Occupation: I worked at Fairfield Hills for a short while. I worked for the town 30 years as dispatcher for fire and ambulance calls, and then for the police department. I retired from that job in 1996. Now the Newtown Senior Center is my mainstay.
Occupation: I worked at Fairfield Hills for a short while. I worked for the town 30 years as dispatcher for fire and ambulance calls, and then for the police department. I retired from that job in 1996. Now the Newtown Senior Center is my mainstay.
How Long in Newtown: I was born May 24, 1933, in Bridgeport, and I went all through school there. Then I moved to Newtown in 1950. So I guess you could say Iâve been here a good long while.
Biggest Change You Have Seen in Town: Well, one of the changes is the size of the police department. When I first came here, there were only two officers, a constable, and a resident state trooper. [Today, the Newtown Police Department has 43 sworn officers.]
Family: I lost my husband in 2001, and my mother died eight days later. That was a very hard year. It was when I came to the Senior Center and stayed. They were my rocks. I have two sons: Robert and his wife Linda, living in Stuart, Va., and Joe and his wife Karen, who both work for the town and live next door to me on Meadowbrook Road. Then I have five grandchildren, three boys and two girls, and two great-grandchildren.
Hobbies: I love to quilt, bowl, and hang out with the ladies at the Senior Center.
Favorite Books and Authors: I enjoy reading anything by Danielle Steele.
Favorite Movie: Calendar Girls was a great movie. I liked it because those ladies didnât give up, and they were involved in everything.
Organizations: I belong to St Johnâs Episcopal Church in Sandy Hook, where I am on the vestry, serve as chalice bearer and am on the altar guild. I go bowling at Brookfield Lanes three times a week, I work at the FAITH Food Pantry, I belong to RSVP, and I am treasurer for the Commission on Aging, and I am chairman of the Communications Operations Board of the Newtown Police Department. I also belong to the Widows Group at the Senior Center, called âThe Horizons Group.â It always helps to talk to someone who has been there. We meet the first Tuesday of every month at 4 pm.
Most Vivid Memory About Newtown: My most vivid memories in Newtown are centered around my job as emergency dispatcher. They used to come to get me in a snowmobile to take me to work during bad snowstorms. I particularly remember a terrible motor vehicle accident on Hattertown Road a long time ago, when four teenagers were killed during a high speed chase. They lost control of their car on a curve, and it was so tragic for everyone involved ââ the policemen as well as the families. It was heartrending. Nowadays, they have counselors to help people get through this kind of thing.
Favorite Vacation Spot: I love to  travel and I often visit my son in       Virginia, a 12-hour drive. Iâm going to Las Vegas in March because my grandson is getting married at the Aladdin Hotel.
Personal Philosophy: You canât dwell on the past. You have to move on. Always look for the better side of things. Iâve just signed up for the Citizens Police Academy that was started in 1997â98. I donât know if Iâll be accepted, but I always want to be involved.