Sandy Morgan (left), Tom Morgan (center), and President Bob Lamar (right) at the July 16 induction
Still Growing! Tom and Sandy Morgan Join SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club
Christianne Dettmann
It’s been an exciting summer for the SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary Club! Tom and Sandy Morgan are the newest in a steady stream of recent recruits, having been inducted at the Club’s regular meeting on July 16.
Tom was born in New York and lived on both the east and west coasts after obtaining degrees in both nuclear engineering and management science, as well as serving in the Navy. Sandy grew up both in northern Illinois and in the Bay area of California. She has degrees in zoology and in computer science. Together, they possess an exceptionally wide variety of hobbies and interests.
Tom and Sandy met while living in California. They married in the mid-1980s and became SaddleBrooke Ranch residents last summer. They have one daughter, who lives in Europe. In their short time with the Club, they have already volunteered at the Tri-Community Food Bank in Mammoth and at the Golden Goose Thrift Shop in Catalina. Both come to the Club with deep stores of energy and an even deeper pool of combined talents, which they are eager to share in this new chapter of life. Welcome, Tom and Sandy!
You can learn more about the Club’s many service activities and contributions to this community at saddlebrookesunriserotary.org.
Spotlight on Patty See: SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary
Joyce Wainscott
When Patty signed up for freshman chemistry (University of Arizona), she expected to memorize the Periodic Table. Instead, she discovered a “new element”: Charlie See.
Born in Rochester, New York, Patty grew up with a civil engineer father, June Cleaver mother, two brothers, and a large extended family. The values instilled shaped her approach to family, teaching, and service.
Moving to Tucson, another chapter began, leading to that freshman chemistry class.
Patty and Charlie dated throughout college, and on Christmas night—stranded in a sandy riverbed on Reddington Road in a run-down sedan that required a push to start—Charlie proposed. Charlie went for help, but returned minutes later, handed her a Bowie knife, saying, “Keep this, there is an escaped convict nearby,” Patty, in a dress and heels, followed. Charlie whispered, “If there’s a dog, the rancher may come out with a gun. If he does, drop to the ground.” The rancher proved friendly and got them back on the road. No candlelight or violins, just an engagement ring, a Bowie knife, and the promise that life would never be dull.
After graduation, Patty and Charlie pointed an aging International Scout toward Alaska with no money or jobs; just youthful courage and confidence. They embraced building a log home, raising three sons, tanning a moose hide, and skiing conditions bringing frostbite and snow blindness.
Teaching in Alaska, Patty and Charlie met children whose childhoods were very different from theirs. They found families needing guidance and someone to believe in them. They stepped up.
The family settled on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, raising their three sons. Camping, fishing, family traditions, and annual vacations to Hawaii created treasured memories.
Charlie ventured into commercial fishing and later an overnight fishing charter. Patty became the indispensable partner behind the scenes.
With their sons grown, they accepted a one-year teaching assignment in Turkey. One year became thirteen, taking Patty and Charlie to Turkey, Japan, and South Korea. Visits from sons and grandchildren added treasured memories.
Teaching overseas, Patty realized children from different cultures speak different languages, but flourish when someone believes in them. It was her guiding light.
Today, Patty and Charlie divide their year between Kenai, Alaska, and SaddleBrooke, Alaska for family, lifelong friends, and breathtaking scenery; Arizona for warmer weather and a “family” united in service through SaddleBrooke Sunrise Rotary.
Patty brings a lifetime of experience and commitment to young people to Sunrise Rotary’s work in the Copper Corridor. She works in the Snack Program at San Manuel Primary School, the Little Free Library, and volunteers in classrooms, helping children learn and build confidence. Whether sharing a healthy snack, a trip to the zoo, or quiet encouragement, Patty knows small acts of kindness leave the biggest impressions.
Patty insists she’s the cautious one in the family; life says otherwise. Patty may have realized the Bowie knife wasn’t just protection from an escaped convict—it was a fair warning about the life she was choosing. Fortunately for countless children, friends, and Rotarians, she said yes.