Respect Your Elders: Man Kaur
#RespectYourElders: If you want to be a gold medal-winning athlete, track and field runner Man Kaur proves you don’t have to begin training as a young adult. Kaur (born 1916) didn’t start training until her 90s, and today, she holds a world record in her age group. Kaur grew up in Patiala, India. In the […]
Respect Your Elders: Nichelle Nichols
#RespectYourElders: “There’s never been anything that can hold me back.” That’s what former “Star Trek” star Nichelle Nichols said in a recent interview about her lifelong love of performing. Nichols (born 1932) recently spoke to the Los Angeles Times about what she’s been up to since “Star Trek” first aired, upcoming projects and what she’d […]
Respect Your Elders: Judi Dench
#RespectYourElders: Are any of your favorite actors or actresses nominated for the 2018 Golden Globes? Actress Judi Dench (born 1934) is nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role in “Victoria and Abdul.” This is her 12th Golden Globe nomination and could be her third […]
Respect Your Elders: Paula Wolfert
#RespectYourElders: Have you heard of famous chef and cookbook author Paula Wolfert? Wolfert (born 1938) is featured in a new biography: “Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert’s Renegade Life.” She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a few years ago, and she continues to find joy in cooking. A native of Brooklyn, Wolfert graduated from […]
Respect Your Elders: Bruce Springsteen
#RespectYourElders: Bruce Springsteen (born 1949) is an award-winning American singer and songwriting legend known for being one of the best-selling artists in modern history. In addition to selling millions of records, Springsteen has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Most recently, he’s starring in his […]
Respect Your Elders: David Crosby
#RespectYourElders: Legendary rock musician David Crosby (born 1941) began his music career in the early 1960s, and hasn’t slowed since. A two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Crosby released a new solo album “Sky Trails,” on September 29th. Crosby is best known for his involvement in some of the most legendary rock bands […]
Respect Your Elders: Cicely Tyson
#RespectYourElders: Cicely Tyson (born 1924) is an Emmy Award winning actress known for her longstanding acting career dating back to the 1950s. She is the oldest Primetime Emmy Award nominee for her guest role on the critically acclaimed “How to Get Away with Murder.” Tyson began her career in the spotlight as a fashion model […]
Respect Your Elders: Stevie Nicks
#RespectYourElders: Stevie Nicks (born 1948) received her first guitar for her sixteenth birthday, and has been writing and performing music throughout the five decades since. Nicks was interested in music from a young age, and met her future musical collaborator and boyfriend, Lindsey Buckingham, when they were both in high school. In the late sixties, […]
Respect Your Elders: Glen Campbell
#RespectYourElders: You can always put your creativity to use, even when living with memory loss. Today, we’re remembering Glen Campbell. On August 9, we were sad to learn that legendary musician Glen Campbell (born 1936) passed away from Alzheimer’s disease at age 81. After his diagnosis, Campbell continued to perform, record music and enjoy […]
Respect Your Elders: Dick Vitale
#RespectYourElders: Dick Vitale (born 1939) is an American sportscaster and basketball legend. He is known for his fiery presence on ESPN and his influence on college basketball’s popularity. Vitale’s impressive career began quite modestly as an elementary school basketball coach. After a decade of working his way through the ranks, Vitale became an assistant coach […]
Respect Your Elders: Täo Porchon-Lynch
#RespectYourElders: Täo Porchon-Lynch (born 1918) is a renowned yoga teacher, ballroom dancer and author. At 98 years old, she is the oldest practicing yoga instructor. Porchon-Lynch’s story begins on a ship in the middle of the English Channel, where she was born. Her mother passed away during childbirth, and she was raised by her uncle […]
Respect Your Elders: Barbara Corcoran
#RespectYourElders: Barbara Corcoran (born 1949) is a successful entrepreneur, businesswoman and reality television star. Today, she is most known for her role as an investor on ABC’s Shark Tank. If you had asked Corcoran in high school whether she would have ever imagined her success today, she wouldn’t have believed you. Corcoran was a D […]
Respect Your Elders: David Geffen
#RespectYourElders: David Geffen (born 1943) is a multi-talented businessman who founded DreamWorks, Asylum Records, Geffen Records and DGC Records. He is largely considered one of the wealthiest people in entertainment, and has been called one of the “Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America” by Out Magazine. Geffen had a humble start to […]
Respect Your Elders: Elton John
As we celebrate #PrideMonth, this week’s Respect Your Elders post features a well-known advocate for the LGBTQ community. Multi-Grammy Award-winning musician Elton John (born 1947) is not only one of the best-selling musical artists in the world, but he’s also supported the LGBTQ community throughout his life. Elton John was born in the Pinner borough […]
Respect Your Elders: Ron Chernow
Have you listened to the music from the Tony Award-winning musical #Hamilton? Better yet, have you been lucky enough to catch a live performance? The Broadway show’s composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, was inspired to write a hip-hop musical after reading a biography he picked up on vacation in 2008. This week’s #RespectYourElders feature is Ron Chernow […]
Respect Your Elders: Ben Ferencz
In 1946, Ben Ferencz prosecuted Nazis in the Nuremberg war crimes trials. Seventy years later, he wants the world to remember the devastating effects of war. Ferencz (born 1920) is the last living prosecutor from the Nuremberg trials and recently spoke to 60 Minutes about his experiences. The Nuremberg trials were a series of military […]
Respect Your Elders: William Daniels
#RespectYourElders: William Daniels (born 1927) is an Emmy award winning American actor, author and former president of the Screen Actors Guild. He is best known for his roles as Mark Craig in “St. Elsewhere” and George Feeny in “Boy Meets World.” Daniels began his radio, stage and T.V. career as a teen in the early […]
Respect Your Elders: Vera Lynn
#RespectYourElders: British singer Vera Lynn (born 1917) celebrated her birthday in style last month — by becoming the only person in history to release a top 10 album at age 100. Nicknamed in Great Britain as “The Forces’ Sweetheart” during World War II, Lynn is best known for her iconic morale-boosting performances for British troops […]
Respect Your Elders: Betty White
#RespectYourElders: Betty White (born 1922) is an Emmy Award-winning actress. She holds the Guinness World Record for “Longest TV Career For An Entertainer (Female),” and has been named to the Television Hall of Fame. White is an Illinois native and got her start in radio commercials. Though she had dreams of becoming an actress, she […]
Respect Your Elders: Mavis Staples
#RespectYourElders: Mavis Staples (born 1939) is a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, actress and civil rights activist born and raised in Chicago. She is most known for her successful career as a gospel singer, and continues to perform regularly. Staples first began performing with her family as The Staple Singers at just 11 years old. The family hit […]
Respect Your Elders: Andersonville’s Swedish Bakery
While we usually use the #RespectYourElders feature to profile a notable individual, this week we wanted to tell the story of longtime Andersonville and Chicago Methodist Senior Services favorite, Swedish Bakery. The bakery will shut its doors for good on Feb. 28 after 88 years in business. It first opened in 1929 as Ernst Carlson’s […]
Respect Your Elders: Guion Bluford
#RespectYourElders: Guion Steward Bluford (born 1942) is an American aerospace engineer and retired NASA astronaut. He is known for being the first African-American in space and helping to reframe the conversation about space exploration after the tragic Challenger explosion in 1986. Prior to his historic launch into space, Bluford earned his degree in Aerospace Engineering […]
Respect Your Elder: Eva Hoffman
#RespectYourElders: Polish-American author Eva Hoffman (born 1945) was recently featured on NPR to promote her latest book, “How to be Bored.” “How to Be Bored” is part a series of self-help publications from The School of Life. It centers on the idea that that in an age where people feel the need to constantly fill […]
Respect Your Elders: Pleasant Rowland
#RespectYourElders: Pleasant Rowland (born 1941) is an American philanthropist and the creator of American Girl, the company known for its dolls and historical novels for children. She is also known for her work as a news reporter for ABC and for her longstanding dedication to reviving historical locations in New York. Rowland is a Chicagoland […]
Respect Your Elders: Diana Kennedy
#RespectYourElders: Diana Kennedy (born 1923) is a renowned British chef and author that specializes in Mexican food. She is known for popularizing Mexican cuisine in the United States by providing access to recipes, interviews and extensive research about Mexican ingredients that were previously unknown to many in the U.S. While originally from England, her natural […]
