Loretta Smith celebrates her 100th birthday

“She’s like having Forrest Gump as a mother because she’s always been a rockstar and she’s the type of person that everybody loves.”

Those are the words that Pahrump resident Bob Smith, 63, told the Pahrump Valley Times about his mother Loretta Smith, who celebrates her 100th birthday on Nov. 18. On that date, Loretta will join an exclusive group of more than 300 Nevadans who are known as bona-fide centenarians.

Smith was born in 1924 and raised in the small town of Petersville, Maryland.

She has since visited every state in the country, as well as being a world traveler.

Active lifestyle

She credits her longevity to remaining active throughout her elder years.

“I keep busy and keep moving,” she said. “A lot of people are always asking me, ‘What makes makes you so good?’ I said, you just have to keep moving. You just can’t sit around and do nothing.”

Pearl Harbor survivor

As a young woman, Smith experienced the horrors of World War II firsthand, she was living in Hawaii when Pearl Harbor was attacked.

She hid under a road culvert to survive the air attacks, she said.

“My father was a Navy code breaker and chief of staff at the Kaneohe U.S. radio station when the Japanese bombed,” she recalled. “I watched that Sunday morning when the Japanese planes bombed the sea planes on the water at the bay. I lived there for about two years.”

Smith also spoke about her time working and exploring the world over the decades, by way of her father’s military career.

On her own

She worked in real estate for roughly 10 years before changing careers, eventually settling at Western Electric for about seven years.

“In 1957, I was elected as their ‘Hello, Charlie Queen,’” she mused. “I’ve been all over the country, visiting every state. I’ve also been to England, France and Holland so I’ve done quite a bit of traveling and had my share of ups and downs, but that’s all in the past now.”

Brush with Hollywood

During her time globetrotting, Smith said it gave her the opportunity to meet and mingle with many people, including Hollywood film stars at the height of their careers.

One such star was actor Robert Stack, back in the 1940’s during a blind date.

“He was in Washington, D.C. when I worked at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratories,” she said. “Some of the people there contacted him and set us up. I didn’t even know who he was at the time, but we went out twice and he was a very, very nice person and gentlemen all the way through dinner and dancing. I also met actress Constance Bennett there. He introduced me to her at a dinner.”

Award-winning hidden talents

At present, golfing is an activity that beckons Smith’s time and attention.

According to her son Bob, Loretta, at 95-years-old, held the record for being the oldest woman to sink a hole-in-one on a regulation course at a par-4 hole.

Medal-winning golfer

“I played in the [Senior] Olympics and I’ve got three first-place gold medals and one third place,” Smith said of her efforts. “I played in the old Olympics quite a bit in those days.”

After living in Southern California for a spell, Smith decided to settle down in Pahrump, where her son Bob is her primary caretaker.

No regrets at all

When questioned whether she has any regrets in her long life, Smith’s response was brief and to the point.

“No, I don’t think so, because everything that comes around, eventually comes back in the future,” she said.

One big happy, older family

Smith has three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

“I also have a daughter that’s 79, a son, who is 77 and another daughter who is 75,” she said. “My son Bob is 63.”

Though she is still physically able to operate a motor vehicle, Smith said that she voluntarily surrendered her driver’s license a few years ago.

She now gets around in her neighborhood by way of a golf cart.

“I gave up my driver’s license when I turned 95,” she noted. “It was not that I couldn’t still drive, but I just felt like I should.”

Over the decades, Smith has seen her share of technological advancements but currently, she said that she is still trying to learn about the benefits and convenience of cell phones, when she’s not regularly lifting three-pound weights each week and playing golf, she said.

During her leisure time Smith and her son regularly visit the Pahrump Senior Center to socialize and enjoy lunch.

Smith will officially celebrate her 100th birthday among family and friends at a resort in Las Vegas, her son said.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com, or on X, formerly Twitter: @pvtimes