Occupation: I have been in real estate for about 35 years. I've worked for Coldwell Banker for about 14 years as a manager. Prior to joining Coldwell Bank, I ran the service division of a relocation company based in Boston. It was an international company, so I traveled quite a bit. It was very exciting. I went to London, Calgary, Denver. It gave me a sense of a global world and market.

Family: My husband Peter is a lawyer, and he's the love of my life. I have a son, Jeff, and a daughter-in-law, Kris, and they live in Raleigh, North Carolina. He works in Chapel Hill. She is the director of the Library of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University.

Pet: We have a 10-year-old Welsh corgi named Mr Buster, and he is another member of our family. He is a real gentleman. I love him. Before Mr Buster, we had a Welsh terrier named Dylan, who died a few years ago. He was as bad as Buster is good. Our great friend, John, owned Buster, and he was traveling around a lot and couldn't take care of him all the time, so Buster stayed with us. Dylan and Buster became great friends.

How long have you lived in Newtown? I have a historic home in Newtown that we bought in 1998. It is a great house. James Thurber lived in the house and wrote My Life And Hard Times there. We have pictures of him in the library that he sat in. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's the house where his etchings in his attic were found. The third floor was his office and he, for some reason, had etched on the ceiling. New owners moved in and discovered them, cut the ceiling out, and gave the etchings to the Ohio State library. Living in a house like that is a great sense of history, and it takes a certain buyer to buy an antique house. Now I am looking to sell, and my house is for sale.

What do you like to do in your free time? My passion is cooking. I also love to garden, read, and go to the movies.

Do you have a favorite book or author? Every book I get into I say is my favorite book. I love mysteries. Right now I'm reading The Trespasser by Tana French. She is an Irish author, and she writes about Dublin and detectives. She has very complicated plots, and her characters are great.

What is your favorite travel destination? Italy. My husband has family in Rome and Parma. We visit and go to all these different places, and the food - how could you not love Italy? The next place I want to go to is Ireland, because of the book I'm reading.

What is the best thing about Newtown? I love Newtown. The people are the best. I love the people that I work with in the Coldwell Banker office and the community that I have contact with, all our clients and customers, buyers and sellers. Newtown gives you such a nice sense of the definition of community.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? Of course, your parents always shape you into who you are going to be. I'd have to categorize my influences. In business my mentor was Benno Curtis. I loved her, she was a wonderful mentor. She taught me so much about real estate. For my life as shaping me as a person, is my husband. He always makes me a better person. I always think it is good to have someone who makes you a better person. He is very intelligent, he always stands by me, and is always encouraging me. Then my friend John Abbot, who Buster came from. John is a wonderful person who taught me that age does not make a difference and that if you want something you can put your mind to it and do it. I think these three people really did make me who I am now.

If you could choose one person to spend the day with who would you choose and why? I would like to be with somebody who is peaceful and kind. It would either be Pope Francis or the Dalai Lama. If you look at what is happening in the world today, wouldn't it be great to be with somebody who thinks the way they think? They are so inspiring to the world.

What is your favorite TV show? I love Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. Poldark is a great series.

Who is your favorite musical artist? Lady Gaga; she has a beautiful voice. I loved when she and Tony Bennett sang together. I love Frank Sinatra and Adele, too.