Seniors Living their Best Retirement 

by Angie Kay Dilmore  

According to a 2024 survey by Mass Mutual, the median age at which people are currently retiring is 62. What happens after that in the fabled “fourth quarter” is up to the retiree. But gone is the notion of granny and grandpa rocking idly on the front porch. Today’s Boomers are redefining what retirement looks like. They’re active, vital members of their community. They volunteer, they travel, they’re life-long learners. Here, we feature three local seniors who exemplify what it means to live their best retirement. 

Mary Richardson, 77  

Early in her career, Mary Richardson was a reporter for various newspapers across the country. In 1987, she was hired in Research Services at McNeese State University. Prior to retirement, she’d served as director of Banners Cultural Series at McNeese. Richardson says she retired in 2010 at the age of 62 after her husband had retired. “He was traveling and doing fun things. I wanted to do them with him.” 

Richardson says she adjusted to retirement life immediately. “I had really liked working and thought I would miss it, but it turned out I did not. I took to retirement right away and loved it from the beginning. But I was surprised by how busy I still was!” These days, Richardson spends her time traveling extensively with her husband, Joe, and writing about their adventures in American Press feature stories. She’s a gardener and an active member of the Calcasieu Orchid Society. She grows around 100 orchids and has won three national awards for them from the American Orchid Society. Richardson also supports the Louisiana Choral Society and volunteers with her church, Good Shepherd Episcopal. She walks daily and “tries” to eat healthy, “but I fail at that . . . every single day.” 

Her secret to living her best retirement? “Make time for family and friends. Find community. Often this happens at a church of your choice. Read. Travel as much as you are able. Seeing other places and experiencing other cultures helps you figure out what your place is in the universe. Try to be useful. Do your best to stay healthy. 

Denise Rau, 64 

Denise Rau spent her 36-year career in the world of finance – first as a commercial banker and then as a financial planner and founder/owner of Rau Financial Group, LLC. She sold her business to Oak Grove Wealth Partners on New Year’s Day, 2020, and made a gradual transition into retirement over the following three years. “You don’t just “quit” a financial planning practice,” Rau says. “There is a transition period to help clients and new advisors forge the trusted relationships necessary to continue the lifelong financial planning process. Under the terms of the agreement with Oak Grove, I had a five-year transition structure, which gave me a smooth glidepath into full retirement.” 

As much as Rau had counseled clients over the years about preparing for retirement, she was caught off guard by the challenge, even with the transition. “I was surprised at how many balls were still in the air! Life goes on with volunteer work, plans with family and friends, doctor’s appointments, weddings, baptisms, etc.  I began doing some consulting/seminars at McNeese and I became treasurer at my church. Sy calendar isn’t nearly as clear as I had anticipated, but it is much more flexible. My whole life has been a struggle to maintain balance, and this chapter is no different. I love being active and involved, but I could be better at setting boundaries.” 

Rau also enjoys spending more time with her husband, Fred. “We like to travel, but we also enjoy hanging out at home or on our pontoon here in Lake Charles. We feel so lucky to be part of this incredible community.” Rau is also committed to physical and spiritual fitness. “When I maintain a healthy spiritual life, the rest seems to fall into place.” 

Her secret to a best retirement? “Visualize your ideal life. Write it down, create a dream board, whatever it takes to help you find YOU. A friend recommended a book to me when I retired, and the message really resonated with me – the first half of life is about success; the second half is about significance. Do whatever you must to use your personal gifts and find significance.” 

Dr. Richard Gilmore, 71  

Dr. Richard Gilmore, who retired last year, came to Lake Charles in 1982 and practiced cardiology for 41 years. “I enjoyed my practice and saw it as a calling rather than a job,” he says. “Caring for my patients was rewarding, but it was exacting work with long hours that took a toll on me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I had little time for other interests and hobbies. Yet I delayed my retirement as I had anxiety about abandoning my patients and wondered what I would do with myself.” 

It didn’t take Dr. Gilmore long to figure that out. “I decided I would take it one day at a time and see what life had to offer outside of my profession. Soon, a tranquil peace settled over me. I realized there was more to me than my job and began devoting myself to hobbies and taking better care of myself and my family.”   

Dr. Gilmore’s “prescription” includes daily exercise – biking, walking, swimming – and he says he soon found himself in the best shape he’d been in years. He volunteers as a faculty member of the LSU family practice program in Lake Charles, teaching cardiology, critical thinking, and ethics to residents. He volunteers with his church, First United Methodist, at Abraham’s Tent. Inheriting some artistic talent from his father, Dr. Gilmore takes a painting class with local watercolorist Nancy Melton. He adds, “I’m quickly reading through my extensive library of books and my classical music collection has been a source of profound enjoyment. My wife, Melissa, and I plan to travel, and I’m relearning Italian for an upcoming trip. My garden has fewer weeds. I’m even thinking of teaching a high school course!” 

Most importantly, Dr. Gilmore says, “I have more time to devote to my loving wife and family, who often had to deal with an absent or at least an emotionally and mentally distant husband and father. I missed out on many joys that I have now been blessed to appreciate. My retirement has been the best gift I’ve ever given myself and I am surprised at how fulfilling it can be. I encourage others to have a plan for their retirement and see what this wonderful world has to offer.”