Dressed in an apron with a quirky quote printed on it and a beaming smile on his face, this nonagenarian has been touching hearts around the world with his engaging recipe videos.
“I never ever dreamed I would have an Instagram account, let alone 171,000 followers,” the 92-year-old told The Epoch Times. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself ... but I do enjoy it.”
Pop, who wanted to keep his full name disclosed, has led a long and interesting life. Born in 1932, he was the second oldest of seven siblings. His mother was a New Yorker, and his father was an Irish immigrant.
“Even though I and some of my siblings were born at the time of the Great Depression, and some even during the initial time of World War II, we all, as I remember, had normal lives,” he said, adding he doesn’t recall details of living through those two periods of time.
“I do ... remember while attending grade school, I loved all kinds of sports: basketball, baseball, and touch football,” he said.
His passion for sports stayed with him throughout his high school years. With no intention to study further, a year after high school, Pop enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at the age of 19.
“During my service time of four years, I was assigned to a fighter squadron but never near harm’s way during the Korean War,” Pop said. “In fact, after six months of initial training, I was assigned to an airbase in Casablanca, North Africa, where I was stationed for 18 months.”
In 1955, he was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant.
For the next two years, he worked at a manufacturing company but was laid off in 1957. He then attended John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, where he met his future wife.
“After our marriage in 1958 and completing my first year in college, I decided it was necessary to find gainful employment, thus ending my college career,” Pop said. “I was hired by a bank in Ohio and remained in the banking profession at three different banks for the next 36 years.”
At 62, he finally hung up his boots.
After enjoying 58 years of marital bliss, Pop’s wife passed away, and he moved in to live with his daughter and son-in-law and has been with them for the last seven years.
During this time, the grandpa has kept active by volunteering as a hospice associate, a service that ended during the pandemic. But he continued being a tour guide at Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica in Covington, Kentucky, until this day.
“Luckily, I have remained in good health with the exception of the usual hip surgeries and a triple bypass in 2021,” he said, adding that he keeps fit by working out at the gym three times a week.
Rise to Social Media Stardom
During his marriage, Pop enjoyed spending time with his wife while she cooked, as well as assisting her with the household chores. Little did he know that years later, this would ignite a passion in him that he would share with people worldwide.In 2023, with the encouragement of his grandchildren, Pop made his debut on Instagram with his daughter being his director and producer.
A year later, Pop has a collection of 100 posts, most of which pertain to cooking. His recipes are sometimes themed for special events such as Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, or the Super Bowl.
With his recipes not always limited to breakfast dishes, many have wondered why he chose the name “Pop’s Happy Breakfast” for his Instagram account, to which he replied, “Years ago when my wife and I were first married, whenever we would leave my in-laws house, my father-in-law would say happy breakfast instead of saying goodbye.” This stuck with him and has stayed with him ever since.
“I believe, if you have a happy breakfast, you’re bound to have a good day!” he said.
Needless to say, his videos paired with his cheerful personality have amassed a lot of comments from social media users.
“You are a sweet problem solver chemist Popz!!” one netizen wrote.
“Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! I love when you can make something that you actually have all the ingredients for right at home ... ..You make my heart smile!” another commented.
‘I Always Give God My First Moments’
At the core of Pop’s positive persona is his faith.“I know I am close to the end zone, and I am not afraid,” he said. “God has blessed and been with me my entire life. I know He won’t leave me now.”
Partially due to his Instagram popularity, Pop decided to write a 250-page book for his grandchildren in which he shares his words of wisdom for living a simple life.
