Woman Celebrates 100th Birthday At Supermarket Where She Works 20 Hours A Week

A woman in the US has celebrated her 100th birthday at a supermarket where she works for 20 hours a week.

While most of us expect to spend our 100th birthday long dead, Romay Davis is still very much alive and kicking and has no plans to retire just yet.

As such, it was only right that Winn-Dixie supermarket in Alabama put on a lavish bash for Romay to celebrate the big day on Tuesday.

She was dropped off at her place of work in a Rolls Royce and was greeted with confetti and a brass band as she exited the car and walked under a balloon archway. She was also gifted with a three-tier birthday cake and a year's free groceries from the store.

Romay said she was humbled by the celebrations and thanked the crowds of locals for turning out.

According to WBTV, she said: "I just want to say thank you, may God bless every single one of you. I love you all, and I was so surprised. I don't know if I can function for the next two or three days."

WBTV

Surely they can let you have a few days off to recover, eh?

Romay works 20 hours a week, spread across five days, checking dates on produce. What's more, she drives to and from the supermarket each day.

Store manger, Bobby Godwin, said she was still grafting as hard as anyone.

He said: "It's unreal. She's doing more work than a 25-year-old.

"She enjoys coming to work. If she's going to be a few minutes late, she's calling. I say, 'Romay, just take your time.'"

Romay was born in Virginia on 29 October 1919, serving during World War Two. Following the war, she got an education degree from New York University before embarking on a career in the fashion industry. She 'retired' in 1982 but continued to stay active, volunteering, travelling and even gaining a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo.

WBTV

She decided to go back to work in 2001 after her husband died and applied for a role at the Winn-Dixie supermarket, where she has worked ever since.

Anthony Hucker, president and CEO of Southeastern Grocers, parent company of Winn-Dixie, told Business Wire: "As we celebrate Ms Romay, we are moved by her unwavering dedication and strong work ethic, which inspires others to be their best.

"On behalf of Winn-Dixie, we salute you, Ms Romay, for a job well done in serving your community and making a difference in so many lives over the past one hundred years."

Topics: Awesome, Inspirational, Community

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey