- Vincent Dransfield, a 108-year-old resident of Little Falls, New Jersey, continues to live independently, do his own shopping, drive, and volunteer as a firefighter.
- Despite his age, Dransfield remains active, sharp, and has a good sense of humor. He has been a volunteer firefighter for 84 years and is the oldest member of the Little Falls Fire Department.
- Dransfield attributes his longevity to his daily routine, good humor, and drinking Ovaltine. He plans to celebrate his 109th birthday with his family next month.
At 108 years old, Vincent Dransfield lives alone with complete independence, does his own shopping, still drives a car, doesn’t take daily medications, and is also an active volunteer firefighter in his community – Little Falls, New Jersey.
“I’m still driving everyone crazy,” Dransfield joked when interviewed by Pix11. When asked what kind of car he drives, he responded by saying, “four wheels,” confirming that he is sharp and witty, nearing his 109th birthday in March.
“I like to have a sense of humor,” Dransfield stated. “It’s good. It gets you somewhere. If you’re nasty and angry, you’re not going anywhere.”
Not surprisingly, he’s the oldest member of the 100 percent volunteer Little Falls Fire Department. He’s not as active as he used to be, but he’s still on the Singac Engine Company No. 3 firehouse roster.
“I said, ‘When I grow up, I’m going to become a firefighter,’ so I became one,” he recalled. His contributions and photographs from the past 84 years with the department are plastered on the station’s walls.
And he’s proud to show off his accomplishments to his great-grandchildren. “That’s the helmet I used to wear when I was fire chief,” he said as he pointed his finger.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said his great-grandson Matthew Lista. “Every time he tells jokes, he tells stories. Like things you wouldn’t think he’d remember, he remembers when he was 30, and stuff like that. It’s crazy to think he could remember all these stories, and they’re amazing.”
To further astonishment, Dransfield has no prescription medications, only buying some over-the-counter when he feels knee pain. “He has his daily routine,” said granddaughter Erica Lista. “He gets up … he buys his coffee and newspaper.”
So what’s his secret to longevity? Besides good humor and a willingness to serve others, “I drink Ovaltine (malt-based powdered beverage) every day,” Dransfield said. He will be 109 next month, and all he wants for his birthday is for his family to come to his house and spend time with him, which they plan to do happily.
According to Wikipedia, the oldest person in the world is Maria Branyas (115 years, 329 days), an American born in Spain. The oldest man is Edie Ceccarelli (114 years, 356 days). Interestingly, in all longevity lists, many more women are alive than men over 110 years.