Association news & class notes
As always, our dear Nancy Hoskins Ferencz, M.Ed. ’76 was the first to respond, saying that she and Bill managed to avoid COVID-19 and various strains of flu, but not cancer. Nancy was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin s lymphoma in March 2023. She was treated with chemotherapy for eight months and had to cease treatment early due to developing a severe systemic rash. One oncologist said she was cancer-free at that time, but another would not say those words. It has returned, and she is awaiting insurance approval of four new heavy-duty drugs to be followed by a risky stem cell transplant once initial remission is achieved. Doctors have warned her that the procedure is very tough, but they re praying for the best. In the meantime, they entertained both Bill’s family and hers on two separate occasions over the holidays, including their four great-granddaughters! For those of you who knew Nancy’s siblings, they are all doing very well! A few of you will remember Nancy’s freshman-year roommate Anne Zahn Newell. She passed away Oct. 13, 2024, of pulmonary fibrosis in Oregon. Anne only attended WMC our freshman year and completed her undergraduate and graduate work in California, where she had successful careers in both the education and computer industries. Nancy sees her sophomore roomie, Karen Telan, twice a year.
Tom Van Sickle is alive and well in Sonoma, California: “My retired wife, Robin; kids; and grandkids are all doing well.” Tom is semi-retired but still doing some marine surveying “ ’cause I’m still having fun playing with other people’s boats.” His own fleet has grown to four antique woodies and two other wooden boats he built during the pandemic. “I’m the last wooden boat surveyor in the San Francisco Bay Area and mentoring my replacement and willing to take on another if someone is interested.” He still gets back east each summer to play with his sailboat on Lake George, New York, and has also taken up photography again.
Mike Zippy Elliot checks in: “Dearest Calpurnia (oh, boy now there’s a memory!) I’m remarried (#3). Many times over the past three years, I’ve helped friends celebrate their 50th anniversaries (JC Allen and Patti Wade Allen ’72; John Seaman, M.Ed. ’76 and Vivian Higdon Seaman ’72; Bill Griffith and Marilyn.). Back in the day, I thought I’d be in that club too, but it didn’t work out. I see those people every summer in Rehoboth, Delaware. Between my three wives and numerous girlfriends, I’m the only one introducing fresh blood into the mix. I’ve become a Delaware person. There are other areas in the state I’d love to visit, but I suspect some would be hazardous to my health. Believe it or not, I’ve been a teacher for the past three years. My wife, who is much younger, much smarter, and a much more dedicated educator, turned me into her assistant principal, who asked if she knew anyone with an English degree. The county was short 350 teachers; they were so desperate, even I looked good! Finally, I’ve become a movie screenwriter. I have a Hollywood literary agent, and she’s actively shopping two scripts, a crime/thriller (“In Self-Defense?”) and a college-based romantic drama where the campus bears an eerie resemblance to WMC 1967-70. I’d reveal the title, but it would give away the entire story. Wait until it hits Netflix.”
We heard from Randy Blume, but sadly, he passed away in April after submitting his class note. At the time, he said that they had not had much travel this year except for a bucket list trip to the Gal pagos Islands, which he highly recommended. He said that he saw Dan Patrick with some regularity. He also shared gratitude for his wife, Lynn Gallant-Blume ’71, who was a great help when I need assistance. We’ve been through the good times and now the bad times. Couldn’t have a better wife. We send our love to Lynn.
Keith Porter and Chelle Catington Porter ’72 have been living in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the past 20 years and love it! Keith finally retired and is enjoying life. He had knee and hip replacements within a 15-month span and is now doing well. They have five grandkids ranging from 16 to 5 years old. Keith has lunch with Tom Mavity ’71, M.Ed. ’76 and Ginny Golden Blake ’72 when he visits Delaware.
Ed Cline and Susan Robertson Cline celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in May. They had a big wedding the weekend before graduation with Dean Ira Zepp ’52, Hon. L.H.D. ’15 officiating. Ed was the deputy director of the Maryland Stadium Authority, overseeing the operations of Oriole Park at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore until his retirement. Susan taught advanced placement calculus at Hereford High School in Baltimore County. Ed spends enjoyable time on the golf course with his Westminster, Maryland, friends. Due to a 2001 spinal fusion surgery, Susan is limited to activities at home, crocheting four afghans for family members last winter. There are 14 in their immediate family, so there’s never a lack of activity with them. They’re really enjoying their retirement years with six wonderful grandchildren ages 10 to 17. They have lived in their house for 32 years, and it’s still the place where the family gravitates for major holidays. It’s been fun growing old together!
John Mosca sends greetings from St. Petersburg, Florida: “Golden years my butt. Last year, I was hospitalized three times, and at the same time, our beautiful St. Pete waterfront home was devastated by two hurricanes within two weeks! We were homeless for four-and-a-half months and lost one car and one boat. We are finally back in our home. I still ride my Harley with my great American Legion Riders friends.”
Vicki Zoeller Timmons has been retired for several years and is living quietly in Gastonia, North Carolina. It is about a half hour west of Charlotte, North Carolina. She sold her house last spring and says that downsizing was hard but freeing. “I love my apartment. It was a good move.”
Lynne Price, M.L.A. ’76 is still enjoying retirement, although she is not really enjoying the best of health. She suffers from spinal stenosis, spondylitis, and two herniated discs. All this causes pain, and as a result, she also has very bad sciatica. Years of receiving cortisone shots in the back have offered limited relief. She and her significant other, Alain, took two cruises in 2024, both on the Queen Mary 2: a short cruise from New York to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Boston in June and July, and then they decided to spend the Christmas and New Year s holidays cruising in the Caribbean. As much as I was looking forward to this trip, I really didn’t enjoy it. I love being at home for the holidays, and besides, I missed my 102-year-old mom! And she missed me, too! Thank goodness for good satellite phone service! Lynne also shares that “Penny Williams Cipolone and I are kindred spirits, as we both taught Latin for many years. Penny had a hip replacement and has since suffered falls at her home. She is now in a rehab facility, getting herself stronger and learning to walk without falling. She says she feels like that TV commercial: A Place for Mom! However, she is very anxious to get home.” Lynne enjoys being a part of St. Mary’s Chapter at her parish church, serving on the local hospital’s development committee, and she also served on our 55th Reunion committee.
Sue Costill Smith wrote: “Fifty-five years ago, we graduated from WMC in turbulent times, many of us with the aim of becoming what Mr. Rogers’ mother called the helpers. We wanted job security, a safe place to raise and educate our children, an opportunity to live in a way that supported those less fortunate in our community. The music of our day was mostly filled with idealism, yearning for peace and love. Just my reflections on days long gone and my sadness over the developments of recent months. I want these same things for my children and grandchildren, who are all happy, healthy, and doing well, as are Bob Smith ’71, M.Ed. ’81 and I.”
Will Werley reports that during winter weekends they tramp the woods around Baltimore s reservoirs, perhaps to locate a geocache. On summer weekends, they bike rail trails and towpaths in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Weekday mornings, Will walks to Gramercy Mansion to punch in for a couple of hours. Daphne raises flowers in pots and feeds hummingbirds their syrup. She rides her horse as often as possible. They are surrounded by books and records at home, and Will writes letters, puzzles out crosswords, and watches TV with his cats.
Judith “Jann” Smith Fees retired after 35 years of teaching high school French to care for her ailing husband. After he died in 2012, she traveled a bit, the highlight of which was a 2019 bicycle tour in Provence, France. She sends greetings to Karen Wagner Tegges, who was her roommate in Aix-en-Provence during our junior year, 1968-69. Jann also wanted to thank Judith “Judy” Harper, who inspired her to learn the mysteries of knitting, which has been a lifelong pursuit and a lucrative hobby. Danielle Greenip Barry and Jann have kept in touch and meet for lunch occasionally. “After all, we are both Jersey girls,” she says. During the COVID-19 shutdown, her high school boyfriend “looked me up. We renewed our friendship and eventually moved in together in 2020. We live in an over-55 community in a cute little house on a cute little lake with my stash of yarn. I am so grateful for the amazing education, people, and places that have enriched my life. Who could ask for anything more?”
Frank “Sully” Sullivan retired as the director of the Anne Arundel County Mental Health Agency in 2013 but continued to teach at Anne Arundel Community College until 2016. He serves as a board member for four social service organizations. His primary hobby is beekeeping. He says that the Phi Delta Theta brothers meet regularly, and it is great to have these contacts all these years later.
Bill Roj, Hon. LL.D. ’21 and Mary Lynn Durham, Hon. LL.D. ’21 now have five grandchildren, ages 1 to 11. They do “Spy Camp” with them for a few days each summer. Their little spies are now entering the advanced training phase, with the older ones insisting they continue hosting this annual event. In February, Bill and Mary Lynn took a tour of South India, featuring indigenous art and architecture from 300 CE through 1300. The trip was many years in the planning, and one important stop was Osmania University in Hyderabad, where Bill spent his junior year in college. They were welcomed into a political science classroom, where the students asked what it was like there 55 years ago when Bill was a student. They also enjoyed answering their questions about college in the United States as well as the contemporary student experience here at McDaniel.
Danielle Greenip Barry retired in January after 33 years at Raritan Valley Community College. She was granted adjunct emerita status, with some perks, like one freebie class per semester! “Teaching theatre has been a joy, and I think I did God’s work per student, with classes and directing 38 shows. In any case, that’s where God clearly placed me, so I embraced it!” She is still living in Bridgewater, New Jersey, with two daughters and one grandchild (13) nearby. Her work with her church, local theatre groups, and local protests keeps her very busy.
John Kintzings’ highlight was going to the 2024 White House Christmas bash last year and meeting the president and the first lady, courtesy of his daughter, Dr. Meredith Kintzing. He was her guest; she worked on a committee with the first lady at the college where they were co-workers. John s annual fishing trip to Pennsylvania meant he could not attend our Reunion due to the conflict in dates. His family is doing well in Southeastern Virginia, and he and his wife, Meg Swain Kintzing, will celebrate 50 years of marriage next year.
Ed Smith ’71 and Wilma VanHart Smith are living in the same house in Atlanta, where they have been for 39 years. They have two sons and their families in the area and a daughter and her family in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have seven grandchildren ranging in ages from 22 to 1. They stay in close touch with Sue Costill Smith and Robert “Bob” Smith ’71, M.Ed. ’81 and with Jan McDougal Schroeder ’68 and Fred Schroeder ’69. “I feel so blessed to have made those strong relationships at WMC,” Wilma said. “We travel. I play tennis. Ed hopes to get back to playing golf after his hip surgery.”
David Moore said he was trying to think, “What can I write about? What can I tell them? The plain facts are that they have been well with no big life crises and we’re not looking for any, either!” He says that each week, he and his siblings play and sing for the residents in a local retirement community, which is “fun for them and us, too!” Every now and then, Joe Powell ’71 and David correspond. Last summer, they got together to catch up and play music, which is always great fun! David is still subbing for nearby church organists when the need arises, which he enjoys and it keeps his skills sharp! “So, that’s about it. Not a very high-spirited life, but for me, that’s just fine!”
Alice Berning Franks celebrated 50 years of federal government service in July 2024. She continues to manage mouse breeding colonies at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Running remains her passion, and she is often at the local races on weekends but also belongs to a Sunday morning track group and is an active member of the Montgomery County Road Runners Club.
Patricia Collins Begley and Michael are still in Columbia, Maryland, in the house they designed to be able to age gracefully in: “So glad for the elevator!” They spend much of their time traveling and recently returned from a 33-day cruise to Hawaii and French Polynesia, which means they missed the February snow and cold weather while relaxing in the South Pacific.
Sue Seibert Bentham is approaching a brand-new phase of life. Sadly, her dear husband of almost 55 years, Jack Bentham ’67, passed away in March after a long decline and lengthy illness. “A new star has been added to the heavens, and I am thankful to have shared this life with him. Our two sons, friends, and family are a great support to me now.”
It’s been a big year for Doug Smarte ’69 and Lynn Coleman Smarte, M.Ed. ’73. After 46 years in their single-family home in Arlington, Virginia, they downsized and moved three miles to a condominium in the City of Falls Church, Virginia. It’s a very small city, but for the first time they can walk to restaurants, a farmers market, library, grocery stores, parks, and lots of small retail businesses. They spend as much time as possible with son Chris’ family — including their 4-year-old granddaughter — in Charlottesville, Virginia. Their daughter, Thuy, has started a catering business and gave them a wonderful 50th anniversary party. She is now bringing them delicious meals every week. “We’re forgetting how to cook!” They’re both very involved at Foundry United Methodist Church, and love getting to spend time with dear friends like Barb Thomas, Debbie Clark, and Linda Sullivan Shulte ’68.
John Heisler and Sandy Gomane Heisler ’71 moved to Eastampton, New Jersey, to bring them closer to their children and five grandchildren. “It’s taking a while for us to get used to living in a 55-and-over community, but the trade-off is that we can be around for all the grandkids special events.” Sadly, in February Butch Johnson passed away. He was a close friend for more than 60 years, and they always enjoyed reminiscing about their WMC years. Marshall Adams ’71 and John kept in touch with Butch, and are going to miss him a lot.
I received an email from Donald Walker’s son letting us know that his father passed away in November 2024. He had been injured in a car accident in 1983, which left him quadriplegic. We were lucky to have him for another 41 wonderful years, largely due to the care he received from his wife, Dawn Walker.
Carol Harris Dietrich and Earl Dietrich ’68 wrote: “Our life has changed so much since our last Reunion. In November 2021, we sold our home of 33 years in Eldersburg, Maryland, and moved to a multi-family home in Westminster, Maryland. We now live with our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. We moved from a large, four-bedroom house to what amounts to a one-bedroom condo with a deck. Those of you who have downsized over the last several years will understand that it is a gargantuan undertaking. However, after 3 ½ years, we are so happy to have made the move. Our home is lovely; quite an oasis, as a matter of fact. To be around our only granddaughter, who is now 4, is a blessing. We have acclimated well to our smaller space, and my daughter makes dinner for the family every night. I lost my dad in March 2024. He was 95 and up until the end of 2023, lived independently. Our son Aric continues to work at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore and bought a condo nearby a few years ago. He visits, and I started volunteering there twice a month. In April, we traveled to Mexico with our Preacher couples for a week in the sun. We have been doing this since 2015 with Nancy Higdon Morgan ’69 and Dick Morgan ’69, Mary and Rick Coburn ’69, Amy Lewis King ’69 and Jim King ’69, and Linda and Jeff Willis ’69. Six of us spent the month of February in Islamorada (Coburns and Kings), renting a house together, and I m pleased to say, got along very well. It s nice to be in the Florida sunshine and get away from the cold weather. Last June, with the Coburns, we took a 10-day Norwegian cruise from Athens to Venice. We hadn’t been on a cruise for many years, and I was anxious about the size of the ship, but all was organized and we didn’t spend much time standing in lines. We saw quite a bit in the days we were in Greece, Croatia, and Venice. Earl and I try to stay active and fit. He continues to go to the gym four or five times a week. I belong to Merritt in Eldersburg and after many years formed some nice friendships there. I’m proud to say I socialize with my ‘gym tribe’ outside of our workouts. We are in touch with my Round Robins on a regular basis and now live closer to Sue Morales Yingling, M.S. ’00 and Splinter Yingling ’68. It is so hard to believe we have known each other for almost 60 years and how we treasure these friendships! We were all together in April for a celebration of life for our dear PJ, Patricia Johnson Krantz, who passed away in February. All of the Robins including Sue Morales Yingling, M.S. ’00, Sherry Swope Peck, Karen Wagner Tegges, Barbara Thomas, Barbara Payne Shelton, and Jane Butterbaugh Shapiro were in attendance as we said our final farewells.”
And now for my news…so much has changed since our last column, but I’ll just share the recent stuff. Travel continues to be my passion, so recent trips have included a road trip from South Carolina to Montreal, Canada, and back visiting with 42 friends and family, annual Round Robin getaways, Greece with Jane Butterbaugh Shapiro, and hiking in Iceland with Backroads. This year, after the program finally reopened after COVID-19, I led my 21st Global Village volunteer team with Habitat for Humanity to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I followed that up with a tour that included Angkor Wat, Cambodia; Bangkok, Thailand; Luang Prabang, Laos; and Hanoi, Vietnam.
I continue to enjoy serving as an elder at my church and have been a McDaniel trustee for the past 20 years. Golf is an occasional joy very occasional. I had a walk-on role in Calendar Girls, played the emcee in The Last Comedienne at the May River Theatre in Bluffton, South Carolina, and played Elmira Gulch in a local production here on Callawassie Island. Loads of fun!
I’ll add a tiny bit to Carol’s recounting of PJ s celebration of life. We all first gathered in Baltimore to see Sherry Swope Peck in “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” which was a fabulous production. The next day was the celebration, during which we each shared memories, concluding with the lyrics from Maroon 5’s “Memories.” We then checked into an overnight rental in Edgewater, Maryland, so that we could be together, eat crabcakes, and continue sharing memories that evening. We have reached that point in our lives…and then there were eight.
Barbara Thomas1970 Class Reportercallawassiecowgirl@gmail.com843-812-9500