Centenarian Peter F. Koreck

Centenarian Peter F. Koreck is honored by UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging's Foundation.

According to nominator Judy Hockenberry, director of Westminster Terrace in Louisville, Koreck told her, 'I only finished common school. We were poor. There was no money for anything more.'

In 1941, Koreck was drafted into the military after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and served in the U.S. Navy for four years, working on a repair vessel anchored in Alaska that would fix the destroyers and make sure they were ready for battle again. It was here that he gained experience in his work as a pipefitter, which became his life's work after the war. Over the years, he worked as a pipefitter for several plumbing companies in the Louisville area.

 "Pete drove his car until shortly before his 100th birthday," said Hockenberry. "After the death of his first wife, Corinne, Pete moved into Westminster Terrace. In 1996, when Pete moved in, our apartments were independent senior living apartments. He is both our oldest resident and the resident who has lived with us the longest.

"A few years later, Pete met a widow, Virginia, and they immediately started a friendship that turned into romance. They both loved to dance. Pete asked Virginia to marry him and they married in 2002 in the chapel here. This was a celebration in which all of our residents and staff delighted and it is still talked about today."

After four years, Schulman's wife's health began to decline and he took care of her. At age 99, he learned how to use the feeding tube to assist her until she died.

Nominators say Schulman is a man of devout faith and he continues to be optimistic.

According to Hockenberry, "Pete gives all the credit for everything he has accomplished in life including caring for two wives in their stages of life, to God. When asked why he has lived such a long life, he simply states, 'I guess because the Lord loves me and still wants me here.'"  

"Never one to be satisfied with a monotonous routine, Pete is always setting new personal goals for himself which challenge both his physical and mental agility," said Judy McNeal, a nominator and stepdaughter. "In his mid to late 80s, he learned to play the organ. This inspired my mother to purchase her own organ and learn to play. Their love of music translated into another hobby and they began to take dance lessons and were always going out to dance. His outgoing personality makes him well-liked by the residents and staff at Westminster. He participates in everything, telling stories, playing a spirited game of cards or Wii bowling."