16/Nov/2008
Local Retiree and WWII Veteran Donates Time, Money to Zachary
By Emily Holden
Editor’s Note: Did you know there are angels living in Zachary? Angels are people who donate many hours to community service, and who you almost never see without a smile on their face.
As the holiday season approaches, we thought we would introduce you to some of Zachary’s very special “angels.” We hope learning a little about them may even inspire you to volunteer. Meanwhile, next time you see an “angel” at work, please stop and thank them for all they do to make Zachary a better place.
He has volunteered in Zachary for 20 years, giving more than 120 hours of his time each month. He works at the food pantry, the hospital and the U.S.S. Kidd, loves history, is a WWII veteran and runs marathons and 5k races. And he turned 87 on November 2.
Dick Findlay has been an active member of the Zachary community for almost threebout two decades, giving more than 120 hours of his time each month since 1988. He retired in 1985 from River Bend Nuclear in St. Francisville and began to volunteer at the Zachary food pantry. He said he worked 44 years with the company and moved 23 times, finally retiring when he was asked to transfer to Californiaornia. After retirement, he began to volunteer at the Zachary food pantry.
Findlay said he began volunteering with his wife, MaryXX. She was a pink lady at Lane Regional Medical Center for 20XX years. The two were the first couple to ever be recognizedreceive recognition as Zachary citizens of the year. They continued to contribute to the community together until Mary passed away in 2000.
"We both volunteered and after she passed away I continued volunteering," Findlay said. "Volunteering keeps me busy. I'm not a TV addict. I just want to keep busy and I enjoy the work and helping."
Community Work
Findlay works with six other volunteers at the food pantry, mostly retirees and homemakers. He handles local donations and purchases some food from Sam's Club. He is in charge of placing food orders at the Baton Rouge Food Bank and collecting collects barrels from food drives around town. He handles local donations and purchases some food from Sam's Club, as well.
Findlay said he also usually works about 70 to 80 hours a month at the hospital, making beds and stocking supplies. He sometimes runs errands for nurses.
"It's just the company. And every place I volunteer, I enjoy. It seems the people I work with are all different," Findlay said. "Just being around younger people - I like that too."
Zachary Mayor Henry Martinez said Findlay stands out in the community because of his stamina, whether he is volunteering or running races.
"In volunteering at the food pantry, it's not just showing up to the food pantry and giving food out," Martinez said. "He uses his own vehicle with his own fuel and drives to the Baton Rouge Food Bank. If they don't have enough to give to him, he will go to different stores with donated funds that he has helped to raise and buy those missing items to make sure that the people who need food have something nutritious to eat."
Findlay said volunteering in a small community makes it easier for him to see the results of his work. He said he enjoys volunteering because it affects so many in the society.
"I like to relate to people, and, you know, converse with people," Findlay said. "Especially people who lived in the same place I have- in the country- it's interesting to converse with them."
Martinez said Findlay is modest about his contributions to the community.
"Mr. Dick Findlay is not the type of person to beat his own drum or blow his own horn so if you really had to investigate, we would all be shocked and amazed with how involved he is throughout the whole community," Martinez said.
Findlay's fascination with history lead him to start volunteering at the U.S.S. Kidd in 1985. He does restoration and maintenance work on the ship, stenciling and winding clocks.
"That's why volunteers down there do volunteer work - just to keep the thing alive," he said.
The Extra Mile
When Findlay isn't working, he's staying in shape. He ran a three-mile race just a few weeks ago. He said other runners don't believe him when he tells them his age.
Findlay has been running with the same group of friends for about 20 years. He said the company is like family to him.
Martinez said Findlay has a heart for service. and a natural gift for contributing to the welfare of the community.
"First of all, to do what Mr. Dick does you have to care about people. And then, I think you have to realize that it's a blessing that God has given him to have the wisdom and vision to see a need and have the want to fill it," Martinez said.
By Emily Holden
Editor’s Note: Did you know there are angels living in Zachary? Angels are people who donate many hours to community service, and who you almost never see without a smile on their face.
As the holiday season approaches, we thought we would introduce you to some of Zachary’s very special “angels.” We hope learning a little about them may even inspire you to volunteer. Meanwhile, next time you see an “angel” at work, please stop and thank them for all they do to make Zachary a better place.
He has volunteered in Zachary for 20 years, giving more than 120 hours of his time each month. He works at the food pantry, the hospital and the U.S.S. Kidd, loves history, is a WWII veteran and runs marathons and 5k races. And he turned 87 on November 2.Dick Findlay has been an active member of the Zachary community for almost threebout two decades, giving more than 120 hours of his time each month since 1988. He retired in 1985 from River Bend Nuclear in St. Francisville and began to volunteer at the Zachary food pantry. He said he worked 44 years with the company and moved 23 times, finally retiring when he was asked to transfer to Californiaornia. After retirement, he began to volunteer at the Zachary food pantry.
Findlay said he began volunteering with his wife, MaryXX. She was a pink lady at Lane Regional Medical Center for 20XX years. The two were the first couple to ever be recognizedreceive recognition as Zachary citizens of the year. They continued to contribute to the community together until Mary passed away in 2000.
"We both volunteered and after she passed away I continued volunteering," Findlay said. "Volunteering keeps me busy. I'm not a TV addict. I just want to keep busy and I enjoy the work and helping."
Community Work
Findlay works with six other volunteers at the food pantry, mostly retirees and homemakers. He handles local donations and purchases some food from Sam's Club. He is in charge of placing food orders at the Baton Rouge Food Bank and collecting collects barrels from food drives around town. He handles local donations and purchases some food from Sam's Club, as well.
Findlay said he also usually works about 70 to 80 hours a month at the hospital, making beds and stocking supplies. He sometimes runs errands for nurses.
"It's just the company. And every place I volunteer, I enjoy. It seems the people I work with are all different," Findlay said. "Just being around younger people - I like that too."
Zachary Mayor Henry Martinez said Findlay stands out in the community because of his stamina, whether he is volunteering or running races.
"In volunteering at the food pantry, it's not just showing up to the food pantry and giving food out," Martinez said. "He uses his own vehicle with his own fuel and drives to the Baton Rouge Food Bank. If they don't have enough to give to him, he will go to different stores with donated funds that he has helped to raise and buy those missing items to make sure that the people who need food have something nutritious to eat."
Findlay said volunteering in a small community makes it easier for him to see the results of his work. He said he enjoys volunteering because it affects so many in the society.
"I like to relate to people, and, you know, converse with people," Findlay said. "Especially people who lived in the same place I have- in the country- it's interesting to converse with them."
Martinez said Findlay is modest about his contributions to the community.
"Mr. Dick Findlay is not the type of person to beat his own drum or blow his own horn so if you really had to investigate, we would all be shocked and amazed with how involved he is throughout the whole community," Martinez said.
Findlay's fascination with history lead him to start volunteering at the U.S.S. Kidd in 1985. He does restoration and maintenance work on the ship, stenciling and winding clocks.
"That's why volunteers down there do volunteer work - just to keep the thing alive," he said.
The Extra Mile
When Findlay isn't working, he's staying in shape. He ran a three-mile race just a few weeks ago. He said other runners don't believe him when he tells them his age.
Findlay has been running with the same group of friends for about 20 years. He said the company is like family to him.
Martinez said Findlay has a heart for service. and a natural gift for contributing to the welfare of the community.
"First of all, to do what Mr. Dick does you have to care about people. And then, I think you have to realize that it's a blessing that God has given him to have the wisdom and vision to see a need and have the want to fill it," Martinez said.
