Betty Shepard (Sophie LaCasse)
Jan,
I really enjoyed seeing your graduation picture and your recent picture. You
look great and you’re still recognizable! That’s a compliment! I have enjoyed
reading all the biographies. My thanks to you, Ron, and Diane.
Here
goes…
After
graduation, I attended S.D.S.C. where I met my first husband and married him in
1963. In 1965, I graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education. I taught for
three years in San Diego city Schools and Project Head Start for two summers.
Our
daughter, Erin Eilis, was born Nov.9, 1968. In the summer of 1969, my husband
decided to pursue a Ph.D. in Optical Physics at the University of Arizona. We
moved to Arizona where our second daughter, Shelley Eileen, was born a year and
a day later after her sister, Nov. 10, 1969!!! At the end of three years in
Arizona we returned to the San Diego area.
My
teaching career resumed in 1975 after having been a stay at home mom. I taught
for the Poway Unified School District until the year, 1987, and at the same
time acquired a M.A. in Education in 1980. In addition, my marriage ended after
nearly twenty years. (H-m-m-m, I think
I’ve heard this story before in a number of your biographies!!!)
I
met my second husband, Roger LaCasse at a party given by a mutual friend.
(Roger and I have felt blessed to have found each other and have a second
chance!) We married in 1985, and
blended two families, his son Stefan and my two daughters, Erin and Shelley.
(Roger’s daughter, Renee, was being raised by her mother.). This was not an
easy task for any of us, but we survived and are blessed with happy and
successful children.
Roger’s
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering led us to Pasadena to pursue his career. At
that time, I taught in inner city Los Angeles and secured another M.A., a
Preliminary Administrative Credential from California State University in 1990.
We built and lived in a lovely home for three years above the Rose Bowl in
Pasadena.
In
1991, Roger took a job in the Bay Area, Menlo Park, CA. The market was down and
it was a bad time to sell a home. We lived in an apartment for two years in
Menlo Park, and made monthly weekend trips to Pasadena to weed, clean, and
check on the house. Once the house sold we built another home in Menlo Park,
where we lived until June 2000.
From
1991 to 2000, my professional experiences were varied and many working with
children of all ages and backgrounds in the Cupertino Union School District. I
was a teacher, Resource Teacher/Intervention Specialist working with at risk
kids, a Resource Teacher to Home Schooling Parents, Summer School Principal for
two summers, district interviewer for new applicants, and principal for a large
elementary school. I found all of these jobs rewarding and very demanding!
Our
goal was to work four more years before retiring, but the Lord had a better
plan for us. In June 2000, we were fortunate enough to be able to retire early
and move into a new home in Encinitas, which is located along the coast in
North County San Diego. I have always loved the ocean and beach and Roger loves
golf. We couldn’t have it much better as we can see the ocean and one hole of
the Encinitas Ranch Golf course from our deck. Roger and I play golf together
once a week and he plays golf three or four times a week besides. We have spent
the last year making new friends, decorating the house and landscaping the
property. It has been a great year!
We
are fortunate to have Roger’s son, Stefan, and his wife, Heather, live five
minutes from us. My daughter, Shelley, her husband, Rob, and son Jack (18 mos.)
live an hour away in Long Beach.. It’s wonderful to see them regularly. My
daughter, Erin, her husband, Scott, and daughter, Madison (3 mos.) live in
Atlanta. Since Scott is a pilot we’re lucky to see them a little more often than
most families who live apart. Roger’s daughter, Renee, her husband, Mike, and
daughters Anne-Marie (8 yrs.) and Catherine (6yrs.) live in Ocala, FL. They
were with us for two weeks this summer. Being a grandparent is a highlight of
my life and it is such fun to see the children develop and grow, and to be a
part of their lives.
Roger
and I are enjoying life! In addition to golf we have visited a number of
different countries. We hope to plan some more trips in the near future. I’m
learning to be a gardener out of necessity. I enjoy reading, plan to take a few
classes of interest this fall, and volunteer through my church or community in
some capacity. The last forty years have had some bumps in the road, but we are
blessed with health, family, and friends.
I’m
looking forward to renewing some old friendships and making some new
acquaintances! See you in October!
Sophie
LaCasse a.k.a. Betty Shepard