Southbrook Retirement Community is the home of many accomplished and unique seniors. This story is about Mr. Adolf Bock and his impressive hard-working and never-giving-up life.
Mr. Bock is 105 years young, a very kind and gentle man who looks at least 20 years younger. He learned the value of hard work and sacrifice at a very early age. He was born and raised in Germany at the time of the worst recession. Food was expensive and he had to start working at a very young age. Trained as a butcher, he worked hard to put himself through school in order to have a better future as an accountant. The Second World War caused unprecedented hardship; the extent of destruction was so much greater than in any earlier war. Europe was in ruins. Mr. Bock's family lost all of their possessions. Mr. Bock was happy just to be alive.
He was 44 years old when he immigrated to Canada. He did not know a word of English, and had little money to afford anything except the most basic necessities. He started working in the mines of Sudbury, and was learning English in his spare time. After getting married for the first time in his life, he took upon himself the responsibility for his wife and her daughter. In order to build a house for his new family, he was looking for a better income.
He moved from Sudbury to Southern Ontario, and at the age of 50 started his training as an electrician. He became a licensed electrician at the age of 55. Soon after that, his idea of buying a house, renovating it and selling it for a profit paid off. He started "flipping" houses many years before it became a known business. He was buying and selling houses in Florida and in Ontario. Being blessed with good physical and mental health, he continued working until he was 87.
Today, at the age of 105, Mr. Bock is still independent and he is taking no medications. He still enjoys his walks and he loves his coffee. Besides his work, he credits his longevity and good health to his morning routine for many years of drinking 1 cup of hot water with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons of honey.
Thank you Mr. Bock for being our resident and thank you for sharing your life story with us!
