Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined

You are in for a special treat as Dee Greer displays her creations of exquisite weavings from Alpaca yarn and amulet bags woven Japanese seed beads. She also enjoys watercolor painting. She learns in order to create. This is bolstered by degrees and certifications in the arts, financial planning, hand weaving, and interior design. Dee has created five businesses in rehab housing, five in Alpaca-re...

When you listen to Victoria (Vickie) Rock, 73, you would believe her life has never seen a difficult day. Yet, the truth is, at times it has been rocky. Turning lemons into lemonade is the perfect phrase to attribute to Vickie. Always upbeat, charitable, and giving, she works tirelessly to elevate each person, client and company that become part of her network. A career in court reporting led her...

David Horton approached us to do an interview with him, and we did not know how to respond. We listened and, after hearing his story, it became clear that this was a story we wanted to share with you. David’s wife, DeeDee Horton, died of brain cancer. She was an accomplished athlete, middle school teacher, and college basketball coach. In the final six years of her life, she poured herself into wr...

Maria Cristina Torres, born in Mexico, studied medicine there and has three decades of experience in pharmaceutical-oriented medicine. She continues to work with people in the United States, finding solutions for chronic conditions and assisting individuals in reclaiming their health through alternative methods. The individuals she treats respond well to Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and...

Donna Younger, EdD, age 72, has dedicated her professional life to mentoring and teaching diverse people in various higher learning settings. These experiences expanded her world view and fed her “rabid curiosity about what binds us together—the sparks that connect us.” Donna’s intentional spiritual journey began at age 50 when she set out to resolve a critical religious question: “What’s the big...

Josephine (Jo) Alexander (1909-1993) was Nancy Manahan’s dearest friend and Natalya Lukin’s beloved grandmother. The world knew Jo as a prize-winning journalist and photographer, social justice advocate, and author of America Through the Eye of My Needle (1981), a critical analysis of business conglomerates. But no one knew details about the fourteen years Jo spent as an impoverished Arizona homes...

During 15 years in menopausal transition, Carol Remz, age 80, experienced increased vaginal dryness and decreased libido. She and her younger husband mourned their waning sex life. Upon researching relief from radiation treatment for breast cancer, Carol’s discovered sea buckthorn for skin protection and its added benefit of improving the integrity and function of women’s vaginal epithelium. She a...

Michelle Kalisz started studying piano at the age of 4. Today she owns a piano studio and delights in teaching older adults. She extensively studied chemistry and psychology, all the while playing music which added depth to her understanding of how we learn and benefit cognitively from studying piano. She believes that brain plasticity needs an update. Science shows we can learn new skills well in...

Ann Lousin, 82, the first woman in the United States to be appointed staff parliamentarian for the Illinois House of Representatives, as well as the first woman parliamentarian for any American legislature, continues her fierce journey to remove women’s cloak of invisibility. Since 1970, Ann has been recognized for her work with the IL Constitution and ongoing activism. She has taught commercial l...

[spp-player] Gail Straus is mostly retired, meaning that in addition to volunteer work, she remains open to the occasional client project. In 2021, Gail joined the Communications Team at AARP Illinois as a volunteer. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Guest House Chicago, donates time and expertise to the Moran Center for Social Justice in Evanston, is on the Ambassadors Advisory Commi...

Ginny Maccoll, 73, has an unusual hobby. She competes in Ninja Warrior competitions. Last year, the Guinness World Book of Records named her the oldest female to compete. Though physically quite active from the time she was born, and a proficient dancer, it wasn’t until her daughter became a Ninja competitor that Ginny started believing that she might be able to do that, too. She also competes nat...

Jane Fleishman, Phd, a Certified Sexuality Educator, works with people living in senior communities on taboo topics such as intimacy, desire, sexual health, abuse and consent. An accomplished educator, writer, program developer, and researcher, Jane received a PhD in Human Sexuality from the Widener University Center for Human Sexuality Studies at the age of 62. She specializes in all aspects of s...

Mimi Donaldson, 77, is known for her rousing keynote speeches, compelling workshops, and in-house training programs.   She has shared the keynote platform with Colin Powell, Katie Couric and Maya Angelou. She is now a speaker coach for TED Talkers, keynote speakers and business Owners. Since 2018, she has coached 24 speakers to the TEDx stage. I don’t want people to be boring! Mimi holds a Bachelo...

Alice Rose, age 78, lived in Europe for 10 ½ years where she worked with childhood centers for military families. Alice’s love of travel and culture led her to Turkey twenty-five times, as well as other fascinating destinations. Upon returning to New Jersey, Alice pursued her love of museum art and photography. Now residing in the Chicago area, Alice has blended her passion for books and photograp...

The third oldest of 17 children, Mildred J. Mills, 73, was raised on a farm in Alabama. At a young age, she began to imagine that she would be going places, even though she had no idea how or where she might go. In high school one of her teachers recognized her talent in mathematics and suggested she think about a technical college for data processing. Her Daddy surprised her by helping make that...

Judy Marjorie Collins, age 85, remains a legendary spokesperson for the American folk music scene and for older adults who still have a song to sing.  We were delighted to be in conversation with Judy Collins. Folk singer, song writer, pianist, activist, author, and role-model, Judy continues to tour throughout the United States and many other countries. Judy vows, “I will never stop singing.”  Th...

Gina Orlando, age 72, created and was present at her own Celebration of Life in January 2025. Gina has been living with breast cancer for 11 years, the last three years in stage 4. She calls upon her expertise in holistic healing, voracious curiosity, and profound spiritual beliefs to navigate her journey toward end-of-life and ‘going to the light.’ Gina’s abundant intentions for her Celebration o...

Women Over 70 - Aging Reimagined

At 77 years old, Connie Inukai is proving that innovation has no age limit. A former technical writing instructor for engineers, Connie spent years teaching others how to create clear, effective reports. Little did she know that one day, she’d be writing her own—this time, for her own invention. When she first conceived the idea for Tip ‘n Split, Connie applied the same skills she had taught for d...

Thoughtful and compassionate, Becky Blue is a geriatric and faith community nurse. Her compassion grew at an early age as she spent afternoons with Grandma, coincidentally the name of one of her magical poems. In her book, Turning-The Magic and Mystery of More Days, you will find essays, poetry and questions, some of the poems written almost 50 years ago with so much meaning for today.  "As we age...

Jeanette Leardi is a social gerontologist and aging wellness leader who invites us to “cock your head to the side and ask, Am I think about aging in the right way?” Jeanette’s blog, Ageful Living, inspired her recent book, Aging Sideways: Changing Our Perspectives on Getting Older. She challenges the message of ‘gendered ageism’ that “women are never the right age in our society.” She reframes lim...

At age 70, Karen Marienau’s life is distinguished by a circuitous professional path, world-wide adventure travels, strenuous physical challenges, taxing home improvement projects, and deeply loving relationships—with people, animals, and nature. How does Karen, who gets bored once she has mastered something, and is known to act on impulse, navigate her world? She leaves the Minnesota farm for Mexi...

Barbara Thompson is passionate about working with seniors. She holds a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) certification. When her life turned out differently from what she expected, she learned to rely on friendships to fill a gap. That brought her to the understanding of how important it is to listen to each person involved in the moving process.  Moving is a challenging time for families, no m...

Adriane Berg is a lifelong traveler whose mission is to help people “never stop traveling.” Women over the age of 70 are increasingly participating in solo travel, as are individuals embarking on their second or third honeymoon.  At the age of 76, Adriane created the podcast Ageless Traveler, a gift for her travel-focused self. She designs the trips she wants to take and, with a supportive team, i...

After 30 years in banking, Emilia DiMenco joined the Women’s Business Development Organization (WBDC) - first as a board member and then as CEO. WBDC serves all entrepreneurs and particularly women and underserved communities. Emilia understands and communicates the importance of managing cash and risks, how best to build capacity and, most importantly, to provide quality products and service whil...