January/February 2017
Volume 23 Number 9
A NEWS PAPER F OR A S B URY M ET H ODIS T V IL L AGE
Residents, Associates, Families & Friends
www.asburymethodistvillage.org
Once Upon a Village: The Musical IV
“W
Asbury Residents March
for Women’s Rights
By Phyllis W. Zeno
e don’t sing,” apologized a timorous group of 40 residents who
attended the 2014 Cast Call for
“Village Life: the Musical I.”
“We don’t dance,” protested some of the 60
odd…well, not odd…random… residents at the
2015 Cast Call for Village Life: The Musical II.
“We don’t care,” we assured the 75 residents
who came to the Cast Call for It Takes a Village:
The Musical III in 2016. By then we knew better!
And it was with full confidence that we greeted
80 past and new performers and stage crew at the
Cast Call for Once Upon a Village: The Musical IV
on January 12 in Hefner auditorium.
We knew… after four years and 60 new songs…
in spite of accidents and falls and operations…
those same dedicated, fun-loving residents will be
ready to sing their hearts out and dance their feet
off for the May 5, 6 and 7 productions in Rosborough Theatre.
Once again, Bill Brown has encrypted musical
lead lines for Phyllis Zeno’s 17 new songs and will
be directing 60 singers in the Delicate Art of Frog
Kissing, as they embark on a fairy tale of Princesses turning frogs into Princes. Virginia Phillips, former librarian for the National Symphony, has been
printing and organizing Bill’s lead lines for the
singers for the last three years, and Sylva McCulloh,
piano accompanist for all four years, has been preparing for months of rehearsals on the Steinway in
her home.And once again, Gail Flanagan is ready to
post cyber newsletters to the cast.
Continued on page 2
B
ernie Smith didn’t let a little recent
hip surgery stop her from taking
part in the Women’s March on
Washington on Saturday, January 21. She
was one of more than a dozen Asbury residents, including, pictured above, left to
right, Joyce Waugh, Ruth Anne Thran and
Ginger Dixon who boarded a bus to the
Shady Grove metro station where they
hopped aboard a train and headed to the
National Mall.
“When we got to DC, there were marchers everywhere cheering each other on,”
says Asbury resident Rollie Smith, who was
among them. “People were so kind, totally
civil and genteel, yet determined and assertive. I guess a sign of women power.”
Taking a Chance
Asbury residents reach out to welcome local refugees
a group of 65 Asbury residents met to
ll of us have in our family his- learn about a local movement to suptory, remarkable stories about port refugees coming to our area. We
our ancestors who first came focused on the similarities that our
to America. Some suffered religious ancestors and the new refugees share.
They both are survivors: setting
persecution, war, famine or saw economic opportunities and some were goals, planning, persevering to achieve
just eager adventurers. Some came them often through harrowing times.
willingly; others did not. The stories They gave up home, extended famare as different as the people who ily, livelihood, friends and country
to come to America that they knew
own them.
Today, some people see difference as very little about. America, the successa reason to fear and reject. But recently, ful nation of successful immigrants,
A
By Marolyn Hatch
has never been initially welcoming
to them. Think of the earlier African,
Irish, German, Italian, and Chinese
who were exploited and harassed.
We here at Asbury can remember
what happened to Jews seeking safe
harbor in the 1930s and Japanese
Americans who were denied their
civil rights during the Second World
War.
Mankind is slow to learn from its
mistakes, but a group of faith-based
communities have joined to become
“neighbors” to refugees entering
the US through the federal refugee
resettlement program. With a changing Administration, this program may
be terminated, but while it works, the
Montgomery County Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Neighbors (MCIRRN) is doing what it can.
Twelve families from Syria, Afghanistan, Cuba, and Sri Lanka live in an
immigrant apartment complex in
Riverdale. One Sudanese family lives
Continued on page 7
Fascination Abounds
at the U.S. Botanic
Garden
By Jan Garman, Diamond
L
ast December on a
sunny, winter day, a
group of AMV mentors boarded a big, white bus
bound for stops at South Lake
and Gaithersburg Elementary Schools with a final destination at the U.S. Botanic
Garden. Eight students from
South Lake and a dozen from
Gaithersburg were treated to
an afternoon of fun and discovery, thanks to a couple of
generous Asbury donors.
Upon their arrival, the
group was met by a docent
who gave the students a
learning activity and then distributed a scavenger hunt in
which the students went off
to explore on their own to
discover plants that live in different environments.
The Christmas season is a
special time to visit the Botanic Garden. Not only is there
a wonderful display of poinsettias, but there are model
trains which chug through
structures created from
more than 70 different plant
materials. These aren’t any
old structures. Each of the
45 models depicts a national
park or historic site -- from
Denali Mountain in Alaska’s
Denali National Park to the
Devil’s Tower National Monument in Wyoming. The one
that caused the most excitement for the children around
this mentor was the model of
Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birth
Home in Atlanta.
As interested as the children
were in the trains, they were
totally fascinated by the plants
in locales such as the desert,
the jungle, wetlands, etc. Of
course, the adults were, too.
Some had never been to the
Botanic Garden, or at least not
recently. But, even more exciting to the mentors than all
the exotic plants, was the fascination of the young explorers. It appears that the trip
may have uncovered some
budding botanists!
Calling All
Asbury Artists
By Bernie Smith, Edwards Fisher,
Arts & Crafts Show Chair
A
rtists and art lovers, mark
your calendar for Wednesday,
May 3 at 1:30 pm. That’s the
opening of the 20th annual Asbury
Arts and Crafts Show. Held in Parker
Hall, the show continues through
the end of the month, and will feature photos, paintings, sculpture and
other fabulous creations from the
residents of AMV.
If you’d like to be among the many
talented artists displaying their work,
applications will be sent to residents
by e-mail in early April. (One of our
efforts to become greener.) If you
don’t have access to e-mail, applications will be available at the concierge desks across campus. More
information will be coming soon.
VILLAGE
LIFE
Asbury Methodist Village
201 Russell Avenue
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
General information: 301-330-3000
Website: www.asburymethodistvillage.org
Village Life brought to you in part by
Editor-in-Chief
Pam Brown
Neighborhood Coordinating
Editors
Anne Porter, Mund
Marilyn Gaut, Trott
Jan Garman, Diamond
TBD, Wallace
Joan Dunlop, Edwards-Fisher
TBD, Park View
MUSICAL
Continued from page 1
New this year, Nancy Hirsche will
coach the speaking parts for the
show and Gerry Hanson will stage
manage the crew of 17 resourceful backstage workers. Add to all of
these the group who will work on
costumes, signs, props and publicity. They are all part of a marvelous,
Asbury show business team who
will unite to entertain audiences of
900 residents on May 5, 6 and 7 at
Once Upon a Village: the Musical
IV, on stage at Rosborough Theatre.
Mark your calendar now!
Maria E. Roberts, Courtyard Homes
Marolyn Hatch, Villas
Resident Staff
Courtyard Homes: Peter Cascio
Diamond: Jan Garman,
Barbara and Tony Barnard
Edwards-Fisher: Joan Dunlop,
Dorothy Harris, Luella LeVee, Phil Sze
Mund: Anne Porter
and Bob Tedesco
Park View: Duane McKenna
Trott: Bettie Donley, Copy Editor;
Jeanne North, Hal Gaut, and
Becky Ratliff
Villas: Maryolyn Hatch, Jean Hubbell,
Margaret Sugg, and Luann Mostello
THE SHOPS OF WILLIAMBURG LANE
(THE CLOTHES CLOSET)
Wallace: Patty King, Arthur Forrest
and Phyllis W. Zeno
Design/Layout:
WILL BE OPEN 10 AM TO 3 PM
Mina Rempe @ Electronic Ink
ONLY ON
TUESDAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS
(EXCEPT ON SNOW DAYS) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2017
Chesapeake Publishing Corp..
Printing:
“The mission of Village Life is
to provide timely, interesting and
entertaining news about the lives,
concerns and activities of the people who reside, work and volunteer
at Asbury Methodist Village.”
2
January/February 2017
Village Life
Memories of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
and the Civil Rights Movement
ers,” says Smith. “I was so inspired
by him and others in his team that I
n January 16, Americans
chose to continue community orgacelebrated the birth of
nizing in white, black, and Latino
civil rights leader Dr. Marcommunities for the rest of my life.”
tin Luther King, Jr. In addition to
Smith was still in Chicago when
being a national holiday, Dr. King’s
King
was killed in Memphis. He
birthday has been designated as a
volunteered with the Urban Training
national day of service. Millions of
Center to walk the streets and help
Americans skipped the sales at the
to cool tempers and prevent rioting.
mall and sleeping late, and spent
A key moment in the civil rights
their day improving communities
movement was the historic March
and putting into action Dr. King’s
on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.
words that,“everybody can be great,
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The event, attended by more than
because everybody can serve.”
human
and
civil
rights
with
my
stu200,000 people, concluded with
The civil rights movement was
dents,
one
of
whom
confronted
me
Dr. King’s famous, “I Have a Dream,”
supported by millions of everywith,
‘Mr.
Smith,
you
talk
a
good
line.
speech. Among those hundreds of
day Americans, including some
Do
you
do
anything
about
it?’”
That
thousands of marchers were some
of our residents here at Asbury
student
introduced
him
to
an
orgaAsbury residents who shared their
Methodist Village. Wallace resident
Freddie Brown, traveled with Dr. nizing project in a black neighbor- memories of that day.
n Park View resident Alice GardKing and served as his driver during hood in Detroit where Saul Alinsky
(famed
Chicago
community
organizner, along with her husband Frank,
the 1950’s and 60’s (see his story on
er
and
author
of
Rules
for
Radicals)
rode one of the 2,000-plus buspage 4).
was
consulting.
ses shuttling people to WashingOther residents have memories
Smith moved to Chicago to finish ton. They departed Norwich, NY,
to share of their own experiences
during what was the largest social his MA and enroll in a PhD program before dawn and were able to get
at the University of Chicago. That’s a prime viewing spot near the Linmovement of the 20th Century.
Rollie Smith, who lives in where he got involved in commu- coln Memorial because of their
Edwards-Fisher, was a member of nity organizing. He was working early arrival. Despite the proximity,
a Jesuit order teaching high school near the West Side in public hous- the barely 5-foot Alice remembers
in Detroit during the 1960’s. He fol- ing when Dr. King came to Chica- once during the day when a tall,
lowed Dr. King’s action in the South go to demonstrate against racism African-American man hoisted her
and heard him speak —most nota- and housing segregation that made to his shoulders so she could get
bly after Viola Liuzzo of Detroit was the city the most segregated of the a bird’s-eye view of the massive
crowd. Gardner found inspiration
killed by the KKK after participating North.
“I
heard
him
speak
and
walked
in the event and describes it as, “a
in the march from Selma to Montwith him in the Chicago suburbs fine example of unity in diversity.”
gomery.
Says Smith: “I would discuss where he was stoned by white hat- She adds that the experience “will
O
By Pam Brown
remain with her for a lifetime.”
n George Karras, another Park
View resident, was in his office at
the Department of Commerce that
day. His prime location, at 14th and
Constitution, gave him a front-row
seat to the history taking place outside. Watching Dr. King walking with
Walter Reuther, head of the United
Auto Workers and flanked by ranks
of UAW members, inspired Karras, a
former UAW member, to walk with
them during his lunch hour.
n Duane McKenna, sitting in his
office at U.S. News and World Report,
at 23rd and N Streets, had easy access
to the march by foot. Stretching his
lunch break beyond an hour and
with sketch pad in hand, the graphic
artist recorded some of the day’s
scenes, which he converted to an oil
painting that hangs in his Park View
apartment today.
Some tried, but never quite made
it to the march. Trott resident Barbara Harbison, who was living in
Philadelphia at the time, planned to
go to the march with relatives from
Connecticut. Three days before,
she jumped in her car and headed
for Connecticut to meet her family
members and take a bus to Washington. On the drive, her car was hit by
a truck on the New York State Thruway. She ended up in the hospital
watching the march on television.
Not quite what she planned, but
memorable, just the same.
Cyber Corner
New Carpenter Computer Facility Dedicated
puter facility was comprised of a
n January 9, one year and couple of aged computers and some
one day after Robert J. old furniture. Bob worked tirelessly
Carpenter passed away, a to maintain the old facility, as well
group gathered for the dedication as to provide assistance to people
of the new computer room on the who had computers in their apartground floor of Diamond named ments. Bill Hook, Bob’s friend since
in his honor. Peter Maroulis, who their college days at the University
spearheaded the drive to name the of Maryland, showed detailed wirfacility in Bob’s honor, acted as mas- ing plans that Bob had made for the
ter of ceremonies. Said Peter: “This new room.
Anyone with a POS card has
man has provided so many of us
with the means to use a computer access to the new computer room.
whenever we want to email a friend When you do access it, be sure to
or family member, create a docu- look at the plaque and photo of Bob
ment or financial worksheet, surf outside the door. Bob was instruthe Internet or last, but not least, mental in getting Bill to move to
and most important…play solitaire.” Asbury soon after he did in 2008.
Peter said that the former com- Both were ham radio operators and
used their radios to keep track of
By Jan Garman, Diamond
O
Village Life
friends who lived alone. Although
Bill was in another discipline during
their days together at Maryland, he
was well-aware of the rigors the Bob
faced in the electrical engineering
program
Bob’s interests were not limited
to computers. He was in the U.S.
Air Force and served at the Cambridge, MA, research lab and then
at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab in Howard County, MD. In
1955, he joined the National Bureau
of Standards, which later became
the National Institutes of Standards
and Technology, earning a high federal grade by the time he retired in
1992. After retirement, he continued to volunteer at NIST and with
the Amateur Radio Satellite Corpora-
January/February 2017
tion (AMSAT). Along the way, he and
a partner designed and built WHFS
(Washington’s first Hi-Fi FM stereo
station), which they later sold.
He served on the Executive Committee of the Computer Club at
Asbury, but his interests were not
limited to computers. Those present at the dedication mentioned
other services that Bob provided to
Asbury residents and the interest
he took in many campus activities.
Bob’s contributions to AMV will live
on. In his will he made a generous donation to Asbury’s Benevolent Care Fund, but most of all, his
legacy will live on by every user of
the Robert J. Carpenter Computer
Facility.
3
It’s A
Guy Thing
A
Freddie A. Brown, A Civil Rights
Leader Among Us
though FBI agents were tracking
artin Luther King, Jr. is King’s every movement, they did
famous for starting the not suspect a funeral limousine or
civil rights movement in hearse driven by Freddie and conAmerica, but how many recognize cealing Martin and his young team.
the name, Freddie A. Brown, who It was Martin’s plan to speak peaceworked side by side with MLK, Jr. fully to Baptist church groups about
in the early days of the movement? his concerns over the “Jim Crow”
Freddie grew up on a farm in Pine- mindset of the South, including the
land, SC, in a family of seven broth- famous refusal to seat Rosa Parks on
ers and sisters, all of whom gradu- the bus or allow blacks to register
ated from college. (Several acres of to vote, register in white hotels or
farmland still belong to his family.) to be served in restaurants.
On weekends, Freddie would
His father’s philosophy about getting a good education was that the drive a group of civil activists into
children needed to work their way a town prior to a public gathering, but the only place they were
through college.
In 1950, Freddie graduated from allowed to stay was in seedy motels.
high school and landed a job at Hoover and the FBI, well aware of
Leevy’s Funeral Home in Colum- their every activity, had encourbia, SC. The home was owned by a aged motel management to deprive
civic-minded, blind millionaire and them of heat or air conditioning,
Freddie served as his eyes. Freddie’s so they would leave the doors to
job was to drive the funeral home’s their rooms ajar which was an open
limousine and to take his boss to invitation to crime. They were very
speaking engagements. His boss was careful because scandals followed
eager for him to go to college and the group wherever they went.
We all know the history of Marhe helped him through Allen Unitin
Luther King, Jr., whose life we
versity in Columbia. (Allen’s initial
mission was to provide education to celebrate once a year, but few are
aware of Freddie’s participation
freed African-American slaves.)
After he graduated, Freddie’s in the early days of the civil rights
benefactor offered to pay for him movement, including the March on
to go to embalming school in Atlan- Washington in 1963, when several
ta. A few blocks away from Auburn protestors were killed.
Freddie went on to spend his life
Avenue, where King’s father was a
supporting
education for minoripastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church,
Martin Luther King, Jr. had an apart- ties through fundraising for college
ment. He was looking for a driver tuition for 1,800 students at NIH,
for his activities in the civil rights running summer camps for them
movement, and Freddie, with his and Saturday classes which are still
big black limousine, was a natural active.
Now in his 80’s, Freddie is still
recruit.
championing
voters’ rights and has
“When MLK, Jr. formed the Southern Christian Leadership Confer- taken the role of advisor at Montence, I would go to school during gomery County Public Schools,
the weekdays, but head off with serving on their educational panels.
We are proud to celebrate the
Martin to Mississippi or Alabama for
illustrious
life of this new resident
the weekend,” said Freddie.
The movement was already bring- at Wallace.
ing questions from the FBI, but even
M
4
By Phyllis W. Zeno
By Dan Muller
few days ago, as I was quietly reading my favorite guy magazine,
Car and Driver, I received a phone call from Pam Brown, the new
editor of Village Life. She told me that many people enjoyed reading my “Guy Thing” articles, and wondered if I would consider doing the
column again. With that bit of flattery, what could I say but “sure!”
What had I committed to? I explained to my wife Ruth that I had stopped
writing my “Guy Thing” column because I had simply run out of ideas. Her
response was that as a result of being married to me for a year and a half,
she could easily come up with quite a few of my male “foibles.” So, I’m
back!
The next morning, I noticed that the bar of soap that I was using in the
shower was getting quite thin, so I asked Ruth to buy a new one for me on
her next trip to the grocery store. Upon returning from the store later that
day, she told me that she was surprised to find that buying a bar of soap for
a manly guy like me was not an easy task. (Ruth prefers liquid soap, so it
had been a long time since she
had purchased bars of soap.)
When checking my preferred
brand, she found a large
variety of scents
including lavender, vanilla bean,
mandarin orange,
lemon
verbena
and pomegranate.
After looking in vain for
unscented, she was forced to
make a choice. Which scent would
best suit a guy like me?!
Well guys, I promise that from now on when I
shower, I will rinse myself really well.
Nevertheless, should you catch a whiff of a vanilla bean on campus, it
will probably be me.
Please, just ignore it.
After this experience, I have been thinking about writing a letter to the
soap company suggesting that in addition to their womanly scents, they
market manly odors such as bacon, new car, locker room or paint thinner.
Photo: Martha Olin
Fourth floor residents of Edwards-Fisher enjoy their 3rd annual
New Year’s Eve potluck dinner in the elevator lobby. Guests
headed for the laundry room to discover that a few white
tablecloths and a little ingenuity turned washers, dryers and
folding tables into a bar and buffet.
January/February 2017
Village Life
Asbury Associates
Meet Darnell Burton
Dining Room Supervisor, ParkView
By Maria Roberts
D
arnell has worked in the Park View dining room since the building opened in
2005. He is one of those amazing people
who can remember a name from the moment he
meets someone. He commutes from his home in
Clarksburg, where he enjoys growing tomatoes
and peppers in his garden. In January 2016, when
Clarksburg got a 32-inch snowfall, Route 355 was
plowed but none of the other streets were, leaving
him to trudge a mile in the snow to the highway.
Darnell and his wife Kelly have four sons and
a daughter, ages 4 to 18. The 18-year-old, a Montgomery College freshman, is six-feet, seven-inches
tall and has a future in basketball. Darnell finds it
a bit strange to look up at son to ask, “Have you
taken out the trash yet?” Kelly is a professional
hair stylist and hopes to open her own shop soon.
She and Darnell like to watch sports, movies and
play video games with their kids.
Darnell and Kelly combine their love of sports
and video games by serving as part-time agents
Darnell Burton
for a sports-related app called Fire Fan that will be
released in the near future. With Fire Fan on your
phone or tablet you will be able to play against
friends, predicting the outcome of a game while it
is in progress. Darnell wants us to know that his
Fire Fan code is “run123” so we can play against
him once the app is available. I’d like to try, but I
am sure I can’t beat him.
Darnell is from Hyattsville, MD. While in school
in Calverton he worked in the mailroom of UPS.
Then it was on to food service work at two Sheraton Hotels, after which he came to Park View. Darnell’s dad retired from WSSC after 28 years and is
now a professional gardener. His mom works at
Riderwood and plans to retire next year. Darnell
has two sisters and two brothers, one of the latter
being his twin. “He and I are nothing alike,” says
Darnell.“I am a devoted Dallas Cowboys fan while
he roots for the Redskins.” Thank you, Darnell, for
being a gracious host at the Park View podium – if
we see you with an extra bright smile we’ll know
the Cowboys have done well that day.
Mark Your Calendars:
February is Asbury Guild Awareness Month
ed by the Guild, which sends
funds directly to the Foundation through the sales of donated clothing.
By Jean Hubbell, Villas
H
ere on the Asbury campus,
February has been designated as Asbury Guild
Awareness Month. For those of
you who are new to our community, the work of the Guild may be
unknown and a refresher course
for the rest of us can’t hurt.
This month, you will find an
envelope in your campus mailbox
listing your building’s representative to the Guild. While contributions are welcome in any amount
and at any time through the year,
February is the month we do our
major fundraising. A detailed history of the Guild was printed in
the March 2016 issue of Village
Life. Until the mid-1980’s, the
Guild was THE volunteer organization on campus, providing support
Village Life
•
•
now provided through the Benevolent Care Foundation Fund. The
Guild works hand-in-hand with the
Foundation.
Here’s a short list of some of
the accomplishments of the Guild
over the years:
• Williamsburg Lane, in the basement of the Administration
building, has been transformed
into a beautiful walkway. It
houses the Clothes Closet, start-
•
•
•
• Two laundry rooms in Wilson
HCC for use by residents and/
or their families.
• $500,000 pledge to start the
Benevolent Care Endowment
The Guild Memorial Chapel,
Fund.
located in the Park View Apartments building.
• The Gift Shop in Wilson HCC
and the weekly Kindley Kart.
The Sensory Garden outside
the lower level of Wilson Health
The above is just a handful of the
Care Center.
services which the Guild has done,
The Bargain Mart, in the lower and continues to do, to enhance
level of Mund, sells donated fur- the lives of all who live at Kindley
Assisted Living and Wilson Health
niture and household items.
Care Center. Your financial gifts
Birthday gifts for Kindley and
help to keep the work going and
Wilson residents.
we hope you’ll consider a donaLarge-screen TVs for Kindley tion. The Guild sincerely thanks
residents as well as rocking all who have helped through the
chairs for the building’s deck.
years in every way.
January/February 2017
5
E
rnest Hemingway and I have something in
common.
My Son Also Rises… at 4:15 a.m., and
once a year flies to visit me on Frontier Airlines
from Denver, CO, and it’s the highlight of my year.
He always has such exciting plans for us: museums
in Washington, hit shows, special dinners in popular restaurants!
Unfortunately, this year he arrives at the same
time my dear friend Sylva McCulloh is playing
the piano in the Asbury Quartet in the Blue Note
Bistro, and I always feel I should support our local
artists. But I leave the door open for Dick, and I am
By Phyllis W. Zeno, Wallace
home an hour or so after he arrives.
Of course, he understands that I try to fit in an
hour nap before dinner, and while I nap, he goes to
Giant and buys us enough breakfast food to get us
through the week, so that is a good start to his visit. Upon a Village next May.
Anyway, bright and early Thursday morning I
Fortunately he has a GPS system on his rental
am up and ready to spring into action, and of car, so we find Salvation Army way out on Fredercourse, My Son Also Rises, even though it’s
two hours earlier than it is on Denver
time, but I have big plans for the day.
Since he went to great expense to
rent a car, he offers to take me to
some of the swanky stores around
Gaithersburg… Lord & Taylor’s or
Macy’s or even Trader Joe’s, but I
have a better idea. I ask him to
take me to the Salvation Army
and Goodwill to look for leopard skin tops for Tarzan and Jane
in my upcoming show, Once
Z-Notes
The Sun Also Rises
ick Avenue, but they don’t have a single Cheetah
blouse. So we drive to the other end of Frederick
to find Goodwill. And we’re in luck!
After combing through every aisle of their very
large store with my son in tow, I find five Cheetah blouses that are perfect for five of the eight
women I need them for.And they’re only $5.99 for
the long sleeved blouses and $4.99 for the short
sleeves.
Of course, I haven’t had the Cast Call yet, so I
don’t know what size I need, but I’ll just choose
the ladies to fit the sizes I’ve bought and hope they
all can sing.
When we get home, and I check my Cheetah purchase, I find they have charged me for six blouses
instead of five. I worry about that all night, but
then Friday morning I realize it is simple enough to
return to Goodwill and point out their mistake, so
once again, My Son Also Rises and drives me back
there. Rather than ask for my money back, I just
ask for the sixth blouse they charged me for,
and after my son proves to the clerk
that we are not crooks trying to get
a free blouse, we return home, thoroughly exhausted.
Sadly, My Son Also Rises for an
early plane back to Denver the
next morning. But, at least I have
six Cheetah blouses to show
for his visit and he promises to
return to see them in action in
Once Upon a Village next May.
In Memoriam
Thanks from the Wildlife Habitat
Team to Asbury Staff and Residents
activity of our birds and the many
ou’ve made the 2017 Wild- smaller pollinators that populate
life Calendar a great suc- our landscape. (We hope to focus
cess! Julia Sessions of Park these efforts at distances away from
View did most of the work. Xerox your balconies and patios! So use
contributed the costs of printing. binoculars!) Additionally, the team
Resident photographers took all the will continue to conduct “creature
pictures and our Asbury flora and counts” and inventories of invasive
fauna posed for all the shots with- plants that need to be controlled.
An extra bonus for us is that a
out compensation for themselves or
number of residents contributed
their agents!
You have enriched the Wildlife more than the asking price for the
coffers with well over $4,000, with calendar thus exhibiting additional
money still coming in. These dollars support for our work. A few calwill go toward the purchase and endars remain with Jane Carroll (x
planting of native trees, shrubs and 5393), if you missed yours.
perennials intended to enhance the
Y
6
By Peter Cascio
Resident
Residence(s)
Lyman B. Coddington
Joan Brubaker
Idabeth M. Thornton
Ella Snowden
Alfred J. Maier
Frances Helen Edwards
Philip Hemmig
Lillian Kashihara
Constance Jean Hefner
Posetta Bailey
Elizabeth Monahan
Rita Schlicker
Edith Brewer
Milton Donaldson
Richard “Mac” McCullough
Nancy Dunckel
Clyde Dameron
Nancy Sauer
Herbert McCullen
Ann Stolt
Elizabeth Gallagher
David Bushnell
Sylvia Boyarsky
Ms. Doris Carneal
Ms. Bhanumati Patil Mund
11-02-2016
Trott
11-03-2016
WHCC/KAL
11-05-2016
KAL/Wallace
11-12-2016
WHCC/KAL
11-23-2016
WHCC
11-29-2016
WHCC/KAL
11-29-2016
Kindley 12-02-2016
WHCC/Diamond
12-04-2016
WHCC
12-08-2016
WHCC/Kindley/Mund
12-14-2016
WHCC/Mund
12-14-2016
WHCC/Kindley
12-14-2016
WHCC/Mund
12-16-2016
Diamond
12-16-2016
WHCC/Kindley
12-21-2016
WHCC
12-23-2016
Mund
12-24-2016
WHCC/Kindley
12-25-2016
Kindley/Trott
12-28-2016
Wallace
12-28-2016
WHCC/Kindley/Edwards-Fisher 12-29-2016
WHCC
1-4-17
WHCC
1-6-17
KAL and WHCC1-8-17
January/February 2017
Date of Death
Village Life
A World without Volunteers
T
By Mary Waldron
here has been quite a bit
of discussion lately — even
in the comic strips — about
volunteerism. Fascinated by this, I
did some reflecting upon my own
experience during the17 years I
have lived at Asbury Methodist Village. The necessity for, and the reality of, volunteerism here at AMV
became evident once I asked myself
the question, “If all the volunteers
at Asbury suddenly decided to
stay home, put their feet
up and enjoy retirement
leisure, what would our
community be like?”
What an eye-opener
that question turned out
to be…
There would be:
no annual Elves Day, no Bargain
Mart, no gift shops, no Clothes
Closet, no sewing room and no
monthly birthday parties for our
Kindley and Wilson families.
• No AMV Board of Governors, no
resident councils, building committees or floor chairs.
• No CCAV, no PACs,
•No choirs and no annual
musical production
• No Asbury Guild
(the backbone of
Asbury Methodist
Village throughout its
lifetime). Without the
Guild, there would be
• No Keese School of Continuing
Education.
• No Caring Ministry to extend the
vital work of our paid chaplains
to so many in need of a sympathetic ear or helping hand.
• No contributors to our newspaper, Village Life. AVTV would
have to run with no help for our • No one to help Marketing showalready over-worked staff memcase their home, their lifestyle or
both to prospective residents.
bers, Joon Kim and Eric Thornet.
(No cameramen, no interviewAnd the list goes on.
ers, no volunteers to do the daily
And we simply must not forget
voice-over for those who have to mention all the volunteers from
impaired vision.)
outside Asbury who come and assist with Meals on Wheels in
the Russell Avenue Cafeteria, the Bistro and
dining rooms in
Wilson Health
Care Center and
Kindley Assisted
Living. Many of these
volunteers from the
community work over
the weekends to make
life in Wilson and Kindley so much more enjoyable.
Just think about it!
CHANCE
Continued from page 1
This Month in
the Gallery
The Rosborough Cultural Arts and Wellness Center is home
to an ever-changing gallery of arts and handiwork created
by our residents. Stop by and see what’s new. With 12 display
cases to look at, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Here’s this month’s sampling of art.
Doris Gordon, Diamond,
Watercolor
Keith Woodward, Park View,
Counted Cross-Stitch
Village Life
Dorothea Walsh,
Edwards-Fisher,
Oil
Tiiu Kera,
Villa,
Japanese Rozashi Embroidery
January/February 2017
in Germantown. They have all been
vetted by the federal government that
collaborates with local organizations
to help these weary refugees adjust to
a fast-paced culture, learn English and
adapt their skills to entry level, blue
collar jobs.They do this with grace and
gratefulness and are both hopeful and
fearful as they learn to trust again.
Some, such as the Sudanese family of
3 generations and 10 people, lived 13
years in a Congolese refugee camp.The
children have known no other home
than that camp and had little schooling
or medical care. Shortly after their arrival, their sponsors decked the elementary school children in action figure
costumes and took them to school for
their first Halloween. They fit in with
the other Super Heroes and that night
slept in their costumes. Step one in
becoming an American kid!
A small group of Asbury residents are
helping to make that happen by supporting St. Rose of Lima that with the
Islamic Center of Maryland (Gaithersburg) and Temple Beth Ami (Bethesda)
offer these oppressed people the hand
of friendship and hope of opportunity.
We do this in celebration of our own
immigrant ancestors whose struggles
led to our abundance. Consider joining this effort. Contact Marolyn Hatch,
X 4875.
7
By Luella Nash LeVee, Edwards-Fisher
O
ur Smiles column in the
October issue of Village
Life rang a lot of bells
for our readers, judging from comments received.
Featured in the column was the
historic and beautiful grandfather’s
clock you pass by every time you
visit McLaughlin Parlor in EdwardsFisher. It’s not just the history,
which dates back to 1707, it’s the
remarkable hand-crafted workmanship and, of course, the exquisite
chimes that ring on the hour.
I fell so in love with the grandfather’s clock that I paid it the
ultimate compliment by writing a
poem about it! It is in the adjacent
column.
If you would like to join our
Asbury Writers’ and Poets’ Bunch,
just phone our leader, Emily Robinson at 5818, and drop in at our
next monthly meeting for encouragement and candid critique.
The Grandfather’s Clock
Its stately grace often
Found me lost in admiration
The Dish:
Christmas Gift Fund
Brightens the Holidays
for Asbury Associates
What’s New in
Dining at Asbury
C
As I passed the grandfather’s clock
In the parlor, listening on the hour
to its
Delicate chimes
But it was not until
I watched it wound
And saw its inner works in motion
That admiration turned to love –
something
Soldered to the past.
As the winding took place,
The clock’s weights moved
By the winder’s firm touch
And I was transfixed at witnessing
Something that had taken place
since 1707—
The year the clock was made by a
craftsman
So consummately skilled
And proud of his work that he left
His name, place, and date
Inscribed across its face.
The clock is a tremendous age –
1707 until now –
And soon there will be
No one left who has admired the
clock today,
Yet the life of the clock will go on.
raving a crab cake? Pining for a profiterole? Starting February 1, two new resident dining perks go into effect to help
you curb those cravings:
n Friends and Family. Invite a non-resident guest or family member for a meal at any of our dining venues and the first $25 is on
Asbury. See your building concierge for more information. (Not
valid on the purchase of alcohol or for use on any holidays
that require reservations. One per resident.)
n Birthday Voucher. Celebrate your big day with a free meal at any
of Asbury’s dining locations. If you can’t make it on your birthday, no problem, it’s good for the day of your choice. Happy
Birthday! (Not valid on the purchase of alcohol.)
gift contributed to her college
tuition and helped her buy preshe generosity of AMV’s ents for her family.
“It definitely makes a differresidents and their famience,”
says Musu, who points
lies shone brightly for a
45th year as Wallace resident, Bing out that much of the dining staff
Garthwright, led the presenta- at Asbury is young and unable
tion of the annual Christmas Gift to work a lot of hours because
of commitments to school and
Fund drive last December 16.
The fund received 695 gifts extracurricular activities. “This
from residents and families of res- is extra income that they just
idents, totaling $247,135, which can’t make given the hours they
provided checks to 823 associ- are available to work.”
Working extra hours to pull
ates. Gift amounts were based
all
this together were neighboron the hours worked during the
entire year of 2016. For many hood coordinators Peter Casassociates, this generosity made cio, Art Rabenhorst, Sandy and
the holidays brighter or helped Henry Yeager, Hank Beisner, Maupay down bills and other finan- reen Baltay, Doreen Sexton, Bill
Brown, Carmine Castellano,Alicia
cial commitments.
Musu Pratt, supervisor at the Robrecht, and Molly McFarland.
Hefner Dining Room, first started Mary Waldron, Eric Thornett and
at Asbury while she Joon Kim produced an AVTV feawas in college. ture. Art Rabenhorst, also CCAV
Her annual treasurer, made all the bank
deposits and managed the funds.
And, a big shout out goes to Meredith Deutsch, who coordinated
the production and distribution
of the gift checks, produced all
the brochures and reminders and
organized the concluding celebration.
T
By Pam Brown and
Bing Garthwright
Celebrating a century: Wilson Health Care Center resident
Ruth Curley marked her 100th birthday on Jan. 3, with friends,
family and great granddaughters, Brooklyn and Isla. Ruth, a
resident of Asbury since 2003, has also lived in Edwards-Fisher
and Kindley. Happy Birthday, Ruth!
8
January/February 2017
Village Life
From the Health and Wellness PAC
The Cheese
Addiction
number one
cause of mortality in the
U.S. for seniors.
Besides this, ingested fat is more likely to become body fat.
Metabolism slows in the mitochondria of muscle cells that have
fat in them. There is no fiber to
control appetite. High sodium will
increase water weight as well as
influence blood pressure.
The second diagram shows that
cheese consumption has increased
200% over the last 30 years, parallel-
By Luann Mostello, M.D., Villas
W
hen they were asked
which food was most
“addictive” (defined
as difficulty in cutting down or a
sense of losing control during eating), the majority of 384 people in a
2015 University of Michigan survey
responded “cheese pizza.”
Why do we love eating cheese?
The average American eats 33
pounds of cheese a year (60,000
cal).
Is it just the tastiness or flavor
that we crave? Some have ventured
that its creaminess, coupled with
salivation, creates an oral sensation
triggering a brain response of pleasure. Steven Witherby, a food scientist, thinks there is a property of
“vanishing caloric density,” where
some foods melt down quickly and
are swallowed. The brain is tricked
into thinking there are no calories
ingested and the person keeps eating the food.
In his book, Salt Sugar Fat, Michael
Moss presents work by psychologist Adam Drewnowski indicating
that fat consumption appears to be
determined simply by the amount
of fat available in the food supply.
There seems to be no limit on
the amount of fat in a food that
will curtail its ingestion. However,
cheese is not the same as butter.
The protein in cheese, casein, has
very interesting properties when it
is broken down by digestion. Some
short segments, or peptides, consist
of amino acids that are opiate-like
compounds called caso-morphins.
These attach to the same brain
receptors as addictive drugs, releasing dopamine and resulting in pleasure. Research indicates that the
caso-morphins in digested human
milk are connected to mother-infant
bonding. The remnant of this feedback loop may explain our love
of animal-derived caso-morphins.
Although these findings were controversial at first, this information is
becoming more accepted.
ing the increase in obesity.
In contrast to U.S. Dietary Guidelines where we are encouraged to
limit saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol, the USDA oversees a program to boost milk product sales
by promoting fast-food chains and
other companies to develop products that utilize cheese, like cheesefilled crust pizzas and recipes that
add cream cheese for extra smoothness to sauces.
It takes a lot of effort to break the
cheese habit when the nature of its
components brings about pleasure
and reward. When eating cheese be
mindful of how quickly the calories
can add up, and remember to savor
each morsel.
What are the problems with
eating cheese?
Cheese is a processed food, consisting of fermentation by bacteria,
coagulation with enzymes, salting
and aging. It is calorie-dense rather than nutrient-dense. A nutrition
label details 1 oz of cheddar cheese
with 74% of calories coming from
fat. Compare that with 38% in salmon, 17% in tuna, or 30% in lean beef.
The protein content of cheese, 25%
of calories, might be redeeming but
yogurt is 34% protein, beef, 50% and
salmon, 60%.
It has been shown that there is
definitely a link of saturated fat
ingestion and heart disease, the
If you or your family members are on Facebook,
we encourage you to ‘like’ our page and
comment on our posts.
Why?


Keep up on community
news and events!
The more Facebook fans we have, the more
exposure Asbury will gain with people who are
searching for a retirement community.
If you have questions or an idea for a post, please
contact Pam Brown at ext. 4009.
Village Life
January/February 2017
9
Winter Wellness Tips for Seniors
Martha Raymundo, MD, a
board-certified specialist in geriatric primary care, is the newest
member of the medical team at
Holy Cross Health Partners here
at Asbury Methodist Village. In this
column, Dr. Raymundo answers
some commonly asked questions
about issues seniors should consider to maintain their best health
during the winter months.
Q: As the newest member of Holy
Cross Health Partners at Asbury
Methodist Village, can you tell us
a little more about yourself?
I am board certified in both geriatric medicine and primary care
and I have been involved in health
issues facing seniors for more than
11 years. I have a private practice
in Baltimore serving adults of all
ages and I am excited to work with
the residents of Asbury Methodist
Village to provide person-centered
care, based on mutual trust and
communication. My patients are
partners in their own health and I
will work with you to achieve the
best quality of life.
Q: What is the single most
important thing you would tell
older patients about health care
and prevention in winter?
The flu season runs October
through May, peaking in December and March. In older people and
those with chronic conditions, flu
can cause severe illness and even
death. If you don’t have a contraindication to the flu vaccine, getting vaccinated annually is the best
way to protect yourself and your
loved ones. Holy Cross Health Partners offers flu shots to residents of
Asbury Methodist Village and nonresidents as well.
action. Talk to your doctor if your
depressed mood lasts for more than
a week or two. Be cautious to avoid
falls by wearing skid-free shoes outside and taking it slow. Wear layered
clothes and proper winter wear,
including a hat and gloves, to avoid
frostbite or hypothermia in cold
weather.
Q: What other seasonal health
issues might seniors face?
-Q: What are the common health
pitfalls during the winter months
for
older
patients?
Because many older people stay
inside during winter, they can develop vitamin D deficiency. Be sure to
get a few minutes of sunshine each
day, eat foods rich in vitamin D -such as salmon and eggs -- and perhaps take a vitamin D supplement.
Depression can also occur during the winter because of shortened
daylight and decreased social inter-
recommend you identify a doctor at
your destination in case of a medical
emergency. Take your medications
on schedule, limit or avoid alcohol
and manage food portions. Also
make sure you get enough sleep.
Last but not least, it’s important to
get 2.5 hours of moderate physical
activity each week to maintain your
best health. You can participate in
Holy Cross Health’s Senior Fit exercise classes held at AMV every Monday and Wednesday, join a local gym
or call a friend and walk the mall.
Just keep moving and spring will
be here soon. To make an appointment at Holy Cross Health Partners
at Asbury Methodist Village, call 301557-2110; Asbury Methodist Village
residents dial
ext. 5800.
If you
plan to
travel, talk
to your doctor about special
vaccinations, medication refills and your
physical fitness for
travel. He or she may
Mac and Zil
Thank You!
Thanking our first responders: On Dec. 30, AMV executive
director Rob Liebreich (right) and CCAV vice chair and resident
Martha Olin, presented a $5,000 donation to Steven Hayes,
President of the Gaithersburg-Washington Grove Volunteer
Fire Department. 10
January/February 2017
Village Life
Welcome New Residents
Jim and Delores (Del) Kline characterize themselves as “re-arrivals,”
as they originally moved into
Asbury almost four years ago, settling into an apartment in Wallace.
Then a year ago Delores became
ill and spent a month in the Wilson
Health Care Center. Upon her discharge, it was felt that she would
benefit from assisted living, so the
couple moved to Kindley, settling
into an apartment with a beautiful
view of the ponds. However, they
were anxious to move back into
independent living so on October
21, 2016, they moved into their
Diamond apartment. “We’ve tried
them all,” says Jim. He adds that
they are happy that they made
that initial move to Asbury after
living in Derwood for 46 years and
raising their two sons and daughter there.
Natives of Washington, DC,
they met while they were in high
school -- Jim at Western and Delores at Woodrow Wilson. After
Jim served four years in the US
Navy, they moved to Montgomery
County and have resided here ever
since. Jim graduated from the University of Maryland and became a
CPA. He worked three years for
Since moving from Madison, WI,
in late October, Bridget and Dick
have been busy making space for
their car in the garage and establishing a fitness regime. For the latter they have settled on a Monday/
Wednesday/Friday exercise class
cycle with Tuesday and Thursday
at the gym. For the former it has
been unpacking and storing the
things brought from Wisconsin,
most importantly a culled collection of their woodturning efforts
and tools.
When they learned from their
daughter’s father-in-law that he’d
taken up a hobby of woodturning, and had seen his products,
they decided to give it a go. For
starters they attended classes and
seminars at a folk school in North
Carolina. The result is that their
work is shown at galleries and
craft shows around the country,
requiring frequent travel in their
mobile home. They are looking to
become involved in a local woodturning association, and eventually
displaying some of their beautiful
Village Life
Photo: Wayne Cleaver
James and Delores Kline
Diamond 112, x 5150
an insurance company and then
for the Montgomery County Board
of Education in the comptroller’s
office for five years. From there,
he then returned to the Navy, this
time as a civilian where he was
responsible for the financial management of naval labs for 14 years
and naval supply centers for 8
years. He also had a private CPA
practice.
Del was a stay-at-home mom
for several years and then worked
as a secretary in several car dealerships, doing payroll, accounts
receivable and title work.
Photo: Jay Hatch
Bridget and Dick Zemlo
Villa 578, X 4652
work in Rosborough’s Gallery.
Both have had careers in industry, though Bridget started her
professional life teaching art in
grade school and in colleges (she
inherited her art genes from her
painter mother). When public
funding was cut for the arts, she
looked elsewhere to apply her talents. Her second career was as
the design engineer for a company
that made closures for plastic and
January/February 2017
She also volunteered at the
school library when her children
were in school and later volunteered at the thrift shop at the
Rockville Senior Center, where
they both were active and where
Jim also volunteered. She loves
to crochet, knit and exercise so
they are pleased that their new
apartment is not only close to the
dining room but also Diamond’s
exercise room.
Jim bowls two days a week
and enjoys playing card games,
bocce and shuffleboard. He likes
sports of all kinds, playing football and baseball in high school.
He coached CYO football teams
while living in Bethesda and then
coached his sons’ baseball and
football teams in Rockville for
15 years. Their love of sports has
been passed on to their grandchildren, who have won several
college scholarships because of
their athletic excellence. One
great-granddaughter is even a race
car driver at the age of 10! Both
grandparents enjoy watching their
grandchildren play: “It’s fun following the kids around,” says Jim.
—Jan Garman, Diamond
glass containers. She particularly
appreciated that modern technology allowed her to work from a
need or idea to concept and models to production.
Dick’s part-time work in jewelry
sales while in college led to positions of increasing responsibility
and focus on settings, jewels and
packaging as well as their marketing to retailers. At retirement
he was the company’s manager of
purchasing and marketing.
They met while university students, not on campus but while
working for a botanical garden.
Their son and daughter are in the
area, as are three grandchildren
they look forward to getting to
know better. They also look forward to having a garden plot and
getting more involved in some of
AMV’s offerings. Dick is especially
interested in discovering fishing
opportunities in the area, while
Bridget hopes to continue to learn
from traveling.
—Jay Hatch, Villas
11
Welcome New Residents
After considering about a
dozen retirement communities
in the area, Linda and Winston
Davis moved to AMV with their
cat, Mud Pie, and dog, Bingo, in
July 2016. Included among their
possessions on the moving van
were a violin, gardening tools,
bicycles and kayaks.
Winston was born and grew
up in Jamestown, NY. Linda, born
in Pullman, WA, also lived in Madison, WI, and Palo Alto, CA. They
met in the orchestra pit during
a production at Stanford University. He played the violin and she
the cello.
Winston was professor of
Asian religions for 33 years, most
recently at Washington and Lee
University. He is a graduate of the
University of Rochester, Columbia University and the University
of Chicago. During his career
the family lived in Japan for a
total of four years (mostly in Nishinomiya), where he did research
and taught at a Japanese college.
Their young son attended Japanese public school.
Linda, a graduate of the Universi-
volunteers at the plant room of
the Holiday Park Senior Center in
Silver Spring. And, she is working
on a landscape design for a friend.
Here at AMV in her fall garden
she grows parsley, kale, garlic and
spinach and is experimenting with
a crop of winter wheat, which she
hopes to grind into flour for bread.
Winston, the violinist, is a member of six classical chamber music
groups. Their joy of making music
is shared at senior centers such
as Lisner Home, Friends Home
and others. One chamber group
includes their dog and is known
as “Bingo’s Gang.” Their apartment
also serves as a practice studio for
Winston’s various ensembles. He
Photo: Arthur Forrest
has already played twice at the
Blue Note Bistro.
Linda and Winston -- kayakers
Wallace 305, x6834
and cyclists -- frequently utilize
the nearby lakes and bicycle trails.
ty of California, Santa Cruz, retired posted in Cambodia. Her husband, They appreciate their proximity
from a position as office manag- Alex, is also an employee of the to AMV and are successfully inteer of the physics department at State Department.
grating the advantages of retireLinda is a master gardener and ment living at Asbury with their
Washington and Lee University.
Their son, Colin, is an architect volunteers at the demonstration very active life style.
in New York City and daughter, garden at the Agricultural History
—Bobbie Chase, Wallace
Monica, is a Foreign Service officer Farm Park in Derwood. She also
A poem entitled Going Steady, that
Bill Bancroft wrote about his courtship
and life with wife Jean ends with these
words:
Our walk is slower; we sometimes stumble,
So we stay together to prevent a tumble.
Linked arm-in-arm to keep from leaning,
We give “going steady” a different meaning.
Bill suspects that many of his Asbury
neighbors can relate to his current definition of “going steady.” Jean and Bill’s
courtship began when they were college
students in Nebraska -- Jean at Nebraska
Wesleyan and Bill at the University of
Nebraska. Bill is a native of Nebraska,
while Jean was born in Kansas but moved
to Nebraska at an early age. Bill went
on to medical school at the University
of Nebraska in Omaha with specialized
training in internal medicine and clinical
oncology. This was during the Vietnam
War, so the U.S. Army assigned him to
Walter Reed Medical Center where he
was able to conduct basic research into
the viruses that cause hepatitis. He felt
blessed to lead teams for developing and
testing vaccines to prevent Hepatitis A
and B.
During the first 7 years of marriage, Jean
taught school for two years and then they
started their family of two sons and a daughter.
12
Linda and Winston Davis
ed a Christian orphanage and monthly
hill tribe handicraft sales sponsored
by the missionaries. They both speak
glowingly of the experiences that their
family shared in Thailand and said that
they had to learn to adjust to life in
the US upon returning. Bill’s research
involved much traveling, so Jean continued to stay home with the children,
although she has been able to accompany him on some of trips. Jean has
always been a people person. She
loves exploring other cultures. Jean
is also the family correspondent and
compiled a book of the letters she had
written to relatives while overseas. She
loves to read and study.
For his final duty, Bill was assigned to
Fort Detrick in Frederick, MD, where
he was responsible for funding the
infectious disease programs for the
Army, Navy and Air Force. After 29
Photo: Wayne Cleaver
years in the Army, Bill went to a private
company where he continued to work
on infectious diseases for another ten
Diamond 1109, x 5088
years. The couple enjoys being with
their children and seven grandchildren,
In Washington, she became active in the Walter
who live in the area. Both volunteer in
Reed Officers’ Wives’ Group. The whole fam- their church, which is a large part of their lives.
ily was able to accompany Bill to Thailand for Asbury is a great place for Jean and Bill to be!
three years. While there, Jean actively support—Jan Garman, Diamond
Bill and Jean Bancroft
January/February 2017
Village Life
Welcome New Residents
Arlean Campbell
Villa 408, x 5082
Arlean moved into the Villas in July from her
home in Potomac. She lived there for 47 years,
most of them with husband Dan, who passed
away six years ago.They enjoyed 52 years together and raised three children: Susan, Daniel II and
Amy. Susan died two years ago. Three grandsons,
Robert, Shawn and Daniel III round out the family circle.
Arlean was born and raised in Philadelphia
where she attended the Philadelphia School of
Office Training, subsequently going to work as a
secretary at Drexel Brokerage Firm. Dan Campbell worked for Arlean’s uncle at Philco in Philadelphia. The two met at the home of Arlean’s
aunt and were married in 1957.
Dan got his degree in electrical engineering
but worked in sales for Orbital Sciences, traveling
worldwide selling and overseeing the installation
of satellites. He was a traveler and adventurer,
Photo: Marolyn Hatch
Francine Pivinski
Mund 105, x5653
It took strength for Francine to move to Asbury.
She had recently undergone brain surgery to
remove a cancerous mass. Her doctor didn’t want
her living alone, so she decided to make the move
to Asbury. She first went to Wilson Health Care
Center and then moved into her apartment. Her
daughter and her friends packed up the contents
of her Montgomery County house, moved them
to Asbury and unpacked them — all without Francine’s guidance. She says she is still trying to find
things.
As a result of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she is making a good recovery, but still is
not allowed to drive.
Francine was born in Webster, MA, and grew
up and attended school in Thompson, CT. She
earned a B.S. in biology from Annhurst College in
Putnam, CT, with a minor in chemistry. She went
on to receive an M.A. in education from Univer-
Photo: Bob Tedesco
and they moved many times during their early
years together. However, when the children came
along, Dan traveled and Arlean chose to be a
“homebody,” a role she enjoys today. After her
children graduated from high school, she joined
the staff of the Fourth Presbyterian Church in
Bethesda. She worked there for 27 years as an
administrative assistant to several pastors until
her retirement in 2011.
Arlean continues to be a member of the
Potomac Women’s Club and Questers, an international group interested in history, historic buildings and antiques. One of Arlean’s Villa neighbors
is also a member of Questers and they’ve known
each other for many years. Her hobbies also
include gardening, sewing and cooking.
She looked at several other retirement communities but chose an Asbury Villa, liking the garage,
patio and the option to do her own cooking. Our
Villa residents are happy to welcome Arlean to
her new home.
—Fran Blenderman, Villas
sity of Hartford and an M.L.S. from the University
of Rhode Island. Over 30 years, she has taught
biology and science in high schools and middle
schools in Connecticut, Ohio and Maryland.
Francine loves to travel. She’s gone on safari in
South Africa, escorted a group of high school students to Machu Pichu, camped and hiked in the
Amazon jungle, and spent five days in Normandy
visiting the WWII memorials and cemeteries. She’s
also been to Mont St. Michele, the Riviera, the
Chateau Country, and, of course, Paris, for a total
of three weeks.
Her most thrilling experience was seeing the
Pope when he came to Washington. Her volunteer
work has been with her church by serving meals
at Christmas at the Basilica and gathering gifts for
the needy at Christmas. But she also has helped
at a rescue organization for cats.
Francine is divorced and her former husband
has since passed away. Her daughter lives in D.C.,
and sees her mother weekly.
—Anne Porter, Mund
Ed Lynch
defense and civilian agencies through research
and consultation firms and eventually became an
Trott 404, x6759
independent business consultant.
Ed’s younger brother is head of neurology at
Ed Lynch moved into Trott on November 1.
He grew up in the small Pennsylvania town of Georgetown. One sister lives in New Jersey, a
Pottsville where his high school senior class had second in Boulder, CO. When Ed began to con90 students. Ed and two of his classmates were sider a retirement community, this businessman/
accepted at Notre Dame. Ed earned his degree engineer looked at six options. In answer to the
in electrical engineering and used his talents at question, why Asbury, his response was, “Keese
Westinghouse in Baltimore for two years after School and the Lifestyle Wellness Center.” He also
graduation. He then entered the Wharton School likes the view from his apartment. Ed, a devoted
at the University of Pennsylvania and earned an golfer, has participated in many tournaments.
MBA degree. With the combination of two fields, Welcome to Asbury -- and Trott -- Ed Lynch.
—Mary Ann Blatt, Trott
his career moved him to the use of analytic
techniques in decision making. He worked with
Photo: Hal Gaut
Village Life
January/February 2017
13
Welcome New Residents
Lydia R. Costlow
Diamond 205, x5646
Imagine moving your family – including three
small children – more than 7,500 miles to Taiwan
and finding yourself in the middle of a polio
epidemic. That was a real-life experience for the
Costlows.
Lydia and Ronald met on a blind date in high
school in Johnstown, PA. After graduation they
headed for Penn State, where she shared an apartment with a girlfriend and he studied business.
Three years later, in 1957, they married. Ronald
joined RCA in New Jersey after graduation and
Lydia completed her RN qualification at a nearby
college and began working as chief nurse at the
Mercer County blood bank. They had two daughters and a son (the family now includes seven
grandchildren and a great-grandchild).
The family moved to Taiwan in 1992, when
Photo: Wayne Cleaver
Ronald was appointed RCA’s vice president for
Asia, supervising four factories in the southwest
Pacific. They lived in Taiwan for 18 years, then
two more in Singapore. The children grew up
fluent in Mandarin and had a wonderful life, traveling all over the area. Vacations were spent back
at the Costlow’s beach house in New Jersey,“the
only home the children knew.”
In 1992 Ronald retired and the couple moved
back to the US to a condominium in Satellite
Beach, FL, and lived there 25 years until their
Asbury move. Unfortunately, Ronald died before
their move-in was complete.
Lydia recently completed the move and enjoys
living here, close to her daughter in Potomac.
Her ambition is to take a return trip to Taiwan
next summer, with her two adopted Taiwanese
grandchildren.
—Anthony & Barbara
Barnard, Diamond
Pat Johnson
1986 and was ordained in Oct. 1986. This was a
difficult year for our family. Bob, who had been so
Wallace 507, x5675
supportive of my call, died suddenly one month
I spent my formative years in Carney’s Point on
before my graduation. Katrina began her college
the west coast of New Jersey.A great deal of my joy
career at Gustavus Adolphus College in MN in Sept.,
came from the natural world and that world continand I began my ministry as Pastor of St. Mark-Temues to nourish and interest me today.
ple Lutheran Church. I served churches in HerI graduated from Penns Grove High School and
shey, PA, North Quincy, MA, Haverford and Secane,
went to Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ.
PA. I was also a chaplain at Abington Hospital and
There I learned that music was a good avocation
the Hershey Medical Center. I am grateful for the
for me but not a vocation. I transferred to Union
opportunity to serve God and God’s people.
College in Barbourville, KY, which provided me
This Jersey-Pennsylvania-Massachusetts woman
with an excellent education with many memorable
is now a Maryland woman. I came to the camexperiences and warm, caring people.
pus of Asbury after researching and visiting many
Photo: Arthur Forrest
Upon graduation, I returned to Carney’s Point to
places. I stepped on the campus, saw the nature
work as a program director in the YMCA,
trail and said,“this is it.” I am grateful for: the warm
prepared to adopt our children. It was here that I
where I worked with elementary, Jr. and Sr. High
welcome I received, the multitude of opportunities
became a Lutheran since Bob had been a cradle
youth. Our youth worked on issues of race relations.
to learn and grow, the chance for service and the
Lutheran and loved his church very much. The
This was back in the early 60s.What an opportunity
time to develop my interests and hobbies. I enjoy
next few years were very busy rearing our children,
for growth in awareness and understanding for all.
bird watching, gardening, reading, music, travel, theKatrina Suzanne and Eric Pau,l and attending to
These gatherings were life changing.
ater and photography. I also enjoy hearing about
their needs and interests.
In 1965 I married Bob Johnson and left my
the lives and activities of my grandchildren and my
In 1980 I finally responded to my yearning and
beloved Jersey.We moved to Broomall, PA. I became
housemate Carol’s grandchildren. I look forward to
desire to serve God. I entered the Lutheran Theoa Head Start teacher in Chester for a year and then
my years here at Asbury.
logical Seminary at Philadelphia, graduated in May
Joan O. Strickler
Edwards-Fisher 708, X5252
June marks the beginning of summer and June
2 marked the beginning of Joan Strickler’s new
residency in Edwards-Fisher. Born in Oakland,
CA, Joan became an East Coast transplant, receiving a BA from the College of William and Mary
and a MA from Rutgers University.
Married to a Lutheran clergyman, Joan filled
17 rewarding years raising three daughters and
assuming various parish responsibilities. She was
an enthusiastic volunteer with the Girl Scouts
and was able to utilize this as a career path. Joan
worked as a field director and director of training
in councils in New York, Virginia and New Jersey.
At Rutgers she spent nine years as director of
admissions at the graduate school of management.
Joan and her husband traveled extensively in
the United States as well as to Europe, Japan and
14
Photo: Joan Dunlap
Rwanda. This love of discovery prompted her
to initiate a “pen pal” relationship with a fellow
travel enthusiast in southern England. This began
in 1947 and after sixty-nine years they are still
January/February 2017
fast friends.
When not spending time with her husband
Warren, now a resident of the Wilson Health Care
Center, Joan is actively engaged in researching
family genealogy. She has also written a history
of the 150-year-old Lutheran church that she and
her husband were a part of during their retirement years in Harrisonburg, VA. Joan delights in
classical music, theater and art and can always
find time to read biographies, good novels and
nature and travel books.
Her volunteer activities, often church related,
centered on refugee resettlement, social ministry
and the bell choir. She also worked with the New
Jersey and Virginia state council of churches and
the Arts Council of the Valley (Harrisonburg).
Now her Edwards-Fisher neighbors and friends
are busy putting out the welcome mat and making her a part of our nurturing community.
—Joan Dunlop, Edwards-Fisher
Village Life
Welcome New Residents
As is the case with many of our
residents, George and Sueyweh
Lunking moved here by way of
nearby Olney, which had been
their home for about 20 years. But
both George and Sueyweh grew
up a long way from Olney, in South
Africa. Because their Chinese parents had migrated to that country,
they both grew up and went to
school there.
George’s parents owned a grocery/general store and the ins and
outs of marketing were part of
his life. The Chinese population
where Sue and George were living
was extremely small, but they met,
married and in 1967 immigrated
Photo: Hal Gaut
to the United States. Needing a job,
George applied to Giant and after
his 10-minute interview, was hired
Trott 406, x6850
to work in their seafood department. With his background and
knowledge of the grocery busi- establishment of seafood depart- these departments. Meanwhile,
ness, he moved quickly up the lad- ments in future Giant stores, as Sueyweh remained busy as an
der to organize and supervise the well as to train the employees for accomplished seamstress. They
George and Sueyweh Lunking
both were instrumental in the
organization and growth of the
Chinese Bible Church of Maryland.
Sue and George have two sons.
One, a chief financial officer for
a number of large corporations,
lives in Charlotte, NC. The other
son lives in Olney and works
in management at USDA. Three
grandsons and one granddaughter attended Montgomery County
Public Schools and are now pursuing their interests at University
of Miami, University of Maryland,
University of North Carolina and
Princeton.
Connection to Asbury? Yes, Sueyweh’s sister is Margaret Hin, who
lives in Trott #707. One son and
family nearby, their knowledge of
Asbury, and the familiar reasons
to downsize prompted their decision to move here on December 7.
They like it already! —Mary Ann Blatt, Trott
Carol Steinhart
Naturally, she made her children‘s Halloween
costumes.
Wallace 507, X5675
When her children finished college, Carol
decided
she was ready to attend the Lutheran
Carol was born in historic Bloomsburg, PA,
Seminary College at Philadelphia and graduawhich was once a stagecoach stop and still has
ted
in 1996. She has served as principal pastor
the original rooming house. She lived there
near Plymouth, MA from 1996-2002 and inteuntil the age of 21 when she graduated from
rim pastor elsewhere.
Bloomsburg Sate College in 1962. Carol then
th
On one occasion, when Carol had finished
moved to Bucks County and taught 10 grade
her prayers, she clearly knew that God had a
English at Neshaminy High School for five
plan for her. This was shown to her about 10
years. The school had 1,000 pupils in each of
years later when she was at church in Media,
its 3 grades.
PA as an interim pastor. She began to work
Her husband worked nearby. And when
with people in the Elwyn School who have
their first child arrived, Carol stopped working
intellectual, developmental and behavioral proand became a full-time mom. A job change for
blems, and found it to be a passion. She worked
her husband led them to Hershey, PA, where a
with them using instruments, sensory items
second child was born. Hershey was Carol’s
and devotion for seven years and considers it
home for 35 years.
to have been the high spot of her life.
Carol was an active volunteer at her church,
Carol moved to Asbury on July 11, and is
in her children’s schools, at election polls and
exploring
all it has to offer as a new resident
with the Boy & Girl Scouts. In the schools, she
and seeking out its numerous treasures. Her
loved storytelling dressed in her homemade
son lives in Lancaster, PA, with her 3 grandchilGood Witch costume. She did the same for
Photo: Arthur Forrest
dren, and her daughter lives in Germantown.
the elderly in nursing homes. She went so far
as to include in her skit a bubbling cauldron, daughter still has Carol‘s costume which inclu- And Carol lives with us — to our good fortune.
—Arthur Forrest, Wallace
complete with a pig‘s kidney on dry ice. Her des a real Besom broomstick from Transylvania.
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January/February 2017
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January/February 2017
Village Life