102-year-old hits tennis ball to realize final wish

Friday, June 16, 2017

As reported by Kathryn Larson of WKOW

MADISON (WKOW) — A 102-year-old Verona great-grandfather is celebrating after becoming king of the tennis court, one last time.  Warren H. Webster, born in 1915, is currently in hospice care, but it’s not slowing him down.

When Webster’s Agrace HospiceCares caretakers learned of his desire to play one last tennis match, the organization made his dream come true.

“102 and hitting a tennis ball?”  Lisa Bender, an LPN, said about the miraculous day.  “I deal with patients of all health conditions and none are quite like Warren.

It’s why she and her team worked hard to make the day a reality.

“I’m really looking forward to getting down there and saying hello to everybody,” Webster said before he headed to the court.

Madison tennis legend John Powless says his buddy can’t just serve a ball, he also served his country as a pilot and on the ground.

“The phenomenal thing about it, and he denies a lot of it, but you take WW2, the Battle of the Bulge, he saved thousands of lives,” Powless said.

It’s why he finds Webster so fascinating still to this day.

“He still driving his own car coming and going from here,” Powless said.

But even Webster acknowledges he’s starting to slow down.

“I’ve had it,” he exclaimed after serving up a few balls.  “I got to get over to Anytime Fitness,” he chuckled.

“I wanted him to bring his walker or his cane and he wouldn’t, he still has some moves,” Agrace HospiceCares Terry Udelhofen said.

And Webster knows that’s true.

“That was fun here, getting down here and swinging!”

Warren boasts 20 great grandchildren.  He says the secret to his old age is eating eggs and bacon for breakfast each morning.

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