Inspirational 106-Year-Old Honored With Prestigious Award From the University of New Hampshire

This past Friday, an amazing man named Richard Durette was awarded with the 2023 UNH Age of Champions Wildcat Inspirational Award. According to UNH.edu, this took place at The Age of Champions Health & Wellness Fair at UNH, which is a community-oriented intergenerational wellness event made possible by the Center of Aging and Community Living (CACL) in partnership with UNH and several vendors and sponsors from throughout the New England region.

Richard is 106 years old, and his passion for learning started at an early age. He graduated from Dover High School in 1934. After that, he joined ROTC at UNH in the fall and earned a degree in electrical engineering. This was no easy feat, as he had to overcome the challenges of the Depression and War to achieve his goals.

Today, Richard is a resident of Langdon Place in Dover, and continues to inspire others through his daily actions. One of the most remarkable things about Richard is his insatiable thirst for knowledge. He keeps himself up-to-date with the latest medical research, environmental news, and information on health and wellness. He even offers guidance to other residents on how to use technology like computers and cell phones. We can’t stress this enough, HE’S 106-YEARS-OLD!

Richard expressed how proud he is that his alma mater is involved in trying to get the elderly to stay healthy. He added it would take a lot of work to make the U.S. one of the world's healthier nations.

Richard sounds like an unbelievable human being, and is incredibly deserving of this award. It is such an important reminder for us all to keep living life to the fullest, and never stop learning.