The average life expectancy in America is 77 years, but several locals have surpassed that expectation by more than two decades.
Centenarians Irma H. Clement, Jesse Schraub, and Harold Wolkoff all reside on the RiverSpring Living Campus. Wolkoff and Schraub don black WWII veteran caps, a reminder of their service.
Schraub enlisted in the Army on June 3, 1943 while studying chemical engineering at City College. He joked he chose the Army because he's not a strong swimmer.
Now 100 years old and celebrating his birthday on August 26, Schraub shared that his secret to longevity was marrying the right woman.
“I was always considered an excitable person. My wife calmed me down,” said Schraub, who married Esther Wadler on April 2, 1949.
The pair met at Schraub’s father’s shoe store on the Lower East Side when he was 22. Fresh out of the Army—after serving two and a half years—he was back in college studying accounting. Wadler was waiting in the repair shop for her parents to pick up her and a pair of shoes. Schraub sat to keep her company, and the two hit it off.
Schraub’s father encouraged him to pursue Wadler, and the two went on to have three daughters and a marriage that lasted 68 years before she passed in 2017.
The greatest lessons he ever learned came from his wife. Wadler taught him to never put himself in a situation he could not get out of, to always be honest and sincere, and to carry himself with integrity.
“I learned through her that you have to be kind to people and that you had to use your brains a lot,” Schraub said.
Wolkoff celebrates his 102nd birthday on June 10 and believes that family, friends, and how people spend their time affect their longevity.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Wolkoff spent a lot of time outside playing basketball and exercising. He didn’t consume much meat throughout his life, and he’s proud of his decision not to drink or smoke.
Wolkoff served in the Air Force from 1943 to 1945, stationed in the Caribbean during the Battle of the Atlantic, a naval campaign in WWII that sought to maintain control over the Atlantic Ocean as Germany attempted to intercept supplies to Britain.
Before he was drafted, he studied civil engineering at City College. He continued his studies after the war, graduating at 26, and later became a professor of engineering at his alma mater.
As a freshman in high school, Wolkoff decided to switch to Brooklyn Technical High School, a public school specializing in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. He believes attending the specialized school led to his successful career.
Clemente turns 105 on June 14 and said her secret to longevity is her connection to religion.
“I attribute most of my existence to faith. I have a strong faith in God. I have a strong family,” Clement said.
Married in the 1940s and since widowed—“and not looking,” she added—Clement has a daughter and granddaughter with whom she remains close.
In addition to her faith, she credits her longevity to her diet, having eaten only fish since her marriage.
Clement grew up in Tennessee, near Knoxville and the Smoky Mountains, where she remained until pursuing her studies in library science. She later worked as a librarian in the Detroit Public Library system.
Some of her proudest work has been serving in various capacities with her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, of which she is still a proud member.
“My sorority sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha have been my loyal supporters for nearly 80 years... I feel blessed,” Clement said.
Clement told The Press she plans to donate her brain to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where it will be studied for research purposes. Brain banks and research centers accept pre-registered donors as young as 18 for neurological studies, where brain tissue is examined to identify treatments and cures for brain conditions and diseases.
An 87-year-long study at Harvard, titled the Study of Adult Development, is the longest-running study on human life, examining the secret to happiness, which has been linked to the secret to longevity.
In a 2023 report authored by internal medicine practitioner Jane Hart, who assessed the findings of the 87-year study, researchers found that healthy relationships are instrumental to longevity. In addition to fulfilling relationships, longevity is linked to maintaining mental and physical health. The report also noted that avoiding alcohol and smoking contributes to a longer life.
Hart’s report added that loneliness negatively affects health, but it’s never too late for individuals to pursue connections.
Across the globe, five areas have been designated as places where people live to 100 years old at a higher rate than anywhere else. These are referred to as Blue Zones. The zones include the island of Ikaria in Greece, the island of Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Loma Linda in California, and Nicoya in Costa Rica. Studies of these populations show that many follow plant-based diets and live lives centered around deep social networks.
One thing was clear when sitting with the centenarians—none of them had lost their sense of humor.
A knowing chuckle from the senior crowd echoed in the conference room when Wolkoff chimed in and said, “My memory’s good—when I remember something.”