Senior citizen ex-boyfriend

His age is irrelevant to your question, so I'm not sure why you brought it up in your title and in your story.

Correct me on anything I misunderstood, but this is what I'm getting from you:

He has been writing you for a year?
And you implied to us that you might be writing back to him now and then, but just not "properly".

He's been trying to get some answers from you, to see if you're still interested in him, but you've been holding back or have been vague in your responses?

He's single and you are too?

He's called you a few times and you did talk to him, but you didn't feel comfortable talking to him because you felt you were leading him on, so instead of being straight with him about it, you stopped taking his calls?

You haven't told him that you will never be interested in a relationship with him in the future?

If I'm on the right track here interpreting what's been happening between you two, then I'd say that you must have had a great relationship with him in the past. That he remembers it well and wishes that the two of you could pick up where you left off. He thought you might be interested too, at first, because you were initially receptive to him, even if it was only in a friendly way.

Then you backed off, without an explanation. He was confused and maybe even hurt by it. He wants to understand why you are ignoring him now because maybe he believes he has a good reason why he feels you should be together. You haven't told him that you never want to be with him in a way that he will understand you are serious.

Look, the adult thing to do here is to tell him that you appreciated and cherish your relationship with him in the past, but as far as a romantic future with him is concerned, it's just never going to happen. Yes, this will hurt him, but it is the right thing to do and the only way you can save his dignity.

Good luck. :)

It is much kinder to cut the fishs head off than to leave him suffocating in a bucket., but there's more blood.

How did you end it? Did you guys break up and boom, never talk again or was it slowly? Did you randomly cut him off? Seems like he either needs legit closure, wants to just see how you're doing or wants to keep you as a friend. You should send something back and go from there. You don't have to do anything else, just send something back, anything.

I know you don't want to cut him off completely but you may have to consider that as an option.

He doesn't seem interested in what YOU want period... he sounds like he only cares about what HE wants.

not to mention he sounds like he's turning into a stalker

No and Yes. If you don't want to enter into the relationship tell him and end it. If you want to enter into a relationship tell him and move on with your life. If you have doubts end the relationship now, move onto other things in your life. Life is way to short to contemplate things for forever! Best of luck!!