Have you lived in other places besides Lynden?
Yes, I was born in Armstrong, British Columbia. We lived on Shuswap Lake. I also lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Yuma, Arizona, before settling in Lynden.
What industry did you retire from?
I owned my own travel agency in Lynden for 18 years. It was called World Travel and Tours, and it was in the Fair Square shopping center across from the tractor supply here in Lynden.
What was your favorite thing about the work you did?
In my mind, I got to travel on every trip that I booked — I would visualize everything as I planned it. That’s what made me a good travel agent.
If you could have any type of food, what would it be?
That would be Chinese ribs from Israel. They’re way different than our Chinese food here. They don’t use barbecue sauce there, they use herbs and spices.
What is one thing that you have been most proud of in your life?
That would be my music. I started playing piano for church when I was nine. I later filled in for the organ player as well.
I’m also proud of my people skills. I listen and watch how things are done. I let people talk first and I just listen. It’s not that I’m perfect, but people are drawn to me. I make mistakes, but I’m enthusiastic about everything that I do, and people like that.
What is one thing you did or experienced that was scary?
I remember going on a travel agency owners’ trip to Syria and other places that were not open to the public. We were left on our own to figure everything out. We were given a map and brochure and had to find our way around and just figure everything out. That was scary.
What was your favorite decade to live in, and why?
My favorite time of life was when I helped develop classes for students who wanted to be travel agents at Bellingham Technical College. I met with the teachers and observed the classes so I could evaluate them and give advice on how to improve them. I liked that because I was helping young people who wanted to be in an industry that has always been exciting but hard to do. I liked helping the students in their endeavors and helping them earn a living in the industry.
What is one life lesson that you learned from your parents?
They taught me honesty and how to treat everyone with respect. They also taught me to be diligent and persevere, to stick with it.
What is one piece of advice that you would give a 16-year-old person?
Read your Bible and take notes. Sit down with an adult you trust who is interested in you and interview them (like we are doing now). Find out how they made it this far in life.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you, but you wish they did?
I am quite well traveled. I started traveling late in life but was able to go to Hawaii 54 times, Europe nine or 10 times, Australia twice, Israel, Eastern Canada and the United Kingdom. I basically went everywhere except Asia. I also had a few different careers. I was a music and art teacher, I worked in a bank, I did events on a cruise ship and I owned my own travel agency.
You’ve lived through other historical events — wars and recessions and such. What do you think of the pandemic that we’re living through now?
Never in my entire life did I envision that we would live through something like this pandemic for so long. There have been similar issues before, but never one that is worldwide like this.
What do you like about living at CHCC?
Living in a small community like CHCC is nice because you can become involved and take part in things. The staff are friendly and helpful. Not only are they helpful to the residents, but they are helpful to anyone who stumbles through our doors. It’s also clean and it smells good here.