Born on the Fourth of July, He Celebrates 100th Birthday at Grossmont Hospital

Updated at 11 p.m. July 4, 2013

Jack Briscoe may have lost his Poway birthday party Thursday, but he didn’t lose his sense of humor.

Born on July 4, 1913, the La Mesan ended up going to Sharp Grossmont Hospital for his 100th birthday celebration.

“At one point, he jokingly allowed that he had wanted to avoid the heat and fuss [at the Poway Historical Society Museum], but should have chosen less dramatic excuse,” said his daughter Robin Luby of La Jolla.

The family still doesn’t know exactly why Briscoe discovered blood in his urine Thursday morning, leading to his hospitalization in La Mesa.

“The good thing … is that he's still lucid, definitely positive about things, and not in pain,” Luby said via email.

And Briscoe didn’t miss a party after all.

“There's something festive about a birthday … no matter where it is,” Luby said.   “About 30 minutes after he was taken into Emergency, the full staff had become aware of his arrival, and of his birthday.”

About 40 staff members gathered around his cubicle and sang, gave him a big bunch of red, white and blue flowers and a balloon, she said.  

“A little later, he got a special cupcake with a flag from his nurse ... and by dinner, after his admission, his dinner tray arrived with a fancy strawberry cake.”

Luby didn’t make it to the Poway event but heard from her sister Jacqueline Caldwell of Ramona  about how many people were there and “how much they enjoyed the display and cake, and how many good wishes were sent back to him.”

Original story, photos by Kyle Lundberg

Originally posted July 3, 2013

In 1942, when James Cagney sang “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy … born on the Fourth of July” in the film of the same name, Jack Briscoe was 29 years old.

Cagney died in 1986. 

Briscoe is still around.

Born on Independence Day 1913, Briscoe isn’t that surprised by his longevity. 

“It feels like I’m old,” he said recently, “but most of my life, I’ve been in good health.” 

Briscoe was born in Memphis, TX, the same year as Rosa Parks and Richard Nixon, but grew up on a homestead in southeast Montana with his parents and five brothers. 

He and his younger brother, Gordon, are the only siblings still alive. His mother lived to be more than 100, too. 

Their family lived through the depression, a time that Briscoe calls “horrible.” 

“Economically, it was a very dry depression,” he said. “The little town in Montana where we went to school was in Ingemar, and Ingemar is no longer there. It’s just flatland now.” 

After joining the Civilian Conservation Corps, he enlisted in the Navy in 1934. 

He served mostly at sea as a warrant officer, sailing on the USS Louisville from 1934 to 1940. During his travels, he met his future wife, Dorothy, in Australia in 1937. They married soon after. They had two kids—Robin Luby of La Jolla and Jacqueline Caldwell of Ramona. 

The family was stationed in Hawaii and Tennessee before settling in San Diego. 

Luby said the most difficult thing about growing up with a military dad was the time he spent away from home. 

“He was a lot of fun,” she said, “but he was gone a lot, too. It was very hard.” 

Briscoe is one of the only living people to have served in WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam (he moved the French Foreign Legion out of Vietnam on the USS Tortuga). 

He knew early on that San Diego was the place he wanted to settle down. 

“I got to San Diego and I said, ‘This is the most wonderful place I was ever at. When I retire, wherever I’m at, I’m coming to San Diego.’ And I did.” 

After leaving the military, Briscoe worked as a mail carrier, delivering letters up Pasadena Street in La Mesa. He then worked as an independent salesman for Fuller Brush. He worked part time for the company until 2003. 

These days, Briscoe passes the time in his small apartment at Grossmont Gardens in La Mesa (his wife passed away in 2008 at the age of 89). 

He has a cell phone, and takes a daily exercise class in order to stay in shape. He walks — not for long periods, but there isn’t a wheelchair, walker or cane in sight. His daughters are both close by, and visit often. 

A birthday party July 4 at the Poway Historical Society Museum had been planned, where an exhibit of photos and memorabilia from his life were to be displayed.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in 6,000 people will live to be a  centenarian. Fifty years ago, that number was one in 67,000. 

He has a reputation as a practical joker, a long-time passion for square dancing and an outgoing nature. But aside from doing things that make him happy, Briscoe said he doesn’t have any timeless secrets for living a long and healthy life, other than being thankful for his good genes. 

“You have to have good health,” he said. “Your body gets older every day, and so you need to have the genes to combat old age. Our mother lived to be 103, so I’ve got a while to go.” 

His daughter, Luby, has a different opinion. 

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s not just the genes,” she said. “It’s a combination of that and attitude. He’s always been very open with people, and he loves to get around and tell jokes and have a lot of fun with everybody. He’s not one to hold back.”

Ken Stone contributed to these reports.