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RUDY THOMAS

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Florine Mark of Weight Watchers
Group says, “I love what I do and
I love helping people. I wouldn’t
consider retirement unless I
absolutely had to.”

women (like herself) and a weekly “Ask
Florine” TV segment on WDIV-TV. In addi-
tion, she is a motivational speaker and
author of the inspirational book Talk to the
Mirror. Mark is working on a second book.
In the midst of it all, she still finds time
to exercise regularly, travel and spend time
with family and friends, including her
seven children and 23 grandchildren.
“I feel so grateful every day,” she says. “I
meditate and thank God for the opportuni-
ties I’ve had in my life. I love what I do and
I love helping people. I have a Type A per-
sonality — I have to be giving back and I
have to be working with people. I wouldn’t
consider retirement unless I absolutely had
to.”

Attorney Henry Baskin says,
“[The last 50 years] happened so
quickly. I’m doing something
I love to do, so it’s not work. It’s
something I’m blessed to be able
to do.”

GOLDEN CIRCLE HONOREE

Attorney Henry Baskin says the last 50
years have gone by in a flash and he is still
as passionate as ever about the law and
broadcasting. Baskin was honored Feb. 26
at the Townsend Hotel with a Gold Circle
Award for half a century in broadcasting,
both as an on-air radio and television per-
sonality and a key decision maker behind
the scenes. The award came from the
National Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences Michigan chapter, which he co-
founded in 1978.
“It happened so quickly,” Baskin says
about the last five decades. “I’m doing
something I love to do, so it’s not work. It’s
something I’m blessed to be able to do.”
Baskin still serves as president of the
Baskin Law Firm in Birmingham, the pri-
vate practice he founded in 1958, focused
on family law and entertainment. He is
still on the job handling high-profile cases
along with his daughter, Dana Baskin
Coffman. Over the years, clients have
ranged from Motown legend Marvin Gaye
to renowned anchorman Bill Bonds and
countless others in between.
Baskin has served as a pioneer in enter-
tainment law, authored Michigan’s person-

12

March 23 • 2017

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al protection order legislation in the battle
against domestic violence, served as chair-
man of the board of trustees of Oakland
University, and currently serves on the
board of trustees of Wayne State University
Law School. He also supports numerous
charities including Variety-Detroit, The
Children’s Charity, Haven and others.
“I don’t know what else I’d do,” Baskin
says, noting he has no plans to retire. “This
is what I’ve done my whole life.”

Dr. Jack
Sobel, dean
of the WSU
School of
Medicine,
says, “If you
can still contribute …
stay as long as you like.
If you’re not productive,
take up fishing.”

COLLEGE CONUNDRUM

For Jack Sobel, M.D., dean of the Wayne
State University School of Medicine, the
topic of retirement presents an interesting
dilemma. In the academic world, in other
countries, there is a mandatory retirement
age of 67-68, but not in the United States.
On one hand, Sobel wholeheartedly
supports university professors and others
remaining on the job into their 70s and
beyond. He became dean two years ago at
age 72. But he says those who are not pro-
ductive in their roles are doing a disservice
to themselves and others.
“If you’re preventing progress, it doesn’t
matter how fulfilled you are — you need to
get out of the way,” he says. “If you can still
contribute and you are not subsidized, stay
on as long as you like. If you’re not produc-
tive, take up fishing.”
Sobel joined Wayne State in 1985 as a
professor of internal medicine. He served
as chief of the Division of Infectious
Diseases for 30 years. He is a noted
researcher with a long and distinguished
career that includes serving as a consultant
for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention and as president of the
Michigan Infectious Diseases Society.
Earlier in his career, Sobel lived in Israel
for nearly a decade and worked at the
Technion Medical School in Haifa.
“Medicine was always my first love. I
aspired to be a physician from childhood
and I’ve never doubted for a second in my
life it was the right decision,” he says. “I’ve
always been thoroughly fulfilled. I still see
patients 8-10 hours a week.”

Sobel says his medical career continues
to provide an enormous intellectual chal-
lenge. He is married with three children
and loves to travel (he’s visited 50-60 dif-
ferent countries), but he made a conscious
decision to continue working and continue
his research into his 70s.
“People function better at an older age
today than ever before,” Sobel says. “Life
expectancy has increased; physical and
mental health have improved. There are
some people in their 60s and 70s who are
dying to retire; there are others at the other
end of the spectrum.”

DOLLARS AND SENSE

It’s not always just about passion. Making
money or earning benefits is another rea-
son many people delay retirement. Norm
Pappas, president and founder of Pappas
Financial in Farmington Hills, helps his
clients build financial roadmaps for the
future.
“I’m kind of a student of retirees — some
do it really well; some don’t,” he says. “I’m
not going to retire. I like helping people.”
Pappas, 70, is in his 47th year providing
financial expertise with estates, business
succession plans, retirement planning, real
estate investing and more. He has more
than 20 employees and countless clients.
He’s the author of the book Passing the
Bucks, which reveals his secrets for effec-
tive business succession and estate plan-
ning, and co-host of the Startup Nation
radio show on WJR-AM that provides
insights and expertise for entrepreneurs.
He also plays tennis three times a week,
travels and sits on various charitable
boards.
“I can do everything I want to do and
still be productive in my career,” he says.
“I do have clients who retire and then say,
‘Boy, I don’t know if I were still working
how I could get everything done.’ If you feel
like you’re helping other people, keep doing
what you’re doing. As long as I can help
people meet their goals and objectives,
why not?” •

Financial
adviser
Norm
Pappas says,
“If you feel
like you’re
helping other people,
keep doing what you’re
doing.”

