BRICK – Brick resident Marie Savignano celebrated her 104th birthday alongside staff and fellow residents at Willow Springs Rehabilitation & Healthcare Center.
Everyone wore hats and colorful boas during the festivities, while the Mayor presented a Proclamation naming her birthday “Marie Savignano Day.”
“Everyone that meets Marie instantly falls in love with her; we affectionately call her our ‘eighth wonder of the world!’” said Willow Springs’ Bianca Sutlovich, director of activities. “Marie lives each day to the fullest, joining in all of our activities and spending time with friends. She’s the first one up and the last one to go to sleep.”
Savignano was born on January 7, 1918, right when WWI ended. At 13 years old, her mother passed away and she went to live at her grandmother’s house along with helping to raise her sister. She got a job at age 14 to help with family finances and held many jobs through the years.
For a period of time, Savignano worked at a chic store on NYC’s Madison Avenue, modeling hats. She stated how the 1930s and ‘40s were some of her favorite decades, as she was recently married.
In the past, Savignano loved to dance and spend time with friends. Cooking and baking, particularly her specialty sour cream cake, was a favorite hobby of hers. Savignano’s son Joseph shares in her love of cooking, often bringing over homemade meals to enjoy with her.
