- May 19, 2026
-
-
Loading
Loading
Plenty of people can joke that they are a certain number of "years young" rather than "years old." But that seems to hold some special truth for Longboat Key resident Harold Goldstein, who this week celebrated his 100th birthday.
The first thing someone will say when introducing this centenarian is that you won't be able to guess his age, especially when catching him out on a tennis court. He only retired from playing regularly at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center earlier this year, though he still maintains close relationships with his friends there.
"If it wasn't for tennis, none of us would be here together," he said in an interview at his home. "This is how everybody meets, and how people find a whole new group of friends here. A lot of people come from the north, all alone, and ask what they are going to do. Before long, people are going out to dinner and have a new crew of friends."
Those friends and his family members helped ring in Goldstein's 100th birthday on May 11 at Rosemary and Thyme in downtown Sarasota.
Goldstein moved to the north end of Longboat Key 37 years ago with his late wife, Phyllis. The two met in his home state of Massachusetts. He grew up in the Chelsea/Everett area of the state with an older brother and sister, who always looked out for him.
"We used to do a lot of walking, rollerskating and biking around," he said.
But before they met, he served in the U.S. Navy aboard the DE-113 USS Clarence L. Evans at 17 years old. He served for about three years, and that was his first time becoming a resident of Florida. He took on interesting roles, primarily working as a radio operator on four cross-ocean trips.
"I was one of the lucky ones," he said. "We sailed to England on an escort duty, taking over troops and food. It was an interesting experience, especially on the first trip over ... everybody got sick. But by the final trip, no one did, partly because we knew we were going home."
One day, while on guard service, he met an officer who also hailed from Massachusetts. They bonded over shared friends, and the officer eventually recommended Goldstein leave the ship to pursue further education.
He still clearly recalls the day the end of World War II was announced. While there was joy, he was also filled with sadness as he and fellow servicemen stood on a baseball field in Plymouth, England, and watched lines of prisoners of war pass, many of them still only teenagers.
Not long after leaving the service, he met Phyllis on a blind date.
"After going to the movie theater, we went swimming in the ocean," he reminisced.
As is their style, they had a big wedding with many friends and family members, then traveled to the West Coast briefly to start married life together.
"We took a plane out there — we had them then," he laughed.
As he described it, every day from their honeymoon onward was filled with love. They lived in Swampscott, Massachusetts, for 52 years.
Goldstein took up a career in fruit sales, in the same line of work as his family, before eventually assuming a role with his wife's family business in clothing retail under a brand called Rook's. They welcomed their children, Beth, Anne and Alan.
Although Phyllis wasn't too keen on retiring to Florida, he said she fell in love with its natural beauty at first sight upon seeing Whitney Beach.
Regardless of where he goes, Goldstein inevitably makes friends along the way.
One of the first close friends he met through the Tennis Center was Larry Panza, who, after a bit of good-hearted ribbing, admitted that he found Goldstein to be affable and a good conversationalist.
"How could you not love the man?" Panza asked.
Many of those tennis friends packed the restaurant that day, continuing the now annual tradition of a large-scale bash. Collages of photos surrounded the dining room, where people paused to point out their favorite shots.
One of his daughters, Beth, is convinced that the secret to Goldstein's youthful personality is not because of any specific diet or exercise habits, as many people suspect. She said it stems from his fruitful social life, which he has tended with care, she said.
Goldstein said he is incredibly thankful for those friendships he gained here. Another tennis friend, Joe Salvino, made a point of calling Goldstein every morning to make plans for breakfast or some other activity after Phyllis died at the age of 82.
"From then on, Joe called every day at 9 o'clock," he said. "It's still that way."
To anyone new to the island, Goldstein highly recommends finding a group for the sport or hobby they enjoy and making time to connect with others. Birthday party attendees said what they appreciate most about the friendships he has encouraged is how everyone grows to be there for each other, through thick and thin.
In his toast, Panza said, "Harold has been the glue that has held this group together for more than 25 years. He has always been the voice of reason, who remains calm and sensible, and whose advice is right on the money. It's an honor to know him, and an honor to be called his friend."
