STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Turning 100 is magical, but when you exceed that number, well — you are really extra special and breaking records.
The family of Lena Vallone Barone just couldn’t wait to shout the news from the rooftops!
Lena is 108!
Lena Vallone Barone
And according to granddaughter Chris Orlando and her research, her grandmother is the 544th oldest person in the United States — out of 332 million people. There are 355 people who are 108.
A LITTLE ABOUT LENA
As of Jan. 24, this super centenarian — who still says age is just a number — turned 108.
The “birthday girl” continues to look toward having her hair coiffed and nails manicured every week — and she still enjoys a good game of cards.
This Willowbrook resident will tell you she adores her Italian family’s tradition of gathering together each Sunday with their freshly made sauce — or gravy, as some say — over pasta, sausage and meatballs, plus all the trimmings.
THE EARLY DAYS
Born in Manhattan, Lena lived most of her adult life in Brooklyn.
She married Angelo Barone in 1935 and together the couple became the parents of Tina Barone and RoseMary Barone Noll.
Always a housewife who thoroughly enjoyed sprucing up a house so that it became a home, Lena was her happiest entertaining and sewing and cooking for family members and friends.
Lena and Angelo celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1985.
But a few months later, Angelo died. It was then she opted to split her time between her Brooklyn residence and her daughter’s home in Willowbrook. In 2007 she relocated to Staten Island.
KINFOLK
Lena is grandmother to Christine Orlando and spouse Nicholas Orlando, Richard Noll, Stephen Noll and spouse Annette Noll.
She also is the great-grandmother of seven, Brittany Orlando-Ismail and spouse Amir Ismail, Nicholas Orlando, Matthew Noll, Joshua Noll, Brianna Noll, Zachary Noll and Sabrina Noll.
And when her granddaughter Christine Orlando, asks her grandmother why she thinks she lived so long, Lena simply shrugs her shoulders and says, “I think God forgot about me.”
Happy 108th birthday, Lena!