Sara Joy (Joy) Burnley Pocasangre

Profile Updated: February 11, 2021
Sara Joy (Joy) Burnley
Residing In: Bellevue, WA USA
Spouse/Partner: Ricardo Pocasangre
Occupation: retired NGO president, loving wife & Grandee & traveler
Children: Devora, born 1968; Aaron, born 1971; Becca, born 1977; David, born 1983
Yes! Attending Reunion
Do you still see/talk to/hang out with any classmates? Who?

Cory Forman ( may her memory be a blessing), Roxie Gaines Cohen, Howie Schulman, Roy Bleiweiss

Comments:

We are in the process of retiring our non-profit, NESES. It is strange as this is the only outside job/career I have had [starting in 1998] and now . . .??? We had a most profitable and enjoyable final workshop/seminar where over 25 former students from all over El Salvador met each other, bonded, learned life/career skills and vowed to keep in touch with their new/former community. How great for Ricardo and me to witness.
Update: We did retire our NGO. lots of fond memories and fun to see the adults these kids have become. We love 'traveling with a purpose.' Our kids and grandkids are 20 minutes away as are lots of Ricardo's nieces and nephews. We get together to play cards and it reminds me of my Junior High days of playing bridge. jana

What's your life been like in the past 15-20 years? What changes have influenced you?

I just received some exciting news: Thanks to Western Reserve Historical Society and Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland my applications to Cuyahoga County Lineage Group have been approved by Board Certified Genealogist and judge, Jean Hoffman. Pioneers; Wolf Riglander and Ellen Riglander New, Settlers; Nathan New and Hiram New, Centurion; Maurice A. (Birnbaum) Burnley.
Some highlights for me were doing grave rubbings in the Willet Road cemetery in the summer of 2019 and finding that Wolf Riglander was listed as paying taxes on the same page as John D. Rockefeller.

School Story:

I remember our 8th grade Latin class with Mr. Slater at Bryon Jr. High. The most important phrase I kept was not even in Latin: noblesse oblige, nobility has obligations. Well, I thought we were nobility, living in Shaker and that we had obligations to others who were not as fortunate as we.
I'm sure that stuck in my head and heart when Ricardo and I started our non-profit, NESES NiƱos Estudiando El Salvador [www.neses.org] in 1998. We became a 501 (c) 3 in 2003 and were able to match 2:1 all the donations that family and friends donated to kids living in Salvadoran orphanages.
Education and youth development was what we offered these students. We saw most of them graduate from high school and January of this year, one student graduated from university with a five year degree in English. She wants to go on and teach others in El Salvador. Guess Mr. Slater's words are living on.

Sara Joy (Joy)'s Latest Interactions

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Apr
29
Apr 29, 2023 at 4:33 AM
Jan 04, 2023 at 2:50 PM

Joey, I hope your birthday on the 10th is a good one...and a Happy secular New Year. Yours, Joy Burnley Pocasangre

Apr 29, 2022 at 4:33 AM
Mar 23, 2022 at 11:37 AM
Jan 03, 2022 at 9:05 PM

Joey, have a happy birthday and a most Happy, Healthy New Year for you and yours. Let's go from good>better

Oct 30, 2021 at 1:14 PM

Posted on: Oct 29, 2021 at 11:50 AM

Hey, Roxy. Have a great birthday and counting. Lots of love, Joy

Jul 18, 2021 at 4:43 PM

Mary Ann, have a Happy Birthday. Thanks so much for keeping us all 'together' with this site.I think of you and smile whenever SHHS comes up. Joy Pocasangre

Jul 04, 2021 at 11:56 PM

Roy and Cory lived near my mom in California.  I would visit Cory and we'd call or visit Roy together.  The last time was after Roy had a heartatack and we went to Berkeley to his and his wife's flower shop.  I think that was about a year before Cory died.  A bittersweet pleasure that our memories afford us.  

Jun 18, 2021 at 3:22 PM
Apr 29, 2021 at 4:33 AM
Nov 21, 2020 at 5:07 AM

Posted on: Nov 20, 2020 at 11:40 AM

Happy birthday, Peggy.

Joy Pocasangre, Bellevue, WA

Sara Joy (Joy) Burnley Pocasangre has left an In Memory comment for Profile.
Nov 15, 2020 at 12:20 PM

Hi, Fernway and Byron classmates - only went a few months to SHHS.  I didn't know Mr. Smith.  I have read your comments to date to each other.  I did know Barbara Epstein's brother, Ronnie.  I do remember that he and friends at SHHS left Shaker and went to Selma, I believe, and were part of the Freedom Riders. Jeannie, Marianne, Peter, Bruce, Howie didn't your brothers go, too? We have to take responsibility for ourselves.  My mother had a saying, "You can learn from everyone - from some people you can learn what to do and from others, what not to do."  Joy Burnley Pocasangre

Oct 30, 2020 at 1:07 PM

Posted on: Oct 29, 2020 at 8:32 PM

Roxie, hope you have a Happy Birthday and many returns of the day - hoping the day will be the beginning of a healing process for us all. Love, Joy Burnley Pocasangre
PS - finished my application to Cuyahoga County Lineage Group with an ancestor arriving with her parents in Cleveland in 1840. Ellen Riglander was 1 yr. old. Come to find out that my father is a 'Centurion' as he was born in Cleveland in 1907.

Jul 31, 2020 at 5:18 PM

Bobby, have a most happy birthday. As your B'day is in August, guess we never got to celebrate at Fernway. Take care. Joy

Apr 29, 2020 at 4:34 AM
Mar 16, 2020 at 4:27 PM

Posted on: Mar 16, 2020 at 1:48 PM

guess we will all remember our Spring 2020 75th birthdays. Mine's in April and we [really the adult kids as the DJ with '50s and '60s music, doing all the Paperless Post mishagas] had planned a big party for May 2nd here in Bellevue, WA. Not at this time. Avery do have a memorable one.

Jan 06, 2020 at 2:02 PM

Hey, Joey, have a most happy birthday on the 10th.

Yours in love and justice, Joy (Burnley) Pocasangre

PS See that I sent the same message last year. jaja

Oct 29, 2019 at 4:44 PM

Hey, Roxy,

Hope you have an awesome birthday.

Love ya, Joy Pocasangre [Burnley]

Aug 06, 2019 at 12:29 PM

Bobby, Happy Birthday, Guy.