About Me

I'm Royce Shook, retired professional, volunteer leader, and lifelong learner who believes the Boomer generation is rewriting what it means to grow older. This blog is my conversation with you about that journey.

I spent my career in education, teaching at both the junior high and university levels. Along the way, I learned something that has stayed with me: people are capable of remarkable change at any age. I've seen students who struggled in Grade One go on to become professors. I've seen people in their 80s discover new passions and purpose. That has shaped how I see the world, and how I see this stage of life.

When I retired, I didn't slow down. I became a member of the Board of Directors of SHARE Family Services, a Workshop Presenter  for Seniors Helping Seniors association, a member of the Advisory Board for the Senior Advocate of BC, and I am now, President of the Wilson Seniors Advisory Association, a registered charity serving seniors in Port Coquitlam since 1993. In that role, I work alongside seniors who are redefining what it means to contribute, lead, and stay connected in their later years.

 I work with the Tri-Cities Seniors Action Society as Chair, and I am on the Transit Police Advisory Association as well as the Tri Cities Food Insecurity committee. I also volunteer with the BC Community Response Network, raising awareness about elder abuse, neglect, and self-neglect. I have seen how isolation can harm, and how connection can heal.

I started this blog in 2010, inspired by my mother, who kept a diary from the day she married my father. When she died at age 56, I was given the chance to open those pages and discover who she really was, what she loved, what she feared, for what she hoped. It was like meeting her for the first time.

I wanted to leave something similar for my children and grandchildren. Not my secrets, necessarily, but my presence. My voice. My particular way of seeing things.

What I didn't expect was that people, complete strangers, would start reading. And writing back. And sharing their own stories.

That changed everything.

Now I write for all of us. For the working Boomer preparing for the next chapter. For the seasoned senior navigating the second act. For anyone who wants to live with purpose, resilience, and connection, long after the work badge has been hung up.

I write about the things that matter:

• Purpose – What gives meaning when the routines of work fall away?
• Resilience – How do we face loss, change, and uncertainty with grace?
• Connection – How do we build relationships across generations and communities?
• Health and well-being – What does it take to stay active, curious, and engaged?
• Community – How can seniors lead, mentor, and contribute?

I don't have all the answers. But I've learned a few things, mostly from watching people who show up, keep trying, and refuse to fade quietly into the background.

A Little More About Me

• Age: I'm in my 80th year, and I'm still learning every day.
• Family: Married to Colleen for five decades. Two children. A grandson who inspired this blog.
• Passions: Writing, volunteering, and the occasional bus excursion with fellow seniors.
• Belief: Every stage of life has something to teach us. The question is whether we're paying attention.

If this blog resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you.

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If you're in Port Coquitlam, stop by the Wilson Centre and say hello. I'm usually there, probably in the lounge with a coffee and a conversation.

"We don't stop because we get old. We get old because we stop."