By Jeralie Andrews: Special to The Pilot

Some residents of St. Joseph of the Pines independent living community of Belle Meade Retirement Resort have the distinction of dual membership in very special circles. They have reached the age of 90 and they are dedicated volunteers — offering their services weekly to enrich the lives of residents in the skilled nursing care facility of the Health Center, and at the assisted living community of The Coventry.

They, and many other Belle Meade residents, were honored the evening of June 17, with a gala in the Henley Dining Room for their triumph in reaching the age of 90.

“We gave out 41 certificates of membership to Belle Meade and Coventry residents,” says Tony Paz, resident and support services director. He and other Belle Meade administrators hosted the event.

They were all inducted into the Nonagenarian Society, an elite group whose members boast about, rather than conceal, the fact they have reached 90 years of age.

Angela Omahundro says she is looking forward to induction into the Nonagenarian Society of Belle Meade.

Omahundro, a St. Joseph of the Pines Health System volunteer whose titles include Coventry Concierge and Eucharistic Minister, says “I’m very happy to tell people that I’m 85.”

Paz’s unofficial title as bestowed upon him by the residents is, “The Mayor of Belle Meade.” Living up to his reputation to initiate projects to accentuate the independent living environment and to meet the needs of the entire Belle Meade population, Paz, over his seven-year association with St. Joseph, said he wanted to honor the nineties and over crowd.

“This is their time — their moment,” he says.

Billie Davis will turn 90 in November and says she is “feeling great!” Davis volunteers each Tuesday in St. Joseph of the Pines Memory Impaired Unit where she assists with a cooking get-together for the residents’ enjoyment. She is lovingly remembered for her sugarcoated strawberries.

“I’m blessed to be able to do anything I want to,” says Davis. “I could not be happier any other place I can think of than right here at Belle Meade where any needs we may have, someone is there to meet them.”

Davis says she considers her neighbors as her family and says the same is true for Paz.

“If God ever gave us a gift it’s Tony,” says Davis.

St. Joseph of the Pines is sponsored by the Sisters of Providence and is a member of Catholic Health East and includes the independent retirement communities of Belle Meade and The Villas, assisted living at The Coventry, The Health Center, skilled nursing, Rehabilitation Unit, The Overlook at Pine Knoll, and affordable senior housing at Providence Place.