Mary Pirrallo and Brian Masinick: So Much to Do

Mary Pirrallo and Brian Masinick: So Much to Do

Mary Pirrallo and Brian Masinick: So Much to Do

Mary Pirrallo says she and her husband, Brian Masinick, were hooked the first time they stepped foot on the campus of The Woodlands at Furman. “We came for a visit in January of 2018 and did not want to leave!” Mary says.

A Family Connection

Mary and Brian moved to The Woodlands in May 2018, just four months after their first visit. “It was quite an undertaking since I have lived in the metro Detroit area my whole life,” Mary says.

Mary and Brian waited to move to South Carolina until Mary retired from teaching. She served the Fitzgerald Public School System in Warren, Michigan, for 30 years as a Speech and Language Pathologist and a Licensed Guidance Counselor.

Mary’s brother and his wife had moved from Wisconsin to Greenville three years earlier and knew about The Woodlands. Although Mary’s sister-in-law recommended they check out The Woodlands, Mary and Brian also wanted to visit other continuing care retirement centers in the Greenville area before deciding where to spend their golden years.

“We spent over two weeks in Greenville touring various senior living communities and hanging around Travelers Rest,” Mary says. “We fell in love with TR’s small-town hospitality and Furman University’s affiliation with The Woodlands.”

Becoming Furman Fans

Since last May, Mary and Brian have grown to love The Woodlands even more than before. “There is a wealth of activity right out our front door,” Mary says. The two have become huge Furman Paladins fans since moving to The Woodlands. They were basketball season ticket holders. And they even attended a few football games to cheer on the team.

But Mary and Brian aren’t just spectators: Brian has taken up golf now that the Furman University Golf Course is practically in his backyard. “He enjoyed his first nine-hole game this week!” Mary says.

There’s plenty more for residents at The Woodlands to do on the Furman campus, and Mary and Brian take advantage of those opportunities too. Over the past year, they have signed up for OLLI classes, attended music performances, and enjoyed theater events.

Getting the Most from Their Golden Years

Mary and Brian don’t spend all of their time on the Furman University campus; there’s too much to do at The Woodlands! “The staff at The Woodlands help promote a healthy lifestyle,” Mary says. “There is some form of exercise every day.”

In addition to the activities, Mary says that the attention she and other residents receive makes living at her new home in South Carolina a true joy. “When residents have an issue or concern, it is addressed in a timely manner,” Mary says.

“We partly chose The Woodlands because of the different levels of care that are available for the residents,” Mary says. She adds that the skilled nursingmemory care, and assisted living options at The Woodlands “take the worry out of possible life cycles during our golden years.”

With so much to do, it’s no wonder that Mary and Brian are staying active and looking forward to making the most of their retirement at The Woodlands.