Newtown Edgmont Friends & Neighbors is pleased to introduce you to The Carpenter Family: Casey, Dineen, Charlotte and Victoria. Life for the Carpenters is rewarding and fun, filled with family, friends and a commitment to giving back to our community.
Casey grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey, with his parents, older brother, Andy, older sister, Kelly and his younger sister, Karey. He spent his childhood attending Central Grade School, Haddonfield Middle School and graduated from Haddonfield Memorial High School, where he was the captain of the football and baseball teams. “I was really into sports, especially baseball,” Casey said. “I was the pitcher for my team when we won the NJ State Championship, and I was recently informed that I will be inducted into Haddonfield Memorial High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame later this month.”
Casey may have made an impact on the athletic fields, but he was also recognized for his skills on the dance floor. “My classmates voted me the Best Dancer and Life of the Party in our Senior Superlative Yearbook Awards,” he laughed. After high school, Casey headed south to Texas Tech University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Exercise & Sports Science with a minor in Psychology. He continued to play baseball throughout college and even spent time pitching semi-professional baseball for several teams in New Jersey after graduation.
Casey then moved to the Art Museum section of Philadelphia and began working in the pharmaceutical industry. “I have been working in the industry for 23 years now and I am currently a Market Access Director for a Pharmaceutical Company that specializes in brain health, specifically neurology and psychiatry,” Casey explained. “One of my primary roles is to ensure patients have access to our medications through their health insurance providers.” Casey said that his career has been very rewarding and he enjoys working for a patient-centric organization focused on restoring the quality of life for both patients and caregivers.
Dineen was born and raised in Ridley Park where she lived with her parents and her younger brother, Dennis. She attended St. Madeline Catholic School (now known as St. James Regional Catholic School) and graduated from Cardinal O’Hara High School. “I tried different sports growing up, but nothing clicked for me,” Dineen said. “I just always wanted to dance and be a choreographer so I studied and learned from music videos.” Her friends began to take notice and voted her Best Dancer in the eighth-grade yearbook.
Once in high school, Dineen had the opportunity to become involved in the theater program and perform in school musicals. She loved every minute of dancing and singing on the big stage. Dineen also joined student council and served as President in her Sophomore and Senior years. After graduation, Dineen headed to West Chester University, where she earned her degree in Communications and discovered her passion for travel and photography. She boarded a plane for the first time when she was 21 years old, took in the sights and sounds of Miami and never looked back.
For the next 20 years, Dineen worked in advertising sales and design for Val-Pack Direct Mail. She was living in Philadelphia, spending time in the Fairmount section, then Nothern Liberties before buying a “magical little house” in Fishtown. She spent her free time traveling and photographing her adventures. “I have traveled all throughout Europe, the Caribbean and the United States,” she said. “Some of my biggest adventures have taken me to Greece, Hawaii and South Africa.”
These days, Dineen works in sales and design with Boxed Sourcing, a local, women-owned business that creates out-of-the-box branded merchandise. “We put logos on items, but we do it with style with designs that have a look and a feel that really sets them apart,” she explained. “We work for many local businesses in our area all the way up to Comcast and NBC and I am loving every minute of being part of such creative team.”
Life sometimes has a funny way of placing the person you are destined for right in front of you and sometimes it takes a few years and a chance encounter to come to fruition. In Dineen and Casey’s case, they were first introduced by mutual friends in 2005 but were both dating other people. “We ran into each other three years later at a restaurant in Philly one night,” Dineen explained. “I recognized Casey right way, reintroduced
myself, asked him if he was dating anyone, and when he said no, I handed him my business card.”
Casey and Dineen began dating, and two years later, Casey popped the question at James Restaurant in South Philadelphia on New Year’s Eve, 2010. “It was such a special night,” they recalled. “After the proposal, we left the restaurant and walked all the way from South Philly home to Fishtown.” It was New Year’s Eve, and the promise of new beginnings filled the air and fireworks lit up the night sky.
The happy couple married in November 2011 at St. Francis Xavier Church, just steps from the Philadelphia Art Museum, and danced the night away with family and friends at Tendenza, located in the vibrant Northern Liberties neighborhood. “We spent our Honeymoon on the islands of Kauai and Maui,” Casey said. “One of the most amazing things we experienced there was getting up at 3am to drive to Mt. Haleakalā to watch the sunrise.” Dineen said she’ll never forget how cold and still everything became just before the sun showed itself, and as it cracked through the pitch black sky, it was the deepest darkest red sliver of color she had ever witnessed. “It slowly began to open up like a blood-red flower,” she recounted. “A native
Hawaiian park ranger who oversaw this moment each day broke into a loud ceremonial song. It was all about dawn and our new life together.”
Back home, Dineen and Casey settled down in the Art Museum area, in the home that Casey purchased in 2000. It was a two-story rowhome that they planned to stay in for a few years because they loved living in the city but felt it was a little too small, especially if they were going to start a family. So, they decided to embark on a renovation to add a third floor and rooftop deck. “The renovation that was supposed to take three months took close to a year filled with everything from a disappearing contractor to a flooded home due to Hurricane Sandy, but ultimately it turned out perfect,” said Dineen.
But we all know that when we weather difficult storms, we are often rewarded with the most beautiful rainbows. For Dineen and Casey, their gifts were delivered when they welcomed their daughters Charlotte and Victoria to their family.
Charlotte is Dineen and Casey’s nine-year-old daughter who is in fourth grade at Rose Tree Elementary. She is an active girl who loves Girl Scouts, gymnastics, art, theater, their two cats, Thomas and Finn and, of course, Taylor Swift. “Charlotte is an old soul,” Dineen said. “She’s incredibly thoughtful, very loyal and is always trying to think of the best gifts to get for her friends.” Charlotte also recently learned that she will be playing the role of Nemo in her school’s production of Nemo and Friends. Sounds as though she may love the stage just like her mom!
Six-year-old Victoria is Charlotte’s little sister who loves sweets just as much as she loves to dance. Victoria is in first grade at Rose Tree Elementary, plays soccer and baseball and takes jazz dance class. Casey described her as hysterical with the comedic timing of an adult and the one who is always up for adventure. Dineen added that Victoria is also a very loving soul. “My dad passed away four years ago when Victoria was two,” Dineen said. “She talks to him and about him often. In fact, this past Valentine’s Day she wrote him a note, attached it to a balloon, and sent it up to heaven. Victoria is thoughtful from the heart. She inspires me to be even better in that way.”
While Casey, Dineen and the girls enjoyed living in Philadelphia, the time eventually came for them to make the move to the suburbs. “We needed more room, a big yard and space to welcome our family and friends,” said Casey. “We found the perfect home in Newtown Edgmont that gave us all we were looking for.” Dineen added that she always felt that when she had a family, she would move out of the city to be close to her family and enjoy open space surrounded by beautiful grass, trees and parks.
Since making the move, Dineen has enjoyed volunteering with the girls’ school and their extracurricular activities. She has spent time serving on Rose Tree Elementary’s Principal Advisory Board, helps out as a classroom aid, chaperones field trips and volunteers for the girls’ Girl Scouts troop. Casey has recently begun volunteering to coach Victoria’s rookie league baseball team and looks forward to sharing his talents to make an impact on the youth in our community.
Life for the Carpenter family is full of love, family, friendship, adventure and appreciation for our wonderful community. They truly love to call Newtown Edgmont home and said that they consider their neighbors to be the best (especially Miss Pam). When asked to share a special message with our friends and neighbors, Dineen and Casey said, “Thank you for being so fun, warm and welcoming. We love our friends, neighbors,
local businesses and our green space.”
Do you know a Newtown Edgmont family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Sheila Turner-Hilliard at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.