Betty Knox has lived an adventurous and very active life. She says it’s the key to longevity – being active and simply enjoying the people and experiences around you. These days, she spends most of her time playing games of bridge or bingo with her neighbors at The Preserve, reading books and indulging in the occasional Netflix episode of Bridgerton. She also attends bible study and 4 p.m. happy hour on Tuesdays.
At 101 years old, she can remember nearly everything about her life, from the shouts of boys running up and down the street that the war had begun during World War II, to summers out on the water sailing with her sister on Lake Geneva to escape polio outbreaks in the city.
Her story begins back in kindergarten. It’s where she met her husband, whom she began dating in high school. He enlisted in the Navy during WWII at 19, and upon his return, they finished college, were married and had two children together. Knox studied fine arts, but she says her profession was “domestic engineering.” She carted the kids to and from school, cooked meals and sewed clothing to fit her 6-foot-tall frame.
Aside from caring for her family, Knox loved tennis and swimming. The entire family enjoyed ski trips for more than a decade, and Knox and her husband fell in love with golf when they bought a condo in Fort Myers in 1987 to live in for six months out of the year.
Eight other couples from their hometown in Illinois spent winters in Fort Myers too, playing golf and spending time in the sunshine together.
Nearly 40 years later, Knox has another group of friends to stay busy and active with.
After a brief stint at The Preserve as a patient in skilled rehabilitation, Knox found her place in an available apartment at The Preserve, a senior living community in a boutique-style setting in Fort Myers. She quickly decided to make the community her forever home.
Knox lived in senior living in Illinois, where she grew up, before her time at The Preserve. The decision to transition to senior living came on the day that her husband of 64 years passed.
“I decided on that day that I was moving. I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone,” she says.
But Knox is quite far from being considered a burden. She has a car and was just issued a driver’s license, valid until 2029, after passing her vision test. Being able to drive is another reason why she loves The Preserve. She says it’s close to everything. Her granddaughter, grandson-in-law and great-granddaughter live in Estero, and her daughter takes care of her condo nearby.
Last month, Knox turned 101. “I still can’t believe it,” she laughed. “I don’t feel like it either, so I don’t know what’s going on… time flew!” She celebrated with a Bridgerton themed tea party at The Preserve, complete with a violinist and champagne. She says that her motto to live by is “keep moving,” but she also suggests finding a hobby.