Janet Johnson, President of Port O’Connor Service Club, presents Kay Middleton (right) with the Club’s Citizen of the Year award. -Photo by Bill Tigrett

“I just enjoy getting out with my friends and helping,” explained Kay Middleton when asked why she’s always involved in any kind of work that the Port O’Connor Service Club decides to do. If there’s a project to do, anything from bake sales to lugging around heavy items for garage sales, you’ll always find Kay showing up early and staying late. The Club’s semi-annual garage sales are a favorite project of hers and she very much enjoys serving at the Tuesday Senior Citizens lunches, which she has done since its beginning. While not officially a Service Club project, Kay, like several other Club members, helps unload the boats in the annual Toy Run. She has been doing this since its inception nine years ago.

Kay’s dedication to service has been recognized, and earned her the award of “Citizen of the Year’ from the Port O’Connor Service Club. She has been a member of the Club for the past twenty years, and for ten of those years served as Club Treasurer. During her years as Treasurer, Kay received a lot of ribbing from members for being so frugal. She wanted to be sure that every penny was accounted for and was spent to a good purpose.

Kay and her husband Ray, originally from Houston, enjoyed week-end fishing in Port O’Connor for many years before moving here permanently in 1979 after Ray’s retirement. After settling here, Kay kept up her enthusiasm for fishing, while Ray preferred to spend his time in his welding shop helping his shrimper friends repair their boats.

When she’s not working on a Service Club project, you might see Kay riding her bicycle around Port O’Connor or unloading her catch of the day at the dock She also enjoys kayaking.

Congratulations, Kay, for earning this much-deserved honor as Port O’Connor Service Club’s Citizen of the Year!