Emily Grotta Painting in watercolor can be a delicate dance with the unpredictable, as water is both the medium and the force. Whether painting ethereal skies or richly detailed portraits, the artist must guide water across the thirsty surface of watercolor paper, sometimes managing the flow of the pigment, other times letting it flow freely.…
Donna Moffatt On April 21, 200 members donned their best western gear and headed to the Tuscany Falls Ballroom to sample a wide variety of wines and a wonderful theme buffet. It’s the club’s most casual night of the year with members kicking up their heels on the dance floor while a DJ plays great…
Dennis DeFrain Drop-in Tennis counts Bill Schroeder as one of our outstanding players, and he is a beloved member of our group. We recently honored him on his 97th birthday. Not only does he play great tennis regularly, but he is a member of 9–hole golf, plays pickleball, and is an excellent duplicate bridge player.…
Eric Reed Warm congratulations to Arnold and Maxine (Mickey) Reed, celebrating 65 years of marriage on June 24. Married in 1961, the Reeds built their early life in Saratoga County, N.Y., before making Arizona their home in 1979. Mickey once lit up the dance floor as a regular on Bandstand, which later became American Bandstand.…
Barb Downey From buzzer-beaters to potluck treats, we closed out the exciting Illinois basketball season with a festive potluck and happy hour hosted by Mark and Randi Handzel. In a more relaxed, off-the-clock setting, alumni traded game-day cheers for great conversation—sharing campus memories, PebbleCreek life, new friendships, and plenty of laughs along the way. If…
Ellie Daly The number of people requiring food assistance grows by leaps and bounds daily. There is a constant need for donated food. On April 28, Zandie Navarro, Pat Stemper, Nancy Swanson and Suki Fitzgerald, four committed single members, provided a very productive 2 ½ hours shift by filling hundreds of boxes with food. The…
Barb Downey Illinois alumni and fans came together to celebrate March Madness and an unforgettable Final Four run! It was a remarkable season for the Fighting Illini men’s basketball team, and the PebbleCreek Alumni and Fans group gathered to watch every tournament game. The excitement peaked at our lively Final Four game watch at Rosati’s,…
Mark Rhodes Do you love the outdoors and want to preserve it for future generations? Two PebbleCreek residents, Mark Rhodes and Jim Upchurch, are board members of a unique volunteer organization that does just that. Conservation Volunteers International Program (ConservationVIP) is an environmental nonprofit dedicated to helping sustain some of the world’s greatest landscapes, cultural heritage…
Lynn Warren The June photo of the month is a concerning scene by club member Terry Schmidbauer highlighting changes affecting our Goodyear environment. “Finding Estrella” is an ongoing photographic project documenting the gradual disappearance of the Estrella Mountain views behind the rapid expansion of suburban development in Goodyear. Using a 4×5 view camera and motion…
Walt grew up in the Los Angeles area. Post high school, he joined the Marines and served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. He later earned a bachelor’s degree from Long Beach State and built a successful 35-year career with Allstate. After marrying Diana Horton, the family settled in West Hills, Calif. They retired to…