Lewis Duddridge celebrated his 100th birthday at the Trillium West Shore Lodge on March 7.
He celebrated with his wife Hilda, family B次元官网网址� some who had flown in from Australia for the occasion B次元官网网址� and friends.
Duddridge gave a speech thanking everyone for coming and talked about the importance of friendship for his longevity.
B次元官网网址淧eople are wonderful if you give them a chance to be wonderful,B次元官网网址� he said.
Hilda said they have many friends in the community and agreed that keeping a social calendar, getting out and meeting people, especially young people, has helped keep them young. Having close family is also a big plus, she said.
Duddridge said part of his secret is having a marriage where both parties work together and support one another. He is an advocate for keeping a healthy relationship with his spouse and he used to speak to different group about marital relationships.
He has managed to stay healthy and considers himself lucky to have reached this milestone.
He served in WWII, flying a Lancaster bomber for tour duty, and there were some close calls, he said.
RELATED: Lew Duddridge to be honored at Langford Legion for his years of service.
Taking chances, trying things and pursuing his passions has been his lifestyle. He wrote his first book at The Flying Duddridges of Hanley when he was 70.
Duddridge has always loved flying and has had an airplane since he was in the war. When he returned to Saskatchewan his first plane was a Tiger Moth, and he worked in the farm machinery business and spent many years crop dusting.
He was the first owner of a private helicopter in Saskatchewan so he was called upon to take dignitaries to Regina or wherever they needed to go.
When the couple retired and moved to Langford thirty years ago Duddridge had an idea to fly down the west coast of North America and into Central America. Hilda said that took a lot of convincing, but she finally agreed and they got a small plane and flew all the way down the coast to Mexico, Guatemala, up the East Coast through New York and Nova Scotia and then back across Canada.
B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檇 fly with me anytime but not over water unless she could see land, because she was the navigator,B次元官网网址� Duddridge said. B次元官网网址淚 made that promise and I lived by it.B次元官网网址�
They were gone for roughly eight months and were proud of accomplishing that trip together.
Maybe another secret to reaching 100 is living a very full life.
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