Farmington Presbyterian Manor
JULY 2021
Jack Luffy, reluctant author Stuck inside for the past year and a half with nothing but time on your hands can motivate you to do things you never thought you’d do.
We are “AHA” people in the Lord!
For Jack Luffy, that meant writing a book. “Writing is the furthest thing from my life,” said Jack. “I was a construction worker. I spent four years in the Korean War … I’m a person who likes to do stuff.” The idea for the book, which is the story of Jack’s life, was initially conceived by Jack’s wife, Mary Miller, who felt that not only did he have a story to tell—but an obligation to tell it.
Editor’s Note: This is a guest column from the chaplain at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor. In a nod to our Presbyterian heritage, we will be periodically sharing columns from our community chaplains in your Community Matters newsletter.
By Dinah Dutta, Chaplain
Resident Jack Luffy signs a copy of his book.
“I believe when you have had an interesting life, then you should share it. You should share it with young people and give them some experience to view their own lives,” said Mary. “They think, ‘I wish I had done this or done that,’ and it could encourage people to do the same thing.” To give Jack both the space and the solitude he needed to write, Mary structured her own routine around Jack’s schedule. “At about two o’clock every afternoon he’d say he was going to write for a while, so I’d go down and sew for two or three or four hours. Then I’d come back up, and we’d go back to our routine,” said Mary. “So, in the process of him writing his book, I quilted. It benefitted both of us. It kept me doing something I enjoy doing, and he got his book written.” And within three months, the book was complete. In it, Jack chronicles his time working for the Westinghouse Elevator Corporation, where he spent two years working on the second tallest building in Houston—a 72-story skyscraper with 50 elevators—along with stops in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and four or five other destinations around the country. He also tells the stories of the three Mary’s in his life – his mom, his current wife and his first wife—who he was married to for 57 years LUFFY – continued on page 3
I led a Bible study using the book “Joyfully Aging” by Richard Bimler. He gave himself the title, Ambassador of Health, Hope, and Aging or AH-HA(sic). He wrote, “All believers in Christ are AHA people,” because the resurrection of Christ is the biggest “aha” of all. We hear so much about how to care for our physical health, which is very important. Unfortunately, our society has convinced people that after a certain age, people lose their significance and purpose in life. However, when I think of spiritual or physical health these days, I think of my relationship not only with God but also the relationships we have with each other as a community of PMMA. Here at Presbyterian Manor, many of our residents have a long life. When I visit them, I learn that their faith in Christ is the key to their longevity.
AHA – continued on page 4
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