John Poli of Saco celebrated his 100th birthday Tuesday with his favorite meal and a virtual trip to Europe.

Poli is a resident at The Wardwell retirement community, and staff there asked him what he wanted for his birthday.

“Every Sunday I used to prepare my favorite meal; prime rib with peas and mashed potatoes. And the peas were always canned. I’d love to have that meal,” he said. “I worked 26 years without ever taking a vacation. I went to Florida once and Las Vegas once. But they weren’t really vacations. I’d love to go to Europe again. The last time I was there was in the 40’s when I was in the service.”

 Poli was offered an outing to Longhorn Steakhouse, but he declined.

 “Low key. Right here at Wardwell. This is where I want to be,” he said.

The Wardwell staff also asked what he’d like for dessert and he responded with a smile, “A chocolate cake. Homemade. Not from a store. With vanilla frosting made with confectionary sugar.”

All of Poli’s birthday wishes were made true. The meal was prepared exactly to Poli’s wishes for all residents to enjoy, and John gave it two thumbs up. His table was adorned with special decorations, decorative plates and napkins. Later, he got his trip to Europe virtually with an Armchair Travel virtual trip.

He thanked everyone for all of their hard work. His chocolate cake was made by his niece Rita. He had many visitors and phone calls.