Diana Harby VANDUZER
121 E. 10th St., Houston, TX 77008

Biography

It is an interesting project to write a bio of the last 46 years of my life! Here are the “facts” of my life, to date – March 2007.

I attended Goucher College and graduated in 1964 with a BS in psychology. What a privilege to be in school in the 60’s what with all the consciousness-raising that was going on, especially for someone like myself who had led a relatively protected and sheltered life. My studies as well as exposure to issues impacting our country –civil rights, poverty, and women’s struggles- impacted very strongly who I am today.

I married shortly after graduation my husband Roger, who I met on a blind date at the Naval Academy. His work in the Navy took us to Long Beach, CA, then Boston for 3 years of graduate work at MIT, followed by 2 years at Boston Naval shipyard. During this time I worked in public welfare social work and “Great Society” programs everywhere from Watts, CA to the slums of Boston.

Before leaving Boston in 1971 we gave birth to our lovely daughter Jennifer, followed by son Daniel three years later while Roger was serving on the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, based in San Diego, CA but sailing off the coast of Viet Nam most of those troubled years. In 1976 Roger decided the Navy’s plans for him did not coincide with being an involved parent, so we moved to Houston, TX for a job with Shell Oil in marine transportation.

I wallowed in motherhood for my children’s early years, and then returned to work in a coalition of religious congregations’ social outreach programs in 1985. We were blessed to have the opportunity to live in London for three years from 1987-1990, and I contracted “travel bug syndrome” as did my children who were teens at the time.

When we returned to Houston, I went back to school and received a Masters of Social Work, then worked as a clinical social worker in a non-profit agency, delivering mental health counseling to a wide range of persons with varying life difficulties – pregnant and parenting teens in inner city schools, persons with AIDS, abused and neglected foster children, sex offenders and victims of sexual abuse, individuals with depression, major mental illness, relationship problems, etc. I “retired” two years ago in order to spend time with Roger who had been struggling with a recurring cancer of the kidney illness. Currently he has been cancer-free, so we take advantage of being “off the cancer train” to travel, play, volunteer in local schools, food pantries, and with our church, and see as much of our dear granddaughters (ages 2 and 5) who live in Los Angeles with Jennifer and her husband Scott McDowell, who works for Warner Chappell Music as an attorney.

My mother now lives in San Diego, and will turn 90 soon – is well and still plays golf, and we love visiting her in that gorgeous part of California. Our son Dan lives in Houston, works for a shipping agency and was married in October 2006 to a lovely young woman from Philadelphia, Julie Olmstead. I return to Rochester to see my brother Steve and friends fairly regularly, and will certainly plan to visit for the class of 60 reunion in 2010!

Photo: Diana and her lovely grandaughter