Smiling eyes, sparkle, energy, friendly, are words that can easily describe Terry Wilhoit. Terry, a long-time member of Phoenix ARCS since 1998 and the 2015 ARCS Light, is a native Arizonan, born in 1933 at the old St. Joseph’s Hospital located in downtown Phoenix. Her grandfather came to Bisbee in 1903 to work on the railroad and her dad was at Fort Huachuca in the Army before he got a job at Roosevelt Dam. So Terry has a lot of history here in Arizona and has watched Phoenix grow from a bustling 60,000 people. Phoenix then was surrounded by citrus orchards and cotton, melon, strawberry and vegetable farms. Streetcars were still in use and most businesses were in downtown.
Terry met her husband of 65 years, Bill, while attending Phoenix College, after graduating from the fourth class of Xavier College Preparatory. Bill is also a native, born in Wickenburg. His parents homesteaded near Prescott at a place now known as Wilhoit, AZ. But their romance was put on hold when her dad got recalled to service and sent to Germany and France during the Korean War. So Terry’s education continued in Switzerland and after 1 ½ years Terry, not quite 20 years of age, traveled alone by plane and train to marry Bill, who had graduated from ASU. Terry’s mom made her wedding dress from material she bought at a shop in Paris. Living in Europe, learning French, and traveling with her family gave Terry her wanderlust spirit, and throughout her life traveling worldwide has been the norm for her and her family.
Volunteering has also been a norm for Terry, working with the Crisis Nursery, the VNS Book Sale, Mother Teresa’s Homeless Shelter and for 20 years as a Eucharistic Minister. She received the ASU Hall of Fame Award in 2004 as an Outstanding Liberal Arts School Graduate for her committee work and money raising efforts with the start-up Virginia Piper Writing Center. She was a member of the ASU Centennial Committee. Terry and Bill have also sponsored an ARCS Scholar for several years. “Education is so important to me,” says Terry. “I love this organization. Not a penny is wasted because we are much more than a social group, we are a working group, and I have a passion for education and promoting graduates in science. They are our future.” Her granddaughter was lucky enough to attend Terry’s own graduation from ASU when Terry turned 60 and obtained her Bachelor of Arts. Terry writes poetry, has had two poems published, and loves to read. She also loves to be with her family of two children, two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
