Dick Viering’s life has been defined by service to his country and his students, and at 90, he’s still giving back.
After losing his wife Betsy to cancer, he started volunteering at Stewart’s Caring Place, a cancer wellness center in Fairlawn that provides free non-medical services for people undergoing cancer treatment and their families. Services include a food pantry, fitness programs, education, and support groups.
“Some of the things we do there boggle my mind,” he said. “Any support, any service you can think of, we either provide it, or we’ll find it for you. It’s a wonderful place.”
One example is teaching people to cook when their spouse is diagnosed and is unable to handle some of the usual daily activities. Stewart’s also hosts financial education programs and connects people free of charge with accountants, attorneys, and other professionals they may need.
He was very involved in raising funds for and planning the construction of a new, much larger building that recently opened so the organization can help more families.
The center’s kitchen is named for his wife, who loved to cook and entertain.
Dick now works as a greeter at evening programs the center hosts, such as support groups for different types of cancer and caregiver support. People often arrive overwhelmed by a recent diagnosis or unsure of what comes next, and Dick is one of the first faces they see.
He took some time to share his story, what brought him to Kendal at Home, and how he’s spending his retirement these days.
A Life Built Around Education
Dick was born in Akron and began teaching in Brunswick after serving in the Marine Corps and finishing his undergraduate degree at Kent State. He went on to earn a doctorate and served as superintendent in Brunswick, Youngstown, Bedford, and Copley.
His last decade of work took him to the University of Akron, where he taught master’s and doctoral students in educational administration.
When a stretch of recovery from two back-to-back surgeries left he and Betsy unable to manage their property one Spring, they started thinking about downsizing. They built a one-story condo that was more accessible and required less maintenance.
After Betsy died in 2012, Dick realized he needed a plan for care. They had no children, and many of his friends were growing older as well.
He remembered receiving a mailer inviting him to an information session about Kendal at Home at a local country club and joined shortly afterward.
Melissa Neman is his care coordinator.
“She has several dozen people under her care,” he says, “but she always makes me feel like I’m her favorite.”
Kendal support has been practical and well-timed.
When mobility challenges from back problems made laundry difficult, Melissa arranged for someone to come weekly. More recently, she let him know he was eligible for meal deliveries and set those up as well. He has called her with questions about medical matters and navigating decisions, and she’s a trusted resource for him.
Melissa lives nearby, and every so often Dick simply tells her he hasn’t seen her in a while and invites her to stop in.
Get To Know Dick
Favorite way to spend a Saturday
Reading. Dick has gone through three Kindles and read books from almost 1,000 authors. He keeps a notebook to track every book he’s read so he doesn’t read the same thing twice. He loves mysteries, spy novels, and military fiction, especially James Patterson and W.E.B. Griffin, who wrote series on the Marine Corps, the Army, and the police. “I have probably read 60 or 70 of his books,” he said.
Three trips I’d recommend
“My three favorite trips are Egypt, South Africa, and the Galápagos,” he said. In Egypt, he celebrated his 70th birthday in a floating restaurant on the Nile. Then he and Betsy spent 10 days living on a boat, traveling down to the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, and Abu Simbel. In South Africa he heard a firsthand account from someone who was imprisoned alongside Nelson Mandela and saw that Soweto had transformed into a thriving community. The story of Mandela’s fellow prisoners starting an education system inside the prison that eventually granted college degrees in partnership with the University of South Africa stayed with him.
Favorite pet
After Betsy passed, he used to walk a different trail in the county or national park system nearly every day with Rosie, his dachshund. “We just loved walking in the woods,” he said. Now he has a small gray cat named Buddy, who can usually be found between the drape and the sliding glass door, birdwatching.
What I believe about growing older
Dick quoted the old saying: “Man plans, and God laughs.”
He’s always been a planner, building a house where he intended to grow old with his wife. He thought they’d have more time together there but is grateful for the many years they did have. He previously volunteered at his local Humane Society before they moved to a new location farther from his home. During her cancer journey, Betsy utilized some services at Stewart’s Caring Place. After she passed, Dick thought he would volunteer there for a year or so to give back. But, almost 15 years later, he’s still there.
Want more stories from Kendal at Home members? Subscribe to our blog to receive articles like this, along with tips for healthy aging and living life on your own terms.
