TOMS RIVER – Emily Mascola, who lives on her own in Greenbriar Woodlands, celebrated her 100th birthday on June 29.
Mascola’s independence is inspiring. She is part of the Senior Center outreach program, township officials said.
Her husband, Jack Mascola passed away in January, a day before his 101st birthday. In 2018, they celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.
They were interviewed by Jersey Shore Online during that time. They were 99 and 97.
Although they had met earlier, their romance began when Jack’s sister married Emily’s uncle.
Jack was drafted during peacetime in January 1941, but served in war after Pearl Harbor. He laid mines in the Atlantic. An accident deploying the mines hospitalized him for six weeks.
Meanwhile, Emily worked for the Prudential Insurance Company.
When he got out of the service, they moved to New York, then California before returning to New Jersey.
Jack gave up his government job to start a construction company and Emily went into real estate. She ultimately wound up securing the land between Sally Ike and Herbertsville roads in Brick that became Mayo Estates, which grew to more than 200 homes. They lived in a home there, then one on River Road in Manasquan, before finally settling in Greenbriar Woodlands in Toms River about 30 years ago. They spent most of the year in New Jersey, and spent some winter months in their condominium in Florida.
They traveled extensively throughout various lands, including Egypt, China and Japan. Locally, both she and her husband served as Eucharistic Ministers at St. Luke Roman Catholic Church in Toms River.
Their two children have blessed them with grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
