 Home | Recent News | Lawrence | Busy Ku Retirees 06 Jan 2006 Take Advantage of Active Senior Living Early, Say Busy KU Retirees Turned Park Rangers Three years after moving to their new home at Presbyterian Manor in Lawrence, Kan., Brower and Mary Burchill have an important message for other retirees: Take advantage of active retirement living sooner rather than later. “We are far and away the youngest at Presbyterian Manor,” said Brower. “But we now realize that people so often wait too long to make this kind of move. They become incapacitated and aren’t able to make such a smooth, easy transition. It was such a good move for us, though. We get all the fun and satisfaction — and can still enjoy our good memories.” The Burchills also consider their move to Presbyterian Manor a gift to their children, “although they may not understand that right now,” Brower said. “We know, though, that they will never have to worry about taking care of us or having us come to live with them — and they will never have to be the ones to make those hard decisions.” When the couple retired as highly respected members of the University of Kansas staff, they traded the halls of academia for the great outdoors, becoming U.S. Park Rangers. As rangers at Bandolier State Park in New Mexico, they are away as much as six months of the year. “Quite frankly, we began to be a little afraid of going off and leaving our home unattended for so long,” Mary said. “So we began looking around, thinking we would move to an apartment or condominium. “Originally, we didn’t even think of Presbyterian Manor. Like so many probably do, we thought that was for ‘older’ people. But one day we happened to drive by the Manor when they were having an open house, so we decided to take a look just on a lark.” What they found was a vibrant community of like-minded active seniors, including many friends and colleagues from the university. They also found a two-bedroom townhouse in which they expressed an interest — thinking it might be a while before one became available. But a short time later they received a call inviting them to join the Presbyterian Manor community and suddenly it was time to jump into action. Facing the prospect of paring down their household from a large four-bedroom house to the more compact townhouse, the Burchills needed a plan. “We realized it wouldn’t be particularly easy to part with so many things we had accumulated over the years — and we had accumulated. But we knew it was time to make the move, so we got busy,” said Mary. “First, we set aside everything we wanted to take with us. Then we had a large estate sale, and though we thought it would be difficult to part with things, it turned out not to be that hard. And it really released us. We had no idea how freeing it would be.” Not only did the Burchills discover a newfound sense of freedom by lightening their load materially, they immediately appreciated the security of being able to travel without worry. “Whether we want to leave for six months or six days, we just tell the Manor and go,” said Brower. “It’s been wonderful!” Mary enthused. “We’ve gained such a sense of freedom and peace of mind.” After 27 years with the Division of Biological Sciences at KU, Brower was primed for change. “I was a cell biologist — research, teaching, the full academic gamut,” he said. “The experience of being outdoors as a ranger has been a real joy. I was ready for a little daylight! “I was only 56 when I left KU, the youngest ever to retire from the faculty. It’s a distinction I hold with great pride,” he chuckled. Retiring didn’t mean leaving the university, however. Asked to chair the committee overseeing development of a KU-based cultural center and museum honoring the Haskell Indian Nations, Brower spent two years in that venture. “The Haskell Cultural Center was long overdue,” he said. “It turned out very well, and I am very proud to have been a part of that.” These days, when not involved with university or park ranger duties, Brower works part time as a greeter and delivery driver for a local grocery and variety store. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “I get to see all my friends from KU that I might not otherwise get to see anymore.” Mary, who has already written two books, including the popularly acclaimed “A Fan’s Guide to KU Men’s Basketball in Allen Fieldhouse,” is currently working on a third — one with something of a connection to Presbyterian Manor in Lawrence. A history of Hidden Valley, the 40-acre Girl Scout camp that borders the Manor’s campus, the book is due to be published in time for the 50th anniversary of Hidden Valley in 2006. She is also president of both the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Douglas County Genealogical Society, and she serves on the board of Lawrence Library. “Sometimes I think Mary’s too busy and I’d like to sit on her,” Brower joked, “But I guess that’s out of the question!” Although the Burchills have no immediate plans to slow down, they are looking forward to having more time to participate in Manor activities. “There’s a lot to do right here,” said Brower. “We take Tai Chi classes twice a week, and we like to join the other residents for our regular afternoon coffees and the Friday evening movies. Plus, Mary is head of the Library Committee right now. So we probably already take part more than we even realize. “There is such a sense of community at Presbyterian Manor and we’ve made some really good friends.”
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