RTOERO member Rebecca Crouse’s retirement is all about heart

For Rebecca Crouse, helping people seems to come naturally after working in education. The focus on community and helping is what led her and her husband Kevin to join RTOERO. “It was much more than just the benefits. There was still that whole idea of giving back to the community, staying involved and understanding that caring for the people living around us is key.”

Rebecca’s retirement is all about heart, even her decision to retire.

“It was almost like this peace came over me saying now is the time to retire. For me, it was a heart decision as opposed to a head decision. It felt right.”

The RTOERO member’s last paid role was with the Ministry of Education in Ontario supporting the secondary school success initiative. “I left when I still loved what I did. I left for the right reasons,” Rebecca says. Kevin also retired from the education sector as a school administer.

Once she retired, she and Kevin relocated from Ontario to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia; where Kevin grew up and Rebecca had created roots of her own thanks to years of annual vacations to the town. Rebecca has become involved in the local community. Recently she accepted the role of president of the local Rotary Club. She’s an executive member of the local hospital auxiliary, and has done a lot of fundraising for the hospital. Both Rebecca and Kevin volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

Rebecca’s story reminds us that retirement is an open road leading to new pursuits and an opportunity to truly follow your heart.