1966 Classmate Updates
Thank you to all of the members of the Class of 1966 for sharing the story of their life’s journey since graduation. It’s fun to read about one another’s families, careers, passions, Wake Forest memories and future plans.
Sandra Parker Adams
After Wake Forest, I taught one year at Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem and then moved to Summit School, an independent school within walking distance of campus. After forty-one years there, I retired in 2008 after serving as Head of School for 18 years. One of my great pleasures was having the children and grandchildren of several of my classmates in our school.
Beverly Ryan Anderson
After graduation from Wake in 66′, I returned to New Jersey and started a career with Xerox. I moved to Rochester, NY and then Houston, Texas with various positions in sales, marketing and management. After 37 years I took a package and continued selling for MetLife until I stopped in 2012. I married Alan Anderson 29 years ago and have 3 step kids and 4 grandkids.
We currently divide our time between northern NJ, upstate NY with a lake cabin, and Stuart Florida on the ocean for the winters. Our golden retriever Hero goes everywhere with us and I am still trying to understand the game of golf!
Woody & Joy Brumbaugh Baldwin
Woody and I met as freshmen while in line at the bookstore, and our first date was the Peter, Paul, and Mary concert. We celebrated our 50th anniversary in August and are excited about our upcoming class reunion. Both of our daughters graduated from Wake, and the oldest is celebrating her 25th class reunion this year. We are thrilled that one of our granddaughters is a sophomore at Wake and loves it as much as we do. Living in Durham affords us the opportunity to come to the campus frequently. We come to most home basketball and football games. Admittedly the week day 9 PM games are getting harder to attend. Woody is still working as CEO of Baker Roofing Company, and I retired 6 years ago after working for 20 years for the Duke University Talent Identification Program, a nonprofit organization that serves gifted children. I also taught Latin for three years right after college and served on the Durham County School Board for many years. We are excited about seeing everyone and remembering all the good times we had together. Wake helped form the values we still respect today, and we will always be grateful for the opportunity we had to attend.
Don and Pam Bain Davis
WOW!!! How can it be? Fifty years have passed us by with a blink of an eye and a mass of wrinkles all over our bodies. As Mary Johnson (O’Connor) and I were walking back to the dorm the first night of orientation held in Wait Chapel, we passed the Pika house and a mass of brothers jumped from the wall to meet us to invite us to a social night at their house on that weekend. I glanced towards one very handsome brother still sitting on the wall and said to Mary, “Look at the guy on the wall! He is the one I would like to meet.” Mary responded, “He has great eyes!” and the rest is history.
That sole survivor on the wall was my future husband, Don Davis, and he stayed in position because he had a long time girlfriend who went to Carolina; however, things changed, and we began to date our junior year and celebrated our 50th anniversary this past August. We were blessed with two children, Bryan and Ashley who also graduated from Wake and have families of their own now and live 5 minutes apart from each other in Alpharetta, Georgia. We enjoy four grandchildren, three girls and a boy and wish we could live near them, but right now that is not going to happen. Don was in the technology business beginning with IBM and leaving with STK which was bought and sold until the ruminants have become Oracle. We lived a very exciting life moving frequently. After the army life and Vietnam, we moved to Hartford, Atlanta, Dallas, back to Atlanta, Denver, back to Atlanta, and retired at 55 to Colleton River Plantation in BLuffton, SC, which is across from Hilton Head Island where we lived also for almost three years. I have always had a motto, and it is from the book, I’m Ok, Your Ok…”Have you lived a thousand days or have you lived one day a thousand times…” Don and I have taken that challenge of living different days so by Thanksgiving, we will be making our 16th move to Old Town Bluffton, SC, where we are building a new home. Don did not adapt to retirement and is now working full-time, and I am a starving artist trying to get involved in my new “artsy” community. We are so content in our golden years and are looking forward to seeing all of you at homecoming in October…
Oh, I was with Joy and Woody in the bookstore the first time they met. I saw those eyes meet and knew that it was love at first site…Congratulations you, two❤️❤️
Janet (Gross) Davidson-Hues
From Wake Forest University to Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, MO. Then marriage and a move to NYC where I went to grad school at Columbia U. (MA in Art and Education). My first child, Eric, was born. A move back to KC and a job as high school art teacher followed by the birth of my second child (Brian). I taught and raised kids until enrolled in Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Kansas where I got my MFA. Divorce and next job as Assistant Professor of Art at Indiana State University. Remarry and move to Lawrence, KS where I still live and have for the last 20 years. I am married to another artist and we have a wonderfully bizarre industrial house/studio in which we live and work. I have 5 grandchildren: the oldest 3 live in North Carolina and the two youngest live in Kansas City. Last summer (2015) I took my oldest granddaughter to Italy for 12 days and this summer my oldest grandson and I went to Spain for 12 days. My granddaughter is a freshman at UNC Chapel Hill.
Happily, I spend most of my days in my studio, which adjoins my husband’s studio. I keep a small apartment in the Union Square area of New York City and go there whenever I can. I have gallery representation at the Flomenhaft Gallery in Chelsea. My website is: http://www.janetplanet16.com.
I have spent the last 50 years learning to navigate my way through life in a creative and thoughtful way, trying to understand the meaning of my work: I’m still searching to find my voice. I have learned that the essence of a full life is recognition of the simplest things, which are the most extraordinary. I’ve also learned to trust my instincts explicitly for they have rarely let me down. And I’ve experienced and rather enjoy the ironies of life.
I thank Wake Forest, in general, and Dr. Wilson, in particular, for contributing to my love of art and language that has served me well all these decades and remains a part of my studio practice. I still refer to certain passages or poets or literary figures that were first introduced to me at Wake by Dr. Wilson in “Romantic Poets” or “Blake, Yeats, and Thomas.” Or, I reflect on the art-buying trip to NYC that I went on as a student representative, again with Dr.Wilson.
Bob and Jean Elledge Dostal
My husband and fellow member of Class of 1966, Bob, and I lived in Brecksville, Ohio an awesome suburb of Cleveland for many years. In 2007, we decided to move to North Carolina where I was reared. We chose Winston-Salem because of the Wake Forest connection. We have been able to attend the Wake Secrest Artist Series as well as numerous sporting events.
In June, Bob and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary, on June 18th, returning to Paris and London. When we were back in the states, we met our daughter Susan in Brecksville. Susan, who is a Senior VP at a Denver, Colorado bank, had organized a surprise party for us, with about 100 friends in attendance, from Ohio and several other parts of the country. The party and its success were due to her perseverance in contacting long-time friends who are now scattered in several different states.
When we moved and I inquired at a Wake Alumni office, I was told that, very surprising to me, there was no local Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Alumni group – as there had been in Cleveland. However, while we still lived in the Cleveland area, I met (at a Cleveland Alumni Event just after Nathan Hatch became Wake President,) Kelly Meachum McConnico (’00). When we actually moved here, Kelly and I came in contact with each other again. I am happy to say that because of that meeting, a local group has been created. This Wake Alumni Groups oversees, plans and conducts events in the area. I am fortunate to be a part of that group as an original member. (We just sponsored a tour of the newly named “gymnasium” complex, the Sutton Center!)
Rob Espenscheid
I’ve one Wake alum memory I hold dear. In 1970 I found myself in the Central Highlands near Pleiku, RVN. Deep in the jungle, we’d had a chopper resupply drop. Later, the infantry captain presented me with an Army order authorizing my promotion to Ist Lt. He said, Arrived with the mail. Usually this is a good excuse to party down. Sorry you’re going to miss out. Bad timing. Congrats anyway.
Gaining the silver bar was no great shakes to me. The promotion was automatic, not earned. Alone, darkness setting in, it was just another lost, lonely, fearful, day in Vietnam. For whatever reason I turned the Order over. The Army, to save a few bucks on paper I suppose, had promoted about twelve soldiers on the same Order#. They were all listed on the back. In the dying light I glanced at the names and my heart skipped a beat. Joseph Sepic had turned Captain. Had to be him. I’d bet the farm. Tanker! A Sig Ep brother! Wake Forest! My God, what were the odds? Then it dawned that somewhere in the vast RVN ‘green machine’ he’d be looking at the same paper seeing – ‘Espenscheid’. With a name like that there would be no doubt.
The infantry captain was wrong. This was a gift! I spent the whole night reminiscing the funny stories, the joy of my Wake years. More important, that night gone nostalgic was a keepsake and an affirmation that the Wake ‘life’ was still there in all it’s peace and glory, that there were people counting on me back there, especially another Wake ’66 grad, Sharon Cox… and that I needed to stay sharp and get back to that life…back to her.
So I did.
Ernie Evans
I took the only advice my Dad ever gave me about women (“Boy marry up”) when in 1968 I married Austine Odom, class of 1968. In 1969 after completing law school and Austine receiving a Masters Degree, we moved to Raleigh where I worked for the State and she worked at Peace College. Several years later we moved to my hometown of Ahoskie, NC, where I practiced law with a local firm for several years. After the death of my father, I joined the family farming and real estate business which has been my vocation ever since. We have two children, Tina and Brad. Both are two-time WFU grads. Tina is an oncologist in Birmingham, Al, and Brad an attorney in Greenville, NC. We are proud grandparents of four grandchildren. We are blessed to be relatively healthy and be able to work, travel, and visit with family and friends.
Lynda Goode Ferrell
I got married after my junior year but graduated in 1966 and then moved to Salisbury, NC where I worked as a social worker for the Welfare Department. Fall of 1967 we moved to Raleigh and I went to work for the State Department of Disability Determination where I remained until my daughter was born in 1969. My son was born in 1972 and I remained a stay at home mom and community/school volunteer until my son went to college at which time I went back to work as the office manager of a dental office where I remained for 22 years, retiring in 2013. I divorced 16 years ago and now devote my time to spending every minute possible with my two incredible grandchildren, a grandson age 11 and granddaughter age 8. I volunteer twice a week at their school and am involved in a few other volunteer endeavors. My daughter is a Wake Forest grad and is a pediatric physical therapist. She and her husband, a building contractor, have a menagerie of pets. My son is a rep with a medical supply company and he and his wife, the marketing director of a hospice organization, are the parents of the two joys of my life that were mentioned earlier!! Both of my children live within 30 minutes of me so I am a lucky lady. I do not think I have ever missed a reunion so I look forward, as always, to reconnecting once again with friends and acquaintances from our years at Wake Forest.
Tom Futch
After graduation in 1966 I went to UNC (sorry) for my masters. Then, as I was in ROTC at Wake it was time to play soldier. I entered active duty in September 1967 and less than a year later was in Viet Nam. While in Nam I applied to UNC (sorry again) to pursue a PhD. Well, I was accepted on the condition that I retake the GRE’s again and obtain a certain score (not likely). Not being a betting or the smartest person, I decided to stay in the Army 1 more year to make Captain and go to flight school (an automatic trip back over the “pond”). That year led to 20 years and I retired in 1988. Then I worked for a defense contractor in Annapolis, MD working on the development of an aircraft precision approach and landing system using GPS satellites; I just retired this past September after the system tested successfully.
Nancy (Longwood College ’67) and I married in August 1967. We have 2 boys and 2 granddaughters. Our oldest went to the Naval Academy and just retired after 23 years and the youngest spent 8 years in the Army and went into medical sales. We live in Annapolis and Melbourne. FL and visit our cabin in the NC Great Smoky Mountains for a month or so in the summer.
Our reunion should be a blast!
Betty Turnage Griffith
I am a fortunate lady to have married Ross Griffith, Class of 1965, and lived a short walk from our home to WFU. We continue to attend the Football games and after 50 Years of Marriage as of Sept.3 this year and 50 years of Football games, I look forward to this 2016 season as if I were that young 18 year-old entering Wake Forest in 1966
I do want to thank my professors who instilled in me the love of learning French and the Classics
which I yearn to reread .
I taught in the public schools here in Winston-Salem for 26 years and tried to instill in my students the captivating spirit I caught at Wake Forest to continue learning as we did as young freshmen in 1966.
Rebecca “Becky” Hoover Haney
I came to Winston-Salem from Murphy, NC to go to Wake Forest and have been here ever since. My father went to “old” Wake Forest and my brother and I went here. In fact, he and I graduated the same day – 6/6/66 – he from Law School and me from undergraduate school. Wake Forest is the only college we ever heard about in our house. I did not go to college to be a teacher, but that is what I did for almost 44 years. I feel like that was my calling. I taught math 30 years in the public schools in WS and taught at the WS campus for High Point University for almost 14 years in my retirement. I credit Wake Forest, along with my high school in Murphy, for my love of math. My grandson and I walk around the campus often just to see what is going on and to see all the buildings being built. I am still proud to be a Deacon!
Marsha Miller Hanna
How very much fun to read about everyone’s lives and activities! I am really looking forward to seeing all of you this weekend. I met my husband, David, through my roomie, Nan Norbeck Jones and we have been married for 49 years. As Nan said, she and I have been best friends since we met first on that hot September day we moved into our 3rd floor Babcock B room. We both had wonderful careers teaching history, although I retired long before she did. My 30-year career was mostly spent at Florence Crittenton Services, a residential maternity home, where I and 3 other teachers created a full school curriculum for the residents. The wonderful liberal arts education I received at Wake served me extremely well! My longest post-retirement “job” was Education Director of Carolinas Aviation Museum, the museum in Charlotte that now has “Sully’s Plane” on exhibit. Come see it, if you haven’t! I actually left the Museum shortly before the “final landing” of Flight 1549 to care for my mother and begin the redistribution of the treasures in her home–like finding a copy of Volume I (1904) of Oak Leaves, the yearbook of Meredith College. Yes, it is now in their archives. I have been and continue to be an active historic interpreter and school marm at Historic Brattonsville, a historic site south of Charlotte. Most recently, Nan and I have enjoyed our Daughters of the Revolution involvement–we just can’t get away from our love of history! David and I are very blessed that our son and his family live in state, so that we can see them often. I hope that at least one of my 5 grandchildren will want to follow my lead in attending Wake! Again, I cannot wait to see each and every one of you!!
Rachel Floyd Harjes
When I arrived at Wake Forest, I could tell that I was in a really big pond compared to my high school graduating class of 38. Worse, I soon learned that the guys liked to say that for a girl to get into Wake (since there were four guys for every girl then), she had to be overweight and wear glasses, and be valedictorian. That was absolutely not true of most of the Wake Forest women, but it was true of me, so I got my contacts as soon as I could.
I grew up wanting to be a teacher but entered Wake aiming to be either a scientist or a writer. I majored in chemistry, then biology, and worked on the newspaper staff. After a couple of years, I noticed that most other people were relaxing or playing while I was in the lab separating my male fruit flies from the females, so I switched to English. As it happened, I wrote the story about the school’s purchase of their first computer, to be used by the physical science departments.
After graduation, I got a lucky break and was hired as a computer programmer, and spent most of my career in information technology. I’ve been a bit of a “Jill of all trades,” including running an executive recruiting firm, publishing a community magazine format newspaper, doing business consulting, and being a professional clown. I had figured I might fit in some teaching, some science, and some writing, but I didn’t foresee the clowning, which has been a delight J.
Running a placement firm showed me I didn’t understand people as well as I did technology, so I got a BS in Psychology from the University of South Carolina in 1988. In 2009, I finished my MS in Applied Clinical Psychology at USC- Aiken. In my research (which caused me to take five years to finish the two-year program), I found some interesting patterns of gender and racial stereotypes and their effects, and gave 11 presentations to international audiences at conferences, many on single-gender education. Since 1980, I’ve taught (mostly part-time) at a community college, usually in addition to another job. I suspect that when they put me into a home, I’ll want to have a little job like greeter or something.
I met my sweet hubby John, a career IBMer, in 1970 and we were married five months later (we needed three months to plan the small chapel wedding). He retired 20 years ago after developing a snazzy data retrieval system that at one time provided employment for 650 people all over the world. He has been a super dad to son Chris and daughter Heather, and a super papa to Via (almost 3) and Zeb (six months), kiddos of Chris and wife Natalie. They are the lights of our lives. John is a devoted traveler and hiker, having led groups of us into and out of the Grand Canyon more than 25 times (he’s lost count). We call him The Trip Leader from Hell, because he “challenges” us. He’s also an avid biker and still runs half marathons.
I began running in my late 30’s so over the years I have won lots of “show up awards” because most other “mature” ladies were at home in their warm beds on those Saturday mornings. I’ve been in Toastmasters for 26 years and win humorous speech contests talking about topics including my hubby, my kids, and my hair (which is unnaturally curly and unnaturally blonde). I also enjoy baking chocolate chip cookies and raising African violets (and winning blue ribbons for them at the fair).
My recent favorite nonfiction book is Jonathan Heidt’s The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, which has helped me understand why dear friends (seemingly rational and loving people otherwise) disagree with me so violently about the presidential candidates. As for fiction, Leaving Time (about elephants and mothering) is incredible, especially the Audible version, which has different voices for each main character.
I have enjoyed reading all the updates (what a wonderful idea – next time let’s add our 1966 pictures to prompt recognition!) and I look forward to seeing Dr. Wilson and you other folks this weekend.
Walt Harlow
I’m often reminded of something my grandmother said many years ago…”If you would make God laugh, tell him your plans.” Entering Wake in 1962, intent on becoming a veterinarian, I was redirected by the Chemistry and German departments and graduated with a degree in History and Poly Sci instead. While then working for Wachovia Bank, I met Sue Miller [UNC ’67] and we were married in Wait Chapel [Davis Chapel] by Ed Christian [assistant chaplain and also a fraternity brother] in March 1968. Commissioned in the Army, I volunteered for Viet Nam, so naturally, the Army sent us to Butzbach, W. Germany, where I served for two years as an artillery platoon leader/Battery XO. After discharge from the Army, I was accepted [by J. Edgar] as a Special Agent with the F.B.I. After a thirty year career with the Bureau in Miami, Daytona Beach, Washington, D.C., U.S. House of Representatives, Appropriations Committee, FBIHQ Inspection Staff then Raleigh, N.C., I retired in 2001 and, living in Durham, N.C., worked the next ten years for the North Carolina State Bar retiring a second time in 2010. Sue and I had two sons, Chris and Bill, who currently live in Northern Virginia and twin grandchildren, Abbey and Ryan.
Cancer took Sue in 2009.
I stay busy trying to play golf, mostly at Durham’s Croasdaile Country Club; serving as an Associate with both Williamsburg and Gettysburg, taking courses at both UNC and Duke and spoiling my grandkids.
Nan Norbeck Jones
I met my first husband at Wake on a blind date when I was a senior and he was a second year law student. Taught in Winston-Salem, Marlboro, NY and then Charlotte where he landed a job. Was great to teach in Charlotte where my dear friend and college roommate from Wake, Marsha Hanna lived. We are still best friends and cannot say hello on the phone in under 30 minutes. My current husband, Bob Jones ( no connection to the university as we are elders in the Presbyterian Church), and I moved to Ohio for 5 long years,. After having my second child in a snow storm following a 60 mile drive to the hospital, we said enough. We moved to Seneca where I started teaching again. I retired in 2009 after 32 years of teaching. But was so excited when our daughter, Catherine Jones ( class of ’97), went to Wake. She was in Huffman – now an academic dorm( not for the male athletics anymore). She is on the Alumni Council. I am super busy with Daughters of the Revolution – l still love history- at National, State and local levels. I teach at OLLI ( Lifelong Learning) covering a variety of history topics and genealogy. We love to travel – have visited all 50 states and every continent. Along the way we have seen over 600 lighthouses. Cannot wait to see everyone after keeping up with them on face book.
Bill Joyner
After graduation, graduate school and a stint in the Army, I returned to our Alma Mater. I was truly blessed to serve for 28 years during a time of tremendous leadership from James Ralph Scales and Tom Hearn. What a joy to go to work every day with Ed Wilson, Tom Mullen, Bill Starling, Gene Hooks and many others who gave their lives to our school.
We had some record years in alumni support, not because of me or a very talented, devoted staff, but because our alumni truly love this special school. I found that out when I started a consulting firm in Pinehurst working with other institutions.
It will be wonderful to see everyone this year – especially with no official Wake Forest duties. In fact, my daughter Sara-Peyton McCormick will be celebrating her 20th!
Ann Hunt Leonard
Whenever I tell someone I graduated from Wake Forest University, I always hear, “Oh, that’s a very good school!” It was a very good school then, but I believe it is even better today. So much change has occurred in our country and the world since 1966, and Wake Forest is addressing all those issues in its course offerings and extra-curricular activities. I sometimes wish I could be a student again and take some of those classes. I wonder if my life course would have been different if our generation had been exposed to all the new ideas. But maybe not, because I was nine years old when I decided I wanted to be a Social Worker. At the time I was planning to help people adopt babies, but after getting my MSW from VCU in Richmond, VA,, in 1968, my first job was in a psychiatry clinic at the Medical College of Virginia. As good fortune would have it, I was trained as a family therapist by one of the leaders in the field, Murray Bowen, M.D. His approach was quite different than the usual diagnosing, labeling, and medicating that was popular in the field, and still is to some extent. He emphasized the role of anxiety in relationships as well as the role that the family’s emotional system played in the development of the self. Great stuff! I left Richmond when I married my husband, Fred, in 1973. We moved to Baltimore, MD., with a short stop in D.C. and lived for a year in an experiment with a family religious order. Several families and single people of all ages lived together in a house as a community, sharing resources (My 89 year old grandmother worried that it was a commune, but it was quite different than that. I didn’t become a hippie.) Our weekends were spent holding town meetings in towns and in city neighborhoods using methods developed by the Ecumenical Institute (later the Institute for Cultural Affairs in Chicago) that helped participants identify problems in their communities and plan ways to address those problems. However much I believed in the mission, corporate living was not for me, but for about 12 years we worked with the ICA while living in on our own. We have two daughters, Elizabeth, a musician and Rebecca, in development work for non-profits, who now live in Poughkeepsie, NY, and Birmingham, AL respectively. Each daughter has a boy and a girl. The 4 grands range in age from 2 to 11. I wish they lived closer, but we still make time to see them at least 4 or 5 times a year. There are no WF grads and probably not future students in this group. I retired from Catholic Charities in Baltimore in 2008 after 25 years consulting with the Catholic Schools and problem-solving with children from K through 8th grade, counseling kids and families in a group home for delinquent boys, and working with kids and families in a Residential Treatment Center for boys and girls who had to be removed from their homes or foster homes due to uncontrollable behavior. I learned that trust was the first hurdle to overcome if change was to take place. There were sad and tragic stories, but hopeful ones as well. In retirement, I work with another person taking care of the gardens (vegetable and flower) of the public elementary school my girls attended. If you need an experienced weeder, I’m your person!
Judy McBee McGinn
I may have the record on Wake Forest sweetheart marriage for our class.(?) Dan (two years ahead) and I celebrated our 51st this year. We live in Greensboro, have two children and four grands. We are so loyal to Wake Forest that we have even given our firstborn to the university. Brian is one of the attorneys there. I really was amazed and taken back in time when I saw that his office overlooks the quad.
I got an additional degree (in commercial art) from Guilford Technical Institute decades ago. After working for the newspaper for a while, I turned to fine art and enjoyed many years of painting. I am now obsessed with making necklaces, which can be wall art as well as accessories!
Randy McMenamin
In the past 50 years since graduating from Wake Forest University, served two years on active duty in the United States Army( three months in Paris,Franc, three months in the Loire Valley and 15 months in Germany) 21 years in the Army Reserve and retired as a Lt Col. Worked in the investment counseling profession for 48 years. The first 27 years involved managing institutional investment portfolios for pension, endowment and foundation funds at a major regional bank in Baltimore, Md. Leaving the bank, a friend and I started a private investment counseling firm where I am the managing director today. I still work because I love the challenge the investment markets offer, enjoy the people I work with at the firm and enjoy the satisfaction from long term client relationships, some span over 40 years. Benefitted from close-knit family thanks to my wife of many years. We celebrated our 45th anniversary in September of this year.. My major hobby is downhill skiing. I have skied east coast and west ski areas as well as a few in Europe with family and friends. I started my two daughters skiing when they were two and three. Last year, I took my three grandchildren(ages four, five and six) on a ski trip. In addition to sports, we spend time at our condo at the beach and enjoy making endless sand castles. I have learned over the past 50 years: Family is important. Faith is important. Your health is your wealth. And, be passionate about something.
Jim and Dot Croom Monroe
Wake Forest was a pivotal point in our lives because it brought us together! Friends for the first two years at Wake, we started dating when we volunteered to help with freshman orientation our junior year. We married in September of our senior year and lived in the student apartments, affectionately called the cinder box wonders. And we had lots of part time jobs!
In order to get married while in college, we convinced our families we would certainly be assigned to an Army post in Europe since Jim was being commissioned from ROTC as a military intelligence officer, most of whom were being assigned to Europe. Our argument: a year of marriage in college would help us prepare for this overseas adventure. However, a few months after graduation, Jim received orders to Vietnam and we found we were expecting our first child. Our daughter was three months old when Jim left for Vietnam. Following his tour of duty, he returned to Kinston, NC where Dot and our daughter were living with her family and moved all to Salisbury, NC to live with his family while he searched for a job.
We settled in Concord, NC in 1970 and for the next 20 years Jim worked in public and community relations for Cannon Mills, sadly no more, as was the fate of so many textile companies. In 1990, he began his career in the non-profit world and healthcare at, what is now, Carolinas Healthcare System-NorthEast. He birthed a business health program and three years later, with the recruitment of a 30-member community board, founded the medical center’s friend and fundraising foundation. Capital campaigns included a new building for the College of Health Sciences, the Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital, and the Breast Health Center.
In the 1970’s, Dot became director of the pre-school program at our church and then was recruited to teach at Cannon School, an independent school, where she taught second grade and was math coordinator. During her 36 years as an educator, many complimented her special talent for connecting with students at a level that recognized their individual personalities. She felt her degree in psychology gave her this insight into each student’s challenges. We have enjoyed our involvement with our Presbyterian church and community where we have served as volunteers and leaders. From these experiences during our 46 years in Concord, we have received much more than we have given. We both retired in 2009 and have enjoyed making frequent trips to our get-away at Ocean Isle Beach, NC.
We have two children and two grandchildren. Our daughter Meredith and her husband live in Beech Mountain, NC, and our son Jeff and his wife with our two grandchildren live five doors away. We have truly been blessed to have spent so much quality time with our grandchildren. This year we celebrated 51 years of marriage filled with many fond memories. Our years at Wake where we met, fell in love, and got married rank right at the top of the list!
Mary Nan Sweeney Moser
In 1962 I graduated from a Catholic girls’ high school in San Diego, California, where I attended high school for only two years. My dad was a career US Naval officer, and before San Diego, I had attended school in Pawtuxet River, Maryland; Norfolk; Newport, Rhode Island; London, England; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; and so on. When my father was transferred to Norfolk, Virginia, I made a decision to remain in California and attend college at Dominican College in San Rafael, California, yet another Catholic girls’ school. After one year of college on the west coast, I realized I missed my family, so I decided to transfer to a college closer to my parents and my three younger siblings. Initially, I had applied and been accepted to Vanderbilt University, but at the urging of several Winston Salem uncles with considerable ties to Wake Forest, I decided that Wake Forest was the school for me. I applied to Wake Forest late in the summer of 1963 at a time when all the dorm rooms were taken. My wonderful maternal grandmother, Bappy, invited me to live with her on Buena Vista Road my first semester so I could go ahead and begin. Bappy’s invitation was a very special gift to me, because I had not sent much time with her, as my Navy family was always on the move, and she was absolutely wonderful to me. So many people at Wake Forest, in addition to my grandmother and extended Winston-Salem family, were so helpful to me in my adjustment to Wake Forest. Among them were Dean Wilson, Ms. Lu Leake, Mrs. Perry and Mrs. Greason, who always had a friendly smile and greeting when I walked through Reynolda Hall. Since I had no dorm room that first semester, I was assigned a dorm hall to adopt me. There, Carolyn Peacock (Lowery), Betty Turnage (Griffith), Stephanie Teague (Brooks) and Susan Horney (Layman) could not have been better friends to me. Thank you all so very much! Finally, I was assigned a room for my second semester with Sharon Bain (Leonard) as my roommate. Sharon and her family were wonderful to me. I loved that we lived on halls with girls from other societies and groups. I joined Fidele Society where I had many good friends, but some of my best friends were independent or in other societies. I think we were very fortunate to be able to meet and become friends with all types. I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church where I still remain, even though Wake Forest made me examine my religion as I had never done before. I could not then understand why someone who had attended Catholic schools and churches all my life was required to take a year of religion at Wake Forest. Now I understand better and appreciate the requirement, particularly Dr. Hamrick’s classes, where I was forced to think through my religion. There were not many Roman Catholics at Wake Forest then and few opportunities on campus to celebrate my religious beliefs, but I am particularly thankful to Dr. Walter Bo from the medical school and hospital who regularly provided transportation for me and a few others (Brian Piccolo being one) to St Leo the Great Catholic Church (where I still attend) for Mass on most Sunday mornings. I think my Wake Forest experience was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I met my husband, Ken Moser, my junior year, I taught school while Ken was in law school at Wake Forest, and we have now been married 50 years and have three children and nine grandchildren. All three of our children graduated from Wake Forest. Our son John Kenneth also graduated from Wake Forest Law School and practices law in Winston-Salem. Our daughter Kelly graduated from Georgetown University School of Law and practices law in Seattle, Washington. Our daughter Ashley graduated from Columbia University with master degrees in clinical psychology and counseling and teaches school in WinstonSalem. Wake Forest prepared them well. In my years since graduation in 1966, I have taught school, been a homemaker, and been a community, church and school volunteer. I even did a stint as a “Rabbit” for the Children’s Theatre and chaired Pet Therapy at Amos Cottage, both excellent charitable organizations for children in Winston-Salem. I have also been a member of a singing group called the “Treblemakers” for over 20 years. We sing for nursing homes and senior citizen groups across the area and have for years performed annual fund-raising events for Meals-on-Wheels. (I am proud to say that those events have raised over $160,000 for that wonderful cause). Given my early years as a member of a military family, Wake Forest and Winston-Salem have become my home, and I cannot think of living anywhere else. I truly treasure the gifts they have given me and my family! Ken and I seldom miss home football and basketball games. We also have now become fond of attending soccer games and tennis matches and take our grandchildren to those events any chance we have. Wake Forest is different now from what she was when we were there. I certainly miss some of those “old” attributes. However, I have loved meeting many students over the years. They have remained fine and seem to love the school every bit as much as we did (except perhaps for attending and supporting intercollegiate sports events, win or lose, as enthusiastically as we did). I think Dr. Ed Wilson, President Hearn, and other college leaders have done their best to keep our alma mater grounded and to become strong factors in the community and nationally. Of course, nothing can stay the same always, but I dearly hope that the soul and heart of Wake Forest, as we knew them in 1966, will long endure.
Mary Johnson O’Connor
After receiving a PH.D in psychology at UCLA, I completed postdoctoral training in neuroscience and developmental disabilities. I became a member of the UCLA Medical School faculty in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences in 1981 and have taught medical students, clinical psychology interns, and child psychiatry fellows for 35 years. I am now an Emeritus faculty member but continue to teach and conduct research in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
On a personal note, I married my wonderful husband, Bill O’Connor, in 1969 while he was a Navy pilot graduate from Annapolis. Bill and I married in 1971 and have two boys, Billy and Joe. Bill was an aviation lawyer. Both boys graduated from Georgetown Law Center and also practice law. They married Terren and Claire who are also lawyers. Yikes! We have three grand babies, Owen , Will, and Josephine. Bill passed away suddenly this year and I truly miss him.
I look forward to seeing old friends at the 50th!
Marlene Schmidt Robbins
After graduation, I returned home to Northern Virginia and began my teaching career. A year later I married Rick Hartley (a ’65 graduate of Wake). Together we had two daughters, Tracy, born in 1971, and Carrie, born in 1973. I was so fortunate that I was able to be a stay-at-home mom for 9 years while the girls were young. In 1980 I returned to teaching math at Fairfax High School. At that same time Rick and I separated and we divorced shortly thereafter. I loved teaching, but my real joy was being a mom to Tracy and Carrie. It was fortunate that we lived in the Fairfax High School jurisdiction, so when they went to high school I was lucky to be able to be there for all their athletic events, other activities, and knew (and taught) most of their friends. We were, and are, extremely close. It was actually through Tracy that I met my husband, Spence. We were married in 2003 and now share five children, their spouses, and eleven grandchildren. We love spending as much time with each family as we possibly can. I retired from teaching in 2005 and Spence retired (after 28 years as a career naval officer) from Lockheed-Martin in 2007. We stay busy reading, exercising, gardening, visiting our kids and grandkids, and spending time at our cottage in the Outer Banks. Just recently we bought a larger house in Kill Devil Hills to accommodate our rapidly growing clan and we look forward to making many more memories with all of them there. What could be better?
Wake Forest was one of the best experiences of my life. The friends and memories from my years there are best that anyone could ever hope to have in life.
I am so excited that Spence and I will be at our 50th (yikes) reunion in just a week or so. I’ve been to almost every reunion and Spence and I were at the 40th and 45th. We are both looking forward to seeing so many friends from those reunions and reconnecting with many more at this very special one. Life is good! Hope yours is as well.
Marsha Sheridan Romano
After graduation from Wake Forest, I headed back up north to my hometown of Washington DC. Peggy Cushmore and I roomed with two other girls in Georgetown and had a ball. My first job was with the US General Accounting Office where I met my husband Bill, a St. John’s University (New York) graduate. We have been married 48 years and raised our son and daughter in Reston VA. Both of them graduated from the College of William & Mary so we spent many wonderful weekends in Williamsburg VA. Our 4 grandchildren have been the light of our lives. How excited I was when the oldest made an appointment with Wake’s Admission Office for a tour this fall!
Although my life has been spent in the Washington area, I have been fortunate in the variety of things I have been involved with. Teaching preschool, leading Girl Scouts, owning 2 Minuteman Press printing shops with my husband, building a cabin in the West Virginia mountains, retiring, working again for 12 plus years at Dulles Airport & meeting people from all over the world.
Judy Shotwell Vick and I were randomly assigned as roommates our freshman year at Wake. We roomed together all four years and are dear friends to this day.
Although I haven’t been back to Wake since our 25th reunion, I’m looking forward to being back on campus and giving some old friends a reunion hug.
Jeannine Riddle Sapp
I met my husband, Jim (class of ’65), at a demonstration against the Baptist State Convention after they voted against allowing students to dance on campus. We protested by dancing on the grass and he asked me to the Peter, Paul and Mary concert. We have lived in Raleigh for the past 42 years and love it. I retired 16 years ago after 32 years of teaching mostly in Wake County. We play lots of golf, love to travel and have one son who is the Head Golf coach at UNC-Chapel Hill and one grandson.
Richard F. Smith
After graduation, I went to the University of Virginia Law School. I graduated in June of 1969 and received a commission in the US Air Force, was admitted to the Virginia Bar and was married all in a period of 3 weeks.
While serving in the USAF Judge Advocate General Corps for I obtained an LL.M. in Government Procurement from George Washington University Law School. In 1973 I started practicing law in a construction and government contracts firm in Tysons Corner, Virginia. I changed firms one time, and then in 1986 started Smith Pachter McWhorter, also a construction and government contracts firm. I semi-retired from the firm and am now Senior Counsel. In 30 years, we have grown to 33 lawyers and recently added a government fraud, waste and abuse practice. Unfortunately, this is a growth area in the practice.
I am now an American Arbitration Association arbitrator and mediator. I also do private arbitrations and mediations and have served about 150 arbitrations and 200 mediations, all in the construction area. To keep busy I also am an adjunct professor at UVA Law School, where I teach a course on Construction Law.
We now live in Keswick, Virginia, just outside of Charlottesville. We live in a gated golfing community and enjoy playing golf, going to UVA football and basketball games and spending time at our vacation home on Lake Anna.
My wife of 47 years is a retired music teacher from a private school in McLean, Virginia where she was Chair of the Music Department. Now she is very active in the music scene in Charlottesville. She is a past president of the Wednesday Music Club and on the board of the Charlottesville Symphony Society. Charlottesville is a remarkable town for the arts, and Albemarle County is lovely.
We have two daughters. One is a teacher in the same private school in McLean, and the other is a Wake Forest Law graduate, serving as a corporate counsel in an energy company in Atlanta, Georgia. We have two young grandsons who we enjoy visiting and taking to our lake place.
I have fond memories of Wake Forest especially that I was able to get a solid education and graduate without any debt. Wake Forest over the years has provided a diploma which appreciates in value.
Susan Wiley Smith
Mac Smith and I met three days after arriving at Wake as freshmen. We graduated on Monday and got married on Tuesday………50+ years ago. During these years Mac held a variety of jobs ranging from graduate school, navy supply corp, convenience food stores, and finally owner of a small manufacturing company. We were moving very frequently during these years so I stayed busy raising two daughters, graduate school, and finally teaching high school math. For someone growing up on a farm in North Carolina having the experience of living in so many different cities was an eye opener……..we lived in Athens Ga, Chinhae Korea, New Orleans, Atlanta, Houston, Memphis, Orlando and ended up living in the Hartford, Ct. area for 25+ years.
We are now both retired living in Stonington, Ct during the summer and Port St. Lucie, Fl during the winter. Mac still anguishes over his golf game and I play a fair amount of tennis.
I have been fortunate to be involved with WFU alumni in the Hartford area and on the Alumni Council. Have a wonderful reunion and if you find yourself in our areas would love to get together.
Freddy Sprock
After graduating, I moved around: worked in a shipyard in New Orleans; was given an all-expenses paid trip to Viet Nam for a year; finagled a job as a laborer in a textile factory in Belgium; went to Champaign-Urbana for grad school at the University of Illinois; and finally ended up in NYC on Madison Avenue (literally), working in advertising.
8 years after that, I returned to my hometown, Charlotte, where I continued in business.
“Retirement” has been focused on painting. (Google my name to see my website.) Best job I ever had; worst pay. And 4 years ago, took a leap of faith and moved to what we like to call “The Eastern Shore of The Eastern Shore” of Maryland, i.e. the Atlantic side, not the Chesapeake. In my opinion, it’s the best kept secret on the East Coast. When people ask how I like it, I reply, “It’s better than I deserve.”
Susan Turner Taylor
Royce and I were high school sweethearts in Murfreesboro, TN and after graduation he left for the U.S. Naval Academy and I left for Wake Forest, a long time goal of mine. We celebrated our 51st anniversary in August and we reside on the farm where Royce grew up on the Stones River. We have had a very good life together, beginning with seven years in the Navy giving us the opportunity to travel to different parts of the world. Royce was a Navy SEAL and I was a homemaker as we had three children and he was deployed a lot, twice to Vietnam. We have lived in Japan, Florida, Mississippi, Virginia,, California and finally Tennessee for the last 44 years. After our children were all in school, I began working for Middle Tennessee State University in various positions. My most enjoyable position was in the College of Business developing and directing. a regional leadership program, Leadership Middle Tennessee, Inc., working with leaders in ten counties in middle Tennessee. I was Executive Director of the program for fifteen years. I retired from MTSU in 2014, after thirty-three years. I continue to be involved in several civic and non-profit organizations and my church. Royce is in his third term as Circuit Judge for two counties and has no plans to retire yet. We have three children and six grandchildren who keep up busy. Clay is an accountant and his wife Wendy is a veterinarian. They live near Sewanee. Wendy is the reason we have had many dogs and cats. Their son Bryce is a student at the University of Colorado. Shannon and Terry live in east Tennessee and have three children.: Natalie graduated from MTSU and lives in Murfreesboro; Allyson is a student at Carson Newman University; Lance is a high school sophomore. Cameron and Mark live in Philadelphia where Mark is a high school teacher and Cameron works part-time at the Middle School. They are the parents of Sophia, 9 and Oliver, 7. We enjoy time with our family and see them whenever possible. They enjoy traveling with us, and they especially enjoy time on the farm in Tennessee. We will be attending Royce’s 50th Reunion at the Naval Academy the week prior to the Wake Forest Reunion and we look forward to seeing many friends there and at Wake.
Sam Thios
Leaving Wake, I was at U of Richmond for two years for a MA in Psychology and then to U of Virginia for a Ph.D. also in Psychology. After teaching one year at UVA, I joined the Psychology Department at Denison University (Granville, OH). At Denison, I served as Chair of Psych Department for 11 years, Acting President for one year and as VP for Student Affairs for 15 years. In the late 70’s, I spent a two-year post doctoral fellowship at UNC-Chapel Hill at the Division for Disorders in Development and Learning where I became licensed to practice in the field of child psychology and developmental disabilities. Those were exciting Dean Smith years at UNC and we actually became fans except, of course, when they played Wake! For 38 years at Denison, I split my time between teaching, administration and consulting/private practice.
One year after leaving Wake, Bobbi and I were married—we began dating my sophomore year—and we will be celebrating the other BIG Five-O next June. We have a son living in Atlanta and a daughter living in Delray Beach, FL and four lovely granddaughters ranging in age from six months to 11 years.
After 38 years in Ohio, we retired six years ago and relocated to Savannah, GA and live at The Landings on Skidaway Island where we are loving retirement and Savannah. Almost any description of our community begins with “Six golf courses…” so you know where we spend a lot of our time.
Shela Turpin-Forster
After graduation in ’66, headed to VA Beach for summer w/ Bobbi Cato, Tina Floyd & Susan Patton (maiden names then) for much needed R&R. Went on to Vanderbilt U into the Exper. Psych. program where I proceeded not to open a book for 3 mths. Left & ended up in ’67 going to Washington, DC where I was able to sleep on Kathy Shaver’s sofa while I job searched. Ran into former Fideles sister, Tam Stout, in HR office of Nat’l Science Foundation & she helped me get into the Intern program at NSF. Went from 2 years there to working in the higher ed community in DC, ending up in the Univ. of CA’s Federal Relations Office as Asst. Dir. while I attended G’town Law at night from ’71-’75. After law school, I joined Amr. Bankers Assoc. as a lawyer and eventually lobbyist. I ended my career there as White House Liaison in the Carter Administration (identifying myself as a part of what this city considers ancient history).
A few years at the Comptroller of the Currency followed. About that time, I met my husband, Michael Forster, at an Episcopal Church on Capital Hill. We were married there in ’82. Michael is a Naval Academy grad & pilot who flew 4 reconnaissance tours in Vietnam. His four children from a prior marriage were all college age when we met so while only one of the four lived with us for a time, we did have the pleasure of fostering a young Vietnamese girl through the two years until she obtained her H.S. degree. Michael’s children are now living in Australia, Jupiter, FL, CT with the youngest nearby in Va. Lan & her 2 children are in CA. In the mid-80’s I undertook my own consulting firm helping firms establish and maintain employee ownership programs (my feeble attempt to atone for the years w/ the greedy bankers).
After consulting for 15 years, I moved into leadership training & outplacement counseling which led me to the work I’ve been doing the last 15 years of career coaching. I’m currently expanding my coaching to areas of retirement and creativity (new website underway). I love the work I’m doing: and while I suspect it’s impossible to stay active indefinitely, I also think it’s worth giving it a try. Check out the Life Planning Network and Positive Aging Conference if you’re interested in active aging. Wake Forest was a wonderful experience, & it’s continued to provide rich connections throughout my life.
Judy Shotwell Vick
After graduating Wake I returned to Charlotte and taught World History at Myers Park High School (my alma mater). In July of ’67 I married my high school sweetheart, Bing Vick (our 50th wedding anniversary next July !). We moved to Evanston, Illinois (Chicago suburb) where Bing was working on his PhD in music. We were huge Cubs and Bears fans ! I worked in the business office of Illinois Bell and survived the longest installer strike in the history of “Ma Bell” (nine months ! ) . Furman University hired Bing in the summer of ’70 after he completed his course work and “only” had to write his doctoral dissertation ! He wrote on Sunday afternoons and I watched NFL football !
We are still very close to our first classes because we were only four years older than they were ! Bing conducted the Furman Singers for forty years, taught conducting,music history, and voice. He was also minister of music at Westminster Presbyterian Church for 28 years and has conducted the Greenville Chorale (150voice adult symphonic chorus) for over 35 years ! I did not “work” outside our home and told people when asked, “I worked for Furman University, I just didn’t get paid for it ! and I LOVED my work !
“We” retired in 2010 and love it ! We are very active in Furman’s OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) chapter which has over 1600 members who take over 100 courses each term. Bing teaches various music courses and I teach cooking and “how to grow orchids” ( I started growing orchids in 1974, had a greenhouse with over 200 plants, now “downsized” to new house with sunporch and “only ” about 75 plants!
We love traveling and took our Furman Singers on 19 concert tours to Europe – spent our 1984 sabbatical living in London for three months. Just returned from a Mediterranean cruise from Rome to Lisbon ! so , life is good, and love reading about all my Wake classmates’ lives since ’66.
Looking forward to seeing everyone !
Susan Patton Woodrow
The summer after graduation I headed to Virginia Beach with Bobbi, Tina and Sheila where we all worked as servers. We had fun but went on to better jobs after that! I taught French and Spanish for three years in Wilmington, Delaware. After the first year I went to Dover, Delaware, for the summer to teach special ed. There I met Woody who was in the Air Force. We married in 1969 and went on to move eight times in the next nine years (plus Thailand and Vietnam Nam for Woody). We lived in every time zone in the continental U.S. and in Okinawa before ending up in Austin, Texas, where we have lived for the past 38 years.
Peter, our son, was born in 1970. He graduated from WFU in 1992, came home to get an MBA, and now works and lives in Chattanooga, TN, with our wonderful daughter-in-law Erin and grandchildren, Lucy (15) and Hayden (11).
When we came to Austin Woody and I only expected to be here two or three years before the Air Force moved us again but we fell in love with the city and did our best to stay. While I was waiting for a new semester to begin to start grad school I took a part time position with a law firm to pass the time. Within two months I was working full time as the office administrator/manager for three branches of the firm. Working in a law office had never been on my bucket list but it was a perfect fit and I stayed for 33 years. Luckily, Woody managed to stay in Austin long enough to retire from the Air Force and begin his second career in the semiconductor industry.
For the past few years since we have been retired we spend a lot of time with our OLLI group at UT-Austin and taking advantage of many other opportunities available to us at UT. We travel as much as we can, both to visit family and friends and to see new places.
Gabrielle (Gaby) Eordogh (Wilson) Yeaple
I loved being in our girls’ dorm and a Laurel. Our senior year I fell in love and married Jon Wilson in January 1966. No, I was not having a child but we did elope. Jon became a lawyer and we raised our children in Orlando, Florida. We were married 25 years. We have a son who is a venture capitalist in Los Angeles Our daughter Kimberly also graduated from Wake 19 years ago.
I was single for 24 years living in the Orlando suburbs. Two years ago I married my present husband Bob Yeaple. I was blessed. Bob and I travel extensively and Bob plays golf several days a week.
Looking forward to reuniting again after 50 years !!!
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