Melva Gordon, who turned 90 on Nov. 7th, 2004, smiles as she reads her birthday card.

"My work has always been creative," says Melva, who is one of numerous volunteers who contributes time, expertise, and resources to enhance the mission of the International Center.

Indeed, Melva's life has been one devoted to creativity, the visual arts, and teaching and may be fairly neatly capsuled into two large and overflowing chapters: the first in her native Detroit as a single professional who "never met a man I couldn't live without," and the second, following her marriage at age 59 to a "tall, handsome man" and sudden move to San Diego in 1974.

Melva received bachelor's and master's degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit, where she also taught. "I taught how to teach art," says Melva. "I was involved with all kinds of media - ceramics, printmaking, silver work, mosaics, painting, mixed media, and often just whatever was available."

From Wayne State, she went on to teach in the Detroit Public Schools system, retiring after 38 years as superintendent of art education for Detroit Public Schools and the overseeing of 325 art teachers in the city.

"In the early years of my teaching (which began in 1937), I would have 700 kids a year in my classes, and a budget of $50 for art supplies," says Melva. "Well, naturally, I had to find new things to do, new ways to do them, and we often worked with scrap materials. But despite the low budget for the arts, I was never unemployed. I was always working."

Melva used her vacation time to travel extensively, including trips to Russia, Sweden, the East European countries, Greece, Istanbul, Guatemala, and so on. She often went with university tour groups, such as those sponsored by the University of Michigan and the University of Utah. "When you travel with a university group, there are interesting companions, lectures on the places you will be seeing, and an expert always available," Melva says. "It makes the visits so much more stimulating."

Melva says she had minor romantic encounters during her years in Detroit but, as she reiterates, "I never met a man I couldn't live without. If the right man did come along, fine. If not, fine. And I never thought of retirement - though I did eye future possibilities of volunteering at the Detroit Institute of Arts. But my life was very full."

Then came that phone call from San Diego. It was 1973 - and the beginning of chapter two.

The call was from Jerome Gordon. He asked Melva to marry him.

"I was shocked," Melva says. "I was practically speechless."

Melva had known Jerome or Jerry for 20 years. He was the husband of the woman who had been her boss at the Detroit Public Schools system. He and his wife retired in 1967 and moved to San Diego. His wife died in 1973, and not terribly long after, Jerry made that fateful call to Melva.

"I finally said, 'I don't know what to say,' " Melva recalls. " ' Come to Detroit and let's meet and talk.' I decided that I would play this real cool. I thought he might have asked me to marry him because he was desperate. He needed time to think. Also, I knew there was another lady in Detroit who had had eyes for him.

"But, when I picked him up at the airport, Oh, that tall, handsome man. I felt like a teenager!"

Melva with her niece Jean Hammerl who was visiting from Florida to help Melva celebrate her 90th birthday. On the table is one of Melva's flower arrangements.

Though they didn't fall instantly into each others arms, and as a matter of fact, Jerome almost left Detroit sans bride-to-be because Melva had been playing it a little too cool, Melva, at the last minute, hearing that he was packing, asked him to stay. He said: "Now, are you going to marry me or not?" She said, "Do you still want me?"

The couple had a "lovely, quiet wedding in San Diego, simple, no theatrics" on Jan. 2, 1974. Melva returned to Detroit to finish the school year and Jerome commuted back and forth from San Diego to Detroit through June, when Melva retired, sold her home, waved goodbye to family, friends, and colleagues and moved to San Diego.

Together, the couple enjoyed the good life of Southern California and also traveled. "We both had places we wanted to visit," says Melva. "We went to Asia, India, Nepal, Egypt, Singapore, and Italy. But I still missed being with my colleagues in Detroit. We had so much to share."

In San Diego, she found that camaraderie and purpose at UCSD's International Center, volunteering to teach conversational English and American culture to foreign students.

"Jerry didn't want me to do it," says Melva. "He felt it took time away from him. But I told him, this is who I am. I need to do this."

Jerry died in 2000 at age 92, having shared 26 years with Melva. Melva continues her vigorous life style. She is writing an autobiography. "I am on chapter 21 and I have a long way to go." And she is writing it in long-hand. "That way I can talk it out," says Melva. She uses the treadmill every day - and while using it, she thinks "of millions of things I want to do." She tutors at the International Center on Fridays, flower-arranges and attends the morning coffees on Wednesdays, loves to read, and takes the Ikebana classes.

"Even continuing the lessons aren't enough for me," says Melva. "I have to do more, do my own thing. If you are not inspired yourself, you might as well forget it. I get such pleasure from doing the flower arrangements. I have a collection of Japanese containers. I approach each container and each arrangement differently and never do the same thing twice. That is the fun of it."

Melva was honored at a recent International Center Wednesday Coffee in celebration of her 90th birthday. Taking the microphone, Melva told the attendees, "People think I come here to work. Ha! This is my joy."

The International Center welcomes the interest of prospective volunteers and invites them to share the center's work, goals, conviviality, and accomplishments.