Reflections Magazine Issue #61 - Spring 2004 | Page 20
Class Notes
1930s
Ann Bakeman Tompert ’38 of Port
Huron received the Doctor of Humane
Letters honorary degree from Siena last
spring. She recently published two picture books: Joan of Arc and The Errant
Knight. Asked by friends why she still
works at the age of 85, she quotes writer
Gore Vidal: “I simply could not NOT
write. A writer is someone who writes.
You can’t stop it; you can’t make yourself
do anything else but that.” Ann enjoyed
a visit last fall from fellow wordsmith
Anne
Macmillan
Eichman
’67.
Mary Duggan Cassabon ’48 of Eastpointe is active in the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as recording secretary; and
at St. Veronica Church as eucharistic
minister at Mass and for the homebound.
She just retired from the Pastoral Parish
Council. She and her husband, Bill,
enjoy spending February in Florida and
getting together often with Siena friends.
Alumnae from the Class of ’48 at Siena last fall. From
left: Mary Conway Stonehill Mullins, Mary Duggan
Cassabon, Estela Cintron Kuptzin, Dorothy Noetzel
Sullivan and Rosemary Dorr.
Ann Bakeman Tompert ’38 and Anne Macmillan
Eichman ’67.
1940s
Sister Imelda Patrice Marx, O.P. ’43
taught for 23 years until retiring because
of hearing loss. She served at St. John
Seminary, at St. Lucy in St. Clair Shores,
and in St. Joseph. She now lives at the
Dominican Life Center.
Marjorie Nunn Kluck ’44 writes: “We
had five new great-grandchildren this
year: one boy and four girls, one each
month from March to July, which gives
us a total of 13 great-grandchildren.”
She lives in Redford with her husband,
Donald.
Rosemarie Van D’Elden Birman ’47
lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Long
Island, N.Y., with her husband, Paul.
They enjoy traveling (a recent cruise to
Honduras, Belize and Guatemala was
a highlight) and are active community
volunteers. Rosemarie is the 2004
president of a yacht club women’s group
called the Anc’Hers.
Mary Jo Stolpman Fleming ’47 sent
word from Clermont, Fla., of the death
of her husband, Ed, in December, 2003.
Jo’s two daughters and two sons, and
several of the 11 grandchildren were
together for Ed’s last days.
18
Reflections Spring ‘04 - Alumni News
Estela Cintron Kuptzin ’48 retired from
teaching in 1990. She has been able to
fulfill some of her dreams about traveling
with trips to Turkey, Israel, Spain and
Portugal, along with a number of other
places. She enjoys her two grandchildren and divides her time between New
London, Conn., and Delray Beach, Fla.
Mary Conway Stonehill Mullins ’48
and her husband Stan, of Eastpointe,
welcomed their 15th grandchild in January 2003. “What a joy!”
Katherine Rink Suydam ’48 lives in
Adrian. She and her husband have
limited mobility so “social life is mainly
going to church and to medical appointments!” She is a grandmother to six
grandchildren.
1950s
Marie Smith Schumacher ’50 writes:
“This has been a sad year for me. My
husband had to go to a nursing home
for dementia, God bless everyone who
suffers from this ‘long goodbye.’ ” Marie
lives in St. Clair.
Shirley Cushing, OP ’52 lives in Shelby
Township and is a managing attorney
with the legal assistance program of
Macomb County. She holds master’s
degrees from DePaul University and
University of Detroit, and earned a law
degree from the University of Detroit
School of Law.
Main Campus
Carole Sporer Stroh ’52 of Lake Bluff,
Ill., had such a good time at last year’s
50th reunion that she returned to Siena
Heights this fall for the 50th reunion of
the Class of ’53—with whom she had
started at Siena! “Since I was sent out
by Sr. Patrick Jerome early in my senior
year to teach Latin for a couple of weeks
in Lansing, I am now in my 53rd year of
teaching, covering every level from preschool to university. I am retired from fulltime teaching now, but am still subbing.”
Doris Heckert ’53 writes: “I worked at
Union Telephone Co. in Adrian, before
I began my teaching career. After four
years teaching third grade in Michigan,
I began working for the Department of
Defense, teaching on military bases. I
taught elementary grades in Germany,
Turkey, Morocco, the Netherlands and
England. I also taught in Deerfield and
Tecumseh. I am now legally blind, but
otherwise in pretty good health. I have
six loving nieces and one nephew, and
seven great nieces and nephews. God
Gladys Maria Vivaldi ’53 lives in San
has richly blessed me.” She lives in
Juan, Puerto Rico, where she enjoys her
Berthoud, Colo.
five children and nine grandchildren. She
has been a widow since 1999.
Barbaradell Way Kelley ’53 lives in
Hamburg, Mich., and writes: “My family
Joyce Ferry Betz ’53 of Palmyra taught
seems to multiply: three children, 11
elementary school in Blissfield from
grandchildren (four in heaven), and three
1955 to 1986. She and her husband,
great-grandchildren. Doing things with
who have two daughters, celebrated
my family and community have blessed
their 50th anniversary a year ago. Joyce
my life. For over 30 years, I’ve been a
writes, “I enjoy hunting, gardening, readtrustee of Hamburg Town