I am a rare bird, born and raised in Raleigh!  I have been lucky to live close to my family who also live in Wake County, except my sister who absconded to Arizona. I was brought up in a Southern Baptist church and it was a narrow, guilt producing, prejudiced culture.  The only good thing about it was the youth group where I had close friends.

I was the first in my family to attend college (NCSU) and what a world it opened up to me.  What I learned and experienced there changed my life and in some ways made me an alien in my biological family.  They didn’t understand the feminist I became, the choice I made not to change my name when I married (twice), my desire to march for equality, and my decision not to attend the Baptist church after I left home (except with my humble and extraordinary mother for special occasions). 

I first attended UUFR on the advice of a UU friend when I got divorced from my first husband.  I didn’t get involved except for my “Cakes for the Queen of Heaven” group which supported and grounded me.  I wandered off for years and then rejoined in 2011 when I retired from state government.  I had a wonderful career in the justice field starting in direct services with juvenile and moving into grants management, planning, research, policy development and program management. My professional life was always meaningful, demanding, and stimulating.  

Tom and I have been married 25 years.  We don’t have children of our own.  I volunteered with Lutheran Family Services 30 years ago when they were resettling Vietnamese refugees.  Little did I know that I was gaining a family which now consists of six adult godchildren and twelve god grandchildren.  They forever changed and enriched my life.  Tom and I love to travel and have been to Viet Nam twice. Do we have stories to tell!

UUFR brings me spiritual connection and grounding in a community of like-minded people.  I have volunteered as a worship associate, Chalice Circle administrator and facilitator, coordinator of the Food Security Ministry Team, member of the Refugee and Immigrant team, and core member of the UUFR and Cary One Wake Teams.  These projects form the basis of my life now.  My vision is that UUFR offers a spiritual and interpersonal connection to those who come through our doors and does justice in our community.