Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009 - 30

W W W.HOOD.EDU Barbara Heaps Rudolph writes: My thanks to all who answered my request for news. Jacke McCurdy was the ﬁrst to reply in spite of her active life in Bonita Springs, Fla. As in the past, her list of pursuits is dizzying. She is president of the art league of Bonita Springs, board director of the Philharmonic Center of Naples, board member of the advisory committee for SunTrust, advisory board member for Gulfshore Life Magazine and chairwoman of the charter review committee for the City of Bonita Springs. Jacke reports she is better at all this than golf. She is not traveling too much this year and instead is “going to see why we have so many tourists down here and do touristy things.” She and her sister Arden live together and enjoy each other’s company, “so therefore life is good.” Nancy Lowe Larsen, living in York, Pa., just spent a week in the hospital for some adjustments due to Participation: 39.71% atrial ﬁbrillation. We are pleased to hear that Total Class Dollars: $17,934 she is ﬁne now and has her doctor’s release to vacation for two weeks in France with her Barbara Heaps Rudolph sister and friend. This will be her ﬁrst trip to 121 W. Ring Factory Road Europe and she is excited at the prospect of Bel Air, MD 21014-5303 visiting Paris, Brittany, Bordeaux and Arles. blhrudolph@aol.com She remembers “two wonderful years with Portia Whitaker Shumaker Miss Leonard at Hood,” whose enthusiasm 32310 Aquaduct Road for France stirred in her a desire to see that Bonsall, CA 92003-4303 country. Bon voyage! Judy Raymond Beyer (760) 728-4583 and Barry keep busy in the adult community Joan Lewis Lopatin writes that “life is still at the Highlands of Pittsford in New York. She super is South Florida.” She plays golf, bridge has organized a book group, attended classes and canasta. Art plays tennis. Please call offered by the Univ. of Rochester and travels them at (561) 736-3024 if you are in the area. to nearby museums, plays and concerts. She Sue Eckhardt Morgan’s granddaughter is is continuing monthly chemo treatments but graduating from UMBC. In June she went hopes to take several months off soon. We to New Jersey to see daughter Patty’s twins wish her a full recovery. They are traveling less graduate from high school. She was with but enjoyed their two weeks in Hilton Head Gena Marter Razik at Christmas. Ismail is after a long, cold winter. They are happy to recuperating and they have gone to Maine be living near one of their sons and his family until September. Sue golfs three times a although most of the grandchildren are now week and quilts. Jeanne Schmidt Whitehair adults. Son Steve’s older son is a freelance has grandkids, ages 3½ to 25. They had a writer for the New York Times, a younger reunion at Easter to celebrate Walt’s 87th son graduated from Allegheny College and birthday. She writes children’s stories, is the is headed to Syracuse Law School, while a director of senior citizen’s camp at church and daughter will be a junior at William Smith organized an old-time hymn sing. Scottie College. Gary’s daughter is at the Univ. of Provan Tobi is still traveling a lot. Scottie Vermont, her younger brother is a junior at and Robbie recently went to Germany to visit Muhlenberg and the youngest is a sophoRobbie’s relatives outside of Munich. They more in high school. Tardy Schaffner Fratto took a riverboat trip from Bucharest through is currently in a “stay-put mode after traveling Romania and Amsterdam. They visited her for so many years.” She is enjoying doing brother in Florida and went to Wyoming in local activities with friends and family. Since the mountains with their nephew and his wife. she is 30 minutes from the Jersey shore and In October they are going to Venice and then 45 minutes from NYC she reports not having on a Mediterranean cruise to Barcelona as a to travel far for fun. Janey Brainerd Wiley is celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. resolving to “live healthier” and hopes we are Johnny and I (Portia Whitaker Shumaker) all doing the same, “keeping off the pounds went to Louisiana in April for our grandson and exercising just as we have all been told.” Trevor Shumaker’s wedding. On May 27 our Their world was turned upside down in granddaughter Naomi gave birth to our ﬁrst January when Bill was diagnosed with stage great-grandchild Connor Foley. Over the three, folicular non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Fourth of July we are having a reunion with Since then he has had outstanding care from my sister Ruth Whitaker Holmes H ’93 and the local oncology team in Hilton Head as family in Catalina Island. There will be 31 of well as the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. One us. Don’t forget that our 55th reunion is next more chemo treatment and he hopes to be year. Ruth and I are co-chairs. Please come. declared in remission. She says, “It has been a journey where we have learned a lot about granddaughter Lindsay also just graduated this year from Syracuse Univ. summa cum laude. Another chip off her grandparents. Barbara Weaver Batdorf and Jack have been blessed with two adorable granddaughters, Kaidyn and Kate. Son Mark is a corporate chef for Rain Forest Cafés. Barbara and Jack enjoy visiting Disney World to see them and Kaidyn. Mill Valley, Calif., welcomes them as they visit son John and family to see Kate. Daughter Ann loves her work and living in Washington. Barbara and Jack will be celebrating their 50th anniversary in July with all the family. A quick brag from me—our granddaughter Sarah graduated this year from Univ. of Virginia with two degrees, a bachelor of science in biology and a bachelor of arts in Spanish. ourselves and others. Despite some of the unbelievable things going on in our world there is also a lot of good.” She is grateful for all who made their lives easier. She has been in touch with Ada, Jinny, Jeannie and B. L. In August they will spend a night with Ada in Philly when they take granddaughter Savannah to the airport after a two-week visit with them. They will vacation on Park Place in Ocean City, N.J., Aug. 8 to Sept. 12. Anyone in the area is invited to be in touch by calling her cell phone at (843) 422-0448. Until next June Janey sends best wishes and love to all. As for the Rudolphs, we struggle like everyone to stay in good health and disposition. I am writing this from our beach house in Ocean City, Md., where the pounding surf and sun encourage us to think positive. Lee has one book with an agent, hoping to ﬁnd a publisher, and he is in the process of writing another nonﬁction. We cruised on the Crystal Serenity this past year from Athens to Istanbul via the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea but have no future travel plans for now. Our two daughters Robin and Sheri live fairly close—one in Bel Air and the other in Hanover, Pa.,—and we see those ﬁve grandchildren often. Jennifer is graduating from Towson Univ., Matthew is transferring to Salisbury Univ. and 16-year-old Kristen is a senior at John Carroll High School. Jordan and Reid are in high school in Hanover. Our son Scott lives in High Point, N.C., so the visits with his family are less frequent. His children are grade schoolers in Wesley Christian School in High Point. This time of year I am in the gardens, loving the work in spite of my allergies. I spend a lot of time editing Lee’s manuscripts and it is a labor of love. We just adopted two kittens from the local humane society so we are spoiling them and enjoying the entertainment they provide. Best wishes to all. Participation: 47.52% Total Class Dollars: $11,594 Ginny Turnbull Hecklinger 114 Rhoderick Circle Middletown, MD 21769 (301) 371-6536 Your news was put together through e-mails and any visits I have had with you. Thank you Pat Fowler Smart for your letter. I like to get something fun in my mailbox! Reunion Weekend was June 6. We had a table of eight classmates. Mera Braungart Coblentz came from Silver Spring. After our lunch she was headed locally to her daughter’s for a dinner gathering. Mary Vizzi Swarm came from Lancaster. She earned her master’s degree in art while raising four children, did some teaching and retired. Now she sings with 18 women at local invitations to entertain. She enjoys bringing joy and laughter to audiences. Helen Ward Wheeler came from Annapolis to be with us as well as to see her big sister Penny Hapgood Noepel ’54. The ﬁrst granddaughter to graduate from high

Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009