Jo Anne Decker-Goodfriend

2009

I am updating before the reunion so that my true, but somewhat sappy bio ten years ago is not my last word.

After living in Ithaca, N.Y. for 30 years, 6 years ago Michael and I moved to Sutton, Mass. just south of Worcester and an hour west of Boston. Our children and their families live in Newton and Upton, Mass. all within 45 minutes. We can enjoy the Boston Symphony one day and a grandchild's school concert or recital the next. We canoe, kayak, bike and during the winter, we hike in the woods with our dog. I am not suggesting that we are terrific athletes - these days, all of our activities are paced for pleasure as well as exercise and I am grateful that we are still able.

Michael works 4 days a week and I am "fancy free". I must wait another 10 years or so to join the local Senior Citizen's. Most members are at least 80. I am not ready for that yet. (Age discrimination?)

I am looking forward to the reunion and so is Michael who knows quite a few of our classmates. See you soon.

Jo Decker Goodfriend

1999

The first part of this past decade was not so great. A mastectomy. another one 2 1/2 years later, months of reconstruction, a 3rd knee surgery which cost me a job I truly loved (R.N. to medically fragile children at BOCES) was a bit daunting at times. When mind and body were ready to return to work, I was unable to find an appealing job. Over the years, it has been therapeutic to speak easily of having breast cancer and unless our class has defied statistics, there are other classmates, wives and loved ones who have coped with it or worse.

HOWEVER, the last few years have been "golden". I am surviving, learning how to be retired nicely and even gratefully. I apply for a job now and then, but am not upset when I am not hired. And, my knee works pretty well, Steven and Janet have married beautiful people We now have 4 adult children and 3 grandsons to love. Janet's husband is from Montrose, same as her Dad. They met in Boston (Michael and I met in Lake George), They live in the Boston area where we plan to retire eventually and are presently buying a lake cottage for long weekends, vacations and some Sunday family dinners and hopefully lots of babysitting.

Michael is in excellent health and very youthful. I am jealous of his looking only 48 instead of 50 (f*#~/*9) 8! Although he still works incredibly hard and still loves it, he now has 3 associates allowing much more time off. After years of feeling like a single parent then a single woman much of the time, I finally have a husband again and a very special one at that. Life is good and I am very fortunate.