He is a man, he is from New York, he lives alone in a three-story house, going up and down the stairs every day, and he drives…
And if all of this sounds normal to you, let’s note that this man is over 110. In fact, he turned 110 last month.
According to the New York Post, he is a former volunteer fire chief in New Jersey and a great-grandfather of seven.
Vincent Dransfield, of Little Falls, celebrated a milestone birthday on March 28 at his former engine room, Singac Volunteer Fire Company 3 – as he became the eighth oldest person alive.
With women making up 90% of centenarians worldwide, according to the New England Centenarian Study, Dransfield is one of the few men in the 110+ group and has lived a healthy life over the years with only some knee pain for whom he is complaining about, according to Today.
He lives without any help
He lives on his own without help at home or extra help, cooks simple food for himself, walks up and down his three-story house and drives “fairly well” every day without problems.
He smoked cigarettes for 20 years and worked all his life from the age of 15 until his late 70s. He eats whatever he likes – including hamburgers, milk chocolate and Italian food, drinks an occasional beer, drinks coffee every day and is crazy about people running.
“He laughs at people jogging. He’s like, ‘Where are they running?'” his granddaughter Erica Lista told Today.
“I’ve been very, very, very lucky in my life,” he said.
He says he had to drop out of school before high school to help support his family. At 15, he started working on a dairy farm and delivered milk for the next five years while having his own unlimited supply.
“I drank milk and ate well because I worked on a farm. And I often look back and think that they gave me a good start in life and for the bones in my body,” said Dransfield.
Volunteering is his big secret
One of the biggest factors that kept him happy, smart and healthy was spending time doing what he loved – or his long career as a volunteer firefighter.
When asked by Today what kept him on his toes, he answered without hesitation – “the fire service… I met so many friends”.
Dransfield – who built a career as a car parts manager – spent 80 years in his local fire service, including a spell as fire chief.
His fellow firefighters became his family, especially after the death of his wife of 54 years in 1992.
“After my grandmother died, that was really what kept him going. Every day he would go to the firehouse from 3 to 5 and all the old men would sit there and sit with him. They were like his family,” said his granddaughter.
The 110-year-old said volunteering with the machine also helped him practice responding to calls.
Finally, he stated that keeping a positive mindset and sharing love helped him live over a century.
“Knowing people and loving people makes me live longer,” he said.
