It’s my pleasure to pay tribute to all the women of 1945, those spouses who stood by their Dartmouth men. Through WWII and through life, these women proved their talents and great strengths. I recently learned that Rosalie Cutter, wife of Don Cutter, passed away last April. Her life exemplifies the spirit and contributions of the women of ’45. Rosalie served as our class secretary after Don passed away in 1997, and she hosted an annual ’45 lunch at her home on Reservoir Pond for years. Leading up to those later years, her life was extraordinary. Her son said, “The best lesson I learned from her was that you can have anything you want as long as you are willing to work for it.” Rosalie was a superb quilter and mentor to many, along with being a successful small business owner, business advisor, ski coach, and pig farmer! Early on, she and Don lived in Aspen, Colorado, where Don coached national team skiers. Upon returning to Hanover, they started Art Bennet’s sporting goods store. I remember buying new skis there during my freshman year. After retiring from the ski business and selling the store, Don and Rosalie turned to something new: pig farming in Lyme Center, New Hampshire. Vesta Smith, wife of Victor Smith, a good friend of Rosalie’s and another amazing woman of ’45, served as class president, and along with Rosalie has been instrumental in many class engagements. Vesta remembers receiving notice in the mail from a cruise line that was offering bookings on the Queen Elizabeth II for its final, three-month, round-the-world voyage. “I kept asking people to come with me, but no one said yes,” Vesta said. “On the very last day I could book, Rosalie happened to call, and I asked her if she wanted to go. ‘Yup,’ came the immediate reply. Rosalie was so much fun to travel with. Every morning we would choose a lecture to attend. After that there was a half hour before lunch when I went back to the cabin, but she would go to the casino and come back into the room smiling, waving around her winnings.” That’s the ’45 spirit! Cheers to the women of ’45 who served the class and their Dartmouth families in so many winning ways.

—Martha Johnson Beattie ’76, 6 North Balch St., Hanover, NH 03755; (603) 667-7611; mbeattie76@gmail.com