Sigma Psi Home

SPRING 1999
Sigma Psi's Clark Hall Seminar Room Top
by Lori Vonderau Vanatsky 1992
As mentioned in the last newsletter, the Sigma Psi Alumnae Corporation has agreed to sponsor a room for the current Clark Hall renovation. The "Sigma Psi Seminar Room" will have a plaque outside of the room that will honor all current members and alumnae of our fine sorority. We agreed to make a significant donation and encourage all alumnae to support this renovation project. Clark Hall holds a significant place in our sorority's history and it seems only fitting that Sigma Psi has a room named for it.
     As of April 1, 1999, CWRU has received $1,490 in donations from Sigma Psi alums. You still have a chance to be a part of this unique and exciting opportunity. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to CWRU for the purpose of the Sigma Psi Seminar Room, please send your donation to:

Michelle C. Soltis
Development and Alumni Affairs
Case Western Reserve University
10950 Euclid Ave.
Baker 310
Cleveland, OH 44106-7035

Please make out your check or money order to Case Western Reserve University and attach a note or write in the memo section "Sigma Psi Seminar Room - Clark Hall Campaign."

We would like to recognize the alumnae that have donated to the Sigma Psi Seminar Room. They are:
     Mary Bopp 1930
     Edith West 1935
     Mary Lou Sperry Scriven 1938
     Ann Regan Fay 1946
     Marilyn Duncan 1950
     Margaret Case 1963
     Barbara Collins 1965
     Sharon Wong Frederickson 1978
     Wasima Rida 1971
     MJ Barchman 1981
     Deborah Ann Smith 1981
     Susan Todd Nedorost 1984
     Emily Daponte 1986
     Anita Hoffman Fox 1986
     Elizabeth Hall South 1989
     Metka Stropnik Daly 1990
     Erin McKelvey 1992

     Thank you so much for your support! We will let you know when the building renovations are completed. I would also like to mention that Mrs. Mary Ann Bopp passed away this past December. She was a kind and active alumna and she will be missed.

Centennial Scrapbooks Top
by Lori Vonderau Vanatsky 1992

The Centennial Scrapbooks were mailed out in March to all of those who had ordered them. Alumnae Kris Heminger Sims 1991 and Liz Wasmer Radivoyevitch 1991 outdid themselves! They out together a one of a kind book that not only covered our Centennial Celebration, but Sigma Psi's history as well. Everyone who has seen them has been impressed. Thank you Kris and Liz!
     If you missed out on ordering one of these fine books, I have good news. We still have 50 of them left. If you are interested you can call, e-mail or write me. They will be sold on a first come, first serve basis, so fell free to call or e-mail me to reserve one.

Lori Vanatsky
1220 Arlet Ct.
Broadview Hts, OH 44147

If you believe that you ordered one and did not receive one, please e-mail or call ASAP.

Alumnae Dues Top
by Lori Bias Zrimsek 1991

Thank you to everyone who paid dues this past fall newsletter. I failed to include a reminder on the data sheet and still many of you remembered. If you are not on the following list, please be sure to pay your 1999 Alumnae Dues this time around.

Gold Level ($50-$99)
Aida Ruth Heavilin Wagner 1935
Wendy Halvorsen Myers 1991

Green Level ($25-$49)
Myrtle Iseman Howard 1944
Marilyn Shaffer Duncan 1950
Jeanne deSaulles Heisner 1951
Martha Wolfram Powers 1963
Charlene Labovitz Wilhovsky 1965
Joan Hoolsinger 1979
Mary Jane Barchman 1981
Linda Liptak Fenton 1981
Ellen Diehn Rogers 1982
Carolyn Starp Griffin 1984
Emily Daponte 1986
Andrienne Potts Gray 1986
Beth Hall South 1989
Sheryl Lieber Bruce 1991
Ann Funai 1997

Friendship Level ($10-$24)
Sarah Gingery Bartlett 1935
Emma Fulton Motz 1935
Ann Regan Fay 1946
Karla Feuchner Hamant 1962
Mary Alice Gruden 1967
Sharon Wong Frederickson 1978
Anita Hoffman Fox 1986
Christine Gabler Gentry 1986
Katherine Valsimidis Sack 1988
Lisa Sweeney 1988
Metka Stropnik Daly 1990
Sue Kwak 1990
Lori Bias Zrimsek 1991
Mona Ahmed 1992
Traci Vanah 1992
Lori Vonderau Vanatsky 1992
Julie Hickman 1994
Melissa Bien 1996
Suzanne Carpenter 1996
Cindi DiMauro 1998

In Memory Of... Top

Elizabeth Turner Williams 1930

Francis Foley Hecker 1943 passed away 12/11/98 at Mt. Sinai East Hospital in Richmond Heights, OH. She was a graduate of Flora Stone Mather College and Western Reserve University Law School. She was a member of the Order of Coif, a legal honorary society. She was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1945 and became a tax attorney for TAPCO in 1947. Francis and her sister, Eileen Foley, formed a legal research bereau and the law firm of Foley and Hecker in Cleveland, OH. Upon the death of her father in 1949, she took over general management of McMillin-Foley Publishing Co., retiring as president in 1984. Francis was an avid bridge player, loved dancing, and was active with the Mentor Lagoons Yacht Club for several years. She was active with the Carmelite Guild of Cleveland, serving at one time as treasurer and parlimentarian.
     She is survived by her husband, Jack, whom she married in 1943; son, John Foley Hecker of Willoughby Hills, OH; daughter, Maureen Wessel of Montclair, VA; five grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Marriages Top

Adrienne Potts 1986 married Dick Grey in September. Marilyn Struna O'Toole 1986 was her matron of honor and Emily Daponte 1986 was a bridesmaid. There were a lot of Sigs in attendance, including: Mary Giroux 1986, Jean Patrice Willoughby 1986, and Anne Pribisich Wiencek 1986.

Monisha Pasupathi 1991 married Frank Drews on April 10, 1999 in Las Vegas. Sue Kwak 1990, Wendy Halvorsen Myers 1991, and Traci Vanah 1992 all had a great time at the wedding and didn't go home flat broke.

Engagements Top

Mona Ahmed 1992 is engaged.

Ann Funai 1997 was engaged to Mike Strosaker in May 1998. They are planning to be married in February 2000.

Jennifer Lerch 1998 was engaged to Phil Croy in October 1998. Phil graduated from CWRU in 1997 with a B.S. in Computer Engineering and is a computer consultant at Ernst and Young LLP in downtown Cleveland. They are planning to be married in the Fall of 1999. The exact date has not been set yet.

Births Top

Carolyn Starp Griffin 1984and husband, Tom, had their second child, Bryan, November of 1997. He turned 1 this past year and their first child, Julia, is now 5 and in Kindergarten.

Emily Daponte 1986 and her husband, Micheal Moustakakis, had their first child, Will Moustakakis, on November 15, 1998. He weighed in at 6lbs 13oz. Mom and Dad are enjoying their son's happy disposition and just being parents in general.

Lisa Marie Sweeney 1988 and her husband, Kevin, are expecting their first child this fall.

Alumnae News
1960s Top

Martha Wolfram Powers 1963 published her 10th book, Sunflowers, in 1998.

Charlene Labovitz Wilhovsky 1965 has two children, Jennifer (29) and Erik (27). Her husband, Peter, is a psychologist and Charlene is a psychologist in private practice part time and a professor at Santa Anna College. She enjoys activities with her children, cards, tennis, walks, good food, gardening, and watching movies.

1970s Top
Wasima Rida 1978 started a new job with the FDA reviewing licensing agreements for vaccines and related products.

1980s Top
Josephine M. Torrente 1988 changed jobs and is now working for a law firm in Washington, DC that practices food and drug law exclusively. She loves her new job but hates being away from her husband, Bryan, and dog, Jasmin, who are still living in PA.

Elizabeth Dienes Vaci 1980 worked as General counsel for the Lake Hospital System for 10 years and recently received the Rotary Paul Harris award and the OSBA District 18 Community Service award.

Deborah Smith 1981 is seriously considering leaving her anethetist job to become a full time massage therapist. Her partner, Keli Zehnder, owns a painting business so if anyone needs his or her house painted call her at (216) 932-8659. Keli is also getting her MA in Special Education. They just finished a huge renovation and now have the kitchen and bathroom of their dreams.

Carolyn Starp Griffin 1984 was promoted to department head at Novacane where she is a Speech Pathologist. Her husband, Tom, started a new position on the faculty of Children's Hospital. There son, Bryan, is now a year old and daughter, Julia, is 5 and in kindergarten.

Lisa Sweeney 1988 moved back to Cleveland, OH after 10 1/2 years of living in NY, OK, NC, and PA. She passed her toxology boards in October of this past year and accepted a new job in Cleveland, OH where she will be working in the areas of pharmacokinetics and regulatory and applied toxology.

1990s Top
Sheryl Lieber Bruce 1991 is a captain in the US Airforce. She loves Alaska, where she is currently stationed, and does a lot of cycling and hiking. She still doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up.

Mona Ahmed 1992 has started a new job, been engaged, bought a new house and moved all in just 9 months. She is currently working as Assistant Regulatory Counsel for the Social Security Administration in Chicago. She spends her spare time advocating for campaign reform in Illinois as director of Citizens for Clean Elections, a non-partisan, non-profit organization. She also spends her time stripping 8 years worth of old paint from the wood trim in her new home.

Mina Mehta 1993 is doing her residency in OB/GYN at Ben Taub Hospital.

Renee Sullivan Banzhaf 1994 is teaching English at Columbus State Community College and working as a Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio as the Rape Education/Prevention Coordinator.

Zoe Poirier 1998 will be moving to Redmond, WA on May 19, 1999. Her fiancé, Evan Goldring 1997, accepted a job at Microsoft and will be moving April 19, 1999. While in Washington, she will be busy with her new job and planning her wedding, which is set for May 28, 2000 in New York State.

Bridget Huseman 1998 is working at Transitions Optical as an Operations Analyst. She likes sunny Florida after 4 years in Cleveland, OH.