Video displaying scenes from The Terraces of Los Gatos, a Life Plan Community in Los Gatos, California

Karl

Seeing the Glass as More Than Half Full

Karl has had a lifelong appreciation of wine. He was born and raised in Berlin, and his father introduced him to wine during dinner at a relatively young age. This introduction kicked off a love of wine that has led him to work part time for 30 years at two different wineries: Mirassou in San Jose and Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill.

“I had a wonderful career as a design engineer and manager, but my passion has always been wine,” Karl says. “I have taken courses in all aspects related to wine and am constantly amazed at how the wines differ from year to year, being influenced by many factors including soil, water, sun and temperature during the growing and ripening season. Behind the counter at Guglielmo Winery, I love engaging with the customers and sharing my knowledge of the many varietals with whomever is interested.”

Karl adds, “I love getting to know my neighbors and take great interest in all the events that The Terraces has to offer. I participate on the dining committee, enjoy hiking around the Bay Area with groups, exercise daily in the fitness center, swim, travel and attend various music and arts events in the area.”

Karl has also come to know several other residents at The Terraces who enjoy viticulture, and they often visit local wineries together.

When Karl isn’t sipping a glass of wine or educating himself on the many nuances of a particular grape, he also enjoys dabbling in philately. 

“I started collecting stamps as a child and was intrigued by the stamps used on letters between my dad and his sister living in the United States," he says. "Over the years, I have joined stamp clubs and later refined my interests to collecting postal cards. Each postal card has a fascinating story to tell, and the postal markings used around the world are so unique.”

Karl says he is glad he can pursue his passions each day.

“Living at the Terraces of Los Gatos gives me the freedom to enjoy a carefree lifestyle and the ability to enjoy the fruits of my labor — literally and figuratively.”

Louis

Logging a Lifetime of Adventures

Ninety miles per week is the target cycling goal for Louis. And he hits that goal on the regular. In fact, over the past 40 years, he has taken to the open road, logging thousands of miles on his bike.

“I always enjoyed jogging, but once I turned 50 years old, I decided to take up cycling,” Louis explains. “It’s a great way to stay in shape, socialize with others and see much more of the countryside than driving in a car.”

And see the country and the world he has — by sea, air and, of course, the open road. As a retired Navy captain, naval aviator and commercial pilot, Louis has logged millions of miles in the air and across our vast oceans. He claims that flying off an aircraft carrier is “man’s greatest sport.”

Louis became very serious about cycling in his late 60s. He has participated in a few 100-mile rides, known as centuries, which many consider to be equivalent to running a marathon. His longest cycling trip was a continuous ride from the Canadian border to Thousand Oaks, California, which took him about a month to complete.

“I am looking forward to joining a local cycling club, but for now, I am enjoying riding my bike on my own," he says. "There are many beautiful trails and a variety of terrains in and around The Terraces of Los Gatos. One day, you can cycle to an area with steep climbs, and another day, you can be on flat terrain. I prefer riding on the open road.”

Louis moved from Thousand Oaks to The Terraces to be closer to his children.

“Just last week, I visited my son, and we went on a bike ride together,” he says. “My son races bikes, so it’s great I have the option of using an e-bike to keep up with him. I am grateful for the time I can spend outside enjoying what I love to do with the people I care about.”

Hi-Dong and Phyllis

Rewriting Retirement Together

Now an award-winning author, Hi-Dong Chai, a native of South Korea, was a boy during World War II and the Korean War. When he was 16, he came to the United States, where he received an education, including a doctorate. He worked for IBM for 19 years and taught electrical engineering at San Jose State University as a professor for 15 years. He established himself as an authority in the field and has also written or co-written 40 technical papers — mostly conference papers — and wrote the book Electromechanical Motion Devices.

“All of these years later, I never forgot those early war years,” Hi-Dong says. “After retiring, I decided to spend the rest of my years as a writer to share my thoughts, feelings and life experiences with the world.”

Hi-Dong has gone on to write fascinating books, including Shattered by the Wars, Sustained by Love Thru the Wars, Amazing Grace Through Depression and Blossoms and Bayonets.

Now, with Poems: Story from My Heart, he has decided to share what is meaningful to him — not only the topics related to war and peace but also his other life experiences — through the medium of poetry.

Writing is a passion and just one of the many ways Hi-Dong stays active during retirement. He also plays golf, swims and spends quality time with his wife, Phyllis, whom he met 60-plus years ago in their church choir. 

“Hi-Dong has the most beautiful baritone voice,” Phyllis says.

Hi-Dong isn’t the only one rewriting retirement. As “buddy coordinator” in their building, Phyllis welcomes new people to The Terraces and does her best to write and send birthday cards to every resident throughout the year.

“I enjoy helping to make residents feel included and connected in the community,” Phyllis says.

She also enjoys taking exercise classes, walking daily, singing in the choir and playing the piano for chapel services and before dinner. “It all brings me joy,” she says.

For both Hi-Dong and Phyllis, life at The Terraces — as well as outside of the community — is filled with connection and engagement. And that’s worth writing about!

Ruth

Filling the World With Creativity

“I believe that a creative mind always finds outlets to express creativity no matter what form it takes,” Ruth, a talented sculptor and writer and resident of The Terraces of Los Gatos, says.

Ruth and her husband, Robert, worked and raised their family in the San Francisco Bay Area, but after Robert retired from his career as a marriage and family counselor, they moved to Sedona, Arizona. In Sedona, Ruth discovered her love for sculpting and became a professional bronze sculptor.

“I always had a love of art, but when I started working with clay, I had that ‘aha!' moment," Ruth explains. “I had finally found my niche. Sculpting came easily for me, and I had the great fortune to study under the renowned bronze sculptor Dr. John Soderberg. He saw potential in me, allowed me to work in his studio, and he became my mentor.”

Some of Ruth’s commissioned pieces include Little Navajo Girl and Yeshua Boy of Nazareth, which depicts Jesus as a young boy healing the broken wing of a dove.

In 2018, Ruth and Robert moved back to the Bay Area to be near their children and decided to live at The Terraces of Los Gatos. “My brother lived here, so we knew it was a lovely community and had so much to offer,” Ruth says.

In addition to sculpting, Ruth has found other ways to be creative.

“I am enjoying writing poetry now. I write all types of poems, which are often published in the community’s literary magazine, The Rag.” Ruth adds, “I love to participate in tai chi and water exercise class. There are many ways to stretch our minds and our bodies at The Terraces, which makes for a very full and happy life.”

To summarize, Ruth says, “When we moved here, we were surprised by how much wider our world became. The culture here is so diverse and rich, which makes for lively and stimulating discussions with fellow residents. I continue my creative pursuits and am always learning something new, which is exciting.”