Debby joined the Gardens as a third-generation resident at the young age of only 60 years. Both her grandmother and her parents lived here so she was well acquainted with the benefits of the Gardens and all this community has to offer. Once she became a resident, she not only became involved in committee work, but immersed herself in the community, and grew to assist the residents in a variety of different and meaningful ways. She has a special talent for knowing all the residents by name and always has a warm, welcoming presence to all who live and work here. Debby considers a stranger someone she just hasn’t met yet and makes sure that everyone feels a warm welcome!
You will frequently hear the phrase “Participation is a Tradition” at the Gardens. Michael Lamkin is a perfect embodiment of this phrase. Michael joined the Gardens in April 2019 and hit the ground running. Already a longtime Claremont resident, Michael came from tenured positions at the Claremont Colleges including having served as the Dean of Faculty at Scripps College.
After moving to the Gardens, he immediately immersed himself in Board and resident committee work. Currently, he is a member of the Finance, Cedars Construction, Strategic Planning, and Campus Master Planning Committees.
Michael and his wife, Kathy, are extremely happy with their decision to move to the Gardens. While they enjoy participating in committee work, the real benefit of living here is the people. The quality and stability of the friendships they have created here have surpassed all expectations. The Gardeners have proved themselves to be kind, generous, thoughtful, and supportive over and over again.
Ed Babcock and Gloria Slosberg moved to the Gardens in 2014 and have been an integral part of the Gardens since day one. One of their greatest contributions has been to share their love of birdwatching with other Gardeners year-round. Gloria and Ed have been leading bird-watching walks and have worked with the National Audubon Society to identify the different bird species and populations in this area and surrounding neighborhoods. They lead a group of Gardeners for a mile/hour long birdwatching walk around the campus on every first Thursday of the month.
John Nelson and his wife Pat Nelson entered the Gardens in December of 2013 and quickly became colorful threads in the fabric of this community. When John and Pat moved to the Gardens, he brought his horns with him. One day he was walking in the Social Center and overheard Great American Songbook music being played on the piano. He instantly felt the connection and knew that he had to talk to the man behind the keys, Gus Diesslin. He approached Gus and asked about playing with him and Gus instantly said, “Go get your horns!” The rest was history. They began performing regularly at the Gardens for the Marketing Department and other resident parties. One special quote from John about moving to the Gardens is, “If you wait until you’re ready, then you’ve waited too long.”
Gary and his beautiful wife, Pat, moved to the Gardens in 2018. Gary was resistant at first, but Pat spearheaded the move, and Gary has never regretted it. They quickly began work with a variety of committees including Gary being the Area Chair of the Cedars. The Cedars is a new building structure that we are erecting with a scheduled move-in date of October 2023. Gary also serves on the Construction Committee and Buildings and Ground Committee. This is very exciting for the Gardens and we have been enjoying watching the construction from the ground up!
Gary has also shared his Wildlife Photography passion with the Gardens and started a photography interest group that meets on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. He travels the world and then shares his photography with the Gardeners in the Assembly and the Gallery. His work is incredible!
Betty Naylor moved to the Gardens in November 2012. Betty started taking watercolor and oil painting classes shortly after moving here. As well as her love for the art studio and the art classes, Betty also loves the opportunities afforded to the residents to take classes at the local Claremont colleges. Our residents are able to take classes like philosophy or history while expanding their knowledge as well as sharing their experiences with other residents. These classes are offered to our residents based on room and availability. It is a fantastic tool to bridge generational gaps and allow for constant growth.
Ahlene and her husband moved to the Gardens in April 2018. Ahlene was already a well-accomplished artist with a long history of jewelry making and weaving. Her work has been represented in various shops and galleries in Massachusetts and in Southern California. She participates in two or three group shows in the Claremont area every year.
While living at the Gardens, Ahlene has enjoyed weaving, knitting while watching TV, landscaping her front and back yards, and not needing to cook. She has been surprised by how much she enjoys using the time to socialize in the dining room and learning so much about all the other residents, rather than needing to shop and then prepare meals. She also remains very active by practicing yoga at the wellness center 3x a week, walking around Claremont and the Gardens, reading, working out, and enjoying as much local theater as possible.
Ardys Hunter and her husband, Kenneth, moved to the Gardens in 2008. They were living in the cottages and enjoyed walking around the Gardens when they stumbled upon Barbara Meyers who was teaching Chinese Brush Technique. Ardys found her work to be mesmerizing and walked away from the meeting already signed up for the next class. From there, the rest is history. Ardys has already served as the Chair of the Arts and Crafts Committee for a total of 8 years.
Ardys has excelled in Chinese Brush and is now teaching classes on this technique at the Gardens. Claremont artist, Aleta Jacobson, is also teaching a watercolor and collage class to our painters.
