Marilyn "Lynn"SAXBY

Marilyn Saxby Webster

Lynn's 2011 Autobiography

After our Staples High School graduation, I attended the University of Connecticut for two years, married in 1963, and moved to Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, with my new husband. Bill was in the Foreign Service and had been assigned to Curacao-so I had to make the easy decision to go with him! During our time on this Dutch Caribbean island, we met people from over 50 countries, as Curacao is very international. Our daughter was born there-it was quite an adventure being a young mother on a Caribbean island.

From Curacao, we went to the D.C. area, where our son was born, and then to Maine in 1970, where I have been ever since. While our children were young, we owned Maine farms where I grew vegetables, flowers, and herbs and participated in the Maine Organic Farmer’s Association. During this time, I went back to school for my final two years of college. When the children were both in school, I became a reading tutor in public and private schools, and later managed adult literacy programs. Now retired, I still volunteer with a literacy program-something I truly enjoy.

During the 1980’s, Bill and I went our separate ways, while remaining friends, and each remarried. Maynard and I were married in 1988, had our home built in New Sharon, created big gardens in the back yard, adopted cats, and have been aging slowly in this very rural area of Western Maine.

Meanwhile, my son and daughter, and Maynard’s son have been busy growing their careers. Forrest is a water quality specialist and environmental planner, Gwen is an epidemiologist, and my stepson, Rick, works for one of Maine’s large businesses. We have three grandchildren and numerous grand-pets. (Gwen has two horses!)

My sister, Jan, and I have traveled together, over the years, and we still take at least two annual trips together. (Jan was in the Class of 1966.) We have been across the Atlantic together, to many Caribbean port/islands, and all over the U.S. by train. I just love train travel and belong to TrainRiders Northeast. Our next cruise is this month (March 2011) and our next train trip is cross-country in November of this year.

I look forward to reading about our classmates. I have so many great memories of Staples (music, dances, The Teen Canteen, chorus and choir, Performing Arts in the auditorium, the Downshifters etc.) I am very appreciative of the educational opportunities offered at Staples and in the other Westport schools I attended ( Long Lots & Greens Farms.) We were all lucky people to have had such good schools.