Belmont Village Quarterly Newsletter
on Senior Living
Resident Profile:
One Man's Guide to Life
 Born in lower Manhattan in 1909, to parents who emigrated from Eastern Europe, Ben Falk is more than happy to talk about the good fortunes he has had during his long life. He may begin by introducing you to his wife of 76 years, Sylvia, and showing you her paintings that line the walls of their cozy apartment at Belmont Village at West University in Houston. Two of the paintings are portraits of the Falks' sons that were painted in 1949. Harvey, the oldest, was president of Liz Claiborne before retiring to Florida and pursuing the full-time hobby of golf. Stephen, the youngest, is a physician who lives in Kemah. Your conversation with Ben may be interrupted by a telephone call from one of his six grandchildren. The Falks also have great grandchildren, including five-year-old twins.
Ben also likes to talk about his 40-year career with Eli Lilly, which began shortly after he graduated from Columbia University in 1930. During his career, he worked in every phase of pharmacy. In fact, Ben still enjoys working as a volunteer pharmacist at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston.
He says he got the “volunteer bug” from his mother. “She would help the elderly coming into Ellis Island,” Ben explains. He also says that one of his earliest memories is of tin cans his mother kept on the windowsill of their apartment. “We weren’t wealthy, but she would drop coins in the cans and when they got heavy the Temple or charity would come and take the money.” Ben says he learned from his mother to “take a little and give a little,” a philosophy that he practices today.
When Ben retired in 1974, he and Sylvia traveled for several years until they moved to Houston in 1978. Not one to just sit around, Ben immediately began looking for ways to volunteer. At first he would visit people in Methodist and St. Luke’s hospitals. Then, 20 years ago, he began filling prescriptions in St. Luke’s. Since that time, he has volunteered eight to 10 hours per week in the pharmacy.
Ben and Sylvia moved to Belmont Village less than a year ago. He says being there with their favorite possessions is “the closet thing to home.” And of life in general, Ben smiles as he says, “I have no complaints.”
May is Older Americans Month.
We at Belmont Village salute our residents.
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