Mount Pleasant Magazine Nov/Dec 2016

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A Sharper Image
Somerby of Mount Pleasant
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Ask the Experts
Somerby of mount Pleasant
is focusing on five overlapping areas
as it strives to sharpen its image in the
East Cooper Community and make
life more interesting, more meaningful
and more fun for its 240 or so
residents.
The acronym SPARK stands for Spirituality-Purpose-
Activity-Knowledge-Relationship, according to Executive
Director Lisa Kinsella, but she
pointed out that
all five areas are related. For example,
Dr. Richard A. “Dick” Bilas, a retired
college professor who lives at Somerby,
presents lectures on economics to fellow
residents. But he’s also a Eucharistic
minister affiliated with St. Andrew’s
Church in Mount Pleasant who gives
communion to residents on Sundays.
So does that fall under the category
of Spirituality or Knowledge? Or
maybe even Activity? It really doesn’t
matter, Kinsella pointed out, as long as
residents at Somerby are staying active
in mind and body, interacting with their
neighbors and living rather than aging.
“Just because this is a retirement
community doesn’t mean that everyone
here is retired,” she said.
Others besides Dr. Bilas have
found purpose at Somerby. Richard Laulor has taken
on a project aimed at honoring those who have served
our country in the armed forces. Using three different
websites, he provides and receives information about
World War II veterans. There’s also a special place at
Somerby where plaques honoring one-time soldiers and
nurses who live there decorate the walls.
“The Wall of Honor is not just about you,” said
Director of Lifestyles Mark Summerville. “It’s about your
children and your grandchildren as well.”
Those who call Somerby home have the opportunity
to do much more than learn about economics and
the wartime exploits of their fellow residents. Hannah
By Brian Sherman
| |
Heyward visits regularly to teach the ins and outs of art,
while on the spiritual side, the facility provides a shuttle
to five local churches on Sunday, and Unity Church of
Mount Pleasant and St. Benedict Catholic Church hold
services at Somerby. There’s Bible study once a week,
meditation on a regular basis and traditional food during
the Jewish holidays.
Residents can attend exercise classes or work out on
their own, both inside and out. Somerby’s fitness trail
includes a range of easy exercises, and residents look
forward to a beach walk once a month.
They also go on excursions to local
restaurants and take “mystery rides,”
where they don’t know where they’re
going until they get there. Destinations
include McClellanville, Awendaw,
Mepkin Abbey, Summerville and
downtown Charleston.
Somerby’s gourmet dinners, hosted
by Kinsella, with wine pairings presented
by Director of Dining Services Hylton
Van Tonder, are a special treat. Only
nine residents are chosen at random
to attend in the private dining room.
Kinsella said one object of the dinner
is to allow residents to get to know
their neighbors better. They talk about
subjects such as where they grew up,
how they met their spouse and what
their first kiss was like.
Musical groups visit Somerby to offer another form of
entertainment, but sometimes the fun is provided by the
residents themselves. For instance, three of them recently
put together a comedy show that included a stand-up
routine by 92-year-old Jack Bunzel. The former professor
at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University brought
laughs from his audience for an hour and 20 minutes.
“Everyone has a purpose,” Kinsella pointed out,
laughing as well.
To learn more about Somerby of Mount Pleasant,
located in Park West in north Mount Pleasant, visit
.
Photo courtesy of Somerby of Mount Pleasant.
Dick Bilas, a retired college professor
who lives at Somerby, presents lectures
on economics to fellow residents. But
he’s also a eucharistic minister who gives
communion to residents on Sundays.