Meet John and Catherine DeNunzio

John and Catherine DeNunzio lived in Durham for 60 years and had no plans to leave their home. However, their three children were worried.

They believed their parents needed assistance and made plans for them to move to One MacDonough Place in Middletown. The couple says they reluctantly made the move to the assisted living community owned by Middlesex Hospital about three years ago to ease their children’s worries. The transition was difficult at first, but they soon got use to their one-bedroom apartment. Caring One MacDonough Place staff members and friendly new neighbors helped the DeNunzios adjust.

“It wasn’t long before we fit in here,” says Catherine, 94, a former educator who once wrote a column about Durham for The Middletown Press. “We love our particular apartment because it overlooks the courtyard.”

The DeNunzios spend a lot of their time walking and gardening in that courtyard. They also participate in the community’s exercise programs and have made friends with other residents. Their children and grandchildren visit them regularly, and they enjoy occasional family dinners in One MacDonough’s private dining room.

“As long as I have her, I don’t mind anything,” says 97-year-old John, a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps veteran who went on to become a decorated Middletown sports coach. The baseball field at Middletown High School is named in his honor.

The Denunzios recently celebrated 70 years of marriage in a home they love surrounded by people who have become so important to them.

“It’s a lovely, warm, friendly place,” Catherine says of One MacDonough Place. “It’s like a huge family.”

For more information about One MacDonough Place, visit onemacdonoughplace.org or call 860-358-5802.