prime profiles

The Journey of a Lifetime

Some power couples are driven by ambition to make a name for themselves. To rise to the top of their Veterinary Medicine profession. To gather power and prestige. Jimi and Cristi Cook are looking for

Jones

Bob and Kathy Jones

Photos by L.G. Patterson Like many other retirees who woke up on a balmy June morning this year, Bob Jones went for a swim. He had been preparing for this particular swim for more than a year, and he had flown from Hartsburg, Mo. to California, just to dip his toes and the rest of […]

Richard & Margaret Hart Create Sanctuaries

Photos by L.G. Patterson After 86 years of experiencing life, most of those spent as a Ph.D. entomologist, Richard has developed an extensive understanding of monarch butterflies and a commitment to making a place for them in the world. At an age when most people are content to let others tackle serious problems and projects, […]

The Un-Retired Retirees

Photos by L.G. Patterson On top of the papers stacked semi-neatly on MU Director Emeritus of Admissions and Registrar Gary Smith’s desk at his office in the General Services Building lies a columnar schedule sheet, filled out by hand. “I’m on campus every day anywhere from three to five hours,” he says. “I’m with a […]

geary

Lanny & Lynee Geary

Not all Missouri roads lead to Columbia, and not all the streets of Columbia lead to the University of Missouri. Except in the world that Lynne and Lanny Geary have created together. Lanny is a retired physician; Lynne, a retired nurse. The couple has traveled throughout the world and spent most of their working lives […]

Dunn

A Perfect Fit for Rocheport

Photos by L.G. Patterson If Rocheport were a jigsaw puzzle, John Zondca and Diane Dunn would be a pair of pieces that fit exactly in its center. Having dropped out from the 21st Century’s stressful pace of life, they’ve made a place for themselves in Rocheport, a picture-perfect community just minutes from Columbia. The couple […]

JoAnn

Exercising Their Retirement Options

Chuck and JoAnn Wilson are sitting together at 10:30 a.m. in the living room of their villa at Old Hawthorne. Their dogs, Dotty and Coali, are lying down nearby. Outside, a brisk winter wind is blowing across part of the golf course that is their backyard. Somewhere in Columbia, people are complaining about the gray […]

Alberta

Exercising For Good Health

This issue of Prime focuses on healthy living. Alberta Smith is closing in on 89 years old and exercises almost every day. When she was younger, her exercise was chasing her seven children. As the wife of former Columbia mayor and county commissioner Rodney Smith, she kept busy keeping up with her energetic husband and […]