LARGO, Fla. — If you want to live to be 106 years old, you really need to sing a lot more.
And eat less sugar, play tennis until you're 102, and be an exceptional skier and ice-dancer, and fisherman.
It's all worked for Largo legend Dr. Clare McCreary, a local orthodontist who turned 106 on Monday.
The WWII vet, jewelrymaker and world traveler even had the bright red b-day shirt to prove it. On the front? "106 Young at Heart." The back? "Awesome Is Ageless!"
So seriously, what's the secret to hitting triple digits?
"The secret is you have to be smart enough to choose the right parents," he said with a sly smile.
Dr. McCreary lives at the Palms of Largo, a lovely senior living community where he's surrounded by friends who will be taking him out to dinner for his big day.
What's he eating?
"Stone crabs," he said. "I like the butter, too."
But it's what he won't eat that could be the true key to his epic longevity.
"I went off of sugar when I was in my 30s, and I've been abstaining from sugar ever since," he said.
Dr. McCreary's greatest passion in life was his wife, June, with whom he was wed for almost 80 years.
His other lifelong love? Singing. He still performs in a barbershop quartet.
Today, he's singing solo, altering the lyrics to the pop standard "Young at Heart."
The very act of belting a tune might have something to do with his age, as well. He's been singing since he was eight.
"A singer's breath is a deep breath," he said with a knowing nod. "Like running."
