Friends gather at the Labor Day 2001 reunion: top from left, Shirley Kay, Barb Hale; front from left, Mary Ann Fisher, Sue Moriarty, Leslie Black, Liz White Russell, Michelle Palamidy. Liz is the daughter of Chuck and the late Joy White. Barb and her sister Cathy were campers and became counselors in the 60s and early 70s; the Westfield Hales were Wawayanda mainstays. Shirley Kay rose through the ranks and succeeded Bud Cox as our Adventure Camp director and for several years worked full-time for Frost Valley, mostly out of the Montclair NJ office. Shirley met Norm Gurfinkel at camp (Norm was a CIT with me in '71) and later they married and now reside blissfully in Seattle. Sue Moriarity had and has a gorgeous high reed-thin
voice, somewhat like Joni Mitchell's in the early days. Years ago bliss for me was gathering on a winter Sunday afternoon or around an end-of-summer campfire or in the Whites' living room: listening to Sue sing songs such as Bonnie Raitt's "Guilty" or "Thirsty Boots." Leslie Black grew up at camp (I knew her from the time we were campers and then CITs together), found a niche at the horsebarn, directed the riding program for several summers, met her husband at camp and married there (her son Jake, who just graduated from West Point, was born at FV), helped me and Jody Davies Ketcham found the Alumni Association, left for a position as a social worker, and eventually returned to direct the Straus Center for several years. No one's love for Frost Valley has ever exceeded Leslie's. Mary Ann Fisher's sister Kris was a counselor and then trip leader, as was Mary Ann. She is now based in DC. The amazing Michelle Palamidy I have described earlier. These strong inventive dedicated women had a number of qualities and affections in common, but perhaps the strongest bond was their love of Liz's mom Joy White. Joy was their camp mom, their convener and confessor, their instigator, and always and ever their supplier of bottomless quantities of TLC.
just above, from left to right: Leslie Black, June Kaiser, Liz White, on the third floor of the Castle, one December in the mid-70s
voice, somewhat like Joni Mitchell's in the early days. Years ago bliss for me was gathering on a winter Sunday afternoon or around an end-of-summer campfire or in the Whites' living room: listening to Sue sing songs such as Bonnie Raitt's "Guilty" or "Thirsty Boots." Leslie Black grew up at camp (I knew her from the time we were campers and then CITs together), found a niche at the horsebarn, directed the riding program for several summers, met her husband at camp and married there (her son Jake, who just graduated from West Point, was born at FV), helped me and Jody Davies Ketcham found the Alumni Association, left for a position as a social worker, and eventually returned to direct the Straus Center for several years. No one's love for Frost Valley has ever exceeded Leslie's. Mary Ann Fisher's sister Kris was a counselor and then trip leader, as was Mary Ann. She is now based in DC. The amazing Michelle Palamidy I have described earlier. These strong inventive dedicated women had a number of qualities and affections in common, but perhaps the strongest bond was their love of Liz's mom Joy White. Joy was their camp mom, their convener and confessor, their instigator, and always and ever their supplier of bottomless quantities of TLC.
