When two employees of the National Institutes of Health met at a work party in 1965, it was love at first sight.
“We talked about cars. I told him I drove a Mustang and I didn’t care what kind of car he had, I just hoped it wasn’t a Corvette,” Jackie Friedewald, 83, who was a lab technician at the NIH at the time, told Business Insider.
Bill Friedewald, 86, was a doctor and researcher in epidemiology and designed clinical trials at NIH — and did, in fact, drive a Corvette. But this didn’t stop the two from marrying in 1967, one and a half years after they started dating.
Three kids, eight grandkids, a move to New York City, and 57 years later, the couple is still having fun together. They moved to Sunrise at East 56th, a senior living community in Manhattan, NYC, in September 2024.
Bill Friedewald said their marriage has lasted so long because of their common interests. Spending time with each other is always “fun” and “easy,” his wife said. They go to Rome every summer and Paris every fall.
“We don’t really do anything special, but every day is a special day,” he said.
The couple shared their tips for living long, healthy lives.
Sunrise at East 56th/Bill and Jackie Friedewald
Eat a Mediterranean diet
Bill Friedewald said the couple “learned the value of a Mediterranean diet” at the NIH — although they enjoyed “cheat meals” such as fried chicken every now and then.
The diet has been named the best for the eighth year in a row by the US News and World Report. Based on the traditional ways people eat on the Mediterranean coast, the diet prioritizes whole foods, fruits and vegetables, and legumes, while limiting processed foods, added sugars, and red meat.
The wider Mediterranean lifestyle is also associated with longevity. A 2023 study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that UK adults who lived a Mediterranean lifestyle — which involves getting enough rest, having strong social connections, exercising regularly, and eating with friends and family — had a 29% lower risk of dying from any cause than those whose lifestyles aligned less with this approach.
Stay active
Bill Friedwald ran the NYC marathon twice and has biked all his life, while his wife kept fit by walking and stretching throughout the day.
The couple’s drive to keep moving hasn’t faded now that they are in their eighties.
They do Pilates with an instructor three times a week at their senior living community because they enjoy the simple movements. Jackie Friedewald also tries to incorporate as much movement into her day as she can, starting with stretches at the side of her bed the moment she wakes up.
Exercise is great for longevity and health in older age. Regular strength training can help preserve muscle mass, allowing older people to carry out everyday movements that might seem like second nature when we’re younger, such as getting in and out of chairs or bending to pick things up from the floor, Lauren Hurst, a personal trainer who works with older people, previously told BI.
Pilates is good for older adults because it is low-impact and adaptable for different ages and fitness levels, according to UCLA Health.
Sunrise at East 56th/Bill and Jackie Friedewald
Friends and family are important
Bill and Jackie Friedewald think relationships with friends and family are important for living a long, happy life.
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Jackie Friedewald was a stay-at-home mom throughout her children’s childhood, which she “absolutely adored.”
The couple have regular phone and FaceTime calls with their family, and love getting together in person during the holidays — especially as their family grows.
They are also still very close with lots of friends. On the third Wednesday of each month, Jackie Friedewald has dinner with one group of her friends.
They don’t think their relationships with friends have changed much over the years, because they’ve been “diligent” about keeping in touch with them via consistent meetups and phone calls.
Research suggests having strong social bonds can help you live longer. A 2021 meta-review of research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that the link between social support and longevity is equivalent to the strength of the link between not smoking and longevity.
The researchers suggested that this could be because social support acts as a “stress buffer,” reducing cortisol production and inflammation in the nervous system, the neuroendocrine system, and the immune system — which increase the risk of disease and death in the long term.
