Some passions don’t disappear when the workday ends. They simply wait for the time, space and opportunity to grow.
At Oak Trace senior living community, a Life Plan retirement community in Downers Grove, Illinois, that might mean turning a block of maple into a handcrafted bowl, restoring a cherished picture frame, or spending an afternoon laying track for a miniature railroad. While all residents are welcome, two favorite destinations, the woodshop and model train club room, have become especially popular gathering places for many of the community’s men.
The projects are impressive. The friendships may be even more so.
The Accidental Repair Shop
When Chuck and Bonnie Bayser toured Oak Trace before moving there from a nearby active adult community, one room immediately caught Chuck’s attention.
“The woodshop. It completely sold me,” he said.
Filled with professional grade tools, hardware, equipment, and more lumber than he could imagine, the shop offered endless opportunities.
“Our kids are so grateful,” Chuck said of the couple’s decision to move to the Life Plan Community, also known as a CCRC, which offers independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation and skilled care, all under one roof. “They know this was a really good choice.”
Ted Jankowski had a similar reaction.
After living with his wife, Beth, in a ranch home in Downers Grove for 16 years, the couple also decided they wanted the peace of mind a Life Plan Community provides.
Ted said he had always “dabbled in wood,” but the Oak Trace shop exceeded anything he could have hoped for.
“When I saw it, I thought I must be in heaven, man,” he said. “This is my place!”
The two craftsmen quickly found one another.
“I saw him operating the machines and noticed he still had all his fingers,” Chuck joked. “I was so excited.”
Chuck asked that Ted be given a key to the shop and his name be added alongside Chuck’s on the doors. Today, Ted calls Chuck his ‘best buddy.’
Together, they spend four to five hours most days enjoying their woodworking hobby, creating everything from handcrafted bowls, pens, toys, and vases to watercolor enhanced woodworking pieces.
Then something unexpected happened.
Residents began stopping by with wobbly chairs. Broken picture frames. Loose table legs. Team members brought in items needing repair. Word spread quickly.
Before long, Chuck and Ted had become Oak Trace’s unofficial repair department.
“It all happened through word of mouth,” Chuck said.
Last year alone, the pair completed 140 repair projects. This year, they’ve already surpassed 100.
They never charge for their time or efforts, instead encouraging anyone who wishes to express their appreciation to make a donation to the Lifespace Foundation.
“We’re doing exactly what we want to be doing,” Ted said. “It’s about people helping people. I’m not retired. I’ve expanded my horizons by living here. Things I’ve always wanted to do, I’m doing here and I’m enjoying it.”
Staying on Track
Just down the hall, another group of hobbyists is building something remarkable.
Inside Oak Trace’s model train room, miniature locomotives wind through detailed towns, landscapes, and carefully crafted scenes that didn’t exist just a few years ago.
When resident Ron Scharping planned his move into senior living, he assumed his decades long passion for model railroading had come to an end. He sold the elaborate HO scale layout that once filled the basement of his Downers Grove home. When he moved to Oak Trace, he realized he had left the station a little too soon. His beloved hobby still had plenty of miles ahead.
Ron discovered other residents shared his passion, and the community supported model train pursuits wholeheartedly. Soon, Oak Trace dedicated a room to the club, residents jumped in to decorate it and set up layouts, and the Lifespace Foundation helped support their financial efforts.
Starting with an empty space, members built everything from scratch.
Today, the room features both N Scale and HO Scale layouts filled with remarkable detail, thanks to Ron, Paul Prell, Joe Hajek, Tom Kurcz and other talented and creative members.
Collectively, the group spends about 50 hours each month expanding and maintaining the displays.
“It’s never just one thing,” Ron said. “It starts with carpentry, then laying the track, then electrical work, walls, buildings. There’s always something new to get involved with.”
The club has even turned the train room into an interactive adventure. Members create “Find It” challenges that invite visitors to search the detailed landscapes for hidden gems, including farm animals, a Boy Scout camp, a parked Greyhound bus, and other surprises. With layouts and challenges regularly changing, every visit offers a new discovery.
“The best part is that everyone can participate in their own way,” Paul said. “People come down and have fun, and we have something unique to show the community and to prospective residents.”
For Paul, the appeal is universal.
“People in general are fascinated by trains,” he said. “And they feel a connection from the modern day to what they had in their childhood.”
That connection is especially meaningful when grandchildren visit. Watching young faces light up as trains wind through tiny towns reminds residents that some passions never fade.
They simply find new tracks.
Fore! It’s Always Golf Season
Rain? Snow? Triple digit heat? It never matters at Oak Trace senior living community in Downers Grove, Illinois.
Tucked inside the community is a year-round golf destination where the forecast is always favorable, sunscreen is never required, and the only water hazards are virtual. Best of all, it is just a short stroll from your apartment, with tee times available whenever you are ready to play.
Like the woodshop and model train club, the golf simulator is open to every resident, although it has become a favorite gathering spot for many of the community’s men.
Some players arrive with years of experience and well-worn golf gloves. Others simply want to see what all the fuss is about. Everyone is welcome.
Between swings, there is plenty of friendly competition, good natured ribbing, shared though (perhaps unsolicited) advice, and more than a few laughs. Every now and then, a not so perfect shot may inspire a colorful comment, but that’s all part of the game.
The simulator also offers a low impact way to stay active, improve balance and coordination, and keep golf skills sharp throughout the year, all without leaving the building.
No lost balls. No weather delays. No searching for your tee time.
Just good friends, great swings, and another reason life at Oak Trace, a Life Plan community, is always above par.
More Than a Hobby
Whether repairing a treasured keepsake for a neighbor or adding another scene to a growing model railroad, these residents are doing far more than filling their calendars.
They are sharing their talents, serving others, and demonstrating that retirement is not about slowing down. At Oak Trace, it is about finally having the time, the space, and the community to pursue the things that matter most.
These are just a few examples of the many ways residents stay engaged at Oak Trace.
What Activities, Clubs and Hobbies are Available at Oak Trace?
Oak Trace offers dozens of resident activities, clubs, and lifelong learning opportunities, allowing residents to continue pursuing the interests they have enjoyed for years while discovering new ways to connect with neighbors.
To learn more about Oak Trace Senior Living’s lifestyle, visit www.OakTraceSeniorLiving.com
About Oak Trace Senior Living
Oak Trace senior living community in Downers Grove, Illinois, is set on more than 40 acres of meticulously landscaped grounds featuring gardens, walking paths, ponds and abundant green space. Oak Trace is a Life Plan Community, formerly known as a CCRC, offering Life Care contracts and a full continuum of care: including independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation and skilled nursing. Oak Trace is owned by Lifespace Communities, a not-for-profit organization with nearly 50 years of experience in senior living. To learn more about Oak Trace, visit www.OakTraceSeniorLiving.com.
