Meet Mike Russell, a Cottage resident at Buena Vida Estates since April 2025. From Army veteran to animal rescue officer to “Tilapia Relocation Program” volunteer, Mike has found an active and fulfilling lifestyle at Buena Vida.
In our close-knit community, we are blessed to have individuals who go above and beyond to contribute to the well-being of our natural surroundings. Today, we want to shine a spotlight on one resident who dedicates his time every year to protect and nurture the nests of our Purple Martins.
On April 3rd, “Team Margaret” loaded up and headed out to Skydive Space Center. Not only was Margaret about to skydive, but a group of her friends from Buena Vida were going to cheer her on.
Jan knew she wanted to honor her father and her family history in a lasting way. This desire led to researching her genealogy and her father’s military history - which all led to the book she wrote about her father, Lt. Col. Kenneth J Rupp’s legacy. Jan grew up in Indianapolis, worked in social service, [...]
Looking for a fun pair to get Halloween costume inspiration from? Or maybe partners for chair yoga class? Beth and Gordon are a couple you’ll want to sit down and grab a drink with at happy hour any time. Beth and Gordon found Buena Vida Estates in very different ways. Gordon was encouraged to tour [...]
To say Donna lives an active lifestyle would be an understatement. After teaching kindergarten and 1st grade Donna retired at 55 years old but that only gave her more time to pursue her passions. On an average day you can find Donna walking around the beautiful grounds of Buena Vida Estates (about an hour and [...]
Arthur and Patricia Moyer met 70 years ago this April. They eloped in June of that year. With that many years together, you can imagine the stories they have to tell! They were both in the Navy. Art became a Research Chemist, and Pat was an Occupational Therapist. Later, Pat became a teacher for over [...]
Joan Sayyah is a woman of heart and true lover of others. With her husband in the military, Joan was constantly on the move not only in housing but also in whatever community she came to. Joan moved to Naples, Italy back in 1966 and taught in a military school there for 4 years before [...]
Joe Cataldo began his adult life working in manufacturing in New York. This would take a huge turn from machinery to marathoning when he eventually moved to the Space Coast in 2004. Joe always had a passion for running, and would complete up to 10 miles in a day. He has run 40 NYC marathons, [...]
Hugh Nicolay is a true Floridian and has always been near the beach. He graduated from high school in Daytona Beach, and a few years later, at 27, made his way down to the Space Coast. He arrived in 1969, where he would start a successful career at Harris, remaining there for 27 years [...]
