COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) – It was a special day at the D.A. Turner YMCA as they celebrated a milestone for one of their members. James Sneed Sr., a World War II Army veteran, turned 103 years old on Sept. 15.
Friends and family gathered for a birthday lunch to honor Sneed. His daughter, Dr. Janet Sneed, and his friends at the YMCA organized the celebration.
Sneed was born during the Roaring '20s, on Sept. 15, 1922. Part of his routine these days is coming to the YMCA five days a week, where he works out and participates in fitness classes. He's a walking inspiration when he arrives at the Y.
"Once he comes in he speaks to everybody. He's one of those knowledgeable people that you can just ask him questions. And then when he does his exercise classes, he amazes me," said Jed Tuiolosega, the D.A. Turner YMCA executive branch director. "I think if you look around this room today, all the friends he's made, all the history he has — it's amazing and it's a blessing. He's part of the family. It's the YMCA family. We appreciate him coming here every day and he blesses us."
Even at this age, he remains sharp as ever, and his memory still impresses everyone, including his own family.
"As you can see, I'm just so full of joy. Just to be able to see him here and all the years he's told and the things he has gone through. I mean he can tell you from the time he was a child. You know, he would tell us stories, and he would repeat some. But he has a very sharp memory. Sometimes I can ask him to remind me of something, and he does. So it's not just long-term memory but it's short-term memory too," said Janet Sneed.
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