96-year-old horticulturist says retirement isn't in his vocabulary

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. —

In a world as big and beautiful as ours, each of us is bound to find something that lights us up.

As a horticulturist at the Wonder Gardens, Dr. Jan Abernathie finds that something is all around him.

"Plants! I just like them," said Abernathie. It's a passion he found at a young age.

"I started out doing this when I was a kid," said Abernathie. "I lived right on the campus at the University of Illinois. They had a horticulture division. I think I bothered those people something terrible, ... looking at the garden, running through the greenhouses."

That led him to pursue a career in botany spanning over five decades.

"Got a job at the Caribbean Gardens. I worked there for 16 years. Then I got a job at the Botanical Gardens and worked there for about four years," said Abernathie.

After caring for thousands of plants, he is as dedicated as ever to his work. Even at 96-years-old, retirement is not in his vocabulary.

"You never learn it all," said Abernathie. "You just keep trying."

His co-workers cannot help but watch in awe of his commitment.

"He always tells me at 100, he'll retire, but even then I tell him, 'I don't think you're going to retire.' It's just who he is," said Kaitlyn Henry, director of Living Collections.

Abernathie proves that when we find that something in life that brings us joy, it's best to stay rooted in it for as long as we can.

"That's what makes it worthwhile," said Abernathie.

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