On days when administrative duties seem to overwhelm her, Dorothy Devlin, executive director of Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, says she finds happiness connecting with the nursing home's elderly residents.
"It's the most important part of the job," she said. "When paperwork does seem to pile up, it's seeing the residents that makes the day go better."
Though she'll miss the residents and colleagues who make her work days brighter, Devlin plans to retire April 1.
"It's been a happy relationship," she said. "It's been a pleasure to serve the Lawrence community."
Devlin said her husband is eligible to retire sometime this year from his job as a Social Security administrator.
"We are planning to simplify our lives," she said, which will include spending lots of time sailing.
Devlin joined the staff at Presbyterian Manor, 1429 Kasold Drive, in 1982, temporarily filling in for a woman on maternity leave. Bob Skahan, a former Kansas University quarterback and then-director of the Manor, hired Devlin permanently, and she decided to go to graduate school to learn more about the elderly.
She earned a master's degree in social work administration and planning, and moved into the executive director position in March 1991.
She's been popular with residents. Dorothy S. Anderson has known Devlin since moving to Presbyterian Manor in 1988.
"She has been uniformly kind and thoughtful and helpful to me throughout all these years," Anderson said. "She's a very warm and caring person."
Sharon Petrone, health care administrator at Topeka Presbyterian Manor, worked with Devlin at the Lawrence Manor for 13 years.
"She was a mentor to me," Petrone said. "She helped me through the years when I became an administrator. She was always a friend, and she always had the best interests of the residents at heart."
Devlin is active in the community. She's president of the DCCCA board and has participated in the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Lawrence program.
"When she started the job, she was new to Lawrence, and now she's well-integrated into the community," Petrone said. "She's been an asset not only to the Manor but to the Lawrence community."
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