Family and friends of Redwood City’s Millie Price Cole surprised her last year with a car parade past her house for her 99th birthday, May 22.
Among many accomplishments, the former Selby Lane school teacher has been active with the Optimist Club—and that positive spirit must have something to do with her longevity. For the big 100th, there’ll be another birthday parade—this time not a surprise.
Merrily Robinson, one of the organizers, hopes there’ll be 100 cars in the noon-time tribute, and at least that many birthday cards to deliver. (Send them to Robinson at 952 Ruby St., Redwood City, CA 94061.)
Sixty-five Cole descendants are coming for the birthday weekend.
“She’s just an outstandingly awesome, loving, kind person,” Robinson says of her lifelong friend.
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Reaching 100 in good spirits and health is a feat, but a Redwood City woman known as “Auntie Lou” (for Louise) Prado passed that milestone four years ago. She’s lived long enough to have had a career at Ampex Corp. as an engineer, and then a second one as a caregiver at a Sharon Heights facility.
She “took care of old people” until her retirement—at the age of 89. Auntie Lou lives with niece Chris Sakalerios, a fitness trainer, and they exercise together every day. Auntie Lou is looking forward to resuming a favorite activity —going to casinos.
For her 104th birthday in January, friends brought gold pans and buckets of sand to accommodate her wish to celebrate by going gold-panning. It was only in the front yard —but she found some gold flecks. Lou’s secret to a long life? Drinking lots of water. Chocolate. Dancing. And “go to bed and get a good night’s sleep. No stress or letting something bother me or give me a bad time.”
