Lifestyle Still Busy in Retirement: Bob and Holly Crute 9/23/2024 | By Annie Tobey Retirement doesn’t necessarily mean a sedentary life with an empty calendar. For our Fall 2024 Virginia print magazine, Seniors Guide profiled seniors who are still busy in retirement. First up, we present Bob and Holly Crute of Hampton. An active life of sports and music is nothing new for Bob Crute. In high school, he led the Lord Botetourt team to its only undefeated football season. At the University of Richmond, he set track and field records and was inducted into the Spiders’ track and field hall of fame. He broke an indoor track record held by Olympic legend Jim Thorpe and qualified for two NCAA championships. He was also involved in chorus. In fact, Bob Crute turned down a pro football tryout. His choice instead was to attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. “It was the right thing for me to do,” he told the Roanoke Times in 2020. While in Louisville, he met a nursing student who would soon become his wife. Fifty-five years later, Bob and Holly Crute have three daughters and five grandchildren. Bob is a retired minister of music and Holly is a retired nurse. They live at The Chamberlin senior community in Hampton, and they’re still staying busy. Together, the Crutes enjoy pool volleyball, pickleball, Bible study, and chimes choir. They bicycle on a tandem bike that they purchased shortly after they married. Bob bikes solo, too, and Holly is active in tai chi and water aerobics. Continuing in service, Bob leads the choir chimes group at The Chamberlin. He plays the piano for Vesper services and plans caroling and hymn singing events. Holly has served on the resident council and taught a Bible Study group. Both are active in their local church, sing in the choir, and enjoy its diverse social opportunities. While cycling is a long-time love, they discovered pickleball after seeing a demonstration at The Chamberlin. “We love the way it combines exercise and social contact with neighbors at the community center,” Holly said. The couple also recognizes that regular activity improves their health and flexibility. “Bob is convinced that his bike riding made a big difference in recovering from a heart attack,” said Holly. Bob and Holly urge others to keep moving, too. “Order your day with a combination of activities and seek out someone to include in some of them,” Holly advised. Captions for ‘Still Busy in Retirement’ (all images provided by Bob Crute) Top feature photo: Holly and Bob Crute in their 55th anniversary T-shirts. Photo right: The Crutes’ pickleball team, with Holly (standing, second from right) and Bob (seated, far right). This profile first appeared in the Fall 2024 Seniors Guide Virginia print magazine. Read More Annie Tobey Annie Tobey has been a professional writer and editor for more than 30 years. As editor of BOOMER magazine, she explored a diversity of topics of particular interest to adult children of seniors. When she’s not writing, she can be found running the trails or enjoying a beer with friends.