Ernest Charles Pusey, 111; one of the country’s longest-lived WWI vets

Ernest Charles Pusey, one of the United States’ longest-living World War I veterans, died at his home in Bradenton, Fla., on Nov. 19, a little more than a week after he was honored with a medal for his service to the country, family members said. He was 111.

Pusey’s death left fewer than 25 living U.S. veterans of World War I of nearly 5 million who served, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“I was deeply saddened to learn that Mr. Pusey had passed away. It was my privilege to meet with him,” Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said in a statement. “We should not forget him, and other veterans, who sacrificed so much for this country.”

The governor had presented Pusey with a World War I Victory Medal on Nov. 10, the day before Veterans Day. Pusey didn’t recall receiving a medal after the war, and no evidence could be found that he had.

Pusey was born May 5, 1895, in Washington, D.C. He joined the Navy in 1917 and spent much of the war assigned to the battleship Wyoming, patrolling the sea lanes around the British Isles.

He later worked for General Motors in Flint, Mich., for 32 years before moving to Florida in 1960.

Pusey tried living in a nursing home but preferred to live in his trailer with the help of a caretaker. He loved fishing and bought a new boat when he was 105, though he gave it to his grandson a few years ago.

“It helps you to have a hobby of some kind,” he said in 2000. “You’ve got to get up and do things because you don’t want to just sit around in the house all the time. Ordering the boat gave me something to look forward to.”

Said fishing buddy Charlie Reinbolt, “He baits his own hook, does his own casting. The only thing he doesn’t do is drive the boat.”

His family said he liked to visit with friends and go out for seafood dinners on Sundays. After his eyesight started failing, he began listening to books on tape and his favorite programs on television.

For his 111th birthday celebration in May, he hired belly dancers to perform. A few years back his family treated him to a motorcycle ride on his birthday.

Pusey’s longevity was a marvel to many.

“I don’t smoke or drink, but I pretty much eat anything I want,” he told Florida reporters in 2004. “No secrets. It’s just who I am.”

Pusey, who outlived two wives and a son, is survived by a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.