Meet John and Mary Noffsinger

It’s a pleasure to introduce you to John and Mary Noffsinger! They come to Sunnyside from a large 110-year-old home in Waynesboro and have lived in Virginia for over 40 years. They brought with them their two cats – Bert, who is 13 years old, and Jake, who is 11. Bert appeared for a proper introduction during our interview, but Jake remained invisible while we talked.

John was an English teacher for 38 years, most recently at St. Anne’s Belfield in Charlottesville. Mary was a nurse, most recently with newborns at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville. They met while both were attending Kalamazoo College in Michigan. Mary laughingly noted that they spent their junior year abroad in France – Mary in Caen and John in Strasbourg – and occasionally would get together in Paris. They married while still in college and will have their 48th anniversary in December. Their daughter and son-in-law are both teachers and live in Tampa with two sons, ages 3 and 5. John and Mary are looking forward to having their family come for a visit later this month.

Both John and Mary like reading and hiking. They have hiked much of the southern and central sections of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. They are also enjoying some container gardening while eagerly awaiting the arrival of their raised garden bed. I know John’s also interested in genealogy because I saw him again at the Genealogy Club meeting just two hours after our interview! John and Mary have traveled extensively in the United Kingdom and Switzerland and hope to revisit Switzerland in the future.

In selecting Sunnyside, John says they were looking for a college town, a beautiful view, an opportunity for nearby walking and hiking, and friendly people. Wouldn’t you say that Sunnyside fills that bill? A warm welcome to the Noffsingers!! --Linda Bradley