Wesley residents watch Wesley U presentations in several ways. Some, like Wesley Lea Hill resident Dr. Bill Gillanders, appreciate watching the recorded presentations. Others prefer sitting in on the lecture or joining the community in their theater if the speaker is visiting a different campus. Betty Vinyard, a Wesley Bradley Park resident, prefers Wesley U on her TV or via Zoom.
“Because I like to take notes,” Betty says. “I find my room is the best place for doing so.”
An artist at heart
Betty equates the Wesley U program with a community college extended learning curriculum. She took many Anacortes Senior College courses, where she lived for 25 years. As a systems analyst for Group Health, she specialized in supporting interfaces between different computer systems. However, she prefers humanities classes at Wesley U.
“I like classes that have an art or music or a history focus the most,” she says. “There was one called ‘Artists Through Books’ recently that featured curators from the Tacoma Art Museum. The lecturers focused on one artist and introduced us to current books depicting their work. The speakers also highlighted art pieces from the Tacoma Art Museum collection.”
Not that the retired techie shies away from scientific studies. Betty also enjoyed the recent series on regional geology and Mt. Rainier. This was a program several residents, including Bill, have highlighted among this year’s favorites.
Part of a busy day
“The geology lectures were outstanding,” Bill says. “My wife, Gina, and I were intrigued by how Washington State, especially the mountains, was created over time. I also thought the insights that explained the ice age’s effect on developing Puget Sound were fascinating.”
Originally from the Bay Area, Bill completed his medical residency at the University of Washington. He returned to Puget Sound in 2019 to be closer to his grandchildren. The retired primary care physician and academic said he grew less enamored of stairs and maintaining a big garden. These played into his decision to relocate to Wesley Lea Hill.
And so began Bill’s busy schedule at Lea Hill. He complements his intellectual curiosity with frequent fitness classes designed by Lea Hill fitness instructor Angel Rodriguez. He starts many mornings with a “Double Angel,” a strength or stretching class followed by a dance session.
“Angel is both an inspirational and gifted instructor,” says the retired physician. “His classes concentrate on the ‘Core Four’: stretching, strengthening, cardio and flexibility. His programs work very well with a mixed-age population. The music he chooses for dance sessions captures the era of his participants so well that we often play ‘Guess the Musical Artist’ with him. He’s become so popular we’ve outgrown our exercise space.”
Like many residents, Bill credits Paula Olson with increasing the Wesley U offerings and the access portals. Paula is the manager of Wesley U
“Our primary challenge regarding activities at Wesley is saying ‘no’ because there are so many appealing options. Gina and I greatly appreciate that Paula records every Wesley U presentation so we can catch up at our leisure. It’s important to stay mentally alert as we age. Paula, with the support of the Wesley Community Foundation, has created something interesting for everybody.”
Gina and Bill are active members of the Wesley Choir, always enjoy it when the Boeing Employees Choir and other musicians perform on campus. Participating in the arts is a family tradition.
“Our grandchildren are theater types and will perform summer stock in Leavenworth this summer,” says Bill. He credits Director David Foss with creating a dynamic choral program at Lea Hill. “Our chorus is on summer break, but we’re excited to resume this fall.”
Betty says Wesley U presents a diverse range of topics even within a single series, noting that a lecture about fountain sculptor George Tsutakawa preceded discussions of Georgia O’Keefe‘s work.
“I greatly enjoyed another recent art history lecture series from a local professor that focused on European art,” she says. She notes that Wesley U was a primary reason she chose Bradley Park for her retirement community. “I also liked that the apartments have air conditioning.” Wesley U continues to add subjects to its robust curriculum, often based on resident recommendations. Visit Wesley U to see what new programs are coming soon.