Wayne and Lois Marshall hail from New Jersey. On a trip through the West, their son called from Whitefish saying "you've got to come see this place." They did. They fell in love with the area and built what they thought would be a vacation home on Big Mountain.

In 1995, after vacationing here and "meeting lots of lovely people," they headed back home. They found that as they neared the East Coast, each was thinking "why am I coming back here when I could be living in Whitefish." In a matter of weeks their house was sold and, as Lois says, "We put the cat in the car and headed west."

They summarize their feelings by saying "it was the area that attracted us, but it's the people who caused us to make this our home." Both are retired from administration duties at Ramapo College in New Jersey, and both are outdoor enthusiasts. They have two children, Wayne and Brooke, and two grandchildren whom they thoroughly enjoy.

Upon arrival in Whitefish, they soon became involved in community affairs — homeowner's association, sewer district, fire district, the Flathead Valley Music Festival and the Glacier Symphony and Chorale, of which Wayne was a board member for nine years.

They are active in the Humane Society and the Special Olympics. Wayne serves on the Kalispell Regional Medical Center advisory board, and Lois is proud of the North Valley Music School, which she helped organize with a nucleus of 30 students and three teachers, which now has 450 students and 14 teachers.

They volunteer because they like to be involved and "the blend of working with wonderful people and seeing organizations grow and prosper creates a wonderful experience for us."

Wayne and Lois you are a great addition to our community and we appreciate the many things you do to improve the quality of our lives.

— Jake Heckathorn

This column is dedicated to those who give freely of their time and energy to worthwhile community projects, but whose efforts often go unnoticed. If you know such a person, please e-mail [email protected].