A former New Jersey volunteer fire chief and great-grandfather of seven turned 110 last month — joining the rare few supercentenarian men across the globe.
Vincent Dransfield, of Little Falls, celebrated his milestone birthday on March 28 at his former engine house, Singac Volunteer Fire Company #3 — as he became the eighth oldest reported man alive.
With women making up 90% of supercentenarians worldwide, according to the New England Centenarian Study, Dransfield is one of few men in the group of 110+ and has lived a healthy life all those years with just some knee pain to complain about, according to Today.
He lives alone with no home aid or extra help, cooks simple food for himself, walks up and down his three-level house and drives “pretty good” daily with no issues.
He’s never had cancer, dementia or other major diseases and has no headaches or backaches.
But Dransfield, who was born in 1914, isn’t a health-obsessed fanatic.
He smoked cigarettes for 20 years and worked his whole life from age 15 to his late 70s. He eats whatever he likes — including hamburgers, milk chocolate and Italian food, has an occasional beer, drinks coffee every day and gets a crack out of people who run.
“He laughs at people who jog. He’s like, ‘Where are they running to?’,” his granddaughter Erica Lista told Today.
Dransfield — a dad of one, grandfather of three and great-grandfather of seven — credits luck, milk, and doing what he loves for his long and healthy life.
“I’ve been very, very, very lucky in my lifetime,” he said.
The New Jersey resident had to drop out of school before high school to help support his family. At 15, he began working at a dairy farm and delivered milk for the next five years while having his own unlimited supply.
“I was drinking milk and eating well because I worked on a farm. And I often go back and think they gave me a good start in life and for my bones in my body,” Dransfield said.
These days, he’s upped his cow milk with Ovaltine — a powder that adds flavor and vitamins to milk.
One of the major factors that have kept him happy, sharp and healthy was spending time doing what he loved — aka his long career as a volunteer firefighter.
When asked by Today what kept him going, he answered without hesitation — “the fire department … I met so many friends.”
Dransfield — who built a career as an auto parts manager — spent 80 years with his local firehouse, including a stint as the fire chief.
His fellow firefighters became his family, especially after his wife of 54 years died in 1992.
“After my grandmother passed away, that’s really what kept him going. Every day, he would go to the fire house from 3 to 5, and all the old guys would sit there and hang out. That was like his family,” Lista told the publication.
The 110-year-old said volunteering with the engine also helped him to get his exercise in responding to calls.
Finally, the great-grandpa said keeping a positive mindset and sharing love has helped him live past a century.
“Knowing people and loving people makes me live longer,” Dransfield said.
