Ernest Pusey
Encyclopedia
Ernest Charles Pusey was, at age 111, Florida
's oldest living person, General Motors
's oldest pensioner
, and was thought to be Florida's last surviving veteran of World War I
, until Harry Richard Landis
was discovered a month later.
He joined the United States Navy
, and then fought aboard the battleship Wyoming
during World War I. Pusey had outlived a son and two wives. He had four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
He enjoyed eating out at restaurants. Pusey started at GM in 1926 after serving as a sailor
. He retired in 1958. He was GM's oldest pensioner, having received a pension
for far longer than he actually worked.
On November 10, 2006 Pusey had been awarded a belated World War I Victory Medal by Florida governor
Jeb Bush
. That very same day Maurice Floquet
died and Pusey very briefly became the third-oldest verified man in the world, but only 9 days later he died as well.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's oldest living person, General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
's oldest pensioner
Pensioner
In common parlance, a pensioner is a person who has retired, and now collects a pension. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom and Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the United States, the term retiree is more...
, and was thought to be Florida's last surviving veteran of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, until Harry Richard Landis
Harry Richard Landis
Harry Richard Landis was, at age 108, the older of the last two American First World War veterans. The final one was Frank Buckles, who died in 2011...
was discovered a month later.
He joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and then fought aboard the battleship Wyoming
USS Wyoming (BB-32)
USS Wyoming , the lead ship of her class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named Wyoming, although it was only the second named in honor of the 44th state....
during World War I. Pusey had outlived a son and two wives. He had four grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.
He enjoyed eating out at restaurants. Pusey started at GM in 1926 after serving as a sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
. He retired in 1958. He was GM's oldest pensioner, having received a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
for far longer than he actually worked.
On November 10, 2006 Pusey had been awarded a belated World War I Victory Medal by Florida governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Jeb Bush
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd Governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. He is a prominent member of the Bush family: the second son of former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush; the younger brother of former President George W...
. That very same day Maurice Floquet
Maurice Floquet
Maurice Noël Floquet was, at age 111, France's oldest man on record and was one of the last surviving French veterans of World War I. He was, at the age of 111 years and 320 days, France's longest-lived soldier ever. Moreover, Maurice was France's oldest living man for more than four years...
died and Pusey very briefly became the third-oldest verified man in the world, but only 9 days later he died as well.
See also
- Veterans of the First World War who died in 2006Veterans of the First World War who died in 2006The following is a list of known veterans of the First World War who died in 2006.-Austria-Hungary :-France :-Germany :-Italy :-Turkey/Ottoman Empire :...
External links
- Fox News - Gov. Jeb Bush Awards 111-Year-Old WWI Veteran Medal
- Sun Sentinel - Gov. honors Florida's last surviving World War I vet, 111
- The Ledger - Last World War I Veteran in Florida Receives Victory Medal for His Service
- Bradenton Herald - Pusey becomes world's third-oldest man
- Bradenton Herald - Ernest Charles Pusey obituary