Occupation: I am retired from my position as a personnel manager. I graduated from Newtown High School and attended the Danbury Business Institute.
Occupation: I am retired from my position as a personnel manager. I graduated from Newtown High School and attended the Danbury Business Institute.
How Long in Newtown: I moved here in 1951 with my grandparents, who raised me. Prior to Newtown we lived in Massachusetts. I was born in California. I lived in Monroe from 1972 to 1997.
Biggest Change Seen in Town: In 1951 the roads were all dirt except for the state roads. There is almost nothing of the old town left. Rampant growth, increased population, new roads, and new people are some of the changes. Itâs unrecognizable from what I remember.
Family: I am a widow. My husband, John, was a policeman in Monroe for 32 years, retiring as captain. I have a step-daughter and step-son. Johnna and her husband, Rick, live in Shelton. Pierce is a plumbing contractor in Danbury.
Pets: My grandmother has a cat, Beau, and a dog, Mandy.
Hobbies: It was primarily reading. Now itâs primarily traveling, and I do volunteer work.
Favorite Books and Authors: I love to read. I like novels, but I also like biographies and mysteries.
Favorite TV Show: I donât watch a lot of TV. I liked Frasier, and I watch 60 Minutes.
Organizations: Iâm a member of the Friends of the Library, and a member of Jack Corcoranâs rose garden brigade at the library. I also help Caroline Stokes with exhibits at the library. I work for the annual book sale year round and during the sale, which will be held from Saturday, September 1, to Wednesday, September 5, at Bridgeport Hall on the Fairfield Hills campus. I also volunteer at the Congregational Church thrift shop. I am treasurer of the Republican Town Committee and a member of the Newtown Pension Committee.
Most Vivid Memory of Newtown: One of my favorite memories of Newtown is when I was a kid and members of the Hunt Club would come galloping up my road on their horses with their dogs. Another memory sticks in my mind of when I was older and would wake up to chain saws cutting up trees for the first new house to be built on our road. It was such a foreign sound because we lived in the middle of woods.
Favorite Vacation Spot: Iâve been doing a lot of traveling since I retired. I go on tours. My favorite place is the old city in Valletta on Malta. I love those old walled cities. Iâve also been to Australia and New Zealand, on a Mediterranean cruise, and to other places in Europe. This past spring I went to China, and will be going to India and Napal in the fall.
Personal Philosophy: I believe that we all should respect each otherâs diversity or differences. I notice it when Iâm traveling that there are some people who are so intolerant and disrespectful of other cultures.
SNAPSHOT
WITH PHOTOGRAPH
LAURIE WRABEL
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