Mr. and Mrs. Golden Years: Inner-and-Outer Beauty Pageant for Seniors – LIVING WELL Magazine

Posted by LIVING WELL Magazine on January 21, 2012 in Articles, Health & Lifestyle, Local Editions, Salt Lake City, Utah

Mr. and Ms. Golden Years: Inner-and-Outer Beauty Pageant for Seniors, Salt Lake City LIVING WELL Magazine

Their answers aren’t responses typically heard from contestants during the question and answer portion of a beauty pageant. However, Wayne Taylor and Yongsuk “Sue” Orana aren’t contestants in a typical pageant.

The Mr. and Ms. Golden Years Pageant is an inner-and-outer beauty pageant, presented by the Utah Health Care Association, created to celebrate the lives of some incredible Utah seniors.  A panel of judges determines the winners after contestants answer a series of questions, share life experiences and offer advice to the younger generations.

Wayne Taylor, 81, and Yongsuk “Sue” Orana, 67, are the winners of the 15th annual Mr. and Ms. Golden Years Pageant.

Mr. Golden Year, Wayne Taylor, is from Parkway Health Center in Payton, Utah. He was born on Aug. 3, 1930 in Salem, Utah. He has six children – three boys and three girls. He worked for US Steel and spent much of his free time raising six wonderful children. His greatest adventure was serving in the Air Force at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. Wayne was married for 57 years.

Ms. Golden Year, Yongsuk “Sue” Orana, is from Mt. Ogden Care and Rehab in Washington Terrace, Utah. She was born on Jan 29, 1944 in South Korea. Sue is the mother of two boys. She worked as graphic designer and received degrees from Weber State University. Her greatest adventure in life was her many travels including a trip to Europe.

Deb Burcombe, deputy director of UHCA says, “We all can learn so much from these folks.  They have so much life experience and can share advice from a perspective many of us can’t quite understand. The pageant is a great way to not only honor them, but also learn from them.”

The pageant’s 19 contestants answer a variety of questions and are encouraged to share their many accomplishments with the judges and audience. Taylor and Orana both shared in their answers the sentiment that “life is short, do as much as you can.”

The Utah Health Care Association (UHCA), an advocacy group representing Utah’s nursing and post-acute care home community, is the group that celebrates and hosts the Mr. & Ms. Golden Years Pageant. The pageant’s contestants, all residents of long-term care facilities from across the state, range in age from the mid 60s to 90-plus-years-old. The contest, themed “It Had To Be You,” celebrates the lives of Utah’s aging population and promotes their continued quality of life.