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Touch of Gray - February 2001
Betty
McMahan: Termite career scholar retires to cartooning, illustrating,
writing children's books, desk top publishing, freighter travel
More than one-half of new Carolina Meadows
residents in 2000 moved from Chapel Hill, Fearrington Village
Betty
McMahan: Termite career scholar retires to cartooning, illustrating,
writing children's books, desk top publishing, freighter travel
An 11-year resident of Carolina Meadows,
Elizabeth (Betty) McMahan is a professor emeritus of biology
who retired from UNC-CH in 1987. She had a long career in
research, teaching and world-wide studies of termites. She
had received the University’s prestigious Tanner Award
for outstanding undergraduate teaching and discovered a new
beetle termitophile in Venezuela that was named for her -
- Neophilotermes mcmanae. But she was eager for new
experiences.
Her
retirement has been a whirl of activity, seemingly gaining
momentum every year. Amazed fellow residents, seeing her dash
back and forth between her apartment with its drawing board,
desk top publishing equipment and the Club Center with its
dining room and copier, say she’s a "bundle of energy".
Most of them don’t know that she and her sister, Edith
Company who lives in the same apartment building, are in the
swimming pool at 6 a.m. every day because "it isn’t
open earlier."
After leaving the University she joined the Peace Corps
and served in Jamaica. Returning to Chapel Hill, she moved
to Carolina Meadows with her newly found talents for illustration,
a combined memoir-family history desk top published and a
great sense of humor. It wasn’t long before Peggy Olivier,
then editor of Meadowlark, the resident newsletter, recruited
her as staff artist. She’s been enlivening the pages
with cartoons, often drawn at the editor’s request to
illustrate a specific article since 1991, outlasting three
editors - - Peggy Olivier, Betty Wolcott and Desmond Reilly.
Now she is working with John Banks as editor and Bob Vickers
on production.
When
a new issue appears the buzz around the mail center is as
much about the cartoons as the news. Many of her cartoons
were given second lives to illustrate various sections of
the 124-page history of Carolina Meadows 1985-2000, edited
by Desmond Reilly.
Betty
does personalized cartoons in color depicting the contributions
of the three residents named annually by the president of
the Residents Association to receive the President’s
Award for service to the community. Dave Wharton frames them.
Betty
has also used her talent to help Chapel Hill organizations,
including a series of drawings representing services of the
Inter-Faith Council. The UNC Faculty Handbook features her
drawings on pages introducing each section which she did as
editor of the 1994 Handbook.
At
the same time she’s written, illustrated and desk top
published seven books for the children of relatives and friends
that are both entertaining and informative. They combine her
love of history with desire to share memories of growing up
as the middle one of three sisters on a farm half way between
Mocksville and Yadkinville that had been in her family since
1763.
The
books have basis in fact but the stories of childhood experiences
are enhanced to make them even more interesting and most of
the names are made up.
The
foreword of the book she is no readying for publication explains
the concept:
"When
I wrote "Cammie a Girl for All Seasons"……I
barely mentioned one of the most important aspects of life
then: the growing of sorghum cane and the boiling of its juice
to make molasses. The associated memories will be lost with
my generation, so I have written "Raising Cane With Cammie",
starring the Kirkland family history."
How
does she find time for all of this? Even with her energy and
enthusiasm some things had to change. The time consuming satisfaction
of her desk top publishing has given way to a contract with
1st Books Library for printing and binding. She
regrets loss of color in the illustrations. Also, publicity
for her last book on the company’s Website: 1stbooks.com
has led to requests for purchase. Betty has accommodated earlier
requests from other than family and friends by providing copies
at cost. Now she has decisions to make about that.
Time
for writing and drawing came in 1995 when Betty at 70 discovered
freighter travel. Since then the MELBOURNE STAR, which plies
a trading cycle of approximately 70 days between North America
and Australia/ New Zealand, has become a second home for Betty
in five round trip voyages. Now she is checking on reservations
for a sixth trip.
Naturally,
she’s found new interest on these trips. Quickly recognizing
that her ship was frequently following the discovery route
of the 18th century English Explorer in the Pacific,
Captain James Cook. She wrote an article "In the Wake
of Captain Cook" for a well-regarded historical newsletter
published in Williamsburg. Now she’s writing about Pitcairn
Island. But that is another story.
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More
than one-half of new Carolina Meadows residents in 2000 moved
from Chapel Hill, Fearrington Village
Carolina
Meadows’ year-end population of 664 residents included
559 living independently in 391 apartments and villas; 40
in The Fairways assisted living facility; 65 in the Health
Center. Fifty-eight percent came home from North Carolina.
The
year 2000 brought 38 new independent living residents, 22
from Chapel Hill addresses and five from Fearrington Village.
THE
CHAPEL HILLIANS ARE:
Carol Miller
Doris Poole
Ruth Tjalma
Duncan Macrae
Jane Sharpe
Herb & Jean Harned
Jule Ensign
Mary Arnold
Bill & Laura Benedict
Robert Dicks
Martin & Simone Lipman
Ira Vendig
Ellin Massey
Barbara Rodbell
Nanette Aceto
Regina Snyder
Floyd Denny
Ben & Ellyn Courts
FORMER
FEARRINGTON RESIDENTS ARE:
Joan Garda
John & Frances Tillson
Frances Fisher
Herb & Betty Bailey
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