Ignore the naysayers. A good friend of mine that I met in undergrad was in his 30s. He had quit a job managing a grocery store and went to school for CS. We have worked together off and on throughout the years, and he was always a very solid engineer (I'd work with him again). He's director of engineering at a decent sized company now.
I think the key for an older person is to embrace the skills they have, and apply them to software.
Finally, I'm of the camp that anyone can become passable at most anything if they have the drive. Software is no exception. Becoming great at something is a different story because it requires many variables to line up perfectly.
that's commendable, especially since a grocery manager can make a very good living in an affluent area (it is a pretty demanding management position after all, with P&L, scheduling, logistics, distributor and vendor, payroll, 'up-management', probably even real estate related responsibilities). i'm sure it was pretty good experience for his current job.
I think the key for an older person is to embrace the skills they have, and apply them to software.
Finally, I'm of the camp that anyone can become passable at most anything if they have the drive. Software is no exception. Becoming great at something is a different story because it requires many variables to line up perfectly.