Hello, Class of ’84!
We had a super fun 40th Reunion weekend in October! The weather was gorgeous and the campus was busy! The football team got a big win over Villanova and the men’s hockey team had two great wins over Quinnipiac! I watched the line forming for student hockey tickets three hours before puck drop -— I recall doing the same 40 years ago, sometimes in the bitter cold.
About 30 of us started the official Reunion weekend with a get-together at the Oriental Jade. It was a great place to catch up with everyone. There were raffle prizes and many photos taken! We had breakfast at Wells Common Saturday morning followed by a business meeting, where we re-elected the slate of officers. If anyone is interested in serving as an officer or planning our next reunion, please reach out! Along with the football and hockey games, there were more get-togethers at the Orono Bog, Dysart’s, and Pat’s.
My husband, Jim Geary ’96G, and I went to Ireland and Northern Ireland for a wedding in August. We had honeymooned in Ireland 34 years ago, so we were excited to go back. We explored Dublin, Belfast, and much of the countryside. Both countries are very beautiful, and the people are friendly. We had a great trip!
Tammy Thompson Morse lives in Portland, where she has been a social worker for the City of Portland for 23 years. She has two children and a 13-year-old grandson. She serves as the treasurer of her local union, the AFSCME, and is a delegate to the AFL-CIO.
Becky Wyke ’89G is currently the CEO of the Maine Public Employee Retirement System. Along with a bachelor’s degree, Becky received a master’s in public administration from UMaine, as did Mark Pennisi ’86G and Teresa Henchey DeBenedictis ’89G.
Deede Dunbar owns the Spirit of Halloween. With her busiest time of year, it was terrific that she was able to make the time to come to Homecoming. Deede also owns two B & B’s —- one of which is UMaine-themed. She splits her time between Maine and Florida.
Pat Dunn now lives in Reno, NV. I think he had fun catching up with the current Bananas.
It was great spending time with my Gamma Sig sisters Teresa Henchey DeBenedictis ’85, ’90G, who lives in Kennebunkport, and Diana Douglas Nye, who flew from London and looked fabulous!
I caught up with one of my Knox Hall buddies, Deb Verrill Sapienza. Deb graduated with a degree in electrical engineering and has worked at Analog Devices since she graduated. She lives in Methuen, MA.
Also at tailgate was Mark DiGiovanni, who lived in Knox Hall as well. I chatted with Mark for a while and felt like we were both 20 years old again! It was great to see Beth Skelton Perry, Becky Woods Annis, Lisa Gardner, Maureen Duggan Emery ’85, and Beth Davison Weller ’84!
In December 2024, Becky Woods Annis celebrated 30 years as the executive director/administrator of Pond Home & The Community at Pond Meadow in Wrentham, MA. Pond Home was recently honored with the MyFM101.3 Quest for The Best Gold winner for the residential care category.
Master Maine Guide and Master Craftsman Kevin Slater G of Newry won the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wldlife’s Wiggie Robinson Legendary Maine Guide Award for 2023. Kevin started his guide career in 1973 at the Boy Scouts of America Matagamon High Adventure. He is known for his rescues involving special tools and skills for rescue, including the 1984 avalanche on Katahdin. He also founded the Outdoor Leader Program as a graduate at UMaine and is a former director of the Maine Bound Outdoor Program. He is a co-owner of Mahoosuc Guide Service, an organization offering courses in whitewater canoeing, canoe construction, and wilderness first response.
I am sorry if I missed any news from other classmates at Homecoming. I will happily add your news to my next column. Let me know what is going on in your lives. I love receiving your news!