For over 16 years, her family lived abroad, and she enjoyed traveling and sharing in the cultures of various countries. Her memories of those years are fun-filled and adventurous, and Marge often brings her stories to life with her hilarious wit. Upon her return to Northern Virginia, she continued raising her family.

Marge is the mother of three children and has seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. While raising her children, she was also involved with the Citizens for a Better City and volunteered to edit her church bulletin.

“They give lots of help to a woman in her 90s,” says Marge about the local Elder Care company that now assists her with errands and daily tasks, Buckley’s for Seniors. Driving is difficult for Marge due to health reasons. Marge’s daughter, who works full time, contacted Buckley’s for Seniors last year to lend her mom a hand.

Buckley’s for Seniors has provided many services for Marge, such as transportation to and from doctor and hairdresser appointments as wekk as trips to the pharmacy, hardware and grocery store. Buckley’s staff helps Marge put away her groceries, and they were even there to help her set up her Christmas tree.

Carey, a member of the Buckley’s for Senior’s staff, comes two mornings a week to assist Marge. Marge says, “She helps me just like my own daughter would. I don’t know what I would do without her!”

Carey is a local stay-at-home mom like many of Buckley’s staff members. The staff members are college-educated mothers or recent retirees who provide intellectual companionship, as well as a helping hand. Every time Buckley’s visits, Marge gets to choose where she needs to go and which errands she needs to run.

Now in her 90s, Marge still enjoys knitting, crocheting, gardening and bird watching. While she has had to give up some of her hobbies, she remains active. “My daughter won’t let me use the kiln for pottery-making any more,” Marge admits. She gave up pottery, but she is well aware of the importance of remaining busy.

Marge enjoys going to her regular appointments and visiting with the many merchants she has done business with throughout the years. “It’s nice to have someone help me run errands and manage things around the house,” Marge concludes.

Long before this move, however, the Resslers’ story begins when they met at a dance, which, according to Mrs. Ressler, has often led to the debate of who saw who first. Though no matter whom it was, the couple is happy to say they have celebrated 48 years of marriage. During this time, Mr. Ressler had worked for Amoco American Oil Company while Mrs. Ressler was a homemaker and bookkeeper who worked part time at the Catonsville Community College bookstore for several years.

It was Aug. 28, 2008 that the Resslers received the call for which they had been waiting. An apartment matching their request had become available. Though the couple sold their home in a matter of three weeks, they knew the actual moving process would not be so easy.

Mrs. Ressler said she and her husband knew they did not want to tackle this move on their own and at the time were given a list of vendors by the Charlestown sales staff. Instead of getting overwhelmed and bogged down with the details, they contacted Charna Kinneberg, owner of the company Senior Transitions, Inc. which provides move coordination services.

As a result, they had downsized, disposed of unnecessary items, had everything packed up, and were moved into their new place by October 10, less than two months after initially learning the apartment was available.

“We didn’t have to go through a book to try to find people to take away trash, donate things to, or even move our things since Charna and her staff took care of everything,” says Mrs. Ressler. “Everyone was wonderful including the other vendors they recommended. They showed up on time and if they were going to be late at all, they called. There was no waiting around wondering.”

Mr. Ressler adds that on the actual moving day, the vendors were taking care of unpacking all of the items and followed the couple’s wishes placing everything accordingly. “We walked into the bedroom and there they were making our bed – it was just like a hotel where everything we needed was in place and ready for us!” he says.

In other moves they made over the years, according to Mrs. Ressler, they had still had to contend with the packing supplies after everything was done. That was certainly not the case this time, however, thanks to their moving coordinator. The trash was removed with boxes taken away, thus the Resslers were free to quickly start their lives at Charlestown.

The Resslers’ story is certainly not uncommon; however, theirs teaches others of the available resources that can be utilized when taking on this difficult task. Charna says the move coordinators take one of the major barriers of moving away. “We often hear ‘I don’t want to be a burden to my children,’ or ‘I don’t have time to help my parents,’” she says.

With a qualified, experienced move coordinator, these and other issues associated with a move are handled. According to Charna, the ultimate goal is to remove that stress from the experience, though the source differs from client to client. One may just need someone to help them figure out what will fit into the new unit while another client may want help disposing of things they do not need. Someone else will just want help packing or unpacking as others want to go on vacation and come back after the move is done.

No matter the scenario, this move manager is there to help. “We’ve done it all,” she says.

Senior Transitions, Inc., however, is not limited to coordinating local moves. Charna is President Elect and one of the founding members of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM), an organization of move managers located throughout the U.S. and Canada. The industry has grown significantly in the past six years from the initial 16 member companies in 2002 to now over 500 companies.

“When a client is moving to or from another location, we can easily find a member company to help on the other end,” says Charna. “Because of my longstanding involvement with the organization, I often personally know the other company.”

Also as a result of her commitment to the association, some of the communities she regularly works with even call her rather than just selecting from the NASMM web site.

Meanwhile, with what turned out to be a very stress-free move behind them, the Resslers have enjoyed life in their new home. As Resident Ambassadors at Charlestown, they talk to prospective residents, showing them the community and discussing the advantages of living at Charlestown. Mrs. Ressler is also in the process of starting a new dining companions program at the community with her friend.

Of course, they often discuss their experience with Senior Transitions, Inc. and would recommend seeking the assistance of a move manager to anyone in a similar situation.

“There is no way we could have made the move without them,” says Mrs. Ressler. “It’s the single biggest reason most people give for not making the move. With Charna and her staff’s help, that issue is gone.”

Bonnie, who started working at American University for the Public Relations Department, eventually retired from the law school’s Registrar Office. When William, a lawyer, started having problems with his leg, the couple knew it was time for a transition.

“When our son and daughter-in-law also encouraged us, we became more serious about it,” said Bonnie.

After researching and visiting various communities in the area, they decided Ashby Ponds was the right fit. Though they were fortunate to have sold their house before the market’s downturn, the Iandolos knew the actual process of moving and parting with their belongings would not be easy.

It was then they were introduced by their son to Joel and Susie Danick of Maryland-based Transitional Assistance & Design. After the move managers gave the Iandolos a presentation, they sat down with the couple to review the floor plan of their apartment.

“Based on the square footage, Joel helped us figure out what we could and could not take,” said Bonnie. “He worked very hard at making everything right.”

It was a relief for the Iandolos knowing every aspect of their move was being taken care of. When the actual day arrived, Joel had arranged for the movers to unpack the couple’s belongings and have it ready before they stepped foot in their apartment.

“I was absolutely floored when I came upstairs, I think my heart actually stopped,” said Bonnie. “They had done such a marvelous job putting everything together and it was all polished; it was like walking into a new home.”

Since their move in December, the couple of almost 55 years enjoy the various amenities and activities of their community as much as possible. According to Bonnie, it is not unusual to be asked by her neighbors, some of whom still have unpacked boxes, how she was able to make such a smooth transition. In response, she gladly recommends the moving managers that made it all possible.

“They are so organized and knowledgeable about problems with spacing and layouts and they ensure everything is finished when you move in,” she said. “It was a wonderful feeling and I could not have asked for anything more perfect for an end product.”

Dr. Robert and Helen Dubel have done their fair share of walking in their 58 years together. They’ve walked across the sprawling ice sheets of Antarctica, the rugged and dusty jungles of Sub-Saharan Africa, through the sky-high mountains of Tibet and, these days, on the trails near Glen Meadows Retirement Community in Glen Arm, Maryland.

In fact, Maryland is where their walks together first began.

“My wife and I met at Western Maryland College,” recalled Robert, known to his friends and family as Bob. “The first week I met her in biology laboratory, and just by good fortune we were assigned the same pig to dissect.”

The former Marine had just returned from the South Pacific, where he served in World War II. Helen, though she admitted their first meeting wasn’t exactly the most romantic, was smitten with him right away.

“I liked him the minute I saw him,” she said. “And vice versa.”

After the couple was finished with the project, Bob suggested they wash their hands and take a walk.

“We’ve been walking ever since,” he said. “There are six walking trails at Glen Meadows and we walk them all.”

Now the couple has decided to cruise into a leisurely stroll, after a lively and fast-paced life full of professional and personal accomplishments.

Bob led a busy career with the Baltimore County Public Schools, where for 16 years he was the superintendent. He was a pupil of the schools as a boy.

“It’s rather neat growing up as a student in a school system, and then becoming the superintendent,” said Bob. “It gave me a real emotional investment in the system, and so that’s why I was there for so long.”

After retiring in 1992, he began a five-year stint as a faculty member at the University of Maryland, College Park that ended only “when he got tired of running up and down Route 95,” he said with a laugh.

Helen was busy as well, raising the couple’s four children, teaching yoga, art and piano classes, and working as a real estate agent and party planner.

Though both Helen and Bob led very busy professional lives, they always made time to travel once or twice each year – either with their four children, a tour group or by themselves.

Their patio home at the community is filled with souvenirs and memorabilia from their journeys, which included trips to all seven continents and 64 countries. Exotic oil paintings and pastels by Helen adorn the brightly-colored walls, African vases line almost every shelf in the living room, and one spare room even has flag patches from almost every place they’ve visited.

“They keep making countries faster than we can get to them,” said Bob.

For a couple as well traveled as the Dubels, downsizing all the keepsakes they had accumulated from their journeys was quite a task. They said it took about four months, but with the help of their children and colleagues, they gave away enough to fit in their new home with ease.

“We still had a dump truck full of stuff,” joked Bob. “To avoid that, you should move more than one time every 50 years, and don’t save so much stuff!”

Just after settling in, Bob and Helen then decided to move within the community to a more spacious location. It was hard to go through the move a second time, but they said it was ultimately worth the effort.

“I think the staff had us moved from one place to the other in about two hours,” Bob said. “We thought it was funny we had moved once in 50 years and then twice in six months. We’ve always been travelers, but have been very rooted in our home.”

After getting married in 1948, the couple took their first trip to Europe, which cost them a grand total of $900 for 35 days. Their accommodations were simple, but allowed them to see the essential sights.

“We traveled everywhere third class,” said Helen. “But it was one of the best trips we’ve ever had together.”

These days the couple spends most of their time at Glen Meadows, which is just a short trip away from most of their children and grandchildren. They said the decision to retire at the community was made almost immediately after their first visit.

“Well this looks like the place,” Helen remembers saying as the two drove up Glen Meadows’ driveway for a visit. They both grew up in rural environments, and had spent 50 years in a house in the woods together in Villa Nova, Md. When they saw the lush landscaping, felt the crisp country air and walked down the pathways flanked with trees, they knew it was a place where they’d feel right at home.

“After growing up in a village, now I am retiring in a village,” said Bob. He added that the size, rural appearance and friendliness of residents and staff influenced his decision to choose Glen Meadows.

Like many couples who are choosing to enter retirement communities at a younger age, Helen and Bob said they wanted to take advantage of the offered amenities while they were still in good health.

“We wanted to travel more, and our health was very good,” said Helen. “I think a lot of people make the mistake of waiting until they have health problems.”

Helen spends much of her time creating oil paintings, pastels and stone sculptures, along with some needlepoint work. She enjoys singing in the community’s choir, as well as line dancing and basket weaving. Bob is vice president of the residents’ association at Glen Meadows, and enjoys reading, playing golf, hiking on the community’s many trails and attending the various continuing education classes offered there. Both enjoy attending their grandchildren’s sporting games.

The couple’s next trip will most likely be a tour of the Mediterranean.

“It’s a good life,” said Helen. “I’m excited for the future.”

Dr. Russell Tearney and his wife, Katherine, met while attending Virginia Union University in Richmond. The couple has spent their whole lives in education-either as students or as teachers. Dr. Tearney obtained a Ph.D. from Howard University and went on to teach cardiovascular physiology at the University until his retirement. Mrs. Tearney received a degree in elementary education and taught in the D.C. public school system for 43 years. After so many years in the same school, Mrs. Tearney had the pleasure of teaching parents and their children

Being a part of the D.C. school system’s Embassy Adoption Program was one of the highlights of Mrs. Tearney’s long career. She recalls, “I worked with children from France, Germany, China, and Thailand.” Throughout the course of the program, Mrs. Tearney’s students were “adopted” by a country. They studied the country’s history and culture in detail and received student visitors who spoke about their native land. The program, which continues today, culminated with a visit to the respective embassy.

The Tearneys had been living in their family home in Silver Spring for 30 years when Dr. Tearney got ill. His illness resulted in a long hospitalization and recovery process. The couple realized that their house was quickly becoming more than they could manage. After a visit to nearby Riderwood, a continuing care retirement community, they decided it was time for a move.

However, moving seemed like a daunting task to Dr. and Mrs. Tearney. She recalls, “I thought, ‘How in the world are we going to do this?’” When their Long & Foster Realtor, Brad Brown, recommended the services of Scott Swingler with Executor Assistance to help with moving and downsizing, the Tearneys were hopeful. Scott and his staff came over and went through the house with the couple. “They told us that all we would have to do was say “Yeah” or “Nah” for whether or not we wanted to take something, and they would help with everything else,” says Mrs. Tearney.

Executor Assistance associates, Peggy and Daphne, helped the Tearneys through every step of the moving process. They helped them decide what items to donate to charity and what to throw away. The couple composed a diagram of how they wanted their furniture placed, and they set up the new home to those specifications.

“It really was a lifesaver,” Mrs. Tearney says. Just a few months after moving in, the couple is completely settled. She says, “Since we moved, I have talked to people who have been living here for two years and haven’t finished unpacking. We are really lucky in that all we really had to do was walk in on moving day and almost everything was already done.”

Without stacks of boxes to contend with, the Tearneys are focusing on enjoying all the amenities at their new community. Mrs. Tearney lists the activities they are considering participating in: “My husband is interested in wood modeling, and he wants to go fishing in the pond. We are both going to take physical fitness classes, and I’m thinking about taking a computer class.”

“Working with intelligent people and learning new ways to work with top-of-the-line computers led to a stimulating workplace,” Eileen says. She also enjoyed the frequent celebrity sightings in the USA Today building, which most notably included Betty Friedan, Colin Powell, and Jimmy Carter. The rewards of her second job were immeasurable; Eileen’s two children, Jesse and Annie, are now successful adults.

In 1994 at the age of 43, Eileen became ill and was diagnosed with Myasthinia Gravis and Disautonomia. She reluctantly began disability retirement and moved from full-time mom to part-time mom. Thankfully, her children were in their late teens at the time.

Eileen had been considering a move to a more accessible, one-level home for the past several years. She admits, “With my less capable physical status, the logistics of moving were daunting.” She also realized that the numerous possessions she had acquired and inherited needed to be whittled down to a reasonable amount. She explains, “I knew that I wished to move, at most, 30 percent of my house’s contents.” All of the remaining items needed to be appraised and sold, donated, or disposed of. The act of sorting all of her possessions into distinct categories seemed insurmountable at first.

Ready for a move, Eileen turned to Quinn’s Auction Galleries for assistance with sorting and selling her items and preparing and selling her home. “When I learned that Quinn’s offers not just the typical real estate services, for which one usually pays 6 percent, but much more, I signed up,” she explains. The customized services provided by Quinn’s made the sorting and selling process easy. “Matt appraised a gold watch that had belonged to my uncle and then took it to be repaired and returned it. Since I no longer have a car, this level of service was important,” she says.

Matt helped Eileen get more information on her possessions in order to decide what to keep and what to get rid of. After Eileen packed what she wanted and moved, Quinn’s removed the remaining contents of the house, cleaned it, and sold it. Of the unique combination of services Quinn’s offers, she says, “I don’t know how I would have been able to move without them.”

Eileen is now busy settling into her new home and familiarizing herself with her new community. Her next project: finding local volunteer opportunities.

They had been living in their family home in Ellicott City for 15 years when their children began to encourage them to make the move to a retirement community. After a brief search, the Millers chose Charlestown, an Erickson Retirement Community in Catonsville, MD. The staff at Charlestown gave Mr. and Mrs. Miller information about moving companies and moving coordinators to help them make the transition.

The couple called Senior Transitions, Inc. for help with the move and was pleasantly surprised by the comprehensive services they offered. “I am so grateful that we called them; I tell everyone about Senior Transitions,” says Mrs. Miller. She continues, “We really could not have done it alone, and they were just so great. The staff was very hardworking and pleasant, and they certainly did not waste one minute.”

The moving coordinators packed all of the Millers belongings and even helped them get settled into their new apartment. With all the stress of the move relieved, the Millers found themselves “joking and laughing and having a great time, all while our house was being packed up.”

Walking into an apartment that was completely set up made their transition nearly seamless. “The cabinets were full, and the bed was made; there were even towels in the bathroom. They made sure we had everything we needed to be comfortable on the very first night,” remembers Mrs. Miller.

After just six weeks at Charlestown, the Millers feel like they settled into their new home “a long time ago.” Mrs. Miller sums up their experience, saying, “Knowing what I know now, I think it would be absolutely ridiculous to attempt to do all the work involved in moving on your own, especially when there is such wonderful help available.”

Not having to worry about going through boxes gave the Millers more time to make new friends at the community. They are now enjoying dinners with their fellow residents and are still deciding what new activities they would like to pursue.

The family’s first challenge was helping their mother to downsize from her family home to an apartment and completing the long distance move. On the recommendation of the staff at Wood River Village, the assisted living community the Towers had chosen, Dr. Tower sought the help of T.G. Home Contents.

He soon found that Trudy Gompers, the owner of T.G. Home Contents, could offer more than he ever expected: “I thought the best I would do would be to find someone to help me sell or donate my mother’s unwanted items. When I realized that Trudy would also take care of the move, and at a very competitive rate, I was thrilled.”

The hands-on service that Trudy and her staff offered was also a welcome surprise. “She met me in Long Island to view the contents of the house, and she’s based in Philadelphia, so that was amazing,” Dr. Tower relates. By utilizing an extensive network of buyers, Trudy scheduled for individuals to purchase and pick up the various items.

After helping the Towers decide what to move to the new apartment, Trudy arranged for the move of the items and even helped organize and set up the apartment. Dr. Tower recalls, “It was very nice for my mother because she got to move into a place that already looked like a home because it was completely set-up. Trudy gave us great advice about where to place the items.”

Settled comfortably into her new apartment, Mrs. Tower lived happily at Wood River Village for several years. After she passed away, Dr. Tower again turned to T.G. Home Contents for help.

The services that Trudy and her staff offered helped eliminate the stress of cleaning out the apartment during a difficult time. Dr. Tower relates, “Some of the items from the apartment were moved to my home and others were sold or donated. I received a receipt for charitable donations for tax deduction purposes. Everything went so smoothly.” With his mother’s treasured possessions now safely in his home, Dr. Tower is extremely pleased with the “full service moves” that Trudy and her staff offered.

Ms. Goldman was looking for someone she could trust and could turn to for all her moving needs. A consultation with a social worker from Jewish Family Services led her to Senior Transitions, Inc. and Charna F. Kinneberg. Shirley was relieved: “She came in and helped me decide what I needed to get rid of, what I needed to keep, disposed of unwanted property with charities, and packed and moved all of my stuff.”

As Shirley’s personal moving coordinator, Ms. Kinneberg packed all of her belongings and arranged for all the needed contractors, from movers to painters and cleaning crews, who helped prepare the house for sale. She was with Ms. Goldman the entire time, monitoring the work she was paying for: “Charna would not let me pay the contractors one penny until she was satisfied with the work they had performed; she was so trustworthy, reliable, and thorough.” More than just a moving coordinator, Charna really served as Ms. Goldman’s advocate during a difficult time. Ms. Goldman is happy to admit how integral this help was during her move: “I couldn’t have done it without her expertise; she took over; I did nothing!” Now settled in an assisted living facility surrounded by her most treasured possessions, Shirley Goldman has made a smooth transition to a new phase of her life.