Hospital Volunteer Hits Century Mark

Jack Lindsley turned 100 years old on the same day of the week that he usually volunteers at Doylestown Hospital.

But he didn't take the day off. Instead, he headed to the hospital like he's done every week for the past 20 years.

It was only fitting, then, that the hospital threw a party in honor of the man who has devoted more than 9,000 hours to the hospital since 1991.

The lifelong Lambertville resident celebrated with family and friends at the hospital Monday, receiving congratulations from fellow volunteers, hospital administrators and staff and even a county commissioner.

Lindsley tried to keep the hoopla to a minimum, saying, “I’m just being me,” when asked his secret to meeting the century mark.

He keeps things simple; staying busy has helped him live a long life, he said.

Each Monday, a neighbor drives Lindsley to the hospital, where he works about a three-hour shift in the mailroom, sorting incoming mail and making the occasional delivery of a package or patient card. In his younger days, Jack volunteered three days a week, and said Monday he would come more often if he still drove.

Bucks County Commissioner Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia presented Lindsley with a  proclamation and called him a role model for others.

Lindsley also has volunteered with the Columbia Fire Company in Lambertville for some 77 years, and is active with his church in Stockton.

Doylestown Hospital CEO Richard Reif thanked Lindsley for his service to the hospital, while Director of Volunteer Services Karen Langley thanked him for his dedication. She read from a list of what things cost when he was born in 1911: a used Cadillac for $75, a boy’s suit for $16.

Lindsley added that a loaf of bread cost 10 cents and a stamp just a nickel. Langley also presented Lindsley with a jar stuffed full of 100 $1 bills for his next trip to the casinos in Atlantic City.

Later, Lindsley thanked all who came to wish him a happy birthday, adding that he has always tried to help people his entire life. He plans to continue volunteering “as long as the good Lord lets me.”

After Monday morning’s party, Jack made his way back to the mailroom to briefly lend a hand with the sorting. His supervisor didn’t mind that he left a little early.