CareOne at Moorestown celebrated two residents 100th birthdays this July.
CareOne at Moorestown recently was host to a rare celebration. The lobby was filled with music, laughter and almost every resident who calls CareOne home. The two guests of honor were all smiles as they soaked in the joyous atmosphere.
The occasion was not one but two spirited women’s 100th birthdays. For Nancy Berinson and Estelle DiCamillo, the Friday, July 6, party was an opportunity to pause and reflect on a lifetime of memories.
Jenna Timcho, director of recreation at CareOne, said one resident turning 100 is unusual at CareOne let alone two, so when they learned two residents were turning a century old in July, they wanted to do something to mark the occasion.
“Not everyone is able to reach that milestone, and when they do they can tell you so much about life in general — things that we have not been able to experience, so you can really learn a lot from them,” Timcho said.
DiCamillo was born on July 31, 1918, in the small coal mining town of Wilkes-Barre, Pa. After obtaining her business degree, she moved to Middletown, Pa., to work for Bell Telephone Company during World War II.
In 1949, she married and would later have two children, Mary Ann and Diane, and in 1967, DiCamillo and her family moved to Philadelphia where she would work at Gimbels Department Store. Her daughter, Mary Ann Kennedy, said she took great pride in the fact that she was a working woman.
“She wanted to work; she was independent,” Kennedy said. “She was able to accomplish a lot for someone born back in 1918.”
Kennedy has fond memories of her mother’s cooking. She said DiCamillo was a skilled cook, and to this day, cooking is still a hot topic of conversation for the pair. DiCamillo lived in Philadelphia until the age of 94 when Kennedy, a Medford resident, moved her mother to CareOne Moorestown to be closer to her.
Kennedy said not many people reach 100, and she thinks it was a combination of her mother’s strong personality, stamina and optimistic outlook that helped her reach this age.
Berinson was born July 4, 1918, in South Philadelphia and was one of five daughters. Her son, Howard Berinson, said family was always an important part of his mother’s life. He said she was close with her sisters, and the family enjoyed spending summers in Atlantic City and Margate.
She was married at the age of 19 and had two children, Howard and Elaine. Howard said his parents idolized each other and had a profound love for one another. Berinson always liked to be properly dressed and spent much of her time traveling with her husband.
Howard said growing up, his mother was always inspiring and encouraging to her children. He said his mother has lived a happy life and that standard for happiness poured over and into her children.
“Your parents set a standard for you,” Howard said. “I always felt the standards she set were an ideology I would conform to and set me on the proper direction in life.”
She lived in Northeast Philadelphia for almost 40 years before coming to CareOne to be closer to Howard who lives in Mount Laurel.
Berinson said looking back her proudest accomplishment is getting to watch her family grow up and grow into successful professionals.
“I had a wonderful family,” Berinson said. “All my life was beautiful.”
For both women, the party was the continuation of the shared life theme — happiness.
“I enjoyed myself at it,” DiCamillo said as her eyes glanced around the room and a beaming smile spread across her face. “It was beautiful.”
