Lois Villemaire, 75, may not be our poet laureate, but her new book of poetry, “My Eight Greats,” is replete with poems about Chestnut Hill, such as the one simply entitled “Chestnut Hill,” which reads in part:

“On Germantown Avenue I’m a child holding my grandmother’s hand, rewarded with the usual visit to Frigate’s bookstore to graze among the shelves.

“Smiles are like wildflowers as we amble on the Avenue; cobblestone streets echo the faint clap of hooves with the cadence of a past century, steel tracks embedded as rails for the 23 Trolley.

“After passing stone homes with polished front door knockers, local eateries, tailor and greeting card shops, we see our reflections in storefront windows, Kilian's Hardware, Robertson’s Florist

and my grandfather’s grocery store...”

Villemaire, who is retired from a career in local government, became very interested in nature several years ago and began writing poems, many of which were recently published as a poetry chapbook, “Eyes at the Edge of the Woods” (Bottlecap Press, 2024). 

But her greatest source of inspiration has been her late parents when they were living at Stapeley in Germantown, he in assisted living and she in nursing care. “In 2012, my siblings and I sat with my father and told him that mom, his wife of 65 years, had passed away. That was the hardest thing to do. 

“My father was a collector of all types of things — from stamps to penguins to old books and magazines. And especially family pictures and old documents. He was a creative type. My mother was hard working and liked to be busy. Besides raising five children, she moved on to a 20-year career as a social worker with the City of Philadelphia. After that, she didn’t slow down and became a volunteer at Chestnut Hill Hospital and a Jewish museum. A grandmother of 11, she inspired me with her words and actions.”

Villemaire grew up in Elkins Park and Melrose Park. She graduated from Cheltenham High School in 1966 and Temple University in 1970 with a major in Social Welfare. She has spent countless hours researching her family history, which sometimes provides her with colorful writing material.

Several years before the pandemic, Villemaire began writing, mainly to navigate her way through the grief of losing her sister, who was 10 years younger than she. She attended classes and workshops on creative writing and found support and inspiration from instructors and other writers. 

During the pandemic, she found a greater community of writers online. Poetry became her favorite genre along with flash memoirs (stories under 1000 words). She discovered the daunting challenge of submitting her work to literary journals and magazines for publication. During that time she began keeping a journal and maintained it for three years. 

“It is a wonderful source of material for me,” she said, “and it holds an account of details during those difficult years … An unexpected outcome of the writing and research has been connecting and strengthening relationships with my amazing cousins— first, second and third, in person and virtually.”

Villemaire's favorite anecdote in “My Eight Greats” is in “When Memory Becomes Art,”  a memoir about her father and his sister, Alma Perch Finestone. She was an artist who painted her memory of Villemaire's father playing the tuba when he was in high school, and how a neighbor asked his parents about the strange noises (created by his practice of the instrument) coming through the apartment walls. “Aunt Alma mailed the painting to me with a letter explaining her inspiration,” said the poet. “I have her letter taped to the back of the painting that hangs in our dining room.”

Villemaire worked on “My Eight Greats” for several years. “I began working with a writing coach, Jodi Paloni, a wonderful instructor I met online,” she said. “Jodi helped me think about ways to organize the material. There was much revising to do. From that point, it took about a year until publication.” 

After a 27-year career in a variety of government jobs, Villemaire practices yoga and has volunteered for the past five years for a nonprofit providing support, education and services to help individuals and families touched by cancer. She and her husband, Paul, have four children and five grandchildren.

“My Eight Greats” is now available on amazon.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.