Week 25: Staying Alive

There are no dues in this club. To join is to live, and have lived. And yes, Tom Marsh, 100, of Milford, did just that. Marsh is a centenarian.

With gusty winds blowing Aug, 26, just days shy of his 100th birthday, a few dozen friends and family came out to the Hampshire Hills Sports & Fitness complex to celebrate with the man who is still swimming laps, enjoying golf and an active member of the American Legion.

However, it wasn’t easy for Marsh, who almost didn’t make it this far. During World War II as a master sergeant in the Army, he was struck in the chest with shrapnel from an explosion at Maffin Bay in New Guinea. The blow wounded him, leaving metal shards in his chest to this day.

“I attribute my long life because I could shoot faster than the other guy,” Marsh said.

After the war, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star later, Marsh worked in banking, the insurance industry and served as a committee member for the Boy Scouts of America in Springfield and Stoneham, Mass.

At age 81, he shot a 78 at the Veterans Memorial Golf Course in Springfield. And to date, he has tallied four hole-in-ones.

Marsh has seen a lot during the past century -- life, death and the great joys that lie in between. However, few can say they’ve seen a 100 years worth. In June 2005, his loving wife, Dorothy, died after 65 years of marriage. They have two children.

“What am I’m most proud of accomplishing? Staying alive,” he said, capped with a laugh.