Couple personifies the “go-go” years of retirement

There are three stages of retirement. There’s the Go-Go, the Slow-Go, and the No-Go. You don’t know how you’re going to transition,” explained John Winters. “While in the Go-Go phase, you do what you can.”

If ever there was an appropriate to way personify “Go-Go,” it would involve John and his wife Barb. John, a retired 3M engineer, and Barb, a retired special education teacher, seem to have barely stopped to take a breath since their retirement in 1998. But sitting still and letting life pass by was never part of the plan for this dynamic duo.

The running list of all the Winters have experienced and accomplished in their lifetimes is impressive, to say the very least. As newlyweds, the two left their jobs and spent the first years of their married life traveling the world. Their journey took them to places as exotic as Thailand, as far as New Zealand, and around the United States before returning to Minnesota to start a family.

The adventures didn’t stop with the births of their two daughters. When the girls were in grade school, the family spent several years living in Holland, where John was transferred by 3M. The Winters’ travels have continued well into their retirement.

The couple recently returned from a Habitat Global Village trip to Puerto Angel, Mexico, organized by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (TCHFH) staff members. The team of volunteer builders came from various backgrounds and levels of construction experience.

The great part of building with Habitat, Barb said, is that “If you don’t know how to do something, Habitat will teach you.”

“If you don’t know how to install a window in the morning, someone will teach you. By that afternoon, you’ll be teaching someone else,” added John.

The camaraderie is another aspect that the Winters love about working with Habitat, which may explain why they invest so much of their time and resources into the organization. John spends several hours a week volunteering as part of regular crew on Habitat sites, and also organizes 3M’s partnership with Habitat through the 3M CARES program. Barb joins her husband on the 3M CARES site an average of 14 days each year.

Barb’s contributions to Habitat often come through The Kinney Family Foundation, an organization that she and her sister, Evelyn Pallas, administer. The foundation was set up to fulfill the wishes of their mother, who passed away in 2002. Its goal is to help women, children, and youth in the community meet their housing, education, and health needs. Habitat’s purpose ties in nicely with these themes.

When talking about their volunteer contributions, the praises sung by the Winters are not self-appreciating, but instead directed at the organizations they’ve worked with. “Habitat is just a fabulous group. They produce a quality product. The families [they serve] are really deserving,” said John.

Perhaps the most amazing part of the Winters’ story is not the amount they’ve seen or done, but the humble, modest way they describe it. “We have the time, capability, and health to do different things in the community, so why not?” said Barb.

For a couple who never set out to change the world, this compassionate team is certainly making the most of their “Go-Go” years.

Contributed by Robyn Thaney