Des Moines resident Faith Callahan inspired countless people during her 106-year lifetime and will continue to do so following her passing on July 7. There is no question that her longevity was impressive, but family and friends remember her more for the quality of life she lived than simply the quantity. In her later years, Callahan substituted outdoor activities with thrice-weekly visits to the Mt. Rainier Pool in Des Moines.

When the pool was recently in danger of being closed, Callahan actively and successfully lobbied for it to remain open. She even became one of the poster girls for the campaign.

"She was dedicated and a real pusher for people to do things, to get off their behinds and get out there," says her daughter, Blythe Stanton.

On the day she died, Callahan had already laid out her bathing suit in preparation for her scheduled swim.

"At her services (held at Callahan's church, Des Moines United Methodist, and Des Moines' Wesley Homes where Callahan resided since 1972,) we asked people to give one word that reminded them most of her," says Stanton. "Cheerful. Loving. Smiling. Friend. Supporter. Amazing. There was a whole list. Everyone had a story."

Callahan was actively engaged in life from an early age. Born in South Dakota, Callahan grew up in Kansas where she also attended college. After meeting and marrying her husband, Bill (also deceased), they left the Midwest in favor of greener pastures -- literally.

"They dreamed of coming to where it was green and lush because they were always interested in hiking and nature," says Stanton. In 1927, they drove across country in their Model-T Ford and made Washington their home.

While her husband found his calling as a pastor, Callahan worked as a mother to their two daughters and outside the home as an educator. She commuted to the University of Washington to complete a degree in education so that she could teach and share her passion for learning.

"She was always a big reader. As I've looked through pictures, she often had a book in her hand from the time she was in high school, to being a young person and throughout her life," says Stanton.

Reading was so essential to Callahan that she found ways to enjoy books even as her eyesight deteriorated, leaving her mostly blind in later years. She became a member of the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library (WTBBL) and continued participating in two book clubs.

"She was an active reader and I was in awe that she made the trip downtown once a month (to the WTBBL) so that she could keep reading," says Marji Tuell, fellow Wesley Homes resident. Tuell's husband, Jack, is a retired pastor and was a colleague of Bill Callahan. The couples befriended one another in 1955 and Tuell considers it a privilege to have known Callahan.

"She astounded us with her interest in life and that continued right until the week she died. She was an inspiration," says Tuell

Stanton recounts that her mother attributed her longevity at least partially to her robust lifestyle. "She credited her reading and exercise as what kept her going," says Stanton.

Both Stanton's parents were avid hikers including frequent family trips to the Olympics and Mt. Rainier. They visited Europe twice, traveling by Volkswagen camper.

In a society that often fixates on youth, Callahan embraced life and seized every moment, year and decade as an opportunity to enjoy, learn and inspire. "Sometimes older people, especially someone over 100, are stereotyped as maybe being grumpy, kind of shy or just debilitated. Not Faith!" says Tuell, punctuating the point with knowing laughter. "She was such a wonderful person to know and it was a privilege."