Masonicare Health Center Recognizes Centenarian Residents With Annual Celebration

(Wallingford, CT) On Friday, February 20, Masonicare Health Center rolled out the red carpet for ten extraordinary women during its annual Centenarian Celebration.

This year’s theme, “Red, White, and Blue Has Nothing on You,” tipped its hat to America’s 250th anniversary while honoring women whose lives have spanned wars, cultural revolutions, moon landings, and the digital age. The room was filled with family members, Masonicare senior leadership, and team members from across the continuum, all gathered to celebrate milestones few ever reach.

The celebration was emceed by Beverly Bryda, Director of Social Services, who brought the decades to life with highlights from 1926 to today, reminding everyone just how much history these women have lived, shaped, and witnessed firsthand.

And what a group they are:

Three share the same first name, Jean.
Two are 99 and will turn 100 this year.
Three are 100.
Two are 101.
Two are 102.
And the eldest is an incredible 105 years young.

Notably, both 101-year-olds serve as representatives on the Resident Council, actively participating in monthly meetings and advocating for their peers, a powerful reminder that leadership has no age limit.

To put their longevity in perspective, just over 100,000 Americans, about 0.03% of the U.S. population, reach 100 years or older. While genetics account for roughly 30–40% of longevity, the majority is attributed to lifestyle, including movement, nutrition, and meaningful social connection. In other words, community matters, and that spirit of connection was on full display.

Each honoree received a handmade quilt crafted and donated by the Apple Valley Quilt Guild of Southington, CT, along with commemorative picture frames generously provided by The Masonic Charity Foundation of Connecticut, tokens of warmth and gratitude for lives that continue to inspire.

At Masonicare, the Centenarian Celebration isn’t just about age. It’s about honoring stories, celebrating courage, and recognizing that a life, well-lived, never goes out of style.

About Masonicare

Headquartered in Connecticut and founded in 1898, Masonicare is the state’s only not-for-profit, fully integrated senior care continuum, guided by a longstanding, mission-driven commitment to enhancing quality of life for older adults. Masonicare offers vibrant residential communities and a comprehensive range of health and wellness services designed to promote independence, longevity, and purposeful living.

Its statewide continuum includes independent living, assisted living services, skilled nursing, medical and non-medical home health, hospice, adaptive memory care, acute inpatient and outpatient senior behavioral health, outpatient rehabilitation, and audiology services, redefining how aging is experienced by advancing proactive wellness, integrated care, and meaningful connection at every stage of life.