Mary Ladd Levar

0

Elgin, Ill

Tom is my best, last love....April 30, 2017

Laura (November 8, 1994
Jack (October 16, 1998
Flynn (November 18, 2015

In 1970, I returned to my family of origin 'roots' in Minnesota to attend The College of St Catherine in St. Paul, MN. I have never left the state my eldest brother refers to as "The People's Republic of Minnesota!" I have been engaged in marriage and family therapy since 1974. In June 2017 I semi-retired and opened a 2 1/2 day private practice in Duluth, MN.

The blessings in my life far outweigh the sorrows - wonderful family and friends; outstanding colleagues and career opportunities; very rewarding and interesting work; good health and resources. When not working, training or teaching, I have had the opportunity to do quite a bit of traveling. I also have been blessed with magnificent lakeshore properties first in the Chippewa National Forest north of Grand Rapids, MN, and now with husband Tom on lakeshore that has been in his family since 1890 located on Burntside Lake just outside of Ely, MN.

I spent my senior year at CLCHS 1969-1970. I transferred from Sacred Heart Academy in Springfield ILL. What a difference a school makes!!! I didn't regret one minute the decision to return home for my last year of high school. Re-connecting with friends from St. Thomas grade school was terrific. Perhaps my most memorable story was from Mr. Drosch's (sp?) Chemistry class. It annoyed me that he called all of us by family name "Ladd" "O'Brien" "Radke". And so one day he called on me "Ladd" and I answered "Drosch" to which he commented, "It is Mr. Drosch to you Miss Ladd" to which I answered "It is Miss Ladd to you Mr. Drosch!" Oh those were the days of challenging authority structures! The whole year was a whirlwind, blast, fun time.

The Twin Cities of MPLS - St. Paul in Minnesota (1970-1994)

Washburn WI (1994-1995)

Northeastern MN (1995 - present)

My younger sister Deb (Radke now Roti Class of '73) lives in Huntley, ILL.
My extended Ladd family - Uncle Jeff and Aunt Kathy (Woodstock)
Cousins Jeff (Barb) and Mary (Thilman) Keller (Class of '73)

1-2x per year

No

Unfortunately, no.

Many many adventures are in the future....
Travel to Italy with my husband.
White water rafting trip with Boundary Expeditions the summer of 2019!
Fall trip to Quebec City, Nova Scotia and the Northeast states.

Senior Prom
CLCHS football games
Summer parties...."Breezing the Freeze"
Water skiing behind Mary Reichert's very fast boat!
Post graduation trip to Florida (did my parents really give me the new convertible to drive to Fort Lauderdale??? What were they thinking??)

Meeting my husband Tom on Match.com in 2016. We were both widowed. I pinch myself everyday. We are in the process of designing and building a lake cottage on Tom's property which is 600' from the Boundary Waters.
Being a grandparent to Laura (med school) Jack ( U of MN) and Flynn (most amazing toddler).
Very rich career that began with amazing mentors and training opportunities. Now being able to pass the wisdom on to younger colleagues and the families I serve.

spend time at the lake with Tom, family and friends. Golf. Cross country skiing. Theatre. Travel...(this is reminding me of the Match.com questionnaire..)

As often as I can...love Europe as well as the wilderness

London theater
Visiting family in Big Sky MT; Bend OR; Washington DC; Gainesville FL
Being in the wilderness especially the BWCA

Traveling in Europe with Tom - Italy, Ireland, Prague

Involvement in Minnesota DFL politics (best friend was our LT Governor)
Being appointed by Governor Pawlenty to the MN Board of Social Work 2004-2012.
Taught at The College of St. Scholastic 1996-2000.
Received specialized training to work with families with birth to five year olds (2005 - present)

Yes

many, many times

Yes

next year: take the dare to jump off our Burntside Cliff - 15 feet

Yes

None visible thanks to Alex!

I flew my husband Paavo's ashes to his birthplace in Nittylahti Finland

Salmon Tom and I caught in Sitka AL

good Brandy

golf

wide ranging!

Yes

being in nature, walking along beautiful Lake Superior, playing with grandson Flynn, golfing, reading (currently the Gabriel Allon series by Daniel Silva - addictive)

A bit more retired but still working with families and passing on the wisdom, entertaining family and friends at Burntside, traveling

At the time of my parents divorce (1973) my great Aunt Laura invited me out for lunch. She told me the story of how she had to learn to live with the loss of her only son. She told me "We have to learn to turn our bitterness into universal compassion!" Best advice ever