Occupation: I was a second grade teacher in Virginia and then in Anaheim, Calif., for several years. I retired when we started our family. I volunteered in schools for many years and ended up as an educational assistant at Head O’ Meadow School for a number of years. I retired from there in 1999.

Family: My husband, Gordon — I call him “Mike” — and I have three children. Chris is married to Casy and they live in Virginia. They have two daughters, Preston and Grace. Cara is married to Greg and lives in California. They have a son, Riley. Emily is in New Hampshire and married to David. They have two girls, Clara and Elly.

Pets: Toby, our cat, is the only one now. He’s 5 years old.

How long have you lived in Newtown? We moved here 44 years ago.

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to garden, and I’ve been a member of the Town and Country Garden Club for a number of years. I play tennis every week, and I volunteer through Newtown Congregational Church. I’ve sung in the choir there for over 30 years. I also volunteer at the Cornerstone Thrift Store, and at the Dorothy Day Soup Kitchen in Danbury. I like to read and have been in a book club for 35 years. Mike and I like to go to movies and plays, and we like to travel.

Do you have a favorite book? I like a lot of Anne Tyler’s and Pat Conroy’s books, and we’ve read some good nonfiction in the book club. I just started the memoir, Queen Noor. She was married to King Hussein of Jordan. Before that, I read The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo.

Do you have a favorite travel destination? We had a wonderful trip to China last fall and the year before we went to Eastern Europe, and that was so much more interesting than we thought it would be. I think that a lot depends on the tour guide and the people on the tour, if that’s the route you take. We also lived in England for a year when Mike taught there under an exchange program. It was wonderful.

What is the best thing about Newtown? It’s a small community and we’ve always been involved, so we’ve gotten to know people. We have good friends here. The rural flavor of Newtown and all of Connecticut is appealing.

What is the biggest change you have seen? The McMansions going up and all the new roads, and the increase in traffic. Living on Main Street, we’re more aware of it. But when we visit in California and then come back, we think this isn’t so bad!

Do you have a hero? There are so many, it’s hard to say. I admire Eleanor Roosevelt. I read a couple of biographies about the Roosevelts, and I felt sorry for her. Her marriage was not too happy. But she was a strong person who really influenced FDR and his policies.

Do you have a personal philosophy? I believe in treating all people equally, the Golden Rule. I believe in accepting other religions and all people.

Do you have a guilty pleasure? Ice cream. I like it all, except cookie dough. I try not to buy it all the time.