Louise Levy, the oldest known living person in New York State, died earlier this month on July 17 at age 112.
Levy, who was born in 1910, lived through two world wars, enjoyed falling asleep watching TV shows like The Young and the Restless, and smoked for decades, until the mid-1960s when cigarette packs started coming with a health warning, according to The New York Times.
Her daughter told the Times that Levy broke a hip this spring, and developed an infection after surgery.
Levy aged in remarkably good health, with her memory intact, performing morning stretches and participating in afternoon bridge games three times a week, as she told TV producer Sunny Goldberg in late 2019. She also knitted sweaters for newborn babies and often drank a glass of red wine a day.
She credited her long life to two main factors: A low-cholesterol diet she'd adhered to since her 40s, with very little meat or butter, as well as her positive mental attitude.
"That's one thing I have told people when they ask me how I account for it: I think attitude is terribly important," she told Larchmont-Mamaroneck Community Television in 2019.
Scientists have studied Levy's genes for clues about how longevity works
Scientists suspect that Levy's long life wasn't just a result of her healthy diet and attitude. The Ohio native was also part of a study, conducted at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, to investigate some of the genetic qualities that may help some people stay healthy and sharp as they age.
In order to pinpoint those traits more easily, the researchers focused exclusively on studying Ashkenazi Jewish people, who are more genetically similar than the general population. This makes it more straightforward to pick out the genes that people who live longest may have in common.
"What we call 'longevity genes' is really changes on existing genes," study director Dr. Nir Barzilai told Insider. Those changes, or mutations, then "change the function of the gene in a way that protects us, or slows our aging," he said.
Already, researchers at Einstein have identified specific changes on a gene called CETP that appear to be protective against cognitive decline, and a few other mutations that may be associated with longevity. They hope that learning more about these genes, mutations, and signaling pathways could one day help unlock new anti-aging treatments.
But for now, Barzilai says you can have a tangible, biological impact on your own aging by exercising regularly, as well as maintaining a healthy diet, sleep schedule, and regular social interactions.
Levy continued learning new things throughout her life, acquiring the computer skills to run the weekly Saturday documentary movie series for the other residents at the senior home where she lived, she said in 2019.
"I'm glad I can still speak and have my sense of humor, but I would caution you not to try and live to be 112!" Levy told The Rye Record, shortly after what would become her last birthday celebration, in November, 2022.
