Cape Coral senior home resident paints mural for memory care unit

An 87-year-old woman living at High Point Senior Care Facility in Cape Coral made it her mission to bring a little joy to the memory care unit with her art.

“I have been a painter for over 40 years,” said Marge Hovey. “And it’s rewarding when someone says, ‘Oh, I look at your paintings every day.'”

Hovey has created a handful of art pieces. But she is proudest of her most recent project: A huge mural, 70 feet wide and 7 feet high, that she has worked on solo, one brushstroke at a time.

“Four weeks, six days a week; we had one rainy day,” Hovey said. “I pursued, and I’m glad.”

She’s glad because she made the mural for High Point’s memory care unit. Hovey is in the independent living wing but spends much time in memory care visiting Curt Hovey, her husband of 27 years.

“I thought it would be something beautiful for the memory care to see every day, and they really need some uplift and beauty in their lives,” Hovey said. “There are some that never seem to have a visitor.”

Like many behind these doors, Curt has dementia, but not everyone in there has a Marge. So, she made it her mission to bring smiles to those living in memory care.

“Each day is a new day for all of the memory care people,” Hovey said. “And as I visit them, my goal is to bring a little brightness to their lives. And I hope I could continue doing that, too, for not only Curt but for the others.”

Marge Hovey has offered the residents an artistic escape that will remain for years to come.

“I know people like flowers, people like the beach, people like sand flowers—I call those happy flowers,” Hovey said of what she picked for the mural. “It doesn’t take a lot. You go down there just to brighten their lives a bit.”

Hovey was honored with a plaque at High Point, followed by a party to celebrate the unveiling of the mural.