June 8, 2019I was late to meet with Marge due to a car accident on the way. While both cars had to be towed, luckily there were no injuries. Marge texted me that her bus was on time. I replied that Johnny would be on time, but I would not be, due to the accident. Michael picked me up and took me home, I reported the accident to the insurance company, then headed out in Rocco’s car to meet Marge and Johnny at White Marsh Mall.While waiting for me, Johnny and Marge went through family pictures that Johnny had brought. By the time I got there, we were all ready for lunch. Marge wanted to know what Dad was like, so during lunch Johnny and I shared our own personal perspectives and experiences. Then Marge shared a bit about her own life.Marge was born on August ….Marge’s biological mother was an unwed mother. Marge was raised by “foster” parents (family friends), Emma and Bill. They were an older couple and passed away when Marge was 22. Emma and Bill took Marge in to raise her with their daughter, Dotty, who is 10 years older than Marge and who will be 85 on June 30th. Marge was brought up knowing who her biological mother was and did have contact with her throughout her life. The reason Marge was so confused about the possibility that Rocco could be her biological father was because her mother put the name John Patrick Vance, Petty Office, USN, on her birth certificate. John Patrick Vance was killed in action and never came back from the war. While some people suggested maybe her mother made up the name, Marge has come to believe that her mother probably really believed that John Patrick Vance was the father of her child. None of us believed that Rocco ever knew of her existence. Marge’s mom, Alice, married for the first time at the age of 46 and her husband, Joe, passed away in 2004. They were living in Florida at that time. In Marge’s words: “It was not a close relationship, but we did keep in touch and I became very involved with her after her husband passed and she became ill - several trips back and forth to Florida to monitor her care there.”Marge, herself, has never married. She left New York to go to nursing school in Pennsylvania and never left Pennsylvania. After graduating nursing school, Marge worked in a hospital for a couple years. She did not like hospital nursing at all. She left that job and took a job working in the community--similar to home nursing care, but not exactly. When it became more popular for nurses to have a Bachelor’s degree, Marge went back to school full time for a year or so. She took liberal arts courses and some extra nursing courses and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. Marge worked for a few years for a pharmaceutical company. I am not sure if it was that particular job, but Marge worked on something similar to an oversight committee. Accountability in health care was being cracked down on and Marge’s job was to go through past records and follow up with physicians and hospitals about prescribing medications and such. This was a very contentious job because doctor’s do not like anyone (particularly nurses) looking over their shoulders. At some point, Marge went back to school and received her Master’s Degree in Nursing. Marge worked for a hospital that was relocating from New York to Pennsylvania. This was a temporary job that last a year or two. When that job was close to ending, a friend of hers told her about a job at the Archdiocese of Pennsylvania, so she interviewed for that job. While she did not get that job, the Bishop called her a couple weeks later about another job. She was not sure she was qualified for the job, but the Bishop felt otherwise. Marge ended up working in that office for 14 years and then moved to the development office of the Archdiocese and worked another 4 years before retiring.Now Marge is very involved in volunteer work. Most of Marge’s volunteer work is with Catholic Relief Services. She is an advocate for an outreach program that makes sure third world countries are paid a fair wage for their labor and their goods. Also, she is very involved with an international program that teaches proper parenting and proper nutrition to third world countries. The program works to have fathers more involved in their families, which can be a difficult concept to get across in these countries. Just last week Marge was in DC to meet with her Congressman and Senator regarding CRS and their programs.Marge also takes adult education classes. This summer she is taking classes on Geology and on the History of Anti-Semitism.Marge has a very pleasant personality and seems to have a good sense of humor. She is friendly, yet reserved at the same time. I have the impression that she accomplishes a lot, but does not need to be in the limelight.