School Story:
[From 50th Reunion Yearbook...]
Smith College 1988, B.A. History: China & Japan
Five children: Kim, Greg, Chris, Jonathan, and Corridan; nine grandchildren: five girls and four boys, ages 9 to 18
Who am I? I'm a retired soccer mom and business wife; single since 1996, work part time, read, attend a variety of local lectures series, travel to visit children & grandkids
Hi Center Goulders & Class of '57.
A long time ago, I left college after my freshman year and was married in the fall of 1958. Then I jumped into motherhood and had 6 babies between 1960-1968. We lost our first baby at 5 months because of a congenital heart birth defect.
However, I really believe my next 5 children were born walking and running. My petite daughter taught her younger brothers to climb over all the fences. Heck, even my dog jumped over my fence! After changing diapers for 10 years, I moved on to become the Mom who drove the Chevy station wagon for swimming, baseball, skiing, scouting and after school jobs for the next 10 years.
In 1980, my daughter Kim and I both went to college. Actually I stayed home with my husband, the four boys, the cat and the dog. After a year of Holyoke Junior College, I became an Ada student at Smith College and slowed down to 2 classes a semester. In one class my lab partner's boyfriend and my son Greg were both students at RPI! Because of a company move, I did 3 semesters at Harvard's Extension University which gave me extra classes in my major, Chinese & Japanese History. My son Jon and I even took two American History classes together in summer school which was a very interesting experience! I said we shouldn't sit together, but he bought my coffee at break? After a move back to CT, I finally finished my degree at Smith in 1988. Since I was in college at the same time as all my kids, for 8 years Thanksgivings were holidays of shared anguish and empathy over term papers and final exams!
Back in 1967 Chris finished his BA degree and went into sales and later management at C. H. Dexter in Windsor Locks, CT where he worked for the next 23 years and I became a Business Wife in the company or at conventions! In 1968 we were moved to Moorestown, NJ for 5 years. Then moved back to Longmeadow, MA for 10 years where the children really grew up. After that we were moved to Boston and Rhode Island. Finally back to the Hartford, CT area for 2 years & I finished at Smith College. I was actually buying a house in Orlando, FL on my graduation weekend for our next company move. This time we moved without the children. Kim had married into the Air Force and my sons stayed in the New England for college and settled in that area after college for work and marriage.
In 1991 Chris retired after Dexter sold the plastics company he was managing in Orlando. We bought a Tayana 37 sailboat and lived aboard while we slowly fixed her up for cruising. We finally cruised in the Bahamas for 6 months which I loved but Chris didn't really enjoy. Retirement and/or cruising sailboats can be fatal for a marriage! After a 3 month visit with Kim in Okinawa (the closest I got to Japan or China), we separated in 1996 and later divorced.
In 1997, I moved to Newport, RI because my 4 sons are all within a day drive from here. Newport also has a wide variety of lecture series in Art, Historical, US and World issues which I call "Brain Food". Plus it’s close to the Boston area. Now if we could just get rid of the tourist...
Looking back over the last 50 years, I would say my most important and satisfying work was helping my children grow up into 5 very capable and interesting adults. Maybe next would be I made a supportive home base which enabled everyone in the family to work from. Plus I'd also like to take credit for the total responsibility for the management, operation and fiscal control of the household - which was really like totally running a micro company!
Lastly going back to college was more interesting and meaningful to me in my 40's because I was working from a broader base of life experience and knowledge. And getting my college degree was worth all the work and angst because I finally finished what I expected to do with my life when I left Northfield.
Can't believe it’s been 50 years! See you all in June - Ruth Paige
PS How come I never met any other Center Goulders getting midnight snacks in the kitchen??? Remember the old watchman with the white hair and black turtle neck sweaters walking the halls all night??? He was spooky...
