For anyone thinking they’ll never retire, take heart—it might happen a little after age 100.
Bob Vollmer, punching in (or out) at 102 years old, is ready to retire after six decades with Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources. He took the job when JFK was inaugurated, noted WTHR in Indianapolis.
And while he’s without a doubt the oldest state employee in Indiana history, “he just may very well be the oldest in America,” the station added.
He’s a government employee, which means a pension, but increasing longevity means more centenarians overall, and yes some (eventually) will remain employed, so we’ll make a plug for the importance of a well-funded 401k here.
“One of my great-grandsons asked me the other day if I knew Adam and Eve. I couldn’t believe it. I know I’m old, but I didn’t know Adam and Eve,” Vollmer said.
Decent genes might also be a deciding factor.
“Vollmer’s mother lived to the age of 108, and he says she wasn’t the only person to make it past 100 on that side of his family,” NPR reported.
“He has spent his life on his feet, first serving in the Navy during World War II, then studying engineering. By the time he took up surveying for Indiana in the early 1960s—back when it was still known as the Department of Conservation—he had already reached the tender age of 45.”
Well-earned recognition
Vollmer won the Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana’s highest civilian honor, selected by the governor and awarded to recipients—such as President Harry Truman and David Letterman—who have “distinguished by his (her) humanity in living, his loyalty in friendship, his wisdom in council, and his inspiration in leadership.”
He told NPR that he always tries to be “right with people,” a lesson he learned from his father: “If anybody does anything for you, helps you in any way, be sure and say thank you.”
With more than 20 years serving financial markets, John Sullivan is the former editor-in-chief of Investment Advisor magazine and retirement editor of ThinkAdvisor.com. Sullivan is also the former editor of Boomer Market Advisor and Bank Advisor magazines, and has a background in the insurance and investment industries in addition to his journalism roots.
