Intentional decisions. Interesting life.
Joanne Walker, RN, says, “Love each life stage as you get to it—don’t worry about what’s to come.” That philosophy has guided her through a sometimes unconventional, always rewarding life. A Baltimore native, she has lived around the world and now makes her home at Simpson Meadows.
Off to England
Joanne stayed in Baltimore until she was 21, but after earning a degree in education from Towson State College (now Towson University), she crossed “the Pond.” Beatlemania drew her to England, where she initially worked teaching nursery school in Oxford. For four years, she had to renew her visa every two months. When England’s Home Office threatened to deport her, she left voluntarily, but returned as soon as possible and enrolled in nursing school and became a registered nurse.
Joanne lived in England for 30 years. While she was there, she met Ray, who was staying with a friend of hers in Sheffield. They married in 1994. They held the wedding in Maryland and eventually moved to the United States. Ray had always wanted to live here, so they returned to the U.S. after the death of Joanne’s father to care for her mother, who lived in Timonium. Joanne’s happiest memories include traveling with Ray and touring English estates with his grandchildren.
She also has fond memories of working as a nurse in Wanganui, near Wellington on New Zealand’s North Island, for two years.
“I was close to both the beach and the mountains,” she recalls.
An award-winning business
Joanne spent most of her career in perioperative nursing, caring for people who were about to have or just had surgery, and as an operating room nurse in a wide range of specialty areas. In 2009, after Ray passed, she was recruited for a job managing a procedural unit at an outpatient treatment center in the High Desert region of southern California. She also became a legal nursing consultant, working with attorneys on medically-related cases. Eventually, she launched her own consulting business, Clarity Medical Legal Consulting. Among other services, she helps attorneys understand prospective clients’ medical records to determine whether to pursue a case. The National Association of Professional Women recognized Joanne as a 2014 Professional Woman of the Year. Today she continues to operate her company with hopes to grow the business, with a focus on nursing research.
Good friends and good food
In March 2021 she made another intentional move, this time to Simpson Meadows. She liked that she could live close to her friends in Baltimore and Delaware, in a more tax-friendly state for retirees. She also likes the small size of the community.
“There is a sense of community here. Everyone is friendly. They are the nicest people. Everyone will do anything they can for you,” she says, adding, “and the food is good.”
Call us today at 610-269-8400 or submit the form below to see for yourself why Joanne and other nurses choose Simpson Meadows for retirement living.