Meet 8 Types of New Retirees
By: Source: AARP Bulletin Today Date Posted: 2003-07-01 11:58:14
The New Entrepreneurs Arlene Lyons and Barbara Barasch, sisters, ages 56 and 53, Ten Sleep, Wyo. (population: 304)
- Before Early in her career Lyons directed nonprofit organizations in Austin, Texas; later she managed a clinic. Barasch, an auditor and manager at government agencies, last worked in San Francisco.
- Now The sisters own a small-town cafe near Bighorn National Forest. They consider themselves semi-retired because the business is seasonal.
- Why They were drawn to the scenic beauty of Wyoming and wanted to work together. And they were plumb tired of wearing pantyhose; now they wear jeans.
- What else Lyons ran for mayor.
- Before A civil engineer, Jim was transportation director of the District of Columbia. Mildred edited publications for the National Academy of Sciences. Together they produced audiovisual shows and publications on contract for businesses and government agencies.
- Now He publishes (and subsidizes) the Refuge Reporter, a quarterly magazine for wildlife enthusiasts.
- Why The Clarks, who loved to observe wildlife in natural habitats, launched the magazine in 1992 to build support for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Mildred died in 1997; Jim promised to carry on.
- What else He edits a newsletter for a local hospice organization.
- Before Judy was principal of a public elementary school, while Jarvis taught science at a private school in Groton, Mass.
- Now They run a bed and breakfast on Cape Cod—but only during the tourist season.
- Why They always enjoyed weekend escapes to Cape Cod. Dreaming of owning a B&B, Judy kept notes about the places they stayed, including recipes and floor plans she liked.
- What else The B&B is intentionally small (three rooms available five months a year) to leave time for reading, stargazing, beachcombing, photography and travel.
- Before He spent 39 years in the aerospace computer industry, half as a programmer, half as a salesman who enjoyed hobnobbing with astronauts.
- Now He paints houses, condominiums, apartment complexes and office buildings.
- Why While job-hunting in 1996 he kept running into age discrimination, with young dot.com executives saying he was "overqualified." A friend who owned several properties suggested he paint them, and his new business grew from there. He likes physical work because it helps him stay fit.
- What else He volunteers with Optimists International.
- Before For more than 20 years, she was a medical secretary and he was an electrical engineer. Later he was self-employed in construction.
- Now They find volunteering more rewarding—though more exhausting—than working full time. She's a hospice volunteer, caring for terminally ill clients. He leads a community effort to restore a historic building for the town's first library. They work together at a local food pantry and serve on myriad boards.
- Why They always wanted to engage in public service but until retiring never had time.
- What else They enjoy walking, traveling and choral singing. They don't have time anymore to go flyfishing.
- Before At the pace he ran the family business, a drapery store in Chicago, he was on a fast track to a heart attack.
- Now He's just completed a seven-year stint as a caregiver. He sold the family business in 1995, when his father was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). When his father died, his mother was diagnosed with depression, rendering her less able to care for herself. He took care of her until she died in March.
- Why He believes family is more important than anything. He felt fortunate to have the means to retire young and take care of his parents.
- What else He's planning a boat trip from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico, fishing along the way.
- Before After 32 years of producing publications for state agencies in West Virginia, he'd had enough of bureaucracy—but not enough challenge left in his job. Not wanting to "totally retire," he wasn't sure what to do next.
- Now He creates stained glass windows and other works of art. His business, First Glass, may turn a profit in this, its third year.
- Why Though he's always loved art, he discovered his medium when he took a stained glass workshop in 1998.
- What else He works 20 hours a week as an office manager, which keeps him on a schedule and helps him pay off debt.
- Before He was a building contractor; she was an office manager; they raised eight sons.
- Now They're enjoying life on the road in a recreational vehicle (RV). They stretch their dollars by volunteering at state parks that offer free RV hookups in exchange for a month's work. One month they led tours of a lighthouse on the Oregon coast. They've also "camped" in Los Angeles selling pumpkins and Christmas trees to pay for a backpacking trip through Europe.
- Why They like adventure better than things.
- What else They've sponsored puppet troupes in five countries to bring joy to children who've endured hardships.
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