With the Windsor of Savoy’s 30-year anniversary on the horizon, there’s a lot to reflect on, especially for the staff who keep it up and running.
The retirement facility has been a staple in the neighborhood and the region since opening December 12, 1988. Over the years, many residents chose Windsor of Savoy because they had connections before deciding to move in. Those links range from visiting friends to attending events, and some were former employees. Through the decades, the independent- and assisted-living community has provided stability, dependability and peace of mind to residents and their loved ones.
Windsor of Savoy also boasts a handful of loyal staff who’ve stuck around like Roger and Sharon Bowen.
Roger, facilities manager, was one of the original employees and was even quoted in the Windsor’s Gracious Living publication as saying, “I never had grandparents, and I look at a lot of the folks here as surrogate grandparents.”
Thirty-one years later, it’s as if nothing has changed.
“When I get a work order to change a lightbulb, it’s like going to Grandpa and Grandma’s house. I really enjoy being around the residents because of the variety of different lives and stories of where they came from,” Roger said. “It’s amazing how I’d be talking to the resident, doing their work order, to find out they came from just down the road from where I grew up.”
Roger and Sharon are so dedicated to their workplace they even had their wedding reception there.
“All the residents came and ate all the cake,” laughed Sharon. “We’ve been married 28 years.” The same amount of time Sharon has worked at the Windsor as a hairstylist.
“It’s fun coming to work every day and talking to the residents to see what’s going on. You get close to them and their families, even though you don’t meet all of them, but you feel like you know them,” said Sharon.
Cindy Brewer, Windsor Court manager, has worked with the couple for three and a half years, but finds them both to be very thoughtful and considerate individuals.
“Their loyalty to the Windsor shows to others that it’s a great place to work. Roger and Sharon are truly devoted to what they do and the residents they serve,” Brewer said.
After all these years, the biggest changes the pair have noticed are building renovations to stay up to date.
“We don’t feel like we’re 30 years old here. We feel like we’re a year old,” Roger said. “It’s just a good feeling to know that when Courtney (Mann), the leasing manager, opens the door to someone’s future apartment, they are ready to sign the papers. The apartments look so nice that I’d want to live there myself.”
As newer retirement communities pop up in the area, Windsor of Savoy remains a popular place with about 160 people on the waiting list.
“When you see other retirement homes opening up, I just feel like they are all copying off of us because we started it all,” Roger said with a grin. “We set the standard.”
Sharon added, “There was a lady this morning who said she wouldn’t want to live any place else. I said, ‘Of course not. There’s no place else like it.’”
Categories: Staying Healthy
Tags: Carle, assisted, independent, residents, windsor of savoy