By: Pat Winter
When a friend visited Mark and Kathy here at their new home on New River Drive, he jokingly commented that living at Albemarle Plantation was like “living off the grid.” If “living off the grid” means a lack of traffic, friendly neighbors, and the isolated beauty of our wetlands and waterways, that is exactly
what the Sherrills were looking for!
Mark and Kathy, both “army brats,” spent most of their lives outside big cities, both in the US and Germany. Commuting was a big part of everyday life. As
a teenager, Kathy lived in a small village in Germany and commuted one hour to and from Munich to attend high school.
Mark, also an “army brat,” became an Army infantry officer and was stationed in Berlin right after he and Kathy were married. His two tours of duty there provided them front row seats to the dismantling of the Berlin Wall and the Reunification of Germany ceremony held at the Reichstag. During this time, Kathy worked as a government accountant and was transferred along with Mark from site to site.
When Mark retired from the Army in 2004, Kathy went to work in the Pentagon in financial reporting and later moved to the Architect of the Capitol Building, requiring her to commute daily from Manassas into D.C. Mark went back to school, became an educator, and spent his time in the third-grade classrooms of a Title 9 School. He felt veterans, like himself, were especially well prepared to work in the classroom because they knew how to apply discipline well and build community.
When they began looking for a place to retire, a quiet, golfing community with a lack of traffic were two prerequisites. They visited Albemarle Plantation early in their search and initially thought the area might be too remote. But three days after their visit, they knew our community had many things to offer that couldn’t be found elsewhere. The house they were interested in was still available and they officially joined the ranks of AP residents in March.
Now our dog park is one place the Sherrills visit several times every day with their dog Bailey, a mini schnauzer. Kathy has enrolled in some exercise classes and just started playing pickle ball for the first time. They love our Thursday Farmer’s Market and plan to get more involved in the golfing community in the near future. “It’s just fantastic,” comments Kathy. “There is so much to do here, and we love the Albemarle wave.”
The Sherrills have two daughters, one who is a teacher in Texas and another who is a nurse in Ohio. Although they live far from AP, Kathy was pleased to report that they are able to get direct flights into both areas from our regional airports, which makes visiting their grandson in Columbus much easier.
When you get a chance to talk with Mark and Kathy, ask them to tell you the story about the Hutto Hippos. And be sure to welcome them “home.”