ID: Gerald Raymond Sarrazin
Gerald Sarrazin and his dog Teddy Purchase photo reprints »
Gerald Sarrazin and his dog Teddy
Purchase photo reprints »Gerald Sarrazin and his dog Teddy
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Gerald Sarrazin, 82, is busy from morning until night, mostly helping others in need — often raking their leaves or making runs to the post office. The last time he painted his house — about five years ago — his daughter overheard him say, “That paint I used on the house lasts 25 years, so the next time I do it, I will be 102.”
Full name: Gerald Raymond Sarrazin
People know you as: Jerry
Date and place of birth: May 8, 1930, Central Falls, R.I.
Address: Northampton
Jobs: Retired sewing notions salesman; currently, the caretaker, Eucharistic minister, lecturer and the priest’s right-hand man at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Northampton
Who lives under the same roof as you? My daughter, Michele, and a lovable, unusually large, but sweet and gentle Shih Tzu/Maltese mix named Teddy Bear
Children: Natalie and Michele and an adorable grandson, Arjun
Education: Woonsocket R.I. High School
Pets: A rescue dog named Teddy Bear who holds his front legs above his head, stands on his hind legs and hops when he wants to eat some of your dinner
Hobbies: Meticulous cleaning. Mostly known around town as the man without a single leaf on the front lawn of his house
Book you’d recommend to a friend: “Profiles in Courage” by John. F. Kennedy
Favorite TV show: “Seinfeld”
Favorite singer or group: David Whitfield and The Platters
Five items you can’t live without: My car, my dog, shoe polish, chocolate/marshmallow twirl cookies and any bush (including a Japanese quince or forsythia) that needs to be given a crew-cut like a box hedge
Last thing you purchased just for fun: A leather jacket, because at my age, why not?
What’s at the top of your bucket list? To see the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
Strangest job you ever held: I was in the Merchant Marines (I joined because I was just a year too young to sign up for World War II)
Last thing you tweeted or current Facebook status: If I had a computer I would know what that meant
A little-known fact about you: I have different-colored eyes
Dumbest thing you ever did: One Valentine’s Day, I bought a giant box of chocolates for my wife. Then, I asked her what she wanted and she said, “I don’t want anything!” So instead of giving them to her, I sold them to the guy at the car wash, who told me he forgot to buy a gift for his girlfriend. I slept on the couch that night
A trend you’d like to see return: Ballrooms and white belts for men
What really sets you off? Leaves and branches that blow on my lawn and grass that needs to be cut precisely every six days
If you could spend the day with a celebrity from any time in history, who would it be? Comedian Jackie Mason
Best advice you ever got: Always keep your shoes shiny and your bed made so tight you can bounce a quarter off of it
Favorite place to get a bite: Papa Gino’s on King Street in Northampton
What does your ideal weekend look like? Wake at 5 a.m., prepare the church for an 8 a.m. Mass, watch sports all afternoon and then go back and prepare the church for the 5:30 p.m. Mass
One thing you would change about yourself: I would make it so my hair never fell out of place
What gives you the creeps? Nothing. I was an MP in the Korean War
People who knew you in high school thought you were: Quiet and shy with the exception of when I attended the football rallies
Whom do you most admire? Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. I admire him because he was the Supreme Allied Commander of the troops who invaded the shores of Normandy, France, on D-Day
Parting shot: So many little animals wait in cages for a home and someone to love. It’s a matter of life and death. As you are a loving soul, know how much they need you. I’ve had three dogs that were once on their way to be put down. You will never realize, until the day God takes them, how much you needed them
Editor’s Note - To suggest someone for ID, email Keri-Ann Aubin at kaubin@gazettenet.com.

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