Vacation at the Tuck Inn Bed and Breakfast, one of Rockport MA's finest hotels with one of the best breakfasts on Cape Ann.
Come meet the staff of the Tuck Inn B&B in Rockport, MA.
When we first started operating the Tuck Inn B&B on Cape Ann, we assumed that we could run the inn by ourselves with the occasional help of some of our family. Well it took us just one exhausting season to discover how wrong we were, and the next year we started to add some outside help to ease our work load. We have increased the amount of our staff every year since while still maintaining the feeling that this is a family run B&B.
Today we have a staff of 10 part-time employees consisting of family, friends, and the family of friends, who help us in every facet of operating our B&B in Rockport, MA. It’s this select group who ensures that your rooms are kept neat and spotless, that the building is freshly painted and well maintained, and that the flower gardens and grounds are so meticulous. They are also responsible for freeing up our time, allowing us to visit with you and tend to your needs.
We are indebted to our staff and proud of the work they perform for us and for you, our guests. Our success is a direct result of their hard work and dedication, and frankly we would not be here still without their help.
This page is designed to give everyone who assists us their “15 Minutes Of Fame”.
Please – Come Meet The Staff!
Amanda Budrow
Liz and I can still recall the day in 1994 when a precocious 12 year old girl knocked on our door asking if we needed help. From that humble meeting, throughout the next eight years, Amanda became one of the most dependable members of our staff. Starting with perfecting the making of beds the first year, Amanda was soon handling any mailings, housekeeping, pool maintenance and then inn sitting for us. We quickly discovered that we could rely upon Amanda completely and felt comfortable entrusting her with inn-sitting for an afternoon or an evening at the inn. Amanda has since moved on, having earned her business degree. We still keep up with Amanda regularly though, as she remains a Rockport resident, and we visit and discuss “shop talk” as she now works at a large motel in town. Thank you Amanda for all your years of hard work!
Bob Callahan
Liz’s father, Bob was the original Mr. Fix-It at the inn. From plumbing to electrical work to small carpentry projects and repair jobs, with his common sense and mechanical abilities, he could fix it all. After getting over his initial shock at the condition of the inn, Bob was in his glory helping us with all manner of small jobs. He’d come up for two or three days and accomplish more in that time than we could hope to handle in a month. During his visits, after a hard day’s work at the inn, Bob enjoyed playing cards with Mary, Liz and Scott until Scott started dozing at the table (a regular occurrence). Following a stint with the navy during WW II, Bob served with the Boston Fire Department earning the position of Assistant Superintendent of the Fire Alarm Division. He always regretted his forced retirement in 1975 due to a heart attack. Upon retirement, he turned his attention to boating and spent nearly every waking minute on his pleasure boat out of Boston Harbor until 1991 when he started dividing his time between the boat, working at the inn, and enjoying his grandchildren. His heart condition took his life in May 1997. He is sorely missed by us all. Thanks for everything Dad, R.I.P.!
Mary Callahan
Liz’s mother Mary has lived just south of Boston in Roslindale, for most of her life. Mary comes up to Rockport regularly throughout the year to visit and to give us a hand at the inn. When here, she enjoys helping in the kitchen, on the phones, helping on various mailings, and with the laundry. She also helps us by doing beds while visiting and helped in the initial decorating of the rooms following our purchase in 1991. Mary gave Liz her kind, mellow disposition, and it is always a pleasure to have her with us. Imagine a son-in-law being able to honestly say that! Since Liz’s dad passed away in May 1997, Mary has continued to live with her son in Roslindale. Out of a sense of self-preservation, we are unable to divulge Mary’s age, but let it suffice to say that she has four adult children, six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Catherine Gormley
Aunt Catherine (Gormley) is the sister of Liz’s mother Mary Callahan. Aunt Catherine has had a very special relationship over the years with all of her nieces & nephews, their spouses, and frankly anyone who ever came into contact with her. For the first seven years we ran the inn, Aunt Catherine came up to the inn regularly to visit and help out in any way possible; from making beds, to hanging laundry, to ironing, to helping with mailings, to clearing tables, and most notably she always claimed exclusive responsibility for the washing of the dishes! With her warm personality and a spirit that everyone adores, she is one of our best PR agents. Aunt Catherine was an executive assistant at The Bank of Boston until her retirement in 1994, and lived all of her life in Dorchester, MA. She would visit us as often as she could until a stroke limited her mobility in 1998. She now lives in Roslindale at the Hebrew Senior Life Center, where she continues to be an inspiration to all. There is still a good chance that you’ll have an opportunity to meet our remarkable Aunt Catherine though, as she still comes up to visit with us at the inn for a week or so, three times a year. Plan ahead if you’d like to discover why Aunt Catherine is so admired by one and all!
Cora Grace Johnson
Cora is our daughter Laura’s first child and our first grandchild. Born on July 1st, 2002. Cora managed to surprise the whole family by arriving about three weeks ahead of her scheduled due date. Cora is preparing herself to assist us as a future innkeeper. So far, at this time, Cora has distinguished herself as an artist, and has also perfected the art of performing wake-up calls. (Please forgive a proud grandpa for this shameless attempt at showing off his grandchild.)
Elliot Oscar Johnson
Elliot (grandchild #2) came into the world abruptly on February 9th, 2005 with a considerable amount of fanfare (see article). His is only the second birth in Rockport over the last twenty-five years; that fact is particularly noteworthy for the fact that Rockport no longer has a hospital in town! You can read about Elliot and the details of his birth here. At the moment, we are unsure of what Elliot’s duties might become at the inn, but he has certainly made a name so far for being a light sleeper, an early riser, and possessing excellent volume.
Margie Schell
Margie is an inn keeper Emeritus of The Tuck Inn. Margie started to help us in May of 1993 and quickly proved that she was capable of handling anything for us. Over the next seven years we entrusted the inn to Margie during any of our vacations or absences, and we learned that she ran the inn as professionally and efficiently as we could. We always got a smile and had to chuckle when a returning guest would come in and show their obvious disappointment that Margie wasn’t around. We treasured Margie’s sunny personality and hard work during her years with us at the inn. We still see Margie regularly around town or when she drops by, as she has now been working as a full-time substitute teacher at the Rockport High School since 1999. Margie lives in Rockport with her husband Jim, and two daughters. Thanks for all your efforts and years of friendship Margie!!
Julie Smith
Julie began helping us with our housekeeping in August 1996. She had worked in a number of inns since she was a teen in Rockport and was a welcomed addition to our staff. We soon discovered, however, how versatile Julie was and found out that she had a lot of common sense and mechanical ability to handle small repair jobs and that she had a voracious appetite for painting. While she helps us with housekeeping when necessary, her handiwork is evident throughout the rooms and the property. She has painted nearly every bit of trim work in all our rooms as well as the outside decks and the lower levels of the building. Julie is also known for being an expert seamstress, having done handiwork for a number of years on wedding gowns for Bianchi Gowns of East Boston. Born in Lanesville, she moved to Rockport when she was four, and has lived in town ever since, for over 40 years. She and husband Rusty have raised their four children in Rockport and now have three grandchildren with a fourth one on the way.
Sara Smith
Sara is Julie’s youngest child, and has helped us out at the inn for the last seven years. She is a more petite version of her mother, but like her mother, she is an immaculate housekeeper, and she has additionally helped us with some of our computer work, occasional inn-sitting and general help at breakfast and around the inn. Over the last several years, Sara has only worked for us during the summer and occasionally around the holidays, as she is a third year student at U. Mass, Amherst, where she is an English major with an interest in journalism. This year, Sara is working 20 – 25 hours a week at a major motel in the Amherst area during the school year to help with her expenses and may unfortunately be staying there for the upcoming summer also. Sara has been a life-long resident of Rockport, and was interested in sports during high school. We will miss Sara if she decides to stay at school this summer, but extend our best wishes to her!
Erin Stanger
Erin is our newest helper as of about two years ago. Erin works with us during the summers and on the weekends throughout the remainder of the year. Erin helps mainly with the housekeeping, but also helps with the pool work, clearing up after breakfasts, vacuuming and general work around the inn. Erin has a nice disposition and we are pleased to have her helping us. Erin is currently a sophomore at the Rockport High School having recently transferred from Gloucester High School this year. She is an avid sports enthusiast and soccer player and likes to play piano. Erin moved to Rockport with her family several years ago from Lynn, MA, our former hometown.
Caroline Stanton
Caroline has been with us now for three years and came to us through her mother Heather. Caroline also helps us generally with the housekeeping, but also does pool maintenance, helps with breakfast, general maintenance around the inn, the laundry and has handled the phones on occasion for us too. She is an industrious worker and a big asset to us at the inn. Caroline is a sophomore at Rockport High, and is an excellent student, and in addition plays field hockey and basketball and she is a jogger to boot. She lives in Rockport with her mother, sister, and grandparents.
Heather Stanton
Heather started helping us with our gardening and landscaping about 5 years ago. In a pinch, Heather has also helped us with housekeeping, mailings and paperwork and computer work. In addition for the last two seasons, Heather took over the role of inn-sitting for us when Liz and I have vacationed or needed to get away for an afternoon or overnight. Heather’s first love though is gardening. She has now established her own landscaping/gardening business. She is on the Board of the North Shore Horticultural Society, and she is a member of the Rockport Garden Club. Interestingly, we first met Heather as a guest of the inn about ten years ago. She and her father stayed with us while they were looking to relocate to the town. She has now been a Rockport resident for the last seven years. Heather is known for owning one of the most unusual accents we’ve come across as she was brought up in Arkansas and Scotland, and we’ve noticed that upon occasion we need to ask her to repeat herself.
Burton Wood
Burton, Scott’s father moved to Gloucester in November 1993, in order to be closer to all the action. As a result of living through the depression and having to support his mother starting in his early teens, Burton had a very conventional and conservative background. Consequently, it was with quite a bit of trepidation when we told him about our plans, and then proceeded to show him the derelict inn. We were astounded, however, at how positive he was about our new enterprise. A craftsman and a finish carpenter himself, he wasn’t quite up to the physical work required during the renovations of the inn unfortunately, but he gave us unlimited help in the planning and rehab of the property along with financial advise and assistance during the purchase of both buildings. He also had a hearty laugh and an infectious smile and just loved to tell a story to one and all. Burton spent forty-eight years as a senior designer at the GE plant in Lynn, MA. Upon his retirement, he spent his time with his music, his gardens, and in the rehab of our first home in Lynn prior to our purchase of the inn and subsequent move from Lynn. Dad passed away peacefully in his sleep in Feb 1997. Thanks for being such a loving and helpful father over the years, Dad – R.I.P.!
Catherine Wood
Our baby, Catherine (now 21) has helped us in every task around the inn since age 8, when she first became an expert at making beds. Since then, she progressed to housekeeping, computer inputting, general maintenance, administrative work, phone work and inn-sitting for us. Perhaps it’s just a father’s pride, but as a teenager, Catherine proved remarkably competent at running the inn during our absences and has continued to prove herself capable beyond her years. Catherine still helps us when she gets home from college, but that is less and less frequent with each passing year. Currently a junior at Fordham University in Manhattan, she is majoring in Latin American studies with a minor in Economics. Catherine is very involved at school as the Student Government President and has represented Fordham on a number of occasions in that capacity. She is also a very devout individual and is involved with her church and mission work. Additionally, she has developed a penchant for travel to South America, where she suspects she may eventually settle.
Christopher Wood
Chris (now 25) is our middle child. Over the years, Chris also helped us in most tasks to be performed around the inn (although bathrooms were never his forte’). Chris has a very calm composed personality and whenever there was a job that required a lot of patience, that job would usually be delegated to him. Fortunately for dad’s aging back, Chris is strong and spry and enjoyed doing all of the harder labor-intensive jobs like moving furniture, digging gardens, removing rocks and snow shoveling. He was also trained in landscaping and excelled at pruning shrubs and climbing and trimming trees. Chris has graduated from The Stockbridge School of Agriculture and U. Mass in Amherst with degrees in Arboriculture, Park Management, and Forestry. Chris helps us at the inn now when he is around, but he also enjoys traveling “especially on the cheap” and is frequently on the road now. He is currently working on an internship project doing research at the Archbold Biological Station in Florida, and plans to begin working on his masters’ degree this coming fall.
Elizabeth (Liz) Wood
Liz, is the overseer of the day-to-day operations of the inn. Her day generally begins around 7:00 am when she starts the coffee, prepares the fruit and applesauce or rhubarb and sets up for the daily breakfasts. With the help of Wendy, Liz then helps with serving breakfasts, pouring coffee, visiting with our guests during breakfast and then helping you plan your day. After breakfast is cleaned up, Liz directs the rest of our staff with the housekeeping and takes charge of all the laundry (usually 8 – 10 loads/day). FYI, Liz is known for preferring to use the sun for drying laundry and has the best clothes yard in town. Throughout the day and particularly in the afternoon and evenings, Liz then takes charge of departing and new guests along with their needs, directions, informational questions, booking reservations or other requests. Before crawling into bed at the end of the night, Liz’s last duty of the day is to usually set up for the next day’s breakfasts. Although, Scott tends to get the bulk of the compliments for his baking (it’s good for his ego), Liz is responsible for insuring the cleanliness of the rooms, and the laundry, the room decore’, and that the operation runs so smoothly. A mild manner, her concern for others and her efficiency are huge assets in the running of our inn, and she complements Scott perfectly as your innkeeper. Raised in Roslindale, Liz graduated from Tufts University and received her Masters Degree from The Frances Stern Nutrition Center. After twenty years of teaching at nursing schools and seeing private patients, she ceased working as a nutritionist in 1995 to devote all of her time to the running of the inn. She now enjoys spending whatever free time she has to perfecting the art of spoiling her two grandchildren.
Laura Wood
Laura is our eldest. She was in the ninth grade when we moved to Rockport from Lynn 14 years ago. As did her brother and sister, Laura helped us with every detail around the inn over the years. She took particular pains in her housekeeping and we frequently entrusted her to run the inn for us while we were away for an afternoon or a few days. We discovered at an early age that Laura was a very artistic individual, and we found that she was particularly fond of rearranging furniture. On more than one occasion, we would arrive home to find that our living room or dining room or one of the bedrooms in the inn had been completely changed around (always without prior parental approval). Laura honed her abilities at school, earning an Interior Design Degree from Wentworth Institute in Boston. Over the last few years, we have redecorated nearly the entire inn based on Laura’s expertise, as you’ll note from the photography on the inn’s web-site. Laura lives in Rockport and has an Interior Design business based out of her home. For more information on Laura’s work, please check out her web-site at www.hparkdesign.com. We are fortunate to have Laura living just up the street with her husband Carl and our two grandchildren Cora and Elliot.
Scott Wood
As part of the division of labor at the inn, Scott is the official baker. Scott keeps baker’s hours and begins in the kitchen around 3:00 to 3:30 am until about 8:30 am every day. Scott then helps Liz with the remainder of breakfast before heading off to take care of any small repairs that might have come up, or he will help Julie with any painting or carpentry projects underway. Scott also handles a good part of the landscaping and yard work and enjoys planting the gardens, (with the aid of some spousal oversight of course). Then Scott is generally the half of the team that runs out to take care of the multitude of errands that crop up during the day. Lastly Scott’s other main responsibility is the myriad amount of paperwork that accompanies the running of the inn; from the bills, to the advertising, to the taxes, to the payroll to reporting responsibilities, that all falls into Scott’s bailiwick. Scott was born and raised in Lynn, MA, where he and Liz married; remaining there until the inn was ready to be re-opened in 1992. Scott worked for Star Markets for about ten years before earning his accounting degree from Bentley College. After another 8 years as the Payroll Manager for the supermarket chain, he then moved on to work as the Accounting Manager for The Lynn Water and Sewer Commission for another five years. His dissatisfaction at the Water Commission along with a chance MLS listing in the local newspaper led to the purchase of the inn in 1991 – a career change that he has have never regretted. Like his bride, he spends more than a little time spoiling his nearby grandchildren.
Vivian Wood
Scott’s mother, Vivian is an indomitable shopper, and always seems to be able to locate the best price on anything we’ve needed, or where to find some unusual item that we can’t find. From the day we purchased the inn through today, she has run around helping to locate and purchase furnishings, curtains, linens, and any miscellaneous supplies we needed – even groceries regardless of how far she has to travel. Driving is another of Vivian’s pleasures in life, and she is often noticed as little more than a blur as she zips by you on the highway on one of her quests. Vivian is also an expert seamstress, and has spent countless hours hemming curtains & drapes, sewing pillow covers, or mending for us. Vivian lives in Gloucester, just steps away from Good Harbor Beach and minutes away from the inn. Beyond her role of Purchasing Agent for us, she also shares her time with her other two children (daughters Gail and Jeanne- equally dangerous shoppers in their own rites), seven adult grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. As age becomes a touchy subject once you reach such lofty levels as my mother has, we’ll just mention that Vivian is nearly one of the charter members of Social Security, and let it go at that.
Sarah Woodbury
Sarah has been a long-time school friend of our daughter Catherine, and has worked for us since 1997. Sarah has done housekeeping, pool maintenance and some computer work for us over the years. Sarah still works on occasion for us during her school breaks when she is available. Currently, she is a third year student at Simmons College in Boston; pursuing a degree in early childhood education. She hopes to work with disabled children in the future. As of this writing, Sarah is in the middle of a semester at sea, touring parts of the Pacific and Southeast Asia. These types of opportunities certainly didn’t exist during the “horse and buggy days” when we went to school! (If you note a sense of jealousy here – you should!)
Sarah’s mother Wendy has been helping us at the inn now since 1999. She started to work with us initially to help another of our mutual friends (Margie Schell) who was watching the inn for us during an August vacation. Wendy likes helping us with breakfasts, baking and with cleaning up the kitchen. Wendy also enjoys talking with and helping out our guests; she is a great PR person for the inn and the town – she is a joy to have working with us. Wendy is also frequently the person who handles phone calls in the mornings, and likes to do data input and anything to do with the computer. For the last three years, she has helped Heather inn-sit for us during our vacations or occasional absences away from the inn. She is the mother of two, Sarah and a son Matt who is also in college at this time. She and husband Mark live up the street from us in Rockport.