Class of 1982

Greetings everyone! It is February as I write this, and I have not heard from any of you!! I’m going to be forced to give you an update on me and any bits of news I gleaned from Christmas cards. Yes … that is what it has come to. 

Not much new in Dallas, but my kids are on the move. Nick, 28, just took a job with Meru Consulting and will be moving from Los Angeles to NYC this summer. Just as he moves from Los Angeles, Olivia, 21, will be graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in systems engineering and moving to Los Angeles to work for EY Parthenon to do strategic consulting. Noah, 26, is staying in Denver, so we’ll STILL have a Conner kid in three time zones. And with us in Central Time, we’ve got all of ’em covered! 

During the holidays, I saw Rob Kravitz and his friend Martha at our annual Christmas party. They had been in Portugal AGAIN and announced that they were moving there this spring. Big life change for them! We are planning our trip to Portugal now …

We also recently saw Brenda Bloomer Hargett and her husband, Joe, for a Southern Methodist University basketball game and ran into their son, Tyler, and his wife, Maddie, with Brenda and Joe’s newest grandchild, Parker. She is adorable! That makes three grandkids for the Hargetts! 

Beth Alford Wolfe and her husband, Tommy, recently moved from their home of 30-plus years in Fairfax Station, Virginia, to a lakeside home in South Carolina. The move puts them closer to their daughter, Patrice, and her husband, Matt. They have been enjoying some spectacular sunsets! 

And finally, a note from Barbara Cole Joynes:

The ladies of Barrett 3rd East were terribly saddened when Sue O’Gorman Adams died of cancer on August 24, 2023. Over the years, the Barrett 3rd Easters — Sue, Barbara Cole Joynes, Sally Brien Holper, Suzanne Sellers Houck, Cheri Morrison and Beth Wallmeyer McGrath — have maintained the friendships they made as freshmen, including through reunions, dinner meet-ups and lots of texts. Throughout her illness, Sue’s always-upbeat attitude never wavered, including when she showed off her great dance moves with her son, Kyle, at his June 2023 wedding. 

Sue came to W&M to play basketball, the first female student-athlete from White Plains High School in New York to earn a scholarship. She was a member of Chi Omega and a proud resident of Lodge 3. 

After graduation, Sue returned to White Plains and reinvigorated her high school’s girls’ basketball program. She led the Tigers to four consecutive Section 1 State Championships from 2004-2008, and Sue was twice named the New York State Basketball Coach of the Year. Per her obituary, “in 2018, Sue was enshrined in the White Plains High School Athletics Hall of Fame for her accomplishments and dedication as both an athlete and a coach.”

Sue and her husband, Bob Adams, have three adult children: Kim, Ryan, and Kyle. Fun fact: all five of the Adamses played sports at the collegiate level. And If you happen to be watching women’s basketball (college or pro), the commentator may be Sue’s daughter, Kim!

That’s all the news I have! Please send me your updates! No bit of news is too small! 

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! PLEASE send me YOUR updates! I don’t hear from enough of you!! 

Greetings to everyone! I just got back from W&M Homecoming & Reunion Weekend. It wasn’t our reunion year, but I got to know some ’83ers after graduation when I lived in the Washington, D.C., area and became part of the infamous Dewey Beach crowd. So … here is the news from Homecoming!

Cesar Conda ’83 and his wife, Janice, as well as Becky Rogers Voslow ’83, M.A. ’89, and her husband, Mike, stayed next to me at the Brick House Tavern on DoG Street. Caesar and Janice have five sons(!) and live in NoVa when they are not traveling to visit one of their sons. Becky is a travel agent and Mike works for a security company. Friday night, Paul Boykas ’83, Tracy Baynard ’83, Mark Forde ’83 and his wife, Mary Obata Forde ’84, hosted a “Party Like It’s 1983!” happy hour. Paul is now retired from Pepsico and enjoying traveling. Tracy is still working in public policy in the D.C. area. The house was packed with alums, including Catherine Dehoney ’83 and her husband, Bill. Catherine is president and CEO of Chorus America. I loved getting caught up and meeting Bill, who was lovely and tolerant of all of us! I also caught up with Bruce Holmes ’83, who has a son at W&M and was enjoying time with him over the weekend. Meg Hunter Scott ’84 and her husband, Bill Scott ’84, were in town. Meg and Bill recently moved from Dallas to North Carolina to be closer to their kids. Also attending were Mary Lloyd Sinnott Parks ’83, who is still in Richmond; Margaret Kerfoot and Doug McDonald ’81; and Robert Burnham “Booty” Laverty ’83, who lives in Lynchburg. I also visited with Dabney Carr ’83 and his wife Laura Gilbert Carr ’83. They are living in Richmond, where Dabney practices law and Laura is working for an historical museum.

On Saturday I ran into Kim Crase Claytor ’83 and Joe Claytor ’83 at the Pi Phi house. Kim and Joe still live in Kentucky and were promoting the joys of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience … I’m in! At various tailgate parties I caught up with Cindy Vick Choate and Rich Choate, who are living in the NoVa area and enjoying time with their two grandkids. They are perfecting the art of “empty nester dating,” which sounds lovely. Both Cindy and I lamented we don’t see enough of our college girlfriends. I also had a nice visit with Betsy Fournier Riley and Jim Riley ’81. Their son Alex and his wife are now living in Denver, which is where one of my sons recently moved.

Pi Phi and Chi Omega hosted a joint tailgate at the Alumni House organized by Sherri Sell Philips ’83 and Beth Sala Covin ’83. I saw Diana “Carol” Doub Kelly ’83 and Kim Eckert Failon ’85 as well as Ellen Stofan ’83, D.Sc. ’16, who still heads up the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and has had an amazing career. Hank Wood ’81 and Karen “KJ” Wood ’83 spent a few minutes with me. They are in the process of selling their house to one of their kids and downsizing. That seems to be a theme for many of us!

At the Sig Ep tailgate I had a quick visit with Don Morris (still looking sharp in his pineapple pants) and Steve Tang. Don has moved the countryside in Virginia. Steve is busy in his second chapter career as an author and business commentator. He is incredibly successful and accomplished but just as humble and nice as ever. I also visited with Dave Lucas ’80, who is now living in Williamsburg. In fact, a lot of folks I talked to are either living in or moving to the ’Burg!

All in all, I was glad I crashed the ’83 class party!

On Sunday I headed to Charlottesville to visit my daughter Olivia, who is a fourth year at UVA. While there I met Barbara Coles Joynes at Spring Hill Mountain Vineyard and enjoyed catching up. Barbara and her husband Stan provided wine for the Saturday W&M shindig from their Valley Roads Vineyards. Beth Alford Wolfe joined Olivia and me for some girl time. Beth and her husband Tommy are in the process of moving to Lake Murray, South Carolina! Should be an amazing next chapter for them and puts them closer to their daughter Patrice and her husband. Diane Ratchford Murray also joined us for an afternoon at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards. Diane and her husband, Bob, live in Richmond where Diane has been an amazing caretaker to her mom, who recently passed. She and Bob hope to spend more time at their mountain home in Idaho.

Alumni in the news: James Comey ’82, L.L.D. ’08 has a new book out: “Central Park West: A Crime Novel,” which draws on his law enforcement background. William “Bill” Schermerhorn, the creative director for Colonial Williamsburg’s Signature Events and two-time Emmy Award-winning songwriter, has created a new musical about the life and afterlife of Colonial Williamsburg’s resident ghost, Lucy Ludwell Paradise (1752-1814), titled “MADam LUCY, deceased.” Bill was also the creative director for the Macy’s Parade for many years.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! PLEASE send me YOUR updates! I don’t hear from enough of you!!

Greetings to everyone! It is June as I write this. Our kids are all over the place this summer — Nick just graduated from the University of Southern California and is staying in Los Angeles to work for a consulting company. Noah is still at Smith+Nephew working in supply chain (I blame him for everything) and is moving to Denver in August. Olivia just finished her third year at the University of Virginia and is heading to Los Angeles to intern for the same consulting company as Nick! Needless to say, momma bear is planning a beach retreat to LA this summer!

In April, I was lucky enough to be invited to join a W&M girls’ group that has been getting together at least annually for over 25 years! Amazing. This year’s trip was to Fredericksburg, Texas (so not very far afield for me!), and it was a blast. The group includes: Katie Winter Gray, Debi Pierce, Beth Alford Wolfe, Diane Ratchford Murray, Brenda Bloomer Hargett, Barbara Cole Joynes, Susan Newell, Jenny Wauford Flannagan, Kris Winegar Adkinson, May Przypyszny Pennington and Kathryn Sanford Fant. We enjoyed a few wine tastings, did some hiking at nearby Enchanted Rock, danced and sang and just enjoyed each other’s company. We stayed at a marvelous Airbnb that was within walking distance of Main Street. This group really has each other’s backs, and I am honored to be a part of it! It was wonderful to catch up with everyone: Katie and her husband, Stu, have two boys and live in Baltimore. Debi is living in Alexandria, Virginia, and gets together with Beth from time to time. Beth and her husband, Tommy, just celebrated the marriage of their daughter, Patrice. Diane and her husband, Bob, live in Richmond and just built a new house. Diane is an amazing caregiver to her mother. Brenda and her husband, Joe, live in Dallas (not far from me) and just celebrated the wedding of their son, Tyler, and are now expecting their third grandchild! Susan and her husband, Eric Jaffe ’83, split their time between Chicago and Florida. Jenny lives in Nashville, where she runs a nonprofit. Kris and her husband, Dale, live in Atlanta. Mary and her husband, Mark Pennington, live in Philadelphia and are active runners and bikers. Kathryn/Sammy and her husband, John, also live in Atlanta and try to keep up with their two sons.

Barbara Cole Joynes and her husband, Stan, were featured in the May issue of the W&M Alumni Magazine. They are partners in Valley Road Vineyards near Charlottesville. Be sure to read the article! And, if possible, visit their tasting room and property overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. One of the benefits of having a daughter at UVA is being able to visit and enjoy their delicious wines. Believe it or not, there are now over 300 wineries in Virginia! I’m on a mission ...

Kevin Doyle took a moment to update me on his life. He is now splitting his time between Minnesota, where he works at the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, and Charlottesville, where Jacquie continues to teach at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Kevin has a place in the river town of Stillwater on the Minnesota and Wisconsin border. He recently had a visit from Jon Huddleston. Jon is on a mission to visit all 50 states now that he is retired to Williamsburg. Kevin also had a nice visit with Jim Riley ’81 and Betsy Fournier Riley, who visited last summer. Kevin also recently reconnected with Jim Bilodeau ’81. If your travels take you to Minnesota, Kevin asks that you look him up!

Vanessa Boyer wrote to tell me about her first book, “Fruitful Living,” which was written during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic was a time of soul searching for Vanessa — as it was for many of us — and made her re-evaluate her priorities and contributions. “Fruitful Living” deals with many of these questions and how our spiritual gifts can produce positive and substantive change. The book is a product of Vanessa’s company, Positive Influence Empire LLC. It can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. Congrats to Vanessa!

And finally, I heard from Lisa Rogers, who writes that she has two new picture book biographies coming out this fall: “Beautiful Noise: The Music of John Cage,” published by Penguin Random House/Anne Schwartz Books and “Ronald Reagan: A Little Golden Book Biography,” also from Penguin Random House. Lisa recently caught up with Tim Wilson ’81 in Boston and talked about old times at W&M.

That’s all the news I have! PLEASE send me your updates!! I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to — and so would your classmates.

Greetings and happy 2023! It is January as I write this. Our travel bug took us to London and Portugal over the holidays. When all the (adult) kids can join us (allow themselves to be bribed) it’s magic! We started in London for New Year’s Eve and had a lovely time taking in the sights — we are admittedly Harry Potter geeks, and we finally made it to Warner Brothers Studio for the Harry Potter tour just outside London. We tried six years ago and literally missed the bus. Our expectations were high, but WBS exceeded them! The sets, models, costumes, props — they are all there. We highly recommend it for Harry Potter enthusiasts. We also made it to Portugal, first to Porto, and then on to Lisbon. Paralleling our trip were Rob Kravitz and his friend Martha, only they toured Lisbon and then Porto! It was nice to give each other pointers on what to see! Rob and Martha posted some amazing pictures of their journey on FB, which we really enjoyed. The Douro River Valley is stunning, and we visited several vineyards there, as did Rob and Martha.

Before the holidays, we celebrated the wedding of Beth Alford Wolfe’s daughter, Patrice, to Matt Burton. It was a beautiful, joyful wedding in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Beth and Tommy were glowing, as were all of Beth’s sisters and many nieces and nephews. Several of Beth’s W&M friends were there, including Katie Winter Gray, Debbi Pierce and her husband, Jim, and Brenda Bloomer Hargett and her husband, Joe, as well as their kids, Tyler and Heather, with their spouses. Not surprisingly, the reception was quite the dance party! The happy couple reside in Charleston, South Carolina.

I heard from Tom Hearn, who wrote the “past year has been good for the Hearns.  Two of our three sons moved back to Charlotte, North Carolina, so everyone is back in town, not that we ever see them! Dana Disque Hearn and I spent 10 days in Venice with Bill and Meg Scott ’84 in November. Great weather and few tourists.” 

He also wrote about a lovely memorial for his father, Thomas K. Hearn Jr.  “My dad was a philosophy professor at William & Mary for 10 years in the 1960s and ’70s. Interestingly, he was the first recipient of the Thomas Jefferson teaching award at the College. He spent the last 22 years of his career as the president of Wake Forest University (1983-2005). When he died in 2008, he was working on a book of essays he had given over the years, titled ‘Leaves From a President’s Notebook.’ The Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro, North Carolina, where Dad had been very active, helped me finish and publish the book. The book can be purchased through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or the Center for Creative Leadership.” What a lovely way to honor your father. 

In the news is Kathryn Lehr, who ran for office in the Colorado House of Representatives, District 49, in Boulder, Colorado, in the November 2022 election. She has lived in Boulder for 33 years. Katie also received an MBA from University of Colorado Boulder and is a small business owner. 

Finally, the William & Mary Foundation announced the addition of four new members to its Board of Trustees, one of whom is our own Steve Tang. Congratulations Steve! You can read more about Steve in the spring 2022 feature "Renaissance Man" in the W&M Alumni Magazine. 

That’s all the news I have! PLEASE send me your updates! I do see Facebook posts from time to time, but I need to hear directly from you on your news! Nothing is too small! What trips have you been on? What are YOUR kids doing? Have a great spring, everyone!  

Hi everyone! It is October as I write this. We had a very busy summer and I missed submitting the fall column. My apologies! I also missed our 40th Homecoming & Reunion Weekend this month and all the great news I might have heard by attending! Like many of you, we are empty nesters now and traveling a fair amount. This summer, we spent several weeks in Italy, and this fall we had a lovely time in Canada. Still wish I saw more of all of you! 

We also spent some time this summer and fall visiting the kids — Nick just started his second year at the University of Southern California getting his MBA and enjoying all that Los Angeles and Santa Monica have to offer; Noah is working for Smith + Nephew in Memphis, Tennessee, in supply chain; and Olivia just started her third year at the University of Virginia, where she is interviewing like crazy for summer internships in consulting. While moving Olivia into the sorority house at UVA, we hit bad weather on the return flight and ended up having to spend the night in Richmond. It was a lovely excuse to meet up with Diane Ratchford Murray and Bob Murray. Diane looks terrific. She is very involved in the care of her mother. I know that many of us find ourselves in the position of taking care of aging parents — hopefully we can do it with half the grace of Diane. 

On a somber note, John Sullivan sent notice that his wife, Anita Adams Sullivan, passed away after a long battle with cancer. We send our thoughts and prayers your way, John. 

Congratulations are due to Nancy Jear Waples on her appointment by Vermont Gov. Phil Scott to the state’s Supreme Court. She is the first woman of color to serve on Vermont’s top court. Well done, Nancy!! 

This weekend, I look forward to attending the wedding of Beth Alford Wolfe’s daughter, Patrice! It will be a very happy affair. Patrice and her fiancé, Matt, live in Charleston, South Carolina, where Patrice teaches science. So excited for both of them and their families! 

That’s all of the news I have! Chances are, YOU attended Homecoming and are BRIMMING with news of our classmates! I am here to unburden you! Send all of your updates my way and I’ll share them with our class! Take care, all! 

Hi everyone! It is January as I write this, and I’ve not heard a peep from anyone! I hope you all had a good holiday season! We received the gift of the COVID-19 variant omicron at our house! The boys tested positive on Dec. 26, with Olivia and me following a couple of days later. Since we’re all fully vaccinated, it really wasn’t that bad; and I got to spend New Year’s Eve with my kids since they had no other options! Quite the blessing for me, actually, and I’m quite glad to have had the newest variant and be done with it!

I did see a few W&M friends this past weekend in Dallas for the wedding of Brenda Bloomer Hargett’s son, Tyler. Beth Alford Wolfe and her husband, Tommy, her daughter, Patrice, and her daughter’s fiancé, Matt, were all in town. I also got to catch up with Katie Winter Gray and her husband, Stuart, as well as Diane Ratchford Murray and her husband, Bob. Katie and Diane looked fabulous and it was wonderful to spend time with all of them. The ladies can still dance!! Lovely wedding! I think we are all at that age where we’ll be going to a lot of our kids’ weddings — and I hope they are all as fun as this one was!

Next month, Eric and I commence what we affectionately call “the tour of kids” as we head to Los Angeles to see Nick, who is getting his MBA at the University of Southern California, to Charlottesville, Virginia, to see Olivia, a second-year student at the University of Virginia, and then to Memphis, Tennessee, to visit Noah, the only gainfully employed child, who works for Smith+Nephew there.

Hope you are all well and not letting this virus get you down! PLEASE send me your updates! Let me know how you are doing and what is keeping you busy and sane.

Hi everyone! It is October as I write this and I’ve seen a lot of GREAT photos from Homecoming & Reunion Weekend! Glad that so many of you got back to the ’Burg! Tougher to do from Dallas, but I hope to make it next year for our (GULP) 40th!! I was reminded on Facebook recently that as much time has passed between 1980 and 2021 as 1980 and 1939 … Really made me feel the passage of time.

I’m about to head to Charlottesville for Parents Weekend and looking forward to being in Virginia in the fall! When you live in Texas you really miss the change of seasons … ESPECIALLY the fall. I don’t have that much news, so PLEASE send some updates soon!!

Lisa LaBlanca Rogers wrote to let us know that her second picture book, “Hound Won’t Go,” published by Albert Whitman & Co., came out in April 2020. It’s a rhyming book for little ones based on Lisa’s endearing but stubborn rescue hound. Lisa’s first picture book was “16 Words: William Carlos Williams and ‘The Red Wheelbarrow,’” published by Penguin Random House. That book won the Julia Ward Howe award from the Boston Authors Club. Congrats Lisa!! Next up is a nonfiction book, “Discover Her Art: Women Artists and Their Masterpieces,” which looks at the life and art of 24 women painters from the 1500s to 1960. It should be out in March 2022 from Chicago Review Press.

My own news is that I recently walked the Camino de Santiago (the walk of St. James) in Spain with some women from our church. I’ve never experienced a pilgrimage before! We “only” walked from Sarria to Santiago (approx. 100 miles). It was challenging (especially for my knees!) but very rewarding. If any of you has the Camino on your bucket list, I’d be happy to share more!

That’s all the news I have! Please write/email/text and let me know how you are doing and what is keeping you busy and sane. I do see a lot of posts on Facebook, but I’d prefer to hear from you personally!! I don’t want to share more than you want me to! Stay safe!! Miss everyone!

Greetings! It is May as I write this and many of you will be in the midst of graduations — and happily, most of them will be in person this year! Hurray!! Not that the pandemic didn’t have its share of upsides (more time with the family, becoming proficient with Zoom, embracing mask wearing … OK, who am I kidding?!). I, for one, am THRILLED to turn the page and see folks in person again! So excited to travel again, go to a movie theater and have people over INDOORS. Hurray vaccines!! Anything to put this year behind us! 

I heard from Kevin Doyle who wrote that Jon Huddleston has been named to the 2021 class of the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame. A really wonderful honor! Congrats, Jon! I reported in the last issue that Kevin is moving on to Minneapolis to be the dean of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies, so congrats again to Kevin!

In April, Cesar Conda ’83 organized another Zoom call for the Dewey Beach crew. It was fun to catch up and hear about life during COVID-19 from Cesar, Dabney Carr ’84, Meg Hunter Scott ’84, Becky Rogers Voslow ’83, M.A. ’89,George Cruser ’84, Bob Newman ’83 and Marv Shaw ’83. I may be missing a few folks! We shared some priceless old photos from our summers at the beach in the early/mid ’80’s. 

David Crank was in the news — Hollywood news that is! David’s work as production designer on the Tom Hank film “News of the World” was nominated for an Oscar for best production design. Crank grew up in Richmond and got his start working on set designs for TheatreIV, now known as Virginia Rep’s Children’s Theatre at Willow Lawn. He has worked on many Hollywood blockbusters including “Knives Out,” “There Will Be Blood” and “Lincoln.” This was his first Oscar nomination.

That’s all the news I have! Please write/email/text and let me know how you are doing and what is keeping you busy and sane! Stay safe!! Miss everyone!

Greetings everyone! It is January as I write this … I am still optimistic that 2021 will turn out better than 2020, but we’ll see! First, please note that my email has changed!! If you send something to me at the old sbcglobal address, I may not receive it. I hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday season!

I heard from Jon Huddleston ’82, J.D. ’86 who writes that he is happy to pass on some good news (hallelujah): “I have been recently elected as the president of the Virginia Law Foundation. It is an exciting board that has a terrific share of fellow Tribe alums, including Colleen Marea Quinn ’85, Barbara Cole Joynes, Margaret Nelson Phillips ’79, Lauren Morgan Ellerman ’01, Lee Osborne J.D. ’80, M.L.T. ’83 and John McGavin J.D. ’82. Hopefully I didn’t miss anyone. Andy Morse ’79 just left our board after also serving as president of the organization. I am so proud to work with this group and my fellow alums. Interestingly, Mary Anne Delano from our class also served as president about 10 years ago.”

He continued, “In other news, my college roommate Kevin Doyle has recently accepted an exciting position as dean of the Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School of Addiction Studies in Minnesota. Finally, my wife, Cyndy Nash Huddleston ’83, M.Ed. ’86, and I have bought a condo across from the law school in Williamsburg and will be spending more and more time there.” 

All the best to Jon and Cyndy! 

In other news, maybe some of you caught a recent CBS Sunday Morning when our own Steve Tang was interviewed! I nearly spilled my coffee! Steve is president and CEO of OraSure Technologies, which is developing and manufacturing several COVID-19 testing solutions. OraSure has been on the frontlines of the battles against HIV, Ebola, and now COVID-19. OraSure is based in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. Prior to his tenure at OraSure, Steve served as the president and CEO of the University City Science Center in Philadelphia, the nation’s first and largest urban research park from 2008 through 2018. He also served on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Innovation Advisory Board. You can see President Rowe interviewing him on Feb. 7 on YouTube. Congratulations to Steve!

A new production of “Yes, Virginia: The Musical” debuted in Culpeper, Virginia. The 2012 original musical was created by Macy’s and was the handiwork of composer Welsey Whatley and Bill Schermerhorn. Bill became vice president and creative director of the Macy’s Parade and Entertainment Group. For more than three decades, he was best known for producing Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the department store’s July Fourth celebration. He won a daytime Emmy Award for the song “Yes Virginia (There’s a Santa Claus)” with Whatley, created for Macy’s 2010 Thanksgiving Parade.

That’s all the news I have! Please write/email/text and let me know how you are doing and what is keeping you busy and sane! Stay safe! Miss everyone! 

It is October as I write this. I think I said “What a year!” in my last column — and that was BEFORE the fires, the hurricanes, race riots … and don’t get me started on the looming election! I hope you are doing well and finding ways to cope. We just got back from Virginia where we sprung our daughter out of quarantine for COVID-19 … who knew that was even a thing?! We took her to a friend’s lake house in North Carolina. It was awful for her, of course, but we got to have 10 days with her all to ourselves! Silver linings indeed.

I heard from Greg Moore, who writes, “My husband and I have been in Lauderdale by the Sea for 20 years now, and our daughter is graduating from high school this year. She has her sights set on a Canadian university, which we are both fine with. Allan is Canadian and has tons of family up there. Pre-COVID we visited 3-4 times a year so we will have even more reason to go visit! Once we get to a safe, new normal, anyone taking a cruise via Fort Lauderdale let me know!”

We have had the pleasure of seeing Rob Kravitz and his friend, Martha, from time to time. I think I mentioned that Rob has settled in the Dallas area. Rob and Martha have made me jealous with their (seemingly) neverending hikes to various National Parks. They, like me (and maybe some of you) have also spent their days in quarantine doing jigsaw puzzles. I’ve lost count …

When we dropped Olivia off at University of Virginia we were lucky enough to see Barbara Cole Joynes and her husband, Stan, for dinner. As you can imagine running a vineyard has its challenges right now. Fortunately, the membership for their Valley Roads Vineyard is healthy and people ARE drinking wine right now (which I can attest to personally) and outdoor venues are very popular for weddings and gatherings. It was delightful to catch up with them. We also got to visit with Beth Alford Wolfe and her husband, Tommy, in Fairfax Station. Beth and Tommy are both retired now and enjoying traveling, golf and spending time with family. Hoping we get to continue to catch up with old friends as we make our way to C’Ville every now and then.

That’s all the news I have! Please write/email/text and let me know how you are doing and what is keeping you busy and sane! Miss everyone!

What a year 2020 is shaping up to be. The last time I wrote class notes most people had never heard of COVID-19! I sincerely hope that by the time you read this, we will have turned the corner. It is July as I write this and things have gone from bad, to denial, to WORSE. Yikes. I’m sure all of you have experienced your lives being upended. So far, it seems as if my daughter will be starting college on campus … hope so! I hope all of you are well and coping with all the changes being thrown at you and your families. 

In January, before all of this craziness, we were able to visit UVA with Olivia and let her get a feel for the campus. She had fun, but Eric and I had a GREAT time! Charlottesville (C’ville) is such a fun town. We were able to make plans to visit Barbara Cole Joynes and her husband Stan at their gorgeous vineyard, Valley Roads Vineyard. Barbara and San gave us a wonderful tour of the Charlottesville wine country and hosted us at their vineyard — so beautiful with great, flavorful wines. Loved catching up with them. Barbara is now handling all of the marketing and PR for the operation and, not surprisingly, doing a great job bringing in event business. We hope to get back soon!!

Also on the trip I caught up with my freshman roomie, Beth Alford Wolfe. She met Olivia and I in Georgetown before we made the drive into Charlottesville. Was surreal seeing my daughter and college roomie getting along so well. I look forward to seeing Beth and her husband Tommy more often as I make my way to visit Olivia.

My other W&M connection occurred, as so many are right now, online via Zoom. Cesar Conda ’83 organized an online reunion for the Dewey Beach Crowd. I know I’m going to forget someone, but it was so fun to visit with Becky Rogers Voslow ’83, M.A. ’89, Mark Forde ’83 and his wife Mary Obata Forde ’84, Dabney Carr ’84, Paul Boykas ’83, Tracy Baynard ’83, Marv Shaw ’83, Meg Hunter Scott ’84, Booty Laverty ’83, and Ned Monroe ’83. We shared some very old pictures of ourselves from way back then and reminisced about drinking games, the beach, sleeping 20 to a two-bedroom house, and all the fun and drama of those summers. Talk about living on a shoestring … but we managed to have great times. Made me very nostalgic.

And finally, I heard from Bob Meybohm, who wrote: “I am enjoying working in a boutique law firm that specializes in estate planning. It’s very interesting work and we have a very interesting high-net-worth client base. I have really enjoyed the new learning process as this type of work is totally different from how I spent most of my career in finance. I also do a fair amount of practice development, which I really enjoy. I truly love living in Colorado. I work in Lone Tree, which is about 19 miles south of downtown Denver. The metro area is growing a lot. This area is quite different now from when I first moved here back in 1987. I am also involved in a bio science start-up company (we have a patent pending) as CFO. I am having a blast helping launch this enterprise. This work is very invigorating and I feel like a young pup again … I guess that happens when you end up hanging around and working with people who are a lot younger than you … LOL!” Sounds wonderful, Bob!

That’s all the news! Please let me hear from you! No news is too trivial! Let me know how you are dealing with Covid and how your life has been impacted. Stay safe, ya’ll!! Miss you — the door is always open for YOU in Dallas!

Happy 2020!! It is early January as I write this, and we are visiting Charlottesville this weekend because our youngest is heading to UVA! I know, not quite the Green & Gold, but it’ll be fun to make it back to Virginia from time to time. Can’t believe we’ll be empty nesters this fall!! I have a feeling a lot of you are experiencing the same thing. Let me know how it’s going!

I heard from a euphoric Kevin Doyle, who enjoyed the Washington Nationals’ run to the World Series and ultimate victory. Kevin has gone to several games this year with Tom Brooke ’82, J.D. ’90 and connected with several other alumni at the William & Mary Night at Nats Park over the summer, including Jim Riley ’81, Rich Choate and Cindy Vick Choate, Mike Shuler ’83, Jon Huddleston ’82, J.D. ’86 and Steve Tuttle ’83.  Professionally, Kevin is still teaching in the Counselor Education master’s program at Longwood University in Farmville, while Jacquie continues as a professor at UVA’s Darden School. The Doyles live in Charlottesville. Some folks for us to visit!!   

Kevin Handerson was in the news for authoring an article on event security for Sports Destination Management Magazine. Kevin has extensive security industry experience, including leadership roles at both security equipment manufacturers and security system integrators, among other technology-driven businesses. Kevin also holds a Master’s of Science in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. 

Brad Pollack was in the news as he ran for Shenandoah County Board of Supervisors, of which he is now a member. Brad is an attorney and has other political experience. We wish him good luck with all his endeavors!

That’s all the news! Please let me hear from you! No news is too trivial! Let me know how YOUR adventures in empty nesting are going! And that’s the news! Remember, the door is always open for YOU in Dallas! 

Greetings! It is early October as I write this and we are knee deep in college applications for our youngest, Olivia. Here’s hoping that by the time you read this we’ve received good news! Is it just me or has the whole application process gotten more and more complicated?!  

Our own Brent Harris was recently in the news. Brent is acting in a new adaptation of “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis at Harrison Opera House in Norfolk, Virginia. The performances run 80 minutes and Brent is the star of this one-man show. The story is told through a series of letters that Screwtape, a demon, writes to an under-demon, Wormwood, who is trying to capture the soul of a man. “It’s never boring!” said Brent, who is now based in New York. Brent has had many roles over the years. He has done a lot of Shakespeare and he spent three years playing Scar in a touring production of “The Lion King.” Congrats, Brent!

I wrote about Beth Comstock in the last issue. I’m writing about her again because the former vice chair of General Electric spoke at William & Mary’s 2019 Convocation ceremony. Beth is a leading expert on organizational change and brought those insights to students and faculty this past August. Congrats, Beth!

I’ve had a couple of my own W&M connections. This past July I heard from Rob Kravitz, who has relocated for a job in Las Colinas, Texas, a developed area in the Dallas suburb of Irving. Rob is enjoying the new job and a new life in nearby Plano, Texas. We were delighted to reconnect with Rob!  

On a college visit to the University of Maryland I was delighted to spend some time with Beth Alford Wolfe. Beth is recently retired and enjoying some well-deserved traveling and social events, not to mention spending more time with her husband Tommy and her daughter Patrice. So fun to watch Beth and my daughter connecting over lunch. It’s so wonderful to see old friends — it is like time has never passed.

Which makes me throw a big shout-out to the awesome ladies from Barrett Third West, my freshman dorm. I want to hear from each of YOU!!!  

And that’s the news! Remember, the door is always open for YOU in Dallas! 

It is mid-May and graduation time as I write this! I hope you all have fond memories of graduation weekend at W&M, as I do. Perhaps you have a child graduating this year? I am between graduations … my son Noah is a junior at the University of South Carolina and Olivia is a junior in high school. Next year is the big one for us!

Eric and I were delighted to have dinner with Paul Boykas ’83, who was passing through Dallas a few weeks ago. Paul is still with PepsiCo working in government relations. His job actually has him collaborating with CocaCola….and I can tell you that is unique at Pepsi, having worked at Frito-Lay a while back and seeing interns getting sacked for ordering Domino’s Pizza! Paul keeps in touch with a lot of folks from ’83 and recently went on a river cruise with Becky Rogers Voslow ’83, M.A. ’89, Tracy Baynard, Mark Forde and Mary Obata Forde ’84, and several others from the class of ‘83. It was wonderful to catch up.

I heard from Lisa LaBanca Rogers who wrote to say that her first picture book for children, “16 Words: William Carlos Williams and the Red Wheelbarrow,” illustrated by Chuck Groenink, will be published in September 2019 by Schwartz and Wade Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Lisa is super excited to be publishing this book about the owner of the wheelbarrow that inspired the famous poem. Congrats, Lisa!

Beth Comstock was in the news. Frederick Douglass Elementary School in Winchester, Virginia, announced the dedication of the school’s library to former teacher Shelby Comstock and a donation of $100,000 from her daughter, Beth. Beth’s mother was a teacher at Frederick Douglass from 1975 to 2001. Beth’s gift to honor her mother will enable the creation of the Comstock Family Imagine It Forward Makerspace Initiative to implement makerspaces in all schools in the school division. Beth grew up in Winchester and graduated from Handley High School. Beth is currently a director at Nike, trustee of the National Geographic Society and a former board president of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Museum. Beth’s book, “Imagine It Forward,” offers practical advice on finding the courage to defy convention to reinvent what is possible. Beth currently lives in New York.

Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, announced the promotion and award of tenure for several faculty members, including Dr. Valerie MacPhail. Valerie came to Converse in 1994 after having earned her Master of Music degree from Florida State University and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of South Carolina. Valier is currently the coordinator of the voice faculty and also serves as director of the Lawson Academy of the Arts. Her students, ranging from younger students in the Lawson Academy to graduate students, have been successful in national and local competitions, winning the Hal Leonard Art Song Competition and advancing to the national semifinals in the National Student Auditions of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Valerie is herself a gifted soprano and has given dozens of vocal recitals at colleges throughout the country. Congratulations to Valerie!

And that’s the news! Remember, the door is always open for YOU in Dallas! Hope to hear from more of you this fall — your classmates want to hear from you!!

Marriages

Stacy Ann Alexander '82 to Ronald J. Albanese, 12/29/2018.

Happy New Year, Class of 1982! It is mid-January as I write this and the East Coast just got pummeled by a snowstorm. I was on a college trip with my daughter (that sadly did NOT include W&M … too small, she says) to the University of Virginia and Georgetown and saw it all firsthand. A beautiful sight for those of us that don’t get snow very often! Olivia is the class of 2020 … doesn’t that sound remarkable?! Time just marches on!

Sadly, the government shutdown (I so hope that’s over by the time you read this!!!) prevented us from going to the National Air and Space Museum, where I was hoping to get a glimpse of our 1983 classmate, Ellen Stofan ’83, D.Sc. ’16, the new director. If any of you missed it, the Today Show on NBC aired a segment last week about Ellen which highlighted her remarkable career. Be sure and try to see it!

I heard from William Naphy, now a professor and dean for North American Affairs at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He wrote that it was his privilege and pleasure to visit W&M last month in his capacity as dean for North American Affairs at Aberdeen to discuss a possible link for students to come to Aberdeen, alma mater to James Blair, W&M’s founder. He writes that it was great to be back and meet with Professor Oakley and Professor Emeritus Jones as well as everyone at the international study center. Bill moved to Scotland in 1989 to do his Ph.D. at St. Andrews and decided to stay permanently.

Victoria Monaghan was in the news as she was named senior director of communications at Thomas Edison State University in Trenton, New Jersey. Victoria was previously at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey, where she served as director of strategic relations in higher education. Congrats to Victoria!

Eric and I were lucky enough to meet up with Dana Disque Hearn and Tom Hearn in Charlotte, North Carolina, this past fall when we were on our way to see Noah at the University of South Carolina. Their three sons are in various stages of “getting off the payroll,” as we say in the Conner home, and Dana and Tom were enjoying empty-nester life. They still travel a lot with Tom’s cousin Bill Scott and his wife Meg Hunter Scott ’84. Meg and Scott spent a couple of years in Dallas but have returned to Greensboro, North Carolina, although Meg still travels to Dallas from time to time with her work for Southern Methodist University. She was in town before the holidays and I was fortunate to catch up with her. 

The door is always open for YOU in Dallas! Hope to hear from more of you in 2019. Please let me know about YOUR adventures in empty-nesting — your classmates want to hear from you!!

Greetings from the big D! It is a warm September day as I write this. I am happy to be getting back into a routine after summer madness. Summers are getting expensive as we try and “bribe” the kids to go with us on vacations. Our latest bribe is a lake house near Corsicana. We are hoping our kids will think it’s a cool place to go with their friends (and they won’t mind if we are in the background feeding and cleaning up after them…) I’ll let you know how that works out. Any of you have this experience?

This past weekend Brenda Bloomer Hargett and her husband Joe threw a baby shower (a babyQ – cute!) for their daughter Heather and her husband Zach. Was fun to see Brenda warming up to be a grandmother!

Our dear friend Beth Alford Wolfe came to Dallas with her daughter Patrice, who was trying to escape Hurricane Florence as she is in graduate school at the College of Charleston. Always so fun to see my dear roommate and Pi Phi sister! It just so happened that my son, Noah, was also escaping the hurricane on the same flight from Charlotte, so they all traveled together. Hilarious and surreal to get a selfie from my son and my college roommate! Beth has recently retired and is enjoying being free to travel and figure out this phase of life. She and Tommy still live in Fairfax Station, Virginia.

I heard from David Lucas ’80 who sent this update: “Been an insurance defense attorney at the Jersey Shore since 1984. Resided in Wall Township since 1993. Wife Tracy is preschool teacher (Ohio State grad). You think Aggies are rabid? Buckeyes give Aggies a run for their money. Three kids (26-year-old twin sons and a 22-year-old daughter). Past: Little League baseball and softball coach, travel baseball coach, and one term on local board of education. Currently mock trial coach for local public high school (Wall Township). Member of the Spot 82 tailgate group for Tribe football” (which I believe also includes Sig Eps Jack Horst ’81, Don Morris, Jim Peworchik, Dave Martin, Mark Kehoe, Steve Tang and Bud Phillips). Dave also reported that he and his wife have built a house in Ford’s Colony in Williamsburg, so they will now be closer to all of the W&M action! So great to hear from Dave.

Brad Marrs wrote that he and his wife have made a big change in their lives: “We gave up our lifelong commitment to the typical suburban lifestyle and moved into Richmond’s Fan District. We just finished our first year in a renovated 1911 row house, and we’re loving it! I haven’t done any yard work since moving. We have several of Richmond’s best restaurants and venues within easy walking distance — and my wife has achieved her lifelong goal of living less than 450 yards from a Starbucks! So if anyone finds themselves at the Fan Starbucks or at Secco Wine Bar, look for us hanging out on our front porch or come knocking!”

Professor Barbara Heath was in the news for a recent archaeological dig that took place at the Virginia plantation of English-born settler Colonel John Mottrom, who established the plantation in the early 1600s and lived there until his death in 1655. It is believed that the Chicacoan Native American village was associated with the whole area and the leader of the Chicacoan lived in the next field down from Mottrom.

Leonard Heath Jr. ’82, J.D. ’86 was in the news as a veteran local attorney who has been named the new president of the Virginia State Bar — the first lawyer from the Hampton Roads peninsula to hold that role in more than 50 years. Heath has a law practice in Newport News and works in both state and federal courts. He specializes in civil litigation. Heath said he plans to focus heavily on “lawyer wellness” during his time at the helm of that state bar.

Brian Gordineer ’82, M.A. ’85 has taken over as assessor for Petersburg, Virginia. The city assessor is in charge of leading assessments of real estate within the city. Gordineer moved to Petersburg from Hampton, Virginia, where he has held the position of assessor since 2008.

Four Republicans, including Frank Robert ’82, M.Ed. ’84, are running for District 5 Commissioner in Carroll County, Maryland. Frank received a B.A. in history and a master’s in education from W&M and an MBA at Loyola.

Congratulations to all of our classmates in the news! Please send me YOUR news and updates! We are all becoming empty nesters, so let me know how YOU are handling the transition and what your plans are.