Stockton World War II veteran reflects on 101 years of life
Dr. Marvin Lee Lykins recently celebrated 101 years of life.
He sat down with The Stockton Record in January for an interview reflecting on his family, career, and legacy over the past century.
"I feel so fortunate God is in my life. God has blessed me more than I deserve," he said. "I've been blessed with family, fortune, friends. I go to sleep at night peacefully."
Lykins celebrated his 101 birthday with a party at his home in Oakmont of Brookside on Wednesday, Jan. 17. Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln among other Stockton government officials were in attendance.
"(Lykins) is just a very pleasant man," said Roxeanne Jewell-Richardson, marketing director at Oakmont of Brookside. "It's wonderful to have him here in our community home."
Lykins also celebrated with an intimate casino-themed party the same week at his daughter's home with loved ones.
"He's kind, one of the kindest people I know, and thoughtful," said Lykins' daughter, Diana Larson. "He's very talented...and a great dad."
World War II veteran to doctor
Lykins was born on Jan. 20, 1923, in Oklahoma, an only child to Bessie Keeler. His family moved from Oklahoma to Los Angeles in 1935, when he was 12 years old, he said.
He attended Manual Arts High School with American actress Kathryn Grayson and graduated in 1941. After high school, Lykins went on to Los Angeles City College for two and a half years before joining the U.S. Army as a medical technician in 1943 during World War II.
Through a military program, he was able to attend Oxford University for a semester, he said. He was honorably discharged in 1945 from the military and took a job as a civilian at a hospital in Germany, he said.
Once he returned home to Los Angeles, he attended UCLA and finished his undergraduate studies before earning a doctorate in osteopathy.
During his senior year at his doctorate school, he met the woman he would marry, he said.
"My mom, Frances, was the love of his life," Larson said.
She once asked her father to tell her about his high school girlfriends, to which he responded: "Well, there really wasn't anybody before your mom," Larson said.
"(She) was his one and only," Larson added. "I wish we could’ve all had relationships like that."
A family doctor, family man
Lykins eventually became a family physician and worked his craft for almost four decades, even helping his wife deliver their first and only son.
"I was an intern doctor at the hospital in Los Angeles when she became pregnant...and as it happened we lived in Huntington Park. When she went into labor, I happened to be on obstetrics at doctor hospital," Lykins said. "So we called in a family doctor, and I assisted him with the delivery of our child."
They had a son, David, and later two daughters, Diana and Debra. Lykins also has an adopted grandchild, he said.
Lykins moved to Stockton at the Oakmont of Brookside in 2015 with his wife. After living in Porterville for six decades, they moved closer to their daughter Diana when his wife became ill with Alzheimer's.
Frances died in 2017.
Life lessons from Marvin Lykins
While some people may have no regrets, Lykins said he has one.
"My biggest regret is that I didn't spend more time with my children before taking care of business. Business could've waited...I put (it) priority over my family," he said.
Lykins didn't hesitate to share the secret to living a long life.
"The secret is that there is no secret. I don't have any secret," he said. "People think because I was a doctor, I have insider information."
Lykins added that he has "never smoked, never had a problem with drugs," and his wife and he walked a lot.
He's also had his share of health problems too, Lykins said.
Lykins has suffered a "brain stem stroke," a bleeding ulcer, and glaucoma, and he even had part of his stomach removed.
But, he said, he is well-cared for.
"She calls me every morning. She calls me every evening. I'm so lucky," Lykins said referring to his daughter who sat nearby her father during the January interview. "I heard people here who have family that never call, so sorry for them."
Marvin's advice...
Lykins has some advice for the younger generation.
"Like what you do. Never do something that you're pressured into doing. I had a friend who was a doctor. He hated it, he quit doctoring," he said. "Joined a rock band, didn't like that. Finally, he committed suicide. So, like what you do, if you don't like it, change."
He said he has learned to see the good in people and not be judgmental.
"Learn to like people. I used prejudice against people for their color, their race, their attitude," he said. "I got rid of those; at least I tried to. I'm much happier."
Life at 101 years old
Nowadays, Lykins wakes up bright and early, around 5 a.m., has a chai tea, and gets dressed for breakfast. He reads the newspaper and participates in residential activities such as playing bingo and poker.
Larson hopes the message the community takes away from her father's story is that he is "an amazing man" and "an incredible role model."
"I did my best... The cardinal rule in medicine is, if you can't help a person, do them no harm," Lykins said. "Years later, people come up to me and thank me. You had to do some good, or they wouldn’t have done that. So yes, I've been happy. I feel like I've been successful. I can't cure everybody. I tried, but I don't expect to."
Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. To support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton World War II veteran reflects on 101 years of life
