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Dee's new home in San Miguel de Allende

Dee Williams Ropers & Pat Jenkins ('56) Treu

40th Reunion (1995): (Standing) Dixie Eason McCarthy, Vondra Bush, Maren Browning Gilliland, Linda Thorpe Sprague, Irene Taylor; (Seated) Elaine Bjorgan, Dee Williams Ropers, Sue Stoll Egan, Ann Murison, Carol Alexander.

40th Reunion (1995)
Visit to the Burlingame Historical Society Archives
Located in the Gunst Mansion Carriage House in Washington Park
Marilyn Dickman Short was the principal archivist at that time.

Jayne Wright Lasley, Carol Alexander, Marilyn Dickman Short, Maren Browning, Dee Williams Ropers (seated), Mike Langston, Jain Fairfax Langston, Elaine Bjorgan.


(This autobiography of Dee Williams Ropers is in two parts. Part I was submitted for our 40th Reunion "Panther Tracks 1995", which was Dee's brainchild. Part II was submitted as an update for our 50th class reunion.)

PART I

1955 - 1959 Off to San Jose State College with a math major and graduated with a teaching credential. I kept pace with the expected and married right out of college. We moved to San Francisco and my teaching put bread on the table while Mike completed law school.

1960 - 1979 I was able to paint a little until we were blessed with our wonderful daughter, Kelyn, in 1960. I continued to teach until Karen was born in 1962. Before we moved to the suburbs, our anticipation was so great that two-year old Kelyn, seeing a magazine picture of Honolulu palm trees, sand, and surf asked, "Mommy, is this Sunnyvale?" Mark was born in 1964, thus completing our perfect 60's family.

As our family grew, we moved to Los Altos, and I found more and more time for my art - in between the children's dancing lessons, little league, swim team, tennis, sailing, skiing, travel, and other family responsibilities. I met a well known Bay Area sculptor, and was fortunate to work with him in his studio creating welded metal sculpture - what a fantastic experience.

I got a degree in graphic design and worked as Art Director for a small advertising agency - great job, very little pay. (Starving Artist Syndrome, again.)

1980 - 1995 Mike and I decided to end our 20 year marriage. Hooray, now it's time for me. Now I'll be an artist!!! Oh, no! Not A Starving Artist. Better get a serious job. OK, I can do that:

1980 - 1983 INTEGRATED CIRCUIT LAYOUT DESIGNER

National Semiconductor, Santa Clara CA

1983 - 1986 SR. TECHNICAL INSTRUCTOR / COURSE DEVELOPER

GE Calma, Milpitas CA

1986 - 1987 SENIOR APPLICATIONS ENGINEER

Daisy Systems Corporation, San Jose CA

1988 - 1990 GENERAL MANAGER

San Francisco Expressions, San Francisco CA

1990 - 1992 INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER

The Dublin Group, Inc., San Francisco CA

Life as a single woman in the '80s and '90s has been an enriching experience. I 'm stronger and more independent than I ever imagined I would care to be. I have had many relationships, many joys, and a few sorrows. I have lost some loved ones and have gained some wisdom.

In 1990 I moved to San Francisco and had the time of my life! I was blessed with the first of four adorable granddaughters, Christine, now 5, and Allison, 1, are Kelyn and Don Dewars girls. Kolby, 3, and Leslie, 1, belong to Karen and Jim Radebold. Mark and his girlfriend, Jennifer, are taking a year to drive around our beautiful country before their marriage in 1996. Fortunately, both my parents are still living (in Arizona).

How blessed I feel to have remained so close with many of my dear friends from BHS. What a special heritage Burlingame has given us all. I love my busy full life which is enriched by my many wonderful friends and a cherished supportive family. I'm lucky enough to paint nearly everyday and have arrived at what I believe to be my destiny. I'm a Starving Artist!

PART II

I loved the reunion of 1995... In so many ways, it seems like yesterday and yet, so very long ago... I'm sure that everyone feels the same way.

I believe that at the time of the last reunion, both of my daughters were married and I had four little grand daughters, Cristine and Alison (Kelyn's girls) and Kolby and Leslie (Karen's) ... I was a "grandma" first and artist second.... I had always wanted to "see the world" and there was a lot of adventure "out there"... After visiting Disneyland in 1996, I decided that I wanted a little more "bang for my buck".

In April, I gave up my apartment and moved to Florence, Italy, for three months in order to study painting and Italian Renaissance art history. All of our lectures were "on cite" and we visited such towns as Lucca, San Giaminano, Viarregio, Siena, Venice, and Rome. What an incredible summer!!! One of the highlights was finding myself with just my friend and one guard ALONE in the Sistine Chapel... They were escorting all the visitors out for lunch and we were focusing on the art and oblivious to the fact that everyone was leaving... it was a magical moment being in that vast space with such artistic treasures...

July 1996 was my son, Mark's, wedding in Ashland. Oregon. Carol Alexander and Irene Taylor joined me for a drive up the coast to the wedding... we then visited Vivienne Burnett (Sally Mullen) at her home in Friday Harbor. We LOVED the beautiful San Juan Islands! We then visited Maren and Bruce Gilliland at their spectacular home on Mercer Island. Then... on to Lake Tahoe for a week or so.

September 1996 was the beginning of a whole new life for me... I moved to San Miguel de Allende to study art. In many ways this is like taking a step backwards in time. The people are simple. Once you get past the initial tourist's 'shopping craze', the commercialism is virtually non-existent. There are 5AM church bells and fireworks for any "unknown" festival that may come along. There is a huge celebration for '16 de Septembre', to celebrate independence. People fill 'the jardin', our town square, and reenact "la grito", set off fireworks, wave their Mexican flags, hold the children on their shoulders, and sing the national anthem. The first year that I saw this, I wept (very quietly and unobtrusively).

We have a "running of the bulls" (a pathetic replica of Pamploma) and bull fights.

Every Sunday, there is a 'house tour' to benefit the local library (residents open their houses for charity and sometimes as many as 200 visitors enjoy seeing 'behind the walls").

November 2nd, the day of the dead is celebrated. At first, this seemed 'barbaric' but after visiting the cemeteries and watching the people bring lunch and dinner to the gravesites in order to remember their loved ones, I have decided that I would love to be honored in such a fashion instead of just 'disappearing'...

In June (or July) there is always the day of "los Locos". Everyone dresses up in outrageous costumes and parades through the town. Very flamboyant!!!

I have traveled all over Mexico... Pasquero, Yelapa, and Angangueo (in Michoacan), Guanajuato, Mexico City, Pozos, Oaxaca, Cancun, Chichenitza, Chiapas, Palenque, Zihuatineo, Ixtapa, Zacatecas, las Pozos en Xilitla... and to Guatemala.

A high light, in our 'simple village' is a trip to Costco in Queretaro... and even though I would never set foot in a Costco in the US... when we go it is truly an exciting event!!!

I try to get back to the states once or twice a year... visiting SFO, Mark in Ashland, my mom in Phoenix, New York (just for fun), Houston, Austin, and Florida.

In 1997 tragedy struck. Karen's daughter, our three-year-old "little Leslie", contacted kidney cancer. I hope that none of you has to go through the heartbreak of watching your child lose their precious little one. There was such strength, such sadness, and such family cohesiveness. This is a moment in time that has changed all our lives forever.

In October 1997, Mark and Jennifer gave birth to their daughter, Mckinley.

My dear dad turned 90 in November of 1999. And, sadly, died the following February. My mother, at 95, is still as feisty as ever!!!!

2000 was the year for BOYS! Karen's Ben was born in April and Mark and Jennifer gave birth to Jesse in October.

I have tried to travel as much as possible... two visits to Russia, St. Petersburg and Moscow with other cities along the river.

I went to Jazz fest, with the locals, in May of 2000. The highlight was seeing Sting perform...

Sue (Stoll) Egan, another friend, and I were in NYC to celebrate the 4t" of July in 2000... it was such a spectacle!

My good friend, Paco, and I went to a three-week art workshop in Bali, November 2000, and then on to Hong Kong for a week.

In 2001, I decided to sell my house in Los Altos. I bought, "gutted" and rebuilt a house in a quiet neighborhood near the center of town. I really love living here in my small, but fabulous, space. I hope that you will all consider visiting me. Already, I have had several visitors including Dixie and Matt McCarthy, Sue Egan, Carol Alexander, and Roger Peterson.

2004 has been a remarkable year for me. I did a three-month "house trade" with a friend in Paris. I had a trip of a lifetime... went to the French Open, celebrated, with a brunch and a bottle of champagne, the "victory runs" of the Tour de France on the Champs-Elysees. I took a week-long Escoffier course at the Ritz, met tons of new friends, played bridge (in French) went to London on the Eurostar, and spent a week in

Cannes ... visiting several villages in the south of France. I painted, saw much art, and went to theatre, operas, and concerts. I really feel that I did everything that I wanted to do and loved every minute.

In the fall, I went with a group to Prague and took a boat trip down the Danube from Nuremberg, through Vienna, and ending in Budapest... What a trip!

Life is good! I have so many wonderful friends here. There is always something to do... or not... I have met people from all over the world... it seems, all roads lead to San Miguel. I also try to keep in touch with my friends in California...

Hopefully, I shall be painting with a vengeance next year. Art is 'king' here in San Miguel. There is a town full of very fine artists, and I would love to stay home and become an integral part of the art community here.