Senior Citizens, Inc. (SCI), a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for area seniors, is pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of the Legends, Leaders, and Life Well Lived Award. The recipients have contributed significantly to their community, inspired others by the difference they have made, and exemplify a life well lived.

The 2023 honorees are:

Bettye West Berksteiner – After teaching children for 33 years – of which 30 were in the Savannah Chatham Public Schools, Bettye West Berksteiner turned her attention to working in the community. Following retirement, she became more involved in the community by serving on the Savannah Park and Tree Commission, working with the King Tisdell Cottage and the Liberty City/Richfield/Southover Community Association, organizing voter registration drives and volunteering in her church. She is a member of the Savannah Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Robert “Bob” Faircloth – Bob Faircloth is a retired international business executive who settled in Savannah with his late wife, Jean, 28 years ago. He was born in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, completed his college education in 1956, and embarked on a broad and successful management career that brought him to the United States and included 12 years of residence in Europe. He retired in 1995 as executive director of a major multinational engineering firm. Mr. Faircloth has been a very active supporter of healthcare, education and cultural arts endeavors in both the northeast and Savannah. He is active in supporting cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and is an addition to the New London, NH hospital. In Savannah, he has provided meaningful financial support and leadership in organizations such as the Savannah Music Festival, Telfair Museum, Jazz Festival and the Book Festival, as well as financial support for college students.

Wanda S. Lloyd – Wanda S. Lloyd is a retired journalist, having worked as an editor at seven daily newspapers, including The Washington Post and USA Today, and as executive editor of the Montgomery Advertiser in Alabama. She returned home to Savannah in 2013 to accept the position of associate professor/chair of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communications at Savannah State University. She is the author of the memoir "COMING FULL CIRCLE: From Jim Crow to Journalism” and is a member of the Savannah Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the Savannah (GA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and the Savannah Yamacraw Branch of ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History). She has moderated several forums for Coastal Georgia and the state League of Women Voters. Spelman College, her alma mater awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, and she has been inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

They will be honored at the Legends, Leaders and Life Well Lived Luncheon on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at The Palmetto Club at The Landings. The event is chaired by Jenny O’Sako, partner and client advisor with Sterling Seacrest Pritchard, the Luncheon’s presenting sponsor.

“Our mission is to help people age successfully and we want everyone to have a life well lived. This fundraising luncheon will celebrate three outstanding individuals who are living life to the fullest and are examples to us all,” said Patti Lyons, president of SCI.

For more details or sponsorship information for the Legends, Leaders, and Life Well Lived Award Luncheon, please contact Anne Cordeiro at [email protected] or at 912-236-0363.