Resident celebrates special birthday
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| Bill Brown celebrates his 101st birthday with friends at Independence Village. |
Brown was born in Syracuse, NY, and served in the Army from 1944 to 1946 in a special service engineer group during World War II. Brown is a multi-rating pilot, which qualifies him to fly as pilot-in-command on any aircraft with more than one engine. Having owned his own plane for 34 years, Brown continues to pilot and has traveled extensively in the U.S. and surrounding territories. His favorite place to fly is Maine, he said. Along with flying, Brown enjoys building model airplanes in his apartment at Independence Village.
Brown said his favorite memory is his wedding to his wife, Mildred, to whom he was married for 75 years. Together, they had three daughters, one son, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Brown's advice to younger generations is to find a mentor who has done various things in life and learn from them. He cautioned, however, that along with having “love in your heart, you will need to have some ambition.”
Brown said he is most excited again this year about continuing his current lifestyle. “Talk to people, enjoy people, stay active, and have fun,” he advised.
