Video displaying scenes from Westminster Gardens, a HumanGood Life Plan Community in Duarte, California

Danny

His Passion is Ever-Growing

Danny never had much of a green thumb. He had unsuccessfully attempted to care for his late wife’s African violets; only one survived. So, he made it his mission to learn everything he could about gardening.

Danny’s gardening bug has taken root on Westminster Gardens’ lush campus. He now has his own garden on a secluded plot. He grows Japanese vegetables, including burdock root, Chinese long beans and winter melon, and carrots, potatoes and celery. Some of his neighbors have their own gardens as well, and they share advice.

“With the time and space, I’ve started to experiment,” Danny says.

His interest in plants extends beyond his own garden. He also loves living among 32 acres of luscious fruit groves and exotic plants.

“There are trees you don’t see anywhere else,” Danny says.

He works with a group that picks fruit off the trees and is on a crusade to rehabilitate plants in need. One forlorn avocado tree has become a pet project for him.

It was the parklike setting that first appealed to Danny when he toured Westminster Gardens. He looked out the back window and saw a big grassy area surrounded by trees.

“I was captivated,” he says. “I thought this could be a good place for a big city boy to learn about planting crops or raising chickens and bees.”

As for those African violets that first sparked his interest in gardening? “Now I have a lot of them,” Danny says proudly.

Ann

She Lives to Serve

For the Rev. Ann, being of service to others is an essential part of who she is.

A lifelong Presbyterian, she felt a calling to become a hospital chaplain. She was a founder of the Angel Interfaith Network, which responds to the urgent needs of patients and their families, giving them hope and helping them feel less alone.

 “As you express yourself in service to others, you see things differently,” she says. “It gives you context and fosters positivity.” 

Ann says she feels right at home at Westminster Gardens, where the spirit of volunteerism is interwoven into every aspect of daily life. 

“The residents run the place,” she says. “If you want to retire to a cruise ship, this isn’t the place for you. There isn’t an ethos of being served. We have an ethos of community and of doing what you can for each other.”

Ann is part of the spiritual life committee, which organizes Bible studies and prayer groups and puts on vespers. 

Westminster Gardens reminds her of the small Missouri town where her mother grew up. Whether walking around the grounds or eating in the dining room, everyone is friendly.  “Your humanity is acknowledged by everyone you meet,” she says.

Being surrounded by nature feeds her spirituality. She loves living at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, surrounded by groves of trees.  

“There is a participation in nature that’s so good,” she says.

An unexpected benefit has been the bonds created between residents and her grandchildren. They regularly communicate with some of the residents, sending jokes back and forth. A fellow resident even taught her grandson how to play tennis.  

“The residents develop a relationship with all the members of the family,” Ann says. “It teaches the value of community.”

Dan

He Covers All the Bases

It’s a beautiful April evening, and Dan is heading out to see his beloved LA Dodgers play the Washington Nationals. He has been a season ticket holder for the past 40 years.

Step inside Dan’s home, and you’ll find two glass cases filled with his 110-plus Dodgers bobbleheads. Two Dodger Stadium seats — purchased when the stadium was renovated — sit on his front porch, sparking conversations with fellow Westminster Gardens Dodgers fans. He’s only 30 minutes from Dodger Stadium.

He also can easily get to a half dozen golf courses to play with his foursome and head to volunteer at a center for border ministries, strategies and economic and environmental justice, which was named in his honor after his formal retirement. 

A pastor for more than five decades — once heading a staff overseeing 130 Southern California churches — Dan loved living on his own in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, but a health scare and the understanding of what community living can offer led him to seek a Life Plan Community. 

For a guy who appreciates his independence, Dan feared he would have to sacrifice his freedom to do the things he loves in exchange for the peace of mind that comes with choosing a Life Plan Community. 

He looks back at his worries now and smiles with confidence. He made a great decision, and he hasn’t had to give up a thing.

 “I can do all the things I love while having the sense of security I need,” Dan says. “That’s what I was looking for. Meeting great neighbors — people of all different viewpoints and perspectives — has been such a pleasant fringe benefit.”

While Dan cherishes his time outside of Westminster Gardens doing all the things he enjoys, he loves coming home to the parklike setting of Westminster Gardens, walking the 32-acre community every morning, getting involved with the residents’ association and related programs, and just appreciating the gorgeous setting of his comfortable two- bedroom home, which is, of course, adorned with special touches from his treasured Dodgers.

Susan & Chuck

Right in Step

This couple hasn’t missed a beat since moving to Westminster Gardens. Susan and Chuck, competitive ballroom dancers of 45 years, regularly cha-cha and waltz their way from San Diego to San Francisco. 

Dancing has literally kept their feet on the ground but their energy soaring. That momentum and positive outlook have translated to other aspects of their life as they proactively planned for each step along the way. 

Before retiring, Susan worked in the medical profession, and Chuck ran his own business. They were taking care of an ailing older couple and looking for a place for them to live. 

With choices being limited at that stage of life, Susan recalls, they looked at each other and said, “We better find a place for us before we need it — a place where we don’t have to change who we are or what we love.” 

Motivated and mindful of what was important to them, they looked at a number of communities near their Pasadena home before a friend recommended Westminster Gardens.

 “We took the tour and just knew,” Chuck says. “We could tell there was something different and special about this place. We could just feel it. This was exactly the culture and the sense of community we were looking for.”  

“We’ve made so many great friends here,” Susan says. One of the reasons for that is the spirit of volunteerism that is interwoven throughout the campus. 

For Susan and Chuck, their volunteer activities include running the 1st Year Club, which welcomes new residents with monthly meetings at different places around campus, a “job” they say is so completely rewarding. 

Susan and Chuck are the first to admit there will always be a bit of uneasiness around the idea of leaving a house. They recommend putting heads ahead of hearts. 

They feel that what people worry about  “giving up” actually translates into gaining so much more. From the tango to the mambo, Susan and Chuck have always been in step with one another, and planning for their future together was no exception.