Always kind and generous

In his 102 years of life, Arthur Perrone was never a fighter pilot, movie star or astronaut. His life was not defined by a handful of crowning achievements, but a lifetime of loyalty and stability — virtues that his son, Arthur Jr., never found all that interesting or exciting as a child, but has learned to cherish with age.

Perrone, the oldest of more than a dozen seniors living together in a Costa Mesa home, celebrated his 102nd birthday Friday with family and friends.

His father, a shoemaker in Italy, made a brash move and left his native country to elope with his aristocratic wife because social rules forbade it. The young couple moved to Argentina, where Arthur was born, then moved to Chicago.

His father’s romantic flight is still talked about today, and Perrone’s steadfastness is legendary. He worked at the same aerospace and automobile equipment company for 45 years, stayed with his only wife for 67 years and has been a Cubs fan for his entire life.

He is one of the few people living today who was alive when the ill-fated team last won the World Series in 1908 and his daughter-in-law jokes that part of what keeps him ticking is the unfulfilled hope that next year could be the year it happens again.

“My dad never ran a business, he never hit a home run, but the consistency was always there. It took me a while to understand the importance of that,” Arthur Jr. said.

Through the Great Depression, Perrone was a young man, and the deprivation and struggle shaped the rest of his life. His son describes him as cautious, conservative and fiscally responsible, but always kind and generous.

He took struggling people into his home during the depression and always had an optimistic outlook on the future, which his son thinks helped him stay healthy.

Keeping abreast of what’s going on in the world and reading the newspaper also helps keep him sharp, said Heather Armbruster, the administrator of the house where Perrone lives.

“He’s the oldest and probably the most alert person here,” she said.

He sang along to old tunes played on the guitar Friday, but spoke few words.

WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 1907:

 Theodore Roosevelt was the president of the United States.

 The first modern electric vacuum cleaner was invented.

 The first commercial color photograph was taken.

 The first taxi cab company began operating in New York City.

 The Chicago Cubs took the first of two consecutive World Series titles, which would be the last the club ever won.

Reporter ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at [email protected].