BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A World War II veteran marked his 107th birthday Wednesday at a senior living center in Batavia.

Family and staff members celebrated with Sydney Cole at the VA Medical Center.

Cole served as a captain and pilot for the Army during the war. He survived after being shot down during the Battle of the Bulge and being taken as a prisoner of war. After the war, he developed several successful businesses.

His son says, Sydney lived a very active life and has hardly slowed down.

“He was all about working out, he’s all about health and working out. He started there, joined the YMCA, started working out there. Then, the Mohawk Club was created, which is like a businessman’s club, he worked out 3-4 times a week. He could have the biggest deal going and at two o’clock he says, ‘I gotta go play handball’ he played handball for 55 years with the same group of guys,” said Richard Cole, son of Sydney Cole.

From all of us at Channel 4, Happy Birthday Sydney.