John Kasper looked at a friend and said, “Try to think positive if you want to survive.”
After making that remark, Kasper eyed his 100th birthday cake on March 21 at the Northshore Senior Center and blew out the candles. The party — which featured two cakes — took place after his Enhance Fitness class.
Kasper was born in Chicago, Ill., and was a tool-and-die maker, stunt pilot and ballroom-dance teacher with his wife, Elsie, during his lifetime (he still gives a few lessons these days).
And the Bothell-area resident still does plenty of pushups each day to stay fit.
“The most important thing to do, THE most important is exercise. As much as you can, try to exercise. My exercise (program) takes me 36 minutes, every day I exercise at home. And then I come here to rest up, I always say,” he said.
Mary Anne Hunt has been participating in the exercise class at the senior center with Kasper for 10 years.
“He was my dance teacher until I broke my hip — he’s in better shape than I am,” Hunt said.
“I broke my hip with my husband trying to do ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ and I kicked my leg up and he didn’t catch it when he was supposed to.”
Hunt noted that one day after class, Kasper asked to give her a dance lesson — and they’ve been friends ever since.
“He always has a smile and just a good attitude and a good sense of humor, and he’s a very gentle, kind and loving man,” Hunt added.
Kasper remembers the exact address where he was born — 2826 Hamlin Ave. — and notes that a midwife delivered him into the world.
“I don’t remember what she said about me,” he laughed. What would she say if she was alive to see him now? “She’d be surprised, and I’ve often said that if I knew I was gonna last this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.”
All jokes aside, Kasper says that he walks between five and 10 minutes daily and does those pushups, often numbering in the hundreds.
Reminiscing about his ballroom-dancing days with Elsie (who passed away after 72 years of marriage to John) puts a smile on the centenarian’s face. He noted that the couple taught dance all around the world, specifically mentioning England, Austria and Hawaii.
One night in Hawaii, they met up with another teacher who put them on the spot.
“He said, ‘Well, give us a demonstration — what do you do?’ I told him rhumba, samba, cha cha, quickstep, foxtrot, tango … whatever you want,” Kasper said. “We did a samba, and then Elsie pointed at him and said, ‘Now don’t forget, after the dance, you and me.’ He says, ‘Yes.’ He watched us dance, he wouldn’t dance with her, so I said, ‘The hell with you.’ He wasn’t good enough, although he was a teacher.”
Kasper said the foxtrot is his favorite dance because it’s fun, varied and lengthy: just like his 100 years.
