While her children were in the religious education program, Barbara became active in the youth evening programs and for nearly 8 years served on the Youth Advisory Committee in varying capacities as organizer, advisor, Dark Waters aficionado, and head of the committee.

Barbara and her family fell in love with the community experience at the church weekend retreat at Tockwogh and the opportunity for the entire family to make connections with kids and adults of all ages. She served on the Tockwogh committee for several years and then co-led the development of the cluster-wide UU Community Weekend (Camp Canadensis) with MLUC and Philadelphia area churches for 3 years to encourage intergenerational community within MLUC.

She has served on several other committees, including the Worship Committee, the St. David’s Nursery School Committee, the Auction Committee, and the Nominating Committee. Over the past two years, she has enjoyed welcoming visitors at the Welcome Desk and working closely with the Afghan refugee family to help them adjust to life in America and find employment. This church year, Barbara chaired the Ministerial Search Committee.

Barbara enjoys travel, group games and spending time with family and friends. She also likes to take long walks at Haverford College with her dog Skittles.

Professionally, John has been an attorney and has had leadership roles in many civic organizations. Recently, he has written two memoirs. He is currently working on a novel about the war in Vietnam, based on his experiences there as a naval officer in the 1960s.

Deirdre graduated from Susquehanna University and earned a master’s in social work at Bryn Mawr College. She worked for Children and Youth Services of Delaware County, the county’s child protection agency, for 41 years. In the ten years leading up to her retirement in 2020, she was the agency’s Director. She also served as a board member of the Pennsylvania Children and Youth Administrators.

Interested in nature and the environment, Deirdre enjoys volunteering as a community scientist, collecting data on the health of Darby Creek for the Darby Creek Valley Association and the Watershed Program of the Willistown Conservation Trust. She is a vegetable and flower gardener and loves hiking in local preserves. She lives in Newtown Square with her husband, Lloyd Cole, who also is an MLUC member.

Barbara earned her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University and a masters degree in information/library science at Drexel. Her career was as the placement director in the information college at Drexel. She also has responsibilities with the Radnor Township League of Women Voters.

Barbara and her husband Dusty hiked and sometimes backpacked in national parks from Alaska to Hawaii to Isle Royale to Everglades and most of the parks in between, as well as hiking in international locations.

She has taken advantage of many adult ed and other volunteer opportunities such as Jubilee, helping hands, Holiday workshop, various dinners, musical performances, and the all-church weekends. She has two daughters, Taylor and Vaughn, who grew up in this church and participated in the youth groups.

Carol loves being outdoors, hiking, biking, walking, skiing, or just reading a book.

Outside of MLUC, Jess can be found jogging all over Devon and Wayne, heading to her parent’s farm to see the dogs, cat, and chickens, or on a trip to see nieces and nephews.