Chi Omega - University of California, Berkeley

Χ Ω 3 CHI OMEGA Once a Chi O, Always a Chi O By Dee Hawk Pearce '63 V onie Marsh Dondero '49, a Berkeley native who joined Chi Omega at Cal in the late forties, recently found long-lost sister and fellow Berkeley-raised Mu, Barbara Allen Goldstein '36, who was initiated 80 years ago. It's been a year of celebrating for Barbara as she also recently turned 100. To commemorate Barbara's 80 years of loyalty to the sisterhood, the Chi Omega executive office sent a wonderful congratulatory proclamation signed by all of the members of the Chi Omega Governing Council. To celebrate, Vonie, Nicki DeMarais Shaw '81, and I took Barbara and her daughter, Ann, to lunch, where we presented the certificate to her along with a bouquet of roses—cardinal and straw colors, of course. During lunch, we had the pleasure of learning about her Chi Omega experience. Barbara's older sister, Caroline, was a Chi Omega Mu, too, which was one of the reasons she chose to join Chi Omega. Barbara is in good health and has a great sense of humor, and we shared a lot of laughs. She talked about dressing up for recruitment, and she fondly remembers the beautiful chapter house. Barbara was a true friend of Oski the Bear, having attended the Cal football games until she was 89. One special memory of Chi Omega she has is having to stand on a chair and recite or sing as a new member, which was hard for her because she was so shy. Here's to Barbara and all Chi Omega sisters everywhere! Barbara Allen Goldstein '36 at the age of 20. Vonie Marsh Dondero '49, Barbara Allen Goldstein '36, and Dee Hawk Pearce '63 at lunch where Barbara was presented roses and a certificate signed by all of the members of the Chi Omega Governing Council. The Desert Six Sharon Foster Strong '55, Jessa Thompson Stevenson-Doll '55, Jane Bauer Ryan '55, Lynn Springer Pettit '55, Gail Follett Hughes '57, and Libby Sutton Middleton '54 Keep Connected in California I n September 1954, 21 young women became sisters in Mu chapter of Chi Omega, beginning a bond of lifelong friendship. It has been over 60 years since their initiation, but Sharon Foster Strong '55, Jessa Thompson Stevenson Doll '55, Jane Bauer Ryan '55, and Lynn Springer Pettit '55 are still extremely close. Living in the Southern California desert, this special group of alumnae refer to themselves as the "Desert Six," with the inclusion of Gail Follett Hughes '57 and Libby Sutton Middleton '54. Their post-graduate years took them all over the country, sometimes even abroad. Beginning in 1975, they began to migrate to southern California. Lynn arrived in 1975, followed by Sharon, and soon after, Jessa found a home in Palm Desert. Gail moved from Pittsburg to La Quinta, Libby splits her time between Borrego Springs and Bellevue, Washington, and Jane is now living in Palm Desert part of the year. "None of this was planned, and our finding one another was partly due to Jessa's successful effort to organize an alumnae group in the desert, though several of us had been in contact on-and-off over the years," Lynn said. Each alumna has her own overlapping circle of close friends she keeps in touch with, and though they have lost touch with some of the sisters from their class, the Desert Six as a collective remain in contact with almost all alumnae from their era. Jane Bauer Ryan '55, Jessa Thompson Stevenson-Doll '55, Sharon Foster Strong '55, Gail Follett Hughes '57, and Lynn Springer Pettit '55 at Jane's house this spring. Alumnae News Helen Hacke McCarthy '40 has served on the Supreme Governing Council for eight years and is President of her local Kiwanis Club, Republicans Club, and Rossmoor Rotary Club. She has two children, Deb and Randall, and lives in Walnut Creek, Calif. Patricia Brownrigg Malkson '46 reports she still enjoys sailing, traveling, and walking on various trails. She lives in Shoreline, Wash. E-mail: nosklam9@gmail.com Marily Farnsworth Johnson '49 enjoys watching her granddaughters grow up. One is graduating from the University of Michigan Medical School in June and the other is graduating from the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Marily and her husband, Thomas, live in Berkeley. E-mail: tomandmarily@gmail.com Suzanne Vinson Royce '54 works for the White Elephant Sale for the benefit of the Oakland Museum in the boutique department pricing Asian antiques and other items from Asia. She has two children, Peter and Lisa, and resides in Piedmont, Calif. E-mail: suroy1@comcast.net Gail Follett Hughes '57 reports that she is having fun with other Mu sisters from the class of 1958 in the Coachella Valley, near Palm Springs. She enjoys seeing Lynn Springer Pettit '55, Sharon Foster Strong '55, Jessa Thompson Stevenson-Doll '55, Libby Sutton Middleton '54, and Jane Bauer Ryan '55. Gail and her husband, William, are looking forward to celebrating their granddaughter Julia's graduation from UC Riverside and grandson Tommy's graduation from Cal Tech this spring. The couple lives in La Quinta, Calif., and has two children. E-mail: laquintagail@aol.com Linda King Olsen '59 has been married to her husband, Grady, for 38 years. They co-own the audio publishing and sales company, Audio Editions, and share five children and five grandchildren. Linda and Grady feel very blessed with good health and fortune and live in Auburn, Calif. E-mail: linda@audioeditions.com (Continued on page 4)

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