Lisa Boyd Nesbit
10057 Cairn Mountain Way
Bristow, VA 20136
lisanesbit@msn.com
Hi everyone! Here’s hoping this finds you well and enjoying life. I am happy to say I have a new appreciation for life and all the little everyday things I used to take for granted. I had major surgery and was bedridden for more than six weeks, and then I had to endure months of physical therapy. I am so grateful to finally be back on my feet and back into my family’s routine. I know it may be hard to imagine, but I actually missed doing the preschool and elementary school carpool, shopping for groceries, and all the other little errands we try to cram into our days. Due to my recovery, I missed a deadline for the UMW TODAY. For that, I apologize. However, please keep the information coming. A quick e-mail or note is all that’s necessary; more than likely, there’s an old friend out there who would love to hear about you.
Carol J. Arnold wrote that she taught nursing students at Germanna Community College for seven years after graduation. She received a degree in nursing from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. At present, she is semi-retired as a nurse and loves it. She is continuing to fight the non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that has plagued her for 20 years. She encouraged all of us to appreciate life and live it to the fullest.
Kirsti Lattu sent news that she has pledged the next 60-plus years to Alan Potts ’86, as they were married on January 1, 2005. Alan teaches high school science and Kirsti does international humanitarian relief work. They love their new (old) home in the Hudson Valley and their new life together.
Kathryn Berube Ortega has been living in Tampa, Fla., for five years; before that, she and her husband lived in Hawaii for seven years. While in Hawaii, she received her master’s degree in urban and regional planning. She attended a brunch in Orlando hosted by other alumni at which President Anderson gave a talk on the future of the University. She enjoyed hearing all the accolades Mary Washington is receiving.
Karen Spilman Marmaras sent in what she called the “short story” of her last 17 years. She earned a master’s degree in the history and sociology of science at the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked as a writer, editor, researcher and graphic designer. She is currently a stay-at-home mom with her three children. She and husband Peter spend a lot of time working on their circa 1750s Pennsylvania German stone farmhouse. They both are active in leadership at their church and enjoy hiking, gardening and digging around in antique shops looking for treasures.
Kristin Livingston Coron has been married to Jeff Coron ’89 for 14 years. They have two children: Emily Grace, 9, and Caroline Adelle, 3. They enjoy living in Fredericksburg and enjoy strolling the campus from time to time, noting the changes that have occurred since they were students. Kristin said that marrying into the Coron family has, of course, kept Greg Coron ’90 and his wife Andrea Cooper Coron ’90 and their two children Riley, 7, and Julia, 3, close not only as family, but as friends. Kristin says they all feel fortunate watching their families grow up side by side.
Many of you have requested information about our classmate, Steve Brown, who was listed in the “In Memoriam” section of the summer ’05 issue of UMW TODAY. Steve passed away in January 2005 at Western Maryland Hospital where he had resided since 1988. By now, you will have seen the Winter ’06 issue with an article about Steve’s odyssey. If you desire additional information, please e-mail me and I will put you in touch with Arlene Fierstien Klapproth.
Thanks to all of you who sent in news. For those of you who did not, I challenge you to take a minute to e-mail an update about yourself or another classmate.