Cyndy and Jon Huddleston moved into their new forever home at 710 Powell this spring, and today took time to show me around their house and gardens. (Note the unusual names. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit I misspelled them both more than once.)
When I asked if they would mind being interviewed, Cyndy (pronounced cyndy) told me she and Jon were not nearly as interesting as Char and Anne, but agreed to let me dig into their private lives anyway. I must confess, after a completely enjoyable hour, the word “uninteresting” did not leap to mind.
So let’s start with the all-important question and answer.
Do they have a dog? Yes, they have a dog.
This is Cassie, a five-year-old pure-bred English Cream Retriever. Although quite friendly, she gave me a quick warning bark when I came to the door, as if to say, “You can come in, but I’m keeping my eyes on you.” After some reassuring petting action, she relented and offered up one of her plushy toys for a short game of tug-of-war. According to Jon, she doesn’t actually retrieve, so much as hold on to things, so no game of fetch ensued.
In the way of Golden Retrievers, Cassie spent the interview blocking the hallway while laying on the cool stone floor, cuddled up to one of her many toys.
Why Williamsburg?
Warm weather, ties of friendship and a bit of nostalgia brought the couple to Williamsburg from Leesburg after retirement. Or perhaps I should say back to Williamsburg. They are both graduates of William & Mary, having, as Cyndy put it, “…four degrees between the two of us.” Additionally, they have many friends in town who competed to lure the couple back to stay. Plus, Cyndy wanted to live in a college town in retirement, having never lived in one during her career. More on why this is humorous later.
So Williamsburg was a given.
However…
Why the Burns Lane Neighborhood?
Let’s see if you can guess at least some of the reasons.
They want to be near the college. Check.
The want to live in a neighborhood where many destinations are within walking distance. Check.
They want actual neighbors who can drop by for a coffee or a glass of wine. Check.
They already know people in the neighborhood. (In this case, Jim Penny.) Check.
Now for some not so usual reasons to live here.
Cassie likes to walk to the colonial area, receive due homage from dog lovers on DoG street, and lay down under the tables to people-watch. I’ve never before heard, “We moved here, in part, because my dog likes to walk to downtown.” Upon consideration however, it’s perfectly reasonable.
Of course this would have been true of the other neighborhoods in which they looked, notably over on Chandler. However, Burns Lane had something the other close-in neighborhoods didn’t: a move-in ready home.
That’s right. 710 had already been renovated when the Huddleston’s were looking for property. The kitchen and bathrooms in particular have been given a modern and stylish overhaul, and the floors are beautiful. While Cyndy is no stranger to project management and would have been willing to oversee a complete renovation, she was quite pleased there was no need.
710 Powell is another neighborhood gem.
Do they have any renovation plans?
They actually do, but only outside. As with so many properties in our neighborhood, the yard at 710, both front and back, was terribly overgrown. The previous owner pulled up most of the overgrowth and left Cyndy and Jon nearly a blank slate. This being summer, and not the best of time for landscaping projects, the work will have to wait. When the weather is more clement, the couple plan to start with the front yard, but have no detailed plans yet.
What they do have is a vegetable garden in the back, with some successes and some failures. Here’s the run-down.
Basil: most definitely a success. I left with a large handful of delightful licorice-y leaves that are green, glossy, and not at all mildew-ridden or insect-chewed.
Zucchini: somewhat successful. The plants are healthy, but have not been setting a lot of fruit. (I have a similar problem. Any advice?) Of course, healthy plants mean the squash can grow wildly over a single day, deftly hiding from view and turning overnight into a pithy log of compost-fodder. The one Jon picked today is probably OK, so look out for that zucchini bread when you visit for coffee.
Cucumber: Yes! I witnessed many on the vines, in different stages of readiness.
Tomato: Nope.
From Where did They Move and What Did They Do?
Jon and Cyndy moved here from Leesburg, where they have been at least since Jon graduated from W&M Law school and passed the bar in 1986. Their former home had 3 acres of land, nice for Cassie, but not so good for walking into town. Or for neighbors dropping by for a glass of wine in the evening.
Jon clerked for what is now Sevilla, Saunders, Huddleston & White, P.C. while in Law School, and has stayed with them ever since. Before retirement, he was a principal of the firm, practicing mostly family law. Here is his write-up on the firm’s site, and also his Super Lawyer profile.
Cyndy has worked in academia for many years, her last job being the Associate Dean of Graduate Admissions for UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce. “But I thought you said she lived in Leesburg,” you are no doubt thinking. Yes, that is some commute, although Cyndy said she didn’t have to go in every day. Although she is a committed academic and was instrumental in launching UVA’s innovative Global 3 Programme, she never actually lived in Charlottesville and retired before having the opportunity to move to a college town. Yes, I think that is humorous, although I’m not sure if it is irony, or simply funny.
From where did they originate?
Jon is originally from Virginia Beach, so almost counts as a native.
Cyndy was originally from the Eastern Shore of Maryland, near Annapolis.
Both of our new neighbors, if not natives of Williamsburg, have deep roots in the Chesapeake region.
Family?
The Huddleston’s have two boys. The older, Bobby, is a computer engineer living in Pasadena, California and works for Honeybee Robotics programming drills that will work on our moon, among other hush-hush projects.
The younger boy, Jack, is a senior at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. and has dual majors in French and Psychology.
Interesting mix.
They boys get along, and both of them will come for a visit over Thanksgiving.
Retirement Plans?
Cyndy has been retired for a year, and, given her career launching innovative graduate school programs, is necessarily organized and results-oriented. When I asked about her plans for retirement, she had it well mapped.
30% taking care of her health and fitness. Cyndy is in remission from breast cancer, and in her professional life, spent so much time in the car that she had little time to look after her own physical fitness. She plans to take control of her diet to eat healthy, and she and Jon are members of the gym on campus, where she plans to get and stay fit.
30% focus on friends and family. Two high-powered careers in the family, plus the effort required to raise two well-adjusted and successful children, has constrained Cyndy’s ability to spend enough time with the important people in her life. She now has the opportunity to spend time with the people about whom she cares, and plans to devote a significant amount of her retirement doing just that.
30% giving back to the community. Cyndy intends to remain engaged with academia, and is currently a member of W&M’s Society of 1918. She is also looking for additional charities to support. Did I pitch OSHER to her? Why yes, yes I did.
10% travel. Although both she and Jon are experienced international travelers, Cyndy wants to do more, and do more for sheer enjoyment rather than for work-related travel.
What about Jon?
Jon is taking a gap year. He hasn’t quite decided what he wants to do with his retirement, but does have some vague plans to keep active in sports coaching. (He coached his sons’ teams while they were growing up.) He also plans to support W&M sports, all sports, all genders, all types. The list of sporting events he plans to attend would be better iterated by those he doesn’t plan to attend. Actually, he never mentioned sports he wasn’t going to support.
Jon also wants to stay active with the VA Bar. He was President of the VA Bar from 2009 to 2010, and is the Immediate Past President of the VA Law Foundation, which “..has provided more than $27 million in grants to support projects throughout the Commonwealth that facilitate access to justice, promote an appreciation and understanding of the Rule of Law, and provide law-related education in support of these ideals.” I’m sure the local VA Bar Association will find something for Jon to do, and if they don’t, well perhaps I can recruit him to teach for OSHER.
Words for the Neighborhood?
Both Jon and Cyndy stress that their door is open. They want to fill the house with friends, both new and old, and don’t even mind if these friends show up unannounced, ready to be invited to dinner. (Although Jon did say that some little amount of notice might be nice.)
Prank opportunity: the whole neighborhood toddles over for a flash cocktail party.
Everyone, if you haven’t done so already, please say, “Hello” to these two special neighbors, and be sure to show up without any notice whenever you smell steaks on the grill.
Cyndy Huddleston
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