Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

ON THE PINECONE COVER As I was checking my calendar, I noticed that Passover begins on April 1, 2026, through April 9, 2026. Of course, Palm Sunday was last Sunday so Christians are in our holy week, with Easter this coming Sunday, and again for our Orthodox friends, Orthodox is April 12, 2026. This is a time of both Great Joy and personal reflection for many of us. Let me share a few of my blessings that I hope you can relate to: The joy of driving onto campus each and every day. From the Gate House to our Club House, the beauty of our surroundings is simply breathtaking! The sounds of the fountain combined with the beauty of the flowers, plants and trees just inspires peace and tranquility. Once inside is where my blessings abound. Greeted at the front door by an alert and always helpful concierge allows me to take account of how we have been blessed by a tremendously dedicated staff. They are with us regardless of weather and/or circumstances. Our employees truly enjoy working here at Kirby Pines. They love working for the residents as well as working with each other. Kirby Pines is family!! Easter Blessings Are Everywhere Now let me spend a few minutes talking about our resident family. It is impossible to put into words the love and caring our residents demonstrate to each other and treat our staff exactly the same way! Even when they come to me with issues or concerns, they always open our conversation with wanting updates on Joshua and Stephanie. In fact, more time is spent on family updates than Kirby issues. Staff from every department look for ways to make residents feel special. Our residents do exactly the same thing! I am truly a blessed man. As we draw near our family and friends during this Holy season, I keep thinking, this is what God intended. This love, this peace, this joy…. This Kirby Pines. Happy Easter Everyone! at Kirby Pines There is nothing quite like springtime at Kirby Pines. The grounds seem to change overnight from the dulls of winter, to the beautifully landscaped 60-acre campus we know and love. Our landscaping crew works diligently throughout the year providing pops of color, but come April those pops turn to fireworks. Flowers and trees in full bloom that include every color in the spectrum, with a surprise at every turn. If you’ve never been to Kirby Pines, now is the time to see – simply stunning. There is so much to do this month, starting with our annual Easter Egg Hunt on the 4th and Easter Brunch the 5th - don’t forget to invite the family! We have a bake sale benefiting the Arthritis Foundation the 14th and a book sale the 16th & 17th. Lunch Bunch is going back to The Beauty Shop in midtown on the 16th and there is a Spring Fling Dance on the 21st. The Travelers are going back to the Dixon Gardens on the 17th and 28th, but also the Rock n Soul Museum the 20th and Blue Note Distillery on the 23rd. The Hamateurs are back in action on the 17th and we round out the month with our Walk to Cure Arthritis on the 28th. • 2 • The Pinecone | April 2026 Mike Hufnagel takes a look at some of the plants growing in the Kirby Pines Greenhouse. Spring is in Full Swing at Kirby Pines! Our front cover features Don & Pat Meiners covered up and ready for a spring rain to make our gardens grow. “Even though we know it’s actually Mike Rayder and his staff that make the magic happen around here”. Our back cover shows off our unique 5,000 square foot greenhouse with Jane Longfield tending to some seedlings recently planted by the Garden Gro’er Club, of which she is a member. Jane is known for her colorful zinnias she shares throughout the season to brighten people’s day. Happy Spring, Y’all! BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. James Latimer, Chairman Mr. Rudy Herzke, President Mr. Larry Braughton Mr. Bob Dalhoff Mr. Jim Ethridge Ms. Linda Harrington Ms. Mary Ann Hodges Mr. Rusty Linkous Mr. Brian Lowery RCA STAFF Charlie Trammell President, RCA Michélle Vincent Executive Vice President, RCA Tim Cox Senior Vice President of Finance, RCA Michael Kelly Vice President of Finance, RCA KIRBY PINES STAFF Michael Brown Executive Director, Kirby Pines Mike Abutineh, M.D. Medical Director Deniece Caldwell Healthcare Administrator Ann Marie Bishop Director of Accounting Harold Morris Director of Culinary Mike Rayder Director of Grounds & Landscaping Kayla Holland Director of Hospitality & Life Enhancement Trudy Schenkenberger Director of Human Resources Chuck Neeley Director of Maintenance Kasey McGarity Director of Nursing This magazine is produced by RCA 6465 N. Quail Hollow Rd., Suite 400 Memphis, TN 38120, 901-794-2598 Electronic version of The Pinecone is available at www.kirbypines.com Michael, Stephanie & Joshua