Debbie Weider-Hatfield
General Information:
School Activities:
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Married to John D. Hatfield
Debbie Weider-Hatfield
When I was in the third grade standing in the cafeteria line at SS. Peter and Paul, I remember telling one of my friends that I was going to college when I grew up. I had no idea just how much time I would spend in colleges when I made that prediction in 1955.
I earned my undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, my masters at the University of Montana, Missoula, and my Ph.D. at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
I met my late husband John D. Hatfield at Purdue. We were faculty members at the University of Georgia in Athens from 1975 to 1990 and the University of Central Florida from 1990 to 1996. While in Florida, John and I played over 100 golf courses together, including the Blue Monster in Miami. We were very fortunate to be both professional colleagues and great golf buddies. We even traveled to Ireland to play Ballybunion!
John and I moved up the East Coast to Baltimore in 1996. He became Dean of the Business School at the University of Baltimore, and at age 49, I became a law student at UB's law school. In 2001 we moved to Connecticut. John was Executive VP and Provost at the University of New Haven, and I taught communication courses at the University of New Haven, Southern Connecticut State University, and online for the University Maryland University College. I also planned to practice law in Connecticut. Sadly, John passed away on July 30, 2003 from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, three days after we celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary on July 26, 2003 in our new home in Wallingford.
In November 2003 I made my way back to Collinsville to live with my mom in the home where I grew up on Mounds Avenue. My dad had passed away in 1991, and my mom was not in good health. She passed away on October 2, 2004. Residing in my family home and reconnecting with my old friends helped me a great deal as I figured out my next step. In February 2006 I started working as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Missouri, handling child support cases for the Family Support Division. I cover counties in northeast Missouri, St. Charles County up to the Iowa border. I am grateful for my second career as a lawyer for many reasons: my job keeps me busy; I am always learning something new; I interact with lots of people with diverse backgrounds; I work in a supportive organization; and I get to help others through my work. I also enjoy the challenge of trying to apply successfully the communication theory principles I taught and researched in my first career.
Some of you will remember my 'little' brother Brian who came along when we were in the eighth grade. He, his wife, and my three nieces live in Wildwood, Missouri and are doing fine.
John and I traveled a lot during our married life, and I continue to travel every chance I get. In January 2014 I will fly to Tahiti and cruise the French Polynesia.
Although I now live in the CWE of St. Louis and my family home in Collinsville was sold in November 2012, crossing the Mississippi to visit my old friends in Illinois as often as I can is something I will always treasure. Many thanks to all of you for welcoming me home with open arms and for 'adopting' me into the very special CHS class of 1965.
Debbie Weider-Hatfield
"If you are humble enough to admit to your flaws then you are capable of correcting them.” ~ Innocent Mwatsikesimbe