Theodore and Vivian Bailey’s apartment is a frequent stop during family tours around the Country Meadows of York-South campus for good reason! In addition to being welcoming hosts and wonderful conversationalists, their apartment is beautifully decorated with photos, trinkets and displays that tell the story of their family and life together.
The main attraction: the three large wooden model boats that Theodore built. They are replicas of some of the ships he worked on in his 36-year career as a tugboat captain. When Theodore looks at them, he remembers the hours spent on the water and the sometimes-harsh weather conditions he encountered. His role involved overseeing the navigation, towing large barges and guiding them through shallow waters. Recently, Theodore challenged himself to recall all the ports he was able to visit – which total more than 200. Vivian looks at the ships with gratitude for the full and wonderful life that her husband was able to provide and remembers the times she and their two daughters occasionally joined him on trips.
“I’ve always had a love for boats and water,” described Theodore. “The ocean is in my blood. I can’t get enough of it. It’s who I am.”
As Theodore sifts through Polaroids of different ships he worked on, he can tell detailed stories of the conditions about each trip, the nuances of each boat and his supportive crew. All the reminiscing took him back to the first tugboat he worked on with his uncle and the visits he took to the wheelhouse when he was a boy. By the age of 18, he was named captain for the first time which led to his long career.
Despite all that lived experience, the company he worked for required him to formalize his education – which leads us to another prized piece that is on display in the apartment: his United States Coast Guard License—which certifies him as a Master of Steam or Motor Vessels.
“I’m very proud of this (license),” beamed Theodore when describing the education journey. “I had good knowledge of everything, but they wanted to see it.” So at the age of 50, he successfully earned the piece of paper that validated more than 30 years of on-the-job education.
When it came time to consider retirement, Theodore and Vivian continued to build their family living in a small town along the Chesapeake Bay before moving inland to be closer to family. The pull of the ocean never left Theodore, however, because that’s when he turned in love for boats into his hobby—building miniature versions of them. But as you can tell from the display – they aren’t so miniature!
The boats are intricately designed, with each piece made and placed by Theodore’s hand. The models, each tributing different types of boats that would be found on the Chesapeake Bay, took more than 200 hours to complete.
Today they are conversation starters, but at the time of building, each ship was a nod to the craftsmanship and knowledge he gained throughout his career. The three on display in the apartment are just the ones that made the move to Country Meadows. He proudly made many other replicas that he gifted to friends and family.
Meet More Country Meadows Residents
The best way to get to get a feel for the campus community is visiting in-person. Our team of advisors is eager to meet you and introduce you to residents like the Baileys! Consider scheduling a personalized tour at a campus near you to see for yourself what life can look like at Country Meadows Retirement Communities.
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