If what they say about variety is true, Barrie Szemler has enjoyed a lot of spice in her life. By the time she took up residence in Simpson House in 2018, she had already lived on two continents and experienced a rich and varied career that included motherhood, modeling and more.
The former Barrie Redfearn was raised in Chicago and earned a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University. On a blind date to the ballet in 1956, she met George Szemler, an author and professor of ancient Greek and Roman history. They were soon married and had three children—a son, now in information technology, and two daughters—one in real estate and the other a commercial airline pilot on international flights.
Barrie’s historian husband sometimes taught at Loyola’s campus in Italy, and so the family lived in Rome on and off for five years.
“I loved being in another culture,” Barrie says of her time abroad.
In addition to being a wife and mother, Barrie worked at the Loyola University Library and she also used her research skills as an insurance investigator. She has fond memories of teaching ballroom dancing and hosting an informational radio show in Chicago called “What’s Cooking”. And if you thought noticed that she has an impeccable sense of style, you’d be absolutely right—and she worked as a model, appearing in TV commercials.
How has she managed to age so well? She credits a happy marriage (she was widowed in 2003), and learned to think things through before making decisions. Plus, she says, “It helps to have good genes.”
Call us today at 215-878-3600 or submit the form below to see for yourself why Barrie and other worldly people choose Simpson House for retirement living.