Tom and Ellie Herr lived all over the world during Tom’s 20-year career in the United States Air Force, but they chose Arbor Terrace Naperville as their latest stop.
The couple, who spent the last several years in Anacortes, Wash., moved to Illinois to be closer to their daughter, Heather, after Tom suffered a stroke, from which he is recovering.
“Our daughter and son-in-law had already decided that they would like us to be closer to home,” Ellie said. “We were a military family, so we bounced all over the place, and we had settled in Anacortes. When Tom had his stroke, they knew exactly where to take us.”
During his time in the Air Force, Tom served in Vietnam; for part of that time, Ellie lived in Okinawa, Japan, where she worked as a teacher for Project 100,000, which later became the GED program.
After he retired from the Air Force, they settled down in Anacortes, and Tom flew for commercial airlines.
Ellie was an elementary school teacher for much of her career, spending 20 years teaching third grade.
“I loved it; third-graders are just at that wonderful age,” she said. “They don’t have a snotty mouth, and they just see things through different lenses. They’re just so much fun.”
After retirement, Tom bought a boat, which was a long-held dream of his, Ellie said. The couple traveled all over the Pacific Northwest and into Canada on the boat.
“We just went from place to place and had a ball,” Ellie said.
Ellie’s hobbies include quilting and sewing. She learned to sew as a kid in 4-H, and she even made Heather’s wedding gown.
“I just enjoy keeping my hands busy,” she said.
In addition to Heather, Tom and Ellie have two sons, Erik and Paul, and four grandchildren. They also have a Bichon Frise/poodle mix named Miss Maddie, who is “the love of our life,” Ellie said.
Although they’ve only been at Arbor Terrace for a month, and they’re still settling in and getting to know their neighbors, Tom and Ellie are enjoying their time in the community.
“We’ve been blessed to be here,” Ellie said.
