As the crisp, colorful leaves of autumn complete their final dance and the icy winds of winter prepare to descend, Barbara and Mark Miner fondly look forward to the changing seasons. For the first time in decades, they don’t have to worry about raking leaves or shoveling snow, because they are enjoying a maintenance-free lifestyle in their new home.

    After receiving a grand tour of their stunning new home and expansive community at Plymouth Place in La Grange Park, I was treated to an impromptu duet by Mark on his banjo with vocal accompaniment from Barb. The love between them was almost palpable; I couldn’t help but smile watching them perform together.

    And love seems to be the common theme of their many years together. 

    The two vocalists met nearly four decades ago when they were paired to sing a duet together at Mark’s church. The choir director was looking for two people to do a duet. Mark, a tenor, was chosen for the male lead. Barb was recommended as an appropriate soprano to join him. At a rehearsal one afternoon, sparks flew. 

    “We had a [moment] where our elbows touched, and we each felt a ‘zing,’” Mark said, a smile playing across his lips as he looked adoringly at Barb.

    Both lifetime residents of the area, Mark graduated from Hinsdale Central High School, and Barb graduated from Lyons Township High School. They met as working professionals with busy, respective careers. Once married, the couple set to work transforming Mark’s Hinsdale English Tudor home, making it a reflection of who they were as a couple.

    Family is important to the Miners, as evidenced by  their son, Charlie, who lived just a block down the street from them in Hinsdale. Barb’s mother resided in La Grange in their family home of 44 years and the couple would visit regularly to help with household chores. Barb’s mom eventually moved into Plymouth Place in 2000 and thoroughly enjoyed her time there before passing in 2007.

    The couple didn’t want to become an inconvenience to loved ones. Mark found satisfaction in maintaining their Hinsdale home, but this was becoming more challenging. After attending an open house, the Miners made the decision to move to The Arboretum Villas at Plymouth Place. Happily, Plymouth Place has an app where residents can submit maintenance requests which are promptly taken care of.

Moving is always tough, both physically and psychologically. To ease this momentous transition, Plymouth Place gave founding residents, like the Miners, the opportunity to customize their home to make it their own. An outside contractor, Honoring Aging, helped with the Miner’s packing, moving, unpacking, and clearing away of materials. 

“I had an operational kitchen by the first night, and was able to make coffee the next morning,” Barb illuminated. 

And as a further testament to Plymouth Place’s welcoming atmosphere, Barb and Mark’s beloved Bichon Frisé, Lucy, has adapted remarkably quickly to her new home. As we chatted, Lucy waited expectantly at the laundry room door for a treat. 

    The Miners are enjoying Plymouth Place’s nearly endless amenities because they moved in when they wanted to, rather than when they had to. And it is just too enticing there to not get involved in something. Barb belongs to a resident cookbook club, and the couple has hosted and performed their music at  “campfire sing-a-longs,” a fun program reminiscent of when Mark’s parents took the family camping and they would sit around the fire, singing familiar songs.

The Miners are enjoying all the conveniences at Plymouth Place while still sharing their love of music and the deep love that brought them together.