Lucy DeWitt
A+ in Life 101
May 2025 Issue
by Elizabeth Skenes Millen
Photography by Lindsay Pettinicchi Photography, LLC
“Honey, enjoy it!”
This is the advice Lucy DeWitt would give her younger self knowing what she knows today at 100 years old. The great news is somehow she had this intuition in her all along because she’s had a wonderful life and truly has no regrets.
I met Lucy at Salon Shelter Cove on Hilton Head Island right after her standing Wednesday hair appointment. She has been going to salon owner and stylist Carla Bozeman for 26 years. It was Carla who introduced me to Lucy, writing me before Christmas, “You should do a feature on Lucy, my client. She is so stylish and has a long, rich history on Hilton Head. Keep in mind she’ll be 101 in May!”
On May 20, Lucy will turn 101. I asked her what she wants for her birthday, and she responded, “To make it!,” laughing like a schoolgirl with the most adorable, bright smile you’ve ever seen. “If you don’t have humor, you don’t have happiness,” she added.
In talking to Lucy for about an hour, I learned so much, the most important thing being to enjoy life. And it is apparent Lucy has savored every drop of her life with a positive outlook, a fun-loving heart, and one vodka tonic at 5:00 pm every day up until two years ago. (Now she takes her 5:00 pm cocktail with just tonic and a lime—no vodka.)
Lucy grew up on a farm outside of Chicago. She rode horses, loved her brother and sister, and even got to take her first plane trip in 1938, when she was 14 years old, from Chicago to Detroit. When I said I bet you wore a dress, she responded, “We dressed up for everything—dresses, gloves, matching purses. I loved the ‘50s when Dior dropped the hemline, and we all started wearing long dresses out to dinner.”
Sporting white tapered pants with a side-button flap, a blue top, white denim jacket, and red flats, Lucy is still a fashionista. “She’s always dressed very stylish every time she comes in,” Carla said. “I still love high heels, but I don’t wear them anymore unless someone is with me,” Lucy said. And of course, her hair looks fabulous all the time, too!
Lucy stays active playing bridge, enjoying friendships with her neighbors, shopping at Talbot’s, and going to Barnes & Noble. She has more than 300 books on her Nook, has a Facebook page, and knows how to operate her cell phone. “I keep it charged, too,” she said. I’m sure that’s a relief for her three daughters, who all live out of town.
Lucy married George DeWitt in 1948. They had four girls, Susie, Patty, Lindsey, and Marianne, and a long, happy, nearly 60-year marriage. George passed away when he was 88 years old, and unfortunately their daughter Lindsey has also passed. Before the girls were born, Lucy worked as the secretary to the commanding officer, Colonel Norman Evans True, of the Great Lakes Marine Barracks. She was the only female among 3,000 men. And can you believe she said, “Raising four girls can be nerve-racking.”
Lucy and George both loved to play golf, and they often played together, too. “If he wasn’t playing well, he would start picking on me. That was like waving a red flag in front of a bull,” she smiled. Her handicap before she stopped playing was 20. George had a 1 or 2 handicap and won Club Champion many times. “I enjoyed golf, but for him, it was war.”
It is wise to ask any 100-year-old you’re lucky enough to have a conversation with where they see us, as a society, are going wrong. Lucy said, “People are living too fast, worried about what they’re going to do next. Take time to stop and smell the roses. Life was slower back then, which gives you time to enjoy the moments and be happy. I think it helps you live longer and healthier.”
Lucy is known in her Sea Pines neighborhood as the “street mom.” Everyone loves her and checks on her daily. The fact she is always welcoming and always has a smile makes her like a magnet. Less than 30 days away from her 101st birthday, she feels great, thinks quick and clearly, takes no medications, and enjoys every day. “The only thing I would change is if I could have my George back…and all my Charlies (see note up close).
Finally, I asked her to tell us her biggest achievement and what she’s looking forward to: “I’m still here, and I’m functioning. It’s a beautiful day, and I’m enjoying life.” Happy Birthday, Lucy DeWitt! You are an inspiration to us all.
Up Close:
Favorite Age: “I loved being in my 50s. George and I were through the responsibility of kids, and we had a great time.”
The Charlies: “We always had poodles and named all of them Charlie. They were all such good dogs. I had my last one 15 years.”
The Most Amazing Thing She Witnessed in her Lifetime: “Going to the moon. When I was young that seemed like it would never be possible.”
Known for: Her delicious Christmas chocolate fudge she shares with everyone!
Recent Good Reads: The Women by Kristin Hannah; The Outlander Series.
Did you read 50 Shades of Grey? “Yes, I could have done without it.”
Voluntarism: Lucy started volunteering at the Heritage Golf tournament in 1987 as a marker (keeping score).
A special thank you to Carla Bozeman, and neighbors Jerry Murrah, Peggy Hurley, and Arlene McGurk for loving Lucy and for making this story possible.