Wednesday, Jan. 02, 2008

I'm very lucky,' centenarian says

New Year's baby Sol Linhares celebrated his birthday Tuesday -- for the 100th time.

"I'm very lucky to have the life I've had," said Linhares, a retired banker and avid golfer. "I can play my age (on 18 holes of golf). Can you say that?"

The longtime Modestan rang in his new year with family members and friends. No, he didn't blow out 100 candles, just five "golf ball" candles representing 20 years each, his son, David Linhares, said.

Sol Linhares was born in the Portuguese Azore Islands on Jan. 1, 1908.

That happens to be the same day that New York City first dropped a ball in Times Square to usher in the new year.

Three months later, Linhares and his family left the Atlantic Ocean island chain, about

900 miles west of Portugal. The family settled in Porterville,

51 miles north of Bakersfield.

In August 1942, Linhares moved to Modesto, and the rest, as they say, is history.

On the day Linhares was born, the nation was led by a lame-duck president, Theodore Roosevelt -- the country's 26th commander in chief.

Today, 100 years later, the nation once again is led by a lame-duck president, George W. Bush.

Linhares was 38 when President Bush was born on July 6, 1946.

In all, Linhares has lived through 17 presidencies and predates five states.

America's flag bore just 45 white stars set against a field of blue when Linhares entered the world, though a 46th -- marking Oklahoma's statehood -- would be added two months later.

Those born the same year as Linhares include actors Jimmy Stewart, Bette Davis, Burgess Meredith, Rex Harrison and Sir Michael Redgrave, as well as British film director David Lean. All have passed on.

Other notable 1908 events included:

An around-the-world automobile race that began in New York City's Times Square and ended in Paris.

The nation's first Mother's Day celebration.

Jack Johnson's knockout of Canadian Tommy Burns to claim the world heavyweight boxing crown.

But it was an event four years earlier -- the founding in 1904 of the Bank of Italy by Amadeo Giannini -- that would profoundly shape Linhares' life.

Linhares went to work for the Bank of Italy in 1927.

He would hold a number of positions there in a 46-year career that saw the bank grow into one of nation's largest financial institutions -- Bank of America.

The merger and name change happened in 1929, and by 1930, Linhares was working as a bank "field representative" -- a position he held for about three years.

It was his job to collect delinquent loans or repossess the property in question, usually automobiles.

By this time, Linhares was working out of Fresno.

The job could be difficult, and, on more than one occasion, Linhares said he was threatened with bodily harm if he tried to repossess a car or other property secured by a loan that was going unpaid.

"One man told me he had a .38-caliber revolver in the glove box," Linhares said, "and was prepared to use it."

Thankfully, it never came to that.

He and his wife of 70 years, Marie, have four sons and a daughter. They also have nine grandchildren and 10 great- grandchildren.

A former member of the Knights of Columbus and the Sierra Club, Linhares helped start Our Lady of Fatima Church, according to his son, David.

Since his retirement from the bank -- on Jan. 1, 1973 -- Sol Linhares has spent a considerable amount of time on the golf course.

He still plays -- usually on Tuesdays and Fridays -- in Escalon. He started playing the links in the 1940s.

"I ride a cart," he said. "I can't walk anymore. A couple of weeks ago, I shot a 39. I've also shot 41s and 43s; that's not too bad for an old guy."

As for his dad's longevity, David Linhares attributes it to taking everything in moderation and, of course, Marie.

He said his mom and dad sit by the fire every night and play cards -- canasta, among other games.

"He will say that God is taking care of him," David Linhares said. "The real reason is his wife, who takes care of him."

Bee staff writer Mike Mooney can be reached at mmooney@modbee.com or 578-2384.