Hospice Is Hope 26 The Healthy Geezer

Hospice Is Hope HOV patient shares collection of nearly 2 million stamps

BY LIN SUE FLOOD

It was 1939, and Monroe Wingate was just 9 years old when his father returned home from a business trip with a little package of German stamps. Two of them depicted an eagle circling the world with a swastika. Hitler’s invasion of Europe was all over the news and the young boy knew he was holding a piece of history.

Over the last 81 years, Monroe has cataloged 962,000 stamps using a software program that helps him keep track of what he has. But he is only halfway through his collection. “Honestly, I never met a stamp I didn’t like,” the 90-year-old chuckles. “Some collectors specialize in butterfl y stamps or something. But I love them all and that’s my problem.”

Stamp collecting may have begun as a hobby, but now it’s his life’s work. “Every stamp tells a story,” he says. “Commemorative ones celebrate statehood, for example. Others are pieces of art. They all have variations in watermarks and perforations. To me, every one of them is a miniature painting.”

After respiratory illness reduced Monroe’s mobility several years ago, he “gave up sailing and golf,” his wife, Peggy, says. “But he’s never, ever bored. He can sit for hours studying stamps, storing them in albums or deciding which ones to bid on in auctions.”

When Monroe’s Hospice of the Valley social worker, Thomas Corrigan, saw the extensive collection in the couple’s Scottsdale home, he felt compelled to introduce his patient to someone who would truly appreciate his passion for stamps.

“I just knew he would enjoy sharing what he’s been working on for decades,” Thomas says. Which is how, one sunny morning, Monroe met Kevin Lesk, president of the Phoenix Philatelic Association, who was duly impressed. “This is a wonderful — the sort of thing you rarely encounter. Monroe is the epitome of a true collector who’s in it for the enjoyment and collecting for the love of it.”

The camaraderie was instant. Both men paged through heavy volumes holding hundreds of colorful stamps from faraway places. Some mark world events like the Olympic Games; others feature Hollywood legends or capture pieces of history like the trio of Graf Zeppelin stamps. That particular set was issued for letters that the airships carried to Europe in the 1930s.

“When people share their collections, their stamps educate us — about the past or current events or art or culture,” Kevin says. “It’s a hobby for anyone who is curious about the world. And collecting isn’t just for the rich… it’s available on any budget.”

Enthusiasts and serious collectors can attend the Aripex Stamp Show from Friday, February 18, to Sunday, February 20, at the Mesa Convention Center. This year, 47 exhibitors will display their collections. For details, visit aripex.org. Kevin will give free appraisals to anyone who is wondering what their stamps may be worth.

Monroe won’t be at the show this year, but he’s already looking forward to Kevin’s next visit. “I love being able to share my collection,” he says softly. “I wish more people did it.”

(Top) Graf Zeppelin stamps are some of the most popular and valuable stamps from the 1900s. (Above) Phoenix Philatelic Association president Kevin Lesk, left, admires Monroe Wingate’s collection. The large map above Monroe’s desk inspires him to research and pursue stamps from all over the world. (Photos courtesy of Hospice of the Valley)

Lin Sue Flood is community engagement director at Hospice of the Valley. To learn about programs and volunteer opportunities, visit hov.org or call 602-530-6900.

(Left to Right) The Legends of Hollywood series features likenesses of stars like Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman; Monroe Wingate has collected nearly 2 million stamps from around the world; One of many stamps commemorating the U.S. Olympic Games.

King Crossword

ACROSS

1 Kitten’s cry 4 Opera set in Egypt 8 Garden intruder 12 Eggs 13 Some deer 14 -- -bitty 15 Containers for laundering 17 Appease 18 “So there!” 19 Pittsburgh pro 21 Emphasize 24 Droop 25 Chop 26 Pirate’s potation 28 Yokels 32 “I’ve Got -- in

Kalamazoo” 34 Pinnacle 36 “-- come back now, hear?” 37 Trifled (with) 39 PC alternative 41 Roman 151 42 “-- the season ...” 44 NASA vehicle 46 Critic’s essays 50 Part of DJIA 51 Send forth 52 Give a faded look to, as jeans 56 Lettuce variety 57 Think (over) 58 HBO rival 59 Sheltered 60 Between jobs 61 Layer

DOWN

1 Trim the grass 2 Actress Longoria 3 Remove by cleaning 4 Tennis legend Ashe 5 Debtor’s note 6 Society newbies 7 Admin. aides 8 Know-it-all 9 And others (Lat.) 10 Diminutive suffix 11 Color worker 16 Dinner for Dobbin 20 Corn spike 21 Excellent, in slang 22 Toy block name 23 Place 27 May honoree 29 Aftermath 30 Vogue rival 31 Thin cut 33 Beatles classic 35 Standard 38 Conk out 40 Pamper 43 Sage 45 Farm female 46 Country’s McEntire 47 Actor Jannings 48 Unspoken feeling 49 Gulf War missile 53 Unwell 54 Yon maiden 55 Sweetie

The idea of Go Figure is to arrive at the figures given at the bottom and right-hand columns of the diagram by following the arithmetic signs in the order they are given (that is, from left to right and top to bottom). Use only the numbers below the diagram to complete its blank squares and use each of the nine numbers only once.

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H

H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

Place a number in the empty boxes in such a way that each row across, each column down and each small 9-box square contains all of the numbers from one to nine.

DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK H H H

H Moderate HH Challenging HHH HOO BOY!

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers differ from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.

SCRAMBLERS

Unscramble the letters within each rectangle to form four ordinary words. Then rearrange the boxed letters to form the mystery word, which will complete the gag!

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6208-0721

The Healthy Geezer Alcoholism is a common cause of seniors’ injuries

BY FRED CICETTI

How extensive is alcoholism among older people?

Alcoholism is a serious problem among seniors. Here are just a few statistics that tell the story: • About 70% of hospital admissions for older adults are for illness and accidents related to alcohol. • About half of older adults in nursing homes have an alcohol problem. • Older adults lose an average of 10 years off their lives because of alcohol abuse. • About 80% of doctors misdiagnose alcoholism as depression in older women. • The highest-growing number of alcoholics is among 75-year-old widowers. • About 10% of patients over age 60 who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are actually suff ering from brain damage caused by alcoholism.

“Alcohol abuse among older adults is something few want to talk about or deal with,” says Charles Curie, former administrator of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

“Too often family members are ashamed of the problem and choose not to address it. Health care providers tend not to ask older patients about alcohol abuse if it wasn’t a problem in their lives in earlier years.

“Sometimes the symptoms are mistaken for those of dementia, depression or other problems common to older adults. Unfortunately, too many older persons turn to alcohol as a comfort, following the death of a spouse, a divorce, retirement or some other major life change, unaware that they are markedly aff ecting the quality of their lives.”

A few defi nitions: Alcoholism: Alcoholism is a disease with four symptoms: craving or compulsion to drink, the inability to limit drinking, high alcohol tolerance, and physical dependence.

QAlcohol abuse: Alcohol abuse does not include strong craving, loss of control or physical dependence. Alcohol abuse is A defi ned as drinking that causes problems in your life such as failing at work, getting arrested for drunken driving, or hurting someone physically or emotionally because of drinking. Moderate drinking: Moderate drinking is defi ned as consuming up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people. A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. The American Medical Association offers the following list of physical symptoms to diagnose alcoholism. If an older person shows several symptoms, there is a high probability of alcoholism. • Bruises, abrasions and scars in locations that might suggest frequent falls, bumping into objects, physical altercations or other violent behavior. • Cigarette burns on the fi ngers. • Flushed or fl orid faces. • Jerky eye movement or loss of central vision. • Damage to nerves, causing numbness and tingling. • Hypertension, particularly systolic (the fi rst number). • Gastrointestinal or other bleeding. • Cirrhosis or other evidence of liver impairment, such as swelling in the lower extremities, and other signs of fl uid retention. • Psoriasis.