by Stephanie Cartozian
Peninsula resident Horace Higgins shared secrets for a long, healthy life on his 102nd birthday on October 9. “The first is good genes. My family has a history of long lives going back 10 generations to 1634 in Massachusetts on my mother’s side. The average lifespan has been 86 years old,” he said. Second, have a fun hobby that requires physical effort. “Tennis was my favorite sport. I earned a Good Year blimp ride as the winner of a tennis tournament, and better yet, I met my late wife Elizabeth on the tennis court. Recently I replaced tennis with ping-pong, which I play at Peninsula Seniors.”
The World War II veteran was born in Idaho and grew up in Southern California, where he attended CalTech, and worked at as an engineer at Hughes Aircraft. Since retiring in 1989, he has visited 80 counties. He has two daughters, five grandchildren and is awaiting the birth of his fifth great grandchild.
He still drives.
