Ted DiNunzio, 102-year-old greeter at Arcadia Nordstrom, dies

ARCADIA, Calif. (KABC) -- Ted DiNunzio, a 102-year-old greeter at the Nordstrom in Arcadia, has died.

Though his full name was Tullio Ted DiNunzio, everyone who entered the Nordstrom in Arcadia knew him simply as Ted.

For more than 15 years, Ted greeted guests and made them feel at home while visiting the store.

A retired meat cutter, he stumbled upon the job after a manager saw him walking around the store frequently talking to customers and employees.

"I would come here every day to kill time," Ted told ABC7 during a 2013 interview. "And then finally one of the managers said, 'I created a job. Would you like to work here?'"

Ted, who worked on Fridays and Saturdays, was the only greeter at any Nordstrom location and was their oldest employee.

"It's very nice," Ted said. "All the people who come in know me and give me a hug."

Besides eating his vegetables and the occasional steak, Ted had a simple suggestion for living a long and happy life.

"I smile at everybody. I say hello to everybody, even when I'm walking outside," he said. "You have to be nice to everybody and smile all the time."