Pacifica Senior Living Blog

At Pacifica Senior Living, building a community that is full of love, compassion, care, and warm hearts is at the heart of what we do, We want each and every community to feel like a true home where you or your loved one can build a life, enjoy retirement, or get the most out of your golden years.

Each of our communities have amazing residents, each with incredible stories and lives. Here are some of the stories of love from just a few of the amazing couples that call Pacifica communities home. 

June 6th is the anniversary of D-Day, which marks the day - in 1944 - in which Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy during the World War II Operation Overlord. This effort was the largest seaborne invasion in history, and was a momentous effort which eventually led to the liberation of France.

This is a poignant day for those that fought and served in the war, or who lost loved ones during that time. For many, it is a solemn day of remembrance and a time to pay respect to those who fought for our freedoms. 

At 96 years young, Rose is a treasure to all who know her. She has sought to use her life to enrich others we have been blessed to have her as a resident at our Forest Trace community in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for over 5 years. Life was not always easy for Rose though. As a child, she grew up in Germany and faced firsthand the terrors of World War II and survived the Holocaust. After the war ended, she spent the next three years as a refugee before landing in New York in 1948.

It is our pleasure to introduce you to another of our remarkable residents, Helen M. Not only is she a beloved resident at Pacifica Senior Living Northridge, but she is also a centenarian, having just celebrated her 101st birthday!

Helen was born in Brooklyn, New York, and lived much of her early years on the East Coast. As she grew older, she made her way to the West Coast where she has lived for a number of years, eventually settling in Northridge, California at our Pacifica Senior Living residence.

Helen married her husband Murray after they met in high school, and together they had 2 children, 4 grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren. In the time they had together they built a loving family, most of whom all live within relatively close proximity to Helen in California.

Although Helen would describe herself as quiet and shy, that didn’t stop her for spending over 20 years as an elementary school teacher, an accomplishment that is particularly dear to her heart. In addition to her love for the classroom and love of teaching, Helen loved traveling. She spent a lot of her time visiting new places all across the globe, making memories. These days, she is happy to be in a cozy spot reading and enjoying one of her favorite snacks, cookies!

Helen has no doubt seen much in her 101 years and is a treasure to all who know her. We are all better for encountering her, and she brings a smile to the staff and residents' faces every day, becoming an integral part of our Northridge community. We are thankful for the opportunity to serve her at Pacifica Senior Living Northridge and look forward to celebrating 102 with her next year. Wishing you a warm Happy Birthday, Helen, from all of us at Pacifica!

Pacifica Senior Living has the great honor of having Mr. David Kopay as a resident at our Palm Springs community! David moved into our community earlier this year, in February. We have absolutely loved having him, and he is one of the most well-known authors here at Pacifica Senior Living. David joining our community has given us the opportunity to learn about his story—from playing in the NFL to his road to becoming an author. This amazing resident remains a public figure for the sport and his alma mater.

He attended the University of Washington and he went on to become a Running Back for the following teams: the San Francisco 49ers (1964–1967), the Detroit Lions (1968), the Washington Redskins (1969–1970), the New Orleans Saints (1971), and the Green Bay Packers (1972).

After retiring from his football career, he became one of the first professional athletes to come out as gay in 1975. Following his athletic career, David wanted to be a coach after retiring from playing football, but believes he did not get the jobs because of his sexual orientation. He went to work as a salesman/purchaser in his uncle's business in Hollywood.

Since David K., only five additional former NFL Players have come out as gay: Roy Simmons in 1992, Esera Tuaolo in 2002, Wade Davis in 2012, Kwame Harris in 2013, and Ryan O'Callaghan in 2017. David has been credited with inspiring these athletes to be more open about their sexual orientation.

In 1977 he co-wrote his autobiography, The David Kopay Story, which made him a popular public speaker and an activist for gay rights. He has since written numerous books about his journey of being one of the first openly homosexual NFL players. David also went on to do film for a short while, and appears as himself in a small but pivotal role in the film Tru Loved (2008).

He announced back in September 2007 that he will leave $1 million as an endowment to the University of Washington Q Center—a resource and support center for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students and faculty—so he can to ensure that UW students do not have to live the contradiction he lived. David is also currently a board member of the Gay and Lesbian Athletics Foundation.

Most people think of Shirley Temple when they hear the song “Good Ship Lollipop”, but for Nancy Willis, it always conjures up memories of her childhood, the platform her dad built for her to tap dance on while her mom played the piano and her aunt the violin. Just 10 years old at the time, this is still one of her favorite memories of a fun-filled childhood.