Biography for

Theresa (Long) Van Dyke

After high school, Theresa went to Ohio State where she was accepted into the nursing program. She completed the five-year program in four years by attending school through the summers. After graduation she worked in Columbus for three months, earning money to relocate to San Francisco, California. One of her college roommates and she took the train to San Francisco where she got a job at the University of California, San Francisco. She remained there for three years in the "headquarters" of the hippie era of the U.S. She then worked for three years in a hospital down the peninsula of San Francisco.

She met her husband-to-be, Ron Shanks, in Hawaii and they were married January 15, 1972 in Brecksville in 17 degree below zero weather!! Back in San Francisco she worked for a woman allergist, learning a lot with on-the-job training. In 1975 she moved to Novato, California, about 30 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. When her doctor there retired, she found work at Kaiser in Santa Rosa, California, in an allergy clinic where she remained for almost 22 years.

Because she and Ron never had children, they were able to travel to many places in the world with Kenya and an animal photo safari being among the highlights. Ron developed myotonic muscular dystrophy in his late 40's that gradually robbed him of his mobility, but he made the best of everything and they were able to travel on many cruises with his use of a mobility scooter. She retired from Kaiser in 2006 to be at home to care for and spend more time with Ron until he lost his battle with the muscular dystrophy on June 1, 2008.

For a year she lived by herself. Unhappy doing that and on a suggestion of a friend, she tried e-harmony.com and very soon was matched with Don Van Dyke of North Bend, Oregon, her soul mate in life. Feeling as though they had known each other for years, they were married on March 13, 2010. In July they moved to Bandon, Oregon, where they plan to live for a year or so before returning to Novato.

Theresa's passion for the last fifteen years has been her involvement in the chorus of the Novato Music Association. She enjoys singing and being part of such a great group of people. Since moving to Oregon, she has sung with the church choir at Unity of Bandon and has enjoyed learning more about the south coast of Oregon as well as visiting Mt. Hood and the Shakespeare Festival at Ashland, Oregon.