| Shaun "Norris" Allen (Niel) |
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I went to Rice, in Houston, leaving my boyfriend of three
years (the famous movie producer's grandson) at Southern
Arizona School for Boys.
I hated Rice, and came back to Tucson to the U of A, where I
went to school forever. Thanks to the National Science
foundation, I have degrees up the wazoo.
I married my first husband in college, had a son, Greg, and
started teaching at Pueblo in 1965. Divorced in 1967,
married my second husband, a fellow Pueblo teacher in
1972 and had to go to THS (TUSD had RULES).
I whined about needing a place to rescue animals, so in
1976, we bought property near what is now Dove Mountain...
NW of town...at which point my husband contracted terminal
cancer. Then I learned he had agreed to leave all of his
current and subsequent insurance to his first wife when they
divorced.
He died in 1985, and I was determined to keep the property,
so I did. I kept teaching, and kept my animals, too...dogs,
cats, horses, goats, even three rats...all rescues.
My son went into the Peace Corps (Nepal) and I started
doing volunteer work on active volcanoes, in Costa Rica and
Hawaii, while continuing to teach (because I was a science
teacher, I got released time) and do rescue (I hired a man to
help with the animals when I was gone). After Nepal, Greg
worked on setting up the Biosphere, got two graduate
degrees...he's an Environmental Engineer...and married
another Environmental Engineer.
In the 80s, I quit teaching science and began a program for
seriously at-risk kids. I moved with the program from THS, to
Pueblo again, then Catalina and back to THS. I retired in
1994. I now rescue special needs dogs...mostly pit bulls.
I've had a really amazing life...some of the highlights (in no
particular order):
It's been a wild ride!!!
Oh, and I have two grandsons, Max and Nick. (In 2008, they
are 5 and 3, which I'm including because this site will be
studied for centuries to come...and because science geeks
love facts!
years (the famous movie producer's grandson) at Southern
Arizona School for Boys.
I hated Rice, and came back to Tucson to the U of A, where I
went to school forever. Thanks to the National Science
foundation, I have degrees up the wazoo.
I married my first husband in college, had a son, Greg, and
started teaching at Pueblo in 1965. Divorced in 1967,
married my second husband, a fellow Pueblo teacher in
1972 and had to go to THS (TUSD had RULES).
I whined about needing a place to rescue animals, so in
1976, we bought property near what is now Dove Mountain...
NW of town...at which point my husband contracted terminal
cancer. Then I learned he had agreed to leave all of his
current and subsequent insurance to his first wife when they
divorced.
He died in 1985, and I was determined to keep the property,
so I did. I kept teaching, and kept my animals, too...dogs,
cats, horses, goats, even three rats...all rescues.
My son went into the Peace Corps (Nepal) and I started
doing volunteer work on active volcanoes, in Costa Rica and
Hawaii, while continuing to teach (because I was a science
teacher, I got released time) and do rescue (I hired a man to
help with the animals when I was gone). After Nepal, Greg
worked on setting up the Biosphere, got two graduate
degrees...he's an Environmental Engineer...and married
another Environmental Engineer.
In the 80s, I quit teaching science and began a program for
seriously at-risk kids. I moved with the program from THS, to
Pueblo again, then Catalina and back to THS. I retired in
1994. I now rescue special needs dogs...mostly pit bulls.
I've had a really amazing life...some of the highlights (in no
particular order):
- The dead body in the cistern and the reason we got
the property so cheap; - My REALLY bad karma with rattlesnakes;
- Taking a group of not-so-advantaged kids to Europe
and having one tough girl gang banger ask me...at
the Louvre...if that was really "Mo" and having tears
run down her face when I told her it was...the Mona
Lisa; - Mafiosi I have known and what one did for me;
- Traveling to almost every state and a bunch of
countries, too; - Being an FBI person of interest (I was BORN for the
60s). I smoked pot AND inhaled...and discovered my
voice; - Working on active volcanoes, which came to a
screeching halt when my mentor was killed in an
eruption at Galeras; - Working with the Surenos, who were so sweet to me
even after they killed that guy at Southgate; - Also, I can't forget my other students who committed
homicides. - Getting chosen to go to the First International
Biodiversity Forum at the Smithsonian and meeting
every person I had ever seen on Nature and Nova...
and getting to walk on the catwalk over the sharks at
the National Aquarium; - Animal rescue work (pit bulls,currently)...my true
passion ; - Crewing for a hot air balloonist ;
- Scuba diving;
- Modeling during college and why we had a Geology
final...and why I majored in Genetics... a lot; - Weight training...for years;
- Being a liberal Dem feminist, pacifist, environmentalist;
- My nearly 20-year relationship with a former student
who became a SWAT cop (though it didn't start until
he was 36 and divorced and I was 46 and widowed...
we met again at a school riot (can it get any more
romantic?); - My Sicilian first husband's second wife having him
killed; - Becoming a raw vegan...the best thing I ever did for
myself, and the TRUE fountain of youth.
It's been a wild ride!!!
Oh, and I have two grandsons, Max and Nick. (In 2008, they
are 5 and 3, which I'm including because this site will be
studied for centuries to come...and because science geeks
love facts!
Last Updated: January 2008
| e-mail me ---> |
| Shaun at a "Lunch Bunch" luncheon in January 2009 |
| My favorite song during our high school days - "Smokestack Lightin' " by Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters |