Joan Ray, a plenary speaker at the 2013 AGM, cheerfully retired in December 2012 as Professor Emerita of English from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Joan remains President of the North American Friends of Chawton House Library. In retirement she is devoting more time to Grace Episcopal Church as editor of its journal and lector director.

Richard James Wheeler, now an octogenarian, flew with the RAF in WWII, after which he completed his qualifications as a Chartered Accountant, practicing his profession in business until the late 1980’s. A lifelong bibliophile, he encountered Clarke’s Friendship Book.