Terri'e 2021 Updated Autobiography

I graduated from UConn in 1965 with a BA major in Psychology. I married Martin Flaherty soon after and have raised our family in Darien, CT. Our two married children, Michelle F. De Rocco and Craig Flaherty, have raised their two children each in Darien as well.

While raising my family I worked part-time as a nursery school teacher, real estate broker, and newspaper circulation manager before starting my full-time career in human resources. I retired from my position as Human Resources Director for two local Tribune-owned papers (The Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time) in 2001 after twenty years.

My next chapter included volunteering for local organizations. reading and participating in three book groups, and resuming painting. I have exhibited locally and my works are represented in many private collections.

I am happy to say I am a cancer survivor having undergone two surgeries and chemo for colon cancer in 2014. That’s enough of the ‘organ recital’ except to say that I am healthy now.

My husband and I built a ski house on Okemo Mt., VT in 1966 and remodeled it in 2003 and we have spent many wonderful vacations with our children and grandchildren. Our 4 grandchildren continue to delight us: William De Rocco will receive his doctorate in particle physics from Stanford in June this year and Jessica De Rocco is a junior at Columbia University. Our two younger grandchildren are at Darien High School ; Pace Flaherty is a junior and Wade Flaherty is a freshman. ( I call them my two ‘verbs’ ).

Though this year has been difficult without close physical contact, I am grateful for Zoom, Netflix, PBS, CNN, Scrabble, Amazon Prime, my monthly book discussions, my good health and my family most of all.