Gertrude (Tippie) and Paul DeLeo

Tippie (nee Vierling) and Paul DeLeo describe their move to Westminster Canterbury as a third retirement. An interesting story, it started in the late 1950s when, as undergraduates at the Catholic University of America (CUA), a chance meeting for the two quickly led to a serious romance and marriage in 1963. They settled in Silver Spring, Maryland, where they raised five children. Today that family has grown to include in-laws and 15 grandchildren, ranging in age from 2 to 25 years.

Paul, two years ahead of Tippie in college, graduated with a B. S. degree in electrical engineering and went to work with the United States Department of Defense. He soon enrolled in engineering graduate courses taking classes at night and, by 1969, had earned a master’s degree in nuclear engineering. During his 33-year career with the Navy, Paul served as an engineering manager in the Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program working with a number of large U. S. corporations for the development, promotion, and deployment of the FBM weapons system. 

At Catholic University, Tippie completed the Bachelor of Science Nursing program and also qualified as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. When the DeLeo children were youngsters, she worked part-time in a physician’s office; once all had entered school, Tippie secured the position of Community Health Nurse for Prince Georges County Health Department in Maryland, a job she held for 15 years.

 The DeLeos, with five grown children living in different areas of the U. S., started their first retirement by traveling to visit each child while enjoying the sights along the way. They also kept an eye peeled for the ideal retirement site. They found it and settled on the Northern Neck area of Virginia. Once situated there, Paul established a computer business called The Computer Tutor; he focused on teaching classes on how to use a computer, along with repairing them. His second retirement occurred three years ago when he closed this business. Throughout Tippie’s career she held a special interest in working with mothers and their babies. While Paul established his computer enterprise, she worked for the Women Infants and Children (WIC) program, bringing this to a close in 2011.

Paul and Tippie express excitement about retiring from their life in Reedville, Virginia, and establishing themselves at WC. Tippie has always been interested in dance, especially ballet, and her daughter, who lives in Lynchburg, has found an adult ballet class for her. Other interests include sewing, quilting, embroidery, reading, writing, and politics. Paul views computers as a hobby, along with playing golf and gardening. Tippie adds cooking to Paul’s current activities and explains that with his Italian background he has perfected growing tomatoes that give just the right taste to his sauces. He plans to survey WC’s gardening areas for an ideal spot to support his culinary pursuits.