The first official person to move to Brooksby has no regrets

By Robert Doherty
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Betty Fish was not the actual first person to move to Brooksby Village. There were others who physically moved in before her. But she was the first person to sign documents and take her keys which officially makes her number one in the eyes of Brooksby. And thankfully, the feeling is mutual.

“If I was still in my house it would be very difficult. I could not have lived there by myself. Moving to Brooksby was a great decision. I’ve made many, many good friends. I’m having a great time. The staff is wonderful. I’m thrilled to be here. This is home to me,” says Betty.

Changing plans
There are numerous retirement communities in and around the Boston area. Betty, who moved from Canton, almost didn’t move to Brooksby. But after coming to a luncheon, Betty’s plan changed very quickly.

‘The better value’
“We looked at a lot of different communities and we had already signed up with another well-known retirement community in the area. We came to one of the first luncheons they had here. As soon as we left that luncheon I knew I would rather be at Brooksby. The people just seemed nicer here,” says Betty. “My husband was a banker, a very conservative banker. He ran the numbers and said that Brooksby was also the better value.”

Like many people, Betty jumped head-first into many of the hundreds of clubs and classes Brooksby has available. “I was very active in the beginning; one of the things I did was help get the library started. I’ve just recently stepped back and started relaxing more.”

No worries
The care-free lifestyle allows people like Betty to just turn the key and go when traveling. “I just got back from an overseas cruise last night. There were five of us that went on a Norwegian Cruise in the Baltic Sea. I’ve been doing a lot of traveling,” adds Betty.