Valeria Ryan turned 101 years old recently and shared the secret to her long life with First Coast News. She was celebrated with a birthday parade of over 200 people to honor her life as well as her service in the American Navy.
Ryan joined the Navy at 19 and worked her way up to training service colleagues to land munitions. “Teaching the men how to land the bombs, and she met the love of her life while in the service,” her daughter, Eileen Alexon, said.
Valeria Ryan’s bizarre secret to long life
When asked how she has managed to live so long, Ryan said with a smile, “What’s my secret to a long life? Drink all the booze you can drink.” As strange as it sounds, it clearly worked out fine for her as she can still dance at her age. “Oh I’m a good dancer, I dance all the time,” she noted.
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Ryan’s time in the Navy was the highlight of her life, having served in the Second World War as well. The Michigan-born centenarian is now retired and often spends time with family at The Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans’ Nursing Home in St. Augustine.
Valeria Ryan lived her life helping
Ryan looked after her seven children and by her late ‘40s, she decided to become a nurse. “She raised several children, and life was tough on the farm, so she always wanted to give back,” her daughter explained.
Her sole purpose in getting into healthcare was to take care of people in her area. “She knew how important health care was and how important it was for the community to help one another,” Alexon added. Ryan still remains her jolly self as she was all smiles during her birthday parade at St. Johns County.