Living the Life They Love.

1. Bruce & Shing Mai Hwang, Granite Farms Estates residents

Bruce and Shing Mai Hwang, residents of Granite Farms Estates in Media, Pennsylvania, are both active gardeners originally from China. The couple joined the Granite Farms Estates garden club and Bruce started to keep Bonsai Trees at the community.

“Everybody can plant the way they want. It’s a very rewarding experience,” Bruce said. “There are so many activities that keep you going. And with new neighbors moving in regularly, change is always in the air, which can be very exciting.”

2. Gloria Fettes, St. Andrews Estates resident

Gloria “Gee” Fettes and her husband John moved into their Boca Raton, Florida Acts community in 2021. With its serene landscaping, lakes, walking trails, birds, and wildlife, St. Andrews Estates stood out from other retirement and 55+ communities.

“I just love this community; it has something for everyone,” Gee Fettes said. “Everyone is so friendly. I felt welcomed right away.”

“I’ve lived overseas most of my life and love the European lifestyle of being able to walk everywhere,” she said, “At St. Andrews Estates, I can walk to the grocery store, a zillion restaurants, and the best mall practically in South Florida, certainly in Boca Raton.”

3. Mary & George Drake, Fairhaven Residents Mary Drake, a resident of Fairhaven in Sykesville, Maryland, finds it relaxing to putter around the community’s arts and craft amenities. “Some people knit and sew to relax. I relax with woodwork and crafts,” she said. She recently carved a picture out of wood in the shop.

Her husband George also enjoys the wood shop, ceramics studio, and the beautiful, scenic campus grounds.

“We like to hike and bike, living here with so many acres and trails, we love to get out in the community, it’s the perfect place for us,” George said, “It’s wonderful if you have a pet too, with covered walkways you can easily go outside even in the rain.”

4. Cliff McElveen, Matthews Glen resident

Cliff McElveen traveled extensively throughout his successful career as president of BellSouth International Services, globe-trotting to Australia, New Zealand, Beijing, Shanghai, Israel, and Europe, before retiring to South Carolina.

Cliff and his wife Linda now live at Matthews Glen in Matthews, North Carolina and are thrilled the retirement community supports their active lifestyle, allowing them to fully enjoy their days without any worries about the future.

“For us, it was the right place at the right time,” Cliff said, “When my wife first saw it here, she remarked that it looked a bit like the Ritz-Carlton. And you don’t always get that with retirement communities.”

The McElveens made this important decision after extensively researching Acts and its 50-year reputation of strength and stability as a leader in the senior living industry.

Cliff said, “Acts is a viable company. I looked at both the design and the business model and was very impressed.” time at the woodshop as well. After moving in, he learned how to build dollhouses, and now ships them to friends and admirers all over the world.

“There are almost always people down here doing interesting projects,” Burt said. “And there’s always space at the table.”

“This felt like a pragmatic move for retirement,” he continued. “I’m happy to report that it’s also a lot of fun to live here!”

“You can’t just sit still as you get older. You have to get up and do things,” said Gloria Colabelli, who has lived at Lima Estates since 2013. She moved to the Acts community when she was 62 years old, and had some reservations about it being “too early.” She now has zero regrets after experiencing all the amenities—and perfecting her golf swing.

“I love playing golf here, and it is so easy to make friends,” Gloria said.

Ronnie Mill had been a salesman for 43 years before he retired at Spring House Estates in Lower Gwynedd, Pennsylvania. He was intrigued by the community’s woodwork shop. He jumped right in and learned how to carve ducks.

“If anyone wants to learn, this is a great place. It’s never too late to start on your next big project,” Ronnie said. He is also part of a team of woodworkers who repair furniture and various projects for residents.

His friend Burt Jones, who also lives at Spring House Estates, spends much of his

For Barbara Sowinski, a painter and resident of Brittany Pointe Estates, moving into the senior living community meant getting rid of the hassle of homeownership, leaving more time to paint. She still shows her artwork in galleries in New York and Pennsylvania.

“I use my second bedroom as my art studio, but also can do a lot of painting in the bathroom,” Barbara said.

Katherine Jetter, a cancer survivor and avid cyclist, dared fellow Tryon Estates resident Lorraine DeCesare to rappel off a building for her 65th birthday.

Lorraine’s healthy, active lifestyle is supported by her move to Tryon Estates. The community’s fitness director helped her train by setting up a workout plan focused on arm and core strength. Lorraine also swam laps three days a week at the indoor pool. She raised over $4,000 for cancer research, the highest amount raised by a participant!

“Both Lorraine and Katherine are great examples of how to change misconceptions of our older population and show us what it means to be active and aging,” said Caroline Eller, Tryon Estates’ fitness director and their biggest supporter.

Life is an adventure at Tryon Estates in Columbus, North Carolina, with endless opportunities to stay active with your friends.