LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In 1947, longtime Jeffersontown entrepreneur and World War II Navy veteran Virgil Roppel opened Roppel Radiator, a business that's still going strong now.

Even to this day, he still wears his uniform. His daughter, Maureen Roppel, said through his passion for community and his successful business, he helped build the city of Jeffersontown.

"He just always wanted to be part of this community and contribute," Maureen Roppel said. "He's just so generous and kind; he loves what he does. And he loves his family, obviously. He deserves all the pats on the back because he's a good guy.” 

A longtime Gaslight Festival attendee, Virgil was named the 55th annual festival parade's grand marshal. The festival has 14 events spanning 10 days and celebrates everything from business to tradition and people.

One thing that stands out about Virgil is his love of the community, said Deana Karem, president and CEO of the Jeffersontown Chamber. 

“I remember Virgil when I was a young girl working at a local restaurant here in J-town," Karem said. "We honor our veterans; we celebrate our historic investors and entrepreneurs, and the fact that he invested in J-town, he raised his kids in J-town, he is the type of person our J-town community is. We are J-town because of people like Virgil Roppel.”

Maureen said Virgil just had his 100th birthday and received more than 600 cards. 

“The things that people said ... that he touched their lives, he helped them do this or he (helped them) do that was amazing," Maureen said. 

Virgil said he lives for the Jeffersontown community and hopes for everyone else to make it to 100 years old.