“Cake” girl had neighbourhood connection

It was a surprise trip down memory lane for Janis (Marcotte) Cascadden (BA 1966), when she recently spotted on UWindsor’s Facebook page her 1963 self in a photo dedicated to the school’s upcoming 50th anniversary celebration.

The photo was taken July 1, 1963, the official day of the University of Windsor’s federation, and has become the centrepiece of a current advertising campaign to create awareness around the University’s 50th Anniversary Celebration Weekend. The photo depicts a group of seven eager-looking students surrounding a giant cake replica placed outdoors in front of the student centre.

To Cascadden, the snapshot is a moment in time that captured her connection to the neighbourhood where she grew up, her years at University and the place where she would meet her future husband, Richard.

“I remember posing for that—they wanted to take a picture with that big cake and they rounded up some of the students who were around,” she recalls. “Why we happened to all be there in July I think is that we were all from Windsor and we all worked at the University.”

The photo includes, from left to right, Richard Winterburn, Ted Shiner, Lynn Desjarlais, Cascadden, Mary Senzel, Mary McLeod and Marten Brodsky.

Cascadden recalls a childhood growing up at 457 Sunset Avenue; her family home was acquired by the expanding University more than 40 years ago and the family relocated to Askin Avenue a few streets over.

“Dillon Hall was in my backyard—that University was our playground,” she says. “My family was just so, so, so involved with the University in those days, I just loved every minute I spent there.”

Cascadden was a part-time switchboard operator at the University while still in high school, a job she held through her university years, while her mother was a secretary in the Faculty of Nursing. Dad Ray was a proud alumnus of the former Assumption University, receiving an alumni award in 1967. Janis and husband Richard Cascadden both graduated from UWindsor in 1966 and are now retired and enjoying travel.

1963 cake ceremony

Janis Cascadden is fourth from left in this photo taken July 1, 1963, the official day of the University of Windsor’s federation.