Resident Profile – Dick and Carolyn Montgomery, 65 and 65

by Mary Martineau

Dick and Carolyn Montgomery are early-adopters of the Flats at Harrison Park, where they have lived for 4.5 years. The couple moved in just after getting married in 2007. Dick had been living in Reynoldsburg, and Carolyn sold her home in Westerville to move to Harrison West. Carolyn had been a widow for 12 years before she met Dick. They shared a first date at the Granville Inn and were smitten. When they decided to get married and buy a new place, Carolyn’s son, David Butler, was living at West 4th and Michigan avenues. As a former president of the Harrison West Society, he was aware of the plans for the Harrison Park development and suggested the idea of moving to the neighborhood to his mom. Dick and Carolyn were sold. They liked the idea of not having grass to mow or a yard to maintain; they could just come home, lock the door and be good to go (or stay as the case may be).

Dick and Carolyn are enjoying an active retirement. Dick worked in IT for Nationwide for 42 years. Carolyn taught eighth-grade language arts and reading for Groveport schools. 2007 was a hectic and exciting year for Carolyn: she retired, sold her house and got married in a three-month span of time. Dick plays trumpet in a band called the River Ratz and in a few other local groups. Carolyn is active in TWIG (Terrific Women In Giving), an organization that supports Nationwide Children’s Hospital through service projects and fundraising. She has four grandchildren living locally (two in New Albany and two in Powell) between the ages of five and 17. Attending school activities from ball games to marching band performances keeps them on the go. Dick’s first grandchild was just born on November 8 in Birmingham, Alabama. The couple traveled down south to meet Rylan Thomas Semchuk and celebrate his arrival.

Speaking of traveling, it is a pastime that Carolyn and Dick enjoy abundantly. They were in Europe for a couple of weeks this past summer, they are heading to Alaska in May and they have enjoyed a trio of cruises in the past few years. They are currently packing for a three-month stay in Fort Myers, Florida, where they will be renting a house over the winter for the first time. Making the trip with them to Fort Myers will be their Can-Am Spyder, a three-wheeled motorcycle that they have had for more than a year and enjoy touring on. In Ohio, they head for the country thoroughfares of the southeast with its abundant hills and winding passages. They’ve also journeyed to upper Indiana and lower Michigan enjoying the dunes and staying at state lodges along the way.

Dick and Carolyn have a great affinity for their Harrison West neighbors and their neighborhood; Dick has been treasurer of the Harrison West Society for three years. (He alleges that he was good naturedly prodded into running for the post by friends and neighbors Rob Harris, the current president, and Tim Bledsoe, the current secretary, when “no one else wanted the job.”) They find Harrison West to be a close-knit yet diverse community with everything from Huntington Park to the Short North to The Ohio State University within a walkable distance. Their favorite local haunts include Level Dining Lounge, Katalina’s Café Corner, the Buckeye Hall of Fame Grill, Harrison’s on Third, Spinelli’s Deli and the North Market. They are eagerly anticipating the grand re-opening of the Goody Boy Diner. They got a sneak preview of the venue during the Highball Halloween in October and are looking forward to experiencing the place with a full menu. Make sure you wave the next time you see Dick and Carolyn out and about on their red Can-Am Spyder. They are hard to miss—it’s probably the only one in the neighborhood!

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