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Blog archive

November 2024

Event of Remembrance
11/22/2024

Phishing Scams: What You Need to Know
11/22/2024

Pupusas Family Style: Another Adventurous Dining Winner
11/22/2024

Celebrating the Holidays
11/21/2024

Genealogy Group: Discovering Our Pasts
11/21/2024

Nathan Wolford – From Tragedy to Ministry
11/21/2024

Pasadena Village Board of Directors: A Brief Overview
11/21/2024

President's Message
11/21/2024

The Day of the Dead (Dia de muertos)/ Mexican Culture/Community
11/21/2024

Vintage Celebration: Aging Like a Fine Wine
11/21/2024

Review of Racism in Our Local Past
11/20/2024

Creative Juices Flow in The Village
11/19/2024

Checking In by Ed Rinderle
11/15/2024

Eagle Poem by Joy Harjo
11/15/2024

I Shall Forget You Presently, My Dear (Sonnet IV) by Edna St. Vincent Millay
11/15/2024

Pictures From Brueghel by William Carlos Williams
11/15/2024

October 2024

ARBORIST WALK: NOT FOR TREE HUGGERS ONLY!
10/29/2024

Bill Wishner: Visual Hunter
10/29/2024

Can a Village Group Fix Our Healthcare System?
10/29/2024

Community Board Directors Strengthen Village Board
10/29/2024

Connecting with Village Connections: The A, B, C, & D’s of Medicare @ 65+
10/29/2024

Grief is a Journey: Two Paths Taken
10/29/2024

Message from the President
10/29/2024

Promoting Informed & Involved Voters
10/29/2024

What Will Be Your Legacy?
10/29/2024

1619, Approaching the Election...
10/27/2024

Beyond and Within the Village - A Star is Born
10/17/2024

Happiness by Priscilla Leonard
10/11/2024

Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
10/11/2024

Unpainted Door by Louise Gluck
10/11/2024

In the Evening by Billy Collins
10/10/2024

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver
10/10/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

Betty Kilby, A Family History
10/01/2024

September 2024

August 2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

First Anniversary
08/19/2024

Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024

Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024

The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024

Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024

Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024

Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024

Future Housing Options
08/15/2024

Message from the President
08/15/2024

There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024

Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024

A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024

Haikus
08/13/2024

One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024

Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024

Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024

Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024

Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024

Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024

Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024

Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024

Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024

Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024

Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024

Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024

Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024

No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024

An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024

Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024

Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024

The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024

Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

One Villager's Story

By Bridget Brewster
Posted: 05/31/2023
Tags: bios, bridget brewster

“To thine own self be true.”  Wise words. Words to live by.

Having reached these years of ‘retirement’, it’s a great hope that we have each found our way to ourselves.  We have discovered who we are or are becoming.

Jean Owen, a Charter Member of Pasadena Village, has learned the meaning of being true to yourself through decades of life experiences.  She has gone from a little girl growing up in Pasadena to a wise woman who exudes confidence and joy.  Hers was not always an easy path (few of us walk that road), but she has been blessed with a caring family.  Following the death of her father, at the age of 15, Jean’s aunt and uncle (Fredrick March – yes, the world-renowned actor and his wife, Florence Eldridge) were a comforting and strong influence in her life.

Recently, Jean was elected as President of the Resident Association at Villa Gardens, where she lives and is happily surrounded and supported by neighbors who appreciate her leadership skills and willingness to be of service. The role entails being a voice for all the residents in various matters, having discussions with the Administration and helping to address residents’ concerns.  In speaking with a few of her neighbors, it’s quite clear why she was asked to step into this challenging leadership role:

"Jean is a friend to everyone she meets.”

"She has a smile and kind word for everyone.”

"Jean has been a helper and friend to me and I’m so thankful.”

Following the passing of her husband, Jean began to explore “being one of one, no longer one of two”.  She joined with others in conversations about how they might continue living full, interesting lives while remaining independent.  Those conversations led to the establishment of Pasadena Village, a part of the national movement to support one another as we age.  Jean stated, “I wanted to expand my horizons and meet new people.  The Village has certainly done that for me.” 

Jean has always loved music . . . both vocal and instrumental and supports various music and theater organizations.  “Music speaks to me in a way nothing else can, it is a universal language that allows us to relate to one another.”  She attended UC Berkely and graduated from UCLA.  She and her husband raised their two children here in Pasadena, and Jean is a both grandmother and great-grandmother.

In conversation with Jean, we discussed our many roles throughout our lives and how we are identified by others as mother or wife, but seldom as ‘self’.  She expressed the joy she feels in being given time as she ages to discover who she is, separate from what she does.  “Who I am now is wholly new.  I’m learning more about myself every day.  I have time to learn about me. This is why one of my favorite quotes is ‘to thine own self be true’ . . . I’m still learning to do just that.”

Jean Owen is just one example, among hundreds of Pasadena Villagers, who is discovering herself as she continues to pursue long-held and excitingly new interests.   

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