Ed 107

My friend, Ed, turns 107 on Tuesday.  My first story was posted on November 19, 2017.  It was about Ed.  He turned a hundred that day.

We spoke on the phone about a week ago.  He sounded good.  I plan to meet up with him during Thanksgiving week.  A few of the poker guys are joining me.  He hasn’t been able to play in a while, so we’re going to try to bring the game to him.  We may just end up sitting around telling lies to each other.  That would be a good time too.  He’s become very proficient at Wii Bowling.  We could give that a go, but he’d probably crush each one of us.

In case you didn’t have the opportunity to read about Ed before, here’s a few highlights from prior blogs.  It’s a long read, but I’ve never had a friend turn 107 before.

Ed was ninety years old when we met. He turns 100 today, November 19, 2017.   He’s the only person that I have ever known to reach that mark. Ed still lives alone, drives a car, plays golf, and plays poker with a group of us every other week.

His poker buddies are 30 years younger and Ed loves playing with the “kids”. He stays in some hands longer than he should sometimes and has been heard to say, “I’ve got just enough to suck me in”. More importantly, we love playing poker with him. He reminds us through his presence that, we too, have a lot of good years ahead of us.

We never discuss this, but I expect that he’s become a second father to most of us whose fathers have passed.

Ed’s 101st year was eventful.  He decided to retire.   I’m sure that it was a difficult decision, however, after his son, Craig, had a health scare, Ed decided that he should start enjoying life and spend more time playing.  When I returned from Florida last spring, Ed told me that he had sold his equipment and was “retiring”.

Ed formally retired from his manufacturing job in 1984.  I expect that he started drawing his social security around that same time.  He has been making parts in his garage for area manufacturing companies for the past thirty-five years.  This was a side job that he developed himself.  He didn’t create a huge income, but that wasn’t the point.  He wanted to be productive and have skin in the game. He made enough to buy a few beers, pay for his golf, travel, and cover his poker losses.

On his 102nd birthday I wrote a bit about a conversation we shared about his house.  He sold it earlier this year.  It was hard to give up, but during one of my visits last summer he told me he knew it was time.

“Ed, how long have you lived here?”

“We moved in in 1946.”

He went on to explain that the house was a former schoolhouse that he moved from Hickory Corners.   He and his wife, Eleanor, had a baby daughter, and he needed a house for his expanding family.   Ed had the school moved and he made the modifications so it would become their home.  That was 73 years ago.  Ed was twenty-nine.

This is the fourth time I’ve written about Ed’s birthday.  I hope to write at least a dozen more. He turned 103 last Thursday.  

 Each summer the poker group plays golf together at least once.  This year with the coronavirus lurking about, we played just nine holes. We teed it up at Ed’s home course, Sharp Park, in Jackson.  We had two teams of four, and I was fortunate to be on Ed’s winning team.  We played a modified scramble.  Everyone got one mulligan to use anywhere on the course.  Ed’s not one to brag, but I will.  On the second hole, a parr three, Ed attempted a 20-foot putt from the fringe.  He missed. He used his mulligan and sank his second attempt.  Birdie for us.

A few holes later, he sank another 20 plus footer to save parr, but my favorite shot of the day was Ed’s last.  I was standing with him about twenty yards short of the green.  He turned to me and said, “Back in the day I would chip this up and get close enough to tap it in.  Up and down in two.”  And then I said, “You’re older and wiser now.  Just chip it in!”  So, he did!  Amazing!

My friend, Ed, turns 104 on Friday.  

Ed broke the joint just below his hip last August. He ended up in the hospital, had a couple of pins placed in the joint, and followed that with some time in a rehab center. You can’t keep a good man down, so he’s at home now. He’s had to modify his routine, but he’s keepin on keeping on. That’s a good thing. A lesser man may have thrown in the towel, but Ed’s not that kind of guy. There’s no quit in him.

He’s 105.  No matter how long I live, I’ll never meet another man like him.  

He hasn’t played golf since he broke his hip a couple years ago, and he uses a walker to get around.  But younger men, and women, have done the same.

I called Ed yesterday and we visited a bit. During our phone conversation he recounted his last poker game with the guys.  He admitted he had a run of bad luck and went through all of his cash early in the evening.  He dug into his “emergency stash”.  He cashed in a $100 bill one of his bosses gave him back in the day for emergencies.  Ed retired in the late eighties, so I’m not sure his boss thought being down in a poker game was an “emergency”, but Ed did.

Ed turned again today.  He’s 106.  Holy Batman!!!

My two sisters, Sharron and Jackie, learned to love Ed through my writings.  They admire his longevity and hope to live a life like his. They met in person at Ruth’s Michigan Celebration of Life last June.  Always a flirt, Jackie gave Ed her telephone number and said, “Call me.”  He did.

They’ve spoken on the phone a few times and she drove to his house to meet again in person.  I served as chaperon for the two.  I’m not familiar with Ed’s “moves” but I know what Jackie is capable of, so I thought it best to be on hand. (She flirts much like our mother did.)  We had a great visit.

Somewhere along the way, I told Ed if he played his cards right, he could be my brother-in-law.  The thirty-seven-year age difference can be overlooked when you care about someone.

The truth is Ed is forever tied to his beloved wife, Eleanor.  He told Jackie about Eleanor when we met that day at his house.  Never at a loss for words, we talked about what a wonderful person she was and how he misses her.  He’d told me that before, but now I’m in a position to relate to what he says.  Neither one of us wants to be where we are, but we didn’t have a say in the matter.  If I can emulate him as I move forward, I’ll be good with that.

In case you missed it, I created a new blog category.  It’s called Ed.  You’ll see it at the top of the post. I’ve written enough about him that he deserves one. I think when you turn 107 you should get a birthday card or two.  It’s truly a day to be remembered. If you’d like to send one, Ed’s address is:

Ed Rockwell

Vista Grande Villa   2251 Springport Road Jackson, Mi   49202-1496

Happy birthday Ed.  Keep a count of your birthday cards and I’ll include the total in next year’s story when you turn 108.