Association news & class notes
1959
Larry Langfeldt and his wife, Robin, have been married for 27 years and between them have four children and nine grandchildren. They are both retired, she from private industry and he after 34 years with the federal government. They now live in a small condo in Solomons, Maryland, having sold their home on the water in Hollywood, Maryland, several years ago. They are active in the yacht club, and he is about to end 60 years of boating with the sale of their final boat, a Sea Ray Express Cruiser. He continues drawing with several other artists on a weekly basis. They are both in good health and spend time traveling and visiting friends and would welcome visits by anyone who is in the area.
Marianne Shears Poston plans on making changes as she closes her law practice and works on becoming a famous watercolor artist. She is digging out the paints and brushes and taking some classes to remind herself how to capture what she sees. When she wrote us, she could see snow on the mountains close to her home in Tucson, Arizona, a rare sight. Otherwise, she keeps busy feeding and watching the birds and the occasional coyote or bobcat who jumps over the wall.
“There are only 24 hours in the days,” are words Eva Lallas remembers from high school when deciding what activities to pursue. Sciatica has become a major issue, as her gardening has all but come to a standstill, and travels are limited to short day trips. She is still able to participate in several ministries in her church, including the monthly newsletter, and “Diamonds,” the lively senior group. She believes that it is most important to maintain a positive attitude: focusing and appreciating all that we can accomplish, not on our limitations.
Ellen “Winkie” Richmond Sauerbrey and her husband, Wil, began 2023 with broken ribs and a heart valve replacement for him, and an infection requiring hospitalization and antibiotics for her. They are still living in their 1835 farmhouse, and she continues to be involved in conservative causes.
Teresa Mancuso Albright continues to enjoy life at Oak Crest Erickson Senior Living Community in Parkville, Maryland, where her new activities include serving as worship chair on the council for the Protestant Faith Community. In 2022, she was thankful to be able to travel to the weddings of two of her grandchildren. She would like to meet with other WMC alumni living in Oak Crest.
Carol Pettersen Willen and Erich Willen ’58, Hon. Sc.D. ’91 were very thankful for television, watching more movies — old and new — than all previous years put together during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite all the hurdles, they did manage to visit their son in Dubai and to have their annual trips to Aruba. She adds that they are certainly appreciating their move four years ago to Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, where they have made many friends and rekindled some old friendships, including some from our class.
After 50 years Kitty Bond Allen retired from the Grace Church staff where she held several roles. Life at the Edenwald retirement community where she lives was challenging during the pandemic, but they were well cared for. Currently, her main activity there is as chair of the board of the Edenwald Scholarship Fund, which last year awarded 93 employee scholarships, a rewarding undertaking that brings smiles to many.
Carmela “Butch” DeFlora Veit is still “digging in the dirt” with involvement in the Gunpowder Garden Club, a 501c3 nonprofit tucked in the Hereford Zone of Baltimore County, Maryland. Their charge is to make Monkton Gardens a restful and replenishing oasis on the NCR hiking trails within the Gunpowder Falls State Park system. On a sad note, she shared that their daughter died of complications from Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes, which she had had since she was 2 years old, and MS with other complications. She and her husband feel fortunate to have been helpers to her in her last year. She says that their adventures are smaller in scope, but they try to remain active, keeping up with the home chores, their five acres of Woodland Park, and feeding their birds.
Rebecca House Pullig writes that in their past travels to Russia and the Baltics, they toured Moscow and Belarus, and that in Lithuania they were very glad to see the Gates of Dawn and the Hill of Crosses. Her French-speaking American Association of University Women group has ended with the loss of several members, including the award-winning co-author of a mystery series written under the pen name of Charles Todd. She continues to play the piano — easy listening and Chopin.
After a long time with no communication, as he put it, Tom Davies sent his news and updates. He is living independently as a widower of 11 years in a seniors complex overlooking lovely Long Pond in South Yarmouth on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He is in regular contact with Lewis Johnston ’60, who is the widower of Janet Sutherland Johnston, with whom he collaborated in the development of our Junior Follies in the spring of 1958. Business travel in broadcasting and Lew’s work in sales for GE often took them to Rhode Island, where they reunited with Bill Wardlow in his hometown of Newport, Rhode Island. He mentioned Patricia Krell Yates ’58 and other WMC alumni whom he meets with occasionally in D.C. for lunches, dinner, parties, theatre, museums, and other cultural events. He adds that he was amused to see the initials “NGA” at the art gallery as that reminded him of the NGA at WMC, “the Neat Guys of America, a rogue semi-fraternity formed by the notorious Tom Riggin ’58, M.Ed. ’70 in 1956.”
Gail Armstrong Peterson was ill recently and still enjoys chatting with friends and listening to classical music. She says that her motto has become “Be happy, enjoy each day, and be content.”
I received a Christmas card from Marsha Reifsnyder McCormick with news that she and Bob McCormick ’58 are doing well and their son Jon is a great help to them.
After two years of doing nothing, we had three major events in one week: a family reunion in Detroit with Dan’s large extended family to remember his sister-in-law who passed away, followed by granddaughter Maggie’s graduation in Baltimore, and then a trip to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, for granddaughter Erin’s graduation.
Joanne Trabucco Shaheen1959 Class Reporter126 Evans St.Rockville, MD 20850joanneshaheen@aol.com