bloom THE MAGAZINE OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS & WHAT MOVES THEM
PLANTING THE SEEDS OF COMMUNITY
CONTENTS / BLOOM, RYDAL WATERS
P . 2 Pedal Power P . 3 A Star is Born P . 5 Brothers for Life
Dear Friends, Since 1974, Rydal Park has served the area as among the very best in Life Plan Community apartment living. We have been fortunate over time to offer services and amenities to people who we’ve come to know as not only residents, but as friends. The success of Rydal Park and the desire to serve those looking for single-family homes is what prompted us to develop our new Rydal Waters neighborhood. Thriving on 33 acres adjacent to Rydal Park, Rydal Waters offers cottages as well as a host of outdoor amenities and a clubhouse with so many offerings. But what makes Rydal Waters the incredibly special place it is becoming, is the people who continue to move in since we officially opened in Spring of 2020.
P . 9 Game. Set. Batch.
These “Charter Members” put their faith in us when all they had to see was a gorgeous parcel of land. They chose us perhaps because they had family members who maybe made similar decisions years ago thereby enabling their children to avoid the worries that can come as parents age. Or, maybe they selected Rydal Waters because they had family who did not make such proactive plans, and they, as the adult children were left to manage challenging times. Or was it the lifestyle we offer? The opportunity for social connection and wellness? The feeling of being a part of a creative and supportive community while still maintaining privacy? Or any combination thereof. I could go on and on, but in short, it has done my heart good as each new member continues to help shape our community in the most positive of ways.
P . 11 Heads of the Class
As you take a look at our inaugural issue of “Bloom,” I am hopeful you garner the warmth, the wisdom and the wonderful energy of those residents who share their stories in these pages. And after you do, I invite you to come feel it for yourself. We look forward to welcoming you.
P . 7 Four of a Kind
Most sincerely,
P . 13 Future Forward
Russ Mast Vice President of Operations
The stories in this first edition of “Bloom” are all about the people who have chosen the Rydal Waters Life Plan Community to put a plan in place for their future, while most certainly enjoying the here and now to the very fullest. It’s about these diverse “Charter Members” and the passions that inspire them every day. We hope they, in turn, inspire you.
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RydalWaters.org / 215-770-1557
Michael and Marilyn Umen hit the road.
PEDAL POWER by Amy Wilkinson
We all get the same 24 hours in a day, but some energetic souls —like Michael and Marilyn Umen—seem to ring every last second out of them. And for the Umens, those seconds are best spent behind the handlebars of a bicycle, exploring the wonders of the world. For the past decade, the couple has
traveled to many a far-flung locale to soak in the local culture and cuisine, through the pedal-powered touring company VBT. Their first organized trip was to Italy in 2010, which they took with another couple and about 18 additional travelers. “Even though we go with a couple, we’re still able to embrace everyone else and hear
everyone’s stories,” says Marilyn. “We’re like a family.” Each tour day consists of 20-45 miles of biking (the Umens opt for hybrids), interspersed with delicious meals and beautiful sights. Over the ensuing years, the Umens have returned to Italy two more times (Venice was a favorite) and have also ventured over to Spain.
“We biked all around Pamplona, where they have the running of the bulls,” says Michael of their trip to the northern region. “That was a fun area and nice biking. It was a little hillier than we expected, but it was invigorating.” Michael and Marilyn have also tackled extended rides closer to home— from Charleston, South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia; through Montana and Wyoming via Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, with their daughter and two grandkids in tow. The global pandemic put a short pause on their treks, while giving them time to devise an even more robust destination wishlist for years to come. “I want to do more of our national parks,” says Michael. “We want to do Yosemite and Glacier National Park and maybe even the Smokies because we haven’t been there in years.” And they’re hoping to take more of these vacations with their grandkids, while they’re still little enough to enjoy them. Of course, the Umens do take a breather from time to time, engaging in more low-key pursuits. For Marilyn, that means throwing a beautiful piece of pottery on the wheel at her studio. For Michael, that means taking a Temple University online course on the History of Philadelphia Through Its Architecture or Immunotherapies for Cancer (Michael is a retired chemist). As a couple, they enjoy spending time at their home in the Pocono Mountains where—surprise, surprise —they take more than a few bike rides through the lush, wooded terrain. For the Umens, it all adds up to a busy retirement that’s athletically, culturally, and intellectually stimulating. Catch them if you can!
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A Star ıs Born by Amy Wilkinson
If you were to Google search—or, better
why I’m working with people in Paris on
“There’s just boxes and boxes of things, and
yet, ask a certain Apple virtual assistant—
this project.”
before they go to the museum, I need to
the meaning of the name “Siri,” you’d
Unfortunately, the pandemic has
keep it to work with.” Beyond the arts, Siri is a nature buff and
get a few different responses, depending
slowed Siri’s efforts a bit (at least one
on the language of origin. In Norwegian,
show in France had to be postponed),
and walks in the Pennypack Preserve as
the name means “beautiful victory.”
but she remains undaunted in her quest
much as she can. In some ways, it’s a hobby
In Swahili, “secret.” But Siri Hurst has
to garner attention for the artist. She’s
that harkens back to her early years in
always been partial to a third definition:
currently using her budget to frame his
South Africa.
“star.” It’s fitting for a woman who has
paintings in museum-grade glass.
dedicated her career—and now her retirement—to the advancement of of the arts. Siri currently serves as the docent and chair of antiquities at the Lord’s New Church located on the former
All my friends had grown up with Mickey Mouse and Popeye, and to this day, I don’t know what they’re talking about!
Born in Abington, Siri was just four months old when her family relocated to the coastal city of Durban so that her Swedenborgian minister father could set up a theological school there. The move coincided with the beginning of apartheid, but to hear Siri tell it, she was largely
estate of Rev. Theodore Pitcairn in Bryn
Siri is also busying herself by
sheltered from the political strife. (Her
Athyn. Among the works she oversees
beginning the arduous work of tracking
sister Rachel Odhner Longstaff wrote a
are the paintings of a late Dutch artist
and cataloging the works of her own
book about the family’s experiences called
named Philippe Smit, whom Siri is
late husband, artist Nishan Yardumian,
In the Shadow of the Dragon’s Back:
trying to help break into the art world
whom she married in 1971 and had a son,
A Young American Girl in South Africa
posthumously.
Aram. (After Nishan’s passing in 1986,
During the Early Years of Apartheid, which
Siri married Gerald Hurst, with whom
was published in 2017.) The brood returned
patron and loved his artwork, but ended
she traveled extensively before his death
to Pennsylvania when Siri was 12 years old,
up buying almost all his work, so he never
in 2015).
and the culture shock was acute.
“Theodore Pitcairn became Smit’s
really got out there in the world,” Siri explains. “He is not known, and that’s
“There’s tons written about Nishan and tons that he wrote about,” says Siri.
“I didn’t see television until I came to
( continued on page 6 )
Siri Hurst with the work of one of her favorite artists, Philippe Smit.
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Brothers by Amy Wilkinson
Talk to Gene Wolff for all of five minutes and you’ll quickly hear about his two passions in life: The Philadelphia Eagles (he’s been a season-ticket holder for more than 50 years) and the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
a fun-filled vacation with Little Brother Shane and family to Hershey, PA. “We had fun times together, despite pandemic protocols,” Gene reports. Interestingly, it was his 40-year-career
program (of which he was an “official”
as an Internal Revenue Service agent—
participant for 24 years). “Official,” because
auditing Fortune 500 corporations—
Gene’s relationships with his Little Brothers
that opened the door to this important
didn’t end with their high school graduation,
work. A lifelong bachelor, Gene
like most do. No, today Gene counts a
explains that he always had an affinity for
number of his 13 mentees as family members,
helping children. So in 1971 when the
lovingly referring to their children as his
government started a program for employees
“grandchildren.” In fact, he recently took
to tutor underprivileged kids, Gene
Gene Wolff and his first Little Brother Kanti remain close nearly 40 years after they matched.
for
life
enthusiastically volunteered. The
“It really kind of broke the barrier
( “A Star is Born” continued )
initiative only lasted a year, due to lack
back in the day,” Gene says of the
this country,” Siri explains. “All my
of funding, but it sparked something
interracial pairing, which wasn’t
friends had grown up with Mickey
in Gene.
common in the ‘70s.
“That really was what got me
Kanti went on to attend Gene’s
interested in my avocation of being a
alma mater, Temple University, and
Big Brother,” he says.
after graduating, made his intentions
Not long after, Gene saw a commercial
known that he wanted to become a U.S.
Mouse and Popeye, and to this day, I don’t know what they’re talking about!” Siri eventually settled into American life and graduated from Emerson College in Boston. For the next two decades, she taught English Lit, speech
on TV for the Big Brothers Big Sisters
Marshal. There was just one problem:
and journalism at the high school and
of America and decided to fill out an
Kanti had poor eyesight, and the
collegiate levels, before leaving education
application. He was soon matched with
Marshals had strict vision requirements.
to produce classical music concerts at
his first Little Brother: a 9-year-old boy
So Gene paid for Kanti’s eye surgery
Glencairn Museum in Bryn Athyn.
named Kanti. Each week, Gene would
and, as he explains, “the rest is history.”
dedicate some 20 hours mentoring
“He had his operation; he passed
Kanti—everything from helping him
the test to get into the U.S. Marshals;
with his homework to taking him to
he started at the age of 21 or 22 and
baseball games.
retired at 55 years old,” says Gene.
And though Gene recalls his time
(And, if you’re wondering: Yes, Gene
“It was a fabulous job to be able to produce all the concerts that we had there,” says Siri. Program highlights include the Chinese pianist Lang Lang (who performed during the Opening Ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing
with Kanti fondly, it wasn’t without its
did attend Kanti’s retirement party.
Summer Olympics) and the prestigious
challenges. During those early days,
And, yes, that did make Gene feel old.)
Morgan State University Choir. Recalls
Kanti could be quiet—and then lash out
Kanti recently returned the favor by
in anger. But Gene persisted, knowing
attending Gene’s socially-distanced
he was making a difference. Eventually
birthday party—just one of several
Kanti’s grades improved, and the two
Little Brothers who showed up for their
fostered a strong bond. Gene’s dedication
beloved Big Brother.
Siri: “The choir sang some of the spirituals, which were just absolutely beautiful, and I could see that people [in the audience] had tears rolling down their cheeks.” Siri left Glencairn in the early
would even gain him local media
“I’ve been rewarded in a lot of
coverage—stories highlighting his
ways,” Gene says of the lifelong bonds
volunteer work appeared in the
he’s forged and continues to nurture.
Philadelphia Daily News and the
It’s a sentiment his Little Brothers (and
and wildlife,” says Siri, “but my first
Philadelphia Inquirer.
now grandchildren) surely share.
love is the arts.”
2000s, but creative endeavors will forever be her North Star. “I love nature, the environment,
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For four decades, Pam and Doug Callantine and their friends Bill and Alexis Fonner have called the same Abington neighborhood home. And not much will change when the two couples move into their new cottages at Rydal Waters later this year, just six doors down from one another. “Proximity-wise, in golf terms, it’s probably something like a three-wood or a five-wood away,” Doug explains. The fairway phraseology is no accident: Though the couples have been sociable since becoming neighbors in the early ‘80s, their friendship has grown closer over the past decade or so as they’ve taken up golfing together (in addition to bowling for Pam and Alexis). And while both couples are humble about their athletic abilities, there are some impressive accomplishments to note—namely, holes-in-one for both Doug and Alexis. Pam was on-hand for Alexis’ big moment and remembers it well: “It was so cute because she hit the ball—it was par three, and we thought it had gone into the sand trap. She gets up there, and she’s looking and looking and looking and she can’t find it. It’s not there. And finally, somebody said, ‘Maybe you should look in the hole.’ None of us had. We look in the hole, and there it is. We made so much noise!” “It was a freak thing,” says Alexis, who didn’t realize it was tradition to pocket the ball after a hole-in-one. “I used it and lost it on another hole!” she laments. “But I did get the flag.” Doug also got the flag—and a steep bill—
Four of by Amy Wilkinson
Doug Callantine and Bill Fonner celebrate a great putt.
a Kind
when he hit his hole-in-one just this past year while golfing at a resort in western Pennsylvania. “I had to buy lunch and drinks for about 16 people,” he says with a laugh. Lest you think the Callantines and Fonners missed their callings on the PGA and LPGA tours, they’re quick to point out that it’s all in good fun. “Just to give you an idea of how we play, [by the time] we get to the second hole, the wine and the appetizers have come out,” says Alexis. For their part, Alexis and Pam embody that same chummy spirit while bowling at their local alley, where it seems as though, once again, Alexis comes out slightly on top. “Alexis’ team finished the first part of the year in first place,” says Pam, jokingly adding: “I did ask for a recount...but it was overruled.” And though it was purely coincidental that the Callantines and Fonners both ended up at Rydal Waters, it’s clear that the couples will be very intentional about savoring each other’s company while there. “The Callantines are really good people,” says Bill. “We enjoy being out with them for dinner, and we enjoy golfing with them.” “They’re very supportive, steady friends,” says Pam of the Fonners. “When they’re your friends, they’re there, and it’s just been really lovely to see it flourish and bloom. It’s just an
Pam Callantine and Alexis Fonner striking a pose.
extra that we all will be there living at Rydal Waters in our golden years.”
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Terri Lewis knows how to make a good impression. To wit, for the last Rydal Waters holiday party, the gregarious retiree brought along a delicious secret weapon—her famous chocolate chip cookies. “I was told by my new neighbors that they were great,” Terri says proudly of the recipe, which is a take on the Nestle Toll House classic, with a few signature—and off the record—tweaks. Those little morsels have served Terri well over the years, especially during her fourdecade tenure at the Social Security Administration, where they became a staff favorite and engendered her to many a colleague. “It just became this whole thing,” says Terri of her reputation around the office as the cookie queen. “I had a schedule. I was running all over the place delivering cookies. Even after I retired, I still used to bring them cookies.” After attending Temple University, Terri worked her way up the ranks of the Social Security Administration—starting out as “just a little claims representative” and retiring in 2016 as Regional Communications Director for the Philadelphia office. As you can imagine, she has more than a few stories to tell. One of Terri’s key responsibilities was serving as media spokesperson, delivering official comment on issues ranging from missing checks to office consolidations. But it was an incident involving an oncoming tornado and a bumbling security guard that she’ll never
GAME. SET. by Amy Wilkinson
BATCH.
Terri Lewis bakes from the heart.
forget. As a twister bore down near one of the agency’s Virginia branches, a frightened young woman banged on the office’s doors seeking shelter. Unfortunately, all the employees had gone home for the night and the watchman on duty wouldn’t let her in. Thankfully, the woman was able to weather the storm, but her mother was none too pleased with the guard’s indifference, and took the story to the media. “It was right around Christmas time,” Terri recalls. “And the mother delivered this famous soundbite: ‘There was no room at the inn!’” Terri ultimately helped to diffuse the situation—and the whole affair later became a case study for the agency’s annual public affairs specialist conference. No longer having to remedy national crises, Terri now dedicates her time to more low-key pursuits. In addition to baking, Terri is a fitness junkie and travel enthusiast— and sometimes, those two hobbies go hand-in-hand. A huge tennis fan, Terri flies out to Indian Wells, California, to watch the BNP Paribas Open every year. “If I met Roger Federer, I’d faint,” Terri says with a laugh, of her favorite player. “It’s funny,” she continues. “Every year that I’ve gone that he’s made it to the finals, he has yet to win. I’ve never seen him win a tournament live.” Retiring at just 61 years of age means Terri’s got plenty of time to chase those Federer victory hopes—unless, that is, he retires next.
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Stan and Lois Singer believe a picture is worth a thousand words.
Heads of the
Class by Amy Wilkinson
Over the course of his four decades as a financial planner, Stan Singer developed a mantra of sorts when it came to the topic of saving for retirement, telling his clients: “You need to have enough for your belly and your brain.” It’s advice he and wife Lois, a former elementary school teacher, took to heart when planning their own futures— and advice they continue to live by in retirement, as they settle into their new home at Rydal Waters. The couple are active members of Retired Executives and Professionals (REAP), an educational group dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. Each member is responsible for delivering a 75-minute lecture on a topic not related to their profession every 18 months. (As an associate member, Lois gets off “scot free” in this regard, says Stan.) However, Lois has been integral in helping Stan devise his topics.
After giving lectures on “Composition in Photography & Art” and “Photojournalism and the Plight of the Farmers During the Great Depression,” Stan was stumped for a third subject. Lois’ great idea? “The History of Underwear.” Unsurprisingly, this particular lecture scored a high attendance rate. “The talk was very well received and was delivered in good taste,” says Stan. “People were unaware of the historical, physical, and social implications that drove the changes in fashion and utilitarian needs over the centuries. The comments [afterward] were very favorable.” The couple’s devotion to learning has also sent them to sunnier climes. Every year (pre-COVID, that is) the couple travel down to Florida and rent a place on Longboat Key—often with five or six friends renting nearby—and throw themselves into three months of
stimulating courses, delicious food, and friendly golf games. On Mondays, for instance, Lois typically attends a music class. On Thursdays, the two take a world affairs course together. “I am never sure exactly what the program is going to be, but I always go in happy understanding that when I leave, I’ll know more than when I arrived,” says Lois of her “Musical Mondays.” “Every lecture has been fabulous.” The couple doesn’t limit their travels to the U.S. During their 58-year marriage, Stan and Lois have traveled to Egypt, China, and Europe dozens of times (in addition to their 15 months spent in Germany during Stan’s tour of duty with the Army). They are currently dreaming of where to go next. And it’s these trips that have helped foster another of Stan’s hobbies—photography. (You probably noticed a theme in his REAP lecture topics...) Stan is particularly keen on street photography, capturing the everyday action in Europe’s bustling capitals. And once again, Stan and Lois are an inseparable team.
Some might think that older people are not interested in learning anymore, but they would be wrong. “If we’re on the street and she’s 10, 15, 20 feet away from me, she’ll whistle, which I always know means that there’s something I think you would be interested in taking a picture of but you’ve got to respond fast,” says Stan.
“It gets his immediate attention,” says Lois. Wearing his photo vest and brandishing custom business cards, Stan has also talked his way into shooting several rodeos in Wyoming, capturing beautifully tense images of cowboys and bull riders. “That’s a form of street picture, so to speak,” says Stan. “You’re taking someone in their environment and you have to shoot a lot of pictures to get a couple that you really think are good.” Stan’s work has been published in multiple magazines, including Shutterbug and Black & White, and he’s quick to point out that the first time he ever entered an image in a magazine competition was after he retired— reaping the benefits of seeds he planted long ago. While community groups and globe-trotting adventures have no doubt enriched Stan’s and Lois’ lives, the couple has also enjoyed educational pursuits right from the comfort of their own couch very recently at Rydal Waters. Pandemic-friendly programming has included virtual lectures from the National Constitution Center, craft cocktail connoisseurs, and a robust list of speakers and universitybased professors. “Some might think that older people are not interested in learning anymore, but they would be wrong,” says Stan. “A lot of people have a great amount of intellectual curiosity. And that continues regardless of age because you realize you don’t know everything, and you want to know more.”
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Dee and Marty Weisberg test the latest tech in their Rydal Waters home.
FUTURE
FORWARD s
hey alexa
TM
out a new Pontiac Starchief. When
the power windows, and he’s been
in high school, his father made him a
the salesman tried to upsell them
looking to the future ever since.
deal: Get a scholarship to Temple
on power windows for $75 (this was
University, and I’ll buy you a car. Marty
1964), Marty balked, saying he didn’t
cology resident at Jefferson Medical
snapper, I had a little bit more of a
got that scholarship, and his father
need them. But father knew best: “It’s
College (now the Sidney Kimmel
passion for it than the people who
was good on his word, taking him
a thing of the future—go for it,” he
Medical College), Marty was among
were saying, ‘I did this the other way
down to the car dealership to pick
told his son. And so Marty agreed to
the first to be trained on the nascent
for 30 years, and I don’t see a reason
When Marty Weisberg was a senior
While a junior obstetrics-gyne-
technology of laparoscopic surgery. “I learned it with [more seasoned doctors], but being a young whipper-
decided to add a new challenge to his
pilot program testing smart home
already busy schedule: hosting a daily
technology (think: doorbell cameras,
two-hour radio show.
voice-activated everything, and all
“It was called Speaking of Your Health,” explains Marty. “I’d have
the latest and greatest) in their Rydal Waters cottage.
guests, interview them, and people
“Once again, I said, ‘That’s really
would call in with questions and the
cool. But I don’t need it,’ ” Marty explains
guests or I would answer them.”
of his initial reluctance towards the
The show would last for four years.
technology. But that “cool factor” just
A role as the medical director at
kept nagging at him and, eventually,
Johnson & Johnson soon followed.
the couple decided to give it a go. As
And though Marty semi-retired from
you may have already guessed, Marty
the company in 2015, he continues to
is already a pro at conjuring Diana
consult about 10 hours a week because Krall playlists on their speaker system he just really enjoys the work. (Marty
and drafting Whole Foods grocery
is also an accomplished trumpet
lists using Amazon Alexa, to mention
player and gigs on the side playing
just a few new “pursuits.”
in the orchestra pit for local musical productions.)
by Amy Wilkinson
to change,’” Marty recalls. “Not me.
“I don’t want to give it up,” says Marty. “They said if we didn’t like it,
Yet, Marty continues to crave the
they’d take it out. They’re not taking it
new, which is why he and his wife of
out.” Spoken like a man truly ahead of
52 years, Dee, agreed to be part of a
his time.
and he’s taught and published
I wanted to be on the forefront of that. several papers on the subject. But I embrace change.” And on the forefront he was.
Marty isn’t one to rest on his laurels— as he explains it, he craves new
Marty is proud to have been the first pursuits every decade or so. So after physician at his hospital to treat a
leaving Jefferson and then working
tubal pregnancy with a laparoscope,
in private practice for 10 years, Marty
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As a Rydal Waters Charter Member, you not only put your quality of life first— you trust us to put you first.
Charter membership is a chance to shape what comes next.
CHARTER MEMBERS CAN ENJOY PERKS INCLUDING:
PERMANENT MONTHLY FEE DISCOUNT. PACKING, PLANNING AND MOVING SERVICES. CREDITS TOWARDS UPGRADE OPTIONS. VALUABLE CONTRACT OPTIONS. ON-SITE DESIGN SPECIALIST SERVICES. We want you to feel the high-level of customer service we are known for, long before you ever move in.
Everything except compromise. RydalWaters.org / 215-770-1557
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Rydal Waters is the new cottage property life plan community expansion of the renowned Rydal Park. It is so much more than beautiful. The culture of warmth, the commitment to each resident, the power of community that is palpable all contribute to its highly-reviewed status. For the proactive planner, who wants to continue to enjoy the life you have built in a fabulous setting while also putting a future plan in place for yourself should you need care later on in life, the security you’ll find at Rydal Waters will allow you to be the architect of your own future.