Sardinia resident Rodolfo “Rudy” Marquez has a long life of stories to share. He can share these stories with you through the photos he has collected over the years, and one in particular is of a young soldier proud to serve his country. Other photos show happy memories with his wife dancing and good times with friends.

At almost 95 years of age, Marquez has an exceptional memory of his life including hard times as a child during the Depression, spending his youth living in an orphanage, and working long hours as a young adult to help his mother with rent and food after she had remarried and her husband was stationed in the Pacific with the Navy.

Rudy was born in San Antonio, Texas, as an only child and his father died when he was very young. At the age of 3, he began living in a Catholic all-boys orphanage before attending a vocational school where he took a grand interest in mathematics and electronics. At 14, Rudy was back living with his mother and attended a private military elective school. In the evenings, he worked several hours for a wage of $1 a day that was used to help purchase necessities for he and his mother like milk and eggs and rent for their two-room shack.

Upon graduating high school, Rudy enlisted in the Air Force where he proudly served four years. He completed his basic training at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. The original plan was for him to be stationed in the Pacific during World War II; however, with his vast experience and interest in electronics, he was sent to Tucson, Arizona, where his duties included teletyping and communications, in addition to working with top secret operations and electronics for airplanes at different locations.

After his time serving in the military as a sergeant, Marquez continued his work with the government at a number of military bases throughout the country including Florida and Pensacola, and even outside of the country in Mexico City, Mexico, where he assisted with building computers and electronics.

Marquez eventually settled in Ohio where he worked at different companies including RCA where he was a computer instructor, and also owned his own electronics business in Dayton. He met his wife, Joan, and both had a love and interest in ballroom dancing and spent many Saturdays dancing and enjoying friends and life.

When Joan passed, Rudy moved from Ohio to Florida and lived with a friend, but then found a desire to return to Ohio. He did and began living in an assisted living facility in Middletown before he joined the staff and residents at Close to Home IV in Sardinia in Brown County.

Marquez enjoys life at Close to Home and takes great pride in his room. His bed is always made and neat thanks to his military training and the many bed inspections he would experience as a young solider. At Close to Home, he is able to live independently with assistance as needed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He is able to enjoy special activities and meals daily and has the comfort of knowing he has help ready when necessary.

The Area Agency on Aging District 7 (AAA7) provides the Assisted Living Medicaid Waiver in its 10 core counties including Adams, Brown, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Vinton. The Assisted Living Waiver Program is a statewide long-term care program for Medicaid recipients. It offers another option for community living while promoting dignity and independence, offering an alternative to nursing facility placement.

Assisted Living Waiver facilities offer an apartment-like setting with a private room and bath. Residents have access to staff 24 hours a day for help with activities of daily living, personal care, homemaking, meal preparation, medication monitoring and assistance, and socialization.

To be eligible for the Assisted Living Waiver Program, you must be a resident of Ohio, age 21 or older, Medicaid-eligible, have the ability to make a minimum room and board payment to the assisted living facility, meet the intermediate nursing home level of care, and be able to have all of your care needs safely met in a residential care facility.

Over his 95 years of life, Marquez has a lot to reflect back on and much to compare between now and then. He notes when he was a child how there were few toys and only one toy given at Christmas. He would play games like jacks and penny pitch.

“Kids today have so many things that they should appreciate,” he said. But he considers education the most important. “There are so many education opportunities kids now have for their future. I never let anything stop me from learning,” he added.

Marquez’s life, without a doubt, is a testament to perseverance and not letting anything stop an individual from moving forward and appreciating what life has to give through all the peaks and valleys.

If you are interested or have questions about the Assisted Living Waiver Program, contact the AAA7 at 1-800-582-7277 or email [email protected].

Submitted by Jenni Lewis, director of communications, AAA7.