Staying active gets you to 100, says W.H. centenarian

You would never guess that Lillian Bunton is a century old. She’s a small, spunky, gum-chewing woman who is still very sharp; she has her hearing and sight, and “she has the skin of a 70-year-old,” according to her doctor, Arthur Kornblit, M.D., who surprised her at his Baldwin office last week with a birthday cake and flowers.

Bunton has lived in West Hempstead almost 64 years and became a patient of Kornblit’s after her husband died 24 years ago. She still lives alone and for her that is key to happiness. “I like living on my own,” Bunton told the Herald. “I’ve always been independent. It’s important to be independent and fend for yourself.”

Sheila Batson, Bunton’s granddaughter who accompanied her to Kornblit’s office, is in awe of her grandmother. “She’s amazing,” said Batson, who lives in Lakeview and teaches at Hempstead High School. “She’s an amazing woman, she keeps herself well, stays active. Her great-grandkids don’t consider her old.”

Bunton has one son, four grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren, and she tells them all that staying active is the key to longevity. Bunton always walked wherever and whenever she could, although in recent weeks she hasn’t felt up to the task. She celebrated her 100th birthday on Jan. 6.