Biography -23

After graduating from Q  in  ’61,  I attended Loras College,  worked a summer internship in the Englewood office of the Cook Co. Dept. of Public Aid, and went on to a Masters’ in Social Work at St. Louis U., where we were touched by the music of the-then young St. Louis Jesuits.  While at Loras, I met Mary Ellen, from St. Felicitas, and we married in 1965.  We have three sons in Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin, and 9 grandchildren, between ages one week and 18 years.

I started with Catholic Social Service in LaCrosse Diocese in grad school and was assigned to Wausau, WI. where we have lived since.  I worked in individual and family service and unwed parents services until 1987, when I left for position with a local non-profit community mental health agency with a retirement plan.  I worked there as a clinical social worker in individual, group, & couple therapy, family mediation and trauma treatment until retiring in 2007.

We bought land with woods and a trout stream north of Wausau in the early 70’s and camped, gardened and planted trees on it while living in town until we built a home here in 1995. We have gardened organically for 40 years and we have hosted a week with our grandchildren each summer for the last dozen years or so.  We mow a 115 foot Chartre labyrinth in our field and share it – and the land - as a spiritual haven with anyone interested.

We volunteered at nearby Capuchin retreat center for 15 years, and now work with our parish on peace and justice and environmental sustainability committees (and write on these topics in the parish monthly newsletter).  I am also volunteering with a local restorative justice program.

Interests now are time with Mary Ellen, centering, listening, growing up, being grateful,  family, gardening, time outdoors and learning clawhammer banjo.  We have had several dogs over the years and our current four-legged teacher is a big B & W Sheltie from the humane society, named Mack.

I have often thought gratefully of the great background for life that Quigley provided.

 

Biographies