FORT WORTH, Texas — LaVerne Biser of Fort Worth will soon witness his 13th solar eclipse on April 8.
The 105 year old, born in Ohio, would travel the world with his wife, Marion Biser, and schedule their vacations around the eclipse. The first eclipse they witnessed together was in 1963 in Dover Foxcroft, Maine.
"You see one, you want to see them all," said Biser.
Biser is an amateur astronomer who has a large collection of images and photos of the solar eclipses they've witnessed. By trade, he was a mechanical engineer, whose team performed stress tests for large-scale planes.
Ultimately, the Ohio native, who now lives in North Texas, loved to build things. There are a number of pieces of furniture and telescopes he's made using his wood-working skill.
"All my life I've been building things," he told WFAA.
This year will be the first total eclipse he will see without his life partner of 78 years. Marion and LaVerne had four children. When asked what was the key to his longevity, he said, "not a puff of smoke, not a sip of liquor, not a drug of any kind...lots of chocolate milk."
For the first time in Biser's lifetime, the total solar eclipse is coming to him. The next time full totality is expected in North Texas isn't for another 300 years.
"You'd be sorry that she wasn't there with you," he said. "Enjoy the moment ... that's it. Enjoy the moment. I wouldn't miss it for anything."
LaVerne plans to witness his 13th eclipse with his daughter and family in the Plano area.