Think back to the first time someone placed a grandchild in your arms. You probably remember the room, the hour, and how little that bundle weighed.
You are in good company. By AARP’s count, America has about 65 million grandparents, and on average they met their first grandchild at 50. Normand Tousignant waited a good deal longer.
He was 92.
His granddaughter, Madison, was born on September 22, 2022. Normand was 92 years and 24 days old that day. Guinness World Records now lists him as the oldest first-time grandfather in history, a record set in Matthews, North Carolina.
How Does a Man Become a Grandfather at 92?
By taking the long way around.
Normand grew up in Gardner, Massachusetts, one of 17 children in a French-Canadian family. He spent most of his working life as a clinical psychologist. That big family eventually gave him 56 nieces and nephews.
A household of his own came later. On Valentine’s Day in 1985, he got engaged to Mary Louise, who spent her whole career as a reporter and editor at The Washington Post. Five years after that, their daughter, Kerry, was born in Annandale, Virginia, just outside Washington. Normand turned 60 soon afterward.
Kerry was reminded again and again that she had an older dad, and that their time together had limits. “A consistent theme of my life has been to treasure moments with my parents,” she has said.
Normand was 86 at her wedding. Then, on Valentine’s Day in 2022, Kerry and her husband, Jeffrey, broke some news with a photo book full of pictures of their dog, Cooper. The last picture showed a baby onesie announcing that Cooper’s best friend would arrive in September.
Sound familiar? Plenty of us learned a grandchild was on the way through some small, clever surprise.
What Does Pépère Do Now?
Madison calls him Pépère, the French version of “Grandpa.”
Normand and Mary Louise have since left Virginia for Charlotte, North Carolina, to live near their daughter’s family. Their home is in a community for residents 55 and older, and Madison loves to visit. On their last trip to the pool there, she jumped into her grandfather’s arms at least 10 times.
There are playgrounds, too, and mini donuts from Pépère. Within the past year, Kerry says, he climbed up a slide. She believes the bond with Madison has put new life into her father.
How Did the Record Come About?
It started with a cousin. One of those 56 nieces and nephews sent the family a newspaper article about the man who held the title. He was an Australian who became a grandfather at 91 years and 209 days. Normand had been six months older.
The family hesitated because Normand was a private man. In the end, the chance seemed too good to pass up, and they sent in his information.
Confirmation came just before his 96th birthday this past August. They kept it secret. At the party, with cousins and in-laws on hand, Normand opened a box and got the surprise.
He and Madison wore matching record-holder T-shirts. There were balloons and cake.
Kerry hopes one more thing gets passed along: the love of reading her parents share. She and Jeffrey never skip a bedtime story.
Few of us will ever see our names in a record book. A story read aloud to the grandchild you once held for the first time is yours to give, tonight.
