At 88 years young, this Framingham woman brings reading, music to senior community

FRAMINGHAM — For Diane Engel, education is a way of life. A self-professed lifelong learner, Engel, 88, is currently reading "These Truths: A History of the United States," by Jill Lepore.

"I think it's really important for us to understand these things; it adds a valuable perspective to what people think today," she said in a recent interview. "This country has been through some very difficult times and managed to pull through."

Engel, though, is not simply reading the book on her own. She is reading it aloud to fellow residents at Brookdale Cushing Park, a senior living facility on West Farm Pond Road.

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The reading sessions started with Engel assisting another resident who is blind. They've since expanded to a regular weekly gathering of residents who are eager to listen to Engel and discuss literature.

"It's important for seniors to get to have this face-to-face interaction and discussion about topics," she said.

From a young age, Engel has had an appetite for learning

Engel has spent her entire life in education — some of her earliest memories are of her mother teaching her how to read and how to sing. Her father was an industrial engineer and moved frequently, which left an impression on Engel, who spent time living throughout the country.

"I certainly got to see a lot of America growing up," she said. "I sometimes think about my old friends in all the places I grew up and wish I could get in touch with them."

Engel, though, has plenty of friends locally. After living for decades in Southborough and Framingham, Engel moved to Brookdale five years ago and lives independently in a cottage on the facilities property. Besides her reading group, she has attracted a following with monthly concerts (she plays piano) and also teaches English as a Second Language courses on Zoom through the Framingham Public Library.

"To me, it is all just a part of living," she said. "I love learning, I love giving back and helping other people. I'd get bored if I was doing anything else."

A life spent teaching others

Engel said she grew up essentially an only child — her mother was 50 when she gave birth to Diane in 1935. She had one sister who was 13 years older and who had left for college when Engel was still small.

"I had to learn quickly to amuse myself," Engel said.

Her mother was a piano player who quickly taught Engel how to play, and Engel would eventually attend Oberlin College & Conservatory in Ohio, studying both music and liberal arts.

"I think the piano playing really helps me stay young," Engel said. "It focuses on your mind, your hands, your feet — it keeps you really sharp, I try and practice every day. I feel like it's helped me a lot with driving — when you think about needing to move your feet while reading the music, it's not that different than moving your feet while you are reading the road."

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Engel taught high school English in Riverside, California. She eventually moved to Massachusetts with her late husband, Jay, who was an English teacher at St. Mark's School in Southborough for 42 years. But after raising three children, Engel sought out a new career path for herself.

"I went through a program at Radcliffe College (now part of Harvard), which helped middle-aged women return to the workforce, and decided that the best option for what I wanted to do was to go back to school and get a master's degree," Engel said.

She did just that, earning a degree in library science and eventually working at the Framingham Public Library.

"My family was all teachers on my mother's side, so lifelong education is very important to me," Engel said. "We just need to keep on learning. I feel like you just have to, I've got so many questions."

'Everyone needs a friend like Diane'

Bonnie Abimerhi, director of resident services at Brookdale, said Engel has been invaluable to her fellow residents.

"Diane is a wonderful person with a huge heart, who is always willing to put herself out there for people, such as the reading to her friend Anita, who is visually impaired," Abimerhi said.

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Abimerhi said Engel puts on "an amazing concert" for residents each month, and takes her next-door neighbor, who is somewhat cognitively impaired, on walks outside.

"She is that kind of person, everyone needs a friend like Diane," Abimerhi said, adding that people like her are the backbone of senior living communities.

"Having people like Diane is what makes this place feel like a home," Abimerhi said. "She encourages people, she is super-intelligent and she is always willing to give and share herself. Everyone knows that Diane is there for them. She is the best kind of neighbor that you would want."

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham woman, 88, reads, plays piano and does ESL senior facility