Occupation: I was an executive secretary in my earlier life, and I raised a family of four children. Now I enjoy attending ecumenical group meetings in which we study the Bible. We meet in St Rose and follow study guides. It’s an inductive process, which means nobody is a leader. For anyone who is interested in Neighborhood Bible Studies, there is an 800 number to call (800-369-0307).

How Long In Newtown: I have been welcomed to Newtown in every way and feel very happy here. I moved into town in 2000 from the town of Rye, N.Y., where I had lived for 40 years. I grew up in Brooklyn in the shadow of the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Ebbets Field. I can still remember roller skating in the street and hearing the cheers when someone hit a home run.

What’s So Great About This Town: Coming from Rye, I love it here because of the reverence for American history. One example would be all the past people, events, and places in Newtown that are pictured in the murals at Edmond Town Hall. I respect the efforts of people who try to preserve our history and volunteer their time to tell other people about it. I also enjoy voting and am inspired by Newtown’s voter turnout and seeing all those good people going to the polls.

Family: My husband, Howard, was a Navy flight instructor, and we were in Pensacola, Fla. when the atom bomb was dropped. Then he worked in industrial advertising. He died ten years ago. I find Sundays are the days I miss him most. Right now, I’m living intergenerationally and joyfully, with one of my children and her family. I have 11 grandchildren.

Hobbies: I always loved the piano, playing jazz and gospel and reading music. I’m especially fond of Negro spirituals because they are so healing. They are sung from the heart. I used to play C-level tennis and I’ve recently enjoyed playing bocci at The Pleasance. It was like the Field of Dreams. We bought the bocci set and put it out there, and people just showed up to play.

Favorite Reading: I read the scriptures, I’m reading Longitude now by Dava Sobel, and I’m a news junkie. I read all sorts of newspapers including the Danbury News-Times and The Newtown Bee. When I was a kid in 1935, I lived for a while in Pennsylvania. I remember the Portland Enterprise was published in our little town that had a population of 600, and you could watch them through the front window setting the type.

Organizations: I belong to the Newtown Woman’s Club (GFWC). They are live wires, and I have enjoyed it because there are so many bright people and they are very active. The club encourages your creativity and community participation. The way I found out about The Pleasance was when I helped club members pack up our holiday ornament depicting that place a couple of years ago.

A Vivid Memory: It was a Sunday in Mamaroneck, N.Y., and as a Protestant I happened to go to a Catholic Church to take the Eucharist where my ecumenical Bible study friends were. After church, we all went over to the diner and the socializing brought the life back into me.

Personal Philosophy: I kind of like what God said to Moses in Exodus 14:15 when the Israelites were about to cross the Red Sea but couldn’t get up the nerve to go. Just do it, God said. Stop praying and march. There’s a lesson there. Also, I believe we all have special gifts and a special spirit that can be seen or felt.