Volume 14, Number 2: April 2006
Meet These Super Silver Stars
Congratulations to the Tallahassee Senior Center's 2006 Silver Stars! This group of post-60 achievers is, in a word, amazing. Read about their lives, and be inspired. The Silver Stars celebration and award ceremony was held on April 20.
Margaret Hamilton
Margaret Hamilton's middle name should be multitasker because she does it all. Still working part-time at the Florida Bar, she loves dancing, exercising, computer club, the Goodwood Plantation plant sale, and especially art. She is a member of the Senior Center's Advisory and Art Councils, as well as the Tallahassee Watercolor Society, and works in pastels, prismacolor, and oil. Most famous for her pet portraits, Margaret exhibits across Florida, Georgia, and Michigan and has won Best of Show at the Center. This Silver Star's advice? "Don't slow down! There's a great big old world out there. How could anyone be bored?"
Dr. Charles Matthews
A world-class cyclist rides regularly through Tallahassee: an 83-year-old physician who still cycles in century rides. Charles worked as a pulmonologist until age 67, when he was recruited as director of health services at the Florida Department of Corrections. There he made dental and eye care available and founded the first correctional bioethics committee in the U.S. Today, he volunteers as a physician with Neighborhood Healthcare Services and works as a physician. Charles says his best advice on aging is to stay in motion. "If you rest, you rust!"
John J. O'Farrell
John J. O'Farrell has been an active resident of Tallahassee since 1984. In his high-powered career life, he worked for IBM Development Labs and with the U.S. military. Now he says he probably works even harder: volunteering for the Tallahassee Senior Center Advisory Council, aiding TMH's Lifeline service, serving as vice-president of the World War II Historical Society, and much more. He also assists the Florida Attorney General on a special project, Seniors vs. Crime. John says that keeping busy has much to do with positive aging. "My secret weapon, though, is having a wife who cares. She keeps me going."
Dr. Archie Johnson
He fought at Pearl Harbor, in the Pacific, in Korea, and at 42 retired from the service. For Archie Johnston, though, every end is a beginning. Just five years after leaving the military, he was Phi Beta Kappa with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. Next, he was the first dean of Tallahassee Community College (TCC). At age 50, Archie became director of TCC's Research & Systems and at 67 (forget retirement) director of Tallahassee Memorial's Lifeline Systems, where he still volunteers at 87. AARP is another volunteer focus for Archie, who advises, "Love your fellow man, give of yourself, and stay active."
Josephine Napinski
Josephine Napinski has a true passion for the beauties of life. In her working years, she kept busy as a stenographer for the county welfare board while raising three beautiful girls. When Josephine retired after 33 years, she made it a point to stay actively involved with her church. She is a member of the St. Francis Fraternity, which she says helps her to lead an inspired life. She also volunteers at Big Bend Hospice and Kate Sullivan Elementary School, where her granddaughter is a student. "Prayer" is Josephine's secret to positive aging. She is a happy and fulfilled 86.
Walter Eaton
After 21 years in construction, Walter Eaton wanted to help others: a thank you for all the help he had received. Now 74, he stays very busy as a satellite office manager for the local Red Cross. Following the Katrina tragedy, Walter led Red Cross disaster services as a supervisor. This year he was named Volunteer of the Year for both the American Red Cross and the Boy Scouts of America. In his free time he enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling with his three dachshunds. Not surprisingly, Walter said without a doubt his key to a fulfilling life is "the desire to help other people."