A beautiful corner of the grounds next
to Pembroke East was dedicated on
May 31, 2002, to honor the memory of
Jane Hess Flanders, who passed
away in 2001. The occasion also
marked the start of the Flanders Fund
for Poetry campaign.
A wooden bench has been placed
under a spreading tree and a rock
placed nearby bears a plaque
containing the words of her poem,
Mantises.
to Pembroke East was dedicated on
May 31, 2002, to honor the memory of
Jane Hess Flanders, who passed
away in 2001. The occasion also
marked the start of the Flanders Fund
for Poetry campaign.
A wooden bench has been placed
under a spreading tree and a rock
placed nearby bears a plaque
containing the words of her poem,
Mantises.
IN MEMORIAM |
Sondra Weinberg Wilson--May 13, 1974
Linda Fish Compton--May 19, 1989
Abigail (Harriet) Brill Hoopes--July 11, 1990
Susanna Sheffield--August 22, 1996
Janet Tribe Taub--July 15, 1998
Jane Hess Flanders--April 12, 2001
Bernice Katz Noble—November 8, 2003
(Professor of Microbiology at SUNY Buffalo)
Abigail (Gail) Reynolds Werwaiss—March 6, 2004
Elizabeth (Betsy) Ross Balderston—April 17, 2004
(Former Executive Secretary on Aging, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Head Class Collector, Reunion Volunteer)
Erica Hamilton Weeder—January 30,2005
(Board of Directors, Inform, Inc.)
Linda Davis Cirino--June 27, 2007
Margaret Reynolds Schiele--November 11, 2007
Gail Shindell Alenick--December 7, 2007
Jane Ward Newhall—April 22, 2008
(Child Psychologist, Child Study Institute-Bryn Mawr College)
Marianna Pinchot Avery—January 25, 2009
Marita Viglione Richards—March 28, 2009
Eleanor Snouck Hurgronje Wikborg—April 1, 2009
Carole Lemon McMichael—April 30, 2009
Linda Fish Compton--May 19, 1989
Abigail (Harriet) Brill Hoopes--July 11, 1990
Susanna Sheffield--August 22, 1996
Janet Tribe Taub--July 15, 1998
Jane Hess Flanders--April 12, 2001
Bernice Katz Noble—November 8, 2003
(Professor of Microbiology at SUNY Buffalo)
Abigail (Gail) Reynolds Werwaiss—March 6, 2004
Elizabeth (Betsy) Ross Balderston—April 17, 2004
(Former Executive Secretary on Aging, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Head Class Collector, Reunion Volunteer)
Erica Hamilton Weeder—January 30,2005
(Board of Directors, Inform, Inc.)
Linda Davis Cirino--June 27, 2007
Margaret Reynolds Schiele--November 11, 2007
Gail Shindell Alenick--December 7, 2007
Jane Ward Newhall—April 22, 2008
(Child Psychologist, Child Study Institute-Bryn Mawr College)
Marianna Pinchot Avery—January 25, 2009
Marita Viglione Richards—March 28, 2009
Eleanor Snouck Hurgronje Wikborg—April 1, 2009
Carole Lemon McMichael—April 30, 2009
Others are encouraged to share their memories of classmates here. Please notify us of omissions or
corrections. Send an e-mail to dhiller@aol.com
corrections. Send an e-mail to dhiller@aol.com
Classmates Share Their Memories
Abigail (Gail) Reynolds Werwaiss & Elizabeth (Betsy) Balderston
—I think maybe we tend to feel closer and more connected to one another the farther we move away from college. At least, I feel that way. It
made me very sad to learn that we have lost Gail and Betsy. Though I didn't know her well, I remember Gail's burning desire to join the Navy
("because I have just spent four years without men!"), and how splendid she looked in her dress whites. Betsy had such a great sense of
humor, and I always enjoyed talking with her at reunions about her work and her totally admirable life of service. (Heddy Fairbank Reed)
--As two of Betsy's friends and classmates at Merion Hall, we would like to share our fond memories of her - both at college and thereafter. We
remember her steadfast loyalty to family, friends and causes, her pleasure in sharing her wide knowledge of medieval times and we value her
delightful sprightly letters. Betsy devoted herself unsparingly – and with enormous creativity--to issues related to the care of the elderly. In
2001 and 2002 after the recurrence of her cancer, Betsy wrote, "what are the lessons in all of this, I ask myself? It appears that I need to work
on taking care of myself, not just of other people, that I need to figure out what I want to do, and am called to do, and figure out how to do
it."....I don’t have to earn my place in the human race; I am already a member in good standing. ... I am working on changing my life so that
it fits better, identifying things that make my heart sing and ditching habits/things that do not. “ She certainly was a member in good standing
in the human race, whose heart sang. Her generosity and courage set an example for all of us. She will be much missed by the Class of 1962.
(Priscilla Perkins Grew & Eleanor Snouck Hurgronje Wikborg )
—I would like to offer a detail of Betsy's life that has not been included in the information here. She was the "oldest" first-time mother in our
class... When she came to our 25th reunion she brought 6-week-old Hilary with her! And in the write-up she submitted for that reunion she told
the story of the baby - how she had married late, nothing seemed to work, and they had given up hope of being parents! At our 40th 2 years
ago I had the pleasure of renewing my memory of all that with her. And I chuckled over her "stats" in the 40th reunion book - many other class
members' kids were in heavy professional positions, and her son was in the 9th or 10th grade!! He must be only 17 now - and I am so sorry he
lost his mom. (Katharine Neely Caufield)
I met Gail on Day 1 at college because we had identical small rooms opposite each other in what had been a suite at the very end of the
corridor on the ground level of Rhoads. Everyone else was from the upper classes, all there in agreement to share the smoker with their friends.
We were separate. And lonely. She was 16, came from New London, CT, a redhead full of spirit, generous, and sharing her good sense of
humor... Gail joined the Navy and spent summers in training. At graduation a naval official was there to present Gail with her commission.
Miss McBride introduced the officer, saying "This is the first time a commission has been awarded to a graduating student since World War II
ended." Gail was stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where she met her husband "Willie" Werwaiss. When the reunion book for our 25th
came out in 1987 I contacted Gail. Her sense of humor was evident in her write-up for the book, in which she said she spent a lot of time
singing, realizing that life is short. (I've been thinking about that lately.) (Katharine Neely Caufield)
Bernice Katz Noble
— Bernice and I became good friends during our post Bryn Mawr years in Buffalo. She was a constant in my life until her untimely death in
2003. We lived in the same suburban community, had sons who were high school classmates, “did lunch” together and often met by chance at
science seminars or neighborhood stores. Bernice was a remarkably articulate, witty, impassioned individual and without exception, our
conversations were unfailingly stimulating and thought provoking. Bernice spent ~35 years at SUNY at Buffalo, first as a graduate student,
and ultimately, as Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine. She is remembered by her colleagues as “a very good,
careful scientist, a well-read, highly intelligent person and an excellent, rigorous teacher." In truth, her long term impact on the University
reached far beyond her academic accomplishments. During her considerable years as a member of Buffalo’s academic community, Bernice
emerged as a staunch campus advocate for women’s equality and likewise, as a champion of students’ and employees’ rights. In 1996,
Bernice was appointed as co-chair of The President’s Task Force on Women at the University. With Bernice as its principal author, the task
force’s final report carefully documented and analyzed salaries and promotion patterns of faculty women, confirmed previously perceived
disparities and laid the groundwork for major changes at the University -- salary increases for women, expansion of child-care facilities on the
campus and establishment of a comprehensive affirmative action office. In the year following her death, University Archivists assembled and
featured a campus exhibit, designed to highlight the achievements of female faculty and staff members, and their contributions to UB over the
past 100 years. The exhibit, "Women's Work: A Tribute to the Women Who Make UB Work", was dedicated to Bernice’s memory.
(Janice Richman Sufrin)
Jane Ward Newhall
--Although I have memories of Jane Ward Newhall’s cheerful presence during our college years, I did not know her well then. Most memories
are from the years following college when I was planning and attending reunions as class president. My goal was to widen the number of class
volunteers but if this effort fell short, and it often did, I knew I could count on Jane ,not only to fill in but to exceed expectations. Jane was one
of our classmates who raised their families and then continued her education. She went back to Bryn Mawr and later became the Director of
Psychotherapy at the College’s Child Study Institute. (Daryl Hansen Hiller)
Marianna Pinchot Avery
—Marianna [Pinchot Avery] and I went skiing - I think it was spring break our freshman year. We stopped for a night in NYC and stayed with
her grandmother in a most impressive Park Avenue apartment where the doorman wasn't too impressed by our skis, baggage and assorted
paraphernalia. Her grandmother, however, was warm and welcoming. We headed to Vermont, near Stowe where she had secured jobs for us
at a then small exclusive lodge called Foster's Place. We helped with breakfast, made beds, hurried to the slopes, came back in time to help
with dinner and dishes. The Aga Khan (then at Harvard, I think) was staying there at the time. He was known to all as Kay, but we discovered
his real identity and were thrilled. He was a lot of fun and there was a fair bit of teasing back and forth. We delighted ourselves by short-
sheeting his bed one night. We had other good times at Bryn Mawr but I sadly lost touch with her after we graduated. She was a gentle, warm
lovely and very real person. The news of her death comes as a shock of great sorrow. (Mary Beebe)
—My own memories of Marianna include living in adjacent rooms in East House first semester of our freshman year and her kindness in
inviting me to share that Thanksgiving with her family. It was an unforgettable weekend with wonderful, welcoming people. I also recall the
intrigue she led to keep our class animal hidden. I suspect no one was looking, and I don’t remember what the animal was. (Barbara Bauman
Morrison)
—Eleanor’s (Snouck Hurgronje Wikborg) funeral was held in the beautiful 13th-century cathedral of the charming old world town of Strängnäs,
Sweden, located about an hour west of Stockholm. Eleanor and Erland bought an apartment for their retirement there and planned to divide
their time during the year between Strängnäs and the 14th-century tower house that they renovated in Corciano, Italy. For the reception
afterward, where speeches were made in Eleanor’s memory, Erland asked me to read excerpts that Eleanor had selected for her funeral from
the traditional hymn ”Abide With Me” by H.F. Lyte (1793-1847) which was also sung by the congregation in Swedish during the service. I
prepared the talk, included below, for the reception to present the quotation that Eleanor had chosen. (Priscilla Perkins Grew)
Abigail (Gail) Reynolds Werwaiss & Elizabeth (Betsy) Balderston
—I think maybe we tend to feel closer and more connected to one another the farther we move away from college. At least, I feel that way. It
made me very sad to learn that we have lost Gail and Betsy. Though I didn't know her well, I remember Gail's burning desire to join the Navy
("because I have just spent four years without men!"), and how splendid she looked in her dress whites. Betsy had such a great sense of
humor, and I always enjoyed talking with her at reunions about her work and her totally admirable life of service. (Heddy Fairbank Reed)
--As two of Betsy's friends and classmates at Merion Hall, we would like to share our fond memories of her - both at college and thereafter. We
remember her steadfast loyalty to family, friends and causes, her pleasure in sharing her wide knowledge of medieval times and we value her
delightful sprightly letters. Betsy devoted herself unsparingly – and with enormous creativity--to issues related to the care of the elderly. In
2001 and 2002 after the recurrence of her cancer, Betsy wrote, "what are the lessons in all of this, I ask myself? It appears that I need to work
on taking care of myself, not just of other people, that I need to figure out what I want to do, and am called to do, and figure out how to do
it."....I don’t have to earn my place in the human race; I am already a member in good standing. ... I am working on changing my life so that
it fits better, identifying things that make my heart sing and ditching habits/things that do not. “ She certainly was a member in good standing
in the human race, whose heart sang. Her generosity and courage set an example for all of us. She will be much missed by the Class of 1962.
(Priscilla Perkins Grew & Eleanor Snouck Hurgronje Wikborg )
—I would like to offer a detail of Betsy's life that has not been included in the information here. She was the "oldest" first-time mother in our
class... When she came to our 25th reunion she brought 6-week-old Hilary with her! And in the write-up she submitted for that reunion she told
the story of the baby - how she had married late, nothing seemed to work, and they had given up hope of being parents! At our 40th 2 years
ago I had the pleasure of renewing my memory of all that with her. And I chuckled over her "stats" in the 40th reunion book - many other class
members' kids were in heavy professional positions, and her son was in the 9th or 10th grade!! He must be only 17 now - and I am so sorry he
lost his mom. (Katharine Neely Caufield)
I met Gail on Day 1 at college because we had identical small rooms opposite each other in what had been a suite at the very end of the
corridor on the ground level of Rhoads. Everyone else was from the upper classes, all there in agreement to share the smoker with their friends.
We were separate. And lonely. She was 16, came from New London, CT, a redhead full of spirit, generous, and sharing her good sense of
humor... Gail joined the Navy and spent summers in training. At graduation a naval official was there to present Gail with her commission.
Miss McBride introduced the officer, saying "This is the first time a commission has been awarded to a graduating student since World War II
ended." Gail was stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where she met her husband "Willie" Werwaiss. When the reunion book for our 25th
came out in 1987 I contacted Gail. Her sense of humor was evident in her write-up for the book, in which she said she spent a lot of time
singing, realizing that life is short. (I've been thinking about that lately.) (Katharine Neely Caufield)
Bernice Katz Noble
— Bernice and I became good friends during our post Bryn Mawr years in Buffalo. She was a constant in my life until her untimely death in
2003. We lived in the same suburban community, had sons who were high school classmates, “did lunch” together and often met by chance at
science seminars or neighborhood stores. Bernice was a remarkably articulate, witty, impassioned individual and without exception, our
conversations were unfailingly stimulating and thought provoking. Bernice spent ~35 years at SUNY at Buffalo, first as a graduate student,
and ultimately, as Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine. She is remembered by her colleagues as “a very good,
careful scientist, a well-read, highly intelligent person and an excellent, rigorous teacher." In truth, her long term impact on the University
reached far beyond her academic accomplishments. During her considerable years as a member of Buffalo’s academic community, Bernice
emerged as a staunch campus advocate for women’s equality and likewise, as a champion of students’ and employees’ rights. In 1996,
Bernice was appointed as co-chair of The President’s Task Force on Women at the University. With Bernice as its principal author, the task
force’s final report carefully documented and analyzed salaries and promotion patterns of faculty women, confirmed previously perceived
disparities and laid the groundwork for major changes at the University -- salary increases for women, expansion of child-care facilities on the
campus and establishment of a comprehensive affirmative action office. In the year following her death, University Archivists assembled and
featured a campus exhibit, designed to highlight the achievements of female faculty and staff members, and their contributions to UB over the
past 100 years. The exhibit, "Women's Work: A Tribute to the Women Who Make UB Work", was dedicated to Bernice’s memory.
(Janice Richman Sufrin)
Jane Ward Newhall
--Although I have memories of Jane Ward Newhall’s cheerful presence during our college years, I did not know her well then. Most memories
are from the years following college when I was planning and attending reunions as class president. My goal was to widen the number of class
volunteers but if this effort fell short, and it often did, I knew I could count on Jane ,not only to fill in but to exceed expectations. Jane was one
of our classmates who raised their families and then continued her education. She went back to Bryn Mawr and later became the Director of
Psychotherapy at the College’s Child Study Institute. (Daryl Hansen Hiller)
Marianna Pinchot Avery
—Marianna [Pinchot Avery] and I went skiing - I think it was spring break our freshman year. We stopped for a night in NYC and stayed with
her grandmother in a most impressive Park Avenue apartment where the doorman wasn't too impressed by our skis, baggage and assorted
paraphernalia. Her grandmother, however, was warm and welcoming. We headed to Vermont, near Stowe where she had secured jobs for us
at a then small exclusive lodge called Foster's Place. We helped with breakfast, made beds, hurried to the slopes, came back in time to help
with dinner and dishes. The Aga Khan (then at Harvard, I think) was staying there at the time. He was known to all as Kay, but we discovered
his real identity and were thrilled. He was a lot of fun and there was a fair bit of teasing back and forth. We delighted ourselves by short-
sheeting his bed one night. We had other good times at Bryn Mawr but I sadly lost touch with her after we graduated. She was a gentle, warm
lovely and very real person. The news of her death comes as a shock of great sorrow. (Mary Beebe)
—My own memories of Marianna include living in adjacent rooms in East House first semester of our freshman year and her kindness in
inviting me to share that Thanksgiving with her family. It was an unforgettable weekend with wonderful, welcoming people. I also recall the
intrigue she led to keep our class animal hidden. I suspect no one was looking, and I don’t remember what the animal was. (Barbara Bauman
Morrison)
—Eleanor’s (Snouck Hurgronje Wikborg) funeral was held in the beautiful 13th-century cathedral of the charming old world town of Strängnäs,
Sweden, located about an hour west of Stockholm. Eleanor and Erland bought an apartment for their retirement there and planned to divide
their time during the year between Strängnäs and the 14th-century tower house that they renovated in Corciano, Italy. For the reception
afterward, where speeches were made in Eleanor’s memory, Erland asked me to read excerpts that Eleanor had selected for her funeral from
the traditional hymn ”Abide With Me” by H.F. Lyte (1793-1847) which was also sung by the congregation in Swedish during the service. I
prepared the talk, included below, for the reception to present the quotation that Eleanor had chosen. (Priscilla Perkins Grew)
| REMEMBRANCES |
Eleanor was my best friend for 50 years. She was like a sister to me, the sister that I had never had since I was an only
child—an older sister who had always gone on ahead of me in life, so that I was always learning from her.
I remember our first time going to the movies in the historic Bryn Mawr Theater in the fall of 1958. As we walked out of the
Theater afterward, she said ”What did you think was the moral of the story? What was the director trying to say?” But before
Bryn Mawr I had only gone to movies to be entertained; it had not occurred to me that you were supposed to analyze and
discuss them! Eleanor introduced me to that wonderful world of discussing, analyzing and thinking about what you have
seen in a play or movie. She introduced me to the search for meaning.
So what is the ”moral of the story” of Eleanor’s funeral on this beautiful April day of spring flowers and renewal? What do her
life and death mean to us? Each of us will have a very personal and private answer to those questions.
Eleanor very carefully planned her own funeral service and intentionally chose the texts that were read and sung today. So
what was she trying to say to us in planning her own service? We know that she had a special appreciation for the power of
words and that she devoted her career to the written word, so her choices are important.
Erland has asked me to read in English Eleanor’s selection of some of the verses in the hymn ”Abide With Me” that we sang
in the cathedral earlier today. Why did she choose this particular hymn?
”Abide With Me” means stay with me, remain with me, live with me—don’t leave me alone. I think Eleanor chose this hymn
because it confronts head-on the loneliness and helplessness of illness, dying and death. I think her message to us in
choosing these words is that we each need to find something to hold on to that will comfort us when we face that ultimate
loneliness. Eleanor never liked to be left alone very long. I think that is why the words ”Abide With Me” – stay with me—were
so powerful to her.
In facing our own loneliness, we may not choose the words of a Victorian hymn like Eleanor did. We may want something
more contemporary—but Eleanor’s message to us is that we need to search for something that we can rely on for meaning
and comfort. We need to invest in our relationships that help to shield us against loneliness, and we need to seek sources of
comfort that can sustain us even beyond.
As we each examine what Eleanor’s life means to us, as we reflect on the legacy she leaves us that transcends her death, as
we celebrate the transmission of what she accomplished in her life to the next generations, I would like to read a few lines
from another poem by Henry Lyte, the same author who wrote ”Abide With Me.” These words were written as he himself
faced terminal illness. His poem ”Declining Days” touches on what Eleanor wanted to accomplish in her service today
Lyte wrote,
But might I leave behind
Some blessing for my fellows, some fair trust
To guide, to cheer, to elevate my kind
When I am in the dust.
And finally, here are the words Eleanor selected from ”Abide With Me” for this remembrance (verses 1 and 2, and parts of
verses 7 and 8 as combined by Eleanor):
Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. -- Luke xxiv.29
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
child—an older sister who had always gone on ahead of me in life, so that I was always learning from her.
I remember our first time going to the movies in the historic Bryn Mawr Theater in the fall of 1958. As we walked out of the
Theater afterward, she said ”What did you think was the moral of the story? What was the director trying to say?” But before
Bryn Mawr I had only gone to movies to be entertained; it had not occurred to me that you were supposed to analyze and
discuss them! Eleanor introduced me to that wonderful world of discussing, analyzing and thinking about what you have
seen in a play or movie. She introduced me to the search for meaning.
So what is the ”moral of the story” of Eleanor’s funeral on this beautiful April day of spring flowers and renewal? What do her
life and death mean to us? Each of us will have a very personal and private answer to those questions.
Eleanor very carefully planned her own funeral service and intentionally chose the texts that were read and sung today. So
what was she trying to say to us in planning her own service? We know that she had a special appreciation for the power of
words and that she devoted her career to the written word, so her choices are important.
Erland has asked me to read in English Eleanor’s selection of some of the verses in the hymn ”Abide With Me” that we sang
in the cathedral earlier today. Why did she choose this particular hymn?
”Abide With Me” means stay with me, remain with me, live with me—don’t leave me alone. I think Eleanor chose this hymn
because it confronts head-on the loneliness and helplessness of illness, dying and death. I think her message to us in
choosing these words is that we each need to find something to hold on to that will comfort us when we face that ultimate
loneliness. Eleanor never liked to be left alone very long. I think that is why the words ”Abide With Me” – stay with me—were
so powerful to her.
In facing our own loneliness, we may not choose the words of a Victorian hymn like Eleanor did. We may want something
more contemporary—but Eleanor’s message to us is that we need to search for something that we can rely on for meaning
and comfort. We need to invest in our relationships that help to shield us against loneliness, and we need to seek sources of
comfort that can sustain us even beyond.
As we each examine what Eleanor’s life means to us, as we reflect on the legacy she leaves us that transcends her death, as
we celebrate the transmission of what she accomplished in her life to the next generations, I would like to read a few lines
from another poem by Henry Lyte, the same author who wrote ”Abide With Me.” These words were written as he himself
faced terminal illness. His poem ”Declining Days” touches on what Eleanor wanted to accomplish in her service today
Lyte wrote,
But might I leave behind
Some blessing for my fellows, some fair trust
To guide, to cheer, to elevate my kind
When I am in the dust.
And finally, here are the words Eleanor selected from ”Abide With Me” for this remembrance (verses 1 and 2, and parts of
verses 7 and 8 as combined by Eleanor):
Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. -- Luke xxiv.29
Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
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