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Retirement:
Active Baby Boomer Lifestyles and Destinations in the Carolinas |
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efining today’s retirement is like putting your arms around a pile of Jello. It doesn’t have a solid shape and it’s always sliding into new territory.
With that squiggly concept in mind, let’s talk about Carolina retirement and what that means to those taking the plunge.
Even though you’ve retired from the grueling 30, 40, or 50 years of work, most don’t want empty days. For some, it’s a pocketbook issue; but for others, it’s a need for stimulation to keep the mind fresh and the body working.
After all, you’re not retiring from
life … just from the enormous demands on your time and intellect that have filled your days for so many years.
Even now, the first of the boomers have begun to retire and a larger wave of shifting priorities has begun. Here’s what it may look like:
>> Some will
keep working part time for their former companies, or get part-time work in a related or completely new field.
>> Others will take their wisdom and energy and
volunteer for favorite charitable causes – raising money for cancer research, or fighting Alzheimer’s Disease, perhaps.
>> More than a few will devote hours to
getting in shape through taking fitness classes, embracing the rewards of yoga, and learning new sports.
>> A few may become guardian angels for new businesses through joining
investment clubs, volunteering for Senior Corps or SCORE, or simply taking an interest in a neighborhood venture.
For many, finally making the move to a different climate is the first step, and in the Carolinas, folks are arriving from everywhere – Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan, to name a few. It’s also no longer unusual for communities to include families from England, or Sweden.
Many bring aspects of their former working lives with them – starting new distributorships, or redefining sales strategies – and in the process, redefining what the word “retirement” even means in the 21st Century.
No, all of you aren’t on the Internet yet, but most are. The majority won’t move, but many will
choose vacation destinations with an eye toward eventually setting down roots.
Over and over, we hear from people who are choosing retirement homes based on their personal preferences rather than staying near children and grandchildren (who are moving all over at the whim of corporate America, anyhow).
When the kids visit,
extended generations can
play golf together, or
perhaps indulge in a spa treatment.
Who’s moving to the Carolinas and Why?
We asked a few families about the motivations that brought them here for retirement and just how things are going in their new Carolina lives.
Dataw Island, SC
Lanny Kraus is involved in so many activities in and around Dataw Island that he wouldn’t have time to go back to his career as professor and chair of the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine even if he wanted to. He, wife Carol, and golden retrievers Moe and Yetta (named for a favorite aunt and uncle), have found a very fulfilling life on Dataw Island near Beaufort, SC. “The night we closed on our home, I kept watching the moon glistening on the salt water marsh,” he says. “I decided that perhaps I had died and gone to heaven.”
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Dr. Kraus enjoys fishing and had a “yearning to get back to salt water and fishing year round.” He proclaims the area’s fishing is “about as good as it gets.” He and his wife organized a group of fishing women – the Dataw Hookers – who fish in the community fresh water ponds. He particularly enjoys teaching children to fish. “So many people have been raised in cities and know nothing about the sport. I like to get kids hooked on fishing.”
Dataw has a very active tennis and golf program and Dr. Kraus is proud of being on a team that won the State of South Carolina Men’s Doubles Championships in 2006.
In his “spare” time, he drives a horse-drawn carriage around Beaufort. “The historic nature of Beaufort is wonderful,” he says, adding the same about nearby Savannah and Charleston.
Retirement on Dataw Island has been a perfect fit for his lifestyle. “Because my father and grandfather died at an early age, I decided to retire at the age of 59,” he says. Now, early into his eighth decade, he remains a fit, active and healthy senior citizen, enjoying life in the Carolinas.
McCormick, SC
Bob Good is from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and his wife, Bernie, is a native of Long Beach, California. “I was in management with Sears. We traveled quite a bit in the Southeast and fell in love with the region,” Mr. Good says. When retirement time arrived, the couple began to look from Virginia to the Florida border. They received an invitation to spend three days and play some golf at Savannah Lakes Village and decided to check out the community.
“We visited and loved it,” he says. They returned several times and looked at properties. “Our real estate agent convinced us that we wanted to be on the big water of Lake Thurmond, and we’re so glad he did.” Their home is positioned near the end of a peninsula, with water on both sides. Their 24-ft. pontoon boat takes them on frequent excursions, where they enjoy the trees, the water, and the camaraderie with others.
Mrs. Good is a decorator, with lots of hobbies. To put things into perspective, she recently informed her husband that if he ever wants to leave Savannah Lakes, she’ll be happy to visit him, but she’s not leaving. Two golf courses and many community activities keep him busy, and they enjoy getting together with great friends and neighbors, who have become like extended family. A new healthcare facility will bring more doctors to the area.
“You have to experience Savannah Lakes to understand how great it is,” he says. “I am sure there must be other places like this somewhere, but nobody has convinced us.”
Asheboro, NC - Certified Retirement Friendly
Eddie and Elaine Lindsay moved to Asheboro from High Point several years ago
after retiring and deciding that this centrally located small town was a perfect
fit for them.
“I had lived in Asheboro years ago, and already knew that it had lots of
amenities for its size,” Mr. Lindsay explained. “It’s in a good geographical
location for us in terms of children and grandchildren, and there are so many
ways to enjoyably spend our time.”
A former district sales manager for the North Carolina Farm Bureau, his
retirement activities include coordinating Meals on Wheels for their church and
volunteering for mission projects. He referees basketball for a children’s
league on Saturdays, and plays golf several times a week.
Mrs. Lindsay is a retired psychiatric nurse and volunteers at Randolph Hospital.
She’s also recently rescued a dog and is fostering Lucy, who may be well on her
way to becoming a member of the family alongside their rescue greyhound, Roxie.
“There are so many volunteer activities available here,” Mrs. Lindsay said. “The
community is relatively small, but there’s so much going on, with community
theatre, the Randolph Concert Series, and neighborhood activities.”
The downtown area has been revitalized with antique malls, restaurants, an art
gallery and a wine bar with a lovely deck for sipping and socializing. The old
Sunset Theatre has performances and occasional movies and is currently
undergoing a major renovation.
The Lindsays live on the golf course at Asheboro Country Club, and are in a
neighborhood dinner club. Their pontoon boat, moored on nearby Lake Badin, is
perfect for afternoon cruises.
They both agree that the new Asheboro Retirement Friendly Certification from
North Carolina is appropriate for their hometown. “It’s got great health care,”
Mrs. Lindsay shared. “Being in the center of the state, we have the mountains in
one direction and beaches in the other. Greensboro has fabulous shopping and
it’s about 30 minutes away.
Anything you want is close, and yet, the warmth and friendliness of small town
living is right here.”
St. James Plantation, Southport, NC
“…sports camp by day, fraternity party by night.”
Bill and Kathy DeLeo are originally from Pittsburgh, PA. When Mr. DeLeo
retired, the couple began to look toward the next chapter in their lives. “We
decided we'd like to head south, but ruled out Florida as too hot and
over-settled,” he explains.
They focused on the Carolinas, with its nice, four-season climate. They wanted
to be near the Atlantic, in an active community with great amenities and
friendly people with whom they’ve developed long-lasting relationships.
So they started doing the research and visiting properties. “We found a number
of communities that were very nice, but when we saw St. James Plantation, it
seemed more appealing than all the rest.”
They liked the variety of builders, and the attractive neighborhoods and homes.
Mrs. DeLeo has become involved with a service club, fund raising for charities,
a book club, and she’s taken Mah Jongg lessons. She’s started a St. James bunko
club as well. They both love golf, the beach and nearby Village of Southport.
“It reminds us of a New England beach town,” he says.
Overall, it’s the great social atmosphere that helps keep them so happy. “One
of our friends said that St. James Plantation is a sports camp by day and a
fraternity party by night,” Mr. DeLeo confided with a chuckle.
There are lots of impromptu get-togethers, including casual dinners (no ties
required), martini parties and full moon parties on the beach. “Everyone has
come from somewhere else and is looking to meet new people and do new things.
It’s a great way to celebrate this new chapter in our lives.”
Cary, NC
Bob and Mercy Pastor left Cuba 45 years ago, when she was 26 and expecting their first child. He was 28 and wanted to resume his studies at the University of Miami. After graduation, he got a job with Celanese Corporation, and later, the InterAmerican Development Bank. The couple raised two daughters and lived in Charlotte, Manhattan and Virginia. Now they’ve retired, downsized, and chosen Cary’s Carolina Preserve, the Pulte Del Webb community.
They’re close enough to their five grandchildren to take an active part in their lives, and they are enjoying a surprising array of cultural events that rival the larger cities they’ve lived in before.
“My husband loves opera, and we support the growth of opera in Raleigh,” she explained. They are members of the NC Museum of Arts and the North Carolina Ballet, and attend performances by the North Carolina Symphony.
Bob Pastor was instrumental in organizing a Cuban-style Dominoes Club in the Preserve. “We’re living in a lovely home that accommodates the grandchildren,” she explained, adding, “they will have to carry me out of this home and community.”
Hilton Head, SC
When Sharon and Mel Sokol of Tom’s River, New Jersey, first decided to retire, they had Florida first on their minds. That lasted about 18 months, and today, several years later, the Sokols are happily nested in Sun City Hilton Head, the 4,300-acre Pulte Del Webb “active adult community” located just off Interstate 95 near South Carolina’s most southern coastal islands.
“We got fed up with the bumper-to-bumper trips to the supermarket and the constant humidity of central Florida,” says Mrs. Sokol, who today is an active member of Sun City’s U.S.T.A. tennis squad when she’s not taking classes at the community’s fitness center.
“The Carolinas suit us fine,” she added. “Sure, it can get warm in the summer, but it’s great weather the rest of the year.”
Benefits to Retirees
Recently, the Carolinas have been winning out over other destinations. Retirees appreciate the weather - mild, but with four distinct seasons - the lack of congestion, and the easy transportation to visit friends and relatives. They also fall in love with the diverse geographic regions and topography: the coastal plains, serene fresh water lakes, lazy rivers, rolling hills and the postcard-like Blue Ridge Mountains.
While Florida and Arizona still top the list for individual states netting more senior Americans, North Carolina ranks third and South Carolina sixth, according to research done at Wake Forest University. Historically, the number of retirees who actually migrate from the community where they ended their full-time working years has historically been relatively small, just five percent of the total over-55 population. However, research on the 74 million boomer generation, as they now approach retirement, indicates a tripling of these families planning to move across state lines.
Most experts agree that
boomers will demand even
more varied recreational
activities than their
predecessors. For many,
retirement offers a new
beginning, with decades
of active living ahead.
Related Topics
Retirement Trends
Retirement Myths
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Katherine O. Pettit has worked as a
writer, magazine editor, printer and public relations consultant. The Columbia
resident has published more than 250 articles in magazines and newspapers
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