Clubhouse

Pomp and circumstance—at long last

A priority in education is developing lifelong learners. It’s a focus not lost on John Lunsford. The longtime Kiwanian and charter member of the Quincy-Golden K, Illinois, club, recently passed the General Educational Development (GED) test, earning his high school diploma at the age of 93.

93-year-old John Lunsford proudly displays the diploma he recently earned.

“I would definitely say to someone to get your education,” John stresses. “It’s so much more important today than it was 75 years ago.”

Born March 14, 1913, John left school at the age of 15 and hitchhiked to Quincy, Illinois, where he landed a job installing gas meters in basements. Three months later, John lost the job when his employer learned he had lied about his age. He later landed a job in a factory and saw his wages drop during the Great Depression, from $35 a week to $12.50.

At the age of 40, John started his own business, selling nonedible products to supermarkets. When he sold the business years later, he had established a customer base of 60 stores and employed 35 people. He then started dabbling in real estate, a career that lasted until his retirement.

John became interested in pursuing his high school diploma in 2003. With help from one of his neighbors—a retired teacher—and instructors at Quincy’s John Wood Community College, John worked and studied for three years, graduating this past May.

The lifelong learner is not stopping now; he plans to learn to use the computer and write his life story.