JoAnn Rockwell Rich ’46 passed away on Nov. 1, 2021, a week after celebrating her 97th birthday at her home in suburban Minneapolis. Along with a solid education at Wellesley, she got a lifelong bonus: Her New York City roommate Eunice Rich Fleissner ’46 introduced her to her brother, Willis Rich. Her marriage to Willis, who retired as vice chair of Norwest Bank, lasted 69 years and included world travel, tennis, golf, and bridge (along with raising three children). Jo was sharp, feisty, and social to the end—even in her final days, she insisted on playing her three hours of bridge! Jo was particularly grateful to the Junior League of Minneapolis and Wellesley Club of Minnesota for their many kindnesses to her.
Andrew Rich, son
Constance Chick Shepard ’47 passed away on July 30, 2021, peacefully in her home in Marion, Mass. The day after graduating from Wellesley, she married her husband, Wentworth “Dut” Dutton Shepard, a Harvard graduate and WWII veteran. She maintained close ties with Wellesley College, becoming the president of the Wellesley Club of Southeastern Massachusetts and acting as a surrogate parent for several foreign students. Her continuous support won her the prestigious Syrena Stackpole Award from the College. The Shepards were married for 60 years, raising four sons and a daughter. She leaves nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Her grace, magical sense of humor, and love for her family will be sorely missed.
Caroline Shepard Bolick, daughter
Margaret “Peggy” Callahan O’Boyle ’48 passed away peacefully on June 9, 2021, in Oak Park, Ill. A Massachusetts native, Peggy attended Wellesley on full scholarship, majoring in chemistry. She was married to James E. O’Boyle and raised six children in Birmingham, Mich. Peggy later worked as a stock administrator at Bendix Corporation in Detroit, and in shareholder relations at Allied-Signal in Morristown, N.J. In retirement, Peggy lived in Wellesley for a few years, then in Charleston, S.C., and more recently, in Oak Park, always near her children. Peggy was known for her dry sense of humor, her love of reading, her independence, and perfect posture. She was always a pillar of strength for her family.
Elizabeth O’Boyle ’75, daughter
Dorothy “Ducky” Honiss Kelso ’48 died peacefully at home after a short illness on Oct. 5, 2021. She grew up in Connecticut and majored in English at Wellesley. After graduation, she taught and shared an apartment with Wellesley friends in Boston. She married James G. Kelso and enjoyed the community of Cambridge, Mass., where he taught. They had four children and nine grandchildren, and settled in Duxbury, Mass., and happily participated in the community. She was a freelance writer for a number of news organizations, including Wellesley magazine, and wrote several books on wildflowers and family genealogies.
Tony Kelso, son
Nancy Shapiro ’48 died on Nov. 8, 2021. The New York Wellesley Seniors Book Group wishes to express our deep sorrow at the loss of Nancy, who died at home at age 94, surrounded by her family. Nancy had been a valued member of our book group since its inception in 2011. Her comments and observations were always insightful and enlightening. Nancy was exceptionally brilliant, as well as kind and generous, and she will be greatly missed by all of us.
Sydney Starr ’61
Mary Meigs Brock ’49 passed away on Nov. 21, 2021. In 1950, she married John Brock, a teacher at Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia. They raised six children and lived in Philadelphia, Lakeville, Conn., and finally in Sandisfield, Mass., while enjoying summers in Vinalhaven, Maine. Following John’s death in 1995, Mary lived briefly in Monterey, Mass., before moving to Cape Elizabeth, Maine. She leaves 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Her interests included animals, land preservation, equality, and world peace. Her full obituary can be found at www.nickersonbourne.com.
Susan Brock Saltonstall
Carolyn Covello Keating ’51 of Marstons Mills, Mass., passed away on Nov. 8, 2021. At Wellesley, Carolyn was a member of the Agora Society and served as an announcer on Wellesley Broadcasting Station (WBS—today WZLY). After she graduated with a major in political science, Carolyn continued to be a student for life, attending poetry and writing classes at Cape Cod Community College. An avid poet with passions for literature, nature, and ornithology, she served as a volunteer cataloguing sea life in Fiji and clearing hiking trails in Maine. Even late in life, she cooked meals for those in need, speaking always of the importance of a simple life with goodwill and honor toward each other.
Liz Munsell, granddaughter
Jane Van Zandt Dingman ’53 died on Oct. 12, 2021. Jane majored in biology at Wellesley. In 1953, she married Lincoln Brower, and they both earned doctorates in zoology at Yale. Her Ph.D. research on how the wing pattern of viceroy butterflies protects them from predation by mimicking the wing pattern of poisonous Monarch butterflies is widely cited in textbooks. Jane and Lincoln had two children, but divorced in 1971. Jane was active in conservation issues, and in that connection met Larry Dingman. They married and moved to Durham, N.H., in 1975, where Jane pursued her love of antiques. Jane and Larry visited Cape Cod every summer and moved there in 2005, where Jane enjoyed gardening and walks at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary.
Larry Dingman, husband
Barbara Bruning McGhie ’54 died on Sept. 27, 2021. She was a superb competitive golfer. During her sophomore year, a Harvard student named Bruce McGhie read a New York Times article about “Bruno’s” winning exploits on the links. He called to congratulate her—and asked to meet her. That was that! They married after graduation. By then, Bruce had become a paraplegic due to a military training accident. They adopted two children, and for 53 years, led devoted, successful lives together. Among her dedications, Barbara ran the volunteer program at New York’s Roosevelt Hospital. Later in life, she demonstrated the same zeal and accomplishment for the pipe organ as she had for golf.
Marion Horton Gebhardt ’54
Beverly Simpson ’54
Mary Rose McAlenney Weiland ’56 died peacefully on Nov. 10, 2021, after a long illness. Mary Rose was born in New Haven, Conn., to Dr. Paul and Mrs. Esther McAlenney. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Peter Weiland; three sons—Peter, Paul, and Stanley—and their spouses; and seven grandchildren. Mary Rose was an accomplished scholar at Wellesley and at Yale, where she earned a master’s degree in 1957. She taught school for several years, both before her marriage in 1960 and after. When she was blessed with children, she devoted her life to them, and their achievements are testimony to her effectiveness as a loving mother. All who knew Mary Rose respected her, and she will be sorely missed.
Peter Weiland, son
Bell Gale Chevigny ’57, who died on Nov. 28, 2021, led a life of intellectual curiosity and service to others despite a disability from polio. She earned a Ph.D. in English literature from Yale, published five books, and taught at four colleges. Her focus was on women’s studies, African American literature, and Latin American literature. She encouraged Latin American writers, and she chaired the prison writing program at PEN America. After a cancer diagnosis, Bell suggested a living memorial rather than a funeral. The party took place on Zoom with friends, former students, and family celebrating her remarkable life.
Helen Austern Colson ’57
Jane Gillespie Brown Grimes ’62 died of cancer at her home in New York on Nov. 2, 2021. Unparalleled grace, dignity, intelligence, savvy, and integrity are how leaders of the Women’s International Professional Tennis Council, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and the United States Tennis Association describe Jane Brown Grimes. The first to lead all three associations, and elected a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014, Jane also led new programs in youth tennis and education. At her death, she was completing a Ph.D. thesis on women’s tennis history for the University of Cambridge. She leaves a daughter and two sons and their families, a brother, and many friends, who miss her dearly.
Martha Reardon Bewick ’62
Beatrix T. Rumford ’62 passed away on Oct. 27, 2021, at her home in Lexington, Va. To family, my aunt was Trixie; to me, this name had moxie. At Wellesley, following my grandmother Rose Clymer Rumford ’34, Trixie deepened her love for the arts and enjoyed the TZE house. Trixie, a fiercely independent woman, commanded a stylish presence when in any room. While my career path took me far from the antiquities that Trixie loved so much, I have applied these Rumford and Wellesley traits! She was incredibly organized, thoughtful, and could wrap presents with such amazing touches! Trixie was loved and will be missed.
Katrinka Bogardus McCallum ’89
Barbara Schwartz Blouin ’62 died on Aug. 2, 2021, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, after several years of illness. Barbie was intelligent and intellectual, held (and acted on) very strong opinions, but also delighted in art history, spring forsythia, Sunday crossword puzzles, and everything Bach. A French major, she went on to Yale, got a Ph.D., married her first husband, and moved to Berkeley, Calif., where she discovered Buddhism. It became her lifelong passion, her spiritual center, and her work, editing the writings of Chogya Rinpoche. She moved to Boulder, Colo., and then Halifax. In 1995 and 1999, she authored two books: on the legacy of inherited wealth, and nannies and housekeepers as second mothers, and she co-founded the Inheritance Project.
Karen Capriles Hodges ’62
Barbara Holway Ilias ’63 died in London on Aug. 11, 2021. Having lived in Turin, Milan, Frankfurt, London, and Connecticut with her family, she always connected with the local Wellesley clubs. In London, she was the U.K. admission rep for many years and organized the first WEAF (Wellesley European Alumnae Forum) in 1999, attended by 250 alumnae from across Europe. A German major, Barbara married her Austrian husband, Peter, who died in 2012, and had two children: Irene and Allan. She was a devoted granny to Peter, Kate, and Jack, and will be forever missed.
Irene Ilias ’91, daughter
Betsy Barasch Plevan ’67 died on Oct. 29, 2021. Betsy was one of the most prominent lawyers of our generation and one of the most down-to-earth people we have known. No airs, no bragging about her professional status, or her ability to juggle the myriad demands of family and career. Betsy had boundless energy. And she had Ken, her husband and partner in everything. Betsy’s vitality lit up the decades we had with her from her days as Pilgrim Laundry Girl in Pomeroy to her arrival at one of our gatherings carrying pastries she had picked up that morning in Paris. We will miss her.
Pomeroy ’67 Band of Sisters
Lora Benjamin Maurer ’67 died on Nov. 7, 2021. She was Phi Beta Kappa, Vil junior, and house president in Pomeroy. Even in college, she exhibited the extraordinary qualities of being fully present and able to listen to others. This was her gift of friendship: her capacity to accompany us as we try to understand ourselves better. She shared her own journey to discover herself and the best way to live her life. She was deeply committed to the Siddha Yoga spiritual path and to her family. Lora was there; she showed up. Everyone who knew her and encountered her caring nature benefited from the connection with our dearest Lora.
Pomeroy ’67 Band of Sisters
Judith Blainey Llewellyn ’67 died on Sept. 1, 2021. Judy loved Cape Cod. She and her mom lived in a wonderful old home in Chatham, and we have good memories of weekend trips there. At school, Judy’s door was always open, and she was ready to listen, help, lend, or sympathize whenever needed. As an English major, she was a great source of help with tricky pronouns, verb tenses, and punctuation. After college, Judy stayed in Boston, married Parker Llewellyn, and moved back to Wellesley, where her daughter, Courtney, was born. After her divorce, Judy moved back to her beloved Chatham. She was a wonderful mother and a truly kind person.
Ann Safier Tettlebaum ’67
Susan Atkinson Nicholson ’67
Wilma Chen Chan ’71 died suddenly on Nov. 3, 2021. Wilma was a trailblazer who enacted many groundbreaking policies throughout her distinguished public service career. A leader and warrior for all that’s good and right in this world, she embodied our school’s motto and was passionate about uplifting the voices of communities often unheard in policymaking spaces. Wilma was an extraordinarily smart, witty, and determined alum who took on challenges headfirst and with steadfast commitment. Wilma will be deeply missed, but her remarkable legacy will endure in the numerous initiatives she founded, individuals she mentored, and the communities dedicated to carrying out her vision. She is survived by her two adult children, two grandchildren, and her beloved pets, Maggie and Sam.
Sarah Oddie ’11
Janis Duncan Taylor ’73 died suddenly from a brain aneurysm in her South Carolina home on Hilton Head Island on Aug. 1, 2021. Born in Claremont, N.H., Janis majored in religion at Wellesley. She married Edmund Taylor in 1975, and they had two sons, Matthew and Ross. She is survived by her husband and sons and their wives, as well as a brother, a sister, and a granddaughter. Janis was a homemaker who made time to volunteer at her favorite charities, including Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust and the New London (N.H.) Food Bank. She liked to work the New York Times crossword puzzle, read murder mysteries, and walk in the early mornings on the beach at Hilton Head. Our sympathies go out to her family and loved ones.
Elizabeth Maupin ’73
Helen Mar Poon ’82 passed away on June 6, 2021. As class president, her energy and enthusiasm were contagious. After Wellesley, Helen practiced law in Florida. She later became an assistant director at Holton-Arms School, where she enriched students’ lives for over a decade. We were privileged to be her close friends and could always rely on her optimistic spirit and unending support. She cherished the loving relationships with her four children: Catherine ’12, Alex ’14, Lauren, and Stephen. In the last few years, Helen found new love with her fiancé, Andrew, and celebrated the arrival of two grandsons. A Zoom call, “Joy for Helen,” was her final gift to ’82 as she said goodbye with grace and courage. She is greatly missed.
Rachel Shapiro ’82
Mary Sue Pruzinsky ’82
Mari Lou Granger CE/DS ’99 passed away on May 13, 2021. Her laugh was infectious and her nature, warm. Life for Mari Lou before Wellesley was raising her children and serving as a business manager at WGBH-Boston. Mari Lou was an American studies major at Wellesley, and she went on to do graduate work at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. She later worked as a finance professional in multiple organizations. Her family (including a grandchild) and friends remember Mari Lou’s approach to life to always find joy and keep moving forward—with lots of ice cream along the way. She is deeply missed.
Janet Tatten McGrath CE/DS ’97
Maribeth Harrington CE/DS ’97
Betty Baxter Sternad MS ’50 passed away on Aug. 29, 2021, in Redding, Conn. She was preceded in death by her husband, George, and is survived by her three children, their spouses, 10 grandchildren, and one great-grandson. After Wellesley, she taught physical education at UCLA. She later taught physical education at Greenwich (Conn.) High School after marrying George in 1952. A longtime resident of Wilton, Conn., Betty served as a founder of the Wilton Woman’s Club, where she was elected the club’s first president in 1966, and again at age 70. She also served on numerous town boards and commissions. In 1991, Betty was honored with the Distinguished Citizen Award for her longstanding volunteer service to the community. Her full obituary is at www.boutonfuneralhome.com
Shelley Sternad Dempsey, daughter
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