Jeanne Pugh, 87, of Seminole gives the thumbs-up during her recent tour of the Kennedy Space Center, which included a ride on a moon flight simulator.
SEMINOLE – Jeanne Pugh, a resident of Lake Seminole Square, recently had a longtime wish granted to visit the Kennedy Space Center for a moon flight simulation.
Her dream came about thanks to Brookdale Senior Living and Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime.
Since watching the first manned landing on the moon in 1969, Pugh has been fascinated by space and dreamed of one day traveling to the moon. Now 87, Pugh realized her dream needed to be altered, but never lost hope that someday her dream would come true.
Throughout her life, Pugh devoted herself to her work and community involvement.
Pugh had an extensive career as a journalist, serving as the religion editor for the St. Petersburg Times for 14 years and working as a feature writer/columnist for the Fort Lauderdale News and Jamestown New York Post-Journal. She also worked as the public relations director for Jamestown Community College.
Pugh committed herself to the community despite her busy career. She volunteered for 20 years, serving as PTA president and president of the American Legion Auxiliary. Pugh also volunteered as a den mother for the Cub Scouts and a troop leader for a Girl Scout Brownie troop.
To help Pugh’s dream of flying into space come to life and to thank her for her extensive volunteering, Brookdale Senior Living and Jeremy Bloom’s Wish of a Lifetime sent Pugh to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral on July 25, where she spent two days touring the facility and experiencing the Center’s blast off simulation.
Pugh was accompanied by her friend, Janet McCoy, and Dianne Roepke, a nurse from Lake Seminole Square.
“It was thrilling to the point of tears on several occasions, especially the simulated blast off into space,” said Pugh. “The views of Earth from orbit and the Universe through the Hubble telescope were amazing. Knowing that my companions enjoyed the experience was also rewarding for me.”
Pugh’s wish was granted through Brookdale and JBWOL, a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting life-enriching wishes to older Americans. Brookdale Senior Living has sponsored this and many other wishes granted.
Pugh toured the Kennedy Space Center facilities with McCoy before she completed her moon flight simulation.
Pugh filled out a wish application explaining an experience she would like to have fulfilled. Brookdale residents are encouraged to think about how that experience relates to one or more dimensions of the company’s Optimum Life® platform. The six dimensions of Optimum Life are emotional, social, physical, intellectual, spiritual and purposeful.
Brookdale’s Optimum Life platform is geared toward cultivating whole-person wellness through fulfillment in the six key dimensions.
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