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At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic claimed the lives of millions across the globe, one Jamaican man defied the odds.

George McLean, who recently celebrated his 100th birthday, survived contracting the deadly virus at age 97, a remarkable feat that highlights the resilience, strength, and enduring spirit that have defined his long life.

"I was born the fifth of April, 1925, 10 o'clock Sunday morning," said the Mount Airy, Clarendon, native, reflecting on his birth with characteristic humour and striking clarity.

Despite his age, George remains in good health. "I feel no pain, I'm feeling good," he told THE STAR, exuding a vitality rarely seen in someone his age. "I feel good, I feel good. My family is very large mother's side and father's side and I'm the first one to see this age."

But perhaps the most astounding chapter in McLean's life came during the height of the pandemic. His family feared the worst when he contracted COVID-19. His daughter, Wendy McLean, recounted the harrowing experience.

"During the COVID period, my father was not well and we were all worried what was gonna happen," she said. "My sister was over here taking care of him and she had COVID too so she couldn't even look after him." McLean was placed on oxygen and received IV drips daily.

"That was a very challenging time," Wendy added. "He had a very tough time." But McLean pulled through.

"There are very few survivors of COVID at 97. In fact, people much younger than that did not survive," he remarked solemnly. McLean's life journey spans not just decades, but countries. He spent nearly two decades working at Ford Motor Company in England - a job he remembers with pride.

"I built motor cars and drove them," he recalled. "It was a good experience I set up all the engines and all that. I wasn't an engineer; I was a cultivator. I worked there for about 18 years."

After spending 50 years in England, he returned to his roots in Clarendon. His time in England was also marked by love. It was there that he met his late wife, through a mutual friend. The two migrated to the UK aboard the Begona ship in 1957, chasing better opportunities. She passed away in 2021, but his memory of her remains vivid.

"She was very beautiful," he said. "We never had anything and we worked hard together. She was an entrepreneur, she was a seamstress, she used to bake, make wine, wedding dresses, looked after children... . She was very community-driven. I miss her so much."

The couple built a life rooted in love, family, and faith. McLean helped raise her three children as his own and together they created a blended family that he holds dear. Today, he is a proud father and stepfather to seven children, a grandfather to 11, and a great-grandfather to 12. He continues to savour life's simple pleasures with the same enthusiasm that has carried him for a century. Each morning begins with a hearty serving of boiled eggs, a routine he rarely strays from. When it comes to meals, McLean is all about traditional Jamaican fare.

"I love potato, yam, cocoa yam, breadfruit, corn... and I love my flour dumpling,'" he said joyously. For McLean, these dishes are more than just food, they're comforting reminders of home, heritage, and the many mornings and meals shared with loved ones over the years. McLean is also a fierce competitor in dominoes.

"I'm a dominoes champion, beating all my children in dominoes," he boasted.

Despite the years, McLean's memory remains sharp and his humour intact, and he credits his longevity to a higher power.

"The great God of heaven put me here and kept me till now," he said, noting that his faith is a constant anchor throughout his life.

"I feel so overjoyed and I'm so proud of him," Wendy added, reflecting on the man who has become a pillar of strength and inspiration for generations.