Anna Dulany Lyons
9037 Grant Ave.
Manassas, VA 20110-2560
June Davis McCormick
18 Lynnbrook Road
St. Louis, MO 63131-2925
Submit Class Notes by e-mail to Denise
Andrews.
Sadly, we must report the loss of two more classmates. Shortly before our
55th reunion, we learned of the death of Helen Jean Clark Haynie, of Lively,
Va. Those who attended our fabulous 50th will remember the presence of double
alumni Beatrice VanName Whittle and her husband, Donald Whittle ’51.
Bea died last year; our sympathy goes to Don. Also, our heartfelt sympathy
to Jo Wilson Hiers, who lost her husband.
This was the first reunion missed by Anne McCaskill Libis and Lucy Vance Gilmer.
Anne and Claude left early this year for their summer place in Maine, as extensive
repairs needed their attention. Lucy had written earlier that she wouldn’t
attempt the long drive from Bristol, Va.
Kate Mayo Schmidt and Bill were absent because Bill’s cataract surgery
did not go as well as expected. Earlier this year, the Schmidts gave identical
memorial scholarships to Mary Washington and the University of Houston, their
respective alma maters.
Barbara Watson Barden and Bob celebrated their 50th anniversary with a festive
dinner dance in Maine. They could not attend the reunion because youngest
son Stuart, his wife and baby son were visiting from California. Dolores Ross
was in Prague, Budapest and Poland, so she couldn’t make the reunion.
Nor could Theresa Saunders, who had already accepted an invitation to attend
a 50th anniversary reunion in Westmoreland County, where she was a teacher
and counselor for 40 years.
Dorothy Desmond Helfrich and Lavinia Ash Stuart also missed Reunion Weekend.
Dot and Lavinia have shared many trips during the last three years, traveling
to Canada, South Carolina, New York, San Francisco and Oregon. In May, they
drove to Emmitsburg, Md., to meet their Mary Washington suitemate, Phyllis
Bower, whom they hadn’t seen since 1956. Phyllis, who lives in Denver,
was in Maryland for a family reunion.
Reunion coordinator Andi Dulany Lyons tied up the loose ends before departing
in mid-May for a voyage on the Queen Mary II to London, Paris and Normandy.
She returned just in time for the festivities. During the weekend, Erma Whitaker
Bockoven reported that the class scholarship as of June 30, 2003, was valued
at $27,959 with an award amount of $1,450 for the 2003-04 academic year. Betty
Fischer Gore and Mary Elwang Sharpley then reported our annual gift to Mary
Washington. We were overjoyed to hear that we had 48 percent participation
for our all-time high of $135,000! We were second only to the Class of ’64
in amount and percentage for 2003-04, largely owing to generous donations
from Kate Mayo Schmidt and Bill, Jackie McConnell Scarborough and Les, and
other caring classmates.
Other classmates who could not be with us included Elizabeth Barnes Hornsby,
whose daughter was in the hospital following extensive surgery; Mary Jane
Armsworthy Barr, who had an illness in her family; and Joan Rekemeyer Kibbe,
who was having health problems.
After class business was completed, it was time for fun and games! Appropriate
awards were presented to those with perfect reunion attendance, the Forever
Friends: Charlotte “Chot” Baylis Rexon (whose husband, Fred, served
as a 49er chauffeur all weekend, along with Jane Spangler’s husband,
Bob), Dottie Booker Pinkham, Betty Bond Heller Nichols and Jane Yeatman Spangler.
Another faithful reunion attendee is Erma Whitaker Bockoven, who brought her
husband, Frederic. Betty Fischer Gore and Mary Elwang Sharpley received tokens
for their work with our class, and we were especially pleased that they agreed
to coordinate our 60th reunion in 2009. Christine “Tina” Dunnavant
Ridgwell and Virginia “Ginny” White earned prizes for stories
of their encounters with Mrs. Bushnell. Another memento went to Gwen Brubaker
Connell, Jane Spangler’s freshman roommate, who was attending her first
reunion. Decorations in honor of the Fabulous Forty-Niners were provided by
June Davis McCormick.
Andi received an engraved keepsake for her special efforts as reunion coordinator.
She and June re-upped as Class Agents for another five years, God willing!