“It’s not a Frosty,” joked former members of the resident council at Villa Maria Manor, as David Glascoe, former chief executive officer of Villa Maria Manor, started opening the gift they presented to him; a reference to his daily trips to Wendy’s for lunch.
During a celebration recognizing the 41st anniversary of the facility on Tuesday, Nov. 30, staff and residents honored Glascoe for his 40 years of service in a variety of roles.
Glascoe began working with the Diocese of Nashville in 1980, serving in several capacities including refugee services and later childcare. He was still working in childcare when he came to Villa Maria Manor in 1990. After he founded the Villa’s sister facility, Mary, Queen of Angels Assisted Living Facility in 2001, for which he also served as chief executive officer, he stopped working in childcare in order to solely dedicate himself to senior living services at both facilities.
“It’s important to recognize his leadership, his consistency of living the mission, his service to others, as well as his vision,” said Richard Borofski, chief executive officer of Villa Maria Manor and Mary, Queen of Angels Assisted Living Facility.
Glascoe retired from Villa Maria Manor and Mary, Queen of Angels in January 2021, but COVID-19 kept the facilities from giving him a proper goodbye.
“Now, we’re in better times and happy to have you with us again,” said Wanda Bumpus, former resident council chairperson, as she explained that his gift, which included a Wendy’s gift card and a compass, had been held onto for the last several months.
During the ceremony, he was also presented with a memory book from staff and residents, which included a letter from the late Betty Crecelius, former resident council president.
“We have been blessed to have you with us for many years, and you have done so many good things for the Villa. I know this has been a very trying time with Covid, and I for one as well as most of us here at the Villa are thankful that you implemented plans that took care of us safely,” the letter reads. “This is a wonderful place to live, and it’s because of people like you that have such compassion and concern and love of the elderly that you made this a home for all of us.”
After eight years already under his belt at Villa Maria Manor, in 1998, plans to open Mary, Queen of Angels began and became a reality just a few years later in 2001, Glascoe said.
“We felt like the big vision was to try to develop this property as a senior living community and there was a need for more assisted living in the Davidson County area,” Glascoe said. “Assisted living is expensive, and we needed to try and figure out a way to provide care at a price point that people could afford.
“There really is a good sense of community between Mary, Queen of Angels and Villa Maria Manor,” he said. “We certainly check the box of providing quality care, and, in many fundamental ways, we check the box of providing affordability.”
Glascoe said it was a team effort, too, especially with Sue Clinton, who served as executive director of Villa Maria Manor from 1987 to 2020.
“Sue was really the heart and soul of Villa Maria Manor. I was sort of the brains, and so we made a good team,” Glascoe said. “I was the one who made sure we had the resources to do what Sue felt the residents needed, and we were successful in that.”
“You were definitely the brains. My goal was to meet the need of the whole person, the spiritual, the physical and the emotional,” Clinton responded. “But God put you here for a reason, and you fulfilled that very well,” she told Glascoe.
Along with the ceremony honoring Glascoe at Villa Maria Manor, he was also honored at Mary, Queen of Angels, with a plaque outside the building. The plaque recognized Glascoe’s contributions as founder of the facility following its 20th anniversary, which was celebrated in September.
“Based on the faith-based principles of serving, caring and giving, Mary, Queen of Angels provides quality care and award-winning services to Nashville seniors,” the plaque reads. “Glascoe’s commitment, hard work and dedication spanned a career of more than 40 years of distinguished service to the Catholic Diocese of Nashville, serving refugees, children and adults. Seniors at Mary, Queen of Angels for generations to come will benefit from Glascoe’s vision and dedication, and we are forever grateful.”
Brian Cooper, Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer for the Diocese of Nashville, oversaw the ceremony and plaque unveiling.
“You look at the man and this institution and the good that has been done here, it’s absolutely incredible. Every institution has a culture, and that culture comes from the founder,” said Cooper, a former president of the Mary, Queen of Angels board. “When you think of David Glascoe, you think of patience, perseverance and intelligence, surrounding himself with good people and loyalty that spans over 40 years of service to the diocese and 20 years since founding Mary Queen.
“He could’ve started a career in the ’70s doing other things, but he chose really a lifetime of service and that loyalty, and all those characteristics are now part of Mary Queen,” he said. “It’s a testament to all of us together, what we can do for today, for service of others, loving our neighbor as ourselves and also for future generations.”
Glascoe said that while he appreciated the recognition, it’s the residents who helped ensure the facilities’ longevity.
“Truly the residents make or break the property, and we’ve always had a great group of people,” Glascoe said. “My gratitude is to you.”
Glascoe began working with the Diocese of Nashville in 1980 in refugee services and later childcare, which he continued service with when he came to Villa Maria Manor until 1998 when it was decided that Mary, Queen of Angels would open. From then, he was solely dedicated to senior living services.
