Patricia Makela:
CLASS OF 1960
H. B. Plant High SchoolClass of 1960
Tampa, FL
Patricia's Story
50 years... plenty of time to reinvent myself a few times.
After graduating from PHS, I was a member of the charter class at USF and one of seven women chosen by Mademoiselle Magazine to model in their college issue. Back then, 5'2" and "pleasingly plump" was the ideal size for women and at 5'10" and 100 pounds, I was far too self-conscious to photograph well and was left out of the magazine. After three semesters, I went to work full time for an insurance company.
During my 23 years in the corporate world of pension plans and group insurance, I worked my way up from transcription typist to having my own secretary, office, and company car. I got married and 16 years later got divorced. At the same time I grew bonsai and sold them to nurseries, took up target pistol shooting, joined Mensa, beat 28 men for the state marksman title my first year of competition, and was women's national and internation...Expand for more
al champion my last year of competition.
I met the man who would be my second husband shortly after my divorce. We dated for three and a half years and just before getting married, I early retired from the corporate world and joined him in his publishing business. My new interests were writing, photography, fishing, sailing my hobie, windsurfing, and sports cars. My second marriage ended after eight years and I took over as owner/only employee of our publishing business.
Dating at 50 was an interesting adventure which inspired me to start a magazine for "mature" singles. Just prior to publishing the first issue, I got married for the third time. A year later I stopped "paper" publishing to develop my own websites including FriendsandLovers.com and MidlifeClub.com.
I have been married for over 14 years, am a web developer, publisher, and the author of eight books. Still a nerd but not quite so shy.
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