 Home | Recent News | Wichita | Retirement Living 01 May 2006 Retirement Living, “Mid-Life Event” for Betty RobyBetty Roby epitomizes an increasingly common view that retirement is a “mid-life” event. Don’t expect to find her sitting idly in her cottage apartment at Wichita Presbyterian Manor. If you want to talk to her, you’ll need a good pair of running shoes. This busy Wichita native left the cares of day-to-day home maintenance behind when she and her husband moved to the Manor two years ago. She could easily be a “poster child” for a vibrant, active lifestyle – assuming she could be persuaded to stand still long enough. She smashes the myth that growing old means growing sick or spending life in a rocking chair. For 30 years, Roby has packed up her bubbling energy and injected it into various volunteer duties in her hometown. On Saturdays, you will find her pricing items or running the cash register at Economy Corner at Central and Broadway. The store is managed in part by her church, First Presbyterian. Roby describes this ministry as a “thrift store with a department store atmosphere.” In her 30 years as a volunteer, she has seen the changing needs of the community and the generous donations that allow the store to meet those needs. Clothing is the store’s primary offering, along with books, pictures, lamps and small appliances. “There is more competition with thrift stores than when Economy Corner started,” she said, recalling its previous location in east Wichita. “We help people who can’t afford to buy things but can afford them if they are reasonably priced.” When not at the thrift store, you likely will find her shelving books at the church or Manor libraries – a way of giving back for all the joy that reading has brought her. She’s always in the middle of a good book (most recently non-fiction). And she can rapid-fire the names of some of today’s hottest fiction authors, with knowledge of their best sellers close behind. “I enjoy reading. I guess reading’s always come easy to me,” said the 80-year-old Wichita North High graduate. And for the times she does sit down for a few minutes, she likes to challenge herself with the daily crossword and other word puzzles. She is a long-time member of the Twentieth Century Club and Helianthus, a luncheon and program club whose name means “sunflower.” Amazingly she also finds time to exercise at the Downtown Senior Center and sit in on an occasional game of Canasta at the Manor. She has called Presbyterian Manor home since late 2003, when she and her late husband moved there from their home of 47 years. She admits the decision to move was hard but one with a lot of positives, too. She knew it was the last move she would have to make, because the Manor offers a continuum of care that can handle whatever future needs may arise. And her active volunteer life is easier now without home maintenance responsibilities. “I don’t have the worry and responsibility of a house. If something goes wrong, I can just pick up the phone,” she said. “I really think it was a smart move.” She uses her second bedroom as a den and said the convenience of built-in appliances and plenty of storage eased the transition, although she discovered when she moved that she was more of a “saver” than she thought. “When we moved I never thought I was a person who accumulated things. I’m trying to stay uncluttered,” she said with a laugh. Planning and making their move to Presbyterian Manor also prompted her and her husband to think about and plan for the future. Roby realized that gave her family a precious gift. “We got some things taken care of ahead of time,” she said. “I think of it as something we did for our children.
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