A little about me
Growing up in the Triangle area, Durham to be exact, I never ventured very far from my roots. My late father was an English professor at Duke University and my mother was one of his students, which makes for many interesting stories! As a young girl, my father and I spent most of our afternoons at our family farm in Bahama (a small town in North Durham, unfortunately not the island). We would feed the cows and chickens, tend to the cabins, and always leave time for enjoying the greens and golds of Mother Nature. Those experiences were wonderful, and it gave me an appreciation of a different life outside of the city limits. My mom, who passed away over 3 years ago, was a HUGE music lover. My three older sisters and I were instilled with a wonderful love of music because of plentiful singing and piano playing around the house!
I attended public schools in Durham, where I met my future husband Barry at Jordan High School. I attended college at East Carolina University, and then later to the big city of Raleigh where I graduated with a degree in Horticulture from N.C. State University! Barry and I married shortly after college.
We moved all the way to Cary, which was very different 30 years ago. Barry was a General Contractor and built houses in the Greater Triangle area. I worked alongside of him and handled all of his landscaping and interior and exterior home selections. We raised our two children here and they attended and graduated from the Wake County Public School system. We spent many summers gallivanting around Jordan Lake, and made it down to the Carolina Coast as often as we could. We were and still are beach bums at heart!
Unfortunately, I lost Barry to cancer in 1998. So, in 1999 I had to reinvent myself, and weighed the options of expanding on my husband’s company or starting a new career for myself. Guess what I decided? Real estate of course and it has been a good decision for me! I love what I do and having lived here for so long, I love working the entire Triangle area!
My kids are now grown but they both live close by, which is a blessing to me! I am blessed to be able to say that my kids are my best friends and I am a ”Queenie” and “Keekee” to 4 grand-daughters! We still vacation together, including our annual pilgrimage to south Florida, and many weekend trips to our family beach house in South Topsail. My daughter and I love paddle boarding, so you might find us in our spare time on Jordan Lake or the Intracoastal Waterway!
I love to stay active! In additional to paddle boarding, you can find me walking my three, yes three, long haired dachshunds puppies – Lizzie, Hank and Gus! I also enjoy swimming laps at the aquatic center (where I do my best problem solving), riding my bike, or hiking at our farm. I really don’t do landscaping professionally anymore, but I still love working in my yard when I have the time. Gardening is one of my best stress releases!
I was honored to be named Ambassador of the year 2021 with the Cary Chamber of Commerce. Feeling the need to give back to the community, which has brought me much joy and many blessings over the years, I have been the recipient of President’s Circle, Leading Edge, and Honors Society awards multiple times over my 20+ year real estate career.
Having lived in Cary for over 30 years, I have seen MANY changes, especially in my neck of the woods over in West Cary. Some say that change isn’t a good thing, but I couldn’t be happier to live in work in what has become one of the best areas in the country. To say we are blessed in the Triangle area is an understatement!