Assisted Living Residents Spotlight: Harriet C.

Harriet C. is this month's Assisted Living Residents Spotlight. She was born in Missouri and when she was about a year older her parents moved the family to Lomita, California. She has two half-brothers, Milton & Bill, but they lived with their mother. Harriet enjoyed going to dances, the beach and spending as much time as she could outside in nature while growing up. She had great parents, her father was a policeman and her mother was a housewife.

She grew up during wartime and remembers it being difficult, especially for the men. Both her father and second husband served in the military. Her second husband, Raymond, served in the United States Navy. The two met while she was in high school right before he went overseas. They dated on and off again while he was away, and she remembers it being tough. He was busy with his job and she was busy with her own.

Harriet briefly worked as a secretary while she was in high school. She later worked for a retail store similar to Sears. Harriet worked there for quite a while, especially during the Christmas season. She went to college for a year which she shares was an informative time of self-discovery.

Harriet married another man named Jess. They had two children, Linda and David, but later made the decision to divorce. She took care of the children and when they were 2 and 4 years old, she eloped and married her former love, Ray, in Santa Barbara. They moved to Torrance and he took care of Linda and David like they were his own. Harriet and Ray had two more kids, Ray and Mike.

After she married she worked at a restaurant as a waitress. She later opened her own real estate office and worked as a broker. Harriet worked there most of her life and enjoyed it because she could do it on her own. Ray worked as a car salesman and even had his own dealership in Redondo Beach, CA. They later bought a home in De Luz, CA, right outside Fallbrook, and they put in an avocado grove. They would pick the avocados and go to the market to sell them twice a year. Ray passed away in 1989, but she cherishes the sweet memories she created with him.

Ray wasn’t too fond of travel, so Harriet has done a lot of traveling since he passed away. She’s traveled to Israel and extensively across North America. Harriet went to so many places that she finds it difficult to pick a favorite because there were so many good trips.

Harriet previously lived alone and she shares that moving to Renaissance Villages has made life a lot easier for her. The staff is great and there are wonderful assisted living residents all around. She commented that the community is a great place to enjoy life and do the things you want to do. She adds there are so many things to do.

Harriet, we love that you’ve decided to call our community, home. Welcome to the Renaissance Village Family.