Brigid Pfister is moving to Willow Grove from New York City after working for 12 years for the United Nations, both there and overseas as a child protection and legal affairs specialist focused on situations of armed conflict.  In June she will begin working full-time as an advocate for children in the US child protection system. Brigid enjoys traveling, hiking, gardening, and trying new recipes. She got to know Maine as a young person when her family had a home in the Boothbay region, and is looking forward to learning more about mid-coast Maine and to contributing to the community.

Roger Fenn and Dorothy Chaisson moved to the grove from Florida with their 8 year old black labrador, Hazel.

Roger is a retired communications professional. He grew up in Hartford Connecticut and graduated from Ithaca College. For over 20 years, Roger worked in radio and TV sales, then spent four years as Communications Director for State Senate President Beth Edmonds. Before retirement, he was also an advocate with Physicians for Social Responsibility. Roger enjoys music, crosswords on line and short walks around Willow Grove. 

Dorothy is from a third generation Brunswick military family, and graduated from the University of Maine, as well as Smith College School for Social Work. She pursued careers in corporate operations, systems consulting at DEC in Augusta, and finally as a clinical social worker with a practice in Brunswick. Dorothy is an avid reader, and wants to get back to some handy work - sewing, knitting and dabbling in photography and sketching.

P. Jay Fleisher was a professor of geology and geomorphology for 40 years at the State University of New York in Oneonta, NY. In order to explain the geology of New York, he led research teams to Alaska with colleagues and students for over 20 years studying the glacial environment. He has had a long career and has shared his knowledge with the local community and beyond by leading trips out west, to Canada, Iceland and parts of South America. He continues to publish areas of interest but is now ready to move to the next chapter in Brunswick where his daughter, who teaches in the Bath school system, resides. Jay’s other daughter lives in Fairbanks Alaska where she and her husband are on the faculty of the University of Alaska. Jay has 4 grandchildren that range from age 9 to age 28. Jay has recently resigned from the local symphony board.

Judy Pachter started her career as a registered nurse but after being a stay-at-home mom, she was recruited to join her husband in the financial services industry which lasted for over 30 years; even after she became a widow at age 48. She too has shared her skills and knowledge with the community by giving seminars on multiple topics related to finance and planning for “the inevitable”. She has served on multiple boards including a hospice board as well as a women’s business group. She has recently resigned from a board that is promoting film and film education in the Oneonta and Cooperstown area. Judy has one daughter who lives in Somerville, MA (with her husband, Jeremiah) and she is the Chief Development Officer for an off-shore wind energy company. Judy is looking forward to a new chapter in her life and being closer to her daughter and her cottage (“her slice of heaven”) on Cape Cod.

On the journey to her home in Willow Grove, Patrica Croy raised four children, earned an Art History degree, and studied Horticulture and business administration. For many years, she was the CFO and director of Business Services for the Kennebec Girl Scout Council. She also volunteered for the Peace Corps as a marketing consultant in Lesotho, Africa. Passionate about hiking, she often spent weekends on trails and mountains ("4,000 footers") in New Hampshire and Maine, as well as Norway, Scotland, and Africa. 

Here in Willow Grove, Pat cares for an extensive backyard garden which began almost two decades ago  with a collection of transplants from Peak Island. Pat walks daily, plays mah-jongg weekly, reads "whodunnits" and other recommended books, and avidly assembles jigsaw puzzles. She values Willow Grove's naturalist roots, and appreciates the way we watch out for each other.

Rick and Mary Lee Wile have lived in Willow Grove for 3 years now. Rick grew up in Yarmouth, while Mary Lee was raised in Demarest, N.J.  Rick and Mary Lee are recovering English teachers, are writers, and are active in their spiritual and religious communities. Mary Lee’s novel, Ancient Rage, was published 20 years ago, and she is one of several writers who blog for http://growchristians.org. Rick’s novel, Requiem in Stones,has just been published, and he writes a blog, “The Geriatric Pilgrim” (http://richardwile.com/blog). Mary Lee facilitates workshops at the Windham Correctional Facility, while Rick fosters writing workshops at the Gathering Place and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. They enjoy traveling, hiking, and playing with their four grandchildren.

Blake Hendrickson has lived in WG for 8 years, after the passing of his family who owned it for many years before him. He was raised in Virginia, has a Bachelors of Architecture degree, worked at Bath Iron Works for 20 years before setting off on his own 10 years ago. We see him walking his dog, Rudder, most days.   www.BlakeStream.com showcases some of his own creative woodworking projects.   Interview by Curtis Library:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdkdno0mcpA 

Craig and Barbara Snapp: Craig is a retired semiconductor technologist and Barbara is a retired biologist/educator.  They are active volunteers for land conservation in coastal Washington County, ME (http://downeastcoastalconservancy.org/).   Barbara teaches regularly at the Midcoast Senior College (https://midcoastseniorcollege.org/) and Craig tutors Google Earth/Maps at Curtis Library.   Both like to play in the Brunswick and Steuben art & photography communities and are members of Points Of View (POV) (www.povartistsmaine.com/) that shows at the 18 Pleasant St Brunswick Business Center art gallery.  Check out their POV web pages at  http://www.povartistsmaine.com/artists/barbara-snapp  and http://www.povartistsmaine.com/artists/craig-p-snapp.