VILLAGE MEMBER STORIES
Getting to know Denny Chasteen of Durham, NH
How long have you lived in the Seacoast area?
I was born in Flint, Michigan and moved to the Durham, NH area in 1972 when I joined the UNH faculty.
What did you do prior to retirement?
I pursued my formal education as a physical chemist, which is a branch of chemistry integrating chemistry, physics and math. After graduating from the University of Michigan - Flint, I attended the University of Illinois for my PhD., and finally completed my post doctorate at University of Colorado. During my postdoctoral work, I began applying biophysical principles to solving problems in the life sciences and medicine. After a brief time at Lawrence University, I joined the UNH faculty in 1972. During my 36 years at UNH, my research focused on understanding how various proteins in the body are able to transport, store and utilize the essential element iron.
I retired in 2008, but continued to do research and maintain a lab. I miss being with students. As a transition to retirement, I became a UNH Marine Docent. This is a wonderful group of individuals with diverse backgrounds. I enjoy putting together programs for the public schools and for the docents through Docent University offerings.
How do you view retirement?
Frankly, there is not enough time to pursue my different interests! For me, retirement offered the opportunity to branch out and do many other things.
My wife Lori and I both love gardening so we embarked on an ambitious project. For 10 years we grew produce in 24 raised beds on our property. Twice a week we brought the fresh produce to the Food Pantry (now known as Gather). We only brought our best produce; we ate anything that was blemished. This project dominated our life. As we stopped, the Farmers Market began contributing food to Gather. I fondly remember a wonderful teachable moment when a young child with her grandmother asked me what was in my cooler. I went through the cooler and identified individual vegetables for her.
I also love working in my shop, specifically working with metal. If I could have chosen another career, it would have been engineering. I’ve built prototypes of isometric exercise equipment for home use for reversing osteoporosis and a mechanical device for loading canoes and kayaks on top of vehicles. I’ve also designed and built mounting systems for cameras on diver propulsion vehicles and “tick boxes” for reducing tick populations on one’s property. These boxes, based on CDC research, treat rodents with the same insecticide used in flea and tick collars but without harming them. I now have eighteen of these boxes throughout the gardens of our Lee property. They are part of an ongoing research project I am conducting on their efficacy. These boxes proved to be a much cheaper solution than commercial boxes!
What aspects of being a Village member do you find most helpful or enjoyable?
I attended the initial information sessions for the Seacoast Village and was interested in the early stages. As it evolved, it seemed like it was centered more in the Portsmouth area so a group of us started an offshoot satellite called Seacoast Village North. We continued to be engaged with the Village. Then after a year, we are happy that our Dover/Durham area is now incorporated into the Seaport Village. We enjoy where we live. The Village provides an option to stay in your home and receive support. I especially like the programs and hope more people attend in the future.
If you were to encourage a friend to become a Village member what would you tell them?
I would tell them that the success of the organization depends on people becoming engaged. If you want to stay in your home, you must step forward. The Village offers a people-to-people connection. I am impressed with the website, which is continually changing. The calendar is helpful, with growing program of great offerings. Once we can meet in person, things will be much better for the growth of the Village.
Return to Member Stories Overview