Occupation: I’m retired now, but I’m very involved in the world. I raised six children as a full-time mom, and I dabble in a lot of things.

Family: My husband, Stan, and I have been married 53 years. We have six children. Mark and Jim live in California. Mark has an automotive business and Jim is in the high-tech world. David lives in Japan and teaches English. Carla is an MD and lives in Armonk, N.Y. Linda runs a physical therapy business and lives in New Hope, Penn. Suzanne is a physical therapist and lives in Valley Forge, Penn. We have 16 grandchildren. With a big family, there’s always a party or a function we’re involved with. Our family supplies a lot of energy to our lives.

Pets: We’ve had many pets with the family, but those days are over. We like to not be tied down.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We have been here for 35 years. We both were born in Chicago; we went to Pennsylvania, Michigan, and then to Newtown for my husband’s job with Unimation Industrial Robots.

What do you like to do in your free time? We travel a lot and I read constantly. When we’re here, I love gardening, golfing, skiing at Whiteface Mountain, swimming, and relaxing at our vacation home in the Adirondacks near Lake Placid. I’m also involved with the Newtown Town and Country Club, the Newtown Woman’s Club, the VNA, and I serve on the VNA scholarship committee. I also do something I like to call “Rent-A-Kid.” After my family left the nest, I called up neighbors with teens and the kids help around the property and with projects. Many of these young people come back years later to visit. I really almost adopt them. I enjoy talking with them about their lives as we work together.

Do you have a favorite book? One of the most recent that I have enjoyed is The Kite Runner. But a lot of my reading helps me keep up with what’s going on in the world. I read the Wall Street Journal daily, The New York Times, Forbes, and Business Week, and other publications.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? Stan and I have traveled throughout much of the world. South Africa, Machu Picchu, Galapagos, and China are among my favorites. The animals and the people of Africa were amazing. Of all my travels, the people in Africa were the happiest, friendliest people. It was an enlightening experience.

What is the best thing about Newtown? The way growth has been controlled and so much of what I liked when we moved here, is still here. With many guests, I put together a “Tour of Newtown.” I proudly show our visitors Main Street, the library, the historic town hall, the General Store, The Creamery, and the old cemetery on Cemetery Road. I show them all of the rock walls we have and the open space land. What an asset all of these things are to our town.

If you could spend a day with anyone, who would you choose? Really, my family. I’m not one to try to be impressed by strangers. I enjoy my family and my grandchildren.

Do you have a personal philosophy? I like to keep a positive attitude and live every day to the fullest.

What is the most important lesson you have learned? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It’s something I’ve learned as I’ve gone along in life.