Highlighting Our 50-Year Members

(June 2015) Congratulations to Sara Eagling and Sandy Hoffman for their 50 years of service to AAUW!

SARA EAGLING – Honorary 50 Year Member

Sara first joined AAUW – Walnut Creek branch on July 1, 1965.

Sara grew up in Winston-Salem North Carolina. She attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and received a BA in French in 1949.

After graduating she taught high school for two years in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina until she married Donald Eagling in 1952. After spending a year in California, she and her husband lived in several states in the USA before they returned to California in 1963 and settled in Danville. They built a beautiful home in Danville in 1965 where she and her husband still reside today.
In the 70’s Sara decided to get a teaching credential and attended California State University at Hayward where she received her Elementary Education Credential in 1971. Sara then taught in the San Ramon Unified School District as a substitute teacher for close to twenty-five years before finally retiring some twenty years ago.

Sara and her husband have three children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild who all live in California. Her love of travel will take her and her husband and two daughters to France this fall where Sara has traveled at least twenty times before. On three separate trips, while in France, Sara furthered her knowledge of French by attending French language classes.
Over the fifty years as a member of the Danville-Alamo-Walnut Creek branch of AAUW, Sara has enjoyed participation in various groups including bridge, film, garden and the Great Decisions series.

The most important thing Sara would like members to know about her is that she is adventurous and loves travel but the most important of all is her family.

SUE DEVOE – Honorary 50 Year Member

Sue first joined AAUW – Hayward branch on July 1, 1965 and 3 years later joined the Walnut Creek branch. She is also a dual member of the North Lake Tahoe branch.

Sue was born in Manila, Philippines before World War II and subsequently spent 3 plus years in a Japanese internment camp with her family like other civilians who lived on the islands. However, her formative years were spent in Lima, Peru. She attended many schools and received her BA from California State University San Francisco receiving a BA in Spanish in 1963 and a Secondary teaching Credential in 1964.

Her career was primarily teaching Spanish in different Bay Area school districts and teaching Spanish for the Amigos de Las Americas program. Sue continued her education in various Spanish speaking countries including the University of Salamanca where she received a teaching scholarship from the Spanish government.

Sue and her husband split their time between their homes in North Lake Tahoe and Danville and enjoy visiting their children and grandchildren in Oregon and Switzerland. They have two children and four grandchildren, including three -month old twins. They enjoy skiing, hiking, and bicycling and have skied in every continent. They have hiked extensively in Tahoe, Alaska, Italy and Peru and hiked to the highest point in 45 states. They are also active volunteers in many organizations.

Over the fifty years as a member of AAUW, Sue has served in many positions, including as President in 1975-76. She has participated in various groups and appreciates the lovely, interesting members and improving the world by supporting education.

The most important thing Sue would like members to know about her is she believes the world is such an exciting place with lots to learn and do and she appreciates good health to enjoy it all.

 

(June 2014) Congratulations to Arlene Barnett and Sandy Hoffman for their 50 years of service to AAUW!

Sandy (Mavis) Hoffman

Sandy Hoffman has been an active, vibrant member of AAUW for fifty years. Sandy’s AAUW career began when she joined the Dublin and Livermore Branch, and later moved to the Danville/Alamo/Walnut Creek Branch. Sandy attended the University of California, Berkeley where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. Later she attended California State University San Francisco where she graduated with a MA in Elementary Education.

During her career in education, Sandy taught school in San Leandro, California. Her career also included a year in Germany when she taught children of the military forces.

Sandy loves Bridge and has been a part of various AAUW Bridge groups. Sandy and her husband have a great love for travel. However, much of her time the past few years has been spent with her grandchildren. One of Sandy’s two sons has five year old twins and an 11 year old son, and her other son has children who are four, three two years old, a fourth child on the way, and a 16 year old step-daughter.

When asked about her favorite memories and experiences with AAUW, Sandy reflects on how much she has enjoyed working with the Tech Trek program and the Expanding Your Horizons program. Given her passion for education, Sandy has continually focused on the importance of education for young people and the success of women.

Arlene Barnett

Arlene grew up in Port Angeles, Washington, and attended the University of Washington in Seattle, graduating with a degree in Business Administration.  She moved to San Francisco after graduation and worked for several years as an Executive Assistant at Crown Zellerbach Corporation, a place where a fellow worker introduced her to AAUW.  After marrying, she was in AAUW in Palo Alto before she and her husband moved to Nairobi, Kenya, for 3-1/2 years.  Their daughter Karen was born while there.

Upon returning to the U.S., they settled in Claremont, CA where Arlene became very active in AAUW and served as President.  In the Independence Day parade in Claremont one year, the local branch wanted to get some publicity for AAUW, so the branch had a car in the parade with President Arlene, in cap and gown, along with two other branch officers, and an AAUW banner on the side of the car with the theme “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby”, a popular expression at that time.  Her family then moved to Houston, TX, where she immediately joined AAUW again.  After a couple of years in Houston, she became President of the North Harris County branch.  It was always a constant in her life to be in AAUW, no matter where she lived, because she knew she would find wonderful, college-educated women with common interests.  So it was no surprise that she joined the Danville-Alamo branch upon arriving in this area in 1984.

She has also been active in the Walnut Creek Neighbors and Newcomers Club and in the Contra Costa County Alpha Delta Pi Alumnae Association, serving as President one year.  Her daughter Karen and husband have a 5-yearold son and live fairly nearby in Santa Cruz.  Arlene last worked as an Executive Assistant to the CEO and CFO of the Bank of Walnut Creek.  She has retired from full-time work, but continues to work part-time as an administrator of a private club.