SONJA NEIL

Sonja was born in Iowa and lived in Marshalltown, Ottumwa, Iowa City, Urbandale and Des Moines.  She grew up in Ottumwa and was graduated from Ottumwa Heights Academy. 

After marrying Dick Neil she lived in Urbandale/Des Moines for 39 years, raising two children. She had a rather safe, happy, normal life mainly being an “at home” mom and wife. During this period she learned the game of bridge and became addicted to it. 

In 1997 Sonja and Dick retired to beautiful Fountain Hills. In 1999 she had a major jolt to her life when she was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension and was told by two cardiologists that she had only 1-2 years left to live.  There was no treatment that would save her life. PH is high blood pressure in the lungs; it is rare, incurable and life-threatening. 

Sonja did not accept that prognosis and did her own research.  She discovered there was a treatment, contacted the doctor in San Diego who could help her and is being treated successfully today.  She wears a “fanny pack” that carries her medical pump that administers a live-saving drug into her heart 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

It’s no wonder that when we see Sonja she is pretty much always smiling… 

Something that you might not know about Sonja: Her first job was a proof reader for a newspaper. This was back in the days when they used linotype machines to produce “hot type”.  Now this process is all computerized.

KAY PHILLIPS

Kay was raised in Detroit, Michigan and attended the University of Michigan. She taught middle school classes in San Diego and for twenty years in Las Vegas. She came to the Phoenix area to take care of an aunt and ended up loving Arizona and stayed. She has lived in Fountain Hills for nine years. Kay started playing bridge in college and has never stopped.

Trivia—Her personal hobby is beading and making jewelry.

ARCHA GLASS

Archa was born in Kilmichael, Mississippi and at the age of five her family moved to Memphis, Tennessee.  She graduated from San Diego State with a Major in Art. She has many talents and work experiences—she was a portrait artist, a real estate broker, a counselor and a writer. She has played bridge since 1980. While living in California Archa was on the Blue Ribbon Committee for Electrical Power. She has three children and two grandchildren.

 Trivia – Archa is the author of the book, Pathway to Wholeness.

STEPHANIE HADDY

Stephanie was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She moved to Phoenix when newly married. Stephanie has an undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and is a lifelong Hawkeye fan. Her past professional life includes being the first laboratory Director at what is now Paradise Valley Hospital.

Stephanie began playing bridge 18 years ago and is currently a Silver Life Master. She is a certified bridge Teacher and teaches Beginning Bridge. Her interests are the computer, reading and learning to knit. Stephanie and her husband have two children and one grandchild, with promises of more to come.

A piece of Trivia about Stephanie: Stephanie won the 2007 World Bunco Championship. Her win was shown at Times Square and there was a Lifetime television movie and, sports fans, it was one of ESPN’s Top Ten Sporting Events of the Day.

KAREN HOLLOWAY

Karen was born and raised in Indiana. She graduated from Swarthmore College with a degree in Economics. She later continued her studies at Harvard and received an MPA from the Kennedy School of Government. She has lived abroad – first as an exchange student in Bogota, Colombia and later in Kiel, Germany. After raising two boys in the East, her family moved to Phoenix 35 years ago. She worked as a Management Analyst for the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona. Her favorite job was hiring and training young civil engineers.

While living and working in Phoenix, Karen also owned a yarn store. She later took up bridge and painting. Her love of painting desert scenes drew her out to Fountain Hills 15 years ago. She is a member of the Fountain Hills Artists Gallery and exhibits her work there and on the Avenue most Thursdays. She has two sons and two grandson who live in the LA area.

A piece of Trivia about Karen:  Her first job out of college was that of a Chinese Translator.