A devoted single mother, she raised her 2 children single-handedly since their pre-teen adolescent years, often working two or three jobs in order to support them and avoid public or familial assistance. She was always determined to remain independent and strong for her children. Her devotion and commitment were, and are an inspiration to not only her children, but to many in the community.

She served in several public offices and has been on the Holmes Beach Planning Commission for 12 years, working to maintain the integrity and natural beauty of the island that she calls home. Mom worked for two years as the Manatee County Mitigation Specialist, and during that time wrote a comprehensive plan for disaster planning and environmental protection for the county. She attended conferences with state and national emergency management leaders and impressed them with her preparation and knowledge or her area of expertise. During her tenure, she also continued to occasionally sell real estate, which she'd done as both realtor and broker since the mid-1970's.

After working at these endeavors for many years, Mom finally realized her dream of opening her own business in 2002. She has struggled to run the business, mostly by herself, since that time. She generally only hires an assistant during the busy holiday season, when the volume of work rises exponentially.