Read previewMartin Luther King, Jr. once said: "The quality, not the longevity, of one's life is what is important." But at 96 years old, my great-aunt Mary Selby Ferrari is living proof that you can have both — a long and full life. Ferrari, meanwhile, still lives on her own in the independent-living section of a retirement community. She makes it a point to stay informed"I used to be a great reader," Ferrari told me. And she hit the genetic jackpotIt would be impossible to talk about Ferrari's long life without addressing her mother's centenarian status.

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Persons: —, Martin Luther King, Jr, Mary Selby Ferrari, Ferrari, COVID, Mary Ferrari, Dan Buettner, who's, hasn't, Barbara Cavalieri, The New York Times she'll Organizations: Service, Business, College of New, Catholic, Blue, Ferrari, MSNBC, The New York Times Locations: College of New Rochelle, New York City, Manhattan