Gus Santos and his wife, Inge, have lived outside the US and traveled to many countries and states in the US. They looked at retirement living in Florida and in the mid-Atlantic. Ultimately, the couple chose Jenner’s Pond.
“We had a trial period in one of the apartments here and visited the cottages and had meals with the community,” Gus recalls. “The cottages were a nice size. The other places we had visited were about half the size.”
They considered their priorities. Inge wanted light. As the oldest of 10 children, Gus wanted space. Jenner’s Pond had it all and more: the people, the space, and the food—and a great environment and staff.
“By our second visit, the woman who ran the dining room knew our names,” he says. “You see the interaction of staff and residents, and it’s great.”
Many happy memories
Gus was born and raised in Texas and earned a degree in industrial engineering from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. College graduation was one of his happiest memories. Being the oldest grandchild in both of his parents’ families and the first to graduate from college was particularly special.
Right after college, in 1966, a job with DuPont brought him to Seaford, Delaware. He worked in engineering, manufacturing and technical service, technical development, and supply chain. For the last several years of his career, he was global supply chain leader in the company’s Textiles and Interiors business. He retired in 2003.
Other happy memories revolve around meeting and marrying Inge, a first generation American who is half German and half Croatian. They also revolve around his 2 daughters.
The couple has seen much of the world. His work took him to South America, Europe, and Asia. They visited Spain, where his ancestors are from, and Germany and Croatia (Inge’s). They had second homes in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and on Sanibel Island in Florida.
“We traveled Europe, lots of wine tours. My favorite cities to visit are Paris and Barcelona. I enjoy meeting people and learning about different cultures.”
In that regard, training exercises at DuPont global meetings were helpful. “We would be put into two-person teams, each from a different country, to learn about the other person’s culture and their values,” Gus explains. “The lesson was that whatever country you go to, the values are the same: trustworthiness, honesty, and truth.”
A real sense of caring
Gus and Inge moved to Jenner’s Pond in June 2019. He’s involved with the Resident Council because he believes in doing his part to help the community. He says his involvement was also a good way to get reconnected with the community after the pandemic.
“During COVID, the Jenner’s Pond staff did a lot to take care of us and the availability of open space really helped us manage during COVID,” he says. “From what we heard of other communities, if you lived in a building, you were locked down. Staff delivered meals to our cottages. They also continued to take care of maintenance and supply runs. We were well taken care of.”
At Jenner’s Pond, he says, it’s not just that the staff looks after the residents.
“It just has a different feel here. The environment and the openness of folks… The community is very welcoming. The generosity is surprising,” he explains. “You get the feeling that people try to help and take care of each other.”
Call us today at 610-869-6800 or submit the form below to see for yourself why Gus Santos and other seniors choose Jenner’s Pond for retirement living.