Barbara Jackson Allgeier ’42 died on Feb. 2 in Mount Vernon, N.Y. She was 102. Barbara was born in Toledo, Ohio. In 1931, her family moved to West Orange, N.J., which would be home for the next 79 years. She graduated from West Orange High School, along with the boy across the street, Fred Allgeier. They married in June 1943, before his deployment to Australia and the South Pacific. After the war, Barbara and Fred settled in West Orange to raise their family. They shared their interest in dogs through involvement in the K-9 Obedience Training Club of Essex County, N.J., as members of The Stewards Club of the AKC, and as co-founders of the Pound Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), in Montclair, N.J. Barbara had dogs until she was 96. Her three children survive her.

Christopher Allgeier, son

Dorothy “Dotsy” Mott Brittingham ’48 passed away on April 2. A proud alumna, she recalled her college years as some of the happiest in her life. At Wellesley, she made many lifelong friends, including her roommate and future sister-in-law, Sally Brittingham Wallace ’48. She served as class secretary, enjoying receiving news from former classmates and writing the 1948 class notes. She is survived by her six children as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was laid to rest at Lambshead Ranch in Albany, Texas, next to her husband, Thomas Evans Brittingham II.

Margaret Brittingham Brant ’77, daughter

Barbara Shultz Robinson ’51 passed away peacefully on March 22 in Cleveland. Barbara was a Phi Beta Kappa Durant Scholar. She majored in psychology and philosophy. She served as a member of the College’s president’s resource committee and as a regional representative and member of the national leadership gifts committee. After graduating, she attended the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business. Throughout her life, she was at the forefront of efforts to promote and support the arts and culture locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. She was married to Larry Robinson, who predeceased her, and is survived by three children and six grandchildren.

Lisa Robinson, daughter

Barbara Kuehn Belew ’52 died on Feb. 11, the day after celebrating her 92nd birthday with family and a little bourbon. She was born on Feb. 10, 1931, in Minneapolis. After graduation from Wellesley as an art major, she married Richard Belew and had four children. She later went to work as a technical illustrator and pursued a degree in engineering, launching that degree at age 49. She worked in that field for 16 years. She was an avid traveler, recognizing beauty all around her, in people, the world and the visual arts. She created many objects of beauty, but her greatest work of art was her life. She was a marvelous entertainer and cook and opened her home to all. She enjoyed taking each of her grandchildren on the trip of their choice, creating lasting memories for them both.

Susan Kuehn Boyd ’47, sister

Constance Frye Martinson ’53 died on March 9. Connie loved the English language, its words, its literature. When she died, the Los Angeles Times called her the grande dame of letters in LA, and included a picture of her in a room crammed with books. Connie’s email address was “talksbooks,” and for 40 years she hosted a cable TV program featuring authors from Barack Obama to Ray Bradbury and even me, for my book of poems, Catalina Eddy—and she actually read every book before the interview. She always signed off by asking viewers to patronize their local library. I once asked her husband, movie and TV director Leslie Martinson, how they managed with two career egos in the marriage, and he said, “It’s simple. I’m the director, she’s the star.”

Lorine Parks ’53

Ruth Geisel Mansergh ’53 died on Jan. 1. Education was everything to my mother. She was a teacher all her life, like her mother, who taught Spanish at Dana Hall, where my mother also went to prep for Wellesley. She later attended the universities of Milan, Madrid, Harvard, and finally Stanford, where she earned her master’s degree. She taught grammar school, middle school, high school, and finally was a professor of English, Spanish, and ESL. She was also a lifelong student, continually returning to the classroom to satisfy her curiosity. Teaching kept her young, and she could give back to a new generation what she learned.

Heywood Mansergh, son

Elinor Shaps Turkanis ’53 passed away on Nov. 25, 2022. Elinor often spoke of her love for Wellesley’s “magnificent campus along a lake sparkling in the morning sunlight.” She met her Marvin when he mistakenly attended a Wellesley mixer. They celebrated their 67th anniversary in June 2022. She took great joy in the happy lives of her daughters and grandchildren. Elinor enjoyed bridge, flower arranging, landscaping, enamelwork, and painting. Active in a major women’s charitable organization, she served as its local president. She traveled the world with Marvin, often extending business trips into glorious vacations. She also enjoyed camping, sailing, and family trips.

Caroline Turkanis ’19, granddaughter

Hannelore Freydberg Blew ’54 died on March 30 in Allentown, Pa. Born in Konigsberg, Germany, she immigrated in 1939 to Cuba before settling in Forest Hills, N.Y. After graduating from Wellesley, she married and moved with her husband, Wilbur, to Allentown, helping found and then serve as president of the Lehigh Valley Wellesley Club. Hannelore’s Lutheran faith was her calling, and her life’s work was as Christian education director and parish administrator for her church. In retirement, she was a tour de force in Lehigh Valley’s Habitat for Humanity. She is survived by three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.

Alison Pearson Arya ’12, granddaughter

Marjorie “Midge” Small Skwire ’59 died on March 21, at 86. Midge earned her M.Ed. from Harvard in 1960. While there, she met David Skwire. They settled in Rocky River, Ohio, where Midge became director of religious education at West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church. In 1980, she was ordained as a minister of religious education, a position she held at West Shore until retiring in 2003. She became a leader in the Unitarian Universalist denomination and in 1999 was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree by Meadville Lombard Theological School. In retirement, she continued her dedication to education, teaching adult literacy courses and serving as a reading buddy to elementary school children. Her husband, three children, and five grandchildren survive her.

Jessica Skwire Routhier, daughter

Rachel Avery Connell ’91 passed away on March 14. At Wellesley, she was known for her rich mezzo and jazz scat as a Wellesley Widow, her work as a Russian studies major, and for spearheading the divestment portfolio from the College’s South African holdings during her time as a student trustee. After earning her M.B.A., Rachel dedicated herself to championing education and opportunities for young women; two accomplishments of which she was proud were serving on the board of Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and her tenure as rector/head of school at Chatham Hall girls’ preparatory school in Virginia. She leaves her beloved family (particularly her cherished son, Sasha, whom she adopted from Russia), and numerous friends. I feel incredibly lucky to have counted myself one of them.

Kathleen Fitzgerald ’91

Misti Hewatt Yang ’01 passed away on March 23 in the company of her husband of 17 years, Bobby Yang. She was 44. Misti’s multifaceted life as a writer, scholar, spouse, and dear friend was characterized by her endless curiosity and tireless intellect. She worked as a food critic, freelance journalist, independent scholar, and professor for whom language was a source of endless fascination. As a student, she served the Wellesley community as an resident assistant, pub manager, senator, and eventually director of on-campus affairs, organizing memorable gatherings like Lake Day, a rave, and many fun concerts. She is deeply missed.

Heather Miller ’01 and Kristen Looney ’01