Joe Goode enjoys helping others and staying active.

“I was surprised,” to have won, he recalls. “The Elks Home made arrangements to make sure I was able to accept the award.”

In addition to volunteering, Goode stays busy with numerous activities at his retirement home, such as playing pool and Mahjong and taking senior tours to Peaks of Otter, Poplar Forest and other nearby places of interest. He also takes daily exercise classes and would recommend it to anyone of post-retirement age.

“I like to see people keep in shape,” he says. “It’s good to keep slim and trim.”

A World War II veteran, Goode was discharged from the Army Air Corps in 1945.

He attended Virginia Tech and later taught agriculture. Retirement came in 1985 when he left the family dairy farm in Huddleston.

Leaving the farm “gave me an opportunity to travel,” he says. “My wife and I went to Australia, New Zealand and on a tour of Europe. I think New Zealand was the nicest place because it looked more like our country than any of the others.”

Also in early retirement, Goode took on a hobby of making pine needle baskets that he either sold or gave as gifts.

“I think a hobby sure helps anyone” stay active, he says.

For Larry LaCroix, life as a retiree is good.

For Larry LaCroix, retirement has brought welcome changes to his mindset. Gone are the days of donning a suit for the workday. “Life is Good” T-shirts have become the attire of choice. And daily he proves the slogan is true.

“When I retired, my wife Barbara worried about what to do with me 24/7,” he jokes. “I had to adjust and fi nd satisfaction from different things.”

LaCroix retired from Kroger after 50 years with the company; he had worked his way up from bagger to vice president of operations. Over the years he moved from place to place – St. Louis, Detroit and Pittsburgh, to name a few – before settling in Roanoke for the majority of his time with Kroger.

“At fi rst, I didn’t think I’d like Roanoke,” because it was a small town with no professional sports, LaCroix recalls. “But it’s a great town that grows on you. I love the convenience of everything, cost of living and the friendly people.”

LaCroix’s transition into retirement life began with staying active. He plays golf at least three times a week at Hunting Hills Country Club, where he is a member, and also enjoys tennis.

“I also found the opportunity to take better care of myself,” he says. “When you’re working, you don’t always have the time.”

After retirement, LaCroix read a book titled “Younger Next Year” that recommends exercise for six days a week; LaCroix takes cycle and crank classes for endurance, lifts free-weights and uses the elliptical machine.

“As you get older, you need to keep stress out of your life,” he suggests. “My escape is exercise.”

LaCroix is also community service-minded. He serves on the Virginia Western Community College Foundation Board, which provides two years of a free college education to local students who cannot afford tuition.

“I became involved because I wanted to help children get out of poverty; education is a perfect way to do that,” he says.

Now that she lives in Roanoke, Carolyn Carter and her daughter have more time to spend together.

But Roanoke is actually not that foreign to her. Carter lived here for a short stint in the 1970s, when “the Royal Kings were playing at the Kings Inn on Salem Avenue and the Coffee Pot was the hot spot to hang out.” She relocated with a friend and worked as a cosmetologist for a beauty salon, spending some of her down time shopping downtown or at Sidney’s department store in Towers Mall.

When her daughter and son-in-law moved to Roanoke four years ago, she was thrilled. “I had enjoyed it so much back then, so I knew she and her husband would enjoy it too,” she says. “And I knew that when I retired, I’d want to move to Roanoke to be close to my daughter.”

Retirement came in June when Carter left the Henry County school system, where she served as a secretary. Although bittersweet because she will miss her co-workers and the students, Carter says she’s been looking forward to retiring for many years.

“I’m sad to leave my co-workers and friends outside of work, but I’m ready to start a new chapter in my life,” she says.

“Most of all, I’m excited about being here with my daughter and son-in-law.”

With her newfound free time, Carter has plenty of ideas for keeping busy. She hopes to join exercise classes, relax at the pool, and entertain friends and family. Finding a church is high on her list as well.

“I also want to travel…go on a cruise, visit New York City (again) and spend more time with my grandson,” who lives in Williamsburg, she says.

Though she’s only a few months into her post-retirement life, Carter already sees the perks.

It’s a good feeling to not have to set an alarm,” she explains. “The day is mine and I can do what I want to do.”

No one is more deserving of time for herself than Carter. Sound biased? It should. That daughter she refers to is me! And I look forward to the extra mother-daughter time we’ve missed out on during our years of living apart.

-Jessica Wright

What was once a retreat from their home in Binghamton, N.Y. has become a permanent residence for Doug and Cheryl Morrison. The choice was a given, thanks to the friendly folks, mild climate and sparkling waters Smith Mountain Lake had to offer.

After vacationing at Smith Mountain Lake for years, Cheryl and Doug Morrison of New York decided to call the area home. Both are active int he community and enjoy spending time on the sparkling waters.

The two stumbled upon Smith Mountain Lake by accident, Cheryl says, while reading a golf magazine. During a Virginia vacation, they decided to check out the area, meeting with a realtor to tour condos.

“Four months later, we traveled through again, the same condo we looked at was still available, so we purchased it,” Cheryl adds.

For 12 years, the Morrisons made Smith Mountain Lake their vacation destination, eventually deciding it was perfect for their retirement years.

“We wanted to leave the New York winters and taxes,” Doug says.

After retiring – both from IBM and Cheryl also as a former teacher – they moved in 2001 and built a home in The Boardwalk community, where they finally settled in 2003.

“You still get four seasons here, just shorter winters,” Doug says of the area.

Plus, Cheryl adds, “The lake is a melting pot of people from all over the place and lots of people our age.”

When moving to the lake, the couple had “built-in friends,” Doug says, because they met so many people during vacations. They enjoy gathering with friends for dinner, and a group of men meet for breakfast each week.

“We found there’s certainly no lack of things to do here,” Cheryl says. “If you don’t go looking for something, it comes looking for you.”

The Morrisons are co-treasurers at their church and help with the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour. They walk in their neighborhood for exercise and go boating on weekdays.

“We do coffee cruises in the morning and sometimes cocktail cruises at night,” Cheryl says.

It’s important to stay active, both physically and mentally, during retirement, the couple advises. And if you move to the lake, Doug says, that’s easy to do.

“We were fortunate to retire early, and if all we had done was sit in rocking chairs, we would have atrophied pretty quickly,” Cheryl says.

Already familiar with Richfield Retirement Community for its services, Claudine Ratcliffe knew she had found the ideal place to retire three years ago.

Views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the impeccable landscape lead many residents to make Richfield Retirement Community their home.

“I’d had my mother here for respite care twice,” she says. “I just loved the grounds, the greenery, the trees.”

And that’s the sentiment of other residents as well as the staff. Situated on 50 acres in Salem, Richfield offers mountain views, two lakes and ample green space, explains Robert Rector, chief operating officer.

“It’s a nice area for people to enjoy,” he adds. “Most residents say they also like our affordability, and the fact that as needs change, they can still remain on campus.”

Richfield – with a capacity of 750 – offers three levels of care: independent living, assisted living and a nursing home. No entrance fee is required, so residents only pay for the level at which they will live. And, as Rector stated, if a resident needs to switch to another form of housing, Richfield will work to find space for them.

Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments and two- or three-bedroom cottages are available for independent residents, who Rector describes as “still active, but don’t want the hassle of home ownership and maintenance. They’re looking for more time to do what they want to do.”

Joanne Armstrong, who also moved to Richfield three years ago, calls it “independent living with a twist.” She and her late husband came from Nashville to be closer to family and she couldn’t be happier with their decision.

“I can be as busy and active as I care to be,” she says.

The three assisted living facilities, Rector says, offer private rooms, and the nursing home – the second largest in Virginia with 315 beds – contains both private and semi-private accommodations. One assisted living building is strictly for memory care, complete with programs that help people with Alzheimer’s or dementia remain as active as possible. Specialty units in the nursing home are for rehabilitation and memory care. There’s also a vacation and recovery program.

Home options at Richfield Retirement Community include cottages, apartments, an assisted living facility and a nursing home.

All residents of Richfield have access to a wide variety of activities and amenities. The expansive property features a half-mile walking trail dotted with exercise stations. Each building has its own activities calendar, filled with – among others – exercise classes, craft workshops, speaking engagements and trips. There’s even a Wii Bowling competition for which residents have formed leagues.

Ratcliffe lauds the yoga classes and a monthly afternoon program titled Lunch and Learn. She enjoys movie showings, musical performances and community socials as well.

Two stocked lakes on the Richfield property allow for a leisurely day of fishing.

According to Rector, the community provides transportation to the grocery store, hospital and medical appointments when needed. Richfield also organizes trips year-round.

“We have taken trips to Wytheville’s theater and to performances in Roanoke,” he says. “We also go to the Elks home in Bedford to see the Christmas lights, and we take residents on the Blue Ridge Parkway to view fall color. Really, anything people want to do, we try to accommodate.”

For more information on Richfield Retirement Community: 540-380-6511; richfieldretirement.com.

Cost of Living
Apartments: $442-$1652 (per month)
Cottages: $764-$2735 (per month)
Assisted Living: $2,422-$4,560 (per month)
Nursing Home: $179-$290 (per day)

Charlotte Fischer has been retired 11 years, but it’s not always easy to tell. She’s actively involved in a number of things. And that’s just the way she likes it.

“I bought a rocking chair to put on the sun porch with the idea of reading there in the afternoons,” she says. “That hasn’t happened yet!”

A resident of Lynchburg since 1968, when her husband, an Episcopal priest, accepted a call to a local church, Fischer – a retired trust officer – loves learning and doing something constructive to help others. She would recommend the active lifestyle to any retiree. But, she says, pursue your interests before retirement too.

“You have to develop your interests throughout your life,” she says. “Don’t just shift gears into hobbies and community involvement, you need to do it all along.”

Among her favorite things to do: working with the 18th-century glass collection she and her husband acquired over the years, gardening and helping with the altar linens at her church. She’s currently involved with a program called Leave a Legacy which encourages people to make planned gifts to churches, schools and other organizations that have special meaning for them. She has worked with many local and regional organizations over the years, and she and her husband have traveled extensively.

The Fischers both grew up in larger communities, she in Charlotte, N.C., he in Charleston, S.C., so Lynchburg has been a happy medium.

“It’s a comfortable place and we’ve made many friends here,” Fischer says. “It’s nice to walk down Main Street and know people.”

Years ago, the Fischers and some of their friends decided they would all move to Westminster Canterbury, a retirement community in the area. The couple made their move in 2007, and Fischer became very involved in the community.

“I am a trustee of the Westminster Canterbury Foundation and chairman of the Residents’ Council,” she says. “I’m also part of the health services committee, which is of great personal interest.”

All in all, Fischer says she strives to live by a philosophy instilled by her grandmother.

“Try to make the world a better place for others and it will be a better world for you as well,” her grandmother told her. “She, too, was a lifelong student. She used to say that an undergraduate degree was simply to teach you how to learn and it was up to you to keep on learning.”

Robert Harris, pictured with wife Katherine, is happy to be back in Christiansburg, not only for the great weather and cost of living, but to be near his alma mater. Virginia Tech, as well.

Robert Harris graduated from Virginia Tech in 1961, never wanting to stray from the college town atmosphere he had grown to love. Working for Ford Motor Company, he started his career in Norfolk before transferring to Michigan, where he stayed for 30 years.
Far from the orange and maroon and “Hokie Stone” buildings that define the Virginia Tech campus, he found a temporary replacement, living near the University of Michigan. But he remained a diehard Hokie fan, making his way near his alma mater in October.

Harris and his wife Katherine moved to the Villas at Peppers Ferry, a community in Christiansburg that puts him just five miles from his beloved campus. A native of Galax, Harris says in addition to close proximity to Virginia Tech, Southwest Virginia is just an ideal place for retirement.

“We decided to move back to an area where the winter season is not so long,” Harris adds. “Christiansburg has four distinct seasons, people in southwest Virginia are very friendly and welcoming. Plus, taxes are a lot cheaper” than in Michigan.

Retirement has been a rewarding life experience for the Harrises. The best part: “Being able to do what you want to when you want to do it.”

“Having a condo, we can do all the traveling we want,” he adds. “All we have to do is lock the front door. We like to be part of things” in the area.

The two have made new friends in their community and reconnected with old ones. Harris enjoys exercising at the local recreation center and is a member of the Christiansburg Kiwanis Club. He also lauds the smorgasbord of activities available at Virginia Tech.

“There are so many programs associated with the university,” he says. ”Plays, concerts, shows” and, of course, sporting events are major draws.

And Harris is anxious to become a regular at Hokie football games. A former Virginia Tech player, he looks forward to being a season-ticket holder for years to come.

“I’d like to go to every game I can,” he says. “I’m a real sports fan.”

A retired chef who prepared meals for countless celebrities, Wilfried Shilling still has a passion for cooking.

Wilfried Shilling is two-and-a-half years into his second retirement. And he plans on it being his last.

A chef who rubbed elbows with – and cooked for – a number of celebrities (John Wayne, Bill Cosby and Elvis Presley, to name a few) in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, Shilling retired to Roanoke seven years ago. He was ready to embrace the slow pace of Southern life.
But before he could do so, he was “recruited” as a consult at Peaks of Otter Lodge’s restaurant. When his wife became ill, he wanted to be closer to home, and cared for her until she passed away. He was recruited again to develop the menu for downtown Roanoke’s 202 Market.

“I started with the menu,” he says. “Then I trained the staff. I’m a stickler for good service.”

Even in his retirement, Shilling has returned to 202 to help train new staff and develop new items for the menu. He calls 202 his “headquarters.”

With the rest of his spare time, Shilling enjoys traveling, often to Las Vegas to visit family and Colombia to stay with a friend in the Andes. Locally, when he hits the road, he traverses the scenic country routes.

“I’ll find a pub, go in and have some good food,” he says. “And it’s a chance to get to know people. I’ll start talking to someone,” and thanks to good conversation, “time means nothing.”

Golf, fishing and spending time with his children – who live in Virginia – are favorite pastimes as well. He still gets in the kitchen to create wonderful meals.

“I love to go shopping for food,” he says. “I like to do stews, country spare ribs, basically anything I can freeze. And I like a good steak.”

Shilling has embraced Southern food – although the country ham is too salty for his palate – and his specialty is French cuisine. He says he learned to cook in Las Vegas after visiting a chef of a five-star restaurant, explaining that he had a baby on the way and needed a job.

“He said he would teach me,” Shilling says, “and I was very lucky that I absorb knowledge quickly.”

Now that he’s fully retired, Shilling has a piece of advice for those planning the big step: “Make sure you’re ready to retire! And, make sure you have money; you’ve got to pay your bills.”

To meet the needs of the 50+ population in Southwest, VA, we at Leisure Publishing have brought this informative guide to you. Leisure also produces the periodicals, Blue Ridge Country, The Roanoker and Mountain Homes magazines as well as many custom projects and guidebooks including the Virginia Travel Guide.

Please take a moment to navigate through the site to learn more about retiring in Virginia.

Warren and Barbara Cain

“We always thought Virginia was beautiful,” Barbara says. “The healthcare at UVA is outstanding and there’s lots of history around, which we love.”

The two built their home and their daughter helped with the interior design. Wanting to support regional companies, the Cains used art and furniture from local artists and craftsmen; their slate countertops and fieldstone exterior came from Virginia.

In their retirement years, the Cains have not slowed down. They enjoy volunteering for numerous organizations and gathering with friends and neighbors for group activities. Warren plays golf, serves on the advisory board at Keswick Estate and volunteers at church. Barbara, who was part of the International Piano Competition while living in Hilton Head, has been able to continue utilizing her passion for music as a guild and board member of the Ash Lawn Opera. She also participates in exercise classes and relaxes by the pool when her grandchildren visit.

“If you sit around and think, ‘I’m retired, therefore I’m going to wind down,’” Warren says, “then you’ll wind down. Or, you can stay active and not miss a beat.”

Since moving to Charlottesville three years ago, the Cains say they have been able to get out and enjoy the town, as well as travel to Washington, D.C., and they take a train from Charlottesville to New York at least once a year.

“We still haven’t gotten to everything yet,” Barbara says. “But we will.”

Betty Joe Fulcher

Although Fulcher has been a member of the Blue Ridge Arts and Theater Society (BRATS) since the 1980s, she gained more time to pursue her love of performing after retiring in January 2008. She also joined TheatreWorks – a group in Martinsville dedicated to bringing community theater to the area – and promotes their various productions.

Fulcher joined her first play for BRATS in 1988 when a cast member got “cold feet.” It may have been a small part, she recalls, but she was hooked from that day forward.

“I was so nervous, but the first time you hear the audience laugh, it’s worth everything you put into it,” she says. “It’s nice to know you’re making someone happy.”

Since then, she has participated in about 14 plays, mostly Southern comedies. BRATS, which is an all-volunteer organization, typically spends about three months preparing for productions. The cast-mates, Fulcher says, have become a built-in support group, as have the members of TheatreWorks.

“I enjoy being a member of both groups.” Fulcher says, “I do it because I love the community and want to give back.”

In addition to BRATS and TheatreWorks, Fulcher volunteers for Martinsville’s Piedmont Arts Association. She promotes the artwork, answers phones, mails announcements about exhibits and performs various duties as a member of their docent guild. Obviously, retirement has not slowed her down.

“You absolutely have to stay active,” she advises. “Volunteering is fun. There are so many organizations around town that do good things for people, you just have to investigate the possibilities.

“Find something that feeds your psyche and let it become your passion.”

The more than 80 pages describe his memories of high school, college and his passion for flying, which led to service in World War II. He also touches on marrying his late wife Dreama Anne and reflects on the meaning of his life.

Joe Johnson

“Life, to me, is learning to adjust constantly, as required, and being prepared to meet the future,” he writes.

Johnson retired from the military after 30 years of service in 1972, but his working days were far from over. He spent many years working in real estate and appraisal for Wingate Appraisal Services.

“You don’t really ever retire,” he says. “I hate to sit around and do nothing. Many people look forward to retiring, but I didn’t. I needed something to keep me busy.”

In his early years of retirement, Johnson says he and his wife traveled frequently. They took long trips every year, such as spending a month in Europe and Canada. He spent many years as a volunteer for the Blood Mobile and also enjoyed fishing and hunting until he was no longer able. He still serves as a member of the Masonic Lodge.

These days, Johnson gets up at 5 a.m., makes breakfast and is out the door by 7:30 a.m. He typically can be found at Wingate Appraisal Services, where he retreats to work on his next book.

“It’s about the mischief I got into when I was younger, and the bigger mischief I got into when I got older,” he says.

Ted and Bonita Johnson

The couple retired in 2007 from the Washington, DC area and their vacation home at Smith Mountain Lake became their permanent one. They had visited the area 10 years ago, fell in love with it, and eventually bought a home that they have since renovated and expanded.

Pre-retirement, “we knew we wanted to live on water and had thought about the Outer Banks,” Ted explains. “But the lake is beautiful and so clear; it’s wonderful.”

“We chose it over the beach because we like the change of seasons,” Bonita adds. “We love the mountains and are constantly in awe of how gorgeous the scenery is around here.”

The Johnsons take advantage of the many activities available around the lake; Ted enjoys golf and Bonita is a volunteer for the Smith Mountain Lake Charity Home Tour. They joined Waterfront Golf & Country Club and laud the opportunities available through their church. Bonita acknowledges it would be easy to “hunker down” in the house after retiring, but she and Ted knew that was not the lifestyle for them.

“You go from a lifestyle of nonstop to a lifestyle of a different pace,” Ted says. “You get used to the traveling, working, raising a family, but you have to be willing to give up the fast pace, which I had no problem with.”

He suggests taking up a few hobbies and, of course, enjoying the company of your spouse. The two plan many activities and outings together.

“We have lunch together now,” Bonita laughs. “We never really got to do that before.”

Recently, the Johnsons have been substitute teaching for Bedford County schools. Next fall, Bonita will teach a pre-K class three mornings a week.

“We live somewhere where there’s plenty to do,” Ted says, “but the winters can get nippy. It’s nice to get out and work with young people” during the colder seasons.

Will and Carol Sawyer

“Retirement is not a time to sit around and do nothing,” says Will, who retired from Exxon at the age of 57. Carol was a stay-at-home mom and raised the couple’s four children.

Early on as retirees, the Sawyers took seminary courses in Texas and had plans to be missionaries in China. But the protests at Tiananmen Square halted that trip. After moving to Bent Mountain in 1993, they became involved with Biblical Education by Extension (now Entrust), which helps train young men in Eastern European countries to become pastors.

“Two or three times a year, we would travel to Romania,” Will says. The program “was a great way to give those men theological education.”

These days, the Sawyers travel less often, content with the activities they can enjoy locally. When they moved to their “retirement headquarters in the Blue Ridge Mountains,” as Will describes their home,” Carol decided to try her hand at the cello, which she had played as a child. She took lessons and now plays with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, the Blacksburg Community Strings and at her church, First Baptist in Roanoke.

“I have a love affair with the cello,” she says. “I had wondered if I could learn again, and it’s been a wonderful experience. Had he (Will) not been my encourager, I might not have tried it again.”

Will teaches Sunday School at First Baptist, as well as four Bible-based courses at Ebenezer Baptist Church for the Washington Bible College Equip Program. Together, he and Carol visit assisted living facilities and nursing homes every week; she plays music and he tells Bible stories to the residents. Once a month, they are joined by other friends and sing hymns with the residents.

“We’ve had a good life,” Will says. When he reaches the pearly gates, he says he wants to hear, “well done, you’ve been a good and faithful servant.