Laurel Parc at Bethany

Laurel Parc at Bethany You're retired from work, not from life! Start living at Laurel Parc.

Santa sighting! 🎅 Ol’ Saint Nick was just spotted in Laurel Parc, bringing presents and tidings of joy to the community ...
12/18/2025

Santa sighting! 🎅 Ol’ Saint Nick was just spotted in Laurel Parc, bringing presents and tidings of joy to the community 🎁💚🎄

🎁 The Holiday Toy Drive is over and we are so grateful for the many donations we received in support of local foster kid...
12/15/2025

🎁 The Holiday Toy Drive is over and we are so grateful for the many donations we received in support of local foster kids! 🙌 🧸
Oregon Department of Human Services

I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, and later attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison. I chose it because it was ...
12/13/2025

I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, and later attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison. I chose it because it was a large university, and I felt it would give me options while I figured out what I wanted to study. While I was there, I met my husband. What still amuses me is that he grew up in Philadelphia and I grew up in Wilmington—only about 20 or 30 miles apart—and we shared many friends, yet we didn’t meet until we were both in Wisconsin. We dated and married about a year later.

After I graduated, we decided to move to San Francisco since neither of us had ever been to the West Coast. My husband found work there, and I began a career with the federal government after taking the Federal Service Entrance Exam. We enjoyed San Francisco very much and lived there for nine years. Eventually, our jobs brought us back east, and we moved to the suburbs of Washington, DC, and later Arlington, Virginia. We were living there during 9/11 and could see the Pentagon from our balcony, which made us stop and rethink where we wanted to be.

In 2001, we took a vacation to Portland, a city we had never visited before. We were very impressed, especially by the streetcar and the fact that neither of us needed to rely on a car. We moved to Portland and lived near Portland State University, where I was fortunate to use the library and computers. I didn’t know much about computers at the time, and what I do know now, I learned there. Later, we moved to the Pearl District.

While living there, a close friend encouraged me to look into senior living while I was still healthy. With some guidance, I was introduced to Laurel Parc, and I decided it was the right choice. I’ve now lived here for about nine months.

Life at Laurel Parc has been very good for me. I enjoy reading and appreciate the library, and I like walking and staying active. What I enjoy most is how friendly everyone is—both the staff and the residents. There is always something going on, and it’s hard to feel bored.

Looking back, Portland is my favorite place I’ve lived. Living at Laurel Parc has helped me feel more connected, supported, and very much at home.

-Miriam

What a wonderful turnout we had at our Sweet Harmony Social last Friday! We all enjoyed delicious yogurt parfaits and ha...
12/09/2025

What a wonderful turnout we had at our Sweet Harmony Social last Friday! We all enjoyed delicious yogurt parfaits and had the pleasure of learning from and watching a demonstration by StretchLab 😋👏

12/04/2025

The most wonderful time of the year is here at Laurel Parc! 🎄⛄️

Now through December 12, we’re hosting a holiday toy drive!🧸🪀Bring new, unwrapped toys to the drop-off spots on the 1st ...
12/04/2025

Now through December 12, we’re hosting a holiday toy drive!🧸🪀
Bring new, unwrapped toys to the drop-off spots on the 1st and 2nd floors.
Everything will be delivered to Oregon DHS on December 14.
We’re spreading cheer to local foster kids this season! ❤️

11/25/2025

Thanks for coming out to Harvest Homecoming to dance, enjoy good music, and share great food with us! 🕺🍂

Life has taught me many things, but one lesson stays with me: never underestimate anyone’s potential — including your ow...
11/22/2025

Life has taught me many things, but one lesson stays with me: never underestimate anyone’s potential — including your own. Alan Turing said it best: “Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine.”

As a kid in Redmond, being voted MVP of my high-school basketball team and becoming the acting sports editor of the local paper shaped my confidence and set me on my path. Later came memories I treasure — marrying the girl I adored in high school, becoming the kind of father I never had, serving in Congress, leading the first U.S. trade delegation to China after relations reopened, and helping my daughter free a Jewish family from the Soviet Union.

My actor son, Kelly, once reminded me, “Life is not a dress rehearsal,” and he was right. I try to spend my private time with intention — enjoying jazz, a film, good books, teaching, road trips, writing, reading, and quiet evenings with Sue.

My father left when I was four, and for years I carried the weight of that. With help from teachers and a lot of work, I realized I was the author of my own story, and that belief took me far — to the White House, the Kremlin, and places I never imagined.

Moving to the Laurel Parc residence in Portland's Bethany Village took adjustment, but the warmth of the staff and residents has made it feel like home. We enjoy the movies, the meals, the events, and the simple pleasure of time with several neighbors.

Of all the changes I’ve witnessed, the growth of women’s rights stands out. As the son, husband, father, and grandfather of strong women, I’ve seen how freedom grows when opportunity grows.

If I had one piece of advice, it would be empathy — speak your truth, but listen to others. Everyone carries a story.

-Les

💛 🍗 A week ahead of turkey day, we hosted our annual for residents and their friends. Executive Chef Robin and his tea...
11/21/2025

💛 🍗 A week ahead of turkey day, we hosted our annual for residents and their friends. Executive Chef Robin and his team created a delicious turkey dinner that everyone enjoyed!

11/12/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined us in honoring our Veterans with a visit from active-duty Air Force members; we truly appreciated your presence and support. 🫡

“We’ve been married 55 years,” Judi says. “Our childhoods couldn’t have been more different — I grew up in Seattle, and ...
11/07/2025

“We’ve been married 55 years,” Judi says. “Our childhoods couldn’t have been more different — I grew up in Seattle, and Michael was raised in Baker, Oregon.”

“Seattle was so walkable, and I’ve just kept walking ever since. If I can get somewhere on foot, I’m happier than driving — that’s one of the reasons I love Laurel Parc.”

Michael agrees. “Laurel Parc felt right for us. It’s close by and familiar — our kids went to Bethany Elementary. Before this, we lived in Murray Hill, and even spent a few years in California for my work.”

“I’ll never forget sitting by the pool one afternoon when Michael turned to me and said, ‘I’m ready to go home.’ Meaning Oregon. And that was that.”

They both attended the University of Portland, though they didn’t meet there. “It was either that summer or fall,” Judi recalls. “Michael had an internship, and his roommate was dating one of my friends. We met at a party — and that was the start.”

They raised two children — their daughter now lives just down the street, while their son and all their grandchildren are in New York. “We used to spend almost every summer with them,” Judi says. “So many great memories.”

Judi worked at U.S. Bank for 25 years. “It was the perfect schedule — two five-hour days a week, and summers off. I loved it.”

Her advice? “Keep moving forward and don’t worry about the things that get in your way.”

For them, Laurel Parc feels like the perfect next chapter. “It’s so diverse here,” Judi says. “There’s always something happening — no two days are the same. It’s restful but never boring.”

Michael has even revisited an old hobby from his childhood — building plastic models. “I’ve picked it back up again,” he says. He used to play golf with friends — “Forest Hills was my favorite course,” he adds — while Judi would join him on walks along the fairway. “I just loved being outside,” she says. “I’ve always been that way. I started playing tennis when I was six, and I’ve never stopped moving since.”

-Judi and Michael

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween! 🎃👻

Address

15850 NW Central Drive
Portland, OR
97229

Telephone

+15038098522

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Laurel Parc at Bethany posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Laurel Parc at Bethany:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category