100 Year Old Man Retires

[Randy Twizzle]

From MSNBC.com. It's not as amazing as a 250 yr old tortoise, but pretty it's damn close.

LOS ANGELES - Few folks get to reach the age of 100. Fewer still get to celebrate it with a busload of friends — and with the Los Angeles Laker Girls.

But for Arthur “Deke” Winston, turning 100 is no big deal. Not going to work from now on is what will take some getting used to.

“I'm flabbergasted,” says Winston. “I'm happy, I'm nervous.”

Winston retired this week after 75 years of cleaning and then supervising the maintenance of first, Los Angeles trolleys, and then buses. He never took one sick day and only missed one day of work — when his wife passed away.

“He gets here before I do,” says Winston’s boss, Alex DiNuzzo, the Metro Transit Authority manager, adding, “And I get here at 5 in the morning.”

Winston was born in 1906 — when Teddy Roosevelt was president, when corn flakes were introduced and when finding a job wasn't easy for a black man.

But he distinguished himself with his professionalism and stamina, outlasting all of his co-workers including his buddy, Steve Hearn.

“You talking about the bunny rabbit, the energizer,” says Hearn. “That's the energizer in there!”

What’s Arthur Winston's recipe for success?

“I don’t smoke and don’t drink,” Winston says. “Never did.”

And, he advises, stay away from credit cards.

Arthur went about his work without much fanfare until Wednesday, when the media crashed his retirement party.

“I guess I’m a star!” he says.

The 100-year-old surprised nobody by announcing that during his retirement, he'll stay busy — volunteering, he says, helping old people.

[BERIGAN]

Wow!!! Never a sick day??? :eye: Wonder how an 80 year old will react to a 100 year old helping out a guy young enough to be his son?

[catesta]

Amazing.

I guess the guy was happy otherwise he would have retired, no?

I'm glad to see they let him stay on for so long.

It will be interseting to see what happens to him now.

[ValerieB]

the l.a. times reported that he actually took ONE sick day in all those decades: the day his wife died! beyond amazing.

[BruceH]

the l.a. times reported that he actually took ONE sick day in all those decades: the day his wife died! beyond amazing.

I'd count that more as a personal day.

[Brad]

One sick day? I took two last week because of the flu

[Alexander]

You know, I don't wanna knock on a 100 year-old guy, but to miss only ONE day of work in 75 years spells - to me - a fucked up set of priorities. As he will soon discover, no man wishes on his death-bed that he spent more time at the office...

[Alexander]

What do you bet that this guy never saw...

[Jazzmoose]

You know, I don't wanna knock on a 100 year-old guy, but to miss only ONE day of work in 75 years spells - to me - a fucked up set of priorities. As he will soon discover, no man wishes on his death-bed that he spent more time at the office...

On the other hand, organizing one's life to make that last second on your death bed the highlight of your life seems a bit odd to me...

[Kalo]

Not sure that a black guy born in 1906 would exacly identify with Matthew Broderick.

Certainly all but a few of the "old people" he'll be helping are younger than him!

[Alexander]

It's the message of the film, man! The message!

As Walt Kelly said..."Don't take life so serious...it ain't nohow perminent!"

[Randy Twizzle]

Sadly it wasn't much of a retirement

LOS ANGELES Apr 14, 2006 (AP)— Arthur Winston, a longtime transit employee who received a citation from President Clinton for his decades of service, died in his sleep less than a month after retiring on his 100th birthday, his family said Friday.

Winston recently had been admitted to a hospital for exhaustion and dehydration, but returned to his home April 6. He died Thursday evening.

For decades, he reported to work at the crack of drawn to supervise workers who cleaned and refueled the region's bus fleet.

He missed just one day of work in more than 70 years at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and that was to attend his wife's funeral in 1988. In 1996, he received an "Employee of the Century" citation from Clinton.

He was born in Oklahoma and said he began picking cotton at age 10. His family headed west when droughts and storms ruined several crop seasons. In 1924, Winston found work with the Pacific Electric Railway Co., a forerunner of the MTA.

He left the company in 1928, returned six years later and stayed until his retirement last month.

[Alexander]

Sadly it wasn't much of a retirement

LOS ANGELES Apr 14, 2006 (AP)— Arthur Winston, a longtime transit employee who received a citation from President Clinton for his decades of service, died in his sleep less than a month after retiring on his 100th birthday, his family said Friday.

Winston recently had been admitted to a hospital for exhaustion and dehydration, but returned to his home April 6. He died Thursday evening.

For decades, he reported to work at the crack of drawn to supervise workers who cleaned and refueled the region's bus fleet.

He missed just one day of work in more than 70 years at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and that was to attend his wife's funeral in 1988. In 1996, he received an "Employee of the Century" citation from Clinton.

He was born in Oklahoma and said he began picking cotton at age 10. His family headed west when droughts and storms ruined several crop seasons. In 1924, Winston found work with the Pacific Electric Railway Co., a forerunner of the MTA.

He left the company in 1928, returned six years later and stayed until his retirement last month.

It's like Michael Madsen says in "Kill Bill 2:" The number one killer of old people is retirement...

[BeBop]

I thought I was doing pretty well with only one sick day (hospitalized after being hit by a car) in 22 years...

My "grandfather" was like this guy. Ultimately had a heart attack at his desk, after a good, long, healthy and happy life. The way he would have wanted to go.