86-Year-Old New Bedford Man Has the Time of His Life

Thanks to a sports car, a loving daughter, and one small act of kindness, an 86-year-old man from New Bedford had the time of his life on Wednesday.

Susan from New Bedford took to Facebook with a heartwarming story about the day she had with her father. After speaking with her, it was very clear that her father, Robert Antil –  "Pumpy" to his close friends – was no ordinary man.

In his late 60s and early 70s, Robert became a thrill seeker. He’s gone skydiving nine times, ziplining, white water rafting, and flown in an open cockpit plane while it did acrobatics in the air. His extravagant life took a turn when he suffered from a mild stroke in June of this year. Now, his daughter Susan stays by his side.

“He’s not only my dad, he’s my best buddy," she said.

While his health took a hit last month, his thirst for life is still very much alive. Susan was helping Robert with some errands, and as they were waiting for a teller at a local bank, a young man pulled up in the lane next to them in a bright orange Slingshot.

Robert’s eyes brightened.

“Look how cool that is!," he exclaimed. "I would like to get a ride in it!”

Susan’s mind started racing. She struck up a conversation with the driver, Matthew Medeiros.

“I took the chance and asked him if he would take my dad for a ride in it," she said. "He didn’t hesitate at all and said, ‘Of course!’”

Matthew took “Pumpy” for about a 10-minute ride, and when they returned, “it was like a little kid that just got off a roller coaster!” Susan said. Her dad couldn’t stop talking about how great it was and what a nice person Matthew was to do that.

Some people may have hesitated to let their elderly father take a ride with a stranger, but Susan said she felt none of that.

“I just felt a sense of trust come over me and I could just tell he was a great person just by his actions," she said.

And she wasn’t wrong. After the three conversed after the joy ride, Matthew revealed that his father passed away at a young age, so he knows how precious it is to have special memories with loved ones. Matthew added, “Isn’t it crazy how that one little good deed turned into something good? God is good.”

Susan’s posted “It's a good day to be kind," and that's the kind of heart-warming stuff we need more of during these strange times.

It’s been a rough month for Robert “Pumpy” Antil, but thanks to Matthew, Susan got a chance to see her father experience one more thrill and Robert got a chance to reunite with his adventurous spirit.