Retirees on the Move
Meet the Personnel Breakfast Group, which also refers to itself as the Golden Girls and the Bronze Girls. The one thing these ladies have in common, other than being Retired and enjoying every bit of it, is that they all worked in Personnel.
The group generally meets once a month for breakfast to chitchat about life, family, friends and, of course, the Personnel Dept. and the many co-workers they have met along the way. A couple of times during the year, usually around Easter and Christmas, they spruce it up and go out for lunch.
The group began meeting sometime in the early 2000s (each member recalls a different year!). The ladies who meet on a regular basis are: Mary Fletcher, Rita Gardner, Fern Johnson, Linda Lanier, Theresa Richardson, Beatrice (Bea) Smalls and Patricia Taylor. Mae Gaddis was also part of the group for many years.
Mary Fletcher worked for the City for 32 years. She enjoys reading mystery novels and is learning how to relax. She has four grandchildren to keep up with and volunteers at St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church lunch program. She spends her time reading, cooking up new recipes from YouTube and binging on her favorite HGTV shows.
Rita Gardner left City service after 10 years and secured employment with the City of Inglewood. Rita is active as the captain of a women’s tennis team. She also captains and manages a U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) team for youths 14 and under, as well as being a youth team liaison. She volunteers as a religious education instructor and serves on the Senior Ministry Committee that provides outreach for parish seniors. She enjoys reading and visiting local libraries, completing crossword puzzles and watching her grandchildren.
Fern Johnson worked for the City for 30 years, all in Personnel. Fern says that, currently, much of her activities have been diminished as she focuses on maintaining her health.
Linda Lanier retired from the City after 38 years of service. Her activities in retirement have included watercolor painting and volunteering as instructor for a healthy eating and exercise program for elementary students. Linda attends three line-dancing classes and three Silver and Fit classes weekly. She enjoys walking in the park, going to movies, luncheons and dinners with friends, reading, and swimming. She is a member of three Senior Clubs and the Celebrate Life Cancer Ministry.
Theresa Richardson retired in 1999 after 33 years of City service. She says her hobby is “causing trouble!” For the first 11 years of retirement, she volunteered at her grandchildren’s elementary school. She enjoys going out to eat with friends and relatives and window-shopping. She has found much joy in Ubering and Lyfting!
Beatrice Smalls retired in 2001 after 40 years of service to the City. She has volunteered at the Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) information booth for ten years. She is secretary for her church and the Second Vice President of her Women’s Club. Bea also proctors for the State Bar exams.
Patricia Taylor worked for the City for 39 years and retired in 2006. She enjoys coloring with crayons and colored pencils. She says she enjoys keeping life simple. That is why she still has a “flip phone” and is very happy with it! In her retirement, she has volunteered in a holistic doctor’s office and very much enjoys going to plays and concerts and utilizing her timeshare.
More on this active group next month!
