March 4, 2016

Mom's 80th Birthday


 Mom is has been gone 14 years, but today would have been her 80th birthday. Alice Moriarty was one of the first 3 women ever to go to Newark College of Engineering (now New Jersey Institute of Technology). 

Mom was an off the chart high school math student. In the statewide test, mom did not finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd, but in the next group of 10. She always proudly said she was not the 10th, implying closer to 4th or 5th.

So mom went off to study engineering, became a cheerleader, her photo used in school brochures, and met dad in the theatre presentation. Can’t remember the name of the show, but they often sang one of the songs together over the years.

Today’s ladies think nothing of technology careers, but mom’s biggest challenge was often other women criticizing her. She got grief for playing touch football with us for example. Suspect a lot were intimidated by intelligence and education in a world where women stayed home.

Mom did stay home after I was born raising my younger sister and brother as well. When my brother went to college she went back to school to get her bachelors in economics. Very proud to go to her graduation.

Mom had a lot of medical problems, but that did not stop her from traveling the world, camping across country with 3 teenagers, and seeing the Pope in person. Not bad for a little girl from Jersey.

The main lesson to share is to do whatever you put your mind to. Expect to overcome obstacles, unbelievers, critics, health issues, and bad luck. You may not know how to get there exactly, but following a goal will take you far.


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