Category Archives for People

Barbara Rayner Leaves Legacy of Support

Published in Senior Digest on August 2004

Barbara Ann Rayner was a tireless advocate for Rhode Island seniors and community-based services for the past 20 years, according to her peers who looked back at her life. They knew her as a dedicated professional with a great sense of humor.

Rayner, who served as Coventry’s human resource director, the first director of the community’s senior citizens center and later as director of Coventry Human Services, died last month after a long illness.

For five years, she served as director of the state’s Department of Elderly Affairs (DEA) being replaced by the then newly-elected Gov. Donald Carcieri.

She served on the Kent County Coalition of Nonprofit Executives and was a Rhode Island delegate for the White House Conference on Aging. She was appointed by the governor to sit on the Advisory Council on Health, the Commission on Care and Safety of the Elderly and the state’s Para-transit Task Force.

As a former director of the Rhode Island Association of Senior Programs and a founding member of CHOICES, a coalition of community-based care providers, Rayner fought to adequately fund services to keep Rhode Island seniors in their homes and independent.

At the national level, Rayner served as the immediate past chair of the National Institute of Senior Centers, a constituent union of the National Council on Aging (NCOA). She was also a contributing author of the revised Senior Center Standards & Guidelines, and was actively involved in NCOA’s policy agenda and international affairs initiatives.

Rayner was recognized nationally for her advocacy’s efforts when she received the Founders Award from NCOA in 1998, and was recognized on the state-level in 1999 with the Thomas A. Lamb Home Care Award.

Maureen Maigret, director of public policy for Lt. Governor Charles Fogarty, remember that Rayner was “very sensitive to the needs of the elderly and to ageism.”

The former DEA director was a passionate, dedicated professional, says Maigret, who noted that Rayner always knew the importance of laughter and having fund.

Under the DEA tenure of Rayner, home and community-based services greatly expanded in the state,” noted Maigret, saying that she recognized the value of the state providing family support services.

Rick Ryan, director of senior services for South Kingstown, worked closely with Rayner for more than 25 years. “We were very close friends and this grew out of our professional life,” he said.

Ryan says that Rayner was fund to be with and had a tremendous sense of human. She was willing to let her hair down, making her very approachable and real to her colleagues, according to Ryan. As a seasoned professional, she even mentored dozens of others in the aging network both locally and nationally over her 25-year career, he said.

At the national level, Rayner and Ryan, who served on NCOA’s Public Policy Committee were successful in changing the language in the federally enacted Older America’s Act. “Provisions noting that ‘states shall’ were changed to ‘states will’.” This strengthened the act and actually put teeth in it, he said.

Paula Parker, executive director of the Rhode Island Partnership for Home Care, remembers Rayner as “being passionate and committed to community based services.”

The members of CHOICES were very pleased to see her appointed as DEA director and then see her translate this passion for home and community based services through her leadership to creating state programming and policy supporting this level of care,” she says.

Joan Crawley, director of the Pawtucket-based Leon Mathieu Senior Center, notes that Rhode Island’s senior centers network owes Rayner “a debt of gratitude.” Under her leadership as director of DEA, support for Rhode Island’s senior centers grew by leaps and bounds,” Crawley observed, noting that new programs and services and initiatives were dramatically increased under her rein.

“It was her vision to see Rhode Island senior centers nationally accredited,” notes Crawley. “To this end, she not only found money to fund this project but she also worked with each of the 14 senior center directors, giving technical support and encouragement for them to successfully prepare for accreditation, Carwly says.

Crawley says that Rayner wanted no senior center left behind. “I can still remember her proud smile as each of us stepped up to the podium during NCOA’s national conference in Colorado to receive the prestigious recognition of accreditation for our senior centers,” Crawley noted.

Barbara Ann Rayner left behind a lengthy list of accomplishments that benefited senior centers and those who work for and with the elderly. She will be missed.

Ben Batted 1,000

Published in Senior Digest on July 2004

Played on April 18, 1981, and June 23, 1981, Major League Baseball’s longest game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings lasted for more than eight hours and 33 minutes.

Owner Ben Mondor’s watches over his bellowed Pawtucket Red Sox, the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, has stretched over 28 years, totaling more than 36,288 innings.

For baseball trivia buffs, both statistics are worthy of the history books.  Throughout his long career that began in 1977, Pawtucket baseball icon has accumulated 57 large scrap books crammed with newspaper clippings noting his achievements

Mondor, now age 79, admits that he didn’t have the necessary skills to play on a high school team, but his contributions as owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox to the City of Pawtucket, the state of Rhode Island and to the fans are legendary.

Some of the articles in Mondor’s scrapbooks note many, prominent awards he has received over the years. Among them, is the prestigious 2002 award from the Association of Fund-Raising Professionals, which recognized the Triple-A clubs as Rhode Island’s Outstanding Philanthropic Business. For his outstanding community service, he received the 2001 Hope Award from the Rhode Island State Council Knights of Columbus and the Pawtucket 2004 Foundation’s Heritage Award.

Over the years Mondor has also been recognized by peers for his exceptional and significant contributions to America’s favorite pastime. The Paw Sox owner and former Boston Red Sox CEO John Harrington are the only two non-uniformed members of the Red Sox to earn the BoSox Booster Club’s Man of the Year Award.  Meanwhile, Mondor took home the National Association of Professional Baseball League’s” John H. Johnson  President’s Trophy” in 1990.  Under Mondor’s watch, the Pawtucket Triple-A Club was also selected by Baseball America as the top Triple-A operation receiving the 1990 and 2003 Bob Freitas Award, only one of the three minor league franchises to receive that coveted award twice.

Last month, Ben Mondor Day was held at Fenway Park in Boston, Mondor says that the one-hour ceremony recognized the financial stability of his organization and the high caliber of his players. During his tenure, more than 422 ballplayers have completed stints in Pawtucket before joining American League or National League teams.

On a recent day, Mondor is sitting in his spacious office at a long conference table with his back to a huge rectangular window that gives him a magnificent view of the McCoy Stadium diamond.  Dozens of autographed baseballs in their plastic protective cases line the window ledge.

“Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens signed balls,” Mondor noted, pointing to the keepsakes that hold memories of ballplayers’ visits to his office.  Adding to the ambiance, are three walls of photographs of Pawtucket Red Sox players, and scenes of McCoy Stadium. “It’s quite a place filled with heart-felt mementos,” he says.

Prominently placed on wall are photographs of 12 special supporters of Mondor’s. All of them are deceased, he reveals. “It’s scary to be the last one left,” he says.

“These are the people who got me interested in baseball and gave me a big hand when I took over the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1977,Mondor explains. Pointing to a photograph of the late Chet Nichols, a baker for former Hospital Trust, Mondor says, “He urged me to keep the team in Pawtucket.”

Looking at a photograph l of the late Ted Mulcahey, a sports editor for the Pawtucket Times, Mondor recalls the encouragement and guidance the newspaperman offered during his efforts to purchase the team and in his early day of ownership.

Mondor’s thirst for knowledge would lead him from Brown University, to the University of Rhode Island to Bryant College, where he “studied what he wanted to study.” Although he never graduated from college, he became a self-taught engineer, sharpening his craft by working in the mills of Woonsocket.

In a career shift lasting 18 years, Mondor would learn the trade of buying bankrupt businesses and restoring them to resell for a profit.  In a move that would change his life, Mondor took over the bankrupt Pawtucket Red Sox in 1976. At the time, he was retired and living in Lincoln.

Mondor says that the Pawtucket franchise could have been lost if he had not taken it over. “No Triple-A team could have come into Pawtucket because of the size of the city’s population and size of the stadium,” he says.

Thirty years ago, before Mondor purchased the franchise, he admits to be woefully uninformed about Pawtucket.  Today, he sees the city as a symbol of all the old mill cities in New England, successfully changing to survive. “We’re glad that we have become an institution for this city,” he says.

Speaking of Mondor, Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle says the team owner has been the unofficial ambassador for both baseball and the city.

Mondor’s fondest memory of his long career was during the 1999 season when McCoy Stadium underwent, a $16-million renovation and expansion.  After the renovations, the smallest of all Triple-A stadiums met the requirements of the Professional Baseball Association (PBA) with Disabilities Act.  One of the PBA’s criteria concerns seating capacity, and McCoy went from 6,000 to more than 10,000.

Along with more seats, the project entailed a new grandstand with an entry tower, a new playing field, an expanded main concourse with additional restrooms and concession stands, a new video board and a new scoreboard.

During Mondor’s first year as the owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox, only 70,000 fans came to watch the pennant-winning ball club.  During 2001, season in a renovated McCoy Stadium, however, attendance hit a franchise record of 647,928 fans – the first time the club drew more than 600,00 people.

Mondor is also proud of the upcoming Triple-A All-Star Game that will be held in Pawtucket this month. “It is usually a one-day affair, but we are planning to expand it to three days,” he said proudly, noting that no other Triple-A-Club in his memory has ever rolled out the red carpet like the Pawtucket Red Sox.

According to Mondor, in the 20 years of Triple-A clubs sponsoring this event, this is the first time ever that additional days were added to include festivities.

Retiring at the end of the 2004 season, Mondor has not regrets. “It’s been a long road and God’s been good to me,” he quips.

Poor health keeps Mondor from traveling with Madeline, his wife of 47 years.  However, he will continue to collect Russian artwork, visit museums detain the history of nations. An avid reader, the outgoing owner says he has more than 5,000 books in his study.

“By reading about the people who were instrumental in creating nations, in biographies and autobiographies, you might be surprised you can learn,” Mondor points out. “You can learn what they were thinking and why they acted in certain ways.”

If someone was to write his biography, Mondor would want readers to know that as the long-time Pawtucket Red Sox owner, he considers himself to be the luckiest man in the world. Additionally, he would want to get the message out about the importance of working. “Go to work. There is no substitute for work, and it will ultimately lead to your success,” he says.

Mondor says the secret of the franchise’s success under his rein is simple. “our philosophy was always to make McCoy Stadium an affordable, family-oriented place,” he says.  In the last 28 years, the rice of general admission tickets has remained at $4, and the cost of better seats has gone up from $7 to $9.

When asked about becoming a baseball icon in the Ocean State, Mondor attributed his well-recognized success to being surrounded by “the best people in baseball.” Rattling off a list of names l- Mike Tamburro, Lou Schwecheimer, Bill Wanless, Michael Gwyon and Mike Tedesco- along with 20 others in his administrative offices, Mondor knows he’s got a “well-oiled machine that actually runs by itself.”

“They make me look so good,” he says. Tamburro, the first employee that Mondor hired, will take over the reins at the end of the 2004 season. “He’s like my surrogate son.  We   work the same way and also have the same philosophies,” Mondor said.

Tamburro, who is President of the franchise agrees. “It’s been an honor to work side-by-side with Ben for the past 28 years. We shared dreams, a work ethic and a strong belief in our wonderful Pawtucket community.”

“Its my hope that the Paw Sox will always continue to uphold Ben’s idea of ting baseball  with family entertainment,” Tamburro says.

Entering One’s 60s Marks a New Beginning  

Published in Pawtucket Times on October 13, 2003

During the turbulent 1960s, young protestors would say “Never trust anyone 30 years old.

Forty years later, the younger generation sees the benefits of successfully making it to age 30.

Last week, an article in a local newspaper even told readers – the twenty something crowd now celebrates their entry into their 30s. This life stage decade has now become a major milestone in growing older.

Aging baby boomers realize   they care entering their senior years when they receive AARP’s invitation to become a member. This little notification announces your chronological age is quickly tilting  toward your later years. Some would joke your senior years.

What about moving into your 60s. You’re still at the peak of your professional career, but five years shy of age 65, society’s milestone for moving into the rank and file of the retired.

Dr. Justin Aurbach, a Dallas-based endodontist, who also happens to be my brother-in-law, recently turned age 60. He told All About Seniors some of his thoughts about becoming a 60-year-old.’

While some become frail or face debilitating chronic conditions as they enter their early 60s, my aging brother-in-law is still in relatively good shape. He acknowledged that he can’t run a four-minute mile, but he never could at any age. But the 60-year-old plays a little golf, walks, jobs, and does a little light weightlifting. He’s a believer in vitamins and takes “lots of them.”

“Professionally, I believe I am on the top of my game and still improving. Not only am I technically better, but my years of life experience have made me wiser in respect to knowing what can and can not be done in my life,” Justin said.

Researchers have found that being plugged into a network of family and friends is a key ingredient to successful aging. Justin told me he has been very lucky to have numerous friends who have part of his extended family.

“They are the kind of friends who will go to bat for you when the chips are down.”

Family support is very important to Justin, who recognizes their positive support to him throughout the years.

“My wife has always been supportive of me both in my professional endeavors and personal goals,” he said, bragging about his three children and two granddaughters, he said.

Looking back over the years, Justin relives the ups and downs of his life. “There have been times of sadness, during my 60 years,”

he said, like the loss of his mother, common parental problems that he experienced while raising his children and failure to quickly achieve some of his professional goals. Looking at the glass half-full rather than half empty, he added. That’s just a small price to pay for all the wonderful things living brings to you.”

As Justin  looks into the next decade, he said he wonders if there is enough time to accomplish all of his personal and professional goals.

“I certainly keep forging ahead at a break neck race,” he said, noting new goals will always replace those that have been accomplished.

“Some of the accomplishments in science and technology, like the breaking of the sound barrier, the development of computers and nuclear energy, advances  made in medical technology leading to the advent of non-invasive texts, the near elimination of many dreaded diseases and a greater understanding of genetics and molecular biology have resulted in significant human lifespan,” Jusin said.

Justin noted being age 60 becomes even more wonderful when you look back on what you have accomplished.

But in your 60s, “It’s a time of excitement, fun and learning,” he said, urging others to never stop learning and gaining more knowledge.

At age 60, Justin firmly believes his life is just beginning for him.

He urged those turning this age to look at the vent with joy because you are coming into the “best part of your life.”

“Age is more than a matter of your chronological age, it is a combination of your attitude and mental state you have about your life,” he said.

For this writer, aging has always been like a bottle of wine, as you age you get better just like the wine.

For those turning age 60, exercise and eating a healthy diet, developing a strong support network, and continuing to learn and seek out knowledge is important. Now is the time to  take some time to reflect upon the ups and downs of your life and use the knowledge and wisdom gained to make better choices into your later years, the 70s and beyond.

Most important, share your newly gained insights with your children, grandchildren, and younger colleagues. Give them the gift of your hard-earned insights.

Justin said turning age 60 is like a new beginning for him.

“I feel like a newborn who is just beginning his trek into the wonderful world we live in,” he said.

Hopefully, all those entering their sixth decade will have that positive attitude about aging, too.