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Sierra Madre Woman's Club Celebrity Luncheon Featuring Stephanie Edwards Feb. 22, 2003 Back to Woman's Club main page
The Sierra Madre Woman's Club Annual Celebrity Luncheon for 2003 featured KTLA's perennial Tournament of Roses announcer Stephanie Edwards. After a delicious meal of quiche, fresh asparagus spears and fruit on a skewer, followed by a an equally delicious white cake, Stephanie Edwards got up and entertained the crowd. And entertain she did. Displaying a charming wit, the "first Diane Sawyer" delighted the crowd with humorous stories from the world of entertainment and her personal life, and a surprisingly introspective discussion of where she is in her life, and her views on keeping perspective. The only disappointing aspect of her talk was when she announced that she thinks she may not return for next year's parade (not her choice, more on that later), eliciting a chorus of groans from the capacity crowd in the rooms of the historic Essick house, where the luncheon was held.
President Arlene Decker welcomed those in attendance, and thanked event chair Mary Carney, and all those who worked in the kitchen, setting up and clearing. She noted that the camellias found on the table were donated by several members, the roses were donated by Trader Joes on Rosemead, and the food was prepared by Lisa's Bakery, at the Howie's Market on San Gabriel. She then introduced Woman's Club member Phyllis Harris, who introduced Edwards, noting that she had been interviewed for her church by Edwards in 1978, when she returned from a mission in Japan, and the friendship since then had flourished. She also read a list of some of Edwards accomplishments in her career, including 15 Tonight Show appearances, numerous appearances in episodic television, six years of summer stock, and even a stint as piano accompanist for a singing group.
Ms. Edwards then got up and spoke. She discussed briefly that she had moved from Minnesota (noting that her alma mater, St. Olaf's, is nothing like the backwards portrayal it is given by Betty White in Golden Girls) to Los Angeles to become an actress, and that she had written a letter to Ralph Story, who hired her and took her under her wing. She bemoaned the lack of mentoring seen today, noting that mentoring is a long-term process, an investment, and that it is something that just doesn't take place as often today as she would like. She told of talking with Story after three years of employment, and reminding him that she was grateful for the job, but that she was going to be an actress. Story responded that "you may be a great actress, but I don't know. What I do know and see is that you have a gift for talking to people, and there is an interview show starting on CBS that I think you should audition for." Edwards auditioned and was hired for the live, daily talk show. Shortly thereafter, she was hired by ABC to co-host with Story "Ralph Story's AM," the prototype upon which ABC-Network modeled "Good Morning America." After four years, she was then asked to move to NY, to co-host "Good Morning, America," which she did, asking for release from her contract after seven months. She then returned to LA. She noted that while working on one of the talk shows, she had been charmed by the 8-year-old son of a co-worker, John Bennett Perry. She informed him that his delightful son had a big future, and today, she wishes she had cultivated that relationship with the young Matthew Perry. She noted that despite stories to the contrary, Ralph Story is still alive, and living with his wife Diana. She touched only briefly on other aspects of her career on public and commercial television and radio, noting at one point (in a reference to her years as spokesperson for Lucky grocery stores) that she was making an appearance at one of those "Lucky" store openings, "which we now realize they apparently had too many of." She also stated, as noted above, that while Bob Eubanks has a multi-year contract to host the Rose Parade, she does not. She stated that while she has felt in the past that her position as co-host was tenuous, she feels fairly sure this year that she will not be returning. (Editor's note: If you would like to see Edwards back next year, send your thoughts to KTLA, by clicking here. However, since there is nothing official at this point, we suggest that you keep the tone of your note that you enjoy her and look forward to seeing her each year, don't take them to task for failing to re-hire her).
She discussed the adjustments she is making in her life, now that she is working less. She acknowledged that while she was fortunate to have had a cleaning lady for many years, with her reduced work schedule, she just felt that there was no need for that extravagance, and there was no reason she couldn't do that work herself. She told a cute story about preparing for her parents recent visit, frantically struggling to get the house clean prior to their arrival, and noting that they had left early to visit friends from home that winter in AZ.
Edwards stated that a full-time career in radio and television is just not as comfortable for her as it once was. She discussed that people meet her on the street and say to her "Weren't you the first Diane Sawyer?" and "Didn't you used to be somebody?" She said that with advancing age (Edwards will turn 60 on Nov. 8), and the adjustments in her career and schedule, she has found herself examining who she is, and who she will be. She noted that she wonders how others, such as the Woman's Club members, who are no longer doing what they once did, or have experienced a major change due to loss of a loved one, for instance, feel at the end of the day. When they look in the mirror, do they ask "Who am I now, because I no longer am who I was?" She noted that if we have footing under us, we can get through these times in our life, crediting her spiritual beliefs with helping her to realize that we live life "20 minutes at a time." At the end of each day, she asks herself three questions, "Did I give out goodness for free?" "Did I give credit where it was due?" and "Did I find my own ability/gift/talent and use that?"
She then offered a quote attributed to several people: "There is no end to what you can accomplish as long as you don't care who gets the credit." She lamented the fact that 12-year olds today are basing their lives not on what good they can do in the world, but on how much money can be made. "Kids today sometimes feel they are nobody until they become the next Britney Spears." She worries about the last couple generations that seem to feel that "unless they can compare themselves to someone they envy, their own life hasn't begun."
She went on to say that "How you reach out to one person at a time is the ripple effect." She closed her talk by quoting Sister Corita Kent, "Love the moment, and the energy of the moment will spread beyond all boundaries." "Enjoy what you do, and let the rest, the ripple effect, happen."
In a short question and answer session after her talk, Edwards acknowledged that she has had a face lift, and liposuction, in response to the question "How do you keep your beauty?" Her friend Harris, seated next to her during lunch, informed everyone that "She didn't eat any dessert." When asked what woman had inspired her, she acknowledged spiritual inspiration from Anne Graham Lotz, (Rev. Billy Graham's daughter) and stated that professionally she had been inspired by Barbra Walters and Diane Sawyer, noting the tenacity of both. "You can see in Walters a kind of toughness, and Sawyer has somewhat of a softer feel, but both are strong women."
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