Rochester’s oldest resident, who celebrated his 100th birthday Feb. 3, said the secret to a long life is gratitude.

“Enjoy every day,” Armand Cournoyer said on Friday.

Cournoyer, a sturdy centenarian, was the center of attention during a brief ceremony held in the Sippican Healthcare Center.

Surrounded by children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, Cournoyer was presented with the Boston Post Cane, given to the town’s oldest resident, by Town Clerk Naida Parker.

The cane is one of 700 that the Boston Post newspaper sent to New England towns in 1909. Gold-headed and made of ebony, the canes were given to the oldest resident in town. Rochester’s cane is not a duplicate, but the original delivered more than 100 years ago.

Cournoyer admired the cane while his two daughters recounted his lifetime love of the outdoors, tennis and travel.

Born in New Bedford, Cournoyer lived most of his life in Acushnet with his wife of 53 years, Blanche, who passed away in 1995.

He worked for the Acushnet Process Company for 37 years and retired at the age of 62. Now known as the Acushnet Company, the business produced rubber products and golf balls.

Cournoyer came to Rochester from Acushnet four months ago to live with family. Recently, he’s been in the Sippican Healthcare Center due to health problems.

An avid fan of tennis, Cournoyer played until the age of 93, his daughter Claire Parent said. Cournoyer inspired Parent to play too, though she said it was for different reasons.

“I started playing to meet boys,” she joked.

Parent and her sister Janet Poyant recalled that it was their father who introduced them to the outdoors.

“He went out as often he could,” Poyant said. “We were brought up with camping as a big part of our lives.”

He also enjoyed traveling and visited Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska and other locales through the years.

Parker said Cournoyer will hold onto the cane for safe keeping. Unlike most towns, Rochester allows the oldest resident to keep the cane until they pass away. Many towns present the cane in a ceremony and then return it to Town Hall.