Not Romay Davis.
Davis, who turned 100 Tuesday, was feted by her employer -- Winn-Dixie, at the Alabama store where she works, AL.com reported.
Tomorrow is our associate, Romay’s 100th birthday! She’s a WWII Vet, NYU alumni, Tae Kwon Do Black Belt, and so much more. Tune into our Facebook Live at 1:00 pm CST tomorrow as we celebrate #RomayDavisDay! pic.twitter.com/GgcYDeOs7G
— Winn-Dixie (@WinnDixie) October 29, 2019
Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie, chauffeured "Ms. Romay" to the parking lot of the east-central Montgomery store where she works, WSFA reported. As she stepped from the Rolls-Royce, a band played and she danced as ticker tape fluttered in the parking lot, the television station reported.
Today we got to celebrate our beloved associate of almost 20 years, Romay Davis’s 100th Birthday! 🎉 She’s a WWII Veteran, NYU alum, Tae Kwon Do Black Belt, and so much more. Romay inspires us to live life to the fullest & make every day a #RomayDavisDay! #CheersTo100Years pic.twitter.com/za0f88G3Rh
— Winn-Dixie (@WinnDixie) October 29, 2019
For Davis, who was escorted into the store wearing a sash that read "100 & Fabulous," working keeps her young. She has worked at the Montgomery store since 2001, WSFA reported.
"It keeps you alive," Davis told WSFA in an interview that ran on Facebook when she turned 97. "If you weren't active you'd soon decay.
"You'd sit around and become morbid."
“As we celebrate Ms. Romay, we are moved by her unwavering dedication and strong work ethic, which inspires others to be their best. On behalf of Winn-Dixie, we salute you, Ms. Romay, for a job well done in serving your community and making a difference in so many lives over the past one hundred years,” Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, said in a birthday message.
“I just want to say thank you, may God bless every single one of you,” Davis told people gathered for the event. "I love you all, and I was so surprised. I don’t know if I can function for the next two or three days."
Davis, who was born Oct. 29, 1919, in King George County, Virginia, enlisted in the Army after graduating high school, AL.com reported. After serving during World War II, she moved to New York City and enrolled in New York University and earned a degree in education, the website reported.
After graduating from NYU, Davis worked in Brooklyn as a pattern maker for women's and children's clothes. She retired in 1982 and moved to Montgomery with her husband. After her husband died, Davis decided to look for work. She had already earned a black belt in Taekwondo when she was 70, AL.com reported.
"I couldn't stay home," Davis told WSFA in a Facebook interview."I have to be out busy."
She'll stay busy for as long as she can.
"They're going to have to push me out," Davis told WSFA.
About the Author