Bainbridge Senior Living celebrated its 25th year by honoring its veteran residents and spouses of veterans on Nov. 11.

The celebration also highlighted the accomplishments of Bainbridge Senior Living, its staff and residents, and the community of 200-plus residents enjoyed hors d’oeuvre, cocktails and a local Latin jazz trio.

When Don Roose created Bainbridge Senior Living, he was struggling to find a quality assisted living community on Bainbridge Island for his mother-in-law, Maggie Roop. After realizing that no such options existed, he decided to create a solution on his own. In 1991, Maggie Roop and her best friend became the first residents when they moved into the Madison Avenue House at Bainbridge Senior Living.

Today, Bainbridge Senior Living is directed by Morgan Rohrbach. The facility has grown into a community comprised of four distinct properties that offer everything from independent living to memory care for its residents.

Retired Army Medical Officer Robert Thorne was one of the residents honored at the Veterans Day ceremony.

A longtime resident, he will soon be celebrating his 98th birthday. Originally from New Jersey, he moved to Washington to study veterinary medicine but upon hearing that Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941, Robert hitchhiked back to New Jersey so he could enlist in the Army and serve in World War II. Today, Robert is often seen riding his scooter around town to visit friends.

“It makes me so proud to know that we’ve been able to have a meaningful impact on so many lives over the past 25 years,” said Morgan Rohrbach.