Kirby Pines Retirement Community | The Pinecone

graduation in 1964, John enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he was selected to train as a Medical Corpsman in the Flight Surgeons Office. Over the next four years, he served multiple tours of duty at various Air Force bases, including a 15-month deployment at Clark Air Force base in Luzon, Philippines. Following his enlistment requirements in the military, John enrolled in the Physician Assistant Program at the Indiana University, Fort Wayne campus. Following graduation, he moved to the small town of Culver, Indiana, where he became a valuable member of the community. John married in 1973 and became a father to a son and a daughter. He also resumed his military career by enlisting in the U.S. Navy Reserves and serving as a Chief Warrant Officer in various units in Indiana. In 1985, John and his family moved to Columbus, Indiana, where John joined the staff of Columbus Occupational Health Association (COHA). Fate had intervened! Leora and John were both employed at COHA. Neither Leora nor John was comfortable sharing personal information in the workplace, so they were unaware of each having marital issues until after their respective divorces. They discovered that they had many things in common –chief among them was being single parents. According to Leora, “John was the stable one–steadfast and grounded in his work as a medical practitioner and naval officer. I, on the other hand, had moved around the country looking for the perfect job and a sense of stability.” The friendship eventually evolved to a higher level, and following a period of dating, they married in 1990, combining as a family with their four children, ages 18, 15, 11 and 8. Being a military family and adjusting as one family were difficult. Soon after their marriage, John was recalled to active duty to the Navy base in Chicago in support of Operation Desert Storm. Fortunately, he made the eight- hour drive home most weekends. Following his discharge, the family moved to Memphis where both Leora and John gave 20+ years of service to the veterans at the Memphis Veterans Hospital. In 2011, Leora earned a Ph.D. from the University of Memphis, Department of Communications. Leora and John have spent their lives in service to their country and, most of all, to their children. According to both, “It was well worth the sacrifice.” Their children are leading prosperous lives; only one remains nearby. The family now includes seven grandchildren. Leora and John chose to remain in Memphis and moved to Kirby Pines in 2022. Leora is active in all available exercise programs. Her beautiful LEGO creations, which have been on display, were inspired by her grandchildren. John continues to play golf every day, weather permitting, and Wednesdays are reserved for ballroom dance instruction! According to Leora, “Dancing has become our passion and gives us something to do together that we both enjoy. John and I hope to dance into our golden years surrounded by our friends at Kirby Pines.” Written by Joan Dodson, Resident, Kirby Pines The Pinecone | August 2026 • 7 • When ballroom dancing was introduced as a regular activity at Kirby Pines, another dimension of wellness was also introduced. Experts in cardiovascular and mental health declare that the physical, mental and emotional health benefits of dancing are endless. Having the opportunity to become involved in ballroom dancing was one of the reasons Leora and John Elli chose to move to Kirby Pines. They had enrolled in ballroom dancing classes in the late 90’s, but the required practice interfered with work and family, so it was discontinued. However, before the dancing began, they each had forty years of another life. Leora (Le) Jane Medsker was born in central Indiana, near the town of Eaton. This was a rural community where, according to Leora, “Everybody knew everybody.” Her family had lived there for years, and she attended the same school that her grandparents and parents had attended. A good student, Leora was involved in all scientific activities, and she played several instruments in the school band. Leora graduated high school in 1967, and because of her interest in science, she enrolled in Indiana University (IU) at Bloomington as Chemistry major. Completing college took a hiatus because, according to Leora, “Life intervened!” College became part-time as her scholarship was no longer sufficient, and it was necessary to work as a Laboratory Technician to pay her tuition. Also, she was blessed with a son in 1972. Reconsidering her future, Leora applied to the Physician Assistant Program at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Following graduation in 1977, she and her son moved to New York City where Leora worked as a General Surgery House Officer in two health centers. With evolving new interests, Leora enrolled in the School of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1982. While in graduate school, Leora married. Her family moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where she took a position in the occupational medicine department of the Los Alamos Research Center. In 1983, Leora and her husband added a daughter to their family. Moving again, Leora and her family returned to Columbus, Indiana, to join the staff of the Columbus Occupational Health Association (COHA). John Allan Elli was born in South Bend, Indiana. He attended Catholic schools, where in high school, the boys and girls attended separate classes. A natural athlete, John began playing golf when he was ten years old. He was on the Track Team in high school and learned to Scuba dive as his favorite television show was “Seahunt.” Following DANCING INTOTHEGOLDENYEARS Resident Spotlight: John & Leora Elli Wedding Day 1990