Staying active and keeping busy in retirement is important for both the mind and body. An active retirement is not just about keeping busy – it is also about engaging in quality activities that make your life worthwhile. Madie Davis-Cannamore, Ph.D., exemplifies what it means to be engaged and living life to the fullest. Her satisfying retirement is determined by the quality of the activities she chooses and is only limited by what she decides to pursue.

When Madie retired from teaching in 1973, she thought she would volunteer at a hospital and wondered what else she would do with her anticipated free time. Most importantly, she did not want to lose a sense of purpose in retirement. She knew there had to be more and wanted to find a way to channel her love of teaching and learning.

A “perpetual student” before and during retirement, Madie earned four master’s degrees and a doctorate. She is the host of a weekly radio program, “Community Spotlight,” on 89.3FM WKKC. She teaches jewelry making, is a stand-up comedian and author, travels with friends, and is a Queen member of the Red Hat Society.

When it comes to keeping busy in retirement, she believes the real measure of success is the quality of life that you experience. Madie attributes much of her success to setting up activities that make her feel satisfied with how she spends her time. While she used to wonder what she would do with her time, now she strives to find the time to do everything she wants to do.

Madie fully appreciates and takes advantage of opportunities she never envisioned while teaching. She wants other future and current retirees to “do the things that you cannot do while teaching” and know that “there is life after teaching, you just have to find it.”