Virginia Rawak Bruce
Email Address: virginia.bruce@gmail.com Family
Job
Hobbies: gardening, cooking, local community activism Community: publish local newspaper, The Cedar Mill News. Member, Leedy Grange. Vice Chair, Citizens Participation Organization 1 (Washington County, OR) 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; The Portland Family Calendar; The Cedar Mill News, the mural on the Leedy Grange Hall. Where do you live? house in the suburbs Parents: Father: deceased, Mother: deceased What have you been up to for the last 50 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 (now a lawyer, age 35, and married to the lovely Jennifer). Moved into a 1920-built craftsman house in northeast Portland suburb where we lived for 17 years. (I was tired of moving around!) Megan was born in 1980. 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. 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 (an early Macintosh). 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. 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. It's currently rented out. I started designing websites in 1994 and it was “love at first site." I run Team Web, 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 70 members, and publish a monthly community newsletter, The Cedar Mill News (cedarmill.org/news) and maintain the website for 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! 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 several 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 lawyer in Portland (after a short career as an energy trader with Enron—his boss was indicted). He and his wife Jennifer just had their first child, and my first grandchild, Carter Scott Bruce. My daughter recently moved to a shared house in Portland. They seem to like me, which is all one can ask. I’m happy, busy, relatively effective, and not too bored! I probably will never be able to retire, but I love my work. My politics are progressive, and I’m a confirmed atheist since I was 12. It’s been such fun getting back in touch with people while working on the reunions! |
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