Two families’ lives changed forever on the night of December 4, 2021. Around 10:30 p.m. at the intersection of Becks Ferry Road and Old Charleston Highway in Hardeeville, JonPaul Gonzalez, 19, of Bluffton, and Madison Klepesky, 18, of Philadelphia, died in a tragic car accident. JonPaul, also known as JP and Jonny, and Madison were killed when their car was struck by another motorist. The USCB Students, who were dating and wearing seatbelts, died instantly at the scene of the crash.

What did you love most about having your first child?
My initial answer to this question is for the first time in a while, I didn't feel like I needed to cover up at the beach! (HaHa) But I'm sure you want something deeper: I loved discovering the magnitude of what my body could do. Honestly my journey with postpartum advocacy and studying to become a doula started with my amazement at my body bringing life into the world. I was reading all the books because I wanted to know more and learn how it works.The fact that my internal organs were shifting to make way for my uterus to hold my baby was mind-blowing. 

I knew Martha O’Regan had “twin” girls, but I never understood how exactly they could be since they were in different grades and looked so very different. (My mother always said don’t ask personal questions.) Well, now I know, and it is a mystical, magical, Mama Bear story like no other you’ve ever heard.

Martha and her husband Michael sadly lost three pregnancies back in the ‘90s and decided to adopt to get the baby they longed for. They filled out the arduous paperwork for a Chinese orphan and received an approval in early July of 1998. Four days later, guess what? Martha was pregnant again. Knowing this pregnancy might not be successful, as the other three had been, they decided to stay calm, and just see what happened. The pregnancy continued beautifully as they headed into the final trimester—the same time they received word that a baby girl would be available for pickup in China in April.

The Riccardi name in Italy goes back centuries with possible ties to the Medici’s, an art-loving family of wealthy bankers (and three popes), who helped usher in the Renaissance in Florence. Rob Riccardi of Bluffton is a proud, first-generation American who grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. His father grew up in Naples, Italy, during the hard times of WWII, and his mother was born in a small town in Calabria. Rob said five families with a total of 10 children—all aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents—lived within two miles of his home in Pennsylvania.

This close-knit family honored the customs they acquired in Italy, particularly those regarding food, wine, and sharing. Traditional wine and Italian meats top the list in Italian cuisine, so the Riccardi family made wine, while the Mancuso and Castanzo families made sausages, capocollo and other delicacies—all to share with one another.

First of all, where in the world are you right now?
Haha! We are currently in Benson, Arizona. Benson is known for Kartchner Caverns, a massive limestone cave known for the world’s longest stalactite formation. It is also centrally located to many birding hotspots.

You are a retired nurse and business owner, now you travel across America with your husband in an RV. Tell us what is on your things-to-do list these days.
We still have daily chores, cleaning, laundry, and maintenance items. When we don’t have a day of chores planned, we are off chasing birds or exploring the surrounding area. During this leg of our trip we have visited Tombstone, Kartchner Caverns, the Coronado National Forest and many birding spots.

Najmah Dr. Najmah Thomas is a young woman with lots of energy. She is a professor at University of South Carolina Beaufort in the Public Health and Human Services Program and the African American Studies minor. However, her first love is the family farm. Her parents, Bertha Mae and Alphonia, established the Earth People Farms and way of life in the late ‘70s on St. Helena Island, and their children, Najamah, Glen, and Nature, are carrying on the ways of the African Gullah/Geechee heritage.

Najmah shared that her parents did not go to regular doctors if they were sick. They had knowledge of and experience with plants, trees, and herbs growing right on their property and knew which ones to use for various ailments. Today the siblings have a new wooden structure, called the EP Farmacy, which is well stocked with drying plants and small batch bottles of oil, tinctures, bags of tea, T-shirts, and charts to guide customers back to the old ways of maintaining good health. Of course, there is a disclaimer that these remedies, while used for generations, have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Lucy Rosen first fell in love with the Lowcountry in 2015 when she arrived to help a business acquaintance open a new medical practice and spa in Bluffton. Noting the area’s rapid expansion and an absence of marketing and public relations agencies, Lucy sensed an opportunity, put down roots, and made the Lowcountry her home. An abundance of natural beauty in her new surroundings fired up Lucy’s creative pistons: personally and professionally.

By day, Lucy owns and runs Smart Marketing Communications, a full-service marketing and public relations firm headquartered in Bluffton with satellite offices in New York, New Mexico, and North Carolina. She is President of Women on the Fast Track, a nationally recognized networking organization for women in business. Dubbed “The Queen of Networking,” Lucy also authored a book titled, Fast Track Networking: Turning Conversations Into Contacts, which reveals tips for expanding professional networks and building new relationships.

Have you ever heard the call of a whippoorwill in the early evening? Or been fascinated watching an egret catch a frog on the shore of a lagoon? Or even just closed your eyes to relax in the sun and watch the kaleidoscope of colors on your “movie screen” eyelids? Nature calls in subtle ways: a whisper; a gentle breeze; or no sound at all. Mother Nature calls us to engage with her, to bask in her beauty and find refuge in her tranquility.

Jill Moore, a master naturalist, answered the call and wants everyone to experience the glory that is nature. “The Lowcountry has one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world,” she said. “Everything in nature has a different theme depending on the time of year and the place, like the salt marsh and the tides, the birds, spartina grass, and dolphins. It’s surprising how different the same place can be each time. You might see an alligator eating a bird, or a great blue heron eating a snake, or dolphins strand-feeding.”

There are many healthy choices that can make your life better, however, when you turn even one healthy choice into a habit, your wellness can begin to soar. Most people have no idea how much better they could feel—mind, body and spirit—if they only incorporated a few, small, healthy changes into their daily routine. Hands down, health is the greatest wealth there is, and everyone has the ability to make good choices for their best—or at least better—health.

You are a powerhouse at self-care.
Tell us the importance of self-care and when you realized it was important to you.
I realized in my 30s when I was diagnosed with asthma; I wanted to learn what was necessary to not suffer from this condition and be on a nebulizer for the rest of my life. This started my journey of study and practice, which eventually eliminated asthma from my life, as well as cigarette addiction, clinical depression, and anxiety. I am 78 years old now, take no meds, and have supported people to “be well” for the past 33 years.

What elements are most important to you in your self-care journey?
What do each of them bring to your quality of life?
The elements most important to me in my self-care journey are to live with an open heart, a clear mind, and a healthy body. An open heart is my source of joy and peace. I am approachable to all people without fear, even if we are not totally in agreement. My open heart also allows me to be grateful for everything. My clear mind helps me make decisions that are healthy for me. My body is able to get around freely and is not limited by constrictive conditions.

How do you even begin when the journey ahead seems impossible? Melinda Ables Bush’s answer is “by taking baby steps.”

Melinda has had a rough seven years. It all started when the car she was driving was run off the road, causing her to hydroplane, jump the bridge guardrail and nosedive 35 feet into a muddy ravine. First responders gave her little hope. She had broken every bone in her pelvis multiple times, split her head open down to her skull, and had three compression fractures in her spine, not to mention contusions, cuts, scrapes and bruises. In addition, there were mental aspects to deal with in not allowing a death-defying plunge to overtake her psyche.
Unfortunately, anxiety, panic, claustrophobia, and depression became her nemeses during her healing process.

Why is social time important to you?
I believe social time is just as important for our health as physical activity and diet. I just heard someone say, “When we replace ‘I’ with the word ‘we’, we go from illness to wellness. It’s not healthy to miss out on social time!

Variety is the spice of life—how do you mix it up socially?
I have several social circles. I am part of a women’s Bible study group that meets at our church (Hilton Head Island Community Church) on Tuesday mornings. I am part of a bunco group that meets once a month, I am a member of a book club that meets once a month, and I organized and am still an active member of the Low Country Kappa Delta Alumnae Chapter. I workout with an amazing core group of friends at Pure Barre, and we typically get together for happy hour or dinner once a month. Our neighborhood (River Club) is extremely active, and Mike and I attend socials with neighbors at least once a month. In addition, I find volunteer work rewarding. I am on the board of HH Backpack Buddies and serve as its coordinator at our church, leading volunteers in packing food bags for students at our public schools once a month. I participate in volunteer opportunities with my sorority alumnae chapter, as well, and I’m a small group leader and a greeter at church.

You are a nature girl. When did the great outdoors
become an important part of your life? 
I remember being a kid and always playing outside with no shoes on because I just preferred to feel the ground under my feet. I loved building forts in the woods and staying out until the street lights came on. As a young adult, I started running on Sundays with my Dad, which to this day, is still one of my favorite outdoor weekend traditions.

How has your dedication to nature impacted your life and well-being?
I honestly did not realize until I was much older how healing and powerful Mother Nature truly is. I feel the most connected to myself when I’m outdoors, and get a sense of clarity on things that fog my mind. As crazy as it sounds, I feel called to be in nature when I am trying to sort things out or make big decisions.

We admit it; we’re jealous. You and your husband have been married 23 years and date night has been a priority for years. How has dedicating time to regular date nights enhanced your relationship?
It is a priority for us, and helps us to stay connected. I think it might be the reason we are still happily married!

Can you share what a typical date night looks like? Enquiring minds want—actually need—to know (and we need help getting started)! How often do you go out?
We go out for a casual date night, like a quick dinner, once a week, and a more special, fancy date night once a month. We are also big fans of day dates and sometimes spend a day together in Charleston or Savannah.

Three strong, independent women have a deep bond cemented by their love of one another, their ancestry, and their land in the Lowcountry. Della Campbell and her two daughters, Lola and Latrice, are modern, professional women whose Gullah heritage dates back to the early 1820s on Hilton Head Island.

Della taught at Hilton Head Elementary School for 34 years, serving as a guidance counselor her last 10. While in school, Latrice remembers being asked if she would become a teacher like her mother. “I always said no because they make no money,” she said. In college she studied business, and her job in Rochester, N.Y. was in human resources. “That was my original career, and teaching is my second career. I taught a class in Bible study, and I felt like if I made a difference, then I have success. So, I went back to school to get my certification. Teachers touch lives in ways that last the rest of the children’s lives.” Latrice is a 6th grade math teacher at Hilton Head Middle School, as well as a minister at Queen Chapel A.M.E., just like her great grandfather, Solomon Campbell. “His roots carry on and flow into Latrice,” Della said.

Some people enter our lives for a season, some for a reason. Krista Barlow’s husband, John, entered her life for both. Their marriage was a short season of only 20 days, but the reason John was sent to her is still unfolding five years later.

Hurricane Matthew hit in October 2016. Krista and John did not evacuate because John had chainsaws and power tools and felt he needed to stay to help. Matthew didn’t spare their home, though. A large tree fell and came through their roof. Krista said that John kept telling her everything would be okay, that God was preparing them for something even bigg

Do you have a cause that you wake up every day for?
What is it and how did this cause become near and dear to your heart?
I dream of a long-term safe house for Victims of Domestic Violence—Brillo de Mujer Home ( “A Woman ‘s Inner Light”). My goal is to create a home where we can help victims of domestic violence (DV) not only escape from their abuser, but also emerge from the darkness and depression associated with DV. And, to not only learn to love themselves again, but learn to shine. As a survivor of DV myself, I know how it feels when you’re in a hole of desperation and you don’t know where to go for help in that moment. It’s like all the doors are closed. You are not only scared and frightened, but you also feel completely alone. I want to help stop this cycle and show victims that we are not just survivors, we are warriors!

How do you support this cause?
Two years ago, my friend Lorena and I opened Tulips Thrift Store ( a 501(c)3 store) in Sheridan Park in Bluffton. This is our home base and the platform we use to bring awareness to the seriousness of domestic violence, and it is also a way for us to raise money to eventually purchase land and build long-term housing for DV victims.

Some people come into your life for a moment, while others stay for a lifetime. Mary Coleman and Margaret Jones are a beautiful example of the latter, with a lifetime of connection, friendship and love between them.

Growing up in Greenville, SC, Mary and Margaret met in the third grade, living in the same neighborhood and going to school together every day. These little girls played together in the afternoons, but they also shared a very special bond: A love of ballet. Though they went to different dance schools, ballet held a place in each of their hearts like no other art, and it was an outlet where the two girls belonged, where they were filled with their hearts’ desires. One might say their friendship is a perfect Pas de Deux, which simply means a dance for two; a duet.

“I love the smell of a ballet studio, the reverence, peace, quietness. It’s a place where you are fully focused. It’s like entering a different world,” Mary explained.

Angelique Logan had no clue how fast her life would change within one beat of the human heart. The stress of life or death was thrown into her hands without warning or immediate help.

In November 2021, Angelique finished her nightly routine, climbed into bed, and went to sleep as usual. Dreaming about Savannah’s upcoming Veterans Day parade and walking her sweet pup, Talia, Angelique had the ideal day planned for the following day, which she had off from work. While Talia’ and Angelique’s schedule was full, her husband, Rob, would be at work. He is a dockmaster in Savannah, holding a 100-ton USCG Master Captain’s license.

Rob never made it to bed that night. As she was winding down, he was watching television, relaxing in the big comfy chair almost every man has in their family room. Slightly past 2:00 A.M., Angelique woke up startled; she describes it as a “feeling.” The “feeling” worsened when she realized Rob was not in bed; the two did not add up. She called for Rob, and there was no answer. She got up and went to the family room where Rob was sleeping in the chair. She tried to wake him; after shouting and shaking Rob, she realized he was completely unresponsive.

Like most “pioneer” stories there were cows and pigs involved in the beginning. In fact, Beaufort’s Jeannine McConnell describes herself as a “farm girl” who grew up in rural Troy, Missouri, (Northwest of St. Louis) where the cows and pigs outnumbered the town’s 3000 inhabitants. The scrappy, pigtailed girl toted firewood from the age of 3 and quickly learned that to survive and thrive in her family and town, she needed to become “one of the guys.”

“I was jokingly referred to as my mother’s first daughter and third son,” she laughed. This trait uniquely positioned her for her future career.

Today, Jeannine is recognized globally as a technology pioneer whose four-decade career spans successes from software development patents and Big 4 management consulting, to strategic global leadership roles. She has a passion for optimizing potential, creating order out of chaos, finding collaboration amongst the broken pieces of complex organizations, and creating high performance teams that enjoy celebrating wins, while growing together. Many times, as the only woman in the room, with a ratio of about 1:35, Jeannine became determined to attain confidence and executive presence while becoming a “fierce” woman in technology.

Determined is one word that comes to mind when speaking with Maitea Carbajal. This outgoing, fun-loving, industrious 18-year-old, originally from Santa Barbara, California, has planted her heart in the Lowcountry.

Maitea moved to Hilton Head when she was 8 years old, hoping this new beach town would be the last, hoping for positive beginnings and a place she could call home. Fast forward to 2022, Maitea has found her niche in the Lowcountry and absolutely loves it.

Homeschooled since the 8th grade, Maitea has not only had the time to find her passions, but she also has had the support of her family and friends to do so.

Lieutenant Renita L. Berry answered my email sent over the weekend promptly at 9:30 am on Monday morning. That gives you an idea of her professionalism. We set our appointment for the same day, in the afternoon. She’s a busy lady who doesn’t waste time; I admire that a lot.

In addition to the rank of Lieutenant in the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Renita retired as Colonel with the South Carolina Army National Guard just two years ago, having served 34 years, including two overseas deployments in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Renita and a friend joined the National Guard right out of high school in the little town of Bowman, SC, initially just to receive tuition aid for college. But she fell in love with the military and made it a career. She graduated from the University of South Carolina in Columbia with a degree in Chemistry in 1993 and earned a Master of Arts in Management from Webster University in 2004. She worked with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control at first, but a tour of a South Carolina Law Enforcement (SLED) lab opened another door for her.

Young people today are tech-savvy, and through apps like Instagram and TikTok, they encounter influencers who may be celebrities hawking products, or young adults with a huge number of followers earning money by endorsing products.

The true definition of an influencer, however, is someone who affects or changes the way other people behave. It’s someone who exerts influence to inspire or guide the actions of others. Kristi Wheat may not see herself as an influencer, but the seeds of her endeavors are bearing fruit to have a meaningful impact on children.

Once upon a time, a young woman in New Jersey married her high school sweetheart and believed that her life would be fulfilled by her Prince Charming. They would raise children, grow old together and happiness would forever be theirs.

Unfortunately, her dreams ended in divorce, and Lucille Tyler Baldwin quickly discovered how ill-equipped she was to manage her finances. “I had wonderful parents growing up, but we never talked about money, bills and debt,” she said. “I blamed my situation on Disney movies,” she joked, “because that’s all I did as a child…watch Disney movies…my Prince Charming would give me everything I would ever need.” Lucille worries too many women also believe in this fantasy. Now her passion is to teach financial literacy to women and children. “You can be in love and still handle money,” she said.

Hometown: Nahant, MA
Lives in: Hilton Head Island
Career: Education
Family: Adult Children, Rosemary, and Ross,
plus one crazy German Shorthaired Pointer, Birdie

You’ve been an educator for a long time. Tell us a little about your teaching journey. Education is a second career for me, and it came about quite accidentally. My undergraduate degree is in Marketing. In my 20s I worked in advertising when I lived in Chicago. Then I moved south to Hilton Head 28 years ago. I was mom to a toddler, had another child on the way and a sick parent, so I took some time away from my career to devote to family. When my oldest went to kindergarten, I wanted to find out first-hand what was happening in the schools, so I volunteered to be Room Mom. I was schooled by the PTA moms, not realizing that post was a coveted position in their world, so when I wasn’t appointed, I looked for another way to volunteer at school.

Uliana Gonzalez earned a master’s degree in architecture back home in Ukraine. Then she earned a PhD in historical preservation in Poland. In 2016, she had an opportunity to intern at a historic preservation foundation in Savannah, fell in love with the city, married and stayed. She grew up in Dnipro City in Ukraine, an area now on the front lines of the Russian invasion. “When we learned of the full scale invasion, my world collapsed. Watching on TV every day, I saw people killed, raped, robbed and houses destroyed,” she said. “I wanted to learn preservation techniques, but during war nothing is preserved.”

Her parents are still in Dnipro, and thanks to the satellite sent up by Elon Musk, she is able to connect with them. Her aunt, however, lives in Mariupol, which is still occupied by the Russians. Missiles hit her home, and she was injured. “She is an older lady, she is alone and the place she was allowed to evacuate to was Russia, so she stayed. This was her home where she spent her whole life, so where do you go? It’s like living in the Stone Age. Her house is ruined, she is cooking outside, and there’s no water. So many difficulties.”

Celia Furr is like an experienced tour guide for families on the most difficult journey of their lives. A journey through dementia is fraught with anxiety, fear and constant change for both the afflicted and their families. Celia said it’s a trip into the “Land of Denial” where many caregivers believe their loved ones will get better. “They try to look normal and be normal, and those closest to them don’t understand their new normal. Today is their best day, and tomorrow may be worse. They are out of time,” Celia said. As Memory Care Coordinator at the Preston Health Center at the Cypress on Hilton Head, Celia works every day with residents who suffer from dementia.

Celia has 21 years under her belt working in all levels of residential care, the last four at the Cypress. “Everybody has a story,” she said. “My Dad had vascular dementia and actually lived at the facility where I worked in Charlotte. His situation pulled me into dementia care.”

Life has a way of bringing people together. How did your paths cross?
PAT: I met Jan when she became interested in singing with the Threshold Choir, which thrilled me, because she can make ordinary music beautiful with her harmony. She loved our mission and was a blessing to the choir.

JAN: In late 2016, I was new to Beaufort, renting a place while looking for a home. With my first glance at the newspaper, I saw an ad for the Threshold Singers. They were looking for a cappella bedside singers for patients. I love a cappella singing and to join with people who knew how to give this a purpose, well, I called Pat that day to see how I could join. I was able to be a part of Threshold Singers for around three years before Covid shut things down with hospitals and assisted living homes.

In those three years, Pat and her singers taught me a lot about the power of music to help patients and their families during difficult times and health challenges. When we would sing in the hospitals, we could be requested to sing for a patient expecting bad news, and they would receive good news getting to go home the next day, so we sang more as a celebration. By contrast we would sometimes be requested to sing for a patient who had only hours to live and knew we were largely singing to the family. Often the families would make comments about their loved one’s breathing more relaxingly.

Andrew Carnegie stated: “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” This description of teamwork is what drives Carrie B. Lynard Major and Isabella S. (White) Runnels, whose paths crossed 37 years ago, both in their long friendship and service projects.

In 1985, Carrie established a non-profit organization, Carae’s Lowcountry Modeling, and Isabella was highly recommended as a potential board member. They immediately gravitated towards each other, realizing their purpose and goals are to serve.

Both ladies are well-known in Beaufort for Carae’s Lowcountry Modeling, which allows young people to improve their self-image, enhance public presentation and learn skills in self-motivation, decision making and goal setting.

‘It’s never too late to make a new friend. Just ask Irene Racine and Lyla Stocker. They’ve been best friends for more than a decade, which may not seem like a big deal, except Irene just turned 100 in September and Lyla is 101.

Though these two precious ladies are from different backgrounds, their friendship suits them perfectly. Originally from Buffalo, NY, Lyla is retired military. She was a Naval registered nurse during World War II, on duty aboard a ship that was bringing Americans back from Germany. Her military career expanded to the launch of the United States Air Force, and she transferred from the Navy to serve. Her career took her to Seattle and Yokohama, and she was active duty during the Korean War. She served her country, and it wasn’t until her military days were over that she settled down, found the love of her life and got married.