“Mr. Bertie” is 108 Years Old  

The average lifespan for Belizeans is seventy years, and while there have been quite a lot who have passed on well before this age from accidents or from some type of illness, there happens to be a few who surpass the three scores and ten. Such is a man named Gilbert Winston Ellis also known affectionately as “Mr. Bertie.” He lives alone on Nurse Seay Street and is quite the independent man, but his daughters now take turns to visit with him daily and care for him. Today News Five’s Marion Ali stopped in to wish Mr. Bertie a happy birthday and filed this report.

 

Gilbert “Mr. Bertie” Ellis, Turns 108 Years Old 

“This is the truth. I don’t feel bad. I feel alright for a hundred and eight. I feel good.”

 

 

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

You heard right. Today, Gilbert “Bertie” Ellis is a hundred and eight years old, tying Leonora Patnett, who died in 2021, as the longest-living Belizean on record. Ellis, who lives alone, shared with reporters today that aside from just a slight hearing impediment, he has no known illness, does not suffer from any kind of pain and is not on any special diet.

 

Gilbert Ellis

“I have no special food, no special nothing to eat or drink. Anything you have about eating, I’ll try it. I don’t want no special food. I don’t have no pain like that, that’s like, keep me back from the pain. I was always fortunate being able to be painless.  I never had pain.”

 

Ellis celebrated his hundred and eighth birthday on Sunday, a day filled with cheers and wishes, jokes and, yes, a birthday cake. For him, his life has been one of many joys and many pains. He has fathered many children and today, one of them, Gloria Ellis who is visiting from abroad, told us that her father was never harsh or mean with them.

 

 

 

Gloria Ellis, Daughter of Gilbert Ellis

“He was an easygoing man. You see him with his voice there, I mean, he was always soft-spoken. He never hit me. That’s why I am like, no man will hit me because my father never did. He was soft-spoken and always, you know, listening and encouraging and stuff like that.”

 

 

 

Remarkably, Ellis still lives alone, and is still very active. In fact, he didn’t want to retire from the taxi service he offered, despite his children asking him to. He decided at age one hundred, to finally throw in the towel on work and labour.

 

Gloria Ellis

“My father is a very independent man.  So, he lives alone with caretakers.  We come and visit. Yes. He has, um, a caretaker in the day and at night. And he goes out, plays his dominoes when, as my sister said, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. We kept asking him to stop driving. But, you know, he said when he’s ready, he’s going to do it because he’s very. Independent, as I said, and he is self-assured and obstinate. So he stopped driving when he wanted to not when we wanted him to.”

 

The centenarian has survived four major hurricanes, including the one in 1931 and Hurricane Hattie in 1961. He loved sports and worked with many private companies, including Santiago Castillo Limited, and did his own work. Just two weeks ago, during the Tribute to Belizean Patriots, Gilbert Ellis was recognized for his contribution to Community Service. And he showed us that at a hundred and eight, he still has his faculties intact, as well as a good sense of humour.

 

Marion Ali

“What are the things that you enjoy doing now?”

 

Gilbert Ellis

“Huh?” (Chuckles) “Be around.” (Laughs)

 

Marion Ali for News Five.