AMY HERZ JUVILER passed away 12/8/18. She graduated MHC as a Political Science major and participated in a Victoria Schuck’s Summer Internship (5/57) at the U.S. Commerce Department. Amy received her LLB at Yale Law School and went on to an illustrious career as an attorney, judge, and assistant Attorney General for the State of NY. She was described as “ a brilliant litigator . . . .whose skills were recognized by the US Supreme Court, which specifically requested her as an amicus, and by the New York Courts, which long used one of her Court of Appeals arguments as a teaching tool.” Amy served as a Class Agent and Co-Head Class Agent with Ann Jones Dolbear. Ann also added that she had an incredible sense of humor, and “. . .was an incredible grandmother who was actively involved in each of their lives.” Most recently, Amy will be remembered by those of us at our 60th as a thoughtful panelist, bedecked in our red parade sash and fedora, at a Group Discussion that asked the question: “Did MHC Influence the Kind of Person you are Today?” Amy expressed strong feelings about the importance of her professors and what an influence they had on her. Your Scribe, Joan (Smudge) Heyman Rosen, and her husband, visited Amy when she moved to NJ and enjoyed her warmth, active mind and passionate opinions. Virginia (Ginnie) Lueth Keith described Amy as “…a wonderful friend and an outstanding scholar.” She is survived by 2 children, their spouses and 3 grandchildren.
LINDA TAFT LITTON has been enjoying living in her single floor condo in Hershey, PA – still somewhat “out in the country but near “downtown “, the Amusement Park and the chocolate factory. The whole family joined me on an un-cruise to Alaska last June and we enjoyed kayaking off the back of the boat, and bushwhacking in the woods. In August, my S.O. of four years and I joined a cruise (traditional) from Stockholm to St. Petersburg. Local guides were very informative about the histories of the countries and their rather new independence, still looking over their shoulders. I’m thankful that the only health issues I’m dealing with are non life threatening, and I still bicycle and walk daily, and try to get on the golf course when I can. Still love to cook, and Kermit enjoys my efforts.
VIRGINIA (Ginger) PISER PITMAN sent a wonderful article from her neighborhood newsletter,”Carnegie Hill Neighbors”. It describes her active involvement starting in the ‘70s. Ginger initiated efforts to plant trees on her “treeless street”, and continues to focus on trees, tree care, even becoming certified as a “Citizen Pruner”. She became a co-chair of the Street Tree Committee and has been leading outings ever since. Ginger documented buildings for the preservation underway in the ‘80s and has been a long-term Board member of CHN. Remarkably, she continues to hold a full-time job at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House as Director of Special Events, raising over a million dollars a year! Ginger loved our 60th, seeing classmates and commenting how well executed it was. She’s in frequent contact with Jane Hoover Polley, Martha Sykes Murray and Waldo Latham Craven.
MARGARET (PEG) TROTTER FELIX writes: “We had a lovely 60th wedding anniversary celebration this summer in Salt Lake City – a rarity to have all 15 family members together at the same time. The reason for being in Salt Lake City was to cheer on our son, Matt, taking part in the Transplant Games of America (it’s also a web site). Matt had a liver transplant 6 years ago, from a living donor, his old roommate from U. of Richmond. (The liver is the one amazing organ that can regenerate, so 2/3 or the donor liver replaces the recipient’s entire organ.) The Transplant Games (everything from track and field events to trivia) take place every two years, in different cities, and this year it was Salt Lake City; The Games are a wonderful event – many moving and heart-warming stories.”
PATRICIA (PAT) CRANE POPE passed away in Cleveland, OH on August 8, 2018. She is survived by her spouse of 59 years, Martin, 2 sons, 1 daughter, their spouses, and 6 grandchildren. Pat graduated MHC as an English major and continued to serve her class as it’s President from ‘58 -‘68, a NomCom member from ‘68-‘73, Reunion Gift Caller from ‘07-‘08 and Class Agent from ‘08-‘09. She taught first grade for 2 years until she left to raise a family. In the 1980’s Pat worked as a researcher, Project Administrator and technical writer for an industrial training company, before forming her own venture, “Planting by Design” to offer landscape design services to individuals and non-profits. She also co-authored a booklet describing the flora found on the campus of South Franklin Circle where she resided the last 9 years. “Along the way Pat served as an officer of The Junior League of Cleveland, as president of the Chagrin Falls branch of AFS, and was the first women on the Bentleyville Village Council
NANCY MAXWELL PORTER died 8/17/18 in Portland, OR. She was a beloved teacher who “. . . worked to revolutionize higher education, challenging hierarchies of gender, race, class and sexuality in course content and teaching methods.” Nancy was a Mary Lyons Scholar at MHC and was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to attend Yale University where she received an MA in English. She married Roger Porter in ‘61 and moved to Portland, where she taught at Lewis & Clark College. “Although the marriage dissolved by mutual accord in 1968, Nancy and Roger maintained a close friendship.” She joined the faculty of Portland State University and subsequently collaborated with colleagues and several students to establish one of the first Women’s Studies Program in the country. This work led her to a long connection with The Feminist Press founded in ‘70. She spent 10 yrs. as Editor of it’s Women’s Studies Quarterly and authored numerous relevant articles and papers. “Nancy was preceded in death by her long-time partner, Joanne Benton. Survivors include Joanne’s children, Betsy Stapleton (Michael) of California and Peter Rudnytsky (Cheryl) of Florida and their children.”
FRANCES H. CHAMBERS ROGERS passed away 07/30/18 in Nashville, TN after a lengthy illness. Raised in NYC, she attended MHC (NG) and began her work with young children in ‘57 at the Pine Cobble School; Williamstown, MA. From 1987 to 2000, Fran was Director of the Westminster Presbyterian Church Toddlers and Twos Program. “Through her inspired education programs . . . .Fran touched the lives of countless children and families here in the Nashville area for over 50 years. She was a proud member of the Nashville Symphony Chorus from 1965 to 2007 and a Member of the Nashville Symphony Association Board Education Committee for over 10 years.” Fran is survived by her husband; Hebert C. Rogers, four children. and 10 grandchildren.
CAROL DONKERSLEY CORNELL reports 4 children, “(oldest almost 60. How did that happen?)” 9 grandchildren (ages 16 to 36) and no great grandkids yet but hoping someday. They work in many different fields and are spread across U.S.A but many live near me and give support as needed. She retired from teaching at 65, and has filled her time volunteering since then: in a local thrift shop; chauffeur for the 2 youngest grandkids along with visiting shut-ins and old friends and walking her daughter’s dog while she teaches. “I retired from explaining senior health care at local senior center after doing it for 10 years. My kids tell me I am never home so I must be doing something.
Funny note – I made a comment to youngest grandson about being 81 and he said, ‘You’re not old Gram. I know people in their 60s and 70s who look worse than you’. Don’t you love it?”
ALLISON PETERS JABLONKO arrived in Keene, NH in Dec. of 2017 after a year of travel that took her to Hawaii, Italy and Papua New Guinea. “Having lived in Europe for close to 40 years, I’m delighted to be back in New England. In March, my two daughters were able to come from Italy and Belgium for a visit. They approve of my choice of a town “just the right size.” There are Tai Chi classes, an annual international film festival, a food coop,and a marvelous public library, all within walking distance of my home. I continue to work, via internet, on the visual anthropology project I started back in 1963 in New Guinea. “
JOAN EDWARDS JONAS “Once called the “Mother of all Performance Art,” Joan Jonas ’58 has used mirrors in her groundbreaking multimedia works since the late 1960s. From early performances captured on 16mm film, to recent installation pieces, Jonas uses the concept of the mirror to show us that images are not facts, but reflections of our individual imaginations and assumptions. Mirror-studded costumes, convex and full-length looking glasses, and the metaphorical mirror of the camera distort our notions of space, subject, object, and audience. This focused exhibition—the first of the artist’s at her alma mater—brings together four mirror-themed works that span Jonas’s prolific career.
Born in New York in 1936, Jonas received her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College before attending the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Columbia University, where she earned an M.F.A. in Sculpture in 1965. Incorporating video, sculpture, drawing, and performance, Jonas’s innovative work uses diverse storytelling traditions to explore ways of seeing. She has participated in Germany’s prestigious dOCUMENTA six times since 1972, and in 2015, she represented the United States at the Venice Biennale. Currently, Jonas is the subject of a major touring retrospective, curated by Tate Modern, London and Haus der Kunst, Munich. A hero and mentor to a younger generation of artists, she is professor emerita at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Jonas lives and works in New York City and Nova Scotia.
Joan Jonas is Mount Holyoke’s 2018 Leading Woman in the Arts, a short-term residency and lectureship organized by the Weissman Center for Leadership in collaboration with the InterArts Council.”
JOYCE BERNSTEIN KLEIN My husband and I just said goodby to Nikki Wei, a student at Mt Holyoke from Kunming, China. Nikki spent 7 weeks with as as she pursued an internship with a local attorney. We learned so much about the Chinese culture and life in China and in return she experienced life with an American family. It was a joy to have her in our home. She enjoyed Florida so much that she plans to return with her parents in two years when she graduates.
On another note, we are planning a river cruise with Scenic in the Bordeaux area of France. It is our first venture since my husband had a bad fall and I must admit I am a little nervous but we have traveled a great deal so all should work out.
CONNIE GODFREY KELLER shared that “We are visiting our daughter Christina in Casper, WY on our way from our home in Cody to Basalt, CO where we will gather with most of our family, attend a music and balloon festival, as well as celebrate our 60th anniversary. One grandchild and his lady will be unable to join us. My mother genes are happy. Harder to gather in the troops as they get older. Carpe diem. Our drummer grandson Ryan and his band from L.A. will be performing.”
MARGARET (MUD / MARDIE) NORTON wrote that she was “. . .sorry to miss reunion – hear it was great! Glad we have such a supportive class. I continue to enjoy my life in Santa Fe, playing lots of golf and lots of duplicate bridge – one for the body and one for the mind. Grateful for health and options. Cheers,
PS — decided the name wouldn’t be so great after college – so went back to Margaret and since in Santa Fe, now Mardie.
PAT (PATTI) SKILLIN PELTON Writes: I had moved from OH to Easthampton to be near two of my children. . . “Loved those years and that daughter and son and son-in-law and grandson were with me on campus during our 50th reunion.” More recently I moved to CA. “I’m in a lovely 100 villa community here. An interesting, caring community. My sister had moved here to be near one of her sons and my four children all enjoy visiting. It’s a whole new world but beautiful and stimulating. I have moments of nostalgia for New England, but not enough to make me move back! I’m heading with friends to an organ recital at Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA Sunday. Someone else is driving, I don’t drive LA! “I’m still playing organ as substitute in church, and piano to accompany singing here.”
JANE STOKES INGRAM passed away in Ridgefield, CT on 04/01/18 with her family by her side. Jane always was an avid bridge player. At one time she worked as a editorial assISTANT at Grolier Inc., and “After the kids left” she painted at the Silvermine School of Art as “An Absolute And Utter Beginner”, experimenting with abstract black and white monoprints in later years. Jane was proud of her membership in the Silvermine Guild of Artists and served on its Board of Trustees. She was also a member of many other artist groups. Jane is survived by her husband Sam, her children Victoria of Beaverton, Or, (and husband Michael), and William of Stockholm, Sweden ( wife Kristina and their children, Rebecka and Robert.) A memorial will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2018 at 1:00 p.m., at the Silvermine Art Center.
LENORE BARNETT PERETZ passed away 4/6/18. She entered MHC after graduating from Fieldston in NYC, but transferred to U. of Penn. where she received a BA in English. Lenore earned her M.Ed from Washington University in St.Louis. In ‘58 she married Jack Perez. They moved to Cleveland after he completed his Ophthalmology residency – living there for the remainder of their near 60-year marriage. “Lenore found peace and solace in her artwork . . .Her many beautiful paintings are cherished by her friends and family.” An avid reader, she loved to visit museums, watch movies, see shows, and take walks, but most of all she loved her family.” Lenore is survived by her husband, dtwoaughters, a son and five grandchildren.
REVEREND PRISCILLA BONELL SCHUMM died on 2/14/18 in New Hampshire following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She had completed a major in Modern languages (German and French) at MHC and continued her studies at Hartford Hospital where she earned her RN. Priscilla realized her first love was ministry, and began her theological studies in Germany. She completed her theological studies at Andover Newton Theological School and was ordained to the Christian ministry in ‘63. Priscilla pastored churches in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and concluded 40 years of ministry with her 10 year pastorate in Springfield, Maine. She was also active in Hospice programs in Massachusetts and Maine. Priscilla is survived by her husband, Rev. Herbert Schumm, three children, their spouses and six grandchildren.
SUSAN FAY RYAN a transfer student who majored in Poli Sci. and lived in Le Foyer and Pearsons. “Married in 1960, and remained home with my five children until 1974, when I launched my teaching career. Along the way, I earned four advanced degrees.” A widow for many years, she retired in 2010 and began writing her recently published book: “Never Trust a Teacher: Fight to Make Things Right”. (Flip book for Twenty-Two Timeless Tips to Trump the System). Her book “sings the praises of public education . . . is dedicated to good teachers everywhere, but it serves as a harsh warning to parents against the bad teachers who are always out there.” More is available at her website: nevertrustateacher.com. Susan currently lives in North Palm Beach, Florida.
ANNE (ANZIE) ENSWORTH WHITNEY We extend our sympathy to Anne whose husband, Jerry, passed away 2/13 after a long illness.Those of us who knew him, even if only brief contacts at Reunions, will miss his gentle, always interested and engaged smile. He was part of our MHC family. To quote Annzie, “It was a life well-lived for 89 years.” Warmest condolences to our classmate and her family.
BEVERLY KIDDER STROUT died at her home in Lyme, NH 1/29/18. She graduated the University of Vermont with a BA in English Literature in ‘58 after spending 2 years at MHC. Beverly married Earl Farnham Strout in ‘59. They lived in several New England towns where they raised three daughters, “and many pets.” In Lyme, they bought and operated Green Mountain Studios until ’05. “Beverly had many interests. She and Earl restarted the Lyme Town Band, and she was active in the Lyme Congregational Church, Utility Club, Kids on the Block as well as playing tennis and bridge. She was an early member of Revels, and enjoyed singing in the Church choir.” Beverly is survived by her husband, three daughters, two sons-in-law and eight grandchildren.
MATILDA (TILDA) MAE SAMPLE MUNROE passed away 11/12/17 in PA. She and her twin sister, Rebecca (Becky) Sample Habenicht grew up in McKeesport, PA, and graduated from MHC in ‘58. Tilda received her BA in Physiology/Psychology, traveled with the V-8’s, and earned a certificate in PT from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. She married Robert Lee Munroe, an Amherst graduate, who, sadly, passed away in 1979. Tilda worked as a PT at St. Francis Hospital, and was a Volunteers Director in Allegheny County, founding innovative programs to improve the lives of seniors. Many related programs she created have served as a model countrywide. MHC honored her for this work with a Women of The Year Award. Tilda was active in the MH Club of Pittsburgh, PA, involved in the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, The Allegheny County Garden Club, and adored a lifetime involvement at Chautauqua. She and her twin, Becky, shared a lifetime of extreme closeness, even having boys born on the same day a few minutes apart!!! She is survived by two sons, one daughter, their spouses, nine grandchildren and “her beloved dog, Jasper.”
GERRY MATTHEWS GILMARTIN excursions with informative lectures on board before you go). “In the last 6 years we have been to the Baltic, Dalmatian Coast, Sicily, Paris, the Amalfi Coast, Rome and from Switzerland to Amsterdam on the Rhine. An upstate NY visit included Cooperstown, Auburn, Skineateles, Rochester, Lake Geneva and Corning. “Fascinating history there, including Harriet Tubman’s former home which inspired me to read a biography about that remarkable woman who was so much more than an underground railroad heroine.
“We go to Block Island RI for a few weeks almost every summer inviting children and friends to enjoy its “last great place ambience.” They’ve had a few health scares, but with good pharmaceuticals and doctors are doing great.”
LINDA (TAFFY) TAFT LITTON In July ‘16, Taffy took her entire family to Kenya and Tanzania “on the identical life-changing safari that my late husband and I had enjoyed 20 years ago.” In 8/16, she moved to a condo in Hershey, PA “. . .just across the river from Harrisburg where I’ve lived for the past 47 years”. Taffy’s still bike riding, “but thankful that the farmlands around Hershey have very few hills.” She is on the boards of the local art museum, a chamber music series, and the regional professional theater. “My significant other and I are planning to spend another winter in Fountain Hills, AZ.” A trip sailing around Sicily with her daughter-in-law is planned for late October.
“I can’t believe I’ve been retired for almost twenty years! Enjoying life and looking forward rather than behind; thankful for my health, love, family and friends to share it with. I am hoping to be at reunion next spring, though it conflicts with my grand-niece’s wedding; decision looms.”