Phyllis Specht & Paul Walters

We would like to share with all of our members, the two recipients of the prestigious “Volunteer of the Year” for 2008 are: Phyllis Specht and Paul Walters.

Relatively new additions to the volunteer force that makes the Association’s Volunteer Program one of the largest and most active in the UC system, Phyllis Specht and Paul Walters joined two and three years ago respectively, with determination to make a big difference, and a work ethic and commitment that proved to be very fruitful for the Association. Phyllis has led the Volunteer Committee for three years while Paul has chaired the Membership Committee for two. In addition to their duties as chair of two of the most active RA committees, they could always be found assisting with all of the RA Volunteer Projects — from Sharecase to the Benefits Faire, from the Career Connections Awards Ceremony to the International Café, from the Core Cell Vendor Fair to Middle Management Seminars, Phyllis and Paul worked tirelessly, and always with a smile, at each of these volunteer events. Phyllis and Paul went above and beyond the call of duty though, when it came to membership outreach to the Medical Center. The RA had an objective of increasing membership from retirees from the Med Center and Health Sciences. To achieve this objective, Phyllis and Paul took turns staffing a membership outreach table at the Med Center and at Thornton Hospital every other month for the last two years. Their drive and commitment to the goal of increasing Med Center retiree membership and participation in the RA has had concrete results, helping to drive the RA membership up to its current impressive total of 950 members, with a significant increase in the number of Med Center and Health Sciences retirees. We laud them for their initiative and drive, and believe that the RA is much stronger with a more even representation of membership from the Med Center, Health Sciences, SIO and Campus.

Phyllis Specht:
Phyllis was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she lived until graduation from High School. Phyllis attended a girl's college in Leavenworth, Kansas. After graduation, and a Laboratory Science internship, off she went to California for the Big Adventure. Many years and labs later, Phyllis and family moved to San Diego. In 1968, Phyllis began her UCSD employment at Hillcrest, in the evening shift at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory. Later, Phyllis transferred from Microbiology to Hematology and worked in that department for an additional 13 years on the graveyard shift. After a successful 25-year career in UCSD’s labs, Phyllis retired in 1993, looking forward to relaxing, reading and listening to music. Unfortunately, a family crisis intervened Phyllis and family manage to spend quality time together, with her children living close by. She and husband Klaus enjoy road trips with friends, or fly home to Honolulu to visit family. Phyllis is very active, and enjoys regularly going to the gym. In 2005, Phyllis became an active member in the UCSD Retirement Association, where she found a camaraderie that is hard to beat. “We are a very seasoned and fun loving group that gathers all our skills to face the challenges that come our way”, Phyllis beams. “It is indeed a pleasure to partake in all the activites we are asked to serve.”

Paul Walters:
Paul grew up in San Diego and graduated in 1970 from SDSU with a Bachelor of Science degree. Paul’s UCSD career spanned some thirty-three years, beginning at the Hillcrest Hospital in 1970 as a Laboratory Technologist and advancing to a Senior Specialist. In 1994, Paul became the Supervisor of Hematology/ Coagulation, and in 1995, a Senior Supervisor and acquiring the Rheumatology Laboratory. Paul served as the chairperson for many years for National Medical Laboratory Week. He also brought smiles to young patient’s faces, serving as Santa Claus for 22 years for UCSD’s Pediatric Department. Paul retired in 2003. He is married to another UCSD retiree, the lovely Mercedes Walters, and has two son's living in San Diego, and one son and two grandchildren living in Temecula. Paul’s many hobbies include gardening, home building, ballroom dancing, stained glass, sports, movies, travel, and volunteer work (UCSD Retirement Association and St John of the Cross Church). He also helps to care for his aging mother, handling her shopping, errands, gardening and medical appointments. A lifetime of selfless service continues...