Smith College Class of 1966

Letter from Fund Team Coordinator Diana Kopp McDonough

Fall 2025

Dear ‘66er Classmates,

Can you believe we are heading back to our 60^th Reunion?!  And in our 80’s?  It really doesn’t seem possible.

This is your chance to pay it forward to Smith.  Think of the ways Smith changed and enriched your life.  You can help make that possible for others by your gift.

Our goals for our 60^th reunion are very memorable – $600,000 with 60% class participation.

We hope at least $250,000 of that $600,000 will be for our Class of 1966 Endowed Scholarship Fund, a legacy investment the income from which will provide permanent scholarship funds for future Smith women.

We recognize these may not be your biggest earning years, but you can share your wealth through your will (60% of  any bequest of $10,000 or more counting towards our class dollar goals) or by a pledge over time.  The total amount of your pledge in any amount, up to 5 years, will be counted as a current gift for our 60^th.

Thank you so much for your support of Smith.  For more details see our fundraising webpage.

– Diana

Diana Kopp McDonough
Fund Team Coordinator

Letter from Class President and Class Memorial Gift Co-Chairs, Ellen Roop Fisher and Ann Shapiro Zartler: New Policy on Death Notices for Class of ’66

Recent Deaths of Members of the Class of ’66 

As of April 2025:

H. Patricia Harris Jones

Pat died at the age of 79 on March 23, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee, surrounded by friends and family, and with compassionate care from Alive Hospice in her final days. Her sister and brother-in-law cared for her for several years before that. She attended Smith for two years, where she lived in Wilder House and was proud to be a “Wilder Wench.”

Pat was married to Dr. Howard Jones, former chair of the Department of OBGYN at Vanderbilt University. Her support as advisor and editor was invaluable to his career. She was a dedicated volunteer at Vanderbilt Hospital for decades, where she was a patient advocate and spent time with dying AIDS patients who were estranged from their families. She was also an active member and past president of the Nashville Herb Society, as well as a former board member of Planned Parenthood of Nashville and the Metro Nashville Girl Scout Council. She was direct, outspoken, and very funny – a lively and intelligent presence at any gathering. Pat was known as a hostess, versatile cook, creative gardener, and supporter of family.

Pat is survived by two children and their families including four grandchildren, four siblings, and many nieces and nephews.

Martha Bonnell Hand Sheldon

Martha was born September 15, 1944, to Richard and Sylvia Bonnell. She died August 9, 2024, following a car accident. She lived in Emerson House at Smith for two years, also attended Rhode Island School of Design, and received her bachelor’s degree from Boston University. She later earned a certificate in wetlands management from the University of Washington Extension. Throughout her life Martha continued learning, particularly about dinosaurs, early hominids, birds, and the World War II Pacific Theater. Martha grew up in a close family in Orleans, MA, spent lots of time outdoors and with her family’s animals, and became an award-winning equestrian. She was married to Robert Hand of Orleans, MA, and then to Charlie Sheldon of Seattle, WA before her marriage to Brian Harrington of Cedarville, MA.

Professionally, Martha worked as a graphic designer, an art and substitute teacher, and in administration of conservation organizations. After retirement, she became an avid traveler and birder with Brian, photographing birds in their native habitat, and leading local birding trips. Martha was also a patron of the visual and performing arts.

Martha is survived by her husband, three children and their families, and two older sisters and their families.

Barbara J. Potter Robinson

Barbara Potter Robinson died on December 14, 2024. At Smith, she lived in Baldwin House, majored in Hispanic Studies, and was known as Barbi. We will have more information from her family by the time we send our next mailing on classmates’ deaths.

Julia Ann Turnquist Bradley 

Julia Ann Turnquist Bradley died May 2, 2024.  No obituary has appeared, so  the following information has been pulled from various sources online.

Julia majored in American Studies at Smith and lived in Wilder House.  Her engagement to Lee Richards Bradley of Weston, CT was announced in the New York Times in April of her senior year, and they were married in Helen Hills Hills Chapel on June 6, 1966.  She earned a MAT in 1967, and a Master of Library/Information Science in 1970, both from Columbia University. She then  earned a JD from the University of Connecticut and started work for Connecticut Legal Services, both in 1979. She was a staff attorney specializing in Dis ability, Family, and American Indian law.

She entered her current spouse/partner in the Smith College Network as Keith Acker.  A 2023 obituary for Keith Woodhull Acker of Cromwell, CT says that he  was married to Julia for 37 years.  At the time of her death, Julia was living in Blue Hill, Maine.

Susan Lynn Chambers Brennan 

Susan Lynn Chambers was born May 8, 1944, in Tarrytown, NY.  She died in  New Zealand on March 20, 2023 (US) after a long illness. She was a graduate of Smith and Dartmouth Colleges and then Harvard Medical school in 1972.  Her major at Smith was Biological Sciences and she lived in Wilson House.

Forever in pursuit of challenges and interests, she was an accomplished  small-plane pilot during and after college. She was the second female to join  the surgical residency program at what is now the Brigham and Women’s  Hospital in Boston, MA.  A multi-talented physician, she had experience beyond surgical training in research at the NIH, emergency medicine, a psychiatric fellowship in NY, and was a certified acupuncturist. She moved to New  Zealand in 2000 and designed the house she then had built.  She opened a  crystal shop in New Zealand, continuing her passion for learning, alternative  medicine, and holistic spiritual healing, until incapacitated by her terminal illness. She is survived by two older brothers; her husband of 49 years, Murray;  her children and their spouses; and six beloved grandchildren.

Josephine Northup Chromy  

Josephine Northup Chromy (Josie) was born on June 18, 1944, in Asheville,  North Carolina.  She died on January 16, 2024, surrounded by family.

Josie was a gifted educator and a person of great faith. After earning her BA  degree in Economics at Smith, where she lived in both Gardiner and Tenney Houses, she went on to receive a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, followed years later by a Master of Education  (Special Education) from Western Carolina University. She supplemented her  education degrees with a multitude of religion classes.

Josie was quick to volunteer and the first person to notice anyone in need, especially people who are often overlooked. Her smile lit up every room and she seemed tireless. She enjoyed reading biographies and light fiction, as well as discussing philosophy and questions of morality. She loved the beach and enjoyed taking her family there.

She cherished every moment with family members, especially her children and their families including grandchildren, and her siblings and their families,  and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Bonnie Fraser Gregg 

Bonnie Fraser Gregg was born in Buffalo, NY on September 19, 1944.  She died on January 21, 2024.

Bonnie lived in Jordan House, rowed crew, and toured Europe with the Smith Princeton Chamber Singers. She majored in Economics and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

After graduation, Bonnie joined AT&T and became an expert in the IBM software used by AT&T.  Of her many accomplishments, one stands out:  the IRS challenged $1.3 billion of uncollectible bad debt that Bonnie had booked in the first four years after the AT&T divestiture. Once notified, Bonnie cancelled her vacation, reconstructed what she had done 10 years prior, then met with the IRS auditors and successfully defended her methodology.  She was commended as “extremely effective, thorough, professional, and persuasive – Bonnie was sensational.…”

Bonnie was an excellent golfer and pianist, and loved traveling, the theater, concerts, lectures, and reading. Most important, she was a good friend to many.  She is survived by her sister Jane Gregg Lehmbeck and her family.

Polly Price

Polly Price was born in West Chester, PA on August 21, 1944.  At Smith, she lived in Sessions House, majoring in History and Art History.  She died on June 7, 2024 after a brief period of treatment for cancer.

After a short stint as a teacher, Polly began her long career in nonprofit administration. In 1974, she co-founded the Cultural Education Collaborative in Boston, a pioneering effort to bring together resources of the major arts institutions to assist court-ordered desegregation and school improvement efforts.

In 1994, Polly began a twenty-year career at Harvard University, initially as the  Associate Dean for Administration of the Graduate School of Design.  After  serving as head of Human Resources for the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences, she became head of Human Resources for the university. She was recognized for her efforts to increase diversity and improve childcare and other  staff benefits. She retired in 2004 and traveled extensively with her husband,  Tom Parker.

Polly played a major role as a volunteer in Deval Patrick’s successful campaign to become the first African American governor of Massachusetts. She then briefly came out of retirement to run his transition team.

Polly leaves her husband, son, two grandchildren, and three step-grandchildren.

Barbara Reeves 

Barbara Reeves, born October 8, 1944, died at home in Blacksburg, Virginia, on January 22, 2024, after retiring from a rich academic career.

Barbara lived in Laura Scales and received her degree in Physics at Smith, where she was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa. She went to graduate school at Harvard and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching in 1967, and AM and PhD degrees in History of Science in 1969 and 1980. She was initiated into Sigma Xi  as a full member while she was a PhD student at Harvard. She was on the faculty at Cornell, Ohio State University, and finally at Virginia Tech, where she taught courses in History, Religion and Science, and Science and Technology in Society, on both the graduate and undergraduate levels, from 1993 to 2019.  She was honored to receive an Earth Sustainability Curriculum Development and Teaching grant from the Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching  at Virginia Tech.

Susan Werner Thoresen 

Susan Werner Thoresen was born November 5, 1944, and died in Portsmouth,  NH, on June 14, 2024.  She lived in Laura Scales House and majored in Government.  In 1967, she received a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University.

Sue’s early professional career was as a city planner. She became a financial advisor in 1990.  Sue retired in 2014 and completed a children’s book, The Yoyo and the Piggy Bank. She completed another book, Choose Joy, just before  her death.

Her volunteer activities focused on protecting the environment, supporting local cultural organizations, being a delegate to the New Hampshire Constitutional Convention in 1974, and working for a pro-choice health care center.  She served Smith College and our class in many roles, including most recently as our class Planned Giving Chair.

On May 3, 2024, Sue was recognized by the New Hampshire Women’s Foundation with an award given to women who have dedicated their personal and  professional lives to lifting up women and girls in the Granite State. The award recognized Sue’s lifetime of service as a community leader, volunteer, and philanthropist.

Sue is survived by her husband of almost 57 years, two children, and four  grandchildren.