Joyce Dugan
Joyce moved to Kendal at Oberlin on December 3, 1993, from her family’s ornamental tree and shrub nursery in Perry, Ohio, where she and her late husband Charles raised their three children. They traveled extensively, and lived for periods of time in Panama, Greece, and England.
She still loves to travel and spends a month in Maine each year with her daughter Sally. Sometimes the grandkids’ visits to Maine overlap with her trips, which is wonderful! Her daughter Connie is a frequent visitor here since she is a flight attendant and lives in Wellington. Connie makes sure that Joyce gets to the dentist and stores, and they just “tootle around” together. Joyce’s son, Skip, is the director of Lake Farm Park, Lake County’s display of agricultural life, which keeps him very busy. When Lake Farm Park has its special events featuring baby animals in March, Joyce makes a point of going to see them. “Those baby goats can jump straight up in the air,” Joyce laughs, and suggests that maybe we should have them on Island Pond.
Joyce chose Kendal due to her love of the Kendal philosophy and the music! She still feels it was the “wisest decision she ever made.” She moved in at the same time as Molly Anderson and they became dear friends. She remembers how Molly knew so much about Oberlin, and how they took lots of trips throughout the area to help Joyce learn her way around. Joyce loves to get fresh produce. The Aufdenkampe family farm in Vermilion is her favorite for fresh vegetables! Now that she can't drive, it is important to have friends who can offer to take her. Grobe’s Market is closer and even has a produce stand here at Kendal in the summer, but it doesn't have the range. Their corn is great, however!
Joyce had worked at various times as a newspaper reporter, English teacher, and radio scriptwriter. She just naturally fit in with the Play Readers group here at Kendal -- she is in the play that Jerry Berner is directing this summer! She also loves being able to sit and read on her porch, her favorite room. She has three bird feeders. Her favorite winged visitor is a rose-breasted grosbeak.
Her advice is to make friends. You don't really feel at home until you do! It is especially important when one is single. But we all need that special connection, especially someone like Joyce!
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