We hope you have heard about Barrington Village! We are a local member and volunteer organization and have been helping our neighbors since 2020. Our mission is to support older residents who wish to age in their own homes by providing friendly assistance with everyday needs such as transportation, chores, social visits, and activities. We believe in aging better together.

You may not be aware that over 30 percent of Barrington households have at least one member who is older than 65. Even more of a surprise may be the number of Barrington residents who are over 90 years old and live in their own homes. Barrington Village has 18 nonagenarian members, most of whom live independently. They inspire us every day! 

To celebrate them, we share here some of their stories:

Meet Mary Jacobs, a vivacious 95-year-old, who relies on the Village for rides and errands. She also benefits from our Safety Net service which supports isolated seniors who welcome more social contact with visits from friendly volunteers. Not only does the service provide an “extra set of eyes” on Mary’s well-being, but her Safety Net volunteer has become a dear friend.  

Mary loves dancing and holds cherished memories of a time as a young woman when she got to dance with a real-life prince! This fairytale experience took place when she was returning from a grand European tour with her parents on the Queen Elizabeth I. Mary met her “real prince,” her husband Thomas, at a local dance and fondly recalls happy times raising their three boys. Her sons and their families (including seven grandchildren) stay in touch regularly.

Mentally sharp but with limited mobility, Mary maintains a positive outlook on life, firmly believing that “getting older means continually adapting ” – a philosophy she embraces staying in her own home, where her keepsakes remind her of lovely family times. 

Elsa and Jerry Grieder both celebrated their 90th birthdays last year. They have been married for an incredible 67 years and have resided in the same Barrington house for 58 of those years. They are big boosters for Barrington Village, fully committed to the Village model of aging in place with support.   

Jerry was born in Canton (now Guangzhou), China. At age 15, his family returned to the city after years in the States. It was 1948, a time of great turmoil, just before the Communists came to power. He witnessed untold suffering, scenes he has never forgotten, an experience that led to his interest in China and ultimately to a career teaching Chinese History at Brown University.

Elsa describes her career as 30 years of joy “hanging out” with 4-year-olds at the Barrington Early Childhood Center. She fondly recalls the fun she had working with talented, caring teachers and parents and energetic, curious children. As a second “act” she devoted 22 years to volunteering at Hope Health Hospice.

Elsa takes advantage of Barrington Village social events and Zoom programs; both rely on our volunteer drivers for rides.

Their words of wisdom: “Old age ain’t for sissies!” 

Meet Bob Cox, another relatively new nonagenarian, who hails from Philadelphia. He likes to say he had “good people” in his life who instilled in him a commitment to helping others. Inspired as a young man to study engineering by an exhibit showing how Philadelphia could be rebuilt better, Bob decided to make his life’s work just as transformative. 

Much of Bob’s career focused on community and economic development. In 1975, he moved to Rhode Island to lead the New England Innovation Group, an organization dedicated to transferring scientific research to useful products and services. Bob oversaw a project to measure heat loss from buildings, which included an infra-red analysis of Barrington High School! His dedication to others extended to encouraging some of his subordinates to further their educations, ensuring they were paid while studying.

Turning 90 hasn’t slowed Bob down. He serves on the board of the Senior Agenda Coalition, an organization advocating for legislation benefiting seniors. He is also an involved member of Barrington Village and another big booster for the group. Bob appreciates the Village’s services such as rides and snow-clearing help. And, he is proud to say his life “has been meaningful,” clearly a life focused on doing for others.

Barrington Village is delighted to celebrate the extraordinary nonagenarians in our community. Their stories of resilience, family, lifelong love, and dedicated service inspire us all. To contact Barrington Village: email us at barrington@villagecommonri.org or call us at (401) 400-5599.