Little did her family know when she
was growing up in Maywood, within
sight of the Loyola University Medical
Center, that
Marlena Fleming
would
one day earn a degree from that same
university. She lived in the western
suburb until her parents passed away.
She then moved to Madison, Wisconsin,
to live with her brother’s family. There she continued school
but dropped out in 10th grade. After returning to Illinois, she
finished high school, and graduated from Northeastern Illinois
University. Recognizing she was capable of more, Marlena took
a bold step by enrolling in Loyola’s master’s program in social
work. She earned all A’s—an accomplishment that makes her
proud (and as it does her coworkers at LUMA). She graduated
in December with a specialty in leadership, development, and
social services. Armed with her MSW, Marlena would like to
find a job working with youth and young adults. She hopes to
one day lead a faith-based nonprofit that works with female
survivors of violence.
Her time at LUMA has made an impression on Marlena. She
was able to meet both an important artist and an esteemed
collector. She enjoyed learning about artworks by Indira
Johnson whose exhibition
Ten Thousand Ripples
was on view
in the late summer, and hearing stories from Jim Govan, the
donor of over five hundred crèches.
Joyce Ruth Saxon
was born in Chicago
and grew up in Old Town as the only
child of an American doctor and a
Viennese fashion model. A bright
student, Joyce, during her senior year
of high school, took a statewide exam
and was only one of two students in
Illinois granted a four-year scholarship
to Mundelein College. Later she earned a master’s degree
in foreign service from Georgetown University where she
continued studying Spanish. Because of her impressive resume,
she was offered a job in the American embassy in Montevideo,
Uruguay. With time on her hands before leaving, she filled
in at an ad agency. She never made it to South America and
stayed with that agency for three years. Then she began work
for J. Walter Thompson eventually rising to the position of
Senior Vice President, overseeing television, radio, and cable
advertising in the Midwest. Not one to slow down, Joyce, upon
leaving the agency after 25 years, accepted a position managing
a catering company. Next on her resume is scheduler for
Congressmen Michael Patrick Flannigan from Illinois’s fifth
district. After he was defeated, she retired from the working
world. Not wanting to become in her words “boring,” she
got involved with the Dead Writers Theatre Collective, Art
Institute of Chicago, Palm Springs Art Museum, Grant Park
Music Festival, and of course LUMA. In addition to her role
as docent, she is also a benefactor and has funded the Islamic
Window of Faith that will be seen in the lobby in 2014.
LUMA STARS
28
DELIGHTS AND OBSESSIONS—
New Feature!
Located in the bustling hub of Chicago’s Gold Coast, the Loyola University
Museum of Art is close to a multitude of inspiring culinary delights. After
illuminating your spirit at the museum, tantalize your taste buds with a short
skip to Pierrot Gourmet, located in the Peninsula Hotel at 108 E. Superior
Street. The aroma of the rotisserie chicken is truly mesmerizing. Seasoned in a
rustic French style and slowly cooked, this poultry satisfies your senses, bringing
to mind homemade serenity. Served on a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, gravy,
and root vegetables, which add textural contrast, Pierrot’s rotisserie chicken
really hits the spot on a cold winter day. Chew slowly. Savor. Enjoy.
Be sure to save room for the delectable desserts of pastry chef Dimitri Fayard.
The vivid colors, glossy reflective frostings, and playful textures teasingly taunt
diners from behind the dessert case. Fascinating flavors, such as raspberry rose
(
éclair) and pistachio and cherry (tarte), abound. Try the raspberry millefeuille,
which has the perfect ratio of sweet whipped cream to tart raspberry. As
you press your velvety, high-thread-count napkin to your lips, blissfully
acknowledge that Pierrot Gourmet really gives you the jollies!
By MARY ARHONDONIS
Making a day of it downtown? Our new column tells you where to indulge, deliberating on all kinds of splendid finds.
