In celebration of Older Americans Month, the Dutchess County Office for the Aging awarded several County residents “Senior Citizen of the Year” honors at today’s annual Celebration of Aging at the Villa Borghese in Wappingers Falls. Some 300 Dutchess County residents attended the event.
The Office for the Aging hosts the Celebration of Aging each year to recognize the outstanding contributions senior citizens make to Dutchess County. Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro presented Senior Citizen of the Year awards to Evelyn O’Brien of Red Hook and Irvin Miller, Ph.D. of Poughkeepsie, as well as the Senior Citizen Couple of the Year award to Dr. William Aierstok and Nancy Aierstok of Red Hook. Muriel Horowitz, of Poughkeepsie, received the Senior Achievement Award.
County Executive Molinaro said, “Dutchess County is truly blessed to have so many seniors who contribute to our community. Whether they volunteer at their local library, lead their fellow seniors in a fitness class or pass on the oral history of Dutchess County to younger generations, our seniors deserve to be honored for all the ways they enrich our county. For years, the Dutchess County Office for the Aging has held this Celebration of Aging as a way of publicly thanking our seniors, and I’m proud of the work our Office for the Aging does every day to enhance the lives of these residents who give so much and mean so much.”
Eight Dutchess County couples were honored for 70 or more years of marriage, and 12 residents between the ages of 100 and 112 were also honored.
County Executive Molinaro also recognized Vera Van Wagner, who will turn 112 on Monday, May 23. She is Dutchess County’s very first “Supercentenarian,” having lived past her 110th birthday, as well as the oldest living resident of New York State, the ninth-oldest living resident of the U.S. and 46th-oldest living person worldwide.
DUTCHESS COUNTY COUPLES MARRIED 70+ YEARS
Louise & Otto Tatar / Rhinebeck – 70 years (in July)
May & Andrew Ambrosio / Red Hook – 71
Dorothy & Tom Schiesel /Wappingers Falls – 70
Anna & Andrew Fishburn / Poughkeepsie – 73
Evelyn & Norman Myers / Poughkeepsie – 74
Lossie & Sam Lee / Fishkill - 76
DUTCHESS COUNTY CENTENARIANS
Mary Summa / Dover – 100
Alfred Dyer / Poughkeepsie – 100
Connie Caccoma / Poughkeepsie – 101
Dorothy Peters / Rhinebeck – 101
John Freni / Poughkeepsie – 102
Hulda Sellingsloh / Poughkeepsie – 103
Daniel Lichtenberg / Poughkeepsie – 103
Louise Carione / Wappingers Falls – 104
Mary Autera / Poughkeepsie – 105
Harold Goldstein – Fishkill – 107
Vera Van Wagner – Rhinebeck – 112 on May 24