On his 100th birthday, Sudbury man still has a zest for life

A Sudbury veteran who marked his 100th birthday Monday will be honoured this weekend with a medal from King Charles.

In his 100 years, Gerald (Gerry) Wagner has fought in a war, raised a family and witnessed massive changes to the world and the way we live.

“And I pray to God that I go some more yet,” Wagner said Monday, as he celebrated his birthday at a small ceremony in the Greater Sudbury community of Lively.

He was joined by his daughters – Kathy O’Neill and Bonnie Courchesne – and Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas.

“The people of Nickel Belt are very happy to wish Gerry Wagner a happy 100th birthday on March 24,” Gelinas said.

“Congratulations! I just want to say I hope your day is delightful in every single way.”

His daughters then got on either side of him and posed for several photos for the media gathered to cover the event, followed by a rousing edition of ‘Happy Birthday.’

“I feel the same way I did yesterday -- no different,” Wagner said, when asked how it felt to hit the century mark.

“I guess if you say the words, and there’s any meaning to them, then I’m 100.”

When asked his secret to living such a long and healthy life, Wagner said he wasn’t really sure.

“It’s not nothing that I can put my finger on,” he said.

“I worked hard. And when I worked, I did work.”

His daughter Kathy quipped she was relieved he didn’t give his usual answer about “avoiding wild women.”

Wagner said he still has the paper from his christening in his room, which he received when he was four months old.

“I was christened in the church in Pembroke,” he said.

He moved north in 1940 to join his dad, a diamond drill foreman at Creighton Mine.

Wagner was only 16, too young to get a job underground.

“But with (my dad) as foreman, that cut ice,” he said.

“So I got a job on the diamond drills.”

His work underground was interrupted when was 17 for military service during the Second World War. Two years later he was overseas, eventually serving alongside British soldiers.

“We knew what the English were like,” he quipped.

“They loved their tea.”

He came back home to marry Ivy, the love of his life, on what turned out to be D-Day – June 6, 1944.

“I missed out on D-Day but I made up for it on the way,” Wagner said.

“We were married in June and in September, I was in Italy.”

He returned to Creighton after the war, and finished his career “as a hoistman on No. 9 shaft for about 15 years.”

These days, he said he sees lots of his friends' names in the obituaries.

“I say, ‘There’s another one!’ They’re all coming behind me,” Wagner said.

“But I’m still walking.”

Honoured by King Charles

On Saturday, he’ll receive King Charles III’s Coronation Medal, created to honour those who have made “a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community of Canada, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada.”

It’s something he never expected, Wagner said.

“I don’t really what to think yet,” he said.

“I’ve heard and read about the medal that King Charles was giving out. But I was quite surprised when I heard my name.”

One thing he said is especially proud of is taking care of Ivy, his wife who was ill for the last several years before she passed away in 2009.

“The wife and I were married 65 years-plus when she passed away,” Wagner said.

“So we had we had a good life.”