Fort Myers man celebrates 106th birthday on Christmas Day

One man celebrated his big day during the holidays, and after checking with Lee County voting registration records and vital statistics, his family said he is the 10th oldest person in the county.

Fort Myers resident Joseph Andoscia turned 106 on Christmas Day.

But when he was a boy, a century ago, Joseph said he didn’t like celebrating his birthday on Christmas.

“I remember my aunts and uncles would come over, and they had Christmas presents,” he said. “I’d wait, I’d wait for it: ‘Oh, Joseph, we forgot it was your birthday.’ That was very common.”

But on Monday, as he celebrated his 106th birthday, Joseph was OK with it.

That’s a lot of life and a lot of memories.

“Moments in my life? Well, my whole life was pretty memorable,” Joseph laughed.

When Joseph was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the world was at war: World War I.

During World War II, he was an aircraft instrument technician for the Navy based in Hawaii.

And, yes, Joseph witnessed the bombing at Pearl Harbor. But even after 82 years — he said he did not want to talk about what happened on Dec. 7, 1941.

Instead, he wanted to explain how he made it to 106.

“The answer to that is usually sheer determination, but it’s actually genes,” Joseph said.

Joseph said family keeps him going. He lives with his son and daughter-in-law in Fort Myers. He has two grandchildren, one of whom he joked he doesn’t see as much as he’d like.

“He’s 22 years old now and had a girlfriend, and you know, when a boy gets a girlfriend, you don’t see him anymore,” Joseph laughed.

Joesph’s first wife died very young; he lost a son, too, and too many friends to count.

It’s hard to lose so many people you love, but he knows and enjoys being a “Christmas miracle.”

“Living to be 106, I know, it’s extraordinary, but it happens,” Joseph said.