Retirement Community in La Jolla, California

Frank Marshall’s Independence Day

It may not have been the 4th of July, but for this former U.S. Navy Lieutenant, the day he discovered Casa de Mañana’s oceanfront retirement living was truly liberating.

Now he’s just steps from the sea in La Jolla, and Casa affords him the freedom to enjoy everything he loves, like walks along Coast Boulevard and devouring the latest news in science, business and world events at Casa’s oceanview library.

Frank has always loved the sea, though one of his early military experiences was harrowing, to say the least.

Originally from Monrovia, California, he spent most of WWII in college, and in the Naval ROTC at USC. When he graduated in 1945 and received a commission as an ensign, he received orders to report to USS New Mexico, a battleship at Okinawa.

“The New Mexico got hit by a kamikaze on May 12, 1945. A repair ship came alongside for about two weeks, then we went to Leyte Gulf in the Philippines before returning to occupy Japan.”

After the peace signing, his ship returned to Okinawa to pick up more than a thousand people before heading back to Boston. He retired from the Navy in June of 1946.

Returning to California, Frank made Long Beach his home and started his own business – chemical packaging for products like liquid dish detergents, fabric softeners and aerosol sprays.

There he developed a passion for racing sailboats, Lido 14 class (14 feet long), and competed in events all over the country.

“I’ve owned larger boats, but you actually get better competition racing the smaller ones. And they are more fun!”

In 1974, he sold his business to a Fortune 500 company, and turned around and worked as a broker for them until his retirement. By this time, he and his wife were living in a beautiful home right on Alamitos Bay.

“The kids had grown up, and although we had a daughter in Marin County, my son was in business down here and our other daughter lived down here as well, so we decided on San Diego.”

We asked Frank what attracted him most about Casa de Mañana.

“Well, we looked at a lot of places and we thought this was the most appealing for its amenities and its location right on the water.”

Frank gets his exercise strolling down Coast Boulevard to nearby Scripps Park and La Jolla Cove. He also looks forward to dinner each night where a group of nine of his Casa friends sits together to share conversation and each other’s company.

“It’s where I met another lady after my wife passed away. I consider myself very fortunate, we get along very well and enjoy each other greatly.”

We mentioned to Frank that some people perceived moving to a retirement community like Casa de Mañana was akin to losing their independence. We wondered how he felt about that.

“Lose your independence, how do they figure that? No, it’s exactly the opposite. Stuff you do everyday is taken care of for you. Life is easier here than a cruise ship, so why even get on a cruise ship? I would definitely recommend Casa to my friends, and I do.”

Come see how you can gain true independence and freedom by making the move to Casa de Mañana, just steps from the sea and the village of La Jolla.

Schedule your personal tour and complimentary lunch today. Give Lisa Alpert a call at 800-959-7010 or email her at lalpert@frontporch.net.