Client Cameo: Sarah Mossameno

Sarah Mossameno is this month's Client Cameo.  She has been fortunate to have lived in many different countries before retiring here in Boulder.  Sarah was born in London, England, and raised mostly by her maternal grandmother and brothers because her parents had traveled to America for the 1939 World's Fair and couldn't return because of the war. She has memories of a girl walking to school carrying a gas mask and standing on the rooftop watching buzz bombs being dropped overhead in nearby London.  It wasn't until two years after the war ended that she was able to reunite with her parents and sister in Manhattan, New York. They ran a store called the United Nations Gift Shop, which sold items from all over the world.  There, she attended Hunter College High School, an all-girls school at that time.

Her father was raised in France and spoke many languages; because of his ability to speak Spanish, he was offered a job in Puerto Rico.  Even though her parents moved, Sarah stayed in New York City. After high school, she took a job as a waitress where she could work part of the year to save money to visit her parents in sunny Puerto Rico in the winter.  While waitressing, she met her husband David, whose family was Sicilian.  They briefly moved to Sicily to claim some land David’s great-grandmother had left him. Though, while sailing on the ship there, they decided that the people who were already there working as wine providers deserved the land more than they did. So, they settled in a town nearby. A few years later, David was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, so they ended up returning to New York to seek treatment.  As a result, Sarah got a job as a Reservation Agent for Eastern Airlines, which had wonderful benefits and enabled her to fly often to visit her parents in Puerto Rico.

After the unfortunate loss of David to MS, Sarah moved back to London. Unlike most Brits, Sarah was bold and brash after living in New York and, with her computer skills from working at the airline, she was able to rise as an executive for the global company Unilever.  She enjoyed living back in England because it was so easy to visit different countries. After her stint back in England, Sarah decided to move to Puerto Rico to help her parents run their busy gift shop. She eventually got a job working at La Casa del Libro Museum, which displays rare collections of books and other art like the Morgan Library in New York.  She loved the beauty of the island and that it was 80 degrees outside every day. 

After 20 years of island living, Sarah decided to retire in Boulder, Colorado, where her sister and family had settled. She has been living here for the last 10 years and absolutely loves residing in Golden West because it is so well run and provides excellent and inclusive care for independent living.  Their staff goes above and beyond the call of duty, and she feels very well cared for.  She says that Cultivate's Carry-Out Caravan grocery delivery program has been a lifesaver since she doesn't drive and has helped keep her healthy and safe, especially during the pandemic.  She appreciates how accurate the shopping and delivery service is. 

We're glad to be out here to help Sarah. And, thank you for sharing your story with us!