Alumni Gazette
Alumni Come Home Again—To Stay
Who says you can’t go home again? Not David and Donna Ritchie. In 1998 when the Nebraska couple were weighing retirement options, life in the Walla Walla Valley seemed a good choice.
The Ritchies had good memories of living in Walla Walla the first year of their marriage—the year after David’s 1952 Walla Walla College graduation. So when their daughters in Walla Walla urged the Ritchies to come live near them, it was an easy decision. “Being here is just like coming home,” says Donna.
The Ritchies are among a growing number of older retirees and baby boomers choosing to retire in communities near their alma mater or in other college towns. According to the American Seniors Housing Association, this emerging trend is expected to intensify as 78 million baby boomers enter retirement years.
Among the unique characteristics of this generation is education. Baby boomers have more years of formal education than any previous generation in history with more than a quarter holding at least a bachelor’s degree. Moving to college towns offers a setting with many potentially enriching activities and a strong sense of community that appeal to many college graduates.
With three colleges in the area (Whitman, Walla Walla, and Walla Walla Community colleges) the valley has an array of events year-round, especially during the school months. Musical concerts, lectures, religious services, and dramatic productions abound.
A New Life In a Familiar Place
Two recent arrivals to the Walla Walla Valley regularly take advantage of
community events. Former Loma Linda residents and 1952 graduates, James Sadoyama
and Thais Thrasher, moved to the valley in March 2001. Although the valley
is Thrasher’s childhood home, the couple had no direct family ties in
the area. Thrasher, a Walla Walla Academy graduate, met her husband, Sadoyama,
at WWC. After college, they headed to medical school at Loma Linda University
and established their careers there. Wanting a slower pace of life and a lower
cost of living for their retirement, the couple moved to Walla Walla to be
closer to other relatives in the Northwest. They enjoy Walla Walla’s
cultural activities, the Walla Walla Symphony, and WWC’s Evensong.
Up For More Challenges
When she moved to Walla Walla from California in 1995, Effie Pampaian had
no family ties in the valley either. Her move came after her husband died
and she had carefully considered what she wanted for her retirement years.
In addition to the affordable living costs, the 1939 theology graduate was
intrigued by the idea of taking college classes.
“I
didn’t want to twiddle my thumbs when I came up here. I wanted to do
something,” Pampaian says.
Pampaian has enjoyed taking college classes since she moved in 1995, taking advantage of senior citizen discounted tuition rates. (Classes for credit are half the regular tuition and sitting in on a class is $100 per quarter.)
This winter, Pampaian participated in Systematic Theology and Old Testament Prophets taught by Zdravko Stefanovic, professor of biblical studies. “My students and I appreciate her presence in class,” says Stefanovic. “Mrs. Pampaian contributes comments that complement my lectures and tie biblical messages to our own times and experiences.”
Pampaian, the first female theology graduate, not only of WWC, but of the entire Seventh-day Adventist denomination, loves to learn. Since moving to Walla Walla, she has traveled on two Bible Land tours which she says have enriched her college studies and personal Bible study.
In Walla Walla she has found others who share her interests and background. “There is an atmosphere here that lends itself to progress in the Christian life,” Pampaian says.
Pampaian has become friends with students and professors, often inviting them to dinners featuring her expert Middle Eastern cooking. She has also involved students in her Bible study group which focuses on preparing for Jesus’ return.
A Valley On the Grow
The valley these newcomers now call home has had one of the highest rates
of growth in Eastern Washington state over the last ten years. According to
the national census figures, Walla Walla County’s population has grown
from 49,100 in 1990 to 55,200 in 2000. College Place has grown from 6,308
to 7,818.
One of the fastest growing sections of College Place is the east side, where home builders Doug Botimer, 1978 graduate, and Lynn Prohaska, former WWC dean of men, have created two neighborhoods. When completed, more than 500 houses will be set on 117 acres.
More than 70 percent of the homes Botimer and Prohaska build in the valley are for retirees. Most are relocating from other parts of the country, including California and the East Coast. Some of the newcomers are alumni of WWC or Whitman College, but a common thread for many of the new residents is an interest in the ambiance and cultural and volunteer opportunities that make up the fabric of the valley.
“They want to be engaged in their community,” Botimer says, “and are finding many ways of accomplishing that in Walla Walla.” W