Eloise Richardson, Barbara Wilson, and Dr. Tom Willis, fellow residents at PineCrest in Lufkin, have something unusual in common. They are each second generation residents.
Richardson recalls, “My mother, Essa Brazil, was one of the first residents to ever sign up for PineCrest in the early 90’s. I remember going with her to investigate before it was even built. I was shocked when she put down a deposit.” In time, what felt like a shocking decision was soon recognized as a very wise one. So much so, that Eloise and her husband, Lloyd, decided to move-in to the community themselves. Now widowed, Richardson has held one of the longest residencies at PineCrest compared to her peers, boasting 22 years at the community. This type of longevity in the community has earned her a few honors along the way, for example, the marketing team recently refreshed their brochures and put Eloise’s photo on the front cover. Heath Foust, Executive Director, laughed when saying, “PineCrest just celebrated our 30th Anniversary this year, so when you think about it, Eloise has been here, either as the daughter of a resident or as a resident herself, since the very beginning. I guess that’s why she is kind of like our mascot!”
Barbara and her husband, Randy, are hoping to match or exceed Richardson’s longevity at the community having moved in while still in their 70’s. Wilson and her husband knew that when the time came for them to retire, PineCrest just made sense. “We don’t have any children, so having a plan for all that the future may hold, all of life’s ‘what ifs’ was incredibly important to us,” she explains. Wilson followed in the footsteps of her mother, Ardell Ashbrook, and her aunt, Freida Turk, who both lived at PineCrest.
Dr. Willis had a relationship with PineCrest that began when his mother, Elsie, moved-in in 1992, the same year the community opened. His connection only deepened when he served as the Medical Director of the skilled nursing neighborhood for many years. Now retired, Dr. Willis and his wife, Donna, have moved in to a patio home at PineCrest. Dr. Willis recalled, “Our first meal here [with mom] had all the residents around two tables. Mom soon became a nightly game player, daytime pool shark, and constantly learning newcomer to bridge. Mom transitioned to Assisted Living at age 101, to Skilled Nursing at age 102, and to heaven later that year.” Dr. Willis’s mother was a well known pool player and would often challenge unsuspecting staff to try to beat her, however, they were always unsuccessful. Dr. Willis even bought her a custom pool cue one year for Christmas to ensure she held on to her winning streak with style.
With such a deeply rooted connection, Dr. Willis gave a summary of his experience with PineCrest by saying, “Perhaps the part of this journey that is most meaningful is the stories of the lives that have been shared with me. They reflect, as does PineCrest, joy and chaos, humor and tears, life and death, and always hope in the service of humanity.”
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