Occupation: Currently, I’m an independent beauty consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics. I’ve been doing this for 14 years. I started as part-time, but since I retired from 30 years of teaching physical education, five years ago, I’ve been with Mary Kay full time. I love it. I love the Mary Kay philosophy of empowering women, and I love it because I’m still teaching. It’s teaching skin care. I like helping people feel good about themselves. It correlates to what I did as a physical education teacher, too, in teaching how to take care of yourself.

Family: I’m married to a wonderful guy, Ed. We have four grown and married children. Michael is married to Kim; Sarah to Dan; Jed is married to Marie; and Hannah to Andy. We have eight grandchildren, including one set of twins, and are expecting our ninth grandchild in April.

Pets: We have always had dogs and cats, but right now we have just one dog and one cat. Our German shepherd, Shamar, is 5 years old, and our one remaining cat, Cleo, is 14 years old now.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We’ve lived here for 34 years. We moved here in January of 1978.

What do you like to do in your free time? I don’t have an awful lot of free time. Outside of playing with my grandchildren, I am a gardener. I like to be outdoors, and I love to read. As a Mary Kay consultant, I have volunteered with many girls’ groups, including Girl Scout troops, doing makeovers, and also at nursing homes and assisted living homes. It helps people feel good. I also get a great deal of joy from baking, and do all of my baking from scratch.

What have you read recently? I read my Bible every morning, and that is the most important. I read Glenn Beck’s The Snow Angel, recently. I like Richard Evans, who wrote The Christmas Box, and I like Francine Rivers. They all revolve around God and something spiritual. These are some very gifted authors.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? My desire some day is to go to Alaska. We do have property in Maine, and we love our place there and frequent it often. My heart is in Maine.

What is the best thing about Newtown? When we came here, I loved the farms, the historic feel, the Ram Pasture, and the beauty of the landscape. It seemed country to me. I love the ground and the earth and the outdoors. Going up to the top of Castle Hill and looking out over Newtown, you can still see the beauty. I love that we still have farms in this town, and that we have the Creamery!

Who has been the greatest influence on your life? It has to be Jesus. I aspire to be just a small portion of what he was like when he was here — how he taught and loved, and it was never all about him. Mary Kay Ash, who founded the Mary Kay Cosmetics company, has also been a big influence, with what she was able to do in her lifetime. She looked eye to eye with everyone, and she made people feel special. She believed in a “can do” spirit, and I think I’ve adopted that.

Do you have a personal philosophy? God first, family second, career third. I you remember that, you never lose who you are, and the most important things to you.

What makes you happiest? Making other people happy, and doing what I can for others.