Vincent Dransfield, a former New Jersey volunteer fire chief, and great-grandfather, turned 110 years old last month, joining the ranks of the world’s supercentenarian men. Living in Little Falls, he celebrated his birthday at his former engine house, Singac Volunteer Fire Company #3, marking him as the eighth oldest reported man alive. Despite supercentenarians being mostly women worldwide, Dransfield stands out as one of the few men in this group. According to the New England Centenarian study, he has lived a healthy life, with just some knee pain to complain about, as reported by Today.
Dransfield lives independently, without any home aid or extra help. He cooks simple meals for himself, maintains his three-storied house with ease, and drives daily without any issues.
What sets Dransfield apart from the rest is his simple approach to health. Despite smoking cigarettes for 20 years and working until his late 70s, he has managed to maintain his health. He enjoys a diet that includes hamburgers, milk chocolate, and Italian food, indulges in an occasional beer, drinks coffee daily, and finds amusement in people who jog, reports Today.
In the words of his granddaughter Erica Lista, he laughs at joggers, questioning, “Where are they running to?”
A father of one, grandfather of three, and great-grandfather of seven, Dransfield attributes his long and healthy life to luck, milk, and doing what he loves. “I’ve been very, very, very lucky in my lifetime,” he told Today.
Dransfield’s early life was marked by hardship, having to leave school before high school to support his family. He reportedly started working at a dairy farm at 15, delivering milk for five years, which he believes gave him a good start in life and for his bones.
Today, he adds Ovaltine to his cow milk, a powder that adds flavour and vitamins, to stay healthy. One of the keys to his happiness and health has been his long career as a volunteer firefighter, spending 80 years with his local firehouse, including a tenure as fire chief. While describing the secret to his healthy, long life, he credited his job saying, “the fire department … I met so many friends.”
After his wife of 54 years passed away in 1992, the firehouse became his family, providing companionship and a sense of purpose. “After my grandmother passed away, that’s really what kept him going. Every day, he would go to the firehouse from 3 to 5, and all the old guys would sit there and hang out. That was like his family,” his granddaughter Lista told Today.
Volunteering also kept him physically active, responding to calls and staying fit. Dransfield believes that keeping a positive mindset and sharing love has been crucial in helping him live the past century.
“Knowing people and loving people makes me live longer,” Dransfield shared, emphasising the importance of social connections and fulfilling life.
Comments
0 comment