The O-O-Ooops Page

Fast forward to October 10 2010 ... you're reading that correctly, dear mates... 2010, 2009! I shall not even begin to make excuses for my tardiness ... suffice it to say it is not laziness... I make too many promises ... and underdeliver! That is probably the long and the short of it.

I've been trying to create a new web papge for my business life for well over a year also and these "TO DO" lists hang over me like the sword of Damocles! Since I had really just about finished the text and the addition of the letters and pictures sent by our class members who could not attend, I can press SEND and off it goes. The frustraing part is that you will have to read from the bottom up ... that's the way of BLOGS... isn't it? ... mostly young people who want everyone on the planet to know how they FE-E-E-E-L at every given moment of their lives! So it is not burdensome to read up... a sentence, a paragraph, or three. You will have to indulge me... But I do promise that if you have news to send I shall keep it up and add to it... a paragraph or three at a time ...

Now a bit of housekeeping... does anyone see Josephine? Or know if her husband has access to e-mail? If he doesn't I guess I can print this out....

I know that somewhere I have Doree's e-mail but not at hand, so if someone has, could she forward it?

I haven't Mary Theresa's or Betty Master's.

When I was going through the GCU DIRECTORY ... I used it for e-mails because not all my 50th anniversary material followed me when my computer crashed in June ... I think I saw a little cross next to gloria ferrer's name. Add to the list of R.I.P.'s

All of CESAR's wonderful pictures I have put in a web album. I shall e-mail them to you ... they default to 3 seconds but you can click to 4-5 or more. You may add pictures, comment, send pictures to me to add... whatever you choose to do.

I hope this whets evryone's appetite to attend our 55th!

You will see I put up with a bad 18 months and finally came to white hair so Kath and I are now truly the Bobbsey twins.

I can give you an update on her! She and Charlie came to Albany last Monday to see granddaughter Phoebe play in a tennis match. Phoebe was scraping up the court with her opponent when the heavens opened and we all headed to higher ground ... for 4 days... but Kath, Charlie, and I had a lovely evening, dinner chez moi, and the sort of laughs and tears and reminiscences that 55 years of loving friendship begun in St Joseph's Hall have made possible!

Love to you all... if I still have my marbles in 2014, I'll outsource the BLOG so you'll have it in due time!

Maryanne

AnaCesar

DottieD

GETTING THERE

Friday..and finally we're off ... late...later...latest. Ana and Cesar were due to land at Newark Airport at 3:45 p.m.; I'd wanted to be at GCU about when they arrived but the heavens opened, traffic became worse and worse and I knew if I drove any faster we'd hydroplane, so.... Then we hit Newark and it was dead stop. Both the SIUs and ELLEN MULLANE GALLAGHER (1964) and her husband, who flew in from Minneapolis, reported that it took over an hour to get from the airport entrance to the Parkway!

Finally, LAKEWOOD through the fog. The Seventh St. Gate is no longer open. We entered near the CASINO and ARTS AND SCIENCE BUILDING and a lighted sign proclaimed

WELCOME HOME!

Seeing that, I felt wonderful! Kath and I quickly unloaded our stuff in the newest dorm ... St. Catherine's Hall where we each had a single room separated by a bathroom. How luxe! Little gifts awaited us here and there: Tee shirts, beach towels with the GCU logo, framed pictures of the Apollo fountain.... all the lovely Mercy touches!
We set out for the Casino and the opening cocktail buffet. In true Sisters of Mercy fashion, the lily was gilded! The silver was polished, china out, Mansion looks better than ever. Sister Rosemary, our President, greeted us and said that ANA and CESAR had arrived only minutes before - so their one or two hour trip from Newark had turned into four+ hours! They hadn't even checked into the rooms!

It's probably as good a time as any to give CESAR SIU thunderous applause for the majority of pictures in this BLOG. Some are mine but I had the worst attack of fibromyalgia in at least a year so missed ALL the campus tours which you'll see later through Cesar's lens. He's magnificent. Ana chose well!

Back to Friday night... the buffet was elegant... food more than anyone could even sample and the desserts beyond description! Chocolate macaroons, with white chocolate "skirts" remain in my memory as one of the real highlights of the weekend ... if not of my life. I'm still seeking a recipe on GOOGLE! But we four were tired from our journeys and I had work to do in the morning with my little picture display so off to the dorm we took ourselves at a very reasonable hour.

Fve years does make a difference in age. The Class of 1964 hooted and hollered long into the night. It's only by their admission that I say that; the dorm is totally soundproof and we didn't hear a thing!

A continental breakfast in the lounge made it easy to have a relaxing morning. Kathy, Ana and Cesar took off for a tour of the campus ... it was a glorious day- Saturday, June 6, the very date on which we, the Class of 1959 had graduated on another cloudless Saturday!

In the lower left picture you might see Kath looking fondly at the St Joe's balcony where we quite possibly had a cigarette or two... but then again we might not have, being obedient. We were known to slip down and peek to see if ARLENE SCHICKER'S "chuck wagon", brought every Sunday night from home, looked bursting! Arlene never gained a pound ... probably why her parents loaded up the ottoman... but we all did! The "freshman 15" and more, I daresay!


The REUNION LUNCHEON for classes ending in "4" and "9" was the main event ... held in the impressive new WELLNESS CENTER complex . What a remarkable building and environment this is ... "green" inside and out and designed to carry Georgian Court's mission of educating the whole person into the 21st century and beyond. The link below from publicity at its opening in Autumn 20098 describes the WELLNESS CENTER far better than I could.

http://www.georgian.edu/news_releases/080807_wellness_center_opening.htm

It was here that Kathy, Ana, Cesar and I joined with all our classmates who attended our 50th REUNION: MARY ELLIN PRICE BOLLINGER, MARY COSTA, PAT STEINER HUNT, DOTTIE D'ANNUNZIO MONGELLI , ROSEMARIE GALLINA, PEGGY BLANK MURPHY, LYNN AAGARD SCHELL, ANN O'NEILL BACON, ARLENE SCHICKER,

and TRUDY SZILAGY DI FRANCESCO.

It could only have been happier if more of us had been there but we raised our glasses to everyones' health and well-being! The luncheon was formal... classes sitting together ... we older folks were toward the front of the massive gymnasium ... I suppose partially pride of age and place ... maybe consideration of possible hearing difficulties, eh???


I had the great honor of introducing the anniversary classes... there was one member of the Class of 1939, a couple from 1940 and 1941 ... looking great...beautiful, spry, happy.. I might add! I need Mary Teresa for the math but I think it will be our year in 2029. Shall we shoot for that? Let's! I think Cesar got a picture of that group pf Courtiers! Stay tuned!

THE LUNCH BUNCH

At the luncheon Cynthia announced that our class tied for first place in donations to GCU to honor the Reunion. The tie occurred because a faithful alumna, from an earlier class, had died and left a considerable sum of money to the university. So THREE CHEERS FOR US!

At one of the 1959 tables we were honored to have GCU's Provost, Dr. Joseph Gower, join us. Rosemarie Gallina had met with him and they are attempting to establish an exchange program with a university in Italy where Rosemarie has contacts. Following lunch, Dr.Gower invited us to join him on a tour of the WELLNESS CENTER. During a rest stop in one of the comfortably appointed classrooms, he spoke of the many areas into which GCU is expanding. ...truly exciting, innovative and practical!

SAD ... AND SOME QUESTIONS

The day before leaving for Lakewood... Charlie drove Kathy up from their summer home at Mattapoisett so we could travel together. As usual, I was nowhere near ready ... and had a seminar to be at at 7:30 Friday morning among other things. As a matter of fact, I've just a few days ago found the silk blouse I wanted to wear to the Reunion luncheon.... not out of control or anything!!! While I was being crazy, Kathy looked through my COURTIER and made a list of our classmates whom we know to have died.... too young. Their names follow:

EMILY JO HERNANDEZ

CARLY JONES

JUDY LAURIE

EILEEN MADIGAN

SALLY RYAN

KAY RYAN

ANN STALLS

If anyone reading this knows of other members of our class who have died, we should know.

There are some whom we've lost track of: MIRIAM LOPEZ and GLORIA FERRER, for example. When Stu and I visited Haruko in London, Miriam was there with her son. We've not heard from her since. I've always wondered about KATHY O'NEIL who left after freshman year to enter the convent.... also MONA CABILI whose father met such a tragic death while we were juniors, causing her to have to withdraw. NORMA NACTSHEIM, MIDGE LA GUARDIA, ANNE GILGALLON, BEVERLY OLYMPIA ... were all on the list of those I wrote to about Reunion but didn't hear from. Some people don't want to be contacted and I respect that. My guess is that if they've given their address, they don't object, but wouldn't it be nice to know if those we haven't heard a word about, or seen an address for, in 40 or 50 years have had a soft landing? We were such a small group.

I received an e-mail from JOYCE ARMSTRONG CARROLL, Ph.D. from Texas. She sent me pictures of her celebration of 50 years as a teacher! She looks terrific. Five years ago, GCU awarded Joyce an honorary doctorate of humane letters. She has been a professor at McMurry University in Texas and is the suthor of many volumes for teachers. Joyce, along with another member of our class, ROSEMARIE GALLINA, who did attend Reunion, are members of GCU's Court of Honor. CONGRATULATIONS to both!

FROM JOYCE:

Maryanne,

I am so sorry to miss this wonderful reunion, one so significant for us all, but the gods have conspired against me coming. I have a book deadline looming and I cannot afford to miss it. I do want to report though that I had a full checkup and seem to be in good health -- for which I am grateful.Still consulting and have roughly 400 trainers under me. Keeps the ole brain in shape me thinks.

I am attaching several pictures from my Golden Jubilee Celebration. Imagine 50 years in the field of education. Sister Adrian would be proud!

My husband, Eddie, hosted a reception in my honor at our conference - everything was gold. It was lovely. I wore only gold the entire weekend even my nails and down to my toes!

Please send my love to all who remember me.

XXXXXXXX

Prior family committments prevented MARY TERESA FARRELL GRAY from attending but she sent along a recent family picture and a wonderful update on life chez Gray. M.T. and her husband, PROFESSOR MICHAEL A. GRAY have 4 children, 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren!!! Do we have other GREAT grandchildren?

FROM MARY TERESA:

Professionally, I used my GCC Math major in many ways:

• A Space Materials researcher at RCA Labs ...
• An Adult Religious Ed. Coordinator in Oregon, Minnesota and Texas...
• Ran Teacher Training workshops for a Diocese ...
• Managed a food cooperative in Minnesota ....
• Did taxes for H & R Block ....
• Was a bonded Legal Guardian for a disabled woman in Texas ... and
• Managed the 700+ volunteer program for the Office on Aging in NW Washington DC.

Now retired in Annapolis, I am part of a team of Eucharistic Ministers holding Communion services in a local nursing home. God has blessed me in many ways.

Most fun as a volunteer. As a Mother Helper in our childrens' school where I made homemade root beer with the class, and then waited for a poorly capped bottle to explodein the Teacher's closet. Surprisingly, I was invited back..

Love to all, and best of luck. God Bless. Mary Teresa

NEXT POST:

GETTING THERE

MORE 59ERS CHIMED IN

What a joy to hear from DOREE MEEKER MARX and CHARLIE…. with a picture taken at the Getty Museum in California celebrating THEIR FIFTIETH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! Some of us will remember their glamorous wedding in Washington … I felt so grown-up! Am I the only one who recalls that Bing and Kathy Crosby married that weekend as well? Doree retired as Director of Development at New York University and is now an entrepreneur. She also included a picture of HARRIET FULGHUM MEYERS and her! Harriett and JACK live in Wisconsin.


Cynthia had written me early on that four Japanese women planned to attend reunion ... one of them our "Harry", HARUKO HOSONO MIYAMOTO. Those of us who attended our 45th reunion will remember this quartet traveled together and entertained the gathering with some Japanese songs. At that time Haruko had stayed with Marie Anna in Washington. Well H1N1 interfered with this year's plans. Haruko's husband, KEIJI, is not well, so it seemed better for her not to travel. Only Yayoi (Class of 1974, I believe) came and she whispered to me that her husband is very displeased. She wore a mask in N Y C but not at GCU! Haruko had written me at Christmas of her anticipation of the reunion so I know she must have been devastated. Her letter follows:

FROM HARRY just before I left for Reunion
Dear Mary Anne,
I'm so disappointed at not attending the 50th Reunion of our class, especially because you chair Reunion 2009.

As I mentioned in our Christmas greetings, I was looking forward to go to the Reunion this year. However the diabetes problem of my husband prevented me from going. Originally we were to visit our son's family in Minneapolis first and I was to fly to NY alone leaving my husband in their care. Unfortunately this plan has not materialized.

So how are you yourself? I remember very well that you drove all the way from Albany to see me at the 45th Reunion. It was lucky that I managed to attend the 45th Reunion with the help of Marie Anna. I stayed at her house in Potomac and we drove up to Lakewood together. It was wonderful.

I myself am quite well. I retired from the translation job two years ago and I am enjoying reading and travel (within Japan). I joined the Soroptimist International Zushi-Hayama Club last year. This year we have been having visitors from Singapore, UK and US. We have a small tatami room and use it as a guest room. We go to Kamakura often. Do you remember Kamakura? Although we no longer drive our own car, we think of you whenever we are caught in the traffic jam in front of the Hachiman Shrine.

There are four alumnae (different classes) in Tokyo and when we met in March all of us were looking forward to attending the Reunion. Now Yayoi Ogawa is the only one who is attending. She has already left for NY.

Our son, Keito, his wife, Kaori, and their child Shusei (10 yrs.) live in Minnetonka because Keita works for Cargil. Fumiko lives in Brooklyn and works for the Japan Society, New York. She is married to Jorge de la Barre.
So much for now, and I am sorry I won't be seeing everyone.
Love,
Haruko



About 25 years ago or more, Haruko visited us in Albany and I drove her to one of the fabulous Adirondack camps where she was spending a week. The owners were among the people with whom she spent weekends while at GCU... who had been members of the Council on Foreign Relations and were friends of her father. The "camp" was indescribably gorgeous and luxe. When we took Harry's teeny little suitcase to the suite she was occupying, there was a maid there to unpack it! Before I left to return to Albany, I was invited to remain for lunch. And what a lunch! Cocktails on one enormous porch; then a move to the outdoor dining room on another, somewhat protected, but equally huge porch; and finally, the coffee and dessert on a third porch! A few years later, Stu and I were waking up one morning, watching the TODAY show, when the chandelier in our bedroom began to jiggle... uh oh ... an earthquake? Yes, indeed... the epicenter was in Blue Mountain Lake where Harry's friends' camp WAS ---read that again ... WAS. The structure broke in half and slid to the bottom of the lake! In later years, Stu and I visited Haruko and Keiji in New York City, London and at their home in Tokyo.

Before I drove Harry to the Adirondacks, Kath came up from the beach and she, Harry and I drove to West Point where ANN O'NEIL AND CARL BACON were then stationed. Ann gathered quite a group together for a mini-reunion and lunch. Kath kept the picture - and though faded and fuzzy I've been able to enlarge and reproduce it:



Sitting front center: Ann O'Neil; First rown: Peggy Blank, Lynn Aagaard, Kathy Flaherty, Mary Rita Brandoin; Back Row: Me, Mary Ellen Price, Haruko, Muriel Irving



DOTTI D'ANNUNZIO MONGELLI-CARDINALE sent some gorgeous pictures of children and grandchildren and, with inimitable "Dotti flair", one with a surprise twist which the portion of her note below will explain!

FROM DOTTI:
Below are 3 pictures you might want to include in the blog: #1 is my daughter Jeanie with Nicholas (9), Jessica (5), and Catherine (7); #2 is my son Gerry with his daughter Gigi (almost 2); #3 is a picture taken at the old Yankee Stadium a few years back when my son Gerry (on the right) and Reggie Jackson (on the left) threw me a surprise birthday party. I taught Reggie in 1960 when he was a ninth grader. We reconnected when Gerry, representing Goldman Sachs, put together the "Yes" Network with the Yankees.

NEXT POST:

SAD ...AND SOME QUESTIONS

THE RUN-UP - Calls and Letters

Weeks passed...100 inches of dirty snow melted in Albany...and I began to think of pretty Springs we'd enjoyed at the Court. A few phone calls... then letters. MARIE ANNA HAN CHANG left a message that ANDREW had to have serious surgery and she would not be able to leave him. Sad. They had entertained us royally when my daughter and I were looking at Southern colleges. She said she'd learn to e-mail images. She hasn't...yet!

I had a notion KAY KELAHER O'BRIEN would not be joining us. Kath and she had met up in Venice, Florida this past winter and driven down to have lunch with MARYELLIN PRICE BOLLINGER in Naples. (I think I have the configuration right. At least, I have the players right!) Kath said Kay is having eye trouble. When the packet came I hoped she'd changed her mind, but alas, no... We do, however, have the gorgeous picture of a stunning Kay, who lives in Southborough, MA. Like me she is a widow.



FROM KAY:Dear Maryanne,
I am sorry I won't be able to attend our 50th College Reunion at GCU, but have been battling eye problems and recurrent eye surgery.
I shall miss not seeing the girls, and do hope we'll meet during the winter in Florida.
I've enclosed a picture of my eight jewels! My daughter, Kathleen, has two girls and two boys, my son, Bill, four boys, and my son, Chris, is not yet married. I am indeed lucky.
Best wishes for a successful and fruitful reunion.
Kay

JOSEPHINE DAVIS ASHBACK called several times. At the time of our 45th reunion, at the request of one of the sisters, I detoured to N.W. Jersey to fetch her and drive her to Lakewood. She tried to convert me to the George W. Bush side and I was on such a "boil" that I told her if she didn't cease immediately, I would make her run to Lakewood in front of my car!! When she called this year, I figured we were going to have another jaunt and a McCain-Palin lecture, so imagine my surprise to find she and CHARLIE have traded cold New Jersey for sunny Florida!

Jo never let her disability get in her way, as we'll all remember ... for those who don't know, since 1959, she achieved a PH.D. in Psychology and had a private practice in Manhattan.... I know big brawny guys who seem to have 20/20 eyes both in front and back who root for the Yankees, but will only watch them in Boston or Toronto because they're so afraid to go to N Y C!

Jo has new challenges now... I'm afraid I forget whether she has to have her hips or knees done, but add to it that she has developed Parkinson's Disease. You'll see from her letter to us which I'm copying below that none of it is going to deter her... she does not include, but did tell me, that she was going to a psychology conference and applying to be credentialed in Florida so she can start a private practice there. While awaiting that, Jo continues to counsel her NY-NJ clients by telephone!

You'll be appalled to learn I told Jo she's still the stubbornest person I've ever met ... they chose, not only a townhouse with stairs, but one with more than the usual number between 1st & 2nd floors! And Sherlock doesn't mind his manners - has tripped Jo. But my money's on her to thrive and succeed!

FROM JO:

Greetings and salutations fellow classmates of 59. Here's hoping you are all well, healthy and happy. I was sorry I could not arrange to be with you for the reunion to revisit past memories and experiences that enhanced our time at the Court. Charlie and I and Sherlock, the four footed member of our family, moved here a year ago and we love it, it is always warm and you no longer hear me complain of the cold. Although there are many retired people here, there is a cross section oF the population which is stimulating. Professionally I still work as a psychotherapist, which I hope to continue as long as my mind functions. Charlie is transitioning from his computer business to selling real estate. Socially we are hoping to participate in a Bach Choral as we both enjoy singing.

Again I am sorry we could not make the reunion, but if you are in the neighborhood we would love to have you come and visit especially during January or February when "old man winter" pokes his head ...here in the Sunshine State it's summer all year.

Let us hear from you.

Warmly,

Josephine

I made some calls to try to encourage mates to attend... PAT STEINER HUNT had to remain on the fence almost til the last minute because JOHN had surgery and complications which landed him in a rehab facility. He turned the corner and, happily, Pat was able to join us and spend one night so there will be pictures of her later ... at the reunion... none of her children, I'm afraid. I hope some of you will send along images to add to this so it can be a work in progress ... as, I hope, we continue to be! Pat has retired after years as a social worker in Catholic outreach areas. Kath spoke to her at greater length than I ... her children are doing exciting things which I'll have to flesh out IF I AM INVITED FOR THE
54TH YEAR TO VISIT KATH AT THE BEACH!

NEXT CHAPTER:

MORE 59ers CHIMED IN!

TO BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

I must have had frozen brain on February 2, 2009 when Cynthia Isdanavage, GCU's very capable Director of Alumni Relations called to ask if I would chair the Reunion in June. Those of you who were in Comp I with me might remember Sr. Demetria's frustration when she said, "Miss Hartigan, if an atom bomb dropped in the middle of this classroom, when the dust settled, you would probably still be sitting, hands, folded, not a hair out of place, and I would still never have heard your voice. How can I give you an A?" Well, she did, but I never have become much more adept at speaking.

Anyway, Cynthia sounded reassuring and I said "Yes.".... and felt humble and honored. At the time it seemed that a POWER POINT presentation of images and words from the 50 years might be fun and enlightening. However, I didn't take into consideration several things ... that there would really be relatively few of us attending ... time and space and health of us and/ or spouses having intervened; that few of us who did attend would be there overnight. This was to be the PAJAMA PARTY event, complete with everything but Patrick calling out "ORDER!"! In response to my letter inviting "entries" I received not very many answers ... and late ... so I jettisoned that idea and concentrated on trying to display the letters and photos I received ... especially those from you who were unable to join us.

I am going to try to include everything in this BLOG ... the real estate market being, as it is, S-L-O-W.... actually, I got busy shortly before leaving for New Jersey ... the way one of my bosses always said... "You can count on things popping whenever Maryanne is going away," but the year is a disaster as in many places!

In April the phone rang one night and, lo and behold, ANA CHAN SIU was on the other end! I had seen her and Cesar once or twice many years ago when they were in NYC. In 1993 they came to Albany on business and we had dinner; the next day their business took them to New England and they had dinner in Connecticut with KATHY FLAHERTY and CHARLIE MC GOWAN.

So, it had been many years and I was overjoyed to learn that they planned to come to Lakewood for the reunion. Add to that that I was watching the numbers .... and I knew at last that Kath and I would NOT be the only representatives of the Class of 1959 at the show!

ANA came to GCU from Panama at just 16. Her sister, Maria, was then entering her senior year. Kath and I, Ana and Emily became fast friends because we remained on campus most weekends...movies at the STRAND (now the historic STRAND)...Kath will remember Sr Assumpta's reaction when we saw PICNIC with Kim Novak!...Sylvia's for tuna fish sandwiches, kosher dills, and, for Kath, cheesecake. (I couldn't conceive then of anyone enjoying cheesecake & wish I'd never experimented!)...a 7:30 and a 9:30 curfew...the sporting life.
Ana married Cesar ... a real keeper ... and they have three wonderful children ... many grandchildren ... and have just celebrated 50 years of marriage. They travel the world. There is a picture in the collage of Ana at 16, Thanksgiving of our freshman year, when she visited my home in Troy NY and presented her wishes to Santa Clause at our family department store! Then a picture of Cesar and Ana at their wedding and a jump fifty years forward to their recent golden anniversary surrounded by their children, grandchildren and Ana's mother!

NEXT CHAPTER: THE RUN UP