Faces of Kendal: Randy Wagner

Kendal is home to more than 300 men and women 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, and throughout the year we’ll be sharing some of their stories with you.  Randy Wagner grew up in Wellington and when his mother Helen Wagner decided to move into a Quaker-based retirement community when it opened in late 1993 in nearby Oberlin, Randy and his sister Shelia took note.

 “We saw what mother was enjoying and we decided we were going to save our pennies so we could move there someday,” he says.

Fast forward to 2014 and Randy did just that, after a successful career building and providing pipe organ components with Organ Supply Industries, a wholesaler to the organ industry in Erie, Pennsylvania.

 “I had a number of skills in math and management and I realized I transported these skills with me. I’ve just done what comes naturally,” says Randy, reflecting on nearly a decade living at Kendal.

 Activities on and off campus

 Like many new residents, Randy gravitated to committees and activities he felt both a fondness for and proficiency in.

 At Kendal he served as treasurer for the Kendal at Oberlin Residents Association (KORA) for 4 years and currently is “bus captain” for one of his favorite institutions, the Cleveland Orchestra. He orchestrates 5 bus trips a year from Kendal to performances in downtown Cleveland and Blossom Music Center.

 He is also a facilities liaison, which means he helps resolve issues and concerns shared by residents and management, such as “the goose problem in our backyard. I saw 100 geese early this morning.” (Resident Grace Tompos is also a liaison.)

 And he is a member of the Dining Matters Committee, which also generates much conversation and input from residents.

 “I took my mother’s approach – treat everybody as a friend. If there is a problem, try to help them out and guide them,” he says.

 He has a pipe organ in his cottage but these days only “plays for my own amusement and amazement.” He does play handbells, though, with Kendal’s Bel Canto group. 

Also, like many residents Randy is active off-campus. He is finishing his 8^th and final year as a member of the Community Foundation of Lorain County’s Board of Directors.

 Advocating for Lorain County has been an exciting, and sometimes frustrating venture, Randy says. Lorain County is similar to Pennsylvania’s Erie County – both home to about 300,000 people and located along Lake Erie’s rustbelt – but Erie County has been able to move forward as a recreational, business, educational destination more successfully than Lorain County.

 “The movers and shakers in Erie County have really gotten behind development but Lorain County hasn’t figured out how to come out of the rustbelt and prosper,” says Randy, adding, “I’m really impressed with what the city of Lorain has accomplished.”

 Randy gets back to Erie regularly to see friends and keep up with activities at Organ Supply Industries, where he is a board member and consultant.

 Closer to home, he attends many concerts at Oberlin College and is a frequent visitor at the Allen Memorial Art Museum.

 Moving forward at Kendal

 Randy’s sister Shelia Ploger also “saved her pennies” and moved to Kendal but only lived there for 2 years. She died in 2017.

 As Kendal prepares for the future by welcoming the next generation of residents, Randy says his mother was right: Kendal is a great place to grow and flourish.

 “Kendal is a forward moving community,” Randy says. The rebuilding of cottages and other construction reflects the vitality of management and is a plus for the community. The more I’m here, the more I’m impressed by this vitality of both management and residents.”

In the past, Molly Kavanaugh frequently wrote about Kendal at Oberlin for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she was a reporter for 16 years. Now we are happy to have her writing for the Kendal at Oberlin Community.

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.