Audrey Calomino, Volunteer First Class!

We at Sunnyside are so fortunate and blessed to be in this community. We have a wonderful staff and caring neighbors. I especially want to share with you some things about one of our neighbors, Audrey Calomino. Audrey has been a giving person, sharing with her friends and neighbors all her life, from her teen years and professional career to her current retirement years here at Sunnyside.

Audrey is one of the original residents of the Glen, coming here about ten years ago from the nearby Bryce resort, west of Mount Jackson, where she had lived for 18 years. For the first eight years she had a weekend chalet, then retired and bought a permanent home. She found that she loved the skiing that Bryce provided. Her license plate says O2BNSNO! Audrey moved into a new Glen cottage in 2008, and her mother joined her in 2011 for three fun years - she passed away at age 98.

Residing with Audrey in her lovely cottage are her two opera-singing cats, Mimi and Rodolfo. The mother (Mimi) and three kittens were found in the woods on Hickory Cove. These two were adopted by Audrey about a year ago. Mimi seems to be an abandoned pet and is very affectionate; the kitten, born feral, is a little less friendly. They choose their own times to make their presence known when visitors stop by. Audrey is their very favorite human!

Audrey Calomino was born and grew up in Scranton PA, in a family with both Irish and Italian roots. Music and playing the piano have been a part of her life since elementary school days. She started piano lessons early, at age eight, and was accompanist at a dancing school in Scranton by age 12. She also played the organ in church for 16 years, starting when she was 11. At Bryce, she was the organist at the local Catholic Church for another 10 years. She still likes to play the beautiful baby grand piano in her living room. Audrey treated me to a beautiful short piano concert! I believe she ought to make a recording of her piano playing. That is, unless you had asked her mother – a real character! – who remembered when Audrey played well; Audrey says she would come into the LR and say, “Will you stop that noise? You sound like some damned amateur!”

Audrey graduated with a major in Mathematics from Marywood College in Scranton in 1959, a good preparation she says, for her subsequent business and career positions. She worked at International Correspondence Schools in Scranton as a technical writer and instructor in the Schools of Electronics and Electrical Engineering - ICS sent her to Rensselaer for engineering courses. Most of her professional career was in the DC area where she spent five years as Assistant Executive Director of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association and 25 years with the National Association of Dental Laboratories, from which she retired as Executive Director.

Life at Bryce after retirement was interesting and enjoyable for Audrey. There she got to know many friends, including several who also moved to Sunnyside when the Glen opened up. One dear friend from Bryce, is Chris Carniglia, now a close neighbor. They participated in several activities at Bryce and the county. When the County Department of Parks and Recreation started a tap dancing class 12 years ago, Audrey and Chris joined. They even made the local paper in an article about the old ladies – ages 68 and 71 at the time – taking tap dancing lessons! They made costumes and danced at many events at Bryce Resort where they were known as “The Happy Hoofers.” (I have the photo of them tap-dancing from the Northern Virginia Daily, 2004)

Audrey has been an indispensable member of the Sunnyside community, with an amazing record of volunteer service. Here are some of these services:

SS Chapel: Helping with Chapel activities since 2010 - - Sunday services - broadcasting, recording and slides; - Chapel Newsletter- writing, editing, layout; - SS Bible Conference (each year): providing programs, slides for - 3 to 6 sessions, technical set-ups for broadcasting/ recording/ slides; - Memorial services: providing program, slides, family requests, set-up/broadcasting/recording ; - Working on another related weekly church bullletin; - Serving as Secretary of the Chaplains Advisory Committee - quarterly meetings.

SS Computer Club - (now Technology Club) activity and service: - On the Geek Squad which provides help to residents with their computers and at the "assistance" monthly meeting.

SS Websites, TV - Sunnyside Times - Web meetings twice a month; - Sunnyside Times - Advisory Committee Chair; - Posters and ads for Channel 970.

Resident Council - Served five years as Secretary

Travel Club - Travel Club Posters - monthly designs and prints (for displays on campus)

Beauty Shop - push wheelchairs - occasionally

Sunny Treasures Yard sales - Set-up, layout items, pricing, 2 sale days, posters, repacking unsold items, thank you notes, (2 sales/year).

When you consider all the numerous ways in which Audrey contributes to the smooth and efficient activities here at Sunnyside, which benefit so many residents, you wonder when she has any time to eat, sleep, and just enjoy life here at Sunnyside!

All in the Sunnyside community owe great gratitude to Audrey Calomino for all the gifts, talents, skills, energy, and time she brings to our lives and to the quality of life here at Sunnyside. Thank you, Audrey!

--Beverly Silver