Life (and history) lessons for us all from an Ottawa centenarian
Val Willis is a model of integrity, dignity and empathy, says John M. Richardson.
Val Willis recently celebrated her 100th birthday by waving from her eighth-floor balcony at the Carlingwood Retirement Community to the many well-wishers below.
It's not quite the celebration Val had in mind. Every year, more than 100 friends celebrate Val and her 25 years as a volunteer National Gallery tour guide, 30 years as a summer camp owner, 30 years golfing at the Royal Ottawa, 60 years as a medal-winning cross-country skier and equestrian, and 70 years in the Canadian Women's Club.
When I contact Val for a birthday interview, however, she is buoyant. Public Health has announced the end of a residence-wide quarantine. “We have just been informed that we are actually free for the first time in 10 days. So excited!” she messages me via her iPad. “Thankfully, all residents and staff have managed to stay safe and healthy. Dining room for breakfast! Wow! As of midnight tonight, we are free!”
It's hard to comprehend the scope of Val's life history. She was born in Sydney, N.S., as another great pandemic, Spanish flu, receded. She was a teacher during the Second World War. She was middle-aged when JFK was assassinated and the Beatles hit the charts. She has lived through 15 prime ministers and 18 presidents. And counting.
Val has much to teach us about Canada and the power of optimistic engagement to create a life chock-full with achievements, contributions and love.
What is her earliest memory? “As a very young child, we lived with my grandmother. She was a teacher from Scotland and she spoke Gaelic. She meant so much to me.”
What was it like to live through the war? “Everybody was so tense. We wondered how it was going to end. I can close my eyes and remember the last day — being so elated. It was as though everyone could dance in the streets.”
“Did you dance in the streets?” “No! I kept on teaching!”
What was it like to watch Neil Armstrong walk on the moon? “The best word would be `awesome' — wondering what would come next!”
Who is her favourite prime minister? “Lester Pearson, as I even have a letter he sent back to me in the late '50s. I ran a contest in Junior Red Cross Magazine offering a free month of camp to the student who won, and Lester Pearson chose the winner.”
How has politics changed? “We used to think highly of politicians but today people even laugh at them. The former respect is gone.”
How have young people changed? “They have a freedom we never knew in my day. They're so free in their thoughts.” Any advice for teenagers? “Strive to be well-educated. Learn more languages. The world is a small place.”
Has technology made things better? “I'm thinking about what the word `better' means. We do hear gruesome stories about people's private matters being hacked. On the other hand, it opens the world to us. When I first started teaching there were only horses and sleighs on the roads and the streets were never used in winter. It's beyond my comprehension what's going to happen next.”
What are her thoughts about COVID-19? “I think we should seriously follow the instructions from the health department. I feel extremely sorry for the people in retirement homes who are having such a horrible time. It's changed everyone's life, really.”
Val Willis crackles with vitality, verve and curiosity. I particularly admire her respect for other people and for language as a precise means of communication. Val reminds me that it is possible to “be” in the world with integrity, empathy and dignity.
Is this upbeat centenarian optimistic about the future? “Yes!” Val says immediately. “We have to be optimistic!”