First OceanView Resident Sings His Way to 100

FALMOUTH, Maine – Myron Hager, a longtime Falmouth resident and OceanView at Falmouth’s original resident, celebrated his 100th birthday on May 26 at a baseball-themed celebration with friends and family. The OceanView Chorus, of which Myron is a member, performed at the celebration and Myron received a special visit from Slugger the Sea Dog.

Myron first began singing in the Statesmen Quartet at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and met his wife, Gladys, while both were involved in the University’s production of The Mikado. He received his undergraduate degree in English and served as class president. As part of the Statesman Quartet, Myron has been singing at college reunions for 55 years. He continues to write an annual class letter to the alumni of the Class of 1940.

In 1941, Myron was drafted into the military. Separated from Gladys, he received a 15-day furlough to return home and they married in 1942. He was discharged in 1945 after his time with the Medical Service Corps. Although he was never called overseas, he continued to stay in the reserves to complete his 20 years of service.

After serving in the military, Myron and Gladys moved to Connecticut with their three children. Myron received his master’s degree and doctorate in educational administration from Yale University in 1956. Shortly thereafter, he accepted the position of Director of Admissions at Westbrook College in Portland, Maine and stayed there for 25 years. Gladys taught Latin at Falmouth High School for 19 years.

Outside of teaching, Myron and Gladys were members in the Falmouth Congregational Church Chorus where they continued to sing for 50 years. While living in Maine, they took advantage of opportunities to sing in local concerts, including singing in Portland’s Magic of Christmas chorus for 25 years and singing duets for Walter Cronkite when he visited Maine.

Throughout his life, Myron always found a way to bring singing and volunteering together. He and Gladys spent years volunteering at various Maine organizations including Bagduce Music Lending Library, Maine Historical Society, Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ, Foster Grandparents, Southern Maine Agency on Aging RSVP Advisory Council, Meals on Wheels, Money Minders and Brentwood Manor. Beyond Maine, they traveled to Russia and Japan, singing with the Surry Opera and across Siberia and Ireland with Brunswick Choirs. They also traveled to numerous Elderhostels both in the United States and abroad with theater and music emphases.

Myron and his late wife, Gladys, were OceanView’s first residents and lived together there for 26 years before her passing in 2012. Today, Myron continues to be involved in the OceanView community as a member of the OceanView Chorus and Resident Council.

About OceanView at Falmouth
OceanView at Falmouth is a well-established, active, maintenance-free retirement community located on a beautifully wooded and landscaped 80-acre campus, just minutes from downtown Portland. Offering a wide variety of independent cottages and apartments, OceanView also offers the peace of mind of a care continuum, including Falmouth House and Legacy Memory Care. Locally owned and managed since 1986, OceanView is an open and welcoming community that celebrates diversity, energy efficiency and sustainable living while promoting a vital, stress-free lifestyle.