Anne Lear was destined to be a Navy woman. Her grandfather, father and three of her five brothers all served in the Navy. “So, I was actually going to enlist in the Navy as a corpsman, but they talked me out of it,” recounted the 24-year Navy veteran; a pediatric nurse practitioner and the commanding officer of Naval Hospital Beaufort (NHB) and Naval Support Facility since July 2013.

Bring up the topics of alternative medicine, the human body or the cultural differences between people around the world, and Cheryl McCarthy’s voice fills with enthusiasm. And her words are filled with knowledge. “I’m passionate about health. I can’t read enough about health,” Cheryl said. “The human body is a beautiful, complex machine that has an innate intelligence which we might never fully understand.”

Having had one of those really happy kind of lives leads to a different type of bucket list. Anne McNear would like to “do it again” rather than have totally new experiences. How would you feel about that?

“When I visited my grandparents on Hilton Head Island as a child coming from Atlanta, I learned how to pick tomatoes, grow watermelons and peel shrimp.But best of all, I was able to bond with my family.”

Tosha Suggs is now a 42-year-old single mother, raising her 14-year-old son, Christopher, who a freshman at Hilton Head High School. Island life and family bonding brought her back to the Lowcountry and the strength of her character and power of her goals has kept her here.

When Dene McCain and her husband decided to move to Beaufort 15 years ago to live on their 36-foot sailboat, the registered nurse had no problem getting rid of almost everything she owned—including most of her wardrobe.

“You learn to live without a lot of things,” she said. “You really don’t need 20 pairs of shoes.”

Six years ago, Dolores A. Surprenant checked herself into Beaufort Memorial Hospital because she was having uncontrollable asthma attacks. Doctors told her she had congestive heart failure, fluid on the lungs, swelling in her legs and her kidneys were shutting down. Leading up to her decision to go to the hospital, Dolores had an infection in her lungs, her house in Beaufort was broken into and she survived an accident while driving her truck.

It is said that passion is the heart of every successful venture. For Trudie Lobban, the heart is her passion. It has been more than 20 years since her 10-month-old daughter, Francesca, began having “fainting spells” for no apparent reason. Terrified at what was happening, Trudie visited countless medical experts to find an answer. Finally at age 3, it was discovered that she has a rare heart condition Reflex Anoxic Seizures (RAS), which causes the heart to stop for short periods. RAS is one of many heart rhythm disorders that fall under the umbrella of arrhythmias, which cause the heart to beat irregularly, too fast or too slow, and can have devastating effects. They affect the electrics or rhythm of the heart (as distinct from heart attacks, which are caused by blockages in the heart vessels). They sometimes present no symptoms, but they are always treatable, if detected.

“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.” Audrey Hepburn

Dr. Audrey Klenke, the only female cosmetic surgeon in Beaufort County, explained how plastic surgery became her passion. “Medicine, in general, was so exhilarating that it was challenging to narrow in on the perfect fit, until I became smitten with plastic surgery,” said Audrey.

Dolores Blusewicz’ son-in-law is checking up on her. He’s not making sure she’s home safely, or if she needs anything from the store. Jason Pampucha, Dolores’ only son-in-law, is snooping around in her fridge.
And much to his delight, there is no container of pork and beans or sugary barbecue sauces or, dare it even cross her mind, leftover pizza.

“So, here is a question for you. What is the opposite of retirement? The answer? Pamela Freedman!”

I started my interview with Pamela Freedman by asking how and when she and her husband, Roger, came to Hilton Head Island. Boy, did I get an answer. As with many of us, they had been here off and on before making the final move to retire, but in this case, retirement has a whole new meaning.

KeCia Jordan and Leveta Smith grew up in two very different worlds. KeCia shared Jersey City, N.J. with nearly a quarter million souls, while Leveta was raised with 12 siblings in the tiny town of Louisburg, N.C., population 3,300.

Yet, today they are equals, both wearing the insignia of the Marine Corps’ top enlisted rank—sergeant major. KeCia is Sergeant Major of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, assisting the commanding officer with enlisted operations supporting all units on base. Leveta is the sergeant major for Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, responsible for the well being of about 600 Marines, filling support roles ranging from administrative support to military police.

Ellen Malphrus knows how to disconnect. Our telephone interview required an email, voicemail, text and several days of spotty phone calls before we could arrange a window of time when Ellen could come back down the mountain to the small town, where there is cell phone reception and Internet connection. This summer she is living in her one room cabin in Big Sky Country. The cabin has no electricity or running water. There is a generator for the well; a horse trough for the water she uses to bathe and wash her hair. At night, candles and stars provide the light against the dark.

Meet two vibrant and engaging women who are masterful at connecting with people and dancing with life. They are both adventurers at heart and have had incredible opportunities to make friends from all over the world and travel to exotic destinations.

Kelli Bright is very well named. She shines through the clouds like a beam of brilliant sunshine!

Have you ever met someone who made you feel confused, grateful, ecstatic and hopeful all at the same time? Well, I did, and it was a first-time experience for me in the 10 years I have been writing for Pink. I had the wonderful and blessed privilege of making the acquaintance of Kelli. Now 21, she was injured in a single-car accident at the age of 16, which left her paralyzed from the chest down. Yes, this amazing woman is wheelchair bound. However, she makes that term seem silly because she is “bound” by nothing!

For most people in the Bluffton/Hilton Head area the Lowcountry is a place to be discovered and returned to…sometimes permanently. It is not generally a place of origins or deep roots. To meet a “native” is rare; like unearthing an exotic being whose life has been the inhalation and exhalation of the sounds, smells and rhythms of this layered land of sea, river, marsh and tide. Robin All grew up on the May River in Bluffton, SC. She left after high school searching for things the Lowcountry isn’t. But she came home. This is where she will raise her family.

“So, here is a question for you. What is the opposite of retirement? The answer? Pamela Freedman!”

I started my interview with Pamela Freedman by asking how and when she and her husband, Roger, came to Hilton Head Island. Boy, did I get an answer. As with many of us, they had been here off and on before making the final move to retire, but in this case, retirement has a whole new meaning.

Pamela Martin Ovens has an idea. Then again, if Pamela is conscious and upright, chances are, there are ideas floating around her head that likely will get out. The topic is misconceptions that tourists have about Hilton Head Island and the surrounding area.

Carolyn Bremer ushers me inside the house on Myrtle Island that she and her late husband built for their family of seven over 30 years ago.  We walk through the entry hall and formal living room, to the den whose large picture window frames the May River flowing swiftly past the front yard. Beyond the wooden boat dock is a sandbar and in the distance the edge of Bluffton. This lived-in family room is thick with memories and family artifacts—the repository of a full and well-lived life.

Head held high, she beamed at her great Uncle, James Sammy Gray. The former Commodore proudly presented his grand niece with the honored jacket. “It was a bitter-sweet, poignant moment, and one I’ll always remember,” declared Brandy Gray, the fourth female in 59 years to become Commodore for the historic 2014 Beaufort Water Festival, running July18-27. “My Uncle was the eldest living Commodore at the time, and sadly, he passed away that November.”

Growing up in Baltimore as the daughter of a steel worker and the youngest of five girls, Lori Reynolds admits she had no idea where life was taking her—definitely not towards the Marine Corps.

Disciplined. Fit. Focused. These are the words that come to mind when one converses with Kate Brobson. At only 28, Kate has established herself as a fit athlete and a dedicated lawyer. One may say that “lawyer DNA” runs through her veins, as both Kate’s father and grandfather practice law. Currently, she works as a criminal defense lawyer in Beaufort.

A beach girl from New York, young woman with a heart for the elderly and a beauty who is nothing but humble? Meet Renee Smith. Contradictions make a lovely package. And, she has a bucket list that will surely touch your heart.

It’s only fitting that Terri Reiff manages a fitness center called Powerhouse Gym Family Facility, because among the best words to describe her, “powerhouse” is perfect. Her energy level is off the charts, her dedication to health and fitness is enviable and her devotion to her job is of the highest standard.

It has been said that strength is the product of struggle, and often it’s our deepest pain that empowers us to grow and find our highest self.  When tragedy enters our lives, each of us must find our own ways to cope.