Our Rotarian of the week grew up in Summit, New Jersey, she was born at Overlook hospital where fellow Rotarian Tom Bass was also born and where Doctor Babson worked for a time. This Rotarian went to High School in Radner, PA and was part of a graduating class of 439. Our special Rotarian’s first job was working in the Radner County Library as a children’s librarian.
Attending Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, VA, our Rotarian of the week received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, going on later to receive a master’s in counseling from Leslie University where she then worked as an administrator.
After college this person enlisted in the Air Force and currently Mary Schwem is one of only two women veterans in our club. Mary met her husband, Bill while he was studying to be a Chinese linguist. They lived in Okinawa for 5 years, Korea and Hawaii for 8 years.
Mary and Bill have been married for 48 years and have three quite accomplished children. Susan is 47 and the Assistant Director of the Notre Dame Law Library. Mary is 45 and is a Nuclear Engineer at Idaho National Laboratory, and Brian, 42 is an Epidemiologist at the Department of Health in New Jersey.
Mary’s most memorable Rotary Experience was being on a Read to Me team with Lucie Osborn, Rick Davis and Brenda Arnold at Freedom Elementary. She also loved distributing dictionaries.
Mary started taking adult swimming lesson 7 years ago and when her whole class decided to compete in the Senior Olympics she jumped right in! Since then, she has won 2 bronze medals, 2 silver medals, and 4 gold medals!
Mary’s Rotary sponsor was Lieutenant Colonel Coyote Jones in 2005. Mary likes the people she meets at Rotary. She served on the student of the month committee, read to me committee, did our newsletter for years and this is her 3rd year of being Secretary on our Board of Directors.
Mary’s favorite meal is Maine lobster. As a master gardener her hobbies include gardening and flower arranging, for which she has won awards. She also keeps busy swimming, 500 meters 3 times a week and does silver sneakers two days a week.
Please join me in recognizing Mary Schwem, our Rotarian of the week!
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