Missing Pieces by Pat McVeyPat McVey puzzled over a curious absence of memory of her childhood; her family, the home in which she grew up, and all schools she attended. Shortly after retiring, at age seventy, she was encouraged by an author/friend to seek her childhood memories through writing. Two decades of 'pulling on memory threads' as she wrote, interviewed family members and analyzed family history has yielded this healing memoir. Sifting through a lifetime of events, she used her skill and knowledge as a Marriage and Family Therapist to bring new meaning to her life story, discovering the missing pieces that allowed her to remember her past and see it in a new, positive light. She was the last born in her family, the granddaughter of pioneers to a small community in northwest Kansas. She was not able to read or write well, and spent her life trying to hide that shameful secret, in order to protect her well educated family from embarrassment. Despite that she graduated from Kansas State College, got a graduate degree from Columbia University, and then, much later, completed the course work for a doctorate at Rutgers University. After getting her masters degree she married her soul-mate and moved to Princeton N. J. where he worked at the University. Over ten years, while they had three children, she worked as the Teen Director at the YWCA, then as a volunteer and was eventually elected to be president of the Board. After her husband tragically passed away she became the family's bread winner.Through her work as an educator and therapist she designed three significant programs in New Jersey schools. The first, The Early Childhood Demonstration Program, served pre-school children by preventing and healing the damage caused by poverty and discrimination, so they could enter first grade healthy and ready to learn in regular classrooms. One of the most important features of this program was hiring mothers of participating children for the non-professional jobs, thus benefitting the entire family. When she was hired as a Marriage Counselor at Rutgers University she designed and offered The SELF in Relationships Workshop to 300 students per semester, preparing them for success in their intimate relationships. Over 7,000 students took the 28 hour workshop before she retired. Then she designed and directed The Little Buddy Program for children-at-risk in an elementary school. This is a program any school can easily copy, as it doesn't require any funding.She was selected as one of the outstanding people in NJ by the New Jersey Magazine in 1983; featured in the Rutgers Alumni Magazine in1982 for her work at Rutgers; and selected as School Social Worker of the Year in NJ in 1993.McVey retired to Loveland, Colorado where she initiated a weekly Lecture Series on important local, national, and international issues for those living in northern Colorado, sponsored by her Unitarian Congregation. She also pursued her passion for reading, and gardening, and at various times quilting and sculpting, while enjoying her three children and five grand children.With Missing Pieces she offers to others the hope of success in exploring important lost memories.About the Author: Pat McVey (/Criscitiello/Murphy) was plagued by an inability to read or write, and spent her life trying to hide it to protect her well educated family from embarrassment. Despite that she graduated from Kansas State College, got a graduate degree from Columbia University, and then, much later, completed the course work for a doctorate at Rutgers University. As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and educator she designed 3 significant programs in New Jersey schools over thirty years. The first, the Early Childhood Demonstration Program, served pre-school children by preventing and healing the damage caused by poverty and discrimination. The hundreds of children served over eight years were then able to enter first grade healthy and ready to learn in regular classrooms. One of the most important features of this program was hiring mothers of participating children for the non-professional jobs, thus benefitting the entire family. When she was hired as a Marriage Counselor at Rutgers University she designed and offered The SELF in Relationships Workshop to 300 students a semester, to prepare them for success in their intimate relationships. Over 7,000 students took the 28 hour workshop before she retired. Later, she designed and directed The Little Buddy Program for children at-risk in elementary school. This is a program any school can easily copy, as it doesn't require any funding. Pat McVey was selected as one of the outstanding people in NJ by the New Jersey Magazine in 1983; featured in the Rutgers Alumni Magazine in1982 for her work at Rutgers; and selected as School Social Worker of the Year in NJ in 1993. She has retired to Loveland, Colorado where her mountain view and garden provide daily thrills, and where she can indulge her passion for reading.