At the age of 17, James Butcher served in the Korean War and played a role in the construction of the wall of remembrance. He was featured in a video broadcast on NBC news, with Lester Holt hosting the segment. In the video, James Butcher can be seen wearing a distinctive blue baseball hat. Watch…

Debra Levy (1953-2012) served the elderly and disabled for over 30 years, founding Debra Levy Eldercare Associates in 1988 as one of the area’s longest-practicing Geriatric Care Managers. Her journey began as a solo practitioner, gradually building her practice with “head and heart,” blending expertise with compassion.  She held degrees in Psychology (Magna Cum Laude),…

When Caroline Millett was born in 1939 she won a prize from the Kansas City Star as first Valentine baby. She came from a long line of American colonists who managed to stay alive on various frontiers. When still in her teens she was inspired by her great uncle Van (dean of the arts in…

Debbie took art classes at Friendship Heights Community Center beginning when she was about 40. Her husband Ed remembers that her teacher was in her 90’s. She liked to do paintings based on pictures from their travels. They enjoyed both international and domestic travel together and visited over 40 countries. 

John Elder’s mother and other maternal relatives were visual artists.  He took every art course available in his high school as well as private lessons, but freshman year in college changed his major from studio art to psychology. and only returned seriously to the field in retirement, taking advantage of the many offerings in the…

Virginia Dale Clark Levy has always been interested in art, but became more interested when she was raising her three daughters and wanted to draw their portraits. Virginia attended Michigan State College, where she majored in Journalism. She worked as a reporter for the Lansing State Journal and the Bay City Times, before moving to…

Thomas Fisher dedicated over 40 years to crafting “Jerusalem: The Golden,” a book born from his two Holy Land expeditions in the late 70s and 80s, which ignited his fascination with the subject. Alongside his literary pursuits, Thomas is an avid traveler and photography enthusiast, with captivating snapshots from his Limerick, Ireland journey. Before retiring…

Helen Eliot was born in 1926 in Shanghai, China, to British parents. Her father was instrumental in establishing a modern postal service there. After his untimely death from complications related to surgery, the family headed to their California avocado farm but were captured by the Japanese and spent the rest of World War II in…

Dr. James Butcher enjoyed a prosperous 35-year career in academic-clinical psychology before his foray into watercolor painting, a passion that lay dormant since childhood, when a teacher praised his artistic potential. Doodling during lengthy faculty meetings was his only artistic outlet for many years until his spark was rekindled in 2002 when he rediscovered a…