Episode 55 - 100 Years of Living: Lucy DeRoche's Secrets to Adventure, Purpose, and Joy

She feels 45. She has been all around the US. She planned a month-long trip through England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1971 with no cell phones, no credit cards, and a 9-year-old in tow, and she thought nothing of it. She lost her first husband Vincent to lung cancer when he was just 41, raised her daughter Tammy on her own, and kept going. She still walks the halls of her building every day, still does puzzles, and loves Maine lobster.Lucy DeRoche of Yarmouth, Maine turned 100 on May 20, 2026 and she is here to show us what a fully lived life actually looks like.In this joyful milestone episode, Lisa sits down with Lucy and her daughter Tammy to celebrate a century of adventure, purpose, and unending love. Lucy shares the philosophy that carried her through teaching fifth graders for decades, planning epic road trips with AAA guides before the internet existed, volunteering long into retirement, and weathering the deepest losses - all with curiosity, humor, and a fierce desire to be useful.What you'll hear in this episode:Lucy's secret to staying sharp, active, and motivated at 100How she navigated losing her husband at a young age and how she and Tammy became each other's purposeThe legendary 1971 trip to England, Scotland, and Ireland, planned entirely with travelers checks and a travel agent, no internet requiredThe zebra that stuck its entire head through the car window on the Olympic PeninsulaThe 6-inch John Wayne "statue" that was NOT the six-foot statue they drove across the Peninsula to findHer food memories: Thursdays and Sundays at the 99 in Brunswick, Maine with Jim, fish chowder and blueberry muffins at the Dolphin, and lobster that must — absolutely must — come from MaineSitting in a Paris restaurant at 86 with a sneaky grin on her faceWhat truly kept her going all these years: "I always wanted to be useful. I really did."This one is a love letter to long lives, adventurous hearts, and the mothers who drag us to Gettysburg, Paris, and off-road in a Jeep Wrangler and make us better for it. Cheers to 100 years, Lucy Williams DeRoche. We love you!Send us Fan MailThanks for tuning in, your time is valuable and we are so grateful for you! Please share this episode with a friend or someone who could use a hug. You are not alone.Subscribe to the podcast and we'll see you next week! Special thanks to:Podcast Editor Jacqueline van Bierk of Pink Star MusicPodcast Music Good_B_Music