March Resident of the Month Sandra Gawne

Community Homes March Resident of the Month Sandra Gawne enjoying life at Maple Terrace for the second time.

Most Residents enjoy the experience of the resident life at their own Community Homes apartment. But our March Resident of the Month has the distinction of calling Maple Terrace home twice. And she is not originally from around here.

A Reading native, Sandra has had the experience of calling many places home. This includes Tennessee, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, DC, Seattle, Pottstown, and Lebanon.  Some of the stops were related to her interesting career in military service. The Seattle experience was motivated by a chance to spend time with her daughter Teri, who has two children. There is also one great-grandchild in the family. She also has a son, Thomas, who lives and works in Pennsylvania.

Sandra shows her bravery when she talks almost matter-of-factly about the fact that she is fighting cancer. The Tennessee stint is related to a hospital stay related to treatment. She still fights the good fight today. She gets her health care through the VA. “I am happy to be a VA patient, they do a great job.”

She enjoyed her Navy military service, even boot camp at Bainbridge, Maryland. “I got a good education, and it was rewarded with some very challenging and rewarding work”, she recalls.

Challenging indeed. She had a top security clearance and worked in a photo darkroom, developing highly classified material that was put to great use by the Government. No details were shared, other than the Moon was involved.

Her longest employment experience was  about twenty years with Dana Truck Manufacturing, an international resource for parts, at their Pottstown, Pa location. Dana manufactures, among other things, drivetrains and propulsion systems.  It was a perfect work environment for Sandra, competing as a woman in a “man’s world” setting. Her competitive nature blossomed during her high school years in Reading, where she competed in a variety of athletic pursuits, including softball, volleyball, rifle twirling with the marching band. She also earned recognition with GAA (Girls Athletic Association) International.

Sandra is retired now and lives comfortably at Maple Terrace. She considers herself a “loner” but appreciates the availability of Community Homes staff as needed. She has a cat named Rusty and enjoys walking for daily exercise.

When asked “What makes you proud’? Sandra replied, “My ability to assert my independence, I am living comfortably, and of course I am proud of my family.

Community Homes is proud that Sandra has chosen to live in a Community Homes apartment, not once, but twice. We are glad she is one of us.