The Atlanta Chamber Players – Laura Ardan, Brad Ritchie and Elizabeth Pridgen – performed Tommy J. Anderson’s (C ’69) Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano, Op. 14 on Oct. 13, 2019, at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. (Picture to the left.)
Jonathan Noyalas’ (AS ’01) First-Year Seminar (FYS) course, The Uses, Abuses, and Purposes of History, presented a check for $507 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, making the total amount raised from his FYS courses more than $3,000.
Guy Curtis III (AS ’02) accepted an international award in lifelong learning for Best Marketing by the Learning Resources Network (LERN) on behalf of Lord Fairfax Community College, Workforce Solutions and Continuing Education.
Jarrett Boyd (C ’03) performed “America the Beautiful” at the Swearing-In Ceremony of Delegate-Elect Nancy Guy in December 2019.
John Totten, Jr. (C ’05) began his role as senior manager, Technology FP&A at Credit Karma in San Francisco, California, on Sept. 1, 2019.
Benjamin Luczak (C ’09, ’15) was named the development director for Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, Florida.
Francis Oduah (N ’09) joined the staff of Mercy Personal Physicians in Maryland in December 2019.
Jeremiah Smallridge (C ’12) and West Virginia’s premier men’s chorus will perform a concert on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, at First Presbyterian Church in Fairmont, West Virginia.
Christina Hertzer (N ’13) married Brad Yakubovich on Dec. 23, 2018; Katelyn Blickenstaff (N ’13) was in the wedding party. The couple also welcomed a baby, Gracie Lynn, on March 25, 2018. (Pictured to the right.)
Kevin Kaukl (C ’14) will play piano in a recital known as CELLObration with Roberto Arundale and 12-year-old, Kurtis Kowar at Basalt Library Community Room in Basalt, Colorado.
Kelsey Van Sickler (N ‘14) married Chris Naylor on Nov. 16, 2019; Gregory Van Sickler (B ’11), Caitlin Lee Barnes (AS ’13) and Brittany Guepe Stivers (N ’14) were in the wedding party. Kelsey recently graduated with a master of science in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University and will begin her career as a nurse practitioner with Neurosurgical Associates in Richmond, Virginia. (Pictured to the left.)
Brandon Le’von Adams (B ’15, ’17) married Chasity Toms (AS ’14) on Sept. 7, 2019, at Glencliff Manor in Rustburg, Virginia. William Harper (B ’15), Cody Bottenfield (P ’19), Kye Hopkins (AS ’15, EL ’17), DeShawna Kyle Hopkins (B ’14) and Bryce Mitchell (AS ’14, EL ’17).
David Michael Marsh (HP ’15) was named the head athletic trainer at Penn State Mont Alto.
Kelsey Smith (N ’15) married Derrick Faith on Jan. 31, 2018; their daughter, Sadie Madalene Faith, was born on Nov. 11, 2019.
Chanda McCarty Feathers (AS ’16) welcomed her second daughter, Kaleigh Feathers on Jan. 17, 2018. (Pictured to the right.)
Kelli Hess (C ’18) is an elementary music teacher at Pittsylvania County Public Schools and married Graham Harris (C ’15) on Oct. 12, 2019. Eric Serbu (C ’17) and Olivia Crass (C ’18) were in the wedding party. (Pictured to the left.)
Dot Kelly (C ’18) took on the title of Miss Virginia 2019 in December 2019 when the former Miss Virginia won the title of Miss America 2020.
Kerri Heiderman (AS ’19) was hired as a police recruit by the Manassas City Police Department and graduated from the police academy in December 2019. She was sworn in on Jan. 13, 2020.
Ryan Rothman (AS ’19) and Alyssa Carter (AS ’19) celebrated their marriage with a wedding in early January 2020.
Buck Stanford (P ’18) has been named the vice president and chief pharmacy officer for Indiana University Health.
In Memoriam
Kirby Smith, Jr. (B ’49), of Timberville, Virginia, passed away on Jan. 8, 2020. He owned Timberville Auto Parts for 50 years and Simmers Garage prior to that. Kirby served in the U.S. Army Air Force, was a member and deacon of Broadway Presbyterian Church and formerly served as a trustee at Trinity United Church of Christ in Timberville. He was a councilman for Timberville and member of the Timberville Lions Club for many years. He is survived by his wife and children.
Rennis Carson (’50), of Fairfield, Pennsylvania, passed away on Nov. 17, 2019. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Rennis worked as the Chief Operations Engineer for ITT in Alaska. In his retirement, he lived in the Florida Keys and enjoyed traveling, watching movies and supporting charities for Native Americans. He was a member of the Masons, a 32nd degree Mason, VFW, American Legion, NRA, Golden Eagles, Fraternal Order of Eagles #1758 and Blue Ridge Sportsmen Association. He is survived by his son, step-son, sister and many nieces and nephews.
Allan Wright (C ’64) passed away on Dec. 30, 2019. He was an award-winning band director at York County and Lafayette High School in Williamsburg/James City County. Allan was the director of jazz studies at Shenandoah and received a distinguished alumni award. His composition, “The Count has Time,” was published by Columbia Music. He enjoyed playing golf and traveling with his wife and his church. He is survived by his parents, his sisters, his wife and their children.
William Lee (C ’70), of Leesburg, Virginia, passed away on Dec. 31, 2019. He was the Loudoun County High School Band Director for 12 years and the co-director of New Life for Girls in Hillsboro, Virginia, for three years. William also co-founded Your House Incorporated and was a non-denominational pastor for Christ Fellowship Church in Purcellville, Virginia. Recently, he worked for Intercessors for America, Capitol Hill Prayer Partners, The Jerusalem Connection International, Middle East Research Center, and Koenig’s World Watch Daily. He is survived by his siblings, his wife, his children, and seven (soon to be eight) grandchildren.
Lynnette Wassink James (C ’75), of Hamilton, Virginia, passed away on Dec. 20, 2019. She was a music teacher for 34 years and her most recent position was with Loudoun County Public Schools. Lynnette was a piano accompanist and taught voice lessons. She loved traveling to Maui, spending time with friends and family, and shopping for her home and yard. She is survived by her husband, her children and her granddaughter, Taylor.
Digna Monterrosa Lacey (AS ’79) passed away on Dec. 15, 2019. In her career, she worked at Stanford University, IBM, Comcast and Stanford University Linear Accelerator. She spent much of her earlier years traveling. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, her brothers and sister, and many nieces and nephews.
Betty Jo Halterman Dickerson (B ’84), of Winchester, Virginia, passed away on Dec. 10, 2019. In 1954, she was one of a small group of women who graduated from Northwestern University with a business degree. Early in her career, she worked as a buyer for Marshall Field and Miller & Rhodes, and served as a probation officer for the City of Richmond, Virginia. She later became an elementary school teacher, a computer programming instructor and the manager of the Programming Department at Abex Corporation. She was a member of the Fort Loudoun Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Business and Professional Women’s Association, the Ann Constable Lee Chapter of the Colonial Dames XVII Century, Spurmont Chapter No. 64 as well as Mackinley Chapter No.19 of the Order of the Eastern Star, Winchester Chapter of the American Association of University Women, and a lifetime member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. She also served as president of the Shenandoah University Alumni Association and executive director of the Literacy Volunteers. She is survived by her husband, children and step-children, and four grandchildren.
Gary Nelson (B ’94) passed away on Dec. 27, 2018. He was a lifelong athlete, who climbed the Matterhorn Mountain in Switzerland and had a successful family dentistry practice in Leesburg, Virginia, for 37 years. He is survived by his wife, their children and a grandson.
Colleen Foster (AS ’12) passed away on Dec. 31, 2019. She loved theater, adventure and travel; she taught Spanish to people of all ages. She is survived by her parents, siblings, grandmothers, uncles, aunts and cousins.