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

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getting laid off in Silicon Valley
at start of dot-com crash and
selling my house in San Jose,
then-fiancé Rolf Moeller and I
bought a 35’ trailer and traveled
for 3 months throughout western
US, western Canada and AK; we
married in Homer, AK, in Aug.
2001.” The couple then moved
to St. Cloud, FL, in 2002 for Rolf
to attend school to become a
marine technician, then on to
Charleston, SC, in 2003 for Rolf’s
new job; they’re still living in the
trailer. In 2003, Sheila was hired
as a civilian contractor for the US
Coast Guard Sector Charleston
(REC). Since her contract with
the USCG ended, Sheila has been
job hunting, and is starting up a
home-based consulting business.
Had a great visit with Jennie
Norton in RI last July; hope to
have her visit us soon before
we sell and get the heck outta
Dodge! Jacqueline Loewy was
just appointed assistant professor
of theatre and communications
at Notre Dame College in
South Euclid, OH. “I also have
had a busy career in my field
(Broadway, films, playwright,
etc.),” she writes. “If you Google
me, you can get a taste.” Ann
Erickson Shaw writes, “The big
news is that my son Evan Shaw
will be a junior at Colby-Sawyer!
He’s majoring in art, and won
an award at the annual art show
exhibition. My other son, David,
will be a sophomore at Keene
State with majors in film production
and French while playing
Lacrosse. I’m still in Acton
working in real estate. I opened
a new company called Keller
Williams with a few partners in
Concord, MA, and despite the
economy we are doing great!
I see Lynn Specker Martin,
Betsy Hill Lynch, and Priscilla
Walker Dallmus all of Acton
frequently. Also get together
with Nancy Hill Smith, Linda
White Maynard, Maura Curry
’77, Beth Jones Westra ’77,
Kathy Nielson Detore ’77, and
Suzanne Burchfield ’77 once
or twice a year, looking forward
to seeing them on Nantucket
with Lynn Martin. I see Emily
Leclair ’77 twice a year with a
group meeting in Nantucket.”
Gloria Modderno Costello and
her husband Tom decided to
adopt a child after raising their
4 to young adulthood. “One
more became 10 more, and we
are now the proud parents of
a grand total of 14 amazing
children,” Gloria says. “Our
first was a little boy with Down
Syndrome, and we loved raising
him so much that the 9 that
followed all have special needs,
some cognitive, some medically
Ann Erickson Shaw ’76 poses with her son Evan, an art major at Colby-
Sawyer. This photo was taken after Evan won an award at The Gladys
Greenbaum Meyers Juried Student Art Exhibtion.
fragile and some both.” All 14
kids range in age from 2 to 30.
“It is a wonderful life, so rewarding
and a whirlwind at the same
time,” Gloria writes. Gloria and
her husband also have 3 grandsons.
She invites people to e-mail
her at Momx12kids@yahoo.com.
(Yes, she needs to update that
address!) Melinda Miller Sexton
became a grandmother on Dec.
1, 2008, to a baby girl named
Carter Lill Sexton. Katherine
Burke started a consulting business
in Jan. 2007 after 7 years
at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals. She
consults with biotech companies
doing clinical drug trials for ophthalmic
diseases. She also works
with some large companies like
Pfizer and Novartis. “Anastasia
just turned 21,” Katherine writes.
“She is working at JP Morgan this
summer and will start her senior
year at Columbia this year. Ted
is the treasurer and managing
director of Advanced Wealth
Solutions Group, a financial
advisory group in NY. We go to
Bridgewater, CT, every weekend
and still live on Second Ave in
NY after 25 years of marriage.”
1977
Wendi Braun
5 Carnegie Place
Lexington, MA 02420
(781) 863-1502
e-mail: Wendi_Braun@msn.com
I had such fun getting news
from the 1977 class. I heard from
classmates who had never sent
in their updates. Many included
their emails but you can connect
with old classmates through The
Loop website, accessible through
www.colby-sawyer.edu/alumni.
Send me a note and share your
news with everyone! Cynthia
Sparagna is enjoying her life
with family, career and community
in Sherman Oaks, CA. She
ended 2008 in the top 10 sales
agents in her office with Ewing
& Assoc. Sotheby’s International
Real Estate, and looks to be on
target again for 2009. Cynthia
serves on the board of directors
with the Sherman Oaks Chamber
of Commerce and is president of
a weekly one-of-a-kind professional
referral networking group.
Lynn Lovelett Elizondo writes,
“My daughter graduated from
OH University with a degree in
education (now looking for a
job) and she is getting married
to an OH State Grad. I have
been in Cincinnati for 20 years.”
Emily Wagner writes, “I moved
to Bellevue, KY, on the Ohio
River in Jan. 2008. I am the sales
director for a catering company
called The Upper Crust (www.
theuppercrustcateringcocom). My
daughter Liza is 19 and a sophomore
at U of Cincinnati and my
son Philip is 15 and a sophomore
in high school.” And from Susan
Graham Winslow, “My husband
Scott and I were in New London
this past weekend. We took a
drive around the CSC campus
because our daughter will be
applying for the fall of 2011. The
school and the town are just as
beautiful as I remember, and the
new additions to the school are
impressive. Scott and I live on a
small horse farm in Boxford, MA.
We have 3 children: Alexandra
(22), a recent graduate from Holy
Cross, Sam (20), a student at
Gordon College and Keelie (17),
a senior at Masconomet Regional
High School. I am a writer
for The Equine Journal, Equine
Chronicle and Massachusetts Horse
and I have contributed to the
Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.
I am also in the apprentice
program to become NARHA
certified to teach Therapeutic
Horseback Riding. I stay in touch
with Susan Pratley Rillovick
and her husband Kevin. She has
an antique store in Farmington,
NH. I hope the other members
of the class of ’77 are all well
and healthy.” Betsy Clark-Miller
(Burpee) had never written in
before so had lots of catching up
to do. She writes, “After college,
I worked a year or 2 then joined
the Coast Guard Reserves to cure
the wanderlust that seemed to be
inside me. I absolutely loved it!”
While she was in the reserves,
Betsy met and married a young
man from Tifton, GA, and has
been in GA ever since. Together,
they had 2 boys who are now 28
and 25. Betsy and Greg stayed
together about 10 years then,
sadly, divorced. “We do remain
close friends to this day though,”
Betsy says. She then went back
to school to become a registered
nurse, and has been nursing for
the past 18 years. When she’s not
working at the hospital—which
is only on the weekends—
she’s with her fella of 20 years
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