In 1964, as a new bride of an Air Force lieutenant, I arrived in San Antonio for the first of three assignments here. After two years, we began a series of assignments on three different continents before returning to San Antonio in 1981 and retiring in 1983.

In 1981, with children in junior high and high school, our priority was to live within walking distance of good schools. Twenty years later, our lifestyle had changed dramatically. The children were grown, married and living their own lives. For the past decade, we had cared for healthy but elderly parents, and in the process we had researched most of the independent senior communities in the area.

From that experience, we knew two things: we did not want to move twice — which would happen if we chose a facility without continuing care — and we wanted to avoid the flashy new privately run facilities whose rules, pricing and amenities often shifted as ownership changed.

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After months of visiting every place in the area, someone suggested we look at the Army Residence Community (ARC). As retired Air Force, we hadn’t considered it, but to our surprise we discovered that ARC had more Air Force than Army residents, along with retired civilian government employees, Coast Guard and Navy.

Walking out of ARC after our first tour, I looked at my husband, Bruce, and said, “It’s perfect.” Several features sold me immediately: the massive indoor pool that felt like swimming outdoors under its glass ceiling and walls; the beautiful chapel with its stunning stained-glass windows that hosted Catholic, Protestant, and Episcopal services as well as Bible study groups; and, quite frankly, the simple pleasure of being treated like adults — wine or cocktails were offered with meals.

Marcia Holliman enjoys time at the pool with friends at the Army Residence Community. Credit: Clint Datchuk for the San Antonio Report

But beyond the physical features, there was an underlying sense of belonging. It didn’t feel like checking into a hotel — it felt like coming home. My granddaughter said it best when she called it “Grammy’s big house” after we moved into ARC’s High-Rise Apartments. We had never lived in an apartment, but we soon felt like the entire building was our home.

Life here is full and rewarding. Each morning at 7:45, I leave for water aerobics while my husband heads to pickleball on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and tennis on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thanks to the beautiful locker room and showers, I can go straight from swimming to my weekly Wednesday canasta game. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I attend an exercise and weight class followed by Zumba. On Fridays, I end my morning with both swimming and an appointment at the beauty shop for my hair, a pedicure or manicure. By noon, I’ve already exercised both mind and body!

The pool and emphasis on leading an active lifestyle was a major factor in Marcia Holliman’s decision to move to the Army Residence Community. Credit: Clint Datchuk for the San Antonio Report

ARC offers over 200 activities every month: “lunch bunch” outings to the best restaurants, tickets to plays, musicals, and symphonies in town, in-house lectures on health and wellness, card games, and luncheons highlighted by well-known speakers.

Still, it’s the little things that make life here so satisfying. My husband loves to hop on his bike and ride across campus to the three lakes, surrounded by lovely duplex cottages, where he enjoys fishing (thankfully, without bringing the fish home!). 

My favorite activity is being part of the “Sassy Senior Sisters,” a group of twelve lively ladies who put on four programs a year. Each begins with a song-and-dance number and continues with two hours of music and performances from residents and guests. After the big shows, we take our opening number over to Assisted Living to entertain our neighbors there.

Marcia Holliman puts her over 50 years of experience as a dance instructor to use by leading the Sassy Senior Sisters in performing routines and shows for the other members of the Army Residence Community. Credit: Clint Datchuk for the San Antonio Report

The SSS, as we’re affectionately called, is made up of a wildly talented group of women with backgrounds ranging from an Army doctor and a West Point graduate to teachers and business professionals. What holds us together is our shared commitment to bringing joy and entertainment to our fellow residents.

For my husband and me, ARC truly is the perfect place — full of community, activity, and the comfort of knowing we are home.

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