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06/08/2016 08:30 AMLittle did Michael Cressman know that attending a fish fry at a Chester church a few months ago would lead to building a new relationship with World War II veteran Arthur Paul.
Susan Wright, a massage therapist who had treated residents of Chesterfields Health Care Center in Chester, worked with Chester Library director Linda Fox to begin an informal book shuttle between the center and the library after seeing the difficulty Paul had getting books. Wright and Paul bonded over books and she brought him to the fish fry earlier this year.
“I met him there and I liked Art, in part, because he’s of the age where he was directly involved as a soldier in World War II,” says Michael, whose father also served in World War II. “I have a lot of respect for that because those guys were incredibly brave. I think we’re starting to forget a little bit just what these young men put on the line when they went to World War II.”
After talking at the fish fry, Michael discovered that Paul had enlisted at 18 and wanted to get to know him better. He began to visit Chesterfields soon after the fish fry, bringing books from his personal collection.
“He is alone and his mental capacity is really quite good so I’m quite sure that boredom is a major depressing factor,” says Michael. “I started to bring him some books I had that were about American history in one way or other—about World War II, about presidents, and most recently one about D-Day.”
Michael, who is a physician, has always been drawn to non-fiction texts. As his interest in history has grown over the years, his personal library collection on the subject has as well. He has seen the positive impact sharing his collection has had on Paul.
“I know he really appreciates it because reading takes up a good amount of time and it’s important that you can engage your mind in something like reading a book,” says Michael. “When I come to see Art, I can tell he’s very happy to see me. When I leave I feel better knowing that he’s got something to do to keep his mind agile.”
Wright has also seen the benefits for Paul and for Michael. She is hoping that more people are able to give their time to help others.
“Having Michael go in to visit, bring a book, and discuss with him has been wonderful for Art and great for Michael,” says Wright. “We are always hoping people will see that volunteering is good for everyone.”
Michael visits Paul with new reading materials every couple of weeks, making sure to make time in his schedule for the visits. The pair are sharing more and more about their personal histories, though Michael notes that Paul doesn’t often talk about his service during World War II. Michael made it a point to visit Paul on Memorial Day.
“At one point, Art said, ‘I don’t mean to pry, but Susan told me you are a doctor,’ and when I said I was, he said, ‘Boy you don’t talk like a doctor,’” Art says. “I grew up on a chicken farm in a small town, Quakertown, north of Philadelphia. When I was a kid, if you were to ask me if I’d be a doctor, I would’ve thought you were nuts.”
Michael thought he would be a general practitioner, but he began to become more specialized, eventually becoming a nephrologist, a doctor who specialized in kidney care. He ran the cholesterol study at the Cleveland Clinic for about 15 years.
In 1999, Michael began working with AstraZeneca, a biopharmaceutical business that develops drugs. He spent about a decade working on Crestor, a cholesterol-reducing medication, as well as medication that reduce the risk of heart attacks.
“I don’t think people fully appreciate how much time effort and money is put in to actually developing a drug,” says Michael. “It was good to see some results from all that effort because these are some remarkable drugs that have saved many lives by reducing heart attacks.”
It wasn’t until six years ago that Michael moved to Connecticut. He and his wife, Felise, were lab partners in college, but they didn’t get married until 25 years after college graduation. They decided they would retire in the area near Felise’s father and bought a home in Chester.
“I’ve worked so many hours for so long that it’s hard to envision changing to no hours working,” says Michael. “I’m of retirement age, but I don’t feel like I’m on the brink of being ready.”
While Michael isn’t ready to take up his love of golf full-time yet, he is happy to continue making time in his busy schedule to visit Paul, learn more about his past, and share their passion for non-fiction historical texts.
“I’m a busy guy, but this is something that is important to take some time out for. It’s a way of honoring my dad and saying ‘Thank you’ to him and to Art for their service,” says Michael. “It’s also about gratitude. People should be more grateful for the things that we have and the sacrifices that people have made to allow us to live the way we live.”