1940s
1941
◄ Grace (Mills) Koopmans, 98, was awarded an honorary degree by Pierce College in Lakewood, Wash. during the 2018 Commencement ceremony. In 1969, Koopmans founded the Early Childhood Education/Parent Education program at Pierce and was the director until she retired in 1985. Her honorary degree is in recognition of the lasting quality of the program.
1949
Helen (Tipton) Sills was on campus for the Choir reunion in October. She is fully retired and is a member of the Oregon Genealogical Society.
1950s
1953
Rolf Tvedt has just written a murder mystery, 5 People Get Bumped Off, and is now looking for a publisher.
1956
Allene Circle, Sally Coburn, Nancy Heldrich, Ann Miller, Jackie Powers, and Nancy Wedberg (maiden names) are all doing fine and keep in touch via e-mail round robin. They all came to Homecoming a couple years ago and had a Palmer sleep over at a local hotel. It was a great time and hope to do it again in the future.
1958
Professor emeritus Max Fields has been retired from Imperial Valley College since 1994. The former Poet football player and Purple and Gold Hall of Famer has fond memories of playing for coaches George Allen, Don Coryer, and John Godfrey.
After traveling across the U.S. and Europe, retired educator Ann Pierce now enjoys spending much of her time with her children and grandchildren.
Former high school and college educator Robert Roemmele enjoys fishing at Mammoth Lakes, cruise trips, and European river boat tours. Katherine (Reedall) Roemmele is most proud of their daughter, Kathy, who is a successful teacher and coach.
1959
Retired clergy member Gene Boutilier continues to advocate for the rights of the poor, immigrants, homeless, hungry, and for interfaith relations. His first wife, Launa (Milligan) Boutilier, passed away. He has since remarried to Barbara Troxell. He has four children, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
1960s
1962
Bruce Huddleston has traversed the globe with his jazz band, with whom he has been playing piano for 42 years.
1963
Robert Burchit is battling Multiple Myeloma and is on disability leave from his job as senior vice president of Matsen Insurance Brokers. He is very involved in church and with Redwood Teen Challenge, a faith-based organization that helps break the bonds of drug and alcohol addiction. He is still involved in music, singing and playing piano in church from time to time.
Heatherly Conway spent four years working with the Menominee Native American tribe. In her free time, Conway enjoys writing for publication.
Retired educator Rod Holtan loves golfing, boating, fishing, and traveling. He’s visited all seven continents and made 20 trips to Washington D.C. with his 8th grade students. He met his first wife, Ruth (Gillette) Holtan ’64, on campus. After her passing, he remarried to Kathy Holtan.
After a 25-year career in education, Dana Guevara Pelfrey moved to Louisville, Ky. and pursued a career in retail as a personal shopper. Among her favorite trips have been traveling to China to teach Chinese educators methods of English instruction and going on the Orient Express and seeing France.
Wyatt Reader has fond memories of the Poet baseball team and participating in journalism at Whittier.
Alan Sroufe was a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Minnesota for 42 years. His major research was a longitudinal study of 200 children from birth to adulthood, an unprecedented study that led to books and articles tracing how individual personality is formed. He returned to Whittier in 2011 to talk about his work with great pleasure.
Guy Talbott goes to Hawaii every year.
1964
The Class of ‘64 reunion committee is looking ahead with preparations for our 55th reunion in 2019. Any members of our class who would like to help with ideas and activities for this milestone are encouraged to contact Kathy (Kingsbury) Dobrzycki at Ldobrzycki@aol.com to help. We’re looking forward to another wonderful reunion and to seeing many of you.
▲ Craig and Susan Susan (Perry) Elliott are celebrating their 15th year of retirement and 54th year of marriage. Pictured here on the lake in front their cabin. “Not bad for a pair of 75-year olds.” They enjoy spending the summers at the cabin, traveling, and spending time with our children and grandchildren.
Virginia “Pinny” (Brakeley) Bugaeff, who spent over 40 years working as a psychological therapist, has just published her memoir, Tell Me About It: Memoir of a Psychotherapist. In 2013, she won the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Writing Contest with a story based on her experiences working with female offenders.
◄ John Crow, an associate professor of biological sciences at Rutgers University, recently received recognition from the university president for his years of service. He and his wife, Claudette, have two teenage daughters. His 16-year-old attends boarding school and his 14-year-old is the 2016 World Ballet Competition overall Gold Medalist. “She is headed straight to a career in classical ballet.” Crow’s construction company is enjoying the post-election business building boom and managing the largest expansion of shipping container facilities in Port Newark that is part of the Port of New York and New Jersey.
1966
Retired since 1993, Mary (Ross) Swanson and husband, Wayne, live in the countryside of Willamette Valley, Ore. surrounded by fir trees. Swanson works part-time as a resort activities director, while her husband volunteers at air museums. In the winter, the pair often finds themselves back in California, RV snowbirding in the Coachella Valley.
1967
The class reunion committee is proud to report that the Class of ‘67 raised over $100,000—an incredible accomplishment—toward an endowed scholarship. Thank you to all of those who contributed in such an impactful way. We encourage you to keep in touch via class notes. Send your notes directly to therock@whittier.edu.
1968
Melissa Andrews currently works in advertising and sales. She is married to Patrick O’Kane, with whom she has two children, Tanya and Matthew.
Maribeth Arehart met her husband of 48 years at Whittier College. She has worked in Catholic education for 30 years as a teacher, vice principal, and director. Arehart has three children and three grandchildren, and she has visited Whittier, Calif.; Whittier, Alaska; and Whittier, N.C.
Lorna Aschbrenner is a retired high school teacher who is enjoying her retirement volunteering at her church and an alternative high school, as well as babysitting her twin grandchildren and traveling.
After 42 years of teaching, Marth (McCord) Bailey is enjoying retirement. Proudest accomplishments include being married, having two kids graduate from Whittier College, and going back to get her master’s degree.
Jeanne (Fowler) Baker is a retired educator. She and Hyatt Baker have been married for 50 years. They have three children and 10 grandchildren. Jeanne is keeping busy tutoring elementary students, participating in the neighborhood watch, and being a part of her church’s Women’s Ministry. Her fondest memories include meeting her husband-to-be on their first day of college, making life-long friendships, and being on the tennis team. Hyatt enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, traveling, and remodeling work. His greatest accomplishment in life has been appreciating and respecting other people’s world-views.
Along with his wife, Heather, Charles Brockett started a small press, Wising Up Press. His proudest accomplishments include seeing his children flourish as adults with professional lives and families of their own.
Cherrille (Gardner) Collier enjoyed a career in education for almost 40 years, where she worked as a teacher, principal, program specialist, and director of curriculum and instruction. Collier volunteers in her grandchildren’s classrooms and serves as a court appointed special advocate. Collier has traveled to various countries over the years and is in an a cappella trio with two other Whittier alumni.
Linda (Hawley) Halisky enjoyed a 30-year career as a professor of English at California Polytechnic State University. In 1991, Halisky won the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award, and in 2006, she was appointed the dean of the College of Liberal Arts. Halisky was the first-ever woman to serve as an official dean in Cal Poly’s 100-year history. Halisky raised two children.
Sheryl Hedrick has been married to her husband, Jim, for over 47 years and has two children and two grandchildren. After Whittier, she earned a degree as a language development specialist, and she has worked with children teaching Sunday school at her local church. Hedrick is now enjoying retirement, keeping busy with her grandchildren, playing tennis, and traveling with her husband.
Pamela Henderson was a teacher and an assistant librarian for 31 years. She and her husband, Eldon, have four children and five grandchildren. Henderson is now retired, and in her spare time she leads children’s Bible study, is a docent at a museum, and is involved in community choirs and ladies’ club activities.
Chris Hunt is retired from the full-time faculty at the University of Redlands, but continues to teach part-time. Hunt has gone scuba diving over 100 times, and he devotes much of his life to his grandchildren, to whom he is currently teaching Spanish.
Retired teacher Catherine Jette keeps busy by reconnecting with old friends and students through Facebook, caring for her four cats, helping families in need, and swimming. She notes proudly that she has always encouraged all of her students to go to college.
Terry Mooschekian works as an attorney, and is happily married to his wife, Linda.
Eugene Moscovitch has a full-time commercial mediation practice in Santa Monica, Calif. and has visited 80 countries. His proudest accomplishment is serving as the president of the International Academy of Mediators.
After Whittier, John Parry served in the U.S. Army Medical Reserve Unit at the peak of the Vietnam War. He married Sandy Reiley in 1977 and they moved to Olympia, Wash. in 1979, where he began a 25-year career in community banking. Now retired, they spend their winters in their Palm Desert home and their summers on Puget Sound.
Shyrl O’Pray has been married to her husband John for 45 years. They spent 30 years with the U.S. Air Force, living in several cities throughout the U.S. They’ve lived in Burke, Va. since 1995. O’Pray has been teaching at a private preschool for the past 18 years. She and her husband love traveling on their sailboat, watching Nationals games, and spending time with their daughters, grandson, and sons-in-law. They are building a weekend house on the water in southern Maryland.
Jacquelyn (Lyn) Steinle is married to fellow alumnus David Steinle ’66. Together they have four children and 11 grandchildren. Steinle volunteers her free time at the Trinity Presbyterian Church.
Margi Stern takes care of her two dogs, six chickens and helps friends with their dogs. She is very proud of her two children Stefan and Anya (deceased).
Melinda Sullivan and Richard Sullivan love to travel and keep themselves busy with their grandkids.
Orthogonian former athlete Jon Sutherland is enjoying his retirement with wife, Mary; two children; and five grandchildren.
Craig Saari served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years; as a judge advocate, he was a prosecutor or defense counsel in 400 courtsmartial. After leaving the military, he began a 27-year career as an FBI special agent, primarily supervising undercover operations and espionage cases. He wrote a crime novel, The Mile Marker Murders, and anticipates his sequel, Prime Impact, to be published in 2019.
Linda Winzenread is a retired teacher, who still helps with Whittier High School drama productions. She and husband, Larry Winzenread, have two children and five grandchildren. Linda is enjoying retirement and loves to travel. She has been to all seven continents, and says she still has places to visit.
Carol Wissmann recently moved to Madison, Ala.
1969
Steven Ybarra reflects: “When I was at Whittier, the number of Chicano students was me and three other guys. I remember going to the dean and talking about how embarrassed Richard Nixon would be if I published these numbers. Shortly thereafter, the first scholarships aimed at Chicano youth were granted. I hope the school has reached population parity. We need well educated Chicano youth in grad school.” Editor’s Note: In 2018, Whittier College is a leading Hispanic-serving institution and a “top college for Latinx student outcomes.”
1970s
1971
Sara “Sue” Hodson recently delivered a lecture on the importance of libraries, scholarly activity, and primary research to students at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Hodson is well-renowned in the field of literary and archival research. Working as curator of Literary Collections at The Huntington Library, she collaborated with many award-winning authors, and truly mastered the art of primary research—a skill which she stresses is essential to all students and academics. Though she retired from her position at the library in 2017, she continues to pass on her knowledge and expertise to the next generation of scholars.
▲ Cheryl Boone Isaacs has teamed up with Oscar winner and seven-time nominee Quincy Jones to create a documentary, American Film: The Black Experience, that will shed light on the history and experiences of black performers and behind-the-scenes creators in Hollywood. Boone Isaacs is best known for her role as the first black president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she introduced many initiatives to boost diversity and inclusion in the Oscar-voting body. Though she stepped down from her position in 2017, her influence in Hollywood is still widespread, and she will continue to use her voice to address important—and often unspoken—issues in the world of media.
1972
Recently retired teacher Janet Christensen shares fond memories of her time at Whittier College. “I was well-taught by my professors. My content courses were excellent and where I was placed for student aiding and student teaching were the best and prepared me well for the career from which I just retired.”
Darr F. Schoenhofen was appointed pastor of two parishes in New York: St. Malachy’s Church in Sherburne and the Church of St. Theresa of the Infant Jesus in New Berlin. Schoenhofen was ordained in 1982 and, prior to this appointment, he devotedly served at least nine other Catholic churches.
1976
LeeAnn Tyler has sung in various choirs, was an organist for 15 years, and has traveled to Canada, Europe, Mexico, and 48 U.S. states.
1977
Retired educator Floyd Flack has enjoyed traveling to Europe, Australia, Hawaii, and Canada. After Whittier he received an M.A. from UCLA and an Ed.D. from USC, married his wife, Re Nae, and had a child.
Karen (Johnson) Jantzen has been teaching general education and special education for 30-plus years. Some of her fondest memories of Whittier include studying abroad in Scotland and England, choir tours, classes with Professor Praetorius, and being a Thalian.
1978
Donnie Pendleton works as a speech and language specialist.
Gregory Crawford is in his 15th year working with the Department of Homeland Security, and he looks forward to many more great years ahead.
Lisa Litzinger is happily retired and traveling. Litzinger has been married for 31 years and has raised two beautiful daughters.
A first-generation college graduate, Jane Madrid-Clare retired after 37 years with Los Angeles County Social Services.
Former educator Mark Milton lives in northwest Arkansas and is enjoying retirement—playing golf and fishing.
1979
Rick Ferraro ’79 has traveled around the world working in the maritime industry. He is now settled in Southeast Florida with his “wonderful wife,” Renae. His daughter, Nikki, resides nearby.
Debra “Dee Tee” (Thompson) Grant retired from the Los Angeles Unified School District after devoting 34 years to teaching deaf and hard-of hearing students. “Retirement is the best job I’ve ever had!” she said.
Phyllis Hall is a counselor and psychologist and has worked for more than 38 years in the California Community College system. She is also involved with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Orange County Chapter; Zeta Phi Beta, Inc.; Community College Board of Directors; and is a liaison to Cal STRS Board for CTA; among others.
Lauri (Cook) ’80 and David Mires have two children and six grandchildren, who they love spending time with. The two enjoy traveling whenever possible. David works as a speech pathologist.
1980s
1980
Karen (Freeland) Frey retired from a 37-year career at Wilkinson Elementary School in the El Monte City School District.
1981
Superior Court Judge Gilbert “Gil” Ochoa was recently promoted to Supervising Judge of the Fontana Courthouse for the San Bernardino County Courts.
Kathleen (Wendell) Jorgensen works as a senior editor at Evan-Moor Educational Publishers. An avid Scottish country dancer, she’s going through the process to get certified to teach.
1983
Gerry Crews combined Crews MacQuarrie & Associates, Inc., a company he co-founded in 2002, with Horizon Actuarial Services, LLC, a multi-industry nationwide actuarial and consulting firm. Crews is now a shareholder and Managing Consultant with Horizon in Irvine, Calif.
1985
▲ Cynthia Greenup ’85, P’15, ’18, ’21 traveled across the globe with her copy of The Rock. Pictured here during a recent trip to Iceland.
1988
Laura (Hoyt) D’Anna has two amazing children and has served as chair for the board of trustees of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in memory of her sister, Rachel. She is currently earning her doctorate in public health.
Colin Hunter works in the health insurance field and is a lacrosse coach in his spare time. He has two children.
Cori (Bineau) Krampert is in her 30th year as a teacher, and currently works in the Murrieta Valley school district. Cori’s son, Jack, is a first-year Poet (class of 2022).
Artist Lycia Trouton enjoyed meeting fellow alumni at her artist workplace in Ireland last year. Her recent art project, the Linen Memorial (www.linenmemorial.org), has received much acclaim. The project features the names of thousands of victims of the Northern Ireland conflict woven onto hundreds of linen handkerchiefs. It has been exhibited throughout Northern Ireland/Ireland and internationally.
Former Poet lacrosse player Melissa Quinn works as a speech language pathologist and is married to Mike Quinn. They have two children: Stephen is in the Navy and Jessica is a senior at the University of Tampa.
1990s
1990
Lynn Kelley is a part-time administrative assistant for Biola Youth Academics. She enjoys going to Big Bear several times a year with her family and booked a cruise for China in 2020.
1991
Miguel Santana, president and CEO of the Los Angeles County Fair Association, played a leading role in organizing this year’s LA County Fair. The 2018 fair embraced a theme for the first time in more than two decades—“Get Your Kicks…at the LA County Fair.” The vintage Americana theme, an homage to Route 66, was chosen to honor both Californian and American history. Months before fair construction went under way, Santana traveled the entirety of Route 66 on a road trip, documenting his many stops, and used this experience as inspiration to bring the theme to life.
1992
Jonelle Ruyle Warnock has been teaching English at West Jr. High School in Boise, Idaho for the last 25 years.
1993
Tracy Lin (Moore) Beckendorf-Edou is the executive director of teaching and learning for Oak Ridge schools in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Her daughter serves in the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton.
Rocio Centeno has been teaching for 23 years in El Monte, Calif. and is a mentor and leader through PSA. She has two sons.
Karyl Sherman and her husband Eric will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary next year by taking a trip to Europe. She works as a nurse and has three children, two of whom are in college.
1994
Emmeline Harrigan is the assistant planning director of Fairfield, Conn. Among her duties include long-range city planning, zoning projects, and working directly with the public to address their concerns. One of the major foci of Harrigan’s career has been rebuilding and protecting Connecticut’s coastline in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
1995
After 18 years at the leading global investment firm Goldman Sachs, Carey Halio was named CEO of its lending and deposit-taking division. She served as chief financial officer of Goldman Sachs Bank USA for the past four years, and she previously worked in the company’s credit risk division. As CEO, Halio will take on many new responsibilities that include assuming a leading role in expanding the bank’s deposit base, overseeing the bank’s capital planning and regulatory affairs, and serving as chairperson of the banking division’s management committee.
1996
Liz Lee was named the 2018 Hall of Fame Business Woman of the Year by the San Luis Obispo County Commission on the Status of Women, in collaboration with the South Bay Women’s Network. Lee is an accomplished real estate broker who created the business model of Heart to Heart Real Estate that is changing the community by giving a portion of commissions to local charitable organizations, designated by her clients. Since 2013, Heart to Heart has given close to $600,000 to over 50 nonprofits and charities.
1998/99
Amy (Roche) ’99 and Eric Boteilho ’98 have been married for 17 years. She manages a branch of the Los Angeles County Library and Eric works for the Whittier College Office of Enrollment.
In their spare time they love to go to concerts, sporting events, and camping in their trailer.
John Maki ’98 is the executive director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, the state’s public safety research and grant-making agency. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife, two children, and their dog, Argos.
Dr. Delma (Nieves) Villarreal ’98 is a pediatric infectious disease specialist at CHOC Children’s in Orange County, Calif. She has two sons and just got back from a family cruise to Alaska.
2000s
2002
Ryan Fong ’02 earned tenure at Kalamazoo College, where he is now an associate professor of English.
2003
Zachary Stecklein proposed to Nadine Barragan ’09 with the ring that once belonged to his grandmother Ann Marie (Reese) Stecklein ’53. Ann was happily married to Jim Stecklein ’51 for 64 years. She passed away on Dec. 27, 2015.
Attorney and law professor Virginia Suveiu signed a contract to edit a handbook on risk management and the law for Routledge press.
2004
Bride-to-be Danielle Montreal Farve posed with her Whittier College “besties” before her wedding.
2008
◄ Caroline Galvin, associate director of alumni programs and giving at Whittier College, became engaged to Garrett Brabant.
Nicole Greer Golda is an assistant professor of history at Ferrum College in Virginia. She completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in history from the University of Michigan. She is married to Mark Greer Golda, and together they have two children.
Former Poet football player Jared Izidoro was named athletic director of Mater Dei Catholic High School. For the last four years, Izidoro has worked at Mater Dei High School as a social studies teacher and assistant football coach.
Chiropractor Deen (Arenas) Kaplanis has a private practice in Livermore, Calif. She is married to Demitri Kaplanis and is enjoying being a new mom. They recently traveled to Greece.
Katherine Lopez is pursuing her Pupil Personnel Services credential in school counseling to work as a school social worker.
◄ Meredith Wardy and Graeme Kingsland were married on June 9 in Long Beach, Calif. Wardy, an English teacher at Santa Ana High School, met her husband three years ago on Match.com, and they are thrilled to begin their journey as a married couple.
2009
Lance Franey, associate athletic director for communications for Poet Athletics, married Heather Schwartzburg in April 2018.
2010s
2010/2011
Amanda Carrasco ’10 and Bryant Burnstad ’10, WLS ’13 celebrating on campus. Alex Perry ’10 and Sara Perry ’11 just celebrated their daughter’s first birthday—a future Poet water polo player in the making.
Réme Bohlin is in her third year of the Ph.D. program in the English department at the University of Connecticut.
Chris McCleary is a practicing attorney at Ice Miller LLP just outside Chicago. The focus of his practice is corporate transactional law; handling commercial financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions; and general corporate matters.
2012
Valerie Dunn gave birth to Brooklyn Lanae Dunn on March 23, 2018.
◄ Catherine King published her first novel The Ninety-Ninth Bride, a Young Adult fantasy retelling of The Arabian Nights. The book was published by The Book Smugglers, an independent press that specializes in speculative fiction and nonfiction.
2013
San Francisco-based artist and educator Katie Jenkins-Moses had her first solo exhibit, When I listen, I hear those queer sounds..., in the spring in Whittier’s Greenleaf Gallery. She is an interdisciplinary artist working primarily in installation, performance, fiber arts and collage, and discussing issues on agency, feminism and representation. Her work has been in recent group exhibitions at ShockBoxx Gallery, Fort Mason, and Smash Gallery.
Autistic consultant Sue Rubin discussed paving the way for functionally nonverbal people with autism like her to attend college at California Lutheran University’s Third Spectrum of Opportunity Conference. The event is designed to provide advice to college students with autism and professionals who work with them.
2014
Self-proclaimed “theme-park nerd” Damaris Dubon finally lived out her dream of visiting Walt Disney World on a family vacation in April. When she’s not in the happiest place on earth, Dubon has kept busy building playgrounds in Anaheim, and operating rides at Universal Studios Hollywood.
Alejandra Gaeta graduated from the UCLA master’s program in library science and now works as the archivist for the Center for the Study of Political Graphics.
Reggae singer Kelissa McDonald performed at the Cup Match Summer Splash at the National Sports Centre in Bermuda last summer.
2015
Spencer Crews and Frida Soria were married on June 23, 2018 at Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside, Calif. Crews is a fourth-generation Poet, and his parents also met at Whittier College. The newlyweds have made a home in Orange County.
Leandro Fefer was admitted into the highly competitive UC Irvine MFA program for the fall of 2018.
2016
Rosalie Atkinson is a public radio producer for Good Food on KCRW in Los Angeles. “A significant long-term dream come true!”
Shirley Thao does community outreach programming for the Los Angeles Public Library Foundation, where she is doing “amazing and engaging work.”
2018
Leah Boynton began the master’s in higher education administration program at Boston College in the fall.
Priscilla Lam’s short story, Human Race: Library, was published in California’s Emerging Writers journal. Go to whittier.edu/morerock to read the complete story.
▲ Recent graduate Jordan Lingard headed to Australia to continue his basketball career and play for the Warrnambool Seahawks.
Brianna Martinez was a Fulbright semi-finalist and was admitted to the English master’s program at University College Dublin, Ireland.