On a recent summer day, 100-year-old John Glomstad married his 87-year-old bride in a colorful outdoor ceremony officiated by his son.
The centenarian has a lot of things to enjoy in life: Besides being a newlywed, Glomstad loves driving his five cars, including a convertible Mazda Miata, going on cruises and cooking good food.
He lives independently in his own house with a big garage and exercises every morning with a routine that includes 45 jumping jacks.
“Who knew that there would be life after 100?” Glomstad, who goes by Jack and lives in Tracyton, Washington, tells TODAY.com.
He credits being an optimist, having faith and his Norwegian heritage for his longevity.
“That’s all it took,” he says. “Oh, we eat well, too.”
Glomstad met his future wife, Kathie Harless, through their church in 2019. Both recently widowed, they were members of a program to help people work through grief. After a while, they went out to eat.
“She came to me, and she said, ‘I hear you take widows out for dinner and counseling.’ And I said yes. And she said, ‘Well, I’m a widow. How about me?’” Glomstad recalls.
They became friends and companions, but he was reluctant to complicate things with marriage. That recently changed and he proposed a few weeks ago at Harless’ home on Oyster Bay in Bremerton, Washington.
“We were sitting on my deck looking at the water and he said, ‘I think maybe we should get married,’ and I almost fell off my chair,” Harless told the Kitsap Sun.
The couple exchanges vows during a ceremony officiated by Glomstad’s son, a retired pastor.Courtesy John Glomstad
The wedding took place on that same deck on July 26. Glomstad’s son, Eric, a retired pastor, married the couple in front of friends and family.
“It was so special,” Glomstad’s granddaughter, Erin Kessler, tells TODAY.com.
“My grandpa is such an amazing example of: If you wake up and you have air in your lungs, get up and live that day. You’re never too old.”
Here are Glomstad’s tips for living a long healthy life:
Eat Good Food
The newlyweds have a routine: He cooks three nights a week, she cooks three nights a week and they go out to eat one night a week.
“I get my recipes off the internet and try all kinds of things,“ says Glomstad, who uses a smartphone and smartwatch.
The couple focuses on eating fresh, whole foods — including two or more vegetables at every meal — and a variety of meats, such as beef, chicken, pork and lamb. Their diet also includes lots of fruit — Glomstad always has blueberries, strawberries or a banana for breakfast with his cereal.
He likes chocolate and makes his own mocha every day, but otherwise eats little sugar.
“We’re not heavy into sweets, either one of us,” he says. “We try to keep it to very few processed foods.”
Move Your Body
Every morning, Glomstad does 35 jumping jacks to get his heart pumping, then “a bunch of leg lifts and kicks,” plus 10 more jumping jacks to finish.
He loves playing golf, noting the sport has been a big part of his life.
Glomstad says he has no health issues, no history of cancer or heart disease, and only takes one medication. Longevity runs in his family, with his grandfather, who emigrated to the U.S. from Norway, living to 104.
Love Deeply
The World War II veteran was married to his first wife, Ava, for almost 70 years. They met in 1945 while he still was in the U.S. Navy and married in 1948, according to the Kitsap Sun. She died in 2017.
“It was really, really hard for him,” Kessler says, noting her grandfather bonded with Harless while both reminisced about their late spouses.
“It turned into them just really loving each other in this new chapter. And it’s just really sweet,” she adds.
Think Positive
“I’m just an eternal optimist. I have a good view and a good opinion of everything, no matter what,” Glomstad says.
Glomstad was born in May 1925. At 100, he has no health issues.Courtesy John GlomstadWork Isn’t Everything
Some centenarians keep working late into their life, but Glomstad retired at 53.
He’d been working for a local bank, but found it increasingly stressful. So when he and his first wife, a teacher, saw that they’d be OK financially, he left his job.
“Work was never a goal for me. The goal was to provide for my family,” Glomstad says.
The couple eventually bought a condo in Maui and spent half the year in Hawaii for 25 years, where they helped organize transportation for golf venues and tournaments.
“He just focuses on living his life, and it’s just really inspiring,” his granddaughter says. “He’s been retired for a very long time and he’s been just loving his family and chasing his dreams.”
Find Your Passion
Cars are another big hobby. Glomstad has five cars, including the convertible Mazda Miata, which he loves driving with the top down, and a 1932 Model B Ford pickup.
The centenarian enjoys driving a stick shift and also maintains the vehicles, changing the oil himself. Right now, he’s installing an electric fuel pump in the classic Ford.
Glomstad enjoys his Mazda Miata.Courtesy John GlomstadLive Like You’re Younger
Kessler says her grandfather lives by what he calls his “heart number” — or how old he feels in his heart rather than his biological age.
“He’s always living like he’s a couple of decades younger than he really is,” she notes.
“He’s always looking to have fun. … He’s just living his life, probably more than most of us.”
Travel in Style
Glomstad and his new wife like to go on cruises and are sailing to Alaska in the fall for their honeymoon. He’s been there five times, while she’s been eight.
They’re also planning to go to Hawaii in the spring. More trips are in the works, though not by plane.
“I’ve flown a lot, but airports are no fun. I’d rather travel by train, so Kathie is looking at some train vacations now, too,” Glomstad says. “I love traveling by train.”