Page 31 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2021- Online Magazine

EXCEPTIONAL SENIORS
EXCEPTIONAL SENIORS

Mr. London was very smart. He adapted kindergartner who held up her
several devices that made it possible for his little arms with no hands. The
daughter to have as normal a life as possible. two immediately bonded for life.
For instance, car dimmer switches used “I was meant to be there that day.
to be operated with a little button on the I basically adopted Kaylah. She is
floorboard. Mary Alice’s dad moved it up graduating this year.”
to the steering column for her. “I wish he’d
patented that,” Rita quips. Their mother made After retiring, the sisters thought
life fun, and Mary Alice’s face cracks into a about relocating. They were
smile when Rita says, “Mom had a great sense already driving back and forth
of humor.” The parents never let on that they to Lubbock pretty often and
thought of their firstborn as anything but had developed a love for the
normal. city. “It has REAL restaurants,”
An example of the dozens of beautiful they would always say. They
Her teachers treated her with the same afghans crocheted by Mary Alice love how easy it is to navigate,
attitude, and, by the time Mary Alice and, besides, many of their
graduated from high school, she could write, type, create Carlsbad friends had already moved to the Hub City.
art, and much more. The high school counselor, Mr. “We like to travel, and the airport is here. We love the
Stroud, took a personal interest in Mary Alice and drove excellent medical facilities and the shopping.” They have
all the way to Loving to tell her parents she would be built homes next door to each other and have already
attending Eastern New Mexico University. Her parents organized a group called “The Carlsbad Transplants”.
were in agreement, and Mary Alice excelled in her
studies. “I wanted to major in Art, but everyone said I The Loving Londons have brought their enthusiasm,
would need something more practical to make a living, talents and love to Lubbock, and we are lucky to have
so I majored in Accounting.” That choice paid off for them.
her. She was the business manager for the Loving school
district for 12 years and later the business manager for
the Carlsbad schools for 25 years. In addition, she earned
her master’s plus 45 additional hours.

Mary Alice is an accomplished artist in multiple media.
Many of her drawings grace their two homes. Several
years ago, she mentioned to a coworker that she wanted
to learn to crochet. The
teacher said, “Oh, you
can’t do that!” “That’s the
wrong thing to say to me,”
Mary Alice asserts. She did
learn to crochet and is quite
prolific and creative in the
craft. About her artistic
sister, Rita says, “She is
left-brained AND right-
brained. Mary Alice is the
A beautiful lifelike doll most ‘handicapable’ person
handcrafted by Mary Alice
I know!”
One cold day, Mary Alice’s dad asked her to drive him
to Walmart. It was inconvenient, but she complied.
While they were there, a young mother tapped her on
the shoulder and asked if she would mind meeting her
little girl. Mary Alice looked down to see a beautiful

Lubbock Senior Link 31