Lixy Carey
lixypc@gmail.com
Like many of us, Peter Paine and family are hunkered down, working from home and waiting out the COVID-19 storm. “Neither Els nor I have been in an office or airplane since March. This was supposed to be our first year of being empty nesters, what with our youngest, Isabel, matriculating at Princeton in the great class of 2024. While Isabel is living in an apartment in Princeton with three other frosh girls and taking classes by Zoom, the pandemic brought our son, Peter ’15, down from NYC and back into the nest to work from home for the duration. It has actually been very nice having him around. He is an outstanding chef, so we are eating better than usual. Eldest daughter Annelies is living in L.A., studying for her M.B.A. at USC, and hoping to land a job in tech. I hope we are able to get together in some fashion for our 40th. Maybe our, ahem, advancing age will put us closer to the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccination.”
Helen Strate Kielty writes: “My children both got home in time for Thanksgiving. We had a small gathering of Kieltys, and husband Tom fried the turkeys outside so we could remain socially distant. Grateful the weather held out. Son Jack (23) is back at Notre Dame, earning a master’s in nonprofit administration at Mendoza Business School and playing a fifth year as captain of the lacrosse team. Eliza (almost 22) is a senior at the University of Miami. She is a double major in psychology and criminology and hopes to be working on a master’s in forensic psychology in Manhattan next year. I am in touch with many formmates, especially the Princeton posse.”
Andrew Binger provides this Hemingway-inspired description of a recent Herculean feat: “This summer, I rode my bicycle from coast to coast, solo and unsupported. Departing from Anacortes, Wash., on July 6, I finished the trip on September 14 in Little Compton, R.I. 3,663 miles. Six flats. One new tire. Zero mechanicals. Truly a unique activity during a worldwide pandemic.”
Maria Agui Carter writes: “I’ve been teaching media production and film studies classes at Emerson College in Boston, as well as continuing to write and direct films. Last year, I directed the pilot and was production advisor on a series for tween girls called SciGirls on PBS, for which we received an Emmy Award. I’m now developing a criminal justice documentary project, as well as polishing a magical realist feature film script about immigration and climate change, to be produced by Barbara DeFina (Goodfellas, Age of Innocence, etc.) that I will direct. I continue to volunteer for diverse and inclusive voices in media, including serving on the inclusion committee at the Writer’s Guild of America, running a LatinX Writer’s Salon at the guild, and serving as a mentor for various organizations, from Firelight Media to Sundance Collabs. I was honored to give the opening keynote address to the bi-yearly gathering of the documentary field at the International Documentary Association this year. We’ve moved to the North Shore as our house in Newton, Mass., is being renovated and I have discovered I love living by the sea. I’m appreciating the gifts of nature and family and friends during the pandemic (even though I only get to see most of them on Zoom), and I feel lucky to have what we need and to be able to help others when so many are suffering.”
The bicycle that carried Andrew Binger ’81 coast-to-coast this summer.
Morgan (l.), daughter of Nia Chiodo Eismann ’81, with her co-op partner at the Fallon Ambulance Company in Boston.
Sally Rousee ’82 (l.) and Nia Chiodo Eismann ’81 (r.) in Minneapolis with Sally’s dance friends.
A photo of Busan City, South Korea, from Ben Scully ’82.
Lou Adreani
laadreani@statestreet.com
My family has been working from home in two locations in Reading. I now have a mask dangling from my rearview mirror rather than an Italian horn. While most people just started buying paper products in bulk, we have done that for 25 years. I can get you the goods! I am willing to trade paper products for a stationary bike. I have the treadmill, dumbbells, available roads and a library parking lot that has workout space. I have been in contact with the current and former Alumni Association president, as well as several of our classmates.
From Amy (Field) Watson: “I’m back to work full-time after a six-week furlough in March. It was surreal being laid off from what I thought was an essential job/career. We opened our doors in May to emergencies, and at first no one wanted to venture out even with toothaches. No surprise, everyone was on edge here even in N.H. I don my hazmat shield and mask, full surgical gear just to pull a simple tooth. Sign of the times. I wanted to thank Lew Lukens for all his hard work in the State Department and wish him well. I smile every time I hear him on NPR thinking of him as one of the best and brightest in our form. If you get a chance and see this, please tell us how you are doing.”
Julie Bohlen Perry writes: “I am teaching a fourth-grade class in person at the Atrium School in Watertown, Mass. I feel fortunate to be in a school that can afford a good ventilation system, with windows that open, and room to spread out and keep us six feet apart, all which makes me all the more aware of the inequalities in our education system. It is a bit of a juggling act teaching students in my pod, streaming to other classrooms while entertaining those few who have chosen to stay remote, but I love my work and greatly appreciate being in a school that allows me total freedom to create lessons around climate change, sustainability, and DEI work. My other main goal is to bring laughter and joy into the lives of these kids during these times.”
An update from Clo Giffen (Dickey): “We are enjoying a mellow fall in Anchorage, with no freezing daytime temperatures as of yet. While the leaves have blown off the trees, the garden is still producing some vegetables. Both of our boys, Luke, 21, and Sean, 17, are home for on-line school, which is delightful. Instead of social life, we have family time. This fall, Luke, usually at college in Western Pa., has been able to go bow-hunting with his dad, and Sean, a junior at the local high school, has taken me on several trout fishing adventures. We plan to spend some cozy fall and winter weekends at our remote cabin as well.”
Eric Schlager writes: “Never thought we would have all four millennial kids back at home sucking bandwidth for their classes and work. It was an unexpected pleasure having the increased family time. But, now happy to report that everyone is back in their ‘rightful’ place in college (two), grad school, and work. Added a new family member over the summer, a Welsh Springer Spaniel puppy who is high energy, keeping active and chewing though our home.”
Trisha Patterson writes: “To quote my friend Louisa Benton, I’m handling it ‘day by day’ over here in fourth grade hybrid schooling land. Ellie, my nine-year old, has added string bass (shoutout to Andy Wilson) to her instrument repertoire, so I’m really hoping for some cool late-night jazz club vibes. I’ve termed out of both the Board of Trustees and the AAEC, so I will take this moment to say how amazing that experience was. I encourage everyone to get involved, and stay vocal. Also, everyone needs to sign up for AlumniFire (https://sps.alumnifire.com). It’s an easy alum networking and mentoring platform, and less massive than LinkedIn. Aside from perpetually trying to figure out what day it is, I’m writing (media website, will post on LinkedIn), marketing (farmer’s market, local businesses), coaching (oops, still no team rowing at my club), weird painting projects (jungle gym, random furniture), basement cleaning (I have more SPS reunion LL Bean bags, ’82 hats and pennants), early voting and registration activism for JOE2020, and growing a beard like James. No, kidding. No big trips. Nothing extra. Just keeping masked up and washing hands. Can’t wait for 2021.”
A note from Lilea (Stockwell) Simis: “Hello from the coast of Maine. I run a small market on Mount Desert Island. When the lockdown first went into effect, we lost all of our employees for various reasons, but we are considered an essential business so we remained open. My husband and I ran the market by ourselves until mid-May, when some of our employees could return. We had a much smaller crew than usual this past summer, but the people were flooding here from everywhere. We did all that we know to do to stay safe; this community has been amazing. We have managed not to have any community transmission of COVID-19, even with all the visitors from everywhere. Needless to say, we are exhausted. The silver lining for us was that all four of our kids were here for the summer, and our oldest daughter got engaged. We spent a lot of time together, which really filled my heart. My youngest is still in high school and is managing a hybrid schedule, but would much prefer to be in school full-time. I will say I have never heard so many teenagers wish they could go to school! I am well, other than the snap, crackle, and pop of my knees, a few gray hairs, and a new pair of glasses. Stay well, everyone, and be kind.”
Sam Daume writes: “Cappy and I are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic as well as can be expected. Our kids are out West, one in college in Walla Walla, Wash., and one in Missoula, Mont. It’s frustrating not to be able to see them, but current plans have them coming back for the winter holidays. As to surviving the pandemic, like many, we have bought a Peloton for the basement and get outside as much as possible on bike rides, hikes, and more golf than I have played in years. Next hobby investment is getting some backcountry ski gear to be able to get on some snow without getting on a chair lift. Being in the risk management business, I guess I better sign up for that avalanche class, too! Have been fortunate to use my new work Zoom skills to have regular Zoom check-ins with Ben Scully in SK, along with a group of us Stateside: Adam Snow, Gus Wilmerding, Porter Gifford, and Jake Saunders.”
James Houghton writes: “Feeling very lucky for lots of reasons – Connie and I are healthy and well; the girls are both back at their respective colleges and MUCH happier to be there than here; and the nest, while empty, is warm and dry. I have failed miserably at several self-improvement objectives but we did get a new puppy, and I have grown my very first beard. Reviews range from ‘you look like a degenerate’ (my mother) to ‘oh, you grew a beard’ (other fans). I am keeping it until a regime change or the wide availability of a vaccine – whichever happens first. Neither can come soon enough.”
Ben Scully shares: “Still in Busan, South Korea. Life carries on here with just about everything open and people keeping things in perspective. Busan is a great city, and Busanites are wonderful, warm people. Hitting the trails on the weekend for a run seems to be keeping me sane.”
Charles Hood checks in: “I enjoyed the photos from South Korea supplied by Ben Scully. The exquisite details in the architecture are amazing. I also made sure to check out the page for ReyndersConsulting.com. Some very intriguing topics there! And, I found a wealth of music and video clips at AugustaReadThomas.com. Even to my very untrained ear, Augusta’s music has a vibrant and soulful quality. For James Houghton – I had a beard for about 30 years. If you keep your beard long enough, it is inevitable that one of these days you will hear the ultimate backhanded compliment/thinly veiled insult regarding a beard: ‘I’ll bet you’ve got such a handsome face underneath that beard.’ Prepare yourself for it! Due to the rare blood cancer that I was diagnosed with back in late 2014, I had a head start on living the quarantined, locked-down life. Not because I am contagious in any way, but simply because I cannot get out and do much without fatigue setting in. My work has been very understanding and they dropped all requirements for me to travel, making remote communication a must from late 2014 onward. I am very grateful for a truly excellent team of medical experts overseeing my care, headed up by a world-renowned expert in rare blood cancers at Emory University. Since early 2017, I have been taking an experimental medication and, so far, it is working out really well both to help control the symptoms, and to prevent progression. Being so new, the long-term effects of this medication are not known, but thus far the experiment is working out well and I have a great deal to be thankful for. Back in my SPS days, I thought I would always be the scientist conducting the research, but life has a way of not conforming to our expectations. A myriad of new avenues to comfort, console, and help others in similar circumstances have opened up to me. So, life is good. May all you dear ones stay safe and healthy during these days.”
Louisa Benton shares: “Taking it day by day. I run a foundation dedicated to mental health science, and the daily news cycle can be a wee bit overwhelming. Right now, I’m on deadline to deliver the script for the annual luncheon, which has to be virtual this year. Keeping an audience entertained about mental health is always a challenge; this year it’s daunting. We’re looking at a lot of staggering statistics about rising depression rates, for sure. But we’re also seeing a lot of amazing brain science come out of the laboratories we’re funding. That’s the good stuff. In any case, I’m really trying to follow my own advice to stay connected, exercise, find time for meditative thought, and eat well. Thank you, Lou Adreani, for keeping us connected!”
John Reynders writes: “Thanks to Lou Adreani for all of your efforts to keep the SPS Form of 1982 up to date on so many fronts. The Reynders family is doing well; we’ve been in Newton, Mass., for some time now. Youngest, Sydney, is starting her junior year at Brown studying neuroscience and pre-med and also serving as co-captain of the figure skating team. My wife, Mary, continues to be an innovative advocate for the special needs community and, in particular, has created and co-leads a theatre-on-ice program for young adults and children with special needs. And Rebecca, who was born with Down Syndrome, has adapted to the current pandemic situation perhaps better than the rest of the family, with group Zoom meetings in the morning, all forms of socially distanced activities in the afternoon, and the kitchen becoming her personal Zumba studio in the evening. For my part, I’ve recently transitioned from a 20-year career in pharma/biotech to build two companies – one focused on education technology and another focused on the application of artificial intelligence to business strategy. I’m also staying engaged in the pharma/biotech community with a focus on data-sciences consulting, which seems to be in ever-increasing demand. Clay Yonce and I have had the opportunity to work together on a few endeavors, and it has been great to share notes and reflect upon our time together back in Concord.”
Jennifer White Callaghan writes: “We are fine, still in D.C., still in virtual school and work mode. My fourth grader’s school is doing a good job, but I think the novelty is wearing off. I have moved to a pro-bono legal role at Allen & Overy, which is what I’ve wanted to do since I went to law school (or, really, before that) and so I am thrilled and busy. My husband, Richard, is still doing finance for the charity sector, and Meg is growing up to be a funny, thoughtful, and kind kid, not that I am biased. We all swim (thank goodness that chlorinated water seems to be a fine place to be during COVID-19 times), walk, and run and will continue to do that until the weather makes it truly unpleasant. Fingers crossed for a vaccine and, until then, hope everyone stays well and happy.”
A note from Rufus Clark: “We are surviving these strange times with the silver lining (at least for Dee and me) being that we have had both Brett ’14 and Chars ’18 home since March. However, now that summer is over, we would all like to return to our ‘normal’ lives, but unfortunately that is not going to happen anytime soon. Brett is still working remotely and Chars has to take classes remotely so they are stuck with us for a few more months. Fingers crossed that 2021 brings good news for all.”
Gus Wilmerding sends this message: “Currently driving across the country with my son (25) and, after a diversion to northern Arkansas to trout fish, we are headed to Colorado, where three of our four children live – one at the University of Denver and two recent college grads living in the Aspen Valley. Our youngest attends Brooks, so Christina and I visit New England when permitted in these strange times. Working from home has offered new possibilities for us, and we plan to spend more time in the Rockies this winter as our mid-town Manhattan office remains largely empty, probably through mid-2021.”
Augusta Read Thomas writes: “Hi, friends. Love reading all your news. Thank you for all you are, do, stand for, teach, live by, give, share, make, create, collaborate, feel, love, dignify, distinguish, elevate, and express. During the past six months, in addition to my University of Chicago teaching position and work for various boards, I have been composing lots of music. If you want to hear two relatively short works, links are below. Stay safe and I’m really looking forward to a time when we can meet again in person for a reunion.” Sun Dance (2020) – http://www.augustareadthomas.com/composition/sundance.html; Dance Mobile (2020) – http://www.augustareadthomas.com/composition/dancemobile.html.
Allison “Icy” Frantz
icy@icyfrantz.com
In November, the great Form of ’83 connected via Zoom. It was great to see so many faces from all across the globe and comforting in the wake of a tumultuous year. And, of course, I prodded, asking for a few updates – and here they are:
Bobby Lapsley writes: “This past spring, I received my MPH in Global Health from the University of Washington. My thesis was ‘Experiences, Perceptions, and Suggestions for Future Use of HIV Self-Testing Through Community Distribution Channels Among Adolescents and Young Adults in Nairobi, Kenya: A Qualitative Analysis.’ I just presented my findings to the Pediatric AIDS 2020 conference. Now that we’re all public health nerds in the time of COVID-19, I’d be happy to talk about my research anytime.”
John Pleasants shares: “I am holed up in Palo Alto, Calif., with a full house of two gap-year college students (Jack and James), virtual eighth grader (Josie), wonderful wife (Jen), and canine family members (Bear and Cosmo). Still run Brava, a cooking technology company I co-founded in 2016 and was acquired in 2019, and do angel investing, board work, and various political engagements. Grateful for so much, including our recent Zoom ’83 reunion, while working on trying to be my best self – a never-ending slog through my unending nonsense. Love and peace to all.”
Fiona Sanders shares: “Our son, Blake, got married in his backyard in San Diego to Michaella (Micha) Costa. Some of you may recall that he attended our reunion. Blessings and good immune support.”
An update from Tori Gilbert: “Our family news is that Kaz Maksymowicz ’24 is now at SPS. For me, in a crazy year of teaching through multiple modalities simultaneously, I was lucky enough to be honored by the NY State Association of Foreign Language Teachers as their Teacher of the Year. My husband, Chris, has returned to public schools as a math support teacher at a local public school since so many chess programs have ended in the pandemic. We feel lucky to be healthy and working.”
A note from Nat McCormick: “My wife and I moved to Norfolk 25 years ago, never intending to stay, and here we remain. I’m an architect with the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority, focusing mostly on affordable housing, and my wife runs an amazing nonprofit called ForKids, which provides services to homeless families. We have a daughter at Miami University (Ohio), and another in the process of applying to college. Norfolk has a NATO community, so I try to keep up with my high school French.”
Sallie Bryan writes: “We are doing okay in Berkeley. My older son is enjoying his gap year before heading to Lewis & Clark, while my sophomore son is hating distance learning, wishing our country could get it together and beat this horrible disease. I feel for him. My dad is now living with us instead of a retirement home. My husband and I love having him here. I am happy to say that my new endeavors are going well. I love college counseling. Similar to teaching visual art, I get to make deep connections with my students as they navigate the college process. My garden design business has also taken off. There is a definite niche for me designing habitat gardens for homeowners in the Bay Area. In my small way, I am doing something to help our desperate planet. A habitat garden uses only native plants to support the insects and wildlife that exist in the area. I am also part of an annual event called Bringing Back the Natives, which promotes and educates people on the value of including native plants in gardens. Ben Maeck and his lovely family joined us on the beach for a socially distanced birthday celebration on a cold and windy day. His two young children are adorable, and they certainly stole our hearts on the Zoom call.”
And, finally, my own update – I continue to live and work in Riverside, Conn. Our kids returned home to be with us during the height of quarantine, which was definitely a silver lining, and like many others we celebrated milestones virtually (college graduations, big anniversaries and my husband’s 60th birthday). In September, they all left, and we are getting used to an empty nest. I write a column for a local paper and launched a blog in March – “The Icing on the Cake,” which can be found at Icy@Icyfrantz.net. I sit on the board of The Taft school, where three of our four children studied. I ran and won a seat on our town’s governing board and I chair our local teen center, which is sadly quiet these days. That is all for now. We plan on meeting again by Zoom and looking forward towards our 40th.
Alexandra Strawbridge Maurer
mainestraw@gmail.com
If you live long enough, old friends from the past intersect. David Victor ’83 and Truman Semans reconnected recently through their work on climate change and finance. David is a professor at UC San Diego and also at The Brookings Institution, where he studies how the financial markets are dealing with climate change. Truman is leading OS-Climate, building an open source public platform of data and modeling for climate-aligned investing by pensions, asset managers, and banks (https://www.os-climate.org). They found they’ve both taken starry-eyed, renewable-energy-focused Duke and Stanford students to the coal fields to get an understanding of the rest of the energy picture – though Dave flew them there in his own plane.
Ward Atterbury
wardatterbury@gmail.com
John Hunt writes: “This spring, I finished up five years of studying theology at Yale. On December 12, I was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church. I hope for ordination to the priesthood this coming September. Although I never got to tell Kelly Clark, I was able to speak at length to Priscilla. That gave me joy. She was so happy and seemed to already know. I think she knew and loved us, all of us, more than any of us ever realized.”
Kim Donaldson writes: “My husband, Eric, son, Lars (17), son Henrik (3), and I spent three solid months in Westchester with my father (89) and stepmother (76). A fascinating experience with a Groundhog Day feel, but also many silver linings. We are all back in New York now, with Lars learning remotely after most of the term at Taft as a senior. Henrik is loving preschool and is a force of joy, love, and destruction. I am teaching at NYU in the sports management program. I have 35 mostly first-year undergrads who join from all over the world. It has been very interesting learning how to engage and have meaningful discussions via Zoom. I am also consulting on content creation and graphic design (too many business pitch decks). I look forward to when we can all reunite in person.”
From Eric Williams: “So, to help pass the time away, I bought a pool table. I’ve always wanted one but never had time to play. Now, I have plenty of time and should be joining the pro circuit soon (is there still a pro circuit for pool?). I’ve played my brother, Nelson Williams ’87, my wife, and my two sons when they were back home for Thanksgiving. I recently talked to Tommy Thomas, Rob MacKay, and Troy Lawrence ’84 and they are all doing fine. When the pandemic is over, I’ll be taking challengers, so get ready.”
The children of Kim Donaldson ’85, Lars (17) and Henrik (3), during the lockdown.
Eric Williams ’85 practicing to take on post-pandemic challengers.
Nelson Williams ’87, practicing to take on his brother, post-pandemic.
Elizabeth Hotson
liz.bigham@mac.com
LaMar Bunts
lamar_bunts@post.harvard.edu
Alex Brigham writes: “Greetings from Arizona. Having sold my corporate online learning business to the New York Stock Exchange, I am now running my corporate ethics thinktank and rating organization, the Ethisphere Institute, as well as keeping busy building a health and wellness center in Sedona, Ariz. Visitors are always welcome, such as when Jerry Goubeaux and his wife, Ashley, rolled through town on their motorcycle in November.”
(L. to r.) Ashley and Jerry Goubeaux ’87 and Alex ’87 and Kendra Brigham.
(L to r.) Lisi Bailliere Dean ’85, Alexandra Bailliere ’88, Alberta Neilson ’87, and Johanna Neilson Boynton ’84 in Sausalito, Calif.
Severine (7), daughter of Pharon Dinstein ’98, with Katharine and Lucas (7), the twins of Vanya Desai ’89.