Category: News

Across the state, many Westminster Life Plan Communities are home to second-generation residents—those choosing to live in the same communities where their family members once lived.

Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee is a prime example of this trend, with a significant number of its residents having familial connections to the community. Of the approximately 600 residents, more than 65 have relatives who previously lived there, including Carolyn Shackelford, whose mother, Lucy, was a resident for 23 years.

Carolyn and her husband of 68 years, Steven, made the move to Westminster Oaks in October of 2011, just two months after her mother passed.

Carolyn recalls her initial reluctance: “My mantra was, ‘I will never live here,’” she admitted. Despite enjoying her visits to see her mother, she never envisioned herself living in the same place. The decision came when the couple was looking to downsize from their two-story home, which required extensive upkeep. Steven said, “I’m moving one time. Where do you want to go?”

Carolyn reconsidered. “All those years I said I never wanted to live here, it wasn’t because of the place or the staff. It was just the idea of being in the same place where my mom had been for so many years, and where I visited for so many years, but then it got to be a blessing,” she explained. Carolyn wanted a place that felt like home and where family could visit—a wish that has been fulfilled over the past 13 years.

The compassionate care her mother received also played a significant role in her decision. Her mother was in Assisted Living when Carolyn took a trip abroad for a few weeks. She left a series of cards and notes for her mother for each day she would be gone. Every day, team members at the community would give Lucy one of Carolyn’s cards.

Reflecting on the experience, Carolyn expressed her gratitude: “I could not have asked for a nicer place to have a mother that you love,” she said. “Knowing that I didn’t have to be with her every minute. They were all so good to her.”

Similarly, Happy Schuur and his wife Glenda decided to move to Westminster Towers on Lake Lucerne in Orlando, where Happy’s mother lived more than 20 years ago. When they were ready to move out of their home, give up the yard work and upkeep, Happy confidently chose Westminster Towers. He remarked, “We wanted some place to go, and I knew this was the best. We didn’t even look around.”

Happy and Glenda are brand-new residents, having only lived at Westminster Towers for a few weeks, but they have already received an incredibly warm welcome. The positive experiences his mother had at Westminster Towers was also a large motivator in their decision to move. “She was treated so good here,” Happy said. “People are so nice and friendly here. It’s great, great community.”

A native of central Florida, Happy has cherished memories of visiting his mother at Westminster Towers, especially watching the Independence Day fireworks over Lake Eola from her residence. Now, he and Glenda are excited to create new memories in their own space.

Happy appreciates the lifelong care commitment of the community, saying, “One thing about this place is when you’re here, they take care of you for life and that’s why I’m here. They will take care of me.”

Reflecting on their decision, Happy expressed contentment: “I’m glad I did it. My wife’s glad we did it. You don’t have to worry about anything,” he said. “We are very happy here and I hope we get even happier.”

Meanwhile, Carolyn, who lives more than 250 miles away from Happy, echoed his feelings about her own community at Westminster Oaks. “Where else would I find so much support, nice neighbors, and a welcoming, wonderful, and helpful administration than right here at Westminster Oaks? I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she shared.

Carolyn and Happy’s stories highlight a trend at Westminster Communities, where the legacy of family and the assurance of quality care draw second-generation residents to follow in their relatives’ footsteps. This underscores the deep trust and satisfaction these communities generate, emphasizing their role in strengthening family ties and enhancing life. As more people like Carolyn and Happy choose these nurturing environments, Westminster Communities continue to prove themselves as spaces where generations of families can thrive in comfort and happiness.

Interested in exploring a Westminster Community for yourself or a loved one? Visit our website today to locate the community that fits your needs perfectly!

Alongside her full-time duties as Administrative Coordinator for Affordable Housing & Clinical Services at Westminster Communities of Florida, Norma Christie King has achieved a significant milestone by graduating from California Baptist University. Her pursuit of higher education over the last two years was supported by Westminster’s Tuition Reimbursement Program.

Current team members who enroll in courses at accredited institutions can take advantage of the program’s reimbursement benefit, which supports those seeking to advance their careers. After a rigorous two-year period, taking four classes each semester online alongside her full-time job, Norma has now obtained a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership.

“At Westminster, there are opportunities for growth whether it be on-the-job training, learning from our high cadre of leaders, or through professional development at universities or community colleges,” Norma said. “The tuition reimbursement program helps cushion those stressful moments as you further your education!”

Despite the challenges of managing her studies and full-time employment, Norma’s consistently high grades each semester motivated her to keep up her efforts. Her dedication was recognized with her induction into the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society, honoring her academic excellence and leadership among her peers.

“Norma did a beautiful job of balancing her professional workload and her studies simultaneously,” said Westminster Communities of Florida Human Resources Manager Donna Seide. “She is an integral part of our organization, and her performance did not budge while she was studying for her degree.”

Norma actively engaged in dialogues about different ideas and strategies with Donna and fellow team members.

“I received support not only from the Tuition Reimbursement Program, but also from various people that if I had an assignment I was doing, I would ask, ‘What do you think of this?’” Norma said. “I could share my ideas and I would learn something.”

Norma started a degree in business administration in Jamaica but switched to an associate degree when her husband fell ill. Following her husband’s passing, Norma sought the academic program that best aligned with her goals. After thoughtful consideration and prayer, she began her studies in organizational leadership in January 2022, leveraging credits from her associate degree while continuing her full-time job.

“Norma is driven, dedicated, and motivated. She demonstrates a high level of professionalism and ensures that any project she is involved with is executed flawlessly,” Donna said. “Aside from being a wonderful professional and co-worker, Norma shines in her role as a mother to her adult son, Jaime.”

Thanks to the Tuition Reimbursement Program, both Norma and her son were able to attend her graduation ceremony in California. Embodying a spirit of relentless pursuit of knowledge, Norma shared her philosophy, “My head is always open – I want to know, I want to learn.”

Her advice to others? “Never stop learning. Upgrade yourself at all times. Your personal development is what you have,” Norma said. This mindset not only propelled her through her academic challenges but continues to inspire her professional growth and personal achievements.

If you are interested in joining the team at Westminster Communities of Florida, serving seniors throughout the state, and pursuing your professional development goals, explore the opportunities available at https://www.WestminsterCommunitiesFL.org/careers today!

Sallie Amato, a resident at Westminster Towers, holds the distinction of being one of the pioneering 18,000 women who served in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve during World War II. Following her high school graduation, she worked as a telephone operator at an Army paratrooper camp. It was a poster that read, “Be a marine. Free a marine to fight,” that inspired her to enlist. At the age of 20, she enlisted and was stationed at Camp Lejune. After completing boot camp, she was assigned to the Field Music School, and became a bugler while taking on responsibilities at the headquarters company. Now 100 years old, Mrs. Amato takes a moment to reflect on her Marine Corps experience and shares some valuable insights for women aspiring to join the field, in honor of Women’s History Month.

How do you feel that the landscape in your field has changed for women who are wanting to pursue a similar role/position?

In my limited knowledge of what I hear and what I see today, sometimes the females are not respected. I think the Commandant and other people who are responsible try, but they are fighting against a very large group of men who do not respect women. It does not make any difference that the woman is wearing a Marine Corps uniform and proud to be of service. They take advantage of her weaknesses and this is televised, published, and made it even more hurtful for the women in uniform. I don’t know what can be done about that if anything. I think women really need to learn to protect themselves. That’s my feeling but I want to say that I’m so grateful because my service was during war time and we were respected for doing our job.

What do you think your field needs to be doing now to continue to advance women wanting to pursue a similar career?

At this point, I can only be an observer. Please, be grateful for those women who give their heart. They didn’t do this lightly. They didn’t do this to go get married. Some people look at them and say, “Oh, she’s joining the service to find a husband.” It’s not true. In their hearts, they love this country and they have enlisted or volunteered and they should be respected for volunteering and giving their young life.
Also, they should take advantage of the education that is offered to them. When I was discharged, I had choices. I could go to college on the G.I. Bill and the airlines were looking for women who had served in the military because they had dealt with people. I went to Radford College. At that time, it was the women’s division of Virginia Polytechnic Institute, in Blacksburg, Virginia. I didn’t have a lot of time allotted to me on the G.I. Bill, so the school and the professors worked with me and in 16 months I earned my bachelor’s degree in science and education.

What advice would you offer to younger women who may be interested in pursuing a career in your given field?

If possible, talk to someone who is serving now. Think about where you may be living. Know what the conditions will be. Where will you be living? If you join the Navy, will you be aboard a ship? Do you get seasick? Know in your heart why you want to join a particular branch of the service. Why are you doing this? What do you want to do after you do this? What do you want to do with that career? Because this is a career the same as going to college and if you are young enough and have the ambition, go enlist in a branch of the service. Get enough time to have your education paid for by the government. You serve the government, the government will serve you. It doesn’t take long and then you can have a career for the rest of your life even if you hope to be, or maybe already may be married, you’ll also need to have a career. Whether you use it or not, it is a very wise thing.

Can you share a memory of yours were you felt that the women that you were working with, stood together to overcome the challenges that are associated with being a woman in your given field?

The thing that pops into my mind are the religious women. I made a friend with a devout Catholic. She didn’t push her faith on me, we talked. She seemed to want to share her faith and I wanted to listen. There were other women who were part of other denominations – they wanted to share. It may be surprising to know how many of the women who were in the Marine Corps were devout Christians. There were also Jewish women and other denominations and groups of people. For those of us who were Protestant, we talked. In fact, the chapel was next door, right beside the flagpole.

After sounding my bugle calls, I would go in and talk to the chaplain who was Catholic. I asked him a lot of questions about Catholicism. He was never too busy to answer my questions. One day he said to me, “Sallie, if you ever want to be baptized Catholic, even though you’ve been baptized before, the Catholics ask that you be baptized Catholic. If there is a time that you want to do that, tell me.” Well, over those months that we became friends, I asked him a lot of questions and then there was the time that I said, “Yes, I really would like to be baptized Catholic.” And so he made the arrangements to go to the cathedral in downtown Washington and I was baptized Catholic. That was something that happened while I was a Marine in service. I am still a Marine and I’m still Catholic!