Jerry Nowak heads to the food court at the Miller Hill Mall six days a week, and has coffee with his buddies.

Monday, the crowd was definitely bigger, to help him mark a milestone moment: Turning 100!

The group sang Happy Birthday, and gave him a variety of treats and cards.

He told us the secret is staying social. “Having lots of friends. I come here every day, for 25 years. Some of these guys are 20 years younger than me,” he said.

Plus he’s an avid cross country skier, having made the Piedmont trails back in the 1960s.

Before that, he was born the sixth of nine boys.

Five of those boys served in WWII, including Jerry.

“I was a Corpsman with the Navy,” he said. “I took care of some of the last injured in WWII. We took them on a hospital ship back to Guam.”

He and his wife raised a family, and he continues to live at home.

There is another party on Monday evening for Jerry at St. Lawrence Church, where he is a charter member.

Happy Birthday, Jerry!