At 98, WWII veteran Ron Gibbons still shows up to work three days a week — not because he has to, but because staying active keeps him alive. ‘If you rest, you rust,’ he says. After nearly a century of life, he’s still choosing purpose, people, and a job he loves.

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At 98 years old, World War II veteran Ron Gibbons is proving that purpose doesn’t retire — and neither does he.

Three days a week, before most people have even hit the snooze button, Gibbons slips on his Lowe’s vest and clocks in for a six-hour shift at the garden center in Ulster, New York. For customers and coworkers, he isn’t just another employee — he’s “Mr. Ron,” a living piece of history with a work ethic sharp enough to put younger generations to shame.

But Gibbons’ life didn’t begin among racks of mulch and potted ferns. Born near Saratoga Springs, N.Y., he grew up during the Great Depression and entered adulthood just as World War II was ending. Drafted out of high school before he ever earned a diploma, he was sent to boot camp and then assigned to ship duty in the Navy between 1945 and 1946.

Eventually, he was stationed aboard the USS Hornet (CV-12), one of the Navy’s legendary aircraft carriers and among the first to strike back after Pearl Harbor.
“I didn’t see any combat — and thank heavens for that,” he recalls. “But service teaches you things you’ll never learn anywhere else.”

When the war was over, Gibbons set out to build a life of quiet determination. He attended college, then landed a job at General Electric. After a layoff, he shifted to IBM, where he worked for more than 35 years before “retiring”… though that word never quite fit him. Through the years, he took on odd jobs, ran a part-time lawn-care business to put his children through college, and ultimately — thanks to a few friends — ended up at Lowe’s. Seventeen years later, he’s still there, still moving, still serving.

For Gibbons, the reason is simple: “If you rest, you rust.”

His days start at 5 a.m., and he’s at work an hour later. He loves the rhythm of the garden center, the fresh air, the physical movement, the familiar faces.
“I enjoy meeting people,” he says. “That’s why I stayed. The people here are great — the staff, the management, everybody. They’ve always taken care of me.”

His charm clearly resonates with customers too. After nearly two decades, shoppers now walk into Lowe’s asking for him by name.
Just two months ago, a customer he bonded with — another Navy veteran — returned to the store and presented him with a handmade model of an aircraft carrier. “It’s amazing,” Gibbons says, still sounding touched.

Even on his days off, he’s hardly idle. He keeps busy with chores around the house, woodworking in his basement, and tending to projects the way other retirees tend to naps.

But behind all the stories, the job, and the legacy of service, his greatest pride is simple: his wife and his family.
He met his wife at IBM, and the two have been married for 67 years. They share four children, ten grandchildren, and ten great-grandchildren. His work ethic, he says, is inherited — his mother was a “people person,” and his father worked until nearly 80. That spirit runs deep in the family; two of his children are retired now, and one of his sons has taken over his lawn business.

As Veterans Day approaches, Gibbons will be honored at Lowe’s headquarters alongside his nephew, who serves in the National Guard. But he insists he’s nowhere near done working.

People often ask him the same question: What will you do when you hit 100?
With a mischievous grin, he gives the same answer every time:
“Get new teeth and wear a diaper.”

Nearly a century of life behind him, and still, Ron Gibbons wakes up each day with purpose. Maybe that’s the secret. Maybe that’s what keeps him young. Or maybe, as he puts it, it’s simply this:
“Keep moving, keep thinking, keep living.”