May is Older Americans Month, a time to acknowledge the lives and contributions of senior citizens around the United States. The library is proud to present biographies of several Canton seniors this month. Stop by each week in May to learn about these fantastic residents.
Gary Weismann isn't someone who sits still. In fact, as the leader of the walking club at his senior community, you can find him walking daily either inside or at one of the many parks around Canton when the weather is nice. He researched the walking trails within a 10-mile radius of Canton, finding the best ones to explore for his group. In addition to walking, he and his wife, Mary Jo, keep busy in their community by visiting the Summit, attending book groups and coming to the library, just to name a few activities. As the unofficial writer in residence at his senior community, his research skills were also tapped to investigate topics such as how the streets of Canton and the counties of Michigan were named.
With all that local knowledge, you might think that Gary and his wife have lived in Michigan for many years, but you would be wrong. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Gary and Mary Jo lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming after he retired from working as an attorney, law professor and mediator in Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, a desire to be more accessible to their six daughters and their families, including nine grandsons, led Gary and Mary Jo to look for a new place to live— and Canton won. Gary says they are happy with their new home and having a great library nearby is important to both of them. As Gary is the author of five books (all written under the pseudonym Garibaldi Sabio) and Mary Jo is a retired English professor, libraries have held significance to them over the years.
If you see Gary walking with his group around Canton, be sure to say hi. Since he has studied seven languages, chances are he can answer back in something other than English. Not surprising for this very busy senior who says that living life in his Canton community is like being on a stationary cruise ship—you can't do it all.
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