Louise C. Wilkinson
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Spouse: Thomas J. Castor
Children: Two children; seven grandchildren
Home: Mercer Island, WA
Phone: 206-232-4086, mobile 206-200-5189
Occupation: Corporate Intercultural and Leadership Consultant/Educator, retired in June of 2013

Whitman College, majored in English Literature, got involved in theatre, and took courses to help me figure out if our souls were biological or spiritual.

Graduate school at the University of Chicago in English. Finished my MA, got money for the Ph.D. but needed to escape the tight name-dropping academic atmosphere, so hopped a plane to Hawaii and taught composition at the U. of H.

Got married the first time in Puu Ualakaa State Park to an economist I met at U of C (Ravi Schankar played at our wedding party) and went back to U of C to complete doctoral course work and exams.

Moved to Charlottesville, Virginia and taught at U.VA. for 5 years, mostly Film as an Art Form, and had two children, a boy and a girl. Moved to Washington, DC so my husband could take a job with the International Monetary Fund, discovered he had married the wrong gender, and became a single working mom parsing pennies at the end of the month.

Became a video writer/director/producer for corporate videos in a “beltway bandit” aerospace firm, and met and married my second and current husband (married on Hug Point at Cannon Beach).

Lived in DC for 10 years and then took a job with Boeing to come back to the NW to be close to family due to love and cancer. Lost my 7-year-old nephew in 1988, sister, Jean, in 1995.

In 1996, decided to live a more meaningful life and went back to do a full doctorate this time – in Educational Leadership from Seattle Univ. Changed my work at Boeing and spent until June, 2013 consulting, creating curriculum and facilitating diversity, inclusion and intercultural understanding, as well as leadership development at the Boeing Leadership Center in St. Louis. Lots of business travel and lots of personal international travel – often 2 to 3 trips outside the US in a year.

Retired on June 30, 2013.

Future plans: peace, playing, consulting work and more travel.

Fond memories: Friends, the Nonnettes, summers with Sue Klovee on the lake, caught skinny dipping and gunnelling canoes by a Coast Guard spotlight one night at Judy Fry’s, sleep-overs at Cathy Close’s, lots of water-skiing, Wichterman and Hayward challenging us, Heidi and I worrying that we had to live deep and meaningful lives, having a sure clincher for debate on the cold war.

See you soon,
Louise

 

 

 

updated 7/28/12