A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E - Colby-Sawyer College

Painting a World
of Passions
Ann Wyllie Jarrett ’48
There are active people in this world, and then there is Ann
Wyllie Jarrett ’48. A painter, world traveler, and advocate for
social justice, Jarrett shows no signs of slowing down. If anything,
she is picking up steam.
Originally from Medford, Mass, this self-described “New Englander through and through” has
lived in Wilmington, Del., since the 1950s. She discovered her love of traveling by accompanying her
husband, a physicist, on trips to international scientific conferences.
“We had our first trip abroad in ’58,” she recalls, “and we didn’t stop.” Now widowed, Jarrett has
continued her globe-trotting ways, traveling frequently throughout Europe with friends and family. In
December 2006 she went on the adventure of a lifetime when she joined an expedition to Antarctica.
“It was a month of seeing nature in its extremes,” she recalls, and she found the experience of seeing
earth in its natural and untouched state truly awe-inspiring.
Jarrett has been painting for more than 50 years. Originally a hobby, one of many, painting eventually
became a passion for her. Now she exhibits her impressionistic work around town, in her home,
and on her new website, annsfineart.com. “I call myself a colorist, really,” she says. “Color makes
a dynamic canvas. It just grabs you.” Besides painting, Jarrett has a way with a camera. Her photographs
from Antarctica are making their way into a children’s book that she is collaborating on with
her daughter.
Jarrett also remains passionate in her support of peace and social justice. She was part of a
recent gathering at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., protesting in support of women’s rights
and against cuts to social services. In 2010 she spent time in New Orleans, working for Habitat for
Humanity to help restore housing in that devastated city.
Whether wielding a paint brush, a plane ticket or a protest sign, Ann Wyllie Jarrett is truly an
inspiration.
–Mike Gregory
magnificent sights. Sybil “Billie”
Adams Moffat has been our
class agent for quite some time.
Like me, she feels like she’s been
doing it forever. She made me
laugh when she said living at
Wake Robin, a VT retirement
complex, is just like living at CJC
except you can have a man in
your room overnight! After being
there for 5 years, both Sybil and
Paul can call everyone by name.
The Moffats are usually co-chairs
for Wake Robin’s annual New
Year’s Eve party. They spend most
of the summer at their place in
Lake Willoughby. In May, they
were in NY for a grandson’s
graduation from Cornell. In Aug.,
a granddaughter was married
in Woodstock, VT. They also
joined Barbara “Bobbie” Schulz
Watts and Peter at the Trapp
Family Lodge in Stowe, VT, for
the Long Trail Green Mountain
Club’s 100th anniversary. Bobbie
says she and Peter lead fairly
52 COLBY-SAWYER ALUMNI MAGAZINE
boring lives, but had some real
excitement in the early winter
months when a partridge
smashed through their bedroom
window. Nancy Dexter Aldrich
spent most of last winter doing
rehab for her broken hip while
hubby Roger built a scaled down
logging railway in their hobby
room. Their daughter Kathy and
son-in-law Dennis Cote opened
Polly’s Pancake Parlor on May
1. Nancy said loyal supporters
are always waiting at the door
the day the pancake house
opens. In July, Nancy and Roger
rented a cottage on Drake’s
Island in Wells, ME. The cottage
just happened to be owned by
another classmate, Janet Sargent
Russell ’49. In Sept, they signed
on to a small motor vessel cruise,
starting in Burlington, VT. One
of my 2 CJC “roomies,” Nancy
“Hobby” Hobkirk Pierson,
wrote that she and and Jim’s
1st great-grandson, Oliver, was
born in Sept. His parents, Jamie
and Christine, live in Eugene,
OR, while Jamie attends the U.
of OR law school. The Piersons’
oldest daughter, Amy, is the
proud new grandma. At the
last count, the Piersons have 12
grandchildren plus 2 stepsons
and one great-grandchild! In
Nov., the Piersons took a river
cruise on the Danube. They
spent Christmas Day in VT
with 2 of their daughters and
their families. Jim still loves
to work but has recently spent
more time on combining his 2
companies. Hob still tutors at
the Market St. Mission where
she’s been a long time volunteer.
Our other roommate, Cornelia
“Nini” Hawthorne Maytag,
downsized several years ago, just
as many of us have done. Nini
is a “happy camper” as she’s
healthy, happy, and is an active
volunteer involved in many
charitable things. Her children
and families are nearby. Madelon
“Maddy” Pennicke Cattell had
emergency back surgery on Jan.
13, and was still recuperating
when she sent belated Christmas
greetings and a note for a
happy 2011. Carol “Shoe”
Shoemaker Marck and Chuck’s
oldest grandchild, Charles Jr.’s
daughter, Lindsey, graduated
from UNC after 4 outstanding
years on the swim team. After
graduation, she volunteered for
a year with Athletes in Action, a
Christian group that works with
college athletes, and spent time
in Africa with the group. She is
now with Fox News in Charlotte,
NC. In Apr., they had a chance
to go to Oxford, OH, to watch
Charlie’s 2 sons play in the
spring football game at Miami
of OH. The Marcks go back and
forth from their rather remote
home in the Poconos to their
apartment in Bethesda, MD. Ann
Wiley Jarrett signed on to work
for Habitat for Humanity for 1
week in Mar. 2010. It was her
Westminster church’s 11th trip
to New Orleans, gutting homes
or building new houses. Her
grandson, Conor, now 11, and
his mom, Sara Jane, picked out
a Road Scholar intergenerational
project in Belize (Chocolate and
the Maya) for Conor and Ann.
Ann travels, writes books and
always finds the time to paint.
For you classmates who love
art, please see Ann’s website:
annsfineart.com. As for me,
UF’s Gator Women’s Golf Team
just won the Gator Women’s
Golf Invitational by an 18
stroke margin over 17 college
teams. Mase and I were there
for the 27th year of keeping the
scoreboard. Each year I think it
might be the last, but so far so
good.
Please See In Fond Memory
1949
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New London, NH 03257
e-mail: alumni@colby-sawyer.edu
Connie Dickinson Johnson
writes, “Bobbie Laurie Prescott
and I got together a couple times