His instructor was Ralph Rapson, who’d soon become a famed Minnesota architect. Today, both Parker, 84, and Rapson, 92, continue to work at their drawing boards in Minnesota.
Maybe that famed Upper Midwest work ethic has too firm a grip. Whatever the case, many “retirees” continue working into their 70s and 80s—and beyond.
Nearly all would probably say that they enjoy it, it keeps them mentally and even physically sharp, and it’s more interesting (and perhaps more fun) than playing golf all the time. Many also like the income. And with the population aging, the economy can still make good use of those experienced workers, tapping their wisdom and experience—and, of course, their work ethic.
“It’s vital that we continue to do meaningful work, paid or unpaid, through the last breath,” argues Jan Hively, a senior fellow at the University of Minnesota’s College of Continuing Education and founder of the U’s Vital Aging Network, which advocates for supporting the productivity of older adults. “Feeling like you’re contributing something meaningful leads to health and longevity. Purposeful lives create public good for everyone.” (Hively lives what she speaks. She earned a Ph.D. in education from the University of Minnesota in 2001 at the age of 69.)
Septuagenarians, octogenarians, and nona-genarians often do find such meaning in their work. Rapson has found comfort in the blueprint for daily living he received from his greatest supporter. “When my wife died five years ago,” he says, “her last words to me were, ‘Be brave, be strong, work hard, and do good work.’”
