SENIOR LIVING The Ridge Pinehurst Steve and Anne Burkholder The Face of PHOTO CREDIT: JENNY FOLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
T he Burkholders’ Next Chapter For 50 years, they lived in the same house, raising a family, tending garden, and creating a trove of memo- ries. Then came a medical diagnosis. With their son’s encouragement, Steve and Anne Burkholder explored what the Lakewood area offered seniors. They wanted to remain active and indepen- dent, but they knew they needed to be closer to supportive healthcare services. “It was a haphazard search,” Steve says, but the couple soon began to focus on two or three appealing senior living communities. “We had a fair overview of what was what.” A chance encounter with a long-time friend presented a new option. “She
asked if we had considered The Ridge Pinehurst,” Steve said. The couple toured and was immediately impressed. We met two residents who told us, ‘It’s the next best thing to home.’ “It has a vibrant energy we hadn’t found elsewhere. We saw lots of smiling faces, people playing games, playing the piano, sitting and talking, working puzzles. There was something going on in the community room. There was the cinema, Club Ridge with its heated pool, and the Sky Lounge — a lot of action every- where, and it really set The Ridge apart.” Their follow-up visits confirmed their first impressions, and Steve and Anne moved in June 2025. The transition
wasn’t easy after 50 years in their Lakewood house, but the Pinehurst community has helped them adjust. “The Ridge’s service culture is so good. There are different personalities here. Some are active. Some want quiet. But the service culture makes a place for everyone. You start to develop into a family. “We’re in our next chapter now. We’re fortunate.” Steve Burkholder was Lakewood mayor from 1999 to 2007. The Ridge Pinehurst is a Lakewood indepen- dent living community with a continuum of assisted living and memory support.
26 Faces & Places ® | Winter 2026
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