ON THE JOB IN HOPEWELL VALLEY
By: John Tredrea
Editor’s note: This is the latest in the series of portraits of people at work.
For 20 years, one of the most familiar faces in Pennington has been that of Hopewell Township resident June Egan.
Ms. Egan, whose Timberlane Drive home is not far from the borough, has been a full-time child care provider for more than 100 local families with children of all ages since she began caring for youngsters in the early 1980s.
"I started this kind of work when I was at home with my own two sons, Marc and Matthew" she said Sunday night. "My boys have since grown up and moved out on their own one to Washington, D.C., one to Houston. They and their wives have six children between them all girls."
Ms. Egan, a widow, does not drive, so most weekday mornings she gets a lift from one of the families that use her services. "They’re very good about giving me a ride to another job if I need to make a change like that in the middle of the day, which I sometimes do, and about bringing me home," she said.
It’s not surprising the families who employ her to care for children in their homes would willingly provide transportation for Ms. Egan. Her work gets rave reviews.
"She’s great," declared Pennington resident John Jackson. "She really spends time with the kids. You won’t see her watching television or reading a magazine while the kids watch television. She’s actively involved with them. A wonderful woman."
Mr. Jackson and his wife, Carol, employed Ms. Egan to care for their now-grown children when Ms. Jackson was working part time during their school days. The Jacksons were one of more than 20 area families to crowd the Pennington Library on Dec. 21 for the dedication of the June Egan Reading Nook, in the children’s section of the library.
"It was a very nice event," Ms. Egan said gratefully. "It was held then so that college students who were home for the holiday break would have a chance to stop by. Quite a few did, and we got to chat a bit. Time flies. You blink, and they’re all grown up, it seems."
Reading, walking and playing games are staples of Ms. Egan’s approach to child care. "I get them outside whenever the weather permits," she said. "I guess I can tell you how many steps it is to Kunkel Park, and the other parks in town, from anyplace in Pennington. Fresh air and exercise are good for them, and for me."
When indoors, reading, coloring and games are big favorites. "Memory games, verbal games, building blocks, Silly Putty I tend to stay away from painting, though. I don’t do so well with that!"
Ms. Egan still enjoys her work. "Each child is different," she said. "They’re always interesting. One thing you can always count on is that it won’t be long before one of them does or says something surprising. If I feel like it’s starting to get to me a little bit, I just tell myself that this workday will end and I will go home. Just like any other job. You can’t let it drive you up the wall."
Ms. Egan has strong ties to the library. She was one of its corps of volunteers for 20 years, until her recent retirement.
"I’m from Hamilton originally," she said. "When we were looking to buy a house 30 years ago, we found this one. We liked it very well here. I still do."
When not working, she likes to do crossword puzzles and read. "I like mysteries," she said. "Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich are two authors I’m reading now. And I’m on the library’s waiting list for the new Bill Cosby book. I enjoy his sense of humor, about youngsters and other things, too."
SHORTLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS, 20 families gathered at the Pennington Public Library for the dedication of the remodeled children’s area in honor of June Egan of Hopewell Township.
Mrs. Egan has been a childcare provider in the Pennington area for nearly two decades (see related story this week). So area families decided to contribute to the remodeling of the children’s reading space, now known as "Mrs. Egan’s Reading Nook," to honor her commitment to children and literacy.
The remodeling included the purchasing of a window seat cushion, pillows, posters and a plaque. The library was chosen as the recipient of this honor because Mrs. Egan often included trips to the library as part of her childcare activities and because she worked as a library volunteer at the circulation desk for 30 years before retiring last spring.
Families donated nearly $2000, according to Mary Fraser, library director.
Fund-raising and the tribute were organized by Pam Switlik and Penny Hoffman, both of Pennington. A tea was held at the library. About 50 people attended the tea/ceremony. Thirty of them were children for whom Mrs. Egan has provided childcare. They ranged in age from 1 to 24.