Applewood Estates Seniors Celebrate 100th Birthdays

A group of seniors at are celebrating a century of life in November. The Freehold Township independent living retirement honored residents Helen Becker, Ambrose LeVan, Wright Poinsett and Harriet Shadegg with a champagne reception celebrating their 100th birthdays this month.

“I attribute my long life to the 67 years I spent married to my wife,” Ambrose “Amby” LeVan said. “When you have the love of a wonderful woman behind you, you can face just about anything.” LeVan’s wife died at the age of 98. He continues to swim daily and oversees the community’s audio-visual needs, including the Performing Arts Center and state-of-the-art music suite.

Harriet Shadegg, a native Manhattanite, said that several valued friendships have sustained her over the years.

Wright Poinsett, born in Trenton, spent 46 years working for the state of New Jersey where he was hired as a clerk and promoted to deputy director of the state’s Medicaid program. From the beginning, he was fascinated by the computer age. When a machine was added to his office, he quickly became the resident PC expert. When he’s not practicing his chip shot with a 9-iron on the front lawn, he can be found figuring out programming glitches on his home computer.

The seniors have lived at Applewood for the last 17 to 21 years.

Applewood Estates, including The Green at Applewood, is a non-profit, continuing care retirement community offering apartments and cottages for independent seniors.  Assisted living and skilled nursing areas are also available. It is part of the CentraState Healthcare System, which is a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Health Network. For more information, call Applewood Estates at 732-303-7416 or visit applewoodestates.com.