On Tuesday, March 23, 2010 from 1-3 p.m., the Pace Center for Girls will hold their second Grand Dames Tea at the Broadway Palms Dinner Theater.  The Pace girls have selected outstanding women in the community who inspire them and set examples of leadership, accomplishment, and service to the community.  The theme this year is “The Wisdom of Age…Honoring the Female Spirit.” The honoree’s are Dr. Veronica S. Shoemaker, Jeanne Bochette, and Helen Johnson Hendry. The 2009 selectees  were also an admirable group of women who personify women of great accomplishment: Barbara B. Mann, Berne Davis, and Eleanor Kleist. The tea will feature a question and answer segment whereby the young ladies will ask questions of and seek advice and inspiration from these successful ladies.  If you would like more information about the tea or wish to become a sponsor, please contact Melissa Simontis, Pace Director at 239-425-2366 ext. 25, or Dena Geraghty at 239-851-1028.

Senior Life Magazine is proud to introduce the 2010 Pace Girls women of Spirit and Wisdom.
 
 
Dr. Veronica S. Shoemaker

Veronica Sapp Shoemaker is a history making icon in Fort Myers. At age 80 she is retired from the political area. She is the only woman of color ever elected on a city-wide basis to the Fort Myers City Council, a seat she held for 25 years until 2007. 

The girl from the “other side of the tracks” as she says, learned service to others from her parents and recalls that at one time in our city she would have to make sure she was literally on the other side of the tracks before dark fell. It was the law. Her tenacity and dedication has certainly benefited the citizens and forever changed the face of Fort Myers.

The woman who was raised in a home on a dirt road in Dunbar, is the namesake of a boulevard – Dr. Veronica Shoemaker Boulevard that runs from Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard to Colonial Boulevard. 

She was the second of 11 children born to Henry and Lillian Sapp.  Her father was a traveling AME minister while her mother worked in a laundry.  Veronica graduated from Dunbar High School, and attended Edward Walters College in Jacksonville and Edison College in Fort Myers.  Shortly thereafter, she married her first husband, Bennie, who died of complications from diabetes in his 40s, leaving Veronica to raise three young children, ages 3, 5, and 7.  All three of her children earned scholarships to attend college. Daughter Mattie Young now works in the Lee County school system, son Bennie is a civil engineer.  A second son, Duane, died while serving in the U.S. Army in Germany. 

She is still managing her flower shop on Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard, where she helps a steady stream of people with notary services, taxes, and accessing services. 

Live the example for your children she says has been her motto. Put your children and God first and do for others with what time and energy you have left has sustained this great lady and made her a leader and a woman of wisdom and spirit.

 Jeanne Bochette
 Jeanne Bochette was destined to be a dancer.  She was just three years old when her uncle pulled a Spanish shawl from a table, wrapped it around her young shoulders and began to dance with her. She’s been dancing ever since. Jeanne has danced her way around the globe sharing her talent with thousands of students for 60 seasons at Studio Bochette.

She has earned two Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Alliance of the Arts (Angel of the Arts) and from her alma mater, Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida along with separate awards from the Florida Dance Masters and Florida Dance Association.

After graduating from Rollins College, Jeanne went to New York City where she performed at the Roxy Theater and Radio City Music Hall. Her career included Ballet Royal, USO Touring, teacher training in Ballet Royal under Edith Royal, England’s Imperial Society and Cecchetti USA.

She married her college sweetheart, L.D. Bochette and the family moved to Fort Myers. Jeanne opened her dance studio in 1951 and has been operating it ever since. 

Daughter Alyce now is co-director of the dance studio.  Older son Lee is a businessman in the auto parts industry, younger son Liston III is a four-time Olympian and is in the University of Florida Hall of Fame.

Now 79 years young, Jeanne continues to be involved as a founder of the non-profit Gulf Coast Dance, Inc.

Doing what makes you happy and believing in yourself are the words of a lady of wisdom and spirit.    
 

Helen Johnson Hendry

Helen Johnson Hendry is Southwest Florida’s top nurserywoman and, some would say, the leading expert anywhere on south Florida vegetation.

As the manager of the former Everglades Nursery for more than 30 years,  which supplied tropical plants and flowering trees to top tourist attractions like Disney World, Cypress Gardens, and the New York World’s Fair.

She was one of the first registered landscape architects in Florida and served on the Board of Landscape Architects, as its only female member, for 14 years. In 1970 she was working on a project for Mr. Stolle who was flying in to meet with her to go over the plans. He arrived in Fort Myers via private jet and she was introduced to his pilot…none other than Neil Armstrong!

Her reputation as one of the best Florida landscape designers in the state continues to bring her plenty of work.
Her advice for young women:  “Do something to help someone who is worse off than yourself.  Living by the Golden Rule is the best advice anybody can have.” 

And that’s why she is a lady of wisdom and spirit.