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1980

Class Notes Archives


(Click on Pdf link ("related downloads") to the right, bottom, for more photo archives, and yearbook pictures)

----- From December 2011 AALFNY Newsletter -----

................................................................................
In Memoriam:
Marcel Bruell (†May 17, 2010)
(See In memoriam section of this newsletter for further details, or click on link below)
................................................................................
Videos of LFNY alumni on the internet:
Hani Morgan presents a paper on William Heard Kilpatrick (Click on link below)

Natacha Rajakovic organized a Thanksgiving dinner in Paris for alumni of the classes '79, '80 and '81. She sent us a compte-rendu
which can be seen (with photos) in the Reunions section of this newsletter (or click on link below).

Hani Morgan wrote: "I still work for the University of Southern Mississippi as an assistant professor of education and developed my own website this year, which is available at: http://hanimorgan.com (or click on link below). I presented my research at two conferences this fall. In October, I presented a paper in Chicago, Illinois on William Heard Kilpatrick for the Organization of Educational Historians, an academic society of scholars from throughout the nation who produce research on educational history...... In November, I presented a session titled “What Teachers, Parents, and Schools Can Do to Prevent Cyberbullying” at the MSERA conference in Oxford, MS. The Mid-South Educational Research Association was formed in 1972 as a nonprofit incorporated educational organization to encourage research in institutions of higher learning. I hope to do research and write a paper on the LFNY one day!"

----- From November 2010 AALFNY Newsletter -----

● The classes of '79, '80, and '81 had class reunions in NYC and Paris in September, 2010. (See Reunions & Events section of this newsletter, or click on link below, for two detailed "comptes rendus" by Christine Auclair, Nathalie (Girod) Buet, and Tuki Chabou-Péladeau.)

● The class of 1980 now has its own website, with photos, a forum, a calendar of events, news, etc. (Registration is required) Visit it at http://www.our80slfnyclass.org/, or click on link below.

Donatella Lorch wrote that she "has been living in Nairobi Kenya for almost a year and a half. Her husband works with the World Bank there. She mostly consults with the United Nations. Oldest daughter is a freshman in college, 16 year old son is in boarding school near Boston, 12 and 5 year old sons greatly enjoying school and life in Kenya. She can always be tracked down through her website: www.donatellalorch.com."

Susan Fales-Hill wrote: "As I watch the grey hairs increase on my head, so too, happily does my productivity. Now that my beloved only daughter is in school full time, I am concentrating full tilt on my career once again. My second book, first novel, "One Flight Up" hit the bookstores this summer and garnered some lovely reviews. It is, to paraphrase a 19th Century writer, "mad, bad and dangerous to read." The subject: four women who grew up together attending the same New York private school all find themselves at 37 in adulterous relationships...It's available on Amazon and all major bookstores. Otherwise, la vie est plutot belle. Good health, good friends, fantastic child."

Jean Pierre Riou wrote: "Hi to lycée alum. Living in N.C. since 1994. Plastic surgeon married to Lori Scneider,MD neurologist. Met at NYU in 1984. Have 2 kids: Jessica born in 1997 and Justin born in 2000. Parents mMrcel and Marie-Louise retired from their restaurant La Vielle Auberge (48th street & 8th avenue) in 1994 to live near us at Lake Norman, north of Charlotte, N.C. Had a great time at our 30 yr lycée reunion on 9-11-10. Hope everybody is doing well!"

Hani Morgan wrote: "I am still working as an assistant professor of education for the University of Southern Mississippi. I made many friends with classmates from the Lycee on Facebook last year. I also developed my own website this summer which can be viewed at: http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w674770/" (Or, click on link below)

Nina (Wolff) Feld shared this with us: "I have been working on Chère Mamo: Letters From A Charmed Life for three years. As I have progressed towards completion of the manuscript, public recognition of the project has helped build a foundation for its future publication. For example the website cheremamo.com has become part of Apple's corporate library and they continue to help by inviting me to speak at their New York flagship store." (Editor's note: Nina's book is about to be published, and she was recently interviewed by Skidmore University's Alumni Magazine on her project. Click on pdf file below to read the interview.)

Philippe Denham Hyman "has been producing and directing for over 15 years. He has over a dozen features and 15 television shows and documentaries to his credit. Recently he dedicated a year supervising producing and directing the rugged National Geographic series "Expeditions to the Edge" where he shot in such locations as the Sahara Desert, the jungles of Peru, and the clear underwater caves of New Zealand as well as a new 6 part Discovery/Travel Channel series.......His varied career has seen him seamlessly move between the artistic stages of Off-Broadway New York (his home town), to a lengthy stint on the mean streets of the long running hit show "America's Most Wanted," to the lyrical beauty of Paris for a series of successful short films, to the tightly run sets of indie films...... He has completed projects for The History Channel, Discovery Channel, TLC, F/X and National Geographic.....As a producer/director he also writes, shoots, and edits. Along with his numerous credits Philippe teaches graduate film at USC School of Cinema when his schedule permits." http://caferacerfilmworks.com/team.html

Videos of LFNY alumni on the internet:
Donatella Lorch talks about her experiences as a reporter in Afghanistan
Susan Fales-Hill talks about her new book, One Flight Up
(Click on links below)

----- From December 2009 AALFNY Newsletter -----

Avis de Décès: Julie Levine ('80) informed us that "Michel Colbert, or Michael as many of us knew him, was a member of the graduating Class of 1980. He was a Bond Trader at Cantor Fitzgerald in New York City and was working in his office in the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11th when his life was cut short by an act of brutality. He was survived by his parents Raymond and Marie (though they were 79 at the time, so I don't know if they're still alive, especially after that heartbreak), and his wife Elizabeth." (See In Memoriam section for a recent photo that Julie sent us, as well as one from the 1980 yearbook.) (Editor's note: The only other Lycee alum' to have perished in the 9/11 tragedy, to our knowledge, is Philip Haentzler, class of 1970.)

Joelle (Hary) Reilly wrote that she "is currently writing the accompanying text for the LFNY book that will celebrate the school's 75th anniversary. The book is part of a series of events meant to commemorate this landmark. The idea is to capture les moments forts of the school's history and spirit. In order for this mission to work, Joelle is hoping to write about many facets of school life: facilities, celebrations, special events and moments in history, and, especially, recollections of past teachers and/or administrators. Wanted: All alums, all promotions; Deadline: mid January. Length: a small paragraph or even just a sentence recalling a special room, a teacher's idiosyncrasies or kind gesture, a ceremony, a day in history spent at school are all ideal responses. Contact: email Joelle at joelle.reilly@verizon.net with all comments and queries."

● Viviane Schiavi ('81) told us that her sister "Isabelle Schiavi is an architect and art critic and is married to an American-Spaniard. [She] lives in London where they raise their two daughters, aged 15 and 11."

Nathalie (Girod) Buet wrote that she is "is living in Chartres. Teaches English to retired people at Université du Temps Libre, also started her own translation company specialized in textiles. In her free time (not much of that unfortunately) she does some textile art. She is married, has 2 children who are 20 and 18.
Would love to hear from old classmates, and lately has had many contacts through Facebook. Has always been in touch all these years with Nadine Le Lan Kaston, Joelle Hary Reilly and Vicki Ortega. If there is a 30-year class reunion, would love to attend if possible! Take care all!"

Thomas Habal shared this with us: "I studied Electrical Engineering at Boston University where I earned the B.S.E.E. in 1984. I also earned a Master's degree in Information Systems (M.S.I.S) from Northearstern University in 1992. I have since then been working in the computer industry since 1987 in a wide range of activities ranging from Support Specialist to Applications Programmer to Software Developper in the Boston Area. I was then relocated to the Paris France office of Intersolv, which then became Serena Software, to work as a software Engineer, then as a Consultant and Training Manager. I am married and living in the Paris area with my wife, an interior designer, and my daughter, who is currently studying law and geography at the Université de Paris Sorbonne."

Nina (Wolff) Feld wrote: "I have translated over 500 pages of my father's letters home from WWII from French to English, which were written to his mother and family on an almost daily basis from 1943-1946. I am currently writing a book.
The letters are riveting, heartbreaking, often very humorous. Walter Wolff was a charming and resourceful young man, a keen observer of the turmoil and settling of scores that occurred at the end of the war. This collection takes the reader to the places of his childhood, eventually liberating his ancestral home in Landau from collaborators who installed themselves there after his family fled. He worked as an interrogator in Italy, Austria, Belgium, Germany and France. I have compiled a manuscript that forms a significant addition to the history of the immediate postwar period and reveals the unique experience of an exceptionally charismatic and intelligent G.I. who eventually returns to the U.S., attends Columbia University and becomes a prominent New Yorker (He owned the furniture chain Bon Marché).
Walter Wolff was extensively interviewed by Spielberg's Shoah Foundation before he died in 2006. My website Chere Mamo is dedicated to the project and I invite you to take a look at it." (Click on link below to access Nina's website)

Hani Morgan wrote: "I am still living in Mississippi and working for the University of Southern Mississippi as an assistant professor of education. I hope to start doing research soon on the effects of culturally authentic children’s books on elementary students’ attitudes towards people from different cultures. I am applying for a grant and hope it will get funded, so I can do this research. Last spring, I presented a paper for the Comparative and International Education Society’s annual conference in Charleston, South Carolina. This was great because I met a few former classmates from Columbia University. This fall I will be traveling to Atlanta to present research for the National Council for the Social Studies, and I will also be going to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to present another paper for the Mid-South Educational Research Association. I hope to make it up to New York one day to visit Le Lycée Français de New York. I was thinking about maybe doing research on Le Lycée Français de New York or writing an article about the school to get published in an education journal. This year I had articles published for Multicultural Education, Childhood Education, and Early Childhood Education Journal."

Hillary Ray wrote: "To everyone, I wish you a healthy, happy and fun holiday season. My family (Rose, now 3 , Ella, 6, and Sean who just turned 8) and I were lucky enough to visit France in late September. We met up with Nathalie Girod-Buet, ('80) and that was just delightful. She bravely came over to our hotel the day we arrived and helped to herd the brood and take them to the nearest park and then go with me to do such exciting errands like buying a stroller, as we had forgotten ours in Sydney! I was very sorry not to be able to meet up with anyone else, it was very chaotic with the jet lag and the upside-down mealtimes, and two very tired parents after the 30 hour trip.
On the third day in Paris we were off to the French countryside for an idyllic week, and then off to Budapest for two weeks holiday. I very much hope to get to France again in the near future, and this time to meet some of my anciens amis in Paris and elsewhere. The kids loved their first visit Paris (of course!) and are asking about when we will be returning. Next time we'll have to organise an afternoon tea in the 7th. A tres bientot, I promise to write more in the next update. Bises!"

● Vivian Preston Dole wrote: "I am living in Wellesley, MA with my husband, Kip and 2 children (William - 18, Alyssa - 14). At Thanksgiving ...... joined us as well as my brother, Robert Preston ('79), his wife, Marta and his 2 children. I have just returned from New York City where my Mom is still living and I had a nice visit with Alix Roth O'Mara ('80), her husband, Kevin and her 4 sons."

----- From January 2009 AALFNY Newsletter -----

WEDDINGS/MARIAGES
Susan Schwenger got married on November 1st at the Jefferson Market Garden [NYC], to Walter Szymanski.

Natacha Rajakovic wrote: "Next year will be the 30th Anniversary of Class of 1980 and I feel we should definitely celebrate. I would therefore like to launch an appeal to my classmates: if there are any out there who would be willing to participate in the organization of such an event (we would need people on both sides of the Atlantic) in any way, co-host it, suggest ideas, I would appreciate it if they could let me know. We could set up a small organizing "committee" and then decide if, when, how and where to proceed. Merci d'avance à tous les volontaires et à bientot!" [Natasha's email address, for anyone who wants to join her in organizing this event, is available upon request.)

● For news from Colette (Frank) Fraenkel see class of '79 notes above.

● For news of Alessandra Kelmans de Bozzo see class of '81 notes below.

Emmanuel Barré nous écrit: "1980-2009 ... 29 ans sans donner de nouvelles, il était temps de se manifester ! Passé plus de 15 ans en banque d'affaires à Londres, Paris et New York, suivi de la création d'une start-up dans le domaine de l'affichage dynamique avant d'arriver chez GE pour faire de la banque corporate grands comptes, basé à Paris. Père très fier de 3 enfants (Charlotte 17 ans, Hélène 14 ans et Guillaume 12 ans). Durant toutes ces années, j'ai eu l'occasion de croiser Donnatella Lorch (au NY Times) en 1996, de faire quelques sorties parisiennes ces dernières années avec Laurent Fairhead, Cécile Le Péchoux, Florence Bauchart, Anne-Marie van Bockstaelle, et reste en contact avec Olivier Lennuyeux-Comnène, basé à Montpellier, et qui travaille chez Pomona."

Christine Auclair envoie un "Salut a tous!" à ses anciens copains du LFNY.

Hillary Ray wrote: "We all survived the Christmas/Hanukah school holidays and the kids were very pleased with their presents. We tried to keep the amount of gifts under control as we are all too aware that many children, even some in Australia, go without. It is summer here so it is quite warm and definitely beach weather! Luckily Santa got all of us a sun tent to take with us to the beach so we won’t sear in the ferocious Aussie sun! Sean turned 8 in December and is an avid reader. Ella turned 5 and starts school tomorrow. Rose turned 2 and is talking quite a lot, usually bossing the rest of us around! I don’t think the word “chaos” accurately describes what it is like here on a day-to-day basis but it will have to do. I have dropped my days at work down to three days a week this year and am feeling more rested and a bit more focused as a result, though I fear it is too late for my sanity!
As you may know, Sean, Ella and I spent a glorious 12 days in New York for Thanksgiving and my mother’s birthday. It was just too wonderful seeing my parents, friends and the city. My parents took over charge of the kids and I was able to finally have a very good rest! If only we lived closer… I saw Harriet Gerard ['80], which was delightful, and the formidable Mrs Yates and the Yates-Cacciato children, which was great fun. Sean and Ella were very happy to be able to play with others their age. I was sorry to have missed Nathalie and Richard and hope to see them next time around.
Here is one of the pictures of us at the Met with my mother, my father is taking the picture. My sister Ashley Ray ['89] (also LFNY) is re-training as a registered nurse or RN, and she also took the kids to the Museum of Natural History and to the movies. I am pretty sure that fun was had by all! My other sister and fellow-LFNY Sabrina Ray-Valli ['85], has just moved to Rome with her husband and children. Hopefully we will all see and hear more from her.
On another topic, I went and saw Leonard Cohen in concert here in Sydney last week and he was just superb and an inspiration. So much energy and life at 74! There could be hope for the rest of us.
I wish you and everyone a happy, healthy and peaceful 2009. It is a difficult time for many because of the economic situation, war and other unfortunate circumstances, and I think we will all appreciate friendship, good will and family (whatever that means for you) more than ever."

Hani Morgan (Assistant Professor of Education, Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education, University of Southern Mississippi) wrote:
"This fall I presented papers and research at three conferences. One presentation was in Knoxville, TN for the Mid-South Educational Research Association, and the other two were in Mississippi. I am expecting to have at least three more publications in 2009. I will also be presenting a concurrent session at the ACEI conference in Chicago in March of 2009. In 2008, I had three publications. I am including the full reference for each below:
-- Morgan, H. (2008). American school textbooks: How they portrayed the Middle East from 1898 to 1994. American Educational History Journal, 35, 315-330.
-- Morgan, H., & Jones R. (Winter 2007/08). What’s in your name? Exploring name awareness with children. Childhood Education: Infancy Through Early Adolescence, 84, 94K-94M.
-- Nelson, P. & Morgan H. (2008). Stop faking it! Chemistry basics. (Robertson), Chemistry International, 30( 5), 23.(Book review, available online:http://www.iupac.org/publications/ci/2008/3005/bw1_nelson.html)

----- From July 2008 AALFNY Newsletter -----

Hani Morgan wrote: "I continue to live in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is going to be my third year working for the University of Southern Mississippi. This past year I presented papers and research at education conferences in Atlanta, Chicago, Lafayette, Louisiana, and Hot Springs, Arkansas. Three articles I wrote were accepted for publication. I still have not presented in New York, but if I do, I will be sure to visit the Lycée Français de New York. I would enjoy hearing from my classmates."

Domitille Tézé “est diplômée de l’Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris et a obtenu un MBA de Harvard Business School. Après avoir évolué dans l’environnement de la finance internationale à Paris et New York (JP Morgan et Banque Indosuez), elle s’est dirigée en 1995 vers les Ressources Humaines, d’abord comme consultante en outplacement, puis en 1998 comme Directeur, chez A.T. Kearney, en charge des Ressources Humaines (recrutement, gestion des carrières, mobilité).” (From Transition Plus, http://www.transitionplus.com/#)

Hillary Ray wrote: "Here are a few pictures of [my children] Rose, Ella and me at a friend’s birthday party, and one of Sean at a ski race.
[Life here has been] even busier than when I last wrote. Rose is a very active 20 month old toddler and she has to be watched every minute as she is very adept at getting jars, tubes and bottles off of high shelves and then taking off the caps and, you guessed it, smearing, pouring etc. the various contents everywhere: on the carpets, walls doors and on herself!
Ella is still at the French preschool and is almost fluent in French. She is talking drama classes at NIDA on Sunday mornings. Sean is thriving at the local public school and is going well with German and French. He is taking karate lessons on Saturday mornings. Both kids are doing theatre workshops at the Australian Theatre for Young People during the school holidays (it is winter here). Rose sometimes tags along if there is no alternative. Our lives are completely mad and chaotic. On top of that, Mark and I are still trying to practice law part-time. My new role the past six months has involved a lot of travel. My work is also in the midst of a rather drastic restructure. It is quite tough. I wish I could win the Lottery and take a few years off! I will keep you posted as I am thinking about a number of things at the moment re work and the kids. How did my parents ever survive raising three kids and in New York no less, a mystery to me.
For those who do not know, I will be in New York for the last two weeks of November 2008 with Sean and Ella. My father has just finished the first draft of his book as of two days ago, so that is very exciting. I will have more news for Anciens Eleves as his book project progresses. It would be wonderful to see everyone and see how you are doing while I am in town. I hope you and yours are enjoying the summer!"

----- From December 2007 AALFNY Newsletter -----

Hillary Ray wrote: "Hello everyone, it has been another busy year. Rose was born on 11 October, 2006 so she is now just over a year old. She is still not a great sleeper so it has been a bit of a struggle for her parents but she is doing well.
Here are some pictures from Ella's 4th birthday party. Mark (wearing batman t-shirt) and I (dressed in pink with wings, I am the assistant fairy) decorated the house to resemble a rainforest, as it was raining outside and we could not go to the park as planned. Look out for the paper tress and sun!! I had the kids put stickers of birds, butterflies and dinosaurs on the trees. It was a lot of fun. Also notice the handmade decorations: butterflies, cookies and popcorn garlands. Sean just had his 6th birthday 2 days ago. We had a science party and again had lots of fun in the park. Luckily for you I do not have the pictures back yet-- yes I am shooting with film again as I prefer the resolution.
Apologies to you all for being such a poor correspondent, it has been a challenging year, as they say!! Rose only started sleeping through a month ago, and I went back to work on a three-day a week basis in May. Wishing everyone a very happy holiday, thank you Roger for keeping the newsletter going and all your efforts. Hoping to see some of you in 2008. I would love to hear from others and how their year has been. Bisous, Hillary"

● "Anjali Maazel earned a French Baccalaureate from the Lycee Francais de New York, then received her BA in Romance Languages & Literature from Princeton University. She has lived for many years in France, but has also had homes in Brazil, Germany, and Italy. She has been a language teacher for 11 years and speaks English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish." (http://www.hoftiaei.com/profiles.php)

Hani Morgan wrote: "I moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi a few years ago where I work as an assistant professor of education. I would enjoy hearing from my old classmates."

Axelle de Borger est ancienne avocate au Barreau de Paris, ancienne déléguée générale de l’Association Française des Juristes d’Entreprise, auteur de nombreux articles pour la presse juridique et diplômée de l’Université Paris II-Assas et du MBA de Sciences Po Paris. Elle nous écrit qu'elle a créé "une nouvelle organisation regroupant les professions du droit partageant une culturelle juridique francophone -- Organisation des Juristes d’Affaires Francophones (OJAF), organisation internationale non gouvernementale ayant son siège à Paris. L’OJAF s’adresse à tous les professionnels du droit des affaires (avocats, juristes d’entreprise, notaires, magistrats, universitaires, etc.) ayant en commun une même culture juridique et exerçant leurs activités au sein de l’espace francophone (68 pays membres de l’OIF). L’OJAF, lieu d’échange et de réflexion, a mis en place un outil informatique permettant à ces professionnels de débattre en ligne de questions juridiques les plus variées (voir les débats). Mais l’OJAF c’est aussi un regard porté sur le monde du droit et la francophonie par diverses personnalités (voir les vidéos). C’est également pour les adhérents une plus grande visibilité professionnelle à travers l’espace francophone : publications de leurs écrits, annuaire professionnel, actualité des associations nationales, etc." (To access the OJAF website, click on link below.)

Donatella Lorch wrote: "In addition to three step kids: Madeline (15), Nicholas (13) and Alexander (10), my husband John (who works at the World Bank) and I have added one of our own: Lucas (2 1/2)."

● The News & Observer reported on 10/17/2007 that Amy (Nammack) Weiss' son "Zack Weiss put on a red polka-dot bow tie and a brown wool blazer, just a bit too long for his 9-year-old frame. The McDougle Elementary School student spent weeks planning for Tuesday night, when he and other fourth-graders would meet Jane Goodall, the primatologist who made profound discoveries about chimpanzee behavior...." Amy sent us a picture of the event (above) and wrote: "The boy in the bowtie and the little girl in front of him are my two kids, Zack and Jessie. Because of our involvement in a local Roots & Shoots group, we got to meet Dr. Jane Goodall at Duke University."

----- From June 2007 AALFNY Newsletter -----

● Click on link below for news of Gilles Mascarell.

Dr. Norah Lincoff is on the faculty of the University at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. She practices Neurology and Ophthalmology at the Jacobs Neurological Institute. Her clinical and research interests include vasculitis, inflammatory eye disease states, optic neuropathies, and neuro-oncology.

Amy Nammack-Weiss wrote: "Just bought a house in Chapel Hill, NC. Very friendly people, but too many ticks and too much poison ivy! Would love to hear from or see classmates. Photo is of Zack and Jessie and a May Day Celebration at school."

David Zara shared this with us: " My son Tristan starts 'la petite section' this fall and we are very excited. Both my brother and I graduated from the lycee and it was a great experience.
My wife Laurence was an attorney for Skadden Arps and Clifford Chance in Paris and NY and I am a pilot and a partner in an aviation company named Tradewind Aviation. We have a service that flies to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket from Teterboro and Westchester airports and we also fly to St Barth's and all over the Caribbean. We are also an aircraft charter and management and consulting company and fly all over the world on demand.
We have a 1 year old daughter named Valesca and hope she will attend the lycee as well. I graduated 27 years ago and still count lyceens as my closest friends. The bonds we forged have been lasting and though we have spread all over the world we are still bound by our common experience. I hope my children will feel the same way."

Natacha Rajakovic wrote: "Hello and Salut to all of you!
A few months ago I decided to move to Brussels, in search of a new - and hopefully better - life. I sold my tiny Paris apartment, for the money got a much bigger one, and spent the last two months coping with the movers, the workers, and boxes, of which a few dozen are still piled up unpacked. Not easy when you have to do it all alone, and with no resettlement package. But I did it, and I will be settled there for good at the end of June.
I would love to know if there are any former 'lycéens' in Belgium, so please don't hesitate to contact me at my new address [available upon request].
I've been blogging for the past year, so if you have nothing better to do and want to read more about my 'tribulations', you can go to [click on link below to access her blog]. I wish everybody a great summer!"

Pascale (Cirano) Schmidt wrote: "Happy to see so many familiar faces in the directory. Ahh, les années passent!"

----- From December 2006 AALFNY Newsletter -----

BIRTHS/NAISSANCES: Hillary Ray ('80) wrote: "Here are some pictures of Rose Davidson taken right after her birth at 3AM local time (!) on 11 October 2006. My husband Mark Davidson is in a couple of the pictures. He was kept very busy during the labor as I took my exercise ball with me into the labor ward and we did a so-called natural birth!.....As you can imagine, I have been really busy since so apologies for the late email! All is going well though, Rose now weighs 5 kilos and is feeding every 3 to 4 hours instead of every 1 or 2, so that is a welcome development. I am still up two to three times a night though and am getting used to seeing the sun rise very morning...." (to view pictures: http://www.lfnyalumni.org/en/news/no.24/50/869)

Hillary Ray wrote: "I had such a great visit in NY, seeing everyone at the reunion at the apartment of Mrs. Marguerite Yates, and enjoyed meeting her daughter Natalie Yates Cacciato ('78) and son-in-law Richard, as well as Alex Gagliardi ('86) who organized the reunion. What an outstanding view of Manhattan! I also enjoyed speaking with the lovely Professor Violette Benzaken whom I have not seen in over 20 years and who is as sprightly as ever. I was sad to leave NY and look forward to my next visit.
All is well in Sydney as it is summer here and our two children and new baby are keeping me very busy. Sean will be 5 years old in December and Ella is 3 years old. She just started school at the Maternelle, Lycee Francais of Sydney. Sean is attending the equivalent of kindergarten. I am on maternity leave from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission until next year. Looking forward to the next newsletter to see what everyone else has been up to." (On June 10th, 2006 Hillary's father, Bill Ray, had an exposition at the Leica Gallery in NYC, entitled 'Bill Ray - A Retrospective: Four Decades of Celebrity & Historic Photos', which was attended by several alumni. See Reunions, Events, and Gatherings section for more details, or click on the link below)

Amy (Nammack) Weiss shared this with us: "Attached is a photo [above] of Flat Zack (my son) and Noromalala Rabetafika '80, in Madagascar. It was for a class project."

● A full update for Donatella Lorch can be viewed at her website (click on link below) which says, in part: "Donatella Lorch has been a reporter and correspondent for almost twenty years and has covered wars and conflicts in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe for The New York Times, NBC News and Newsweek. Her writing has been praised for humanizing the cost and politics of war and giving a face not only to the fighters but to affected civilians as well. She has won awards for her reporting on Afghanistan and the Rwanda genocide as well as for her coverage of massive refugee migrations that have torn apart families and transplanted cultures....."

Hassan Abdel-Hamid wrote: "In February this year, the Bank of Alexandria - of which I was a board member - sold out its 34.5 % stake in Egyptian American Bank to Credit Agricole Bank Egypt. As part of the privatization process of the Egyptian economy, Bank of Alexandria itself was sold to Banca San Paolo IMI of Italy in October 2006. I now sit on the board of the 2nd largest public sector insurance company in the country. I have also become the secretary general of the newly-incorporated Egyptian Austrian Business Council."

-----From February 2006 AALFNY Newsletter------

Aline (Amiel) Halimi wrote: "Hi! It's great finding out what happened to everybody. In the past 2O years I have kept in touch with Anne-Marie Van Bockstaele (teacher in Paris) and Norah Lincoff (MD in Buffalo, NY). I got my MD degree in France, met my husband just as I was about to go back to the US, and I had four kids (David 14, Joshua 13, Eli 7, and Sara 3).
Until last year I was working with adolescents in a family planning center and doing smoking cessation consults for young adults at the University Hospital of Tours; I recently changed job, and I am training to be an occupational physician. I often go to Paris, and I manage to get back home to NY from time to time. I would love to hear from those living in France: don't hesitate to get in touch! I saw my brother at Christmas in New York. Michel Amiel (class of 1973) is a psychiatrist, married with two boys (Shawn 6, James 3) and living in Gainesville, Florida."

Amy (Nammack) Weiss shared this with us: "My husband Randy, son Zack,8, and daughter Jessie,3 are living in Florida. In the past one and a
half years we have lived through 4 hurricanes! Otherwise, the weather is great. We are thinking of moving to Chapel Hill, North Carolina next year. We just sent Zack's school project to Noromalala Rabetafika ('80) in Madagascar. Noro took pictures of "Flat Stanley" sight-seeing in Antananarivo. Hope everyone is well and I would love to hear from anyone who wants to get in touch."

Francis Mensah nous ecrit: "Je vous félicite également pour tout le dévouement que vous démontrez dans le cadre des activités de l’Alumni, et qui me permet d’avoir des nouvelles du lycée que j’ai tant aimé. Je rêve d’une «high school reunion» avec mes amis de la promotion 1980, en compagnie desquels j’ai passé des moments formidables et inoubliables entre 1977 et 1980. C’est encore un rêve, mais qui sait? Peut-être pourrais-je les revoir à nouveau un jour, pour rire et danser sur un air endiablé de disco ou de rock’n’roll, comme nous le faisions si souvent pendant ces années folles. Nostalgie, quand tu nous tiens …"

-----From June 2005 AALFNY Newsletter-----

Alix Roth O'Mara sent this in: "I am busy raising my four sons, Nicholas (11), Ian (8), Peter (5) and Charles (18 mos) in NYC. Having practiced law for 9 plus years, keeping up with these four guys feels like the real challenge, though I love it. I keep in touch with Vivian Preston Dole who lives in Wellesley and has two children, William and Alyssa. I would love to hear from anyone in the class."

-----From November 2004 AALFNY Newsletter-----

Amy Nammack-Weiss shared this with us: "Just moved from Maui to West Palm Beach, Florida, in time for all the hurricanes! Had a reunion in
Orlando, this past August, with Noro Rabetafika and Sonia Doo Kingue(1980). We talked about old and new times, it had been over twenty years. Also, got in touch with Philippe Hyman, by e-mail, thanks to your web-site. Even though I have worked at many different occupations, I find I am happiest as a mother to my 2 year old daughter Jessie, and my 7 year old son Zack. My husband Randy and I don't know how much longer we will stay in Florida. Colorado? California? Hope that classmates get in touch. Love to all."

Hillary Ray shared this with us: "Well, it has already been over a year since my last note when I reported I was pregnant with our second child and about to visit New York for work. My visit went fine but I was very busy with meetings with US regulators and lawyers and visiting my parents while tired from the pregnancy, so apologies for keeping a low profile. I did have the great pleasure of seeing Harriet Gerard ('80). Harriet, when are you going to update the newsletter? Upon my return, Ella was born without much fuss and, to our good fortune, has been a good sleeper ever since. However we regularly wake up for her older brother! Sean starts at the Lycee Francais here in December on his third birthday. Sydney, has been called “Frappuccino heaven” by Bill Bryson, deservedly so. There is something to be said for not having to wear socks most of the year. Sydney also follows the English model for schools and its private ones are mostly single-sex which I did not want for Sean or Ella. The public schools teach Italian and not French. I was very keen that sean and Ella learn French as speaking French has been a great asset for me in many ways. Australia is very remote and I think a grounding in French language and literature give a child an opening into another culture and all its treasures such as literature, art and music. Fortunately for us, there is a French Lycee here that follows the curriculum set by the French government and that by the Australian department of education. There are, surprisingly, perhaps many French people living in Sydney and the school is expanding.
Work is fine though busy (no matter who wins an election, there is always work for lawyers!), and I have not been able to be involved in many human rights projects this year. Family takes up most of my time. Mark, my Aussie husband, works part-time and helps a lot with the kids. I guess I am lucky that things are a bit more relaxed here and we do not have to work all the time.
I have asked my sister Sabrina ('85), also LFNY, who leads a very exciting life in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to send in an update, and my other sister Ashley ('89) , LFNY and lives in NYC, to write in. I would love to hear from any of my Lycee contemporaries and hope everyone is doing well. Write in with your news!"

-----From Winter 2003/2004 AALFNY Newsletter-----

Janine Rofé writes: “I would like to say hello to all the classmates I remember: Alexandra Kelmans, Brigitte Dauman, Leo Joachim, Suzie Reese, Johnny Schwab. Anyone who might remember me, I'd love to hear from you. I was the one who always got into fights with my sister Colette Rofé in M. Fontaine's class... I live in Charleston, SC and have owned a foreign language school and translation service for 20 years in the South. My sister Colette is married, with one son (a real cutie named Marc). I have not married. I have spent much time in building a business, completing a degree in Social Work, enabling me to train social workers to better serve the Latino population. Much travel as well. Hope all is well with my ex-classmates. I look forward to hearing from you!”

Stephen Allen, President of Integrated Technology Solutions in NYC, is interested in promoting a new business of providing anti-spam solutions to small and medium businesses.

Donatella Lorch is a correspondent for Newsweek magazine. Based in Washington, she covers news from the Pentagon. We send her best wishes on her recent marriage. She and John Zutt were married on June 21st, 2003. Donatella is the daughter of Lycée trustee, Dr. Maristella de Panizza Lorch, and the late Dr. Edgar Raymond Lorch, a longtime administrator and friend of the school.

Vivian (Preston) Dole writes: “Although I live in Wellesley, Mass., with my husband and two children, I often pop into New York, as my mother and my brother, Robert Preston [‘79] are living in the ‘big apple.’ I teach part-time and keep busy with my children’s activities. My son, William, is in 7th grade and my daughter, Alyssa, is in 3rd grade..….I just returned last night from NYC where I got together with Alix Roth O’Mara. She and her husband Kevin have three wonderful boys and are expecting a fourth in October. I would love to hear from my fellow classmates. I can be reached at [email address available upon request from AALFNY].”

Colette Smith tells us that she is married to Gotz Grossman, and has two children : Ariane (4 ½) and Luca (3).

David Zara is a vice president of an aviation management, acquisition and charter company as well as a corporate jet pilot.

-----From Winter 2002/2003 AALFNY Newsletter-----

Laurent Fairhead nous écrit : « Après des études à Londres et à Paris, j'ai décroché une thèse en astronomie à l'observatoire de Paris. J'ai ensuite passé 18 mois à l'université de Berkeley en séjour post-doctoral avant de rentrer à Paris en 1990 et d'intégrer le CNRS comme ingénieur de recherche dans un laboratoire étudiant le climat (son observation, son évolution). L'été dernier ‘01, je suis tombé presque par hasard sur le site web www.lfnyalumni.org et ai ainsi pu trouver l'adresse de Cécile Le Péchoux qui était elle-même restée en contact avec plusieurs anciens élèves. Nous nous sommes retrouvés récemment à dîner chez moi (la chère y fut bonne si j'en crois les commentaires de mes anciens codisciples) et la soirée très agréable et sympathique. J'y ai donc retrouvé (avec plaisir): Cécile le Péchoux qui est médecin cancérologue à Villejuif, Anne-Marie Van Bockstaele qui donne des cours d'anglais en fac, Florence Bauchard qui est journaliste dans le groupe "Les Echos" et Emmanuel Barré qui travaille dans la finance chez Solomon Brothers; tous habitant Paris. Une grande partie de la soirée fut passée, un peu (beaucoup) au détriment de nos conjoints, à éplucher mes anciens Year Books et à échanger souvenirs et anecdotes sur nos années au LFNY. Nous nous séparâmes vers 2 heures du matin en nous promettant de remettre ça assez rapidement (en tout cas avant vingt ans) en essayant, entretemps, de retrouver d'autres anciens camarades de classe et de ne pas laisser passer les 25 ans de la promo sans les fêter. »

Alexandra Roth O'Mara fills us in: “Having practiced corporate law for many years, I'm now staying home with my three boys, Nicholas (8 yrs.), Ian (5yrs.) and Peter (2 yrs.) and enjoying every minute. My husband Kevin is tending to the law as a partner at Clifford Chance, as head of their private equity group. Would love to hear from other people in the class.”

Hillary Ray wrote: "Apologies for not writing sooner but things have been very hectic. On 7 December 2001 I gave birth to Sean Davidson, weighing a whisker under 8lbs. He has a big and energetic boy ever since. On 2 february 2002 his father Mark and I got married (we had been engaged for over a year-- just goes to show how you can be overtaken by events!). I went back to work in May on a part-time basis, going full-time in August. It is very tiring and I seem to be very busy all the time but you do what you ahve to do. Mark is working part-time as a lawyer and helps to look after Sean at home. I am now working in the corporate legal department of Westpac, the Australian bank where I work in Sydney. I am really enjoying the work, probably more so than I did in intellectual property because you get to look at "bigger picture" issues. Of course corporate governance is of great concern at the moment. Westpac is listed on the New York stock exchange and I am doing quite a bit on the filing of forms required by the SEC. I am really enjoying having a new York angle to my practice and hope it will mean I can work in the New York office for a few weeks next year, as well as visit. I have not been to east Timor, Aceh or anywhere dangerous in a while now as Sean and Mark won't let me. I miss it but I have been outvoted. For now anyway. However there is still plenty of opportunity to do pro bono work from Sydney.I will try to set up some pictures and a little movie of us on our website and will send on details when I do. Most days though it seems a major effort just to get out the door! I hope everyone is doing well. I miss my old Lycée pals and look forward to reading about your news on the AALFNY bulletin."

-----From "Printemps 2002" LFNY Magazine-----

Donatella Lorch est correspondante de guerre pour le New York Times et Newsweek et a récemment présenté “La vie d’une correspondante de guerre: raconter des histoires de guerre, de réfugiés et de reconstruction” à Columbia University.

----- From November/December 2001 AALFNY Newsletter-----

Laurent Fairhead habite à Paris et travaille comme "Research Engineer."

Natacha Rajakovic writes: "It was great stumbling on the Alumni Network on the Web. I recognized names, which brought back a lot of memories. I'm back in Paris after a five-year hiatus, and have recently gotten in touch with an old classmate, Nathalie (Girod) Buet '80. We met for coffee two days ago, and I really enjoyed catching up with her. Until spring this year, I regularly kept in touch with Guido van Hauwermeiren. We often spoke on the phone and even saw each other a few times while he was living in France and Italy. He is now in Chicago, working for the Credit Lyonnais, married and has two sons. I also had lunch recently with one of my favourite teachers, Françoise Moulin (Spanish), and have been in contact on and off with another favourite, French teacher Anne Barbet-Massin (now married Liebemann), also living in Paris. We of the Class of '80 have not been too good at staying in touch; we missed the opportunity for a Bac 20-year celebration, but maybe we could work towards a 25-year one? I'd love to get in touch with classmates who are living in Paris or elsewhere in France; I'm sure there must be more of us! Looking forward to hearing from any and all of you."

-----From July/August 2001 AALFNY Newsletter-----

Hassan Abdel-Hamid is currently a banker at Citibank, N.A. in Cairo, Egypt.

Laurent Folliguet habite à côté de Versailles; il a trois enfants et possède une concession de voitures à Paris.

Nathalie (Girod) Buet wrote in response to NYC Almuni Cocktail invitation: «Wish I could go; alas Chartres is far from NYC! Tell all my old classmates '80 hello for me! Thanks.»

-----From February/March 2001 AALFNY Newsletter-----

Joelle Hary Reilly est revenue au LFNY en tant qu'enseignante d'anglais; 2 enfants, Colin et Liam, aussi au LFNY. Joelle habite Brooklyn.

----- From March 2000 AALFNY Newsletter -----

Dr. Hillary Ray writes us from Sidney, Australia, where she is Counsel at Westpac Banking Corp. Dr. Ray is also a member of the International Commission of Jurists which coordinates the taking of evidence of war crimes from refugees through oral statements. She recently returned from East Timor: “I primarily went to East Timor because I believe that legal practitioners have a duty to be the eyes and ears of civil democratic society. We….also care about human rights and the rule of law in our neighbouring communities.”







TOP: Alain Bobet ('80); BOTTOM: Carole Virginie (Leprette) Davis ('80)
TOP: Alain Bobet ('80); BOTTOM: Carole Virginie (Leprette) Davis ('80)

TOP: Fawzy Ghérab ('80); BOTTOM: Salif Thiam ('80)
TOP: Fawzy Ghérab ('80); BOTTOM: Salif Thiam ('80)
TOP: Pascal Ehrlich ('80); BOTTOM: Harriet Gérard ('80)
TOP: Pascal Ehrlich ('80); BOTTOM: Harriet Gérard ('80)
At 30 year reunion in Paris: TOP (left to right): Juliette Feeney, Carole Leprette & Nathalie Girod; BOTTOM: Daniel Lefloc’h, Juliette Feeney, et Guido Van Hauwermeiren (all '80)
At 30 year reunion in Paris: TOP (left to right): Juliette Feeney, Carole Leprette & Nathalie Girod; BOTTOM: Daniel Lefloc’h, Juliette Feeney, et Guido Van Hauwermeiren (all '80)
At 30 year reunion in NYC: TOP (left to right): Norah Lincoff ('80), Colette Smith ('80) & Christine Auclair ('80); BOTTOM: Pierre Cailliarec ('80), Jean Pierre Riou ('80), and Alessandra (Kelmans) de Bozzo ('81)
At 30 year reunion in NYC: TOP (left to right): Norah Lincoff ('80), Colette Smith ('80) & Christine Auclair ('80); BOTTOM: Pierre Cailliarec ('80), Jean Pierre Riou ('80), and Alessandra (Kelmans) de Bozzo ('81)
TOP: Hani Morgan ('80); BOTTOM: Philippe Denham Hyman ('80)
TOP: Hani Morgan ('80); BOTTOM: Philippe Denham Hyman ('80)
TOP: Susan Fales-Hill ('80, left) & Bettina Zilkha ('77); BOTTOM: Susan Fales-Hill's latest novel
TOP: Susan Fales-Hill ('80, left) & Bettina Zilkha ('77); BOTTOM: Susan Fales-Hill's latest novel
Nathalie (Buet) Girod ('80) and sample of her textile art ('Bookin' it in NYC')
Nathalie (Buet) Girod ('80) and sample of her textile art ('Bookin' it in NYC')
Alexandre Orlowski ('80) & Nina (Wolff) Feld ('80)
Alexandre Orlowski ('80) & Nina (Wolff) Feld ('80)
Noromalala (Rabetafika) Rasolonjatovo ('80) & Thomas Habal ('80)
Noromalala (Rabetafika) Rasolonjatovo ('80) & Thomas Habal ('80)