Occupation: I am a former school teacher. I taught junior high school in Newtown at St Rose and substituted in Brookfield High School’s science department. I am active in the community with conservation issues and my two grandchildren, who are the light of my life. I have a degree in education from Western Connecticut State University.

How Long in Newtown: In April I will have lived in Newtown for 34 years. I was born and raised in Stratford. Prior to living in Newtown, I lived in Bridgeport. While my husband was in the service, we lived in Germany. We were there when the Berlin Wall went up. Everyone didn’t know what was going to happen.

Biggest Change Seen in Town: Growth. Newtown is less rural and more suburban. Having moved here so many years ago – it had a population of 9,000 then – it seemed like there were more horses and cows then than people.  

Family: My husband, Ray, and I have been married for 40 years in August. We have two children, Liana, who lives in New Milford, and Marc and his wife, Kate, who live in Newtown. They have two children, Nancy and Alex.

Pets: Mother Nature’s animals are my pets.

Hobbies: My hobbies include bird watching, bat houses, a butterfly garden, and bird houses. I like to do wildlife photography. I also feed squirrels. They follow me around the yard. I’m also a big baseball fan. My husband calls himself a baseball widower. I do flower and vegetable gardening. I enjoy knitting and crocheting, and am making Barbie doll clothes for my granddaughter. I also am interested in genealogy.

Favorite Books and Authors: I love to read historical novels, such as by James Michener. I enjoy books based on reality. A lot of my reading is non-fiction, such as on botany, biology, and conservation.

Favorite TV Show: ER is my favorite. Mostly I watch biographies and the Discovery channel.

Organizations: I am chairman of the Newtown Conservation Commission, a member of the Public Safety Committee, Newtown Health Panel Review Committee, and the Connecticut Ancestry Society.

Most Vivid Memory of Newtown: I’m having a difficult time pinpointing one thing in 34 years. Our children growing up in Newtown led to my husband’s involvement in sports coaching and getting a girls’ softball league established. It was a great family thing. We met people in town that way. Another memory is getting involved in the Citizens Action Group against the jail, which was placed on an aquifer. That disturbed me a great deal and led to petitioning the federal government for a Federal Sole Source Aquifer designation. Through that involvement, I met so many good friends I’m still so involved with today.

Favorite Vacation Spot: The Finger Lakes region of New York where we visit with family. We also have a time share at Stowe, Vt. It’s a beautiful town. Even in the winter we love to go there. We also enjoy Colorado, Jamaica, and northern New Hampshire.

Personal Philosophy: My family and, especially at this stage of my life, my grandchildren are the most important things in my life. They have brought a great deal of joy to me. Beyond that I guess you could call me one of those darned environmentalists. When I was a small child, I adored my grandmother and spent a lot of time with her. She loved to garden and taught me that “the Earth gives to us and we must take care of the earth.” She taught me to compost and recycle long before they were the popular things to do. I have respect for Mother Nature and do my best to make a difference both at home and in the community.