Bob, 93, and Phyllis, 89, share a deep love for their home city of Chicago. The two grew up in the Windy City in the 1920’s and 1930’s and never wanted to leave. Bob and Phyllis have become great friends as residents of Brookdale and want nothing more than a chance to get out and create new memories with each other. Their Wish of a Lifetime was to go on a helicopter tour of Chicago for the very first time to see the city from an entirely new perspective.
At age 18, Bob enlisted in the Air Force but was rejected because he was color blind. He was then drafted to the Army and served for three years in the Pacific during WWII as a combat engineer, building air strips on Okinawa and Saipan. Phyllis, a loving mother of three, is a caregiver at heart. Her mother and her husband had serious health issues and they required full-time care, which Phyllis dedicated herself to for almost 30 years. Both Bob and Phyllis also have a history of volunteering at various organizations throughout their lives.
Taking a helicopter tour of Chicago was a dream that Bob and Phyllis set out to accomplish together. “It’s such a gorgeous city. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to see it from above,” said Bob. Once they found out about Wish of a Lifetime, they were excited to have a chance at fulfilling their dream. On March 25th, 2016, Bob and Phyllis took a daytime helicopter tour of their beloved city. “It was the perfect day for it. An absolute thrill,” said Phyllis. “Seeing all of the tall buildings and the city from above was unbelievable.” They both want to thank Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale for the memorable opportunity.
“I would like to tell future generations to do something adventurous in their lives, even if it feels a little uncomfortable,” said Phyllis.
Special thanks to Kim Bronder for photographing this special experience.
