Announcement

Phyllis East, Anna Foultz honored

Friday, June 14, 2024

(June 14, 2024) Ocean Pines Association recently honored the legacy of two women who each gave three decades of service to the community.

Following up on an OPA Board directive from April, a plaque was installed in the community center over the “Phyllis East Room,” honoring the late executive secretary who was known as a treasure trove of information about Ocean Pines.

The room was renamed in her honor in 2011, but was widely known as “The East Room,” causing some confusion as to whether it was simply the east-most room in the building.

Another room in the community center was renamed for longtime volunteer Anna Foultz in 2019, and a plaque was installed at that time.

Now, in each room, along with the plaques are framed articles describing East’s and Foultz’s immense contributions to the community.

Below is the text of each article:

The Phyllis East Room

Phyllis Clara East was the longtime Executive Secretary to the General Manager and Board of Directors of Ocean Pines.

Born in Chateauguay, New York, East was the youngest of 12 children. She met her husband, James (Jim) W. East, in 1962 and they married the same year. In 1980 the couple and their four children moved to the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

East was hired on Sept. 8, 1980 in the ECC Department as secretary to the general manager, at the time Art Warren. She was promoted to the position of Executive Secretary in 1984 and worked under nine different general managers: Warren, Tim Stoner, Ralph Lashley, Tom Cetola, Glen Duffy, Curt Allison, Dave Ferguson, Tom Olson, and Bob Thompson. She was among the first to organize, maintain and preserve Association records and information.

Ocean Pines Association dedicated the Phyllis East Room in the Community Center in 2011, in honor of her 30 years of service. She was named as a “Precious Gem” of Worcester County by the Women’s Club of Ocean Pines in 2010.

In addition to their six children, East and her husband spent their leisure time doting on their grandchildren at a summer residence on the Nanticoke River. East was a member of the Berlin/Ocean City Moose Lodge and the American Legion Post #123 Women’s Auxiliary. She enjoyed reading, camping at Sandy Hill Campground, and spending time with family and friends.

According to those who knew her, East had a vast knowledge of the history of Ocean Pines, and many depended on her for information – from staff, to volunteers, Board members, and people throughout the community.

East passed away at her home on April 4, 2012. She was 72 years old.

The Anna Foultz Room

Anna Lucarello Foultz was a longtime Ocean Pines resident and tireless volunteer.

Foultz and her late husband, Carl, moved to the area during the 1990s. Carl was a World War II veteran who served in China, Burma and India, and the couple founded the Star Charities nonprofit in 2007 to give back to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Also close to Foultz’s heart were the Girl Scouts, an organization she became involved with after her oldest daughter, Betty Anne, showed interest as a young girl. Foultz became a Scout leader and continued to advocate for the organization for more than a half century. In 1980, Foultz received a National Proclamation from President Jimmy Carter for organizing a massive weeklong event called “Girl Scouts in Action” at the Springfield Mall in Virginia. Thousands of Girl Scouts attended the event.

She was also a longtime member and past president of the Sons of Italy, and in 2016 was honored with the organization’s Ameritan Award during a gala in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

Foultz’s memoir, “Two Steps Forward,” was published in 2017. She co-wrote the book with her other daughter, Shirley Isbell, and donated much of the proceeds to Star Charities.

Foultz was active up until her last days. She visited the Maryland State Capital in 2018 and received three standing ovations upon being introduced to the Maryland General Assembly.

In March of 2019 she toured the White House with a busload of local Girl Scouts. Foultz then took part in Ocean Pines’ National Night Out celebration in August 2019, again representing the Girl Scouts. On Aug. 16 she presented a $1,500 donation to Achilles of Maryland at Veterans Memorial Park in Ocean Pines.

“It just breaks my heart when I see all these people suffering, and we need to help,” she said at the time. “I’m always willing to help if they need help!”

Foultz passed away on Sept. 22, 2019. She was 93.

Star Charities continued the annual “Holiday Gifts for Soldiers” collection for several years in Foultz’s honor. The drive was among the biggest endeavors of Star Charities, and Foultz had said collecting for servicemen and women made her feel closer to Carl and helped to honor his service.

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Watch Anna Foultz on “Focus on the Pines,” circa 2008 here: https://www.oceanpinesforum.com/OceanPines/Video/3478.

Announcement

Phyllis East, Anna Foultz honored

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