Occupation: I’m an oncology nurse and manager of the Praxair Cancer Center at Danbury Hospital. I started my career at Danbury Hospital 28 years ago.

Family: My son, David, is married to Jennifer. I have two grandchildren, Tyler and Natalie, and one more on the way.

Pets: No pets right now. I’ve had dogs and cats in the past.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I have been here for 44 years.

What do you like to do in your free time? My grandchildren are priority number one to me. I’m lucky to have them nearby. I do a lot of work-related activities outside of regular hours and I just got my master’s degree last year, so I’ve spent a great deal of time in school. In the past I’ve done some folk art painting, but I’m pretty busy now.

Do you have a favorite book? That goes back to way-back-when. I like Death Be Not Proud. That book probably has something to do with my going into nursing.

Do you have a favorite vacation destination? I love the Caribbean islands. Probably St John’s is one of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen. They have beautiful beaches and pretty blue water down there.

What is the biggest change you have seen in Newtown? It is probably the growth. I was 10 years old when we moved here. I lived on Brushy Hill, which was a dirt road almost all the way to Platts Hill. What is now Newtown Middle School was the high school then. We did double sessions at that school. I was part of the first graduating class at the present high school, which seemed massive then.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I think even though Newtown has grown, it has that small town feel. Main Street is beautiful and there are a lot of really nice people in town. It’s a convenient location, too, whether you want to go into New York City or up to Cape Cod.

If you could spend a day with an historical person, who would it be? Maybe Eleanor Roosevelt. She was such an interesting woman, and in that era, too, there were so many issues going on.

Do you have a personal philosophy? Working with cancer patients teaches you the importance of each day. Be kind to people and treat them as you would want to be treated. We have so much to offer each other.

What is the most important lesson you have ever learned? Just to be kind to each other. I look back to my mom raising 12 kids alone and with all the stress, she still taught all of us to be kind and helpful to others. A lot of what I am now is from her.