“Other” Class Notes

Carole Kirkland Ramser (Col ’85, Educ ’89 L/M) is a speech-language pathologist for Hanover County Public Schools. She is married to Scott E. Ramser, who is a CPA. 

Paul Hurdle (Col ’70, Law ’73 L/M) is looking forward to the Class of 1970’s reunion!

Sunny DiSoco (Engr ’95) looks forward to seeing old friends, reminiscing, and catching up!

Interestingly, Sandy, whom I met on the 1st day at UVA, married me, and we had a boy and a girl together. To date, we’re very happy, and remain married. 🙂  I evolved into a professional salesperson, specializing in information technology sales, holding almost all roles between field sales rep to VP within companies that included local dealerships to major technology manufacturers, such as Canon, Xerox, EFi and Ricoh.  I currently work for Ricoh as a District Business Manager supporting dealerships in the mid-Atlantic area.  Socio-cultural anthropology became a useful template for recognizing cultures, power hierarchies, exchange systems and helping companies understand and choose technology that fits.  I’m still playing computer games, foosball, pool, golf, snow ski and attempt to surf on a log when both time and waves are available.  I travel for work, extensively, mostly windshield time, and I’ve built up a lot of points to explore new locations in moments of spare time.  A good microbrew and fresh exotic scenery still freezes time in my head, and this is very good.  Someday, I’m sure Sandy and I will have time to use the points and travel for fun.  As a 35 year reunion note, I really appreciate and thank UVA for introducing me to so many good lifelong friends over the years.  I also miss friends I made so many years ago, yet drifted away, and write this message to you, should you remember me.  Reading class notes is a non-facebook way of checking in on the past with a tidbit from the present. I also greatly appreciate the flavoring mix UVA and Charlottesville contributed to my continuously evolving perspective of life, work, love, friends and family since graduation.  C’ville hooked me, if only mentally.  Carpe Diem, caveat emptor and Go Hoos!

Luis G. Pedraja (Grad ’94) was named one of the 50 most influential persons in Central Massachusetts by the Worcester Business Journal.

Walter “Casey” King (Engr ’89) recently organized the 12th annual HGTC Addiction and Recovery lecture series.  As a person in long term recovery, King created this event as a way to give back to the local recovery community.  Over the last 12 years, he has been able to work with celebrities in recovery, such as Meredith Baxter, Louis Gossett, Danny Trejo and Mackenzie Phillips to deliver the message of recovery at the college level. All events are free and open to the public. 

Lawrence Familant (Col ’67) made a contribution to the UVA Health Foundation for stem cell research concerning multiple sclerosis in memory of Lloyd A. Godlin.

On Jan. 29, 2019, Delta 468 was crewed by four pilots from New York JFK to Tel Aviv, Israel. Included in the crew were pilots Capt. Doug Ray (Engr ’80), not pictured, First Officer Scott Repass (Col ’00) pictured left, and First Officer Lance Rush (right), whose daughter Emma Rush (Col ’21) is a current student.

Wishing our fellow ’Hoos a joyful holiday season and a happy new year! from Shawn (Col ’01) and Meghan Carroll White (Col ’01 L/M), Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. 

Marcus Holmes (Col ’02 L/M) has been awarded the William & Mary Alumni Association’s 2018 Alumni Fellowship Award for excellence in teaching, research and mentorship.

Doug Smith (Col ’86 L/M) will be serving as the “seeing-eye Doug” to a blind sailor as they sail across the Pacific non-stop from San Diego to Fukushima, Japan, starting Feb. 24, 2019. They hope this Voyage of Inspiration will inspire others to overcome adversity and work to achieve their dreams. They also aim to draw attention to charities that they support and which they hope others will as well. 

Lucy English Gentilhomme (Educ ’77) and her siblings, Ellen English, Lloyd English, Margaret McLewin and cousin, Otis Douglas, commissioned and donated to the University a portrait of their great-grandfather, former Board of Visitors Rector, Sen. C. Harding Walker (Col 1882). The portrait by Bradley Stevens hangs in the board wing of the Rotunda. 

Walker was a member of the BOV from 1917 to 1934 and served in the Virginia Senate for 22 years, during which time he was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1901-02 and president pro tempore.

In 1930, a resolution penned by Dr. Alderman on behalf of the BOV officially stated a “permanent acknowledgement of their obligation to Cyrus Harding Walker for his efficient services as rector, his unfailing courtesy, his sense of justice, his high-minded and unselfish devotion to the interest of the University and his far-seeing vision of the duty and dignity of his Alma Mater.” At the time of Walker’s death in 1934, the board noted that he was “deeply religious and profoundly a Christian” and “broadminded in his tolerance of others who differed from him.” “A man of well developed and firmly held convictions yet he agreed with Thomas Jefferson that the freedom of the mind of every man should be protected. He believed in a popular education that trained men to be trusted, and in a democracy that gave opportunity to all such men to be fairly heard. On his personal side, Walker cultivated and radiated a genial charm. He possessed a benevolent countenance and the light of kindliness shown in his eyes. His spirit was gentle; his heart was pure and he lived a life of good service and died with honor.”

Jaime Wisegarver (Col ’05 L/M), Webb Moore (Engr ’80), Terrence Graves (Law ’91), Jim Cluverius (Col ’64) and Carolyn White (Col ’89) were among many Wahoos who heard Athletics Director Carla Williams speak at the Richmond Bar Association’s luncheon on Sept. 27, 2018. They were thrilled to meet Ms. Williams and hear more about her background and her plans for the future of UVA athletics.  

Jill Orlove (Arch ’91) is exhibiting her artwork in Richmond’s upcoming Craft + Design Show at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Virginia. The show runs Nov. 16-18. Her art has been shown in the National Building Museum and Baltimore’s American Visionary Art Museum. 

Maggie Moriarty (Col ’13) and her husband, Jackson Cox, opened On Point Pupcakes, which makes gourmet treat mixes for dogs. Products are available online and central North Carolina retailers.

Edmund Potter (Arch ’95) traveled with his parents, Clifton W. Potter Jr. (Grad ’64, ’70 L/M) and Dorothy Turner Potter (Grad ’66, ’00 L/M), and his son Landon to the grave of James McConnell at the Lafayette Escadrille Monument in Paris. Most famous for the Icarus sculpture created in his honor on Grounds, McConnell was shot down March 19, 1917. They were on a trip organized by the 116th Infantry Regiment Foundation (Virginia National Guard) to visit World War I sites in France and Belgium as part of the 100th anniversary of the end of the conflict.   

Doug Williams (Com ’07) and Libby Muldoon Williams (Nurs ’07) welcomed their first child, Virginia Grace, on Aug. 29, 2018. The family lives in Arlington, Virginia. Her aunts, Kathryn Muldoon Griffin (Com ’02) and Courtney Muldoon Nazareno (Col ’03), are looking forward to encouraging their niece to be a future Wahoo!

Alexander Cole (Col ’04) and Kate Jerde Cole (Col ’05) welcomed their second daughter, Isabel, on August 30, 2018. Izzy joins big sister, Dylan, age 3, who is cautiously optimistic about the new addition. The family lives in Brooklyn, New York, but will be relocating to Glen Ridge, New Jersey, in the spring.