By: Pam Wright, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Chatham Voice
Gerald Dozois doesn’t know why he has lived to be 100 years old.
The key to his longevity could be his devotion to eating well, daily swimming for years, or his Catholic faith.
Nonetheless, the centenarian marked his birthday with a party at Chatham’s Maple City Retirement Residence Feb. 25 – the place he’s called home for the past two years.
The oldest of six children, Dozois was born in Tilbury but moved to Chatham as a toddler. He attended Blessed Sacrament elementary school and graduated high school at Chatham Vocational School.
In 1944, when he was 18, Dozois enlisted with the Canadian military in the Second World War. He trained as paratrooper and served for 22 months. Dozois was stationed in England but because it was late in the war, he wasn’t sent to the front line.
“I wasn’t 19 yet anyway,” he told The Voice in a recent interview, noting his mother Adele was upset he joined the army. That was understandable, he said, as his next-door neighbour was killed in the conflict.
Dozois had been working for CN Rail prior to enlisting and the railroad held his job until he returned.
Following the war, he married local girl Bernice Wilson and together the couple had three sons and two daughters. He’s now been blessed with 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
For most of his career, Dozois sold cars at Chatham Motors, becoming a familiar face to many.
Dozois and his wife built a home on Gregory Drive where they lived for 50 years. After selling his home, he moved into an apartment prior to relocating to Maple City.
Throughout the years, Dozois was a man of faith and the family were members of the St. Agnes Catholic Parish.
Dozois joked that he just wasn’t an altar boy, he was an “altar man” serving in many capacities in the church.
When asked about the biggest changes he’s witnessed over the course of his life, Dozois said the advancements in communication technology top the list.
“I had a computer but I could never learn it,” Dozois said. “The reason why is one would tell me to do it this way, another would tell me to do it that way…I never did learn it.”
But Dozois was handy in the kitchen.
“I’m a good cook,” he said, adding he has fond memories of cooking Sunday roast and breakfast for his family.
