Occupation: I was a nurse. I got my master’s from Yale and worked for 35 years as an APRN in psychiatry at Griffin Hospital in Derby. I loved it. I retired seven years ago.

Family: My husband, Richard, passed away in 2006. We have three children. Richard and his wife, Julie, are in Florida. Judy and her husband, Peter, live in Little Compton, R.I., and Lisa is in New York City. I have five grandchildren — Taylor, Peter, Christopher, Amy, and John.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We came in 1960, and I’ve lived in this same house for 59 years.

What do you like to do in your free time? I paint. My specialty is oils, and I have some watercolors I’ve done, too. I am a member of SCAN, and I love the friends I’ve made through painting. I practice meditation. It’s a very important part of my day. I’ve started bridge lessons, but the best time I had was years ago, when I belonged to the Town Players. That was a lot of fun. As a member of the Woman’s Club in Newtown, I’ve written, directed, and produced two plays in the past five years or so. One was at the Meeting House, and the other at Edmond Town Hall. I like to read. I have a book everywhere I go in the house.

What are you reading now? Right now, I’m reading The Cuckoo’s Calling. It’s an interesting little mystery by Robert Galbreath. I’m also reading a series of three books, the biography of Theodore Roosevelt. I don’t have a favorite book ever, but I do have a favorite movie: The Russians Are Coming. It’s a Carl Reiner movie from way back. I laugh just as hard every time I see it.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? When I retired, I began going on trips. The first one was to the Grand Canyon, which was wonderful. A year ago, I went on a safari in Tanzania. We went to the Serengeti National Park. We saw giraffes, zebras, leopards, lions, alligators — and I just loved the elephants. We took a hot air balloon ride over the Serengeti one day, and stayed in tents in extremely comfortable camps. It was the trip of a lifetime.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I have lived here so long, and I love it. I love the people, and all the activities that are available. I love my neighborhood and have wonderful neighbors.

What is the biggest change you have seen in town? The number of cars and the traffic, especially certain time of day on Mt Pleasant Road.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? My mother and my aunt. My mother was a very hard worker, to keep us going. I grew up just this side of the Great Depression. My mother loved to dance and have fun, though, and she passed the joy of life on to me. My aunt was very important to me. She never had children, so I became her proxy child. She was very chic for the time and worked. She had a way of getting involved.

Do you have a personal philosophy? Take one day at a time and have as much fun as you can. Laugh a lot!

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Since I’ve retired, I do what I want to do and that’s my pleasure. There’s absolutely no guilt.