Jaci Henderson
Stucker
 

1965

2015

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Married to Joe Stucker, two boys

I'm the oldest of 4 children born and brought up in the fields and woods of central Connecticut, USA. I had an active outdoor lifestyle riding bikes, building 'forts', swimming and throwing 'frogs eggs' - all typical tomboy activities! Dance, ice skating lessons for 6 years, sewing and crafts in 4H club and participation in school plays and majorettes kept me active during my high school years.

I knew I wanted to be an art teacher since 6th grade! After graduating with a BS in Art Education from Southern Connecticut State College (now a University), I taught art one year in Peterborough, New Hampshire, after marrying. We moved to Illinois and I worked as a college dorm mom teacher's aide and bar tender! Moving back to New Hampshire after two years, I became a mom to two boys, Derek and Kirk, while also being a state juried League of New Hampshire Craftsman for 13 years – carving apple head dolls and creating Christmas ornaments.

In 1983, the family moved to Manila where I taught Elementary art at IS Manila. In 1986, we moved to IS Kuala Lumpur and during ten years I taught Elem. to AP/IB art. I implemented the grade 1-9 arts program at the International School of Vientiane, Laos PDR for 3 years and also taught art/sewing at the Swedish school. For 5 years at Academic Cotopaxi, Quito, Ecuador I taught Preschool to 8th grade art and while at IST Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for 3 years to MYP 6-10th graders.

Update, February 2015:

Latest picture, after a 'few' mojitos at the final AISG faculty party in Guagnzhou, China after teaching elementary art there 7 years. Same weekend as the retirement bash for my husband, Director Joe Stucker, as we both retired. Our son Kirk is in the photo. He was in town to surprise his dad ! He now lives in Phuket and manages two restaurants in Patong. Derek lives in Lawrence, Kansas but travels almost weekly as an Adidas Manager for major colleges. He and his wife Jenn from Topeka, had our only granddaughter, Taylor!

We live in Chiang Mai, Thailand now, a top Thai tourist area. We are here partly for my jewelry business (checkout 6threadsjaci on facebook), partly for tax reasons as we don't own a home in the states, but more importantly, where you can have a Northern Thai lunch (khao soi gai noodles ) for 1$!!! I haven't even tried the textile side of my creativeness yet. I had 12 hours of pattern making with my tailor before I left China. I plan on making ethnic jackets and other fiber arts, using my collections from around the world and purchasing extras from the wholesale Hmong market here!

Joe, who just really needed 3 months to unwind, is currently doing some pre-acceditation school work for WACS in the Asian arena. We will be here another year for sure and are still discussing were to live in the states, as we need to go through four shipments of storage housed 30 years in Portland, Maine. With two sons, each on either side of the world, a yearly trip is still anticipated one way or the other and we were so used to business class seating! So economy and 22 hours of vertical sitting is not quite anticipated. But maybe split the trip and recline on the long haul part, huh! Oh, the problems of retirement! Another major problem will be acclimating back into the American culture as we have been expats for 33 years, although visiting yearly during the summer school breaks.

We will be in the states this summer, but not staying long enough for the October reunion date. I anticipate seeing Susan Conopaske and per usual having our luncheon / shopping date! Have a great time, toast to each other's continued health and happiness,

Update, May 2017:

Hi folks, thought I'd send a little note before we airship out of here.

Jaci on her last trip to the Thursday Koforidau bead market outside Accra, Ghana where Joe Stucker has been the interim Head this year at the Lincoln Community School!

On June 16 we head to Amsterdam for a personal weekly tour with a colleague from Saigon South who is Dutch. Then head straight into Reno and into a new house with 7 Maine storage units to go through within a week ! Give me a few months then come visit… We have 4 casinos for those of you who like that pastime of giving away your money!

In the Fall, we were planning on coming East to see family in Conn. and Keene, NH, close friends NOW from Middlebury College, Vermont, were on a sabbatical Fulbright year here and other International colleagues who live there as well.

A little sweaty but so worth it, Rosie used to live in Maryland USA till her mom passed away and she came back to run her shop at the Makola market here. Reversible African wax prints are about 6-8C per yard = 2-250US$ here. They can be as much as 6$ per yard! Checkout my 6threadsjaci site on facebook to see how I use these textiles as well as my other Asian fiber collections.

As an ex ART teacher and' fiber upcycler' I've loved it here ! Bringing back about 10 bins of cloth to use in my eventual new crafts room … Have a great birthday bash, Michelangelo and I hit the next big one on March 6!