By Chuck Seaver, South Lake Tablet
Celebrating his 100th birthday this week, Jerome Rosenberg was born on April 15, 1925, in Boston, Massachusetts. A time when Calvin Coolidge was serving as the 30th president of the United States, and the main source of entertainment was listening to the radio, while the average annual household income was $3,269.00.
Jerome and his wife, Selma, who turned 97 years young this year, will celebrate their 78th wedding anniversary this upcoming July 4th. The couple has 3 children, 6 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. “I could not have done all of the things that I have done had it not been for my wonderful wife,” says Jerome.
The healthy and spry Jerome sports a smile that reveals a century’s worth of memories and good times. Jerome served our country in World War II and the Korean War in the United States Navy, serving as an electrical engineer who worked on airplanes.
After his military service, Jerome opened and grew a burglar and fire alarm business that he managed until his retirement in 1974. His company, General Alarm Guards, was sold to Honeywell International Inc., headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.
After retiring from his business life, Jerome and Selma both decided to return to college and finish dreams that were put on hold due to career and raising children. Jerome attended Boston University, where he earned degrees in electrical engineering, finance and music. “My mother was a professional trumpet player, so my love of music and the desire to play the trumpet has deep roots,” says Jerome. Selma continued her degree in English literature at Sergeant’s Women’s College.
In his spare time, Jerome loves to hear great music and play golf. “We didn’t want to become isolated, so we decided to move here to the Madison at Clermont (650 East Minnehaha Avenue). We have been here for about 6 months and thoroughly love it. We have made a lot of new friends,” says Jerome.
Surrounded by his family of all ages, the couple was all smiles and extremely lucid in their recall of life’s adventures when reflecting on a century’s worth of ups and downs. Jerome is quick to point out that “we grow old too soon and smart too late.” When asked how the couple has maintained their good health and upbeat nature, Jerome and Selma point out the importance of weekly exercise and walking. “Do not sit down on the couch with a remote control when you retire. That is right where you will stay if you do,” says the couple in unity.
Clermont VFW Post 5277 presented Jerome with a United States Navy ballcap and a United States World War II veterans ballcap, along with a miniature United States of America flag fit for the couple’s room. VFW Post Quartermaster Bob Farrell also extended an offer to Jerome to become an honorary member of the Clermont Post.
City of Clermont Mayor Tim Murry congratulated Jerome on his century of life and thanked him for his service to our Country. The mayor also presented Jerome with a proclamation from the City of Clermont that declared April 15, 2025, as “Jerome Rosenberg Day”.
After the presentations, the family, friends, and staff in attendance enjoyed a bounty of plentiful desserts, snacks, and other treats provided by the Madison staff and family members.
The staff at the South Lake Tablet wish Jerome Rosenberg a joyful birthday and he and his wife Selma a happy 78th wedding anniversary this summer!
