Lawanna (Lonnie) Steele:
CLASS OF 1958
Derby High SchoolClass of 1958
Derby, KS
University of Kansas - Liberal Arts & SciencesClass of 1974
Lawrence, KS
University of Kansas - EducationClass of 1968
Lawrence, KS
Lawanna (Lonnie)'s Story
Life
My B.S. from KU is in Elementary Education with certification in Special Ed. My M.A. is in History--major area American; minor in Renaissance & Reformation (go figure.) While working on my Masters, I taught Western Civilization at KU--loved it. Then--since I couldn't get a job teaching History in the local school system that year (couldn't coach football) I took a Special Ed Teaching position for 3 years and got interested in LD kids.
I started the Ph.D. program in LD at KU in 1978. I worked with the LD Institute at KU during that time (Don Deshler was my advisor--he was a young professor at the time & is now rather famous in the field.) But--about the same time, I also got my private pilot's license and decided I'd rather fly airplanes than spend 2 years doing research in a library cubicle. So--thinking I would get back to the degree in due time (after all, I was ready for comps & dissertation)--I started flying as a commercial pilot (certificated flight instructor) and never looked back. I ended up at TWA as a pilot instructor and was furloughed when American Airlines bought TWA and d...Expand for more
ecided to close the Training Center in St. Louis. (I wouldn't move to Dallas or commute.) After spending a year feeling sorry for myself, a former TWA employee called me about coming to McGraw-Hill part time, and here I am. I also have a second part-time job, so I stay busy. I miss aviation enormously but don't plan to instruct again (too much liability.) After teaching in the public schools for 15 years, I doubt that I'll ever go back there either--would probably kill the kids in the classroom these days!
In my personal life, I have been married to Steve Bell for 22 years--Steve just retired as a commuter airline pilot when he turned 60 in September. We both love to travel and plan to do more of it now that we have some flexible time.
My children are Phil, who lives in Colorado, and Chris, who lives in Ketchikan, Alaska. Phil has 3 children (twins age 10 & a son age 6), and Chris has 2 children (a daughter age 9 and a son age 7), so I am a grandmother 5 times now. I love it and wish I could spend more time with them. Maybe now that both Steve and I are retired, it will be possible to do so.
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