USA: A surprise for a 90-year-old office manager

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DENVER, Colorado / 9NEWS.com / October 19, 2010

By Jeffrey Wolf  

He is always the first one in the office in the morning to make sure everyone else is off to a good start. Tuesday, the people at Belfor Restoration wanted to make sure their oldest and sweetest employee had a happy birthday.

"It's only taken 90 years to get here, but boy am I glad to be here," Joe Cassa said, celebrating his 90th birthday.

He was born in 1920 in Morley, Colo. - a small mining camp. He worked as a coal miner until he was drafted for World War II. After retiring from the military as a colonel, he decided to keep working. Belfor Restoration hired him at the age of 71 as an office manager. Tuesday, they threw Cassa a surprise part.

"Like I said, I think it's the greatest day I've ever lived and I didn't expect this. Seeing anything like this and being 90 years old, it's been a long time trying to get here and I don't remember what all went on," Cassa said.

His coworkers say he perfected his work habits in the military and he does not let anything slip through the cracks.

Cassa says he keeps working because of all the wonderful people he gets to meet.

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