The ABC Barbara Walters Special on
aging and longevity "Live to be 150" aired the first of April,
2008.
I was asked two years ago to participate in this
project and it was both a wonderful and exhilarating experience.
It was an honor and a privilege to work
with Ms. Walters and her talented and caring team of professionals.
We’ve put together a “behind the scene”
feature with bios of
The Barbara Walters Special featured five of our
centenarians:
Pictured (l-r): Dorothy Young, "Rosie" Ross, Lillian Cox,
Barbara Walters, Dr. Karl Hartzell and Elsa Hoffmann.
each of the five centenarians who traveled to New
York City last September for this history-making, first-ever event.
When a “TV legend” is interested in longevity, it makes all the work I
have devoted my career to over the past 23 years worthwhile – AGING IS IN!!
Ms. Walters is even more attractive in person; she
was so gracious with the centenarians and her staff so very considerate
and respectful. I have participated in a lot of media productions over
the years and often with centenarians. Some of the experiences have unfortunately been somewhere
between upsetting and disappointing. But
with Ms. Walters’ team, it was “top notch,” as one of my 100-year-old
friends put it, and another summed it up as a “magical experience.”
Behind the
Scene ...
"Live to be 150...
Can You Do It?"
an ABC
Barbara Walters Special
What
goes on behind the scene of a network televised
event, such as “Live to be 150 … Can You Do It?”
Because such a small portion of the extensive
coverage is possible within the final
production, I thought it would be of interest to
get a “behind the scenes” look at this
extraordinary event and the exceptional people
who made it possible.
I am very, very proud of my centenarian friends
and honored to have been included in a Barbara
Walters production! Thank you to all for your
belief in me and my work with centenarians.
We have bios, photos
and vintage photos of each of the centenarians
who participated, as well as the “supporting
cast” of Kit Abrahamson, (please see our April
2008 calendar), Dr. Frank Shearer (our
March 2007 calendar) and John Donnelly
(our
June 2007 calendar) – all of whom would
liked to have joined us in New York for the
interviews, as was the original plan, but,
regrettably, other life circumstances
intervened.
And please be assured that these
centenarians are still on the go and living
their lives to the fullest. Watch them and
learn. They are wonderful role models; keep up
with the events of their full lives by following
their frequently updated features. I also invite
you to go to ABC’s website (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Longevity/Story?id=4559263&page=1) for more
about these outstanding individuals who have
lived to over 100 years and who are still
looking forward.
The
Centenarian Cast:
"Casting Agent" - Lynn Peters Adler, centenarian
expert and older adults advocate
Elsa Brehm
Hoffmann
Exuberant Elsa bought a new car for her 100th
Birthday – a sporty Lincoln, eggplant in color, “because it was a
little different.” She planned and executed
a gala celebration for nearly 200 friends
and family, who came from all over the
country to join in a weekend packed with
activities in October, 2007. And she booked
a cruise to the Caribbean for January! Elsa
believes that her positive attitude is what
has contributed to her long and happy life.
Elsa is always on the go and always
beautifully dressed. A renowned
hostess, Elsa has a wonderful sense of humor
and fun, loves a party, and loves to
contribute to the happiness of others. Click to read
more about Elsa.
Leonard
"Rosie" Ross
Jazz man
Leonard "Rosie" Ross, 101, remains a popular
attraction at the Pine Cone Inn, where he
gigs every Friday night. In his nineties he
survived a fire that severely burned his
face and hands. With courage and
determination, this lifelong musician
underwent surgeries and months of physical
therapy, eventually practicing with the
mouthpiece of his trumpet as he lay in his
hospital bed, so he could play again. “As
long as people want to hear Clyde McCoy's
‘Sugar Blues,’” he says, “I’ll live to play
it for them!” Since reaching the century
mark, Rosie is more popular than ever and
he’s “having the time of my life!” Click to
read more about Rosie.
Lillian Cox
Lovely Lillian
Cox, a petite Southern Belle with an iron
will, was a successful entrepreneur at a
time when most women were stay-at-home
moms. Community involvement in women’s
groups, such as the Garden Club, and a large
circle of friends of all ages, have helped
keep her active and socially involved in her
later years, and maintaining the lush garden
at her home has been her pride and joy.
However, when her octogenarian daughter
became gravely ill, Lillian, then nearing
100, traveled to Texas to “bring her
daughter home.” She has lovingly cared for
her only child for two years. Four hundred
community members gathered to honor her at
her 100th. Click
to read more about Lillian.
Dr. Karl
Hartzell
A
Renaissance man, Karl Drew Hartzell, Ph.D.,
former college professor and dean, among
many other accomplishments, enjoys classical
music, sings in a senior chorus, plays piano
and also plays 18 holes of golf twice a
week! A prolific writer of clear, lucid,
engaging prose, he is currently working on
his fifth book; his last on Values in
America, a lifelong interest, was published
when he was 99. At 101, he enjoys traveling
to visit his three sons and credits
remaining involved in their lives as an
essential element in his successful later
years. He also is a computer whiz. Click to read
more about Karl.
Dorothy Young
A love of life
and enjoyment of the arts have been the
hallmark of the long and successful career
of centenarian Dorothy Young. For many
years she was a well-known dancer; for one
year at the age of 17 she performed all over
the country as Houdini’s assistant and was
famous for her “radio girl” act (see photo
above), in which she sprang from an “empty”
radio to dance the Charleston! Dorothy went
on to become an actress, author, then noted painter
– with seemingly a Midas touch for every
artistic endeavor she pursued. In her
mid-nineties, Dorothy contributed the
largest gift ever received by Drew
University, of which both her father and
brother were alumni, and founded the Dorothy
Young Center for the Arts to encourage young
people to follow her passion.
Dorothy
also enjoys the companionship of a
“gentleman friend,” proving that we don’t
outgrow our desire for love and
relationships. They’ve been an “item” for
ten years.Click to
watch a video about Dorothy's life.
