Volunteering keeps Newport 90-somethings ‘in the middle of things’

John Kraus, Sally Twombly and Ed Romeo have a few things in common — they all have jobs they love, they never receive a paycheck and they’re all in their 90s.

Kraus, in fact, has two volunteer jobs at age 99.

He is the treasurer of Friends of Oasis, a nonprofit support group for the Oasis Senior Center in Corona del Mar. And the 1941 graduate of MIT has been writing for about 20 years for the MIT Technology Review.

“I like to be in the middle of things,” he said.

Kraus had a long professional career as an industrial engineer with TRW, North American Aviation and McDonnell Douglas. He worked on the design of nuclear power plants and the International Space Station before retiring at age 75.

The New York City native moved to Newport Beach almost 50 years ago.

“After I retired, I was looking for things to do. So I joined the Oasis sailing club, where I became commodore and helped build the membership from 10 to 200,” Kraus said. “For the last 17 years, I have served on the board, in various jobs, for the Friends of Oasis.”

As treasurer, Kraus handles accounting responsibilities and is part of the investment committee that helps raise money to support the senior center’s activities.

Kraus, who was widowed twice, attributes his longevity to keeping busy and thinking positively.

“Don’t hold grudges or think negatively,” he said. “That’s a good way to enjoy life — look for the good things in people, not the bad.”

Twombly, a Corona del Mar resident for 57 years, has been a volunteer for 30 years for assorted causes — a museum shop, a food pantry and a women’s shelter, among them. Currently she works every Saturday at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop in Corona del Mar.

“It’s nice to be doing something worthwhile,” said Twombly, 90.

Twombly raised her family in Corona del Mar’s Harbor View Hills community and helped her husband in their import/export business, doing secretarial work. That is, until tragedy struck in 1972.

“My husband and my two sons were killed in a midair collision,” Twombly said. “I went into a fog — it was a terribly miserable time for me and my two daughters.

“It was my mom who encouraged me to keep busy.”

Twombly went back to work in the import/export business, this time alongside her late husband’s business partner. After two years, they were married.

But after he became ill and died in 1980, she sold the business.

Twombly said the Discovery Shop is a good fit for her since she once worked for Buffums department store and has a flair for fashion and enjoys interacting with people.

“When customers ask me what I think, I won’t tell them a lie,” she said.

According to Discovery Shop assistant manager Arnold Espinosa, Twombly is a dedicated volunteer.

“She never misses her Saturdays, and I never have to worry about her getting the job done. I can count on her to listen and follow through,” Espinosa said. “She’s also a wealth of information — she knows what’s going on in the world, and she’s sharper than me at 55.”

Twombly said she looks forward to seeing her co-workers and customers.

“I love the people I work with. Arnold is an angel, although ever since I turned 90, he no longer lets me climb the ladder,” she said. “They are a great group and wonderful to be with; there’s a magnetism and energy between us all.”

Ed Romeo, a Newport Beach resident of 48 years who will turn 91 in May, has been involved in the local senior center since 2000, when his wife dragged him to an exercise class.

“She talked me into joining, and that drew me into the net of volunteering in rummage sales, Casino Night and finally the board of directors, where I served as president for three years,” Romeo said.

The former educator, who retired in 1991 after teaching middle school in Anaheim, began his volunteer path with Volunteer Center Orange County, now called OneOC.

“As a teacher, it’s natural being involved in community activities, and volunteering is giving,” Romeo said. “And when you give, you get twice as much in return.”

Romeo credits the Oasis Senior Center for providing activities that help senior citizens like him stay mentally alert and physically fit.

“Keep the mind thinking and feet moving,” he said. “My wife and I get up at 6:30 a.m. three days a week to go to an 8 a.m. fitness class.”

“You’d think being retired means wanting to stay in bed as long you can,” he added with a laugh.

Susan Hoffman is a contributor to Times Community News.