Came back to mention that Mom (84 and still ticking), Dad (died at 67), and one of my two sisters (54) are lefties. Of interest to no one but me.
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Meaning it’s the left half of The Beatles that is still alive?
My Dad died last year at 60.
Well, the only leftie I can think of was my Dad, and he died at the age of 68. For whatever that’s worth.
Why, yes…it is the sinister element of the Beatles that remains.
My wife’s grandmother is a lefty and will turn 90 this September.
The only people whose handedness I KNOW are in my immediate family (or, obviously, people I play softball with) so I might have met many old lef-handed people but I’d never know it.
So technically, the answer is my mother, who is 65 and in excellent health. Barring an accident she’ll reach 90, I predict. Longetivity is a trait shared by all her female relatives; her mother, who had more health problems, is still going at 91.
Dad’s 67.
George H.W. Bush seems to be doing pretty well. He’s 87.
–Cliffy
Mom and stepmom who are both approaching 70.
Very sore subject for stepmother – one of her older relatives was forced to be a righty and if you bring it up you’ll hear a pretty heartfelt rant. Mother I’ve never heard of her being “right-ified”, but she told me a story about the first day of school. Teacher said, everyone turn their paper this way, she said I’m left handed, should I turn it the other way, teacher stopped a minute and thought then said, yes. Which is why Mom writes with a straight arm rather than wrist twisted around as though she has palsy as some lefties do. I suppose they’re used to it but man, that looks uncomfortable.
My maternal grandfather is dead, but he live to be 93. He dropped out of eighth grade because he refused to write with his right hand, as he was required to do.
Neat catch.
My mother – 82 today.
OP here. This is interesting - notwithstanding the issue of “forced rightness”, very few 90 or over. Had the question been home many right handed people over 90 do you know I expect the numbers would be much higher. But clearly the policy of forcing lefties to be otherwise in times past does skew the numbers. Reliable data difficult to come by.
My grandma’s lefty and she’s an active 93. Goes to writing class and seniors yoga, paints and draws and does the NYT sunday crossword! Go grandma!
I was thinking this, too. My mom was born in the 40s, and her left hand was tied behind her back at school and church in order to discourage her from using ‘the devil’s hand’. Assholes.
The oldest lefty I know is my aunt at 69(a few months off yet from 70) but George H. W. Bush(the older one) is left-handed and nearly 88.
My old man, a leftie, lived to 96.
(Unless I’ve missed something, this appears to
be the record for this thread so far.)
Although, he was a drinker and a smoker (but no longer a toker).
My grandfather was a lefty that passed away 3 years ago at 88, although not sure if it counts, due to the fact that he was a righty until he lost his right hand in an accident at work.
And perhaps the numbers are skewed because people tend to assume someone is right-handed unless it’s clearly demonstrated otherwise. Of all the 90±year-olds you have met, how many do you know with absolute certainty to be right-handed rather than left-handed?