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90-year-old city resident is an ageless wonder Age doesn't slow Fredericksburg resident Date published: 6/19/2007
ERICA MASON James Savoie wishes 65-year-olds wouldn't call themselves senior citizens. "I never thought about retirement at their age," Savoie said. Savoie, 90, a Fredericksburg resident by way of Florida, Georgia and Massachusetts, is still driving, cooking and making plans. A great-grandfather to five, Savoie has yet to turn off the engine and the stove at an age when most people are winding down. Five years ago, Savoie left Florida and moved to Virginia to be close to family. Though he's adjusted to life in Fredericksburg, he misses all the golf courses he could play in the Sunshine State. His granddaughter, Spotsylvania County resident Dione LaBossiere, remembers riding in golf carts with her grandfather, scouting for alligators. "Grandpa's favorite pastime is playing golf," LaBossiere said. "Last year for my oldest son's birthday, Grandpa brought a toy set of golf clubs and began showing him how to putt and use the different clubs." But Savoie didn't always live a life of leisure. Growing up during the Depression, Savoie, a World War II vet, knows about diligence and hard work. "When you were growing up in the '30s and late '20s, there wasn't much of a bright picture for the future," he said. Upon the untimely death of his father, Savoie left school to join the work force at 17. While in his teens, Savoie met his future wife, Mildred, in Sunday school in Massachusetts. They were married when he was 23. "I bought her a diamond ring, but could only pay $1 a week for it," Savoie said. Because employment was tight, Savoie decided to try a new direction with the Marines. By the early 1940s, he shipped out to the South Pacific. When he returned, Savoie worked as plant and regional managers for Firestone and other companies. "The time I spent in the Marine Corps was a big factor in the broadening of my beliefs, of believing in myself," Savoie said. "If there were any doubts in my life, I could always fall back on that I had achieved in the Marines." That perspective has helped Savoie keep going in his older years. "He doesn't let his age stop him from doing anything," said LaBossiere.
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