Old friends reunite at Kentwood Park after
50 years
Monday February 11, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
When George Wickett moved into Kentwood Park two months ago, he had no idea he would soon be reunited with an old chum he had not seen in more than 50 years.

But that’s exactly what happened.

Upon being introduced to a resident, who would become his roommate, a surprised Wickett soon realized the man was Harry Whittaker, a school friend whom he hadn’t seen since the two were teenagers growing up in Belleville.

Before an individual moves into the Picton long-term care home, staff members chat to residents to see if they know the new resident. This is what happened before Wickett came to Kentwood.

“I wouldn’t have known (Whittaker) on the street,” recalls Wickett. “He just introduced himself. He knew I was coming and said, ‘Oh, I know him.’

“We hadn’t seen each other in years. . . . When we were about 16 we parted company and that was in the 50s,” says Wickett, adding that he had set out on a career in the construction business, which took him all across Canada.

Now that the two old friends have been reunited they spend a lot of time together, says Wickett.

Once it has been established that new residents know people at the home, staff members make a point of arranging it so these individuals sit together during meals and are paired with each other in activities, says life enrichment co-ordinator Linda Sheppard.

Sheppard adds that she sees a lot of camaraderie between Wickett and Whittaker, which she says is good for both men, adding that it has been an opportunity for the men to reminisce about their shared past.

Wickett, she says, is an outgoing gentleman who’s active in residents’ council and spends a lot of time socializing with other residents.

“George is quite social,” says Sheppard. “He interacts with us all the time and makes us laugh. We do enjoy his company.”