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105-year-old Amherstview woman shares secret of long and healthy life Featured
Violet Storck has lived longer than 99 per cent of the world’s population and she thinks she knows why.
Talking from a long-term care home in Amherstview where she moved in early June 2024, the 105-year-old is in great shape for her age, thanks to a combination of genetics and behaviour.
Sitting on a walker near the front door which she watches closely for the arrival of a friend, she says with a laugh, “I’ll be 106 next April if I don’t kick the bucket before then.”
Sharp-witted and fairly spry except for an arthritic shoulder, Violet credits her long and healthy life to healthy living and exercise.
“I kind of fell into leading an exercise class which I continued for 25 years,” the friendly woman explains. “I didn’t have any formal training, I just picked exercises according to the person’s age and speed.”
Although she has outlived her family, Violet still enjoys visiting with friends and believes it was the exercise that contributed to her longevity.
“I’ve had the sort of life, where when I look back, it has been incredible,” she said with a smile, thinking of the world events she has witnessed.
Taking a deep breath, she talks about moving to Canada with her parents when she was two years old. When she finished high school in Cornwall, she moved back to England with her parents. She had to wait until the end of WWII before she could return to Canada since she couldn’t find passage on a ship as a civilian. When she finally made it back, she accepted a job at the Toronto General Hospital as a medical secretary. Shortly after that, she met and married her husband and moved to South Africa where they stayed for nine years.
Eventually, after several more moves and trips around the world, the couple returned to Kingston where they lived for seven years before Violet’s husband, Frederick, 65, died from a heart attack. Violet moved into a smaller house where she lived comfortably until friends suggested she move into assisted living after two bad falls.
“It’s better than I expected. The food is good here,” she replies when asked about the living conditions at Helen Henderson Care Centre in Amherstview. “The exercise classes could be harder.”
Speaking on behalf of the popular home, Administrator Lisa Gibson notes with a smile, “We are privileged to have Violet living with us and appreciate her wisdom on the benefits of exercise and travel which we believe contribute to a long and healthy life. Hopefully, our recreation team can leverage Violet’s experience to boost our exercise classes by having her lead a class once again.”
Asked to describe herself, Violet notes with her trademark wit, “I’m old and weary. I’ve been ready to go for years, but nobody wants me. My only regret in life is not traveling to Australia because I’ve pretty much been everywhere else - 56 countries. I love flying; I'd love to go to the moon."
Looking thoughtfully, she admits global conflict concerns her. “Wherever you go, it’s war, war, war. No one is satisfied with their life,” she says in a distressing tone.
As for her advice to today’s youth, the 105-year-old says, “Travel as much as you can and enjoy life as much as you can.”
Helen Henderson Care Centre is looking forward to celebrating Violet’s 106th birthday on April 4, 2025. To learn more about living or working here, please visit ww.gibsonfamilyhealthcare.com