Leisure Wo r l d gives thanks
Residents share what they're grateful for this holiday season
The holiday season has officially arrived, offering a welcome moment to pause, reflect and celebrate the year drawing to a close. Thanksgiving, in particular, reminds us to step away from the routines of daily life and acknowledge the simple joys—large and small—that bring meaning to our days. It’s a time to express gratitude, strengthen connections and appreciate the many blessings that shape our community.
This season, LW Weekly invited residents to share what they’re most thankful for. Here’s what they shared:
• Dave Crandall, Mutual 10: I’m thankful for my wonderful son and his new wife, married this year, for my good friends, for the freedom to enjoy my retirement in the beautiful Seal Beach weather, for the friendly people of Leisure World, the classes here, the Creative Writers Club, the LW Library, the concerts, and last but not least, et cetera!
• Helen Kertz, Mutual 6: I’m thankful for my LW community, and my great friends and neighbors that I’ve met here.
• Teri Nugent, Mutual 2: I am always thankful for friends, family, living in LW, and the grace of God.
• Jim Strannix, Mutual 6: I am grateful to be celebrating my 75th Thanksgiving. I am grateful to live in a community where I feel safe and where people respect and are courteous to each other.
• Lee Ann Warner, Mutual 2: I am beyond grateful that the stroke my husband suffered in July did not take him from me. His progress is slow, but I see improvement week by week. And I’m so very thankful for all the help and support my daughter has been to me during his recovery.
• Annette Canale, Mutual 6: I am thankful for the wonderful community we live in and the many friends I have made since moving here.
• Fred Fenton, Mutual 12: Although not a Catholic myself, I am thankful for Pope Leo, who is making the needs of immigrants and the poor central concerns of his papacy.
• Carol Solis, Mutual 7: I am grateful for having a mother, Lydia, who is always there for her children. She always makes time for all of us.
GRATITUDE, page 2 GRATITUDE
from page 1
• Mario Rossi, Mutual 14: I am grateful for being born in the United States into a loving family. I had the honor of serving my country as a naval officer for three years at sea. My career as an architect involved designing over 100 projects before retiring. I am blessed for my wife, JoAnn, for the past 67 years, four children, 12 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Most importantly I am grateful for my health which allows me to enjoy life at age 94.
• Steve and Mary Martinez, Mutual 9: We want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the residents of Mutual 9—a place my mom and I call home. Thank you for making our Mutual such a special place to live. The time you take to visit or wave as we walk through the neighborhood and the effort you make to host barbecues, holiday parties, and everything in between has made a positive difference in our wellbeing. These acts of kindness show how much you care. Thank you for looking out for one another. Wishing you all a warm, safe and joyful Thanksgiving.
• Cathy Molina, Mutual 2: I write a gratitude list every morning. It helps to have a positive attitude. I’m grateful I woke up, for good health, family, my husband who had two major neck surgeries in two years—I’m grateful he’s still here! Roof over my head, part-time job, my son, grandson and furbabies. Most of all my higher power that is in charge of all. Much love.
• Maureen Habel, Mutual 3:
I am thankful for our wonderful GRF employees. Some we see often in offices and out and about in the community. Others work behind the scenes making sure that our community runs smoothly and efficiently. Whatever the work setting, GRF staff are consistently professional, helpful, friendly and extraordinarily patient. I can’t imagine what life would be like in Leisure World without their commitment and hard work and wish each of them and their families a happy Thanksgiving.
• Anna Derby, Mutual 5:
I’m thankful for the hundreds of volunteers who are willing to dedicate their precious time to serving others; without them, the Golden Age Foundation (GAF) wouldn’t be able to provide service programs that enhance our neighbors’ lives. Hundreds of volunteers participate throughout the year to provide a place to meet new friends over coffee or tea during weekdays. GAF loans mobility aids without charging anyone who needs them; provides free income tax help by certified and trained volunteers; brings a truck to shred documents to protect shareholders’ identities and privacy; helps to save the earth by recycling used batteries, and takes unwanted items from residents’ homes to give to the Salvation Army, which uses them to support its rehabilitation programs. I’m thankful to be a part of the 52-year service organization, and would love to see the program continue another 52 years to help LW shareholders. Finally, I’m grateful to live in this wonderful community with countless amenities to enjoy my life with friends we met here.
• Mary Ellen Fuller, Mutual 2: I am grateful for our community and the relationships that I have built over the past 4.5 years living here. I’m grateful for the silence in the morning and evening that brings me peace and contentment. I’m grateful for the bike group and ping pong community. I’m grateful for my daughter, Emily, who I love and adore. Happy Thanksgiving.
• Joe Osuna, Mutual 15: Grateful this Thanksgiving for the thoughtfulness and assistance of our neighbors Nancy and Carrie for caring about my wife, while I was being taken to the emergency room at the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital at night. It turns out Los Alamitos Hospital Emergency Room was full and ambulances were being diverted to other hospitals. Nancy and Carrie helped my wife reach the Fountain Valley Hospital. My wife uses a walker to assist her walking. They pushed her in the walker to the carport. Carrie accompanied my wife to the hospital and Nancy followed in her vehicle. The plan was to make sure my wife got to the hospital and then Carrie got a ride back to Leisure World. My wife can drive home, but needed help finding the hospital at night. Carrie and Nancy stayed with my wife until the situation was stabilized and I was admitted to the hospital for sepsis treatment. All is back to normal in my case.
• Michele Nygard, Mutual 14: Of course always so thankful for my husband and children. I have been very blessed. I’m very thankful for living in Leisure World the last eight years. I have wonderful neighbors and friends who watch out and care for each other. I wish that for everyone else that lives here. I think this year I’m most thankful for the wonderful family that I have found at Holy Family Church here in Leisure World. It truly lives up to its name! I would like to extend an invitation for anyone who is lonely and may not have any family to join us any time.
• Jojo Weingart, Mutual 12: Hui O Hula gives heartfelt thanks to the joyful, faithful dancers who continue to show up each week for hula lessons and practice. Year after year, they share their aloha with their hula ‘ohana (means family in Hawaiian) in class and at performances big and small. Even after 20 years, their enthusiasm has not faded; the dancers eagerly learn new dances, uplift one another, and spread joy throughout the community. They are a true gift to each other, the Leisure World community, and to instructor Jojo Weingart. Big mahalo (means thanks in Hawaiian) also goes to the LW Recreation Department hui (means group in Hawaiian) for its support with room reservations and setups; and to the LW Weekly hui for helping keep communication flowing.
• Joseph Kirk, Mutual 1: I’m thankful for the friends we’ve made since moving into Leisure World in 2002. I’m thankful for my closest and dearest friend Emily. We’ve known each other for over 15 years. We’ve been there for each other in good times and difficult times. It’s rare to have a friend you can talk too about anything and confide in. I’m thankful for my parents. They supported me in all my athletic activities be it summer baseball leagues and high school sports and junior college sports. They came to as many games as they could. And I’m grateful for the way they raised me to be an honest and hard-working man and to be sensitive and caring for others. I’m most thankful for my wife, Jeannette. She had a very difficult childhood. She was born in Italy in 1944 in an underground hospital during a U.S. bombing raid. In February of 1956 she came to the United States with her mom, older sister and younger brother (her father was working in Venezuela at the time) on the Andrea Dora, the same ship that sunk in July of 1956. On Dec. 1, 1964, she
GRATITUDE, page 4
Mary Ellen Fuller of Mutual 2 shared gratitude for the table tennis community in Leisure World. Tables are open to residents and their guests daily in Clubhouse 6. GRATITUDE
from page 2
and her brother survived a fire at Our Lady of Angels School in Chicago that took the lives of 92 students and three nuns. She’s persevered all these years. We’ve been married for over 24 years. I’m thankful to be a part of her life. I love her dearly. When you have the best, who needs the rest?
• Nick Massetti, Mutual 17:
The Leisure World Cares Fund expresses its heartfelt gratitude: first of all, to the residents who have applied for help with their HOA fees. Providing an ongoing subsidy for their HOA fees and improving their housing security is why the fund was founded, and it is a privilege to serve them. Secondly, the fund is thankful for the more than 50 donors who have so far contributed. They enable the fund to fulfill its mission, and they are most certainly appreciated. Finally, there is sincere gratitude for the fund’s board members who volunteer and see that the donors’ resources are well placed with their most vulnerable neighbors. To apply for aid or donate to the fund, visit www. lwcaresfund. org, email lwcares@lwcaresfund.org or call 562-262-8280.
• Gail Morrison, Mutual 2:
I am thankful for the captions at the Low Vision/Hearing Club and Hard of Hearing Support Group here in Leisure World. These captions are provided through the leaders and members who could see similarities between the two. Leisure World is a community of some 10,000 senior citizens with roughly 80% residents with some level of hearing loss. People with hearing loss can quickly become isolated, depressed and stay at home simply when they cannot hear. Now, instead of staying home, they are able to attend, participate in their many programs, and hear information to thrive and grow in their senior years here in Leisure World—a real blessing!
• Ria Cencak, Mutual 2: I moved to LW a little over a year ago. I work full time so I had not been able to take advantage of the wonderful clubs and services that are a part of LW until a few months ago. I had a slight accident and broke my foot. I was out of work and unable to walk for seven weeks. My family and wonderful neighbors stepped up to help me out. I would like to give thanks to the LW community. I am so grateful to my amazing neighbors for their generous help. Thank you for being blessings in my life. I want to take a moment and let you know how much you are appreciated. Thank you Kimchi, for informing me about the Mobility Aid Office, and for driving me there to see if I could get a knee scooter. They were all out; yet, I met Bill Turner who generously offered to loan me his wife’s knee scooter and volunteered to bring it over to me. I am more grateful to you than words can express. I am forever grateful to Roxie and Aiko for helping walk my dog daily: thank you, gracias, arigato. Thanks to my sister, Diane, who helped with shopping. Thank you, Donna, for introducing the LW Access Bus Service, LW Library, the art clubs and for sharing rides. To Bill and Paul, my shuttle service drivers, who came and picked me up in the wheelchair right outside my front door. To Tom and Susan, the Zentangle teachers, who kindly welcomed me to their class. To Bill, the most kindhearted and talented watercolor teacher I could ever ask for (I will miss this class so much). Thank you Neil, Connie, Vi, Craig and Rose (Trooper), Wayne and Debbie, Carmen, Elda, Eileen (Lacey), Terry (who chased after me in my wheelchair, as I was out with my dog, to warn me that coyotes were nearby), Denise (Bean and Cutie Pie), Gloria, Marty, Cora (Chewy), Middy, Ana (Panda and Mocha), Alberta, Sharon (Toby) and my early walkers Jack, Myrna and Wendy. I thank you ALL for your kindness and for being the wonderful, amazing people you are. Life is one big, continuous circle of giving and receiving energy. It’s not what we have in life, but who we have in our life that matters. Grateful for family, friends, and the small, beautiful moments that make life sweet. Happy Thanksgiving!
• Marla Hamblin, Mutual 15: I’ve been very blessed in my private life, so here are just a few of my Leisure World thanks: I’m very thankful for the hidden treasures who are the employees here in Leisure World who deal with our population and work with detailed elements of the work they do, to name just a few: Andrea and Emma in Administration, who keep this place on task and everyone in Recreation who give us the reasons we moved here—most notably the shining jewel Kathy Thayer, the pool and gym attendants and our housekeepers. Thanks to all of them, each and every one for ensuring the quality of our lives, and to Ruth Osborn, who gets it all in the paper!
Mutual 2 resident Ria Cencak gave thanks for the Golden Age Foundation Mobility Aid Offi ce, which lends walkers and wheelchairs to residents at no cost.
Paul Kryczko
