Issue link: https://imageup.uberflip.com/i/1468356
38 | THE COLONY NEWS | JUNE 2022 | It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Carol Swanke. She will be greatly missed by everyone in The Colony. She served The Colony for over 20 years as the Managing Editor of The Colony News. She also kept The Colony informed of our many events and happenings as the moderator of the ColonyEmailers for 18 years. She was an active member and leader, together with husband Don, of the club for Colony residents, married 50 years or more, the XYZ social group, affectionately referred to as "extra years of zest." We thank Carol for her many years of service. We certainly will miss all your hard work on the Colony's behalf. ~ Sharon Boll For several years I hadn't been paying much attention to what was happening in the Colony. In December or 2005, a short article by Carol caught my eye. The newsletter had lost its proofreader, was there someone who would like to help? Proofreading was up my alley; I would check it out. Now, 16 years later and because of Carol's encouragement, I've had opportunities well beyond proofreading. Carol set standards for her work and devoted much energy to reach them. For instance, month after month she searched for just the right clip art. The eye appeal of an issue was important to her. The newsletter office (now a meeting room) holds many memories for me, and special ones include when she and I, in getting the final copy ready for the printer (in the days before outsourcing), would stop work, sometimes quite a while, and just talk. If she had new photos or videos of her family in Sweden, she would pull out her iPad to show me. Later, with COVID, we used the phone. Then there was the Rules & Regs committee. Four years ago, Carol insisted that I join. She had been a member for six years and she was positive it would be a good fit for me. Me, one who had hardly ever looked at the rules, let alone read them, join R&R? Well, it happened and I'm still there, and so was she as long as she was able. I miss her. ~ Betty Oehler Carol was a dedicated volunteer in The Colony for many years. As editor of The Colony News her contribution was invaluable in transmitting information about association events to our residents. She was ever faithful by often completing newsletter information from her San Diego vacation home. She will be greatly missed by her coworkers and Colony residents. ~ Joyce Hansen After moving to The Colony in October of 2016, I enjoyed reading The Colony News to find out what all was going on, what activities to do and what events to go to. Well, when Carol wanted to "retire," Bea Brown and I decided to go see what it took to be Managing Editor. We were co-editors for a few months when Bea decided to resign. Carol was left with me, and said she did have her doubts, but I stuck with it and learned quite a bit from her and Betty Oehler. Many nights I was in the Newsletter Office trying to finagle (Carol's favorite word) the layout so everything would fit. When the Board decided to have the newsletter sent out to a publisher in early 2020, COVID came along and it was postponed until September 2020. It was fun while it lasted and learning how to put a newsletter together. Now we just need to edit and proof the articles that get sent to us and send them up to our publisher, Image Up. Carol never did really retire; she was editing and proofing until almost the end. The Newsletter staff will miss her. ~Jeanne Bender When I began working at The Colony in 2005, Carol Swanke took me under her wing, and mentored me. She taught me how to prepare the Board minutes and gave advice on general Colony processes. Carol, in my eyes, was so gifted. She could play the piano, run The Colony newsletter, take care of her home and assist others where she was needed — all with a smile. She was truly a phenomenal woman and I will miss her. ~ Kimberly Evans, Office Manager and Admin Assist to the General Manager Remembering Carol Swanke