Toni Hess Fillman has so many stories that she has been encouraged to write a book.

“Maybe I will,” she said playfully.

Fillman has played many roles in her life: wife, mother, grandmother, PTO-PLUS leader, businesswoman, dog breeder, public speaker, investigator, Scout leader;and general encourager.

But, dressing up in storybook costumes and taking joy into Whitehall-Coplay School District schools has been her hallmark and her most cherished role.

“My mother was my dress-up mentor,” Fillman said. “She was a wonderful seamstress, and she fashioned dresses and costumes for us both during my growing-up years.”

Fillman grew up in Allentown but moved to Whitehall when she and her husband took ownership of Jordan Bowling Lanes, along Jordan Parkway, near MacArthur Road, Whitehall.

A gregarious person, Fillman made many friends through the bowling lanes business connection. Always on the lookout for ways to “be helpful wherever I could in the community” and drawing on her mother’s costume dress-up background, Fillman joined the WCSD PTO-PLUS when her children were in the district’s elementary schools and started to visit the schools as storybook characters. She would read to the students and lead them in dances and general youthful revelry.

She gained a following and was recognized as the dress-up storybook lady whenever she was out and about in the community. One notable encounter happened in a fast-food restaurant where a young girl pointed Fillman out to her parents as the frequent storybook character visitor to her schoolroom.

One time, Fillman visited a neighborhood bank branch to deposit some PTO-PLUS funds, forgetting she was dressed as one of her characters.

“That caused a stir in the bank deposit line,” Fillman said, laughing.

Her children, Shawn and Terri, are now adults, and their children have gone through the same grades. Even as the grandchildren have grown, Fillman continues to be a PTO-PLUS fixture and looks forward to being a community partner to a third generation of youngsters who enjoy her classroom visits.

While Fillman said her Snow White costume is a favorite, she can seasonally portray an elf, a ladybug, a butterfly, Dr. Seuss’ “The Cat in the Hat” character and even a slice of pepperoni pizza on Pizza Fridays in the school cafeteria.

“I try to keep some kind of dress-up accessory in my car, so I can always portray a fantasy character, even on spur-of-the-moment occasions,” she said.

As PTO-PLUS president, Fillman attends every school activity she can, even beyond the elementary school activities. She is a familiar figure at book fairs, bingo gatherings, basketball and baseball games and cheerleading activities.

“I just want the students to know they are remembered and appreciated,” she said.

Fillman is so visible in the township that supporters have urged her to run for school board or political office. So far, she has had to decline.

“I want to be able to fulfill every obligation I take on,” she said, “but if I can’t ensure that I’d be at every meeting or activity, I don’t want to make that promise.”

Her school activities aren’t the only community volunteering she participates in.

A lifelong dog lover, Fillman is active in visits to nursing homes on days when her poodle club takes support dogs to visit shut-ins.

Fillman is a nationally known poodle breeder and is listed in dog publications across the country. She said she has more than 2,000 dog show ribbons from her breeds.

“One of my dogs is related to Siba, the standard poodle that captured this year’s Westminster Kennel Club best-in-show honors in New York,” Fillman said proudly.

Alluding to one of her favorite volunteer causes, Fillman has spoken on college campuses and to older local students about the health dangers of anorexia and acted as an encourager to those suffering from that medical condition.

She said some of her most cherished memories are young people who have come to her to say her words have encouraged them to confront their personal situations and seek help.

All of Fillman’s community connections have given her a full life, she said.

“Friends are a treasure, and being able to help wherever I can has always spurred me on,” Fillman said.

“But even as I have been able to give love to others, I’ve always gotten so much more in return,” she said. “My encounters with children and friends have pulled me through more than they will ever know.”

***

Editor’s Note: If you know someone who should be featured as a Lehigh Valley Health Network Community Partner, email dgalbraith@tnonline.com.