L.A.'s Lillian Thompson Turns 103; L.A. County Throws Her A Party
It's not everyday you turn 103.
Lillian Thompson via L.A. County
And so the county government of Los Angeles this week threw a birthday party for Lillian Thompson yesterday right where she lives, at the Marina Manor Public Housing Development in Marina Del Rey. It did not get out of hand, we were told.
Wait: There's public housing in Marina Del Rey?
Now, before all you white Westsiders get your Lululemon yoga pants in a bunch, you might be comforted by the fact that Marina Manor is strictly for seniors. Rowdy, raucous, tear-shit-up seniors. (We kid).
(There are full-on projects, Mar Vista Gardens, in nearby Del Rey, however. Discuss that over your next latte at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.)
Anyway, Thompson got cake yesterday. As a 103-year-old, she's got to be one of the oldest folks in Los Angeles County. L.A.'s Gertrude Baines died in 2009 at the age of 115.
To what does Thompson attribute her longevity? She credits "eating slowly, constantly drinking water, and walking," although she has not been able to do much of the latter for the last 13 years. She was in a bus crash and had to undergo surgery when she was 90.
Thompson was born in 1910 in Washington, D.C., says the county. Her greatest inspiration these days, she says, is President Obama.
She's been at Marina Manor for 29 years and -- yes, fellas -- she is single.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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