“We really like the community aspect.  We have as much privacy, or as much socializing as we choose,” say the Leatherman’s about what they like about their new location.

“From the second floor we have a great view of the campus, watching the trees change with the seasons and the lovely ponds,” says Becci. 

Becci is a retired elementary school educator and Paul is retired after several career experiences including working as executive director at Ten Thousand Villages in Ephrata.  A second marriage for both, they have a combined family of six children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Asked how they made the decision to move, they say, “We had a delightful townhouse, but it was spread over 3 floors, which we were finding to be a bit stressful, so we decided a one-floor home would work better for us.  And in the hybrid, we have the option of using an elevator or stairs, depending on our ambition at the time.  We checked the idea with our kids, and they were very supportive of us to make this move.”

 The Leathermans have found many ways to be involved in campus life. 

“We sign up for Pathways Institute classes in both the spring and fall. In fact, we have been participating in them ever since they started and before our move here. That gave us some good introduction to campus life and activity.”  

“We use the gym and the pool regularly and enjoy that a lot,” they say, “We volunteer other places, but are beginning to explore ways of volunteering on campus, like Becci connecting at the children’s learning center.”

Paul had served with a mission in Vietnam in the 1960’s. He and Becci served a Mennonite Central Committee volunteer term in Bangladesh in the early 1990’s, so they are not easily surprised.  However, they say, “We have been delightfully surprised at the emphasis Landis Homes puts on health and fitness, and the many ways we are encouraged to maintain and improve our physical and mental health.”

“We’re enjoying the pool, exercise classes, the machines (and instruction) in the gym, the walking paths around campus and through the Leaman Woods, and the attention to nutrition in the restaurants.  I think all of this helps us to ‘stay young’ as we ‘age.”

“We were also surprised that we felt at home here right away.” 

Their advice to others considering the move is: “Just do it!…. Move while you can still enjoy the many opportunities Landis Homes has to offer. “