By INTRODUCTION
When pressed about the secret to his Forever Young appearance, Ron, who welcomed his first grandchild in December 2019, shared this response which will surely further endear him to the hearts of readers: ‘I wish I could tell you there is a Fountain of Youth; however, it’s due to a brain tumor I had as a teenager. It has changed my life, but I am still alive. Besides, my wife Jennifer jokes around saying the older we get, women will wonder with jealousy how she got so lucky finding a younger handsome guy. LOL.’ Neither gloomy weather nor gloomy breaking news about the spread of COVID-19 could deter Ron Page from being a Good Samaritan on Friday, March 20, 2020. Little wonder Ballston Spa Living Editor Ann Hauprich, who snapped a photo of her roadside rescuer as he prepared to change her flat tire that afternoon, considers it an extra special honor to feature a Q & A with this Hometown Hero. Make that an extra special honor and an extra special joy! In addition to his inspiring act of kindness against the backdrop of the pandemic, the village resident who is often kidded about having a “Baby Face” celebrated a SMILE-stone in May 2020: that of turning 50 years young. When pressed about the secret to his Forever Young appearance, Ron, who welcomed his first grandchild in December 2019, shared this response which will surely further endear him to the hearts of readers: “I wish I could tell you there is a Fountain of Youth; however, it’s due to a brain tumor I had as a teenager. It has changed my life, but I am still alive. Besides, my wife Jennifer jokes around saying the older we get, women will wonder with jealousy how she got so lucky finding a younger handsome guy. LOL.” Q: It is noteworthy that you stopped in your tracks to assist a total stranger on the now historic day when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order requiring businesses—with the exception of those providing “essential” services—to keep 100 per cent of their workforce at home, effectively shuttering any non-essential business whose workforce could not work from home. What inspired you to put escalating concerns about the pandemic aside to lend a hand to a stranded motorist? A: It’s in my nature to help whenever I can. I am more than happy to help, no matter the circumstances. On many occasions I have stopped to help people. Q: At the time of your inspiring act of kindness on March 20, 2020 , there were just over 250 confirmed COVID deaths in the United States. Five months later — with America’s coronavirus death toll nearing 200,000 — would you extend the same kindness? Why or why not? A: Yes I would. I like to help when I can. More people need to do the same. Of course, it is more important than ever to wear a protective facial covering. Whenever I am out in public, I always wear either a surgical mask or cloth mask. I just recently bought a cloth one with an American flag design on the front, which I like. Q: You and your wife Jennifer are not originally from Ballston Spa. When – and why – did you choose to settle in this community with your family? A: We moved here from Waterford in 2016 after finding a house that we wanted to purchase in Ballston Spa. Our three girls (Tricia, 26; Page, 22; and Linda, 20) had made us empty nesters prior to the pandemic, but we share our home with four fur babies: two cats (Lady and Sir) and two dogs (Captain, a German Shepherd and Bailey, a Norwegian Elkhound). We love this area and our neighbors. We also have a niece and her family who live just five minutes away. Q: Although you and your family reside in Ballston Spa, you have been employed in the Facilities Department at St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy for just over a decade. Did the amount of time needed to drive to and from the Rensselaer County-based hospital get any shorter after thousands ceased commuting on the Northway in order to Work from Home (WFM)? Q: Have you and your loved ones found new ways of spending quality time together during the pandemic? A: We have tackled new projects around the house. We recently put in a back door and mud room. We are also doing a lot of cleaning out. Q: Have you and Jennifer discovered any Silver Linings in The New Normal? A: It is definitely hard to find a Silver Lining in all this, but we are overjoyed that that our eldest, Tricia, and her husband, Aaron, made us grandparents several months ago. We are also grateful to still have our parents alive. We wish we could see more of them and other loved ones. Q: What’s the first thing you and your family would like to do together when the pandemic is officially history? A: We love to travel and are looking to vacation abroad when it is safe to do so. We love Aruba and can’t wait to get back. PARTING NOTE : The history of St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy where Good Samaritan Ron Page works includes a merger with a hospital named SAMARITAN.
