by Linda Porelle, Publications Committee Chair
[Editor's Note: Throughout this year celebrating the BC's birthday, we will be interviewing former editors. Linda Porelle brings you her visit with one
of the longest serving, Winifred Downing who edited this publication as near as we can figure from 1995-2005. And the article does double duty as Winifred
is one of our "nonagenarians." For decades, Winifred was one of the seminal figures in CCB. In the spring issue of the BC 2011, I profiled her: "CCB Treasure,
Winifred Downing?, and we reprinted one of her outstanding Editor's Column: Winter, 2005, volume 49, no. 1, timeless then, timeless today.]
On a recent Saturday afternoon, I traveled across town to visit with Winifred Downing in her lovely home in the Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco. Winifred,
who celebrated her 90th birthday on October 28, 2015, has the good fortune of remaining in her own home with the devoted attention of three of her children,
numerous grandchildren, and live-in caregivers.
Over the last several years, Winifred's active involvement in CCB and the San Francisco Chapter has steadily dwindled. By her own admission, she noted
that she 'spent many hours of every day on something pertaining to the organization.? Her absence is primarily due to her increasingly complicated health
challenges. During our visit, she referred again to her serious hearing loss, which she feels ?came on suddenly at around 80.? In addition, she continues
to experience bouts of severe back and leg pain, which require strong medication and days of bed rest. As a woman, who throughout her life derived deep
personal satisfaction from her ability to help and inspire others, Winifred has been known to express considerable frustration about feeling useless and
confined. Of course, those of us who know and love her insist that her mere presence is still a priceless gift.
After exchanging updates about our families and her current health status, the conversation turned to her time as editor of the Blind Californian. This
interview is fairly brief due in part to Winifred's desire to take her afternoon rest.
LP: Do you still read the Blind Californian in braille?
WD: I don't read it because I don't go to meetings anymore, but I do look at it, just not cover to cover.
LP: How long were you the editor of the BC?
WD: I did it for ten years.
LP: What challenges did you face while preparing the magazine?
WD: Finding the time to do it. I was never good at getting articles for the BC. [Then] people complained about [our] taking articles from the internet.
LP: What did you enjoy most about your time as editor?
WD: I liked getting intelligent letters [from readers who] liked or disliked the BC because I always learned something.
LP: What advice do you have for the current or any future editors?
WD: You have to like writing and you have to have some people who read it all, even 5 or 6 [people] who do read it all can make it worthwhile.
We concluded our time together by reviewing our holiday plans. Although my visits to her are necessarily brief, it is always a great pleasure and privilege
for me to spend time with a woman, whom I deeply admire and who served as a mentor for me in my first few years as a member of CCB. Before closing this
piece, I'd like to bring your attention to a project that Winifred spearheaded about ten years ago with the San Francisco Chapter. It has evolved during
that time and is now the Student Education Access Grant or SEA Grant. With Winifred's early leadership, this annual grant has become the cornerstone of
our chapter's fund-raising efforts as well as providing an ongoing focus for motivation and inspiration for our chapter. We have Winifred to thank for
this gift of focusing our attention toward serving the Bay Area community through this meaningful project. For more information about eligibility for the
2016 Grant, contact Charlie Dorris at tyreedorris@comcast.net. [Editor's Note: In the most recent BC, Fall, 2015, you can find an article about this project:
San Francisco Chapter Student Education Access Grant by Daveed Mandell and Charlie Doris.]
