Macon Magazine

“Downsizing,” a word added fairly recently to our language, refers to a growing trend in America. When children are grown and housing needs change, growing numbers of mature adults are choosing to give up their houses for more manageable quarters. A popular step in downsizing is a move to a retirement community. And people who make such a move must choose which of their possessions to take with them and which to give up. For those who have been collectors of antiques and for those who have inherited family heirlooms, that choice can be difficult.

After living with a special piece for years, sometimes a lifetime, it can seem unimaginable to live without it. A favorite comfortable chair, a painting that inspires happy feelings or something that has been used by members of the family for generations might be hard to give up, especially if children (or grandchildren) aren’t interested in taking custody.

Some Macon folks have gone through the process, have refined their collections and now are living happily with their chosen pieces in their retirement homes. They enjoy those pieces and enthusiastically share them (and their stories) with interested friends and neighbors.

Richard George, when approaching his retirement as head of security at the Atlanta airport, was encouraged by friends from Macon to consider retiring here. After careful investigation he became one of the original residents of Carlyle Place. He chose a roomy apartment that could accommodate a lot, but not all, of his extensive collection of antiques. Among examples of fine furniture and fascinating pieces of art can be found his extraordinary collection of Heisey glass. Begun 40 years ago, the collection is not only a large one, but includes some very rare pieces. Heisey glass was made in Newark, Ohio, between 1896 and 1957. Its fine quality and purity make it a favorite of glass collectors like George.

Mary Domingos and her late husband, Richard, gave up their Vineville home to take an apartment in a retirement community. Richard’s family, the Basses and Burdens as well as Domingoses, were pioneers in this area. The family has deep and long associations with Wesleyan College and Vineville United Methodist Church. For the couple, giving up family antiques was out of the question. While family members were happy to take many of those antiques, Richard and Mary retained many for use in their elegantly furnished apartment. Among those are photographs of family members, some dating to antebellum times. Mary’s pride in Richard’s family is obvious as she identifies those pictured in the photographs and relates a flawless account of their genealogy.