- Dallas Workman, a World War II veteran, will celebrate his 102nd birthday on Sunday.
- Born in 1924, Workman served as a torpedo bomber pilot in the U.S. Navy.
- His family members describe Workman as a mentor, adventurer, educator and devoted family man.
LAYTON — Most people celebrating a birthday this weekend might be adding another candle to the cake.
Dallas Workman is adding another year to a life that has already stretched across more than a century.
The Layton resident turns 102 years old on Sunday, a milestone that has family members reflecting on a man they describe as a mentor, adventurer, educator and devoted family man.
"It's been a very good life," said Workman.
He was born on a farm in Vernal in 1924.
He also served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he trained as a torpedo bomber pilot and flew missions searching for Nazi submarines.
"That was when I served for a little over five years in World War II," Workman said while looking through old photographs from his military service.
One photo showed him standing in a thick coat.
"That's me," he said with a laugh. "I can't remember when I ever had to wear that much of a fur coat."
Some memories fade over time. Others seem to stay forever.
After returning home from the war, Workman married his high school sweetheart and eventually built a career in education, serving as a principal and later working as a district administrator in Davis County schools.
His daughter, Soozie Vitiritto, remembers growing up with a father who led by example.
"He is such a mentor in so many ways," she said. "He has such a heart for adventure and he really enjoys continuing to learn."
Workman's family said he has always valued education, faith, kindness and family.
Those values helped shape a household and family that eventually grew to include five children, 11 grandchildren and 29 great-grandchildren.
"Family unity was always very important to my family, as was our religion and being kind to others," said Vitiritto.
Asked what advice he would share after 102 years of life, Workman's answer was simple.
"If you see someone that needs help, give it to them," he said. "And if you can't give that person help, you find somebody that can."
He also offered another piece of wisdom.
"Enjoy life," he said with a smile still as wide as those in the old photos. "My goal was to always do what was the right thing to do."
It's advice his family said he has spent more than a century following himself.
As relatives gather in Layton this weekend to celebrate his 102nd birthday, they won't just be celebrating a number.
They'll be celebrating a life filled with service, family and a belief that doing the right thing is always worth it.
