MEET ALICE GOODYEAR

New resident (as of May) Alice Goodyear was attracted to Sunnyside for two essential reasons: “I found the grounds extremely attractive and the people very friendly.” This is certainly a compliment to Sunnyside, for Alice had looked at four other communities before deciding to relocate to Harrisonburg.

Alice is a native of Virginia, having grown up in Chesterfield County. She graduated from Radford with a degree in English Literature, and her favorite course in her major was Short Story. Interestingly, however, her favorite course in her entire college career was . . . Logic.

Alice’s most immediate home before Sunnyside was Terre Haute, Indiana, though her husband’s career as a Technology Superintendent caused them to move a great deal—from Terre Haute to Covington, Virginia to Montreal, then back to Covington and again to Terre Haute (whew!). Alice lived in Montreal for three years and loved living in the city because of its international flavor and its wonderful array of restaurants. She also had occasion to accompany her husband on a business trip to London and told herself, “If I’m this close to France, I’m going to visit Paris as well” . . . so she did. A trip to Italy remains for her a dream vacation.

Alice spent much of her time raising her two children: a daughter, Andrea (who now lives in Lynchburg), and a son, Jim (who now lives in Louisiana), but for five years she worked outside the home in that most difficult of professions, a substitute teacher. She substituted at every level between Kindergarten and Senior High, and on one memorable day was asked to teach Trigonometry. “I’d heard of Trigonometry,” she remembers, “but had no idea how to do it, so I asked the students who was the smartest student in class, and she taught the lesson.”

Like many an English major, Alice loves to read and is especially fond of mysteries. She enjoys the novels of Harlan Coben and Lee Child. She also loves music and has eclectic tastes, ranging from Percy Sledge to Josh Brogan to Bruno Mars to Chopin. What she listens to at any given time “depends on the mood I’m in.” Alice’s other hobbies include card games, especially duplicate bridge.

Although relatively new to Sunnyside, Alice has had opportunities to sample local cuisine. Vito’s on Port Republic Road is her favorite local restaurant, though she has also enjoyed the Joshua Wilton House and loves the Mulligatawny soup at Union Station.

I asked Alice what her happiest moment has been, and her first response was “having children and grandchildren—in fact, most of my moments have been happy.” She then got philosophical and reflected, “My happiest moment is probably in the future.”

We hope you’ll welcome Alice when you see her—at cards, at the Tartan Grill, or perhaps at Vito’s or Union Station! --John Noffsinger --Photo by Mary Rouse