Man, 100, who loves to dance and just attended his first prom, shares his 4 simple longevity tips

When attending his first prom at age 100 last month, Ray Svejnoha noticed how differently teens dance these days.

“During my time, when we danced with a girl, we held her,” Svenjnoha tells TODAY.com. “They danced in a circle of about 20 people and jumped up and down like little bunnies.”

“And the noise, my God, I couldn’t recognize the songs at all, but that’s the way it is,” he laughs. It was one of the best nights of his life.

Svenjnoha is a resident at Independence Village of Naperville, a senior living facility in Illinois. He didn’t get to go to his prom. “I left for the service,” he recalls.

He was drafted into the Air Force during World War II with three months left in high school. Although he was able to graduate, he missed out on some milestones. He never thought much about having missed his prom, but six high school students — girls who volunteer at the senior living facility and teach residents how to use their smartphones — wanted to do something special for him.

They teamed up with Independence Village staff to surprise Svenjnoha with a prom night he’d never forget.

Teens who volunteered to teach seniors how to use their smartphones surprised 100-year-old Ray Svenjnoha by taking him to the prom since he missed his own. (Courtesy Ray Svejnoha)

Local businesses donated a trolley, flowers and styled Svenjnoha’s prom haircut. Everything, he says, was taken care of. “It was really great. It was one of the nicest things that’s happened.”

The night was an homage to Svenjnoha’s rich social life and his love of chit-chat — both of which he’s said have contributed to his long life. He spoke with TODAY.com as part of the Incredible Centenarians series to share some other secrets to his longevity.

Fall in Love

“I had a terrific marriage,” says Svenjnoha. “I brag about it constantly.”

He boasts of their teamwork, raising their two sons “who grew up to be great men,” how they instantly clicked when his sister introduced them, and how his wife would catch more fish than him, though she was less experienced at the sport — but “that was to be expected,” he says.

Before she died from cancer, she threatened Svenjnoha: She’d haunt him if he didn’t keep living, maintaining his friendships and relationships. So, he did.

Ray Svejnoha missed his prom because he was drafted into the Air Force. (Courtesy Ray Svejnoha)

Invest in Your Friendships

“It seems like I can make friends with anybody,” says Svenjnoha. “This is what God put me on this earth for.”

He plays bingo and bunco daily with his fellow residents and says hi to every new face.

Whatever programming the senior center has planned for the day, Svenjnoha says he’s game to interact with whoever’s there, approaching it all with positivity.

“If you’re going to be grouchy, don’t talk to me because I have no room for that,” he says. “I’ve got plenty of room to laugh and kid and do things like that and enjoy (myself).”

Do Work You’re Proud Of

Svenjnoha started training to be an electrician as a teen. His neighbor growing up enlisted the help of neighborhood kids interested in learning the trade. When his neighbor joined the local union, Svenjnoha joined, too. “This was my call,” says Svenjnoha.

Ray Svejnoha met his wife and worked as an electrician when he returned from the Air Force. (Courtesy Ray Svejnoha)

Move Your Body

Except for a recurring ache in his left leg, “I feel like a 20-year-old,” says Svenjnoha.

He’s tried various treatments to soothe the pain, but nothing helps. “I’ll just grin and bear it,” he says. He can’t give up movement, least of all dancing.

“Dancing was my best treat,” he says. “I used to love to dance.” And because it doesn’t happen too often these days, he’ll do it any chance he gets. Prom was his moment. “There were 25 girls in a circle, and we were dancing,” he recalls. “It was on TV, by God.”

His granddaughter in Anchorage, Alaska, called to tell him she’d spotted a clip of him on the dance floor captured by Naperville Community Television.

Independence Village of Naperville, the local Rotary Club and the high school students who got to know Ray Svejnoha had a trolley, flowers and Svejnoha's haircut gifted to him. (Courtesy Ray Svejnoha)

For 30 years, Svenjnoha taught swimming to children and adults with arthritis at the local pool. He swam with his kids in his backyard pool he’d invite the neighbors to use. He also took the neighborhood kids and his children fishing. And a friend taught him how to play tennis.

“I really enjoy that,” he says.