Kendal at Oberlin is home to more than 300 people in their 60s and well beyond. They come from near (Oberlin and Cleveland) and far (Hawaii, Canada and elsewhere). The residents share many common values, such as sustainability and lifelong learning, and many have ties to Oberlin College. But each resident has his or her own unique story.
When Mary Behm was handed the reins as president of the Kendal at Oberlin Residents Association (KORA) at the height of the pandemic she was ready.
Her skills as a school librarian, her neighborliness toward residents and her love of the place she and her husband Fred have called home since 2017 made her well-prepared for the 2-year assignment, she says.
“I knew it would be difficult to be president during COVID, but it was really a great time of personal growth and satisfaction,” she says.
Mary was a key member of Kendal’s “New Normal Planning Committee” and helped to implement the “bubble” concept so households, especially solo ones, could safely gather with another household.
Now, with KORA leadership behind her, Mary is focusing on other interests.
No surprise, Kendal is home to many artists along with dozens of men and women who appreciate art in all its forms. Kendal has three galleries, a well-equipped Art Studio and about 900 pieces of art in its private collection. The collection, primarily compiled of artwork donated by residents, includes oils and watercolors, photographs and fiber art, pottery and woodwork.
Mary wears several hats on the Art Committee. She is the point person for residents who want to donate artwork to Kendal and works closely with resident Robert Taylor to find the right collection or spot on Kendal hallways for its display.
“While the walls are public, we consider them an extension of a resident’s home so we want to hang something the resident will like to see every day,” Mary says, adding that she and Robert “have such a cool job.”
To keep the private collection in a manageable size, the committee holds periodic art sales that Mary oversees. The sales give residents and the larger community an opportunity to buy art and frames at affordable prices.
And finally, Mary is curator of the Community Gallery – the other two curators are Robert and Grover Zinn.
Mary and Fred moved to Kendal from nearby Grafton so they were already familiar with the theaters, museums and galleries in Cleveland. At one point the couple had season subscriptions to six theater groups.
The couple still has three subscriptions and makes regular art outings to Cleveland, a 45-drive from Oberlin. They figure when driving becomes an issue they’ll spend more time exploring Oberlin arts, maybe auditing a class at Oberlin College.
As an Oberlin College alum (Class of 1966) Mary knows all about Oberlin art offerings. For more than 30 years she was involved with the Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (FAVA), serving on the board and various committees.
“I love the Allen Memorial Art Museum and always try to take visitors there,” she says.
The couple still enjoys traveling but more stateside trips, such as an Ohio River cruise last year and an Alaska cruise this year, than overseas ones. Plus, they visit their son and his family in Virginia.
Even though she’s no longer KORA president, Mary continues to reach out to new residents and invite them to dinner. They may be younger or from a different generation, but one thing hasn’t changed.
“Just like so many of us, they see Kendal as a vibrant community and want to enjoy all it has to offer before they may need supportive services,” she says.
About Kendal at Oberlin: Kendal is a nonprofit life plan community serving older adults in northeast Ohio. Located about one mile from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and about a 40 minute drive from downtown Cleveland, Kendal offers a vibrant resident-led lifestyle with access to music, art and lifelong learning.