By Evelyn (Hill) Rasberry (BBA’73)

Friends often tell us how special our bond is, and we agree. They’ve even suggested that we submit an article documenting our story to a magazine. So, here it is for UNB Alumni News.

We call ourselves ‘the girls’. We met in 1970. The eight of us came together by chance: we all have distinct personalities, with different strengths and weaknesses; we come from four different provinces and eight different towns and cities; we studied four different disciplines at UNB and pursued many different careers; and we are all roughly the same age, give or take two years. But the one thing we all have in common is that our lives intersected at the same time, September 1970, and at the same place, UNB’s Fredericton campus.

Here’s who we are (in birth order): Evelyn Hill (BBA’73), Jocelyne Durant (BBA’73), Marsha Bires (BA’74), Nancy Conklin (BPE’74), Maggie Hylan (BPE’74), Bunny Watson (BN’74), Suzanne Fitzgerald (BPE’74), and Lynn Gray (BPE’74). We all share a similarity in our roots and backgrounds. We were all raised by two parents who guided their families with similar values. We grew up in multi-sibling households, ranging from eight children down to two. Most of us lived in one house with one bathroom, one car, one telephone and — at least in the early days — one black and white TV. Life growing up was simple and uncomplicated.

Our personalities differ — some are more alike than others — but when our jigsaw pieces come together, we form a true treasure box. The most beautiful thing about our friendship is that although we have all blazed our own trails and lived separately, we have never grown apart, even though we are living across Canada, from Duncan, B.C., to St John’s, N.L., and one living near Orlando, Fla. ‘Real age’ doctors tell us that friends are good for our health. Some doctors even refer to them as Vitamin F (F for friends), essential for overall well-being. We are rich in Vitamin F.

Life over the years has been very good to us. We have all been married — among the eight of us, we have raised 21 children and now enjoy 23 grandchildren. We’ve built careers through entrepreneurial endeavours, in private industry and with government, volunteered in our communities, and travelled the world to destinations in North, Central, and South America and Europe, with a couple of us venturing to Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Of course, like everyone, we’ve faced challenges too. One of ‘the girls’ passed away far too young; two experienced divorces; one lost her spouse; and most of us have dealt with serious medical issues. All our parents have passed away, as have some family members, close friends and beloved pets. We worry when our children and grandchildren go through rough patches, and we celebrate when their lives are smooth sailing.

Fast forward 56 years. We now have grey hair, wrinkles and a few extra pounds on our once-fit frames, but our friendship remains constant and committed. We make a conscious effort to stay connected, gathering regularly in-person through reunions, mini gatherings, visits and trips, as well as through phone calls, group chats, emails, online games and Zoom calls. This is quite a change from the olden days, when we were busy raising our young families and managing our careers, and had little time and money to see each other in person — we wrote letters, photocopied them seven times and sent them by snail mail to keep up with one another’s lives. When we’re together, we celebrate each other’s joys and support one another through bumpy times. We talk a lot, laugh a lot and cry not so much. We gain strength to get together again soon — sooner rather than later — and quietly remind ourselves of those who have passed since the last time we were together. We say, “We’re not getting any younger, you know!” And it’s so true. So we start planning our next gathering. What began as a chance meeting in September 1970 has become a lifetime of shared history, love, memories and unwavering friendship — and for that, we are endlessly grateful. Human connections matter above all else. We’re so thankful that we have each other as friends.

Banner photo:  2025, Victoria, B.C.: Evelyn (Hill) Rasberry, Bunny Watson, Maggie Flynn, Suzanne Fitzgerald, Nancy Flynn, Lynn Nowry and Marsha Gagnon