Still Working After All These Years

Of course, the region has plenty of highly skilled people older than 65 who direct their talents toward volunteer work. William Johnston, 80, a retired chemist for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission who lives in a Montgomery County retirement community, spends most of his time building cabinets and other wooden structures with Habitat for Humanity.

"My philosophy is to share your gifts and celebrate life," Johnston said.

Still, many high-powered local residents worry that even volunteering may not be sufficiently satisfying, said Morgan, who at 64 has more than a professional interest in the topic.

"Somehow there's a difference between how much people respect you when you're volunteering as compared to when you're actually employed," he said. "They'll ask you to do tasks that don't require you to be involved in any strategic planning or decision-making."

Or perhaps area residents are taking their cue from the U.S. Senate. Dozens of senators are older than 65, and several are older than 80.Then there's the Friday policy luncheon at the Brookings Institution, where at least eight of the movers and shakers are 65-plus.

"Doing things I believe in. Public service. That's what gives meaning to my days," said luncheon regular Amitai Etzioni, 78, director of the Institute for Communitarian Policy Studies at George Washington University.

Even people in less high-brow professions say they continue to work at least partly for the sense of purpose it gives them.

"I've been working all my life, so why stop now? It's better than sitting around and wasting away," said Johnson, a lobby guard for the past 26 years.

The job itself is perfect for someone my age. . . . There's no stress, and everyone treats me well," said Johnson, a retired postal worker,

Those who are working past traditional retirement age at Holy Cross Hospital also described their jobs as a pleasure rather than a burden.

Morton, the medical staff services director, and Warren, who has a part-time job coordinating staff retention, routinely stay beyond official work hours because they are absorbed by their projects.

Chen, the nurse, showed obvious delight as she lathered newborn Emme Hallet's thick black curls on a recent afternoon.

"Wow, she's got a lot of hair," she exclaimed to Emme's father, Joe Hallet, as he snapped away with his camera.

But like many other people working past 65, the Holy Cross employees said financial considerations were a big factor in the decision to put off retirement.

As a widow, Chen gets only a portion of her husband's pension from his job as a civil engineer with the U.S. Navy.

Warren has survived colon cancer at 65, and lung cancer this year. She shudders to think of how much she would have had to pay if she hadn't had full health insurance from Holy Cross to supplement her Medicare coverage.

"I've had chemo, surgery, intensive care," she noted. "Medicare would definitely not have paid for all that. I would have been in deep, deep trouble."

Morton has calculated that between her Social Security check and various pensions, her income after she retires will be only about $500 a month less than her after-tax income now. But she worries that if, like her mother, she lives until 95, the pensions will run out. And she wants money for the little luxuries in life, the silver jewelry she likes to buy from QVC, for instance.

"I don't want to spend my last days pinching pennies," she said. "Otherwise, it's like your just waiting to die."