Class of 1983
Alice Mirguet Phillips
From Alice:
After graduating from UVA with many other HRA classmates, I lived in Richmond with Sue Harris and taught high school science at Trinity Episcopal School where I met my future husband Brian Phillips.
I then went back to UVA
for a masters in health education, during which time I got married in a
very wonderful ceremony that included lots of former Navigators
including Mrs. Fichter, Mrs. Booth and Mr. Spoor
(I was honored that they would come). Back in Richmond I worked for
the health department for a while, then for a corporate wellness firm for
10 years. This past year I have come back to teaching Biology and
Health again at TES where my husband just completed his 17th year (his dad
taught at Episcopal High School in Alexandria for 50+ years, so it's in
the genes I think).
I came back to teaching in the hope of having more time with my two
children, Madelyn (6) and Griffin
(3). We all live in an older home in Bon Air (southside
Richmond) about three miles from my mom, one mile from my
daughter's school and at most six miles from TES. We try to go to
the river often, take lots of walks, and just play in the backyard (which
is a real treat since it has rained about 3/4 of the days this spring...I
am praying for no rain July 4th weekend, but we have had it here for 8
weeks in a row!).
Like Sue Harris Gill, my old running partner and still sister in exercise addiction, I get up early to swim several mornings a week and still compete as a Masters. Brian and I went to Hawaii last year so that I could swim at Nationals and we could see the islands of course. This summer we will do the family driving thing (I am only a little nervous) and go to Florida to see my brother and my grandmother, who is still living quite healthfully.
Like many others have commented on their
pages, the sudden death of my dad in January 2001 was a real eye opener
for me and my family. It is very hard for my grandmother who has
outlived two husbands and one son. At the same time, it has given my
family a lot of perspective about what is important to us and how to fill
each day with as much love as possible.
I am excited to see people at the reunion. We are doing the family
cookout at JRCC. In the meantime, here are
some memories (which have
overwhelmed me on a regular basis this past year as I work in a place with
soundproof ceilings, tile floors and lockers lining the hallways!).
* our
Bolshevik nicknames in Modern Euro (I was Juanita)
* skinny dipping the last night before college with all my
girlfriends
* Christmas at Christy's
* Sunday afternoon dinners at Tommy's and sitting on the porch
listening to the waves
(I
realized when in C'ville that I could never live there long term because I
have to have big water nearby)
* Mr. Cox's pop quizzes on Shakespeare footnotes
* everything about AP English including Kathy Ferguson hating the
word "banal", Eric Barger's sarcasm, and Mr. Spoor crying one
day when he read Annie Dillard to us
* Missy Kostel putting her fist in her mouth
* Sue Harris and the hair-straightening hat
* being almost undefeated in field hockey our senior year except for
that disgusting loss to York High School
* preppy clothes, Dr. Scholl's, and hating that we couldn't wear
painter pants or fatigue fabric to school (which is absurd, if you could
only see what they wear to school these days)
Take care and be
well,
Alice Mirguet Phillips
