You Will be Impressed by the Diversity of Achievement

Tears of joy and remembrance flowed freely at Iona’s Wellness & Arts Center during the recent Celebration of Achievement. We are so proud of our participants and their many accomplishments. Too often, as people age, those around them forget — or maybe never even knew — of their past achievements. We are honored to share some stories with you.

Dorothy Tucker

Dorothy was born in Eau Claire, WI. In high school, Dorothy’s teachers selected her to participate in Government Girls, a war effort program in Washington, DC that employed young women in government offices. In the evening, Dorothy worked as a hostess at the Officers’ Club. Once while on the job, Dorothy was persuaded by President Truman to join his group for dinner. While raising her family of four girls, Dorothy often had art projects in progress throughout the home. She has also worked with many theaters. In the 1940s, she styled hair for several actresses at the National Theatre, and later worked on shows at area theaters, including the Shakespeare Theatre and Studio Theatre. Since 1985, Dorothy has helped her daughter, Barbara, create and construct costumes for the American University Theatre and The Greenberg Theatre.

Ken Jurecka

Ken was born in Fayetteville, TX. He graduated from Rice University and enjoyed a successful career in the Navy for 22 years, working in Spain, Italy, Morocco, Greece, Germany, Iceland, New Zealand, and Japan. A true travel enthusiast, Ken has also visited France, England, Scotland, the Czech Republic, and Portugal. He met his wife, Mary, when they were both working as Russian linguists at the National Security Agency. They have been married for 46 years, and have one daughter. Over the years, Ken has also proved himself to be a talented handyman and woodworker, cook, and oil and watercolor painter.

Sue Wiley

Sue holds a B.A. and M.A. in Asian Studies from the University of Michigan. After moving to Washington, DC, she earned her J.D. from George Mason University. Sue worked at the Social Security Administration, and eventually went on to become an Administrative Law Judge at Health and Human Services. In that position, Sue played a key role in shaping the Medicare Part D benefit, giving people access to medications that they wouldn’t otherwise have. She is pleased to have had a career where she could help others.

Ruth Ramseur

Ruth was born in Gastonia, NC. She went to community college and worked as a nurse’s assistant and recovery room technician at Children’s National Medical Center in DC. In addition to her accomplished career helping others, Ruth has always been dedicated to her family. She is most proud of raising her two nephews and niece: Ronald, Michael, and Deborah.

Julian Euell

Julian had an accomplished career in the arts and museum management. Born in New York City, Julian was raised in Harlem and the Bronx. After serving two years in the army, he worked as the Director of Arts and Culture Department of the HARYOU-ACT Antipoverty Program in New York. From there, Julian moved to DC and worked as the assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution under S. Dillon Ripley. Julian relocated across the country to Oakland, CA to work as the Director of the Oakland Museum. Eventually, he returned to his roots and became the Director of the Louis Armstrong House in New York. An accomplished bass violinist, Julian has played with Billy Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Miles Davis. Julian has been married to his wife Barbara for almost 50 years and together they have one son, Miles.