• Born: 1953 Vancouver, Washington

• Background: Retired elementary school teacher, mother of three, grandmother of five. Loves gardening, reading mystery novels, and traveling.

• 1971: Graduated high school during the Vietnam War era.

• 1975: Earned her degree in Education and began teaching 2nd grade.

• 1978: Married her husband, Robert.

• 1982, 1985, 1989: Births of her three children.

• 2005: First international trip to Italy, fulfilling a lifelong dream.

• 2018: Retired after 40 years of teaching.

• 2021: Became a great-grandmother for the first time.

Happy: Her wedding day was outdoors under a giant oak tree with her entire family present.

Impactful: Surviving breast cancer in her 50s taught her resilience and the importance of health screenings.

“Save memories, not just money. You can’t take money with you, but memories live on.”

“Be kind. You never know what battles others are fighting.”

She feels aging has given her freedom: “I no longer worry about what others think. I finally live for myself.”

Gender Roles: As a young woman, she was told teaching or nursing were “acceptable” jobs. Now, she’s proud to see her granddaughters exploring STEM careers.

Cost of Living: She bought her first home in 1980 for $65,000—“You couldn’t even buy a garage for that now!”

Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989): She remembers feeling hope for a more peaceful world.

9/11 (2001): She recalls the fear and sadness, especially trying to explain it to her 2nd graders.

COVID-19 Pandemic (2020): She spent isolation gardening and video-chatting with family.

“Dancing Queen” by ABBA (1976): Her favorite song to dance to at weddings.

“I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor (1978): Became her personal anthem after beating cancer.