He asked for 100 cards for 100 years. Now he wants more.
Walk into the Mayflower Retirement Home and there’s a good chance you’ll be greeted by Ray Painter and told one of his infamous dirty jokes.
His quick wit, charm and good looks may cast him as a much younger man, but Painter is about to celebrate a big birthday; On May 5, 2019 he will turn 100 years old.
“I never thought I’d turn 100,” said Painter. “After retiring [from DuPont] I thought I’d live till 70, maybe 75.”
Age has been kind to Painter and a little over a year ago he moved into his new home of The Mayflower.
Beloved by all, The Mayflower’s staff wanted to do something extra special for Painter’s birthday.
“Ray is special all together but he’s also a World War II veteran. There’s not many of those still around,” said The Mayflower’s Becky Tacy.
Painter has always loved receiving mail, especially cards. So, Tacy and the staff came up with the idea of asking others to write Painter a birthday card. They took to Facebook, asking for 100 cards for his 100th birthday.