8 West Hartford Residents Honored in 60 Over 60 Awards

8 West Hartford residents were recently honored with 60 Over 60 Awards. This is the first year the awards have been presented to honor Connecticut citizens over age 60 that make a difference in the lives of others or in their communities. The 60 Over 60 award was created by Duncaster as a way to showcase the lives of people 60 or better, who continue to have a unique impact on their world. They were celebrated at a reception on the Duncaster campus in Bloomfield.

The 8 Bloomfield residents included: Quincy Abbot, Reathie Bailey, Robert Cave, Billie M. Levy, David Murphy, Roberta Prescott, Marcy Stabile, Melinda Trummel and Joan Walden.

Abbot is a national advocate for those with development disabilities. He became a volunteer leader with ARC Connecticut and later was drafted to fill an advocacy position on a national level. He co-chaired the Steering Committee for Money Follows the Person, providing reforms to and deinstitutionalization of CT’s long term care system.

Bailey, known as Mother Bailey at First Cathedral, has a keen interest in health and wellness, which led to the establishment of The Good Life Wellness Center. The products in the Wellness Center offer a balance between nutritional wellness and weight loss management and Bailey’s involvement led to many certifications and recognitions.

Cave is touted as a leader, helper and joiner. He took the helm at the West Hartford Seniors Job Bank, a non-profit dedicated to helping seniors in the Greater Hartford area, and made it a financial success.

Levy is a children’s book advocate and with her donation of children’s texts to UCONN formed the Billie M. Levy Literature Collection of Illustrated Children’s Books. Billie formed this library with 8,000 books and the collection has grown to over 15,000 volumes.

Murphy is a change agent to the fishermen of Haiti. He developed a prefabricated catamaran kit, with a unique design allowing a build out in days instead of months. The boat is safer to take into deeper waters allowing access to larger quantities of fish and giving birth to a sustainable boat-building industry in Haiti.

Prescott sets the bar high for female entrepreneurs. Prescott is a national authority on communication, founded The Prescott Group and is the President of International Women’s Forum, Connecticut. She has spoken to groups as diverse as the National Foundation of Women Legislators and the American Society for Training and Development.

Stabile was nominated for her presence as a quiet hero. She has been a calming support to friends facing serious illness and has even been there to ease their dying. She is an active member of her synagogue and in the words of her nominator is “a treasure to her family and friends”.

Trummel champions equal footing for all dedicating much of her life promoting fair treatment and social justice. Her activism started at a lunch counter in Kansas, took her through Vietnam War protests and eventually to the League of Women Voters. She is active participant in the Wadsworth Atheneum’s reading programs for children in Hartford schools.

Walden is a writer, volunteer, professor and organizer. She is on the faculty of Central Connecticut College and also teaches at Tunxis Community College. She is the President of the West Hartford chapter of Toastmasters International. She heads up and publicizes the work Kehilat Chavarim, an independent Jewish “community of friends” who study and investigate their Jewish heritage. Walden also teaches fitness classes at several area clubs and facilities including the Mandell JCC, an avocation since 1996.

Duncaster began their search for 60 Over 60 on January 1. It received nominations of remarkable individuals from throughout Connecticut. “Our state has so many extraordinary people who are 60 or better, so we were not surprised at the number of nominations we received. Clearly there are many people who wanted to recognize people 60 or better for their continued accomplishments,” says Carol Ann McCormick, VP Sales and Marketing at Duncaster. “We’ve all heard of 40 Under 40 awards that highlight the successes of this group of people. We thought it was high time to recognize the ongoing inspiration and achievement of those 60 or better. We were delighted with the response to it.”