The Maryland Department of Planning projects that the state’s senior population will grow to 837,000 people by 2015. That’s a 18 percent increase in the past 5 years.
With more seniors, come more stories.
Over the course of the next few months, you’ll hear some of those stories on Maryland Morning. We’ll be presenting portraits of seniors who live in assisted living facilities and nursing homes and who spend time at senior centers in Maryland.
Harvey Marshall's story
If you keep any items from your former career after you retire, it's safe to say you liked your job.
As owner of the Captain Harvey's restaurants, Harvey Marshall has kept quite a few things from his 55 years in the restaurant business.
"In my apartment right now, I must have 2,000 or 3,000 pictures. I have a lot of autographed pictures, some thank you notes."
Marshall said he has also kept more than 100 restaurant menus from all over the world.
On the Captain Harvey's menu, diners had a long list of options including steak, lobster and crab cakes. But Marshall said there was one particular food that people loved.
"The fried oysters. People went crazy over those things," he said.
When asked what his favorite thing on the menu was, he said "Probably everything."
Over five decades, Marshall said he served food to upwards of 4 million people.
His staff stopped serving in November of 2013, when the Owings Mills location, the last of the Captain Harvey's, closed.
"Just couldn't survive in this economy, that's all. What is, is," he said.
Marshall said the best thing about being in the restaurant business was his customers.
"People are my hobby, and that’s what I miss most. Every night I could sit down with different ones and be a part of conversation and all," Marshall said. "I don’t have that anymore. It’s an emptiness. But I’ll figure out something.”
In the meantime, Harvey is staying up on the local restaurant scene.
"Most of my interest is still in the food business. I read all kinds of books, magazines, and I stay tuned in to just about everything. I still know a lot of people, and when I go out, they still know me."
