Denise Baril Loden:
CLASS OF 1973
Southwestern High SchoolClass of 1973
Flint, MI
University of Michigan Class of 1978
Flint, MI
Denise Baril's Story
Life
Of all of my life achievements, my marriage and my family have been the most rewarding. I am still married to my sweetheart, Gary,(30 years)and we have six children. They all came in the first ten years of our marriage, so life was hectic as an Air Force wife and mother of many. We were able to travel all around the world. Three of the children were born in the Orient. We had an assignment to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and spent four years there. (Fortunately, this was after Dessert Storm when the US was appreciated in the Middle East.) We also traveled with my sister and her husband who were stationed in Germany. We were thrilled to see most of Europe on a shoestring budget. All 13 of us camped in one BIG German tent during the winter just to be able to ski in the Alps. I look back at some of our adventures and think I should write a book. Since the best years of my life went into child rearing, please bear with me when I use the next few lines to let you know about my children. Joey(29)and wife Michaela have Benjamin(3) and Kaitlyn(1). Joey has a Masters degree in Human Relations and they live close enough so I can spoil the grandchildren; Alaina (26 and my only daughter)has a BS in Fine Art. She is married to Josh(a musician and professor at Athens, Georgia) they are expecting their first baby next year; Nathan(25)is a graduate of Auburn University in Electrical Engineering. He is currently working on his Masters while teaching robotics. Nathan is married to Raquelle (who teaches 6th grade)and they just celebrated their 1st anniversary. Spencer(23)and his wife Amber just had a little boy, Andrew in April. Amber has a four year old little girl named Alyssa that we claim too. Spencer is our computer tech and works with Gary at WSFA (a NBC affiliate); JJ(21)is currently doing missionary work in Sapporo, Japan. He has been there 13 months and speaks fluent Japanese. Lance(20) is doing missionary work in Curitiba, Brazil. He has been there for nine months and speaks fluent Portuguese. After my husband retired from the Air Force and our children started going off on their own...Expand for more
...I eased the empty nest syndrome by taking on more "kids". I currently work as a registered nurse for the State of Alabama. I have a case management load of 66 Adult M.R. clients. Our facility is scheduled to relocate our patients to another state facility in Tusculoosa, Al. I will be helping in this preparation and then take over a new position this fall. After twenty years of traveling around the world Gary and I have actually lived in one place long enough to call Alabama home. Gary just finished his third Masters degree... this one in Computer Science.(we will probably be going to school in our 90's...we love education and learning). I look at my life and feel truly blessed at all God has given to our family. I hope to visit Flint this Christmas. My parents still live in the same house I lived in while attending S.W. Their health is fragile, but blessed for being in their 80's. I have already heard from some of you and hope to make a class reunion before it is our 50th. Enjoy life, enjoy each day, they are going by faster and faster...Love,Denise
College
College started at the University of Michigan/Flint in 1973. I had left high school and enrolled in the pre-med program. I met the man of my dreams and became an Air Force wife and mother. I caught college classes from Alpena Community College in Michigan, to Park College in Kansas City, Missouri. I took classes from the University of Maryland in Okinawa, Japan. I finished with a Bachelor of Scienc degree in Psychology and Nursing from Auburn University in Montgomery,Alabama. It pays to never give up!
Workplace
I currently work as a registered nurse for the JS Tarwater Developmental Facility. I work in the infirmary as a case manager and have 66 adult mentally retarded clients. The job is very rewarding and I have learned very much from "my kids". Our facility is slated to be relocated in November and I will miss these clients very much. I will always work within the MR or MI(mentally ill) population because I feel my nursing skills in this area is a special gift that I posess that I can share with others.
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Reunions
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