New Beginnings with Jim and Robby Aveson
Jim Aveson and his wife Marion loved animals, especially cats and dogs, specifically Maine Coons and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. “We’ve always had at least one of each.” Jim remarks. The two had met at a church dance in the 90s and were inseparable ever since, their mutual love for animals being just one of the many threads that tied the couple together. One could easily imagine Jim and Marion’s house filled to the brim with these exceptionally fluffy animals on pillows, in picture frames, and curled up on the couch beside the couple.
It was only a few years ago that Marion passed, leaving Jim to navigate a world that had suddenly gotten just a little bit emptier. Alone in his 14-room house, Jim decided to make a change. The ever-gregarious retiree craved a community and connection. That’s when he moved into VMRC.
“Things happened faster than I expected. I saw the campus, I saw the unit, and I was in love.” Jim reminisces on his first moments at VMRC. Now he lives comfortably with his two roommates: Liza, a regal snow-white Maine Coon, and Robby, a lively 4-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. “They keep things hopping around here!” Robby, in particular, has become a bit of a celebrity around VMRC, being dubbed “the Mayor of Park Place”.
”He is about the cutest dog you could imagine. Everybody in Park Place loves Robbie.” Jim declares. “He has opened so many doors for me. He’s my magic charm.”
Though he has only lived at VMRC for a year and a half, Jim has already become a staple of the community, joining the veterans club, participating in penpal programs, and entering in resident art shows (Jim considers himself a dabbler of watercolors and a lifelong admirer of the arts). “I have met so many nice people who have become my friends,” Jim states, illustrating how he is able to have dozens of meaningful conversations every day.
“I had been through very, very difficult years with my wife’s illness.” Jim explains, ”I feel so blessed to be here.” Despite all the major life changes Jim has experienced, he’s excited to continue to meet the community and discover even more of what VMRC has to offer.
