During a ceremony held Oct. 6 at the Champions Golf Course in Columbus, Bob and Sue Postle, of Delaware County, were two of 11 senior citizens inducted into the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.
Managed by the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA), the HOF honors central Ohio older adults who share their dedication, talent, and vitality in ways that significantly improve their communities and the lives of others. COAAA traditionally hosts the HOF ceremony in May during Older Americans Month, which celebrates the contributions of senior citizens, but the 2020 event was postponed due to the pandemic.
The Postles, who were nominated for the HOF by SourcePoint, prefer to keep a low profile when it pertains to their volunteerism, but their extraordinary community service undoubtedly deserves attention. Their immense impact is felt by so many throughout Delaware County and around the world.
The Postles’ lifetime bond to each other and to their greater community was forged at an early age. They were grade school sweethearts and stayed together through college. After college graduation, they maintained a long-distance relationship during a time when Bob Postle served in the Peace Corps in Iran, while Sue Postle served with the United Methodist Church as a missionary in Brazil. After years of international service, they returned home to marry and raise a family, first in the Indianapolis area, then returning to Sue Postle’s family farm in Delaware County to assist aging relatives for 16 years.
The Postles show the same passion to similar service efforts, which is evident in their work with Meals-on-Wheels. At Meals-on-Wheels, they volunteered nearly 3,000 hours, drove 6,135 miles, and delivered about 8,000 hot lunches around Delaware County to homebound senior citizens who have difficulty shopping for food and preparing meals for themselves. The Postles continue to volunteer with Meals-On-Wheels after 19 years.
The Postles also volunteer individually for specific causes. Bob Postle devotes his time on Sundays to facilitate religious education at Powell United Methodist Church. He is also an avid donor and advocate for the fundraising website DonorsChoose.com, an organization that assists teachers with special classroom projects. Through Donors Choose, Bob Postle donates to Columbus area schools where more than 50% of students are receiving meal assistance. He also raises awareness of the organization’s website by giving out Donors Choose gift cards.
Sue Postle is an Eleventh-Hour hospice volunteer with OhioHealth, providing comfort to patients who lack family support at the end of their life. She is a comforting presence for individuals who would otherwise face dying alone. Sue Postle was inspired to do this from her own experience of supporting her family members through end of life.
The Postles recently donated their 120-year-old bicentennial barn and the half acre of land it sits on to Preservation Parks of Delaware County, an organization that preserves natural areas. Preservation Parks also secured the 87 acres of Sue Postle’s family farm for the site of a new Delaware County park, allowing the community to enjoy Delaware County’s natural beauty. The Postles recently started volunteering for Preservation Parks and worked alongside another 20 volunteers to seed prairie grasses and perennial flowers, plus remove invasive plants on fields they previously owned.
The Postles’ lifetime of service has helped both communities and individuals alike, and their commitment to serve continues.
