4 North Shore Towers Courier n April 2016 Bobbie and Ralph Edwards: From Class to Glass Where did the two of you meet? We met at Leonard/Lenore, a summer camp in Kent, Connecticut. Ralph was a group leader and Bobbie a counselor. At the end of the summer, Ralph returned to the University of Illinois to finish a Master’s degree. Bobbie went back to Syracuse University for her sophomore year. With his Master’s degree, Ralph gained a teaching position at Queens College. Bobbie transferred to New York University. By the following summer they were engaged. One day during a return trip to Leonard/Lenore, Ralph got a telegram from the University of Illinois offering him an opportunity to become the Assistant Director of the Student Rehabilitation Center and work on his doctorate. It was an offer they couldn’t refuse. The young couple married following summer camp. After a year at the University of Illinois, they decided to return to New York. Where did the two of you grow up? Bobbie Strauber lived on Ocean Parkway, in Brooklyn, and graduated from Lincoln, H.S. Ralph attended Newtown H.S. and lived in Jackson Heights, Queens. After graduation Bobbie became a Kindergarten teacher in Bed- Stuy, Brooklyn. After teaching a while in Brooklyn, I became pregnant. In those days pregnancy was termed a “condition,” and I had to inform my principal of my condition, which would automatically result in my leaving. Because I taught Kindergarten, I always wore a smock over my dress—no pants in those days! The smock hid my pregnancy for several months. But eventually I had to resign and go on leave. After raising my two children and living in Franklin Square, I got a teaching job at the nearby Polk Street School where I spent 22 very happy years. Ralph, what about your career? During seven years teaching at Columbia College, I finished my doctorate at Teachers College, and served as Chief Premedical Advisor. At that time a new community college was recruiting faculty. I was the first faculty appointment at the new Kingsborough Community College in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. I’m proud of being part of the development of Kingsborough. I became their first Dean and Vice President of Administration and Planning. I helped get the school up and running in 1964 in rented spaces in the Sheepshead Bay and Manhattan Beach sections of Brooklyn. This was a major transition from a military base into the college we know today. During my career at KCC I was also a professor of Health Science. Earlier when I returned to the University of Illinois, where I taught Human Sexuality, I was also a contributor to the “Dictionary of American Medical Biography.” In order to become a professor, I had to “publish or perish” and authored twenty peer-reviewed articles for journals and was a member of many professional organizations. I remained at KCC for 33 years as Chairman of Health Science, Dean of Faculty, and Vice President of Administration. When I retired I taught as an adjunct at Hofstra and NYU. What about your family? Our son, Bruce, earned his medical degree at Case Western Reserve in Ohio and is an allergist/immunologist. His wife, Karen, is a pediatrician and both practice in Nassau County. They have two sons. Sharon, our daughter, graduated from Bridgeport University, where she met her husband, Mark. She is currently a pre-school teacher and administrator. Her husband is an Employee Benefits and Insurance Broker. They have two daughters. What is your interest in collecting Heisey Glass? Through the years we collected many decorative collectibles. Many friends were into Depression Glass and we were attracted to the rarer and high clarity of decorative glass figurines and tableware produced in Newark, Ohio, from after the Civil War until 1957. The hobby became serious when we organized the Long Island Heisey Glass Club, where collectors met and exchanged ideas and pieces. There are similar clubs all over the country. Soon we made the leap from collectors to multi-object dealers. In the 1970s, we spent weekends renting space in in Flemington, NJ, where we bought and sold pieces. By the 1980s, we reduced our collection to what is now on display in a vitrine in our apartment. What are some things you are involved in at NST? Ralph leads the Book Club of the NST Men’s Club, which meets regularly in the Coleridge Lounge. Also, he has been involved in the Current Events sessions. Bobbie and Ralph are frequent users of the gym and pool and also attend fitness classes. Both enjoy Bridge at NST and Bobbie plays Mah-Jongg. “We love it here!” These two educators moved into Building Three just two years ago from Franklin Square but have become quite popular and make use of our many amenities. They utilize our gym and also enjoy Bridge and Bingo as well as many of the Men’s Club activities. Their classroom days spanned kindergarten through graduate school, and they continue to pursue many interest including collecting decorative glass.
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