Vassar’s oldest resident celebrates 90th on the diamond

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 08/06/2020 (1833 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cub Cayer is no stranger to the baseball diamond. The once renowned pitcher in southeast Manitoba played and coached most of his life, playing on a team past the age of 75. That’s why it only made sense that his 90th birthday be celebrated on the local diamond, both as a way to practice social distancing, and to pay homage to his exploits of days gone by.

His daughter Gina Davis, masterminded a parade for her mother Joyce only weeks earlier. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, visitors came with banners, balloons and well wishes in the drive-by parade to celebrate her 85th birthday.

Daughter Kim Cayer made it out for this celebration, surprising Cub on his birthday. She said her sister Gina planned it all, using social media to spread the word.

“I thought Joyce’s was amazing but this just blew my mind,” she said.

Cub wasn’t expecting a celebration. Because his birthday was on a Thursday he thought the day would be a quiet one.

“I never expected nothing,” he said. “I was just sitting here by myself wondering where is everybody.”

His son Jamie came over and suggested they take a ride over to the baseball diamond.

Thinking there was a baseball game going on, Cub prepared to pay his sister Judy who, just as at a typical game, was in the ticket booth.

Instead she handed him a cupcake decorated like a baseball.

He soon saw signs with his name on it, and realized something was up.

Vehicles surrounded the infield as he was chauffeured in a golf cart to the pitcher’s mound.

He threw four balls to a fully uniformed catcher as an umpire, also in uniform called the strikes.

Kim said horns honked after every strike. He was then driven past the decorated cars, getting a chance to see the well-wishers, many of whom dressed up in baseball uniforms from all eras.

“When I got there I couldn’t believe it,” Cub said. “It was wonderful.”

“Everybody was so nice to me,” he added.

His wife Joyce said the event was amazing. “You don’t really expect so many people to come out just for a few minutes,” she said.

Because the event observed social distancing, there was no party, but there was a chance for him to share brief conversations outdoors with those who attended.

He was also surprised to see all his kids attending including his sons Jamie from Calgary and Travis from Richer and his daughters Gina Davis from Vassar and Kim Cayer from Mississauga.

She surprised him by stepping out into the golf cart’s path as he began his drive at the diamond. She had arrived the previous evening, and hid out so he wouldn’t know she was around.

“When he saw me, his voice was cracking,” she said.

It had been five years since the whole family was together, and Cub said that made the moment very special.

Kim said Cub and Joyce are Vassar’s oldest couple and are well respected and loved. They also celebrated their 63rd anniversary on Monday.

“He is always plowing their driveways,” she said of Cub. “He’s still a working man. He bends over backward for anybody in town. He grows a big garden and gives away his vegetables. Everybody loves him.”

“People just went out of their way to show their respect, to show him what he means to them,” she added. “Vassar has never seen the likes of this.”

Cub, who still also splits all the firewood they burn, said there’s no big secret to his longevity.

“I keep on enjoying my red wine,” he said. “I take three or four glasses of red wine every day. It keeps me healthy.”

Joyce quickly added there are other factors at play.’

“He just keeps active,” she said. “It seems he has to put in his eight-hour day doing something. He eats healthy too, all the time.”

Cub said he’s still getting calls wishing him a Happy Birthday and said the day meant a lot to him.

“I’d like to thank everyone that came to my party,” he said. “I enjoyed that.”