For many patients and families, their first visit to Aultman Hospital can seem overwhelming. Volunteer John Custer is there to put them at ease.

John volunteers as a greeter in the Aultman Hospital lobby on Wednesdays and Thursdays. When patients and visitors don’t know how to find their way, John accompanies them, whether they’re seeking Radiology, the Birth Center, the Timken Family Cancer Center or any other destination.

“People can be intimidated by a large hospital, so I walk with them wherever they need to go,” John said. “I push patients’ wheelchairs to make the trip a little easier for their companions. People often stop by the lobby on the way out to thank me for helping to make their day a little brighter.”

John also delivers flowers, delighting in the joy that these gifts bring to patients. He loves celebrating with new moms and their babies. “I remember joking with one mom as she was leaving the hospital,” he said. “Her baby started crying as soon as he felt the cold air outside – it wasn’t the warm environment he was used to.”

A Retirement Devoted to Others

John, who lives in Canton, started volunteering at Aultman a few years ago. He had retired in the early 2000s when he sold Custer Funeral Home – now Custer-Glenn Funeral Home – in Wooster.

At that time, John and his wife Marlene began serving in overseas missions, including stints in China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vanuatu. A nation of more than 80 islands with a population of nearly 250,000, Vanuatu was one of their more memorable assignments because of its breathtaking beauty.

During this time, John took a course in media and became a media technician for Wycliffe Bible Translators, where one of his responsibilities was to upload translations of a portion of the Gospel of Luke to YouTube. Ultimately, John uploaded 274 translations.

When John and Marlene returned to Ohio a few years ago to be closer to their family, he looked for opportunities to volunteer. He chose Aultman Hospital because of his own experiences with healthcare.

“I needed an MRI a few years ago, and I was apprehensive about it,” he said. “I will always remember how the nurse made me feel comfortable with the MRI, and I realized that’s what it’s all about – helping people to feel comfortable about the care they are receiving. I decided that’s how I wanted to help others.”

A Commitment to Community

John had been an avid bicyclist for most of his retirement; his bicycle has 20,000 miles on it. Not long after he retired, John and several of his friends completed a 17-day bicycling trip from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean.

Marlene served as the expedition’s “SAG” – the support-and-gear person who drives on the trip to help where needed. In 2006, John and Marlene combined their faith and their interest in bicycling in their book, “Pedal ’n Ponder: A Christian Devotional for Cyclists.”

John doesn’t ride the bicycle as much as he used to, so his volunteer position at Aultman has another unexpected benefit: “Volunteering at Aultman is great exercise – it’s constant walking every Wednesday and Thursday morning,” he said.

Outside of Aultman, John is involved in his church. He was appointed leader of the church’s First Impressions Committee, tasked with looking at the church through the eyes of a visitor to identify areas in need of improvement. Among many other projects, the group added new signage, removed overgrown trees from the grounds and updated the church library.

John and Marlene have four daughters, two of whom they adopted from South Korea. They have seven grandchildren, with a great-grandchild on the way. At 83 years old, John relishes the time he has had to spend with family and friends. “I’m having more fun in retirement than I ever had during the years I was working,” he said.

At Aultman, John loves serving others and being a part of a community of close-knit friends. “Here at Aultman, I help someone every 10 minutes,” he said. “I also have a lot of fun with the volunteers here and love working with them.”

For information about volunteering at Aultman, visit aultman.org/volunteer.