Best of the Bronx: 93-year-old William Rodriguez-Doville

<p>William Rodriguez-Doville may live in a senior housing complex, but he says he does nearly everything himself &mdash; from cooking to altering his own clothes.</p>

News 12 Staff

Aug 9, 2018, 11:45 PM

Updated 2,086 days ago

Share:

William Rodriguez-Doville may live in a senior housing complex, but he says he does nearly everything himself — from cooking to altering his own clothes.
And he loves to dance salsa.
"You meet a lot of women if you're a good dancer," he says. "I was one of those guys."
He's been independent his whole life.
"My mother never took care of me," he says.
Like the time he fell out of a seventh-story window and had to have his hip removed. Since then, he's had a rod in his right leg running from his hip to his calf.
Born in Puerto Rico, he came to New York at a young age with his parents. But after the accident, they sent him back.
"I found some people there that said they were my family," he explains. 
But as he tells it, he ended up raising himself on the streets. 
He also took up baseball, and he found himself playing with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente in both San Juan and the Bronx, where he eventually returned in his 20s.
He says he hopes young people with disabilities find inspiration in his story.
"They've been playing with one leg in Major Leagues, all right? And one arm," he says. "So, baseball is the best thing. In the other sports, you can't play with one arm, one leg."


More from News 12
Mother and daughter from Mount Vernon sentenced in pandemic-relief fraud scheme

Mother and daughter from Mount Vernon sentenced in pandemic-relief fraud scheme

2:10
Late-day showers for Saturday in the Hudson Valley; chance of thunderstorm for Sunday

Late-day showers for Saturday in the Hudson Valley; chance of thunderstorm for Sunday

1:53
Officials call for no-show Orange County legislator to step down after missing meetings for two years

Officials call for no-show Orange County legislator to step down after missing meetings for two years

1:53
Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

0:34
Yonkers police: Man wanted for failing to appear in court for car break-in charges

Yonkers police: Man wanted for failing to appear in court for car break-in charges

1:57
White Plains dispensary pays it forward, spends green on legal help

White Plains dispensary pays it forward, spends green on legal help

0:49
Gov. Hochul signs $10 million literacy plan into law

Gov. Hochul signs $10 million literacy plan into law

0:28
Yonkers hip-hop legend Mary J. Blige, Pepsi team up to help women in the city

Yonkers hip-hop legend Mary J. Blige, Pepsi team up to help women in the city

0:32
Kingston man charged in barbershop stabbing

Kingston man charged in barbershop stabbing

2:13
MTA outlines new details on congestion pricing, including start date

MTA outlines new details on congestion pricing, including start date

2:04
Movie theater experience: A close look at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville

Movie theater experience: A close look at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville

1:35
 White Plains community memorializes impactful couple as part of 41st Arbor Day celebration

White Plains community memorializes impactful couple as part of 41st Arbor Day celebration

0:21
Funeral held for Westchester correction officer killed in Scarsdale motorcycle crash

Funeral held for Westchester correction officer killed in Scarsdale motorcycle crash

0:31
Police: 18-year-old Washingtonville man with autism has gone missing

Police: 18-year-old Washingtonville man with autism has gone missing

0:23
New Korean-style fried chicken restaurant opens in Mahopac

New Korean-style fried chicken restaurant opens in Mahopac

2:16
New Rochelle teacher receives birthday surprise from students, colleagues

New Rochelle teacher receives birthday surprise from students, colleagues

1:23
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Irvington during President Biden's visits to Westchester

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rally in Irvington during President Biden's visits to Westchester

0:26
Hudson Valley communities receive bronze Climate Smart Certification

Hudson Valley communities receive bronze Climate Smart Certification

0:23
Rockland County sues New York state over when elections can be held

Rockland County sues New York state over when elections can be held

0:21
Greenwood Lake Board of Trustees appoints interim mayor

Greenwood Lake Board of Trustees appoints interim mayor