Even though Floyd Replogle didn’t move to Lillian until after he retired, he is one of its most dedicated residents.

Replogle is involved in almost every organization in Lillian — he’s on the board of directors at the volunteer fire department, is a member of Lillian United Methodist Church, has been president of the Optimist Club of Perdido Bay, serves as president of the Lillian Action Committee, is the chair of the civic and legislative committee for the Lillian Community Club, is a member of the Lillian Masonic Lodge and has been the executive editor of the Lillian, the community’s monthly newspaper.

Replogle spent most of his life serving children in Mobile County Schools, but he said he always felt a twinge of guilt that he couldn’t be involved in church activities or community service because his job was so demanding.

“When I was in Mobile, I would sometimes see the sun come up, having worked all night,” he said. “I never had any time. I was a member of Spring Hill Avenue Methodist Church, and I never had time to do anything with the church group. So when I retired and had an opportunity to serve, that was my responsibility.”

Replogle and his late wife Betty joined Lillian United Methodist Church as soon as they moved to town in 1988. When the congregation decided to build an education center, the Replogles volunteered to spearhead the fundraising efforts.

“We started having monthly fundraising dinners at the community club for the church,” Replogle said. “We would sometimes serve 400 people, and we had a lot of help, but if we were going to have turkey, I would go up to the church, and I would cook all the turkeys there.”

Replogle quickly became involved in the other organizations, and now, he writes a monthly column in the Lillian and is a frequent speaker at club meetings, explaining political issues to residents.

That’s how, after his wife Betty passed away in 1999, he met Ethel, who he married in December of 2000.

“I was giving a talk one time at the community club on zoning or something,” Replogle said. “Ethel says that she came up to me and touched my arm. She wanted me to explain the map. Well, I say she came up to me and rubbed my arm, and when she rubbed my arm, that was it. It was the magic touch.”

He spent four months trying to figure out who she was, and finally, he saw her at a community picnic. He asked a mutual friend to introduce them, and they took to each other quickly. Ethel had also lost her husband, and they enjoyed regaining the companionship they had lost.

“You don’t know how lonesome it is — we (he and Betty) were married for 54 years,” Replogle said. “(After your spouse dies) you’re kind of miserable. It’s terrible. I don’t know if people can realize.”

Floyd is 85 and Ethel is 88, but they are still extremely active in their community and enjoy having a good time with other people.

“I’m 88, but I’m 19 in my mind,” Ethel said. “And he’s always like this — just happy and pleasant.”

Aside from his successful career in education, Floyd is also an Army veteran, having served in Germany from 1944 to 1949. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University), and he is a diehard Auburn fan.