Bringing People Together Works! Mr. Vickers Update

Bringing People Together feature by Bob Blaisse, Publisher

Photos courtesy of The Vickers Family

Two issues of Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors have been delivered since our November 2019 issue, which featured 104-year-old Henry (Eugene) Vickers on our cover. And the Happy Birthday cards readers were urged to send Mr. Vickers have not stopped coming to his home. If you missed the feature about Newtown Square’s oldest WW II veteran, you can read it online at www.NewtownSquareMag.com.

Since Mr. Vicker’s 104th birthday on November 11th, he has received over 100 Happy Birthday cards in the mail, coming from PA, CA, VA, OH, NC and FL, mostly from people who have never met him but read his story in our magazine. Every card offered birthday greetings and thanks to Mr. Vickers for his service to God, Country and Family during his long life.

Mr. Vickers surrounded by the many birthday cards he received

In addition to mailed cards, another 100 or more handmade cards arrived from students of Delaware County Christian School, Culbertson Elementary School, Conestoga Christian School and High Point Christian School. And not just cards! A beautiful flower arrangement also arrived, and the Delaware County Christian School sent chocolates, to help recall sweet and satisfying memories from 1955, when Mr. Vickers and his wife Betty were one of the founding families of that Newtown Square school.

Mr. Vickers and his family at the Navy ceremony honoring him on November 11, 2019

On his birthday, which this year was also Veterans Day, Mr. Vickers traveled to Washington DC, to receive honors. His large extended family traveled with him by luxury bus, to cheer him on and to witness Mr. Vickers laying a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Sailor at the U.S. Navy War Memorial.

Back home, our Bringing People Together magazine motto certainly was embraced by readers, and also by Newtown Township elected officials who acted on behalf of all residents on November 25, when they invited Mr. Vickers to the township building to be present for their unanimous passing of a Newtown Township Resolution. Newtown Township Board of Supervisors Chairman John Nawn read aloud the resolution honoring Mr. Vickers’ long life of 104 years, his 65 years of residency in Newtown Township, and his many years of service to his country, family and community.

For months, everyone has asked me “How’s Mr. Vickers?” and told me how great it was to learn about Newtown Square’s oldest World War II veteran. I tell everyone it was an honor for Liz Burnett and me to get to know Mr. Vickers and also his family who provide such love and service to our hometown hero.

Mr. Vickers has asked me to thank everyone who sent him birthday cards. And I want to thank Mr. Vickers for Bringing People Together by his 104th birthday, and his life story featured in our hometown magazine. All those birthday cards, the goodwill of Newtown Square residents learning about their oldest World Veteran at 104 years old, all that hometown pride, none of it would have been possible without our other hometown heroes of another kind. I call them heroes, our Advertising Sponsors who make our Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors magazine possible. They are responsible for Bringing People Together each month through our magazine, and we’re all better for it! Please reach out to a Sponsor and thank them for their service to our community.

Bob Blaisse, Publisher of Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors magazine