ROCKPORT — Maurice Granville turned 100  Oct. 26, 2015. Counting backward, it has been a life of accomplishment. On Tuesday, May 23, dignitaries from the town of Rockport — Town Manager Rick Bates, Town Clerk Linda Greenlaw and Select Board Chairman Bill Chapman — gathered at his home to present Granville with the Boston Post Cane, which is awarded to the oldest living person in the town of Rockport. Friends and family also attended.

The tradition of the gold-headed Boston Post Cane and its presentation to the oldest resident of a New England town was conceived by a publisher of the Boston Post daily with an eye toward increasing circulation in 1909.

On Aug. 2, 1909, Edwin A. Grozier, publisher of the Boston Post, forwarded to the selectmen in 700 New England towns a gold-headed ebony cane with the request that it be presented with the compliments of the Boston Post to the oldest male citizen of the town, to be used by him as long as he lived, or moved from the town. The custom was expanded to include a community's oldest woman in 1930.

Granville, who also carries the nickname, Butch, said he was happy, and was proud of Rockport.

When asked what the secret is to living to be 100 years old, he replied he didn’t know and would let us know in a year.

“My family should be very happy and proud of us,” he said. “And I think they are.”

The recipient keeps a plaque honoring him/her and the cane is on display at Town Hall with the recipient’s name.

According to Carol Blyberg, Granville’s daughter, Granville was born in 1915 in LaGrange, Texas. Granville was described by his family as a natural athlete and even at 100 still avidly follows college games.

He was valedictorian at his high school and attended the University of Texas in Austin. He headed east to Cambridge, Mass., where he earned a master’s degree in chemical engineering.

He married his wife of 69 years in January 1945. They had two children and over the years moved from New York, to Texas and then back to New York as Granville’s career with Texaco brought increasing responsibilities.

After Granville retired from Texaco as chairman of the board, he and his wife, Janet, moved to Rockport in 1984.

“I think this is just lovely,” Blyberg said. “I really don’t know how he’s going to react. You never really know.”

Blyberg said the one thing she remembers about her father is his integrity.

“He will love this,” she said. “He’s a people person. He still tells a story better than anyone.”

Granville said he was quite a golfer, considering the number of holes he had played, and he remains a member of the Megunticook Golf Club. His ability to tell a good story and make it sparkle earned him the title of official raconteur or Head Raccoon.