Community Corner

River Edge Poet Reflects on War, Writing

Adrian Nader has written more than 100 poems throughout his life.

Adrian Nader has had several long and satisfying careers over his lifetime – teacher, editor, naval officer and freelance writer. But it’s his love of words and poetry that brings him the fondest memories. 

A resident of The Atrium at The Allendale Community for Mature Living since 2006, Nader says that “poetry paints a picture in your mind.” Visitors only need to ask once to have him read an original poem from his published volume titled, “Echoes That Last,” and he gladly complies. 

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Nader got started early on his career in communications, first as the editor of his high school yearbook in Marietta, Ohio, then as a communications officer in the Navy during WWII, a contributing columnist for his hometown newspaper, freelance magazine writer, and editor of RN Magazine, which was published by Medical Economics in Oradell. In between, he taught at New Lexington High School in Ohio and Wagner College on Staten Island, and he and his wife, Martha, made their long-time home in River Edge. Throughout the years, he nurtured his love of poetry. 

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Nader said he has written more than 100 poems throughout his lifetime; he compiled 24 of them in “Echoes that Last,” which he published in 1999. Ten of the poems have also appeared in other publications including “American Album of Poetry” and “Sound of Poetry.” His published work spans his life from his early career as a high school teacher through his military service and his tenure as a college professor. 

War Experiences Reflected in Poetry

On the wall of Nader’s apartment hangs a framed testament to his military service, with medals and ribbons from the U.S. Navy; he applied for a commission in the Navy after World War II broke out and was assigned to the Harvard University Navy School in Norfolk, Virginia to train in communications. He joined the crew of the USS Indus as the communications officer in the Pacific theatre, where the ship suffered damage during a Japanese air strike. Three crewmen were killed during the fight, and Nader wrote a powerful poem about the experience called “Debris of War,” which is included in his book.

After the war he turned to editing, writing and returned to teaching, joining the faculty at Wagner College in New York, after which he became a magazine editor. An Ohio boy at heart, he still gets the Perry County Tribune, his hometown weekly newspaper. 

Life at The Allendale Community

Moving to The Allendale Community proved to be a wise choice for Nader and Martha, to whom he dedicated “Echoes That Last.” When Martha eventually needed a different level of care, Carlton Court was right on the campus; Nader was grateful to have the easy access and convenience of a short walk to visit her every day.

Today, Nader enjoys participating in several activities and cultural and social programs that keep his mind sharp and keep him connected to lifelong interests. On the top of that list are the daily word games, music and dance performances, and the fun of resident sing-a-longs. Of the music, he explained that he’d been a jazz musician during his college years, playing clarinet and saxophone for a dance band. “I love the old standards and songs from my youth,” he noted. Tapping into his love of poetry, Nader led a poetry class for local high school students for several years at the residence. He also shared many slide shows with fellow residents from his worldwide travels.

Nader said that publishing his poems was a long-delayed yet important part of creating a lasting legacy. As he notes in the book’s foreword, “What urged me on was a mental picture of some stranger finding them and consigning them, unread, to the paper pick-up. Poems are written to be read. This is a much happier ending for them.”

The Allendale Community for Mature Living is located at 85 Harreton Rd. in Allendale (GPS: 65 Route 17 South, Ramsey). Developed in stages beginning in 1967, The Allendale Community pioneered modern-day eldercare. Consistently updated and renovated, the senior living and healthcare campus includes four full-service senior residences offering a continuum of care that serves residents’ changing needs: The Atrium Assisted Living; Carlton Court, a memory care neighborhood; The Allendale Nursing Home; and The Rehabilitation Center at The Allendale Community. In addition, the Community offers the Senior Social Club, an adult-day program that provides a variety of dynamic activities. For more information about The Allendale Community, call 201.825.0660 or visit www.allendalecommunity.com.

Submitted by The Allendale Community for Mature Living


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