Every prospective resident who’s ever visited Thornton Oaks (a Brunswick retirement community) knows Henry Recknagle, the director of sales at Thornton Oaks since 2001. And, it seems, everyone who’s met Henry has good things to say about him. As a resident of Thornton Oaks, I can say he’s the real deal. Let’s take a look at the man behind the charming smile.

Henry graduated from Sanford High School and went on to the University of Maine at Orono where he majored in psychology. After graduation, he landed a job at the Portland Press Herald, where he worked for six years.

Henry was chosen to lead the United Way campaign at the PPH and proceeded to raise a record amount of money. He decided that he liked fundraising for a good cause more than he liked the actual newspaper business. That realization prompted him to move to Colorado where he worked on two United Way campaigns, first in Boulder and then in Colorado Springs.

In 1998, Henry and his wife Monica decided to move back to Maine to be closer to family. After a short time at a computer firm and another stint at United Way, he took stock of how he wanted to spend the rest of his career. In the process, he thought of a day when he was a student at the University of Maine.

“It was a magical day. My friends and I had just been to a football game (which we won). I was feeling so happy, but at the same time I was thinking of my two grandmothers who were living alone in big houses, one in Philadelphia and the other in New Jersey.

“I was thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if they could live in a place like a college dorm where they could be with other people and live in a college town?'” That thought never left him, so he decided to explore opportunities to work at a retirement home. A visit to Thornton Oaks sealed the deal.

Henry Recknagle is a born salesman in the best sense of that word. First of all, he totally believes in what he is “selling.” When I asked him the major “selling points” of Thornton Oaks, he rattled them off without skipping a beat: beautiful campus; well-maintained grounds; rock-solid financial foundation; affiliation with Maine Health; wonderful group of residents; strong programming; opportunity to age in place; easy access to Brunswick, a terrific college town; and a long waiting list (people like to go where it’s hard to gain entry).

Second, Henry genuinely loves people. He looks for the best in people, and he can put up with the worst in them. And he’s really fascinated by people’s backgrounds, which is clear from some of the stories he tells about past residents. Put simply, he enjoys his job and his enjoyment shines through when you see him showing visitors around.

About the challenges of his job, Henry confessed that he sometimes feels frustrated if he hears people criticizing other members of the staff.

Here, then, are just a few of the fascinating stories Henry shared with me. After he retires, he plans to write a book about his experiences at Thornton Oaks. These stories suggest that it will be a very fine read.

Georgiana

As a young girl, Georgiana was starstruck with her hero, Amelia Earhart. When she heard that her idol was in her home town to do a promotional tour, she went to the only hotel in the village. She coaxed the elevator operator to tell her on which floor Amelia was staying, then she knocked on every door on the floor until she struck gold: Amelia, herself, answered the door. They had a delightful conversation. Then a man urged Amelia to come into the next room to see her guests, which included Franklin Roosevelt (then governor of New York) and his wife, Eleanor. Amelia invited Georgiana to come into the room.

This initial visit began a multi-year friendship between Amelia and Georgiana, and they would get together occasionally. On their last visit, Amelia explained that she had this big trip planned around the world; she said, “We’ll get together when I get back.” Of course, that was the last time Georgiana saw her hero.

As it happened, Georgiana’s chance meeting with the Roosevelts gave her the opportunity to interview them in the White House when she was a college student.

Georgiana, who had advanced college degrees and numerous interests, befriended and encouraged many people. Among her many accomplishments, Georgiana was an artist. As Henry related, “She saw my 7-year-old daughter’s raw artistic ability and arranged for the first child art show at Thornton Oaks. Eleven of her images are in a book published by Thornton Oak residents, ‘Leaves from Thornton Oaks.’ That wonderful experience encouraged and motivated my daughter to get a studio art degree 15 years later.”

Frank

As a teenage boy, Frank had the opportunity to attend the 1936 Olympics in Berlin with his family. That Olympics was famous for the Jesse Owens victory. It was before the horrors of World Wart II and Adolf Hitler had constructed massive and futuristic facilities to feature Germany in an extremely optimistic light. Crowd handling and control was tightly choreographed by the regime, so Frank and thousands of others were funneled into receiving lines. Before he knew it, he had shaken hands with Adolf Hitler. At the time, it was common for school-age boys to keep journals. Frank wrote just one passing line regarding meeting the dictator: “This man is extremely popular over here, but he gives me the creeps.”

After hearing this story, Henry read the “Boys in the Boat” book about the amazing Washington State University crew team, which went on to win the Olympics despite being assigned the worst rowing lane. He later viewed videos of that Olympics, which were designed to showcase throngs of Germans cheering not only their team but also Hitler. As Henry says today, “I could easily see why Frank the teenager made his observation in his journal.”

Dolly

Dolly was an inspiring study of contrasts: petite, elderly and a force not to be underestimated. In addition to being advanced in years, she was tiny — perhaps less than 100 pounds — soft spoken and quick to express gratitude.

However, this petite package was a force of humanity. As a young woman, she shoveled coal in the old-fashioned steam locomotives. For the uninitiated, to travel 100 miles by train would require shoveling eight to 10 tons of coal. Dolly was also a member of WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services), a member of the U.S. Navy during World War II.

One day, her adult son opened her Thornton Oaks apartment with his key. He was shocked to find his mother’s small body on the floor, quite still, eyes closed. Startled, he called “Mom” with a panicked voice. “What’s the matter?” she demanded as her eyes popped open. Relieved, her son asked why she was sleeping on the floor when the bed was only a few feet away. This strong soul, guided by her disciplined military background, replied, “I have never napped in my bed in the middle of the day, so why would I start now?”

You can bet that Henry has many more stories to share in the future. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, Henry says, “It’s important to express gratitude and appreciation for what you have. I’m certainly grateful for Thornton Oaks.” He’s also grateful for his wife, Monica; his daughter, Charlotte; and his son, Gus.

As it happens, Henry and Monica are currently on the waiting list at Thornton Oaks. I’m guessing he’ll receive a very warm welcome when his title changes from “director of sales” to “resident.” He’ll make for a fine addition.

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns at dtreadw575@aol.com.