“I’ve had a good run,” says Hampton World War II vet as he celebrates 100th birthday

HAMPTON — Robert “Bob” White has celebrated a lot of birthdays, but says the milestone he marked last weekend was the best one yet.

The highly decorated World War II veteran and former marathon runner celebrated his 100th birthday Saturday with dozens of family members and friends at a party at Fox Hill Road Baptist Church in Hampton, where he attends services.

A luncheon with favorites like fried chicken, barbecue, coleslaw, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese was served. White, however, didn’t get a chance to eat much with so many people stopping by to give him a hug and wish him well.

“I’ve had a good run in life and it’s been a long one,” he said with a laugh after the celebration was over.

It’s certainly been an eventful one. Raised on a farm in Leland, North Carolina, White was just a teenager when he was sent to Europe to fight in World War II, where he served three years. He was a paratrooper assigned to the Army’s 17th Airborne Division and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, a brutal, five-week winter battle known as the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front.

Among the honors White received for his service are the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and a medal from France, which he proudly showed off at his party Saturday. He’s also been featured in a couple of books about the war, including a chapter titled “The Running Man” that was dedicated to him in the book, “The Rifle: Combat Stories from America’s Last WWII Veterans.”

White and his late wife Marie moved to Hampton in the 1950s when he took a job at Newport News Shipbuilding. The couple raised five children together and were married for 72 years when Marie died in 2015.

White didn’t start running in races until he was in his 60s, when two of his sons encouraged him to join them. Soon, he was entering 5K races and later marathons. He ran in nine marathons in all, including the Boston Marathon at the age of 73, and was inducted into the Virginia Peninsula Road Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.

It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that he started to slow down and stopped running, said White’s son, Al. These days he relies on a wheelchair and an oxygen tank to get around, but he’s still just as lively, fun-loving and positive as ever, according to his family and friends.

“He’s just a remarkable person,” said Jack Adams, 75, a former running partner of White’s who was among the many who came out to celebrate him. “And his mind is just as sharp as ever.”

“A man of integrity,” said Andy Medvec, 73, another former running partner. “He never gives up.”

White now lives with his girlfriend, Doris Moore, whom he started dating several years ago. The two met at senior bingo at a local Moose lodge, which White used to attend with his wife. Moore later invited White, then about 92, to go dancing with her and her friends and they’ve been together ever since.

White said at first he thought Moore was too young for him. But when he heard her say one day that she was about to turn 80, he decided to give it a go.

“If I had known she was that old I would have been after her a long time ago,” he said with a laugh.

“He’s just so much fun to be around,” Moore said in explaining what she likes most about White. “He keeps me laughing and we enjoy each other’s company. We’ve had a good time together.”

In addition to his five children, White has 12 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. Two of his sons have died.

His hobbies have included fishing, dancing, writing poetry and painting pictures. He also enjoyed “fixing anything that needed to be fixed,” according to his grandson, Mike White.

White and his family are exceptionally close, and spend every Sunday evening together. When his children and grandchildren were growing up, he loved taking them fishing.

When asked what his secrets to a long life have been, White believes maintaining a healthy diet and staying active have been key. His family also believes that his positive attitude, close ties with family and friends, and sense of humor have played a major role.

“We all thought he was going to outlive us all,” said Al White, who at 74 is White’s middle child. “He still might.”

Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com