"We sincerely believe that our diet of low fat and low carbohydrates, combined with vigorous exercise, and an extraordinary sense of humor makes all of this possible."
- Richard Rogers

Richard and Jean Rogers have been making the most of life since retiring from Union Carbide's Hydrogen Plant in Niagara Falls in 1990 after 38 years of service. Dick and Jean are in their early 80s and have been married for over 50 years!

Jean leaves their home in Crestview, FL before dawn every day possible and walks two to four miles at a blistering pace, filling shopping bags with the litter she picks up. The Rogers have a large yard, and Jean keeps their many trees and bushes well trimmed and neat. She still carries the eight foot (not six foot!) ladder to the tall camellia bushes to trim them, top to bottom. Richard describes her as the neighborhood "Grand Ma", an adviser and friend to the younger neighbors.

In addition to doing his share of the yard work, Richard drives 30 miles twice a week to the Ft. Walton Beach YMCA to exercise on the strength machines and swim a mile or more in the lap pool. Afterwards, he spends time socializing with some other "old timers" in the steam room and sauna. His main hobby is woodworking, and he makes quality furniture and cabinetry from an outstanding collection of walnut, mahogany, and other prime woods.

Over the years Richard has been a self-described "professional volunteer" for several worthy causes, but has recently focused his efforts on The Friends of the Crestview Library and Public Radio in Pensacola. Thanks to his lobbying efforts at the county and state level, Crestview now has a 17,500 sq. ft. library, and the county has a new library system!

"We sincerely believe that our diet of low fat and low carbohydrates, combined with vigorous exercise, and an extraordinary sense of humor makes all of this possible," says Dick. "We eat very, very well, are never hungry in the way those not on a healthy diet become, and feel absolutely wonderful. Our family doctor calls about every two years, asking us to come in for a check-up, and have a blood profile test. He never finds anything to treat, and the blood work reports numbers as close to ideal as possible."

However, in May 2007, Richard had what he calls a "parts failure." What he described as a "broken wire" in his heart, it sent him to the emergency room, where his condition was stabilized. Richard had a pacemaker implanted, but in the meantime, the "broken wire repaired itself, and the old heart is working fine." Two weeks after surgery he was back at the Y, swimming a mile once more!

In March 2011, Jean fell and fractured her wrist. Bone density scans showed that her almost 84 year old bones are still remarkable; no surgery was required. Within 8 weeks she was out of the cast and doing exercises several times a day.