REMEMBERING JUANITA THOMAS
Apr
24
Taken when I joined them for lunch at Ida Culver in North Seattle
Jay and Juanita Thomas, married in TexasJuanita was also Valedictorian when she graduated!
Jay brought her to Seattle and worked at Boeing
The year was 1993. Ann Gaponoff put up a sign at Island Books about starting a writing group because she had gone to her sister Frances’s wedding in Michigan the year before in September and connected with a wedding guest, Kathrine, about writing. A group responded here on Mercer Island, but Ann and I found the group unsupportive and decided to meet ourselves. We felt we needed at least one more person. I was able to talk Juanita into driving to my house on Mercer Island from her home in Seattle and joining us.
When Christmas was approaching, we put our writings together, went to Kinko to print the 40 pages, made construction paper covers with a fan of colored tissue decor and called it COLLAGE. “Collage” because we were proud of the fact that Ann represented being Jewish, Juanita being of black heritage and I am of Japanese heritage. We then passed out the booklets as Christmas gifts.
Juanita sent one copy to Thelma. Thelma didn’t get around to reading it right away, but when she did, she read the first poem: TO MY SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW ON THEIR WEDDING, written by Ann.
If I have the story right, Thelma then couldn’t believe it because she and Frances had gotten to know each other in Ann Arbor, not all that long before this time!
Juanita, you became my big time “LIFE MENTOR” when I was your assistant at Seattle Steven's Elementary Title One tutoring classroom in 1970. The synchronicities you brought to my world have been life changing.
Thank you, Dee Goto
