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Retirement home celebrates military family at open house
Tony Bradbury comes from a long line of men who care deeply for their country and family.
Sitting in his room at Helen Henderson Retirement Lodge on a bright spring day, the friendly 86-year-old points to a portrait of an ancestor dressed in the uniform of the Liverpool Scottish Regiment.
“That was my mother’s brother,” says Tony, in a warm British accent. “He died of pneumonia at the end of WWI from spending years in the trenches. They shipped his belongings back to England. When my grandmother received them, they were still wet.”
Looking at the portrait with pride, Tony reflects on his own military service; when he continued the family tradition by serving as a Sergeant with the Royal Canadian Air Force Military Police. A picture of his son wearing a Canadian combat uniform sits on a nearby table, indicating the extent of the family’s desire to live for something bigger than themselves.
Born in England, Tony and his wife, Janet, moved to Canada after the birth of their first child. They hopped the pond to give their child a better life.
“It’s a long-story and long-life,” says Janet about their adventures as a military family that eventually grew to four children. “It made my life extremely interesting.”
Smiling at the memories they created together, Tony adds, “We had a good time wherever we were.”
Comfortably retired for more than a year at Helen Henderson Retirement Lodge, Janet and Tony chuckle when asked about their life at the accredited home in the heart of Amherstview.
“I like it here,” says Janet, kindly. “The evening snacks are definitely a favourite.”
“I don’t like the weather very much,” says Tony with an Englishman’s dry humour. “Besides that, it’s a good place to be. The food is excellent and the staff is pretty amazing.”
Sitting in a wheelchair while he recovers from a broken leg, Tony seems content. The couple has been asked to be honourary guests at the home’s Strawberry Social Open House on June 4.
To be held from 1 to 4 pm in the lodge lounge, the open house is open to the public and will showcase the home’s compassionate and competent assisted living.
“We want the community to see how special we are,” says Deborah Warren, Lodge Manager.
“Helen Henderson Retirement Lodge is comfortable, clean and affordable. We also provide the best assisted living in the world. The residents are friendly and the staff are compassionate. We hope people will join us on June 4 to tour our home and meet Tony and Janet Bradbury who are a very unique couple. They are enjoying life to the fullest and seem to enjoy all of the activities in the lodge. They are very caring of each other.”
“We’ve met a lot of interesting people here,” Tony says with sincerity about the residents and staff.
Asked if they miss England, they both shake their head no.
“To be perfectly frank with you, I don’t,” says Janet, 82.
“We don’t want to live there again,” adds Tony. “We have been very happy here in Canada.”
To meet the residents and staff of Helen Henderson Retirement Lodge, please join the home for a Strawberry Social Open House on June 4 from 1 to 4 pm. The Open House includes tours, refreshments and entertainment. To learn more about our retirement lodge, contact Deborah Warren at 613-384-4585 ext. 233.