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Today's Featured Biography

 
Barbara Blanch Roy

Cheerleading may have seemed a silly enterprise to others in high school. I loved it and have used many of the skills therein since...well, not the round off and splits! Being part of different teams of women in action has given me a sense of purpose and much laughter. After Skidmore College (all women), I immediately married and taught grade 5. Frankly I didn't like teaching 30 youngsters 12 subjects and was glad to trade it for motherhood...3 daughters followed by a son over the next ten years. I balanced family life with volunteering, working enthusiastically on community projects through the Junior League of St. Paul of which I became president in 1980.

My surgeon husband and I decided to build a permanent home on the St. Croix River in 1982. I spent a year with the birds and determined to reclaim urban activity; I joined First Bank St. Paul (now US Bank) in public affairs. I chaired a team of executives from other corporations to study child care needs and corporate productivity. We convinced the Chamber of Commerce to lobby the legislature for more money to fund the child care sliding fee to help more workers. Remember Ronald Reagan's Points of Light? Our task force won one. As the banking industry faltered, public affairs shriveled...I became President of the First Bank System Foundation which had drastically reduced charitable resource. My job was to say, "no." I ended my paid career after only 8 years.

All the while, I have been serving on numerous non-profit boards dedicated to health and human services. The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation is my long-time commitment (17 years). Its mission to serve the 'poor, sick, and needy of St. Paul' is expressed in direct service programs, partnerships with many other organizations, and research. I suspended all volunteering when we learned my husband's diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Fortunately for me, I was able to resume my Wilder affiliation when Phil entered residential care in 2006.

Caregivng has definitely been a cheerleading assignment. I've captained a squad of loving family and devoted friends in giving Phil encouragement. While chronic disease is not a winnable contest, our experience continues to be a worthy challenge of imagination and heart. At this point, I'm grateful to share the caregiving role with professional staff and reassert my role as wife. Phil's words fly around like so many mosquitoes; they know no season/context but provide bat food for those of us who hunger for connection.

We have 8 beautiful grandchildren, in Boston, San Francisco, and the St. Croix Valley. A few years back, the oldest and I watched Grandpa trying to plant a large oak branch he'd just cut down. "Gigi, don't take Grandpa's hope away," he cautioned me to silence. I listened! Such ten year old's wisdom gives me great faith in our human capacity to care for one another.

I confess I'm not good at big groups, but I do look forward to seeing many classmates. I cherish my solid Edina friendships that have persisted. But, where is Susie Everett? Our final breakfast in 8th grade home economics, we use our allotment of butter to fry the bacon. Maybe we can share new recipes.

My best to all, Barbara

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