Local man celebrates 102 trips around the sun
STATE COLLEGE — Peter Haglich has seen a century of change — and still greets each day with the same steady gratitude that carried him through it all.
The Juniper Village at Brookline resident recently celebrated his 102nd birthday on March 9, marking his birthday not just as a milestone, but as a living testament to resilience, memory and a well-lived life.
Haglich was born in Mali Lošinj, Croatia. His father, Domenico, was a carpenter who built houses on the island and neighboring islands. Domenico and his mother, Agata, had eight children — six boys and two girls. Haglich was the seventh child and is currently the only surviving sibling.
“Most of us left Mali Lošinj. Only my oldest sister remained and raised her family there,” Haglich said of his native country. “Three brothers settled in the United States, three settled in Italy, and one sister settled in Argentina. Each of my siblings had children, so I have a number of nieces and nephews in each of these countries.”
Haglich attended the Nautical Institute in the town of Mali Lošinj. At that time, the institute trained students to become officers on merchant vessels. After graduating from the Nautical Institute, Hegilch became a math teacher there.
“While I was in school, I was often tutoring my classmates. I found I had a talent for teaching, especially mathematics, and after graduation I was hired as a math teacher. I really loved being a teacher and thought it would be my career,” Haglich said.
However, Haglich later decided he had to leave his family, his job and the island he once loved once Communism came to power after World War II.
“I left Croatia in my early 20s and went to Italy where I lived with my sister and brother-in-law until I was was offered a position in the Italian Merchant Marine as an officer on an oil tanker.” Haglich worked on the oil tanker for a couple of years, traveling to the Persian Gulf and to Venezuela to pick up crude oil for delivery to the United States and Northern Europe.
Haglich eventually had to leave that position due to hearing loss which was worsening.
“It was unsafe for me to continue to serve in a position where I was responsible for the safety of the crew and our ship,” Haglich added.
He moved to the United States, initially living in New York with his aunt before moving to an apartment in New Jersey.
Within a few months of coming to the United States, he began working as a draftsman in an engineering firm. He eventually became an engineer, designing pipe supports for power plants in the US and Canada. He was the chief executive of his firm when he retired at the age of 70.
On a summer trip to the Jersey Shore with a friend, Haglich met Anita Longo, and they married less than a year later. He and Anita had two children — Peter and Helen.
Peter graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and has two children, Nicholas and Alex who both live in Maryland.
Helen graduated from the Dickinson School of Law and is currently practicing law in State College.
“When Anita passed away in 1994, I moved to Towanda to live near Helen, who was living there at the time,” Haglich explained. “During my retirement, I was able to return to teaching as a volunteer tutor at the St. Agnes Catholic School in Towanda. There I helped students in elementary and middle school who needed some help with math. I was so happy to be able to get back to tutoring and helping students succeed and excel in their math classes.”
As those students eventually left St. Agnes and were applying for college, they often contacted Haglich for help with the math they needed to get ready for college.
Haglich met my second wife, Ann Thompson, in Towanda while volunteering for the church. They got married in 1998.
“I was happy to join Ann’s family, becoming very close to her sons, Thomas, William and Robert and their children and grandchildren,” Haglich said.
Ann passed away at the age of 96, and shortly afterward, Haglich moved to State College where Helen and her husband had relocated. He has been living at Juniper Village since 2017.
After more than a century of seeing it all, Haglich said one of the most significant things he has witnessed has been the advancement of technology.
“When I was an officer on the oil tanker, I had to navigate using a sextant. With the advent of satellites and GPS, navigation is now computerized,” Haglich recalled. “As an engineer, I would draft plans by hand based on specifications from our customers. Now that work is done much more quickly using computers.”
Haglich said he celebrated his 100th birthday with friends and family, including his great niece who came from his homeland of Mali Losinj to celebrate the day with me.
“It was a big surprise!” Haglich said.
To what does he credit for his longevity?
“Just get out of bed every morning happy,” Haglich said.
His daughter, Helen, said that while her father doesn’t offer any more advice on his secret to living a long, healthy life, she credits his faith, devotion to his family and resilience being the key to his long life.
“(My father) has been through hard times in life, including living through World War II, an illness that led to deafness in one ear, and caring for each of his two dear wives through their long and trying illnesses,” Helen said. “Despite those difficult chapters of his life, he embraces each new chapter with positivity and is always looking for opportunities to help those around him.”
