Dianne Sullivan:  

Edited 4/18/2023: See me as Dianne MULQUEEN & also as Dianne SULLIVAN for my different, earlier Photos. Classmates had me & my photos under both names. (Don't ask. I don't understand either.) GROWING UP IN BETHPAGE: I had an extended family, many family friends & Friends/Acquaintances from Bethpage Schools: Kindergarten-Bethpage H.S.& Girl Scouts. Most memorable for me because of our frequency of spending time together or positive memorable interactions are: Kathy Rockhill, Pat (Curcio) Infurna, Pat Sciavetta, Carolyn Sisia, Mario Merkle, Judy (Babula) Nocella, Diana (Burt) Mikol, Peter Vandercreek, Eve Schneider, Ira Ziegler, Lou Sciarica, Jen Black & more. My Bethpage school years included 13 years of old Acquaintances from Kindergarten through H.S.; from my living on Cambrige Street through Nibbe Lane. I remember my Family's friends' children Kathy Rockhill, Al Bellini & his sister Barbara. Ken Black I knew most of them from when I lived on Cambrige Street when I was age 2-6 years & at Kindergarten. MY FOLKS: My parents were "salt of the earth" kind people. They cared for me so well. My folks were very dutiful in caring for my Grandparents for 15 years. (Most all of my Elementary & H.S. Years) They gave up living in our home on Cambridge Street to help my Grandmother care for my Grandfather on Nibbe Lane. Grandpa had Parkinsons Disease & there was no treatments for Parkinsons then. After Grandpa passed Grandma (Nanny) wanted my folks company & help so my folks felt duty bound to stay at her home. We spent the rest of my School & College years there. My Mom so wanted her own home. She & my Dad finally did purchase their own home within months of me graduating from college in 1963. My folks were of very modest means, but paid for my entire SUNY OSWEGO College experience: Room & Board, books, living expenses. . My folks were so generous to me! I've been forever grateful to them. They were also so kind to my Friends during their entire Lives. After College & after I went to San Francisco, CA I always thought of their Central Blvd. home as Home. I guess because my Folks lived there longest & they were so happy & comfortable there. My Dad lived at the Central Blvd Home for 30 years, from 1963-1993 until he died. My Mother from 1963 until she died in 5/2005. 42 years? Bethpage provided me strong, stable roots. I went from before Kindergarten through 12th Grade in Bethpage. I enjoyed Brownies, Girl Scouts, H.S. & many of the extra Curriculum Activities provided. I remember & appreciate that most of my H.S. Teachers were quite good at their profession. I remember Mr. Duarte, who taught Art & was Year Book Advisor. He recently passed (2/2023) I remember him as a kind, affirmative teacher & man. It makes me smile to remember History in Mr. Doremus class in H.S. He was astonished (as was I, when he mentioned to me that I had achieved a 98% on the REGENTS exam.) I guess he only remembered calling out in class to "Grandjean, Rockhill & Mulqueen," "Stop Talking'." But I've always been interested in & enjoyed History. Mr. Doremus was a genuinely knowledgable, accomplished & kind man. He ascended to become Dr. Doremus, Superintendent of SHOREHAM-WADING RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT. **************BETHPAGE HS teachers encouraged me. My Bethpage friends affirmed me. My H.S. gal friends taught me what good friendships could be. For me, H.S. was a very wholesome time in my life. ............COLLEGE: Right after H.S. I went onto college at SUNY Oswego, upstate N.Y. on Lake Ontario, near Syracuse. (400 miles away!) "The Friendly College on the Lake." It was a long drive & before Cell phones! Those 4 college years at Oswego were enlightening, broadening & fulfilling. 'Twas a wonderful, experience. SUNY Oswego was a very wholesome, lovely, encouraging environment. SUNY Oswego's Mission provided excellent preparation for teaching Elementary School. I had dedicated professors who were committed to encouraging "Students to become all they are capable of Being." Oswego's Mission was at that time dedicated to Undergrad Education, but in later years became part of the N.Y. SUNY University System. Oswego State encouraged students to explore, take on responsibility and to think independently, both academically & in extracurricular activities for future USA Citizenry. Oswego did this especially well for women students. Oswego was ahead of its time with encouraging women and minorities. I met & roomed with Pat Brannen at our Sorority. She became my Lifelong Friend. We shared many personal values, future ambitions, intellectual, emotional growth, & Civil Rights endeavors. Most of all we were "Kindred Spirits." A surprise to me I was voted to be Sorority President for 2 terms! Our Sorority was ahead of its time in that it was the 1st of the Oswego, perhaps SUNY Colleges, to be open to those who were Jewish or Black. We definitely chose to have a "No Hazing Policy." It is dumbfounding to me that "Hazing" still exists around the USA. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! SUNY Oswego & my L.I. Kings Point Academy Dating experiences opened the world for me. --‐---- AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION: Summer of 1963 I caravanned by car to San Francisco with a few College gal acquaintances. I guess I was in search of Exploration rather than Adventure. In those days most gals did not venture so far from home. And that was BEFORE CELL PHONES! Thank goodness for AAA TRIP TIC that outlined our trip. Each Evening we'd meet up at a previouly arranged City Motel. We spent about 5 weeks in San Francisco. It was a very exhilarating time. San Francisco was so very lovely, sophisticated. It was a perfect place for me to temporarily Land! Its young people were so interesting & growing with the times. We had the good fortune to find acquaintances to show us around San Francisco, it's iconic places, environs & its new & upcoming scenes. With such assistance I had good opportunities to explore SAN FRANCISCO. Our 1st Bush Street apartment was right near the Financial District. After only 1 month, my College Acquaintance, Judy, & I remained in California. We moved to Clayton & Haight Street in S.F.. That was a few years BEFORE the Haight-Ashbury "Summer of Love." CLAYTON & HAIGHT were soon to become the central area for the "Summer of Love," in the Haight/Ashbury District. But we had not a clue at that time. What did we know? Thank goodness for Good Luck, Good Timing & natural wholesome "Good Girlness!" I really enjoyed visiting & exploring San Francisco & it's Iconic places. GROWN UP LIFE & MY CAREER BEGINS: I found a WONDERFUL TEACHING JOB: I "FELL INTO MY "CALLING." (For which I had fortunately been trained.) By end of August 1963 I secured my 1st Teaching Position in San Ramon Village, CA My roommate, Judy & I, moved South of San Francisco to the Mountain View, Palo Alto Area. My 1st wonderful Teaching job was teaching 1st Graders in SAN RAMON Village near Dublin, CA. What a Joy to go to work each day. The children were delightful. The Administration was dedicated & well educated. (Such a fortunate experience for me. One gal teacher from there became a friend throughout my Marital & Childrearing years. In 1964 we moved to nearby Palo Alto, CA with 2 other wonderful gal roommates from Washington State, who also were teachers. One of whom I still remain Friends these so many years later. . She's said to me., "I lived the life you should have had!" In early 1965, while debating whether to marry, I had given her the Military/Defense Department Application that I had planned on using to teach overseas (in Germany) She took it & taught in Germany at the Military Defense Base. She married Military. Her husband ultimately became Director of the West Point History Department for over 20+ years. He's written rather prolifically & they have traveled to Europe often. She became a School Psycholgist. 2nd GREAT TEACHING JOB-TEACHING 1ST GRADERS in Santa Clara California.....1966-1969: In August 1966 I married a Stanford University Grad Student so I changed School Districts so I would not have as long a commute. We lived at Stanford University married student housing for a couple of years until he completed his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics. I really enjoyed my Teaching at Montegue School at Santa Clara Unified, living at Stanford & enjoyed my new Mother in Law. Although my husband did have a National Science Foundation Scholarship for Stanford, I did financially support us until he finished his Ph.D. in early Sept. 1969. NEW HOME & MY NEW FAMILY: 9/1969 we moved to San Jose & purchased a lovely brand new new home. My Teaching Salary financially helped us to purchase that home. I hired a Landscape Architect. Husband installed the Water Sprinkler system. Then I landscaped the front, side & backyard to my perfection. Thus I now found my 2nd "Calling," - "GARDENING." 3RD "CALLING" was MOTHERHOOD: I retired from Teaching (for 10 years.) to have & rear my 2 wonderful children. I knew my Daughter was very bright & destined to be a Dr. or a Ph.D. from her age of 3 years. I encouraged her, in subtle ways, but her determination & intellect are hers alone. She's become a respected & successful Scientist in the Microbiology Field. She's currently Director of her Department. My Son has long loved swimming, cycling & running. He's been a Triathlete,for years. He became one of the first Certified Triathlon Coaches. My Son has continued Coaching Triathlon & now also teaches Swim & Running at Oregon State College in Corvallis, OR. His wif...Expand for more