“There has to be a balance. Since I retired, my wife and I have been able to make trips we have never had time to make before,” says Dr. Heck, who still lives in Birmingham. In retirement, he took a course in master gardening, grows cotton and other plants in his 1,000-square-foot garden, and volunteers with both the Auburn University Extension Services Master Gardening program and Aldridge Botanical Gardens nearby. “I compost oak leaves as well. It’s an annual ritual.”
Early in his career, when his junior faculty member’s salary did not stretch very far to support his family, cooking meals at home was a way to save money. Now, Dr. Heck studies various cuisines, from Thai to Italian, and cooks and bakes for enjoyment.
“I make sourdough baguettes, and I’m getting interested in rye bread. There is a joy in cooking or baking for yourself, your family and friends,” he says. “My wife and I might make chicken soup and a baguette to take to a friend who is sick.”
The Hecks volunteer at a Birmingham homeless women’s shelter, where he also helps connect the residents to local clinics for health care services. Dr. Heck also serves as a consultant for Blue Cross Blue Shield and some continuing medical education programs. “It’s important to stay active and keep your mind active,” he says.
After more than 30 years working as the co-author of major rheumatology textbooks, as well as serving as the clinical director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) in Washington, D.C., and chief executive officer of the Arthritis Foundation in Atlanta, John H. Klippel, MD, retired in 2013. He and his wife now spend time in Bald Head, N.C., and are building a new home in Asheville, N.C. Dr. Klippel says these laid-back communities offer a slow pace of life suited to retirement, along with easy access to everything he loves: beaches; nature trails for biking, hiking and fishing with his family and three Portuguese water dogs; and vibrant art scenes. In retirement, he launched Marshdog Folk Art and runs an online site where he markets original art birdhouses he designs and builds. He also has received commissions for his artworks.
“Retirement is a totally different experience. I love the freedom to control my life, to do the things I am passionate about, and these may be things that you don’t necessarily relate to a career or income,” says Dr. Klippel. Creating artwork “taps my creativity. He says he receives “a sense of great reward to know I have created something from the fruits of my labor. When you sell it, people tell you they love it, and that’s very fulfilling.” He and his wife also display their works at arts and crafts festivals about four times a year. “Our business model is to make enough to pay for supplies,” he says.
