Virginia Rawak Bruce
Email Address: vrb@teamweb.com Family
Job
Hobbies: gardening, cooking, local community development Community: publish local newspaper, The Cedar Mill News How are you the same as you were at CHS? easily bored; don't like to work too hard; love to give parties How are you different? more patient (thanks to my kids); more in control of my moods; much better writer; more realistic ambitions! What is your proudest accomplishment? my kids; Portland Family Calendar Where do you live? house in the suburbs Parents: Father: deceased, Mother: deceased What have you been up to for the last 40 years? It took me 7 years and several majors to get a BA (art & education) after attending Santa Barbara (with Pat E.), Berkeley, UCLA, and finally Cal State Northridge. Worked in a horrible daycare in Hayward and then gave up on education. bounced around California before meeting Geoffrey, my English ex, in LA. Went back to England with him after marriage in 1976. Returned to USA to Portland, OR, pregnant with my son James (28). Moved into a 1920-built craftsman house in northeast Portland suburb where we lived for 17 years. (I was tired of moving around!) Geoff and I divorced in 1985 and he later married the girl he'd been dating during our marriage. They have a kid and we spend holidays together - get along fine. Started Portland Family Calendar, a monthly for parents, in 1980, just before the birth of Megan (25). Then got involved in local Cable TV programming - produced all kinds of local shows. Once I was divorced I got a job at Reed College where I learned to use computers (a Macintosh with no hard drive - the program and the memory were on floppy discs!). Started my own business doing various kinds of communications, and have held a couple of “regular” jobs since but have always had my own company since the early 90’s. During the divorce, I discovered that I am bi-polar (manic-depressive). It has taken years, but thanks to meds and guidance, plus a lot of introspection and help from my friends, I'm as stable as I've ever been. Still haven't paid off all the debt, though – never give a bi-polar person a credit card!! In 1995 I moved to a half-acre on the west side of Portland wedged between subdivisions of “McMansions” where I live now. After my mother died in 1995, we put a manufactured house on part of my property and moved my Dad into it. He passed away the week after the 2004 reunion. My daughter is currently living in the house. I started designing websites in 1994 and it was “love at first site." I run Team Web out of my home creating websites for large and small organizations. Increasingly my interest is in my local community. I’ve helped our little business association grow from 12 to 40 members, and publish the monthly newsletter, The Cedar Mill News (cedarmill.org/news) and maintain the website for the library and the general community. I have great plans to help our community become more prosperous by promoting our great pioneer history (first settled in 1847). I’ve always loved pioneer stories! I’ve also become interested in naturescaping (landscaping with native plants). I’m restoring a little piece of streamside adjacent to my property. During the 1999 reunion, I spent a lot of time talking to John Ramey, who was attending at the insistence of Jo Kemling (thanks Jo!!) After a year of silence, he emailed me in November 2000. One thing led to another and he moved up to live with me a little over 2 years ago. He’s very happy working as a massage therapist, after a previous career as a professional photographer. That brings me pretty much up-to-date. My kids are great - son is a law student at U of O after a short career as an energy trader with Enron (his boss was indicted). My daughter is a literature student at Portland State. They seem to like me, which is all one can ask. I’m mostly happy, busy, relatively effective, and not too bored! My politics are progressive, I’m a confirmed atheist since I was 12. I love to help my friends. It’s been such fun getting back in touch with people while working on the reunion! |
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