MARY READ 

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Mary arrived at the interview with elegance and charm as she greeted me with her contagious smile.

 

Originally from Wyoming, Mary grew up on a ranch and was active in the operation of her family ranch. Mary met her husband, Ross, while attending college in Massachusetts and they were married in 1979. She and Ross have two children; son, George, married to Cecily Longfield, who are moving to Ithaca, NY this summer to begin Cornell Business School; and daughter, Marion, who works in   finance in NYC. The children always look forward to returning to Oconomowoc Lake. They grew up enjoying every summer at the lake with their cousins. Ross’ family has belonged to the OLC many generations, beginning with his great grand-father, George P. Miller, in the 1890’s.

 

Mary recalls countless memories a the OLC but her favorites are the club anniversaries. The Reads have hosted several OLC ice cream socials over the years at their family home, Greenwood Lee, complete with horse drawn carriage rides, treasure hunts, tethered hot air balloon rides, antique cars, etc., with the guests dressed in Victorian costumes.

 

In her own personal career, Mary majored in Government and Art History at Smith College and earned her JD from Marquette University Law School. She began her legal career at First Wisconsin Trust Company (now US Bank) and continues to volunteer at the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee. Her community interests center on education,art and music. Mary is a docent at the Milwaukee Art Museum and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Layton Art Collection, Inc., an affiliate of the MAM and the owner of the art museum’s core collection of works of art as collected by the museum's founder, Frederick Layton. Mary is a life director of the Florentine Opera Company and she and Ross enjoy attending operas here in Milwaukee, at Chicago’s Lyric, or wherever the opportunity presents itself during their travels.

 

Mary married into a tennis family and is a keen enthusiast of the sport.  The OLC tennis program has been an important part of her family’s life, beginning when Ross was a young boy. The OLC provides outstanding tennis instruction from the head coach and assistant coach of the Marquette University men’s tennis team. It is a superb environment for a family to enjoy tennis, especially this season with the opening of the beautiful, state of the art, tennis pavilion.

 

Oconomowoc Lake is a treasure and Mary encourages people, especially those who live on the lake, to join us at the OLC. A boat ride to enjoy dockside dining and a cruise to watch the glorious sunsets make the OLC a unique gem.

 

I cannot thank Mary enough for sharing her memories with me of the OLC.