Ted and Jane Settle, Laurel Circle Resident Spotlight
Laurel Circle residents, Ted and Jane Settle, have been active members of the Bound Brook community since 1971, until their move a short distance away from Bound Brook into Laurel Circle in June of 2018. They chose not to look into any other senior living community because of the many residents of Laurel Circle they knew from their church in Bound Brook and the expressions of these friends about Laurel Circle as a very good place to live. Three other factors were important in this decision: they knew it was best to begin the process of moving into a Life Care facility while they were still in good health and physically capable; they would not have to look for different medical/dental persons; and this would free them up from the efforts and costs of house and yard maintenance enabling them to pursue their enjoyment of travel and their interests in photography (Ted) and print making (Jane).
The Settles chose a 2-bedroom residence on the fourth floor with a balcony for Mrs. Settle to hang her plants in the warmer months and provide feed for the birds year around. They have found the living quarters to be comfortable and have enjoyed the well-equipped kitchen and the in-apartment laundry facilities.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Settle live a life full of hobbies, which have grown since they moved to Laurel Circle. Mrs. Settle serves on the Resident Counsel; has a deep-“rooted” passion for the study of plants; and loves to provide varieties of feed for the birds, even attempts to attract hummingbirds. Ted travels along the Delaware and Raritan Canal taking photographs of various aspects of the canal for his considerable portfolio of images of the canal.
The couples travels include: many times to the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil with the New York Botanical Garden; many times to visit their long-time friends in Australia and to travel with them all over Australia, including Kata Tjuta, Darwin, Kakadu, an Aboriginal Festival in East Arnheim, and the Kimberleys; all over Costa Rica from its border in the south with Panama to its border in the north with Nicaragua; to many countries of the Middle East — Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and Palestine, often spending three months at a time volunteering at the Mar Elias Educational Institutions in the Palestinian village of I’billin in the north of Israel, near Haifa.
Jane currently serves on the Resident Council. Until the Covid-19 shutdown, Ted helped in the community’s Heirloom Shop, a gift shop where residents donate items they decide to let go of when they move into the community.
The couple feels that they could not have been in a safer place during Covid-19 and is excited to see the progress that Laurel Circle has made in making sure the residents were vaccinated in a timely manner to protect one another. They are delighted that the dining room has reopened. Ted says one of their favorite parts of the community is the incredible dining options, including the wonderful Sunday brunch, and eating in the dining room sitting with different residents and getting to know the history of Laurel Circle residents. They have found the staff friendly, easy to talk with, and especially helpful while keeping everyone updated and connected during the pandemic.
