Classes & Obits

Class Note 1987

Issue

Sept - Oct 2016

Fall often reminds me of the start of college and fun I had on my freshman trip. Those few challenging days hiking in the New Hampshire mountains with a dozen or so strangers (who became fast friends) have had a lasting impression and those friendships persist. I bet many of you can say the same. Cheryl Maier Walsh was on that trip with me and was one of my first Dartmouth friends. In June we had the chance to reconnect over dinner near Andover, Massachusetts, with our families. In addition to conversations about jobs and kids and vacations, we reminisced about that freshman trip and finding out that we had so much in common, including our birthdays!

Freshman trip friends Colleen Sullivan Mikkelson, Elaine Malin and Diana Headley Saunders gathered at Martha Ehrmann’s house and relived their 1983 excursion in a four-person canoe on the Charles River, this time a bit slower and more sober. Fellow Boston Kappa Alpha Theta sisters Faith Spurrier Sherlock, Allison Bailey and Kate Haffner ’88 joined for cocktails and al fresco supper on a beautiful summer evening.

Wondering the impact of our class scholarship fund? Look no further. The Class of ’87 Scholar, Jon Vandermause ’16, gave the valedictory address at June’s Commencement. He was one of eight students with 4.0 GPAs and was selected by deans to be the speaker. He majored in physics and is headed to grad school at Harvard.

Our class gave him a graduation gift—a custom Dartmouth diploma frame made by Church Hill Classics, the company founded and owned by Lucie ’86 and Joe Voves. Contributions we make to the Class of ’87 Scholarship Fund support students such as Jon. Our other class project is to support the Dartmouth Partners in Community Service (DPCS). In addition to providing financial support for student interns in the nonprofit sector through DPCS, classmates have served as mentors. Dr. Jennifer Sabir served as a DPCS mentor to an undergrad working in the medical field this summer in Boston!

The rest of the news in this column doubles as a plug for the class of 1987 30th reunion taking place June 15-18, 2017. Betsy Rutherford “had a great week in Hanover for the 2016 Commencement ceremonies—we were there to celebrate our daughter, Emily ’16. At her English department gathering my husband, Ken ’86, and I had a chance to say hello to Don Pease—nice that there are a few professors still there from our era!” Prior to the class of 1986 30th reunion, Betsy and Ken had the chance to hike Moosilauke and see the lodge before it is replaced this year. “The class of 1986’s 30th reunion was great fun and a warm-up for ours next year! Wonderful to see John Gannon and Debbie Rowe Marchiony. The best part of reunion is seeing the friends who rarely (or never) come back. Ken’s roommate from Dartmouth attended for the first time since graduation and it was amazing to see him and his wife. So, if you have been avoiding reunions—make the effort to get to Hanover next year. Lots of wonderful conversations, excellent programming and the chance to re-connect (or connect for the first time!) with classmates. I hope many in our class who don’t come, will make the effort next June!”

Lisa Pabich Damon, 2124 Ashwood Ave., Nashville, TN 37212; lisa.damon.87@alum.dartmouth.org; Allison Bleyler McDonald, 43 Hop Brook Road, Amherst, MA 01002; allisonmcd@gmail.com