After recovering from surgery in which he lost his peripheral vision, Richard was no longer able to drive. So, he was looking for a community where he could live without having the need for a car.

“Strode was perfect for that,” Richard said. “I had looked at other places and found them satisfactory but not great. When I came here and saw the place, the view and the people, I knew this was it.”

Richard has lived in central Vermont for 50 years, serving as a faculty member at Goddard College in Plainfield and Norwich University in Northfield.

“We didn’t want to raise our children in a big city. We had skied Vermont and loved it so we were delighted when I had the opportunity to work here.”

As a retired educator, Richard enjoys keeping up on current events. He reads every morning and says he’s able to do so thanks to, “the residents respecting each other’s privacy.”

Richard also looks forward to dinner every night in Strode’s dining room, not just for the excellent food, but it’s a chance to engage with others.

“We have a little family, a group of people who eat together. We have great conversation and I really look forward to it.”

It’s not the only time Richard gets to talk about current events with his fellow residents. Discussion groups are routinely held at Strode.

“There are about 8-10 of us who go around the room each bringing up something that struck them during the week. It can be news or personal. The chair of that meeting sees what topic is brought up the most and that’s where we start. It often lands in politics and news.”

The discussion group is just one of the many activities in which Richard participates. From lectures to concerts, there’s plenty to keep his interest.