Laughter, Purpose, and a Life Well Lived at Sierra Winds
Sue laughs easily, speaks honestly, and brings the kind of energy that makes you forget what year she was born, because for her, living fully has never had an expiration date. At Sierra Winds, Sue is known for her sharp wit, generous spirit, and deep belief that life is meant to be lived fully, right up to the very last chapter. “You don’t come here to slow down,” she says. “You come here to live.”
From a Mining Town to the Desert Sun
Sue’s story begins in a small iron ore mining town in Michigan, a place surrounded by snow, pine forests, and a population that steadily disappeared after World War II. By the time she was born in 1944, the mines had closed, and by age five, the town had dwindled to just a handful of residents. She loved the cold, the quiet, and the sense of being wrapped by nature.
At age ten, her family moved to Arizona, a dramatic shift from snowy forests to desert skies. But Sue’s life would continue to circle back and forth. After college, she headed to San Francisco, married, returned to Arizona, divorced, went back to San Francisco, then to Baltimore, and then her husband retired and… back to Arizona!. “Every road somehow kept leading me back to Arizona,” she laughs. “It was like God saying, ‘Nice try, but you belong here.’ Next time I’ll marry an Eskimo!”
A Career That Always Led Back to Teaching
Sue originally went to college to become a teacher, but during practice teaching, she had a realization. “It wasn’t for me,” she says plainly. Instead, she took a job as a bank secretary in the 1960s. Before long, the bank launched a program to teach young women workplace skills like typing, filing, and office organization.
Guess who they tapped to teach it?
Sue laughs. “So much for avoiding teaching.”
Later, Sue joined the United States Postal Service, a job she loved. She worked the canceling machines, processing mail at lightning speed, and once again found herself training others. Eventually, she left for another secretarial role, where she was promptly promoted to supervisor and tasked with training staff.
“That’s when I retired,” she says, laughing again. “Apparently, no matter what I did, I kept ending up teaching.”
Family, Foresight, and Finding the Right Place
Sue has been married to her husband for 38 years. Together, Sue has one son and four grandchildren, all living nearby in Glendale, Arizona. Long before moving to Sierra Winds, Sue had been paying attention to retirement living options. She was only 53 when she began touring communities with older friends.
“I didn’t want my kids or grandkids to have to handle me someday,” she says. “I wanted to make those decisions myself.”
When the time came to move, Sue and her husband toured nearly every senior living option in or near Sun City West. They almost skipped Sierra Winds. Almost.
“My husband had a friend here, so we stopped in,” she recalls. “It was December. The fireplace was going. People were smiling. Residents stopped to chat with our tour guide. It felt alive.”
Then she saw one particular apartment model.
“I could just picture my Christmas tree right there,” Sue says. “And I knew.”
The team arranged for them to have dinner in the dining room, then let them wander the community on their own. “Nothing to hide,” Sue says. “That mattered.”
Three weeks later, they got a call. The exact apartment they had fallen in love with was available.
“It was meant to be,” she says simply.
When Life Changes, Support Is Already There
Eleven months after moving to Sierra Winds, Sue’s husband suffered a severe stroke. He lost the ability to walk and required rehabilitation and skilled care.
“At the time, I didn’t even know where the care center was,” Sue admits. “Turns out, it’s the same building, right through the door.”
That closeness made all the difference. Her husband now uses a wheelchair and stays in the care center overnight, but during the day, he comes “home.” They go on excursions together, attend events, and share meals.
“He’s not with me only at night,” she says. “That’s something you don’t think about when you’re younger, how important proximity becomes.”
This Isn’t Resort Living. It’s Cruise Ship Living.
Sue is deeply involved at Sierra Winds and is thriving. She serves as secretary for the food committee and the residents’ council, helping coordinate communication across committees.
“We have residents leading groups well into their 90s,” she says. “You’re needed here, and it keeps you young.”
She describes life at Sierra Winds with a grin. “We loved Sun City West. That was resort living. But, Sierra Winds is cruise ship living.”
Housekeeping. Laundry. Bedding. Dining. Transportation. Maintenance. All handled.
“I don’t fix anything anymore,” she says. “No landscapers. No repairs. No utilities. I just tell the front desk, and it magically happens.”
A Community That Feels Like a Small Town
Sue insists that friendships at Sierra Winds are inevitable. “Even if you try to avoid people, you’ll have friends anyway,” she says.
She describes the lobby as a big living room rather than a place for show. “Sit down. Visit. Be yourself. When you walk out your door, it’s like walking down the street in a small town.”
Her favorite events include casino nights, excursions, restaurant outings, and other adventures and expeditions.
“We live longer because we’re active and involved,” she says. “We’re included. We check on each other. We visit. We care.”
A Philosophy for Living Fully
When asked how living at Sierra Winds has impacted her life, Sue doesn’t hesitate. “Immeasurably,” she says. “I’m happy every single day. I’m needed, loved, rested, active, and spoiled rotten.”
And when she talks to people considering a move?
“What’s holding you back?” she asks. “You’re wasting precious time staying where you are when you could be living the life of Riley.”
Sue shares a metaphor she lives by:
“People are like a gift inside a beautifully wrapped gift box. The gift wrap gets frayed, worn, and wrinkled, but the gift inside is still perfect. When I talk to someone who’s 100, that person inside is still vibrant, interesting, and alive. You can’t judge someone by the box they came in. Old isn’t old here!”
And at Sierra Winds, Sue believes those gifts get opened.