1921 – 1930 Born April 21, 1921. Polish immigrant parents manage an apartment house in East Orange, NJ. At age three shows indication of her passion for reading and writing. Family purchases and moves to a 200-acre farm in Chester. Skips second grade at Williamson School. Farm foreclosed. Prohibition. Mother and father have a fling as bootleggers. First awareness of politics with Smith vs Hoover. Survives early years of depression with parents, sister and baby brother traveling for two years in a green Chevy from place to place and school to school. One, a one-roomer with pot belly stove and an outdoor two-seater.
1931 – 1940. Family settles in rural Bridgewater. Two-room Green Knoll School. Valuable 4H home ec lessons. Loss of their 18th Century home to a fire two days before Thanksgiving. Fire engine stuck in the long driveway as the house burns to the ground. Help from neighbors and Rev. David Evans.Somerville High School, active in sports, debating, clubs. Graduates first in class. Latin teacher Janet Henry tries for scholarships for Victoria at WilsonCollege but endowments evaporate due to stock market crash. Rev. Evans succeeds with last minute registration at young NJC. Meets future husband, Ralph. (who becomes bmoc) at RU Freshman Reception.
1941 – 1950. Dec. 7, 1941, the day of infamy. Graduates, 1942, BA in English, minor in French. 1943 Victoria and Ralph marry. Live in Plainfield. The World War II Years. Fills jobs held by men off to serve the country.
Ralph, a chemical engineer, deferred, serves in war related industry where he spends his entire career. 1945 the war ends and soldiers return and resume their jobs. She begins her fashion/journalism career as a model.
Ralph and Victoria launch their travel agenda, around the country and the globe twice a year for the rest of their lives.
1951 – 1960. Fashion editor at Woman’s Day Magazine in NYC. Victoria and Ralph build a modern home in Bernardsville. Takes position as home fashion publicity director at Owens Corning Fiberglass. Is let go when she becomes pregnant. Within six weeks after birth of daughter Lisa, is an account executive at Roy Bernard Company, a NYC international public relations firm. A partner in the firm, recognizing her talents, encourages her to open her own firm, in her home state and take advantage of the burgeoning New Jersey economy. She did and soon acquired several accounts
1961 – 1970. Clients include financial institutions, associations, auto dealerships, realtors, decorators and Ries van der Rohs’ Colonnade Apartment Complex. Inspired to start to research and write Triumph in Exile, a novel based on the Life of Mme de Staël, the Woman Who Challenges Napoleon. Victoria and Ralph stay in Bernardsville but move to a striking, French Normandy home. She becomes involved in community affairs Served on the board of the Alumnae Association of NJC, now Douglass College. As president she was responsible for converting AADC into a professional organization.
1971 – 1980. Continues adding clients for her firm. When she runs for NJ Assembly and looses, she comes to the attention of Tom Kean, leader of the Assembly.
1981 – 1990. Works on Kean’s campaigns. Closes her firm to serve under Governor Kean as Director of Travel and Tourism and is responsible for selecting and promoting the successful New Jersey and You, Perfect Together Campaign.
1991 – 2000. Works on T in E, travels Europe to follow path of Madame de Staël, Establishes an ESL business in Poland, land of her heritage. In 1997 husband Ralph is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She and Ralph move to Virginia. She serves on the board of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at George Mason University. For five years she is Ralph’s caregiver
2001 – 2010. Ralph dies in 2001. She completes TinE and travels the East Coast making presentation about the book. She begins to write Finding Solitary Contentment and Remembering the Loved One You Lost.
Celebrity Contacts
Dale Evans and Roy Rogers
Ivana Trump
Meryl Streep
Mies van der Rhoe
Pauline Trigere
Givenchy
Pat Boone
Hat designer, Mr John
2016 - Victoria Releases her latest book "95 Secrets: To living a Happy, healthy, Long Life
2017 Victoria Delivers a Presetnation at TEDxWilmington, in Wilmington Delaware, setting the record being the only 96 year old to do so.