Thank you Ms. DeAngelo for allowing your story to be presented here.

An excerpt from The Watergate East Anniversary Issue, 1964-1992.

At a recent meeting of some of the residents, a new member raised her hand. When she was acknowledged, she asked, "Who is this Alice DeAngelo, what does she do, and where does she come from? A roar of laughter erupted from the audience, and someone whispered, "She runs the place."

Alice and her husband, Tony, were both Navy officers living in Arlington, Virginia when they heard about the Watergate. They had read about the amenities, liked the location, and appreciated the style of living they heard described. The DeAngelos visited the sales office and decided that the Watergate was where they wanted to live. After that, they set about exploring the site, keeping watch on the work in progress. Tony would wander through the completed construction areas on Sundays.

Alice and Tony moved into Watergate East in November 1965. Tony subsequently became a member of the Swimming Pool Committee. He asked Alice if she would come to the meetings and take notes. As a result, the Swimming Pool Committee wamailto:staff@WatergateNotes.Netotes.

By January 1968, the Chair of the Swimming Pool Committee asked Alice if she would please become Secretary to the Board of Directors. When she accepted, she found that she would be paid--$2.50 an hour.

At the time all of the members of the Board of Directors had full-time jobs. The Board did its work done during lunch hours or in the evenings. The Board had to do its own bookkeeping, accounting, and annual allocation of interest and tax records. Alice thought, "Why don't' I do it, and save the co-op time and money?"

The Board was delighted , and Alice was moved into the Board office, where she kept her files and did her work. Alice stayed on in the Watergate after Tony died of leukemia. After her retirement from the Navy, she has continued to live, work, and contribute to Watergate East. "When you see that something has to be done," she says, "you just do it. Much of the work that I do now just evolved."

She has refused a number of offers of pay raised for her work as Secretary to the Board of Directors, and comments, "I don't need it, I live here, I am a resident, and I want to do what's best for the organization."

Three years ago, with no prior training, Alice devoted herself to learning how to operate a computer. She has not only mastered the computer and spreadsheet programs, but also transferred all the major files and accounts of Watergate East to computer. She is part historian, part accountant, and part bookkeeper--and an integral part of the history of Watergate East.