She lived an active life, full of people. Now she’s 100

Eleanor Deas took the microphone at her 100th birthday party in the dining room at Discovery Point Retirement Community in Mesa.

“I’m at a loss for words,” she said. “I find that hard to believe, Eleanor,” someone replied.

Eleanor claimed she’s shy. “I’m not the type who talks too much,” she said. Then she admitted it’s not true.

It may be why she’s lived to 100. Eleanor draws, plays cards and bingo. She attends musical performances on Fridays.

Twice a day, she walks to the dining room to eat with friends. Three times a week, she takes an exercise class. In the arts room, Eleanor makes earrings with beads to match every outfit.

But it’s not the activities themselves that helped her reach 100. There’s more to it than that.

Eleanor was at a dance at the YMCA in Queens when a man asked her to dance.

“Not right now,” she said. “I’m busy talking to my friends.”

“Can I come back later?” he asked. “If you want to,” she said.

He did. They married on Valentine’s Day in 1952. Eleanor was 29.

“I waited until I really loved somebody,” she said. She really loved Joseph Deas.

They had four children: Francine,

Phyllis, Terry and Joe.

Joseph and Eleanor retired and moved to Arizona in 2000. He died in 2009.

Eleanor has seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, the youngest named Jacqueline Eleanor after her.

You must keep participating in life, Eleanor said. “You can’t watch TV all day or stay in your room and mope.” Surround yourself with people.

“It’s good for your heart,” Eleanor said, even hers with its leaky valve.

“I’ll remember this for the rest of my life,” Eleanor told her party guests, “whatever God gives me.”