John Kuharski's 105th birthday (image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

105th Birthday Party

‘Porridge and eggs’ the keys to longevity for WWII vet John Kuharski celebrating his 105th birthday

Aug 19, 2025 | 4:27 PM

KAMLOOPS — It would simply be too easy to list events like the moon landing, or the inventions of the television, personal computer and cellphone as world changing transitions that John Kuharski has been witness to during his 105 years on Earth. Instead, we will go more niche and back to the decade of his birth.

Kuharski was born in 1920, the same year the Tommy gun was patented and the Band-Aid was invented. He predates insulin by two years, the traffic signal by three years, notebooks with spiral bindings by four years, and the discovery of penicillin by eight years — which just so happens to be the same year they invented bubble gum.

To say he was born into a different world is an understatement, and on Tuesday (Aug. 19), Kuharski was joined at The Shores in Kamloops to celebrate his 105th trip around the sun.

It was a celebration more than a century in the making for a man wholly deserving of all the pomp and circumstance befitting a 105th birthday.

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Kuharski served for Canada in the Second World War, storming the beaches of Normandy on D-day. And for a man who has undoubtedly seen the world at its ugliest, his message for the future is beautiful in its simplicity.

“I always look at life this way — be nice to everybody and be kind,” said Kuharski. “Don’t do anybody any harm and you will get along in this world a lot better. Thank-you very much.”

Even in times of war there is opportunities to enjoy the flowers, as it’s a memory from WWII, that stands out for Kuharski, as Canada worked to liberate Holland from Nazi occupation.

“I never forgot that thing about Holland — those rows and rows and rows of tulips, just different colours. It’s just amazing,” recalled Kuharski.

As he approaches his big day next week, Kuharski credits a good breakfast for his longevity.

“Eat a lot of porridge in the morning and eggs for breakfast.”

Flanked by those closest to him and joined by dozens of residents at The Shores, it was a party for a man who brings smiles to the faces of everybody he meets.

Last year, Kuharski was awarded a King’s Coronation Medal from MP Frank Caputo for his service. Now he can add letters from the King, premier and Governor General to his ever-growing collection.