Alumnae Memorials

June Feinberg Stayman ’48 died on Feb. 11 at age 98. June was a lifetime resident of Newton, Mass., and a proud member of the class of 1948, maintaining many of the friends she made at Wellesley throughout her life. Married to midcentury designer and giftware manufacturer Bennett Stayman until his death in 1996, she was a member of the Ten Aiders fundraisers for Boston Children’s Hospital and the founder of Fieldstone Antiques. She was the mother of John Stayman, who died in 2017, and Susan Hope Stayman of Plymouth, Mass. She was the grandmother of Julian Stayman and Samuel Stayman, and great-grandmother of Cameron Stayman and Taylor Stayman.

Suzy Stayman, daughter

Frances “Dee” Holmes Gladish ’52 died on Oct. 28, 2024. She was predeceased by her husband, Leon, a Presbyterian minister, and her daughter, Debbie (1956–1964). She earned her M.S.W. and was social worker at a school for special needs children. Dee brought joy and compassion to this world and to all who knew her. She committed to Wellesley after hearing Mildred McAfee Horton speak at Macalester College. Dee loved Wellesley and brought her special humor: She played the Minnesota “fight song” on the carillon one afternoon! She is survived by her children, Beth Davis and Kent Gladish, and their families.

Beth Davis, daughter

Andy Kieffer Kirkman ’55 died on Jan. 21. She grew up in Cuba, returning with an international appreciation that inspired those she touched. Andy and husband Walter had a lovely family, and she remained committed to Wellesley friends and true liberalism throughout her life. Andy was part of the remarkable generation of women who successfully navigated the transition from traditional notions of women’s role in society to a modern, multifaceted one. Her career focused on Spanish teaching and assisting Spanish-speaking communities. Andy always found positives in challenging situations, enabling people to move forward and live life’s passions. Her wisdom and fondness for engaged discussion on topical issues were loved by all, with many remarking, “Andy made me smile.”

Kimberly Van Niekerk, daughter

Emy Thomas ’55 died peacefully on March 25 at her home on St. Croix. After Wellesley, she had a respectable career in journalism until she had the opportunity to move to the British Virgin Islands, where she met the love of her life and sailed with him on his catamaran throughout the Caribbean and Pacific for 13 years. Finally, with the threat of pirates and rough waters, she left the boat. Settling on St. Croix, she designed and built her dream house, and she wrote a memoir and three books about living in the Virgin Islands and becoming a “yachtie.” She also became an accomplished painter and environmental activist. Rest in peace, dear friend.

Barbara Solms Lloyd ’55

Verity Smith Hobbs ’58 passed away on April 5 at Chartwell Grenadier Retirement Residence in Toronto at the age of 87. Verity will be missed by all who knew her. She was a talented graphic artist, a choral singer, a cook, and a joyful individual. With her husband, Peter, she founded and ran a print and web design company, appropriately named Verity Graphics, for 24 years. Peter invites you to view Verity’s memorial website, forevermissed.com/verity-smith-hobbs/about, to see a slideshow of her life. You can also leave comments or a tribute on the website.

Peter Hobbs, Verity’s husband for 67 years

Diana Abramson Abrashkin ’60 died on Dec. 12, 2024. I remember Diana from freshman year advanced chemistry class with Miss Crawford. Diana sat in the middle of the class and invariably had her hand up to ask a question. I remember her from then, and later, as a vital, intellectually curious person, with deep spiritual interests. I know less about her career in architecture but would like to learn more. She will be missed.

Barbara Jetter Schowen ’60

Sarah “Sally” Bays Manville ’61 of Annandale, Va., passed away on Feb. 2. Sally had been employed at the Cornell University Library and was a librarian at several schools and public libraries. She raised her children in Madison, Conn., and upstate New York. She enjoyed botanical gardens, arboretums, and flower shows, sharing meals with her family, spending time reading to her grandchildren, and she had a particular fondness for Diet Coke with lots of ice. She is survived by four children, Brock Manville, Robin Ansell, Betsy Emberley, and John Manville; brother Samuel Bays; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Betsy Emberley, daughter

Mara Cepuritis Reynolds ’61 died peacefully on Feb. 20. Due to our shared Latvian heritage, we became instant and lifelong friends during our freshman year. Mara took me back to Riga, the city of my birth, in 1998. During that trip, we sang in the Latvian Song and Dance Festival and marched through the city in our national costumes. She was our guide once again in 2008, when we returned for another Song and Dance Festival with my daughter and granddaughter. Besides Latvia, Mara and I shared a deep interest in the natural world and its conservation. Mara’s kindness and generosity were boundless, and I am so grateful for this friendship that attending Wellesley made happen.

Ileana Zagars Jones ’61

Judith Myers Kinsey ’62, class president, passed away on Sept. 4, 2024. She and her husband raised their two children on a farm in Minnesota while Judy continued her lifelong career with IBM. During her IBM years, she was often the “only woman in the room” and successfully pioneered the way for women who followed. In later years, she left the farm for a senior community, which she enjoyed while still being close to her children and granddaughters. Judy had a lifelong love of music and travel, which she enjoyed in her retirement while also working tirelessly for Wellesley.

Lynette Porteous ’62

Evelyn “Lyn” Wayland Pinkerton ’65 passed away on March 6, 2024. As professor of resource and environmental management at Simon Fraser University, she was instrumental in developing the practice of power sharing and stewardship through co-management agreement. Cooperative Management of Local Fisheries, a book she edited and contributed to, is considered a classic in the field. A devoted folk singer with a beautiful voice, she also played the banjo and dulcimer. Compassionate and gracious, she often opened her home to fellow musicians and others needing a place to stay. Lyn was a dedicated scholar, a wonderful musician, a Southern lady, and my beloved partner.

Terry Akai

Gail Suzedell Saxton ’69 died on April 30. Gail was everything you could ask of a Wellesley woman. For our 50th reunion, she recruited dozens of knitters from our class to knit hundreds of green hatbands, held together with special “69” hat pins she created out of polymer clay, to wear on white garden hats. At our 55th reunion, she designed and created hundreds of unique fabric flowers to attach to the hatbands. She bound our class together with her creativity, quiet enthusiasm, and good humor. At home, she was dedicated to environmental issues and her family.

Nancy Wanderer ’69

Harriet Barr DeMark ’73 died on March 28. Harriet and I shared a rural childhood in Essex County, Massachusetts, and went on to Wellesley. She soon left for the University of New Hampshire, graduating in animal science, and with her husband, Rick, joined the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, where she introduced model dairy farming and drought-resistant grasses. Back in N.H., they raised three children while managing the family’s land, reintroducing native species, developing trails, and fighting for habitat conservation near Lake Winnipesaukee. Her rural origins animated her life until her death from cancer. She remains a model of quiet environmental revolution and accomplishment.

Robin Ingraham Farabaugh ’73

Wendy Parker Knudsen ’73 died on Dec. 18, 2024, after a short struggle with lymphoma. She is much missed by her husband, Mark, daughter Arielle, son-in-law, four siblings, and three grandchildren. She attended Stanford Medical School, planning to be a family physician, but switched to anesthesia, which she practiced for 28 years. Her principal interests were pediatric and high-risk obstetrics anesthesia. Helping her patients was one of her great joys. Wendy enjoyed traveling, visiting much of the U.S. as well as many foreign countries. She enjoyed baking cookies, hiking, kayaking, and walking on the Oregon beaches. She will be missed by all.

Debbie Lavin ’73

Wendy Hochman ’84 died in her sleep on March 11. After Wellesley, Wendy attended Boston College Law School. She worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Wendy loved her days at Wellesley’s pastoral and magnificent campus and the academic and writing guidance at the College. Gratefully she passed that knowledge down to me and countless others. Wendy loved Wellesley, and she exemplified its legacy of fine education by tutoring numerous friends and family. Her interests were baking, herbology, and advocacy for senior parents. These charitable endeavors were encouraged and instilled in her by my parents, as well.

Matthew Hochman, brother