by Bobby Anderson, Staff Writer
When Casimir Sokolnicki came to Legend at Rivendell Assisted Living four years ago, nobody knew just how much of a story he had to tell.
And this December, he’ll have a few of those stories to share as he celebrates his 104th birthday.
Sokolnicki was recently honored by the Oklahoma Assisted Living Association as the oldest resident in Oklahoma.
Sokolnicki came to Legend at Rivendell Assisted Living about four years ago.
A couple of years later, Carrie McGovern started as the life enrichment coordinator.
“He is very polite, proper. I would say he’s soft-spoken and our oldest veteran,” McGovern said.
Sokolnicki’s story began on December 20, 1919, in Cleveland, Ohio.
That year, a pound of bacon was 34 cents, eggs were 55 cents a dozen, milk was 26 cents per gallon and a loaf of bread was nine cents.
He had two sisters and one brother, the latter who lived for three days before succumbing to the Spanish Flu.
He graduated from East Technical High School in 1938.
He married Lois Lorene Berry on Oct. 20, 1942.
Sokolnicki was married for 68 years. Two children, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren would follow.
He spent time in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He dedicated 20 years of his life as an aircraft maintenance and flight engineer.
In total, his government service spanned 44 years with time spent with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Sokolnicki was responsible for running flight inspections on B-25, B-26, and B-47 airplanes, keeping thousands of lives safe at home and abroad.
He has seen so much change.
“Computers,” Sokolnicki said when asked about some of the biggest changes he’s seen. “I don’t use one but it’s amazing. I remember crystals and cat whiskers, they called them, touching together to hear radio transmissions. Now my daughter’s iPhone does everything.”
With a more than century of experience, he’s a wealth of information.
“Don’t give up,” he said when asked for his piece of advice. “Things are changing but we can’t live in the past. Just try to keep up. People have to adapt. Always look for something over the hill to push yourself.”
Sokolnicki is a regular in the Rivendell dining area and to those special events that he enjoys, particularly National Ice Cream Day.
Seeing him and the history he carries has McGovern in awe.
“It is really cool,” she said. “Most of our residents are in their 80s and 90s. It’s so cool because they have seen so much development and technology has come so far. It’s walking history really. They’ve seen things change.”
According to the not-for-profit Centenarians of Oklahoma, there are believed to be 400-500 centenarians living in Oklahoma. That’s roughly one centenarian for every 7,413 people in our state.
The Oklahoma Assisted Living Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of dignity and choice for older Oklahomans and to the quality of their care in the senior living setting.
Closing in on 104 years, Sokolnicki thinks about what he would like to be remembered for. It’s something we should all strive for.
“Forgive people,” he said. “Because a lot of times they just don’t know what they’re doing.”
Legend at Rivendell Assisted Living is located at 13200 S May Ave in Oklahoma City. Come by Legend at Rivendell or visit https://legendseniorliving.com.
