Janice Hantzsche Cook

In late May of this year I earned my Gold Medal in Adult Ice Dance from US Figure Skating, my second Gold Medal in the sport, which I took up in my mid-forties while I was working full time with my real estate brokerage business and getting an M.A. in the Study of Human Consciousness at JFK U. in Orinda. Prior to that I'd worked in various office jobs interspersed with professional acting, singing and dancing jobs in San Francisco and the Bay Area after college. I was a member of Actor's Equity for 20 years during the 60s, 70s, 80s. Danced with the opening act for the Rowan and Martin "Laugh In" show in Reno in late 1968. "Distinction" of being 1st Runner Up in Miss San Francisco, 1st Runner Up Miss Marin AND 1st Runner Up Miss Sonoma-Marin!!! Always the bridesmaid, never the bride! My US Figure Skating "career" has fulfilled many dreams, with loads of Gold medals from competitions around the Bay Area and the honor of the Silver Medal in Adult Silver level at Lake Placid. Still skating with a fervor and working on my Free Dance tests doing lifts and spins and twizzles with my coach of 15 years. All this with a hip replacement and a knee replacement -- I'm known for my resilience. Jeff and I have been together for 19 years -- he is retired and drives dirt track race cars, does performance driving at Sonoma Raceway. We've lived in the house we had built in Point Richmond for the past 18 years, love our community here!

Most impactful memory at Redwood is sitting in English class and hearing of the death of President Kennedy.