Success Story - Webb Thomas

Born in 1899, Webb Thomas had a rough
childhood. He was one of six children and has
worked hard his entire life. As a young man, he
worked as a plumber in Nashville, and in 1945
he took a job with Arnold Air Force Base in
Tullahoma, Tenn. He said he remembers being
on base when Franklin Roosevelt visited shortly
before the president’s death in 1945. Mr. Thomas
continued working until the 1970s, when he retired as a window washer.

At 107, he receives 24-hour care but still remains independent through the use of a walker and a shower bench he recently received from Goodwill HELPs. His caregiver, Michelle Cash, drives an hour each way to his house. “He is amazing,” she said. “I am so fascinated with the stories he tells. It is well worth the drive for a job that I love so much.”

According to Mr. Thomas, the secret to a long, healthy life is “the good Lord and hard work.” He said he never thought he would live as long as he has, “but something tells me that I’ll live to be 110,” he grinned.