Wider Horizons

The first thing you notice when Betty van der Lee and Allen Clampitt are together is how much they laugh.Betty van der Lee and Allen Clampitt Whether they are talking about their love for winter camping or what’s for dinner, the two Lethbridge College culinary colleagues and long-time companions seem to live their lives proving Charlie Chaplin’s argument that “a day without laughter is a day wasted.”

“We just enjoy everything the same way, we’re on the same wavelength,” says van der Lee, who has worked at the college since 1989 and is now the dining room supervisor. “There are three ‘Ls’ in our life – to live, to love and to laugh.” Their partnership of more than 20 years works, she says, “because he makes me laugh. He keeps me young.”

They have worked side by side for decades, even sharing an office for three years, although they rarely work or teach together. Many culinary students are surprised to learn, at the end of their programs, that the two share four children and six grandchildren, as well as a love for camping that has them on the road about 100 nights a year.

Van der Lee and Clampitt say that one secret to their successful relationship is their ability to leave work at work – although van der Lee says she is more than happy to concede the cooking duties at home to Clampitt, a chef.

Clampitt, who has been teaching in the culinary program since 1986, adds with a laugh that at home, “I know who is boss. There is no doubt about that – and that’s exactly why it works.”

Wider Horizons
Lethbridge College
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