Karen A. Nochisaki Gavin

Graduated in 1969 and went to Boston University for Fine Art..loved it!...my family then moved to California and I left Boston to join them...didn't love CA..moved back to NY and married ...we traveled by working on boats all over the Caribbean..I cooked and he crewed..(many stories there)..we were in a shipwreck... after that we got land jobs in St John... taught at a VISTA Head Start Preschool for about a year..returned to Jamestown NY...had two daughters.(see above)..moved to New Paltz...husband left when daughters were 2 & 4 ... I sold my batik artwork for a while in NYC and all over the country...realized that was no way to make a good living...started a greeting card business with my own batik designs...it was OK..then started a business in bath products starting with dyed loofa sponges (you can't make this stuff up!)...surprisingly it was very successful and it paid for my home & put my daughters through college and kept me out of trouble for about 17 years..Then married Terry Gavin in 1995. ..we had a son, John in 1996..... I sold out of the business to be a full time Mom..when John started school, I began to work for the arts community doing professional artist residencies in various schools...teaching batik to school children from 2nd grade through Art Ed majors at SUNY New Paltz....love helping people express themselves creatively. Both daughters are married and live close..... Erica lives next door and just had her second son on March 18! Kate is a nurse and lives 4 miles up the road. So, after a somewhat shaky start, my life turned out OK and I am now ridiculously happy! Looking forward to seing all of you!

UPDATE: 7/19
Sorry to be missing the 50th.

The past 10 years have not been the best of my life, , three year battle with cancer ending with losing my beloved husband in 2016. Still live in the same house in New Paltz, (have been there 43 years!).

Our son, John, graduated from SUNY New Paltz this year. He came home from college when his Dad was sick to help me take care of him. He stayed and finished college here and will be moving out on his own in August. Oldest grandson is planning to move in with me when he finishes High School and attend SUNY as well. So my nest will not be empty for long!

I have become a Silver Sneakers instructor at 60! ( Old cheerleaders don't die, they just come back as Senior Fitness Instructors! lol)

Still making artwork and a few buisnesses ( batik, shibori & watercolor) just to keep me occupied.

I am learning how to navigate life as a widow and would love to do some traveling in the near future, Road Scholar program catalog is by my bed for dreaming. If any of you are single and would like to arrange to travel together, please contact me!