American man is “revitalized” after becoming the oldest first-time grandfather at age 92

Nearly four decades after Normand Tousignant (USA, b. 29 August 1930) and his wife Mary Louise welcomed their daughter, Kerry, into the world, the delighted father has claimed a new Guinness World Records title as the oldest first-time grandfather in history. 

Unveiling the award during his 96th birthday party this August, the nonagenarian’s face broke into a genuine grin upon seeing the certificate in its box, pulling apart the paper alongside his granddaughter Madison. 

With the pair sporting matching record-holder T-shirts, his daughter Kerry said their sweet relationship has “revitalized” his life, and prompted her parents to relocate even closer to their growing family. 

At the incredible age of 92 years and 24 days old, Normand first met the only child of his only child – Madison – after she was born on 22 September 2022. 

He was six months older than the previous record holder at the time, Charles Smith (Australia, b. 1 February 1934), who greeted his granddaughter Ilsa at the age of 91 years 209 days.

Describing his reaction to her pregnancy as “ecstatic, emotional, and proud,” his daughter Kerry remarked that Normand was still “wholly surprised” to receive the formal recognition, making the day a joyous and unforgettable occasion.

“A consistent theme of my life has been to treasure moments with my parents,” Kerry reminisced. “My dad being an older father, I was frequently reminded (both explicitly and implicitly) that we might not have extended time together. 

“At my wedding, I cried off my makeup within the first 10 minutes when the momentousness of my dad's presence – he was then 86 – hit me. At the time, it was the greatest day of my life. 

“Now, it shares that honour with the day Madison was born and the day my dad learned about his record!”

Normand grew up in Gardner, Massachusetts, as one of 17 children born to two parents from a large French-Canadian Catholic family. His dear brother sadly departed last year, leaving him as the only living sibling, yet he remains connected to his roots via 56 nieces and nephews.

Passionate about religion, reading, making puzzles, and his family, the nonagenarian enjoys attending concerts and visiting museum exhibits, having spent most of his career as a clinical psychologist. He shares a love of reading (and a Canadian background) with his wife, Mary Louise – though she grew up in Los Angeles, California alongside two older brothers. 

Mary Louise worked her entire life at The Washington Post as a reporter and editor, and the pair got engaged on Valentine’s Day 1985, welcoming baby Kerry five years later in the D.C. suburb of Annandale, Virginia. 

Normand turned 60 and Mary Louise turned 40 shortly after her birth, yet Kerry still has a life full of fond memories with her parents.

Her father had retired when she entered Kindergarten, and she remarked that Normand was a stay-at-home parent when it was unusual for men, often being the only male volunteer/chaperone in her classes. 

Nevertheless, she shares many great memories with her father during this period, including when they would visit local fairs and festivals to win prizes at the “Guess your Age” booth. 

“Thanks to my youthful-looking father… the attendants always guessed 15-20 years younger than Dad’s actual age,” she said. “We haven't tried it in decades, but I think he'd still have a good chance of fooling someone!”

Read more stories about record-breaking seniors in our dedicated Human Body section!

Keeping with the loving family nature of the holiday, Kerry and her husband Jeffrey announced their pregnancy to the Tousignants on Valentine’s Day 2022, with a photo book filled with pictures of their dog, Cooper. 

For years, the couple had treated their dog like a baby – so Normand and Mary Louise were overjoyed once they flipped to the last picture of a onesie that read “Cooper’s Best Friend: Arriving September 2022.”

The pregnancy flew by quickly, and on 22 September the family was elated to meet Madison for the first time, with Normand gently taking her into his arms as a proud “Pépère” (the informal French word for “grandfather”).

And though he is hard of hearing, over the years he has bonded with the child through play – pretending to take her French fries, chasing her around playgrounds (“He literally climbed up a slide just this past year,” said Kerry), and giving her mini donuts. 

The whole family now happily lives nearby – with Normand and Mary Louise relocating from Virginia to Charlotte, North Carolina to be closer to their loved ones – and Madison loves visiting her grandparents at their local 55+ living facility.

The sweet girl especially adores the community pool, and last time they went she jumped into Normand’s arms at least 10 times, making a huge splash with each one.

For a while, the family was content with the special relationship that Normand and Madison shared – however, when Kerry’s cousin (yes, one of the 56!) reached out with a newspaper article about the prior oldest first-time grandfather, they said it sounded like “too fun of an opportunity to miss.”

“My dad is quite private, so we debated applying for the record,” Kerry explained. 

Even so, the thought wouldn’t leave her mind… and eventually, they submitted their information for the title, luckily receiving the record-breaking news right before Normand’s 96th birthday. 

It was difficult for them to stay confidential about the surprise, but seeing his face when he opened the box was well-worth all the secrecy. 

“My daughter – and three-and-a-half years old – was less cognizant of the honour, but liked that she and her Pépère had matching shirts, balloons, and birthday cake,” said Kerry.

The family also appreciated all the cousins and in-laws that showed up for the momentous occasion, who each helped Normand feel extra-special on his big day.

And in the future, Kerry is confident that Normand will continue to spend time with his kind-hearted granddaughter – particularly by passing down a generational love of reading. She says that this passion is the “greatest gift” in her family (besides the Guinness World Records title, of course), and she and her husband always read stories to Madison before bed.

That said, we’re sure that it’s hard to beat the story of her record-breaking Pépère.

So congratulations to this incredible family – you are Officially Amazing!