A heartfelt thanks: Remembering Penfield

Penfield House at the Montreal Association for the Blind is where I met so many kids that have become my friends for life.  Most of all, it is where I met my best friend, Char. Today, I am still friends with not just Char but Chris, Dar, and others.

This was so many years ago and it is just like yesterday.  My dorm room was so luxurious.  We had all the amenities to keep us in comfort and style and the meals were so very delicious.

We attended college and oh, yes!  We skipped classes every now and then. During the summer Char and I went riding in tandem at the back of Penfield House.  Char taught me how to roller skate and play basketball.  We played broom hockey, various card games, and drank tea and ate cookies at
night.

Karen and I had our two-person band, she on the recorder and me on the piano.  We played mainly at night and on weekends whenever she did not go home.  Noreen and others often came to listen and then Karen and I had this little concert in memory of Noreen after she had passed on.  Susan Russell
was our emcee and so many people from the MAB attended.  I'll never forget that day!

Linda Smoke kept me on track with my studies and there was Ruth Macleod and John and Giselle Hall for mobility, Judy Potts, Kathie Palmer and Jennifer Coppold for occupational therapy and Bill Rudkin and so many others helping me in every way.

I must not forget to mention Jay Wodsworth. He escorted me to class every day during my first days at Penfield as I did not know my way and had to learn my mobility.

The thing that I will be forever grateful for is that so many staff members pitched in to help me, and not just with my daily tasks!  They read to me, recorded books and handouts for me, and did everything that they could to help me complete my studies.

From the late Jeff Tessler to Sandra Dorfman, Ruth Robillard and Donna Woods, Fred Collins and William Rudkin Sr.: they were all my readers.  From Dorothy Allen and Marion Torpy to Joyce Leach and Karen and Jamie Prieur and Linda Smoke and her husband, Jerry, to Tony Russell; these were my greatest supporters.

Then there was Donna-Marie Patton, Maralyn Caners, Ellianne Masson, Nicole Caron, Suzanne Billideau, Maralyn Bridgeman, Lorina Pottier, Dollie Hicks, Judie Fletcher, Harry Morrison, and if I have left out anyone then my sincerest of apologies.

A special thanks must go out to Paul Gareau, Dr. John Simms, and Wilfred Williams and oh, yes!  Joan Stryde.

I had five Montreal moms: Dorothy Allen, Marion Torpy, Joyce Leach, K McCrimmon, and K Smith.  They were all there for me when I had my terrible accident and we have remained friends after all of these years!  Then my dear math teacher, Betty Tate! From Wilfred Williams to Dr. John Simms; I shall never forget!

They were all mentors to me and each in their own way helped to make me a better person!  Thank you, Penfield House!  Thank you, MAB!  Thank you, everyone!

I'm Donna J. Jodhan, your friendly accessibility advocate, wishing you a terrific day. 

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