Virginia Oliver, at the ripe old age of 104, recently renewed her commercial lobster license, and she’s not leaving anytime soon. In fact, she’s getting ready for another season on the water.
This Maine woman, well-nicknamed the “Lobster Lady,” has been hauling traps and weighing claws for nine decades and is showing zero signs whatsoever that she’s going to slow down.
That is a lifetime at sea (literally).
Virginia’s connection with the lobsters did not start recently. In fact, it began nearly a hundred years ago. She went along with her father, who had a small business dealing with the lobsters, when she was just eight years old.
“I weighed out the lobsters and gas-pumps the boat,” she recalled in the 2019 mini-documentary Conversations with The Lobster Lady, whose makers are Wayne Gray and Dale Schierholt. That was just the beginning of a long career.
Flash forward to the present: Virginia still goes out with her boat, the “Virginia,” with her 81-year-old son, Maxwell. The two of them go out three times a week, from June to October.
And the job starts early, very early in fact. Virginia gets up at a quarter to five most mornings, and when it’s haul day, she’s on board till quarter to three. That’s the kind of commitment you find at big corporations or 104-year-old lobstermen.
Discipline is Strict, but in Moderation
She is active and disciplined, but she still knows how to have fun. Every one of her outings is an adventure in miniature, and dressing is essential.
“I always wear earrings to haul,” she says. “I always wear my lipstick and stuff, just like I’m going to go up the street somewhere.”
That air of routine, blended with style, proclaims that she doesn’t take life for granted but doesn’t take it seriously enough that she’d give up bling. Even when she is tossing undersized lobsters back into the sea, she does it with flashes of humor.
Between Passion and a Job
Virginia is not out there doing it five days a week like most desk jockeys. Three trips, she maintains, are enough. “I don’t need to go five. That’s a regular job, and I don’t need that.” Ask her why she keeps going, and the answer is refreshingly simple: “I like to do it.”
She measures the lobsters herself, prepares the bait bags, and inspects each haul for legal size according to Maine law, releasing the too-small ones into the sea. It is real-life, hands-on labor, and no retirement home bingo.
Breaking Barriers (and Making History)
When Virginia started some 91 years back, lobstering was a male profession. Women? Uncommon. She entered the boats, learned the trade, and stuck with it.
“No women ever went when I got started with lobstering. Now there are quite a few women,” she replied. “That was just the way I lived. I don’t care what everybody else is going to do. I do what I want to do, but I’m really independent.”
That independence, straightforward, homespun, permeates every aspect of her life. It’s someone who has watched the world evolve in ways that are unfathomable, all from the bow of a lobster boat.
Secrets of Longevity are as Simple as Water
If you’re looking for miracle pills or far‑out vitamins, toss those away. Her recipe is simple:
“You’ve gotta keep living, you gotta keep working. It’s not easy.”
And neither, incidentally, is it some hype‑induced health craze. She never smoked, doesn’t drink at all, and stays active, a regimen as minimalist as the briny sea air.
Add the lifelong practice of living close to the sea, and she’s lived on islands such as Andrews and Dix Island, and you have something that grabs the attention of researchers.
Longevity expert and field team leader Dan Buettner says that those who live close to the ocean live longer and more contented lives. Virginia is no exception.
Not a Retirement Plan, A Life Plan
TODAY.com asked if she ever plans to retire. Virginia didn’t blink:
“I’m not going to retire, I’m going to do this till I die,”
That’s not stubbornness, that’s purpose. Her return to lobstering since the reinstatement of her license isn’t some elaborate setup; it’s as inevitable as dawn on the bay.
If you are thinking that she is slowing down at 104 years old, think again. She has no hidden recipe, no elixir, only stubborn resolve, sound habits, a supportive son, and an enduring love for what she is doing.
Virginia’s life isn’t only inspiring for the age you achieve it by, but by how you achieve it. She refutes the idea that life must slow down by retirement years, or that fulfillment comes only until you are at some age.
She makes it an open challenge: discover your thing, stay active, and don’t wait until “later” for your time.
In a culture of instant gratification, youth culture, her message is simple and relevant. Aging is not a setback. It’s a fresh journey.
What We Can Learn from the Lobster Lady?
| Lesson | Why It Matters |
| Stay active | Physical labor engages your body and stimulates your mind. |
| Stick to routines | Early morning rising, orderly routines, and self-discipline support you. |
| Do what you love | And if you like it, you’re gonna keep on doing it. And that’s life-changing. |
| Dismiss the critics | If she’s able to joke about dressing up to go lobstering, she certainly does not worry about stereotypes. |
| Live near the water | It’s not a magic recipe, but the environment makes a difference for health and happiness. |
Virginia Oliver is not freak show material or a charity case. She is a beacon, steady, shining, and a model of what life well-lived is all about.
She didn’t look for publicity, but what she has is a gift: a reassurance that occasionally the best retirement planning is a boat, some lobster traps, and a quiet affection for the daily routine.
While the rising sun shines over the waves during these months, Virginia can be seen on Virginia’s deck, taking measurements and rocking fabulous earrings. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s hers. And isn’t that what a good life, and a good story, are all really about?
No Comments