Deborah Anne Topper (Garren) (1972)

A few of us had the privilege of visiting Martha in Charlottesville a few years ago at a mini-reunion prompted by facebook contacts. I posted some photos in my profile if you are interested. Martha had suffered from brain cancer at that time, and it had recurred.  She was doing well enough though to travel here from Springfield and visit, and I believe that she attended a W&M reunion after that. 

For me, it was as though all of the years melted away.  Martha and I took long walks throughout high school in Woodbrook and Carrsbrook discussing all manner of things.  I learned a lot from her then, and also from her courage when we saw her anew.  She already had been through a lot, losing her second husband to heart troubles, and changing careers from library science to foreign service to lawyer.  I had hoped she would return for another of those walks at some point, but it was not to be.  Her children from her first marriage, Karen and Robert, and her family (some of you may remember John and Ruth, although she also was survived by her Mom and Dad and David) took good care of her until she died.  I miss knowing she's still here even if we did not visit over the years.  Moral of story -- don't let too much more time pass before reconnecting.