Ozarks Profile: John Love

When did you

decide to retire?

"I've been retired since 1993. I'd been planning it for 30 years, to have it as an option. When it's time to retire, you know it."

What kind of work did you do in your life?

Love started working for his dad in the seventh grade at Missouri Home Savings, which eventually became Bell Savings and Loan. In high school, he played piano with a dance combo. After getting his undergraduate degree in business administration at Drury University, he worked at Bell Savings while getting his masters. "Mary Lou was teaching third grade at Delaware School. After I got the masters I got my law degree at Washington University, then came back to Springfield and worked as an assistant prosecutor. After two years there I was inside counsel for Bell Savings for 15 years. I also taught a year at Drury in marketing, introduction to business and business law. Then I served 5 1/2 years as director and general counsel of juvenile court, handling juvenile cases. I finally opened my own general practice in law and kept that until I retired."

How did you prepare for retirement?

The couple started investing around 1970. "We got some decent investing advice from Mary Lou's grandfather and followed his example. It also had do with me having a father who always said, Take care of what you've got or you won't get any more.' He was a farm boy from Vichy who came to Springfield in the middle of the Depression with nothing but the shirt on his back. He stayed in a room at the YMCA and put himself through business college. Eventually he became president and chairman of the board of Missouri Home Savings."

How has your life changed since you retired?

"We've got time to do things we never had time to do," Lovesaid. "Now I can sit down and read a book and not feel guilty and enjoy it. I'm planting trees and landscaping and doing this and that around the house, stuff I never did before. Now I have a chance to learn about new things, read about them and really understand a little bit what I'm doing."

How do you keep busy?

The Loves have two daughters, both married. One lives in Springfield, the other in LaPlata, near the Iowa border. "We see them often," Love said. "The daughter here has a 3-year-old girl, the other a 3-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy. So we baby-sit the grandchildren when we can. We also love to travel. I have to mention Mexico. We've been to Mexico several times. We go when we feel like it. We've made friends there, other retired people, and kept those friendships. They're all different ages and all bring a different kind of perspective. The reason we like Mexico so well, the Mexican people are just great, and who knows unless you go down there? They remind me of people here. They're warm and courteous and comfortable to be around. Really friendly and they'll do anything for you."

Do you have any advice for people about working toward retirement?

Love advises to start investing early and not to expect too much too soon. "If you invest in the market, choose really good, well-managed companies," he said. "Don't bother with this short-term trading stuff because there are professional traders out there who'll take your money away from you. You might win a few, but when the day's over, they'll have it." He said the country has had its ups and downs, but that the economy remains strong. "We have a good strong work force, and good people, good ideas. Buy the best-managed companies you can, the ones with good products with a real future."

How old are you?

I'll be 62 in July. Mary Lou and I have been married 38 years, but for the record, she's 39.

by Frank Shipe