Friends and family gathered for a celebratory luau to honor the 100th birthday of Osceola County resident Robert Belisario, Sr.
The party was held at Merrill Gardens, a senior living center located between Kissimmee and Poinciana, where the veteran resides. The festive affair included a catered dinner and entertainment by a Hawaiian performance group.
“I’ve been blessed, I really have,” said a festive Belisario. “I have a loving family. I have a multitude of good friends”.
Born April 20,1925, Belisario was raised by his grandparents during the Great Depression. His childhood farm job had him working long hours for a dollar and a lunch a day.
He was only 17 years old when he volunteered to join the military after the start of World War II. Naval boot camp and six weeks of training at the Naval Hospital Corps in San Diego prepared him for his assignment in the Panama Canal Zone.
While deployed, Belisario received letters from a pen pal named Gerry Andreine, a Schenectady, N.Y. high school girl assigned to his name. They corresponded and when he was granted a 30-day leave, he traveled home to meet Andreine. The two pen pals became sweethearts.
Belisario was assigned to New Guinea where he served as a medic with the RON 25 group patrolling on PT boats. The patrol endured two harrowing attacks. Belisario was on board.
“Many men were either killed or missing and the rest of us spent several hours floating in our ‘Mae Wests’ (inflatable life preservers) until a PBY [patrol bomber] found us and dropped a life raft for the survivors,” he remembered.
These memories were prominent at the 100th birthday party. As the band played “God Bless America,” Belisario stood and removed his hat, placing it over his heart. He joined in, singing the words he knew well.
The touching moment brought tears to the eyes of many loved ones, including his daughter, Bev Tautalatasi, who arranged the celebration.
“It’s what I live for. What else would I be doing? Every day is a gift and it’s marvelous, especially with him,” she beamed.
Her brother, Robert Belisario, Jr., had followed in his father’s military footsteps, enlisting in the Navy during the Vietnam War. “Our family has had somebody in uniform, all the way back to the Civil War, for crying out loud,” the younger Belisario said. “And, you know, obviously, I wanted to be like my dad.”
World War II ended in 1945 and Belisario married Andreine a year later. He finished nine years in the Navy and started a family of five children with his sweetheart.
He credits a long, happy marriage with his longevity. “My secret, and I’ve said it over and over, is my beautiful girl by my side for 74 years. Kept me going.”
His beloved passed away in 2020. Then he moved to Florida to be close to his daughter.
Over the years, Belisario said he taught his children many lessons.
“The easiest and most happy way to enjoy life—do what you’re told, don’t argue, and get an education. Emphasis - get an education,” he advised. “I’ve had a good life. I can’t complain. Look at everybody as a friend until they prove different.”
“He’s the kind of guy who just makes friends easily. There’s a lot of folks here that consider him their friend,” Belisario, Jr. said. “That’s Dad. Always been the life of the party.”
Surrounded by good friends and generations of family, Belisario, Sr. mused, So, what does a 100-year-old wish for on the occasion?
“I wish for peace on Earth.”
