA) has had many changes in her household this year. Son Michael and his wife Jen have three children. Daughter Jorie is working in NYC as a designer for Coach and will be married in September 2014. James is a lieutenant in the Navy, specializing in public health. He became engaged last Christmas and was married in July. Rob graduated from Fordham at Lincoln Center and left for Moscow in August to spend a year teaching English. Timmy is now attending Providence College, leaving Mary and Tim at home alone “for a while.” Mary got to see Lisa Griffin (Dennis, MA) on the Cape this summer, as well as Wendy White Haig and Alex. Mary Jo Horrigan Dever is also in touch frequently. Mary is looking forward to returning to teaching second grade in September.

Last but not least, Ann Novotnik (Norwalk, CT) popped in to say yes to my dinner invitation. We saw each other about five years ago, by my reckoning, but having teenagers really alters time for me. Ann is still teaching kindergarten in Darien, CT, although she gets the most challenging students. She got to ME for three days, but was stuck in summer school. Her parents are doing “pretty good,” as her dad is still getting in and out of his race car. Ann’s sister is moving to St. Petersburg, FL, to work for HSN as vice president of e-commerce and customer experience. Ann’s nephew Logan will be a freshman at Central CT State U. His brother Dylan is a junior at Western CT State U and other nephew Hunter is going to Thailand for the fall semester before returning to Northeastern to finish and graduate. Taylor, the oldest nephew, moved to Chicago last summer to work for Factset after graduating from Hofstra.

As for our family, we’re all well. Barry still has his freelance product design business and I’m still enjoying my career as a B2B writer/editor/digital content strategist. Liam (23) will finally get a four-year degree from SUNY Purchase College next May, after six years majoring in graphic design. He actually received a two-year associates degree and then applied to SUNY, which didn’t accept one-third of his credits. Such is life. Cecelia (20) will be a junior at The Catholic U of America (not to be confused with just any Catholic university in America, I’ve discovered). She’s majoring in elementary education and we’re all looking forward to her return there. Fiona (15) will be a sophomore at Trinity Catholic High School here in Stamford, CT. We’ll see how this year goes, as she’s in all honors courses.

Don’t forget, classmates, May 30-June 1, 2014 is our 35th Reunion! I’m planning on attending, God willing, and look forward to seeing you there!

Lisa E. Phillips