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ELKS NATIONAL HOME NEWS
Elks National Home
ELKS NATIONAL HOME NEWS
Elks National Home
931 Ashland Ave.
Bedford, VA 24523
540-586-8232 or 800-552-4140
Published Quarterly
Executive Director
Editor
Assistant Editors
Bedford, VA 24523
540-
Published Quarterly
Executive Director
Editor
Assistant Editors
By Elks National Home
Dr. Ronald L. Plamondon
Nellie Martin
Robin Wood & Sharon Jones
Dr. Ronald L. Plamondon
Nellie Martin
Robin Wood & Sharon Jones
NEWSLETTER
Elks National Home
931 Ashland Avenue
Bedford, VA 24523
1-800-552-4140
enhome@elkshome.org
931 Ashland Avenue
Bedford, VA 24523
1-
The following article, written by Jake Petersen, was published in the Lynchburg, Virginia, News & Advance
on Sunday, July, 11, 2010
BREAKING 100
on Sunday, July, 11, 2010
BREAKING 100
Kesler and Santamaria are a combined two-centuries-old, but that doesn’t stop them from knocking the little white ball around
John Santamaria and Bill Kesler have many things in common. Nothing stands out more, though, than the fact that both are a century old. And, at age 100, these two ageless wonders regularly enjoy getting out and playing golf on their home course, a nine-hole, par-3 facility at the Elks National Home.
Follow them around the course and their love for the game is obvious. On one recent Saturday morning, Kesler and Santamaria teed up for a round – even with temperatures in the upper 80s. Kesler shot first, driving an approach shot just off the left side of the green, where he would eventually get up-and-down for par.
Not bad, considering folks four times younger would have trouble making par on the hole.
“I feel remarkably well for my age,” Kesler said. “The Lord has blessed me with good health.”
Indeed, prior to the Saturday outing, Kesler twisted his knee exiting a golf cart, so essentially he was playing on one knee, a la Tiger Woods in the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Even more amazing is that Kesler suffers from macular degeneration, which damages the retina and blurs vision to the point where he can “hardly make out the face in front of me.”
Because of that, he does not watch a lot of golf – mainly because he can hardly see the television.
“I used to play bridge three nights a week, but I got to the point where I couldn’t read the cards accurately.” Kesler said. “Golf is a relaxing game, I think. I don’t take it that seriously. I enjoy it. I played very sporadically, maybe two or three times a year, not enough to know what I was doing. I came down here and started playing pretty regularly.”
His passion for the game has grown with age, and even inspired Kesler to come up with his own poem for the 25 members of the Home’s golf association.
Here I am at No. 1 tee,
I pray thee Lord, play along with me.
Let my drives fly straight and long,
And those I top, keep them rolling on.
Let my approaches fly up to the sky,
Then plunge to earth with the hole nearby.
Let my putts roll straight and true,
And never ever more than two.
And finally, Lord, I will not ask for more,
Please stay with me, when I tally my score.
Not only do Kesler and Santamaria share a love of golf, they nearly share the same birthday. Kesler was born on January 5, 1910, in Roanoke. One day later, in Pontecorvo, Italy, Santamaria took his first breath.
Santamaria says, though, that he is in fact older because of the international time zone difference.
A resident of the Elks Home since July, 1999, Kesler has been at the Home a few months longer than Santamaria, who came in November of that same year. Both have recorded holes-in-one at the golf course in their front yard at the same hole, No. 1.
Like Santamaria, Kesler has been all over the place, going from Roanoke, to Jefferson City, Mo., to Rochester, N.Y. He even ended up in a New York City office as an assistant buyer of men’s clothing for retail stores and mail-order houses. His claim to fame was that he was the first guest to step foot in the newly renovated Hotel Roanoke when it reopened on May 3, 1995. He said he was given “movie star” treatment.
“I had a stretch limousine and a chauffeur,” Kesler said, laughing. “I even had a police escort. I was riding in style.”
He was married in Hagerstown, MD, in 1931 to his wife, Eunice, and the pair had two children, Jack and Peter. Eunice passed away in 1985, and his youngest son, Peter, died at the age of 55 from a brain tumor. His five grandchildren and three great grandchildren are spread across the country, but Kesler says he has seen all of them, noting that his “traveling days are well behind him.”
A native of Massachusetts, Santamaria and his wife of 72 years, Anne, moved to Bedford to enjoy the rest of their days at the Elks Home. Anne passed away in 2007 at the age of 97. If she were still alive today, the two would be getting ready to celebrate her 100th birthday on July 23.
“She never said a bad thing about anybody,” a tearful Santamaria remembers. “It wasn’t hard moving down here (from Massachusetts) because I had my wife with me. We never once went to bed mad.”
Prior to the move south, Santamaria spent eight years as caddymaster at Essex Country Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., where he honed his skills and earned much-needed cash during the Depression.
It was there where he came to know Donald Ross. Ross is one of the most famous course architects of all time, designing Pinehurst No. 2, Oak Hill and Oakland Hills. He was also the architect of Essex, where this year’s Curtis Cup will be played.
It was also at Essex where Santamaria defeated former French Amateur champion Bobby Knowles in a “friendly round.” Santamaria said the former champ “couldn’t hit it within forty yards of me off the tee.”
After Essex, he worked for Whiting Milk Company, and from 1957 until he retired, he was the owner of Benson’s Store, a small coffee and sandwich shop.
Santamaria still loves to play golf, even though he can’t mash it as far as he used to back in his heyday at Essex. He did, however, record his first and only hole-in-one of his life 10 years ago when he was 90 on the first hole at the Elks course.
“I don’t have a lot of any muscle anymore,” he explained in his distinctive Boston accent. “My legs are like lead, I’ve got a bad back, my shoulders ache, my arms ache and I can’t put any beef into it. I just try my best.”
When not playing golf, he likes to visit the local pizza shop, Court Street Pizza, where he celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year. He has a tight relationship with the owners who hail from Maine, where Santamaria lived before coming to the Elks Home.
A resident of the Elks Home since July, 1999, Kesler has been at the Home a few months longer than Santamaria, who came in November of that same year. Both have recorded holes-
He was married in Hagerstown, MD, in 1931 to his wife, Eunice, and the pair had two children, Jack and Peter. Eunice passed away in 1985, and his youngest son, Peter, died at the age of 55 from a brain tumor. His five grandchildren and three great grandchildren are spread across the country, but Kesler says he has seen all of them, noting that his “traveling days are well behind him.”
A native of Massachusetts, Santamaria and his wife of 72 years, Anne, moved to Bedford to enjoy the rest of their days at the Elks Home. Anne passed away in 2007 at the age of 97. If she were still alive today, the two would be getting ready to celebrate her 100th birthday on July 23.
“She never said a bad thing about anybody,” a tearful Santamaria remembers. “It wasn’t hard moving down here (from Massachusetts) because I had my wife with me. We never once went to bed mad.”
Prior to the move south, Santamaria spent eight years as caddymaster at Essex Country Club in Manchester-
It was also at Essex where Santamaria defeated former French Amateur champion Bobby Knowles in a “friendly round.” Santamaria said the former champ “couldn’t hit it within forty yards of me off the tee.”
After Essex, he worked for Whiting Milk Company, and from 1957 until he retired, he was the owner of Benson’s Store, a small coffee and sandwich shop.
Santamaria still loves to play golf, even though he can’t mash it as far as he used to back in his heyday at Essex. He did, however, record his first and only hole-
When not playing golf, he likes to visit the local pizza shop, Court Street Pizza, where he celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year. He has a tight relationship with the owners who hail from Maine, where Santamaria lived before coming to the Elks Home.
“We love John, he comes here a lot and orders his loaded pizza,” said employee Rajej Maguire, whose family owns the shop.
Ironically, that’s exactly what Santamaria ordered up after his round that Saturday. Discussing his life over a few slices of pizza, the humble man from Massachusetts shared his life motto.
“What’s happened you can’t change. And if you’re worried about tomorrow, it’s today, so live it today and get the most out of it today,” he said. “And always help somebody if you can. I’m very happy with my life.”
All 100 years of it.
John Santamaria (left) is from Massachusetts and Bill Kesler from Roanoke. Both moved to the Elks Home in 1999.
John Santamaria
Bill Kesler