Catherine Comben, BA '67, & Herb Comben, KelownaCatherine and Herb Comben are two of Kelowna’s most familiar faces when it comes to a good cause. Both are recipients of the City’s Citizen of the Year award and both are ardent community volunteers for the causes they hold dear.
It is in that spirit that Cathy and Herb offer a warm welcome to their home. And you should expect to get into the holiday spirit. The Combens have been featured on Homes for the Holidays Tours. They are experienced entertainers with a flair for the festive.
Catherine is the chair of the UBC Okanagan alumni chapter committee and also sits on the UBC Alumni Association board of directors. A ’67 UBC grad, Cathy has hasn’t lost the ability to put herself in a student’s shoes. Her own career success, now as a well-known financial planner, feeds her passion and desire to help today’s students succeed. Herb is best known for a cheerful disposition, as a volunteer with the Lions Club, and for tireless work helping seniors.
Make no mistake, your evening will be one rich in conversation and camaraderie. This is place to enjoy dinner as friends, new and old.
A taste of the Highlands is what’s in store at the home of Bill and Elaine Dunsmore.
A former pilot, air traffic controller and avionics instructor, Bill loves to celebrate his Scottish roots. Having previously hosted Robbie Burns Night and two Alumni socials, Bill and Elaine are no strangers to pulling together an entertaining evening in their home. This one looks no different.
Bill has been a member of the UBC Okanagan alumni chapter committee since its formation. He received his UBC alumni status relatively late in life, proudly earning an MEd in 2001. He and Elaine retired to Vernon in 2002, after many years of adventures on a hobby farm in Abbotsford. They have many a story about the critters they’ve raised over the years, and their efforts to practice sustainability and grow their own food. These days there’s a new breed of critter around the house in a form of grandchildren and a boisterous young chocolate Lab.
Both Bill and Elaine are enviable cooks and they have planned a mouth-watering menu complete with smoked salmon, roast beef, cock-o-leekie soup and tipsy laird. All this, paired with fine scotch and red wine. There’ll be haggis, too, but you don’t have to eat it. And you might see a kilt, but you don’t have to wear one.
Richard Hooper, MD '68, and Heather Hooper, BA '76, KelownaNestled on the slopes of southeast Kelowna, there’s a warm welcome waiting at the home of Heather and Richard Hooper. Guests will enjoy a relaxed country meal, characteristic of the people serving it, surrounded by vineyards and a panoramic view of the valley. The couple’s passion for collecting antiques creates a cozy haven, perfect for a hearty winter meal among friends new and old.
Both Heather and Richard graduated from UBC’s Pt. Grey campus and made their way to the Okanagan to raise a family of five. They are well-known in the community as ardent supporters of important causes, including UBC and the Southern Okanagan Medical Program. Involved in piloting the program, Richard now finds himself back in the classroom, this time as an instructor at the patient simulation centre.
As a member of the Kelowna’s cardiac health care group and director of the cardiac program for Interior Health, Richard is integral to the local health care system. He and Heather’s community interests extend to quality-of-life issues and helping those who must struggle to find it. This commitment is what brought them to UBC and it is a key reason Richard was presented with the 2010 Community Builder Award at last year’s Okanagan Alumni Endowment Fund gala.
Walley Lightbody, BA 56, LLB '59, & Marietta Lightbody, B.Home Ec '60, KelownaGuests are guaranteed an evening of laughter and entertaining conversation at the home of Walley and Marietta Lightbody - plus, a little piece of history. Their beautiful Okanagan lakefront home, built in 1939, was Marietta’s family home growing up. In fact, there are few people who know Kelowna like Marietta.
Both Walley and Marietta are UBC graduates - Walley with Arts and Law degrees, and Marietta with a Bachelor of Home Economics. Ever an advocate for students and passionate about the Law, Walley has worked closely with UBC for many years, more recently with the Okanagan campus, to make legal education and careers accessible to anyone who wants them. He spearheaded a scholarship fund for Okanagan campus graduates going on to pursue a Law degree at UBC’s Point Grey campus. He also played a key role in the creation of an Issues in Canadian Contemporary Law lecture series at the Okanagan campus, personally arranging for students and the larger community to hear from such prominent legal minds as Canada's Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin and the Honourable Frank Iacobucci.
Although he’s semi-retired, Walley remains active in the BC branch of the Canadian Bar Association, of which he is a former president. He also served on the Board of Governors for the BC Law Society. He’s still a practicing mediator. In his spare time, though, you might find him on the tennis court. He continues to play at least three times a week, even in the winter.
An evening of international fare coupled with fine music and a relaxed atmosphere is what you can expect at the home of Cal Meiklejohn and Jacinta Ferrari. While the menu is top secret, it will culminate with port, cheese and roasted nuts by the wood fire. They both enjoy cooking a variety of cross-cultural food including Asian, Greek, Indian, Thai and Mediterranean. One thing’s for sure - you’re guaranteed a meal with global influence.
Cal and Jacinta enjoy rich wine, music and the arts. Their home is a tapestry of sensory delight. Not surprisingly, their violinist son is a community player with the Okanagan Symphony and will provide some entertainment during the evening.
Born and raised in Penticton, Cal graduated from UBC in 1987 with a degree in architecture. Interest in form and design ran in the family, as he and brother Jim built the award-winning and socially-conscious architectural firm, Meiklejohn Architects Inc., with offices in Penticton and Kelowna. Cal is also president of the Okanagan School of Arts.
A trained bioligist (MSc Plant Science McGill University 1984), Jacinta worked as an editor, translator and writer before home schooling the couple’s two children. Currently she is an active board member with the Kiwanis Music Festival, the Penticton Academy of Music, Children’s Showcase and St. Saviour’s Chamber Music Series.
Now that they are nearing completion of phase 4 renovations on their West Bench home, Cal and Jacinta are pleased to share their creation with a few South Okanagan alumni and friends.
Heidi Taylor, BA '00, LLB '03, & Richard Taylor, Kelowna Heidi is the first to admit she’s no chef but don’t let that fool you. She and Richard love to entertain and guests are surely in for a treat with Heidi’s sister –a successful caterer and restauranteur -preparing the food.
Heidi, a lawyer at FH&P in Kelowna, is a pioneer when it comes to UBC alumni involvement in the Okanagan. She has been a member of the Okanagan alumni chapter committee since its inception, six years ago. She is one of those unique UBC grads whose experience actually spans both campuses, receiving a BA from Okanagan University College, which she converted to a UBC degree; and an LLB at UBC’s Vancouver campus.
Heidi is an active contributor to the many communities she is a part of. She is past president of the Kelowna Bar Association and a director with the Central Okanagan Elizabeth Fry Society. Richard owns a successful marketing company in Kelowna, RT Strategy.
The Taylor’s have an delightful evening planned for six lucky guests who will enjoy not just a four-course gourmet meal but also beautiful surroundings with hosts who are both generous and engaging.
Dean Wisdom Tettey, MA '91, and the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, Kelowna If an evening of artistic ambience and talk of shaping a better world appeals to you, this unique dinner, at International [known affectionately as Platypus] House on UBC’s Okanagan campus, is for you. Join Dean Wisdom Tettey, along with senior administrators and professors in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies (FCCS) for an experience that will feed your appetite for not just food, but for knowledge and beauty too.
Wisdom Tettey is a UBC alumnus, as are many of the professors and staff in FCCS. New to UBC’s Okanagan campus, he is enthusiastic about bringing a wide range of perspectives and passions to bear on research, teaching and learning in FCCS.It’s no wonder, then, that your dinner hosts represent a kaleidoscope of intellectual and geographic backgrounds – a sure fire recipe for some delicious dialogue.
FCCS is known as a leader in the examination of world issues, cultures, media and intriguing socio-political connections. These creative and critical thinkers will engage you in robust conversation about the things that matter, as you enjoy an elegant meal in eclectic surroundings.
Last reviewed 
11/30/2011 1:47:16 PM
