Positive attitude and lifting weights are WWII and Korean War veteran's keys to a long life
Daily PilotNov 06, 2017
He's sitting in a chair in the family room of his apartment within an assisted living community in
At 100 years old, Freeman practices a daily routine of lifting weights, working his core balance with leg and arm exercises and adding movement to his usual activities around the home.
The World War II and Korean War veteran is smiling, joking and reflecting on his good health.
"I attribute that to selecting the perfect mother," he says with a laugh.
Freeman, who became a centenarian
He starts his mornings as early as
After breakfast, he hits the community center's exercise room where he practices drops and rolls so if he falls, he knows how to pick himself up.
He returns to his apartment to read for an hour, thumbing through pages of
Twice a week, he'll play a game of blackjack in the community center's gathering hall.
Freeman was married to wife Marjorie for 70 years before she died in 2016 at age 93.
The couple met at an officer's club dance when Freeman was a 28-year-old
After completing his duty in
Freeman worked at the Pentagon during the Korean War and later became an engineering professor at
In 1961, Freeman was recruited by the booming aerospace industry and moved his young family, now with three children, to
Freeman would work on special mission projects including the company's contract with the Apollo program where he had to ensure the spacecraft was throttleable, meaning its thrust could be varied.
The Freemans raised their children in Palos Verdes and
For 15 years, Freeman regularly walked three miles around Lake Mission Viejo, a routine he credits for his longevity.
Though he stopped driving in 2012, he began learning to use a computer in his 90s.
Freeman sends daily group emails of jokes and photos to his friends, three children and three grandsons who often visit him from
"Dad has always had a positive attitude and he doesn't fear anything," said daughter
Freeman acknowledges that he always has eaten healthy foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Though he says he doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, he won't miss dessert.
"I don't like cookies," Freeman says, eyeing the community center menu's options. "I'd much rather have ice cream with chocolate syrup."
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