1977
Scribes: Nancy Herman Jarrett and Andrea Popik Taber.
It’s hard to fathom that, once again, we are writing these notes amidst the continuing challenges of COVID-19. We hope that you and those close to you are well and coping through this incredibly taxing time.
Our enterprising and dynamic class president, Liz Lewis Gershon, has initiated a series of Zoom presentations/discussions which have included the two most important issues we face at present: the pandemic and the persistent racism which continues to cripple the country. Sue Echterling, an ED doctor, gave us a real-life account of what it is like to treat COVID-19 in a hospital, as well as tips to stay healthy. Deb Stone Roth outlined ways to practice self-care. Sandy Jones gave us fascinating information on the biology of skin color and Val Barr and Avice Meehan reported on how the College is dealing with the pandemic. In October, we had a “Celebration of the Arts” Zoom during which Simonne Roy, Ann Reynolds and Nicky Mesiah taught us about painting views of Provence, composing Cuban jazz and baking yummy (and healthy!) goodies! Stay tuned for more Zoom meetings. They’re a wonderful way to “see” classmates and feel more connected to the class as well as the College. If you have ideas or a presentation that you would like to do over Zoom, please contact Merry Galassi Hampton (click here)
Residing in Oro Valley, AZ, since 2005, Helen Mitchell reports that she retired from the practice of anesthesiology in 2014 and has been an avid photographer and, until COVID, a docent at the AZ Sonora Desert Museum. She and her partner of 37 years have been mostly housebound for the past several months as the Bighorn wildfire destroyed Mt. Lemmon, their respite from the summer heat. They are looking forward to a socially-distanced get-away, hitting the road in an RV, accompanied by their 3 dogs.
Former scribe and current alumnae trustee, Avice Meehan, checked in from northwestern CT, where she is now living full time. Avice and spouse, Barbara Roberts, are simultaneously renovating their barn/house, a part-time home for the past 20-plus years, while trying to sell a NYC apartment. Having left Memorial Sloan-Kettering in 2019, Avice is currently doing pro bono consulting for a small family farm as well as for organizations focused on ending homelessness. In her spare time (hard to believe she has any!), she quilts, knits, sews couture and has made more than 300 masks.
Jan Plager’s job as a social worker went remote in early March, so she left her home in Weston, MA, to social distance with Ann Palermo Mc Cready and her family for a few weeks. Late March found her in Lenox helping her mother, whose housekeeper took a leave. Jan has found, even without Tanglewood, that her time in Lenox has been therapeutic and has (mostly) enjoyed spending lots of time with her mother!
Jules Dickinson has been sheltering in her home but regularly goes out to donate platelets at her local blood center. She reports doing “usual retirement pursuits” such as reading, watching Netflix and taking naps. She is in a writing group of MHC alums and has had 2 poems published in the group’s anthology, “The Angled Road” (available on Amazon). In addition, her protest song, “Strong and Equal Women,” was recorded by Daniel Kelly on the Bandcamp album “Social Justice Warrior” and 7 of her haiku have been published on Janis Ian’s webpage, Godzilla Haiku.
From Lynn, MA, Betsy Coward Miller sends news of a promotion (simultaneous with entry into senior citizenship!) to fully tenured professor at Bunker Hill Community College, where she is chair of the computer science department. Her children live in Brooklyn, NY, and St. Petersburg, FL, and she celebrated her birthday with a Zoom call, which included her kids, siblings and nieces and nephews.
Eliza Smith Brown sent an extensive update including the sad news that her husband, Bill, passed away in June 2019 after battling cancer on and off, for more than 20 years. Support from friends and family, as well as 36 years of memories have provided much needed sustenance and comfort. Eliza had a brush with breast cancer last spring which is, thankfully, behind her. Her 3 adult kids, Will, Brendan and Regina, are thriving. Eliza quit her job with the Association of Theological Schools to focus on a book project about her grandmother and her sister, 2 Vassar graduates who led the suffrage movement in Pittsburgh and PA and then went on to fight corruption in local government for the next 40 years. The book, “She Devils at the Door,” was not finished at the time Eliza sent her news but she has an author’s website (elizasmithbrown.com), which provides great information! Eliza sees Cathy Counselman Kelly ’78 in Pittsburgh and a visit from her college roommate, Vanieta Canonico Jahn, in Aug. 2019 was a huge treat!
Our reunion co-chairs, Susan Granahan Colgan and Janet O’Neil Connell have already started brainstorming some wonderful ideas for our 45th! We remain optimistic that we will all be able to be together on campus by June 2022 and we hope you are planning to join in the fun!
We want to share that a new Class Communications Committee has been formed to create and manage the myriad forms of communication now available to us. Look for a new class website which will provide faster dissemination of news and enable greater connections with the class, as a whole. Along the connections line, please go to the Alumnae Association database and ensure that your information (phone number and email address) is up to date so that you don’t miss out on all of these opportunities! We’ve included the link here: alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/directory.