Courtyards at Southpoint
Bill + Janet
Bill and Janet Maarschalk, who jokingly refer to 2024 as “the year the Grinch stole our Christmas,” were, after two postponed “final” walk throughs, finally able to move into their new Courtyards at Southpoint home Dec. 20, 2024. They had been told their home would be ready by the third quarter of 2023.
The Maarschalks had been considering downsizing and moving to North Carolina from their Simi Valley, Calif., home for several years. Then their daughter-in-law, Kait, told them about a new community being developed just 10 minutes from where she and their son, John-Philip (J.P.), lived. With a young grandson and another grandbaby on the way, they seriously looked at Courtyards at Southpoint, as well as a couple other places, and signed a contract in December 2022.
Bill and Janet
The Portico model seemed to be exactly what they were looking for, and the “55 and Up” community had great appeal. “So far, the friendly neighbors and community outreach have proved we made the right decision,” they agreed. “The nearby shopping and dining choices are also a huge plus. We’re still working on getting used to the weather.”
Bill was born in Exeter, N.H., but grew up in Kingston, Mass. Janet was born and raised in and around Los Angeles, Calif. The two met in 1981 while Bill was an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Janet was a registered nurse. A fellow nurse gave them the best advice they ever received. “You should meet,” the nurse told them. “So glad we both agreed,” they said.
Janet was attracted to Bill’s passion for adventure and travel, while Bill was drawn to Janet’s sense of humor, down-to-earth style and compassion for others. They married in 1982 and began married life taking an untraditional honeymoon — camping in the Grand Canyon. That set the tone for annual family camping trips throughout California.
The couple has two adult children, Emily and J.P. Emily, a nurse practitioner, and her husband, Anthony, a family practice doctor in Ventura, Calif., have three children. J.P. earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree through the G.I. Bill after spending several years in the Army as a Special Forces medic. He works at Duke Hospital in Raleigh. He and Kait, a real estate agent, have two children. Kait helped Bill and Janet buy their new home here.
After 52 years in California, Bill, who ultimately became an LAPD lieutenant with a master’s degree in public administration, said he is happy to be back on the East Coast.
He and Janet have taken many wonderful vacations together. Several years ago, they took their first steamboat trip up the Mississippi River and fell in love with the up-close and personal views of small towns and unique local histories. This included Hannibal, Mo., on a Mark Twain-themed trip. Their most recent small cruise ship adventure included all five of the Great Lakes. Although they got Covid, they said that trip was “amazing and beautiful.”
Their most memorable family vacation was a cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage, followed by a road trip to Denali National Park for several days, which included river rafting on the Nenana at 9 p.m. at night while it was still light out. They also saw Mount McKinley before its name was changed to Mount Denali (which has been changed back to Mount McKinley).
Over the years, the Maarschalks also have covered most of Canada, recently taking the famous domed window train in the Canadian Rockies, which they described as “gorgeous!” Their favorite trip to our northern neighbors was a visit to the Canadian Maritimes.
Bill is an avid bicyclist. Since his retirement, he has ridden with America by Bicycle from the west coast of Oregon to the east coast of New Hampshire and from New Orleans to the border of Minnesota and Canada, along with several other shorter, but still long, challenging trips. He has the distinction of having been to all 50 states. Janet said she is doing her best to catch up with him, with five states left to visit. But, she added, “not on a bike!”
During one of Bill’s biking trips along the North Carolina coast, Janet took an extended vacation to Ireland with some time in London to visit friends. She has visited England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales on various trips to the United Kingdom.
Although Bill has considerably cut back on cycling, he still loves to ride and is looking for fellow enthusiasts in the neighborhood. Janet said she looks forward to participating in the book club and taking brisk walks on the American Tobacco Trail.
Their message to Courtyards at Southpoint residents: “Hello, neighbors. We look forward to meeting you.”
Sherry
If you haven’t been inside Sherry Dayal’s home, you’re missing an “experience.” Since moving here in December 2021, she has transformed her home into what some would call an art museum. From the front yard, throughout the house, to her backyard patio, you’ll find large and small works of art, most of them designed and built by Sherry, who said: “I enjoy living every moment in my showcase home.”
Born and raised in India, Sherry grew up interested in various forms of art. As a child, she won a National Level Scholarship in painting, an achievement that was documented in the local newspaper. She later became interested in decorating cakes and, while in college, worked part time as a cake decorator. She also enjoyed embroidery, knitting, sewing, crochet, shuttle tatting and cooking.​
Sherry
As Sherry got older, she developed a flair for woodworking and epoxy. “I have used these skills in creating my artworks,” she said. “Life is a celebration for me. I love what I do, and if I put my mind and heart into something, I don’t stop until I achieve my goal.”
Aside from her interest in art, much of Sherry’s childhood was spent swimming and taking part in other sports, including badminton. She is the recipient of multiple sports awards.
Sherry has one brother and two sisters, who she referred to as not only her siblings, but her friends, with whom she has a strong bond. She described her parents as “very simple, hardworking and ethical individuals.” Her father was head of the physics department at an engineering college, and her mother was a homemaker.
She and her husband, Rajender, a computer engineer, have been married 35 years. They have two sons, Sahil and Pavan. Sahil, a doctor, and his wife, Tyler, also a doctor, recently presented Sherry with a “2024 Christmas gift,” a new grandson. Pavan graduated from North Carolina State University with majors in physics, math and computer science and a 4.0 grade point average in all three. He lives in Colorado working full time for the Air Force, while pursuing his master’s degree.
Sherry grew up afraid of dogs, but her motherly instincts helped her overcome that fear when the family acquired its first pet, Kayla, the corgi who accompanies her on walks.
Sherry’s father encouraged her to become an engineer, but she felt she was born to be an artist. “Eventually, I became both,” Sherry said. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology in Patiala, India, and later pursued her master’s degree in computer science at Duke University.
She worked as a computer consultant until she became a mother and decided to stay home to raise her children. As her children grew up and started school, she found herself with free time, which she used to buy homes and rent them. “The best part of this business is that I was able to control my free time,” she added. Currently she is a real estate business owner, with multiple rental properties she manages.
Sherry and her family have traveled throughout the entire United States and have visited India, Canada and Europe. She liked Hawaii and Las Vegas the most, especially the shows in Las Vegas. One of her bucket list items is to start touring the world.
Other items on her bucket list include spending as much time as possible with her new grandson and becoming a developer who creates unique-looking architectural homes.
The best advice she ever received came from her father, who taught her to “forgive and forget.” Although she’s had an interesting and diverse life, Sherry feels her best job ever was taking care of her parents in their old age. “My parents made lots of sacrifices while raising me,” she noted. “They were good role models in my life.”
Reiterating her life is a “celebration,” Sherry explained that doesn’t mean her life is all good. “What it really means is that I have learned how to handle the different situations calmly and peacefully.”
She attends church every Sunday to help her stay focused on the right path, and added she is also inspired by color, especially transparent color. “I stay connected with the transparent as well as all other colors during my daily life.”
Sherry moved to Courtyards at Southpoint from Raleigh, where she had lived 26 years. She was attracted to the single-story home with a walk-in shower, as well as the lawn services, swimming pool and proximity to restaurants and the mall.
Asked what else she’d like her neighbors to know about her, she responded: “I can be reached even in the middle of the night if anyone needs any kind of help from me. When you cannot find anyone to help you, you can always depend upon me.”