Alex Forger (101), Phil Potash (100), and Kurt Goldschmidt (soon to turn 101) all live in one independent senior living community in White Plains
(L to R) Phil Potash (100), Kurt Goldschmidt (soon to be 101), and Alex Forger (101)
As a community for senior citizens, Waterstone of Westchester in White Plains has seen plenty of septuagenarians (people in their 70s), octogenarians (people in their 80s), and nonagenarians (people in their 90s) – and even the occasional centenarian (a person living to the age of 100 or older). Right now, three residents – all men – in this one independent senior living community in White Plains recently celebrated (or are soon to celebrate) their 100th and 101st birthdays.
According to the Pew Research Center, women over 100 (78%) far outnumber men (22%), so it’s rather unusual that the current Waterstone centenarians are all men.
All three of the men are thriving, engaged residents of the community. “It’s really remarkable that these three 100-year-old plus men are all living in one small community, and they are all physically and mentally active,’’ said Madeline Silverstein, Life Enrichment Director at Waterstone of Westchester.
Alex Forger, who turned 101 on Feb. 19th, was a Managing Partner with Millbank Tweed, the famous NYC-based International Law Firm and was on the Board of the New York Legal Aid Society.
Phil Potash, who turned 100 on Feb. 7th, is originally from Long Island and had a successful career in the garment industry. He loves to talk about changes in the fashion world, which he keeps up with.
Kurt Goldschmidt, who will turn 101 on March 30th, is originally from Germany and lived through World War II. He has four children.
Although the number of people reaching their 100th birthday was once rather rare in the U.S., the number has nearly tripled over the last three decades (the 1990 census estimates there were only 37,000 centenarians in the country), with an estimated 101,000 centenarians in the U.S. in 2024. The number of Americans reaching age 100 and older is projected to quadruple over the next three decades, to about 442,000 in 2054, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Still, centenarians currently make up just .03% of the population of the U.S., according to the Pew Research Center, so it’s still quite a feat to live to 100 or beyond – giving Alex, Phil, and Kurt the right to really celebrate their milestone birthdays.
For more information about Waterstone of Westchester, visit www.waterstoneofwestchester.com or call 914-821-6369.
