Part-Time Retirement, Part-Time Work

Lewis isn’t alone. Many of the other manor house guides are retirees.

“We all work part-time and it’s a wonderful group of people,” she says. “I think one of the most interesting and enjoyable things that has happened as a result is that you gain a whole new friendship group. When you tell people in the general population that you love history, they look at you cross-eyed. But this is a group of people who also has an appreciation and an interest in learning more about our history."

When she isn’t working, Lewis volunteers for a parent-child literacy group and attends classes at the Westchester Community College Collegium, a volunteer-run continuing education center for seniors.

“We’re not your typical folks sitting on a back porch,” Lewis says.

Felske notes that when you’re constantly told 80 is the new 60, and 70 is the new 50, “you don’t think of yourself as older,” so you feel compelled to do more and achieve more.

Online job sites such as SeniorJobBank.org, EmploymentSpot.comand WorkForce50.comabound and offer older workers a chance to explore part-time opportunities.

In addition to listing age-friendly employers, AARP’s website also features networking strategies and advice on making the most of second careers.

For those whose nest eggs are in need of additional feathering, deferring full-time retirement can present a chance to bring in some much-needed capital, while remaining active and engaged, which can be the silver lining to working during the golden years.