By Tom Mackie
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

For years Arthur and Maude Rondeau lived in White Plains, N.Y., where they raised their three children. When the kids grew up and left home, the Rondeaus decided to move on as well and relocated to North Carolina.

“We worked hard all our lives. I taught chemistry and biology,” says Arthur, about teaching to high school students, “and Maude was a paralegal and also worked for H & R Block.”

The Rondeaus enjoyed the warm weather, fresh smell of pine trees, and southern charm of the Tar Heel State. 

“But, as our children got older and we had grandchildren we decided we wanted to return north and be closer to family.”

Where to Move?
The challenge for the Rondeaus was where to move next. With one child in California, another in Rhode Island, and the third in Binghampton, N.Y., they didn’t want to show favoritism. So, after hearing about the Erickson lifestyle, they decided to check out Ann’s Choice.

“We wanted to do more than just visit Ann’s Choice, we wanted to see what daily life would be like,” says Arthur. “So we arranged to stay on campus for three days. Retirement Counselor Donna Donohue showed us around each day and we came away very pleased with everything we saw.”

The Rondeaus chose a two-bedroom Franklin with “large, bright windows in each room that let in plenty of light.” They also immediately felt connected to the carefree lifestyle at Ann’s Choice. “We love to play bridge, so we were really happy to see so many people play. They even have clubs for bridge.”

Like a lot of towns filled with people of diverse back- grounds and different interests, the Rondeaus found the same culture at Ann’s Choice. “The thing that jumped out at us is it’s a real community with people from all walks of life,” says Arthur.

A Real Community
With non-stop activities and nearly 100 clubs, from Socrates to the Red Hats Society, not to mention the maintenance-free lifestyle, the Rondeaus came to a quick conclusion.