Ladies Salute the Red, White, and Blue at Annual Tea

Those in attendance at the Ladies Tea on Armed Forces Day, May 17, were treated to an All-American buffet lunch, festive desserts, and of course, tea! But the biggest treat was hearing from Guest Speaker Cathy Taormina.

Cathy (pictured above at the far right) endeared herself to attendees with stories about her experiences as a young nurse, wife, and mother while serving in the US Army and the US Army Reserve.

Once Cathy had completed boot camp (at Fort Sam Houston—which, Cathy quickly learned, is in San Antonio, Texas, not in Houston), she was stationed closer to her home in Kentucky, and was able to visit with her new husband, Lynn, on her free weekends.

Several years after Cathy completed her two-year enlistment and returned with her family to Pennsylvania, she joined the US Army Reserve and served for 10 years. She wore many additional hats during that time: she worked full-time at Aliquippa Hospital, then Magee Women’s Hospital; she became a caregiver for Lynn’s parents; she continued to maintain her household and stay active in her children’s lives. She noted that many military women wear just as many hats outside of their patriotic service.

Retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2017, Cathy continues to serve with local veterans’ organizations, helping the many military families who live in our area. She concluded her talk by saying she has never regretted her time in the military and would encourage anyone interested to enlist.

We thank Cathy for her military service and for taking time out of her busy schedule to share her experiences at this event. We also thank all of the volunteers who helped make this year’s tea a success–especially Vera Lovewell and Tina Allen, who worked tirelessly to organize the event!

Keep scrolling to view photos from the event.

Save the date for next year’s tea: Saturday, May 16, 2026!