Bill Walling is systematic. From his dining room table, his organizational center for his medications, to the exercise bike in the corner, and treadmill in the bedroom, he’s serious about taking care of himself. “I go to bed about 7:30 pm and get up about 3:15 am,” he explains. “I listen to a little TV and have prayer time, then at 4 am I get on my bike and ride for half an hour. After that, I have my breakfast. Then, about 4 pm in the afternoon, I do about 30 minutes on the treadmill.” This discipline may have come from his time as a Marine, or it may be that he knows, as a widower, he must remain healthy and strong.

Bill and his wife, Peggy, were married 72 years. She died just two days after they moved into their Villa at Charter Senior Living. “I really can’t complain about her leaving me, but I do,” says Bill. “I still miss her terribly.”

Bill was born December 9, 1928, in Keyport, New Jersey. One of his earliest memories was of the Lindbergh Baby kidnapping. His father worked for New Jersey Power and Light for his entire career, so the family really did not do without during the Depression. Nevertheless, Bill had a job as a very young boy. “I worked for the Butler Grocery Store chain, and one of my jobs was to weigh 5-pound bags of potatoes, which is what families lived on for the week,” he explains. “And something else I did at only 10 years of age, which would never be allowed these days: I operated the meat-cutting machine.”

Bill discovered girls, specifically Peggy, during high school. She was his first and only girlfriend. They got married in 1952, and had four children: William, Jr., Margaret, Jimmy, and Diane. “Peggy went to Packard Business College for Women,” he shares, “So, in addition to taking care of our home, children, and volunteer duties, she handled all our finances, and I was happy to let her. She even did our taxes. The one time I questioned her return, it turned out to be absolutely correct, so I never questioned her again.”

Bill was greatly influenced by his Catholic faith, love of books, and scholarly life while attending Seton Hall. “I fell in love with the academic life, and reading is my passion,” he says. “Pope Benedict 16 recently wrote a book about the philosophy of life for the US, and I’ve learned that our history is based on Greek philosophy, Roman law, and Christian/Jewish ethics.” His mind is still strong because he keeps exercising it as well.

When asked how he would like to be remembered, Bill quickly responds. “I hope I’ll be remembered as a good father,” he says. “After I got a degree in Chemistry, I traveled all over the country, Monday through Friday, as a service engineer for a chemical company. So, when I got home on Friday night, Peggy had the children bathed and dressed, and we’d always go out to dinner, a real treat for us all.”

Peggy and Bill chose Charter because they’d lived at Venture Out and wanted to remain in the area. “It’s also near Wal-Mart and church, so we thought we’d try it.” Although it’s no longer “we,” Bill is still making the best of a life God has blessed.