Dr. W.C. Link, Former President of McKendree Village,
Hermitage, TN – Dr. W.C. Link, who served as President of McKendree Village, Inc. continuing care retirement community for 22 years, died in Sun City Center, Florida, on the morning of January 12, 2007. Under his leadership from 1968 through 1990, McKendree Village became the largest private continuing care retirement community in Tennessee and home to more than 750 senior adults.
“Dr. Link’s vision and dedication were essential to establishing McKendree Village as one of the premier communities of its kind in the nation,” said Mary Anna Womeldorf, the current President and CEO of McKendree Village. “He set his sights on excellence and made it a part of our mission. His influence is still felt today.”
Dr. Link, a native of Nashville and an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church, served several church appointments in the middle Tennessee area prior to his election as President of McKendree Village in 1968. He led McKendree Village through the construction of all of the primary buildings on the 42-acre campus in Hermitage, including the McKendree Towers independent living building, all but one of the 32 cottage homes on campus, the healthcare center, the assisted living center and the Alzheimer’s care facility. The W.C. Link Welcome Center at McKendree Village was named in his honor at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1988. At retirement, Dr. Link was named President Emeritus of the Village.
Dr. Link continued to serve McKendree Village even after his retirement. In November 2005, he was the featured speaker at the inaugural banquet honoring members of The Legacy Society, a special group of people who support the ministry and mission of McKendree Village through a planned gift. During his presentation that evening, he said, “When the church with all its compassionate care, will utilize the skills, talents and resources of its members, it can produce a masterpiece of service for its aging people. McKendree Village is a living, developing masterpiece.”
One of Dr. Link’s special talents was seeking out and recruiting people to serve on Boards and committees at McKendree Village. Among the hundreds of people he recruited to contribute their gifts and talents to McKendree Village were Minnie Pearl (Mrs. Henry Cannon); Willie McDonald, long-time Donelson banker and community leader; and Dr. Lynn Webb, Chief of Staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr. Link is survived by his wife Frances, sons David and Dan, and several grandchildren. Memorial donations can be made to the W.C. Link Memorial Fund, McKendree Village Foundation, 4343 Lebanon Road, Towers Apt. 202, Hermitage, TN 37076.
McKendree Village, Inc. is located at 4347 Lebanon Road in Hermitage, Tennessee. Established in 1963, McKendree Village provides a continuum of retirement living options and health care services in a secure, Christian environment. Its services include independent living, assisted living, nursing home care and Alzheimer’s care. McKendree Village is affiliated with The United Methodist Church and is affiliated with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
“Dr. Link’s vision and dedication were essential to establishing McKendree Village as one of the premier communities of its kind in the nation,” said Mary Anna Womeldorf, the current President and CEO of McKendree Village. “He set his sights on excellence and made it a part of our mission. His influence is still felt today.”
Dr. Link, a native of Nashville and an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church, served several church appointments in the middle Tennessee area prior to his election as President of McKendree Village in 1968. He led McKendree Village through the construction of all of the primary buildings on the 42-acre campus in Hermitage, including the McKendree Towers independent living building, all but one of the 32 cottage homes on campus, the healthcare center, the assisted living center and the Alzheimer’s care facility. The W.C. Link Welcome Center at McKendree Village was named in his honor at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1988. At retirement, Dr. Link was named President Emeritus of the Village.
Dr. Link continued to serve McKendree Village even after his retirement. In November 2005, he was the featured speaker at the inaugural banquet honoring members of The Legacy Society, a special group of people who support the ministry and mission of McKendree Village through a planned gift. During his presentation that evening, he said, “When the church with all its compassionate care, will utilize the skills, talents and resources of its members, it can produce a masterpiece of service for its aging people. McKendree Village is a living, developing masterpiece.”
One of Dr. Link’s special talents was seeking out and recruiting people to serve on Boards and committees at McKendree Village. Among the hundreds of people he recruited to contribute their gifts and talents to McKendree Village were Minnie Pearl (Mrs. Henry Cannon); Willie McDonald, long-time Donelson banker and community leader; and Dr. Lynn Webb, Chief of Staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Dr. Link is survived by his wife Frances, sons David and Dan, and several grandchildren. Memorial donations can be made to the W.C. Link Memorial Fund, McKendree Village Foundation, 4343 Lebanon Road, Towers Apt. 202, Hermitage, TN 37076.
McKendree Village, Inc. is located at 4347 Lebanon Road in Hermitage, Tennessee. Established in 1963, McKendree Village provides a continuum of retirement living options and health care services in a secure, Christian environment. Its services include independent living, assisted living, nursing home care and Alzheimer’s care. McKendree Village is affiliated with The United Methodist Church and is affiliated with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
