Occupation: I am the director of youth and family ministry at the First Congregational Church of Westfield, N.J. I'm also a licensed minister there, which means I can only do sacraments at that church until I am ordained, hopefully in May of 2007.
Occupation: I am the director of youth and family ministry at the First Congregational Church of Westfield, N.J. Iâm also a licensed minister there, which means I can only do sacraments at that church until I am ordained, hopefully in May of 2007. I am âin careâ of the Newtown Congregational Church deacons and plan to be ordained in [The Newtown Congregational Church]. So I come back to Newtown often from my position in New Jersey.
Family: My parents, Betty and Gordon, are here in Newtown; my sister Julie and her husband, Dave, and Sarah and Jason are in Pennsylvania; and my sister Amy, who is married to Darren. They have four children, Elizabeth, Rachel, Jacob and Kevin. They live in New Milford. We are all very close.
Pets: No. We had two dogs, but not now. Our last one died about two years ago. Iâd like to get another dog one day.
How long have you lived in Newtown? I lived here a little over 20 years, until I moved this past September to New Jersey.
What do you like to do in your free time? I do artwork. I did pottery for awhile and I read and write poetry. Iâm like a bookaholic. I have a huge amount of books.
Do you have a favorite author or book? I really like Jane Austin and Jan Karon. I like all different books. The only thing I donât like to read is horror and hardcore science fiction. The one thing I miss about being in school is the excuse to buy more books.
If you could meet someone famous, who would it be? Iâm fascinated by history. There are so many people I would like to meet. It would be a toss-up between William Shakespeare and Eleanor Roosevelt. I was a theater major in college, and Iâve always loved Shakespeare. Iâve always admired Eleanor Roosevelt. What I like is that she would go out to meet people, be where they were and see what she could do. I would love to meet Martin Luther King, too. There are just too many!
What is the best thing about Newtown? I have a lot of good friends here, and my church has been so supportive. But I love the parade. I have a picture of that big flag we had one year hanging in my apartment. I like the flavor of the town. It has a really good feeling. I always feel at home when I come around that corner onto Main Street and see town hall and all that.
Do you keep anything interesting in your purse? My sister Julie gave me a little angel pin and my friendâs mom made me a crocheted heart in a crocheted pocket and I carry them in my purse. I keep the angel pin to remind me of my family and the heart was made for me eight years ago when I had cancer and was in a cancer support group. I keep it to remind me of all of those women in my group.
What is your personal philosophy? Itâs important to be a really good listener. You learn a lot about people by listening. Try to find the positive in every situation and donât take things for granted. And have a really good sense of humor.
What is the most important lesson you have learned? Donât take the precious gift of life for granted. When I was diagnosed with cancer I was working at Union Carbide and it taught me what is really important in life. It drove me to ask myself âWhat is important?â Thatâs how I ended up in the ministry. You never know whatâs going to happen. Donât wait to tell your friends and family you love them.