Masonic Village of Sewickley

Best of All Worlds

Masonic Village at Sewickley, a continuing care retirement community in Aleppo Township, offers first-class amenities, engaging events and convenient services, all just minutes from Pittsburgh and everything the city has to offer.

The campus features 228 retirement living apartments and 54 villas. A centralized clubhouse includes a bank, convenience store, library, medical clinic, restaurant, grill room and salon. The Barley Wellness Center encompasses a 24-hour fitness center, an indoor pool and a hot tub.

Residents spend their days in the art studio, at lifelong learning and social functions, on outings to nearby attractions and events and enjoying entertainment, intergenerational programs or volunteering in the community. All clubs, classes and activities are listed in the monthly Village Living magazine.

Masonic Village gives residents the time to do things they want to do rather than housekeeping, cooking and home maintenance, which is handled by professional staff.

With this new-found freedom, residents Dick and Mollie Cotten have made new friends and learned new things. The two visit the wellness center and participate in aquatics classes. They play mahjong and take trips to concerts and plays in the city. Mollie volunteers on the recreation committee, which provides feedback to staff on what events and programs to schedule.

She’s also a greeter for new residents, making sure their learning curve is lessened and they have quick access to services, including technology, which provides online connections to event calendars, dining menus, the campus library and resident-recommended services in the local community.

Mollie and Dick started looking into retirement communities after their son was transferred to Florida, and they knew they’d need continuing support. After visiting Masonic Village, with all its woods and wildlife, it reminded them of their hometown, Greenville, Pennsylvania.

“When we drove on the campus, it was absolutely beautiful,” Mollie said. “The grounds are well maintained, people are friendly and it’s a very clean environment.”

The number one thing Masonic Village provides, in their opinion, is a continuity of care, so they can receive skilled nursing care if they ever need it. They joined the priority wait list, and three years later, “when we were ready, we just called, and they made it happen,” Dick said.

“We wanted to be able to make the decision to move when we wanted to, not when we had to,” Mollie said. “It’s good to have a solid plan.”

“Masonic Village offers us so many things and takes care of everything,” Dick said. “It’s carefree. You can be involved in something 20 hours a day if you want. All the services are there.”

The assistance that’s available if needed, combined with the freedom to do what they want, makes Masonic Village the “best of all worlds,” Mollie said. “We considered this decision to be one of the most important we had to make in our lives. We’re so glad we came to Masonic Village. It’s all we thought it was going to be and more.”

A View of Pittsburgh

The city of Pittsburgh is home to an array of major league sports teams, entertainment venues, academic institutions and now, retirees. Masonic Village residents can take advantage of scheduled trips to city attractions or arrange their own visits. 

Resident Toni Vosseler, who was born and raised in Pittsburgh, moved to Masonic Village in 2021 with her husband, Harry.

“I absolutely love living near Pittsburgh because it has everything you want or need in regard to sports, arts, places to go in the evening, things to do … it really has everything,” Toni said.

Toni and Harry are “snowbirds,” spending six months of every year in Sewickley and the other six in Florida. Toni said though they enjoy Florida because of the warmer weather, nothing compares to Pittsburgh, and Sewickley, specifically.

“Sewickley is just a charming place, and the people here are extremely nice,” Toni said. “People say hello to each other in this city. If you look at someone eye-to-eye, they’ll smile at you.”

She finds the same warmness among residents and employees of Masonic Village.

“I have so many things I like about living here. It’s worry-free,” Toni said. “If you have any problems, they get fixed immediately, and the meals are prepared by a chef. The residents are very cheerful and welcoming, and everybody living here is so happy with their decision.”

As a Lifecare community, Masonic Village offers personal care and skilled nursing services at the same basic monthly service fee you would be paying in retirement living for future peace of mind. The Life Care Plan also affords residents potential tax deductions.

To learn if Masonic Village at Sewickley might be the right fit for you or a loved one, visit www.masonicvillagesewickley.org or call 724-242-6060.