The study topic for Coterie’s 99th year was “Faith of Our Mothers … Origins, Beliefs and Customs,” and when the 20 members of this tight-knit group invited a couple hundred friends to join them for the closing luncheon, the topic was further addressed with great emotion by Regina Lewis of Colorado Springs.
, an veteran, prize-winning body builder and chair of the division of communications, humanities and technical studies at . She is also the first in her family to receive a Ph.D, something she did as a widowed mother with limited means.
Her topic, “Raising a Prince on Food Stamps,” traced the sacrifices and fierce determination she experienced in reaching her own educational goals while raising a son who had lofty ambitions of his own. Her husband, part of a team sent by then-President Clinton to Vietnam to search for the remains of U.S. servicemen, was killed when the airplane carrying them crashed.
Her son, Charles, she recalled, “told me he wanted to attend the and become an astronaut. But we were in the depths of poverty at the time; I didn’t even have a car.”
Determined not to disappoint him, the two established an “action pact” that would lead them to their goal. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology and a Ph.D. in educational research; last week, Charles graduated from the AFA.
The Coterie luncheon was held at the , 3203 Quebec St. In addition to Lewis’ talk, the event included a year-in-review presentation by member Vicki Tomlin; recitation of “The Supper,” by Erma Ford, who has been a member of Coterie since 1958; musical numbers by Gloria Montgomery, her daughters Genevieve and Sharyn, and grandson Jeremiah; and the passing of the president’s gavel from Linda Bates Leali to Marilyn Lewis.
Margaret Fomer, , was the program chair, and Nora Robinson, , introduced the speaker.
Special guests included 101-year-old Marie Greenwood, a retired educator who joined Coterie in 1937; state Rep. Rhonda Fields; and Evie Dennis, former superintendent of the Denver Public Schools.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
Online: More pictures from this event at denverpost.com/seengallery
