100 years young - Centenarian shares wisdom about longevity and aging gracefully

BY CHRIS M AYS Brattleboro Reformer

TOWNSHEND - Dick Jackson considered Oct. 14 "just another day." Yet, he celebrated his 100th birthday, surrounded by community members at the Town Hall. In an interview a few days later, he shared some advice for gracefully getting older.

"The main thing is take care of your health," he said.

In his room at Valley Cares, Jackson wore an orange shirt. He said he wore orange when he used to climb up and down Windham Hill every day. He's been in town for 45 years, moving to West Town-shend after retiring from Campbell Soup Company and relocating from New Jersey.

Jackson said he grew up and lived his adult life surrounded by books. He had 80 or 90 Encyclopedia Britannica volumes.

"That's one thing my dad told me, 'Get an education because nobody can take that away from you,'" he said.

Jackson worked in product development for Camp-bell and its affiliates. He said he learned a lot about food processing along the way.

Turning tomato waste into a tomato paste was probably the most important thing Jackson and his teammates did while he was there, he said. He never asked how much money the company saved by changing up the operations.

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Jackson entered the industry after a friend who he went through Army basic training with and attended University of Massachusetts with suggested going back for his master's degree. Jackson was in public health and his friend could see he wasn't happy.

"My wife and I talked it over," Jackson said. "We had two kids but we figured we could do it for a year."

The head of the department then suggested Jack-son stay for his doctorate and gave him a part-time job that covered his tuition.

Jackson served in the Charlie Company 100th Infantry in World War II. He enlisted in November 1942 and was able to finish his college year before going on active duty in June 1943. He was joined at basic training by about 20 or 30 men from his university, which he said made it "a little more comfortable."

His belief is that everyone in the U.S. should have to serve their country in some capacity.

"Right now, there's too many separations between us," he said. "I think we all should donate a couple of years of our time to the country. It doesn't have to be military."

Jackson attributes the Army and his wife with changing his life. In the military, he realized he had "goofed off in high school and the first couple of years in college," he said.

When returning to civilian life, Jackson buckled down and focused on his future. He was discharged in 1946 after being in the European theater of operations and serving in several campaigns.

In the infantry, "no one was in front of you except the Germans," he said. "It was only six months but I'm glad I did it. I wouldn't want to do it again. And nowadays, it's a volunteer army so they keep sending these kids back and back, two or three times of duty on the front lines. Once is enough."

Jackson met his wife on a blind date in 1947; he was 23 years old and she was 20. They met as a group of friends, four guys and four girls, and were the last two to pair up.

"We were a little bit shy," Jackson said. "That was all it took. That was in 1947. We got married in 1948. And by 1950, we had a couple of kids. It's been a great life. I thank the Lord every day for sending me my wife and sending me to war."

After retiring in Vermont, the couple had six years together before Jackson's wife died of colon cancer. He described her as "a beautiful woman" who took great care of the children.

His advice on relationship longevity is all about acceptance.

"Don't try to change anybody," he said. "We all have our foibles, so you got to accept. You're living together and also loving together. That's half the battle, to show your kids that you love one another and you also love your kids."

At the age of 97 on a November day, Jackson had what he called "some kind of spell." His house on Wind-ham Hill sits on the edge of a ravine and while throwing some compost over the side of the bank, he fell and couldn't get back up the hill.

"It was the Thursday after the election - I still didn't know who won the presidency," he said. "It was finally Saturday that they found me. They found me by providence because it was the mailman who found me."

Three days of mail had built up and Jackson's car was parked at the home. He said the mailman thought it was strange so he went into the house and looked around for him.

The mailman wasn't even supposedtobeworkingthatday but his substitute backed out at the last minute. Concerned, he went to a neighbor who called 911 then began searching for Jackson along with a Vermont State Police trooper.

"They both looked around and finally the Trooper looked over the bank and saw me," Jackson said. "Obviously, I was unconscious by that time."

Jackson's temperature was 80 degrees when he arrived at Grace Cottage Hospital then he was flown to Dart-mouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He said he didn't know how he got there or why he was there when he came to, "so I was hollering, 'Get me out of here.'" His grandson had a good friend whose sister married a young doctor who was a resident at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and came in to settle him down. After a week at the facility, he returned to Grace Cottage for about six weeks then was released and has lived at Valley Cares ever since.

"I'm glad I'm here," he said. "This is an excellent place to be. As you can see, I got this room plus bedroom, big bathroom. It's very pleasant. The people are great."

Another piece of advice he shared involves having a common faith. Whenever his family got settled in a new town, they became part of a church community.

For 29 years, Jackson served as treasurer of the Townshend Church. He still continues to attend services.

A couple of years after moving to town, Jackson became a lister. After his wife's death, he left the job for a bit then he made a friend who happened to be town treasurer. They got married and went dancing every Saturday night. She inspired him to return to town service. He joined the town planning board then later became a select board member and town moderator.

"I finally ended up as assistant town clerk, which I was still doing when I came here at 97," he said. "That's one of the reasons we had our celebration at the Town Hall."

Jackson estimated about 100 people attended the party.

His plan for the future is to "keep moving."

"That's my mantra," said Jackson, who spends about a half-hour on a stationary bike and tries to walk a mile every day on a 100-yard path between buildings at Valley Cares. "You've got to exercise."