Content provided by Good Samaritan Society.
For Tom Anderson and his wife, Claire, retirement means staying active and involved.
Moving out of their home in the mountains of Idaho hasn’t stopped them from continuing to enjoy activities like camping and gardening. They often take their grandchildren camping in their RV or spend time fishing and playing in the water with their pontoon.
Tom, age 80, likes deer hunting and woodworking. He has made planter boxes (pictured at left) for their Good Samaritan Society retirement community. They volunteer together for Habitat for Humanity, and Claire volunteers at the library.
Each year, the Andersons plant the 12-by-16-foot garden outside their twin home. Neighbors in the apartments across the street benefit from the produce.
The Andersons continue to travel in their retirement. Tom says one of the advantages of a retirement community is being able to lock up and leave for vacation without worrying about anything happening while they’re gone.
And they like the flexibility of being able to go places whenever they decide to.
“It’s the ability to not have to do something at a certain time,” says Tom. “We can travel when we want.”
Tom served in the Navy for 20 years. He then taught algebra for 15 years before running a remodeling company with Claire for 10 years.
In addition to different volunteer projects, he also enjoys being involved in politics.
Tom and Claire make it a point to stay active in community events. Two colleges are close by, allowing them to attend football games, concerts and other events.
In this phase of life, the Andersons appreciate the simple pleasures: family, friends, volunteering, community events and the outdoors.
