Retirement

Ronald R. Thoma, 78, of Churchville, a retired packaging company executive and former tavern owner, died Tuesday, March 19, of respiratory failure at home. Born and raised in the Juniata Park section of Philadelphia, Mr. Thoma graduated from Frankford High School and Temple University by attending at night. He retired in 2000 as a senior vice president after 46 years at Crown Cork & Seal, a packaging firm in Philadelphia. He and his family owned and operated the Coach Dog Tavern at 1063 Street Rd. in Southampton for 23 years, ending in 1994, when it was sold and razed to make room for an Applebee's.

DO YOU KNOW your number? That would be the amount of money you need - including your Social Security and pension (if you have one) - to retire comfortably. A few years ago, the financial- services company ING created a humorous advertising campaign around "Your Number. " Here's how one ad went: Neighbor: "Hey, Clark, what you got there? (Clark carries a long orange number amounting to just more than $1 million.) Clark: "It's my number. It's the amount I need to save to retire the way I want.

PHOENIX - It's been a stressful offseason for Ravens coach John Harbaugh. He barely had a month to enjoy his team's Super Bowl victory over little brother Jim and the 49ers before the salary-cap termites showed up and started turning the roster of the Lombardi Trophy champs into sawdust. Their top free agent re-signing priority, rush linebacker Paul Kruger, signed with AFC North rival Cleveland. Another key free-agent linebacker, Dannell Ellerbe, who was being counted on to pick up the slack in the wake of Ray Lewis's retirement, opted for the Dolphins and South Beach.

Jockey Tony Black won his 5,200th race Monday, riding his son's horse Smart Tori to victory at Parx in Bensalem. Black, 61, of Haddon Township, who won his first race in 1970 just out of high school, had said he would retire after hitting the 5,200 mark. "The reality really hasn't sunk in," he said Monday night. "But I said I would and I am sticking with it. The best part is I did it on my son's horse. " Smart Tori, owned by Black's son Anthony, won the ninth race and paid $4.40 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.20 to show.

Tony Gonzalez, who has more catches than any tight end in NFL history, announced Tuesday he is returning to the Falcons for the 2013 season. Gonzalez, the Falcons' leading receiver last season, said during the season he was 95 percent sure he would retire after the 2012 season. His productive season made it difficult to stick with the retirement plan. While Gonzalez is staying, Titans left guard Steve Hutchinson has decided to retire after 12 NFL seasons, the last cut short by a knee injury that limited him to 12 games.

Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger should have had a stirring retirement celebration before Thursday night's game against Pittsburgh, saluting a career that will undoubtedly put him into the Hall of Fame. Instead, the charade continued. Pronger attended the game at the Wells Fargo Center, sat in general manager Paul Holmgren's suite and, perhaps because he is in the process of making a comeback (wink, wink), wasn't even acknowledged on the scoreboard. Earlier Thursday, during a news conference at the Flyers' practice facility in Voorhees, Pronger talked about trying to make a return from post-concussion syndrome.

YOU HAD TO STEP pretty quickly to keep up with Charlene Rubin Menkin. She set a brisk pace despite having limited use of her limbs from a childhood bout with polio. But whether being helped along with a cane or, later, with a motorized scooter, Charlene wasn't about to restrict herself in any way. She taught high school, traveled extensively and was the life of any party. "When she would come into any room, people just flocked to her," said her daughter-in-law, Darlynne Menkin.

Family members were finalizing funeral arrangements Monday for retired professional boxer Tony Martin, 52, who was shot and killed Friday afternoon inside a Hunting Park rental property he owned. "It is senseless. It is terrible," Robyn Peete said of her uncle's slaying. "He was always happy-go-lucky. He had a heart of gold and a smile that would light up every room. " Two days after winning the IBF light-heavyweight title Saturday night, the Philadelphia fighter Bernard Hopkins spoke fondly of Martin at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym in North Philadelphia.

DON'T LOOK TO me to say Bernard Hopkins should retire - not anymore. At this point, if the dude says he can continue to box until he's 50 years old, I'll roll with him. Claims that the 48-year-old Hopkins should have hung up his gloves several years ago have been based on the belief that older athletes cannot possibly continue to compete at a high level in a combat sport like boxing. But Hopkins keeps countering the argument with real-life empirical evidence, putting the facts on his side and defying logic.

When the nonprofit Liberty Lutheran Services took over the Village at Penn State, a retirement community near State College, last summer, it assumed a $462,286 annual property-tax bill. The Ambler organization also owns Paul's Run, a similar retirement community in Northeast Philadelphia with different levels from independent living to nursing-home care. The property tax in Philadelphia is $0. That pattern is repeated at several other nonprofits that own continuing-care retirement communities in and outside the city.